www.sr514malabar.com SUMMARY Public Kick-Off Meeting on June 11, 2031 State Road (SR) 514 (Malabar Road) Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study LOCATION: Palm Bay Hospital Auditorium 1425 Malabar Road NE, Palm Bay, Florida 32907 TIME: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm ATTENDEES: 64 Signed in Citizens Libertad Acosta-Anderson, Florida Department of Transportation Jazlyn Heywood, Florida Department of Transportation Amy Sirmans, Florida Department of Transportation Mary McGehee, Florida Department of Transportation Judee Boland, Florida Department of Transportation (HDR) Vic Poteat, Atkins Lance Decuir, Atkins Wendy Lasher, Atkins Richard Wawrzyniak, Atkins Robert Finck, Atkins J.B. Park, Atkins Monica Reifeiss, Atkins Laura Turner, Laura Turner Planning Services PREPARED BY: Laura Turner, Laura Turner Planning Services Date: June 26, 2013 The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study to evaluate improvements to Malabar Road (State Road (SR) 514) from east of Babcock Street (SR 507) to US 1 in Brevard County. The project is approximately 3.6 miles in length. Overview Malabar Road is a west to east urban minor arterial that connects Interstate 95 to US 1 in Brevard County. The segment of roadway within the study limits is a designated emergency evacuation route. Adjacent land uses consist of residential, conservation/recreation, and commercial parcels. The purpose of the study is to develop and to evaluate alternatives that address: improvement to traffic operations, intersection safety, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and the crossing at the Florida East Coast Railway. This project is identified in local comprehensive plans and is part of the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) s 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan. The project is being considered to accommodate project future traffic demand within the corridor. Before improvement alternatives are developed, the study team wanted to gather input from the public. A Public Kick-Off Meeting was held on June 11, 2013, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Palm Bay Hospital Auditorium, located at 1425 Malabar Road NE, Palm Bay, Florida 32907. Study information Page 1 of 14
was displayed in an open house format, which provided the opportunity for the public to review information displayed throughout the meeting as well as to discuss specific items with the study team members. At 5:30 p.m., a brief presentation was made by the Consultant Project Manager, Vic Poteat (Atkins). This summary provides the highlights of the notification process, information shared at the Public KickOff Meeting, and the comments received. Details are located in the project files and are included in Appendix G of the Public Involvement Program. Meeting Notification Several notification techniques were used to publicize the Public Kick-Off Meeting, which are summarized in Figure 1. Generally, the meeting was publicized through: advertisements (Florida Administrative Weekly and Florida Today); website announcements (FDOT public meetings page and SR 514 project website); direct mailings (letters with Newsletter #1 to elected and appointed officials as well as Newsletter #1 to property owners and interested individuals); hand distributions of Newsletter #1 to gathering places within the corridor; local briefings (Malabar Town Council, Palm Bay City Council, Brevard TPO Board and CAC, TAC, and BPAC); and a news release (emailed to Brevard County media outlets). In addition, the Town of Malabar emailed Newsletter #1 to the Town s boards and committees as well as the homeowner associations list. Also, meeting information was posted on the Malabar community sign located in front of the Malabar Fire Station, facing Malabar Road. Study Information at the Meeting As individuals signed in, they could identify how they learned about the Public Kick-Off Meeting. Individuals learned about the meeting through the mail (24), other ways (20; including 1 Town of Malabar email, 1 email, and 1 flyer), other meetings (5), and website (1). Also available at the sign in table were copies of the comment form and Newsletter #1. A copy of the newsletter is provided in Figure 2. Individuals could share their input by submitting a completed form at the meeting or send it to the study team afterwards through June 21, 2013. From 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the following study displays were available for review in an open house format: aerial map of the study area; existing and future traffic; existing and proposed typical sections; and aerial enlargements of the study corridor. Citizens were able to review this information throughout this meeting. In addition, study team members were available to answer questions and to hold one-on-one conversations with the meeting attendees. Project Presentation At 5:30 p.m., a brief presentation was made. Vic Poteat (the Consultant Project Manger with Atkins) welcomed the group and recognized the elected officials in attendance and made team introductions. Mr. Poteat provided an overview of the study, which included: the PD&E study process; project description; project objectives; schedule; next steps; opportunities for comment and input; and contact information (including the project website www.sr514malabar.com). A copy of the presentation slides is provided in Figure 3. A brief question and answer session followed the presentation. Here are the questions that were asked, followed by the response in brackets. Are there any other options being considered in addition to widening of Malabar Road? Will Malabar Road go over the railroad tracks? [The study is just beginning and there are no preconceived ideas of what will be selected as the recommendation. The study Page 2 of 14
team will initially look at an at-grade crossing with the railroad to determine if that will work. If not, then a grade separated crossing will be considered.] A lot of work has been done to keep the rural residential character of this area. The South Brevard Linear Trail will cross Malabar Road at Marie Street (Segment C/D). Also, there are a number of wildlife crossings that should be considered as the study moves forward. Consider a horse bridge at the Marie Street/Malabar Road intersection. [This input will be considered as the study moves forward.] Since the team is looking at widening the existing Malabar Road, will it go straight at Glatter Road or follow the existing alignment? Will the kink be removed in this area? [The study team will look at the best options to address this issue.] If there is a bridge over the railroad crossing, what will be the bridge s height? [The study team does not have this information at this time. It will look at the at-grade crossing first before a grade separated one. This information will be known by the time the Alternatives Public Meeting is held.] Concerned about the high speed limit (especially 55 miles per hour segment of Malabar Road) and the potential conflicts with wildlife such as gopher tortoises and sandhill cranes. There is no need to have such a high speed limit. [This input will be considered as the study moves forward.] What is the financing of this project? [Since this is a state road, improvements will be funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. At this time, only the PD&E study is funded. There are no funds for design, right-of-way acquisition, or construction.] A feasibility study is being done to consider six-laning Babcock Street. Will this be considered during the Malabar Road PD&E Study? [Babcock Street north of Malabar Road is a state road and south of Malabar Road it is a county road. This study will coordinate with the team doing the Babcock feasibility study to ensure consistency.] Will this project include a new crossing over the river? [No. This project ends at US 1 and a new bridge crossing over the river is not a part of this study.] When could construction begin on this project? [This study will be completed by mid2015. If funding is available to move into design and right-of-way acquisition, it would be four more years after the PD&E study is completed before construction could begin.] Would the four-lane rural typical section/option be used throughout the entire corridor? [No. The heaviest traffic is at the western end of the corridor and then it drops off as you move east to US 1. There may be a combination of typical sections throughout the corridor.] Will right-of-way be needed from both sides of the road? [The study team will look at the best fit given the corridor s constraints.] What is the name of the project engineer and the contact information? [The FDOT Project Manager had been Libertad Acosta-Anderson and is now Jazlyn Heywood. The contact information is in the newsletter and the study website. Ms. Heywood s contact information will be posted on the website soon.] Will there be stop lights at Corey Road and Weber Road? [We will know more about these specific improvements later in the study.] Is this project part of the plans being discussed for Downtown Palm Bay? [The Palm Bay Public Works Director confirmed that the Downtown Palm Bay study area is north of this corridor.] Page 3 of 14
Written Comments Received Written comments were shared with the study team through the submittal of six completed comment forms at the June 11, 2013 meeting; one comment form submitted after the meeting through June 21, 2013; and four emails submitted from June 12, 2013 through June 21, 2013. These comments and related study team responses are included in the project files. Here is a summary of the comments that were shared during this time. The number in parenthesis indicates how often the comment was made. Malabar Road at the Railroad Crossing Concerned about the impacts (especially to Kempfer Feed and Seed) if there is an overpass at the railroad (1) Concerned about the impacts of grade separated railroad crossing, especially to the Downtown Malabar businesses, including Railroad Avenue Storage (1) No overpass and no bridge (1) Malabar Road at Marie Street (Brevard Linear Trail) Consider possible flyover of SR 514 at Marie Street for the linear trail to accommodate horses, bicyclists, and pedestrians (1) Want to have an adequate crossing of the Brevard Linear Trail at Marie Street and Malabar Road (1) Need signage, stripes on the road, and any other means to make the crossing at Marie Street and Malabar Road safe for horse riders, bicyclists, hikers, and others (1) Alignment Considerations Most Malabar citizens do not want the road widened (1) Keep the current alignment and do not use Glatter Road as an option (1) Use the Glatter Road alignment and continue east across the railroad where Township Road is currently located; remove the only curve in Malabar Road; approach also provides benefit of having a state road in the same location as the main power supply lines (1) If alignment follows existing Malabar Road, have the widening located along the north side of Malabar Road (in the area east of the railroad tracks) to minimize business impacts; use the three-lane typical section in the Downtown Malabar area for the safest option with the least impacts (1) Need to have ample bicycle and pedestrian paths for safety; there are a lot of pedestrians and cyclists along SR 514 (1) Need to extend the eastern study limits beyond US 1 to include a bridge crossing of the Indian River; need to be thinking more long term, especially for hurricane evacuation; future growth will pay for this (1) Additional Information to Consider Could address traffic flow and safety earlier by having traffic lights at Corey Road and Weber Road (1) Consider the water lines from Enchanted Lakes to US 1, Palm Bay to Malabar (1) Project would have partial impacts to parks with reduction of green strip along Malabar Road (1) Requests Request to be added to mailing list (2) Page 4 of 14
Request to verify the right-of-way along one property owner s parcel on Malabar Road (1) Right-of-way maps available for the project alternatives (1) When the Alternatives Public Meeting is scheduled (1) Explain why the study is being done (1) Verbal Comments Shared In addition to the written submitted comments, comments were shared verbally with the study team, as newsletters were delivered to local gathering spots on June 5, 2013 and at the Public Kick-Off Meeting on June 11, 2013. Here is a summary of what was verbally shared. Malabar Road at Marie Street (Brevard Linear Trail) Need to look at the Marie Street intersection with Malabar Road and look at how to safely accommodate the pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders since this is a major trail crossing; consider grade separation Include trail crossing signs at Marie Street Malabar Road at the Railroad Crossing If there is a grade separated crossing at the railroad, the trail could shift along the rail alignment to pass under SR 514. Alignment Considerations Consider splitting the improvement starting at the bend in SR 514 and moving east by making Glatter Road a real two-lane facility and using up to three lanes on the existing SR 514 alignment. This would not be a one-way pair, but a pair of improvements that prevents major impacts to the existing corridor while supporting the development of the Town of Malabar area between the two roads. Brevard County can build a toll bridge over the lagoon and connect to SR 514, while FDOT just pays for an interchange between the toll bridge/approach and US 1. Look at the alignment of Glatter Road from the earlier study that was done. There is an abandoned north-south roadway through the EELS (Environmentally Endangered Lands) property north of SR 514 that should be looked at as a connection with the next major east-west roadway to the north. Not sure what that does for the SR 514 corridor, unless it is believed that traffic would avoid using the eastern portion of the corridor and eliminate the need to improve it. However, resistance could be anticipated by the developed residential community at the north end of this abandoned corridor. Neck-down the corridor width as you move from west to east, at the Corey Road intersection. Improvements Needed along Malabar Road Traffic signals are needed at Corey and Weber. The intersection at US 1 needs improvement; add a right turn lane (from Malabar Road onto US 1); with the "hill" west of this intersection, drivers don't see the intersection (especially if speeding) and also expect to have a right turn lane; also, there are bottlenecks on US 1 when a southbound vehicle turns right onto Malabar Road and then want to make a left turn into the Citgo station. Put a signal at the hospital entrance. Need for wildlife crossings along the corridor Need for sidewalks and bicycle lanes along the entire corridor. Page 5 of 14
Additional Information to Consider Access is very difficult for the strip center located at the SE corner of Babcock Street & Malabar Road; especially left turning movements; customers have to go out of their way by making U-turns. Improvements/widening to Malabar Road were discussed/studied in the 1980's and then shelved. Could this happen again? Also, what future project steps are funded? Two fatal accidents have occurred at "the curve" (at the Glatter Road intersection) within the last month. This is the only east-west roadway in the area that has a speed limit of 55 mph (all the other roads have lower speed limits); speed limit and driver behavior need to change so that traffic is moving slower. One of the worst roadways (in terms of accidents) in this part of Brevard County. Don t refer to a possible grade separation at the railroad crossing as a bridge ; the public thinks you are referring to a bridge over the lagoon area to the east of US 1 New owner of the Old School House on Marie Street. One property owner (located between Weber Road and Bear Creek Boulevard) is a willing seller. Questioned about the railroad s criteria of closing two crossings if a new one is added. Owner of parcel along Malabar Road has concerns about the setbacks the Town requires for future development. Next Steps This input will guide the study team as alternatives are developed and studied. Study updates will continue to be posted on the study website (www.sr514malabar.com). The FDOT Project Manager (Jazlyn Heywood) and the Consultant Project Manager (Vic Poteat) will continue to be available to the public by responding to questions and providing project information as requested. It is anticipated that the Alternatives Public Meeting will be held in Fall 2013. Page 6 of 14
Figure 1 Notification Summary for the Public Kick-Off Meeting Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 7 of 14
Figure 2 Newsletter #1 for the Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 8 of 14
Figure 2 (continued) Newsletter #1 for the Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 9 of 14
Figure 3 Presentation at June 11, 2013 Public Kick-Off Meeting Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 10 of 14
Figure 3 (continued) Presentation at June 11, 2013 Public Kick-Off Meeting Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 11 of 14
Figure 3 (continued) Presentation at June 11, 2013 Public Kick-Off Meeting Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 12 of 14
Figure 3 (continued) Presentation at June 11, 2013 Public Kick-Off Meeting Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 13 of 14
Figure 3 (continued) Presentation at June 11, 2013 Public Kick-Off Meeting Malabar Road (SR 514) PD&E Study Page 14 of 14