Capstone Project Assignment – Land Use HYPOTHETICALLongitudinal population densities (classified...

Capstone Project Assignment – Land Use Scenario:

You are the multi-modal freight unit of your state’s department of transportation. Due the availability of developable land, unrestrictive zoning codes, excess highway capacity, and the expansion of a port in a neighboring state, there has been a marked increase from shippers, distribution centers and manufacturers in locating to your state. In a time when the state budget is very tight, the Governor is looking at this growth as a way to close some funding gaps. The economic development authority is touting this as a way towards new jobs. However, there are a number of constituents with serious concerns about these trends. These include environmental and farmland conservation groups, residents, and DOT leaders who are concerned with the impact of an increase in heavy trucks on the deteriorating infrastructure. The DOT Commissioner has asked you to lead a study identifying the opportunities and challenges that this trend present. The study will forecast future land use and freight traffic given the current trends. It should present three alternatives (including the trend option), and offer policies and strategies the DOT could implement or support (e.g. a change in zoning law) that would help guide growth toward each outcome. The report should outline the goals of each stakeholder, and make a recommendation for the preferred alternative.

Your Assignment:

Make a recommendation that describes the course of action for developing this study. Specifically, the final product should address the following:

How will you go about identifying the three growth patterns?

What data sources will you need to estimate those trends and the possible impacts?

Who will be involved from other DOT departments and other state agencies, and in what capacity?

Who will be involved from the private sector, and in what capacity?

How should the citizenry be involved?

How will you select a preferred alternative?

What action steps will be needed to implement this alternative?

Product:

Be prepared to present your recommendations for development of a freight and land use study and answer questions to a panel of executive level members of the I-95 Corridor Coalition via a webcast. Each capstone group will give a 30 minute PowerPoint presentation, followed by

HYPOTHETICAL

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Q&A and discussion. You are also required to compile your recommendations into a final report (no more than 10 pages in length), due at the time of presentation. The report should be prepared as an executive briefing document that would be given to the DOT Commissioner and Governor’s Office.

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Regional Freight Land Use Development Strategies

Executive Briefing Report

August 2012

Peter Dahlberg, Minnesota Department of Transportation Marshall Farmer, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham Keith Kucharek, Maryland State Highway Administration Charles Moore, New York State Department of Transportation Renee Sigel, Federal Highway Administration – Pennsylvania Division

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This report is based on a hypothetical scenario developed through an academic exercise for the I-95 Corridor Coalition Freight Academy. The contents of this report should not be construed as factual in any way.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ………………….………………………………………………..…… 3 1.0 Existing Conditions: Growth Patterns and land Use …..………...…. 4 1.1 Identification of new industrial and logistical (I/L) operations 1.2 Population Growth 1.3 Traffic Mapping 1.4 Population Data 1.5 Collection of Topographic Data 1.6 Alternatives Development 2.0 Agency Coordination………………………………………………….……………… 5 2.1 Identification of Public Sector Stakeholders 2.2 Stakeholder Input 3.0 Private Sector Involvement………………………………………………………. 6 3.1 Identification of Private Stakeholders 3.2 Information Dissemination 3.3 Stakeholder Interviews 3.4 Stakeholder Guidance 4.0 Citizen Involvement.................................................................... 7 4.1 Creation of Citizen Committee and Role Definition 4.2 Implementation Methods 4.3 Innovative Outreach and Community Engagement 5.0 Selection of Preferred Alternative…………………………………………….. 10 5.1 Preliminary Data Gathering 5.2 Agency Coordination 5.3 Presentation of Detailed Study 6.0‐ Implementation of Preferred Alternative…………………….…………. 11 6.1 Development of Stakeholder Groups 6.2 Data Collection Analysis 6.3 Stakeholder Input 6.4 Stakeholder Recommendations 6.5 Incorporation of Stakeholders

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Executive Summary

This state is under tremendous pressure to develop freight facilities. The northern region of the state is ripe for freight facility development due to the close proximity of a growing port in a neighboring state, ample land availability with few zoning restrictions, and good highway access. Recognizing this state has multiple options to deal with this development pressure, the Governor has asked the state DOT to identify the challenges and opportunities this growth presents, and recommend policies and strategies to deal with this pressure that take into account the interests of the public sector, private sector and the general public. This report presents and action plan that outlines the steps the State DOT will take to ensure a quality outcome that meets these objectives. In an era of scarce resources and constrained budgets, opportunities must be investigated to create mutually beneficial public private partnerships. As a first step, this study will review existing conditions along with data collection and analysis. Specifically, the study will examine activity patterns, changes of land cover, employment data and transportation needs and constraints. Alternative scenarios will be developed using this baseline data and analysis of the alternatives will be performed. To improve freight transportation operations and support economic development in the region while protecting and enhancing the natural and human environment, the study will create a Goods Movement Advisory Committee consisting of public agencies with immediate responsibility for investments and related impacts. Additionally, the study will initiate and encourage private sector involvement. Their involvement should be targeted and considered to ensure their organizations receive value from their participation. The private sector is under significant pressures and has to justify the time they spend with the group. The study team will ensure all meetings are worthwhile, timely and productive but utilizing the existing Freight Advisory Committee and conducting interviews on‐site. Thorough citizen involvement is crucial, but the timing of engagement must be carefully considered to ensure efficient and effective engagement. A Citizen Involvement Committee will be established to assist area residents with land use issues and periodically review citizen involvement procedures and practices. The study team should engage industry to get a sense of realistic options, and then inform the public of alternatives. The public should, at all times, feel their perspective is heard and understood. Innovative outreach methods such as social media will be used to achieve community engagement. In the end the study will chose a preferred alternative. It is essential to consider freight and land use together, and this alternative will be selected in a manner that considers all the information gathered in this process from public and private stakeholders and the general public. This study will give the agency and the public valuable information to make decisions about how to move forward dealing with existing and projected freight land use growth.

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1.0 Existing Conditions: Growth Patterns and land use

In Task 1, the team will collect data for existing conditions, and will establish the baseline for trend analysis. This will serve as baseline data for which future land use scenarios can be developed. Data collection methods and sources are outlined in tasks 1.1‐1.5:

1.1 In Task 1.1, the team will identify the location of industrial and logistical (I/L) operations that were newly developed over the past 10 years. Locating these facilities will establish the most recent trend for I/L locations. Identification techniques include:

Interviews with state industrial development officials Identify counties and cities with activities.

1.2 In Task 1.2, population growth will be calculated by equivalent census tracts for 1990, 2000,

2010. High growth areas will be selected for Land Use/Land Cover change detection. Longitudinal population densities (classified by employment sector) will be used to identify I/L labor force. Data sources include:

USGS Land Use/Land Cover data Census Data

o Decennial o Longitudinal

1.3 Task 1.3 involves mapping Interstate Highway Capacity and Volume Capacity Ratios. These data will be used to find possible correlations between capacity projects and major economic development decisions. Data sources include:

DOT project database Statewide TIP, MPO TIP

1.4 Task 1.4 will overlay high population growth areas, high densities of I/L labor force, recent major economic development activity, and highway capacity changes onto a map. This analysis will provide regions with potential sites for the intermodal facility.

1.5 For regions identified in task 1.4, further analysis of physical features will be conducted. Task 1.5 will select proximity to Class 1 railroad mainlines, measure the slope (flatness) of the terrain, and find distances between at‐grade railroad crossings. These analyses will narrow the number of potential sites for an intermodal facility. Data sources include:

National Elevation Data DOT road and railway data

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1.6 Alternatives Development

From the data collected in tasks 1.1‐1.5, three scenarios will be examined within the regions that were identified as being attractive to industry. The amount of growth for each scenario will be recommended to the stakeholder groups, based on the current economic conditions, and will be approved by the stakeholder group. The three scenarios will be based on;

A continuing trend in economic conditions from the next five years; A period of slower economic growth over the next 5 years, and A period of faster economic growth over the next 5 years. 2.0 Agency Coordination

Successful transportation improvement efforts in the region will require extensive collaboration by a large and diverse group of interested parties including Federal, State and numerous local agencies. The competing priorities, fragmented funding resources and authority, and overlapping geographic jurisdiction of these agencies make cooperative planning a necessity and a challenge. Pursuing sustainable and efficient regional freight transportation operations offers significant economic opportunities to the region in the form of additional business, more and better quality jobs, and enhanced local state and federal tax revenues. Their involvement in the study is highlighted in figure 1.

2.1. To engage the Federal, State, and local agencies with interest in this effort, an initial brainstorming session will be conducted. At the brainstorming session, agencies with immediate responsibility for investments and other decisions will be asked to serve on a Goods Movement Advisory Committee (GMAC). The goal of the GMAC will be to bring different governmental agencies together to develop a consensus regarding planning objectives and provide input on the scenarios developed. Other stakeholder

Task Description Agency Input

Task 1 Existing Conditions: Growth Patterns and land Use

Provide information on existing land use conditions

Task 2 Agency Coordination Participate in Brainstorming Session and Goods Movement Committee

Task 3 Private Sector Involvement

Identify key private sector companies to engage in the process

Task 4 Citizen Involvement Identify key citizen groups to engage in the process

Task 5 Selection of Preferred Alternatives

Identify the impact of each alternative on the their agency

Task 6 Implementation Work collaboratively with all stakeholders to implement the preferred alternative from the perspective of the agency’s role

Figure 1

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meetings will be offered to provide briefings and offer the opportunity to provide input. Potential stakeholders include:

Federal, State and Local agencies

o State natural resource agencies and Historical Commission; o State Parks and Wildlife Department; o USFWS, USACE, USEPA; o MPOs; o State and local DOT’s and Transit Authorities o FHWA, FRA, FMSCA; o State Police and Port authorities,; o business and housing agencies; o Economic development commissions;

2.2. During Tasks 1.1 and 1.3, all agency stakeholders will be asked to provide available data from

their agencies and provide input on vision and objectives to help public and private transportation holders cooperatively pursue freight transportation improvements that support economic vitality and strategic growth while also improving environmental quality. As the scenarios are developed, the agency stakeholder group will be asked to:

Provide input to create a better understanding of the considerations and potential impacts and opportunities within each proposed scenario;

GMAC will meet as needed during the course of the study. Since the GMAC members are responsible for investments and other related decisions,

involvement of this committee will be critical to the decisions make on impacts and opportunities and will be asked to provide key information on implementation planning.

3.0 Private Sector Involvement

Private sector involvement is a crucial element in the process of selecting a preferred alternative for this freight study. The private sector has insight into freight industry issues and trends that the public sector may not be able to identify on its own. Private sector expertise will help the DOT conduct a thorough analysis of well thought‐out alternatives. The DOT will then be able to make an informed decision about a recommended alternative that is grounded private sector involvement.

3.1. In an effort to ensure that the private sector is involved early and often through the study process, the DOT will actively engage the state’s existing freight advisory committee (FAC) which is comprised of private‐sector stakeholders by having them advise the DOT on the study.

The DOT will also seek out individual private sector stakeholders to engage in an interview setting. These stakeholders will help the DOT understand the impacts that various

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alternatives will have on the freight industry and help identify strategies that can grow the freight industry while minimizing impacts.

3.2. FAC membership consists primarily of freight shippers, carriers and major freight generators, but also include real estate developers and other interested private sector stakeholders such as the financial sector.

Information will be shared at regularly scheduled quarterly meetings; the group will be asked to provide meaningful direction on the study; FAC members will also be asked to describe the impacts of the study alternatives on

their business and recommend a preferred alternative to the DOT. 3.3. In an effort to gain a wider private‐sector perspective, the DOT will hold face‐to‐face interviews

with additional private sector stakeholders. The DOT will ask FAC members at a regularly scheduled meeting to help identify other private stakeholders to engage in this process. The DOT will also ask its public sector partners to identify additional private stakeholders to engage, as it is important the FAC not be dominated by one specific industry or interest group. Since private sector representatives often have very limited availability to meet with the DOT, agency staff will:

Travel to private sector work sites to conduct these interviews; Explain the goals and objectives of this study and why it is important that the private

organization be involved in the process; The private representatives will be asked to describe the impacts of the different

alternatives on their business, and identify strategies that they see will work well with these alternatives to increase freight development in the area while limiting negative impacts.

3.4. The DOT will take into consideration the guidance provided by the private sector through the process described above as it moves forward with the study. It will also take into consideration the impacts and concerns identified by private sector through this process as it recommends a preferred alternative. This information will help the DOT identify an alternative that supports freight industry growth while minimizing negative impacts.

4.0 Citizen Involvement

Ensuring that local citizens and other affected groups, neighborhoods, agencies, and jurisdictions are involved in the planning process is a priority. Therefore, a Citizen Involvement Committee will be established to assist areas residents with land use issues and periodically review citizen involvement procedures and practices.

4.1 When making land use and other planning decisions the team must actively seek input from all points of view from citizens and agencies and assure that interested parties from all areas of the community have the opportunity to participate. Where opposing viewpoints are expressed, the

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team must attempt to reach consensus where possible. The team must insist on an active coordination program with agencies and other governmental units. The program should include:

Defining areas of mutual interest Information sharing on issues of mutual interest. Scheduling of regular meetings. A process of notification and review of new development projects among affected

jurisdictions and agencies. Participation and support of planning efforts dealing with issues of regional concern.

4.2 In order to implement the methods described in section 4.1, the team will:

Encourage the formation of non‐profit citizen organizations which represent neighborhood interests and provide adequate human, financial, and informational resources to maintain Citizen Involvement;

Ensure the sequence of the development permit process from initial application to the point of approval or denial is publically announced and available and;

Ensure the public hearing process and the rights of those who desire to participate is publically announced and available;

The public notice and hearing requirements as provided by Code will be publically announced and available for review;

Conduct informational meetings in advance of public hearings to enable affected persons to understand land use proposals and to prepare for testimony before the local boards;

We will participate in and support the following planning efforts that address issues of regional concern:

o Regional availability of commercial and industrial lands. o Regional population and employment projections and other demographic

information. o Public facility planning and development. o Coordination of economic development planning.

Encourage federal, state, regional agencies, and special purpose districts to coordinate planning efforts with all affected groups.

4.2.1 The planning process must be a truly collaborative process that reflects innovative planning strategies fitted to the area’s unique environment and the concerns and values of its community. Broad and meaningful community engagement is critical to the success of the plan and a primary goal of the plan process. To achieve this goal, there must be a detailed framework to guide public outreach. This framework must identify a range of ways to go beyond mere plan advertising and involve the community in an interactive, iterative process. All public meetings, focus group interviews, and outreach strategies should include the following primary objectives:

Build understanding of the project and credibility for the process.

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Provide numerous and varied opportunities for public participation and input. Understand the needs and interests of the area’s diverse constituency. Show a clear connection between input and outcomes.

4.3 To achieve these objectives, the plan must include an innovative outreach and community

engagement approach designed to maximize citizen involvement and to maintain interest and enthusiasm throughout the planning process. Branding and promotion is an often overlooked, but extremely important task in the comprehensive planning process. To initiate and capture interest in the comprehensive plan, an identifiable brand should be established for the study, including:

Creation of a project logo; A consistent color scheme and; An enthusiastic message; Development of a continual and diverse promotional campaign maintain community

excitement and involvement throughout the planning process including: o fun, eye‐catching, and engaging fliers/posters circulated throughout the area at

atypical locations, including bars, gas stations, bus shelters, buses, senior living centers, even fliers to be sent home with school children;

o Text‐messaging and social media input at promotional events and public forums; o Public Service Announcements on a variety of local radio stations; o Links from local websites; o Stories in local media; o Presentations to local civic and business groups and; o Listserv announcements.

An Interactive Website should be used to reach out to constituents of all ages, abilities, and interests. The Study Website should provide a comprehensive resource for outreach, feedback, and information sharing.

The study team should set up fully interactive social media sites for the Plan, including a Facebook page, Twitter account, and LinkedIn group to allow for immediate feedback and to keep a constant open line of communication. Social media will be used regularly to announce events, send reminders, and launch discussions, allowing the consultant team to take the community’s temperature on current issues and topics. The study team will also utilize Flikr, Google Docs, Surveymonkey and Scribd to provide a variety of free and interactive online participation methods.

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5.0 Selection of Preferred Alternative

This project involves the development set of policy and strategy recommendations that will be presented to Senior Staff. Recommendations will provide an overview as to what policy changes could be made in an effort to stimulate economic development as a result of the increase in freight activity in the region. There are three unique phases that will be followed in order to select a preferred alternative for this project. These phases are described in detail below:

5.1 Phase 1 activities include much of the preliminary work necessary to move a project forward. In this phase.

Mapping of the study area as well as the project area; Traffic and accident data collection are completed; Preliminary environmental and socio economic inventories; Citizen Advisory Group formation (see section on Citizen involvement); Freight Advisory Committee and MPO’s are brought on‐board Project Advisory Committee (see section on Public/private sector involvement) Purpose and Need document developed; Interagency coordination is initiated; Project Planning activities such as scoping meetings, preliminary alternate development

and preliminary right‐of‐way are begun which culminate in selection of Alternates Retained for Detailed Study (ARDS).

A detailed project schedule is developed with key milestone activities

5.2 Phase 2 activities include continued coordination with environmental agencies as the alternatives are refined.

Concurrence is sought from Senior Management ARDS; Alternates are presented to the MPO’s; Detailed environmental, noise and air quality analysis complete; Preliminary draft environmental document is prepared; Public open houses and development of a web page for citizen comments;

o The use of social media will also be beneficial in documenting citizen input Comments are addressed and the environmental documents revised; Value Engineering if appropriate.

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5.3. Phase 3 is the final phase in which the preferred alternative and supporting documentation is

presented. The study team will make a presentation to DOT Senior Management outlining how the team arrived at their recommendations for policy changes and strategies to make better decisions regarding funding for future freight related projects. The team will also present to management how freight and land use work together through cooperative efforts among private and public sector organizations and communities.

6.0 Implementation

6.1 Freight facilities are a unique land use in that they contain the noise and energy consumption of industrial facilities and the traffic impacts of distribution facilities. The placement of such a facility will have impacts on not only the business and economic activity of a region, but also on its neighbors and the environment. These attributes require the formation and management of a diverse group of stakeholders to ensure that vital concerns are not overlooked, and to build consensus for the development of an intermodal facility, should that decision be made.

6.2 Data collection and

analysis is an important task, and the multimodal department will bring together DOT’s GIS and data personnel along with personnel from other state agencies. This data analysis will be performed to provide our stakeholders and decision makers with the information they need to decide whether or not to proceed with this project.

6.3 In addition to the data

analysis, this plan will bring together a group of people with a wide variety of backgrounds, interests, and constituencies, to examine the feasibility of building an intermodal facility in our state. These stakeholders will have key involvement in the process for this plan, and they will have key input into decision making regarding the viability of an intermodal facility in our state.

Task Description Stakeholder Input

Task 1 Existing Conditions Outreach to public agencies for existing land use conditions

Task 2 Agency Coordination

Outreach to public agencies through Brainstorming Session and Goods Movement Committee

Task 3 Private Sector Involvement

Outreach to private sector stakeholders through the Freight Advisory Committee and in‐person interviews

Task 4 Citizen Involvement Engage citizen groups Citizen involvement Committee

Task 5 Selection of Preferred Alternatives

Stakeholder input gathered considered in the preferred alternative selection process

Task 6 Implementation Work collaboratively with all stakeholders to implement the preferred alternative from the perspective of the agency’s role in facility development

Figure 2

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6.4 The stakeholders will be asked to examine the data that is collected, and to make recommendations for scenario parameters. They will then be asked to review the scenario analyses, and have input into the decision to proceed with the project. Stakeholders will be asked to regroup for the site selection, marketing and construction process as the project proceeds.

6.5 By incorporating a diverse group of stakeholders, this plan will be able to meet the needs of the business community, and address potential concerns for the preservation of communities and the environment. Figure 2 indicates the extent of stakeholder involvement in the implementation of this plan.

Proposed study to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the increase in manufacturing

d f i h l d i i iand freight related activities.

Peter Dahlberg, MnDOTKeith Kucharek, MD SHAMarshall Farmer, Regional Planning Commission of Greater BirminghamCharles Moore NYDOT

Freight Academy Capstone ProjectLand Use

Charles Moore, NYDOTRenee Sigel, FHWA

This report is based on a hypothetical scenario developed through an academic exercise for the I‐95 Corridor Coalition Freight Academy. The contents of this reports should not be construed as fact in any way.HYPOTHETICAL

Outline of Presentation Data Collection Agency Coordination Private Sector Involvement Public Involvement Selection of the Preferred Alternative Implementation of Preferred Alternative Questions/Answers

This report is based on a hypothetical Scenario developed through an academic exercise for the I‐95 Corridor Coalition Freight Academy. The contents of this reports should not be construed as fact in any way.HYPOTHETICAL

Introduction Growth of shippers, distribution centers and pp ,manufactures in the state Opportunities offered include potential revenue sources job creation etc sources, job creation, etc.

Challenges include environmental impacts, infrastructure demands, etc.

Proposed study Future land use and freight traffic Alternatives analysis Alternatives analysis Preferred alternative Implementation

This report is based on a hypothetical Scenario developed through an academic exercise for the I‐95 Corridor Coalition Freight Academy. The contents of this reports should not be construed as fact in any way.HYPOTHETIC

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Data Collection and Alternatives Existing Data Collection

Land Use, Population, and Intermodal Transportation D t Data

Develop Baseline Trend analysis Alternatives Developed Alternatives Developed

Scenario 1 – No change ‐ Existing Trends continue Scenairo 2 – Slow growth Scenairo 2 Slow growth Scenairo 3 – Fast growth

This report is based on a hypothetical Scenario developed through an academic exercise for the I‐95 Corridor Coalition Freight Academy. The contents of this reports should not be construed as fact in any way.HYPOTHETICAL

Agency Coordination Conduct stakeholder meeting with Federal, State and local agencies with interest

P id d i i d i i f h Provide data, input on impacts and opportunities of the scenarios

Establish a Goods Movement Advisory Committee Establish a Goods Movement Advisory Committee (GMAC) Engage agencies with immediate decision‐making responsibilities

Meet as neededK i l i Key to implementation


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Private Sector Involvement Critical for insight into freight issues and trends Engage existing Freight Advisory Committee (FAC) Request to provide input:

Data f Al i Impact of Alternatives

Input on Preferred AlternativeAlternative


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Citizen Involvement Establish meaningful dialogue with public

Establish a Citizen Involvement Committee Coordinate citizen involvement with government agencies and private sector interests.

Conduct informal and formal meetings i e public Conduct informal and formal meetings, i.e. public hearings

Branding and Promotion Branding and Promotion


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Selection of Preferred Alternative Phase 1 – Preliminary planning, alternatives development and agency and public involvement activities activities

Phase 2 – Project Development Activities including environmental studies alternatives development etcenvironmental studies, alternatives development, etc.

Phase 3 – Selection of Preferred Alternative


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Implementation Continue stakeholder involvement

Government agencies , private entities and public Continued data collection Build consensus on continued activities Track progress Track progress


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Questions and QAnswers


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