Item G3
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: January 17. 2002
Division:
Growth Management
Bulk Item: Yes _
No-1L
Department:
N/A
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a resolution directing County staff to initiate necessary planning and design
work for a cross-island connector on Big Pine Key and to authorize transportation facilities impact fees to fund
transportation planning and engineering consultant services on the project.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The Big Pine Key segment of U.S. Highway 1 has been operating at an inadequate level of
service for almost six continuous years. No building permits can be issued for any development that generates vehicular
trips on that segment. This impact from the lack of highway capacity is also affecting approval of new commercial and
multi-family development in the Lower Keys.
The Florida Department of Transportation and Monroe County have been unable to address the capacity problem due to the
potential adverse impacts of capacity improvements on the Key Deer. As part of the Habitat Conservation Plan to mitigate
the impacts of proposed development on Key Deer and the preparation of community master plan for Big Pine Key, it has
been determined that a cross-island connector north of U.S. Highway 1 will have a beneficial impact on the level of service
on U.S. Highway 1 and will have little impact on the survivability of the Key Deer.
The County staff is concerned that waiting to move forward on the planning and design of this project until after the Habitat
Conservation Plan and Incidental Take Permit are approved will needlessly delay providing relief to the property owners
and business on Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys. Furthermore the Florida Statutes and the County's Comprehensive Plan
allow for concurrency requirements to be met if a project that provides the necessary capacity in the constrained road
facility is underway.
The attached resolution directs County staff to expeditiously begin the planning and design of the cross-island connector
road (north of U.S. Highway), including analysis of alternative routes; authorizes the use of impact fees for associated
consultant transportation planning and design fees; requires at one public hearing and one public workshop during the
planning and design phase prior to the project being brought before the BOCC for consideration in the Capital
Improvements Program and Seven Year RoadwaylBicycle Path Plan; and requires coordination of the planning and design
with appropriate federal and state agencies.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: N/A
CONTRACTIAGREEMENTCHANGES: NM
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval
TOTAL COST: $500.000*
BUDGETED: Yes
No~
COST TO COUNTY: $500.000*
*Initial planning and design only
REVENUE PRODUCING:
Yes N/A No
AMOUNT PER MONTH N/A Year
APPROVED BY:
County Atty X
Risk Management _N/A_
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION: Included
X
To Follow_ Not Required_
AGENDA ITEM # ~ --&-c3'
DISPOSITION:
RESOLUTION
-2002
A RESOLUTION OF THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS (BOCC) DIRECTING THE COUNTY STAFF TO
INITIATE NECESSARY PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK FOR A
CROSS-ISLAND CONNECTOR ON BIG PINE KEY, APPROVING THE
APPROPRIATION OF ~ACT FEES TO FUND NEEDED
CONSULTANT TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND ENGINEERING
SERVICES FOR TillS WORK, REQUIRING THE HOLDING OF AT
LEAST ONE PUBLIC HEARING AND ONE PUBLIC WORKSHOP
DURING PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE, AND COORDINATING
PLANNING AND DESIGN EFFORTS WITH APPROPRIATE FEDERAL
AND STATE AGENCIES
WHEREAS, the properties and businesses on Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys have
been severely restricted by the inadequate level of service on the Big Pine Key segment (Mile
Marker 29.5 to Mile Marker 33) of U.S. Highway 1; and,
WHEREAS, the Big Pine Key segment of U.S. Highway 1 has been operating at an
inadequate level of service for almost six continuous years; and,
WHEREAS, this inadequate level of service has required that no building permits be
issued for any development that generates additional vehicular trips on the Big Pine Key segment
of U.S. Highway 1 pursuant to Section 9.5-292, Monroe County Code and the concurrency
requirements of Chapter 163 Florida Statutes and the Monroe County Year 2010 Comprehensive
Plan; and,
WHEREAS, it is evident, based upon the County's traffic engineer's findings in recent
reviews of development proposals in the Lower Keys for affordable housing and new commercial
projects, that the inadequate capacity of the U.S. Highway 1 segment on Big Pine Key may well
prohibit or severely restrict the issuance of any permits for development off of Big Pine Key that
are projected to create additional traffic generating development within 10 to 20 miles of Big Pine
Keys; and,
WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Transportation and Monroe County have been
unable to effectively and satisfactorily address the capacity problem due to the potential adverse
impacts of highway improvements on the survivability of the endangered Key Deer; and,
WHEREAS, in an effort to comprehensively address the Key Deer survivability issues
and the long term development of Big Pine and No Name Keys, the Florida Department of
Community Affairs, Monroe County, the Florida Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission entered into a
Memorandum of Agreement on October 26, 1998, for the preparation of a Habitat Conservation
Plan for Big Pine and No Name Keys; and,
WHEREAS, parallel with this effort, Monroe County initiated a community master
planning program for Big Pine and No Name Keys as part of its Livable CommuniKeys Program
using input from the Habitat Conservation Plan; and,
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WHEREAS, the Monroe County Planning and Environmental Resources Department
with the assistance of its transportation engineering consultant have prepared a Big Pine Key and
No Name Key Development Alternatives Report for preparation of the Incidental Take Permit
Application as part of the Habitat Conservation Plan; and,
WHEREAS, the Alternatives Report identified and evaluated the route of a specific
cross-island connector north of U.S. Highway 1 following existing roads and cleared easements
or rights of way; and,
WHEREAS, the transportation modeling of the proposed cross-island connector north of
U.S. Highway 1 indicates that such an improvement would improve the service capacity of U.S.
Highway 1 segment of Big Pine Key to a Level of Service "C" or higher; and,
WHEREAS, the impact of the cross-island connector north of U.S. Highway 1 was
evaluated with the Key Deer PV A Model used in the Habitat Conservation Plan to assess the
impacts on the survivability of the Key Deer; and,
WHEREAS, the Key Deer PV A Model indicate that the proposed cross-island connector
will have little additional impact on the Key Deer if constructed using areas of existing roads and
cleared easements and rights-of-way and designed with traffic calming and other measures to
reduce vehicle/Key Deer conflicts; and,
WHEREAS, this transportation improvement and a selected 20-year development
scenario will be included in the Incidental Take Permit Application, which will be submitted to
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in March 2002; and,
WHEREAS, Monroe County is concerned that any cross-island connector will require
sufficient lead time for planning and design; and,
WHEREAS, Monroe County is concerned that waiting for the final approval of the
Incidental Take Permit Application before moving forward on the planning and design of this
needed project will needlessly delay relief for property owners and businesses of Big Pine Key
and the Lower Keys; and,
WHEREAS, Section 163.3180, Florida Statutes, 9J-5.0055, Florida Administrative
Code, and Policy 1401.4.8, Monroe County Year 2010 Comprehensive Plan provide that the
permits may be issued for development affecting a constrained highway facility if the
improvements necessary to bring the facility to an adequate level of service are underway when
the permit is issued; and,
WHEREAS, Monroe County believes that it may now move forward on implementing
this much needed project without further delay in a manner that will provide relief from the
developrr.ent moratorium for property owners and businesses and is consistent with Florida
Statutes, the Monroe County Year 20 I 0 Comprehensive Plan, and the results of the Habitat
Conservation Plan; now therefore
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT:
I. The Board of County Commissioners is committed to the funding and construction of
a cross-island connector north of U.S. Highway I within the route corridor designated on Exhibit
I, consistent with mitigation design requirements outlined in the Incidental Take Permit
Application.
2. The County Administrator direct the Growth Management and Public Works
Divisions with assistance from the County Attorney's office to expeditiously carryout necessary
actions for the planning, engineering, and design of the cross-island connector, including analysis
of alternatives within the proposed route corridor.
3. $500,000 is authorized from transportation facilities impact fees for initiating the
planning and design of the proposed roadway.
4. One or more public workshops and at least one public hearing shall be conducted
during the planning and design phase of the project prior to consideration by the Board of
County Commissioners to approve construction of the cross-island connector.
5. Monroe County shall coordinate the planning, engineering, and design of the cross-
island connector in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of
Transportation, and Florida Department of Community Affairs.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners, Monroe County,
Florida at a regular meeting of said Board held on the I ih day of January, 2002.
Mayor Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Mayor Pro Tem Dixie Spehar
Commissioner Murray Nelson
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner Nora Williams
(SEAL)
Attest: Danny L. Kolhage, Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
Deputy Clerk
By:
Mayor/Chaiiperson
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