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AMSCD Looks to "Calm Traffic" in Ave Maria Town Center

The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District board agreed Tuesday that measures need to be taken to slow down traffic in the town center and make the streets safer for pedestrians.

Barron Collier engineer Dan Brundage presented a report and several options for adding or installing better warnings for crosswalks, electronic "speed notification" signs and more aggressive enforcement by the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

The board approved proceeding with development of specific quotes for design and permitting of better crosswalk warning systems, which could include lights on signs as well as on the roadway, at five locations in the town center: one at each intersection of Annunciation Circle and Ave Maria Blvd.; one at the crosswalk on the south side of Annunciation Circle; one at a new crosswalk to be constructed on the north side of Annunciation Circle; and one at the intersection of Avila Ave. and Taylor Dr., where 4-way stop signs also will be installed soon. Exact proposals for the type of warning systems will be presented at a future board meeting. The cost per location would range from $17,000 to $30,000, Mr. Brundage said, depending on what features were selected.

Mr. Brundage said he specifically was not recommending speed humps, which he said could impede emergency vehicles and impact drainage, and the board agreed.

Lt. Tim Pratt of the Sheriff's Office said in an interview after the meeting that he also would look to beef up enforcement of traffic laws – particularly speeding – in the town center.

Additional Maple Ridge Development

Barron Collier executive David Genson briefed the board on two expansions of the Maple Ridge development – a new neighborhood of smaller, lower-cost, higher-density single-family homes called Coquina at Maple Ridge and Phase Three of the main development. Both required the board's approval, which was granted, for changes relating to how some property is currently configured.

Coquina at Maple Ridge would build 263 houses on 45 acres currently planned for either expansion of the Middlebrooke townhome neighborhood, which would not proceed, or part of the Park of Commerce. The land is currently owned by Ave Maria Development and would be acquired by CC Ave Maria, the joint venture of Barron Collier Cos. and CC Devco, Mr. Genson said. A total of 48 Middlebrooke units were built, out of a planned 320.

The Coquina development would abut Phase Three of Maple Ridge, which is planned for 211 homes, about 36 percent larger than the combined total for Phases One and Two.

Mr. Genson said that the developers plan to begin work on Phase Three of Maple Ridge this summer, and to receive all necessary approvals for Coquina by the fall with the hope of having homes available in early 2015.

In response to questions about other potential construction projects in Ave Maria, which were identified by Barron Collier President Blake Gable a year ago as being at the top of the list, Mr. Genson said they are no further along. They included development of an assisted living center and apartment complex, both of which Mr. Gable said he hoped to be moving forward on by about this time, and a 150-acre lake park near Arthrex.

In other actions at the meeting, the board:

- approved development of a policy that would specify guidelines for signs placed on the side of district roadways, such as Ave Maria Blvd. The policy would be reviewed at a future meeting.

- approved in principle a measure to pre-qualify certain contractors so that some repair work, such as one project that needs to be done currently at one of the lakes in town, can be more expeditiously processed.

- approved changes in district rules and procedures that were recommended by the district's law firm to bring rules into alignment with current Florida statutes.

 

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