About the project:
About
In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) would receive funding to support long-term mitigation efforts following declared disasters in 2016 and 2017 through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program. Awards will be distributed on a competitive basis targeting HUD designated Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) Areas, primarily addressing the Benefits to Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) National Objective.
The City was awarded the CDBG-MIT program funding to create a Coastal Resiliency Action Plan for the City’s Hurricane Evacuation Zones A and B and develop neighborhood plans for the neighborhoods south of Gandy Boulevard and Palmetto Beach. The city’s comprehensive plan will be evaluated for its efficacy in managing growth and development in vulnerable areas, strengthen ties with key community lifelines, identify specific projects to mitigate impacts of tropical events and severe flooding, and recommend strategies and projects at the neighborhood level, focusing on vulnerable populations.
The outcome will be specific comprehensive plan policy recommendations and neighborhood plans for the area that build in mitigation and resiliency.
Specific project tasks include:
- Evaluate relative comprehensive plan policy and land development regulations and recommend amendments that mitigate storms and flooding;
- Evaluate evacuation clearance times and shelter space;
- Evaluate social vulnerability factors;
- Meet with community lifeline partners in energy, medical, transportation, and emergency management fields to determine specific needs for the community before, during, and after a tropical event; and
- Develop specific community plans to guide future development and build in mitigation measures.