Councilman Clark to sponsor new 3-year Mobility Plan fee moratorium legislation

[Ocklawaha]

2/7/2013

Dear Councilman:

RE: ORDINANCE 2013-94 Introduced by Council Member Clark:



“WHEREAS, the time period for allowing a waiver on mobility fees expired without sufficient time for such waiver to assist in encouraging economic growth.” Considering it failed to assist in encouraging economic growth the first time we tried it, how logical is it to repeat the mistake and expect a different result?

Twenty-seven years ago downtown Portland, Oregon was fading into oblivion, their experiment with streetcars turned that around. Today with more then $3 billion dollars in new urban investment the hottest real estate in the Pacific Northwest is in downtown Portland.

In Dallas, the opening of the light rail and streetcars started a real estate renaissance. Locating near the rail system is now considered the measure of a projects success. Dallas has seen over $1.3 billion in new development along the rail lines.

A new streetcar system in Atlanta is expected to generate $4.4 billion in new     development. The City of Fort Lauderdale is already calling ‘The Wave,’ streetcar project a Financial Tsunami. Seattle experienced 2,000 new housing units and a 123% increase in land values along the new streetcar routes.

If you support Councilman Clark’s legislation either in whole or part, every hour that a new moratorium is in place will see Jacksonville fall that much further behind our peer cities. We will never enjoy the economic explosion that has followed these transit projects, though these are exactly the kind of projects found in, and funded by our mobility plan. Failure to allow the mobility plan to transform Jacksonville will long be remembered as a failure of governance. This Ordinance is a terrible idea, good only for another season of lingering mediocrity. I urge you to vote against this proposal.



Robert W. Mann
Transportation Consultant
Metrojacksonville.com

[Ocklawaha]

While JTA is forbidden by federal law from lobbying, the promising new director should be made aware of our feelings too. Please add: Mr. Nathan Ford, to your list:  nford@jtafla.com

[jcjohnpaint]

Personally I smell corruption.  I wonder if Clark is receiving some kind of kickbacks from developers.  Were any of the dev groups helping to fund his campaign? 

[sheclown]

We will either be a city with a vibrant core, or a cluster of suburbs tied together with miles asphalt draining our resources.

Let's use what already exists.

[tufsu1]

Personally I smell corruption.  I wonder if Clark is receiving some kind of kickbacks from developers.  Were any of the dev groups helping to fund his campaign? 

most elected officials get money from the development industry....which includes developers, realtors, contractors, engineers, architects, etc.

[thelakelander]

We will either be a city with a vibrant core, or a cluster of suburbs tied together with miles asphalt draining our resources.

Let's use what already exists.

I'm fine with suburban development, as long as it's responsible growth that covers its own cost.  This is the scary thing about Councilman Clark's bill.  It basically creates an avenue where the negatives of bad development will have to be funded by taxpayers.  On the surface, it sounds like he's pushing for three years (which is bad enough), but there are loopholes within the wording that could place taxpayers at risk for decades.

[spuwho]

I was told that

"Clark is just doing this to make that new 3000 single family home development in his district cheaper for the master developer.  The fact is, that project will get built with our without the fee... Meanwhile his constituents are going to lose out on money that will go to pay for needed infrastructure improvements. 

They already waived one road that was required to be built in the initial PUD, how much more of a supplement does this project need?  The inventory of available single family homes certainly isn't in dire straights of running low any time soon. "

not a very good reason.

Stephen,

Is this the PUD going in off Beach and Kernan? The road they eliminated was the extension from Patton Park?

If it is, that one has had issues for years. First they wanted the bank to take over as the master developer, that got blocked, then they took out the street connector requirement, essentially dumping the traffic onto Beach and later Kernan. They said it wasn't "affordable" to require the streets in the plan.

If in fact its the same PUD, then it sounds like it is on shaky legs to begin with as they have been shaving back the civic requirements for several months. The developer has been one step ahead of bankruptcy.

If a mobility fee has that much impact to the profitability of a 500 home development, then it sounds like it shouldn't be built at all.

Mr. Clark should tell the developer/bank to sell it off.

.

[cline]

Clark is a shill for the development industry- that's how he got elected.  This bill comes as no surprise. 

[Debbie Thompson]

But we have to all stand up and defeat it.  Don't just post here.  Email the council, and as Ock said, Mr. Ford.  Show up in Council Chambers and speak out against the ordinance.  Before you get there, put together your talking points so you can speak succinctly and effectively. 

MJ posters who have transportation and urban planning experience, please help us with some talking points.  Ock, Lake, Doug, Mike.... 

The only way to defeat this awful bill if if opponents swamp the council with so many emails and "on the record" speeches at council, that they will be ashamed to pass it.

Email or call the media (Ken Amaro's team?) about your concerns over the special interests involved in this, and how it will affect Jacksonville's outlook vs. our peer cities if this bill passes. 

We have to make a bunch of noise in every venue we can.

[JeffreyS]

Feel Free to correct or add to the list of local organizations and media who have opposed the moratorium.

The TU
Folio
MetroJacksonville.com
The Resident Community News
RAP
Spar
SMPS
Samba

I believe the list is longer.

[Jumpinjack]

Feel Free to correct or add to the list of local organizations and media who have opposed the moratorium.

Northeast Florida Sierra Club
Jacksonville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Some of the CPACs

[Ocklawaha]

Someone needs to convince the Mayor on it.  That's another important angle.

He is aware of it, and has been supplied with a host of successful peer city examples where fixed mass transit has spurred development booms. He supports mass transit and wants a world class system his only reservation being 'what is the best way to get there?'

Overall I am quite happy with the nearly immediate and personal response from our mayor as he considers the pros and cons of this proposal.

Keep the letters pouring in and don't be afraid to toss in your own research on the economic benefits of Mass Transit. Here is a list of cities where a simple google search will reveal mountains of pro mobility plan evidence:

Seattle - Streetcar, Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Corridor Rail, Trolley, BRT
Portland OR - Light Rail, Streetcar, Aerial Trams
Sacramento - Light Rail, Corridor Rail
San Francisco - Heavy Rail, Streetcar, Cable Car, Commuter Rail
San Jose - Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Corridor Rail
Los Angeles/Long Beach/OC - Heavy Rail, Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Corridor Rail, BRT
San Diego - Light Rail, Corridor Rail, Commuter Rail, Streetcar
Salt Lake City - Light Rail, Streetcar, Commuter Rail
Las Vegas - Monorail, BRT
Phoenix - Light Rail
Tucson - Streetcar
Albuquerque - Streetcar, Commuter Rail
Denver - Light Rail, BRT
Minneapolis - Light Rail, Commuter Rail
Little Rock - Streetcar
Dallas - Light Rail, Streetcar, Commuter Rail
Austin - Light Rail, BRT
Houston - Light Rail, BRT
St. Louis - Light Rail
Memphis - Streetcar
New Orleans - Streetcar
Cincinnati - Streetcar Under Construction
Nashville - Commuter Rail
Atlanta - Heavy Rail, Streetcar Under Construction
Tampa - Streetcar
Ft. Lauderdale - Streetcar in engineering phase
Buffalo - Light Rail, Corridor Rail
Pittsburgh - Light Rail, BRT
Norfolk - Light Rail
Charlotte - Light Rail, Corridor Rail

This list does not include every city or town to install rail or BRT, but it does hit on the cities with new projects and where economic benefits can be conclusively shown.

[tufsu1]

Feel Free to correct or add to the list of local organizations and media who have opposed the moratorium.

The TU
Folio
MetroJacksonville.com
The Resident Community News
RAP
Spar
SMPS
Samba

I believe the list is longer.

TransForm Jax

[thelakelander]

Are there any community oriented groups in favor of a moratorium?

[sheclown]

Feel Free to correct or add to the list of local organizations and media who have opposed the moratorium.

The TU
Folio
MetroJacksonville.com
The Resident Community News
RAP
Spar
SMPS
Samba

I believe the list is longer.

Preservation SOS
Sustainable Springfield (I believe)
Urban Core CPAC