Third email sent to members of the Faculty Senate
7 Oct 2003

Why the Faculty Senate should act at its October meeting

Dear Senator :

As explained in yesterday’s email, the four-lane version of SW 24th Ave became part of the MTPO’s 20-year plan on 20 Feb 2003 in spite of it being deemed unwarranted by a recently completed analysis of its effects and it being opposed by MTPO’s advisory committees and professional staff. Nonetheless, on 25 Mar 2003, President Young wrote the Alachua County Commission that the University would recommend through its Master Plan amendment process that sufficient right-of-way be given for the road’s eastward extension through the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL).

The Natural Area Advisory Committee (NAAC) found it incredible that President Young would offer land in NATL for an unwarranted road, but took comfort in the fact that the Master Plan amendment process would insure open consideration of the costs and benefits of the donation. However, by the end of Spring Semester 2003, NAAC realized that the Administration intended to delay starting the process for as long as possible. Consequently NAAC encouraged the MTPO to ask the University for a timeline for completion of the amendment process. On 3 Sep 2003, VP Poppell wrote the MTPO that the amendment process was scheduled to begin in February 2004 and to be completed in June 2004. However, he warned, “While we are hopeful these timelines will be adhered to, we cannot assure you of such.”

The delay in beginning the amendment process has allowed elected officials to assume that the University will indeed donate the right-of-way. Among the consequences have been--

(1) In Dec. 2002, when Alachua County Commissioners first learned that UF supported a four-lane SW 24th Ave., the County’s Public Works Department was told to put on hold its work on the original, vetted plan for SW 24th Avenue. At that time, engineering design for a two-lane, divided SW 24th Ave was 90% complete. Had work continued, a new east-west roadway that was part of a well-vetted plan to alleviate traffic congestion would likely be under construction today.

(2) On 25 Mar 2003, the County Commission directed its Public Works to start work on the unvetted, four-lane version of SW 24th Ave. The engineering design of that road (under a $388,286 contract) is now 30% complete and will be 60% complete in December and 100% complete by the end of May--which is before the earliest that UF expects to reach a decision on its proposed donation.

(3) Local officials are asking for $18.75 million in federal and state funds to pay for an unvetted east-west corridor that includes the segment that requires UF to donate the right-of-way. At a special meeting of the Alachua County Commission this afternoon, the lead item on the agenda is approval of a letter to Congressman Cliff Stearns that has the statement, “This project [which includes the segment through campus] is supported … by the University of Florida.”

Events such as these three indicate that the Senate must act at its October meeting or allow local officials and most everyone else to conclude that UF’s master plan amendment process is irrelevant to a change in campus land use that allows a four-lane road to degrade the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory and the Conservation Element of the UF Master Plan.

Because a new President will soon be on board, President Young should withdraw his commitment and relieve his successor of the task of defending flawed procedures relative to the donation of campus land for SW 24th Ave. Action by the Senate on 16 Oct can help President Young make this decision.

Sincerely,