Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 · Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 March 4, 2020 Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509

Meeting Packet Table of Contents

Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 March 4, 2020

Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring, FL 33870

The following items are included in today’s Task Force Member meeting packets

• Agenda

• Meeting Locations and Schedule

• Task Force Membership List

• Task Force Revised Work Plan • Task Force Engagement Plan

• Today’s Panel

• Wekiva Parkway

• Suncoast Parkway 2 (SR 589) Phase 1

• Truck Parking

• Examples of Collocated Roadway

• Transportation Investments and Job Creation

• Consolidated Land Use Map Synthesis

• Overview of Economic Development Policies and Plans in the Southwest-Central Florida Corridor

• Heartland 2060: Building a Resilient Region

• Roadway Network Improvements

Meeting Packet Table of Contents

• 2050 Roadway Model Network • 2018 – 2050 Peak Season Daily Traffic Volume Growth • 2050 Future Conditions - Level of Service (LOS) • 2050 Future Conditions – Traffic Congestion • Major Construction Projects

• Major Planning Projects and Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Studies

• Avoidance and Enhancement Areas • Overview of Avoidance Areas • Opportunity & Investment Areas

• Areas of Interest

• Public Meetings by County

• Public Input - Form Letters

• Thumb Drive of All Comments from August 2019 to Mid-February 2020

• Draft Guiding Principles Summary • Draft Guiding Principles Summary with Noted Updates • Glossary

• Local Restaurants

• Meeting Evaluation Form

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Agenda

Meeting Agenda Subject: Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 Date: March 4, 2020 Location: Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring, Florida 33875

Objectives • Discuss corridor utility needs and opportunities • Discuss draft high-level needs summary • Review public engagement activities and public input received to date • Review additional data requested by Task Force and proposed Task Force avoidance comments • Discuss existing corridor enhancement opportunities • Refine draft AMME guiding principles • Receive public comment

Agenda Time Task Presenter

9:30 am Registration

10:00 am Welcome L.K. Nandam, Task Force Chair

10:05 am

Introductions, Update, and Agenda Review • Member introductions

• Safety briefing

• Brief review of meeting agenda, objectives, and materials

• Brief update on status of key work plan activities

• Karen Kiselewski, Facilitator

• Marlon Bizerra, FDOT Production Lead

10:15 am Government in the Sunshine Law – Video John Fricke, Office of the Attorney General

10:20 am

Corridor Utility Needs and Opportunities • Panel discussion of utility representatives:

water/sewer and broadband

• Mark Addison, Community Investment Program Manager, Polk County Utilities Division

• David Terry Brigman, Former CIO and Director of Information Technology, City of Lakeland

• Sterling Carroll, State Engineer, Florida Rural Water Association

• Eric Labbe, Economic Opportunity and Community Investment Director, City of Winter Haven

• Robert Ryall, Associate Vice President, Financial Services Practice Lead, Arcadis-US

• Bill Lambert, Director, Hardee County Economic Development Council

• Task Force Members

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Agenda Time Task Presenter

11:10 am Discuss Draft High-Level Needs Summary

• Katherine Chinault, FDOT M-CORES Project Manager



11:35 am

Public Engagement Activities • Recap of public input received since last meeting

• Plan for upcoming community open house

• Will Watts, FDOT Chief Engineer



12:00 pm ***Lunch*** on your own

1:15 pm

Corridor Planning Process • Review additional priority data requested by Task

Force

• Discuss process for ensuring consistency with state, regional, and local plans

• Review existing and baseline forecasted traffic data

• Review existing capacity projects

• Proposed Task Force avoidance comments

• Discuss existing corridor enhancement opportunities

• Will Watts, FDOT Chief Engineer


• Huiwei Shen, FDOT Chief Planner

• Barbara Davis, Toll Studies & Express Lanes Development Administrator, Florida Turnpike Enterprise

• Walter Breuggeman, FDOT M-CORES Project Engineer


2:45 pm Break

3:00 pm Revised Draft AMME Guiding Principles • Karen Kiselewski, Facilitator


3:45 pm Next Steps • L.K. Nandam, Task Force Chair


4:00 pm Public Comment • L.K. Nandam, Task Force Chair


TBD Adjourn L.K. Nandam, Task Force Chair Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. People who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Marlon Bizerra at [email protected] or (863) 519-2250 at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

mailto:[email protected]

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Meeting Locations and Schedule

Southwest-Central Florida Corridor

Meeting Location

Task Force Meeting #1 Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Tampa Tampa Convention Center 333 S Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602

Task Force Meeting #2 Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Polk County Polk State College – Lakeland Campus 3425 Winter Lake Road, Lakeland, FL 33803

Community Open House Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Hardee County Wauchula Train Depot 135 E Main Street, Wauchula, FL 33873

Task Force Meeting #3

Monday, December 9, 2019 Hendry County LaBelle Civic Center 481 SR 80, LaBelle, FL 33935

Community Open House Thursday, December 12, 2019

Collier County North Collier Park – Exhibit Hall 15000 Livingston Road, Naples, FL 34109

Community Open House

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Polk County W.H. Stuart Conference Center 1710 US Highway 17 S, Bartow, FL 33830

Community Open House

Thursday, January 30, 2020

DeSoto County Turner Agri-Civic Center Exhibit Hall 2250 NE Roan Street, Arcadia, FL 34266

Task Force Meeting #4 Thursday, February 13, 2020

Glades County Doyle Conner Building 900 US Highway 27, Moore Haven, FL 34471

Task Force Meeting #5 Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Highlands County Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring, FL 33870

Community Open House Thursday, March 26, 2020

Highlands County Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring, FL 33870

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Meeting Locations and Schedule

Meeting Location

Task Force Meeting #6 Tuesday, April 28, 2020

DeSoto County Turner Agri-Civic Center Arena 2250 NE Roan Street, Arcadia, FL 34266

Community Open House Thursday, May 7, 2020

DeSoto County Turner Agri-Civic Center Exhibit Hall 2250 NE Roan Street, Arcadia, FL 34266

Community Open House Thursday, May 14, 2020

Hendry County LaBelle Civic Center 481 SR 80, LaBelle, FL 33935

Community Open House Thursday, June 4, 2020

Glades County Doyle Conner Building 900 US Highway 27, Moore Haven, FL 34471


Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Charlotte County Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center 75 Taylor Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Community Open House Thursday, June 25, 2020

Lee County Lee County Civic Center (Whaley Hall) 11831 Bayshore Road, North Fort Myers, FL 33917

Task Force Meeting #8 Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Hardee County Agricultural Civic Center 770 Recreation Complex, Wauchula, FL 33873

August 2020 Public comment period on draft report recommendation

Task Force Meeting #9 Thursday, September 3, 2020

Polk County Polk State College – Lakeland Campus 3425 Winter Lake Road, Lakeland, FL 33803

Task Force Report By October 1, 2020

Submit Task Force reports to Governor and Legislature

*Dates and county locations are subject to change.

Rev. 1/29/2020

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Task Force Membership List


Organization Member Name/Title

Florida Department of Transportation L.K. Nandam, District One Secretary

Florida Department of Transportation Tracy A. Hood, District Seven Consultant Project Management Engineer

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Jennifer Carpenter, South District Assistant Director

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Pam Johnson, Deputy Director of Workforce Services

Florida Department of Education Robert Richards, Supervisor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Florida Department of Health Stephanie Vick, Administrator, Collier County

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Tom Graef, Southwest Regional Director

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Janet Taylor, Former Commissioner, Hendry County

Florida Public Service Commission Mark Futrell, Deputy Executive Director - Technical

Enterprise Florida Tim Vanderhoof, Senior Vice President of Business Development

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation

Tim McGrath, Field Office Manager – Central Florida

CareerSource Florida Donna Doubleday, President & CEO of CareerSource Heartland

Volunteer Florida Rechell Johnson, Financial Analyst

South Florida Water Management District Melissa M. Roberts, Regulatory Service Center Administrator

Southwest Florida Water Management District Brian Starford, Operations, Lands and Resource Monitoring Division Director

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Collier Metropolitan Planning Organization The Hon. Reg Buxton, Chair Council Member, City of Naples

Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Donald Scott, Executive Director

Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Hon. Chris Constance, Chair Commissioner, Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners

Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization

The Hon. Colon Lambert, Board Member Commissioner, Hardee County Board of County Commissioners

Polk Transportation Planning Organization The Hon. Nat Birdsong, Chair Mayor Pro-Tem, City of Winter Haven

Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council The Hon. Bill McDaniel, Board Member Chair, Collier County Board of County Commissioners

Central Florida Regional Planning Council Pat Steed, Executive Director

Florida Chamber of Commerce Katie Worthington Decker, President / CEO, Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce

Florida Trucking Association Keith Walpole, CEO, Walpole, Inc.

Florida Rural Water Association Gerald Buhr, Attorney

Florida Internet & Television Association Bill Ferry, Senior Director of External Affairs – Florida Region, Comcast

Florida Economic Development Council Sherry Ambrose, Manager of Economic Development, Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Farm Bureau Federation Gary Ritter, Assistant Director of Government & Community Affairs

Florida SouthWestern State College Dr. Jeff Allbritten, President

South Florida State College Glenn Little, Vice President for Administrative Services

Polk State College Dr. Angela M. Garcia Falconetti, President

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Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons, LLC Matt Caldwell, Associate

1000 Friends of Florida Andrew Dickman, Board of Directors

Audubon Florida Dr. Paul Gray, Okeechobee Science Coordinator

Defenders of Wildlife Elizabeth Fleming, Senior Florida Representative

Florida Wildlife Corridor Jason Lauritsen, Executive Director

The Everglades Foundation Shannon Estenoz, Chief Operating Officer

The Nature Conservancy Wendy Mathews, Conservation Projects Manager

Local governments in Collier County The Hon. Penny Taylor, Commissioner, Collier County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Lee County The Hon. Cecil Pendergrass, Commissioner, Lee County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Charlotte County The Hon. Ken Doherty, Chair, Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Hendry County The Hon. Mitchell Wills, Chair, Hendry County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Glades County The Hon. Weston Pryor, Commissioner, Glades County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in DeSoto County The Hon. Elton Langford, Commissioner, DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Hardee County The Hon. Mike Thompson, Chair, Hardee County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Highlands County The Hon. Ron Handley, Commissioner, Highlands County Board of County Commissioners

Local governments in Polk County The Hon. Rick Wilson, Commissioner, Polk County Board of County Commissioners

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Task Force Revised Work Plan

Meeting Objectives

COMPLETED


August 27, 2019 Plenary session with breakouts for each Task Force

• Provide overview of legislation and M-CORES program • Review Task Force role and responsibilities • Provide briefing on Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law

and Public Records laws • Share background information on corridor planning and Task

Force products • Identify potential considerations for future discussion at Task

Force meetings • Develop Task Force consensus on work plan, meeting

schedule, and overall outcomes

Task Force Meeting #2 and Community Open House October 2019

• Introduce approach for identifying Avoidance, Minimization, Mitigation, and Enhancement (AMME) considerations

• Discuss avoidance and minimization considerations for developing corridor opportunities

• Discuss potential guiding principles for avoidance and minimization

• Receive public comment

Task Force Meeting #3 and Community Open House

December 2019

• Review M-CORES vision and Task Force goals • Highlight the data/fact sheets by various public agencies and

organizational partners • Review corridor planning and project development process • Discuss purpose of the corridor • Discuss regional and local needs • Discuss the AMME considerations for community and

economic resources • Receive public comment

Community Open Houses January 2020

• Community open houses in each study area to share information about the process and gather public input about AMME considerations

Task Force Meeting #4 February 2020

• Receive public comment summary to date • Review economic and workforce development opportunities • Review regional and local plans and visions to identify

considerations for corridor planning • Review corridor planning process • Discuss draft AMME guiding principles and identify

avoidance areas • Receive public comment

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Meeting Objectives

UPCOMING

Task Force Meeting #5 and Community Open House

March 2020

• Discuss corridor utility needs and opportunities • Discuss draft high-level needs summary • Review public engagement activities and public input received

to date • Review additional data requested by Task Force and proposed

Task Force avoidance comments • Discuss existing corridor enhancement opportunities • Refine draft AMME guiding principles • Receive public comment

Task Force Meeting #6 April 2020

• Discuss emergency evacuation needs and opportunities • Discuss emerging technology needs and opportunities • Review public engagement activities including upcoming

community open houses • Review potential corridor connectivity needs consistent with

AMME guiding principles • Review potential implementation approaches • Review draft report outline • Receive public comment

Community Open Houses May – June 2020

• Community open house(s) in each study area to gather input on high-level needs summary, AMME guiding principles, potential paths/courses, and implementation issues

Task Force Meeting #7 and Community Open House June 2020

• Further refine AMME guiding principles as needed • Provide guidance for further refining and prioritizing potential

paths/courses • Refine potential implementation approaches (e.g., co-location,

multi-use feasibility and opportunities, utility expansion feasibility and opportunities, innovative uses of right of way, innovative approaches to mitigation or enhancement, innovative design features)

• Develop and review draft Task Force report sections • Receive public comment

By June 30, 2020 • FDOT submits report on Construction Workforce Development Program to Governor and Legislature

Task Force Meeting #8 July 2020

• Provide additional guidance as needed on AMME guiding principles and potential paths/courses

• Discuss additional implementation issues • Review and further refine final draft Task Force report • Receive public comment

July 2020 • Florida Transportation Commission presentation

August 2020 • Public comment period on draft Task Force recommendations

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Meeting Objectives

Task Force Meeting #9 September 2020

• Receive public comment • Adopt final Task Force report

By October 1, 2020 • Submit Task Force report to Governor and Legislature

Rev. 2/20/2020

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Task Force Engagement Plan

Roles and Responsibilities

Three Task Forces will be established to represent each of the three corridor study areas:

• Suncoast Connector (Citrus County to Jefferson County);

• Northern Turnpike Connector (northern terminus of the Florida Turnpike northwest to the Suncoast Parkway); and

• Southwest-Central Florida Connector (Collier County to Polk County).

For the purposes of Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law, the Task Forces are considered to be three separate bodies.

The Task Force Chair (Chair) will be appointed by the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (Secretary). The Chair will guide the overall process and lead Task Force meetings.

The Task Force Vice-Chair (Vice-Chair) will be appointed by the Secretary and work with the Chair to guide the overall process. The Vice-Chair will lead Task Force meetings if the Chair is absent.

Task Force Members (Members) are subject matter experts who will assist in the development of final report recommendations, proactively seek public and partner engagement, and make recommendations based on a consensus building process. Members are requested to attend and actively participate in all meetings, to the extent possible. Members who are unable to attend a specific meeting for good cause may request designation of a substitute to act on their behalf during the meeting, subject to approval by the Secretary.

Florida Department of Transportation Staff and Consultants will assist the Task Force with the facilitation of meetings; support technical and information needs, including data and information gathering and distribution; solicit and compile public and partner comment for Task Force use; and assist in drafting elements of the Task Force report, as directed by the Chair. The Department has not delegated any decision-making authority to the consultants and expressly requires them to be cognizant of and fully comply with Florida Sunshine Law. The consultants to the M-CORES Task Forces will only participate in objective fact-finding exercises/presentations without making any editorial comments, selections, or recommendations outside of the public meeting process.

The Facilitator(s) will assist in the design of the overall process and support the Chair in guiding the Task Force meetings as directed by the Chair. The facilitator(s) will work for/with the Task Force to support effective discussions, collaboration, and consensus-building.

Collaborative Consensus Building Process

The Task Force will seek consensus decisions on its recommendations. Consensus is a participatory process whereby, on matters of substance, the Task Force strives for agreements that members can accept, support, live with, or agree not to oppose. The Task Force will develop its recommendations using consensus building techniques with the assistance of facilitators, such as the use of acceptability ratings, iterative discussions, and prioritizing approaches.

This process builds trust and creates ownership and commitment with an end goal of creating an understanding of the issues and then sharing the perspectives of all involved. When implemented

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effectively, this process is inclusive and engages all participants. Consensus leads to better quality outcomes that empower a group to move forward to create Florida’s future together.

The consensus building process will focus on the following:

• Establish Task Force Work Plan;

• Identify potential Avoidance, Minimization, Mitigation, and Enhancement (AMME) considerations for developing and evaluating potential corridor opportunities;

• Develop guiding principles related to the AMME considerations;

• Review potential corridor opportunities consistent with these guiding principles;

• Recommend potential implementation actions by FDOT, other state agencies, local governments, and other partners;

• Address other policy issues identified in statute or as agreed upon by the Task Force; and

• Agree on recommendations to be included in a final report to be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by October 1, 2020.

The collaborative consensus building process will rely on the following rules of engagement:

• Establish a common understanding of the overall process as well as the specific area of recommendation;

• Seek commitment to strive for consensus;

• Support a process that is open, trusting, and respectful toward all participants;

• Establish communication protocols both during and between Task Force meetings;

• Understand and work to address differences in perspective and approach among Task Force members, ensuring that all ideas are honored;

• Identify a clear process for reaching recommendations with emphasis on looking for areas of shared understanding;

• Encourage all members to participate consistently and actively to identify inclusive solutions; and

• Monitor progress and outline accomplishments.

Consensus stages that will be used during this process:

• Introduce and clarify the opportunity/issue;

• Explore the opportunity/issue, collect and discuss ideas for problem solving;

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• Develop proposals related to corridor considerations that address public and stakeholder issues, as feasible;

• Make initial recommendations; and

• Discuss, clarify, and amend as needed.

The following acceptability scale will be used to evaluate emerging direction or recommendations:

• Wholehearted support – this is what I would do

• Support – this may not be what I would do, but it is good, and I can support it (or live with it)

• Minor reservations – I may be able to live with it or even support it, but I need clarification or refinement first

• Major reservations – I cannot support as currently drafted

Review and discussion of the recommendations will follow. Initial acceptability results will be used to identify possible refinements to the direction or recommendation that would make it more generally acceptable to the Task Force. Individual members or staff may be asked to address concerns and suggestions arising from Task Force discussion in redrafting and refining recommendations. Redrafted recommendations will ultimately be compiled into a document for the Task Force’s review and refinement.

Recommendations will be adopted at the final meeting. The Task Force will strive for consensus on the recommendations as a package to be included in the final report. Consensus will be defined and documented as members being able to support, accept, live with, or agree not to oppose the package of recommendations for the final report. The final report will be submitted following the conclusion of the last Task Force meeting.

Task Force Meeting Structure

To ensure all Task Force meetings are effective and build toward consensus recommendations, the following guidelines will be used:

• Each meeting will provide an overview of Florida’s Government in Sunshine Law using a standard video.

• The Chair will work with staff and facilitators to design efficient and effective meeting agenda including specific agenda items and desired outcomes.

• The use of facilitators will enable the Chair to participate directly in the substantive process of seeking consensus on recommendations.

• To ensure that the meetings are flexible, formal parliamentary procedures will not be used. The Chair and facilitator will work to ensure effective and balanced participation of all members and sufficient discussion of agenda items to support development of recommendations. The Chair will have the ability to maintain order, lead content discussions, and move the agenda forward. There is no requirement for quorum for the Task Force to conduct its business.

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• Each meeting will end with identification of next steps including potential action items and responsibilities to give direction to the Chair, members, or staff and ensure effective preparations for the subsequent Task Force meeting.

• A “parking lot” may be developed to reflect issues that are not yet resolved and may need discussion at a subsequent meeting or recorded in the Task Force report for consideration in future planning and project development.

• A summary of the Task Force meeting will be prepared and reviewed at the beginning of the subsequent meeting.

• A public comment period will occur during each Task Force Meeting and there will be multiple opportunities to provide comments throughout the day, including comment stations with court reporters and laptops, and tables for hand-written comments.

• Discussion guidelines will be used:

o Share responsibility for the process and the outcome; o Encourage honest and free policy discussion; o Direct comments to the facilitator; o Be courteous; o Speak one at a time; o Keep comments concise; o Speak to be understood; o Ask to understand; o Listen actively; and o Use tent card to indicate desire to comment.

Rev. 12/6/2019

MARK ADDISON, PE Community Investment Program Manager, Polk County Utilities Division Mark has over 35 years of experience in water and wastewater utility design/management as well as environmental permitting, planning, and compliance. Prior to joining Polk County in 2011, Mark was an engineering consultant specializing in water and wastewater utility system design and construction. He assisted communities with obtaining SFR or entitlement funding for projects based on median income and/or population (i.e., rural communities). This included funding for utility rehab work and other infrastructure like sidewalks in low and middle income areas. During his tenure at the county, Polk County Utilities has received numerous grants from SWFWMD for reclaimed water and other alternative water supply efforts such as indirect recharge and source water augmentation. Mark holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Florida. DAVID TERRY BRIGMAN Former CIO and Director of Information Technology for the City of Lakeland (Retired) In Terry’s role at the City of Lakeland, he provided IT development and support for all city business functions including the Electric and Water Utilities, Police, Fire, Public Works, Finance, Human Resources, Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Internal Audit, Risk Management, Purchasing, Communications, The Lakeland International Airport, and The RP Funding Center. He was responsible for all City of Lakeland Information Technology functions, including: System Architecture and Business Planning, Application Development, Support and Maintenance for all city business functions, Program Management and Change Management, Database Administration, GIS maintenance and support, Telecommunications and Radio Communications, Network Administration & Support, Data Center Management, IT Support for Incident and Problem Management for all desktop, laptop and applications providing efficient customer service, Business Operations which provides personnel management, asset management, vendor management and financial management for all IT functions and security administration. Prior to his time at the City of Lakeland, Terry was Director of I/S Services for Publix Supermarkets for 28 years. Currently, Terry serves as Chair of the Operating Board for Polk County, as the Board Chair for the Publix Employees Federal Credit Union and on the Board of Directors of the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) of Polk County and Chairs the Quality Enhancements Committee for ELC.

STERLING CARROLL, PE State Engineer, Florida Rural Water Association Sterling has over 35 years of experience with water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment engineering, design, permitting, and construction. His background includes many facets of design, managerial, and consultant work for governmental, industrial, and private clients including international, regional, and small engineering firms. Sterling enjoys working with the 2,000+ Florida Rural Water Association members to provide Floridians with an ample affordable supply of high quality water, while protecting natural systems and public health; and the challenge in assisting and troubleshooting member’s water and wastewater systems around Florida. His mission has been to provide cost effective and practical solutions while meeting environmental challenges and satisfying ever-increasing regulatory requirements. Sterling’s Master’s Work Capstone included surveying city managers throughout Florida about contract operations of water/wastewater utilities. He explored why some cities choose to outsource operations or not; if they would recommend outsourcing or not; and if they were likely to outsource. Sterling holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah and and Master’s of Public Administration from Barry University.

@FloridaMCORES @mcores.southwest.central

TODAY’S PANEL SOUTHWEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA CORRIDORTask Force Meeting #5 • March 4, 2020

ERIC LABBE, AICP Economic Opportunity & Community Investment Director, City of Winter Haven Eric has 20 years of professional experience in urban planning and development, and has been a professionally-certified urban planner since 2003. Eric started his career with the City of Winter Haven in 2016. Currently, his department includes the Planning Division, Building Division, Engineering Services, Winter Haven Regional Airport, and CRA & Neighborhood Programs Division. His professional memberships include the American Planning Association (APA), the Heart of Florida Chapter of APA and Polk Vision, serving on the organization’s Infrastructure and Smart Communities teams. Eric is also a Class 37 graduate of Leadership Winter Haven and Class 11 graduate of Leadership Polk. Prior to his service at the City, he spent five years as a Project Manager for the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, nine years as the Director of Strategic Planning for Jack M. Berry, Inc., and two years as a Land Use Planner for the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. During his employment at the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Eric directed staff on the development of the Polk County Broadband Plan. Eric holds a Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning degree from Ball State University. ROBERT RYALL, PE Associate Vice President, Financial Services Practice Lead, Arcadis-US Robert is a nationally-recognized consultant with expertise in financial and strategic planning for water and wastewater utilities around the country. He has assisted with over $1 billion in water and wastewater financing and has extensive experience in utility rate-making, impact fees, bond feasibility studies, acquisition/valuation analysis, and the development and use of interactive financial models. In addition to his financial experience, Robert is a professional engineer in the State of Florida and has been involved in many strategic planning studies for water and wastewater utilities, including master plans, capacity analysis, consolidation studies and asset management-related engagements. Robert holds a Bachelor’s of Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a MBA from Wake Forest University.

BILL LAMBERT Director, Hardee County Economic Development Council Bill has been integrally involved with rural Florida Economic Development for over 20 years with involvement in all aspects of rural infrastructure including broadband, water, wastewater, roads, Industrial Park Development, FDEP, DBPR, Water management District construction and operating permits, and airport management. For the past 13 years, he has held the position of Hardee County’s Economic Development Director, which included multi-year appointments on Florida’s Economic Development Council, the Hardee County School Board, the Heartland Workforce/Career Source Board, Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative, the Wauchula Airport Authority, Florida’s Heartland Region of Economic Opportunity and served as the Chairman and member of the Hardee County Economic Development Authority. Bill holds a B.S. from the University of Florida, in Real Estate and Urban Land Planning.

@FloridaMCORES @mcores.southwest.central

TODAY’S PANEL SOUTHWEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA CORRIDORTask Force Meeting #5 • March 5, 2020

Wekiva Parkway (SR 429)

Project Description• The Wekiva Parkway (SR 429) will connect to SR 417

and Interstate 4, completing Central Florida’s beltway while also helping to protect the natural resources surrounding the Wekiva River.

• The planned 25-mile toll road is providing travel alternatives and relieving US 441, SR 46 and other area roads of traffic congestion in Orange, Lake and Seminole Counties. The parkway also will help improve safety, particularly along SR 46.

• In 2018, 13 miles of the parkway were opened to traffic. The entire Wekiva Parkway is scheduled to be open to traffic in 2022.

• The Wekiva Parkway is a cooperative effort between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise.

• The primary goal of the project is to meet regional mobility needs while minimizing impacts to the Wekiva River, a National Wild and Scenic River, and surrounding habitat.

Project Features• Improving SR 46 in Lake and Seminole Counties

• Rebuilding the US 441/SR 46 interchange in Mount Dora

• Moving part of County Road 46A (CR 46A) out of the state forest to improve wildlife habitat connectivity

• All Electronic Tolling (AET)

• Non-tolled service road along the parkway in parts of Lake and Seminole Counties

• Multi-use recreational trail

• More than 3,400 acres of land acquired for conservation

• 1.5 miles of wildlife bridges between state-owned lands

• Elevated the parkway to reduce vehicle-wildlife collision

• Wildlife jump-outs, special fencing and bat houses

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SADLER AVE

YOTHERS RD

KELLY PARK RD LAKE MARY BLVD

Authorized by the 2004 Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act (Chapter 369, Part III, Florida Statutes), this expressway has been heralded as a shining example for transportation planning through an environmentally sensitive area.

*Includes environmental mitigation costs

Project Cost by Phase

Environmental Mitigation Costs

$1.74Bapproximate total

project cost includes

$500Mnon-toll road

improvements

Project Phase Cost*

Project Development and Environment (PD&E) $20,376,929

Preliminary Engineering $99,866,737

Right-of-Way $517,912,274

Construction $965,203,322

Utilities $51,232,686

Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) $77,580,384

Environmental Permitting $8,638,568

TOTAL $1,740,810,900

Item Cost

Wetland Mitigation $9.5M

Wildlife Mitigation $16.5M

Design and Construction of Wildlife Crossings/Bridges $60.0M

State Lands Mitigation $2.2M

TOTAL $88.2M

GUARDRAIL

Typical Section

R/W LINE R/W LINEwww.wekivaparkway.com

Suncoast Parkway 2 (SR 589) Phase 1

¬«700

¬«44

¬«55

£¤98

£¤19 £¤98

£¤98

£¤19

Project Location

£¤19£¤98

£¤41

£¤301

£¤98

£¤41

£¤41

")486

")480

")491

PROJECTLOCATION

CITRUS

COUNTY

HERNANDO

COUNTY

SUMTER

COUNTY

Proposed Right-of-WayLegend

Suncoast Parkway 1USGS Quad Map: Tarpon Springs 0 1 2 3 4

Miles ±

Project Description• Suncoast Parkway 2 (SR

589) Phase 1 is a new four-lane limited access toll facility.

• The project will extend the existing Suncoast Parkway northward for 13 miles from US 98 to SR 44 in Lecanto.

• The project includes a multi-use recreational trail along the west side of the alignment which is an extension of the existing multi-use trail along Suncoast Parkway.

• This new facility will serve the future traffic needs of Citrus County as well as the public traveling to or from the Tampa Bay area through Citrus County.

• The project will assist with the evacuation and recovery in the event of a hurricane.

• The project is currently under construction.

Project Features• 13 miles four-lane toll facility from US 98 to SR 44• One wildlife corridor bridge and four wildlife culverts• 15 new bridges• Full interchanges at US 98 and W. Cardinal Street and a partial

interchange at SR 44• Two All Electronic Tolling (AET) gantries and equipment buildings• Suncoast Trail extension to SR 44• Pedestrian overpass constructed over US 98• Drainage, lighting, highway signing, traffic signalization, guardrail

and sidewalk

Construction Schedule

Began February 2018

Expected toComplete in 2022

www��

Project Cost by PhaseProject Phase Cost

Project Development and Environment (PD&E) $3,191,064

Preliminary Engineering $49,204,234

Right-of-Way $52,371,565

Construction $134,751,265

Utilities $13,424,007

Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) $15,786,222

Environmental Permitting $787,687

TOTAL $269,516,044

$269Mapproximate

total project cost

includes

$18.5MEnvironmental

Mitigation

*Includes environmental mitigation costs

Environmental Mitigation CostsItem Cost

Listed Wildlife and Plant Mitigation $0.5M

Wildlife Habitat Mitigation $6.0M

Design and Construction of Wildlife Crossings/Bridges $5.5M

State Lands Mitigation $6.5M

TOTAL $18.5M

Truck Parking

Over-Utilized and Unauthorized Truck Parking Locations

LEGENDPublic Truck ParkingPrivate Truck ParkingHigh UtilizationLow Utilization

Truck Parking Facilities

Truck Parking Spaces

Source: FDOT Statewide Truck Parking Study (2019)

According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), truck parking is one of the most critical issues in the trucking industry. The drive time of truck drivers is regulated to avoid driving drowsy and allow time to rest. However, lack of truck parking spaces forces the drivers to spend time searching for parking when they are most fatigued. When truck parking facilities are full, the drivers often choose to park in unauthorized locations such as on exit ramps and highway shoulders. This results in unsafe conditions for truck drivers as well as the traveling public. Higher costs for consumer goods is one of the results from this wasted time and fuel spent searching for safe parking, as well as costs associated with truck crashes.

In order to provide safe working conditions for drivers, and all roadway users, it is imperative that truckers have access to adequate and convenient parking. The map highlights where there is a lack of truck parking spaces in Florida.

Private Public200 98

Private Public7,409 2,683

3,400additional spaces

needed today

4,900additional spaces needed by 2030

Source: Trucker Path (national statistics)

Freight & Multimodal Operations Office Truck Parking Solutions Add Capacity:

• Optimize space & design of rest areas and other state-owned facilities

• Develop new facilities

Leverage Technology:• Expand Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS)

• Create awareness about under-utilized facilities, including weigh stations

Build Partnerships:• Collaborate with local government and private

sector partners to encourage development of new facilities

Update Policies:• Establish a Truck Parking Improvement Program

(TPIP)

• Develop public-private partnership models for rural and urban areas

• Identify both capital and operations/ maintenance funding

• Prepare for Automated, Connected, Electric and Shared (ACES) technologies

$5.1Bannual loss in revenue

due to lack of truck

parking (wasted fuel,

time lost, additional

maintenance, associated

crashes, etc.)

40%of truck drivers spend

over an hour searching

for a place to park

Examples of Collocated Roadways

I-595 ExpressFlorida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has completed 10.5 miles of reconstruction and enhancement of I-595 from the I-75/Sawgrass Expressway interchange to the I-595/I-95 interchange, in Broward County. The project included reconstruction, addition of auxiliary lanes, resurfacing of the I-595 mainline, and addition of a new reversible express lanes system in the median. Additional project features include widening/reconstruction of the Florida’s Turnpike mainline from Griffin Road to Peters Road to accommodate express lanes direct connection, addition of auxiliary lanes on the eastbound and westbound I-595 and SR-84 roadways, SR-84 frontage roads, and construction of the New River Greenway.

Source: http://www.i595express.com/

First Coast Expressway Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) constructed six miles of the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) from north of Argyle Forest Boulevard to Blanding Boulevard in Clay County. The new expressway is a multi-lane, limited access toll road which includes interchanges at Argyle Forest Boulevard, OakLeaf Plantation Parkway and Blanding Boulevard; All Electronic Toll (AET) gantries; and frontage roads on both sides of the expressway to serve local traffic. This project is part of 40 miles of the First Coast Expressway which, once completed, will cross parts of Duval, Clay and St. Johns Counties.

Source: http://nflroads.com/ProjectDetails?p=5010

South Mountain Freeway Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has completed construction of 22 miles of South Mountain Freeway (Ed Pastor Freeway) which begins at the connection to Interstate 10 (I-10) and ends at the existing system-to-system interchange of I-10 and Santan Freeway. The freeway connects the east and west valley in Phoenix while providing congestion relief to existing freeway corridors and local streets. At the northern terminus, the new freeway is collocated with 59th Avenue where the arterial street was converted to frontage roads both sides of the freeway to maintain local access to adjacent properties. The freeway will also include six-mile of shared-use recreational path along Pecos Road to be constructed beginning 2020.

Source: https://azdot.gov/node/14651

http://www.i595express.com/

http://nflroads.com/ProjectDetails?p=5010

https://azdot.gov/node/14651

TX SH 249 ExtensionTexas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is constructing 24 miles of new freeway from Farm to Market 1774 in Pinehurst, Montgomery County, to State Highway 105 near Navasota, Grimes County. The new roadway will serve the growing transportation needs of Montgomery and Grimes Counties by providing a safe, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing corridor for the public that links suburban communities. The first segment is approximately 14 miles of controlled-access tollway with intermittent frontage roads and the second segment is a ten mile, two-lane non-tolled rural highway.Source: https://txsh249.com/

US 281Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is reconstructing eight miles of US 281 north of Loop 1604 to Borgfeld Drive in Bexar County, Texas. The project will convert the existing six-lane arterial to an enhanced facility with one high occupancy vehicle and transit only lane and two general purpose lanes in each direction, three-lane frontage road on both sides of the freeway to serve local traffic, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Source: www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/san-antonio/us-281-1604-borgfeld.html

Monroe ExpresswayNorth Carolina Turnpike Authority constructed a 20-mile toll road (Monroe Expressway) from US 74 near I-485 in Mecklenburg County to US 74 in Union County. The project was opened to traffic in 2018. The new freeway runs parallel to US 74, creating a high-speed alternative along US 74. The new freeway includes improvements to the existing US 74. The new toll road includes four travel lanes, a depressed grass median, eight interchanges and a two-way frontage road. Source: www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroe-expressway/Pages/default.aspx

State Route 156 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is upgrading State Route 156 West by converting the existing two-lane conventional highway to a four-lane freeway from Castroville to the 101/156 interchange on US 101. This project intends to convert the existing State Route 156 lanes to a frontage road that would serve the local community. The purpose of the project is to relieve congestion, improve safety, improve local access to State Route 156 and enhance inter-regional travel.Source: dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5/district-5-current-projects/d5-sr-156-w-corridor

https://txsh249.com/

www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroe-expressway/Pages/default.aspx

www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/san-antonio/us-281-1604-borgfeld.html

dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5/district-5-current-projects/d5-sr-156-w-corridor

Transportation Investments and Job Creation

Overview• Infrastructure spending revitalizes local and

regional economies by creating jobs and by increasing business sales, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and personal income.

• Although economic impacts of ��, every $1 billion spent in highway construction could create approximately 13,000 jobs.1

• Employment impacts, both short-term and long-term, will vary depending on a number of factors such as economic context, proximity to production and consumption markets, presence and condition of other infrastructure, business climate, human capital and labor market conditions.

• The economic value associated with transportation infrastructure improvements is not limited to direct construction jobs as it also leads to indirect and induced jobs. Direct construction jobs are created by the actual expenditure and the wages from the construction dollars. Indirect jobs are related to the supply of material and related services used for the project. Induced jobs ��their earnings in the economy.

Florida’s Economic Snapshot

4th Largest Economy in the US

17th Largest Economy in the World

3rd Most Populous State in the US

$1 Trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Zero % Personal State Income Tax

$57+ Billion in Annual Exports

Approximately 9 Million Existing Jobs

Additional 2 Million Jobs Needed by 2030

Source: Enterprise Florida, Florida Chamber Foundation1Council of Economic ��

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Factoids• Nationally, employment of construction laborers and helpers is

projected to grow 11% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.2

• Approximately 64% of the jobs created by infrastructure investments represent direct and indirect effects while 36% of the jobs are the induced effects.3

• Construction jobs typically have higher median wages than other jobs for workers that lack four-year college degrees.4

• Nationally, infrastructure jobs have consistently paid up to 30% more to low-income workers over the past decade.4

• Job development in rural areas generally takes a longer time to mature than in urban areas.5

• Examples from around the country showed that transportation projects thrive when they are part of a coordinated economic development program/strategy.5

71%increase in construction

jobs in Florida since

June 2011

220Knew jobs were created

in Florida in 20192 Bureau of Labor Statistics3Council of Economic Advisers, ��

4 The Brookings Institution5 EconWorks - FHWA/AASHTO


Consolidated Land Use Map Synthesis

1


Overview of Economic Development Policies and Plans in the Southwest-Central Florida Corridor

This memo presents an overview of economic development plans and policies in the Southwest-Central Florida (SWC) Corridor study area. The purpose of this memo is to provide an understanding of economic development objectives and priorities identified by regional and local organizations within the study area. The identification of significant geographic areas and industries will inform the planning process including the identification of potential corridor needs and opportunities.

Overview

The Central and Southwest Florida Regional Planning Councils (RPC), among other responsibilities, each manage Economic Development Districts (EDD) as designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (Southwest-Central Florida Corridor counties and communities in bold):

• The Central Florida RPC (CFRPC) includes DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk Counties.

• The Southwest Florida RPC (SWFRPC) includes Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Sarasota Counties.

Each EDD develops a five-year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), which identifies regional goals and strategies for economic development. The CEDS are aligned with the Florida Strategic Plan for Economic Development. The most recent CEDS were adopted in 2017.

All local governments have the option of developing an Economic Development Element of Local Government Comprehensive Plans. Seven of the study area counties (all except Charlotte and DeSoto) have developed this optional element. Most county and municipal governments have an economic development office or staff responsible for economic development. Some county governments have formed economic development organizations, sometimes as public-private partnerships.

Two regional economic development organizations operate in the region:

• Florida’s Heartland Economic Region of Opportunity (FHERO) coordinates economic development activities for the counties and cities designated by the state as part of the Heartland Rural Area of Opportunity: DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee Counties, as well as the Cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay in Palm Beach County and the Community of Immokalee in Collier County.

• The Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance (the Alliance) functions as a marketing organization for five counties: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee.

Additionally, three regional workforce boards coordinate workforce development activities in the region:

• CareerSource Southwest Florida serves Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties.

• CareerSource Heartland serves DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, and Okeechobee Counties.

• CareerSource Polk serves Polk County.

2


Targeted Industries

The CFRPC’s CEDS identified targeted industry clusters and sub-clusters based on the competitive advantages that CFRPC counties have in the sectors as well as the strategic significance that the sectors represent for the regional economy. The clusters and sub-clusters are shown in the figure below.

Central Florida Region Targeted Industry Clusters

Source: Central Florida Regional Planning Council. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. 2017.

The SWFRPC’s CEDS identifies tourism, construction, and agriculture as historically significant industries within the region. While the SWFRPC plans to leverage these strengths for additional growth, the CEDS also establishes a goal of economic diversification in industries that serve markets outside of the region. The CEDS specifically references health care and logistics as industries in which the region is competitively positioned for future growth and establishes medical devices as a cluster to target for this diversification effort. However, the CEDS does not specifically identify a comprehensive list of target industry clusters as part of its strategy.

FHERO identifies the following target industries as critical opportunities based on existing workforce, education, and transportation infrastructure:

• agriculture & agribusiness;

• life sciences and medical services;

• global logistics and distribution; and

• manufacturing.

The Alliance supports the statewide targeted industries identified by Enterprise Florida: Cleantech, manufacturing, life sciences, emerging technologies, defense and homeland security, logistics and distribution, aviation and aerospace, information technology, corporate headquarters, and financial/professional services.

3


Additional industries are highlighted by specific counties in their Local Government Comprehensive Plans. These Comprehensive Plans serve as strategic planning documents for community development. Major examples of these industries are indicated in the following table:

Example Targeted Industries in Local Government Comprehensive Plans

County Industry Policy

Collier Commercial fishing; Ecotourism

Protect commercial fishing and ecotourism industries by opposing offshore oil drilling leases in the region south of latitude 27 degrees north to the state waters north of the Florida Keys and west to longitude 86 degrees west

DeSoto Alternative energy Pursue actions to encourage the production of renewable energy sources, specifically electrical generation from renewable sources, through 2040

Hardee Mining Coordinate with mining interests to identify future land uses for areas zoned for mining as part of reclamation land use planning efforts

Lee

Commercial fishing; Ecotourism

Protect commercial fishing and ecotourism industries by opposing offshore oil drilling leases in the region south of latitude 27 degrees north to the state waters north of the Florida Keys and west to longitude 86 degrees west

Sports entertainment Promote the development of the sports market and sports facilities in future economic development

Polk Film production Develop a strategic marketing plan to market and recruit film productions

Targeted Development Areas

As part of the economic development strategies for specific industries, region and local organizations have identified priority areas and specific sites for economic development.

Each CEDS identifies a list of economic development opportunities in the region to identify regional priorities and to qualify projects for certain categories of federal funding. The map on page 4 shows areas identified in the CFRPC CEDS as “Opportunity and Investment Areas” and in the SWFRPC CEDS as “Vital Projects.” These opportunity areas and projects reflect places in the region where significant economic development is anticipated, which could result in increased demand for connectivity and mobility.

4


Opportunity and Investment Areas

Source: Central Florida Regional Planning Council. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. 2017; Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. 2017.

Each regional economic development organization (and many county organizations) highlight specific properties or sites for marketing to prospective companies and site selectors. These range from vacant land zoned for industrial or commercial use to shovel-ready sites with available infrastructure to existing properties that can be repurposed. The map on page 5 shows priority sites currently marketed by FHERO. These sites indicate areas where future job creation or capital investment may occur.

5


Properties Marketed in the Florida’s Heartland Rural Area of Opportunity

Source: Florida’s Heartland Economic Region of Opportunity. https://flaheartland.com/site-selection/properties/. Accessed January 30, 2020.

Counties and municipalities typically identify areas for industrial or commercial land uses as part of their future land use plans or in their land development codes and zoning regulations. These future land use maps can be reviewed for consistency with the CEDS and other regional strategies.

Finally, local, state, and federal agencies each identify specific areas or zones for targeted industries or incentive programs, such as those related to rural economic development, economically distressed communities, and international trade. Relevant designations in this area include:

• DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee, as well as the Cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay in Palm Beach County and the Community of Immokalee in Collier County have been designated by the state as a Rural Area of Economic Opportunity and qualify for certain planning and incentive programs.

• Promise Zones are designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In a Promise Zone, federal liaisons work with local organizations to provide technical assistance and expedite federal grant processes for community revitalization efforts. Hendry County, Glades County, and the Community of Immokalee in Collier County have been designated as a Promise Zone (see map on page 6).

https://flaheartland.com/site-selection/properties/

6


Opportunity Zones and Promise Zones in the Southwest-Central Florida Corridor

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. U.S. Department of Treasury.

• Opportunity Zones are designated by the U.S. Department of Treasury as historically underinvested low-income census tracts. Projects within Opportunity Zones can receive funding from private sector capital gains investments in exchange for tax deferrals or exclusions on the capital gains income. Each county includes one or more Opportunity Zones (see map above).

• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ) are designated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection as areas exempted from certain duty and excise taxes to improve the cost-competitiveness of U.S. ports of entry as they engage in international trade. All counties in the study area are designated in an FTZ, using an alternative site framework that includes specific airports, seaports, or industrial parks as well as broader regional areas:

7


o FTZ 79, Tampa, includes Polk County; o FTZ 213, Fort Myers, incudes Charlotte, Collier, and Lee Counties; and o FTZ 215, Sebring, includes DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and

Okeechobee Counties, as well as the Cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay.

Policies Impacting Economic Development and Transportation

Individual counties have developed policies for transportation and economic development planning as part of their comprehensive plans. These policies can guide the corridor planning process.

Several counties have identified land use planning and zoning designations for interchanges adjacent to planned or existing arterials to maximize economic development potential while managing traffic at these access points. Other counties have established policies for Right-of-Way (ROW) preservation in corridors that may serve as future high-capacity facilities. An example of transportation-oriented development planning comes from Hardee County, which designates an area in northwest Hardee County as the potential location of a new airport to serve as an intermodal hub for freight and passenger traffic. The Hardee County Comprehensive Plan indicates that further analysis will be completed to determine specific site suitability and appropriateness.

Additionally, several counties affirm that they will coordinate their transportation planning efforts for capacity enhancements with other counties and/or the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), to optimize traffic flow and minimize land impacts. The Central Polk Parkway is explicitly included in the Polk County Comprehensive Plan, while the Highlands and Glades Comprehensive Plans establish a commitment to study the potential need for a corridor or other high-capacity limited access facility.

Several counties have identified sustainable community overlays and established Compact Urban Development Area (CUDA) designations to minimize urban sprawl. Additional counties have established policies to minimize roadway encroachment and require context-sensitive design standards for new roadways in rural areas.

The table on page 8 includes a listing of policies from Economic Development Elements of Local Government Comprehensive Plans in the area.

Implications for Corridor Planning

Counties, RPCs, and economic development organizations within the study area have oriented economic development plans for specific industries, many of which rely on well-maintained, well-managed transportation systems to access markets at and beyond the regional level. The plans also demonstrate the strategic value of a transportation network that provides access to many different facilities serving local markets, as the economic development components show a distribution of sites within counties and across the region.

8


Economic Development Policies in Local Government Comprehensive Plans1

Policy Number Policy Title Policy Content Page

Collier County

Policy 1.6

Resource Management and Energy Conservation

Collier County will support recycling programs in the County to protect natural resources, conserve energy, prolong the useful life of landfills, and maintain a positive public image.

Econ-2

Policy 1.7 Manage Oil Drilling

Collier County will support the protection of the environment that sustains the commercial fishing and tourist industries by opposing the leasing of off-shore tracts for the purpose of oil exploration and drilling. The County will oppose off-shore oil drilling in the region south of Latitude 27 degrees north to the state waters north of the Florida Keys and west to Longitude 86 degrees west.

Econ-2

Policy 2.3 Improve International Airport Status

Collier County will support appropriate entities toward positioning the County as a major aviation international port of entry.

Econ-3

Policies 2.2 & 2.5

Support Tourism and Ecotourism

Collier County will continue to support the local tourism industry and work with the community to position the County as a friendly and hospitable visitor destination. Collier County will support the development of ecotourism in the County.

Econ-3

Policy 3.4 Encourage New Businesses

Collier County will support a marketing program to actively pursue and encourage businesses to relocate to the County

Econ-4

Policy 3.7

Retain Foreign Trade Zone for Improved Economic Activity

Collier County will support the location of business and industry in the Foreign Trade Zone located at the Immokalee Airport.

Econ-4

Policy 3.13

Retain Homeowners (a stable population and employment pool)

Collier County has adopted and shall maintain an impact fee deferral program for owner-occupied, single-family homes constructed within the Immokalee Enterprise Zone. The purpose of this program is to encourage the retention of a permanent resident population of homeowners within the Immokalee Community.

Econ-4

Policy 5.3 Workforce Education and Training

Collier County will encourage institutions of higher learning to develop cooperative and integrated curriculums that enhance and increase the productivity of the local work force and attract industries and skilled workers.

Econ-5

Glades County

Objective X-1.2

Support Transportation Network/Infrastructure

Glades County has connectivity with the consumer markets that surround the County, through an excellent transportation network consisting of US 27, SR 80, SR 78, SR 29, CR 74, CR 731, and CR 721. The transportation network provides linkages to I-75, I-95, the Florida Turnpike and I-4. The County is X-1

1 Charlotte and DeSoto Counties have not developed Economic Development Elements of their comprehensive plans.

9



served by two Class One Railroads (CSX and FEC), via the South Central Florida Express, that provides rail connectivity to the Port of Miami, Port Everglades, Port of Palm Beach, and Port Manatee.

Policy X-1.2C Utilities Improvements

The County will work with public and private infrastructure providers to service unincorporated areas to facilitate the expansion of water and sewer capacity to serve economic development and job creation projects. X-2

Policy X-1.4C

Focus on Existing Businesses for Economic Growth

Existing business and industry are vital to the County's economy and the expansion of existing business and industry is an integral component in the diversification of the economic base. The County through the County Manager, or his designee will encourage the expansion of existing business and industry. X-3

Objective X-1.5

Become an Internal Hub for Exporting and Importing Manufacturing and Distribution

Glades County’s central location in South Florida, within two and a half hours of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, and being nearly equidistant between Fort Myers and West Palm Beach, makes it a natural hub for international and domestic warehousing, distribution and manufacturing markets, via road, rail and air. X-3

Objective X-1.6

Become a Center for Tourism

With more than 30 miles of Lake Okeechobee shoreline, 60 miles of Caloosahatchee River frontage and 52 miles of paddling trails on pristine Fisheating Creek, Glades County offers outdoor tourism assets that are unparalleled in Florida, for birders, bicyclists, boaters, hunters, fishermen, canoeist, and kayakers. X-3

Policy X-1.7F

Workforce Education and Training

Programs fostered by local organizations and institutions to teach entrepreneurship skills to interested students and residents shall be encouraged as a part of the economic diversity strategy. X-4

Hardee County

Policy E1.4 & Policy E1.5

Preserve Agriculture Industry Hardee County shall work with the Cattlemen’s Association to maintain the Arena facilities. E-1

Objective E2

Workforce Education and Training Hardee County shall seek to improve the job training skills of county residents. E-1

Policy E3.2 Utilities Masterplan

Hardee County shall work with the municipalities to develop sewer/wastewater master plan. E-2

Policy E3.3

Specific Project for Economic Development

The area bounded by the northern County boundary with Polk County south to S.R. 62 and from the western County boundary with Manatee County east to C.R. 663 in northwest Hardee County shall be designated as the potential location for the development of a new airport to serve as an intermodal E-2

10



hub for the transportation of goods and people throughout the region. Further study and analysis will be completed to determine specific site suitability and appropriateness. At such time when a specific site is identified, the County shall amend the Future Land Use Element and Future Land Use Map to designate the potential airport location.

Policy E3.6

Encourage Mining Industry with Environmental Protections

As part of the mining approval process, mining interests shall coordinate with Hardee County to identify specific potential future land uses prior to mining to provide an effective reclamation land use planning phase. E-3

Policy E4.2

Specific Project for Ecotourism

The Paynes Creek corridor from Hardee Lakes to the Peace River shall be designated as a primary ecotourism corridor for Hardee County. The County shall work closely with the Southwest Florida Water Management District to create ecotourism areas and opportunities within this corridor. This ecotourism corridor will encourage participation by phosphate mining companies to include reclaimed and preserved areas adjacent to Paynes Creek as elements of the corridor either through acquisition or donation. Nothing in this Element will preclude mining operations adjacent to the Paynes Creek corridor. Other ecotourism corridors shall be identified in the future as appropriate. E-3

Policy E5.2

Economic Activity in Reclaimed Mines

Hardee County shall work with the private sector to develop a site donated by IMC in Hardee County with a minimum of 30 jobs being created within the first three years of development. E-4

Hendry County

Policy 1.1.3 Resource Preservation

Hendry County will encourage the preservation of sensitive natural resources, including wetlands, estuaries, clean air and water, historic resources, scenic vistas, and other unique natural resources.

EDE-1

Policy 1.2.1 & Policy 1.2.3


Hendry County will continue to support the local tourism industry and work with the cities of LaBelle and Clewiston, the Economic Development Council, and the Chamber of Commerce, and the Tourist Development Council.

EDE-1

Policy 1.3.4

Engauge and Support Local Businesses

Hendry County will continue to implement the Enterprise Zone Program and survey interests of business owners to continue the program past December 31, 2005 every five years, will assesses the program’s effectiveness through the annual report to the Governor’s Office of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development (OTTED).

EDE-2

Policy 1.4.3


Hendry County will encourage institutions of higher learning to develop cooperative and integrated curriculums that enhance and increase the productivity of the local work force and attract industries and skilled workers.

EDE-2

Highlands County

11



Policy 2.1 Diversify the Economy

It shall be the policy of Highlands County, through the EDO, to continue establishing and maintaining programs identified in this Objective that expand job opportunities and diversify the economy to mitigate the impact of any significant economic downturns. Industries shall be identified and targeted, which are sensitive to the County’s environment and natural resources, and create new jobs that offer wages at or above the County median average income. 2

Policy 2.4 Business Retention

The EDO shall organize and maintain a network for measuring community business needs and concerns through the completion of a business retention and expansion efforts designed to stimulate and support economic growth. 4

Policy 2.5

Develop Database with Business Inventory and Assistance Information

A. The EDO shall maintain a database which establishes an information network that will provide financial and technical assistance information, seminar and activity schedules, and an inventory of industrial and commercial sites that are available in the County. Said inventory shall, at a minimum, identify the availability and capacity of infrastructure to serve each site. B. In order to use this database as a marketing tool for recruiting businesses into Highlands County, the EDO shall: 1. Supplement the information with economic and demographic profiles about Highlands County; and, 2. Introduce a methodology for analyzing the impacts of commercial and industrial relocation both into and from Highlands County. C. The EDO shall provide data to the extent that relocating and expanding businesses across the nation are aware of the business climate and resources in Highlands County. The EDO will continue to collaborate with all necessary resources in providing information to companies that seek to expand, as well as businesses that wish to relocate to Highlands County. 4

Policy 2.6 Support International Trade

The EDO shall continue programs and develop new programs that encourage and assist existing businesses in the expansion of their market through potential international trade as well as reverse investment opportunities. 5

Policy 2.7 Encourage Tourism The EDO shall continue to assist the Tourist Development Council in the promotion of tourism in Highlands County. 5

12



Policy 2.11

Facilitate Recruitment of Adequate Industrial Sites

A. The County shall strive to ensure there is sufficient Industrial land with proper FLU and zoning designations and adequate infrastructure for future development including industrial parks and business campuses. B. The EDO shall continue to seek state or federal grants and use other resources to assist in the establishment of necessary infrastructure to make the industrial functional. C. The EDO shall identify target development areas to increase the number of targeted industry jobs necessary to support a stronger job, tax and education base within the County. D. The EDO shall prepare a Strategic Economic Development locations map that indicates the areas within the County that have been identified as potential targeted development areas for new job creation. 5 & 6

Policy 2.12

Streamline Development Review Process

A. The County will continue to review its development approval process to identify and eliminate any unnecessary impediments to a fast, effective, and efficient development review process within the County for economic development projects. B. The County will use the State of Florida Expedited Permitting Process to create a Fast Track Option for Critical Economic Development projects. C. The County shall continue to use pre-application conferences and shall prepare and distribute guides, handouts, and other information concerning regulatory and permitting procedures affecting economic development, to streamline and expedite the application review and permitting process. D. The County shall work to reduce or eliminate permits, inspections, or functions that duplicate or overlap State and/or Federal permits, inspections or functions. This shall not preclude the adoption of County regulations more stringent than State or Federal regulations, if so desired by the Board of County Commissioners. E. The County, through the EDO will disseminate information to interested parties regarding existing and pending local legislation affecting economic development activities. F. The County will review its existing regulations and rectify or eliminate conflicts that may exist to improve service and expedite permit processing for new and/or expanded businesses to encourage the promotion of economic growth. 6

13



Policies 3.2 & 3.3


A. The EDO shall work in coordination with public schools and other institutions to incorporate basic economic awareness in public school curricula. B. The County shall consider utilizing its various departments for internship opportunities, school visits, and presentations to educate students of the role of government in the local economy. C. The EDO shall coordinate with educational institutions and the business community to encourage the development of educational programs, which provide students with skills matching the needs of local employers. The EDO shall partner with CareerSource as needed in the survey of local business and prospective employers to identify their job skill and manpower needs. The County shall encourage educational and other institutions to develop and implement training programs. The EDO shall foster partnerships to meet these needs, as well as attract, expand, and retain targeted, high-value industry and sustain the economy. 7 & 8

Lee County

Policy 158.1.6

Sustain Commercial Fishing, Manage Oil Drilling

Lee County will protect the environment that sustains the commercial fishing and tourist industries by opposing the leasing of off-shore tracts for the purpose of oil exploration and drilling. The county will oppose off-shore oil drilling in the region south of latitude 27 degrees north to the state waters north of the Florida Keys and west to longitude 86 degrees west. (Amended by Ordinance No. 00-22) XI-1

Policy 158.1.7

Public Acquisition and Regulatory Protection of Natural Resources

Lee County will encourage the preservation of sensitive natural resources, including beaches, wetlands, estuaries, clean air and water, historic resources, scenic vistas and other unique natural resources through public acquisition and/or regulatory protection. (Amended by Ordinance No. 00-22) XI-1

Policies 158.2.1 & 158.2.5


Lee County, in coordination with the Tourist Development Council and other appropriate entities, will continue to support the area's domestic and international tourism development program to ensure continuation and expansion of the tourism industry. (Amended by Ordinance No. 00-22) Lee County, in coordination with the Tourist Development Council and other appropriate entities, will continue to lead the local tourism industry and work with the community to position Lee County as a friendly and hospitable visitor destination. (Amended by Ordinance No. 00-22) XI-2

Policy 158.2.6

Develop Entertainment Facilities (Sports)

Lee County, in coordination with the Tourist Development Council and other appropriate entities, will promote the development of the sports market and sports facilities for future economic development. (Added by Ordinance No. 07-09) XI-2

14



Policies 158.3.7, 158.3.8 & 158.3.9 Engauge Global Market

Lee County will promote and coordinate the Lee County/Fort Myers Enterprise Zones. (Ordinance No. 00-22, 07-09) Lee County, in coordination with the Horizon Council and other appropriate entities, will encourage the expansion of international banking and finance to better accommodate the needs of international visitors to the area and that of local firms engaged in global markets. (Ordinance No. 00-22, 07-09) Lee County, in coordination with the Horizon Council and other appropriate entities, will promote the Foreign Trade Zones in Lee County. (Ordinance No. 00-22, 07-09) XI-3

Policy 158.3.11

Encourage New Industries and High Wage Jobs

Lee County, in coordination with the Horizon Council and other appropriate entities, will continue programs which encourage and assist in the location of new companies that diversify the economy and create higher wage jobs. (Ordinance No. 00-22, 07-09) XI-3

Policy 158.5.3


Lee County will encourage the Lee County School District, Edison State College, Florida Gulf Coast University, and any future institutions of higher learning, to develop cooperative and integrated curriculums that enhance and increase the productivity of the local work force and attract industries and skilled workers. (Amended by Ordinance No. 00-22, 07-09, 10-14) XI-5

Policy 158.6.3

Expedite Projects to Strengthen Economy

Lee County will expedite the processing of rezoning and development permitting for projects identified by the Economic Development Office as “economic projects.” (Added by Ordinance No. 10-14) XI-5

Polk County

Policy 2.402-A4

Support Commercial Agriculture Industry

The Polk County Planning Division and the Central Florida Development Council shall work with organizations representing the commercial agricultural industry in Polk County, including but not limited to Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Cattlemen's Association (Polk County), and Florida Farm Bureau Federation (Polk County), in order to coordinate the future economic and land-use needs of that industry. E-3

Policy 2.402-A6

Encourage Film Production

The Economic Development Council shall continue to market and recruit film production in the County through a strategic marketing plan. E-3

Policy 2.402-A11

Encourage Tourism and Develop Performance Measures

The Tourist Development Council shall promote the upgrading and expansion of Polk County's tourism industry as measured by the industry's investment in the County, the taxes generated by tourists for the County, and the number of persons employed within the County's hospitality industry. E-3

Policy 2.403-A2

New Employment Targets

The Central Florida Development Council shall continue to implement a strategic marketing plan to recruit targeted industries which will provide quality job opportunities for County residents, increase the County's per capita income, and reduce the County's unemployment rate. The county will report annually target industry starts including the number of new jobs created and available wage information. E-4

15



Policy 2.404-A1

Clustering of Industrial and Commercial Activities

The County Planning Division shall encourage the location and clustering of major commercial and industrial activities according to the following guidelines: a. in close proximity to principal arterials; b. with access to appropriate utilities (water, sewer, electricity, gas, telephone) or to allow for provision of these utilities; c. with on-site rail facilities, if appropriate; d. with access to mass transit routes where feasible; and e. so as to minimize impacts to the natural environment and adjacent land uses. E-4

Policy 2.404-B3

Encourage Traffic Flow and Efficiency

The County shall implement land development regulations adopted in the Land Development Code to protect the capacity of and promote traffic flow efficiency on arterials and collectors by limiting road (driveway) cuts and encouraging use of frontage roads. E-5

Policy 2.404-B4

Support Railroads for Commercial and Industrial Use

The County shall seek a working relationship with all active railroad companies to maintain active rail lines that could service existing and future commercial/industrial use areas as outlined in the Future Land Use Element. E-5

Gulf ofMexico

AtlanticOcean

LakeOkeechobee

¬«35

POLK COUNTY

OSCEOLA COUNTY

PALM BEACH COUNTY

HENDRY COUNTYLEE COUNTY

GLADES COUNTY

HIGHLANDS COUNTY

COLLIER COUNTY

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY

DESOTO COUNTY

HARDEE COUNTY

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

BREVARD COUNTY

HIL

LSB

OR

OU

GH

CO

UN

TY

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

MARTIN COUNTY

MANATEE CO

UNTY

BROWARD COUNTY

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY

SARASOTA CO

UNTY

PASCO COUNTY

ORANGE COUNTYLAKE COUNTY

Heartland 2060 GIS Database

Legend - 2020Generalized Future Land Use

Agriculture

Low Density Residential

Medium-High Density Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Public-Quasi Institutional

Conservation

Mixed Use

Miscellaneous

µ0 2010

Miles

7-County Generalized Future Land Use

Heartland 2060 is a grassroots 7-county regional visioning initiative underway since 2007 to find common community based values in the inland counties of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee and Polk to focus on growth challenges and opportunities. Heartland 2060: Building a Resilient Region completed an extensive study and public engagement in 2011 that was centered around economic development, education and talent pipeline; agriculture, natural resources and water; land use and transportation; and community cultural heritage and health.

BUILDING A RESILIENT REGION

Stewardship of Natural Resources

Our Water Resources

Respect for Agriculture

Our Communities

Future for Our Children

Our Values

The update of Heartland 2060 is underway focusing on what has changed in the last decade and what new opportunities and challenges need to be addressed in 2020 to continue to build and sustain a resilient Heartland region.

The Future of our

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

Daily vehicle miles traveled in the 7 Heartland counties increased 23% between 2010 and 2018,

compared to 13% statewideSource: Florida Department of Transportation

15,063 crashes were reported in the 7 counties in 2017, resulting in 192 fatalities and 10,269 serious injuries

Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

3.9% of workers in the Heartland lived in a household with no motor vehicle in 2017

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey

The Future of our

INFRASTRUCTURE The Heartland’s Transportation System

» 8,870 centerline miles of roadway (88% locally-owned, 12% state-owned)

» 415 rail miles

» 4 Amtrak stations

» 9 Greyhound stations

» 1 intermodal logistics center

» 10 publically-owned general aviation airports

» 3 fixed-route transit systems

» Transportation disadvantaged services providing more than 652,000 trips in 2017

The Future of our PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

POPULATION GROWTH will be strongest in Polk County (percent change, 2018-2060)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

POLK

HENDRY

GLADES

HIGHLANDS

DESOTO

OKEECHOBEE

HARDEE

69.3%44.1%

36.3%34.8%

31.9%

27.9%16.6%

0

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

20

60

20

55

20

50

20

45

20

40

20

35

20

30

20

25

20

20

20

18

20

10

20

00

19

90

POPULATION (thousands)

The Heartland’s population will increase by more than

551,000 residents by 2060

(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey)

The Heartland’s population will increase

by 551,000 residents more than by 2060.

The 7 Heartland counties must create more than 48,200 new jobs by 2030 to accommodate

anticipated population growthSource: Florida Chamber Foundation

The Future of our

ECONOMY

Merchandise exports from the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA increased from $695 million in 2008 to $1.3 billion in 2018, the 6th highest total among Florida’s metropolitan areas (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

TRADE AND LOGISTICS FOCUS

Only full-scale intermodal logistics rail terminal in the state in Winter HavenMore than 2 dozen large companies with logistics and distribution operations based in the region

foreign trade zones

17major freight activity centers

2major freight

mobility corridors

5

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HAVE DECREASED IN ALL 7 COUNTIES, BUT REMAIN ABOVE THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE

2009 (annual average)

POLK

OK

EEC

HO

BEE

HIG

HLA

ND

S

HEN

DR

Y

HAR

DEE

GLA

DES

DES

OTO

10.1

%3.

4%

9.3%

3.9%

10.5

%5.

6%

14.2

%7.

1%

10.8

%4.

3%

11.9

%3.

4%

11.3

%3.

5%

2009 Data Source: https://www.bls.gov/lau/#cntyaa

2019 Data Source: http://lmsresources.labormarketinfo.com/library/press/release.pdf)

2019 (preliminary)

JOBS WILL SHIFT TOWARD HEALTH CARE AND SERVICES(PERCENT OF TOTAL JOBS BY OCCUPATION)

22.4

11.2

11.4

8.7

9.3

8.0

25.5

11.1

9.1

8.7

7.2

6.9 2019Food preparation& serving

Health care

Transportation &material moving

Buiding maintenance,personal care & services

Management,business, financial

Sales, office,administrative support

2060

The Future of our

ECONOMYThe 7 Heartland counties must create more than 48,200 new jobs by 2030 to accommodate anticipated population growth (Source: Florida Chamber Foundation)

The 7 Heartland counties produced estimated gross regional product of $21 billion in 2015, up 8% from 2012 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Farms in the 7 Heartland counties sold more than $1.5 billion in products in 2017, more than 1 out of 5 statewide (Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Agriculture accounts for more than 1 out of every 8 jobs in Hendry, Hardee, & Glades counties (Source; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Manufacturing accounts for fewer than 5% of all jobs in all Heartland counties except Hardee & Polk (Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Health care accounts for more than 1 out of every 5 jobs in Highlands County (Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)

The Florida Chamber Foundation’s recession risk index projects a 35% chance of beginning a recession in the next 9 months. The current U.S. expansion has lasted more than 10 years, more than twice the average time between recessions since World War II

TARGET INDUSTRY CLUSTERS

TARGET INDUSTRY CLUSTERS

The Future of our

ENVIRONMENT

7 county area

4,776,367 acres

926,217 acres of protected land

19% of Heartland Region

Southwest-Central Florida

FloridaMCORES.com

Roadway Network Improvements

Sources: FDOT Work Program, FDOT SIS 10-Year Plan, FDOT SIS Long Range Cost Feasible Plan (FY 2029 – 2045), MPO Long Range Transportation Plans


FloridaMCORES.com

2050 Roadway Model Network

Source: 2050 Statewide Model


FloridaMCORES.com

2018 – 2050 Peak Season Daily Traffic Volume Growth

Sources: 2018 Florida Traffic Online, 2050 Statewide Model


FloridaMCORES.com

2050 Future Conditions – Level of Service (LOS)

Sources: 2050 Statewide Model, FDOT 2013 Generalized Level of Service Tables


FloridaMCORES.com

2050 Future Conditions – Traffic Congestion

Sources: 2050 Statewide Model, FDOT 2013 Generalized Level of Service Tables Note: Congested roads are defined as roads that projected to exceed level of service standards based on the statewide level of service criteria. Congestion levels are defined as the ratio of 2050 volume compared to the target level of service threshold. A ratio of 1.0 to 1.15 is Moderate; 1.15 to 1.5 is Severe; and greater than 1.5 is Extreme.

FloridaMCORES.com


Major Construction Projects

15141312

1110

87

9

6

16

5

432

1

1 Widen Polk Parkway from MP 18 to MP 22 (2 to 4 lanes)

2 SR 542 from 1st Street to Buckeye Loop Road

3 SR 542 from Buckeye Loop Road to US 27

4 Central Polk Parkway from Polk Parkway to US 17*

5 Central Polk Parkway from US 17 to SR 60*

6 US 27 at SR 60

7 SR 80 from Dalton Lane to Indian Hills Drive

8 SR 80 from Indian Hills Drive to CR 833

9 I-75 at SR 884 (Colonial Blvd.) Interchange

10 SR 82 from CR 884 (Lee Blvd) to Shawnee Road

11 SR 82 from Shawnee Road to Alabama Road S

12 SR 82 from Alabama Road S to Homestead Road S

13 SR 82 from Homestead Road to Hendry County Line

14 SR 82 from Hendry County Line to Gator Slough Lane

15 SR 82 from Gator Slough Lane to SR 29

16 I-4 at SR 557*Subject to approval

FloridaMCORES.com


Major Planning Projects and Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Studies

1

23

4

5 6

78

9

10 1112

13

14

15

16

17

2021

22

23

24

25

18 19

262827

3029

32

31

33

34

39

35

36

37

38

1 US 27 from I-4 to Lake County Line

2 I-4 from US 27 to Osceola County Line

3 US 17/92 from US 27 to County Road 54 (Ronald Reagan Parkway)

4 US 98 from north of W Socrum Loop Road to SR 471

5 US 92 from West Daughtery Road to north of West Socrum Loop Road

6 I-4 West of Polk Pkwy (west leg) to west of US 27 interchange

7 SR 33 from Old Combee Road to north of Tomkow Road

8 I-4 from Polk / Hillsborough County Line to Polk Parkway

9 US 92 from County Line Road to Wabash Avenue

10 US 27 from SR 60 to I-4

11 US 17/92 from 1st Street to 17th Street

12 SR 544 (Lucerne Park Road) from Martin Luther King Blvd. to SR 17

13 Central Polk Parkway from SR 60 to I-4

14 US 27 from Highlands County Line to SR 60

15 SR 60 from CR 630 to Kissimmee River Bridge

16 US 98 from US 27 to east of Airport Road

17 SR 31 Extension from SR 70 to US 17*

18 SR 70 from Jefferson Ave to CR 29

19 SR 70 from CR 29 to Lonesome Island Road

20 CR 769 (Kings Highway) from Peace River Street to Charlotte county line

21 US 41 from Enterprise Drive to Sumter Boulevard

22 Harborview Road from Melbourne Road to I-75

23 North Jones Loop Road from Burnt Store Road to Piper Road

24 Burnt Store Road from Van Buren Parkway to Charlotte County Line

25 SR 31 from North River Road to north of Cook Brown Road

26 SR 78 from I-75 to SR 31

27 SR 31 from SR 78 to CR 78

28 SR 31 from SR 80 to SR 78

29 I-75 at CR 876 / Daniels Parkway

30 I-75 from Collier / Lee County Line to SR 78

31 CR 887 from Collier County Line to Bonita Beach Road

32 I-75 from SR 951 to Collier / Lee County Line

33 I-75 at Pine Ridge Rd

34 I-75 at SR 951

35 SR 29 from CR 80A to CR 731

36 SR 80 from east of Birchwood Parkway to US 27

37 SR 29 from SR 82 to CR 80A

38 SR 29 from Oil Well Road to SR 82

39 SR 29 from I-75 to Oil Well Road

*Subject to approval


Avoidance and Enhancement Areas

Southwest Central Florida Corridor

FloridaMCORES.com

Overview of Avoidance Areas

Will not impact

• Springheads • Lakes • High Risk Coastal Zones • Cemeteries • Tribal Lands • Military Installations

No new corridor through

• Mitigation Banks

• Resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)

• Acquired Florida Forever Lands

• Acquired Florida Preservation 2000 Act Lands

• National Wildlife Refuges o Florida Panther o Lake Wales Ridge o Ten Thousand Islands o Everglades Headwaters

• National Parks o Everglades o Big Cypress National Preserve

• State Parks

• Coastal Area Storm Surge (CAT 2)

• Airports

Areas resulting from Task Force Member Guiding Principles

1


Opportunity & Investment Areas

(numbers do not imply priority)

Date: 1/29/2020

Central Florida Regional Planning Council. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. 2017; Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. 2017.

Tourism

Original / Distinct Emails 982 32 179 228 49 44 476 120 256 97 35 302 288 78 33 82 2 19 34

Forms Letters 4809 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Task Force Meeting Comment Forms

167 15 33 29 13 17 64 9 16 7 1 24 42 27 2 33 0 12 6

Community Open House Comment Forms

185 16 9 40 8 17 53 3 27 7 1 5 60 20 2 41 0 4 5

TOTALS 6143 63 221 297 70 78 593 132 299 111 37 331 390 125 37 156 2 35 45

* Numerous individuals submitted more than one comment**Some commenters did not touch on the above topics: For example, individuals submitted comments requesting meeting information, meeting materials, etc.

Number of Individuals Submitting

Comments*

Comment Categories

Multi-modal / Mass Transit /

Alternate Transportation

Hurricane Evacuation

Wildlife / Habitat Impacts

WetlandsWater-Sewer

Utilities BroadbandCost

Jobs / Economic /

Business Impacts

Eminent Domain

Impacts to Property /

Rural / Quality of

Life

Traffic Topics Environmental Mentions General Mentions

Tolls

Projected Alignment or Route Locations

Water Resources /

Aquifer

Pollution: Water / Air /

Ground

Native Plants Conservation

Expand / Maintain Existing Roads

FloridaMCORES.com

AREAS OF INTEREST

Comment DataAugust 1, 2019 - February 15, 2020

1

Public Meetings by County

County Event Name Date Number of Comments / Letters

Citrus Northern Turnpike Corridor Task Force Meeting #2 10/22/19 17

Citrus Suncoast Corridor Task Force Meeting #2 10/23/19 15

Citrus Northern Turnpike Corridor Community Open House 10/24/19 10

Citrus *Suncoast / Northern Turnpike Corridors Community Open House

1/30/20 26

Collier Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Community Open House 12/12/19 3

DeSoto Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Community Open House 1/30/20 14

Dixie Suncoast Corridor Community Open House 10/24/19 36

Gilchrist Northern Turnpike Corridor Task Force Meeting #4 2/12/20 7

Glades Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #4 2/13/20 10

Hardee Southwest Central Florida Corridor Community Open House 11/12/19 9

Hendry Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #3 12/9/19 7

Hillsborough *Suncoast, Northern Turnpike & Southwest-Central Florida Corridors Task Force Meeting #1

8/27/19 72

Lafayette Suncoast Corridor Community Open House 12/19/19 9

Levy *Suncoast / Northern Turnpike Corridors Community Open House

1/28/20 59

Madison Suncoast Corridor Task Force Meeting #4 2/11/20 19

Marion Northern Turnpike Corridor Task Force Meeting #3 12/18/19 6

2

Public Meetings by County

County Event Name Date Number of Comments / Letters

Polk Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #2 10/30/19 8

Polk Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Community Open House 1/9/20 10

Sumter Northern Turnpike Corridor Community Open House 12/19/19 2

Taylor Suncoast Corridor Task Force Meeting #3 12/17/19 7

Taylor Suncoast Corridor Community Open House 1/27/20 16

TOTAL: ... 362

*Joint Meetings that involved more than one corridor

1

Public Input – Form Letters

Form Letter One

Dear Task Force Member:

As a resident of Florida and a conservation voter, I am writing to let you know I strongly oppose the three proposed toll-road highways.

The proposed routes were not included in FDOT’s 5-year plans. In fact, in 2016 the FDOT Interstate 75 Relief Task Force recommended against building new roads, and instead urged expanding the vehicle capacity of I-75 along with connecting highways as a preferred solution. Florida’s existing infrastructure is crumbling and is ranked 40th nationwide in overall cost-effectiveness and condition. Demand for road repairs and true multi-modal transportation is highest in existing urban cores, yet the proposed “roads to ruin” would run through some of the state’s least populated counties.

New roads will increase air and water pollution and destroy precious wetlands, springs and aquifer recharge areas. Animals like the endangered Florida panther rely on connected natural areas, including farms and ranches, to breed and hunt. The three toll roads will slice through some of the best remaining natural and agricultural areas, permanently severing connectivity within wildlife corridors.

Every day Florida faces threats from air and water pollution, an exploding population and a changing climate. With so many immediate and pressing priorities, our state legislature should be investing in ways to ensure a healthier environment and brighter future for all, rather than spending precious resources on these "roads to ruin."

I urge all members of the Florida M-CORES Task Forces to oppose this project in its entirety.

2


Form Letter Two

Dear Secretary of Florida Dept. of Transportation,

M-CORES is a terrible idea. In 2016, the FDOT Interstate 75 Relief Task Force recommended that rather than new roads, a better approach was expanding the vehicle capacity of the interstate and connecting highways. Nothing has changed.

This debacle will create hundreds of miles of limited access highways ? while current roads and bridges need repairs and updates. The state has many pressing transportation issues ? like the congestion in such urban areas as Miami, Tampa Bay, Central Florida, and Jacksonville, but M-CORES will not reduce traffic.

There is no way to make this horrible proposal less disastrous. There is no ?acceptable? or ?best? route for these unneeded and destructive toll roads.

The task forces charged with developing these plans are stacked with representatives from industries who stand to gain financially from carving up what remains of unpaved Florida. Thankfully, FDOT is not obligated to accept the recommendations of the three task forces.

These ?roads to ruin? are a recipe for out of control urban sprawl that will further strain our state?s water resources, contribute to climate change, and wreak havoc on rural communities, wildlife and wild land. Stop M-CORES in its tracks.

3


Form Letter Three

Dear Florida Department of Transportation,

I'm writing to ask you to reconsider the plan to build three new toll roads through wild Florida, and ultimately I urge you to formally recommend against their construction.

New roads will increase air and water pollution and destroy precious wetlands, springs and aquifer recharge areas. Animals like the endangered Florida panther and Florida black bear rely on connected natural areas, but the three toll roads will slice through their remaining habitat.

The proposed routes weren't included in your department's five-year plans until Gov. DeSantis signed the bill into law — _which goes to show that this plan is being driven by special interests like road builders, the trucking industry and big developers. What's more, these toll roads represent the worst type of policy-making. It's a massively expensive pet project pushed by one powerful legislative leader, Senate President Galvano, and special interests that have written big campaign checks.

The project's task-force membership doesn't reflect the voices of those who will be directly affected. It's the cities and towns in the path of these proposed roads who have a lot to lose in the fight. Big government shouldn't be meddling in the future of these rural communities.

Please — _listen to the people of Florida and recommend against construction of these destructive toll roads.

4


Form Letter Four

Dear Secretary Thibault, I am writing to express my opposition to the proposal to route the Suncoast Connector toll road through Jefferson County. Jefferson County and the Florida Big Bend are already served by US 19, which is an excellent four-lane highway that is lightly traveled and operating at a fraction of its capacity. Building a new (and unnecessary) four-lane toll road through Jefferson County would directly affect the Aucilla River which is not only one of the most scenic rivers in the state but also a designated Outstanding Florida Water, and the site of many important archaeological discoveries. Construction of a new toll road would also affect the flow of fresh water to our rivers, wetlands, and coastal fisheries. With billions of tax dollars being invested in restoring freshwater flow to the Everglades, why would we risk the same outcome in our own backyard? Also, construction of the Suncoast Connector toll road would fragment wildlife habitat along a 150-mile corridor and threaten publicly conserved lands enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. The Suncoast Connector would also be a limited access highway ― the road would bypass rural Main Street communities like Monticello. This would reduce traffic to local businesses along the US 19 corridor including through downtown Monticello. Jefferson County and other rural communities certainly have infrastructure and economic development needs. Let's work with the Legislature to strategically address these needs in a fiscally responsible manner that does not jeopardize the natural resources and historic downtown that make Jefferson County so special. I urge you to help us protect Jefferson County from the Suncoast Connector toll road. You can do this by: evaluating if this road is even needed; utilizing existing under-used routes like US 19; and only building additional capacity when absolutely necessary and locating it in areas that do not have sensitive water resources, un-fragmented wildlife habitat, extensive public and private conservation lands, and productive working rural lands. Thank you for your consideration.

1


Draft Guiding Principles Summary

Natural Guiding Principles

1. Prioritize avoidance and enhancements to existing lands currently managed for conservation purposes; where avoidance is not feasible, minimize and mitigate impacts on these lands. Provide enhancements for mitigation lands if avoidance is not feasible.

2. Prioritize avoidance and enhancements to lands proposed for management for conservation purposes; where avoidance is not feasible, minimize and mitigate impacts to these lands.

3. Minimize and mitigate impacts to endangered, threatened, rare, or endemic species and their habitats, as well as to rare or endemic plant communities. Enhance these areas to extent practical.

4. Avoid, to the extent possible, and enhance, to extent practical, degradation of fresh water sources and aquifer recharge areas; where avoidance is not possible, minimize and mitigate impacts on these resources.

5. Maintain, and where possible, restore and enhance water quality and watershed integrity.

6. Minimize direct impacts to wetlands; where mitigation is needed, pursue regional or landscape-scale approaches.

7. Avoid or minimize fragmentation of, or other negative impacts to, regionally significant or large contiguous productive agricultural lands and other rural lands with environmental significance, working with landowners to understand their future plans.

8. Maintain and, where possible, restore and enhance the integrity and connectivity of regionally significant environmental lands (such as Florida Ecological Greenway Network Priorities 1 and 2), with emphasis on enhancing connectivity for wildlife, water, and other resources.

9. Enhance, to extent practical, existing roads to improve natural resource conditions.

Cultural Guiding Principles

10. Avoid lands owned by Native American tribal nations.

11. Avoid cemeteries and historic markers.

Social Guiding Principles

12. Avoid military sites and lands important to maintain the site’s military mission.

13. Maintain and enhance transportation connectivity to, from, and between working farms, forests, and mines; recreational areas, trails, and other eco-tourism attractions; rural employment centers; and other economically valuable rural lands.

14. Enhance transportation corridors to reflect the context of the communities and environment through which the corridors pass, to the fullest extent possible.

15. Maintain and enhance the context and quality of life consistent with local and regional visions and plans.

2


16. Enhance economic development, job creation and community development, with emphasis on rural areas, by maintaining consistency with local and regional comprehensive plans, economic development plans and initiatives to maximize opportunities that meet the needs of communities and the region.

17. Avoid schools and locally significant identified public serving institutions and mitigate negative impacts of a transportation corridor on these institutions.

Physical Guiding Principles

18. Prioritize minimization implementation of new transportation facilities by following existing transportation rights of way, utility corridors or easements, and other existing human-disturbed corridors through conservation, agricultural, and other natural lands.

19. Enhance transportation connectivity by emphasizing linkages to existing to communities and the existing regional roadway network.

20. Enhance the development and operation of transportation corridors by using state-of-the-art and energy-efficient infrastructure, vehicles, materials, technologies, and methodologies.

21. Enhance emergency evacuation and response.

22. Enhance areas where utilities and broadband can be combined with transportation through nondiscriminatory, competitively neutral access to FDOT rights of way for utility and service providers or joint deployment of infrastructure.

23. To extent feasible, minimize impacts of transportation lighting on nearby agricultural, environmental and conservation lands.

Potential Implementation Strategies

A. Consult with tribal nations to identify opportunities for enhanced connectivity that would provide mutual benefit.

B. Enhance infrastructure and transportation planning processes to support co-benefits of implementation.

C. Avoid or minimize impacts to funding for programmed FDOT projects.

D. Conservation lands include fee and less than fee conservation easements, rural land stewardship management areas, Water Management District monitoring sites, and areas needed for associated, appropriate land management (such as smoke sheds, optimal boundaries).

E. In transportation corridor planning and project development, localize public input/feedback.

F. In transportation corridor planning and project development, evaluate improvements and access to existing and planned trail networks.

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Draft Guiding Principles Summary with Noted Updates

Natural Guiding Principles

1. Prioritize avoidance and enhancements to Avoid, to the extent feasible, and enhance, to extent practical, existing lands currently managed for conservation purposes; where avoidance is not feasible, minimize and mitigate impacts on these lands. Provide enhancements for mitigation lands if avoidance is not feasible.

2. Prioritize avoidance and enhancements to Avoid, to the extent feasible, and enhance, to extent practical, lands proposed for management for conservation purposes; where avoidance is not feasible, minimize and mitigate impacts to these lands.

3. Minimize and mitigate impacts to endangered, threatened, rare, or endemic species and their habitats, as well as to rare or endemic plant communities. Enhance these areas to extent practical.

4. Avoid, to the extent possible, and enhance, to extent practical, degradation of fresh water sources and aquifer recharge areas; where avoidance is not possible, minimize and mitigate impacts on these resources.

5. Maintain, and where possible, restore and enhance water quality and watershed integrity.

6. Minimize direct impacts to wetlands; where mitigation is needed, pursue regional or landscape-scale approaches.

7. Avoid or minimize fragmentation of, or other negative impacts to, regionally significant or large contiguous productive agricultural lands and other rural lands with environmental significance, working with landowners to understand their future plans.

8. Maintain and, where possible, restore and enhance the integrity and connectivity of regionally significant environmental lands (such as Florida Ecological Greenways Network Priorities 1 and2), with emphasis on enhancing connectivity for wildlife, water, and other resources.

9. Enhance, to extent practical, existing roads to improve natural resource conditions.

Cultural Guiding Principles

10. Avoid lands owned by Native American tribal nations.; consult with tribal nations to identify opportunities for enhanced connectivity that would provide mutual benefit. [moved to Potential Implementation Strategies]

11. Avoid cemeteries and historic markers.

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Social Guiding Principles

12. Avoid military sites and lands important to maintain the site’s military mission.

13. Maintain and enhance transportation connectivity to, from, and between working farms, forests, and mines; recreational areas, trails, and other eco-tourism attractions; rural employment centers; and other economically valuable rural lands.

14. Enhance transportation corridors to reflect the context of the communities and environment through which the corridors pass, to the fullest extent possible.

15. Maintain and enhance the context and quality of life consistent with local and regional visions and plans.

16. 15. Enhance economic development, job creation and community development with emphasis on rural areas, by maintaining consistency with local and regional comprehensive plans, economic development plans and initiatives to maximize opportunities that meet the needs of communities and the region.

17. Avoid schools and locally significant identified public serving institutions and mitigate negative impacts of a transportation corridor on these institutions.

Physical Guiding Principles

18. 16. Prioritize minimization Minimize implementation of new transportation facilities by following, where feasible, existing transportation rights of way, utility corridors or easements, and other existing human-disturbed corridors through conservation, agricultural, and other natural lands.

19. 17 Enhance transportation connectivity by emphasizing linkages to existing to communities and the existing regional roadway network.

20. 18.Enhance the development and operation of transportation corridors by using state-of-the-art and energy-efficient infrastructure, vehicles, materials, technologies, and methodologies.

21. 19.Enhance emergency evacuation and response.

22. 20.Enhance areas where utilities and broadband can be combined with transportation through nondiscriminatory, competitively neutral access to FDOT rights of way for utility and service providers or joint deployment of infrastructure.

21. 21. Enhance infrastructure and transportation planning processes to support co-benefits of implementation. [moved to Potential Implementation Strategies]

23. 22. To extent feasible, minimize impacts of transportation lighting on nearby agricultural, environmental and conservation lands.

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Potential Implementation Strategies

A. Consult with tribal nations to identify opportunities for enhanced connectivity that would provide mutual benefit. [previously #14]

B. Enhance infrastructure and transportation planning processes to support co-benefits of implementation. [previously #21]

C. Avoid or minimize impacts to funding for programmed FDOT projects.

D. Conservation lands include fee and less than fee conservation easements, rural land stewardship management areas, Water Management District monitoring sites, and areas needed for associated, appropriate land management (such as smoke sheds, optimal boundaries).

E. In transportation corridor planning and project development, localize public input/feedback.

F. In transportation corridor planning and project development, evaluate improvements and access to existing and planned trail networks.

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Glossary

The following list is not all inclusive.

Phrase/Term Definition Accessibility Ability to reach desired destinations, activities, goods, and services.

Active Transportation Any self-propelled, human-powered mode of transportation, such as walking or bicycling.

Alternative Corridor Evaluation Process (ACE)

A planning-level study to identify, evaluate, and eliminate alternatives on qualifying projects prior to the PD&E phase. During M-CORES, the ACE process will be enhanced with added steps to facilitate the incorporation of each Task Force’s guiding principles.

Avoid, Minimize, Mitigate, and Enhance (AMME)

Considerations for planning or developing a transportation corridor that form the basis for guiding principles:

• Avoid: Avoid significant impacts to the extent feasible, such as physically avoiding encroachment on a resource.

• Minimize: Reduce impacts, such as changing corridor location or design concepts to reduce impacts.

• Mitigate: Offset impacts, such as creating new resources to offset negative impacts.

• Enhance: Create net benefits, such as designing a corridor to enhance or restore resources.

Co-location The act of locating new linear infrastructure (roadway, bicycle path, transit facility utility transmission line, etc.) on the right-of-way of an existing linear infrastructure.

Commitment An obligation to an external stakeholder to provide a feature or perform an action related to a project that will be implemented in a future project phase.

Congestion The condition at which transportation system performance is no longer acceptable due to inability of the system to serve demand.

Ecological Corridor

A natural link between wildlife habitats, which generally joins two or more larger areas of similar wildlife habitat. *

*The FDOT ETDM Glossary contains other environmental terms and can be found here.: https://etdmpub.fla-etat.org/est/

Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM)

An FDOT initiative to improve and streamline the environmental review and permitting process by involving resource protection agencies and concerned communities from the first step of planning.

https://etdmpub.fla-etat.org/est/

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Glossary

Guiding Principles A set of core values that guides decision making related to a transportation corridor or other type of project throughout the planning, development, and implementation process.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

A wide range of advanced technologies and ideas, which, in combination, can enhance safety, improve mobility and transportation productivity, maximize the use of existing transportation facilities, conserve energy resources and reduce adverse environmental effects.

Intermodal Logistics Center/ Inland Port

A facility, or group of facilities, that provides the ability to accommodate and support, within a logistics chain that may span multiple modes and handling steps, domestic or international trade moving through Florida.

Level of Service (LOS) A quantitative stratification of the quality of service to a typical traveler of a transportation service or facility into six letter grade levels, with “A” describing the highest quality and “F” describing the lowest quality.

Local Government Comprehensive Plan

A plan that provides the principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies for the orderly and balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal development of an area that reflects local government commitments to implement the plan and its elements.

Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

A Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO’s) long range (20-year or more) strategy and capital improvement program developed to guide the effective investment of public funds in transportation facilities.

Mobility The movement of people and goods.

Mode(s) Any means of moving people or goods including aviation, bicycle, highway, paratransit, pedestrian, pipeline, rail (commuter, intercity passenger and freight), transit, space, and water.

Multi-Modal Improvements to a corridor that could include more than one mode.

Multi-Use Corridor A corridor that has multiple types of infrastructures, modes, or services.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969

A national environmental policy requiring that the federal agency proposing to take an action on a project involving federal funding or approval must prepare an analysis of the potential environmental impacts and possible alternatives.

Need Evidence of specific challenges and opportunities a plan/ program/ project is expected to address, which sets the stage for alternatives development.

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Glossary

Path/Course Broad geographic area for a transportation corridor connecting two or more locations, indicating a general direction of movement.

Project Development and Environment (PD&E)

An FDOT phase of project delivery that develops analysis, technical studies, and environmental documents to evaluate potential project impacts and to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.

Purpose A description explaining the fundamental reason(s) for a potential improvement(s) that addresses the transportation problem(s).

Strategic Intermodal System (SIS)

Florida’s high priority statewide transportation system composed of facilities and services of statewide and interregional significance, including appropriate components of all modes.

Transportation Corridor Any land area designated by the state, a county, or a municipality which is between two geographic points and is used or is suitable for the movement of people and goods by one or more modes of transportation.

Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O)

A set of strategies that focus on operational improvements that can maintain and even restore the performance of the existing transportation system before additional or new capacity is needed.

Travel Time Reliability The percent of trips that meet a predetermined performance standard for time or speed.

Local Restaurants

COWPOKE’S WATERING HOLEType: Relaxed surf ‘n’ turf eatery Distance: 0.3milesAddress: 6813 US-27, Sebring, FL 33876

ORIGINAL VINCENT’S NEW YORK STYLE PIZZAType: Pizza, Italian Distance: 0.4 milesAddress: 5367 US Hwy 27 S, Sebring, FL 33870

BIG STAR DOGSType: Comfort food, outdoor seating, small platesDistance: 1.6 milesAddress: 4208 US Hwy 27 S

SEBRING DINERType: 1950s feel, American, shakes, hamburgers Distance: 1.8 milesAddress: 4040 US Hwy 27 S, Sebring, FL 33870

SANDY’S CAFE 98Type: Comfort food, small plates, quick biteDistance: 1.9 milesAddress: 12906 US-98, Sebring, FL 33876

CAPTAIN D’SType: Fast, casual seafood, sides & dessertsDistance: 2.3 milesAddress: 3400 US Hwy 27 S, Sebring, FL 33870

PIZZA HUTType: Pizza and salads Distance: 3.6 milesAddress: 2109 US Hwy 27 S, Sebring, FL 33870

JIMMY’S GREEK AMERICAN GRILLType: Greek Distance: 3.5 milesAddress: 1520 Lakeview Dr, Sebring, FL 33870

PALMANO’S PIZZERIAType: Italian, Pizza Distance: 3.6 milesAddress: 3229 Kenilworth Blvd, Sebring, FL 33870

MANGO’S CUBAN CAFÉType: Cuban Distance: 3.7 milesAddress: 1568 Lakeview Dr, Sebring, FL 33870

CHICANEType: American, racing-themed at Inn on the Lakes Distance: 4.2 milesAddress: Golfview Rd, Sebring, FL 33870

Location: 4509 George Boulevard Sebring, FL 33870

Meeting Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Venue: Bert Harris Agricultural Civic Center Auditorium, Sebring

Southwest-Central Florida CorridorTask Force Meeting #5

RESTAURANTS IN PROXIMITY TO MEETING VENUE:

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Meeting Evaluation Form

Meeting Evaluation Form Subject: Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 Date: March 4, 2020 Location: Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509 George Boulevard, Sebring, Florida 33870 On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being completely agree, and 1 being completely disagree, please complete this form to help us evaluate our performance and improve. Thank you!

Were the Meeting Objectives Met? Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

Discuss corridor utility needs and opportunities 1 2 3 4 5

Discuss draft high-level needs summary 1 2 3 4 5

Review public engagement activities and public input received to date 1 2 3 4 5

Review additional data requested by Task Force and proposed Task Force avoidance comments

1 2 3 4 5

Discuss existing corridor enhancement opportunities 1 2 3 4 5

Refine draft AMME guiding principles 1 2 3 4 5

Receive public comment 1 2 3 4 5

Was the Meeting Organization Effective?

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

Background and agenda packet were helpful 1 2 3 4 5

Presentations were effective and informative 1 2 3 4 5

Discussion format was effective 1 2 3 4 5

Facilitator guided participant efforts effectively 1 2 3 4 5

Participation was balanced 1 2 3 4 5

**Additional questions on back**

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Meeting Evaluation Form What did you like best about the meeting? What could be improved? Other comments

Documents

Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 · Southwest-Central Florida Corridor Task Force Meeting #5 March 4, 2020 Bert Harris Agricultural Center Auditorium 4509