To:  All interested Agencies, Groups and Individuals

This is to give notice that the City of Farmington under 24 CFR Part 58 has conducted an evaluation as required by Executive Order(s) 11988, as amended by Executive Order 13690, and Executive Order 11990, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection. The activity is funded under Community Project Funding (CPF) Grant #B-23-CP-MI-0832. The proposed project(s) is located 32340 Shiawassee Road in the City of Farmington, Oakland County, and is located in the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) floodplain and within a regulated wetland. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain was determined using 0.2 percent flood approach. The proposed work consists of installing a new raised boardwalk pathway, removing two pedestrian bridges and a stairway, and construction of a new pedestrian bridge at the existing eastern bridge location and associated boardwalk approaches. On the south side of the river, the bridge approaches will connect to a boardwalk pathway connection to Downtown Farmington. On the north side of the river, there will be improvements to the existing pathway system within Shiawassee Park to connect to the proposed bridge. The bridge, its abutments, and boardwalk approaches are proposed to be within the FFRMS floodplain and wetlands along the riverbanks associated with the Upper River Rouge River. The wetlands located in the proposed project area have been identified through field investigation as palustrine, forested, broad-leaved deciduous, intermittently flooded. The amount of land acreage to be disturbed within the floodplain in Shiawassee Park is up to 1.0 acres, within the wetlands is less than 0.1 acres. 

The City of Farmington has considered the following location alternatives to minimize adverse impacts and to restore and preserve natural and beneficial functions and intrinsic values of the existing FFRMS floodplain and wetland: 

1)      Alternative sites outside of and not affecting the FFRMS floodplain and wetland were evaluated. The Rouge River runs through the entire park, so the only available alternative to avoid the floodplain involves routing users out of the park along existing sidewalk on Shiawassee St, Power Rd, and Grand River Ave. This is not a practical alternative as it more than triples the length of the direct connection through the park. This sidewalk already exists and is currently underutilized in favor of the existing stair connection through the park.  

2)      Alternative methods that serve the project objective.

a.       Alternate locations for the bridge crossing were investigated, as well as utilizing the existing bridges. It was ultimately determined that the existing bridges were undersized for the floodway and in addition do not meet ADA-compliance. The existing stairs also do not meet current building code or ADA requirements. Other locations to the west and to the east of the existing bridges involve crossing a much longer floodway, where a bridge could not realistically cross without impacting existing sports fields and parking lots. Other locations between the two bridges would not have been conducive to achieving ADA required grades down the hill slope, as the hill drops nearly 40-ft in grade from the top of hill to the river.

b.       Alternatives to impacting the wetlands would involve avoiding removal of the existing bridges, as the wetlands only exist on the banks of the river. It was determined that the positive impact to the floodway to remove the existing bridges outweighed the benefit to avoiding the wetland impact.

3)      A no action alternative was also investigated. It was determined that not only would a no action alternative be undesirable due to the lack of ADA connection from the park to Downtown, but that removal of the existing undersized bridges was also of benefit to the floodway and riverbanks. 

Once it was determined that no practical location alternative would be identified, the following mitigation measures were identified to minimize adverse impacts and to restore and preserve natural and beneficial functions and intrinsic values of the existing FFRMS floodplain and wetland:

1)      The bottom chord of the proposed pedestrian bridge will be set above the FFRMS floodplain elevation, and the bridge will span the regulated floodway.

2)      Removal of the existing shorter bridges within the park that are within the regulated floodway will be removed prior to installation of the new bridge and boardwalk, which will result in a net cut within the floodplain as well as improving floodway flow.

3)      The bridge approaches will be constructed with boardwalk on piling in order to avoid approach fill within the floodplain.

4)      Asphalt pathways built within the park to accomplish additional ADA compliance will be constructed at-grade to avoid additional floodplain fill.

5)      Impacted wetland area will be revegetated with native plants after construction.

 

The City of Farmington has reevaluated alternatives to building in the floodplain and wetland and has determined that it has no practicable alternative to floodplain and wetland development. Environmental files documenting compliance with Executive Order 11988, as amended by Executive Order 13690, and Executive Order 11990, are available for public inspection, review and copying upon request at the times and location delineated in the last paragraph of this notice for receipt of comments. 

There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in floodplain and wetland and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about floodplain and wetland can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in floodplain and/or wetland, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.

Written comments must be received by the City of Farmington at the following address on or before March 11, 2026: City of Farmington, 23600 Liberty Street, Farmington, MI 48335 and (248) 669-5121, Attention: David Murphy, City Manager. Comments or questions may also be submitted via email at dmurphy@farmgov.com.

 

Date: 3/2/2026