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well adjacent to the one on which construc- tion already began would probably be the best solution. All of the existing underground structures (except one for the fuel tank) will be loaded with fill and abandoned. Should the engineers consider a higher stan- dard? Clay Tappan, himself an engineer, asked on Monday, "Have you looked at the incremental costs to go to Category 4 or 5 [pro- tection]?" Garland replied that the city will be doing a vulnerability estimate. Tidwell said standard projections say a Category 2 storm produces 15 feet of storm surge, a Category 3 produces 26 feet, a Category 4 brings 33 feet and a Category 5 produces 35 feet of storm surge above sea level. The site at Luke Wood Park is already about 12 feet above sea level. Height, however, is an issue with the neigh- bors, so the limiting factor may not be engineering but popular opinion. AND THE WARRANTIES? The project is now about eight years old. It began when Lift Station 7 (which LS 87 will replace) failed repeatedly. "It was 2005 when we awoke to the sound of great pumping trucks outside our house on Yale Avenue," said former Sarasota Mayor Mollie Cardamone. "In the early days of this spill, it was appall- ing to learn everything from the hospital was going through our streets." She was one of several members of the pub- lic to speak to the engineers during the May 12 meeting. One asked about the warranties on the pumps, generators, electronics and all the other equipment already purchased for the lift station. "All the key components — the variable-fre- quency drives and such — all of that equipment will be gone over and installed as new equip- ment," said the city's project manager, Steve Topovski. "The city is looking at an extended warranty," Garland added. With an all-new design yet to be created, and the public to weigh in on building styles, work on LS 87 is not going to be starting soon. However, work will resume on another part of the project in September, when new sewer lines will be installed south of Hudson Bayou. This will cause traffic delays and possibly the closing of the Hudson Bayou bridge. % The original design for the lift station would have damaged the bridge over Hudson Bayou on Osprey Avenue. Image courtesy City of Sarasota Sarasota News Leader May 16, 2014 Page 54