TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve Interlocal Agreement Between the City of North Port and Charlotte County for Design, Engineering, and Permitting of Joint Road Widening Project (Cranberry Boulevard/Hillsborough Boulevard Intersection)
Recommended Action
Approve Interlocal Agreement Between the City of North Port and Charlotte County for Design, Engineering, and Permitting of Joint Road Widening Project (Cranberry Boulevard/Hillsborough Boulevard Intersection).
Background Information
The roadway network along Cranberry Boulevard at Hillsborough Boulevard and US41 is functionally inefficient and should be evaluated for geometric improvements before future development worsens this situation.
The separation between the Cranberry Boulevard/Hillsborough Boulevard intersection and the Cranberry Boulevard/US41/Cornelius Boulevard intersection is approximately 450 feet. The portion of the KIA dealership parcel of land abutting Cranberry Boulevard is presently undeveloped. The property owner of the undeveloped parcel of land between Salford Boulevard and Cranberry Boulevard has received development approval from the City of North Port. Development of both parcels is expected to increase traffic on the roadways at these intersections.
Cranberry Boulevard and Hillsborough Boulevard are both functionally classified as collector roads in the City of North Port’s Comprehensive Plan. The current classification of Hillsborough Boulevard as a collector road may be changed to an arterial road in the future should a frontage road be constructed adjacent to the existing homes along the north side of Hillsborough Boulevard.
Hillsborough Boulevard, from its terminus at Cranberry Boulevard to its connection with Raintree Boulevard, is the boundary line between the City of North Port and Charlotte County. There in an Interlocal Agreement between the City of North Port and Charlotte County which was adopted several years ago which provides for the maintenance of the existing two lane/two direction roadway. The widening of Hillsborough Boulevard to four lanes is in the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan of the Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Considering these circumstances, City staff has solicited proposals for a Geometric Study of the Cranberry Boulevard/Hillsborough Boulevard and the Cranberry Boulevard/US41 intersections to plan for future development and associated impacts to the transportation network in this area. Staff anticipates the selected reconfiguration of these intersections and roads will require additional right-of-way in both the City of North Port and Charlotte County. As Hillsborough Boulevard is shared equally between the City of North Port and Charlotte County, this recommended Interlocal Agreement will allow execution of the professional services contract to develop alternate reconfigurations, resulting in a recommended alignment of these roads and intersections. The Intersection Study will also accommodate future widening of Hillsborough Boulevard to four lanes.
The Intersection Study, its associated costs and estimated costs of the subsequent design of the selected reconfiguration are included in the Interlocal Agreement. The costs of the Study and future improvements will be equally shared between the City of North Port and Charlotte County. Land acquisition needed for the reconfiguration and the construction phase of the reconfigured intersections would be addressed in an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement.
Staff recommends approval and execution of this Interlocal Agreement, which will then be presented to the Charlotte County Board of County Commissions for their approval and execution.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the Interlocal Agreement, as to form and content.
Strategic Plan
Infrastructure
Financial Impact
The total cost of the Engineering Study for the Intersection Analysis is $142,393.04. Per the terms of the Interlocal Agreement, the City of North Port and Charlotte County agree to equally fund the project costs. The City’s portion of the cost for the Engineering Study will be $71,196.52.
Funding is available in the Fiscal Year 2020 Road and Drainage District Budget, Project Number R20HCI, account number 107-5000-541.31-05, Other Professional Services.
Procurement
City staff will present the Contract for the Cranberry Boulevard/Hillsborough Boulevard Intersection Analysis and Improvements Study to the City Commission for their approval subsequent to approval and execution of the Interlocal Agreement between the City of North Port and Charlotte County for Design, Engineering, and Permitting of Joint Road Widening Project (Cranberry Boulevard/Hillsborough Boulevard Intersection).
Attachments:
1. Interlocal Agreement with Charlotte County for Design, Engineering and Permitting of Joint Road Widening Project
Prepared by: Benjamin Newman, P.E., Projects Engineer
Department Director: Juliana B. Bellia, Public Works Director