Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-22-05 ‎(regular)‎ — reading text

accomplished are the' fonowing: 1- Increase participation in all Neighborhoods to yield better communication with citizens at neighborhood level 2- Increase knowledge, acceptance and participation in City projects and programs 3-Build consensus on City Vision and programs developed to implement that Vision 4-Increase volunteerism for citizen boards and committees The process of reinvigorating the Great Neighborhoods Partnership ( GNP) program will include: 1- Making revisions to the boundaries of neighborhoods as currentry defined in the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Amending the map will be considered a narrative amendment to Directions. A-Municipal Planning Board ( LPA) recommends to City Council that we initiate the process of amending the Future Land Element accordingly in March 2006. B-City Council approves suggested plan for Great Neighborhoods Program for 2006, and gives direction, 2- Amending the P1ans for Neighborhood Action A- Staff will begin the process of holding new meetings within the newly designated Neighborhood areas starting with Seabreeze, Northwest and Beal Parkway in the FalllWinter of 2005-2006. B-Continue with Neighborhood Meetings in WinterlSpring 2006 for Elliott's Point, Ferry Park, and East Miracle Strip.  o C-Balance of the Neighborhoods, Gamiers Beach, South Bayou, Oakland, W.E. Combs { formerly Combs New Heights} and Kenwood, without boundary changes will be scheduled in late 2006. D-The product of the new Neighborhood Plans are proposed to be: New Neighborhood Map Redevelopment of Neighborhood Plan to include a history of each neighborhood to be generated by the members of the neighborhood A plan to activate both Neighborhood Watch and Citizen Emergency Response Team ( CERT) Programs Revisiting of neighborhood concerns and issues Revisit Capital Improvement Program for each neighborhood Strengthen communication between the neighborhoods and Neighborhood Improvement Coordinator Better participation by the residents on Boards and Committees The Municipal Planning Board has recommended that City Council approve the program. Once Council approves the suggested Great Neighborhoods Program for 2006, and gives direction, staff will begin the process of holding new meetings within the newly designated Neighborhood areas. RECOMMENDATION: The Municipal Planning Board recommended that City Council should direction to staff to begin the process of amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive to refled Beven ( 11) Neighborhoods in the City as shown on the map entitled " City of Fort Walton Beach Neighborhoods". Enclosure: Map of City Neighborhoods ( Proposed)  o MUNICIPAL PLANNING BOARD NOVEMBER 3f 2005 MEETING AGENDA ITEM III. D CONSIDERATION OF A RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND CITY' OF FORT WAL.TON:BEACH NEIGMBORHDOOS MAP TO REDUCE THE NUMBER oS:NEIGHBORHOODS. ( CDS. STAFF SEE BACKUp)  o ~ CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH MEMORANDUM DAlE: Oclober20, 2005 TO: Chairman and Members Municipal Planning Board THROUGH: Missy McKim, CDS DiredDr FROM: Len Mitchelf. Planning Manager ~ RE: Plan to Reinvigorate Neighbol11ood Planning Effort and Enhance Communications BACKGROUND: The City Council' s Strategic Plan for 2004- 2005 includes a task assigned to the Community Development Services Department to development a plan that would reinvigorate the Great Neighbothood Partnership Program effOrt and enhance communications with the various neighborhoods in the City_ The fotlowing narrative takenftom the mode( Plan for Neighborhood Action{ PNA) describes the process begun in the Spring of 2000 when the "City Tearn", City Administrators and Department Heads, was formed to initiated a new' approach to its planning program. The Cifyh8$ begun to approach planning from the neighlxxhood feveJ, a -gass roots!' approaCh, whiCh wJII d' treGtly solicit the needs and desires of the people who reside in their own neighboltlOod.. The cilizens are,the ones that can b~ identify issues and concerns and help provide solutions for the issues. Each neighborhood's citizens win work in partnership with City staff at pub/icmeefing$ held in the neighbahood to identify and assess needs;build consensus and create a plan for resoMrlg iSSues... 8 Plan for NeighbothOOd ACtibn. A series of meetings was held for a Neighborhood beginning in November 2001 to'take the neighborhoodthtough the plan development process. City staff created an initial planning ftamewotk to guide the neighborhood, and a series ofrecommendalions for improvements. The framework was intended to assist the neighborhood in moving forward, create manageable p( forifies' and establish a process for implementing recommendations. The Pfan for Neighborhood Action will be inoorporatedinto the Future Land Use and Capital Improvement Elements of Diredions- The COmprehensive Plan of the City of Fort Watton Beach: 200&  o o As part ofthe Clty'songolng commlmentfo public patt;oipation in planning the Cly initiated a tIeigtIbodJood ~ apptOaCh for 13 ateas oftlJ& Cilyd8 0)8lDd a~ ~ The X Miighborhood is one of those afeas( see Appendix B). City staIf{XfJP8TfJd a lid of ptOperty ownets and water custo1ilsts:tfJnantsJ( fomthe Ctys Land Managemetrt ~ arn and mailed Ryers".before the Iirst meeting. Therealter communication was made available between afpteVioil$' mee/iJ$ ')( andthtJ$& tbat specIIica/lyEeqUeSted ~ AI alIet1dees If108ived meeting announcements andresu1ls mn the Neighborhood Resident Survey. At the S800lJd meeiing a sig'Jup / istwas made ofthose petSOfl$ who Wf!If1ledto conlinue to meet in the plan deveJopmert process. At the irJi6al meeting wlh residents of the neighborhood, City slBffpt;.Nided~' data 8t1dinDl Wiot'l aboutthe~ and ~ Ihe process to ensutethttthe partioipants had a level of comfort with the process. stlJfI outlined the 8€ fv8I1tages- fb ~ p} Bmingwhich inclUde: Grass Roots Level Planning Plan is devefopedtogelher:Residents and StaIt Plan Serves as Tangible statement of Direction forl"he Neighborhood Once tbe basic framework was cteated for the development da successful ~ plan, a schedule of meetings was developed to ensure citizen participation throughout the ptOCe$$: Meeting 1-1nitial MeetingIInITodu the Cly Team (City staff)/ VIIhat improvements are Planned for the Nei[ JJborhood at the Present Tme? ~ ute N8ighbothood Resident SUI1Iey and Seek Responses to Survey (see.AppenOrx A)/Make list of IssU8$ Meeting 2. Issue DisCussion!vote on Priority of /$ SU8sf Seek Volunteers to Review Plan for Nei{ 11bothood Action PNAJ ( Meeting ~ Present Defined Issues:forConfifmalionlRtMew PNA,including proposed Capital Improvements Plan Meeting 4-As-needed: Fottow-up meetings to implement$1d rev;se PNA The process of reinvigorating the Great NeighborhOOds Partnership ( GNP) program wilt include teviSiOns to the boundaries of neighborhoods as currently defined in the Future land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan. DISCUSStON:- The Strategic Pian tasked the Community Development Se(V~ s { CDS} Department to development plan a that would reinvigorate the Great Neighborhood Partnership program effort:and enhance communications with the various neighborhoods in the City. CDS staff met in August 2005 to plan future activities and drafted proposed n~ ghborhood maps to reflect an incorporation of boundaries from two previous neighborhoods, Eglin Parkway ( EG) and West Miracle Strip (WP), into adjacent neighborhood are~lS. Since most of the land use in the EGJWMS neighborhoods are Page 2 of5  o o iI! IIffIIIIo. commercial many of the residential-only neighborhoods now have a residential and commercial component. Staff met again in September 2005 to-discuss goats and objectives. The foflowing goal and objectives were suggested: Goal- To reinvigorate the Great Neighborhood Partnership program effort and enhance communications with the various neighborhOOds in the City. Rationale: The GNP needs a long term plan to sustain interest in the program and increase attendance and citizen input at meetings Boundaries of the existing Neighborhoods may need to be realigned to more accurately refted commonly recognized "neighborhoods" and delete existing commerciaf- only neighborhoods Response to commercial-only Neighborhoods has been poor to ~ ro Chance to' change philosophy and integrate residential neighborhood areas with adjacent neighborhood- serving commercial areas{ e.g. Eglin and Beal Parkway) Reduces meetings and staff time effort spent on non-productive Neighborhoods Objectives- 1- Increase participation in aU Neighborhoods to yield better communication with citizens at neighborhood level 2- Increase knowledge, acceptance and participation in City projects and programs 3- SuRd