[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53225-53226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21507]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Seminole
Tribe of Florida Fee-to-Trust, City of Coconut Creek, Broward County,
FL
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Seminole Tribe of Florida
(Tribe), City of Coconut Creek (City), and Broward County serving as
cooperating agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
for the Seminole Tribe of Florida Fee-to-Trust Project, City of Coconut
Creek, Florida, Broward County, Florida. This notice announces that the
DEIS is now available for public review and the date, time, and
location of a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIS.
DATES: The DEIS will be available for public comment beginning August
31, 2012. Written comments on the DEIS must arrive by October 15, 2012.
The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, starting
at 6 p.m. and will run until the last public comment is received.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Mr.
Franklin Keel, Eastern Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 545
Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214. The public hearing will
be held at the City of Coconut Creek Commission Chamber, 4800 West
Copans Road, Coconut Creek, Florida, 33063.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chester McGhee, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Region, 545
Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214; fax (615) 564-6701;
phone (615) 564-6832.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the DEIS is part of the
administrative process for the evaluation of tribal application to the
BIA for the Federal trust acquisition of approximately 45 acres in
Coconut Creek, Broward County, Florida. The Tribe proposes to construct
a hotel/resort on the trust property subsequent to the trust
acquisition. A Notice of Intent (NOI) was published in the Sun-Sentinel
on August 5, 6, and 7, 2010 and in the Federal Register on August 6,
2010 (75 FR 47616). The BIA held a public scoping meeting for the
project on September 15, 2010, at the Coral Springs High School
Auditorium, in Coral Springs, Florida. Pursuant to Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
regulations (40 CFR 1506.10), the publication of this Notice of
Availability in the Federal Register initiates a 45-day public comment
period.
Background
The Tribe has requested that the Secretary of the Interior acquire
approximately 45 acres of Tribal-owned land in Federal trust for the
Tribe in the City of Coconut Creek, Florida. The
[[Page 53226]]
project site is located northeast of the intersection of U.S. Highway
7/US-441 and Sample Road. The property surrounds on three sides the
existing Seminole Coconut Creek Trust Property, currently housing the
Coconut Creek Casino. The Proposed Action consists of transferring the
45 acres of property and the subsequent development of a
hotel/resort and other ancillary uses (Proposed Project). At full
build-out, the proposed hotel/resort facility would total approximately
47,000 square-feet (sf) of retail space, 54,000 sf of dining, a 2,500
seat showroom, and a 1,000-room hotel. The hotel tower would not exceed
275 feet above ground level. Access to the project site would be
provided via one driveway along Sample Road, one driveway along SR-7/
US-441, and one driveway along NW 54th Avenue. The following
alternatives are considered in the DEIS:
Alternative A--Proposed Project;
[cir] Sub-Alternative A-1--No Coconut Creek Approvals or
Agreements;
Alternative B--Reduced Intensity Alternative;
Alternative C--No Action by Federal Government;
[cir] Sub-Alternative C-1--No Coconut Creek Approvals or
Agreements.
Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include geology and
soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and
paleontological resources, socioeconomic conditions (including
environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use,
public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative
effects, and indirect and growth inducing effects.
Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name,
return address, and the caption: ``DEIS Comments, Seminole Tribe of
Florida Fee-to-Trust Project,'' on the first page of your written
comments.
Locations where the DEIS is Available for Review: The DEIS is
available for review at the Broward County Northwest Regional Library
located at 3151 University Drive, Coral Springs, Florida, 33065 and the
City of Coconut Creek City Hall located at 4800 West Copans Road,
Coconut Creek, Florida, 33063. The DEIS is also available online at:
http://www.seminoleeis.com.
To obtain a compact disk copy of the DEIS, please provide your name
and address in writing or by voicemail to Chester McGhee, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Regional
Office. Contact information is listed below in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Individual paper copies of
the DEIS will be provided upon payment of applicable printing expenses
by the requestor for the number of copies requested.
Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the
BIA mailing address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice,
during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, telephone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authority: This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of
the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500
through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of Interior
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural
requirements of the NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et
seq.), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Dated: August 9, 2012.
Donald E. Laverdure,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-21507 Filed 8-30-12; 8:45 am]
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