HomeMy WebLinkAboutRoute Battle Threatens to Delay Tri-County Beltline-1974 Route Battle Threatens
By DICK MARLOWE without a road to build. Having main entrance to Walt Disney World),
Business Editor recently completed the $75 million skirt the northern suburbs of Kis=
For more than 20 years, the dream East-West Expressway, the auth- simmee, past Florida Turnpike —
�f an outer than
that would whim ority is taking a look at the massive then curve to the northeast across
traffic around the beltline that would
on and complex project of the much- the Osceola County line and to its
highspeed trip from anywhere on discussed outer beltline. juncture with the eastern corridor of
everywhere highspe has been in the minds to of As with all roads that are destined the proposed beltline.
harried motorists and eager develop- to have great impact on an area, the
g P beltline concept has often fallen,into THE CONTROVERSY started in
ers. roaring controversies. January 1973 when Nelson R. Boice
A few years ago, it was estimated Jr., president of Florida Ranch
that the beltline around Metropolitan SUCH IS THE case now —even as Lands Inc. approached the Florida
Orlando could be built for about$120 the beltline concept appears to be Department of Transportation with
million. Currently, the figure is nearing fruition. an'alternate route for the southern
estimated at $200 million — and To bring the happenings up to date corridor of the beltline.
growing. on the proposed road, here is the Boice went to the DOT armed with
THE FLORIDA Department of scorebard:. a powerful argument.
VTN Inc., consulting engineering
Transportation has indicated there firm has recently completed a stud Three of his clients indicated they
y would donate nine full m i 1 e s of
are
estructi ands availabll much r the for Orange County, selecting the right-of-way — if the corridor could
road. The corridor for the western loop of the be swung to the north, bringing it
problem, then, has been beltline. Howard, Needles, Tammen through Orange County.
left on the shoulders of the Orlando- and Bergendoff engineering firm has
Orange County Expressway Auth- been hired by the authority and the BOICE DELIVERED,letters from
ority. DOT to determine the corridor for his clients to the DOT indicating
The authority, headed by Chair- the eastern route. Since both the their willingness to donate the
man James B. Greene, is now studies start at the top of the beltline right-of-way — a big portion of the
at Interstate 4 near Longwood, three expense in any road construction.
sides of the belt are accounted for in Boice further argues that the
the two studies. beltline proposal is incomplete. For
when the southern corridor drops
ALTHOUGH THERE certainly will
be some controversies before ab- down to join U.S. 192, it does not join
oluso corridors are fixed, most the western route of the proposed
interested beltline. That connection would be
parties generally agree served by an existing free road, SR
about the location of the north, east 535.
and west corridors. "It doesn't make sense," says
On the South end of the beltline, Boice. "If someone used that for a
controversy looms strong and heavy, belt, their britches would fall off."
In Osceola County money and time
already have been spent in plans to BOICE, ADMITTING his interest
extend U. S. 192 from.SR 535 through in the project is to make money for
a corridor just north of Kissimmee, his clients and himself, nevertheless
across the Florida Turnpike and to sticks to his argument that his route
an intersection with the proposed is an improvement, and the proposed
beltline at the southeastern corner route further south was designed
of the loop. more to appease the Osceola Coun-
That extension, to be called SR tians than to serve the best purpose.
530-A, would serve as the southern Actually, Boice has two plans.
corridor of the beltline. The route, The one being debated currently, is
already plotted, would pick up at U. the plan to swing the route of the
S. 192 (the road that goes past the southern corridor from U.S. 192 on a
17 yo 3 .2-4(
• •
To Delay
steep northward line into Orange ceola County Commission, said, all proposals, said he has not had
County — as mentioned earlier. "The Osceola County people are 100 time to study the engineering aspects
His second proposal is to drop that per cent for leaving the alignment in of the Boice proposal, but said any
route altogether and bring the Osceola County. There is the feeling offer should he considered when
southern corridor of the beltline all that Orange County is trying to steal such a substantial amount of proper-
the • way across Orange County, it away." ty is offered as a donation.
joining the western corridor at "
SAID there is no justifica ` A n investigation should be
Interstate 4 near Lake Buena Vista. tion for moving the road — except made," said Benedict, "to determine
USING EITHER route, the same for the donation of right-of-way. if the proposal would benefit the
land-holders would donate the right- "The traffic would be the same in taxpayers.'
of-way. Boice argues that such a either case," said Beck. "When you Greene, the authority chairman,
route would bring the southern start trying to justify why it should said "feasibility and engineering are
corridor right through the middle of be moved, the only consideration is out of my field of expertise, but such
the undeveloped strip of "flat- the donation of property." an offer has to be considered."
woods" land between Orlando and According to Beck, Osceola County He said land contributions of that
Kissimmee. property owners also would donate size are "not unusual" in coun-
In Osceola County, however, citi- at least a portion of the land — if the tryside areas such as the one in
zens have become vocal over any route remains the same as now question. There is no question, said
proposal that would take the road planned. Greene, that the value of the land
out of Osceola County. "I don't like to speculate on how along the chosen corridor will
Bill Beck, chairman of the Os- much of it would be donated," said increase drastically.
Beck, "but I believe it could be up to Boice contends, however, that the
70 or 80 per cent." land would remain as relativeiy
AT ANY RATE, Beck said the "low cost" land — even though the
DOT has left the decision in the southern corridor of the beltline cuts
hands of the Osceola County Corn- right through it — when compared
mission. At a meeting Wednesday with land prices in more populated
night, C. A. Benedict, Fifth District areas of Orange, Seminole and
engineer for the DOT, held a public Osceola Counties.
hearing on the matter in Kissimmee. According to Boice, the price of the
At the meeting, said Beck, "Be- land in south Orange County might
nedict placed the decision in our even remain at low enough costs to
lap." make it feasible to develop low cost
The Osceola County route also has housing — a problem that has been
been unanimously approved by the pointed to by the Orlando Area
four senators and five represen- Chamber of Commerce as the great-
tatives who make up the Osceola est deterrant to the area's growth.
Legislative Delegation.
Benedict, who is obligated to study
?y 3 .17
Route Battle may
From Page 1-F my clients," he adds East-West Expressway, said portation system for the Me-
quickly—"but that doesn't preliminary studies have in- tropolitan Orlando area—if
Boice represents Boggy mean I have no public dicated some muck along the such a system ever becomes a
Creek Investment Co.,Mead- interest." Boice-proposed route, but reality.
ville Inc.,of Philadelphia;and Boice believes his plan is that the problem is of no In fact, says Boice, his
a group of investors best for a number of reasons. consequence.The pockets,he clients will also contribute
represented by First National His plan is to try and get the said, are only three to four right-of-way for a mass tran-
Bank of Palm Beach — the alternate proposal out in the feet deep—compared with sit corridor leading from
trustee. open so that everyone in- one muck pocket that Orlando Jetport at McCoy to
Boice will not identify the volved will know of the plan. reached a depth of 40 feet Walt Disney World —if the
principals involved in the WHILE GREENE and along the alignment of the southern route of the beltline
three companies except to Benedict concur that the plan East-West Expressway. is allowed to go through his
say some of them are "na hould be investigated to de- BERTOSSA ALSO con-
s clients'properties.
tionally prominent people termine if it would result in tends that the beltline project BOICE FEELS a central
who are able and capable of savings to taxpayers, at least is of vital interest to the area station in South Orange
donating and holding the one involved party feels the regardless of the chosen County could serve as a.
land until it becomes a plan has merit from an en- corridors. ■transfer point between the
dollarwise value." gineering point of view. Bertossa said the project mass transit system between
BOICE SAID his clients are Harry Bertossa,consulting will need complete coopera- the Jetport and Disney;.
not interested in developing engineer with Howard; tion between counties, the World, Orlando-Miami turbo
the property themselves, but Needles, Tammen and Ber. Department of Transporta- train service proposed by
are interested in the property gendoff,said the plan, "has a tion, the Orlando-Orange Gov. Reubin Askew, and any
"purely as an investment." lot of merit." County Expressway mass transit system that
While Boice is quick to say Bertossa, whose firm also Authority, ehe property evolves between Tampa and
that his motivation is"trying worked with the expressway owners and the citizens of all Daytona.
to make money for me and authority in design of the three counties. To make that system work
"Time is of the es§ence," however,Boice also feels that
said Bertossa, "costs are es- the City of Orlando must give
calating at an unbelievable serious consideration to a
rate." road out of the Jetport to the
AND WHILE most of the _
land along the southern
corridor is still undeveloped, south — as well as the
Bertossa said any time delays proposed road to the north.
will make it necessary for the The mass transit system,
authority or the DOT to con- plus the turbo train and the
demn or acquire improved completed beltline, would
property rather than give Metropolitan Orlando its
undeveloped property. transportation needs for a
Since the expressway long time,Boice believes.
authority's power of con- After working on the con-
demnation and right to issue cept for some two years,
revenue bonds is valid only in Boice doesn't know much
Orange County, the highs- more about his chances of
peed beltline must be built as success than he did when he
a joint effort between the started.
authority and the DOT. His plan for the immediate
fn regard to the ever future, however, is to talk up
increasing costs, Bertossa his proposal so that all the
said, "When you have interested parties know of its
someone that is willing to existence.
donate a major piece of real —
estate—you have to take a
look at it."
BERTOSSA SAID his firm
is studying three alternate
routes for the eastern portion
of the beltline—and that all
the proposed alignments for
the southern corridor are ac-
ceptable from an engineering
p '7"7 v 3
point of view.
Boice also feels his
"complete beltline" plan will
work more harmoniously
with an overall mass trans-
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