Public Works Contact Information: Call (772) 871-5177 to request to speak with someone in the Commercial Site Plan Review Division. The Public Works Department will be able to provide information regarding driveway locations, off-site roadway improvements, drainage issues, discharge location, drainage discharge rate, offsite drainage improvements, and general site layout issues related to the parking layout or drainage.
Refer to the City of Port St. Lucie Utility Systems Department, (772) 873-6400 for information relating to water and sewer.
Refer to the City of Port St. Lucie's Planning & Zoning Department, (772) 871-5213 for information relating to zoning, land use, setbacks, architectural requirements, required number of parking spaces, architectural standards, landscaping standards, conversion areas, scheduling and submittal requirements for the review committees or boards.
Fees
The Planning & Zoning Department collects the review fees for the Public Works Department. The Public Works Department Review Fees are dependent upon the type and size of the development.
Comments
The Public Works Department's main objective is to review the impact of the proposed development on the city's roadways and drainage infrastructure as well as meeting the city's Land Development Regulations. Our comments may include, but are not limited to, requests for more information, offsite roadway improvements, offsite drainage improvements, parking layout (traffic circulation), site grading, and/or Stormwater management system.
Comments from the Public Works Department on the development projects are uploaded to the City FTP site. An email is sent to the applicant on the Friday before the Site Plan Review Committee Meeting to let the applicant know that Comments, and if applicable marked-up plans, are available for download. These documents are available for download until the Friday after the Site Plan Review Committee meeting. In the event that the Public Works Department reviewer has questions or concerns with the submittal, the reviewer will call the applicant prior to the Site Plan Review Committee Meeting to discuss.
Site Plan Review Committee
The committee is comprised of representatives from the Planning & Zoning Department, Building Department, Planning & Zoning Board, Public Works Department, Utilities Department, School Board, and Fire District. The School Board and Fire District are non-voting members of the committee.
Site Plan Review Committee Meeting
For each project on the agenda, the committee discusses the project and then votes to: recommend approval with conditions, table, or deny the project. Projects recommended for approval with conditions or projects that are denied are sent to the next review level (Planning & Zoning Board or City Council). Projects that are tabled need to be revised to address the comments and resubmitted to Planning and Zoning for the next available Site Plan Review Committee Meeting.
Procedures for obtaining Commercial Driveway Culvert and Swale Stakeout
The Public Works Department provides the size and invert elevations for all commercial and residential driveway culverts and swales located within the City's Right-of-Ways. The City's Survey Crew performs a stakeout of the existing roadway drainage and provides a cutsheet with the size, length, and invert elevations for the proposed driveway culvert(s) and elevations for the proposed swale. Commercial Stakeouts are typically done following the issuance of a Public Works Construction Permit for the site development (Option A). However, a stakeout can be requested by the Engineer of Record (EOR) during the plan review stage through Option B for the purpose of incorporating the driveway culvert and swale data into the construction plans.
Option A
Following issuance of the Public Works Construction Permit for site development:
- Public Works staff schedules a driveway culvert and swale stakeout. The Public Works Permit fee includes $370.00 for one culvert and swale, and $105.00 for each additional culvert.
- The City's Survey Crew performs a stakeout and provides a cutsheet with the size, length, and invert elevations for the proposed driveway culvert(s) and the elevations for the proposed swale.
- The Public Works Department will email a copy of the cutsheet to the EOR and a copy will be located in the front office for pickup.
* The stakeout will be completed within ten (10) business days.
Option B
Following the Site Plan Review Committee's (SPRC) recommendation for approval of the applicant's site plan, the Engineer of Record may request a driveway and swale stakeout:
- Fill out the Driveway/Swale Permit Application(PDF, 731KB).
- Submit a non-refundable payment for the stakeout:
- One culvert and swale = $370.00
- Each additional culvert = $105.00
- The City's Survey Crew will perform a stakeout as described in Option A.
- The Public Works Department will email a copy of the cutsheet to the EOR and a copy will be located in the front office for pickup.
* The stakeout will be completed within ten (10) business days.
** Stakeout will be voided if the site plan changes. A new stakeout and corresponding fees will be required.
Permitting
Complete a Compliance Form for Clearing Permit and/or a Compliance Form for Commercial Building Permit, and submit the form along with the information requested by the Planning & Zoning Department to the Planning & Zoning Department. The form can be found online under the Planning & Zoning Department.
The Planning & Zoning Department will review and deliver the approved Compliance Form to the Utilities Engineering Department. Utilities Engineering will deliver the Compliance Form to Public Works. If the Compliance Form pertains to an existing developed parcel, Public Works will review and contact the applicant to pick up the plans to submit to the Building Department. For a Compliance Form relating to new development, the Public Works Department will release the Compliance Form to the applicant after all permitting items have been received and a Preconstruction Meeting has been scheduled.
For most projects, the following items will need to be submitted to the Public Works Department in order to obtain an approved Public Works Department Construction Permit for Clearing, Mass Grading, or Site Work and an approved Compliance Form:
- A completed Compliance Form for Clearing Permit and/or Compliance Form for Commercial Building Permit approved by the Planning & Zoning Department.
- Revised plans that address the issues identified as part of the conditional approval of the project.
- Stormwater ERU Calculation form(PDF, 976KB) completed (if applicable) with signature of the engineer and owner.
- An itemized cost estimate for the total site work, signed and sealed by the Engineer of Record, or a copy of the contractor's bid with a letter from the Engineer of Record certifying that the bid is acceptable for the project.
- Public Works Construction Permit Application(PDF, 770KB) completed by the Contractor.
- Documentation of construction plan approval from the Community Development District (if applicable).
- A copy of the approved South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Permit or Permit Modification (if applicable).
- A copy of the approved FDEP 10/2 Self-Certification (if applicable).
- For projects that disturb 1 acre or more, submit a copy of the NOI submitted to the FDEP for inclusion under the city's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NDPES) Permit.
- For projects disturbing 1 acre or more provide one copy of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). The SWPPP can be submitted as part of the construction plan set, or separate from the construction plans in a text format. The SWPPP must include all the information required on the FDEP Guidance Template.
- Three (3) sets (folded) 24" x 36" signed and sealed Civil/Site plans.
- Payment of the Public Works Permit fee. The fee is based on the site work cost estimate. The Public Works Department will advise the applicant of the fee amount after the cost estimate has been reviewed and accepted.
- For a Residential Subdivision: Provide an electronic copy in PDF format of the plat (include lot lines, lot numbers, setbacks, finished floor elevations and street names).
- Any other required permits requested by the City (i.e. FDOT, ACOE, County, etc).
The Public Works Permit allows construction of the infrastructure including the utilities, storm drainage system, roadways, driveways, off-site improvements, and site grading.
Once all permitting items have been received the Engineer of Record may request a Preconstruction Meeting via email using the Preconstruction Meeting Request Form(PDF, 136KB).
Perimeter sediment and erosion control measures and turbidity control, if applicable, must be in place prior to requesting a Preconstruction Meeting, or before clearing or construction occurs. City Staff will coordinate with City and other Government Agencies and then send confirmation of the meeting date and time to the Engineer of Record.
Upon approval, the Public Works Department will contact the applicant on file to pick up the Compliance Form from the front office. The Public Works Inspector will release the approved Public Works Department Construction Permit to the Engineer of Record and Contractor at the end of the Preconstruction Meeting.
Swale Stakeout and Inspections
Following a preconstruction meeting and no less than seven (7) days prior to the clearing of a commercial site, the Engineer of Record (EOR) will need to call (772) 871-5177 to request a stakeout. The City's Survey Crew will stakeout the swale and provide a cutsheet with the size and invert elevations for the proposed driveway culvert(s) and the elevations of the proposed swale within the city right-of-way. Once the swale stakeout has been completed, the Public Works Department will email a copy of the cutsheet to the Engineer of Record (EOR), and a copy will be located in the front office for pickup.
The EOR will need to call (772) 871-5177 to request a driveway inspection of the driveway culvert after the culvert is placed in the swale but before the driveway is constructed. No tolerance is allowed for culverts that are set too high; however, a one-inch tolerance is allowed for culverts that are set low. The EOR is required to call (772) 871-5177 to request a final driveway culvert and swale inspection upon completion of the project. The culvert, swale and right-of-way shall be clear of debris, sodded and graded to promote proper drainage. Restoration of any adjacent disturbed properties and swales is also required. Grading and location of the swale shall be in accordance with the stakeout by the City Survey Crew.
Site Inspections
The Public Works inspectors will make unscheduled site visits to determine how the work is proceeding. Additionally, the Engineer of Record (EOR) or a representative is required to schedule required inspections by calling (772) 871-5177 and must be on site during the following inspections:
- Drainage - The City Inspector will observe the pipe and pipe joints, prior to the pipe being backfilled. The City Inspector also observes backfill operations.
- Concrete - The City Inspector will inspect the overall line/grade of the forms for concrete work outside the limits of the building including slabs, sidewalks, pavement, curb and gutter. The City Inspector may also observe the placement of concrete.
- Pavement Subgrade - The City Inspector will verify the compaction by visual inspection. The city Inspector will require the Contractor to string the subgrade.
- Pavement Base - The City Inspector will verify the compaction by visual inspection. The City Inspector will require the Contractor to string the base rock.
- Asphalt - The City Inspector will observe paving operations.
- Final - The site work will be inspected for overall condition and conformance to the construction plans. The following items, but not limited to, will be inspected: retention/detention areas, control structures, drainage structures, pavement surface, pavement markings, signage, sidewalks, site grading and other specifications shown on the plans.
CO Recommendation: The Public Works Department will provide a Recommendation for CO to the Building Department upon completion, submittal and acceptance of the following documents. Email documents in PDF format; AutoCAD and hard copies are also required where noted.
- An acceptable final engineering inspection.
- An acceptable final swale and culvert inspection, if applicable.
- Letter of construction certification from the Engineer (signed and sealed).
- Copy of letter from SFWMD accepting the Engineer's Construction Completion Certification, if applicable.
- Electronic (AutoCAD and PDF) of signed and sealed Record Drawings or As-Built Plans.
- Hard Copy of signed and sealed Record Drawings or As-Built Plans.
- Inspection Test Results.