KAPOK WETLAND AND FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION PROJECT
AGREEMENT NO, 02CO NOOOOlo5
COOPERATIVE FUNDING AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
AND THE
CITY OF CLEARWATER
FOR THE
KAPOK WETLAND AND FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION PROJECT
THIS COOPERATIVE FUNDING AGREEMENT is made and entered into by and between the
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, a public corporation of the State of
Florida, whose address is 2379 BroadStreet, Brooksville, Florida 34604-6899, for itself and on behalf
of the Pinellas Anclote River Basin Board, hereinafter collectively referred to as the "DISTRICT," and the
CITY OF CLEARWATER, a municipal corporation of the State of Florida, whose address is 112 South
Osceola Avenue, Post Office Box 4 748, Clearwater, Florida 33756, hereinafter referred to as the "CITY."
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the CITY proposed a project to the DISTRICT for funding consideration under the
DISTRICT's cooperative funding program; and
WHEREAS, the project consists ofthe restoration of 37 acres of historic floodplain to its predevelopment
condition for flood control, water quality treatment and habitat creation, hereinafter referred to as the
"PROJECT"; and
WHEREAS, the DISTRICT considers the PROJECT worthwhile and desires to assist the CITY in funding
the PROJECT.
NOW, THEREFORE, the DISTRICT and the CITY, in consideration ofthe mutual terms, covenants and
conditions set forth herein, agree as follows:
1. PROJECT MANAGER AND NOTICES. Each party hereby designates the employee set forth below
as its respective Project Manager. Project Managers shall assist with PROJECT coordination and
shall be each party's prime contact person. Notices or reports shall be sent to the attention of each
party's Project Manager by U.S. mail, postage paid, to the parties' addresses as set forth below:
Project Manager for the DISTRICT:
Janie L. Hagberg, P.E.
Southwest Florida Water Management District
SWIM Section
7601 U.S. Highway 301 North
Tampa, Florida 33637
Project Manager for the CITY:
Terry Finch
City of Clearwater
100 South Myrtle Avenue
Clearwater, Florida 33756
Any changes to the above representatives or addresses must be provided to the other party in
writing.
1.1 The DISTRICT's Project Manager is hereby authorized to approve requests to extend a
PROJECT task deadline set forth in this Agreement. Such approval shall be in writing,
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shall explain the reason for the extension and shall be signed by the Project Manager and
his/her Department Director, or Deputy Executive Director ifthe Department Director is the
Project Manager. The DISTRICT's Project Manager is not authorized to approve any time
extension which will result in an increased cost to the DISTRICT or any time extension
which will likely delay the final PROJECT task deadline.
1.2 The DISTRICT's Project Manager is authorized to adjust a line item amount of the Project
Budget set forth in Exhibit "B" or, if applicable, the refined budget as set forth in Paragraph
3.1 below. The adjustment shall be in writing, shall explain the reason for the adjustment,
and shall be signed by the Project Manager, his/her Department Director and their Deputy
Executive Director. The DISTRICT's Project Manager is not authorized to make changes
to the Scope of Work and is not authorized to approve any increase in the not-to-exceed
amount set forth in the funding section of this Agreement.
2. SCOPE OF WORK. Upon receipt of written notice to proceed from the DISTRICT, the CITY shall
perform the services necessary to complete the PROJECT in accordance with the Special Project
Terms and Conditions set forth in Exhibit "A" and the Proposed Project Plan set forth in Exhibit "B,"
both attached hereto and incorporated herein. Any changes to this Scope of Work and associated
costs shall be mutually agreed to in a formal written amendment approved by the DISTRICT
Governing Board and the CITY prior to being performed by the CITY. The CITY shall be solely
responsible for managing the PROJECT, including the hiring and supervising of any consultants
or contractors it engages under this Agreement.
3. FUNDING. The parties anticipate that the total cost of the PROJECT will be Thirteen Million Dollars
($13,000,000). The DISTRICT agrees to fund restoration PROJECT costs up to Three Million
Dollars ($3,000,000) and shall have no obligation to pay any costs beyond this maximum amount.
The CITY agrees to fund PROJECT costs for the property purchase up to Ten Million Dollars
($10,000,000) and shall be responsible for all costs in excess of the anticipated total PROJECT
cost. The CITY shall be the lead party to this Agreement and shall pay PROJECT costs prior to
requesting reimbursement from the DISTRICT.
3.1 The CITY hereby recognizes and agrees that DISTRICT funding of the PROJECT is
anticipated to be over three Fiscal Years, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and is conditioned upon the
inclusion, funding, and approval of the PROJECT in the DISTRICT's annual budgets. If this
condition does not occur, this Agreement shall be null and void and the DISTRICT shall not
be responsible for any expenses incurred by the CITY. The DISTRICT has approved Five
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) in Fiscal Year 2002 for the PROJECT and the
remaining funds, up to the DISTRICT's funding commitment, are anticipated to be available
in Fiscal Years 2003 and 2004, contingent upon DISTRICT approval in Fiscal Years 03 and
04.
3.2 The DISTRICT shall reimburse the CITY for the DISTRICT's share of restoration PROJECT
costs in accordance with the Project Budget set forth in Exhibit "B." The CITY shall contract
with consultants and contractors in accordance with the Special Project Terms and Conditions
set forth in Exhibit "A." Upon written DISTRICT approval, the budget amounts for the work set
forth in such contract(s) shall refine the amounts set forth in the Project Budget and shall be
incorporated herein by reference. The DISTRICT shall reimburse the CITY for 100 percent
of all allowable restoration design, permitting, construction management and construction
costs in each DISTRICT approved invoice received from the CITY, but at no point in time shall
the DISTRICT's expenditure amount under this Agreement exceed expenditures made by the
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CITY. Payment shall be made to the CITY within thirty (30) days of receipt of an invoice, with
the appropriate support documentation, which shall be submitted to the DISTRICT at the
following address:
Accounts Payable Section
Southwest Florida Water Management District
Post Office Box 1166
Brooksville, Florida 34605-1166
3.3 The maximum amount of $13,000,000 includes any travel expenses which may be authorized
under this Agreement and reimbursement shall be paid only in accordance with Section
112.061, Florida Statutes (F.S.), as may be amended from time to time, District Policy 130-5
and District Procedure 13-5.
3.4 The CITY shall not use any DISTRICT funds for any purposes not specifically identified in the
above Scope of Work.
3.5 Each CITY invoice shall include the following certification, and the CITY hereby agrees to
delegate authority to its Project Manager to affirm said certification:
"I hereby certify that the costs requested for reimbursement and the CITY's matching
funds, as represented in this invoice, are directly related to the performance under the
Kapok Wetland and Floodplain Restoration Project Agreement between the Southwest
Florida Water Management District and the City of Clearwater (Agreement No.
O:ZCONOOOO,",5 ), are allowable, allocable, properly documented, and are in accordance
with the approved project budget."
3.6 The DISTRICT's performance underthisAgreement is conditioned upon the CITY's purchase
of the land needed for the PROJECT (Figure 2 of Exhibit "B"). The CITY's purchase of the
land needed for the PROJECT will be matched up to, but not to exceed Three Million Dollars
($3,000,000) by the DISTRICT which shall be used towards restoration PROJECT costs. If
for any reason the CITY does not purchase the PROJECT property by May 31, 2002, this
Agreement shall be null and void and the DISTRICT shall have no further obligations
hereunder. No DISTRICT funds shall be expended prior to the purchase of the property by
the CITY.
3.7 The DISTRICT shall have no obligation to reimburse the CITY for any costs under this
Agreement until construction of the PROJECT has commenced.
3.8 The DISTRICT's performance and payment pursuant to this Agreement is contingent upon the
DISTRICT's Governing Board appropriating funds for the PROJECT.
4. CONTRACT PERIOD. This Agreement shall be effective upon execution by all parties and shall
remain in effect until December 31, 2005, unless terminated or extended in writing by mutual written
agreement of the parties.
5. PROJECT RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS. Each party shall, upon request, permit the other party
to examine or audit all PROJECT related records and documents during or following completion of
the PROJECT. Each party shall maintain all such records and documents for at least three (3)
years following completion of the PROJECT. All records and documents generated or received by
either party in relation to the PROJECT are subject to the Public Records Act in Chapter 119, (F.S.).
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. 6. REPORTING. The CITY shall provide the DISTRICT with any and all reports, models, studies,
maps or other documents resulting from the PROJECT.
7. LIABILITY. Each party hereto agrees that it shall be solely responsible for the negligent acts or
omissions of its officers, employees, contractors and agents; however, nothing contained herein
shall constitute a waiver by either party of its sovereign immunity or the limitations set forth in
Section 768.28, F.S.
8. DEFAULT. Either party may terminate this Agreement upon the other party's default in complying
with any term or condition of this Agreement, as long as the terminating party is not in default of any
term or condition of this Agreement. To effect termination, the terminating party shall provide the
defaulting party with a written "Notice of Termination" stating its intent to terminate and describing
the term and/or condition with which the defaulting party has failed to comply. If the defaulting party
has not remedied its default within thirty (30) days after receiving the Notice of Termination, this
Agreement shall automatically terminate.
9. TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE. This Agreement may be terminated by the DISTRICT without
cause upon fifteen (15) days written notice to the CITY. Termination shall be effective upon the
fifteenth (15th) day after the CITY's receipt of said notice. In the event of termination under this
paragraph, the CITY shall be entitled to compensation for all services reasonably and properly
incurred to the date of termination which are allowed under this Agreement.
10. RELEASE OF INFORMATION. The parties shall not initiate any verbal orwritten media interviews
or issue press releases on or about the PROJECT without providing advance copies to the other
party. This provision shall not be construed as preventing the parties from complying with the public
records disclosure laws set forth in Chapter 119, F .S.
11. DISTRICT RECOGNITION. The CITY shall recognize DISTRICT funding and, if applicable, Basin
Board funding in any reports, models, studies, maps or other documents resulting from this
Agreement, and the form of said recognition shall be subject to DISTRICT approval. If construction
is involved, the CITY shall provide signage at the PROJECT site that recognizes funding for this
PROJECT provided by the DISTRICT and, if applicable, the Basin Board(s). All signage must meet
with DISTRICT written approval as to form, content and location, and must be in accordance with
local sign ordinances.
12. PERMITS AND REAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. The CITY shall obtain all permits and all real property
rights necessary to complete the PROJECT prior to commencing any construction involved in the
PROJECT. The DISTRICT shall have no obligation to reimburse the CITY for any costs under this
Agreement until the CITY has obtained such permits and rights.
13. LAW COMPLIANCE. Each party shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules,
regulations and guidelines, relative to performance under this Agreement.
14. COMPLIANCE WITH DISTRICT RULES & REGULATIONS. If the PROJECT involves design
services, the CITY's professional designers and DISTRICT regulation and projects staff shall meet
regularly during the PROJECT design to discuss ways of ensuring that the final design for the
proposed PROJECT shall technically comply with all applicable DISTRICT rules and regulations.
15. DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. The DISTRICT expects the CITY to use good
faith efforts to ensure that disadvantaged business enterprises, which are qualified under either
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federal or state law, have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in contracting
opportunities under this project Agreement. Invoice documentation submitted to the DISTRICT
under this Agreement shall include information relating to the amount of expenditures made to
disadvantaged businesses by the CITY in relation to this Agreement, to the extent the CITY
maintains such information.
16. ASSIGNMENT. Neither party may assign or transfer its rights or obligations under this Agreement,
including any operation or maintenance duties related to the PROJECT, without the written consent
of the other party.
17. SUBCONTRACTORS. Nothing in this Agreement shall create, or be implied to create, any
relationship between the DISTRICT and any subcontractor of the CITY.
18. THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to benefit any
person or entity not a party to this Agreement.
19. LOBBYING PROHIBITION. Pursuantto Section 216.347, F.S., the CITY is hereby prohibited from
using funds provided by this Agreement for the purpose of lobbying the Legislature, the judicial
branch or a state agency.
20. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES. Pursuant to Section 287.133(2) and (3), F.S., a person or affiliate who
has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not
submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid
on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work,
may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform
work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity,
and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided
in Section 287.017, F.S. for Category Two, for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed
on the convicted vendor list.
21. DISCRIMINATION. Pursuant to Section 287.134(2)(a), F.S., an entity or affiliate who has been
placed on the discriminatory vendor list may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods
or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the
construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real
property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier,
subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business
with any public entity.
22. MODIFICATIONS. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and may
be amended only in writing, signed by all parties to this Agreement.
23. DOCUMENTS. The following documents are attached and made a part of this Agreement. In the
event of a conflict of contract terminology, priority shall first be given to the language in the body
of this Agreement, then to Exhibit "A," and then to Exhibit "B."
A. Exhibit "A"
B. Exhibit "B"
Special Project Terms and Conditions
Proposed Project Plan
The remainder of this page intentionally left blank.
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. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto, or their lawful representatives, have executed this
Agreement on the day and year set forth next to their signatures below.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
~ if17 f>w,
I ness
By:
~J.07.-
Date
FederaIID#: 59-0965067
Countersigned:
City Manager
~~~'cL
Da(eV
C
ne C. Hayman
ssistant City Attorney
Attest:
I
O"L.
Approved as to form:
Date
FederaIID#: 59-6000289
COOPERATIVE FUNDING AGREEMENT
BElWEEN THE
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
AND THE
CITY OF CLEARWATER
FOR
KAPOK WETLAND AND FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION PROJECT
DISTRICT APPROVAL
LEGAL
RISK MGMT
CONTRACTS
RM DEPT DIR
DEPUTY EXEC DIR
GOVERNING BOARD
DATE
11- 'if. -0 (
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AGREEMENT NO,(5UDI\lOOC'JOb5
EXHIBIT "A"
SPECIAL PROJECT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. ' CONTRACTING WITH CONSULTANT AND CONTRACTOR. The CITY shall engage the
services of a consultant(s), hereinafter referred to as the "CONSULTANT," to design and a
contractor(s), hereinafter referred to as the "CONTRACTOR," to construct the PROJECT in
accordance with the Proposed Project Plan previously submitted to the DISTRICT and
attached as Exhibit "B." The CITY shall be responsible for administering the contracts with the
CONSULTANT and CONTRACTOR and shall give notice to proceed to the CONSULTANT no
later than May 31,2002.
2. APPROVAL OF BID DOCUMENTS. The CITY shall obtain the DISTRICT's written approval
of all construction bid documents prior to being advertised or otherwise solicited. The
DISTRICT shall not unreasonably withhold its approval. The DISTRICT's approval of the
construction documents does not constitute a representation or warranty that the DISTRICT
has verified the architectural, engineering, mechanical, electrical, or other components of the
construction documents, or that such documents are in compliance with DISTRICT rules and
regulations or any other applicable rules, regulations, or laws. The DISTRICT's approval shall
not constitute a waiver of the CITY's obligation to assure that the design professional performs
according to the standards of his/her profession. The CITY shall require the design
professional to warrant that the construction documents are adequate for bidding and
construction of the PROJECT.
3. FINAL DESIGN REPORT AND APPROVAL. The CITY shall direct the CONSULTANT to
provide survey information, prepare detailed construction plans, an engineer's probable cost
of construction, and construction documents including technical specifications for the project.
The design of the PROJECT will reflect the recommendations of the report entitled "Friendly
Village of Kapok Floodplain and Wetland Restoration Preliminary Planning and Project
Development" prepared by Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. The CONSULTANT shall model
the current and proposed conditions for the PROJECT to ensure that design will be in
compliance with DISTRICT rules and regulations. The CITY shall have its CONSULTANT
perform the necessary geotechnical investigation and field survey for the PROJECT
delineation, existing structure location and data, and spot elevations for topographic
verification. The CITY will provide copies of all interim work products (e.g., Design Reports,
construction plan submittals, specifications, etc.) to the DISTRICT Project Manager for review
and comment. Work will not resume on the final design until the DISTRICT's review comments
have been satisfactorily addressed and the DISTRICT's Project Manager has provided written
approval to proceed with the next phase of design for the specific project under review. The
DISTRICT's review comments and/or approvals shall be made in a timely and reasonable
manner so as not to compromise the ability of the CITY to meet the deadlines imposed in this
Agreement. Upon completion and acceptance of the final design by the CITY and the
DISTRICT, the CITY will furnish the DISTRICT with a complete set of the original reproducible
drawings of the construction plans for the PROJECT improvements.
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4. DISTRICT PARTICIPATION IN SELECTING CONSULTANT AND REVIEW OF CITY's
SELECTION OF CONTRACTOR. Upon notifying the CITY's Project Manager, the DISTRICT
shall have the option of participating as an evaluator in the CITY'S process for selecting the
CONSULTANT in accordance with Section 287.055, F.S. The CITY shall provide the
DISTRICT with a tabulation of CONTRACTOR bids and a recommendation to award. The
CITY shall obtain the DISTRICT's approval ofthe selected CONTRACTOR prior to proceeding
with construction of the PROJECT and the DISTRICT shall not unreasonably withhold its
approval.
5. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE: The CITY shall be responsible forthe perpetual operation
and maintenance ofthe completed PROJECT facilities to maintain the PROJECT's aesthetics,
ensure the proper hydraulic operation of the PROJECT, and to conform to all the conditions
specified in the environmental permits issued for the PROJECT. The CITY shall be identified
as the entity responsible for all operation, maintenance, and permit monitoring requirements
in all permit applications for the PROJECT. Operation and maintenance activities may include,
but are not necessarily limited to: mowing of the PROJECT's grassed areas, removal of
undesirable and/or exotic plant species including cattails, water hyacinths, and Brazilian
Pepper, or as specified in the environmental permits for the PROJECT; the cleaning of bleed-
down devices and/or filter systems, if any; and, the cleaning of sediment traps, if any. This
provision shall survive the expiration of this Agreement and shall be binding upon the CITY in
perpetuity.
6. APPROVAL OF CONTRACT. The CITY shall obtain the DISTRICT's prior written approval of
all contracts entered into with its CONSULTANTS and its CONTRACTORS as referenced
above in item number one of this exhibit. The DISTRICT shall not unreasonably withhold its
approval.
7. COMPLETION DATES. The CITY shall complete the final design no later than December31,
2003. The CITY shall complete construction of the PROJECT by June 30, 2005. However, in
the event of any national, state or local emergency which significantly affects the CITY's ability
to perform, such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, acts of God, acts of war, or other such
catastrophes, or other man-made emergencies beyond the control of the CITY such as labor
strikes or riots, then the CITY's obligation to complete said work within aforementioned time
frames shall be suspended for the period of time the condition continues to exist.
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AGREEMENT NO, 02CONoOOOto5
EXHIBIT "B"
PROPOSED PROJECT PLAN
KAPOK WETLAND AND FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION PROJECT
INTRODUCTION
The Friendly Village of Kapok mobile home park was identified and prioritized in the "Comprehensive
Watershed Management Plan for the Alligator Creek Watershed" (June 1997) as the most widely
recognized and publicized flooding problem within the Alligator Creek watershed due to its severity,
frequency, and the number of affected residences. According to historic aerial photography, this area
was once a portion of the Alligator Creek floodplain and supported a hardwood swamp ecosystem.
Filling of the floodplain and stream channelization within this area started in the 1960's, and very little
of the character of the historic floodplain remains. Prior to these impacts, the creek meandered through
a forested wetland that extended for several miles. Only a remnant of the original floodplain remains on
the southern boundary of the park, and this remnant has been impacted through the impoundment of
surface water and silviculture activities that removed the original hardwood trees.
As a consequence of the construction in the' former floodplain, the Kapok mobile home park area
experiences frequent severe floods, and has been plagued with flooding since the park was established.
In the 1997 study, it was established that:
Approximately one-third of the 170 structures in the park lie within the 1 O-year floodplain, The majority
of the structures lie within the 1 DO-year floodplain, which is only three feet higher than the 1 O-year event.
The three bridges that provide access to the mobile home park are flooded during a 25-year event, or
larger. Water quality has been degraded since the alterations to the floodplain, due in part to the loss of
the treatment benefits provided by the wetland plant species.
The flooding problem is of such magnitude that, in order to meet the adopted basinwide flooding level
of service criteria, it would be necessary to lower the 25-year flood elevation by approximately 2.0 feet
and the 1 DO-year flood elevation by approximately 3.5 feet in the channel reach from the Glen Oak Ave.
bridge upstream to the Cliff Stephens Park control weir structure. This situation is complicated even
further when it is considered that measures to reduce the degree of flooding in upstream reaches would
by necessity reduce the amount of floodplain storage in these areas and further aggravate the mobile
home park flooding conditions by increasing the downstream peak flow rates.
Several alternatives were considered in the 1997 watershed study to alleviate the documented flooding
problems in the Kapok mobile home park. Both upstream flood detention storage and further
channelization of Alligator Creek were deemed infeasible from an engineering and environmental
permitting standpoint. There is insufficient acreage available in the basin upstream of the mobile home
park to provide any appreciable flood detention storage to reduce peak flows to the degree that would
be required to alleviate the flooding conditions there. The channelization alternative would require a
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channel cross section approximately twice the width of the existing and the replacement of the three
existing bridge structures in the mobile home park. Also, a drainage and construction easement should
be required to construct the prescribed channel configuration and provide maintenance access. This
should necessitate the removal of approximately 16 mobile homes from their current sites and the
demolition of the clubhouse, pool, and laundry facilities along the channel bank. The channel
improvement program should require the excavation of a channel approximately 1.5 feet deeper than
the existing and 120 feet wide at the top of bank, beginning at the Cliff Stephens Park control weir and
continuing all the way downstream to Alligator Lake
For these reasons, the option that was adopted to alleviate the flooding conditions within the Friendly
Village of Kapok mobile home park, was the outright purchase of the mobile home park and relocation
of the residents. While this option has certain socio-political implications and a significant purchase cost,
it was also considered justifiable by the benefits of completely removing the flooding problem and the
opportunities that it presents for floodplain restoration, wetland creation and habitat improvement, water
quality improvement, and recreation and education facilities. As proposed in the 1997 watershed plan,
the existing Cliff Stephens Park control weir should be removed and a new weir structure should be
constructed at a point on the channel north of Glen Oak Avenue. This new structure should have a crest
length of 75 feet at an elevation of 9.0 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) to match the
control elevation of the existing structure. Upstream of the new control structure a deep channel should
be excavated to meet that of the Cliff Stephens Park and facilitate the incorporation of the site as an
extension of the park itself. In all, the conceptual plan proposed the recreation of approximately 26 acres
of newly created wetland. As such, it should restore the area to what it was prior to the filling of the
floodplain in 1966 to construct the mobile home park.
The purpose of the PROJECT is design and permitting of the Kapok mobile home park floodplain and
wetland restoration PROJECT that was adopted in the 1997 "Comprehensive Watershed Management
Plan for the Alligator Creek Watershed." The PROJECT is not intended to fulfill any compensation
requirement for other CITY wetland impacts and therefore shall not be used by the CITY for wetland
mitigation.
FLOODPLAIN AND WETLAND RESTORATION PLAN
The proposed preliminary design for the Friendly Village of Kapok Floodplain and Wetland Restoration
PROJECT is presented as Figure 1. The key elements ofthe proposed plan to be accomplished by the
CITY are discussed in the following sections.
Kapok Mobile Home Park Resident Relocation
The CITY proposes to purchase the Kapok mobile home park and relocate the current residents to other
locations within the CITY as a necessary means of restoring the historical floodplain and wetland of
Alligator Creek in this area. There are currently an estimated 202 mobile home units located within the
park which should be relocated prior to PROJECT construction. In addition, the clubhouse, laundry, and
pool facilities shall be removed along with all on-site utility services prior to PROJECT construction.
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Control Structure Relocation and Site Grading
In the proposed plan, the existing Cliff Stephens Park control weir, located at the western property
boundary of the site, shall be removed and a new weir structure shall be constructed at a point on the
channel north of Glen Oak Avenue. This new structure shall have a crest length of 75 feet at an
elevation of 9.0 feet NGVD to match the control elevation of the existing Cliff Stephens Park structure.
The floodplain restoration shall require excavating and removing the fill placed on the site in the 1960s.
This fill material may be sold or used for another construction PROJECT to defray the costs of the
earthwork. The grading shall be accomplished so that no slopes exceed 4: 1, and the slopes within the
wetlands are very flat. The main channel of Alligator Creek shall be widened significantly and maintained
as an open water area upstream of the new control structure. A deep channel shall be excavated to
meet the Cliff Stephens Park existing channel and facilitate the incorporation of the site as an extension
of the park itself. With a bottom elevation of 3.0 feet NGVD, the channel cross section shall slope no
steeper than 4:1 sideslopes to elevation 8.0 feet NGVD. As shown in the preliminary plan, the area
below elevation 8.0 feet NGVD, comprising approximately 5.5 acres, shall be open water.
The 12.2-acre zone between elevations 8.0 and 9.0 feet NGVD shall be planted as herbaceous wetlands.
The zone between elevations 9.0 and 10.0 feet NGVD, comprising another 7.2 acres, should be planted
with forested wetland species to mimic those observed in the existing wetland located on the southern
property line ofthe mobile home park. The remaining 10.9 acres of the PROJECT area (higher than 10.0
feet NGVD) shall be planted as forested and herbaceous uplands. The grading plan also includes
provisions for construction of a 1.0-acre parking area for public access.
The proposed grading plan for the PROJECT area shall require the removal of approximately 310,000
cubic yards of fill. The option of selling the fill shall be explored to help defray the earthwork and
transportation costs.
Upland Areas
The PROJECT shall retain an upland buffer on the northern side of the park and restore the floodplain
to historic elevations. Existing trees in the upland buffer shall be retained and additional trees shall be
planted to screen the park from the residential area to the north and the railroad tracks to provide a more
isolated experience for the park visitor. Tree and shrub species recommended for the upland buffer area
include southern magnolia, long leaf pine, Virginia live oak, beauty berry, wax myrtle, and possum haw.
These are all native species adapted to the conditions provided by the site and shall therefore require
little maintenance. They shall also provide wildlife habitat, especially forage and cover habitat for birds.
A paved pedestrian/bike trail runs along the northern boundary of the park connecting Cliff Stephens
Park on the west to the proposed parklands to the east near Tampa Bay. Two branches off this trail shall
head south; one to the elevated boardwalk through the wetlands, and one to cross the control structure
in the northeast corner of the park. The latter trail shall allow access to the small parking area on the
eastern side of the park.
A narrow band of uplands shall also be retained on the eastern side of the park. These uplands shall
provide a small paved parking area and sidewalk that shall be meet American Disabilities Act (ADA)
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requirements to provide access for handicapped visitors to the park. The paved sidewalk shall extend
to an elevated boardwalk that shall be discussed in the wetlands section ofthis narrative. This area shall
also be planted with native trees and shrubs where possible.
Wetlands Planting and Park Facilities
The restored floodplain shall include an island in the middle of the main creek channel. This island shall
be preserved from existing conditions and shall retain several existing large oak trees. The island shall
also provide a vantagepoint from which the entire floodplain can be viewed, and shall also provide an
excellent area for picnics.
The CITY, separate to this Agreement, shall construct: (i) an elevated boardwalk that shall connect the
north side of the island to the pedestrian/bike trail on the north side of the park and connect to the Cliff
Stephens Park trail system, (ii) a boardwalk from the southern side of the island shall connect an
observation deck on the southern side of the floodplain and to the parking lot on the eastern side of the
park. The observation deck shall provide a location for local schools and environmental organizations
to conduct educational lectures and for park visitors to relax and admire the wildlife. The boardwalk shall
be elevated seven feet above the mean high water elevation to prevent shading of the vegetation and
extend it above the 25-year maximum flood elevation. The boardwalk shall be wide enough to
accommodate wheelchairs but bicycles shall be prohibited on the boardwalk. Bike racks are provided
at each entrance to the boardwalk.
The wetlands shall be planted with a variety of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, including red
maple, water hickory, pop ash, loblolly bay, swamp tupelo, sweet bay, cypress, buttonbush, Virginia
shallow, swamp fern, yellow canna, sawgrass, string lily, soft rush, spatterdock, pickerelweed,
arrowhead, bulrush, alligator flag, Virginia chain fern, and water lily. These plants shall provide water
quality treatment as well as foraging and breeding habitat for wildlife. Many of the recommended plants,
such as the yellow canna, pickerelweed, spatterdock, string lily, and others have attractive flowers that
shall add to the aesthetics of the park.
The design includes five small deep-water ponds that are intended to provide foraging areas for avifauna.
As water elevations drop in the winter dry season, the fish within the wetland shall become concentrated
within these five areas and therefore become available for the foraging birds. The trees and shrubs
planted in the shallower areas around the perimeter of the wetland shall add to the buffer provided by
the upland plantings.
The restored wetland and floodplain area, along with the upland areas mentioned previously, when
added to the existing undeveloped properties on the south border of the mobile home park, shall bring
this total area to nearly 100 acres of contiguous wildlife habitat.
Flood Control Benefits
In its role as a flood control PROJECT, the proposed Kapok mobile home park floodplain and wetland
restoration PROJECT serves multiple purposes. The primary ranked flooding problem area identified
in the 1997 "Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for the Alligator Creek Watershed" shall be
Page 4 of 8
1)
eliminated with the relocation of the mobile home park residents. The removal of the existing Cliff
Stephens Park control weir shall also eliminate the primary contributing factor for the upstream flooding
conditions identified along the reach of Alligator Creek between Fairwood Avenue and U.S. Highway 19.
Reconstruction of a much longer weir at the downstream location shall reduce the amount of head loss
across the control weir, resulting in a reduction of the 10-, 25-, and 1 OO-year flood elevations as follows:
LOCATION 10- YEAR FLOOD 25- YEAR FLOOD 100-YEAR FLOOD
ELEVATION ELEVATION ELEVATION
Existina Proiected Existina Proiected Existina Proiected
Glen Oak Ave, 14.98 14.78 (-0.20) 16.63 15.99 (-0.64) 18.20 18.10 (-0.10)
Bridae
Cliff Stephens Park 18.67 14.78 (-3.89) 19.86 15.99 (-3.87) 21.73 18.10 (-3.63)
Weir
Fairwood Ave. 19.01 15.72 (-3.29) 20.24 17.19 (-3.05) 22.25 19.40 (-2.85)
Bridae
Channel G 19.03 15.95 (-3.08) 20.25 17.45 (-2.80) 22.30 19,57 (-2.73)
Confluence
For the 1 OO-year flood event, the maximum flood elevation shall be lowered at the Fairwood Avenue
bridge by 2.85 feet. Correspondingly, the 100-year maximum flood elevation in Channel G should be
lowered by 2.73 feet to elevation 19.57 feet NGVD to eliminate the indicated structural flooding
conditions in adjacent apartment complexes.
In addition to the hydraulic benefits to be attained, the excavation of the PROJECT site for wetland
creation shall also provide additional floodplain storage volume within the Friendly Village of Kapok
mobile home park site that shall serve to attenuate the peak flow rate in the downstream channel
reaches. As it is, the peak flow rates downstream of the new weir structure shall be moderately
increased due to the large reduction of the maximum flood elevations in the upstream channel reaches
which were designed to address the other flooding problem areas in the watershed. The 25-year peak
flow should increase from 1,430 cfs to 1,650 cfs, and the 1 OO-year peak flow should increase from 2,400
cfs to 2,590 cfs. There is, however, no development that should be adversely impacted by the increase.
Water Quality Benefits
In addition to the potential multiple PROJECT benefits for flood control, environmental enhancement;
recreation, education, and wetland compensation, the proposed Kapok mobile home park floodplain and
wetland restoration PROJECT shall also enhance the water quality treatment function of the existing and
proposed stormwater treatment facilities in Cliff Stephens Park and Moccasin Lake Park by adding to
a train of successive treatment. To preserve the recreational and environmental aspects of these two
CITY owned parks, the CITY is pursuing the design, permitting, and construction of sedimentation ponds
at the inflow locations of Channel A and Channel G to Cliff Stephens Park, and Channel B as it enters
Moccasin Lake Park. These proposed facilities shall function as initial traps for the coarser sediment
load fractions of the total pollutant loadings of these channels as they enter the respective park settings
and capture an estimated 50 to 70 percent of the total suspended sediment loadings at those points.
Page 5 of 8
ciJ
Subsequent to this initial treatment, stormwater flows shall be discharged to the downstream
impoundments for extended detention and further treatment by physical processes. The proposed
Kapok mobile home park PROJECT shall add to the wet detention treatment volume of the Cliff
Stephens Park impoundment, thereby providing greater residence time. More importantly, however, the
construction of 19.4 acres of herbaceous and forested wetlands at the tail end of the treatment process
shall add a bioaccumulation process to the treatment train that is presently absent. The Cliff Stephens
Park impoundment provides only a narrow fringe of wetland vegetation and little biologic uptake of
nutrients is provided. This PROJECT shall contribute this function to the treatment train and enhance
the overall pollutant removal efficiency it to control delivery of pollutant loadings downstream to Alligator
Lake and the upper Tampa Bay.
Deliverables
· Executed Consultant Contract
· Plans, 30%, 60%, 90%
· Final Design Plans
· Copies of Permits
· Bid Documents and Tabulations
· Executed Construction Contract Documents
· Record Drawings
Project Budget
Property Purchase
CITY
$10,000,000
o
DISTRICT
$0
500,000
TOTAL
$10,000,000
500,000
Restoration Design/Permitting/
Construction Management
Restoration Construction
o
2.500.000
$3,000,000
2.500.000
$13,000,000
TOTAL
$10,0000
The CITY, separate to this Agreement, shall be responsible for all construction costs related to
recreational park facilities including but not limited to: boardwalks, observation decks/towers and
restroom facilities.
Page 6 of 8
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Figure 1
Kapok Wetland and Floodplain
Restoration Project
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CITY OF C1.EARWAlEll, FLORIDA
ENGINeERING DEPARTMENT
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KAPOK FLOOD PLAIN Ie
WETLAND RESTORATION PROJBlCT
CONCIPTUAL PLAN
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Figure 2
Location Map
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Page 8 of 8