CITY OF TALLAHASSEE
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED ON: March 25, 2009
SUBJECT/TITLE: Approval of Resolution No. 09-R-08 Transferring Reserved Trips from Delta Industrial Park to Tallahassee Regional Airport
TARGET ISSUE: Economic Development
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
Resolution No. 09-R-08 is presented as another step towards improving the local economy. If approved, it will transfer 2,710 reserved vehicle trips from Delta Industrial Park to the Tallahassee Regional Airport. The Airport will then be able to allocate the trips to a shovel-ready development site (or sites) that will be included in proposed substantial changes to the Airport Development of Regional Impact (DRI) development order. Staff discussed this concept at the December meeting of the Economic Development target issue committee. Mayor Marks and Commissioner Mustian agreed with the concept of transferring the trips to the Airport and instructed staff to bring something back to the City Commission to approve the transfer. The City Attorney’s Office has drafted Resolution No. 09-R-08 (Attachment 1), which is attached for consideration and action by the City Commission.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Option 1: Approve Resolution No. 09-R-08, as presented in Attachment 1.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact to the City. If the resolution is approved, however, it will encourage development of a shovel-ready site in the Airport DRI for an aviation-related business. Addition of another successful business at the Airport will have a favorable impact on the Southside and on the City’s tax base.
James R. English, City Attorney
For Information, please contact: Linda Hudson, Assistant City Attorney, Ext. 8554
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL/ISSUE ANALYSIS
HISTORY/FACTS & ISSUES
Recently, the Economic Development Council approached the City about amending the Airport DRI development order to include up to 3 sites designated at the Airport so that industry or businesses looking for shovel-ready sites would have good reason to look seriously at Tallahassee. Airport staff is beginning work on a substantial deviation application to submit to the City Commission and then to the Department of Community Affairs to accomplish the EDC’s goal.
In reviewing additional development within the Airport DRI, it became apparent that the current state of transportation concurrency in the Airport vicinity would hinder development – even on a shovel-ready site. Staff, in exploring opportunities for addressing concurrency issues, proposed an innovative concept to the Economic Development target issue committee (Mayor Marks and Commissioner Mustian). There are 2,710 unused vehicle trips reserved for the Delta Industrial Park on Capital Circle Southwest that are likely to remain unused for Delta Industrial Park (Attachment 2). For a history of these unused vehicle trips, see below.
Staff proposed transferring the trips a short distance to the Airport for use by businesses wanting to relocate to the 3 proposed sites within the Airport DRI. The Economic Development target issue committee agreed with this concept. The City Attorney’s Office has drafted a resolution that, if approved, will accomplish the transfer. The trips may then be included in the information submitted to the Department of Community Affairs and other State agencies that will review the Airport DRI substantial deviation application. It is expected that the addition of 2,710 trips to the Airport DRI will eliminate the need for transportation mitigation for up to 3 shovel-ready sites at the Airport, depending upon the proposed type and size of development.
History of Reserved Trips. In 1993, the City and the owners of Delta Industrial Park entered into a settlement agreement to resolve litigation related to preservation of right-of-way for the City along the Capital Circle frontage of Delta Industrial Park. Included within the settlement agreement was a provision reserving certain vested rights for Delta Industrial Park, including trips for up to 3,245,963 gross square feet of commercial/industrial development. Also included in the settlement agreement was a provision granting 1/3 of the vested square footage and all rights associated with the square footage to the City.
Calculations by the Growth Management Department converted the gross square feet to 3,605 vehicle trips. The City’s 1/3 share of the trips is 1,202 trips. Subsequent development on a portion of the Delta Industrial Park covered by the settlement agreement used 895 trips, leaving an unused balance at this time of 2,710 trips. All undeveloped portions of Delta Industrial Park were purchased by BluePrint 2000, which will use the entire site for stormwater management, not development. On February 23, 2009, BluePrint assigned all of the unused vehicle trips to the City so that the trips could be transferred to the Airport.
Requested Action. The proposed resolution is before the City Commission for action.
OPTIONS
1. Approve Resolution No. 09-R-08, as presented in Attachment 1.
2. Approve Resolution No. 09-R-08, as revised by the City Commission.
3. Do not approve Resolution No. 09-R-08, and provide direction to staff.
ATTACHMENTS/REFERENCES
1. Proposed Resolution No. 09-R-08
2. Location Map for Delta Industrial Park and Airport