Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 11-18-2004 Workshop — reading text

that Council do the review process for approval. Municipal Planning Board to have total authorityto say it should go here or should go there, and then if the CRA Board has a great plan, they can go to Councilor the MPB. Mr. Cardwell Mayor Glover questioned whether the Municipal Planning Board could act as a CRA. responded that by statute, the Municipal Planning Board cannot act as a CRA. Dr. Pullen commented getting rid of the CRA is not up for discussion, and the City would still receive the money for the CRA. Mr. Campbell commented the overall picture is that so much has been done for downtown that they cannot stop now and regress what they have tried to do. Mr. Tucker he only wants to put the responsibility in the hands of Council. expressed Mr. Cardwell further explained under the statute, the Community Redevelopment Act, there are limited options in terms of the composition of the CRA Board and if the objective is to have the Municipal Planning Board take on a greater role in terms of projects within the redevelopment area, that can be done through the planning and land use regulations. He noted the CRA Board, as the City has created, is typically used around the State when there is a desire to have a targeted He noted the CRA Board has to operate within the confines of the approach to a particular area. Redevelopment Act and they have to follow applicable City Charter, provisions, ordinances, codes and land use regulations and he pointed out that the CRA Plan has to be consistent with the City' s noted his observation that City has not yet formed a consensus as to Comprehensive Plan. He what City wants the CRA Board to do and its objective, and customarily the process of developing elected the Plan does that. He said one of the roles of redevelopment, be it either by the CRA is intended to be governing body or the appointed CRA Board, is to change the status quo; a there is a targeted redevelopment, but it is also for the benefit of the entire City, and noted at the level that even judicial though it may be targeted, there is an overall benefit from recognition redevelopment. He went over the difference between economic development and community to create the redevelopment, and mentioned a key for redevelopment is for government environment then get out of the way. He noted the City should determine what they want to try to and most efficient accomplish, how they want to accomplish the objective, and identify the easiest way to get to the ultimate objective. 44 11- 16-04 CRA COMPOSITION cont. Dr. Pullen mentioned his attendance at the MPB meetings and the CRA meetings and mentioned he has observed developments that go to the CRA then have to go to the MPB, and commented if Council took over the function of the CRA Board, then everything would be funneled through one place for approvalof plans and they would be consistent; and mentioned his observation of inconsistency with what the CRA Board approves then goes to Council and what the MPB the people. He approves, and expressed it should be consistent and it should be made easier for commented the CRA Board does some excellent work and mentioned the meeting when the Board for construction in the CRA He expressed their thoughts on establishing standards area. expressed he would not want the CRA Board to disappear as a CRA Board as an advisory to Council, it thought they could streamline some of the actions and it would legal as long as Council is the CRA Board, then all building permits and plans would be funneled through the MPB. Mr. Anderson expressed surprise at inconsistency if the MPB and the CRA Board follow the same ordinances, and noted Council is the final authority. He voiced his understanding that the CRA is focused on an area and the MPB is focused on the entire City, and do not inter-relate but abide by the same set of rules, and he had no disagreement with that. Mr. Tucker commented the CRA is attempting to place what they perceive to be a proper design. Mr. Anderson noted the CRA Board was expressing their personal preferences; they were not abiding by any codes. Mr. Holmes commented that the developers knew what they wanted to build and probably had a good idea what they could build, but walked away from the meeting with an idea on what the CRA would like them to build and had to go back and redesign, but they were probably within the guidelines established; so maybe the problem is that personal issues were expressed and it was continued for another month, then the developers will go back to see if what they have will fit in with the wishes and dreams of the CRA Board, when there are guidelines to follow to start with. The City Manager noted the City does not currently have development guidelines or regulations or standards, Council has visited the issue in the past and determined they were not interested in imposing development standards or regulations on particular developers; however, the CRA Board has a set of guidelines of what they think is appropriate to promote that particular area of the City, and they have a particular vision of what they would like to see there. She understood the particular developer being discussed was delighted for the City to tell them what the City would like to see because they had a standard cookie cutter approach they have used in other communities and if that did not work for us, to tell them what we would like to see; and they were more than happy to want to change that and it did not appreciably change their building structure, just a few minor modifications. The CDS Director noted the City' s process is very typical to other communities in the site plan review process and staff expresses to the developers when they first come in what the zoning regulations are, which are hard and fast regulations that have to be abided by unless they get a variance; then there are standards in the Urban Master Plan and Design Standards booklet, which went through the public process and there was a consensus by the CRA and City Council that this is a master plan for the area and design guidelines. She said guidelines are not hard and fast regulations but statements that say this is what we would like to see, and this is what is going to be the most compatible project, or building style, or development style in this area. She said although that may be expressed to a developer, often they will do their cookie cutter design until they hear someone like the CRA Board or the City Council ask if they could do better for the City. She said the CRA Board does give the developers ideas and they are personal preferences, but they are ideas then the developer will take the ones that will work for that project and come back. She said what they are seeing is that the second time they go to the CRA Board, they will see a much better project, it will be a much more financially beneficial to the property owner and they are much happier with it. The City Manager noted that the two particular projects, neither one of them was ready to get building permits issued; it did not delay them in any way.  11- 16- 04 45 CRA COMPOSITION cont. In response to the question whether the MPB has the same latitude, the CDS Director replied that the MPB reviews a specific use and project for a specific site, and there are standards for conditional use and within those they are somewhat subjective and some determinations have to be made by the MPB; which she felt the MPB is doing a similar function as the CRA Board does with the design guidelines. The City Manager stated the guidelines were solicited through a public input process that asked the community what they would like to see, and that is how they developed the Master Plan for the CRA, and they are in the process of updating it and moving forward. Mr. Tucker expressed his hope that the CRA Board, if it continues to be constituted as it is, will start to develop and spend the monies to correct blight, slum, and crime. Mr. Holmes commented Council told the CRA what direction to move and they are doing it. Dr. Pullen commented that perhaps the preferences should be placed in the Code. Mr. Tucker repeated his question on who would best represent the entire City wishes as far as the CRA area, the CRA Board, the MPB, or the City Council. The Mayor expressed her opinion it is the City Council. Millie Thrush, CRA Chairman, expressed the need for better guidelines to expect better from the developers. Dick Gercak, MPB Chairman, addressed the MPB' s responsibility to look at the whole city, which does not exclude the CRA area, to input and initiate ordinances based on the input they receive, then forward to Council for approval. The City Manager pointed out Council has to establish the guidelines on what they want to see in the community, whether or not they want a high- rise or development standards, etc., and that has to start with City Council setting the strategic plan for the City. Dr. Pullen expressed his point of view that the CRA should take their ideas to the Municipal Planning Board who will initiate it to forward to Council for approval. The Mayor commented she is hearing that the Municipal Planning Board makes the rules and regulations but it is her understanding they cannot get tied in with the CRA. Mr. Cardwell acknowledged they cannot, mentioned the importance of having standards but not putting the City in a straightjacket; and discussed urban development and the need to create the market and to make sure the market is there for the people to take advantage. Will Hugli, CRA member, noted the Municipal Planning Board, along with staff, has the responsibility to develop the land use code and the zoning, and the CRA has no authority over the land use and zoning except to implement; and the CRA has no authority to approve conditional use which has to go back to the MPB for approval; and commented there really is no conflict between the two Boards. He addressed the need for architectural standards in the CRA and pointed out the CRA, by law, is designed to go away. Janet Wilson, MPB member, commented the MPB does not see projects approved by the CRA because it goes directly to Council, and there are land use and zoning regulations that have been in place for 20 years and by the time the MPB finds out there