Brevard commissioners set legislative priorities for state action, from roads to aquarium
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Brevard County commissioners this week approved a wide-ranging legislative program that includes seeking more state funding for the widening of Ellis Road, as well as for the construction of an aquarium and an amphitheater.
Commissioner John Tobia will present the commission's requests to the county's seven-member Florida legislative delegation at their annual meeting on Jan. 11. The 2023 Florida Legislature session runs from March 7 to May 5.
Many of the projects at the top of the commission's agenda have an environmental focus.
Here is a rundown of what the county is seeking from Tallahassee:
Road projects
The county will seek support for state funding for these road projects:
Widening of Ellis Road to four lanes for 1.7 miles to Wickham Road. East of Wickham Road, Ellis Road becomes NASA Boulevard, which already is four lanes. The county says the updated construction cost for this project is $52.71 million, including construction engineering inspection. It is partially funded at $30.8 million, and needs an additional $21.91 million.
Project development and environment phase for the State Road 405/South Street widening project.
Right of way for multimodal safety improvements from Long Point Road to George King Boulevard in Cape Canaveral for a State Road A1A project.
Design update and right of way for the State Road 501/Clearlake Road widening project.
Design from the St. Johns Heritage Parkway to Minton Road for the Malabar Road widening project.
Community capital projects
The County Commission is asking for state support for Brevard Zoo's proposed aquarium project at Port Canaveral and an amphitheater project adjacent to the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center on Merritt Island.
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The county will ask the Florida Legislature for additional state funding for the aquarium project. The county says the aquarium "will play a major role in restoring the health of the Indian River Lagoon as one of four designated IRL restoration infrastructure centers, as a dedicated funding source delivering an estimated $500,000 to the IRL National Estuary Program each year, and as an educational facility impacting over a half-million people annually. In addition, it will help drive tourism to Brevard County, resulting in an annual economic impact of $85.5 million and supporting 937 new jobs." To date $53 million of the aquarium's $100 million fundraising campaign has been committed, including $950,000 of state funding that was approved last year, plus $15 million from the county's tourist development tax on hotel rooms and other short-term rentals. Brevard Zoo Executive Director Keith Winsten said the specifics of the new funding request to the state have not been finalized.
The county will ask the state for up to $1 million for the Merritt Island amphitheater project to cover anticipated cost increases since the initial project design in 2019. The amphitheater will be an outside venue with an acoustically engineered band shell of about 8,000 square feet, and an amphitheater with an open spectator area of 2½ acres that could accommodate 5,000 spectators, situated in the center of the 66-acre Veterans Memorial Park. The project also will include concession facilities, picnic seating, parking walkways and restrooms. Previous funding for the project has come from the State of Florida Communities Trust, Brevard County's Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency and the Brevard County tourist development tax. Veterans Center officials estimate the current total cost of the project, including infrastructure, at well over $4 million.
Waterways issues
The county is looking for state support for these projects related to the health of the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Johns River and wildlife in the waterways:
State cost-share for water projects that reduce pollution sources, remove chemicals, restore critical ecosystem functions, and provide sound, applied research for the Indian River Lagoon, St. Johns River Upper Basin and Lake Washington. The county said recurring funds are critical to the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program.
Support algal bloom and PFAS monitoring and remediation. The county said harmful algae continue to bloom in the Indian River Lagoon and St. Johns River, wiping out seagrass habitat, releasing toxins and occasionally creating fish kills. PFAS ― the acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ― are a class of chemical contaminates that pose a health risk to humans and wildlife.
Funding for aerial surveys for manatee population and habitat assessment. The county says manatee surveys are needed in response to the extensive loss of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon that has contributed to the large number of manatee deaths. The aerial surveys will help to prioritize steps for habitat restoration.
Environmental resiliency
The county wants the state to provide funding for these resiliency projects:
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Dedicated state funding sufficient to sustain sand on Florida’s beaches. The Florida Legislature has supported a dedicated funding level of $50 million for cost-share grants to maintain sandy beaches. Brevard will be seeking cost-share to address erosion caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. In his report to commissioners, County Manager Frank Abbate said: "Healthy funding levels for this cost-share program are critical to support the state’s tourism brand, economic well-being, and, in Brevard, our globally important sea turtle nesting beaches of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge."
Funding to elevate roads over the Indian River Lagoon. Abbate's report said existing causeways interfere with natural circulation patterns in the lagoon, contributing to harmful algae blooms. Elevating the roadways will improve resilience to storms, and help restore natural circulation and flow. Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department Director Virginia Barker said, under the plan, causeways would be redesigned so they are more like traditional bridges, and water circulation would be improved. Barker said the top priority for this would be for the State Road 528 causeway over the Banana River.
Water-related infrastructure
The agenda includes capital funding for these infrastructure projects:
A new advanced wastewater treatment plant to serve Port St. John.
New advanced wastewater treatment and potable water treatment plants to serve South Brevard.
Installation of a second underground injection well at the South Beaches Wastewater Treatment Facility.
A water treatment plant expansion and the addition of new potable water wells that would benefit the integrity of the potable water supply in North Brevard.
Tobia ― a former member of the Florida House of Representatives ― said, while he does not support everything on the county's legislative program agenda, all the items are positives, and he agreed to represent the County Commission at the legislative delegation meeting.
In a bit of levity, Tobia warned commissioners, though, that he would be dressing up as someone famous with a Jan. 11 birthday for his appearance at the Jan. 11 delegation meeting. He added that he regretted that the meeting wasn't being held on Jan. 8, which is Elvis Presley's birthday.
Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard commissioners detail legislative priorities for state action
