Fort Walton Beach Resolution — 2012-20--2012 CRA Plan Update — reading text

Continue to Upgrade Water and Sewer Lines Throughout the CRA Consider Narrowing Excess Right -of -way and Creating or Extending Alleyways in the CRA Increase the Use and Screening of Joint Use Dumpsters Consider an Underground Utilities Program in the CRA Consider Narrowing Excess Rights -of -way and Creating or Extending Alleyways in the CRA Aging infrastructure can be a significant impediment to successful redevelopment While Fort Walton Beach is a leading center for technology and job growth, deficiencies still exist such as utility lines, water & sewer, streets, and sidewalks. A continual program for updating infrastructure can make the area more attractive for redevelopment, in cum, attracting more residents, businesses, and visitors. The CRA maintains annual sidewalk and pavement improvement Capital Improvement Programs CIP). The purpose of the pavement improvement program is to perform preventative maintenance on roads to prevent them from deteriorating to a point requiring a complete rehabilitation. The CRA 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  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 projects. Aging and failing water and sewer lines make the Fort Walton Beach CRA less attractive for redevelopment compared to newly built areas. Upgrading these lines to accommodate higher density may attract more developers to the CRA. 1. Consider implementing a yearly program to utilize CRA funds to complete needed underground infrastructure in the CPA. Though infrastructure can be costly to update, this program can attract developers into the CRA and make the area more competitive compared to other newly built areas. Offer incentives to incoming developers, such as a Development Infrastructure grant program, that may provide up to 75% of qualifying expenses necessary to upgrade infrastructure for incoming commercial and residential projects in the CRA. Objective 2. 3 — Increase the Use and Screening of Joint Use Dumpsters In many locations, multifamily residents and businesses rely on individual garbage cans, primarily due to space limitations for dumpsters. For small businesses, even the smallest dumpster may be too large for the business needs. However, in areas with small lots, narrow sidewalks, or narrow streets, the proliferation of garbage cans, seen in the photograph below, is unsightly and potentially unsanitary. The City could coordinate with users to _ establish a location for dumpsters to serve multiple users, reducing the need for individual garbage cans. In addition, dumpsters, whether currently in use or provided [ o meet this objective, should be screened from view to the maximum extent possible. 2012 City of Fort Walton Beach  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan 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 create visual clutter and inhibit urban center development patterns. Placing utilities lines underground contributes to an overall pedestrian- friendly environment and may prove to be safer and more reliable during hurricanes and other natural disasters. Converting overhead utilities to underground utilities is not without its drawbacks. Therefore, the CRA should consider all aspects of an underground utilities program and should evaluate the cost benefit for each individual project. The City has completed several steps towards beginning an underground utilities program, including a Feasibility Study in 2007 and obtaining estimates from Gulf Power for the Eglin Parkway corridor. If the CRA wishes to pursue underground utilities, several more steps must be taken. 1. Coordinate with Gulf Power to produce binding estimates for converting overhead utilities to underground along major corridors, such as Eglin Parkway, Brooks Street, and Miracle Strip Parkway. 2. Consider different funding scenarios to complete the entire project in one or more phases. Several problems exist with phasing an underground utilities project including: the substantial cost of a temporary to overhead construction pole, additional mobilization costs, matching fixtures due to different manufacturers during different bids, and additional set -up costs. 3. Coordinate with Gulf Power for placement of utility lines in alleys, especially during implementation of programs to create or extend alleys and when underground placement is not feasible. 4. Continue the CRA Streetscape grant program, which provides matching funds to private businesses for underground utilities. Objective Extending Alleyways in the CRA Several streets in the CRA have excess right -of w - ay that is currently underutilized. In some areas, the right -of -way can be " transferred' to alleyways. Extending and creating alleyways 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 -way ( 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 alleys may be created and/ or extended. Just as infrastructure improvements are vitally important to support growth and redevelopment in the CPA, transportation improvements are equally important. The transportation system should provide for safe and efficient mobility allowing residents and visitors to travel from residential areas to shops and restaurants. A good transportation system is also a key component of an effective mixed -use district, supporting a compact mix of land uses. The following section will outline the goal for the transportation system in the Fort Walton Beach CRA, as well as the objectives and strategies formulated to achieve the goal. City of Fort Walton Beach  2012 Community Redevelopment Plan COMPONENT 3 - TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION GOAL: ENSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ADEQUATE AND SAFE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE CRA Objectives: Improve Safety Through Installing Traffic Calming and Congestion Management Design Features Promote the Use of and Enhance the Availability of Transit Facilities Continue to Promote Walkable Areas Throughout the CRA Through the Installation of Pedestrian -Friendly Features Ensure Adequate Bicycle Facilities Throughout the CRA Ensure Adequate and Accessible Parking Throughout the CRA The transportation system within the Fort Walton Beach CRA is functional, but can be congested and unsafe at times. Major arterial roads such as Miracle Strip Parkway ( U. S. Highway 98), Eglin Parkway ( State Road 85), and Beal Parkway ( State Road 89) carry a capacity of up to 33, 500 AADT ( average annual daily traffic), 38, 000 AADT, and 15, 000 AADT, respectively. Due to the already built -out nature of the City, and the CRA specifically, most road widening projects to increase capacity through additional lanes on major roadways are not feasible. Therefore, it is important to focus on transportation improvements that can improve mobility in the CRA, such as enhanced pedestrian facilities, bikeways, and other congestion management and traffic calming techniques. Providing multimodal transportation options in the CRA is increasingly important in order to support the denser, mixed -use development pattern planned for 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 2012 City of Fort Walton Beach  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. Existine Roadway Analysis: rterial Median improvements, continuous SR 85 ( Eglin Parkway) surroimazily streetscape/ improved sidcwalks, s7_ com luding wider sidcwalks, underground Undi77_, Uptoutilities, improved pedestrian crossings, limit continuous curb cuts, improved internal circulation US 98 ( Miracle Strip 4 -lane divided major arterial Improved