CRA approves Burns & McDonnell proposal, authorizes funds to complete FDOT drainage-connection submission for US‑19/Grand Boulevard
February 11, 2026 | Port Richey City, Pasco County, Florida
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The Port Richey Community Redevelopment Agency voted Tuesday to accept a proposal from engineering firm Burns & McDonnell to complete a drainage‑connection submission required by the Florida Department of Transportation for the US‑19/Grand Boulevard project.
James Newton, a traffic engineer with Burns & McDonnell, told the board the FDOT initially indicated the project was exempt under the Florida Administrative Code because it involved less than the threshold of permeable area, but the department later requested additional narrative criteria. Newton said the firm had negotiated with FDOT staff and that the city now needs a modified FDOT permit narrative — not a full geotechnical report — to move toward final sign‑off. "This is our very last step for it to be approved," Newton said.
Why it matters: FDOT’s approval is the final administrative step before the project’s plans can be sealed and the permit issued. Board members pressed for certainty about timing and costs during a discussion that emphasized moving the long‑running project forward.
The board approved allocating $12,000 to complete the requested work; Burns & McDonnell estimated the task would take roughly 50 hours and two to three weeks to finish before FDOT’s review. The board also directed that the city manager and city attorney be authorized to negotiate and finalize the contract terms with the firm.
A motion to accept the proposal and authorize negotiations carried on a voice vote; the board recorded the motion as approved with six members saying "aye." The city manager said once Burns & McDonnell completes the narrative submission, FDOT would likely require additional weeks to issue an approval letter.
The agency’s next steps are for Burns & McDonnell to complete the narrative, for the city manager and city attorney to execute contract terms, and for the city to await FDOT’s final approval. No specific permit issuance date was given beyond the parties’ expectation that the process should take weeks, not months.
Quotes from the meeting appear as spoken in the record. The board did not adopt any substantive change to the permit scope beyond authorizing the firm to prepare FDOT’s requested narrative.
James Newton, a traffic engineer with Burns & McDonnell, told the board the FDOT initially indicated the project was exempt under the Florida Administrative Code because it involved less than the threshold of permeable area, but the department later requested additional narrative criteria. Newton said the firm had negotiated with FDOT staff and that the city now needs a modified FDOT permit narrative — not a full geotechnical report — to move toward final sign‑off. "This is our very last step for it to be approved," Newton said.
Why it matters: FDOT’s approval is the final administrative step before the project’s plans can be sealed and the permit issued. Board members pressed for certainty about timing and costs during a discussion that emphasized moving the long‑running project forward.
The board approved allocating $12,000 to complete the requested work; Burns & McDonnell estimated the task would take roughly 50 hours and two to three weeks to finish before FDOT’s review. The board also directed that the city manager and city attorney be authorized to negotiate and finalize the contract terms with the firm.
A motion to accept the proposal and authorize negotiations carried on a voice vote; the board recorded the motion as approved with six members saying "aye." The city manager said once Burns & McDonnell completes the narrative submission, FDOT would likely require additional weeks to issue an approval letter.
The agency’s next steps are for Burns & McDonnell to complete the narrative, for the city manager and city attorney to execute contract terms, and for the city to await FDOT’s final approval. No specific permit issuance date was given beyond the parties’ expectation that the process should take weeks, not months.
Quotes from the meeting appear as spoken in the record. The board did not adopt any substantive change to the permit scope beyond authorizing the firm to prepare FDOT’s requested narrative.
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