Road takes an unclear path
A "Speaking Out" essay published by the Gainesville Sun, 22 Mar 2003
by Alachua County Commissioner Mike Byerly
On a sharply divided vote, the Metropolitan Transportation Planning
Organization recently scrapped plans for a new three-lane road between SW
34th St. and SW 43rd St. north of Archer Road. Rejecting the recommendations
of their own professional staff, all of its citizen advisory committees, a
community workshop, the Florida Department of Transportation, and its own
prior decisions, the MTPO instead conceded to developer Clark Butler's
demand for a longer and more expensive five-lane roadway to accomodate his
plan to double the size of his Butler Plaza commercial empire.
This issue superficially resembles the "three-lane vs. five-lane" debates
over Tower Road and Main Street, but there is much more at stake here. To
chart a rational course for future growth in the SW 20th Ave. area west of
SW 34th St., a lengthy planning "charrette" of diverse community
representatives was convened in 1998. Adjacent to campus, and without
established neighborhoods, participants concluded that the area would be
ideal for new student housing, alleviating the expansion of rental housing
into neighborhoods surrounding campus. They recommended a dense "student
village," with a grid of pedestrian-friendly roads connecting to UF and
nearby shopping to minimize traffic.
One part of the plan was a three-lane extension of SW 62nd Blvd. southward
beyond its current terminus at SW 20th Ave., bending eastward over Hogtown
Creek, then on to SW 34th St. A portion of this route, SW 24th Ave. between
SW 43rd St. and SW 34th St., already exists as a dirt road.
Opportunity knocked for Butler Enterprises. Shortly thereafter, Butler
unveiled his plans for Butler Plaza North (BPN,) a regional big-box retail
center, on a 130-acre parcel bordering the charrette area. BPN would use the
new road capacity created by the charrette projects.
Then, after the county had spent $500,000 developing designs for the new
road, and cobbling together a funding package for the three-lane, Butler
surprised everyone by announcing early this year that to gain financing for
BPN, the entire SW 62nd blvd./SW 24th Ave. road, from Newberry Road to SW
34th St., would have to be five-laned. In addition, the five-lane would have
to cross SW 34th St. eastward, cross UF campus, and join Archer Road.
Space permits only a brief and incomplete listing of the obstacles and costs
that this change of plans will ultimately present to the public.
--Butler claims that a five lane road would ease traffic congestion in the
area. A five-lane road can handle around 16,000 more cars per day than a
three-lane. This is almost exactly the number of new car trips that BPN
would attract to the area, according to Butler's own traffic analysis. So,
the choice is really between a moderately congested three-lane or a heavily
congested five lane. In addition, since BPN would draw shoppers from the
entire region, five-laning SW 24th Ave. wouldn't even begin to handle the
added traffic on surrounding roads, already heavily congested. A number of
new road expansions and additions would be necessary. How much, and who will
pay?
--Butler has proposed to save the county money by building just the
five-lane portion adjacent to his property more cheaply by eliminating
amenities for buses and pedestrians, and quality landscaping and lighting.
This promise of "savings" boldly ignores the additional costs of five-laning
the entire road: an estimated $34 million, $16 million more than the
three-lane. No funding source has been identified. Who will pay?
--For the five-lane to cross SW 34th St., five active businesses will have
to be condemned, purchased, and razed. This will involve litigation from
unwilling sellers. In addition, assuming UF is willing to donate the right
of way, its Master Plan would have to be amended, a process that could take
years. The Natural Area Teaching Laboratory now on the site would have to be
relocated. Approval is not assured. What happens if the westward portion of
the road is built, then UF balks at permitting the eastward portion to cross
their campus?
--Butler has argued that BPN is needed to fight sprawl. He reasons that if
Butler Plaza isn't expanded, anchor tenants WalMart and Lowes might
relocate. This would leave their current buildings vacant. Of course, that
is precisely what both stores will do, if larger facilities are constructed
for them at BPN. Who will fill the vacancies, particularly given the
immediate proximity of the new supercenters at BPN? Consider the abandoned
shopping centers that already plague Gainesville. BPN is at odds with the
city's efforts to revitalize established commercial centers within the city,
and would harm locally-owned, centrally located retail businesses.
--Downright insulting is the argument that the five-lane will somehow
benefit East Gainesville. Building an expensive new road in southwest
Gainesville is a curious way to help East Gainesville, given the
infrastructure needs that exist in East Gainesville itself. Is enabling
Eastside residents to reach the Oaks Mall two minues faster really the best
that we can do for them?
Butler's land should be developed. At issue is the type of development, and
who pays for the needed infrastructure. If the public builds a five-lane,
Butler will have his expanded regional shopping center. If we build a
three-lane, the area will instead house roughly 12,000 additional students
and low-income renters (Butler's estimate,) in an ideal location that
minimizes new traffic. Otherwide, the demand for new low-income housing will
further expand the rental market into campus neighborhoods and west of I-75,
where limited crossings already yield the county's worst traffic jams. Which
future is in the public's best interest?
The MTPO's action last month was only a recommendation. The ultimate
decision lies with the Alachua County Commission, which has twice approved
the charrette plan. Thanks to the MTPO vote, they will revisit the issue
this Tuesday. We should be asking lots of questions.
Mike Byerly
Alachua County Commissioner