CITY OF TALLAHASSEE
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED ON: January 28, 2009
SUBJECT/TITLE: Second of Two Public Hearings on the FSU Development Agreement
TARGET ISSUE: Student Affairs

STATEMENT OF ISSUE
This is the second of two public hearings on the Florida State University Development Agreement. Florida State University (FSU) submitted their master plan update for review on August 1, 2007, as directed in Chapter 1013, Florida Statutes. The City Commission and City staff provided comments to FSU within the 90-day review deadline that ended November 1, 2007. FSU made revisions based upon comments received. This agenda item summarizes the updated 2008 development agreement that followed the master plan review and comments. Two public hearings are required for the approval of the development agreement. The first public hearing was held December 10, 2008.

Note: Please disregard any previous agenda material received prior to January 27, 2009.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Option 1. Approve the Florida State University Development Agreement.

FISCAL IMPACT
This agreement will generate $6,278,791.00 to be used on transportation improvements (mass transit, roadways, bike facilities, and pedestrian facilities) necessary to move people in and around the FSU. This revenue is intended to fund projects within the Multimodal Transportation District (MMTD) Capital Improvement Plan.

Wayne Tedder, Director, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department

Anita Favors Thompson, City Manager

For information, please contact: Dan Donovan, Planning Department, Ext. 6456

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL/ISSUE ANALYSIS
HISTORY/FACTS & ISSUES
The growth of Florida State University is an important issue for the City of Tallahassee. While FSU contributes to economic opportunities in Tallahassee, the University also impacts public facilities and services such as water, sewer, electric utilities, roads and public transportation.

As directed in Chapter 1013, Florida Statutes, FSU submitted a master plan update for the City’s review on August 1, 2007. The City Commission and City staff provided comments (Attachment #1) to FSU within the 90-day review deadline that ended November 1, 2007. Staff’s review comments were presented to the City Commission on October 24, 2007.

The Florida State University Board of Trustees adopted the University’s updated Campus Master Plan on June 13, 2008.

Under State Statute Florida State University (FSU) is to address all the concurrency issues when going through the Development Agreement process. The two main issues of concern in concurrency are related to traffic and stormwater in relation to the Levels of Service that are established in the Comprehensive Plan.

The Proposed Development Agreement (Attachment #2)
The proposed development agreement implements concurrency requirements contained in Florida Statutes, and addresses concurrency implementation and mitigation of impacts on public facilities and services. The agreement becomes effective upon execution by both parties and remains in effect for five years, through December 31, 2015. Upon execution, all campus development identified in the agreement may proceed without further review by the City.

The proposed agreement updates the current (2005) agreement to reflect revised development authorizations requested by FSU. The greatest difference between the 2005 and proposed agreements lies in plans for developing the Southwest Campus. The 2005 agreement authorizes 1,711,560 square feet of building area and 5,000 parking spaces. The proposed agreement authorizes FSU to develop, and reserves capacity for, a total of 6,635,816 square feet of building area on two campuses, and 21,655 parking spaces on two campuses. The figures are broken down in Exhibit “A” of the proposed development agreement.

Analysis of requested development identified the following segments as significantly impacted by such development:

Source of Impac / Impacted Concurrency Road Segment

a) Main Campus / Brevard Street-Dewey to Old Bainbridge (EB)
b) Main Campus / Copeland Street-Call to Tennessee (NB)
c) Main Campus / M.L.King Blvd-Call to Tennessee (NB)
d) Main Campus / Stadium Drive-Call to Tennessee (NB)
e) SW Campus / Eisenhower-Orange to Roberts (NB)
f) SW Campus / Gaines Street Adams to Monroe (EB)
g) SW Campus / Jackson Bluff-Hendry to Lake Bradford (EB)
h) SW Campus / Lake Bradford-Jackson Bluff to Gaines/Stadium/Varsity (NB)
i) SW Campus / Mabry-Roberts to Jackson Bluff (NB)
j) SW Campus / Orange Avenue-Lake Bradford SW to Cap Circle (WB)
k) SW Campus / Orange Avenue-Lake Bradford SW to Springhill (EB)
l) SW Campus / Orange Avenue-Springhill to Pasco (EB)
m) SW Campus / Orange Avenue -Wahnish to Adams (EB)
n) SW Campus / Paul Dirac Drive (South)-Paul Dirac Circle to Orange (SB)
o) SW Campus / Pottsdamer St-East Paul Dirac to Orange (SB)
p) SW Campus / Stuckey-Iamonia to Lake Bradford (EB

FSU and City staff agreed on the following improvements to mitigate projected impacts:

a) Brevard St-Dewey to Old Bainbridge: 2-lane EB (Add 1 lane)
b) Copeland St-Call to Tennessee: 2-lane NB (Add 1 lane)
c) ML King Blvd-Call to Tennessee: 2-lane NB (Add 1 lane)
d) Stadium Drive-Call to Tennessee: 2-lane NB (Add 1 lane)
e) Eisenhower-Orange to Roberts: Add exclusive left turn lane (NB)
f) Gaines St-Adams to Monroe: Add exclusive right turn lane (EB)
g) Jackson Bluff-Hendry to Lake Bradford: Add exclusive left turn lane (EB)
h) Lake Bradford-Jackson Bluff to Gaines/Stadium/Varsity: 2-lane NB (Add 1 lane)
i) Mabry-Roberts to Jackson Bluff: 2-lane NB (Add 1 lane)
j) Orange Ave-Lake Bradford SW to Capital Circle: 2-lane WB (Add 1 lane)
k) Orange Ave-Lake Bradford SW to Springhill: 2-lane EB (Add 1 lane)
l) Orange Ave-Springhill to Pasco: Add exclusive right turn lane (EB)
m) Orange Ave-Wahnish to Adams: Add exclusive right turn lane (EB)
n) Paul Dirac Drive-Paul Dirac Circle to Orange: Install signal @ Orange
o) Pottsdamer-P. Dirac to Orange: Install signal & exclusive left turn lane on Orange (EB)
p) Stuckey-Iamonia to Lk Bradford: 2-lane EB (Add 1 Ln) & add exclusive turn lane (EB)

The City estimates the total cost of these improvements at $36,602,273, the amount used to determine the FSU’s fair share. To pay its fair share of the costs of these improvements, FSU and the City agree that FSU shall request funds from the State University System’s Concurrency Trust Fund in the amount of $6,278,791.00. The funds are to be used on transportation facilities, including transit, bike and pedestrian facilities impacted by trips associated with FSU.

FSU and City staff will work together to identify transportation projects within the Multimodal Transportation District to utilize the mitigation dollars. Before monies are spent, staff will bring the projects to the Commission for approval.

Previously unresolved stormwater issues within the Southwest Campus have been resolved. The agreement has been revised (Attachment #2, Section 4.7) to incorporate the necessary short-term and long-term stormwater analysis to determine if any stormwater mitigation will be required for future development activities within the Southwest Campus.

The Renewable Energy Center
The City of Tallahassee has received a letter (Attachment #3) from FSU (Mr. John Carneghi, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration) requesting that the agreement be modified to reflect BG&E’s recent decision to relocate away from Tallahassee and Leon County. Section 4.6 of the agreement (Attachment #2, page 3) has been amended to indicate that FSU will initiate the removal of “renewable energy center” from the Master Plan within 180 days. Subsequently, all compatibility provisions have been removed as well. At such time as FSU indicates any use on this property, the City will be afforded an opportunity to review and comment on any issues that may be raised with a proposed use.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
N/A

OPTIONS

1. Approve the development agreement.
2. Do not approve the development agreement.
3. Provide alternative direction.

ATTACHMENTS/REFERENCES

1. City of Tallahassee comments on FSU Master Plan Update, October 31, 2007
2. Proposed FSU Development Agreement, revised January 27, 2009
3. Letter from John R. Carnaghi, January 26, 2009