Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 1705 amend comprhensive plan — reading text

SlA/yD b........... d GuLF" 01' \lEXlCO REVISED 8/ 23/05 I DRAWING' SCALE , - ' 700' I liAS I OWG\I ISC\ NEIGHSOR- PROPOSED. OWG  EXHIBIT " B" PLAN FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION colin Maw HEIGHTS W,~ COMBS NEIGHBORHOOD I. NEIGHBORHOOD ESTABUSHMENT A.. NeIghborhood Boundaries The Combs Nev".Heights W.E. Combs Neighborhood is bounded on the north by unincorporated Okaloosa County, on the east by the Sylvania Heights area of Okaloosa County and Mary Esther Cut-Off, on the south by the of Mary Esther and to the west by Hurtburt Field, which is part City of the Eglin Air Force Base Complex. The neighborhood is comprised TP) , however, largely of the City's Commerce and Technology Park ( C& there is a sizeable residential area located north of the C& TP, including Combs- New Heights Elementary School, which gives the neighborhood its name. B. Neighborhood AUtlbuNs and Qualities The Combs N8\-'Heights W.E. Combs area is comprised of the fo~ lowing subdivisions and of parcelsland that are not platted in Sections s: 9 and 17: Combs Manor Subdivision Hurlburt Homes SubcflVision ( Hurlburt Arms Apartments) Pineview Subdivision Wildwood Park Subdivision This neighborhood forms the most westerly and northwesterly portion of the City. The Combs NEW',,"Heights W.E. Combs residential component dates to the 1950' s and 1960' s when most of the residential areas were platted. These subdivisions were annexed to the City by special election for large areas and by individual voluntary requests during the early 1960' s. The residential area is a quiet, almost rural, area which lies between Gap Creek and Lovejoy Road and until the early 1990' s had no sanitary sewer or paved roads. The housing stock in this area of the City indudes the gamut from well- kept, well- manicured properties. to substandard detached single-family homes and manufadured homes. The residential area' s proximity to the industrial and heavy business area to the south and west, as well as, the very, rundown unincorporated area. Sylvania Heights, located to the east, provides a myriad of incompatible land uses. The Combs- New Heights Elementary School forms the center of community life in this neighborhood.  i"'" .~.~., h'.,.,.....".-";~".",.,,','-,.,",,,~ EXHIBIT " B" Hurlburt Arms, a multifamily subdivision/ apartment complex, is atmost an enclave that lies between Mary Esther on the south, east and west, and the City' s Industrial Park on its north, near Anchors Street. A large portion of the land in this neighborhood is used for industrial, warehousing and wholesaling enterprises, which were developed on land owned and strictly controlled by the City from the1960' s until 1994. At that time the City removed restrictions imposed by resolution and created the M- 2 Industrial Park District, which now regulates land use in the former Industrial Park, now Commerce and Technology Park. Most of the industrially zoned lands are developed although there are still several tracts that have never been sold. c. Combs New He/gills W.E. Combs Facts City CORlbs Net:; Heights W.E. Combs POPULATION Total 21, 471 531 Under 18 Years 5,094 115 Over 65 Years 2,400 13 HOUSING Units 9, 112 202 Occupied 8, 528 101 Owner 5, 179 75 Renter 3, 349 26 Vacant 584 9 Median Value Occupied $ 65, 200 $ 50, 500 HU' s Persons!HU 2. 50 2. 72 Source: u.S. Department of Commerce: 1990 Census of Population and Housing.  EXHIBIT " 8" It. NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES AND CONCERNS A. Priority Issues IssuelConcem/ Combined Votes Total Votes Project Votes 20+ Pave Butler Drive 23+ 12 35 20 Votes 10- Sidewalks on 17 17 Combs Manor Court 9+ 6 15 Supervised park / recreation New traffic signals 5+ 6 11 at Lovejoy Rd & Mary Esther C/ O 10 Votes 5- Clean up illegal 9 9 activities ( Bay SO 25 mph speed limit 7 7 too high on Combs Manor Court Bike paths on 7 7 Lovejoy Road Street lighting on 5+ 3+ 2 10 Bay Street/Combs Manor Ct-AII streets brighter Ditch 5 5 Less than 5 Votes Traffic control 2+ 2 4 needed during school hours/school speed zone signs ignored on Hill Avenue Be more 3 3 responsive to needs of neighborhood 3 3 Speed bumps Traffic so heavy at 2 2 Ajax & Lovejoy- can't enter road Crime watch sign 2 2  EXHiBiT " Bn m. r~EIGH80RHOOD PLAr~ OF ACTION A. Goals and Recommendations issue 1- Streets and Drainage Goals i.Complete street construction program in Cemb& New Heights Neighborhood. 2. Assure that Cembs New Heights streets are maintained in standard condition. 3. Develop strategy for improved stormwater management as part of the City' s Stonnwater Management Plan. Recommendations/Action Steps 1. Develop project to pave Butler Drive from Hill Avenue to the Abundant Life Church Property. 2. Develop policies to assure that City will be more responsive in the future to the needs of the Combs New Heights Neighborhood. 3. Provide better maintenance on drainage retention area ( ditch) between homes on Bay Street and Burnette Avenue. Issue 2- Sidewalks Goals 1. Constl\lct sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Recommendations/Action Steps 1. Develop Capital Improvement projects to construct new sidewalk on Combs Manor Court. 2. PWD should develop sidewalk program for Combs N9\Y Heights W.E. Combs with input from Cemb& NWN Heights W.E. Combs Neighborhood Action Committee. 3. Sidewalk development should include as first priorities sidewalks to school and park areas. Issue 3- Parks and Recreation Goals 1. Provide neighborhood recreation area and facilities. Recommendations/ Action Steps 1. Parks and Recreation Dept. should evaluate recreational needs of Combs New Heights W.E. Combs Neighborhood, including bike paths, and prepare CIP projects for any additional facilities needing capital improvement funding. 2. Parks and Recreation Dept. to prepare capital improvement project For development of land to be donated for Mary Burnette Neighborhood Park. Issue 4- Traffic Safety  EXHIBIT " 8" Goals 1. Provide safe and convenient streets for residents in the CQmbs New Heights W.E. Combs Neighborhood. Recommendations/Action Steps 1. Coordinate with Sheriff's Dept to increase traffic control during school hours on Lovejoy Road and Hill Avenue. 2. Police Department should have Engineering Division conduct traffic counts/speed study on Combs Manor Court to determine if reduction in speed limit is warranted. 3. Engineering should analyze study in Adion Step 4.2 to determine if traffic calming measures are warranted. 4. Install traffic signs requesting that vehicles passing through neighborhood on Lovejoy at Ajax atlow local residents to exit from their properties. 5. Contact Department of Transportation ( FOOT- Chipley) to assess the need for traffic signals at Lovejoy Road and Mary Esther Cut- Off. 6. Review phasing on traffic signal at Lovejoy Road and Hill Avenue to get more time on signal to allow residents to enter/exit Combs N8\\f Heights the Neiahborhood. Issue 5- Community Policing Goals 1. Keep neighborhood crime free. 2. Reduce speeding on neighborhood streets and near school. Recommendations/Adion Steps 1. Undertake survey of street lighting to bring all areas up to current standard. 2. Police Department should frequent neighborhood often enough to effectively deter speeding and property vandalism. 3. The neighborhood should form additional Neighborhood Watch Programs so that entire neighborhood is represented. 4. Publicize RUOK Program and make this service easier to request. 5. Coordinate with Sheriff's Dept to increase traffic control durtng school hours on Lovejoy Road and Hill Avenue ( same as 4. 1. above). Issue6- CodeEmorcement Goals 1. Enhance and enforce residential property maintenance standards. Recommendations/Action Steps 1. CDS should provide outreach to those who are income qualified for grant / loan assistance in repair and maintenance of owner occupied housing.  EXHIBIT " B" 2. Provide pamphlets to residents to provide infonnation regartfing City Codes and Ordinances. 3. CDS should review code violation history from neighborhood to determine what areas/ violation types occur most often and concentrate on those areas/violations. 4. City should provide pamphlets to each household advising the steps for reporting problems with animals (pets) and vennin. 5. CDS could obtain prices for lot/ yard mowing and clearing from vendors. Prices could be provided to owners/occupants of properties in violation and absentee owners to abate property maintenance problems. B. Capital Improvement Projects The City has planned numerous capital improvement projects for the Combs NeJ: Heights W.E. Combs Neighborhood through the Year 2006, as shown in the table below. Capital improvements are defined as physical assets, constructed or purchased that have a useful life of ten years or more and . a cost in excess of $25, 000. PROJECT ClN 2001- 2002- 2OO3-2OOtf ZOO4-2tJtJ6 2005-2008 2002 2003 PubRc Works Street Imcrovement 5018 Storm Drainaae 5019 Well Maintenance 5026 Welf' 11- Program $ 32, 000 Waterline 5056 Replacement Proaram ADA