BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
Progress on the roads being improved under the FDOT SCRAP grants is underway in the county, but problems have arisen on two of the projects.
County Coordinator Jimmy Williams reported on the problems and other concerns to the Union County Board of County Commissioners in his first report to them in three months.
The much-anticipated widening and repaving of County Road 18, called by Commissioner Jimmy Tallman “the most dangerous road in the county,” is on hold due to environmental concerns.
It seems that the culverts, which will need to be moved due to the widening of the road, cannot be moved over due to the fact that they would infringe on areas designated as wetlands.
A court ruling has halted the work pending the acquisition of mitigation credits from the state to allow wetlands permitting. The county may have to pay for these credits. Union County is not the only location in Florida dealing with this issue, which has become more frequent since the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has taken over the permitting process in a statewide initiative to reduce wetlands impacts.
All applications in the state that have wetlands in the area or work are on hold due to the court ruling. FDOT is aware of the issue and is seeking to assist in the process, which may add to the cost of the projects.
The paving work planned for County Road 229 is also on hold due to culvert issues. Williams is currently working with the FDOT to see if the project can still be done with the approved funding.
Providence fire station, courthouse parking
Progress is still being made on the Providence fire station, as the project was advertised and the pre-bid meeting has been held, with five bidders present. Now the county is waiting for the bids to come in to see how short the grant money for the project will be. The bids will be opening at 2 p.m. on April 23 and then a special meeting will be held on April 29 to make a bid selection.
The project being considered to create more parking for the courthouse and County Commission Office is still in need of funding. The survey has been completed, and the layout has been sent to Williams, who is working to determine construction costs.
The board will have to approve the layout before the construction plans are drafted. As the area is located inside the city of Lake Butler, it is possible that the project can be done with the county’s share of Community Redevelopment Agency funding. A representative from the board will have to meet with the city CRA board to gain their approval for the project, and Commissioner Mac Johns volunteered to take on that responsibility.
Courthouse security
The committee for the courthouse security upgrades met on March 26 and approved the building layout and parking reconfiguration. The final plans will be drawn up, and then board approval to advertise the project will be requested. Still to be determined will be the finalizing of the design of a temporary entrance and the addition of the Sheriffs Office parking reconfiguration to match the entrance to the Clerk’s Office.
