November 13, 2003

Applied Technology & Management wins FPZA Environmental/Natural Resources Award for work in St. Johns County

Gainesville, Florida - The First Coast Chapter of the Florida Planning and Zoning Association (FPZA) selected Applied Technology and Management, Inc. (ATM) and the St. Johns County Planning Department for the 2003 Environmental/Natural Resources Award. This annual award is presented to environmental engineers, scientists and firms that demonstrate a commitment to preservation of natural resources in St. Johns County.

ATM was selected for the award for their St. Johns County Water Dependent Uses and Marine Study. This study was initiated to examine the state of St. John County’s public marina facilities, as well as to determine the future demand and need for public boat ramps, wet slips and docks throughout St. Johns County.

“We are honored to have been selected for this award,” said Pete Peterson, a coastal and environmental engineer with ATM that led the St. Johns County study. “Although we did not set out to win an award for our work, we are pleased that our commitment to the environment and our state-of-the-art approach for marina and water use facilities have been recognized by the marine industry and the First Coast FPZA.”

Vickie Renna, principal planner with the St. Johns County Planning Division, submitted ATM’s study for consideration for the award. “This study has proven to be a very successful tool for St. Johns County, as well as other coastal counties in Florida and the Southeast,” said Renna. “It allows planners and developers to determine the best places to construct marinas – and how large the facilities should be – based on the environmental constraints and population demands of any given area.”

St. Johns County is one of the fastest growing counties in Florida, and with its vast amount of shoreline and waterways, it also has the highest ratio of boats-per-capita in the state, with one out of ten residents having a registered vessel.

ATM was selected over three other firms vying for the FPZA’s Environmental/Natural Resources Award. Renna said the criteria used to select the best candidate is composed of the quality of the submittal, experience with similar projects, familiarity and past performance with St. Johns County, the cost of the proposal, and the quality of the company’s references. “While the competing firms do the same sorts of things, the selection committee and I were most impressed with ATM’s references and the extensive work they have done in St. Johns and St. Lucie Counties,” Renna said. “The fact that this study has garnered interest from other marina-friendly states and the Florida DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) also speaks volumes about the quality and usefulness of this study.”

Applied Technology & Management, Inc. is an environmental, coastal and water resources engineering firm that specializes in marina planning, permitting and design. Founded in 1984, ATM is dedicated to solving water resources problems through innovative planning, engineering and management solutions. ATM is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, and has additional
offices in Jacksonville, Cocoa Beach, West Palm Beach, Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston, and Newport (Rhode Island).