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Council gives early OK to roundabout design on Kismet; asks for more cost data at Diplomat intersection
Summary
Public works presented roundabout and signal options for North 1 East (NE 20th Avenue) and North 3 corridors. Council generally favored roundabouts at Kismet and selected North 3 intersections, and asked staff for detailed cost, right‑of‑way and wetland mitigation analysis for the Diplomat intersection near Victory Park.
City staff presented intersection and cross‑section options for the North 1 East (NE 20th Avenue) and North 3 utility expansion projects and sought council direction on roundabouts and standard cross sections.
Bill Corbett of Public Works said the city is widening NE 20th Avenue from two to four lanes as part of the North 1 East UEP and is evaluating traffic control at Kismet Parkway and Diplomat Parkway. Corbett outlined benefits of roundabouts — fewer conflict points, fewer stop‑and‑go delays and resilience in storms — but noted they require a larger footprint and can trigger right‑of‑way and utility relocations (for example, LCEC transmission pole relocations) and potential wetland mitigation costs.
Council gave general consensus to proceed with a roundabout design at Kismet Parkway (the council also asked for Florida‑friendly landscape plans for the island). On the NE 20th/Diplomat intersection, the council did not reach a final choice: staff presented a roundabout and a signalized intersection as long‑term options and council asked staff to return with a detailed cost analysis that includes land acquisition, potential LCEC pole relocation and wetland mitigation estimates before deciding.
For North 3 (Old Burnt Store Road), staff presented five cross‑section alternatives and said Northwest Neighborhood Association members favored a boulevard‑style option with the road shifted to one side and a wide greenway/multi‑use path on the other, which staff termed “Alternative 5.” That option raised the estimated construction cost for major North 3 roadway segments to about $33 million, roughly $13 million more than a basic reconstruction cross section. Councilmembers expressed support for Alternative 5 and directed staff to proceed with that concept for design.
Council members stressed safety and future capacity: several members said roundabouts are generally safer than signals for most intersection types, while others asked staff to plan for right‑of‑way acquisition or phased upgrades so future traffic growth can be accommodated unexpectedly. Corbett said roundabout design and additional cost estimates can be completed in the coming months and the roadway work remains non‑assessed transportation improvements within the UEP schedule.
