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ST. LUCIE WEST • TRADITION
YourVoiceWeekly.com VOL. 4/ISSUE 15
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Crosstown Parkway project clears crucial permitting hurdle
Wind advisory
Controversial design model introduced
Emma Dooley, 7, launches the characters of ‘Frozen’ into the ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite in Tradition’ hosted by Pastor Maryanne and Carl Kehlenbach on the Living Faith Church property Saturday, Feb. 6.
Bruno Moore
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ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The Crosstown Parkway bridge project, a throughway that would cross the north fork of the St. Lucie River and connect I-95 to U.S. Highway 1, is one step closer to reality. After battling conservationists in court and awaiting permitting from different Florida agencies, the project, this past month, finally got the near final nod from the South Florida Water Management District. The SFWMD issued a notice to approve the Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) and Sovereignty Submerged Lands (SSL) Easement for the project. These two crucial permits allow construction to take place along protected wetland areas that border both sides of the river. According to a press release issued by the city of Port St. Lucie on Jan. 15, the project, first contemplated in the 1980s when fast-sprawling Port St. Lucie began to face traffic congestion, is a crucial part of improving the overall condition of the city. “The city’s two existing bridg-
See CROSSTOWN page A24
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer
Lake O Lowdown How an inadequate water management system has led us here Adam Laten Wilson
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TREASURE COAST — Even if you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks (or especially under an oyster reef), chances are you’ve heard how the Army Corps of Engineers and
South Florida Water Management District (SFRWMD) have had their work cut out trying to alleviate emergency conditions at Lake Okeechobee and flood zones across South Florida. Once again, the Army Corps of Engineers has begun releasing freshwater discharges to the St. Lucie Canal in the east and Caloosahatchee River in the west. With Lake Okeechobee’s water elevation at 16.4 feet above sea level, the highest record since 2005, the discharges are being
See WATER page A10
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