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Resident urges council to protect large oaks, push for Ridgewood/US 1 access at 1st Business Park
Summary
At the Aug. 18 meeting, resident Linda Mosier urged Edgewater leaders to require the commercial entrance for the 1st Business Park be located on Ridgewood (or on US 1) to avoid removal of large oaks and to prevent construction truck traffic through residential streets; the city manager said staff will explore site-plan changes and contact FDOT.
Linda Mosier urged the council to preserve a stand of mature oaks at the entrance to Majestic Oaks and to require that the commercial entrance for the 1st Business Park at 2360 South Ridgewood originate on Ridgewood rather than routing trucks through nearby neighborhoods. "The commercial entrance to 1st Business Park on 2360 South Ridgewood needs to originate on Ridgewood," Mosier said, adding that access from US 1 "eliminates the need for any oak tree removals at all, thereby protecting the flood mitigation benefits of those root systems."
Mosier told the council the Majestic Oaks entrance canopy contains about 20 large oaks and argued that city codes restrict truck routes through residential areas. She noted she was "aware that FDOT does not support access from US 1," and asked the council to "enforce standing ordinances" and direct staff "to partner with 1st Business Park in lobbying FDOT for approval of direct access from US 1."
Mayor DePauw acknowledged the concern and asked the interim city manager to weigh in. Interim City Manager Mahoney said staff has been working with the development services director and the business park engineer to explore possible site-plan modifications and that he had not yet had in-depth conversations with FDOT. "It does seem like there may be some solutions to possibly lessen impact to the oak trees," Mahoney said, and added he would follow up with FDOT and report back to council.
The comments came after council members noted the PUD had been approved at a prior meeting; Mosier asked that, notwithstanding that approval, the city still seek ways to avoid tree removals and to keep heavy truck traffic off Oak Ranch and other residential streets. Mosier also cited a BPUD ordinance provision (referenced in her remarks) that the change "will not have a negative effect on the character of the surrounding area," and said the proposed access change would conflict with that standard.
The council did not reverse the previously approved PUD at the meeting; Mayor DePauw and staff said they would pursue additional conversations with the developer and FDOT and report back at a future meeting.
