SEMINOLE PRATT WHITNEY ROAD & NORTHLAKE BLVD. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Evan Flowers
8 years ago
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1 UPDATED: 01/31/14 SEMINOLE PRATT WHITNEY ROAD & NORTHLAKE BLVD. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. 1. What are the County s plans for Seminole Pratt Whitney Road between SR 80 (Southern Blvd) and the Bee Line Highway and Northlake Blvd. between Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. and Coconut Blvd.? A. Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Southern Blvd to North of Sycamore Dr. Currently under construction, this project involves widening the roadway to 4 lanes (2 lanes in each direction) with a raised, grassed median separating the northbound from southbound lanes, and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. This construction project is nearing completion. B. Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., S. of 60 th Street to Orange Blvd. Also currently under construction, this project involves widening the roadway to 4 lanes (2 lanes in each direction) with a raised, grassed median separating the northbound from southbound lanes, and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. This construction project is anticipated to be completed by July, C. Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Orange Blvd. to Northlake Blvd. This project is under design with the existing roadway to be widened to 4 lanes (2 lanes in each direction) with a raised, grassed median separating the northbound from southbound lanes, and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. Construction is scheduled to start in D. Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Northlake Blvd. to Bee Line Highway The project has no plans at the present time. A future 2 lane road is planned. E. Northlake Blvd., Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. to E. of Apache Blvd. westbound lanes, and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. Construction is scheduled to start in F. Northlake Blvd., E. of Apache Blvd. to Grapeview Blvd. westbound lanes, and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. Construction is scheduled to start in G. Northlake Blvd., Grapeview Blvd. to Coconut Blvd. westbound lanes, and sidewalk on the south side of the roadway. Construction is scheduled to start in Page 1 of 5

Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Southern Blvd to North of Sycamore Dr.

2 Q. 2. Why does the County need to widen these roads? Isn t there enough road Construction already? A. Studies show that existing and future traffic volumes will exceed the capacity of the major routes into and through the Acreage. Rather than wait until gridlock occurs, it is the County s policy to plan, design & construct in advance, to prevent this gridlock. Q. 3. Will access to and from Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd and Northlake Blvd be different after Construction? A. The Palm Beach County roadway projects do not include closure of existing intersecting streets, and will not affect the ability of traffic to enter or leave Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. as they currently do, with the exception of impacts at intersections that will not have median openings. At these locations, turning movements at side streets will be limited to right in, right out movements. Indian Trail Improvement District has repeatedly stated their desire to close off many of the intersections with Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, and they should be contacted for further information in that regard. Q. 4. Will there be median openings at all of the side streets after construction? A. Cross streets in this area are too closely spaced to allow proper traffic movements. While some street intersections will have fully open medians (making left turns as well as u-turns possible), essentially every other street will have a filled in median. These roadways will be limited to right in, right out turning movements, which will require the driver entering the roadway to proceed either north or south on Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. and east or west on Northlake Blvd. to the next opening to do a u-turn if desired. Q. 5. Will my land be taken for the construction, and if so, when? Continued on next page A. For widening Seminole Pratt Whitney Road projects from Southern Blvd. to N. of Sycamore Drive and 60 th Street to Orange Blvd., Right of Way has been acquired as needed. Additionally, it was necessary to acquire easements (some temporary and some permanent) to allow for construction of the road and proper drainage adjacent to it. Finally, the County has acquired entire parcels of open land in several areas to allow for construction of drainage ponds to store surface water runoff Page 2 of 5

Rather than wait until gridlock occurs, it is the County s policy to plan, design & construct in advance, to prevent this gridlock. Q. 3.

3 A. For widening Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. from Orange Blvd. and Northlake Blvd., the County already owns an easement for the required width of right of way, and only those parcels required for detention ponds are being acquired, as well as embankment easements and construction easements throughout the project, and corner clips at some side streets. For widening of Northlake Blvd. from Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. to Coconut Blvd., acquisition of Right of Way and Easements is currently in process. Q. 6. What will be included in the Appraisals and offers? A. An appraised value will be placed on any land required for right of way, or for easements for the project, based upon recent sales of similar properties in the area. Additionally, values will be placed on items that must be removed from the work area, such as irrigation systems, fences & trees, driveways, etc. Replacement costs will be determined and made part of the offer. Q. 7. What are my options when I receive an offer for my land? A. Generally, you can accept the offer as given, or make a counter-offer wherein you may state your objections and what you think the offer should be, or you can refuse the offer outright. In that case the County will bring the matter before a judge as an eminent domain proceeding. All options available to you will be provided in writing when an offer is made. Q. 8. Will any reimbursements be made for items damaged by storms, etc. which Owners already took care of? A. No. If improvements do not exist on the property at the time of the appraisal, they cannot be included. Q. 9. If I have a sale pending on my property, who gets the check for acquisitions and easements? A. The record owner at the time of executing the deed will be the Payee. If a transfer is in the process, it is important that the current owner inform the buyer as to the County s acquisition. Page 3 of 5

easements throughout the project, and corner clips at some side streets. For widening of Northlake Blvd. from Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. to Coconut Blvd.

4 Q. 10. What will happen to existing fences and improvements within the construction areas? A. Items currently within proposed work areas to be acquired by the county will be paid for as part of the Appraisal process. If the owners want to retain those items they must remove them at their own expense, prior to work starting. If items are not removed, the Contractor is responsible for removing and disposing of them. Items which are within land already owned by the County must also be removed or they will be removed and disposed of by the Contractor. Q. 11. Will temporary fencing be put up during construction for security and pets? A. If there is an existing fence which provides a protective barrier for animals or children, a temporary fence will be erected by the Contractor before he removes the existing fence. This temporary fence will then be removed by the contractor upon completion of work, so it is incumbent upon property owners to have their own permanent replacement fence constructed before the Road work is finished. If the existing fence is decorative or does not provide security, such as a split rail fence or a wire fence with gaps, then no temporary fence will be installed. The contractor will be given the option of relocating the existing fence and using that in its temporary location instead of installing a new, temporary fence. Q. 12. Will walls be constructed to block the sound and provide security from traffic? A. No. The Board of County Commissioners has reaffirmed their policy that walls are not to be built. Q. 13. Will guardrail be put up to prevent vehicles from coming across the sidewalk, onto my property? A. Guardrail is not warranted along this roadway, except when in close proximity to canals and steep drop offs. Q. 14. If I have a well or septic system within the construction area, what will happen to it? A. At the time of the offer, the owner will be asked to provide any information available as to the well or septic system location. If necessary, the proposed construction will be modified to avoid impacts to wells or septic systems. Page 4 of 5

If the owners want to retain those items they must remove them at their own expense, prior to work starting. If items are not removed, the Contractor is responsible for removing and disposing of them.

5 Q. 15. Will my driveway be damaged by the construction? A. Driveways will be reconstructed within the limits of the existing right of way or road easement to match the proposed roadway. Q. 16. What will the speed limit be after construction is done? A. Design Speed and Posted Speed will be 45 MPH. Q. 17. Will there be any restrictions on truck traffic after construction is done? A. None are anticipated at this time. Q. 18. Will there be sidewalks and will they be protected by barriers of any kind? A. Sidewalks will be constructed along each side of the roadway in most areas, separated from the pavement by a grass strip (approximately 15 ft wide). No barrier will be placed between the roadway and the sidewalks. Q. 19. Will additional traffic signals be installed? A. Existing signals may be upgraded during construction, and one new traffic signal has already been added at the intersection with 60 th Street. Q. 20. Will street lights be installed? A. Street lights will be installed on both sides of the roadway. Q. 21. Will there be crossing guards during school times? A. For information concerning school crossing guard & bussing issues, please contact the School District at tel.no Q. 22. Will there be turn-outs for bus stops? A. None are included in the roadway construction. Page 5 of 5

Q. 18. Will there be sidewalks and will they be protected by barriers of any kind? A.

Comment #1: Provide an interchange at Route 7 and Farm Market Road/White Gate Road. This was studied in the late 1990 s.

Comment #1: Provide an interchange at Route 7 and Farm Market Road/White Gate Road. This was studied in the late 1990 s. Proposed Truck Climbing Lane Route 7 Westbound Between West Market Street and Route 9 UPC# 58599, Project # 6007-053-133, P101 Date of Meeting: August 24, 2010 Time: 6:00PM to 8:00PM Location: Rust Library