Here’s why New Port Richey is encouraging development in a flood zone
The city of New Port Richey’s Community Redevelopment Agency is moving forward with plans to encourage the construction of two coastal cottage homes in the Edgewater Gardens subdivision. The city owns three lots — which will be converted into two parcels — near the corner of Garden Drive and Edgewater Drive. At the Jan. 6 CRA meeting, members voted unanimously to authorize staff to request proposals from potential homebuilders for the two single-family, detached homes. Both lots are within the flood zone classification AE — a federal designation indicating an elevated risk of flooding. “The coastal cottage concept was dreamed up by our development department in an attempt to provide a more resilient product type to flood-prone areas and offer a new and unique product to our market,” said Dave Gammon, economic development director for the city, after the meeting. The coastal cottage design generally features an elevated floor plan with a garage or carport on the ground floor and living…