Edgewater

Edgewater Drive Phase II Design
FAQ

What is the Edgewater Drive Design, Phase II Improvement Project?

The Edgewater Drive Design, Phase II Improvements will consist of design plan preparation and construction of improvements from Harbor Boulevard to Midway Boulevard. The existing two-lane roadway will be expanded to four lanes with a grassed median and sidewalks. The existing bridges at Sunrise Waterway, East Spring Lake Waterway, and West Spring Lake Waterway will be replaced with new bridges with sufficient width for the four lanes, median and sidewalk.

Why is this project necessary?

The County’s goal in providing road improvements is to improve safety and mobility for the traveling public, while seeking to preserve and enhance the economic, historic, scenic, and natural qualities of the county roadway system. As traffic congestion continues to increase in the immediate area, the overall safety of drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians will continue to decline. The improvements will provide new vehicular lanes (for added capacity) along with bicycle and pedestrian facilities; thus providing a safer corridor for all users.

Edgewater Drive is also a critical corridor providing a hurricane evacuation route from coastal areas to inland areas. The proposed improvements will improve mobility for local residents for day-to-day activities as well as for hurricane evacuations.

3.	How is the design and construction being paid for? The project is being paid for utilizing funds from the local option sales tax or “one-cent sales tax”. This sales tax was first approved by citizens of Charlotte County in 1994 and was recently extended in 2008 by voter approval.

How much does this project cost?

Preliminary costs for this project range from $25 to $27 million with approximately $2.5 million being spent for engineering design. The construction cost estimate will be updated at key design milestones as the design nears completion. A final construction cost figure will be determined when bids are requested for construction at the completion of the design phase.

Does the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners determine if the project will move forward to the design phase?

Yes. The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners approved funding for the design phase of this project at their October 13, 2009 regularly scheduled board meeting. Construction funding has not been approved at this time.

Who are the Stakeholders in this project?

Community stakeholders are individuals or organizations/groups with a stake, an interest, or an investment in a community issue or outcome. Their interest may stem from a professional or personal interest in an issue or may result from a commitment to achieve some outcome.

A first step in achieving meaningful public involvement in project development involves identifying the individuals and organizations/groups likely to be affected by the project, those who have a "stake" in its outcome. For the Edgewater Drive Design, Phase II project, stakeholders will include owners of property adjacent to the roadway, users of the facility, Charlotte County Government, transportation service providers in the area, and a wide range of interest groups. Stakeholders are people likely to support the project as well as those likely to oppose it. The views and feedback of stakeholders are important to receive and consider during a project to ensure a comprehensive solution is developed.

What is Context Sensitive Design Solutions?

Context Sensitive Solutions is a philosophy that seeks transportation solutions that improve mobility and safety while complementing and enhancing community values and objectives. Context Sensitive Solutions are reached through joint effort involving all stakeholders. Residents, travelers, communities, businesses, elected officials and many others are all "stakeholders" in our transportation system.

Stakeholders help the County and the Design Engineers understand their needs for, and concerns about, the County transportation system and specifically the specific characteristics of the Edgewater Drive corridor. The County can then take this input, along with all of its other work and analysis, and use it to make planning and design decisions.

The County still must make the ultimate choices about a project. Safety, the integrity of the transportation system, and good stewardship of the public's transportation dollars all remain the County’s responsibilities. However, thorough stakeholder involvement can contribute to these decisions and lead to a general consensus about the choices made.

Is this project being coordinated with other County projects?

Yes. Every effort is being made to coordinate design and/or construction with other county projects planned along Edgewater Drive. In addition to the road improvements, Charlotte County Utilities will be installing a new water and sanitary sewer main along with a irrigation main. These efforts are being coordinated so all construction within the project limits is performed at one time thus reducing the impact to citizens and creating efficiency in construction (lower construction costs).

How can property owners along Edgewater Drive and the public learn more?

Property owners and the public can learn about project progress by regularly visiting the project's Web site, signing up to receive the project newsletter by e-mail, and attending community meetings that will be announced through the local media and on this Web site.

10.

Will there be a public meeting for the Edgewater Drive Design, Phase II Improvement project?

Yes, three (3) public meetings are scheduled to be held as part of the design process. In addition to the three (3) public meetings, three (3) presentations will be given before the Board of County Commissioners. These six (6) meetings will provide ample opportunities for public input.

Each public hearing will have updated plans and comment forms as well as SED and County staff on hand for questions. Please refer to the project schedule for the anticipated dates of the public hearings and presentations before the Board of County Commissioners.

11.

When will construction begin?

The design phase is scheduled for conclusion in December of 2010 with construction anticipated to begin in 2011. While this date is anticipated please be advised that funding for construction of the improvements have not been approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

12.

Will the County want to buy an easement or buy my property from me?

The roadway corridor has an existing 100’ right-of-way width. This width, in most cases, will be sufficient to accommodate the roadway widening. This right of way may be overgrown or is being used by property owners as part of their private property.

Property will most likely be required to provide room for stormwater management facilities and/or other utility structures. In these cases, vacant properties will be the first choice for placement of these accessory uses.

Temporary easements may be required during construction to allow for access of equipment and materials along the edge of the right-of-way lines. As the name implies, these easements are for a temporary length of time (usually the length of the construction phase) reverting back to the Owner at the end of construction.

County representatives will individually contact every property owner from which an easement or property purchase is needed. This contact usually occurs after the approval of the 60% submission plan by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and County staff.

13.

Will environmental permits be obtained for the project?

As part of the completion of the 60% design phase, an Environmental Resource Permit application will be submitted to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the United States Coast Guard. Please refer to the project schedule for the anticipated date of this submittal.

14.

How will the project affect wetlands and other natural resources?

The project area includes wetlands throughout the length of the corridor. The project will be designed to avoid wetlands where possible, and to minimize and mitigate wetland impacts where avoidance is not possible. A jurisdictional wetland survey will be prepared at the onset of the design phase so critical areas can be accounted for while looking at alignment alternatives.

15.

I see people working along Edgewater Drive and the surrounding properties. Who are they and what are they doing?

As part of preparing construction plans for the project, SED staff and consultants have been performing field surveys, data collection, geotechnical borings, and similar required functions. The design consultants working for SED carry a letter stating their purpose along with contacts for further information.

Please note that F.S. Statues 471.027 and 472.029 gives authorization for engineers, surveyors and mappers to enter lands of third parties without permission but must not damage physical items on or within the property.

16.

What are Roundabouts and why are they being considered?

A roundabout is one of several types of circular road junctions or intersections at which traffic is slowed down and enters a one-way stream around a central island. When completely rebuilding an entire roadway it is prudent to investigate all options that may (or may not) be of benefit to the driving public. One such option is the use of Roundabouts in lieu of the traditional signalized or stop controlled intersection. Several advantages of using roundabouts are as follows:

Roundabouts are safer than signal controlled junctions, with accidents usually occurring at a slower speed and at a slight angle instead of right-angle or rear end collisions at junctions.

Roundabouts allow for easy u-turns, including for larger vehicles, which are sometimes impossible or forbidden in normal road junctions.

Roundabouts (and other circular intersection types) allow for landscaping, monuments, and other aesthetic uses within the central island.

Most roundabouts are not controlled by traffic lights. This has several advantages:

Reduced waiting time for drivers, less fuel wasted while idling and thus better air quality.

Reduced operating costs for lamp replacement and electricity.

Drivers can focus on the street level for other cars and pedestrians.

Roundabouts still function as designed during electrical power outages.

Roundabouts also have some disadvantages when using in lieu of signalized or stop control intersections:

Roundabouts require all traffic to slow down, and thus may be undesirable where a high-volume road would otherwise not be required to stop.

A roundabout occupies more space than crossroads at the intersection point. However, traffic signals often require construction of turn lanes for capacity and safety, and therefore traffic signals may occupy more space overall than a roundabout at the same location.

Drivers may become confused and use roundabouts improperly, especially in areas where roundabouts are uncommon, or where traffic circles or rotaries also exist.

The central island of a roundabout can be a hindrance to movement of oversize vehicles. Highway designers can design for oversized loads, if they are aware that they will be using the route.

Obstruction to departing vehicles can result in blockage of all approaches to the roundabout until the obstruction clears. When exiting vehicles queue into the roundabout, they obstruct both entering and circulating traffic. In a non-roundabout intersection, particularly those with exclusive turn lanes, traffic flow can typically be maintained in directions parallel to the uctionobstr.