Final Notice and Public Explanation of a Proposed Activity in a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Designated Floodplain and Wetland

Final Notice and Public Explanation of a Proposed Activity in a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Designated Floodplain and Wetland To: All interested Agencies including all Federal, State, and Local, Groups and Individuals This is to give notice that HUD under 24 CFR Part 50 has determined that the following proposed action is located in a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) floodplain and contains wetlands. HUD will be identifying and evaluating practicable alternatives to this development located in the FFRMS floodplain and containing wetlands and the potential impacts on the floodplain and wetlands, as required by Executive Order 11988, as amended by Executive Order 13690, and Executive Order 11990, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection. HUD is considering providing financial assistance for the proposed action under the HUD MAP 221 (d)(4) Program. The proposed project, to be known as the Towne Park Apartment Homes, FHA #054-35950, is located at US 25 and Bracken Road in Piedmont, Greenville County, South Carolina 29673 (subject property). The FHA collateral is located on Greenville County Tax Map No. 0407000101100 at Latitude, 34.749773 and Longitude, 82.393194 and consists of approximately 21.287 acres of undeveloped wooded land. A cemetery is located on the northwestern portion of the subject property. In addition, an intermittent tributary of Grove Creek and associated wetland areas transect the central portion of the subject property from east to west. HUD is considering providing financial assistance for the project under the HUD MAP 221(d)(4) Program, consisting of the new construction of nine (9) three-story multi-family apartment structures containing 216 residential dwelling units. The development will also include a clubhouse building, six (6) standalone garage buildings, a pool, a dog park, and playground area. It should additionally be noted that the eastern and southern adjacent tracts of land associated with off-collateral ingress/egress, grading, and utility connections, and the western adjacent tract of land associated with an off-collateral sewer extension and grading activities, are located within the proposed undertaking's boundaries, due to HUD's aggregation requirements. According to FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) #45045C-0394E and #45045C-0457E, both dated January 18, 2019, and as confirmed by Greenville County's GIS System and Floodplain Administration Department (864-467-7523) the FHA collateral is located in Unshaded Zone X, designated as an area outside the 100-year and 500-year floodplain. An off-collateral area associated with proposed grading activities and a sewer line extension is located in Shaded Zone X, designated as an area within the 500-year floodplain, Zone AE, designated as an area within the 100-year floodplain, and the regulatory floodway associated with Grove Creek. According to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center accessed at https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home, there are no preliminary or pending FIRMs for the subject property. With the 500-year floodplain mapped and defined by FEMA, that is the extent of the FFRMS floodplain under the 0.2% Annual Chance Flood Approach (0.2PFA). Grove Creek is located approximately 1,237 feet northwest of the FHA collateral and does not extend onto the FHA collateral. However, according to the Overall Utility Plan and Overall Offsite Plan prepared by Kimley Horn dated December 10, 2025, an extension of sanitary sewer line in support of the HUD project is proposed to the west of the FHA collateral and extends into the 100-year and 500-year floodplain and regulatory floodway associated with Grove Creek. As such, the proposed development involves impacts to the identified FFRMS floodplain areas, consisting of allowed utility lines (sanitary sewer line extension) within the regulatory floodway in accordance with 24 CFR 55.8(a)(1)(ii)(A). Approximately 0.31 total acres of the FFRMS floodplain will be impacted by the proposed sanitary sewer line extension. Kimley Horn completed an Aquatic Resources Delineation of the subject property, including the off-collateral areas included as part of HUD's Environmental Review in May 2024. One (1) perennial stream, Stream 1 (S1) is present on the subject property, which originates off-site and flows east to west through the property for 530 linear feet, prior to transitioning to channelized flow to diffuse into Wetland 1 (0.19 acres, W1). Open water (OW1) is present in the western portion of the site and is an impoundment of S1. S1 enters an approximately 36-inch corrugated metal (CMP) culvert under a man-made dirt road. S1 is discharged from the culvert directly into OW1. A heavily vegetated man-made dam is situated approximately 100 linear feet to the west along the subject property boundary. An outlet control structure was not observed; however, water is being discharged via an approximately 36-inch RCP on the western side of the dam. According to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Delineation Concurrence (SAC-2023-01212) letter dated August 5, 2024, a perennial stream (S1), a 0.19-acre wetland (Wetland 1), and a 0.1-acre open water feature (OW1) are located on the FHA collateral. Additional perennial streams and a 0.67-acre wetland (Wetland 2) were delineated off-site. Per a letter prepared by Kimley-Horn, dated February 11, 2025, and the Overall Site Plan dated December 10, 2025, no wetland impacts will occur on the FHA collateral; however, off-collateral wetland impacts will occur due to the installation of the sanitary sewer line. A Nationwide Permit (NWP) 29 for Residential Developments was issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Charleston District for file number SAC-2023-01212, activities in waters of the United States include 0.16 acres of temporary wetland impacts to install a sanitary sewer crossing, 0.006 acres of temporary impacts to construct a temporary stream crossing for construction equipment, and 0.014 acres of permanent impacts for the construction of a retaining wall. The project has been issued a Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES). Under compliance, a WQC General Permit reasonably assures that the project will not cause or contribute to a significant impairment of waters or fish and wildlife resources. According to the Certification, the impounding of water and creating of lakes or ponds is not authorized, the project is not certified for activities located in or adjacent to water defined as Outstanding National Resource Waters (ONRW), Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW), Trout Waters, or SCDNR designated State Scenic Rivers, and the project is not certified for activities that cause the loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed. Floodplains and wetlands provide natural and beneficial values by acting as natural filters, providing water storage and attenuation for stormwater runoff and floodwaters, and recharging groundwater aquifers. They can also provide habitat for a variety of biologically unique flora and fauna. HUD has considered the following alternatives and mitigation measures to minimize adverse impacts and to restore and preserve natural and beneficial functions and intrinsic values of the existing floodplain and wetlands: (i) There is suitable demand and supporting uses for the subject property, making it desirable for multi-family development. According to the Market Feasibility Study prepared by Novogradac in September 2025, the combination of rising population, renter households, and median household income bodes well for future demand for multi-family housing. The current and anticipated new supply over the next few years is moderate. Based on the subject property's proposed unit mix, amenity package, and close proximity to locational services and employment, the marketability of the subject property is favorable in relation to the comparable properties. All of the subject property's 216 units will be restricted to households with income levels at 60 percent of the AMI or below. (ii) The option to approve the project with modifications to further reduce floodplain and wetland impacts was rejected based upon the results of the following analysis. Modifications that could result in avoidance of impacts to the FFRMS floodplain and wetland areas include eliminating the proposed sanitary sewer line extension altogether. However, the construction of the sanitary sewer line is required to support the proposed development and must connect to the existing public sewer main. As such, removing the sanitary sewer line is not a viable option without jeopardizing the feasibility of the entire development and the need to provide public utilities to support the residents. Another option that could result in avoidance of impacts to the FFRMS floodplain and wetland areas include relocating the development and associated sanitary sewer line extension. Relocation of the project site was not feasible due to zoning restrictions, areas of FFRMS floodplain located further west and south of the subject property, and utility connection availability. Relocation of the project site is not a viable option without jeopardizing the feasibility of the entire development. (iii) The "No-Action" Alternative was rejected based upon the results of the following analysis: If the selected alternative was to not develop the multi-family housing complex, it would not satisfy the current need for multi-family housing in Greenville County. The proposed development would provide a safe and decent housing community for the residents of Greenville County and would increase the real estate tax base. Therefore, the no-action alternative would not achieve any of the benefits attributed to the proposed activities. (iv) No portion of the FHA collateral is located within the FFRMS floodplain. The project has been carefully designed to include construction of residential structures outside of the FFRMS floodplain. An extension of sanitary sewer line in support of the HUD project is proposed to the west of the FHA collateral and extends into the 100-year floodplain, 500-year floodplain, and regulatory floodway associated with Grove Creek. The following actions will be taken to offset and reduce impacts to the FFRMS floodplain: Construction of the residential structures outside of the FFRMS floodplain, including construction of the Finished Floor Elevations (FFEs) well above the FFRMS floodplain elevation of 842.2 feet, providing additional protection from flooding concerns associated with the off-collateral Grove Creek; providing stormwater runoff mitigation through a Comprehensive Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (C-SWPPP) involving the construction of two (2) underground detention systems on either side of the stream that bisects the subject property that maintain and preserve the existing drainage patterns and flows, as required by Greenville County; utilization of jack and bore installation of the sanitary sewer pipe to minimize surface disruption to the FFRMS floodplain and regulatory floodway; avoiding grading activities in the FFRMS floodplain, with the exception of minor incidental grading towards the existing manhole tie-in, which will be modified to be located above the regulatory floodway elevation; construction of the proposed manholes above the regulatory floodway elevation; and restoration of the floodplain to its original existing conditions following development activities. (v) The following actions will be taken to mitigate the wetland impacts: Preservation of 0.19-acres of on-site jurisdictional wetlands through a restrictive covenant; mitigation of the temporary impacts to Wetland 2 due to the construction of a sanitary sewer crossing by restoring the off-site wetland area to its pre-development condition following construction activities; and utilization of sediment and erosion control measures and a buffer zone to prevent indirect impacts to the wetland areas. Following construction activities, the off-collateral wetland and FFRMS floodplain areas will retain their beneficial functions and values, and will continue to exist in their pre-development state. As such, the project has implemented minimization efforts during construction activities. HUD has reevaluated alternatives to building in the floodplain and wetlands and has determined that it has no practicable alternative to floodplain and wetland development. Environmental files documenting compliance with Executive Order 11988, as amended by Executive Order 13690, and Executive Order 11990, 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 wetland 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 and wetland 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 and wetland, 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 June 12, 2026 [a minimum 7 calendar day comment period will begin the day after the publication and end on the 8th day after the publication]: 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. Persons requiring special accommodations, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency, may contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at the contact information provided above to request assistance in reviewing project materials or submitting comments. Date: June 4, 2026 June 4 2026 LGSC0530344