Zephyrhills accepts $850,000 DEP grant and approves purchase of flooded property to expand 9th Avenue stormwater pond

The Zephyrhills City Council approved an $850,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to redesign and reconstruct the stormwater pond near 9th Avenue to reduce recurring neighborhood flooding. Staff said the project will purchase adjacent land and reconstruct the existing 8.7‑acre pond to improve conveyance and storage.

Staff explained that part of the project budget will be used to acquire 39165 9th Avenue, a property that flooded during Hurricane Milton. The agreed purchase price presented to council was $345,000; staff provided three appraisals ranging from $315,000 to $350,000. Council authorized the acquisition and directed the city manager to execute purchase documents. Construction funding and design activities were described as funded through the DEP grant; council previously budgeted an additional $150,000 contingency anticipating match or overages, giving the project a roughly $1 million total project budgeted capacity.

Public works staff told council a design contract for Kimley‑Horn was already in place (about $49,000) and that the remaining grant funds will be used for construction. Council members said the purchase and pond reconstruction are a priority for reducing repeated flood damage in the neighborhood and commended staff for securing state funding and moving quickly on design work.

The council voted unanimously to accept the DEP grant and to purchase the property; staff will proceed with design and grant reimbursement procedures before moving forward with construction.