Gainesville planning staff recommends tabling request to abandon section of Broad Street

GAINESVILLE - The staff of the Gainesville Planning Division is recommending that the planning and appeals board table a request to abandon a section of Broad Street on the east side of town.<br /> <br /> Medical Arts Properties, L.P. is proposing to abandon a 561-foot portion of the street between Prior Street and Spring Street. The adjacent properties are owned by the applicant and include the Longstreet Clinic medical offices, parking deck /lots and green space. For this reason, the applicant would like to have the ability to adjoin the adjacent tracts to allow better flexibility for the future use of the property. <br /> <br /> The Gainesville Public Works Department does not support abandoning the right-of-way because traffic counts do not support closing of the segment of the road, the road is needed for emergency traffic movement should an <br /> <br /> accident occur on an adjacent street, the need for fire/safety access, and the need for maintenance of existing infrastructure and utility (storm drain and water/sewer).<br /> <br /> The city fire department, commenting on the proposal, said Broad Street is an important thruway for emergency response to the surrounding medical community. The entrance to the parking deck and fire vault to the Longstreet building will be affected with this closure. Fire response and service will be delayed as the Jesse Jewell side is presently "compromised" with traffic and a congested parking lot.<br /> <br /> Based on the presence of existing utilities, the amount of vehicular trips per day and the concerns expressed by the fire and public works departments, the Planning Division staff is recommending that the request be tabled until further details can be provided by the applicant.<br />

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