From: rj@rjmueller.net [mailto:rj@rjmueller.net]
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2015 7:54 PM
To: Olan Hill (Olan.Hill@ocfl.net); ‘district5@ocfl.net'; ‘mayor@ocfl.net'; ‘district1@ocfl.net'; ‘district2@ocfl.net'; ‘district3@ocfl.net'; ‘jennifer thompson'; ‘district6@ocfl.net'; ‘Chris.Testerman@ocfl.net'; ‘Jon.Weiss@ocfl.net'; ‘Alberto.Vargas@ocfl.net'; ‘Janna.Souvorova@ocfl.net'; ‘Blanche.Hardy@ocfl.net'; ‘Renzo.Nastasi@ocfl.net'; ‘Lynette.Rummel@ocfl.net’
Subject: McCulloch Road across the Econ
At the 6/18/2015 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting during the Lake Pickett text amendment discussion, Commissioner Baldocchi talked about the traffic issues and the roadways. He was not in favor of the Lake Pickett extension to Woodbury as the extension is not on any long range projects or maps and is being proposed by the developer. It would also require eminent domain which in his opinion and others is not a good option. His thought was to take the extension off the table and instead four lane Lake Pickett to Highway 50. Then he talked about what he called the “white elephant in the room” which was an extension of McCulloch to 419 across the Econ. He recommended running a traffic study to determine feasibility. Commissioner Baldocchi then said he doesn’t know why we won’t talk about it. He wants the applicants to look at this possibility.
Then Mr. Nastasi responded with some comments regarding the possibility of a study. This would have to go through a preliminary engineering study to justify including workshops and public hearings. He noted that that road is not on any long range project plan. He also stated that McCulloch Road was not found to be feasible in past studies. 14-15 years ago the board at that time made a decision to remove McCulloch from the long range plan.
Commisioner Baldocchi thinks McCulloch Road crossing the Econ would be an alternative to the four laning of the Lake Pickett. He also called McCulloch Road the back entrance to UCF. Included in the motions that passed were recommendations to look at this alternative.
I don’t disagree with anything he said and don’t object to a traffic study. However, if McCulloch is the “white elephant in the room”, let me introduce you to his sibling, the “green elephant in the room” that nobody wants to talk about. The Richard Crotty Expressway. Specifically the road from the end of Research Parkway to N. Tanner. After studying the roads out here and looking at this, I think if McCulloch which is not on any long range project plan and is at this time considered not feasible and a road called the Woodbury extension which was just recently proposed by the applicants are being considered, surely a road that is on the long range traffic plan as shown below from Mr. Nastasi’s presentation at the last community meeting could also be considered as another road that would alleviate traffic. If this is going to be done right, everything should be on the table.
Mr. Nastasi presentation – planned roadway improvements
I will echo Commissioner Baldocchi words when he said he doesn’t understand why nobody wants to talk about it. Whenever I bring it up I seem to run into brick walls. This road if extended to N. Tanner would alleviate traffic on N. Tanner to McCulloch as well as provide a much needed south entrance (another back entrance) to UCF as well as fully utilize Percival as another north-south road that parallels N. Tanner. This seems like a no brainer to me. I would like to know why it is not being considered and if the applicant is going to be required to do a traffic study that includes roads that are not on the long range plan or any maps, I would like to request that study also include this road from the end of Research Parkway to N. Tanner seeing it is already on the long range plan. I do not oppose four laning McCulloch but common sense just tells me that this road makes a lot more sense to get traffic east and west.
I have discussed this with some people and all seem to agree it is worthy of study. Please at least look at this and if there is a study done, please consider including it.
Olan, I would appreciate you forwarding this email to the Planning and Zoning Commission members.
Sincerely,
RJ Mueller