The Palm Beach County Capital Improvements Division identified that the floating dock serving as the public water taxi dock had reached the end of its service life and needed to be replaced. WGI was contracted to perform necessary prework investigations, design, and permitting for the replacement project. Specialty Structures evaluated the existing fixed dock for soundness. At the same time, the Environmental Department performed a benthic resource survey to identify seagrasses, corals, and other flora and fauna within the project scope. The team collaborated to incorporate survey findings to design a replacement dock that would minimize impacts to existing resources while upgrading the dock for enhanced resiliency and features to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The permitting strategy was to qualify the proposed work for an exemption under State of Florida rules and meet the Standard Programmatic General Permit (SPGP) requirements for federal authorization. Due to a thorough application package, the permitting review lasted only two months, and the exemption and SPGP authorization were received.

Project Highlights

• In-house coordination between two departments to create a successful project that met the client’s demands and while avoiding natural resources to allow for an efficient wetlands permitting approval.
• Designed an alternative ADA-compliant ramp to connect the floating dock to the fixed dock, while staying within the criteria required for an exemption and SPGP authorization.