Orange County Approves Bicycle Parking Ordinance

Orange County has miles to go in reforming its out-of-date parking requirements, but the Commission recently took a good first step by adopting their first bicycle parking ordinance.  Here's the text:

 Section 12.      Creation of Section 38-1484.  A new Section 38-1484 under Article XI (“Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations”) is hereby created to read as follows:

Sec. 38-1484.  Bicycle parking spaces.

Bicycle parking spaces shall be provided as follows:

(a) For developments that require up to ten (10) vehicular parking spaces, two (2) bicycle parking spaces shall be required.

(b)        For developments that require ten (10) or more vehicular parking spaces, two (2) bicycle parking spaces shall be required, plus one (1) additional bicycle parking space for each ten (10) vehicular parking spaces above ten (10); provided that no more than eight (8) bicycle parking spaces are required for any one (1) establishment within any zoning district other than a Planned Development. A Planned Development may be required to have more than eight (8) bicycle parking spaces. If eight (8) or more bicycle parking spaces are required, replacing a vehicle space with all or part of required bicycle parking in a “bicycle corral” configuration shall be permitted, notwithstanding the requirements of Section 38-1485.  

(a)                For developments within the Alternative Mobility Area that require ten (10) or more vehicular parking spaces, two (2) bicycle parking spaces shall be required, plus one (1) additional bicycle parking space for every five (5) vehicular parking spaces above ten (10); provided that no more than twelve (12) bicycle parking spaces are required for any one (1) establishment within any zoning district other than a Planned Development. If eight (8) or more bicycle parking spaces are required, replacing a vehicle space with all or part of required bicycle parking in a “bicycle corral” configuration shall be permitted, notwithstanding the requirements of Section 38-1485.  

(b)               At least fifty (50) percent of the required bicycle parking shall be provided in bicycle racks located no more than 120 feet from primary building entrances served, and should preferably be within fifty (50) feet. Bicycle racks serving secondary entrances shall be located no more than one hundred twenty (120) feet from secondary entrances, and should preferably be within fifty (50) feet.  Racks shall not be placed so that they block any building entrance or impede pedestrian flow in or out of the building.

(c)                All bicycle parking spaces shall comply with the following standards: Each bicycle parking space shall have a minimum area of twenty-four (24) inches by seventy-two (72) inches to fully accommodate a parked bicycle. Bicycle parking spaces shall be accessible to users without users having to ascend or descend stairs, and shall be separated from vehicle parking spaces by physical barriers, such as curbs, wheel stops, bollards or other similar features, to protect bicycles from being damaged by vehicles.

Section 13.      Creation of Section 38-1485.  A new Section 38-1485 under Article XI is hereby created to read as follows:

Sec. 38-1485.   Bicycle racks.

(a)                All standard bicycle racks shall comply with the following performance standards:

(1)               Bicycle racks shall be an inverted "U"/hoop rack, campus rack, or similar device that accommodates two (2) bicycle parking spaces per rack and enables users to lock the frame and both wheels.

(2)               Bicycle racks shall have a minimum tube diameter of 1.9 inches and be powder coated or coated with another weather-proof surface as may be approved by the zoning manager.

(3)               Bicycle racks shall be a maximum height of thirty-six (36) inches, a minimum of thirty (30) inches on center between horizontal rows, and a minimum of twenty-four (24) inches from any building wall.  They shall be anchored to a common base or mounting surface of concrete or pavement. If more than one row of bicycle racks is installed to create the required bike parking area, the installation shall provide a minimum of sixty (60) inches in an aisle in each row, assuming additional spacing for parked bicycles.

                            (4)               If a building has an arcade, colonnade, awning , or other shade structure installed to meet the requirements of Section 9-554 or other applicable land development code provision, bicycle racks shall be installed under this feature to provide shaded parking. 

(b)               Alternative bicycle rack designs may be approved, provided they comply with the following standards:

(1)               Alternative bicycle rack designs shall accept multiple bicycle frame sizes and styles and accommodate the use of cable and U-type locks. Alternative bicycle rack designs shall support a bicycle frame at two (2) points above the wheel hubs to allow the frame and at least one (1) wheel of the bicycle to be locked to the rack without lifting the bicycle onto the device.

(2)               Alternative bicycle rack designs shall be easy to understand and operate, with no moving parts.  Alternative bicycle rack designs shall be visible to pedestrians and the visually impaired, but consistent with the scale of the bicycle locked to the device.

(3)               Alternative bicycle rack designs shall be powder coated or coated with another weather-proof surface as may be approved by the zoning manager.

Ravaudage CDD

Miller's Ale House - the first business to take part in the Ravaudage redevelopment.   Power lines were buried.  Relocation of the  out-of-scale billboard, which I recall was the developer's intent, would further improve the aesthetics.  

Orlando Sentinel reporter David Breen interviewed me last week for a story about developer Dan Bellows'

request that the City of Winter Park approve a Community Development District ("CDD") for his Ravaudage project at U.S. 17-92 and Lee Road.  CDDs, an entity created by Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes, can issue municipal bonds to fund infrastructure.  When a CDD fails, the bondholders suffer the financial loss while any homeowners who have purchased into the development may never see completion of the infrastructure they were promised. 

The merits of a CDD vary depending on the development they're associated with, said Winter Park attorney Rick Geller, who teaches land-use law at Rollins College.   

"Baldwin Park seemed to work out very well, while Bella Collina was a disaster," said Geller. "So a CDD can work if it's in the right location and the economics make sense." 

Ravaudage might be an area where those factors align, Geller said.  "In this case, where you have a huge piece of blighted land, and the city does not have the resources to put in infrastructure on its own, this is not a bad option," he said. 

City Manager Randy Knight agreed that the CDD might be a good fit.

The story is at THIS LINK.  The Winter Park City Commission unanimously approved of the CDD this week.  Dan Bellows developed the quaint Hannibal Square area of Winter Park. Judging by the reconstruction of Lewis Street, it appears that, at Ravaudage, he wants to ultimatelycapture the look and feel of classic Winter Park, by lining streets with oak trees, attractive street lamps, and parallel parking.  Lewis Street would have looked better with 10 foot lanes, instead of 11 foot, but, while a Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Orange County staff declined my request for the narrower lanes.   

John Mica: Conquering Orlando

"Read Conquering Gotham," Rep. John Mica (R-FL) urged Rollins College Master of Planning students last week in a free-wheeling exchange of ideas. Conquering Gotham is the history of New York City's Penn Station and the linking of Manhattan with electric trains.  Large-scale transportation projects fascinate Mica, former chair of the House Transportation Committee.  "Don't you love this stuff?" he asked the students. 

When Central Florida's history is written 50 years from now, after transit has finally reached maturity, someone might want to title it, Conquering Orlando, and describe John Mica's pitivol role.  "We think what you've accomplished will be transformative," Professor Rick Foglesong told the Congressman. 

Congressman Mica sees SunRail linking to the Orlando International Airport linking to high speed rail.  He said the 110 miles an hour average speed of the Florida East Central Railway--which will link OIA to Miami--will exceed that of Amtrak's Acela line. 

"How do you link to the apartments and businesses on Maitland Boulevard?" he asked one of the planning students who presented a vision of Maitland's "park and ride" SunRail station and parking lot transforming into a vibrant, urban Transit Oriented Development.  Mica sees a critical need for east-west Lynx bus service to ferry riders to SunRail's spine. 

He criticized the lack of bus shelters in Florida's blistering heat.  Congressman Mica even painted an amusing picture of himself sitting on an overturned shopping cart waiting for a bus to the airport, after his wife dropped him off. 

If the students expressed any disappointment, it was with Congressman Mica's skepticism of the viability of walkable Transit Oriented Development.  "It's brutal," he said of Florida's hot, wet climate.  He questioned whether people would walk even one block from the train to a parking garage.  (The separation of the train and parking would economically energize the block in between, much like the separation of Universal's parking and theme parks economically energizes City Walk.)   The irony was that Mica expressed skepticism about walkable development a few stone-throws from beautiful Park Avenue, perhaps Central Florida's most successful business district.  Florida's summers are no more brutal than winters in New York City, Washington, Boston, or any number of walkable cities.  People will walk when something makes walking worthwhile.   The students envision a built environment more worthwhile than what currently surrounds the future Maitland and Altamonte Springs SunRail stations.  To his credit, Congressman Mica has publicly supported transit oriented deposition for its potential to involve the private sector and generate revenue.  He has also sponsored federal legislation making such projects eligible for federal grants and guarantees. The Washington Metro is now looking at Transit Oriented Development as a revenue generator, a worthy model for SunRail to fund operations and capital costs.

During a question and answer session with Rollins undergraduates later that evening, someone asked Congressman Mica about the fact that young people are driving less.  This question brought the Congressman's visit to Rollins around to a full circle.  Walkable development creating exciting urban environments in Central Florida could keep many of our children from moving to New York and Washington, as many presently intend.  The Master of Planning students are on the right track. 

Here's a LINK to the Rollins College write-up of Congressman Mica's visit.

U.S. 17-92, a sprawl highway, re-imagined as a pedestrian-friendly, multi-way boulevard, in a student presentation to Congressman Mica.  Credit: Jose Ayala

  Strolling on Park Avenue near Winter Park's future SunRail station.

Supervised Bicycling Lessening Symptoms of Down Syndome

Research is continuing at Arizona State University into the amazing impact of supervised bicycling as a means to lessen the cruel symptoms of Down syndrome.

A small, pilot study two years ago found that adolescents with the chromosomal disorder were able to process information more quickly and had better manual dexterity even after just one therapy session.

In an ongoing study, participants attend 30-minute workout sessions three times each week. Families members have indicated that they’ve noticed an increase in talking, interaction and improved mood among those currently participating in the research effort.

“It’s really remarkable that by doing this kind of exercise, they begin to think faster,” Ringenbach said of the study participants who she believes are developing new brain cells. “It has the potential to dramatically change the quality of their lives. With early intervention in children with Down syndrome, it’s possible it could improve their IQ.”

The article is at THIS LINK.