Winter Springs details 14 stormwater projects, seeks master plan and grants ahead of hurricane season

Winter Springs — The City of Winter Springs held a detailed briefing on Aug. 11 on 14 stormwater projects the city and its consultants have advanced since Hurricane Ian and more recently Hurricane Milton, a presentation that included project timelines, grant funding updates and steps toward a citywide stormwater master plan.

The briefing, delivered by David Hamstra, stormwater consultant with Pegasus Engineering, and introduced by Clete Saunier, the city’s director of public works and utilities, covered recently completed work, ongoing construction and state and federal grants the city has pursued to pay for repairs and mitigation. "Our goal obviously is not to start construction in the summer," Hamstra said, describing plans to advertise bids this fall for a major repair and to take advantage of the dry season.

The items discussed matter because Winter Springs continues to recover from repeated hurricane damage and officials say sustained investment will be required to reduce flood risk to neighborhoods, public facilities and utilities.

Hamstra said the city will focus this year on projects tied to Hurricane Ian and follow-up funding from NRCS after Hurricane Milton. A top near-term project is at Tuscula Crossings, where an August 31 structural failure two years ago emptied a retention pond into nearby wetlands and Lake Jessup. Hamstra said the current engineer's estimate for full repairs is "just a tad above $2,000,000." Pegasus has secured required permits from the St. Johns River Water Management District and expects to advertise for construction bids within weeks, with construction slated to begin in October or November and to take about nine months if weather allows.

Other completed or near-complete work Hamstra outlined includes a $750,000 bank stabilization and sheet‑pile wall at Gee Creek and Moss Park, multiple culvert and sediment removals identified after Ian, and localized drainage fixes such as a recent East Tradewinds swale installation. Hamstra said NRCS-funded debris removal tied to Milton is under way and that the city was able to add additional ponds and outfalls to sediment‑removal plans after coming in under budget on an earlier round of work.

Hamstra and Saunier also summarized three Hurricane Ian projects that are approved at the state level and awaiting FEMA execution: acquisition of one home, elevation work on three houses and flood‑proofing…