Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 1791 amend comphrensive plan — reading text

ORDINANCE 1791 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE CITY; ADOPTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR CONSISTENCY; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Authority a. The City is authorized to adopt amendments to its Comprehensive Plan pursuant to Home Rule Powers, the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act, and section 2 of the City Charter. b. The intent of this ordinance is to adopt and enact the Economic Development Element of the City' s Comprehensive Plan, as codified in Volume III of the City' s Code. c. On March 5, 2009, the Municipal Planning Board acting as the Local Planning Agency, upon application of the City, considered the request and recommended approval of the adoption of the Economic Development Element. d. On June 23, 2009, and September 23, 2009, the City Council considered the recommendation of the Land Planning Agency and the coordination and consistency of these amendments with the other elements of the Comprehensive Plan. e. The City Council has provided for full public participation in the comprehensive planning and amendment process and has considered and responded to public comments. Section 2. Findings & Intent I. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT A. Overview The State of Florida has recommended that all local aovernments write or develop an Economic Development Element as part of their Comprehensive Plan. The Element identifies aoals and obiectives that can be used for the development of appropriate and sustainable economic arowth. Without a plan. a schedule for implementation. and a mechanism for accountability. economic development will be scattered. efforts diluted. and results poor. In the 21st century. communities must comoete alobally to market their areas to potential clients as ideal locations for business activity. At the same time. business retention efforts and resources are devoted to maintainina the existina base of businesses and assistina firms experiencina difficulties. while encouraaina the exoansion of others.  Economic development is more than a process of attractino business and industry. Economic development is a process of identifvino fundino sources and developino a suitable. stable economic. social and political environment in which prooressive. constructive. balanced orowth may be realized over a period of Years. Throuoh this Economic Development Element. the City of Fort Walton Beach is strenothenino its 2004 Vision Plan Focus on the Future. implementino the 2007 Fort Walton Beach Community RedeveloDment Aoency .Plan. and 2006 Waterfront Plan Charlino the Course: we are broadcastino our stable local economy as opposed to the unstable national market. and committino to the oreatest extent possible that oovernmental policies. procedures and land- use decisions encouraoe industry innovation. creativity. and entrepreneurship for lono- term economic prosoerity. B. Economic Historv In 2007. the City Council directed city staff to improve and strenothen economic development initiatives. In 2008. the Vision Plan Stewardship Committee determined throuoh corporate samplino that economic development is the most important issue facino our community. Also in 2008. the Local Plannino Aoency adopted an Evaluation and Appraisal Report which identified the need for economic sustainability in an environment of intense development pressure. In the 10- Year plan nino horizon. market forces indicate that the Fort Walton Beach area will continue to be the leadino center for technolooy in northwest Florida. Our community stands to weather the economic recession better than most due to an entrepreneurial business climate and olobal technolooy- related iobs in coni unction with the Department of Defense. Eolin Air Force Base is the world' s laroest Department of Defense installation. spannino 724 SQuare miles. and defense contractor companies are established throuahout the Northwest Florida reaion. The Ealin Air Force Base Complex which includes Hurlburt and Duke Air Force Bases) represents an annual $ 7. 0 billion impact in the area and an economic multiplier at ten times the national averaae. Our professional and technical service industries leveraoe the extensive oovernment contractina that exists with local military bases. Additionally. Fort Walton Beach has redevelopment plans which provide incentives and minimize the risk for capital investment within its Community Redevelopment Area and Commerce and Technolooy Park. Also unlike other coastal communities. the City of Fort Walton Beach' s coastlines are not monopolized by imposino condominiums and a " soft economy" defined as beino disproportionately service-oriented. Our tourists don' t define our city - our residents do. We operate a 365- days- a- year economy that' s strono in technolooy as well as commerce. We like to say we' re bio city strono and small- town friendly. Section 3. Adoption of the Economic Development Element The City Council of Fort Walton Beach adopts the Economic Development Element of the City' s Comprehensive Plan as follows. 1. 2 Introduction In Fort Walton Beach. character is our commodity. The small- town atmosphere includes eleven traditional neiohborhoods. seven of which are located alona the shoreline. and each with their own distinct personality and charm. The city boasts nationally top- ranked public and charter schools with a low teacher-to- student ratio. Schools are a part of our neiohborhoods. linked by Page 2 of 10 Ord. 1791 fitness trails. sidewalks and public parks. Our locally- owned and operated businesses enioy affordability and amenities which embody the city' s commitment to providina a positive business climate in which companies orow. The purpose of the Economic Development Element is to establish a course for strateoic economic development until 2020 and beyond. Specifically. this Element provides the foundation for a 5- year strateoic economic development plan to be implemented by the city' s desionated economic development aoencies. with annual review by the City Council. This Element emphasizes the strenaths of the city' s diversified. global economy: establishes a cluster development strateay to identify. maintain and enhance existino business clusters: and also identifies the market potential for new business clusters to promote entrepreneurship and private investment. To our local businesses. this Element is a statement of our City' s steadfast commitment to their orowth and vitality. To investors and industries cauaht in a softenino national economy. it's also a broadcast that while other cities are struaalina to stay afloat. ours is a stable. diversified economy backed by the United States militarv. alobal technoloay industries. a superior education system. carefullY planned arowth. and unsurpassed natural beauty. This Element will establish aoals. obiectives and policies for orowth to encouraae a " hard economY" arounded in professional services. militarv and medical technoloay. and not overly service- oriented. Realizina that accordina to the Florida Association of Museums. one dollar invested in cultural assets returns seven dollars. and one dollar invested in historic preservation returns ten dollars. throuah this Element the City will also ensure the availability of prime available lands. infrastructure. and amenities for cultural and educational venues. Fort Walton Beach will utilize the City' s 2007 CRA Plan Update. the 2010- 2020 Comprehensive Plan. and Okaloosa County' s 2006 Strateoies to Diversify Our Economv. to strenathen and expand our local economy. This Element outlines proiects from public meetinas intended to be the cornerstone of an Economic Development Strateaic Plan. Such will ensure that our community will remain a favored investment opportunity in a comoetitive alobal marketplace throuah 2020 and beyond. The plannino philosophy outlined in this Element's introduction provides the framework of community values and attitudes reaardino economic development. This section establishes the parameters around which future land use and economic development recommendations will be desianed. Each development decision should ultimately benefit the shared vision for Fort Walton Beach. Presented below are the aoals. obiectives and policies for our community. oroanized under eioht headinas. They are: Industrv Growth and Retention. Economic Development Representative/Aaency. Public/Private Partnerships. Sustainability. Creative Arts and Cultural Tourism. Waterfront Development. Militarv. and Growth Manaoement and Infrastructure. 1.3 GOAL. OBJECTIVES. AND POLICIES GOAL: Promote and maintain orderlv and diversified economic arowth. increased emplovment. and investment opportunities. while protectina Page 3 of 10 Ord. 1791 Quality of life through environmental sustainability to ensure competitiveness in today' s economy. OBJECTIVE 1. 3. 1 Industry Growth and Retention The City will identify. maintain. and promote a cluster industry development approach throuohout the city to strenothen existino businesses and interrelationships. and also to create a framework for taroetino economic development activities. Policy 1: The City strives for a business- friendly atmosphere which enhances economic diversity by elicitino feedback from businesses and oroanizations representino the commercial. industrial. culinary and waterfront industries. Email correspondence. personal contact and surveys are amono the methods to be utilized. Policy 2: Recoonizino that entrepreneurship activity is vital to economic orowth. the city will develop a pilot entrepreneur Quick- start prooram by November 2011. The prooram will act as a one- stop resource to streamline licensino and permittino. and also provide market analysis for site location. Policy 3: By 2011. the City will investioate opportunities to ensure its Commerce and Technolooy Park is a premier location for industry. includino the creation of a Business Improvement District by affected business and property owners. Policy 4: A beautification plan for the commerce and technolooy park will be developed by November 2010. In addition. the Beautification Committee will explore orants and private sponsorship opportunities to screen unattractive uses such as barbed wire. inoperable vehicles. and trash receptacles on hiOhly visible corridors. Policy 5: By 2013. the City will conduct a land use study of Industrial Park desionated lands alono Hollvwood Boulevard to determine the best course for economic development of that corridor. OBJECTIVE 1.3. 2 Entrepreneurship Education Proorams fostered by local oroanizations and institutions to teach entrepreneurship skills to interested students and residents will be an inteoral part of the City' s economic diversity strateoy. Policy 1: The City encouraoes diversified economic orowth within Historic Downtown by encouraoino opportunities for small business start- ups such as culinary studios. seafood and farmers markets. a vendor pushcart prooram. and encouraoino the development of a workino waterfront.