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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAUGUST 23, 2001 MINUTESMINUTES VIRGINIA BEACH CiTY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia August 23, 2001 Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf - Virginia Beach, and Mayor William E. Ward - City of Chesapeake, called to order the SPECIAL JOINT SESSION of the Cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach relative Joint Land Use Study of the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt at the HRPDC Regional Building, 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia. Virginia Beach City Council Members Present: Linwood O. Branch, III, Margaret L. Eure, Barbara M. Henley, Louis R. Jones, Reba S. McClanan, Robert C. Mandigo, Jr., Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf and Rosemary Wilson Virginia Beach Council Members Absent: Vice Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr. William W. Harrison, Jr. Nancy K. Parker [Taking daughters to College] [Out of city on family vacation] [Attending HRT Public Hearing] Chesapeake City Council Members Present: Vice Mayor John A. Cosgrove, Dalton S. Edge, Debbie Ritter, William E. Ward and Patricia Pritchard Willis Mayor Chesapeake City Council Members Absent: John M. de Triquet, Alan P. Krasnoff, Waters Dwight M. Parker and Gene A. -2- JOINT LAND USE STUDY CHESAPEAKE - VIRGINIA B EA CH ITEM #48542 Mayor Ward and Mayor Oberndorf WELCOMED all in attendance. The last Joint Meeting was in January 1999, at which time a City Manager's Task Force was appointed. Over the last three years, this Task Force has met many times. The study has now been completed Council Lady Debbie Ritter and Vice Mayor John Cosgrove served as Chesapeake's Liaisons for the Joint Land Use Study. Mayor Oberndorf expressed appreciation to the City of Chesapeake for hosting the presentation of the Joint Land Use Study and recognized Council Members Linwood Branch and Margaret Eure, liaisons to the Joint Land Use Study between the Cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake on the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt. Mary Ann Saunders, Assistant to the City Manager, advised this process was begun in the Summer of 1999, by Chesapeake and Virginia Beach jointly selecting the consultant, The study was funded by $100,000 generously contributed by VDOTwith $20, O00 from each City. While completion of this study has taken far longer than anticipated, the time has been invaluable in addressing a very complex matter, by integrating land use with transportation and analyzing the economic impacts of the issues to provide solid recommendations for key policy decisions. The team approach was utilized for the study as a cost saving measure. This was accomplished by integrating the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Planning District Commission, with city and consultant staffs. Ms. Saunders recognized Robert Matthias, Assistant to the Virginia Beach City Manager, and Dale Castellow, Virginia Beach Planning Department, who with the Chesapeake Planning Department, particularly Chris Price, has been co-ordinating the planning and economic analysis. Mary Ann extended appreciation to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission staff led by Art Collins, Dwight Farmer, Ralph Hays, Andy Pickard and Regina Lucus. Ms. Saunders recognized the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) staff in attendance: Leo Rutledge and Horace Welsh, who also provided ongoing support relative the transportation portion of the study. Ms. Saunders advised the presentation will be approximately 20 minutes and introduced Matteson Scott, Principal Consultant with PB Consult Inc. (A member of the Parsons Brinckerhoff Family of Companies). Mr. Scott's diverse background has focused on large scale transportation infrastructure and real estate projects Mr. Scott has a BA from Cornell University in political science and in economics from Cornell University. Matteson Scott, referenced the workshop two weeks ago. Both jurisdictions have experienced significant residential and commercial growth. Demand for city services and facilities, pushed by residential development, has, on occasion, outpaced the ability to provide a sound fiscal basis. Tax bases are not sufficiently diversified and strategies that shift land use patterns to productive, higher value non-residential uses are needed Inventories of suitable land for economic development are constrained, particularly on the Chesapeake side of the line through a combination of natural conditions, and on the Virginia Beach side which has some transportation limitations and then further by the presence of zoning which is heavily weighted toward single family detached residential. There is serious local congestion and constrained north-south access across the Intracoastal Waterway in Chesapeake and dependence on 1-264 with the lack of alternative northeast-southwest regional access in Virginia Beach adversely impacts economic competitiveness, quality of life and constrains diversification opportunities in both cities. The 26-mile Route 104/Dominion Boulevard and the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt Corridors extending from Route 17 to Oak Grove Connector in Chesapeake and on through Chesapeake and Virginia Beach to 1-264 were selected for study. Mr. Scott cited the Assignment: To conduct a study of land use and transportation alternatives and demonstrate the relative merits of each To develop quantitative measures of economic, fiscal and transportation impacts for each alternative To test the hypothesis that material positive synergies might be achieved for each city by linking the Route 104/Dominion Boulevard and southeastern Parkway corridors To develop the basis for the City Councils to consider a joint resolution of support for the combined projects and to re-start the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt EIS process. August 23, 2001 -3- JOINT LAND USE STUD Y CHESAPEAKE - VIRGINIA BEA CH ITEM g48542 (Continued) Six Scenarios were developed for evaluation: Existing Zoning without either Southeastern Parkway or Route 104 Existing Zoning with Southeastern Parkway but no Route 104 Project Amended Zoning without either project Amended Zoning with Southeastern Parkway but no Route 104 Existing Zoning with both projects Amended Zoning with both projects Impacts within the Corridors over a l O-year period were established in terms of: Land Use Development Impacts measured by quantities and value of residential and non-residential development Economic/Fiscal Impacts expressed as municipal revenues, operating costs and debt service. Transportation impacts measured by Level of Service on key roadways Environmental Considerations were evaluated in terms of Environmentally sensitive lands and associated resources Water quality .4ir quality Relative conclusions, Mr. Scott advised there are compelling economic and fiscal reasons comprehensively and cooperatively plan and implement the projects and land use amendments: In Chesapeake Expansion of the corridor tax base from $694-MILLION under no-build to $1,421-MILLION where both projects are completed and a Transportation Corridor Overlay District (TCOD) or similar land use policies are applied to Chesapeake 's portion of the Southeastern Parkway corridor Diversification of the tax base with the addition of $43 7-MILLION of non- residential property values and higher residential unit values .4 doubling of municipal revenues from $108-MILLION to $202- MILLION and transformation of a negative $4.7-MILLION net fiscal impact under no building to a positive $40.5-MILLION in net revenues In Virginia Beach: An increase in the corridor tax base from $1, O04-MILLION under no build to $1,722-MILLION where both projects are constructed Commercial values double from $249 to $613-MILLION. A positive netfiscal impact under no build of$1Z 9-MILLIONincrease to $40.2-MILLION to Construction of Southeastern Parkway and Route 104 improves levels of service on key road segments. The proposed alignment has enough right-of-way to accommodate alternative transit and trail opportunities. The corridors are located within planned development areas that allow infill development and sprawl prevention with associated emissions reductions. Concentrated development along transportation alignments and near interchange areas can be encouraged that will reduce encroachments, create storm water management efficiencies and improve infrastructure delivery. .4ugust 23, 2001 -4- JOINT LAND USE STUD Y CHESAPEAKE - VIRGINIa4 BEll CH ITEM g48542 (Continued) Virginia Beach has predicted strategic land use and comprehensive plan decisions on anticipated benefits of Southeastern Parkway construction. Chesapeake has expressed renewed interest in creating economic development opportunities along transportation corridors and has adopted the TCOD for this purpose along Routes 104 and 168. The greatest economic and fiscal benefits are apparent for each City where both projects areimplementd and land use guidelines are applied throughout the Corridors to encourge ecoomic develiopment opporutnities. Recommendation Chesapeake land use guidelines be extended to encompass Chesapeake's portion of the Southeastern Parkway alignment, zoning actions to be taken that will facilitate those land use changes, and both jurisdictions continue to support Route 104/Dominion Boulevard and the proposed Southeastern Parkway. Mr. Scott advised the earliest the Parkway could be commenced would be approximately 2004. Robert Matthias, Assistant to the City Manager - Virginia Beach, advised the environmental work for Route 104 will be fairly pedestrian as an expansion of an existing alignment. Therefore, there will not be any permitting issues involved. The environmental impact statement process for the Southeastern Parkway will have to be reinitiated. It could take longer than two years, with an anticipated time period that would encompass from 18 months to 2years. Instead of the eighty-one (81) alignments reviewed lO years ago, there will be concentration on the alignment chosen by both cities and the Commonwealth Transportation Board. This will greatly decrease the amount of time. A mitigation package has been developed for approximately 2100 acres of preservation. Originally, the impacts were 500 acres of wetlands. These impacts have been reduced to 150 acres. Both cities have been protecting the Parkway right-of-way. Approximately six or seven years were expended previously on the environmental work. There are funds available from the Commonwealth Transportation Board for this work. However, there are no funds for construction. Under very optimistic conditions, construction could commence 2004. Therefore, 2007 or 2008 would be a completion date in a "perfect world". Horace Welch, Virginia Department of Transportation, concurred but said Mr. Matthias had lam out a very optimistic schedule. Mr. Matthias referenced the Route 460 project and the Trans American Corridor. The Cities were successful in having the terminus of the Trans America Corridor be in Virginia Beach, basically at the end of the Southeastern Parkway. Work has commenced with VDOT on an improvement package to Route 460 , which will hopefully turn that into an Interstate type highway with the Southeastern Parkway starting at Route 264 between Birdneck Road and First Colonial Road, then connect to the Oak Grove Connector, up to 1-64 and over to Bowers Hill, and then to Route 460. Thus, a very good connection would exist along the entire south side and divert quite a bit of traffic from the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. The Virginia Port Authority is examining the creation of another terminal at Craney Island, which would connect to Route 460. Route 17 is the preferred Corridor to Raleigh. Route 104 is considered to be redesignated as Route 17 and then turning the other Route 17 into Route 17 Business. These projects all work together. High speed rail is being considered along with the Route 460 Corridor. Senator Kenneth W Stolle sponsored a Virginia Transportation Act 2000Bill, which included $25-MILLION for Route 460. $300,000 was transferred as Congressman Edward Shrock's request for a study of high speed rail which should be completed within the next month. This would create a very viable high speed link, particularly between the Bowers Hill area and outside of Richmond. There is an existing 57-mile straight railroad line there, thus creating exciting existing opportunities. Mayor Ward advised there have been several meetings relative Route 460. Mr. Matthias advised the Communications Committee thought Route 460 to be as important as the Third Crossing. Mr. Matthias believed VDOT would heed this message. It is simply a matter of limited resources. There is also another Joint Sub Committee studying unfunded transportation needs in Hampton Roads A report will be made to the General Assembly toward the end of this year. The HRPDC identified Route 460 and the Southeastern Parkway among others as 6 unfunded projects. Relative the Transportation Corridor Overlay District (TCOD) or zoning changes in Chesapeake, the process would entail the initiation of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. To review the land issues along the Corridor, with an optimistic time frame for this type of study, would entail 18-24 months. Mr Matthais advised Chesapeake has the ability to accomplish this under the existing state code without enabling authority from the General Assembly. Ronald S. Hallman, City Attorney - Chesapeake, concurred the City has sufficient authority. August 23, 2001 -5- JOINT LAND USE STUD Y CHESAPEAKE - VIRGINIA BE,4 CH ITEM #48542 (Continued) Mr. John L. Pazour, Chesapeake City Manager, advised the Transportation Corridor Overlay District (TCOD) could be uitlized and accelerate the process considerably. Delegate Robert F. McDonnell hoped both City Councils would vote on this within thirty days. Relative closing of tunnels in the event of catestrophic weather, Leo Rutledge, Virginia Department of Transportation, advised on the onset of gale force winds, VDOT has indicated they would pull these resouces under their evacuation plan as they would be at risk. At that point a lot of these 'would be closed. Route 460 wouM be the evacuation route. This could be a critical link. Relative consideration of a proposed zoning, Brent Nielson - Planning Director, Chesapeake, advised relative the zoning under consideration close to Clearfield Avenue. The proposed Southeastern Parkway runs along the very southern portion of this property and wouM not be impacted by this development. This item was continued by the Planning Commission for a month. Mr. Matthias advised Virginia Beach, through an effort championed by the Mayor, hired an aesthetics consultant which entailed a cost of approximately $1/2-Million to detertnine how the Parkway could be devloped even more in concert with the neighborhoods and the environment. As the the road had been designed with a speed of TO miles per hour, this was reexamined and amended to a 60-mile an hour design speed, which allowed smaller shoulders and lower super elevations so the impact of a natural enviorment could be reduced and still have a road that could carry the amount of desired traffic. The road was a $00- foot right of way. The eastern or southern SO-foot has or will be reserved for a future transportation modality, a bikeway and a high speed rail or light rail. Every interchange will have included land to be set aside for a rail station commuter parking lot, etc. The roadway would be two conventional lanes in each direction, a four-foot paved area and then an HOV lane. Mayor Oberndorf advised the arrival of Delegate Terry Suit and Senator Frank Wagner. Mayor Ward welcomed the arrival of Vice Mayor John A. Cosgrove, who had been in Richmond. Senator Stolle referenced the Transportation Act of 2000, Even though, this road was an uncertainty, the delegation from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk cooperated to make sure things would be kept open for both cities to move forward. There is funding in the Transportation Act of 2OOO for Route 460 to address Hurricane Evacuation issues. Senator Stolle hoped the cities and the delegations wouM consider all available financing options. Roads are not hard to build. Funds must be available. Senator Stolle hoped alternative means of funding would be considered i.e. tolls to pay for this Parkway. The delegation can contiue to work together to target resources. There is a stream of general fund revenues which goes into transportation projects, and there are other opportunities for funds in the future. The majority of the delegation feels this is a high priority and also the local jurisdictions have placed the Parkway on a high priority list. Senator Stolle is committed to provide funding at the State level. Senator Stolle acknowledged and expresed apreciation to Bill Prettyman, Commonwealth Transportation Board. Delegate Robert F. McDonnell advised one of the viable options is the Public/Private Transportation Partnership Act. Senator Wagner is chairing a Commission relative the Third Crossing and a group has formed to review this under the Public/Private Transportation Partnership Act. No options should be closed. The ISTEA Reauthorization comes forward in 2003. If this Parkway is approved by both City Councils, it should be one of the top regional priorities. Both Governorial candidates are discussing substantial new resources for transportation. Delegate Suit concurred with Senator Stolle and Delegate McDonnell. This project is the most efficient utilization of transportation funds of all the studies she has reveiwed. This adds leverage to moving this project forward. Delegate Suit also suggested the utilization of FRANS. Senator Frank Wagner advised Chesapeake and Virginia Beach share so much in common, but do not ahve that common link across the Southern end. Senator Wagner is pleased all these roads have been proposed to be linked together and certain "no stone will be left unturned "to finance this project. Senator Harry Blevins concurred this project should move forward. August 23, 2001 -6- JOINT LAND USE STUD Y CHESAPEAKE- VIRGINIA BEACH ITEM g48542 (Continued) Mayor Ward advised the proposed Resolution would support the findings as presented tonight and request the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration restart the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process and authorize execution of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the timing and funding issues. Proposed Timeline for Consideration of Supporting Resolutions: September 4 September 11 September 25 October/November Virginia Beach: Consideration of Resolution of Support Chesapeake: }Fork Session Chesapeake: Consideration of Resolution of Support VDOT/Federal Highway Administration - Prepare Schedule Mayor Oberndorf concurred with Mayor Ward to conduct Annual or Biannual Joint Meetings of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach to discuss common issues. August 23, 2001 ADJOURNMENT -7- ITEM g48543 Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf and Mayor William E. Ward DECLARED the City Council's SPECIAL JOINT SESSION ADJOURNED at 8:23 P.M. Dolores 2t. Moore, CMC City Clerk- Chesapeake William E. Ward Mayor- Chesapeake City Clerk - Virginia Beach Meyera E. Oberndorf Mayor - Virginia Beach Beverly O. Hooks, CMC Chief Deputy City Clerk City of Virginia Beach Virginia 21ugust 23, 2001