Highlights
Projects
Over the years Modica & Associates has earned a reputation as one of Florida’s premier environmental consulting firms. Our clients trust us not only for our technical expertise, but also for our responsiveness, professionalism, and commitment to protecting the environment and the communities we serve.
Echo Springs
This project includes the beautification of two existing natural spring pond systems in Sumter County located on private property which have been historically neglected. The beautification plan includes the treatment and removal of terrestrial, littoral, and submerged nuisance and exotic vegetation, along with dredging of accumulated detrital material, organics, and sediments to restore water circulation and allow native vegetation to proliferate.
The project also includes relocation of an existing golf cart/pedestrian bridge situated atop a historic concrete weir system and installation of a second bridge for better maintenance access to the perimeter of the springs. Modica is providing professional consulting services to assist the project team in coordinating and obtaining permit authorizations from the SWFWMD and the ACOE for this work. Modica completed habitat assessment, wetland delineation, and listed species assessments prior to submittals to the regulatory agencies.
AAA High School / Bus Maintenance Facility
Modica & Associates conducted a thorough review of a 132-acre property on Nova Road as part of a due-diligence investigation being conducted by the School District of Osceola County.
Modica conducted protected species surveys (crested caracara and gopher tortoise), flagged onsite wetlands, and provided advice on addressing protected species and their habitats that exist on and adjacent to the property. Modica subsequently worked with the project team during the design stage and assisted in obtaining State and Federal wetland impact permit authorizations for construction of both projects. These services included wetland delineation, wetland mitigation coordination, and the relocation of gopher tortoises prior to site clearing.
Osceola Corporate Center
Osceola Corporate Center and Former Tupperware Brands Headquarters is located in Osceola County at the confluence of Florida’s Turnpike, Osceola Parkway, Orange Avenue, Orange Blossom Trail, and John Young Parkway. It is a 1,317-acre Planned Development (PD) originally established as a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) in 1989. Modica & Associates serves as the lead Environmental Consultant for the project and has been involved in the ecological consulting and permitting for this project for over 20 years. This development is located along Central Florida’s SunRail and includes the Tupperware Station.
Recent permitting efforts performed by Modica include Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP) through SFWMD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to authorize 45 acres of wetland impacts to facilitate development of a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and transformation of the surrounding area into a Village Center consisting of mixed uses including commercial retail shopping and restaurants, multi-family residential, hotel, and healthcare.
Tasks performed included coordination with the Client, Project Engineer and Regulatory Staff to ensure that the site design was permittable, development of a detailed Alternative Sites Analysis and Avoidance and Minimization discussion to justify the large-scale wetland impacts, coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address federal concerns, coordination and permitting with Osceola County, and development of a regionally-significant mitigation plan. Permitting efforts for additional parcels of the former Tupperware Headquarters are ongoing.