Town of Montverde - Lake County, Florida

The Town of Montverde

CR 455 Corridor Master Plan

Prepared for:

Town of Montverde and Lake County

Prepared by:

May 2008

The Town of Montverde

is a historic community, whose name means "green hill." Thirty minutes from Downtown Orlando and major attractions, the small community is defined by its rural surroundings while still within close proximity to regional resources. The unique scenic quality and rural community life are valued by the residents of the Town of Montverde, who would like to see their way of life preserved for

years to come.

The Town of Montverde, the site of an early Indian settlement, has a long and rich history. The first non-Native American residents arrived in 1865 and called the place West Lake Apopka. The Town was incorporated on May 18th, 1925. From 1887 to 1969, the Town was served by the Tavares and Gulf railroad, which used the connection mainly to haul agricultural products. Past industries include a

cement plant, a facility for drying and processing moss for furniture, and the original manufacturing plant of the Snapper Mower.

Located on the west shore of Lake Apopka along the Lake Wales Ridge, the Town is blessed with rolling topography and views rare in Florida. The Town of Montverde is part of the Green Mountain Scenic Byway. The rolling hills and winding roadway draw cyclists from around the world for competition, training, and touring. The Byway is one of the most popular cycling routes in Florida, and is the site of several internationally recognized triathlons each year. In addition to cyclists, the Green

Mountain Scenic Byway is a favorite of motorcyclists, antique car clubs, and Sunday drivers.

Montverde has maintained its small town rural character and life. The Town takes pride in its many civic facilities, including town hall, the community center, Kirk Park, Lake Florence Park, the cemetery framed by moss-draped live oaks, and the Mediterranean Revival buildings of the 125-acre campus of the Montverde Academy. The oldest building in the Town is the historic Harper House, which

dates from the mid 1870s. These facilities add to a strong sense of identity and community.

The Town of Montverde is at a unique and significant time in its history. Due to the pace of suburban development in surrounding Lake County, the Town is experiencing pressure on its roadway infrastructure. Development pressures are providing opportunities to develop within the town. Careful planning is needed to ensure that future growth adds to the fabric of the community while preserving the

rural identity and lifestyle of the Town.

This report outlines public investments that can assist the Town of Montverde to revitalize the historic Town Center, serve vehicular travel while improving safety and pedestrian access, increase access to Lake Apopka, and reinforce the historic

character of the community.

Photo by Leslie Gensheimer

Sections

1.

Introduction

2.

Community Engagement

3.

Background Analysis

4.

Needs Assessment

5.

Recommendations

6.

Magnitude of Cost Estimate

Appendix

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Community Engagement 2.1 Public Involvement Plan

3. Background Analysis 3.1 Right-of-Way 3.2 Existing Roadway Conditions 3.3 Drainage Analysis 3.4 Traffic Analysis 3.5 Crash Data 3.6 Land Use Plans 3.7 Transportation Plans 3.8 Soil Survey and Geotechnical Data 3.9 Contamination/Hazardous Materials Sites 3.10 Cultural Features 3.11 Archaeological and Historic Features 3.12 Hydraulic and Natural Features 3.13 Threatened and Endangered Species 3.14 Community Values

4. Needs Assessment 4.1 Elements of a Town 4.2 Town Center 4.3 Parks and Open Space 4.4 Community Buildings 4.5 Neighborhoods 4.6 Streets 4.7 Design Principles 4.8 Needs

5. Recommendations 5.1 Description of Recommendations 5.2 Impact Analysis

6. Magnitude of Cost Estimate

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The Town of Montverde CR 455 Master Plan

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Study Area Figure 2: Roadway Right-of-Way Figure 3: Drainage Basin Map Figure 4: Soils Map Figure 5: Floodplain Information Figure 6: CR 455/Gladys Street Drainage Concerns Figure 7: CR 455/10th Street Drainage Concerns Figure 8: CR 455/Franklin to Porter Avenue Drainage Concerns Figure 9: CR 455/Ridgewood Avenue Drainage Concerns Figure 10: Traffic Count Locations by Type Figure 11: Existing Intersection Geometry Figure 12: Existing AADT Volumes Figure 13: Existing AM Peak Hour Turning Movement Volumes and Intersection LOS Figure 14: Existing PM Peak Hour Turning Movement Volumes and Intersection LOS Figure 15: Future Land Use Plan Figure 16: Possible Future Roadway Network Figure 17: Soils Map Figure 18: Lake Wales Ridge Area in Lake County and Orange County Figure 19: Contaminated Sites Figure 20: Civic Facilities Figure 21: Bald Eagle Nests within and near the Town of Montverde (2006/2007 Nesting Season) Figure 22: Current Uses in the Town Center Figure 23: Parks and Open Space Figure 24: Sidewalks Figure 25: Overview of Recommendations Figure 26: Section View of Town Center, Porter Avenue to Lakeside Drive Figure 27: Sketch of Town Center, Porter Avenue to Lakeside Drive Figure 28: Proposed Directional Sign and Town Gateway Figure 29: Roundabout at Fosgate Road Figure 30: Roundabout at Lakeside Drive Figure 31: Roundabout at Ridgewood Avenue Figure 32: Bicycle Lanes North Section Figure 33: Town Center West Section Figure 34: Porter Avenue to Lakeside Drive Section Figure 35: Montverde Academy Section Figure 36: Curb and Gutter Section Figure 37: Park Lane Section Figure 38: CR 455/Gladys Street Drainage Recommendations Figure 39: CR 455/10th Street Drainage Recommendations Figure 40: CR 455/Lakeside Drive to Porter Avenue Drainage Recommendations Figure 41: CR 455/Porter Avenue to Ridgewood Avenue Drainage Recommendations Figure 42: Conceptual Plan for Truskett Park Figure 43: Sketch of Pavilion at Truskett Park Figure 44: Conceptual Plan for the Osgood Site if it Were to Develop Figure 45: Conceptual Plan of Green Mountain Cultural Park

The Town of Montverde CR 455 Master Plan

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List of Tables

Table 1: List of Stakeholders Table 2: CR 455 from South of Ridgewood Avenue to West of Fosgate Road

? Year 2007 Existing Roadway Characteristics Table 3: CR 455 from South of Ridgewood Avenue to West of Fosgate Road

? Design Traffic Characteristics Comparison Table 4: CR 455 from South of Ridgewood Avenue to West of Fosgate Road

? Recommended Design Traffic Characteristics Table 5: Location of Crashes Table 6: Crash Types Table 7: Contributing Cause of Crash Table 8: Approved Development Table 9: Soils Types Table 10: Wildlife and Plant Species Listed as Threatened, Endangered,

and/or Species of Special Concern that Potentially Occur in the Study Area, Lake County, Florida Table 11: Issues Identified by the Community Table 12: Needs Table 13: Summary of Recommendations Table 14: Figure 2 from FDOT 14-97.003 Access Management Classification System and Standards Controlled Access Facilities Table 15: 2030 PM Peak LOS Comparison of Alternative Improvements Table 16: CR 455 PM Peak Hour LOS from South of Ridgewood Avenue to West of Fosgate Road - with Proposed Roundabouts at Fosgate Road, Lakeside Drive, and Ridgewood Avenue Table 17: Impact Analysis Table 18: Measures of Effectiveness Table 19: Magnitude of Cost Estimate

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The Town of Montverde CR 455 Master Plan

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