Final Notice and Public Explanation of a Proposed Activity in a Floodplain

Final Notice and Public Explanation of a Proposed Activity in a Floodplain To: All interested Agencies, Groups, and Individuals: This is to give notice that the HUD under Part 50 has conducted an evaluation as required by Executive Order 11988 and 13690, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection. The activity is funded under Section 221(d)(4) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Multifamily Housing. The Subject Property is located at the corner of Northwest 51st Street and Northwest 39th Place, Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida. The Subject Property includes two irregular-shaped parcels, identified by the Alachua County Assessor's Office as: 06061-001-000 and 06061-003-000, totaling approximately 8.7 acres. The Subject Property primarily consists of undeveloped, wooded land, with no existing structures or other improvements. The Subject Property is currently unoccupied and planned for multi-family residential development to be known as Magnolia Parke, including four apartment buildings, a clubhouse, and a maintenance shop. Portions of the Subject Property are impacted by on-site Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) Zone A 100-year and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) floodplains. There are no identified wetland areas located within the boundaries of the Subject Property. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Map, Community Map Panel # 12001C0284E, dated November 2, 2018, the Flood Zone Determination for the eastern portion Subject Property appears to be Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) Zone A, designated as an area within the 100-year flood zone. The Flood Zone Determination for the western portion of the Subject Property appears to be Zone X, defined as an area outside the 100-year and 500-year floodplains. According to the Freeboard Value Approach (FVA) for determining the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) floodplain, the FFRMS floodplain elevation at the Subject Property is 169.1 feet, 2-feet above the 100-year flood zone base flood elevation (bfe) of 167.1 feet. The existing elevations at the Subject Property range from approximately 161 to approximately 171 feet. Therefore, the Subject Property is currently located within the FFRMS floodplain. The Subject Property is planned for new construction within the SFHA 100-year and FFRMS floodplains; however, all proposed structures will be elevated above the bfe and FFRMS floodplain elevations. Proposed features located within the SFHA Zone A 100-year floodplain include the clubhouse, a driveway, a parking lot, and a dog park. The planned finished floor elevations (FFEs) are at 171.00 feet for all four proposed residential buildings, at 169.23 feet for the proposed clubhouse building, and at 169.50 feet for the proposed maintenance shop, above the apparent SFHA bfe (167.1 feet) and FFRMS floodplain elevations (169.1 feet). Additionally, the City of ¬ and the ¬SJRWMD require the proposed buildings to be constructed at elevations a minimum of one foot above the stormwater retention pond. According to the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) map, a Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland is depicted on the eastern portion of the Subject Property. According to a Technical Staff Report, issued by the St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and dated July 22, 1997, a wetlands assessment was conducted on a larger 77-acre area which included the Subject Property and identified ten wetland areas. Wetlands Mitigation and Master Drainage Plans were prepared for the larger development site. None of the identified wetlands areas, as they exist today, are located within the boundaries of the Subject Property; however, it is noted that one wetland area is located off-site and adjacent to the northern Subject Property boundary. According to a Natural Resource Assessment, prepared by Kimley Horn & Associates Inc. and dated January 2023, a wetlands evaluation was conducted and ''no wetlands or surface waters were observed within the project area during field reconnaissance. A forested wetland exists offsite and directly adjacent to the northeastern portion of the project area; a jurisdictional boundary was established for this wetland as part of a 2007 Planned Development (PD) site plan approved by the City of Gainesville. The boundary of this wetland area, was assessed during site reconnaissance and appears consistent with the jurisdictional boundary approved by the city in 2007.'' No development activities are planned for the wetland or associated buffer areas. There are no identified wetland areas located within the boundaries of the Subject Property. HUD has considered the following alternatives and mitigation measures to be taken to minimize adverse impacts and to restore and preserve natural and beneficial values: As planned, the Project will include the new construction of a multi-family residential development, including four apartment buildings, a clubhouse, and a maintenance shop, within the SFHA and FFRMS floodplains. Relocation is not a practicable alternative for the proposed development based on planned development at the existing site and finding a new site outside of a floodplain is time and cost prohibitive. No action is not a practicable alternative as it does not allow HUD to fulfill its program goals and may hinder the development of a project necessary to meet the communities housing. This project will serve to provide affordable housing to the existing community. Overall, the project was designed in such a way as to minimize impacts to the floodplain and wetland area to the greatest extent practicable while still achieving the project purpose. The project was designed to avoid impacts to the adjacent wetland and buffer areas as no development activities are planned for the wetland and/or associated buffer areas. The highest priority of this review is to prevent the loss of life; as such, all proposed buildings will be elevated above the SFHA and FFRMS floodplain elevations. Following completion of construction activities, the Subject Property will obtain flood insurance for the clubhouse building, which will be constructed within the mapped SFHA, at an elevation above the BFE. Indirect impacts to the floodplain areas will be offset by proper erosion control and stormwater management practices during and after construction activities. Water storage and water quality will be protected via stormwater management. The proposed project will adhere to an existing Wetlands Mitigation and Master Drainage Plans previously prepared for the larger development site. HUD has reevaluated the alternatives to support building in the floodplain and has determined that it has no practicable alternative. Environmental files that document compliance with steps 3 through 6 of Executive Order 11988, are available for public inspection, review and copying upon request at the times and location delineated in the last paragraph of this notice for receipt of comments. There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in floodplain and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about floodplain can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in floodplain, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk. Written comments must be received by HUD at the following address on or before October 16, 2025: HUD, 400 W Bay Street, Suite 1015, Jacksonville, Florida 32202, Attention: Mark Malec, Branch Chief, Technical Team. Mark Malec's direct phone number is (904) 208-6054 and email is Mark.E.Malec@hud.gov. A full description of the project may also be reviewed from 8am to 5pm at the same address as above. Comments may also be submitted via email at southeast.production@hud.gov. Jonathan Mosley, acting in his capacity as Production Division Director of the HUD Multifamily Southeast Regional Center, is the HUD Approving Official. October 8 2025 LSAR0382484