SUBJECT
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Accept and approve a Temporary Construction Easement from Lowe's Home Centers, LLC in conjunction with the Fort Fraser Trail Extension Project. (No fiscal impact)
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DESCRIPTION
Polk County, in coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Lakeland, has a planned project to construct a paved pedestrian and recreational trail being an extension of the Fort Fraser Trail from Winter Lake Road (west of US Highway 98) to Lakeland Highlands Road (CR 37). The trail is proposed to run parallel, and adjacent, to the southerly right-of-way of the Polk County Parkway (SR 570) and along the west side of a portion of Lakeland Highlands Road which will allow for future connections to the City of Lakeland's existing, and proposed, trail system.
The current grade of the main signalized entrance drive from a commercial shopping center located along the west side of, and connecting to, Lakeland Highlands Road, presents challenges when constructing the pedestrian crossing over the entrance drive. The design engineer developed a plan to regrade a significant portion of the entrance drive, owned by Lowe's Home Center, LLC ("Lowes"), which would allow for a more suitable pedestrian crossing of the trail and would improve access to and from the shopping center over the entrance drive. In July 2023 Lowes granted a Temporary Construction Easement ("TCE") for a term of one year which contained several conditions primarily related to the timing and duration of closures to the entrance drive. Due to complications associated with the FDOT mandated letting process coupled with the time frames in which construction is allowable per the agreement, construction in the easement area cannot be completed before the expiration of the TCE. The County contacted Lowes and requested an extension to the TCE to allow for the proposed regrading of the driveway entrance. Lowes has agreed to the county's request and has presented an Amended and Restated T...
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