Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO ACCEPT Joint Deed of Conservation Easement from SCI Funeral Services of Florida over an on-site wetland mitigation area comprising 8.41 acres of real property located east of US 27 between Griffin Road and Stirling Road in the Town of Southwest Ranches, and authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute same. (Commission District 5)

ACTION:  (T-11:01 AM)  Approved.

VOTE:  9-0.

Board action is necessary to fulfill the requirements of Environmental Resource Licenses (ERL) No. DF93-1134 and No. DF00-1090 as modified and issued pursuant to Chapter 27 of the Broward County Code of Ordinances and Environmental Resource Permit No. 06-03253-P issued by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

The action provides for perpetual maintenance and conservation of the mitigation site by the grantor.

None.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND PERMITTING DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.

This action supports the Board's value of encouraging investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection: Goal 1: Seek funding for, implement policies and pursue projects promoting the use of alternative energy, resource conservation, sustainable practices and environmental protection. Resource conservation and environmental protection is achieved by insuring that the mitigation area will remain wetlands in perpetuity.

The Environmental Planning and Growth Management Department (EPGMD) issued ERL No. DF93-1134 (Exhibit 3) on October 29, 1998, requiring the licensee to provide 2.9 acres of mixed habitat wetland mitigation for impacts to 4.4 acres of jurisdictional wetlands related to development of Menorah Gardens Cemetery (Exhibit 1) and to convey a Conservation Easement to the County over the on-site wetland mitigation area to insure it would remain in perpetuity. During site inspections in 1998, it was determined that an additional 1.25 acres of jurisdictional wetlands had been impacted. The Department relicensed the original work and the additional impacts under ERL No. DF00-1090 (Exhibit 4) issued in May 25, 2000, which required an additional 4.05 acres of mitigation for the project. This license was modified on January 2, 2002 to include another 4.36 acres of impacts and an additional 1.46 acres of mitigation. Mitigation required for the two licenses totaled 8.41 acres for 10.01 acres of wetland impacts.

The SFWMD issued Environmental Resource Permit No. 06-03253-P on August 9, 2001, for a 22.11 acre phased project (Exhibit 5). Phase 1 included impacts to 8.41 acres of wetlands (which includes the impacted areas in ERL's No. DF93-1134 and DF00-1090) and required 8.41 acres of mixed habitat wetland mitigation for those impacts. Since the licensee was required to provide a Conservation Easement to both Broward County and the SFWMD, one document was prepared for both agencies (Exhibit 2).

Sermin Turegun, Director, Environmental Engineering and Permitting Division, (954) 357-1460