Florida Senate - 2010                             CS for SB 1842
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       596-04400-10                                          20101842c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to transportation projects; creating
    3         s. 335.199, F.S.; directing the Department of
    4         Transportation to notify local governmental entities
    5         of certain proposed projects before the design is
    6         finalized; providing a timeframe for notification;
    7         requiring the local governmental entity to receive and
    8         review public input regarding the effects of the
    9         project on local business and to provide comments to
   10         the department; directing the department to consider
   11         the comments in the final design of the project;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13  
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 335.199, Florida Statutes, is created to
   17  read:
   18         335.199 Transportation projects modifying access to
   19  adjacent property.—
   20         (1) Whenever the Department of Transportation proposes any
   21  project on the State Highway System which will divide a state
   22  highway, erect median barriers modifying currently available
   23  vehicle turning movements, or have the effect of closing or
   24  modifying an existing access to an abutting property owner, the
   25  department shall notify all affected municipalities and counties
   26  at least 180 days before the design of the project is finalized.
   27         (2) If the project is within the boundaries of a
   28  municipality, the notification shall be issued in writing to the
   29  chief elected official of the municipality. If the project is in
   30  the unincorporated area of a county, the notification shall be
   31  issued in writing to the chief elected official of the county.
   32         (3) The affected municipality or county must receive and
   33  review public input on how the dividing of the state highway,
   34  the erecting of median barriers, or the closing or modifying of
   35  access will affect access to businesses and the potential
   36  economic impact of the project on the local business community.
   37  The affected municipality or county shall have 60 days after the
   38  date the notice is provided under this section to provide
   39  comments to the department regarding how the project will affect
   40  access to businesses and the potential economic impact of the
   41  project on the local business community.
   42         (4) The department must review all comments submitted by a
   43  local governmental entity under this section and must take the
   44  comments into consideration in the final design of the highway
   45  project.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.