Infrastructure Phasing Report
The Infrastructure Phasing Report, accepted by the City Commission on November 9, 2005 and by the County Commission on January 10, 2006, was prepared in order to examine the relationship of infrastructure planning, specifically for central water and sewer, to land use planning as it occurs in Tallahassee-Leon County. The main objective was to look at how planning for future development is related to planning for infrastructure. While the issues addressed in this Report are complex and multi-faceted, planning for infrastructure in Tallahassee-Leon County can be summarized into two basic components. A) serving existing development that is located within the current USA boundary and; B) serving future development in designated Urban Fringe or other greenfield areas and redevelopment areas.
The Planning Department has defined Infrastructure Phasing as the progressive extension of urban services, specifically, central water and sewer services to all properties within the Urban Services Area (USA) boundary within a specified time frame and the planned extension of the USA boundary and such services in the future. This entails principles for infrastructure extension as well as a prioritization process for purposes of determining the timing and location of future infrastructure improvements. Primary to these objectives is the protection of Wakulla Springs through the development of environmentally sound wastewater treatment regulations. Secondary to these objectives, is the development of an appropriate response to address septic tank abatement and prevention of the continued development of barriers to future utility expansion.
Analysis has shown that most new development of any magnitude is not occurring within the current USA boundary without central water and sewer service. This is mainly due to the policies within the Water and Sewer Agreement between the City of Tallahassee and Leon County as well as policies found within the Comprehensive Plan. Similarly, most larger vacant and developable land tracts within the USA, such as Welaunee, the Southside Development of Regional Impact, and the Colin English property, are going to be served by central water and sewer. However, at the time the Infrastructure Phasing Report was written, there were approximately 17,410 existing septic tanks within the USA boundary, mostly within the unincorporated County. These existing septic tanks geographically ring the existing City limits. In essence, this means that the only remaining issue in terms of providing central water and sewer service to the existing USA by the year 2020 is retrofit of existing septic tanks/wells to central sewer and or water. The Report recommends prioritizing any such retrofit issues by degree of environmental sensitivity.
Leon Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment (LAVA)
The Floridan Aquifer System is the most important source of fresh water in Leon County. All aquifers are vulnerable to contamination to some degree and different areas require different levels of protection. The Leon Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment (LAVA) modeling project will allow the identification of areas which, based on predictive spatial analysis, are more vulnerable to contamination from land surface. LAVA is an important step towards the future protection of water quality within Tallahassee-Leon County. The project is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed in July of 2007.
The Infrastructure Phasing Report recommended the completion of LAVA. Many recommendations within the Report as well as within current Comprehensive Plan policy were specifically related to such assessment as follows.
- The Report recommends completing financial analysis of providing sewer to the Woodville Rural Community as part othe upcoming Sewer Master Plan update. The Report also recommended linking future sewer extensions and infrastructure investments with the Future densities and intensities provided for on the current Land Use Map. This involves a better understanding of where sewer services are financially feasible in the future and how this matches the development potential provided on the current Future Land Use Map. Providing central sewer to the Woodville Rural Community is anticipated to increase densities and development potential in this area.
- The Infrastructure Phasing Report also directs sewer retrofit and septic tank abatement efforts to areas of environmental sensitivity first and foremost.
- The Report recommends that areas of environmental sensitivity where sewer cannot be extended due to lower residential densities or other infeasibilities will need to be evaluated for any negative environmental effects associated with the installation of traditional septic tanks systems. In these areas, more appropriate nitrogen reducing systems may need to be mandated to mitigate any negative impacts.
- Current Comprehensive Plan policy also prioritizes sewer extension to areas of environmental sensitivity. However, before central sewer services can be directed to areas of environmental sensitivity or advanced on-site systems can be mandated through the land use planning program or regulatory schema, research mapping must occur that identifies areas of vulnerability where such requirements and expenditures would be justifiable. Such mapping will also provide a better understanding of the potential impacts to Wakulla Springs should increased densities and development occur in the Woodville Rural Community.