SUBJECT
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Authorize a Utility Easement to the City of Bartow for planned electric facilities associated with the proposed Central Polk Parkway Segment 2. (No fiscal impact)
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DESCRIPTION
The State of Florida, Department of Transportation through its Florida's Turnpike Enterprise ("FTE") has a project to construct a segment (Segment 2) of a new limited access toll road facility known as the Central Polk Parkway (SR 570B) from US Highway 17 to State Road 60. The Central Polk Parkway was previously adopted by the County's Transportation Planning Organization into its Long-Range Transportation Plan as a priority project for the County as it is expected to alleviate traffic on County roadways in the region.
The project is in later stages of the design phase and utility coordination associate with the design has identified a need to extend electric lines owned by the City of Bartow from existing facilities within the Gordon Heights community westward to service a proposed toll gantry, along with other facilities with power needs, associated with the planned roadway. The engineering consultant for FTE further identified a proposed alignment for the electric facility extension which takes it on a route over property owned by the County which is utilized as a community park known as Gordonville Heights Park. County staff met with representatives from the City of Bartow Electric Department and the design consultant on site to discuss the matter and it was agreed that a 15-foot wide easement along the southerly boundary of the park property would accommodate the proposed utility extensions and minimize, or avoid, impacts to the existing park facilities. A proposed utility easement was prepared which contains provisions conditioning the use of a portion of the easement to overhead facilities and the remaining portion to underground facilities in an effort to further minimize impacts to the existing park facilities. The proposed utility easement has been revie...
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