Updates/News:
Grant may shift gears for parkway
County to ask DOT for $31M to get St. Johns Heritage road started
Written by
Don Walker
FLORIDA
12:05 AM, Feb. 20, 2012
More than $52 million that would kick off 7.5 miles of construction of the long-planned St. Johns Heritage Parkway in unincorporated Brevard County could be in hand late this year, according to county officials.
On Tuesday, county commissioners will ask the federal Department of Transportation to earmark $31 million for the project. It’s anticipated those funds will be awarded by November, said county planner Stuart Buchanan.
Combined with $17 million already set aside for the project, and an additional $4.5 million in federal funds for right-of-way acquisition and mitigation, the county would have $52.5 million to start turning dirt, officials said.
“This project will allow people in Brevard County to stay off I-95, which will allow the interstate to be used for what it was intended — commerce freight and trucking traffic,” Buchanan said. “The parkway will get people to work faster and home faster, and would reduce opportunity for the accidents we’ve seen with those 18-wheelers.”
The two-lane St. Johns Heritage Parkway, which would mostly parallel Interstate 95 from an interchange at Ellis Road to an interchange at Micco Road, has been in the planning stages since the mid-1990s.
Brevard County Public Works Director John Denninghoff said once funding is available, construction — beginning at the intersection of John Rodes Boulevard and Ellis Road — could begin within a three- or four-month time frame.
“We are at over 90 percent plan completion, pursuing all of our permits now and acquiring right-of-way now,” he said.
The county project would link to a $9.6 million, 2.3-mile segment of the parkway project that runs from Malabar Road to Emerson Drive within the Palm Bay city limits. Another 0.7-mile project would extend the parkway from Emerson Drive north to the city limits. That construction is expected to be awarded this April, with work expected to take about 18 months, according to City Manager Sue Hann.
The St. Johns Heritage Parkway has been called the most ambitious road-building project in Brevard County. The project, according to planners, promotes long-term job creation by increasing access to Melbourne International Airport and such existing federal contractors as Harris Corp., Intersil Corp., Rockwell-Collins and Northrup-Grumman, and provides new access for 1,400 of undeveloped mixed-use property.
“I would say as far as a local project initiative, it is ambitious, that’s true,” Denninghoff said. “The only thing that would compare would have been widening U.S. 1 in the early 1960s and construction of I-95.”
Estimates for the complete 21-mile project have run as high as $200 million, but those numbers are somewhat flexible.
“One of the difficulties about answering how much it will cost is that there are so many parts you have to be careful. If we did nothing else but this first phase, you’d have a very good project justifiable to itself,” Denninghoff said.
“It is big, but we are doing it in bits and pieces — making sure it all makes sense together and individually. Each part needs to make sense on its own, and as part of the grand concept,” he said. “That’s a big difference in this and any other project we’ve had in the past.”
Contact Walker at 321-242-3527 or dwalker@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120220/NEWS01/302200022/Grant-may-shift-gears-parkway?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
St. Johns Heritage Parkway study finds benefits for drivers
Time, expense-saving said to outpace costs
Written byRick Neale | FLORIDA TODAY
December 19, 2012
VIERA — The northernmost portion of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway in Melbourne and Palm Bay will deliver $2.41 in benefitsto motorists for every $1 spent on construction, a new study shows.
These benefits include estimated travel-time savings and reduced vehicle operating costs generated by future highway’s 6-mile stretch linking Ellis Road in Melbourne with Emerson Drive in Palm Bay.
“This is new information on the parkway, first of all. This is not information we’ve had before,” said Bob Kamm, executive director of the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization.
TPO officials hope this cost-benefit analysis helps secure a federal construction grant for the segment. Estimated construction cost is $49.8 million, and Brevard County officials have set aside $17 million for the project.
Eventually, the St. Johns Heritage Parkway may swing southward from Ellis Road to a proposed I-95 interchange near Micco Road, opening large portions of southern Brevard County to development.
Projected annual savings for the Ellis-to-Emerson portion:
$7.8 million in travel time savings.
Planners multiplied work-commute time savings by $10 an hour, or half of the Palm Bay average household income.
$277,000 in vehicle operating costs.
This includes fuel ($3.43 per gallon), oil, tires, maintenance and vehicle depreciation.
Other benefits that cannot be quantified include improved police, fire and EMS response times; property value increases; and job creation, said Nick Lepp, a senior transportation planner with the Orlando firm that conducted the study.
During Thursday’s TPO meeting, Titusville Mayor Jim Tulley questioned whether the $7.8 million time-savings projection was realistic.
“Most people don’t get paid for their travel time to and from work,” Tulley said.
Lepp replied that his study assigned value to drivers’ lost free time, and Commissioner Andy Anderson said some commuters have to shoulder child-care costs.
The projected $49.8 million price tag does not include construction of an Interstate 95 interchange at Ellis Road, TPO Executive Director Bob Kamm said.
Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20111219/NEWS01/312190012/St-Johns-Heritage-Parkway-study-finds-benefits-drivers?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
Palm Bay parkway finally progressing
Written by
BRITT KENNERLY
Florida Today Newspaper
11:57 PM, Jun. 18, 2011
PALM BAY — Annemarie Burrows laughs
when she says some of her neighbors
weren't sure they'd be alive to see a long-
talked-about parkway looping around Palm
Bay and linking it with Melbourne and West
Melbourne.
If all goes well, Burrows, 76, will attend a
fall groundbreaking for the first portion of
the St. Johns Heritage Parkway, a stretch
extending from Malabar Road to Emerson
Drive. When completed, the parkway would
skirt the western edge of South Brevard.
For almost 20 years, residents and city and
county officials have heard about and
pursued funding and plans for the regional
corridor, called Palm Bay Parkway within
the city. Despite economy and acquisition-
based delays, it's highly anticipated, not
only as an alternative evacuation route, but
also one that will ease congestion on
Emerson Drive by providing another
commuter route.
With the help of $4 million in federal
funding available after July 1, city officials s
ay that can start to happen. This year,
with assistance of the Space Coast
Transportation Planning Organization, Palm Bay officials secured that funding, making it
possible to stretch the project to Emerson,
said Sue Hann, city manager.
The original state grant for the project and
city resources -- including transportation
impact fees -- were sufficient to build the
parkway only from Malabar to Pace Drive,
Hann said.
Eventually, the parkway will extend to Palm
Bay's northern limits, hooking up with a
county-built section that will link to U.S.
192 and then to a new interchange at Ellis
Road. Burrows said safety is just as much a
concern as convenience for parkway
supporters.
"One of the biggest things, when this first
started, was wanting another way out of
here in an emergency," said Burrows, an
18-year West Pine Estates resident who
has spoken many times about parkway
plans at County Commission and other
meetings.
"Emerson Drive is our main way out in an emergency
This would get us out of here a lot faster and easier," Burrows said.
"When one of the canals washed out years
ago, it's like we were trapped."
Hann said that to use the latest round of
funds, the city must execute an agreement
with the Florida Department of
Transportation, which administers federal
transportation funds, and prepare the
project to meet federal standards.
The Malabar-to-Emerson work is expected
to take about 15 months.
Elia Twigg of the city's Public Works
Department is the new project manager for
the job. She's getting familiar with
construction plans and finalizing loose
ends, including bid documents and getting
right-of-way certification. The project will
be competitively bid and a contractor
selected at that time.
"There should be minimal inconveniences
for residents while the construction is
taking place since the construction will be
in an area that is currently not developed,"
Twigg said.
"The only inconvenience I foresee will be
where the parkway intersects with Malabar
Road. . . . The inconvenience will be
minimal, and it is anticipated traffic will still
flow with little impedance during those
intersection improvements."
After the Malabar-to-Emerson portion of
the parkway puzzle is completed, the
second-highest priority will be supporting
Brevard County in making the full connection to U.S. 192, Hann said.
Construction of two interchanges, located
just north of Micco Road and in Melbourne
as an extension of Ellis Road,"will be top
priorities for advocating for transportation
money," she said.
"From a construction standpoint, the Palm
Bay portion will provide immediate relief
and comes first," Hann added.
Bob Kamm, executive director of the Space
Coast TPO, said the county is "actively
involved in acquiring the right of way to go
all the way to the Ellis interchange." Those
interchanges are not yet funded or in the
design stage, he said.
In Melbourne, City Manager Jack
Schluckebier said the city is working on
funding for the upgrade of the interchange
area and has had some success with
grants. The years-long process takes "a lot
of time and effort, but it's moving forward,"
he said.
The transportation impact of the parkway
is powerful, Hann said. It also could invite
commercial activity, she said, "so if
residents want to go to a grocerystore, they
don't have to come all the way to the east."
Burrows said that while the initial
construction is "only a start, eventually it will
happen."
"We've had a few people over the years say
they didn't think they'd see this in their
lifetime," she said. "I said, 'Then, let's fight
for it for the next generation.' You have to
think ahead. Every generation should help
the next in one way or another."
Contact Kennerly at 321-409-1423or
bkennerly@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110619/NEWS01/106190329/Palm-Bay-parkway-finally-progressing
BRITT KENNERLY
Florida Today Newspaper
11:57 PM, Jun. 18, 2011
PALM BAY — Annemarie Burrows laughs
when she says some of her neighbors
weren't sure they'd be alive to see a long-
talked-about parkway looping around Palm
Bay and linking it with Melbourne and West
Melbourne.
If all goes well, Burrows, 76, will attend a
fall groundbreaking for the first portion of
the St. Johns Heritage Parkway, a stretch
extending from Malabar Road to Emerson
Drive. When completed, the parkway would
skirt the western edge of South Brevard.
For almost 20 years, residents and city and
county officials have heard about and
pursued funding and plans for the regional
corridor, called Palm Bay Parkway within
the city. Despite economy and acquisition-
based delays, it's highly anticipated, not
only as an alternative evacuation route, but
also one that will ease congestion on
Emerson Drive by providing another
commuter route.
With the help of $4 million in federal
funding available after July 1, city officials s
ay that can start to happen. This year,
with assistance of the Space Coast
Transportation Planning Organization, Palm Bay officials secured that funding, making it
possible to stretch the project to Emerson,
said Sue Hann, city manager.
The original state grant for the project and
city resources -- including transportation
impact fees -- were sufficient to build the
parkway only from Malabar to Pace Drive,
Hann said.
Eventually, the parkway will extend to Palm
Bay's northern limits, hooking up with a
county-built section that will link to U.S.
192 and then to a new interchange at Ellis
Road. Burrows said safety is just as much a
concern as convenience for parkway
supporters.
"One of the biggest things, when this first
started, was wanting another way out of
here in an emergency," said Burrows, an
18-year West Pine Estates resident who
has spoken many times about parkway
plans at County Commission and other
meetings.
"Emerson Drive is our main way out in an emergency
This would get us out of here a lot faster and easier," Burrows said.
"When one of the canals washed out years
ago, it's like we were trapped."
Hann said that to use the latest round of
funds, the city must execute an agreement
with the Florida Department of
Transportation, which administers federal
transportation funds, and prepare the
project to meet federal standards.
The Malabar-to-Emerson work is expected
to take about 15 months.
Elia Twigg of the city's Public Works
Department is the new project manager for
the job. She's getting familiar with
construction plans and finalizing loose
ends, including bid documents and getting
right-of-way certification. The project will
be competitively bid and a contractor
selected at that time.
"There should be minimal inconveniences
for residents while the construction is
taking place since the construction will be
in an area that is currently not developed,"
Twigg said.
"The only inconvenience I foresee will be
where the parkway intersects with Malabar
Road. . . . The inconvenience will be
minimal, and it is anticipated traffic will still
flow with little impedance during those
intersection improvements."
After the Malabar-to-Emerson portion of
the parkway puzzle is completed, the
second-highest priority will be supporting
Brevard County in making the full connection to U.S. 192, Hann said.
Construction of two interchanges, located
just north of Micco Road and in Melbourne
as an extension of Ellis Road,"will be top
priorities for advocating for transportation
money," she said.
"From a construction standpoint, the Palm
Bay portion will provide immediate relief
and comes first," Hann added.
Bob Kamm, executive director of the Space
Coast TPO, said the county is "actively
involved in acquiring the right of way to go
all the way to the Ellis interchange." Those
interchanges are not yet funded or in the
design stage, he said.
In Melbourne, City Manager Jack
Schluckebier said the city is working on
funding for the upgrade of the interchange
area and has had some success with
grants. The years-long process takes "a lot
of time and effort, but it's moving forward,"
he said.
The transportation impact of the parkway
is powerful, Hann said. It also could invite
commercial activity, she said, "so if
residents want to go to a grocerystore, they
don't have to come all the way to the east."
Burrows said that while the initial
construction is "only a start, eventually it will
happen."
"We've had a few people over the years say
they didn't think they'd see this in their
lifetime," she said. "I said, 'Then, let's fight
for it for the next generation.' You have to
think ahead. Every generation should help
the next in one way or another."
Contact Kennerly at 321-409-1423or
bkennerly@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110619/NEWS01/106190329/Palm-Bay-parkway-finally-progressing
Intersection fix means smoother Wickham ride in Melbourne
Written by
SUSANNE CERVENKA
FLORIDA TODAY
6:41 AM, Mar. 15, 2011|
MELBOURNE — Tim Capps remembers
well what it used to be like to be stuck
behind another car waiting to turn left onto
NASA Boulevard from Wickham Road.
"It was a pain in the butt," said Capps, the
manager at Oil Lube Express on Wickham
Road. "It backed up so far that it was
always causing traffic jams."
But Capps and the thousands of people
who drive that route are finding a smoother
ride along after the $5.5 million project to
realign NASA Boulevard wrapped up last
week.
The realignment project moved NASA
Boulevard less than one-eighth of a mile
north so it hits Ellis Road at Wickham Road.
It also expanded Ellis Road to four lanes
starting just west of Lake Ibis Drive to the
new intersection.
Palm Beach Grading, Inc. started
construction to improve the dogleg
intersection in December 2009.
The realignment ties in with a larger set of
projects that eventually will extend Ellis
Road to Interstate 95 and link into the St.
Johns Heritage Parkway, the road
proposed to loop around the county's
southern urban area.
A planning study for a proposed Ellis Road
interchange is under way.
Jesse Wood, 32, of Satellite Beach said he
sees a lot less congestion along Wickham
Road now and virtually no congestion on
NASA Boulevard.
"It's flowing really smoothly," he said.
Contact Cervenka at 32-242-3632or
scervenka@floridatoday.com.
Florida Today Public Affairs Broadcast 3/4/2010
Watch Florida Today's Matt Reed interview County Commissioner Andy Anderson. There is significant discussion on the "Parkway!" Click LINK HERE.
"No Build Option is Not an Option"
We regularly enunciate the positive impacts of the St Johns Heritage Parkway. For a moment, objectively and without political parochialism, let's consider what the financial and environmental costs of not building the parkway (aka “no build option”). To ensure accurate assumptions: formulas, matrix, acknowledgments and references will be enclosed herein... click here for study!
Heritage Parkway Long Overdue
by Brian Wilkins (Florida Today Newspaper Citizens Advisory Panel)
Despite recent setbacks, the Heritage Parkway is a long overdue by-way that needs to be built. Even though it was first labeled a turkey, and then that status retracted - a lot of rumor and conjecture has surrounded the planning, design, and engineering of this road.
It isn't wrong for people to be concerned. If you ever hear a politician tell you, "Don't Worry", be skeptical, of course. From the many different articles I have read and the recent research I have done on the parkway, I can tell you that the right people are involved and the project is being appropriately scrutinized and analyzed at all levels of government to ensure taxpayer money is being appropriately spent. I think it's wise that the impact to property owners will be nil as the tax money spent will likely come from Local Gas Option taxes (which in Florida is approximately 14.5 cents per gallon (cpg)).
The project is desperately needed in Brevard County to provide much needed relief from I-95 and other major arteries that are constantly over capacity. Believe it or not, the parkway project has been a concept since at least 1988! Aren't people complaining that politicians never ask for their opinion? There have been several public meetings conducted by FDOT over this very parkway. This project is being carried out meticulously and with great detail. At this point, I don't see any points being overlooked.
The environmental impacts have also been examined thoroughly by the FDOT and alternative corridors have been designed to minimize any damaging impact to wetlands and the environment.
I'm confident that as this project has evolved over the past twenty years, that any potential pork barrel politics have been weeded out or altogether eliminated. In fact, this should be a bipartisan issue that many Brevard politicians should jump at because it only makes their overall constituency happier by providing better avenues of transportation across Brevard County.
Bottom line: This area is not getting smaller anytime soon despite the Space Shuttle layoffs. If anything, it is growing daily. Unless Amendment 4 passes and slows down local development, we'll see this area growing for a long time and all those drivers have to drive somewhere.Labels: St. Johns Heritage Parkway
posted by Brian Wilkins at 7:17 PM
http://opinionmatters.flatoday.net/2010/08/heritage-parkway-long-overdue.html
Brian Wilkins is a software engineer, Iraq war veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star. A graduate of Rocklege High and Florida Tech, he lives in Rockledge.
Despite recent setbacks, the Heritage Parkway is a long overdue by-way that needs to be built. Even though it was first labeled a turkey, and then that status retracted - a lot of rumor and conjecture has surrounded the planning, design, and engineering of this road.
It isn't wrong for people to be concerned. If you ever hear a politician tell you, "Don't Worry", be skeptical, of course. From the many different articles I have read and the recent research I have done on the parkway, I can tell you that the right people are involved and the project is being appropriately scrutinized and analyzed at all levels of government to ensure taxpayer money is being appropriately spent. I think it's wise that the impact to property owners will be nil as the tax money spent will likely come from Local Gas Option taxes (which in Florida is approximately 14.5 cents per gallon (cpg)).
The project is desperately needed in Brevard County to provide much needed relief from I-95 and other major arteries that are constantly over capacity. Believe it or not, the parkway project has been a concept since at least 1988! Aren't people complaining that politicians never ask for their opinion? There have been several public meetings conducted by FDOT over this very parkway. This project is being carried out meticulously and with great detail. At this point, I don't see any points being overlooked.
The environmental impacts have also been examined thoroughly by the FDOT and alternative corridors have been designed to minimize any damaging impact to wetlands and the environment.
I'm confident that as this project has evolved over the past twenty years, that any potential pork barrel politics have been weeded out or altogether eliminated. In fact, this should be a bipartisan issue that many Brevard politicians should jump at because it only makes their overall constituency happier by providing better avenues of transportation across Brevard County.
Bottom line: This area is not getting smaller anytime soon despite the Space Shuttle layoffs. If anything, it is growing daily. Unless Amendment 4 passes and slows down local development, we'll see this area growing for a long time and all those drivers have to drive somewhere.Labels: St. Johns Heritage Parkway
posted by Brian Wilkins at 7:17 PM
http://opinionmatters.flatoday.net/2010/08/heritage-parkway-long-overdue.html
Brian Wilkins is a software engineer, Iraq war veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star. A graduate of Rocklege High and Florida Tech, he lives in Rockledge.
Paving the Way for our Future
(President of the Greater Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce)
July 2010
The St. John’s Heritage Parkway The County Commission room in Viera was packed on April 20th. Some were holding S.O.S. signs for Save Our Subdivision, and various city and county officials were nervously pacing in the back of the room. Speaker after speaker approached the podium to voice their opinions about the proposed 32-mile St. John’s Heritage Parkway that will skirt around Melbourne and Palm Bay. As explained by supporters, it was designed to ease congestion, offer an alternate route to I-95 during evacuations and above all, bring in construction jobs for years. Detractors were skeptical however and spoke of their concerns to the attentive commissioners stating they feared worse flooding in their swales and additional noise in their quiet subdivision of Brandywine.
Vested Interests on Both Sides
I could certainly understand their apprehension however at the last minute I put my name in to speak. My short speech went unrehearsed and I spoke from the heart. In the two decades that I have lived in Brevard County, I am both impressed and amazed at the progress that has been made at a speed unseen in many other states. Boston, Massachusetts came to mind as I recalled thousands of us trying to maneuver around that city every day during the “Big Dig.” It was a nightmare of catastrophic proportions.
I told the commissioners that day that I had faith that the planners and developers would not suddenly forget how to build a parkway and with the complex set of checks and balances put in place, felt assured this parkway would be built correctly and with as little impact to the residents and environment as possible. In fact, preliminary tests and research actually show that the new parkway would in fact help the drainage issues west of I-95.
Windfall or What’s Due?
Discussion had come up earlier about the Platt family and how much money they stood to make from selling their land. I didn’t address this that day but later gave it some thought. I say, good for the Platts, who were smart enough to purchase the land years ago in the first place. I also say, thanks to the Platts, for selling part of their land to the county because they could have said no and dragged this out for another decade. The Platt family at least went about it the right way by hiring engineers and surveyors to determine what the impact cost would be to them as they relocate their cattle, fencing and irrigation systems. This will not come cheaply I can assure you. It was agreed that the Platts can continue to use their land for agriculture until the county is ready to build so it seems that everyone worked together on this massive project and that’s refreshing.
It has since occurred to me that it is always a good idea to buy land from a local family because they will usually pour that money right back into the local economy. And that’s a better idea than sending the money out of state or overseas. The Platts made $1.8 million for their land which equates to roughly $2.7 million for Brevard through ripple effects. Everyone wins.
Future Focus
With a new high speed rail project underway and a new parkway on the horizon, Brevard County is looking quite impressive, I must say. Here in Palm Bay we look forward to the new thoroughfare with eagerness as we map out our own plans for growth in our city of 107,000 people. So while many may call us that “sleepy little town to the south,” I can assure you we aren’t so little and we certainly aren’t asleep. Stay tuned Brevard, you’re about to watch a transformation not typically seen during these economic times as we continue to grow to the south and west. We thank the Platts and we applaud the County Commissioners who have the foresight to continue with the growth plans by approving the new parkway. It will be a welcome addition to our city and our county.
http://www.spacecoastbusiness.com/paving-the-way-for-our-future/
July 2010
The St. John’s Heritage Parkway The County Commission room in Viera was packed on April 20th. Some were holding S.O.S. signs for Save Our Subdivision, and various city and county officials were nervously pacing in the back of the room. Speaker after speaker approached the podium to voice their opinions about the proposed 32-mile St. John’s Heritage Parkway that will skirt around Melbourne and Palm Bay. As explained by supporters, it was designed to ease congestion, offer an alternate route to I-95 during evacuations and above all, bring in construction jobs for years. Detractors were skeptical however and spoke of their concerns to the attentive commissioners stating they feared worse flooding in their swales and additional noise in their quiet subdivision of Brandywine.
Vested Interests on Both Sides
I could certainly understand their apprehension however at the last minute I put my name in to speak. My short speech went unrehearsed and I spoke from the heart. In the two decades that I have lived in Brevard County, I am both impressed and amazed at the progress that has been made at a speed unseen in many other states. Boston, Massachusetts came to mind as I recalled thousands of us trying to maneuver around that city every day during the “Big Dig.” It was a nightmare of catastrophic proportions.
I told the commissioners that day that I had faith that the planners and developers would not suddenly forget how to build a parkway and with the complex set of checks and balances put in place, felt assured this parkway would be built correctly and with as little impact to the residents and environment as possible. In fact, preliminary tests and research actually show that the new parkway would in fact help the drainage issues west of I-95.
Windfall or What’s Due?
Discussion had come up earlier about the Platt family and how much money they stood to make from selling their land. I didn’t address this that day but later gave it some thought. I say, good for the Platts, who were smart enough to purchase the land years ago in the first place. I also say, thanks to the Platts, for selling part of their land to the county because they could have said no and dragged this out for another decade. The Platt family at least went about it the right way by hiring engineers and surveyors to determine what the impact cost would be to them as they relocate their cattle, fencing and irrigation systems. This will not come cheaply I can assure you. It was agreed that the Platts can continue to use their land for agriculture until the county is ready to build so it seems that everyone worked together on this massive project and that’s refreshing.
It has since occurred to me that it is always a good idea to buy land from a local family because they will usually pour that money right back into the local economy. And that’s a better idea than sending the money out of state or overseas. The Platts made $1.8 million for their land which equates to roughly $2.7 million for Brevard through ripple effects. Everyone wins.
Future Focus
With a new high speed rail project underway and a new parkway on the horizon, Brevard County is looking quite impressive, I must say. Here in Palm Bay we look forward to the new thoroughfare with eagerness as we map out our own plans for growth in our city of 107,000 people. So while many may call us that “sleepy little town to the south,” I can assure you we aren’t so little and we certainly aren’t asleep. Stay tuned Brevard, you’re about to watch a transformation not typically seen during these economic times as we continue to grow to the south and west. We thank the Platts and we applaud the County Commissioners who have the foresight to continue with the growth plans by approving the new parkway. It will be a welcome addition to our city and our county.
http://www.spacecoastbusiness.com/paving-the-way-for-our-future/
Parkway shifts into first gear
2-mile section near high school first up for construction
July 2, 2010
BY SUSANNE CERVENKA
FLORIDA TODAY
City leaders selected a 2-mile stretch passing Heritage High as the first section of a long-discussed parkway designed to loop around Palm Bay.
The project marks the first time officials will turn dirt on the St. Johns Heritage Parkway, known as Palm Bay Parkway in the city, moving the road off paper and into reality.
It also gives the public a second road on which to reach the high school, addressing a safety concern that arose when Heritage was built.
"I think it would be a signature start to this project if we can serve a legitimate public need," Councilman Milo Zonka said.
Overall, it will cost $5.2 million to build a two-lane road from Malabar Road to Pace Drive, which would be extended to meet the parkway.
Palm Bay city staff will lay out the project in a proposal to the state Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, which will draw down a $4 million grant allotted for the project the state's budget.
Under that grant, Palm Bay will be reimbursed as the city spends money on the road. The city also will use transportation impact fees, money developers pay to offset the added traffic their projects bring to a community.
City staff initially had recommended a different segment for the first construction of the parkway.
That segment would have extended Pace and Emerson drives to the new parkway, creating a loop that increased the flow of traffic in the northwest quadrant of the city.
That also would have helped developers build a proposed 60-acre commercial center that would have included retail and office space, City Manager Lee Feldman said.
But those on the council who spoke Thursday night said the Malabar to Pace route was the better option.
"I think this is the priority," Councilwoman Michele Paccione said.
Preliminary designs for the segment will be complete by April, which will allow the city to seek construction-bid proposals, Feldman said.
The city will also ask companies to give a cost estimate on building a section that extends the parkway to Emerson Drive.
Eventually, the parkway will extend to the city's northern limits where it will meet with a county-built section of road that will link to U.S. 192.
It's an important milestone for the parkway, which has been a top priority for Palm Bay and Brevard County, local officials say.
"It is nice to see a piece of the roadway is soon to be built," Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization director Bob Kamm said in an interview before Thursday's meeting.
He has been working on the parkway since 1988. "It's been a dotted line on a map for 20 years and after seeing it through the planning stages for so long, it's always gratifying to actually see it come to fruition."
Having one section of road under construction could help the city and county draw down more money for the parkway, said Tres Holton, a former Palm Bay councilman who is a consultant for a landowner who will benefit from the parkway.
"Being shovel-ready opens a lot of doors for funding at the federal level," he said.
"That's where the game-changer is."
Contact Cervenka at 242-3632 or scervenka@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107020321
BY SUSANNE CERVENKA
FLORIDA TODAY
City leaders selected a 2-mile stretch passing Heritage High as the first section of a long-discussed parkway designed to loop around Palm Bay.
The project marks the first time officials will turn dirt on the St. Johns Heritage Parkway, known as Palm Bay Parkway in the city, moving the road off paper and into reality.
It also gives the public a second road on which to reach the high school, addressing a safety concern that arose when Heritage was built.
"I think it would be a signature start to this project if we can serve a legitimate public need," Councilman Milo Zonka said.
Overall, it will cost $5.2 million to build a two-lane road from Malabar Road to Pace Drive, which would be extended to meet the parkway.
Palm Bay city staff will lay out the project in a proposal to the state Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, which will draw down a $4 million grant allotted for the project the state's budget.
Under that grant, Palm Bay will be reimbursed as the city spends money on the road. The city also will use transportation impact fees, money developers pay to offset the added traffic their projects bring to a community.
City staff initially had recommended a different segment for the first construction of the parkway.
That segment would have extended Pace and Emerson drives to the new parkway, creating a loop that increased the flow of traffic in the northwest quadrant of the city.
That also would have helped developers build a proposed 60-acre commercial center that would have included retail and office space, City Manager Lee Feldman said.
But those on the council who spoke Thursday night said the Malabar to Pace route was the better option.
"I think this is the priority," Councilwoman Michele Paccione said.
Preliminary designs for the segment will be complete by April, which will allow the city to seek construction-bid proposals, Feldman said.
The city will also ask companies to give a cost estimate on building a section that extends the parkway to Emerson Drive.
Eventually, the parkway will extend to the city's northern limits where it will meet with a county-built section of road that will link to U.S. 192.
It's an important milestone for the parkway, which has been a top priority for Palm Bay and Brevard County, local officials say.
"It is nice to see a piece of the roadway is soon to be built," Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization director Bob Kamm said in an interview before Thursday's meeting.
He has been working on the parkway since 1988. "It's been a dotted line on a map for 20 years and after seeing it through the planning stages for so long, it's always gratifying to actually see it come to fruition."
Having one section of road under construction could help the city and county draw down more money for the parkway, said Tres Holton, a former Palm Bay councilman who is a consultant for a landowner who will benefit from the parkway.
"Being shovel-ready opens a lot of doors for funding at the federal level," he said.
"That's where the game-changer is."
Contact Cervenka at 242-3632 or scervenka@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107020321
Dealing for St. Johns Heritage Parkway
BY JEFF SCHWEERS • FLORIDA TODAY • June 27, 2010
The most ambitious road-building project for Brevard County in decades so far has little of the right-of-way needed and less than one-fifth of the money to build it.
Yet, construction of the first phase of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway around Palm Bay could begin by this time next year if the county can strike deals for enough parcels of land along a first phase of the route. Officials just landed the first state earmarks for construction, money they hope can be leveraged to attract still more Congressional earmarks.
While pitching a congestion-easing highway for commuters, leaders from the city of Palm Bay and Brevard County government continue to negotiate with developers and landowners in their jurisdictions.
"It's like eating an elephant," said John Denninghoff, the county's traffic planning engineer and chief right of way negotiator. "You eat it one bite at a time."
A FLORIDA TODAY review of the project found that getting the deals done has meant reshaping the future roadway from a free-flowing beltway around southern and western Palm Bay to an artery with developer-pleasing stoplights and intersections. The roadway's financial benefits to landowners along the proposed route are great enough that one has hired his own lobbyist to promote the roadway and secure federal and state dollars for the project.
Meanwhile, taxpayers and commuters throughout Brevard County will be affected by the project's impact on other road budgets. The parkway now ranks as the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization's No. 1 funding priority. At $200 million, the parkway could consume much of the money Brevard receives from taxes, grants and federal earmarks for years to come -- money that otherwise would be spent on roads elsewhere.
Adding to the challenge, city and county leaders so far have rejected the idea of opening the parkway as a toll road. That approach paid for the Pineda Causeway between 1971-1989 and the Beachline Expressway through Brevard from 1963-1998.
Officials are gambling that once they start the project, the money to finish it will come. Supporters say it will benefit the public with better roads, less congestion, new development and more tax revenue for the county and cities of Palm Bay, Melbourne and West Melbourne.
"Their payback is access . . . however that property gets developed," Palm Bay Councilman Milo Zonka said. "The parkway's payback is those houses will pay impact fees, which then can be used to kick a two-lane into a four-lane. It's almost like you need a spark to start the process, and then it's self-fulfilling. Access creates development, which then creates more access."
All but one county commissioner supports the parkway project.
"I can't justify spending money on a new road when we don't have revenue to maintain our current roads," Commissioner Robin Fisher of Titusville said.
Dealing for land
The parkway has appeared on county planners' priority list for at least 15 years. It moved to the top recently after the county launched other urgent projects including the Pineda Causeway Extension, the realignment of Ellis Road and the extension of Apollo Boulevard. The parkway is the only new highway on the project list.
It is as ambitious as anything ever planned in Brevard: 21 miles of highway along the western edge of southern Brevard County and connected at two interchanges to Interstate 95 -- one at Ellis Road near Melbourne and the other near Micco Road south of Palm Bay.
The complexity of the project and a scarcity of money forced city and county planners to focus on an initial, manageable phase of the project. That 6.5-mile stretch connects the west end of Malabar Road near Heritage High School to U.S. 192 just west of Interstate 95. That will ease some congestion and provide a route out of northwest Palm Bay in the event of fires or floods, supporters say.
"We would like to get the roadway from Malabar to U.S. 192 built as soon as we could," said Space Coast TPO Director Bob Kamm.
Palm Bay officials expect to begin construction on their portion next year. The county would break ground on its portion in 2012.
Simply connecting Malabar to Emerson, the initial city segment, would provide relief for commuters in western Palm Bay, regardless of when the county starts its portion, Deputy City Manager Sue Hann said.
"The pattern now is that everyone goes east in the morning," she said.
Private benefits
The promise for landowners: Access to a major thoroughfare for new homes and businesses. Parts of cow pastures will become prime commercial property at intersections spaced at one-mile intervals between U.S. 192 and Malabar Road.
"People were supposed to be able to zip through to Palm Bay," Commissioner Fisher said. "This gives them four corners to sell off and make a profit."
Among the owners who seems to understand the economic benefits is William "Tuck" Ferrell, scion of a ranching family that once ranked among Brevard's largest property holders. His acreage lies just south of U.S. 192.
A former West Melbourne planning and zoning board member, Ferrell has become one of the parkway's biggest promoters. Ferrell hired Tres Holton, a former Palm Bay councilman and Brevard County commissioner's aide, as a personal public relations consultant and to lobby for money for the project in Tallahassee and Washington.
An affable man who often wears a straw cowboy hat, Ferrell was born in Virginia but spent most of his life in Brevard, riding horses, raising cattle, and listening to former County Commissioner Joe Wickham explain his vision for an interconnected road system. Ferrell's family has donated undeveloped parcels to help build the Pineda Causeway extension and Apollo Boulevard, among other projects.
For now, the land he envisions as part of the parkway is home to about 180 head of cattle, he said.
Ferrell says he only wants better roads. But his negotiations with county transportation engineers for right of way through his 286 acres indicate he plans an "urban village" on his land. It would include a mix of homes, businesses and a hotel. Ferrell hopes to secure plans for an intersection on his property.
Ferrell attends nearly every local TPO meeting, and can often be spotted at county and city meetings where the parkway is discussed.
"Nobody wants to come to a county that has a road system with lack of connectivity," Ferrell said. "People want a viable transportation system, bring jobs to the county."
Parkway deals also can bring side benefits to landowners. For example, the county's contract with the Platts calls for taxpayers to buy fill dirt from the owners at fair market value. Growth plans for the Platt property, which sprawls over 8,193 acres, call for up to three intersections to serve 4,670 homes and a mix of business and industry.
"Each one of those intersections gives the Platts four corners to sell off and make a profit," Commissioner Fisher said.
Making progress
To start the first phase, the county still must acquire a hodgepodge of parcels between western Palm Bay and I-95 west of Melbourne.
Today, the four key parcels between the Platt land and U.S. 192 are dotted with scrub, palms and cattle. They include a failed development now in foreclosure and another parcel owned by a member of the Platt family. The county also is negotiating with two owners between 192 and the proposed Ellis Road interchange who had planned to develop their wetland-dotted properties into subdivisions and an RV park.
"We have had verbal offers to donate," Kamm said.
Denninghoff, the county's land acquisitions expert, said it takes patience to deal with landowners seeking best value for their money in a depressed real estate market. Some would rather wait to sell until prices rebound. Recently, the county approved a contract for five acres from a failed development north of the Platt Ranch.
Denninghoff is still negotiating with Ferrell and Walter "Toby" Platt for enough parkway land to reach U.S. 192 from the south. He also is talking with owners of a planned 195-home subdivision and the owner of the Spring Lake RV Resort for the northern stretch between U.S. 192 to the proposed I-95 interchange at Ellis Road.
Lobbying for money
Still, the project remains far short of the money needed for completion. Local taxes won't cover it, and the idea of a toll road has gained no traction. As they have in years past, officials are counting on lobbyists to win state and federal road money.
Palm Bay has secured $5 million in federal earmarks and will receive a $4 million earmark from the state Legislature in this year's budget.
Local leaders have appealed to Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, and Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, in hopes of securing more federal dollars over the next 18 months. However, Posey -- who represents the area -- has joined a House Republican ban on earmarks for the 2011 budget and has requested none.
The federal government could help most with the two interchanges at I-95. Design alone will cost $3.5 million for the south interchange at Micco Road and $2.5 million for the north interchange at Ellis. Building them would cost $25 million each.
It's important to complete federal planning requirements, Kamm said, "so we're in a position to get earmarked money cleanly."
Parkway leaders hope to close much of the gap through contributions from real estate interests.
"Half or more could be from the private sector," Kamm said.
Contact Schweers at 242-3668 or jschweers@floridatoday.com.
Link to article: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100627/NEWS01/6270324/1006/Dealing+for+St.+Johns+Heritage+Parkway
The most ambitious road-building project for Brevard County in decades so far has little of the right-of-way needed and less than one-fifth of the money to build it.
Yet, construction of the first phase of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway around Palm Bay could begin by this time next year if the county can strike deals for enough parcels of land along a first phase of the route. Officials just landed the first state earmarks for construction, money they hope can be leveraged to attract still more Congressional earmarks.
While pitching a congestion-easing highway for commuters, leaders from the city of Palm Bay and Brevard County government continue to negotiate with developers and landowners in their jurisdictions.
"It's like eating an elephant," said John Denninghoff, the county's traffic planning engineer and chief right of way negotiator. "You eat it one bite at a time."
A FLORIDA TODAY review of the project found that getting the deals done has meant reshaping the future roadway from a free-flowing beltway around southern and western Palm Bay to an artery with developer-pleasing stoplights and intersections. The roadway's financial benefits to landowners along the proposed route are great enough that one has hired his own lobbyist to promote the roadway and secure federal and state dollars for the project.
Meanwhile, taxpayers and commuters throughout Brevard County will be affected by the project's impact on other road budgets. The parkway now ranks as the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization's No. 1 funding priority. At $200 million, the parkway could consume much of the money Brevard receives from taxes, grants and federal earmarks for years to come -- money that otherwise would be spent on roads elsewhere.
Adding to the challenge, city and county leaders so far have rejected the idea of opening the parkway as a toll road. That approach paid for the Pineda Causeway between 1971-1989 and the Beachline Expressway through Brevard from 1963-1998.
Officials are gambling that once they start the project, the money to finish it will come. Supporters say it will benefit the public with better roads, less congestion, new development and more tax revenue for the county and cities of Palm Bay, Melbourne and West Melbourne.
"Their payback is access . . . however that property gets developed," Palm Bay Councilman Milo Zonka said. "The parkway's payback is those houses will pay impact fees, which then can be used to kick a two-lane into a four-lane. It's almost like you need a spark to start the process, and then it's self-fulfilling. Access creates development, which then creates more access."
All but one county commissioner supports the parkway project.
"I can't justify spending money on a new road when we don't have revenue to maintain our current roads," Commissioner Robin Fisher of Titusville said.
Dealing for land
The parkway has appeared on county planners' priority list for at least 15 years. It moved to the top recently after the county launched other urgent projects including the Pineda Causeway Extension, the realignment of Ellis Road and the extension of Apollo Boulevard. The parkway is the only new highway on the project list.
It is as ambitious as anything ever planned in Brevard: 21 miles of highway along the western edge of southern Brevard County and connected at two interchanges to Interstate 95 -- one at Ellis Road near Melbourne and the other near Micco Road south of Palm Bay.
The complexity of the project and a scarcity of money forced city and county planners to focus on an initial, manageable phase of the project. That 6.5-mile stretch connects the west end of Malabar Road near Heritage High School to U.S. 192 just west of Interstate 95. That will ease some congestion and provide a route out of northwest Palm Bay in the event of fires or floods, supporters say.
"We would like to get the roadway from Malabar to U.S. 192 built as soon as we could," said Space Coast TPO Director Bob Kamm.
Palm Bay officials expect to begin construction on their portion next year. The county would break ground on its portion in 2012.
Simply connecting Malabar to Emerson, the initial city segment, would provide relief for commuters in western Palm Bay, regardless of when the county starts its portion, Deputy City Manager Sue Hann said.
"The pattern now is that everyone goes east in the morning," she said.
Private benefits
The promise for landowners: Access to a major thoroughfare for new homes and businesses. Parts of cow pastures will become prime commercial property at intersections spaced at one-mile intervals between U.S. 192 and Malabar Road.
"People were supposed to be able to zip through to Palm Bay," Commissioner Fisher said. "This gives them four corners to sell off and make a profit."
Among the owners who seems to understand the economic benefits is William "Tuck" Ferrell, scion of a ranching family that once ranked among Brevard's largest property holders. His acreage lies just south of U.S. 192.
A former West Melbourne planning and zoning board member, Ferrell has become one of the parkway's biggest promoters. Ferrell hired Tres Holton, a former Palm Bay councilman and Brevard County commissioner's aide, as a personal public relations consultant and to lobby for money for the project in Tallahassee and Washington.
An affable man who often wears a straw cowboy hat, Ferrell was born in Virginia but spent most of his life in Brevard, riding horses, raising cattle, and listening to former County Commissioner Joe Wickham explain his vision for an interconnected road system. Ferrell's family has donated undeveloped parcels to help build the Pineda Causeway extension and Apollo Boulevard, among other projects.
For now, the land he envisions as part of the parkway is home to about 180 head of cattle, he said.
Ferrell says he only wants better roads. But his negotiations with county transportation engineers for right of way through his 286 acres indicate he plans an "urban village" on his land. It would include a mix of homes, businesses and a hotel. Ferrell hopes to secure plans for an intersection on his property.
Ferrell attends nearly every local TPO meeting, and can often be spotted at county and city meetings where the parkway is discussed.
"Nobody wants to come to a county that has a road system with lack of connectivity," Ferrell said. "People want a viable transportation system, bring jobs to the county."
Parkway deals also can bring side benefits to landowners. For example, the county's contract with the Platts calls for taxpayers to buy fill dirt from the owners at fair market value. Growth plans for the Platt property, which sprawls over 8,193 acres, call for up to three intersections to serve 4,670 homes and a mix of business and industry.
"Each one of those intersections gives the Platts four corners to sell off and make a profit," Commissioner Fisher said.
Making progress
To start the first phase, the county still must acquire a hodgepodge of parcels between western Palm Bay and I-95 west of Melbourne.
Today, the four key parcels between the Platt land and U.S. 192 are dotted with scrub, palms and cattle. They include a failed development now in foreclosure and another parcel owned by a member of the Platt family. The county also is negotiating with two owners between 192 and the proposed Ellis Road interchange who had planned to develop their wetland-dotted properties into subdivisions and an RV park.
"We have had verbal offers to donate," Kamm said.
Denninghoff, the county's land acquisitions expert, said it takes patience to deal with landowners seeking best value for their money in a depressed real estate market. Some would rather wait to sell until prices rebound. Recently, the county approved a contract for five acres from a failed development north of the Platt Ranch.
Denninghoff is still negotiating with Ferrell and Walter "Toby" Platt for enough parkway land to reach U.S. 192 from the south. He also is talking with owners of a planned 195-home subdivision and the owner of the Spring Lake RV Resort for the northern stretch between U.S. 192 to the proposed I-95 interchange at Ellis Road.
Lobbying for money
Still, the project remains far short of the money needed for completion. Local taxes won't cover it, and the idea of a toll road has gained no traction. As they have in years past, officials are counting on lobbyists to win state and federal road money.
Palm Bay has secured $5 million in federal earmarks and will receive a $4 million earmark from the state Legislature in this year's budget.
Local leaders have appealed to Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, and Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, in hopes of securing more federal dollars over the next 18 months. However, Posey -- who represents the area -- has joined a House Republican ban on earmarks for the 2011 budget and has requested none.
The federal government could help most with the two interchanges at I-95. Design alone will cost $3.5 million for the south interchange at Micco Road and $2.5 million for the north interchange at Ellis. Building them would cost $25 million each.
It's important to complete federal planning requirements, Kamm said, "so we're in a position to get earmarked money cleanly."
Parkway leaders hope to close much of the gap through contributions from real estate interests.
"Half or more could be from the private sector," Kamm said.
Contact Schweers at 242-3668 or jschweers@floridatoday.com.
Link to article: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100627/NEWS01/6270324/1006/Dealing+for+St.+Johns+Heritage+Parkway
Florida stretch of I-95 deadliest highway in the nation; I-4 ranks No. 3, website says
By Amy L. Edwards, Orlando Sentinel 9:03 p.m. EDT, June 7, 2010
Florida's stretch of Interstate 95 and Interstate 4 are among the deadliest highways in the nation, The Daily Beast website found when it ranked the roads based on federal figures.
The 382 miles of I-95 running the length of the state have the worst rate of deadly accidents in the United States, while I-4 comes in third, the website calculated from five years of highway fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Daily Beast divided each interstate into stretches within states, tallied fatal crashes, and then divided the figure by the number of miles of that state's leg. The website measured fatal accidents rather than total fatalities.
According to the analysis, there were 662 fatal accidents on I-95 in Florida from 2004 to 2008. That means there were 1.73 fatal crashes per mile.
The website said there were 209 fatal crashes on the 132-mile I-4 during the same period. That comes out to 1.58 fatal accidents per mile.
Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes was critical of the website's methodology, which she said does not look at how many vehicles travel the highways.
"You compare 95 in Florida with a road in North Dakota, and I think you're comparing apples to oranges," she said.
I-95 is the busiest interstate in Florida. And I-4 is likely the most congested interstate in Central and North Florida, Montes said.
"Thousands of drivers navigate that drive every day and never crash," she said. "Unfortunately, the majority of our fatal crashes are driver error."
Speed is a major factor in a lot of fatal accidents, Montes said. Some drivers exceed the speed limit by as much as 30 mph, she said.
"Maybe they feel like they're not doing anything wrong," Montes said. "But unfortunately, when you look at a common denominator [in fatal crashes] … speed plays a factor."
Steve Olson, a Florida Department of Transportationspokesman, said what makes I-4 and I-95 unique is the variety of drivers: local commuters, tourists and long-haul truck drivers.
He said his agency works with law enforcement and uses tools — such as the electronic, adjustable speed limit signs on I-4 — to help keep highways safe and flowing.
But a lot of times, people just feel as though they can drive faster than the speed limit, he said.
"The trick is to adjust people's behavior," Olson said.
Amy L. Edwards can be reached ataledwards@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5735.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/traffic/os-deadliest-roads-in-the-country-20100607,0,2918113.story
I-95 interchange a plus
Connection near Micco might boost economy
BY RICK NEALE • FLORIDA TODAY • May 14, 2010
VIERA — -- Construction of a new Interstate 95 interchange near Micco Road will spur economic development and improve vehicle access across a sizable surrounding region, transportation officials believe.
"This interchange, we're finding, rearranges the traffic in south Brevard -- anything from Malabar south, even into north Indian River County," said Bob Kamm, director of the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization.
"The presence of an interchange, where there is not (one) in a 17-mile stretch, really causes traffic to go about in different ways," Kamm said.
Thursday morning, TPO officials received updates on the project, which may someday serve as the southern terminus of the long-discussed St. Johns Heritage Parkway. This controlled-access highway would swing west of I-95 and loop northward, linking with a second interchange at Ellis Road in Melbourne.
The proposed southern interchange site is just south of the Grant-Valkaria town limits at I-95 Milepost 6.1, roughly 2 miles north of Micco Road.
Also included in the Florida Department of Transportation project: Construction of a 4-mile connector road, bending around the borders of the 1,322-acre Micco Scrub Sanctuary. This road would link the interchange with Babcock Street and Micco Road.
Public input will be collected during meetings in late August and early March, DOT records show. A design study may wrap up next June. Construction remains years off.
Kamm said the interchange will help Brevard County Fire Station 86 near Barefoot Bay respond faster to I-95 accidents -- today, ambulance crews have to travel up to Malabar Road to access the interstate.
Study also continues on the St. Johns Heritage Parkway northern interchange at Ellis Road, immediately south of Lamplighter Village. That project will also widen Ellis to four lanes, providing straight-line access from I-95 to Melbourne International Airport.
Lance Decuir, DOT project manager, said widening Ellis Road eastward to Wickham Road will pose engineering obstacles.
"There are 60 side street-driveway connections, which will be major issues for the life of the project," Decuir said. "Deep ditches along the edge of the roadway there. Tight right-of-way there."
Design work may wrap up within two years, and right-of-way acquisition could be finished four years, Decuir said.
The Legislature earmarked $4 million for St. Johns Heritage Parkway development in its newly adopted budget, said Leigh Holt, county government relations manager.
Contact Neale at 242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100514/NEWS01/5140330/1086/I-95+interchange+a+plus
Connection near Micco might boost economy
BY RICK NEALE • FLORIDA TODAY • May 14, 2010
VIERA — -- Construction of a new Interstate 95 interchange near Micco Road will spur economic development and improve vehicle access across a sizable surrounding region, transportation officials believe.
"This interchange, we're finding, rearranges the traffic in south Brevard -- anything from Malabar south, even into north Indian River County," said Bob Kamm, director of the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization.
"The presence of an interchange, where there is not (one) in a 17-mile stretch, really causes traffic to go about in different ways," Kamm said.
Thursday morning, TPO officials received updates on the project, which may someday serve as the southern terminus of the long-discussed St. Johns Heritage Parkway. This controlled-access highway would swing west of I-95 and loop northward, linking with a second interchange at Ellis Road in Melbourne.
The proposed southern interchange site is just south of the Grant-Valkaria town limits at I-95 Milepost 6.1, roughly 2 miles north of Micco Road.
Also included in the Florida Department of Transportation project: Construction of a 4-mile connector road, bending around the borders of the 1,322-acre Micco Scrub Sanctuary. This road would link the interchange with Babcock Street and Micco Road.
Public input will be collected during meetings in late August and early March, DOT records show. A design study may wrap up next June. Construction remains years off.
Kamm said the interchange will help Brevard County Fire Station 86 near Barefoot Bay respond faster to I-95 accidents -- today, ambulance crews have to travel up to Malabar Road to access the interstate.
Study also continues on the St. Johns Heritage Parkway northern interchange at Ellis Road, immediately south of Lamplighter Village. That project will also widen Ellis to four lanes, providing straight-line access from I-95 to Melbourne International Airport.
Lance Decuir, DOT project manager, said widening Ellis Road eastward to Wickham Road will pose engineering obstacles.
"There are 60 side street-driveway connections, which will be major issues for the life of the project," Decuir said. "Deep ditches along the edge of the roadway there. Tight right-of-way there."
Design work may wrap up within two years, and right-of-way acquisition could be finished four years, Decuir said.
The Legislature earmarked $4 million for St. Johns Heritage Parkway development in its newly adopted budget, said Leigh Holt, county government relations manager.
Contact Neale at 242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100514/NEWS01/5140330/1086/I-95+interchange+a+plus
Parkway deal called critical
Palm Bay buy furthers new road
December 4, 2009
BY SUSANNE CERVENKA
FLORIDA TODAY
The city council agreed to a $1.25 million deal to acquire a "critical" piece for the long-planned http://www.floridatoday.com/baybulletin Palm Bay Parkway.
The deal with Lennar Homes includes roughly 90 acres of right-of-way and easements needed to extend the parkway from Malabar Road to the city's northern limits.
"This piece is significant in that it is critical to connecting Malabar Road to U.S. 192," Palm Bay City Manager Lee Feldman said.
Once built, the four-lane parkway will give the county a route linking Micco and Melbourne, with two new interchanges on Interstate 95.
Money for the deal will come from transportation impact fees, which developers pay to mitigate the effect their projects have on the community.
In addition to the right-of-way for the parkway itself, the deal includes rights-of-way to extend Emerson and Pace drives to the parkway, and storm water ponds and easements.
Lennar will give the city the engineering designs and permits it has been working on for the parkway and two other roads. Palm Bay also will be able to buy fill dirt for the parkway from Lennar at $2 per cubic yard.
Palm Bay is expected to close on the deal by Jan. 31.
This deal comes less than a month after the Brevard County Commission approved a $1.8 million contract with the Platt family for 47 acres of right-of-way.
The Platt land abuts the Lennar land to the north.
The road, known outside the city as St. Johns Heritage Parkway, will wrap around the southern and western part of Palm Bay and the western part of West Melbourne and Melbourne.
County leaders hope the parkway will relieve traffic on the interstate and Babcock Street as well as providing a hurricane evacuation route for southern Brevard.
Contact Cervenka at 242-3632 or scervenka@floridatoday.com.
December 4, 2009
BY SUSANNE CERVENKA
FLORIDA TODAY
The city council agreed to a $1.25 million deal to acquire a "critical" piece for the long-planned http://www.floridatoday.com/baybulletin Palm Bay Parkway.
The deal with Lennar Homes includes roughly 90 acres of right-of-way and easements needed to extend the parkway from Malabar Road to the city's northern limits.
"This piece is significant in that it is critical to connecting Malabar Road to U.S. 192," Palm Bay City Manager Lee Feldman said.
Once built, the four-lane parkway will give the county a route linking Micco and Melbourne, with two new interchanges on Interstate 95.
Money for the deal will come from transportation impact fees, which developers pay to mitigate the effect their projects have on the community.
In addition to the right-of-way for the parkway itself, the deal includes rights-of-way to extend Emerson and Pace drives to the parkway, and storm water ponds and easements.
Lennar will give the city the engineering designs and permits it has been working on for the parkway and two other roads. Palm Bay also will be able to buy fill dirt for the parkway from Lennar at $2 per cubic yard.
Palm Bay is expected to close on the deal by Jan. 31.
This deal comes less than a month after the Brevard County Commission approved a $1.8 million contract with the Platt family for 47 acres of right-of-way.
The Platt land abuts the Lennar land to the north.
The road, known outside the city as St. Johns Heritage Parkway, will wrap around the southern and western part of Palm Bay and the western part of West Melbourne and Melbourne.
County leaders hope the parkway will relieve traffic on the interstate and Babcock Street as well as providing a hurricane evacuation route for southern Brevard.
Contact Cervenka at 242-3632 or scervenka@floridatoday.com.
Chamber of Commerce Supports the Parkway!
MELBOURNE REGIONAL CHAMBER OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA, INC.
November 11, 2009
RE: Resolution in Support of St. Johns Heritage Parkway
RESOLUTION: The Melbourne Regional Chamber of East Central Florida, Inc. supports the construction of the proposed St. Johns Heritage Parkway. The Chamber has long supported effective transportation solutions for the region, and the Parkway would achieve several positive benefits: alleviation of traffic congestion and providing an additional emergency evacuation route for the Palm Bay area. We therefore encourage all parties to negotiate acceptable agreements and urge federal agencies to support the project in their transportation budgets.
Adopted unanimously by the Government Affairs Committee 10/27/09
Adopted unanimously by Executive Committee 11/4/09
Adopted unanimously by Board of Directors 11/11/09
Recent News
October 1, 2009
Our views: An uphill climb
St. Johns Parkway advocates should keep pushing for federal funds
If you think building the pyramids was a chore, consider the St. Johns Heritage Parkway in South Brevard.
The proposed road — formerly called the Palm Bay Parkway — has been planned for more than a decade, but no one has a clue when it will be built.
Meanwhile, its need remains acute.
The parkway would alleviate worsening traffic in the Palm Bay, West Melbourne and Melbourne areas, improve hurricane evacuation and become part of an expanded Central Florida road network to meet regional growth.
It’s estimated $360 million price has long been the problem, although advocates say lower construction costs that have been caused by the recession could reduce the cost significantly.
Either way, supporters are right to keep seeking funds through efforts such as a recent lobbying trip that had them knocking on the doors of Congress, including the offices of Space Coast Reps. Bill Posey and Suzanne Kosmas, and other Florida members.
Their goal is to get $77 million requested by Brevard County, Palm Bay and Melbourne included in an upcoming federal transportation bill.
That remains an uphill fight. But supporters should stay aggressive and Posey and Kosmas should do everything possible to gain at least some money to keep pushing this boulder uphill.
*****************************************
September 30, 2009
Advocates: Price, time is right for parkway Parkway price makes sense, they contend
BY RICK NEALE
FLORIDA TODAY
Cost estimates to build the long-discussed St. Johns Heritage Parkway have plummeted in recent months, thanks to tumbling construction costs.
Last year, Brevard County officials publicly discussed prices ranging up to $200 million for the highway, plus $60 million to $80 million for two Interstate 95 interchanges.
Now?
"It's going to be about $120 million for the whole project -- including the interchanges," said Tres Holton, a Palm Bay consultant promoting the project.
Holton pegged potential costs for the initial parkway segment -- linking Malabar and Ellis roads -- at $54 million (with an interstate overpass) to $69 million (with an interchange).
Last week, Holton and Dave Isnardi, chief legislative aide to Brevard County Commissioner Andy Anderson, spent three days in Washington, D.C., lobbying for road funding.
The duo met with about 20 members of Congress or their staffers, Holton said. Included was a 40-minute joint session with U.S. Reps. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge and John Mica of Winter Park, the ranking Republican on the House transportation and infrastructure committee.
They also met with House members Susanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, and Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers.
Isnardi said he emphasized the future road's significance as an evacuation route, citing hurricanes and the 2008 Mother's Day fires that burned about 4,000 acres in southern Brevard.
"We had citizens trapped in their homes last year," Isnardi said of those wind-whipped firestorms. "We got everybody to understand what the parkway is and why we're building it."
Brevard officials hope the upcoming federal transportation reauthorization bill includes funding for the parkway. The county, Melbourne and Palm Bay submitted three requests totaling more than $77 million.
The fate of these requests remains unknown. Holton said fiery debate over President Barack Obama's health care reforms will probably postpone the bill into next year.
The Obama administration favors an 18-month delay, saying lawmakers need that much time to resolve issues such as whether to raise fuel taxes or find some other means to fund transportation programs.
Since April 2005, various governmental jurisdictions have approved at least $30 million for the project, according to Holton's research.
Chief among them: the Brevard County Commission's pledge of $21 million in local option gas tax bonds in May 2007 for right-of-way acquisition, engineering and design.
After design and land purchases are completed, permits must be secured. Holton hopes construction begins by early 2011.
Holton was hired by Friends of the Parkway, an ad hoc organization of Space Coast landowners, business leaders and other officials.
A former Palm Bay deputy mayor, Holton lost in the Republican primary in the Florida House District 30 race last fall.
Isnardi went to Washington on personal time, Anderson said, and his trip was not financed using county funds.
Information from Gannett Washington Bureau was used in this report. Contact Neale at 242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com.
You can now download articles about the parkway archived back to 2002. Click "Download File" to read Florida Today articles and editorials about this important project:
| 20111219_ft_article_parkway_study_finds_benefits_drivers.pdf |
| 20110619_ft_article_palm-bay-parkway-finally-progressing.pdf |
| 20110312_ft_article_Intersection fix means smoother Wickham ride.pdf |
| spacecoastbusinessparkwayjuly2010article.pdf |
| 20110113_new8milliondollars_floridatodaywatchdogarticle.pdf |
| 20100702_ft_article_parkway_shifts_into_first_gear.pdf |
| 20100627_ft_article_dealing_for_the_parkway.pdf |
| 20100707_orlando_sentinel_i95_nations_deadly.pdf |
| 20100514_ft_artice_i-95_interchange_a_plus.pdf |
| 20091209_ft_article_palm_bay_parkway_called_critical.pdf |
| 20091001_ft_opinion_advocates_should_keep_pushing_for_federal_funds.pdf |
| 20090930_ft_advocates_say_price_and_time_is_right_for_parkway.pdf |
| 20090827_ft_article_interchange_parkway_rolls_on.pdf |
| 20090621_ft_article_ecotourism_economics.pdf |
| 20090407_ft_article_brevard_reps_dig_for_local_projects.pdf |
| 20090217_ft_article_st_johns_parkway_plan_faces_delays.pdf |
| 20081209_ft_matt_reed_parkway_needed_for_heritage_high_school.pdf |
| 20081204_ft_opinion_on_joint_efforts_by_melb_pb.pdf |
| 20081204_ft_article_palm_bay_melbourne_to_lobby_congress_for_funding.pdf |
| 20081108_ft_opinion_parkway.pdf |
| 20081107_ft_article_council_oks_land_purchase.pdf |
| 20081106_ft_article_palm_bay_plans_land_buy_for_roadway.pdf |
| 20081029_ft_article_county_cities_pool_money_for_parkway.pdf |
| 20081025_ft_opinion_uniting_to_build_st_johns_parkway.pdf |
| 20080130_ft_article_lobbyist_seeks_cash_for_parkway.pdf |
| 20070808_ft_article_row.pdf |
| 20070512_ft_opinion_row.pdf |
| 20061219_ft_opinion_toll.pdf |
| 20061211_ft_article_lobbyist_efforts.pdf |
| 20060711_ft_article_new_interchanges.pdf |
| 20060626_ft_article_pbp_renamed.pdf |
| 20060618_ft_article_pb_funds_imr.pdf |
| 20060608_ft_article_melb_buys_parcel.pdf |
| 20060423_ft_article_grassroots_group.pdf |
| 20060406_ft_article_pb_brp_drainage.pdf |
| 20050811_ft_article_800k_fed_appr.pdf |
| 20050422_ft_article_pb_to_build_for_5m.pdf |
| 20030918_ft_article_limited_vs_control_access_conflict.pdf |
| 20030827_ft_article_andy_anderson_town_hall_meeting.pdf |
| 20020715_ft_article_beltway_evac_route.pdf |
| 20020622_ft_letter_to_the_editor_by_scott_ellis.pdf |
Misc Files
The following files are working files only.
| parkway_tiger_iii_application_10312011.pdf |
| Parkway_Cost_Benefit_PowerPoint_TPO_Dec2011.pdf |
| south_interchange_presentation-_july_2011.pdf |
| cost_matrix_nov_2009_w_state_local.pdf |
| parkway_funding_matrix_may_2010.pdf |
| fdot_owp_-_5_year_work_prog_north.pdf |
| fdot_owp_-_5_year_work_prog_south.pdf |
| fiveyearworkplanmapld.pdf |
| fdot_tip_amendment_feb2010.pdf |
| ted_approp_sb7086am997000.pdf |
| may2009brevardmpolettershpp.pdf |
| sheriff_parkermemoparkwaypublicsafety.pdf |
© Parkway Patriots. 2012.
