Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 08-10-2007 special agenda - Landmark — reading text

information by the sender and delete the persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please contact material from any computer. No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by A VG Free Edition. Version: 7. 5.476/ Virus Database: 269. 11.8/ 940 - Release Date: 8/ 6/ 20074: 53 PM 8/7/ 2007  Page 1 of 1 Helen Spencer From: brad [ brad@remax.gccoxmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 20078: 23 AM To: fwbclerk@fwb. org Cc: Ken Wright Subject: Landmark Center As a current business owner in the Downtown district I fully support the approval of the Landmark Center and feel this will only enhance the improvements that have already been made. Sincerely, Brad Shoults COPIES TO MAYOR, COUNCIL & APPOINT~?~~~~ DATE 8/ 8/2007 Mrs. Helen Spencer City Clerk City of Fort Walton Beach August 8, 2007 Dear Helen: to field a I understand that the Landmark Development group is planning 10. Because I will contingent of speakers for the special Council meeting August I am providing a be unable to speak my view during the meeting ( out of town), written statement. Please share it with Council, Mayor and appropriate city officials. I continue to hope with many others that an upscale project such as Landmark, located on the high profile property at Hwy 98 & Perry, will currently languishing, be just the ticket to re- ignite downtown revitalization, hence economic development. I commend all who have worked on this plan - investors, architects and city staff. As painful as it is for me, a person with plenty of sweat equity & emotional energy with businesses, invested in the vision of downtown as a thriving, walkable community residences and amenities attractive to locals and visitors alike, I cannot support this to CRA in July. IMO, the proposed financial package is too rich project as presented For example, and the partnership terms way too convoluted for serious consideration. for any much has been touted about the many parking spaces the project will provide and all takers from downtown. My math says: Parking Capacit Current Post Garage Garage Public City Lot Construction Capacity Capacity Lot Capacity Spaces 119 55 343 143 Landmark says they will not lay claim to the 162 spaces they propose to lease. That is difficult to imagine. Investors do not typically give away assets or spend one space per residential unit is one too money for nothing in return. Moreover, few. If these spaces are striped to minimum standards, that' s also a problem. and with Bottom line: to build the parking garage exceeding minimum standards residential owner needs in mind, capacity would be less than 343 reducing public spaces. be If the garage is built as proposed, will 79 spaces ( 24 new + 55 surface) enough to accommodate parking for the existing businesses? COPIES TO MAYOR, COUNCIL & APPOINTED OFFICER.? R -If - 0 DATE  not a I would support a city partnership with Landmark understanding that we are hotbed for investor interest given the upscale nature of what is happening to the east. However, I would preferto forgive a specified amount of ad valorem tax or for a specified period of time - but not to the level of $3. 7 million. As an feet example, an incentive of forgiving $ 500, 000 property tax plus the square from the city' s parking lot Landmark needs to construct the garage would be a generous concession. Personally, I believe the best way to help Landmark along with other potential investors and business owners downtown is to expedite, accelerate, move immediatelv on, the streetscape plan that is so badly needed to remove all vestiges ofseedy, run down, unkempt appearance. It is true yet another study is underway to calculate the feet between trees, and the like but, for example, we do not need a consultant to tell us that empty lots need to be spruced up or, best, enclosed with a privacy fence until construction. No ordinance on the books? Legislate one. To me, the streetscape project has languished on the shelves and in our minds better statement can a way too long. For me, it has reached critical mass. What make about its commitment to historic downtown than to give it a facelift? To city me, Council's demand to get this done riqht now would demonstrate than it cares about the future of downtown more than supporting a single project ever could. In fact, I propose that if the streetscape plan was in place, Landmark investors would not be offering to build their project in our city in exchange for a city funded garage, but would be vying with other investors to build a keystone project in our downtown. As it is, however, we feel fortunate any investor is offering the city a project in exchange for a " partnership" agreement no matter how inappropriate the terms. I would encourage Council to keep in mind the library - built on a too small lot, hidden behind a car wash - location and citizen convenience sacrificed in the name of facilitating downtown revitalization. The decision was grounded in short- term vision which, not five years later, has proven simply shortsighted. And that subject brings up this - if Council approves this plan, I hope to goodness a vote will be taken to make sure the parking spaces are more than minimum size. Yes, fewer than 343 will be available but that' s a sacrifice worth making as we bite off $ 3. 7 million debt. Thanks for passing this on, LHelen:;, J/~/~ ~ Charlene Greenwald  Page 1 of 1 Helen Spencer From: VALERIE WENZEL [ successbychoice@prodigy. net] Sent: Friday, August 10, 200710: 26 AM To: Helen Spencer Subject: Landmark Ctr. Good morning Helen, I hope that this finds you having a wonderful day and preparing for an even better weekend! Please be sure that the council, mayor and city manager know that my husband and myself are in strong support of this project and the proposed garage for the adjoining cty. pkg. lot. Best Regards, Valerie Wenzel Meister Meeting Services 850- 543- 1471 cell 850- 609- 3133 office Measure life not by the breaths you take but by what takes your breath away" 8/ 10/ 2007  Page 1 of 1 Helen Spencer From: Little Bo Feet Boutiques [ bofeet@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 10:46 AM To: fwbclerk@fwb. org Subject: Landmark Center Site Plan My name is Sally Sage Hills and I own a business in downtown F ort Walton Beach called Little Bo Feet. I urge you to in favour of the Landmark Center site plan. Thank you. Sally Sage Hills 174 Brooks Street FWB, FL 32548 850- 314- 7400 8/ 10/ 2007 Helen Spencer From: carolinacigarsonthecoast@cox. net Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 10:48 PM To: fwbclerk@fwb. org Subject: parking garage hundred percent, not sure if I attend the meeting, because I have I support this one can to be at my store, but know I am behind this much needed project. Laurie Santos Carolina Cigars on the Coast 196 SE Miracle Strip Pkwy Unit M FWB, FL 32548 850- 315- 1010 1  Page 1 of 1 Helen Spencer From: Pamela_ Bousquet@Countrywide. Com Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 10: 56 AM To: Helen Spencer Subject: Support Landmark Center Land usage Please let this serve as my support for the proposal to build a parking garage on the Landmark Center Land located on comer of Perry and Hwy 98. With over 30 employees and an office located in the Shoppes at Paradise center, this would be a welcome move by the City of FWB. Pamela Bousquet Branch Manager - Retail CMD 102 - Ft. Walton Beach, FL 850- 833-2511 Office 255 Miracle Strip Pwky SE # B9 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 850-450- 1555 Cell home. countrywide .com/ pamelabousquet http:// Pamela_ Bousquet@countrywide com Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in and transmitted with this communication is strictly confidential, is intended only for the use of the intended recipient, and is the property of Countrywide Financial Corporation or its affiliates and subsidiaries. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use of the information contained in or transmitted with the communication or dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited by law. If you have received this communication in error, pleaseimmediately return this communication to the sender and delete the original message and any copy of it III your posseSSIOn. 8/1 0/ 2007  Page 1 of 1 Helen Spencer From: Carole Jones Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 11 : 26 AM To: Bill Garvie; Dennis Reeves; Jim Hartwell; Mayor Anderson; Mike Holmes; Mike Minich; Virgil Miller; Wayne Pullen Cc: Helen Spencer; Joyce Shanahan; Lisa Absher; toni@tlcpa.