2010-252A (11) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element • Utility Rights -of -Way and Easements In addition to transportation rights-of-way, corridor open space also includes utility rights-of-way and easements. While utilities are often installed within road rights-of-way, there are other circumstances where separate utility corridors are provided. Like road rights-of-way, utility corridors also serve open space functions. Utility corridors include rights-of-way and easements for drainage, electric utilities, gas utilities, telephone, water and sewer, cable, and others. Most of these areas are easements within subdivisions. Usually ten to twenty feet wide and located on property lines, these drainage and utility easements must be kept free of structures. Therefore, these areas serve an open space function. Even more productive as open space areas are several utility corridors which extend the length of the county. There are several of these located in unincorporated Indian River County. The Houston Texas Gas and Oil Company Easement and the FP&L 240 KV easement both parallel I-95 and run west of the interstate, extending the entire length of the county. Although the easements vary some in width, the gas easement is generally 50 feet, while the transmission line easement is 170 feet. In those areas where they abut, the easement is 210 feet wide. In the south county, an AT&T easement which is 33 feet in width runs north/south west of Old Dixie Highway. Other corridor open space is included within the system of water control district canals which exist in the county. Created for the purpose of providing drainage functions to landowners, the six independent water control/improvement districts which exist in Indian River County maintain extensive systems of drainage canals. Usually paralleling and abutting roadways, these canals are rights-of-way owned by the various water control districts. The largest of these water control districts, the Indian River Farms Water Control District, has over 200 miles of primary canals. For the main canals in this system, the right-of-way is as much as 200 feet. Together, this canal system provides a substantial amount of open space in the county. More information on the drainage canals is included in the drainage sub -element of this plan. The final type of corridor open space is the FEC railroad right-of-way. Measuring 100 to 110 feet in width, the railroad right-of-way runs north/south, extending the length of the county and paralleling US 1. Like the other examples of open space, the railroad right-of-way provides a substantial amount of open space in the county. Pastoral Open Space The second major type of open space is pastoral open space. Defined generally as open space area set aside for conservation, natural resource protection, or passive use purposes, pastoral open space Community Development Department Indian River County 31