Okaloosa County BOCC — May 4, 2013 — Letter - City of FWB — reading text

04/69/2085 19:31 8583029316 MAGNOLIA GRILL PAGE 11 City of Fort Walton Beach America's Most Beautiful Beaches VR 107 Miracle Strip Parkway, SW * P.O. Box 4009 * Fort Walton Beach, F] 32549 pid & ’ (850) 833-9510 * Fax (850) 833-9640 * ae www.lwb.org TDD (850) 833-9925 victim Mayor Swhmayor@fwb.org March 16, 2006 Mr, Tor Rice Chairman, Emerald Coast Bridge Authority PO Box 903 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549 Dear Ree: The City of Fort Walton Béach appreciates and recognizes the need for improvements to the transportation network for the entire Northwest Florida corridor and for Okaloosa County in particular. We understand that any improvements must have community support and we want to be part of a viable solution that lessens traffic congestion while maintaining the character and quality of our City and our neighborhoods. The Fort Walton Beach City Council voted on March 14, 2006 to send a letter to the Emerald Coast Bridge Authority, the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization and the Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Corridor Authority to identify the solutions we wil) not support, but also Include the parameters for partnering with ECBA/TPO/NFRTCA to generate community support for an acceptable transportation solution. Hollywood Boulevard Bridge Corridor The City strongly opposes this option because of the devastating impact it will have to our residential neighborhoods. It is not a viable solution and has no community support as was Indicated by the more than 1,300 residents that signed a petition opposing this alignment. This area Is one of the oldest and most pedestrian friendly neighborhoods in our City, A bridge would ea the way of life our residents have worked hard to provide for their ‘amilies. In addition, more traffic will become a severe physical barrier for the Beal Parkway Nelghborhood, This Neighborhood is home to some of the lower income residents of Fort Walton Beach, who may not have vehicles and tend to walk or use public transportation for thelr work and shopping needs. Hollywood Boulevard’s current two-lane design allows for easy pedestrian access crossing the street. More traffic added from a new bridge would facilitate a call for a four-lane roadway, which will add more traffic that will 4/09/2886 19:31 8563826316 MAGNOLIA GRILL PAGE 12 Mr. Tom Rice Emerald Coast Bridge Authority Page 2 travel at a higher speed, creating a physical barrier to crossing this residential street and destroying the neighborhood as It exists today. The City strongly opposes the Brooks Bridge alignments. The first alignment dissects another of the City’s oldest neighborhoods and would ruin its quality of life, The second alignment failed to consider the multi-million dollar relInvestment of capital by First City Bank in renovating their bank operations. Further, any traffic solution within the Brooks Bridge Corridor that has more than a minimal Impact on the downtown area of Fort Walton Beach wil! not be acceptable. Toll Bridge In the Brooks Bridae Corridor The City strongly opposes a toll bridge of any kind in the Brooks Bridge Corridor or as a replacement to Brooks Bridge. As the Brooks Bridge is over 40 years old and has only one-third of its useful life of 60 years remaining, federal and state bridge replacement dellars and/or gasoline taxes should be Identified to replace this aging structure, as was done with the recently completed Hathaway Bridge in Panama City. The residents of Okaloosa County and the surrounding four-county ares should not have to bear the cost to replace this aging structure used daily by residents to go to and from work, for students te attend school, and for leisure and recreation purposes. A toll bridge is not an acceptable solution and lacks community support. The Council {s strongly opposed to these current plans because of the disproportionate negative impact on the citizens of Fort Walton Beach and the character of our City. However, the City of Fort Walton Beach stands ready to work in cooperation with the ECBA/NFRTCA to design a bridge alignment(s) that has minima! impact to the City’s downtown, does not interrupt, Interfere or intervene through our residential neighborhoods, and Is not a toll facility that will overburden the residents of Fort Walton Beach. Respectfully, mike Anderson Mayor cc; City Council Members 84/89/2486 19:31 98583020316 MAGNOLIA GRILL PAGE @1 Sep O1 04 07: 48p r THE FLORIDA SENATE Banal Govevart Appropriations. Chair Talishaesee, Florida 32399-" 100 ie an Aiaire Rulew 8’: Calendar anapertalior: Weye ond Meant SELECY COMMITTER: Medical Reform INT Trea: ubllc G6: Commission Oyureight SENATOR CHARUE CLARY Prastdant Pro Tempore 4th Diswict March 29, 2006 Chairman Tom Rice Emerald Coast Bridge Authority Post Office Box 903 Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32549 Dear Mr. Chairman, _ We have followed the debate with great interest conceraing a new proposed bridge site, and more specifically the problems with sraffic at and eround Brooks Bridge. Now tha( the decision has been made to forward the question conceming a proposed new {ovation for a oridge to the Northwest Florida Transprotation Corridor Authority (NWFLTCA) we would like to propose an intermediate step. Our request would be to jointly study and make recommendations to solving the traffle congestion problems on each side of Brooks Bridge. Maiuly addressing the intersection of Highway 98 and Santa Rosa Boulevard and the intersection of Highway 98 and Perry Avenue with the Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority. We believe that resolving these two “bottlenecks” will potentially provide much needed relief for that portion of Highway 98. We appreciate the opportunity tu share with you our thoughts, We would encourage your feedback and thoughts. We look forward to finding the best solutions for our traffic issues for our county, Cogdially, (fu C5 <7 Oa. ry, TL Charlie W. Cia Ray Sansom State Senator, District Four State Representative, District Four REPLY Ta: © 1241 Airpon Roach Sully A. Dushn. Florida 22641 (650) BSH9156 1 404 Sanata Office Bu ding, 203 Sxuth Monroe Sinsel, Tallarassse, Florida 22398-1100 (699) 487-0009 Sonsto's Wedsile: werw,Asonete. av TOM LEE CHARLIE CLARY President ofthe Sunate Prasident Pro Tempore