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As a master planned community that is approved through the state required Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process, Viera plans well in advance for its infrastructure needs, which include roads.
Knowing how many homes may be built, how many square feet of retail and other commercial space is allowed, and what other major services are anticipated such as schools, a hospital and major recreational venues, Viera’s planners can determine what type of road network will work best for the community. As well, the planning team works with Brevard County and the Florida Department of Transportation to study roads outside of the community – those in place and those on the drawing boards – to anticipate the community’s traffic impact on area roads. This planning is done as each phase of development in Viera is approved and permitted, before any new homes are built.
Since its inception, all of Viera’s roads have been funded and built by The Viera Company. In addition, The Viera Company provides funding to make improvements on area roads where the traffic generated by Viera is “significant” and “adverse.” Moreover, The Viera Company has provided advanced funding and/or donated right-of-way well beyond its obligation as a DRI. For example, 120 acres of right-of-way was donated for the Pineda extension/interchange along with an additional $7 million for the construction of the Pineda Interchange. The Viera Blvd/I-95 overpass, which has helped decrease demand on Wickham Road substantially, was also designed and constructed by The Viera Company.
The Viera Blvd. overpass across I-95, constructed by The Viera Company, not only connects Viera East
with Central Viera, but has also helped reduce traffic on Wickham Road.
The next phase of the Viera development will include the Town Center District and part of the proposed West Viera expansion area. In response to concerns from the County and due to the current slowdown in the housing market, the number of residential units proposed for this phase has been reduced from 6,600 to 3,000. The Florida Department of Transportation conducted an independent analysis to determine what portion of area road capacities this reduced level of development will use. The analysis and discussions with the County and FDOT have resulted in a proposed contribution of $31.3 million to the construction or improvement of local roads and intersections. This $31.3 million contribution will fully mitigate for the projected transportation impacts related to the approved development. The funding includes:
Providing the right-of-way and construction of a full interchange at the
I-95/Viera Blvd. overpass
Completing the widening of Viera Blvd. to four lanes from Murrell Road to U.S. 1
Providing $10.77 million for the widening of Barnes Blvd. to four lanes from Fiske Blvd. to Murrell Road.
A variety of intersection improvements (such as adding turn lanes) benefitting Murrell Road, Barnes Blvd. and Fiske Blvd.
The Viera Company is also funding and constructing improvements to Wickham Road which will widen it to six lanes from Murrell Road to Lake Andrew Drive. The Viera Company also proposes to fund a $5 million right-of-way acquisition for a North/South road west of I-95 and parallel to Wickham called the Washingtonia extension.
The Viera Company has always met, and at times exceeded, the growth management obligations of the Viera DRI.
If Viera had been developed on a piecemeal basis as a non-DRI, taxpayers would have been responsible for all off-site road improvements required by the development. This is particularly noteworthy on Wickham Road, where The Viera Company has paid more to increase its capacity than the developers of the many subdivisions that exit onto this road. Within the ten-year period 1996-2006, Viera accounted for approximately 11 percent of the residential growth in Brevard County. The remaining 89% of residential growth has been the result of many individual developers who have neither constructed nor funded road improvements necessary to mitigate their projects’ traffic impacts except to the extent the County imposes transportation impact fees.
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