Fort Walton Beach Resolution — 2025-10 Approving the Community Redevelopment Area Plan Update — reading text

with approximately 51 percent bicycle facilities and sidewalks creates unsafe of the parcels less than 0.25 acres, and upon conditions within the Areas of Concern. development cannot accommodate their future Deteriorated parking spaces and driveway access land use designation without property aggregation and backing onto roadways create unsafe or variances. conditions for pedestrians and oncoming traffic Due to the majority of the development being built within the Areas of Concern. before the adoption of current code standards for Public transit facilities along the three bus routes parking, much of the existing parking consists of servicing the Areas of Concern range from pole confined spaces that require vehicles to back onto signs to bus shelters, which are generally in poor the roadway, with many crossing over the condition, have poor physical placement within the sidewalk, resulting in potential pedestrian conflicts right of way, are not ADA compliant, and lack and traffic hazards. sidewalk connectivity. All of these factors create 4. Unsanitary or unsafe conditions. (2017 F.S. 163.340[8] unsafe conditions for transit users. d]) 5. Deterioration of site or other improvements. (2017F.S. PlanINTRODUCIN Sanitary conditions, in particular, siting and 163.340[8][e]) placement of refuse collection consistent with the According to the “Improvement Quality” rating by City’s Land Development Code (LDC), was noted as the Florida Department of Revenue, the majority of lacking in the industrial areas, such as placement of the physical improvement quality within the Areas additional dumpster facilities within designated of Concern is considered Minimum/Low Cost and parking or landscape areas, placement of Below Average, with Area of Concern 2 at 90 dumpsters within rights of way, and damaged or percent, Area of Concern 1 at 79 percent, and Area deteriorating enclosures. of Concern 3 at 72 percent. The aging and failing water and sewer lines within The field survey of deteriorating structures within portions of the Areas of Concern create unsanitary the Areas of Concern revealed that the parcels and unsafe conditions and limit redevelopment consist of structures that are slightly deteriorated, efforts. deteriorated, or dilapidated, including improper or Flooding is an issue due to inadequate stormwater poor maintenance of yards and structural pipe size along Hollywood Boulevard NW, deterioration, such as derelict façades, neglected Industrial Street NW, and Beal Parkway NE within signs, and cracked driveways, parking lots and Area of Concern 1 and along Buck Drive NE within sidewalks. Area of Concern 2. There are also poor drainage Approximately 37 percent of the structures in the conditions due to lack of curb and/ or gutter and three Areas of Concern have effective built years large expanses of driveway/ parking pavement for between 1950 and 1970. With no major the commercial and industrial uses, which creates reconstruction of those properties, they are at unsanitary and unsafe conditions. Examples least 48 years old and may need rehabilitation/ include standing water, clogged inlets, and redevelopment, particularly within Areas of inappropriate use of facilities (parking, storage, Concern 1 and 2. etc.). 6. Inadequate and outdated building density Most existing and programmed bicycle lanes are patterns. (2017 F.S. 163.340[8][f]) striped shoulders without clear demarcation and signage. The sidewalk system is sporadic, does not The current building density patterns within the connect to public facilities/ destinations, and has Areas of Concern are outdated and significantly dangerous crossings adjacent to inadequate below the allowable density and intensity limits, parking lots that back onto the sidewalks. The lack indicating a substantial amount of development 8 Fort Walton Beach CRA  entitlements that are not being used due to existing CRA boundary to the west and south. The inadequate parcel sizes and other conditions. existing land uses are primarily public land and buildings, with small amount of commercial and 7. Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual office spaces. The future land designation is conditions of title that prevent the free alienability of defined as Mixed Use and is a gateway to more land within the deteriorated or hazardous area. (2017 governmental, office/ residential,and commercial F.S. 163.340[8][m]) uses. There are 297 individual property owners within Area of Concern 3 (86.14 acres) – This area extends the Areas of Concern, which may impede the from the existing CRA boundary to the western City aggregation of smaller non residential lots into limits of the city along Miracle Strip Parkway SW larger overall properties for commercial andmixed using the existing CRA boundary as a northern use redevelopments. boundary, which is the back of the abutting parcel 8. Governmentally owned property with adverse to Miracle Strip Parkway SW. The existing land uses environmental conditions caused by a public or private are primarily commercial, transient lodging, and entity. (2017 F.S. 163.340[8][n]) medium density residential. Liza Jackson Park is tucked between Santa Rosa Sound and Miracle 9INTRODUC The Hollywood Boulevard Brownfield Area includes two City owned properties (Jet Stadium and 17 Strip Parkway SW. The future land use designations Industrial Street NW) within Area of Concern 1. include mostly Commercial, Mixed Use, and This Brownfield Area includes many properties that Recreation. are vacant or underused or have been historically As noted, the Redevelopment Agency sought to determine used for industrial activity before modern if areas adjacent to the existing CRA were having a negative environmental regulations were adopted; impact on redevelopment and/or in need of redevelopment therefore, Area of Concern 1 is environmentally that was consistent with the mission of the existing CRA. blighted and suitable for environmental site The primary reasons to include the three adjacent Areas of rehabilitation and economic redevelopment. The Concern are as follows: future public works facility will be developed on Consistency with existing CRA land use and the Jet Stadium site. character – Each of the three Areas of Concern is The FON found that all three of the Areas of Concern met largely consistent with the look, feel, and land use the criteria for inclusion in the CRA boundary, which added mix found within the CRA. a total of 219.08 acres (Map 1 2). The Areas of Concern are Focus on corridors – Two of the three Areas of described below in more detail: Concern are located along major corridors, which Area of Concern 1 (113.66 acres) – This area is will be a primary focus of future redevelopment bounded