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

develop the site for ttiple family dwellings. He stated the requested zoning is considered consistent with the MDR Future mu' Land Use designation, and Staff recommends approval. As there was no objection, the Staff Report was entered into the record. The Chairman opened the public hearing. As there was none, the public hearing was closed. Ms. Wilson moved to recommend to City Council approval of Ord. 1665. Mr. Wayne seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Aasco, Gercak, McDonald, Scott,Wayne, and Wilson in favor (Glover absent). ORD. 1~ AMEND OFFICIAL ZONING MAP The ordinance was read by the City Attorney by title only. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE AMENDED OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, flORIDA; RESOLVING CONFLICTS; AND SETIlNG AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The chairman opened the public hearing. As there was none, the public hearing was closed. Mr. Mitchell explained the ordinance will adopt the Official Zoning Map of the City of Fort Walton Beam in a new, colorized, digital format, which will then be placed on the City's website. Ms. Wilson moved to recommend to City Council approval of Ord. 1666. Mr. McDonald seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Fiasco, Gercak, McDonald, Scott,Wayne, and Wilson in favor (Glover absent). AMENDMENT OF CITY NEIGHBORHOODS MAP Consideration of a recommendation to amend City of Fort Watton Beach Neighborhoods Map to reduce the number of neighborhoods. MUNICIPAL PlANNING BOA 11- 03- 05 NEIGHBORHOOD MAPS fCONTI Mr. Mitchell explained the plan to reinvigorate the Neighborl100d Partnership Program effort and enhance communications with the various neighborhoods in the City, and the plan to incorporatethe Eglin Paf1(way and West Miracte Strip neighborlloods into adjacent neighborhood areas. He stated that in order to proceed with the task of making revisions to the boundaries of the neighborhoods as currently defmed in the FLUE of the Comprehensive Plan, the Board, acting as the LPA, must recommend to Councit that the City initiate the process of amending the FLUE in the amendments to the Comp Plan to be made in 2006. Mr. Mitchell advised once Council approves the Neighborhood progmrn for 2006, Staff can begin the process of hotding new meetings with1n the newly designated Neighborhood areas. Ms. Fiasco moved to recommend that City Council give direction to Staff to begin the process of amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to reftect eleven ( 11) neighborhoods in the City as shown on the map etditled " City of Fort Watton Beach Us'. Wilson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Rasco, Gercak, Neighborhoods.." absent). McDonald,Scott,Wayne,and Wilson in favor (Glover COMMt. 1 t: I:OF ONE STATUS REPORTS Mr. Wayne presented information he found from the North Carolina Natural Disaster Preparedness Task Force regarding the feasibifity of placing electric distribution facilities underground. The information induded such topics as reimbursement to adjust utilities improperly installed on a highway, relocation of joint-use ubTtty faalities, and undergrounding ubTrty lines. Mr. Wayne felt the information would be very beneficial and asked that it be turned over to Staff to be duplicated for the other Board members so they can disaJss it at the next meeting. The Chairman advised it would beoome public record. Mr. Wayne submitted the information into the record for duplication by Staff. DIRECTORS REPORT Missy McKim, CDS Director, advised that City Council will be discussing the Board' s motion from the last meeting regarding specifics and time on undergrounding of utilities. She also advised that Council requested Staff develop the ordinances to implement the recommendations on building heights. VISION PLAN STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT Ms. Wilson had no report. WATERFRONT FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE The Chairman advised he would resign as the Board' s representative to the Waters Edge Ad- HocMfaterfront Florida Partnership Committee as his wife was made Chairman of the committee. He asked that another member represent the Board on this committee. The City Attorney informed that a written resignation was not needed for this board. Mr. Wayne nominated Judith Fiasco to serve as the Board' s representative to the Waters Edge Ad- HocIWaterfront Florida Partnership Committee. Ms. Wilson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with FIasco, Gercak, McDonald Scott,Wayne, and Wilson in favor (Glover absent). ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5: 50 p. m.  o o CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA MEMORANDUM DATE: November 14, 2005 TO: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager FROM: Missy McKim, CDS Director SUBJECT: Approval of the Eglin Parkway Lighting Feasibility Study and direction to prepare Phase II construction drawings. REQUEST: Staff is requesting approval of the Eglin Parkway Lighting Feasibility Study and direction to have the consultant, Schmidt Dell Associates, Inc. prepare detailed construction plans ( Phase II plans) for installation 0 f decorative lighting 0 n both sides 0 f Eglin Parkway between Hughes Street and Fourth Street/Perry Avenue. BACKGROUND: During the public participation process for the 1994 Vision Plan for the City of Fort Walton Beach, the survey question was asked " What do you like least about Fort Walton Beach?" The top 3 answers were: traffic congestion, rundown buildings, and poor appearance. The Highest Priority Action Category" voted by the public for that 1994 Vision Plan was economic development. Within that category, Goal A6 addressed the CRA and preparation of a new Redevelopment Plan, to include evaluation of major highway corridors in order to make recommendations for access management, beautification, review of adjacent properties, and design guidelines. Obviously, a major concern of the public in 1994 was the poor aesthetics along major highway corridors of the City, and the negative effect it has on economic development. Based on the 1994 Vision Plan, the CRA Redevelopment Plan was updated in 1998. The Urban Master Plan, completed in 2000, further refined elements of the CRA Plan Update. Both these documents specifically recommended undergrounding utilities and installing decorative streetlighting on major highway corridors in order to address the concerns the residents had expressed in the public involvement process of previous plans. The dramatic difference in appearance that results from undergrounding utilities and installing decorative lighting was proven when Jay Odom redeveloped the old Walton Square Shopping Center on Eglin Parkway into what is now Uptown Station. That development set the " theme" the utilities along for north Eglin Parkway, which was established with the undergrounding of Eglin Parkway and the installation of decorative pavers, decorative street lighting fixtures and lush landscaping. As Mr. Odom' s company purchased other properties on the east and west sides of north Eglin Parkway, this theme was continued, until now it defines the character of the Uptown Commercial District of the City. The more recent impetus for hiring a consultant to prepare a feasibility study for an Eglin the Future, Decorative Lighting program was the update 0 f t he City' s Vision Plan ( Focus 0 n citizens March 2004), in which the undergrounding of power lines tied for first place in the based results of the Vision Summit held hopes and desires - willingness to pay" category on also high the list of desires and September 13, 2003. U ndergrounding power lines was on  o o willingness- to- pay based on results of individual neighborhood planning area vision workshops that were held throughout 2002 and 2003. Based on citizens' expressed desire to improve the aesthetics of the community - both in 1994 and again in 2003 - and the desire of the CRA Board of Commissioners to improve the aesthetics of " uptown" CRA, and because it seemed that the most cost effective " project" would be one where the City could tag on to a theme that was already established in a large portion of the corridor, City Council budgeted funds to explore the feasibility of undergrounding utilities on north Eglin Parkway. DISCUSSION: In March 2004 City Council approved the bid from Schmidt Dell Associates, Inc. ( SDA) to street lighting on both prepare a feasibility plan to underground the utilities and install decorative sides of Eglin Parkway from Hughes Street south to Fourth Street/Perry Avenue. The contract was signed in April 2004 and the feasibility study was submitted to the City in January 2005. The contract scope of services stated that SDA would complete the master planning and schematic design phases a s defined i n R FP 03- 112, Scope 0 f Services. Other contracts to performthe remaining items called out in the scope of services may later be awarded for each project phase as needed. The feasibility study scope of services included preparation of a detailed survey of the Eglin the Parkway NE right- of-way, including information for land a minimum ten feet ( 10') in from install the right- of-way so as to identify areas that may need easements/ purchase to responsible for coordinating with Gulf Power in obtaining an underground utilities. SDA was utilities along Eglin Parkway. SDA would identify what estimate for their costs to underground land ( easements or right- of-way) would be needed to relocate utilities. Finally, SDA would estimate cost to prepare the construction drawings and for contract administration, to pursue the relocation of utilities, to change service to all properties affected by the undergrounding, and to purchase and install decorative street lighting. The CRA Board recommended approval of the study and preparation of Phase II construction Council drawings at its September 7, 2005 meeting. The item was submitted for City consideration at its September 27, 2005 meeting. At that meeting, the City Council voted to from the Municipal Planning Board ( MPB) and continue the item for 30 days and to get a report additional information that Staff could provide. The MPB discussed the item at its October any 6, 2005 meeting and then again at a special MPB meeting held on October 20, 2005. The item was