Dean Street stormwater project set to move to construction; home buyouts highlighted

Bonita Springs staff told council the Dean Street infrastructure project, funded primarily through a HUD grant awarded after Hurricane Ian, is ready to move to construction.

Matt said the Dean Street package is an $11 million HUD grant with an additional $750,000 from the state; the project is fully designed, permitted and has been bid. "It will be on your next city council agenda for award, and we expect construction probably to start sometime right after January," he said. The project includes new drainage pipes in neighborhoods and two stormwater ponds (one along river frontage and another near Dean Street and Imperial Parkway) and is intended to reduce frequent, smaller flooding events through backflow prevention and additional conveyance.

Staff also reviewed the city's home buyout work. Matt said the city spent $5,000,000 of CDBG funds from Hurricane Irma and matched $2,000,000 with city dollars; an additional $4,100,000 (HMGP) with a required match was noted. He explained program limitations: CDBG purchases allowed the city to replace a household purchaser dynamically if someone changed their mind, whereas HMGP (FEMA) funds required identifying all interested participants up front and are not recoverable if a homeowner later sells and withdraws interest.

Matt cautioned that infrastructure work will not protect neighborhoods from a 100-year storm or hurricane-scale surge; full protection would require levees or flood walls, an option he said would be far more complex and costly. He urged continued outreach and voluntary participation for buyouts when opportunities arise and noted staff have undertaken door-to-door outreach and bilingual workshops.