11/10/1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Director Boling advised that the decision was made by the Planning and Zoning Commission when they gave consideration to the Laurels development plans for not paving and not dedicating their half of the roadway. Utility providers had been contacted and there were no objections. Commissioner Adams asked, and Director Boling gave a comprehensive response as to the public purpose for abandonment of this road saying it was unlikely that this one-way street would ever be brought up to standards and, in staff's opinion, abandonment in this instance, with the provisions, was a feasible option. Vice Chairman Macht likened this abandonment to the tail wagging the dog and in his experience in the county, a half of a road is better than no road at all. He wondered how this policy evolved and how the County has become hasty to abandon these half roads. Public Works Director James Davis advised that unpaved one -lane roads exist throughout the county particularly 1/4 mile from each sub -lateral canal. He explained how the county was originally laid -out in the 1920's. The result was that even numbered streets, such as 10' Street, 6' Street, 2"d Street, throughout the county, have a lh right-of-way platted on the old plats. At a roads' workshop, conducted in 1981, it was decided that as new development came along on these tract lands, the new development would dedicate the other 1/Z of the right-of-way and share in the cost of paving half of the road. In many instances, the new developments do not want to connect to the local streets, preferring to have a more exclusive community only connecting to the collector and arterial roads. When they do not donate the other half of the right-of-way and pay half the cost of paving, then the other half becomes incomplete and there is not enough space to pave to allow for run-off and other road paving requirements. He mentioned that this neighborhood does have l I' Street, just 600 feet away, which accommodates local traffic and maintains the grid system. Director Davis advised that the public purpose is that it saves the County the cost of a higher share in the paying of the costs, as only one side of the street would be subject to assessment for paving because they would be the only ones to receive a benefit. The other public purposes would be that the less impervious surface you have, the less stormwater run- offyou have and the drainage in the whole area could be enhanced by removing the road and widening the swale. There are some existing drainage difficulties and staff feels they can get better drainage by eliminating the road. Director Davis added that utilities would still have easements to access their utility lines and the abandoned right-of-way would retain a utility and drainage easement, which November 10, 1998 27 BOOK 107 PnE.596