Welcome to the Public Hearing for the Gulf Coast Parkway Project - - PDF document

Welcome to the Public Hearing for the Gulf Coast Parkway Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study The Formal Presentation Begins at 6:30 p.m.

March 5, 2019

Welcome slide open until presentation begins

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Gulf Coast Parkway PD&E Study

Bay and Gulf Counties, Florida

Public Hearing

Financial Project ID No. 410981-2-22-02

March 5, 2019

Slide 1 – Project photo, study name, County, meeting title, FPID, federal aid no, ETDM no. Good evening. The Florida Department of Transportation would like to welcome you to the public hearing for the Gulf Coast Parkway Project Development and Environment Study, Financial Management Project Number FPID No. 410981-2-22-01. My name is presenters

• name. I am the presenters title for the Florida Department of Transportation. Thank you for

coming this evening, here with me tonight are: Alan Vann, the FDOT Project Manager, and Greg Garrett with Atkins, our consultant project manager. Additional project staff members will be available to answer questions you may have on the material presented. A representative from the district right of way department is here tonight and will be available after the public hearing if you have questions regarding residential or businesses relocations on this project. A transcript is being made of all oral proceedings and will be part of the public record for this project. We now will begin the presentation.

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• To share information related to

proposed improvements and alternatives

• To discuss potential beneficial

and adverse social, economic and environmental impacts upon the community.

• To share opinions and concerns

regarding the project.

Purpose of the Public Hearing

• Three components to tonight’s

hearing:

1) Open House 2) Presentation 3) Formal comment period following the presentation

The purpose of this public hearing is to share information with the general public about the proposed improvement; its conceptual design; the preferred alternative; and the potential benefits and adverse social, economic, and environmental impacts upon the community. The public hearing also serves as an official forum providing an opportunity for members of the public to express their opinions regarding the project. There are three primary components to tonight’s hearing: First, the open house, which occurred prior to this presentation where you were invited to view the project displays and to speak directly with the project team and provide your comments in writing or to the court reporter; Second, this presentation, which will explain the project purpose and need, study alternatives, potential impacts, both beneficial and adverse, and proposed methods to mitigate adverse project impacts; and Third, a formal comment period following this presentation, where you will have the

• pportunity to provide oral statements at the microphone or you may provide your

comments directly to the court reporter or in writing.

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• This public hearing is being held in accordance with:
• Section 120.525, F.S. – Meetings, Hearings, and Workshops
• Section 335.199, F.S. – Transportation Projects Modifying Access to Adjacent Property
• Section 339.155, F.S. – Transportation Planning
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Other Nondiscrimination Laws
• 49 CFR Part 24, Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition for Federal

and Federally Assisted Programs

• 40 CFR Part 1506, Other Requirements of NEPA

Laws and Regulations

This environmental study has been conducted by FDOT (District 3) in compliance with all applicable federal environmental laws and pursuant to 23 U.S.C. § 327 and the implementing MOU between FDOT and FHWA signed on December 14, 2016; the FDOT Office of Environmental Management in Tallahassee is the approving authority. The proposed improvement involves construction of a new 4-lane roadway between U.S. 98 and U.S. 231 in Bay and Gulf Counties. This hearing is being held to provide you with the

• pportunity to comment on this project and share new information developed

since the last public hearing.

This public hearing was advertised consistent with the federal and state requirements shown on the slide.

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• Public participation is encouraged and solicited without regard to race,

color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. Persons wishing to express their concerns about Title VI may do so by contacting:

Title VI Compliance

District 3, Florida Department of Transportation

Alicia Brininger, District 3 Title VI Coordinator FDOT District 3 1074 Highway 90 Chipley, Florida 32428 (850) 330-1502 Alicia.Brininger@dot.state.fl.us

Tallahassee Office, Florida Department of Transportation

Jacqueline Paramore, FDOT, State Title VI Coordinator Equal Opportunity Office 605 Suwannee Street, MS 65 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450 (850) 414-4753 Jacqueline.paramore@dot.state.fl.us

Public participation at this hearing is encouraged and solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. Persons wishing to express their concerns about Title VI may do so by contacting either the Florida Department of Transportation, District 3 office, or the Tallahassee office of the Florida Department of Transportation. This contact information is also provided in the project handout.

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Project Development Process

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Process used to evaluate potential impacts to determine an alternative involving a continuous community

• utreach

process to ensure that all interested parties have meaningful participation in the process.

FDOT is conducting a Project Development and Environment, or PD&E Study, for this

• project. The PD&E Process is used to evaluate potential impacts to determine an alternative

utilizing a continuous community outreach process to ensure that all interested parties have meaningful participation in the process. As part of the 2014 public hearing, we received public input suggesting alternatives routes, which led to additional coordination & analysis from 2015-18, resulting in the Modified alternative being presented tonight. Public input and information received at tonight’s hearing will be taken into consideration when preparing the final documents for this study.

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Study Area

• U.S. 98 to U.S. 231
• Bay and Gulf

Counties

• 36.6 Miles

The study limits extend from U.S. 98 in the south to U.S. 231 in the north, and from west of U.S. 98 in Panama City to west of Wewahitchka. The proposed improvement is 36.6 miles in length.

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What is the Purpose of the Study?

• Enhance economic development, improve

mobility, improve Tyndall AFB security, and improve hurricane evacuation routes.

Why is the Project Needed?

• Travel time reduction and capacity improvements
• More direct route between U.S. 98 and U.S. 231
• Consistency with Long Range Transportation

Plans and Comprehensive Plans

Purpose and Need

What is the Purpose of the Study? The purpose of the project is to enhance economic development in Gulf County through improved access and mobility; to improve regional mobility consistent with the Bay County TPO LRTP and the Gulf County Comprehensive Plan; to improve security of Tyndall Air Force Base; and to improve hurricane evacuation for residents of coastal Gulf County. Why is the Project Needed? The need for the project is to reduce travel times from south Bay and Gulf Counties to Panama City; to provide a more direct route to freight facilities on U.S. 231; to improve access between enterprise zones and U.S. 231; to provide a direct route for tourists traveling to south Gulf County; to provide a more direct route to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport; to increase traffic capacity of existing roadways; to improve security for Tyndall Air Force Base by providing an alternate route to U.S. 98; to provide an alternative emergency evacuation route; and to provide an alternative that is consistent with local transportation plans and comprehensive plans. The project IS consistent with local transportation plans including the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), State TIP (STIP) and other regional plans.

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Preferred Alternative

Modified Alternative Alignment 19

Based on public input and an evaluation of engineering and environmental considerations, FDOT is presenting Modified Alternative Alignment 19 as the Preferred Alternative. Modified Alternative 19 provides the preferred combination of additional connections to the existing roadway network, reduced travel times to employment centers and the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, reduced tourist travel times, and reduced detour route distance around Tyndall Air Force Base.

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Typical Section - Rural

High-speed Rural and Urban median-separated typical sections with design speeds of 55 mph are proposed for the Gulf Coast Parkway. The Rural typical section would include two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction and a 12- foot shared-use path on one side of the roadway, for 29.9 total miles of roadway.

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Typical Section - Urban

The Urban typical section would include two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, a 6-foot 6-inch paved shoulder / bicycle lane and 4-foot paved shoulder, curb and gutter, and 5-foot sidewalks on both sides of the roadway, for 4.6 total miles of roadway. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be included throughout the proposed roadway.

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Bridge Typical Section - Rural

For waterway crossings in rural areas, separated bridges with 6-foot and 10-foot paved shoulders and a 12-foot shared-use path on one side are proposed.

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Bridge Typical Section - Urban

For waterway crossings in urban areas, separated bridges with 6-foot and 10-foot paved shoulders and 5-foot sidewalks on both sides are proposed. It is anticipated that six new bridges will be required for the preferred alternative.

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• Social
• 3 Business

Relocations

• 26 Residential

Relocations

• Natural
• 566 acres Wetlands
• 507 acres Floodplains
• No Essential Fish

Habitat

• Potential Protected

Habitat and Species Effects

• Panama City Crayfish
• Cultural
• 0 Historic Properties
• 0 Parks and

Recreation Sites

• Physical
• No Air Quality
• No Contamination
• 1 Noise Impact
• 5 Utilities Crossings
• 4 New Connections to

Network Roads

Environmental Impacts

$534.1M Total Construction Cost

Modified Alternative 19

An important element of this PD&E study was to evaluate the potential project impacts and

• benefits. A wide-range of environmental resources were evaluated including various social,

cultural, natural and physical features. Engineering and traffic factors were also considered. One of the unavoidable consequences on a project such as this is the necessary relocation of families or businesses. On this project, we anticipate the relocation of 26 residential properties and 3 businesses. All right-of-way acquisition will be conducted in accordance with Florida Statute 339.09 and the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, commonly known as the Uniform Act. If you are required to make any type of move as a result of a Department of Transportation project, you can expect to be treated in a fair and helpful manner and in compliance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act. If a move is required, you will be contacted by an appraiser who will inspect your property. We encourage you to be present during the inspection and provide information about the value of your property. You may also be eligible for relocation advisory services and payment benefits. If you are being moved and you are unsatisfied with the Department's determination of your eligibility for payment or the amount of that payment, you may appeal that determination. You will be promptly furnished necessary forms and notified of the procedures to be followed in making that appeal. A special word of caution – if you move before you receive notification of the relocation

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benefits that you might be entitled to, your benefits may be jeopardized. A representative from the district right of way department is here tonight and will be able to provide you with further assistance if you have questions regarding residential or business relocations on this project. This slide illustrates the impacts for the preferred alternative. Impacts relating to Social 29 total relocations Cultural No archaeological or historic properties, and no parks or recreation sites Natural 566 acres of wetlands 507 acres of floodplain impacts Panama City Crayfish habitat Physical 1 noise impact No air quality impacts or contamination sites Construction Cost $534.1 million total construction cost were evaluated to determine the preferred alternative. A comparison of the impacts from the Build Alternatives is provided in the environmental document prepared for the project. It should be noted that the impacts shown on this slide are based on the ROW for the preferred alternative, which will accommodate the 4-lane typical sections shown on the previous slides. The 4-lane roadway is the ultimate proposed improvement from this study. However, when the project advances to the construction phase, it could be built as a 2-lane interim improvement and remain as such until 4 lanes of capacity are needed. The total construction cost for the 2-lane interim improvement is $534.1 million.

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Transportation Development Process

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FDOT is conducting a Project Development and Environment, or PD&E Study, for this

• project. This graphic represents the delivery process for a project, beginning with the

Feasibility phase and ending with the construction phase. Two segments of the proposed project are in the Design Phase, and only one segment is currently funded for the Right-of- Way Phase; the remaining segments’ funding period is Beyond 2040 for both Design and Right-of-Way.

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How to Provide Comments

• Make a statement during the formal public hearing
• Make a statement with the court reporter
• Write a comment on the provided form and drop in

the comment box

• Send comments at a later date – postmarked or

emailed by March 15, 2019

FDOT Project Manager

Alan Vann FDOT District 3 1074 Highway 90 Chipley, FL 32428 (850) 330-1523 alan.vann@dot.state.fl.us

Public Information Director

Ian Satter FDOT District 3 1074 Highway 90 Chipley, FL 32428 (888) 638-0250, ext. 1205 ian.satter@dot.state.fl.us

There have been various opportunities for the public to provide input on this project. Several public meetings have been held, dating from August of 2008 until tonight. We welcome your oral or written comments that will help us make this important decision. At the conclusion of this presentation our personnel will distribute speaker cards to those in the audience who have not received one and would like to make a statement. A court reporter will record your statement and a verbatim transcript will be made of all oral proceedings at this hearing. If you do not wish to speak at the microphone, you may provide your comments in writing or directly to the court reporter at the comment table. Every comment method carries equal weight. Written statements may be presented in lieu of or in addition to oral statements. All written material received at this public hearing and at the Florida Department of Transportation District office located at 1074 Highway 90, Chipley, Florida 32428, postmarked no later than March 15th, 2019, 10 days following the date of this public hearing) will become a part of the public record for this hearing. All written comments should be mailed to the address shown on the slide or in your handout. Comments may also be emailed. The deadline for emailing comments is also March 15th. The next step is to incorporate your input on this public hearing into our decision-making

• process. After the comment period closes and your input has been considered, a decision

will be made and the Final PD&E document will be sent to the FDOT Office of Environmental Management which based on the MOU signed with FHWA on December 14th, 2016 has

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approval authority on this project granting location and design concept acceptance. This project has and will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal rules and regulations. This concludes our presentation. We now offer you the opportunity to make a statement.

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To make a statement:

• Fill out speaker card
• Come to the microphone when called
• Provide name, address, (affiliation, if applicable)
• Limit input to 3 minutes
• Questions will be responded to in writing, project staff

are also available after the presentation.

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING

Public Information Director

Ian Satter FDOT District 3 1074 Highway 90 Chipley, FL 32428 (888) 638-0250, ext. 1205 ian.satter@dot.state.fl.us

FDOT Project Manager

Alan Vann FDOT District 3 1074 Highway 90 Chipley, FL 32428 (850) 330-1523 alan.vann@dot.state.fl.us

Anyone desiring to make a statement or present written views regarding the location; conceptual design, or social, economic, and environmental effects of the improvements will now have an opportunity to do so. If you are holding a speaker’s card, please give it to a member of the project team. If you have not received a speaker’s card and wish to speak, please raise your hand so you can receive a card to fill out. Now we would like to recognize any federal, state, county, or city officials who may be present tonight. Please stand at this time. We will now call upon those who have turned in speaker’s cards. When you come forward, please provide your name and address. If you represent an organization, municipality, or

• ther public body, please provide that information as well. We ask that you limit your input

to 3 minutes. Please come to the microphone so the court reporter will be able to get a complete record of your comments. All questions will be responded to in writing following the hearing or you may see project staff after the presentation. CALL ALL SPEAKER CARDS Does anyone else desire to speak? If so, state your name and address and complete a speaker’s card after you’ve given your statement for the public record. The verbatim transcript of this hearing’s oral proceedings, together with all written material received as part of the hearing record and all studies, displays, and informational material provided at the hearing will be made a part of the project decision-making process and will be for public review upon request.

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Thank you for attending this public hearing and for providing your input into this project. I hereby officially close the public hearing for the Gulf Coast Parkway . Thank you again and have a good evening.

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