MILT THOMAS

The Vero Beach Planning and Zoning Board yesterday voted 4-1 to recommend long debated changes to the downtown Twin Pairs. Planning director, Tim McGarry, presented results of the Kimley-Horn and Associates study, “SR60 Twin Pairs Traffic Calming Feasibility Study” to Board members and an audience composed largely of traffic calming supporters.

The primary purpose of traffic calming would be to diminish the risk to pedestrians and general safety. Additional benefits would be to increase parking and enhance the downtown as a destination, which would also encourage more retail, restaurant and residential development.

The study showed that reducing the Twin Pairs from three traffic lanes eastbound and four lanes westbound to two lanes in each directions would not affect the road’s ability to handle traffic through 2035, including evacuations, and would meet concurrency requirements. The room created by closing two lanes west and one lane east could be used for parking, bike paths and beautification. Additional room would be created by reducing traffic lane widths from the current interstate dimensions to more conventional city street widths.

The speed limit could also be reduced from 40 mph to 30-35 mph. It was generally agreed by just about everyone in attendance that the current speed limits were routinely exceeded. The study showed that by narrowing the traffic lanes and allowing parking, drivers would naturally slow down.

The cost for changes and improvements were estimated between $680,000 and $1.09 million depending on which improvements were implemented. The width dimensions of both Twin Pairs would remain unchanged, only space allocations and restriping, which represents the low end figure. Adding beautification and colored striping can bring the cost up to the maximum number. One way to reduce the city’s cost for this project would be to wait until the Department of Transportation’s next scheduled resurfacing in seven years. However, Kimley-Horn representative, Brian Good, told the Board that the City has about three years to make final decisions on the project and inform the Department of Transportation if they are to be incorporated in the next scheduled resurfacing.

After McGarry presented the Kimley-Horn study, 17 people spoke, 14 of them in favor of Board approval including City Council member Tracy Carroll. Only one person spoke against any changes and the other two suggested alternative plans. One of the last speakers, Scott Chisholm, owner of Scott’s Sporting Goods on the corner of SR60 westbound and 14th Avenue, said, “The city owes it to downtown, the historic heart of our community, to have safe streets.” He pointed out that the city has spent millions on improvements to Miracle Mile, the beach shopping district and Royal Palm Pointe and now it’s time to improve downtown.

The board then voted, with only Mark Mucher voting no because he opposed reducing the Twin Pairs to two traffic lanes each way.

Because the Planning and Zoning Board’s role is strictly to recommend that City Council adopt the study’s findings, the specifics as to the final design and implementation are yet to be decided and acted upon by the Council.