- St. Lucie County commissioners got an update on the long-delayed Lakewood Park stormwater project
- The work is still waiting on a federal construction grant contract from FEMA
- The project covers the Green Dolphin Canal and Kings Highway in Lakewood Park
A stormwater project meant to ease flooding in Lakewood Park has not reached construction, and county officials say they are still waiting on the federal contract that would pay for it. The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners discussed the delay Oct. 6 after a resident used public comment to press the board on it.
What the Project Covers and Why Residents Are Frustrated
According to Acting County Administrator Mayte Santamaria, the work would replace the control structure at the southern end of the Green Dolphin Canal. It would also upsize three downstream culverts along Kings Highway.
Ocala Avenue resident David Alice told commissioners the effort has dragged on for about eight years. He said a former public works director had estimated two to three years. Alice also urged the county to confirm it still holds the grant money, and he warned that a federal audit could hurt Fort Pierce’s chances of winning future FEMA funding.
Alice also raised the cost of the pump that sits on the canal. He estimated the county spends about $16,000 a month on it. That figure came from the resident, and county staff did not confirm it at the meeting.
District 5 Commissioner Cathy Townsend, whose district includes Lakewood Park, said the project was the first fully funded county project paid for through the half-cent sales tax under former Public Works Director Donald West. She said Lakewood Park property owners were not originally part of the Fort Pierce Farms Water Control District. After several town hall meetings, she said, they joined and have paid into it for years. Townsend said she believes the money was spent on other projects. Staff did not address that claim, and it has not been independently verified.
Where the FEMA Grant Stands
Public Works Director Patrick Dayan said the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant came in two phases. Phase 1 covered design and was issued around 2019 or 2020. The county finished the design and spent down that money.
Phase 2 is the construction funding, and Dayan said the county has not yet received that contract. He said state emergency management officials sent an email indicating the paperwork had been cleared, and the contract should arrive soon.
Santamaria offered a slightly different framing. She said FEMA approval came July 27 and that the county is working through the process of accepting the grant and bringing it to the board. She said the county has spent years trying to secure the money and received it only recently. Dayan’s account suggests the signed contract itself has not yet arrived, which may explain the difference.
Townsend noted that FEMA is slow, pointing to the 20 years it took the county to be reimbursed for the 2004 storms. For background on the region’s storm history, see our hurricanes coverage.
What Happens Next
Dayan laid out the sequence once the contract arrives:
- Staff bring the contract to commissioners for execution.
- The contract goes back to FEMA for final execution.
- The county advertises the project for construction bids.
- The county receives bids, awards the work and reconciles the process with FEMA.
- Construction begins.
No construction start date has been given. Chairwoman Jamie Fowler asked whether staff had followed up with FEMA since the July email, and Santamaria said they had. Fowler also asked whether the county had contacted Congressman Brian Mast’s office for help. Santamaria said she had not but would. Fowler said commissioners expect an update soon and promised to share it with Alice.
Residents with questions can follow upcoming agendas and St. Lucie County news for the contract’s arrival on a commission agenda.
