Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Largo approves $475,000 to underground utilities tied to Largo Vista development
Summary
The commission authorized $475,000 from multimodal/transportation impact fees to fund off-site underground utilities for the 78-unit Largo Vista development, citing walkability, resiliency and risk of forfeiture of impact fees if unused.
The Largo City Commission voted unanimously on April 7 to authorize $475,000 in transportation and multimodal impact fee funds to underground off-site utilities in conjunction with the Largo Vista development.
Staff presentation and rationale
Barry Westmark, senior engineer, and Alicia Parrinello, assistant director of community development, described Largo Vista as a 78-unit apartment project on 1st Street Northwest that previously was a mobile-home park. The developer elected optional design standards including on-site undergrounding of certain lines (to secure density bonuses); staff recommended the city pay for off-site stretches of conduit and service upgrades that fall within city right-of-way to enable pedestrian improvements and the project's required pedestrian zone.
Westmark and Parrinello said multimodal impact fees can only be used for multimodal projects and must be spent within five years or be returned; staff said available funds in the trust justified the request. The staff recommendation described a cost split: the developer will underground the on-site orange-line segments as part of its obligations, and the city will fund the aqua-line off-site segments to complete the pedestrian corridor.
Commission discussion and vote
Commissioners asked about construction impacts, bore vs. open-cut work, benefits to adjacent residential properties and Duke Energy involvement. Staff said directional boring will avoid full road closures on 2nd Avenue NW and that the improvements provide resiliency and aesthetic benefits downtown.
A motion to authorize the $475,000 expenditure passed 7-0.
What the authorization does (and does not)
The authorization directs the expenditure of up to $475,000 of transportation/multimodal impact fee funds for undergrounding in conjunction with the Largo Vista development agreement; it does not change the development agreement text beyond implementing the off-site funding described by staff. Staff noted funds are eligible and at risk of forfeiture if not used in time.
Next steps
Staff will coordinate final design and scheduling with the developer and Duke Energy as appropriate, pursue the directional-bore approach for off-site segments, and report back with implementation details and project timing.
