St. Petersburg administrators believe installing two flood gates in Shore Acres, the city’s lowest-lying neighborhood, will benefit multiple areas along an interconnected stormwater system.
Councilmember Mike Harting said the project, which would mitigate tidal and storm surge impacts, involves “damn near a quarter of the entire city.” He and his colleagues unanimously approved a $147,451 contract with Jacobs Engineering Group at their Sept. 24 meeting to analyze designs, locations, benefits and risks.
The city could operate its first flood gates, similar to those used in New Orleans, remotely or rely on sensors. Harting said Mother Nature has “decided she was going to do different things, and we’re able to accommodate that on such a mass scale.”…