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600K A4 PAIA L 11.A.2. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR I-95/OSLO ROAD INTERCHANGE JUSTIFICATION REPORT The Board reviewed a Memorandum of February 2, 1998: TO: James Chandler County Administrator FROM: Robert M. Keating, AICP Q't'y Community Development Director DATE: February 2, 1998 SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR BOARD APPROVAL OF A JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR AN I 95/OSLO ROAD INTERCHANGE JUSTIFICATION REPORT It is requested that the information presented herein be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of February 10, 1998. DESCRIPTION & CONDITIONS One of the transportation improvements incorporated within the Indian River County Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan is an interchange at I-95 and Oslo Rd (9* St. SW). The interchange is reflected in the plan because of the area's growth potential. In 1996, construction ofthe Oslo Road/I-95 interchange becaun-c a high priority because of a county - proposed Waste Conversion Industrial Park programmed for the Oslo Roam. -95 are Since the interchange was considered necessary to serve the proposed waste conversion industrial park and other anticipated spin-off development, county staff worked with a Chamber of Commerce committee to initiate interchange construction As a result of those efforts, FDOT agreed to grant Indian River County $70,000 to undertake the initial studies to obtain approval to construct an interchange. In Indian River Courcy as well as elsewhere, constructing an interchange is dependent upon state and federal approval of an Interchange Justification Report (IJR). Before funding and construction may occur, an IJR must adequately justify the need for an interchange. Since state and federal policy is to minimize the number of interchanges on interstate highways, it is generally difficult to prove the need for a new interchange. Recently, circumstances in the Oslo Road/I-95 area have changed. Plans for the county's Waste Conversion Industrial Park have been withdrawn, and no other major development projects are currently proposed for the area. For these reasons, the question exists as to whether the results of an UR study would show the need for a new interchange. Since the question of being able to justify the need for an interchange exists, the major issue becomes whether the interchange justification report project should be initiated, be postponed, or be withdrawn. If undertaken, the UR project would be managed by Indian River County, not the MPO. Since costs for the study may exceed the $70,000 FDOT grant, the county will manage the Project and pay any additional costs. Project work, however, will be undertaken by a consultant and be coordinated with the MPO's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). For this reason, county staff asked the MPO TAC to provide a recommendation to the county as to whether, and at what pace, the IJR process should continue. At its meeting of December 17, 1997, the TAC recommended that the county enter into the Joint Participation Agreement (JPA) with FDOT to prepare the IJR, but delay the consultant selection process, perhaps up to a year, in order to allow time for other development proposals that would increase the need and justification for an interchange to emerge in the I-95/Oslo Rd. area FEBRUARY 10, 1998 -40- 0