11_goodin_Smart Rivers presentation

Impacts of Commercial and
Residential Development on
the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway: A Case Study in
Alabama
Dean Goodin, Ph.D.
Eric Dohner
Linda Brown, USACE
Introduction
 Coastal Alabama was heavily impacted
by Hurricane Ivan (2004)
• Landfall at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
• Category 3 with 130 mph winds
Before
After
Before
After
Highway 182 (Perdido Beach Blvd)
Introduction
 Coastal Alabama was also impacted by
Hurricane Katrina (2005)
• 67 mph sustained winds
• Storm surge of 10 feet
Introduction
 New development trend in northern Gulf
Coast is construction along the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
• Threat of tropical storms
• Escalating prices of beachfront property
 GIWW extends from Brownsville, TX to
Apalachee Bay, FL
• 520 miles – open bays or coastal sounds
• 780 miles – man-made canals
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
Foley Land Cut
 In coastal Alabama, the Foley Land Cut
is poised for development
• 10-mile stretch of GIWW in Gulf Shores
•
•
and Orange Beach
Located approximately 2 miles inland
Authorized channel dimensions
• 125 feet wide
• 12 feet deep
• Maintained by Corps of Engineers for
commercial barge traffic operations
Foley Land Cut
Oyster Bay
North Shore East
North Shore West
Foley Land Cut
 Gulf Shores/Orange Beach region
developed and marketed as a tourist
destination
 From 1990 to 2000 permanent
population increased
• 50% Gulf Shores
• 68% Orange Beach
 2007 Population ~12,000
 Seasonal population expected to
increase 30%
Foley Land Cut
 Why FLC?
• Sheltered from tropical storms
• Available waterfront property
• Provides waterway access to Gulf of
Mexico via Bon Secour Bay and Wolf Bay
 Existing development
• Condominiums/single-family homes
• Marinas
• Restaurant
• Commercial
Lulu’s Homeport Marina
Reynold’s Ready Mix
Sailboat Bay Marina
The Wharf
Proposed Development
 15 proposed developments on FLC
• 14 located on north shore of FLC
• 1 located on south shore of Oyster Bay
• 16,700 condo units
• 3464 boat slips
• 1722 wet slips
• 1742 dry slips
• Marinas
• Retail shopping
• Office space
• Amenities (pools, greenspace, boardwalks)
Proposed Development
Development
Size
Boat Slips
Condominiums Units
Retail/Commercial
Greenspace
(acres)
Wet
Dry
Permanent
Seasonal
(square feet)
(acres)
47 Canal Place
31
270
308
370
905
-
-
501 Point West
37
63
80
340
797
-
18.5
Bayside Harbour
8
116
-
35
81
-
4.7
Bon Secour Village Eastern
Marina
5
10
528
-
-
-
-
1000
107
-
3,000
3,000
750,000
500
Delfino Resort 1
26
53
-
145
579
25,000
10.4
Delfino Resort 2
12
50
-
80
320
30,000
4.8
Harbour Lights Marina
16
76
-
170
170
25,000
-
KFPH Properties
5
50
-
100
100
20,000
-
Lawrenz Eastern Marina
37
77
-
750
500
700,000
1.85
Lawrenz Western Marina
8
43
-
173
115
-
0.84
Oyster Bay Marina
205
396
-
500
500
7,000
155
Summerdance
240
318
826
1048
2127
27,000
100
Walker Creek
10
42
-
155
316
-
-
Waterways East
12
51
-
92
200
-
10
1652
1722
1742
6958
9710
1,584,000
806.09
Bon Secour Village West
TOTAL
EIS
 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Evaluate environmental and
•
•
•
socioeconomic consequences of
development
Address potential impacts to FLC and
surrounding communities
Waterway Capacity Study
Hurricane Evacuation Study
EIS
 Direct and indirect impacts
 Short-term and long-term impacts
 Cumulative impacts
 Mitigation of impacts
 Irreversible and irretrievable
commitment of resources
 Alternatives to proposed actions
EIS
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Cultural Resources
Threatened &
Endangered Species
Wetlands
Fish & Wildlife Resources
Vegetative Communities
Water Quality
Soils & Geology
Land Use
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Recreation Resources
Utilities
Air Quality
Noise
Light
Socioeconomic
Resources
Traffic & Transportation
Hazardous & Toxic
Materials
Waterway Capacity Study
 Federally authorized use for
commercial traffic
 Recreational use must not impact
present and future commercial
operations
 Safety and navigation concerns
• Speeding
• Uneducated boaters
• Congestion in high use areas (Hwy 59
boat ramp, Lulu’s, bridges, etc.)
Lulu’s Homeport Marina
Highway 59 Bridge Public Boat Ramp
Bon Secour Village Marina
The Wharf Marina
Hurricane Evacuation Study
 Impacts of proposed developments
• Increased population of permanent and
•
seasonal residents
Increased number of vehicles
 Infrastructure
• Evacuation routes
• Vessel evacuation and security plan
• Shelters
Alternatives
 No Action Alternative
 Maximum Boat Slip Alternative
• Approve permits for up to 3093 boat slips
through 2025
 Minimum Boat Slip Alternative
• Initially approve 1943 boat slips
• Option of phasing-in 1150 additional boat
slips until reach maximum (3093)
Alternatives
Alternatives
Proposed changes from
original proposals
Maximum number of additional
boat slips
Phase-in for additional boat slips
a. No Action
N/A
0
N/A
b. Maximum Boat
Slip Alternative
Conservative RD approach (bottom number of the 15%
confidence range) in the number of boat slips additional
slips for implementing accepted mitigation options
approved site plans
3,093 boat slips permitted
c. Minimum Boat
Slip Alternative
Conservative RD approach (bottom number of the 15%
confidence range) in the number of boat slips potential
future phase in approach no additional boat slips,
mitigation options not implemented approved site plans
1,943 boat slips initially permitted
1,150 additional boat slips phased
in at 25% per evaluation period
beginning after Evaluation Period 1.
N/A
Evaluation Period 1 = 1,943
Evaluation Period 2 = 2,230
Evaluation Period 3 = 2,517
Evaluation Period 4 = 2,804
Evaluation Period 5 = 3,093
Impacts
 Land Use/Land Cover
 Socioeconomics
 Recreational Resources
 Ecological Resources
 Noise
 Light Pollution
Mitigation
 Mooring Facilities
• 4 Primary
• 10 Secondary
• 1 Tertiary
 Safety signage
 Marine police
 Boater education
 Maps for commercial operators
In Closing
 EIS provides an objective evaluation of
impacts associated with the proposed
actions
 Example for future development along
GIWW and Gulf Coast
• Florida
• St. Joe Land Company (Apalachicola Bay)
• Texas
• Port O’Connor (Dolphin Point Community)
Questions?