FMA Grant Program

JOINT FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL

PUBLIC NOTICE

(4/28/2025)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management have received the following application for Federal grant funding.  Final notice is hereby given of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) consideration to provide funding in the form of a Flood Mitigation Assistance Program Grant.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority or low-income populations. 

Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions. 

Applicant:

City of St Augustine

Project Title:2

City of St. Augustine FMA 2022 Elevations Application 1 and Application 2

Location of Proposed Work:

Various streets amongst the city of St. Augustine Florida. Applicable to all homeowners who are included in the grant application and can potentially receive grant funding to mitigate. Potential properties include: 

Application 1:
 18 Solano Ave.
 25 Solano Ave.
 56 Park Place
 82 Coquina Ave.
 84 Coquina Ave.
 101 Ferdinand Ave.
 103 Duero St.
 156 Twine St.
 164 Oneida St.
 175 Cordova St.
 467 Arricola Ave.

Application 2:

7 San Salvador
 149.5 Washington St
 144 Washington St.
 22 Beacon Street
 165 Twine St.
 177 Cordova St
 404 Flagler Blvd
 11 Palm Row
 29 Oak St.
 67 Park Place
 139 Menendez Rd.
 33 Beacon St
 159 Cordova St
 8 Milton St.
 47 Menendez Rd
 149 Washington St
 409 Andreas St.
 149 Menendez Rd
 56 Fullerwood Dr
 19 Joiner St.
 322 St. George St. 
 68 N. St Augustine
 454 Arricola Ave.
 204 Carver St. West (Taylor)
 204 Coquina Ave.
 204 Herada St
 100 Arpieka Ave.
 31 Solano Ave.
 208 N Matanzas Blvd.
 19 Solano Ave.
 29 Miruela Ave
 29 Montrano Ave
 35 Miruela Ave.
 49 Menendez Rd
 19 Beacon St
 56 Menendez Rd
 209 Carver St. West
 112 Zoratoa Ave
 312 Flagler Blvd.
 144 Menendez Rd.
 2 Solano Ave.
 416 Arredondo Ave
 16 Avista Circle
 27 Oak St.
 27 Dolphin Dr.
 23 Solano Ave

Proposed Work and Purpose:

Elevation of properties will commence if grant funding is approved and awarded. Properties will be elevated 2 feet above the Base Flood Elevation or prior flood of record. Lifting of properties will be conducted to reduce overall flood loss and flood. Claims to insurance provider. Property owners must have NFIP flood insurance and maintain flood insurance on the property in perpetuity. 

Project Alternatives:

In deciding on this course of action, St. Augustine examined several alternative project types and determined elevating the structures to be the best option. The following alternatives to mitigate these properties were considered: 1. Acquisition/Relocation was considered as an alternative but was not deemed the most feasible method as this activity would result in considerable maintenance costs and loss of tax base. 2. No action. If no action is taken to mitigate at-risk properties, the structures will continue to flood and there would be no benefit realized by the homeowner, the City, or the National Flood Insurance Program, making this not a viable option. 3. Elevation is considered a viable alternative type because of the degree of risk reduction versus project cost. The project eliminates most of the flood risk to the homes, allows homeowners to remain in their neighborhoods and preserves the tax base for the community while significantly reducing the various other negative effects of repetitive flooding. 4. Reconstruction is considered a viable alternative type when elevation is considered infeasible because of the degree of risk reduction versus project cost. The project eliminates most of the flood risk to the homes, allows homeowners to remain in their neighborhoods and preserves the tax base for the community while significantly reducing the various other negative effects of repetitive flooding.

Comment Period:

Comments are solicited from the public; local, state or federal agencies; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project.  The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Bureau of Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100.  These are due within 30 days of this notice (5/28/2025).   The State will forward comments to applicable regulatory agencies as needed.  Interested persons may submit comments, obtain more detailed information about the proposed action, or request a copy of the findings by contacting: 

Local Contact/Title: Richard Schauland/ Building Official                                                                   (904) (209-4327)

Agency:   City of St Augustine Florida                                                                                    rschauland@citystaug.com

Grant Coordination: Andy Daray/ Grant Coordinator                                                                                  225-698-1600
adaray@qesla.com

Kayla Born, State Lead Environmental Specialist                                                                                        (850) 815-4582

Florida Division of Emergency Management                                                                   Kayla.Born@em.myflorida.com

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PUBLIC NOTICE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received a subgrant application for the City of St. Augustine. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 and 44 CFR Part 9.12, notice is hereby given of FEMA’s intent to provide funding for this project under the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. - Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 requires FEMA to consider alternatives - and provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

This notice serves as a project‐specific notice for FEMA’s funding action located within a Special Flood Hazard Area. FEMA has determined the only practicable alternative is to fund the proposed elevation of structure(s). Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions. This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

Responsible Entity:   FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)

Applicant: City of St. Augustine 

Project Title(s): City of St. Augustine FMA 2023 Elevations

Location of Proposed Work and Floodplain Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panels:

FIRM Panel effective date: 12/7/2018. Site(s) are located within a Zone AE mapped floodplain. Site(s) are located within or adjacent to wetlands. [https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/Mapper.html]

Proposed Work and Purpose: The proposed work consists of elevating 10 flood prone residential properties to prevent future flood damage. The project shall be designed and constructed in compliance Florida Building Code, ASCE 24-14 or latest edition, the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards (FFRMS), NFIP standards in 44 CFR, Part 60 and/or local floodplain ordinances or any other applicable local regulations.

Project Alternatives: 

1. Relocating structures out of the floodplain – Relocating the properties out of the floodplain is not cost effective. Additionally, there are limited areas within the City that are outside of the floodplain. 
2. No action alternative – This alternative is not feasible as the residential properties have experienced severe repetitive loss resulting in substantive damages. Additionally, due to the amount of flooding around the properties, first responders are hindered to access the properties without a swift water rescue team resulting a concern for life safety.

Comments: This will serve as both the initial and final public notice regarding the above‐described action funded by the FEMA FMA program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA.R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing or email with the subject line “ EMA-2023-FM-004-0001” at the above addresses within 30 days of the date of this notice.

THIS NOTICE MAY BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW ON THE 30^th DAY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF POSTING

NOTICE WAS POSTED  3^rd DAY OF  March  2025

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