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County delays policy on roads
By BILL COATS © St. Petersburg Times, published October 3, 2000 TAMPA -- Hillsborough County commissioners are taking another stab at limiting development along congested roads. But bowing to protests from developers, they are postponing the new limits on a dozen crowded roads until 2004. That gives developers three years to buy land along those roads and begin developing it. Without such a reprieve, argued County Commissioner Jim Norman, "This puts a moratorium on those roads." Developers would seek sites on newer corridors farther out into the suburbs, he said. "That promotes sprawl in a big way." On most roads, a new grading system would take effect within the next year. Theoretically, development would be blocked on roads graded worse than "D," defined as "high-density but stable flow," where "speed and freedom to maneuver are severely restricted." But development would be allowed along an "E" road if it has frequent bus service or if the county has sworn off any widening plans there. A road is graded "E" if it is operating near capacity, forcing drivers into low but uniform speeds. Several "E" roads were given development extensions when commissioners endorsed the changes last week. For example, three years of development would be allowed on Fletcher Avenue, between Nebraska Avenue and 50th Street in the University of South Florida area. With four lanes, that roadway's capacity is 1,720 vehicles an hour; it is carrying 2,509 during the thickest rush hour. Development sufficient to add another 277 vehicles would be allowed until 2004. Odessa's two-lane Gunn Highway, north of Van Dyke Road, could receive enough development to generate another 164 rush-hour trips, under the extensions voted Tuesday. It already is carrying 844 vehicles in the morning rush; its capacity is 770. All other roads affected by the three-year extension would be allowed to absorb development-induced traffic beyond their capacities. The other roads are: Anderson Road, from Hillsborough Avenue to Sligh Avenue. Its limit would be 163 percent of capacity. Benjamin Road, from Hillsborough to Waters Avenue; 123 percent of capacity. Causeway Boulevard, from 50th to U.S. 301; 102 percent. Dale Mabry Highway, from Hillsborough to Busch Boulevard; 137 percent. Fletcher, from Armenia Avenue to Nebraska; 141 percent. Gunn, from Sheldon Road to Van Dyke; 119 percent. Himes Avenue, from Hillsborough to Busch; 147 percent. Lumsden Road, from Providence Road to Kings Avenue; 138 percent. Memorial Highway, from Hillsborough to Kelly Road; 128 percent. Parsons Avenue, from Lumsden to State Road 60; 108 percent. Adamo Drive, from U.S. 301 to Falkenberg Road; 130 percent. Adamo, from U.S. 41 to U.S. 301; 103 percent. U.S. 301, from Interstate 4 to Sligh; 165 percent. Commissioners almost voted to tighten the development deadline on those roads to Oct. 1, 2002, after Commissioner Jan Platt accused them of allowing development while refusing to adequately pay for road improvements. "This is just a nice easy way to wash your hands of it and say, "Let another board deal with it in three years,' " she said. Platt, along with Commissioners Pat Frank and Chris Hart voted for the closer deadline, but it failed 4-3. The larger package of transportation policies was adopted 6-1, with Platt voting no. It will be submitted to state growth regulators as amendments to Hillsborough's binding long-range plan. Public comment on the latest changes was dominated by lawyers who represent the development industry. Their complaints had prompted the County Commission to balk at the changes several weeks before. The three-year extension was negotiated to win their support, and all endorsed it. "Whatever we do," warned Keith Bricklemyer, representing the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, "we have to find some money for transportation." For nearly 15 years, Florida law has contained a provision called "concurrency" that requires local governments to ban a development if the roads, parks and utilities to serve it are not sufficient. But in the case of roads, the state lets local officials define what is sufficient. Hillsborough initially said a road's traffic couldn't exceed 100 percent of its capacity. But in 1994, the county amended its policies to approve higher percentages on 101 stretches of roadway. "After a while, every time a road was deficient, they would change the number," said Joe Zambito, senior planning manager with the county's Planning Commission, which devised last week's amendments. At the same time, state transportation engineers often changed capacity formulas in ways that allowed thicker traffic, Zambito said. Consequently, few local developments, if any, have been blocked by concurrency over years of increasing traffic. Zambito said the letter grades should be less subject to manipulation. After Tuesday's vote, he concluded, "We ended up adopting 15 exceptions, but that's a lot better than 101 exceptions." - Bill Coats can be reached at (813) 226-3469 or coats@sptimes.com.
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