Hollywood Update

■ MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

HOLLYWOODUPDATE

By Mayor Josh Levy

Dear readers of Our City - Hollywood, This year, on the revenue side, the city with the 2022 holiday season in full swing, I hope you and your families are able to enjoy precious time and joyous occasions with one another.

For this mayor’s update, and in light of the recent tidal flooding that the east coast of Florida experienced mid-November together with Hurricane Nicole’s storm surge, I’d like to share some updates on our city’s coordination with our government partners for reducing the impact of tidal and rainfall flooding in our city.

As we are now well aware, higher seasonal tides are a growing concern for all coastal communities, especially when a hurricane is approaches at the same time those seasonal king tides. The City has been working on both short-term and long-term solutions to address tidal flooding, leveraging millions of dollars in federal, state and local dollars to improve our defenses.

Short-term solutions include maximizing ongoing maintenance and upgrades to the storm drain system, adding axillary pumps and pumping stations where appropriate, and using new technologies like permeable materials when undertaking improvement projects in areas of concern.

Longer-term solutions include installing tidal flooding control devices (flap-gates), elevating roadways in low-lying areas, continuing dune replacement projects, and beach renourishment programs.

For tidal flooding mitigation by improving shorelines, we were awarded a $14M Resilient Florida grant to augment existing city GO Bond funding ($15M) to address flooding from sea level rise in the public shorelines of the low-lying Hollywood Lakes neighborhood. Phase I is in design and focuses on areas where no current shoreline protection exists. Phase II will improve areas with existing shoreline protection.

On the barrier island, in coordination with Broward County and FDOT, flap gates and control valves were also installed in some areas central beach to reduce tidal water from flowing into and out of the storm drainage system. We also received a Resilient Florida grant to address pump station needs and the Hollywood CRA is investing close over $50M in south Hollywood beach to improve the existing drainage system, incorporating permeable hardscape to increase the percolation of surface water, undergrounding overhead utilities, and modifying the street profile of the streets by elevating the road height to reduce persistent flooding, reduce traffic congestion, and improve connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. Dune planning is also underway with concepts for a walking/bicycling path as part of the dune design for the south end of the beach.

The Army Corps of Engineers & Broward County are currently working on the Segment 3 Beach Renourishment Project as well. The project is halfway done at Mizell-Johnson State Park and once the park segment is finished, it will move to bring sand to Hallandale Beach then to Hollywood beach. Hollywood will receive 170,000 – 200,000 cubic yards or more of sand to raise the beach and extend it out, as the federal permit provides.

Work is underway at Balboa Street and Surf Road to repair the road’s washout from King Tide impacts. The area will be built up with a ramp/physical barrier to block sea water while providing beach access for emergency vehicles. Once the renourishment project reaches this location, the County will be adding new dunes at the Balboa location.

Broward County also received a Resilient Florida grant ($18M) to raise and improve intracoastal shoreline of the County’s Hollywood North Beach Park, north of Sheridan Street. The City also enacted an ordinance that requires waterfront property owners to maintain their private seawalls at a higher elevation, to prevent their properties from becoming a source of tidal flooding.

To address rainfall flooding, Phase 1 of our Citywide Stormwater Master Plan is now complete, and we are progressing on to develop a comprehensive stormwater model and action plan to update and improve our stormwater utility. Millions of dollars in storm drainage improvements will follow.

The City was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program to update the City’s Floodplain Management Plan. We were also awarded a Resilient Florida grant to augment existing funding for a new project to restore stormwater drainage and treatment functions of neighborhood swales in several areas of the city through projects dubbed “Recapture the Swale.”

Also, the 45 acre Sunset Golf property on Johnson Street that the City purchased, is proposed to be the home of a new nature preserve and passive public park with additional stormwater drainage capacity for the surrounding area.

As you can see, lots of projects are underway as we confront and adapt to a changing climate and we thank you for your support on personal investment in this collective mission.

Sincerely,

Mayor Josh Levy