Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 09-11-12 regular CRA — reading text

QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF ADEQUAT FRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE CRA Objectives: Continue Sidewalk and Pavement Improve hout the or Extending Aging infrastructui a sig scant impedi o successful redevelopment. While Fort Walton Beach is a utility lines a to tree ` ology r b growth, deficiencies still exist such as s. A continual program for updating ore attractive for redevelopment, in turn, attracting more messes, The CRA main nnual s walk and pavement improvement Capital Improvement Programs CIP). The purp f pavement improvement program is to perform preventative maintenance on roa prevent them from deteriorating to a point requiring a complete rehabilitation. The could also consider utilizing funding to match needed road improvement projects including capacity projects, congestion management, and other transportation projects, including bike lanes. The annual sidewalk improvement program is designed to increase pedestrian safety and provide a pedestrian- friendly urban environment in the CRA. The sidewalk program should consider the classification of each road, as some roads require wider sidewalks further away from the main street. City of Fort Walton Beach June 2012  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan 1. Continue the annual pavement improvement program and possibly expand the program to include other road improvement projects, such as capacity building, bicycle lanes, congestion management, and enhanced pedestrian features. 2. Continue adding sidewalks and improving existing sidewalks where needed. If possible, construct wider sidewalks, allowing for multiple modes of non -motorized transit to occur simultaneously. Develop a prioritized list of sidewalk improvement rojects. less attractive for Aging and failing water and sewer lines make the Fort W redevelopment compared to newly built areas. Upgradi ommodate higher density may attract more developers to the CRA. 1. Consider implementing a yearly program to uti funds to complete needed underground infrastructure in the Though infra can be costly to update, this program can attract developers into and make more competitive compared to other newly built areas. 2. Offer incentives to incoming develop lopment Infrastructure grant program, that may up to 75° o enses necessary to upgrade infrastructure for i m ercial and in the CRA. In many primarily, e to dump may be to Ho areas with narrow st the proli In addition, dumpsters, whether currently in use or provided to meet this objective, should be screened from view to the maximum extent possible. June 2012 City of Fort Walton Beach  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Strategy 1. Develop a program for establishing joint use dumpsters in areas now cluttered with individual garbage cans. 2. Provide financial incentives for installing screening or landscaping to buffer existing dumpsters to improve the appearance of these facilities throughout the CRA. Traditional overhead utility lines connected by utility poles can e visual clutter and inhibit urban center development patterns. Placing utilities lines and od contributes to an overall pedestrian- friendly environment and may prove to be safer able during hurricanes and other natural disasters. Converting overhead utilities ou lities is not without its drawbacks. Therefore, the CRA should conside e of an r2round utilities program and should evaluate the cost benefit for ea dividual prod ect. The City has completed several steps towards beg V. erground uynties program, including a Feasibility Study in 2007 and obtaining from Gulf Power for the Eglin Parkway corridor. If the CRA wishes t ursue under, ities, several more steps must be taken. 1. Coordinate with Gulf produce bi estima r converting overhead utilities to underground along Lors, such as in Park y, Brooks Street, and Miracle Strip Parkway. i e the entire project in one or more phases. underground utilities project including: the construction pole, additional mobilization costs, zrers during different bids, and additional set -up 3. CoordinAdWith Gulf r for placement of utility lines in alleys, especially during to create or extend alleys and when underground placement is not feasible. 4. Continue the CR4VStreetscape grant program, which provides matching funds to private businesses for underground utilities. Several streets in the CRA have excess right -of w - ay that is currently underutilized. In some areas, the right -of w - ay can be " transferred" to alleyways. Extending and creating alleyways June 2012 City of Fort Walton Beach  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan allows pedestrians a place to walk far away from traffic and noise and also allows businesses adequate space for storage and loading /unloading. 1. Implement a pilot study that will decrease the right -of w- ay ( ROW) on Chicago Avenue and extend the alley that currently exists parallel to Chestnut Avenue and Chicago Avenue and to the south of Oak Street. Extend that alley north to Ferry Road and south to First Street. 2. Based on the success of the alley extension pilot study, more al may be created and/ or extended. June 2012 City of Fort Walton Beach  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan COMPONENT 3 - TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION GOAL: ENSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ADEQUATE AN 1NULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THROUGH CRA Objectives: Improve Safety Through Installing c - Calming Congestion Management Design Features Promote the Use of and Enhance the Ava sit Facil Continue to Promote Walkable Areas T the CRA Through the Installation of Pedestrian -Frien Features Ensure Adequate Bicycle Facil Ensure Adequate and Accessible The transportation and unsafe at times. Eglin 33, 500 Duet Pim Theretore, important tol the CRA, s enhanced and traffic cal techni increasingly impo n o the CRA. When traffic volumes approach or exceed capacity during peak hours or seasons, the resulting congestion reduces mobility. Congestion management can include roadway design practices such as limiting the number of driveways on arterials, installing needed turning lanes, intersection improvements, rerouting through -traffic, and traffic signal synchronization. Other congestion management strategies include ways to actually reduce capacity by encouraging other modes of City of Fort Walton Beach June 2012  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan transportation including transit service, walking, and bicycling. Traffic calming principally involves managing vehicle speed, modifying drivers' behaviors, and reducing traffic volume in order to increase the safety level for all modes of travel. The most common practices for traffic calming include installing speed tables, medians, street trees, pavement treatments, signage, and diverters. SR 85 ( Eglin Parkway) Undivided 6 -lane major arterial KMedianrovements, continuous sidewalks, surrounded by primarily mproved underground commercial land uses, including alks, Uptown Station proved pedestrian continuous curb cuts, al circulation US 98 ( Miracle Strip 4 -lane divided major enal Improved p an crossings; Parkway) carrying through tr from forced speed li oks Bridge Pensacola to Pana ow i ovements; wid nd improved speed limit, new stree de lks west o Brooks Street; downtown; tree -lined medians treetscaping west of Brooks Street SR 189 ( Beal Parkway) Undivided 4- nor arterial ved sidewalks, additional