Since transportation and mass transit is often planned to spur development, for example:
QuoteIt's a different story in other places around the country, which have taken direct action to ensure development follows a logical pattern. That includes Charlotte, which won federal money for its rail system when the Orange County Commission turned down the funds in 1999. The first part of Charlotte's transit line, light rail, is scheduled to open in fall 2007. The commuter-rail line is supposed to begin running in 2010.
Just like Central Florida, the Charlotte (commuter) line is planned to operate on existing freight tracks and carry passengers from suburban towns and cities to downtown. In both Central Florida and Charlotte, the lines run parallel to major interstates -- Interstate 4 in Central Florida, Interstate 77 in Charlotte. And many of the stops are planned for historic downtowns that have deteriorated as growth has sprawled out from the interstates.
In Charlotte, nearly 10,000 homes are planned or under construction at eight of the 12 commuter-rail stops and, just like in the pre-automobile days, the downtown cores of towns and cities are becoming a hotbed of activity.
That approach gives the rail line a better chance to succeed by building ridership from those who live within walking distance of stations. And it directs growth to areas that already have infrastructure such as roads, schools, water, sewer and public safety.
"It's fair to say the commuter rail has given local policymakers one additional rationale or justification for focusing the intensity and density [of development] along the central core of the rail line as opposed to allowing more of a suburban-sprawl pattern to continue to develop," said Jonathan Wells, Charlotte's land-use project manager for the commuter-rail line.
Transit-oriented development can turn suburban towns into more than bedroom communities. In the Charlotte suburbs, towns are planning farmers markets, interactive museums, corporate headquarters and libraries around their rail stops.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/orl-railmain1706jul17,0,4199161.story
So, development interests and transporatation issues are definitely intertwined.
1. transit is being planned with development interests in mind (
to create future ridership) or vice versa,
2. transit is put in place to take existing commuters off the road ie. relieving congestion from already existing development.(
potential ridership already exists)
That's why I am posting the following St Johns county development notice in this forum:
QuotePlease attend this very important meeting on Tuesday, April 21st at 1:30 pm if you possibly can! And keep sending emails to the commissioners!
This meeting will take place in the St. Johns County Administration Building which is located at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine . Directions are listed below. PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN! We need as many folks as possible at the meeting!
Also, continue to email the commissioners with your concerns. A list of arguments is attached.
Commissioners:
Cindy Stevenson bccd1@sjcfl.us
Ron Sanchez bccd2@sjcfl.us
Mark Miner bccd3@sjcfl.us
Phillip Mays bccd4@sjcfl.us
Ken Bryant bccd5@sjcfl.us
Directions to St. Johns County Administration Building :
From US-1 North
„h Go south on US-1 past the St. Johns County/St. Augustine airport
„h Go straight through the stoplight at Lewis Speedway
„h Turn right on the next major roadway onto San Sebastian View
„h Go approximately half a mile and the County Administration Building is on the right
From US-1 South
„h Go north on US-1 past the St. Augustine city gates
„h Go straight through the stoplight at Winn-Dixie and Schooners
„h Turn left at the next median break onto San Sebastian View
„h Go approximately half a mile and the County Administration Building is on the right
From I-95
„h Take exit 318 for St. Augustine and State Road 16
„h Go east on State Road 16 towards St. Augustine for approximately 5.5 miles
„h Turn left at the intersection of US-1
„h Go north on US-1 past the St. Augustine city gates
„h Go straight through the stoplight at Winn-Dixie and Schooners
„h Turn left at the next median break onto San Sebastian View
„h Go approximately half a mile and the County Administration Building is on the right
ARGUMENT AGAINST APPROVAL OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ATTHE I95/SR206 INTERCHANGE.
BACKGROUND: A developer (Southwest Commerce Center) has requested approval for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the construction of an industrial transfer complex on a relatively small mixed use parcel at the I95/SR206 interchange.
The PZA approved a two-phased project initially allowing the industrial portion and a second phase to be determined in the future. The elephant in the room was the fact that as much as four mega developments in and around this area extending into Flagler County are waiting in the wings. As reported in the Record three of these developments (Old Kings Park, Watermark & Old Brick Township) will add “thousands of new homes, offices, retail stores and millions of square feet of industrial space in southern St. Johns County.†The PZA despite its “planning†responsibilities refused to consider the overall impact of these projects which should more appropriately be considered together as a Development of Regional Impact (DRI).
ARGUMENTS AGAINST APPROVAL:Failure to consider development of the area as a whole portends a repeat of the planning failure in northwest St. Johns County. The lack of planning and the piecemeal approach to development that created the mess at the SR210/I95 interchange is guaranteed to visit the SR206/I95 area as well. The PZA approval of an open ended PUD without requiring specific development plans, and without consideration of known adjacent development proposals further emphasizes disregard of even minimal land development planning. “Smart Growth†as codified in the County's Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Codes requires that development be compatible and complementary with adjacent land uses. The proposed developments, given their scope are sure to put pressure on their neighbors and the consequences are foreseeable. The land to the north, south and west of the proposed developments are principally rural and agricultural. It is in the interests of the County to insure that these low impact commercial interests are preserved. To the east is a coastal community that is already under pressure from bludgeoning growth to preserve a unique aspect of the County's quality of life and one of its major tourist attractions. The massive development proposed for SR206/I95 will change these areas irreparably forever. There is no need for additional industrial capacity.
The County's Target Industry Study, adopted in 2006, indicated an existing inventory of more that 12 million square feet of office and industrial space. Were additional capacity required “smart growth†and common sense would dictate that it be located in underutilized industrial areas currently existing along the I95 corridor, one at SR207 and one at World Golf Village. The PZA allowed the developer to argue need for additional industrial capacity based among other things, on the possible expansion of the Panama Canal! There is no need for additional residential capacity. With some 70,000 residential units presently approved but not yet built on the books of the county there is no need for additional thousands, especially in an area of the county remote from any commercial center where such residents could find employment. Even the PZA recognized this in allowing the developer to delete the residential portion of his proposal.
Lack of Infrastructure. Current infrastructure in the area is consistent with its agriculture/silva culture character. It is without question that it will require a massive effort to put infrastructure in place to accommodate the proposed developments. Although the developers have indicated they will contribute to these costs, we have consistently seen shortfalls in such contributions resulting the burden of such falling to the taxpayer. One needs look no farther than the County having to step in and deal with the SR210/I95 interchange problem as evidence of this fact.
Transportation Infrastructure. One aspect of the lack of overall planning is a failure to consider the impact of thousands of daily commercial vehicles entering and leaving the interchange. The interchange's capacity is currently overburdened and the proposed industrial developments will require its expansion as well as the carrying capacity of SR206. At a minimum a transportation study should precede any consideration of the areas development.
Safety Considerations. The massive increase in commercial traffic will impacttransportation safety of two co-located schools, Menendez High School and South Woods Elementary School. Additionally, numerous studies have demonstrated the direct negative impact of industrial pollution, to include commercial vehicle emissions, on the health and learning abilities of school children. The proposed projects are in a major water recharge area whose development woulddirectly counter St. Johns County goal to protect the function of the natural ground water Floridian and Surficial (sic) Aquifer Recharge Areas, to protect the contamination of groundwater and to extend the life cycle of the County's aquifer through water conservation.
The proposed projects are in the principal discharge area flowing into the environmentally critical and sensitive Pellicer Creek and the Matanzas Inlet, one of the last natural inlets on Florida's east coast, and currently the subject of a major protection study by the St. Johns River Water Management District.