City Hosts Second in Series of Stormwater Workshops

The Apalachicola Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Board will host the second in a series of workshops devoted to stormwater management in the City on Monday, January 12 at the Battery Park Community Center. The workshop, which begins at 4:30 p.m., will feature State stormwater experts who will participate in a panel forum to explain current state stormwater rules and how the state rules impact local stormwater planning efforts. 

Some of the workshop discussion items will include an overview of the City’s stormwater planning initiative, a review of how state stormwater law has changed in recent years and how those changes impact current local stormwater rule administration. Michael Bateman, NWFWMD bureau chief in charge of Environmental Resource Permitting and Lee Marchman, DEP Senior Stormwater Engineer, will lead the panel discussion with the board. Representatives from the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) and the Department of Economic Opportunity will also be in attendance. 

The January 12 workshop relates to ongoing P&Z discussions about stormwater and floodplain management planning in the City. Future workshops will focus on the impact of new Federally-mandated floodplain management rules on historic structures in the City’s flood-prone areas and an update on the City’s effort toward inclusion in the Federal Community Rating System (CRS) program which, when implemented, will reduce flood insurance premiums for homeowners in the City. Upcoming workshop topics will also include discussions with invited state historic, environmental and floodplain management experts on the potential impacts of sea-level rise on the city’s coastal zone area. 

The January 12 workshop will precede P&Z’s regular meeting scheduled for 6 p.m.

The City P&Z board hosts monthly planning workshops prior to its regularly scheduled meetings in an ongoing effort to address planning issues relevant to the City. Past workshops have resulted in proposed land use changes relating to solar panels, fences, travel trailers and preservation of the City’s historic City Squares.

To learn more about the City’s stormwater planning efforts, download zoning regulations or view the City’s interactive GIS-based mapping portal, visit cityofapalachicola.com.