Public meetings on the Collier County Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study will be held June 21 on Marco Island and June 22 in Naples.
The meeting is being hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with Collier County and the City of Marco Island.
The study will be conducted to identify and evaluate measures formulated to manage the risk of coastal storm surge flooding to residents, industries, businesses, and infrastructure in Collier County and connecting municipalities including the cities of Naples and Marco Island.
The feasibility study aims to analyze and ultimately recommend potential solutions that not only manage coastal storm risk to the community, but also improve coastal resiliency by managing storm surge-related risks to human life, health, and safety.
The meeting will be from 5-7 p.m. in the first floor Community Room at Marco Island Police Building, 51 Bald Eagle Drive. Doors will open to the public at 4 p.m.
The meeting will also be broadcast locally on Comcast channel 98 and Summit Broadband channel 98 and live on the City’s website.
The meeting will begin with a brief presentation followed by an open-house-style forum where attendees are encouraged to view informational poster boards, engage with the project team, and submit formal comments.
Two similar meetings will be held June 22, one from 10 a.m. to noon at the South Regional Library at 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway in Naples (A zoom link for free virtual participation for this meeting is here) and from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Naples Regional Library at 650 Central Ave., Naples.
The project website can be found at: https://colliercsrmusacenao.hub.arcgis.com/. USACE plans to reformulate and reevaluate project alternatives, reassess potential environmental impacts, and prepare an updated Environmental Impact Statement that documents these findings.
The comments received from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public scoping meetings as well as the stakeholder feedback from the Planning Charrette held in April 2023 are being considered as the foundation for the new initial array of alternatives that will be presented.
The formal comment period is being extended to June 29. After this date, informal questions and comments may still be submitted online. Questions and comments may be submitted on the project website, to the project email address: Collier-csrm@usace.army.mil, or by mail addressed to: Ms. Kathy Perdue, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, 803 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510.
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