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First email sent
to members of the Faculty Senate Senate action on proposed donation of right-of-way for SW 24th Ave. Dear Senator Last February and March, UF administrators told the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) and the Alachua County Commission that the University would propose an amendment to the UF Master Plan that would allow a four-lane extension of SW 24th Avenue through the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory and Preservation Area 1. Efforts by the Faculty Senate to bring this proposal into open consideration by UF land-use committees (at the Mar 20 and Apr 17 meetings) were unsuccessful. At the same time the Administration has yet to begin the Master Plan amendment process or even furnish specifics as to what land they plan to donate. These events might not be worth your attention except for the fact that the MTPO and the Alachua County Commission have assumed that the donation will occur and, as a consequence, Alachua County has committed $388,000 of its scarce road funds to design a segment of SW 24th Avenue that will not function as intended unless there is a four-lane extension through the UF campus. The first payment on this engineering design contract was made last month and the entire amount will be spent by June 2004, which is the earliest date that the University plans to reach a final decision on the wisdom of the donation. Details of issues related to the proposed right-of-way donation are at http://natl.ifas.ufl.edu/24thAve.htm , a web site overseen by UF's Natural Area Advisory Committee (NAAC), which reports to the Lakes, Vegetation and Landscaping Committee. In case you have no time to visit NAAC's site before Oct. 9 (when the Senate Steering Committee sets the agenda for the Oct. 16 meeting), NAAC will send you three more emails to help you understand the issues. Oct. 6 Genesis of the four-lane extension of SW 24th Avenue. Oct. 7 Why the Faculty Senate should act at its October meeting. Oct. 8 How you can facilitate Senate action at its October meeting. Sincerely, T. J. Walker (Tom)Chair, Natural Area Advisory Committee |