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DRAFT Comments and Coordination Report Neptune Road PD&E FPID: 445415-1 PS-18-9905-DG ETDM: 14402 Federal Aid Project Number: N/A Prepared for: Osceola County, Florida Department of Transportation and Transit 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 3100 Kissimmee, FL 34741 NOVEMBER 2019 Prepared by: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 COMMENTS AND COORDINATION REPORT OVERVIEW ..................................................................1 2.0 PROJECT GOALS ............................................................................................................................1 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................1 4.0 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM ................................................................................................4 4.1 Public Outreach Overview ................................................................................................................... 4 4.2 Outreach Techniques .......................................................................................................................... 4 4.2.1 Project Website ............................................................................................................................ 4 4.2.2 Newsletters ................................................................................................................................... 5 5.0 AGENCY COORDINATION ..............................................................................................................6 6.0 PUBLIC OUTREACH ..................................................................................................................... 10 6.1 Alternatives Public Meeting .............................................................................................................. 10 6.2 Public Hearing .................................................................................................................................... 11 7.0 LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS ................................................................................................ 12 8.0 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 12 EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Project Location ............................................................................................................................ 2 Exhibit 2: Project Limits................................................................................................................................. 3 Exhibit 3: Comments from Project Website ................................................................................................. 5 Exhibit 4: Comments Received from Alternatives Meeting ........................................................................ 11 APPENDICES Appendix A: Public Involvement Program Appendix B: Advance Notification Appendix C: Alternatives Public Meeting Summary (April 11, 2019) Appendix D: Public Hearing Summary (TBD, 2020) Appendix E: Board of County Commissioners Presentation Summary (May 13, 2019) Comments and Coordination Report i Neptune Road Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study November 2019 │ Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. 1.0 COMMENTS AND COORDINATION REPORT OVERVIEW This report documents the public involvement activities accomplished throughout the Neptune Road Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study process. This report includes various correspondence received from coordination efforts with the public-at-large, local, state, and federal agencies, and other project stakeholders. This document also includes copies of notification materials, project newsletters, presentation handouts, sign-in sheets, comments forms, as well as additional supplementary materials developed as part of the public outreach process. 2.0 PROJECT GOALS The overall goal of the Neptune Road PD&E Study is to develop a locally preferred alternative concept to enhance mobility from US 192 and St. Cloud to Downtown Kissimmee, improve access to NeoCity, and improve overall traffic operations of the existing highway network within the project study area with minimized social, economic, and environmental impacts. 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION This project involves a 3.9-mile segment of Neptune Road extending from Partin Settlement Road to US 192 in Osceola County, Florida. The section east of the St. Cloud canal (approximately 1.1 miles in length) is within the City of St. Cloud. From Partin Settlement Road to Old Canoe Creek Road, the proposed project improves the existing 2-lane roadway to a 4-lane, divided roadway with a curbed median, with premium bicycle and pedestrian facilities (i.e., bike lanes, multiuse path(s), and/or sidewalks). From Old Canoe Creek Road to US 192, the project widens the existing 2-lane roadway to 4- lanes with sidewalks. Bridge structures are to be replaced and stormwater management facilities will be evaluated. Exhibit 1 illustrates the project location and Exhibit 2 illustrates the project limits. Comments and Coordination Report 1 Neptune Road Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study November 2019 │ Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Exhibit 1: Project Location Comments and Coordination Report 2 Neptune Road Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study November 2019 │ Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Exhibit 2: Project Limits Comments and Coordination Report 3 Neptune Road Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study November 2019 │ Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. 4.0 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM A Public Involvement Program (PIP) was developed and has been carried out as part of the Neptune Road PD&E Study. The PIP was developed in compliance with the “Project Development and Environment Manual,” Florida Statute 339.155, Executive Orders 11990 and 11988, CEQ Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, and 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 771. The purpose of the PIP was to document the tools and techniques used to establish and maintain communication with the public-at-large, local, state, and federal agencies, and other project stakeholders. As a result of extensive public involvement, the project team has been able to effectively build consensus among interested stakeholders. The PIP is provided in Appendix A. 4.1 PUBLIC OUTREACH OVERVIEW Public outreach is a key component of this study. The ability to build consensus among affected stakeholders and the public-at-large is vital to the successful outcome of this study. The overall goal of public outreach is to enable the results of the study to be reflective of the values and needs of the community at-large. 4.2 OUTREACH TECHNIQUES The project team has employed several outreach techniques geared towards reaching the affected public and the community at-large. Public outreach techniques included a project website, project newsletters, mailings to local, state, and federal agencies and property owners/tenants in the study area, display advertisements in the Osceola News Gazette, and press releases to local media outlets. 4.2.1 PROJECT WEBSITE A project website (http://www.improveneptuneroad.com), was created which provided updated information about the project. The website initially introduced the study and described the initial improvement concept, provided answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), identified the study schedule, provided contact information and provided an opportunity to provide comments. The FAQs were expanded during the study to include responses to additional questions from the public and the website was updated to include the various newsletters. Alternatives being considered were posted prior to the Alternatives Meeting and materials presented at the meeting were added following the meeting. The Preferred Alternative was posted after considering input from the Alternatives Meeting. Exhibit 3 summarizes the 21 comments received from the project website (not including comments from seven people in response to the Alternatives Meeting which are included on Exhibit 5-2). Most comments were requesting additional information about the project, which was provided to them. Four comments requested a full median at Twelve Oaks Circle. Single comments were provided about the following: Improve Neptune Road as soon as possible (ASAP), Access concerns about Sugar Cane Drive, Fix the Peg Horn Sough, Supports the improvement, Don’t widen the portion east of Old Canoe Creek Road to the south side of the road, and Request to be added to the mailing list. Comments and Coordination Report 4 Neptune Road Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study November 2019 │ Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Exhibit 3: Comments from Project Website Section to be completed following the Public Hearing. 4.2.2 NEWSLETTERS Three bilingual (English and Spanish) newsletters were prepared for the study and mailed to each property owner and occupant (if different from property owner) located along the corridor. The initial mailing list included properties within 300 feet of the corridor; however, the list was expanded to include adjacent neighborhoods with any properties within the 300-foot buffer. The newsletters were sent early in the study to provide notice of the initiation of the study, prior to the Alternatives Meeting to notify people of the meeting, and prior to the Public Hearing to notify people of the hearing. Comments and Coordination Report 5 Neptune Road Project