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Commission reviews $17 million plan to pave Southwest 15th Avenue; county partnership sought
Summary
City staff presented a proposal to partner with Alachua County and local developers to pave several unpaved road segments including Southwest 15th Avenue; estimated total cost nearly $17 million and would rely on a mix of developer contributions, transportation impact fees and county/city shares.
City staff presented a multi-segment road improvement proposal Feb. 10 that would repave Southwest Fifteenth Avenue and related connectors to support approved and pending development on the city's west side. No formal vote was taken; staff will follow up with Alachua County.
Why it matters: Several approved and proposed subdivisions would increase daily traffic on Fifteenth Avenue by thousands of trips per day, staff told the commission. The city does not own the full corridor; county cooperation and right-of-way acquisition are required. Staff presented a cost-share model to fund three major segments.
Staff described a financing plan that apportions costs roughly one-third to the city, one-third to Alachua County and about 38% to the development community (direct developer improvements plus impact-fee credits). "Total estimated cost to pave all 4 road segments is almost $17,000,000 and the city shares a little over 5, the county share a little over 5, and the development community would pay 6.5," City Manager Mike Neu said in the presentation.
Under the proposal developers would pay for direct frontage improvements with no impact-fee credits; for other adjacent segments they would receive transportation-impact-fee credits equal to the work value. Staff cited specific projects that would drive demand along Fifteenth Avenue: Dillon's Grove (27 lots), Lakota (16 lots), Magnolia Acres (16 lots), Highlands Park (approved CDD) and Countryway 2 (planned ~550 units).
Commissioners asked about sidewalks, sewer and water lines. Staff said force mains and looping water mains would likely be necessary and that water/sewer expansions would be funded from enterprise funds or development charges rather than transportation impact fees. Staff also noted some property owners on more rural sections preferred to keep those stretches unpaved or just chip-sealed to avoid increased traffic.
Next steps: Staff will follow up with Alachua County staff and the county manager about right-of-way acquisition and potential county project management; staff said it would report back in approximately two weeks. Commissioners asked staff to "sleep on" the proposal and return with more detail before committing city funds.
Ending: The plan would transfer ownership and maintenance of completed segments to the city after construction if the partnership proceeds; the commission requested further cost refinement and confirmed the need for county engagement.
