BCC Minutes 12/11/2002 S (LDC Amendments)December 11, 2002
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF THE COLLIER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
2002 LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS
CYCLE 2
Naples, Florida, December 11, 2002
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Board of Collier County
Commissioners in and for the County of Collier, having conducted
business herein, met on this date at 5:05 p.m. for the 2002 Land
Development Code Amendment Cycle 2 in Building "F" of the
Government Complex, East Naples, Florida, with the following
members present:
CHAIRMAN: JIM COLETTA
FRED COYLE
DONNA FIALA
FRANK HALAS
TOM HENNING
ALSO PRESENT: Jim Mudd, County Manager; Joe Schmitt,
Community Development Services Administrator; and Susan
Murray, Current Planning Manager.
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COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA
December 11, 2002
5:05 p.m.
NOTICE: ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA ITEM
MUST REGISTER PRIOR TO SPEAKING. SPEAKERS MUST REGISTER
WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE
AGENDA ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED.
COLLIER COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 99-22 REQUIRES THAT ALL
LOBBYISTS SHALL, BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY LOBBYING ACTIVITIES
(INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ADDRESSING THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS), REGISTER WITH THE CLERK TO THE
BOARD AT THE BOARD MINUTES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT.
REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON SUBJECTS WHICH ARE NOT ON
THIS AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING WITH EXPLANATION
TO THE COUNTY MANAGER AT LEAST 13 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF
THE MEETING AND WILL BE HEARD UNDER "PUBLIC PETITIONS".
ANY PERSON W HO DECIDES T O APPEAL A DECISION O F T HIS BOARD
WILL NEED A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO,
AND THEREFORE MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD
OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE
TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
ALL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE (5)
MINUTES UNLESS PERMISSION FOR ADDITIONAL TIME IS GRANTED BY
THE CHAIRMAN.
IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS ANY
ACCOMMODATION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCEEDING,
YOU ARE ENTITLED, AT NO COST TO YOU, TO THE PROVISION OF
CERTAIN ASSISTANCE. PLEASE CONTACT THE COLLIER COUNTY
1
December 11, 2002
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT 3301 EAST
TAMIAMI TRAIL, NAPLES, FLORIDA, 34112, (941) 774-8380; ASSISTED
LISTENING DEVICES FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED ARE AVAILABLE IN
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE.
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. AGENDA
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 91-102, AS
AMENDED, THE COLLIER COUNTY LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE,
WHICH INCLUDES THE COMPREHENSIVE REGULATIONS FOR
THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF COLLIER COUNTY-, FLORIDA.
Second and final public hearing to be held January 8, 2003
3. ADJOURN
INQUIRIES CONCERNING CHANGES TO THE BOARD'S AGENDA SHOULD
BE MADE TO THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE AT 774-8383.
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December 11, 2002
December 11, 2002
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 91-102,
AS AMENDED, THE COLLIER COUNTY LAND
DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH INCLUDES THE
COMPREHENSIVE REGULATIONS FOR THE
UNINCORPORATED AREA OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
- SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD ON
JANIIARY g, 2003
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Welcome to our LDC
public hearing. December 1 l th, 5:05. Right on time. Mr. Schmitt?
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioners, good evening. Or I guess I
shall say good afternoon since it's not past six o'clock, I guess it's the
correct way
so--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, is six o'clock the evening
hour?
MR. SCHMITT: I'll wish everybody good evening then.
We're going to -- we're here for our first hearings, our first set of
hearings for the LDC amendments for the fall cycle and what we're
going to do if we could ask for you indulgence is try and move
through the issues from the -- the more contentious issues up front so
that we don't have people sitting here all night.
And we would -- we would work through those in that direction
rather than through them sequentially as shown.
So, from that perspective, the first thing we would like to do is
review the concurrency amendment 3.15. And with that I'm going to
mm it over to Stan Litsinger and Norm Feder.
That is in a separate agenda package or item you have.
MR. LITSINGER: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman,
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December 11, 2002
commissioners. For the record, Stan Litsinger, comprehensive
planning.
In your agenda which would be in -- begin on Page 128 or in the
insert beginning -- and I will refer to the page numbers -- Page
Numbers 1 through 35, I believe it is, as opposed to the handwritten
page numbers which you may have in your agenda package.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: One through 36.
MR. LITSINGER: Yes, sir.
The item you have here in front of you this evening is a result of
many months of work by your staff. You have made comprehensive
plan amendment changes to enable the new approach to the way we
look at public facilities, specific transportation measurement. This is
an interim step.
We're making numerous changes within the Land Development
Code to both collect impact fees at an earlier point in time, to apply
impact fees for road construction, to redefine final local development
orders as you did with your comprehensive plan amendments and
generally meter growth and collect the costs of growth and provide
facilities at an earlier stage.
We have 35, 36, 37 pages of changes here to your division 3.15
and I'll go through very briefly to get some of the fundamental
changes that we're making at this point in time at your first hearing,
having been before the Planning Commission on two recommended
-- on two hearing nights and be recommended to you tonight with
changes noted in blue.
We're going to -- from the future in the adoption of this Land
Development Code change, we will be issuing Certificates of
Adequate Public Facilities and requiring Certificates of Adequate
Public Facilities at the site development and platting stage as
opposed to requiring them and the impact fees to be paid at the
building permit stage.
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December 11, 2002
As you will hear more from the transportation administrator
shortly we have redefined their measurement techniques for
transportation facilities; specifically, roads.
We've defined -- redefined and clarified when facilities are
available for consideration in issuing Certificates of Adequate Public
Facilities and Development Orders.
We have redefined our service standards, four levels of service
measurement.
We also noted through here in a number of changes to your
levels of service standards for other facilities to bring them up to date
with your most recent AUIR report.
We have redefined a peak hour of peak season for roadway
volume measurement. We have clarified the AUIR process to note
that we are continuing with the annual concurrency determination
through the AUIR process on an interim basis.
We've clarified and put specific standards in here for the AUIR
process. We've defined de minimis impacts. We've defined
thresholds for traffic impact analysis on development order review
under our new traffic management system that's coming into
development.
We've redefined interim development controls under the ASI
process, Area of Significant Influence, to specific impacts on the
roadways impacted by each development approval in the event we
have ASls. You'll hear more from that, from the transportation
administrator.
We've instituted or will through this process institute a process
of collecting 50 percent of all transportation impact fees at the time
that a building permit for final local development order in the case --
this case the site development plan or final plat is approved into the
impact fee funds.
The 50 percent will not be refundable. The entire 100 percent is
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December 11, 2002
due within three years in order to establish and maintain traffic
impact vesting. All impact fees in each case would be due at
building permit for all of your facilities.
We've provided for a six-month traffic impact vesting process of
a -- of a currently approved development in order to determine the
background traffic and future impacts from the roadway system
which have not come forward in the final local development order
process.
And we have defined all thresholds for significant impacts on
roadways, which may be deemed deficient or to be determined to be
constrained through your AUIR process that we bring to you each
year.
And with that I would open it up for questions.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Looking at Page 4 on the top, it
looks like we have capital sanitary facilities and solid waste facilities
to also meet the level of service.
MR. LITSINGER: That's correct.
This -- we often lose sight of the fact that your adequate public
facilities ordinance or Division 3.15 as we know it is all of your
adequate, all of your Category A facilities, not just transportation.
And that's water and sewer, parks and recreation, solid waste
and drainage.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
MR. LITSINGER: So, we are modifying levels of certain
standards here and through the concurrency process we will actually
be doing a measurement and determination on all of your Category A
public facilities.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Water, sewer --
MR. LITSINGER: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- all of those.
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December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes.
So, just to bring it down into plain old laymen's terms now when
-- when they say three or four major developments going in in a
certain area, instead of having to measure each one by what they
were going to offer to the streets, now we get to have a better
measurement so that -- that our roads will be able to accommodate
the traffic generated.
This is what some of this says as far as peak hour and peak time;
right?
MR. FEDER: For the record, Norman Feder, transportation
administrator.
Commissioner, partially, yes. And let me explain that.
You have modified both and what you said in the growth
management and therefore what's here in your Land Development
Code to implement it to a three three five rather than a five percent
significant threshold, which means that you will be bringing in more
projects as they go to develop rather than having them, so to speak,
have a higher hour to come in under.
You have lowered the bar to a three percent level for direct
impacts and for adjacent facilities.
You're still though, with where we are in this interim approach,
still doing an annual update and inventory report.
You are not into the checkbook of the real time concurrency
and, as you know, what we're doing in this provision here for all
vested development is out there to be fully evaluated, reviewed and
to get a schedule for how they plan on building out and what
roadway segments they will impact because that was the biggest
issue in our ability to go forward with checkbook, and the response
from community development in Tallahassee was that we couldn't
show with that vested development exactly when it would come
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December 11, 2002
online and how it would come online.
And that's particularly true in transportation where you're going
on a link by link basis each segment of roadway, whereas I can
review what is out there in total vested units. If I had a north point
and south point with an interconnect, I can go to trend, I can look at
absorption rates and I can go to a percentage of the community that
will be impacted and I can pretty much handle it no matter where in
the community it comes online. In the case of roads where it's going
to hit, what segment it's going to impact is critical.
And that's why we're going in this process along with some
good changes that Stan's hit on and we'll go in some more detail to a
process that allows us to go back, look at everything that's vested and
get a build-out plan that requires an annual update, that's provisions
here, to be in that position to then go to a checkbook system and be
able to say exactly what the implications would be of that system and
go to a real time quarterly monthly rather than annual update.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So, this is going to help us get there
right now. I mean --
MR. FEDER: It's going to help us get--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- we can't get there --
MR. FEDER: -- towards it but it will not get all the way.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And -- and I realize that when you
came on board your hands were tied by the laws that were in place.
Ours were tied by the laws that were in place. We were trying to
help you, you were trying to help us and we weren't getting there
with what we were dealing with so I just wanted to make sure.
I know that we don't have the whole package here. I just wanted
to make sure in your eyes we had enough of a package to -- to
continue to move forward and protect some of the roads at --
MR. FEDER: We do. We've done some good things lowering
that bar to three percent rather than five, requiring that the impact
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December 11, 2002
fees be paid half at final plat or plan, which is a good three years
before the impacts will hit to allow to us get out funds and start to
provide that replacement capacity and making those fees once paid
refundable --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes.
MR. FEDER: -- and then requiring that the balance of that be
paid within three years, if you're going to maintain that certificate of
vesting, allows us to then provide that capacity and then if that
development doesn't come on which impacts on fully built out for
many years out, we still have provided that capacity so we start not
only keeping pace but catching up on some of the past along with
what you've done in the aggressive road program that we're
permitting now.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Thanks.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle and
Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Mr. Feder, can we take a look at
fiscal and operational impact starting on page one at the bottom of
the page and going into the top of page of page two?
It's -- it's -- it's uncertain to me when the certificate of adequate
public facilities would be considered vested.
MR. FEDER: Okay. Again, that's just the summary section in
what you're referring to one and two.
In answer to your question, at the time of final subdivision plat
or plan there would be a review as to whether or not there's adequate
public facility. If the determination is made that there is adequate
public facility, then that capacity be -- be reserved.
The development would have 90 days to come in and pick up
that final development order and to pay half of the transportation
impact fees directly into the transportation trust fund not into escrow,
therefore, they could be used immediately to start providing that
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replacement capacity.
So, it's at the time of final plat or plans, sir.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. But half of it is collected at
that point in time --
MR. FEDER: Correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- and half of it is collected at time
of permit.
MR. FEDER: No. Half is collected -- let me rephrase that.
Half on an estimated. If you took -- 500 units were in a -- in a plat,
that 500 units would have to pay today's impact fee rate structure,
pay half of that to get the certificate and pick it up within 90 days. It
would then be nonrefundable and it could be used immediately.
In that first three years, we use about 35 percent, if you will, of
the cost of an overall project which is what are the impact fees that
are paid for on design and right-of-ways.
So, we're asking for 50. The other 50 has to come on in three
years if you're going to maintain that vesting of that 500 units for
anything that's not built.
And, again, that allows us to provide that capacity whether it
comes online immediately or sometime in the future.
The actual fee that you pay though, that's an estimated fee each
time a building permit is pulled. So, if they pay the half, 90 days
later build their first -- pull their first building permit. It's kind of
quick.
Let's say they do. At that time they would use the credit from
the 50 against that impact fee, whatever that rate structure is at that
time.
So, if they pay the half and they take two years and, remember,
we've got an indexing process, that rate will go up. It will be used
against it until it runs out of that and then the next building permit
will have to pay its full fee, the same --
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I understand all that.
Now, did -- do you under-- do you know what the average
period of time is from the -- the point when a -- an SDP is approved
to the point when a building permit is issued until the -- let's suppose
the initial habitable structures are available for Certificate of
Occupancy.
MR. FEDER: It varies obviously by project. You got some
folks here in the audience that maybe could answer that better.
But from everything I've been able to look at and see,
realistically from final plat or plan you're probably on average about
four years before you're having any impact and more out six, seven
years before the full impact of that development is seen if it stayed--
if it moves steadily.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I think if I interpret this right
that that is the key to the puzzle. When we went in with our
checkbook concurrency system, Tallahassee told us that we could not
eliminate the three-year period from consideration for road
construction.
MR. FEDER: Not
could build and provide
that.
unless we could show that financially we
the capacity --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That's right.
MR. FEDER: -- that's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And we're in the process of doing
But, quite frankly, it looks to me like we've essentially done for
all intents and purposes by -- by collecting these impact fees earlier.
MR. FEDER: That's what I hope you'll find.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah, because we -- we collect the
impact fees, you said, four to five or six years before the
development will be having an impact on the infrastructure.
MR. FEDER: Realistically the answer to that is yes, you're
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December 11, 2002
collecting half but then you're getting the other half when you need
it, so in effect, yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: At a -- at a higher level.
MR. FEDER: Correct. At the rate --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So -- so, essentially, we are able
to start development on the infrastructure many years before the
ultimate impact is likely to be felt.
MR. FEDER: That's exactly what we're trying to do, sir.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MR. MUDD: And then, Commissioner, the one other piece that
you need to put in that puzzle and we're -- and we're having the
people that want the development to pay for it and pay for it at that
time, not pay for it three years later when they have the impact and
the -- and the county has had to go out and bond that principal and
interest and pay that extra money.
They're paying up front so we don't have to bond it, so we're
getting those dollars -- their dollars to start working on it ahead of
time in order to bring that to fruition before the impact is felt.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And are -- are we guaranteeing a
certificate of adequate public facilities at that point in time.'?
MR. FEDER: If there is capacity, that's when we start the
process. If there's not capacity, of course, we won't go forward. If
there is capacity we guarantee it and reserve it at that time, yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And -- and -- and we're going to
reserve it so that someone else doesn't come by and do the same
thing and another one does the same thing and all of a sudden we
don't have any capacity at all.
MR. FEDER: Yes, and one caveat on that, with the annual
update in inventory, which we're using now annually we will reserve
that. We'll look at it annually and then come back to an annual basis.
After we get the data, we'll come back to you and ! believe we'll
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December 11, 2002
probably go into a more real time basis of looking at that.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Okay. Good. Thanks.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Halas and then
myself and then we'll go to Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: My understanding on this we're
going to be, when we're doing the engineering work on these roads,
we're not basing this on ten months; is that correct?
MR. FEDER: That is --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Basing this on this 12 months; is
that right?
MR. FEDER: That is correct.
When we design and -- and make an improvement, we do it on
the basis of thirtieth highest hour for the full 12 months of the year.
What we have in the provisions here is for review of
development, especially as we stand right now, recognition that we
have a peaking, particularly in February/March in our system, and
that to try and both go the public costs, given that we're behind on
some things, and the impacts of the amount of asphalt that we're
putting into our community, that in fact we recognize that we
evaluate our system for good performance ten months out of the year
and acknowledge that we're going to have some congestion during
the peak two months of the year.
But when we go to make an improvement, we look at that need
20 years out and design it for success, which is going to the thirtieth
highest hour considering all 12 months of the year.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. We're looking at thirtiest
high -- highest hour as far as engineering concept goes.
MR. FEDER: Called design, yes.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah.
Well, what we're trying to do is establish some criteria for the
hundredth hour; is that correct?
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December 11, 2002
And then if we -- if we take off the two months, then we're
actually looking at around the 248th hour. Is that my understanding?
MR. FEDER: As it stands right now, you're pretty close to
another standard, which is 250th highest hour. Right now that
equates up to 248th hours, that's correct
COMMISSIONER HALAS: And this is only going to be for an
interim period of time, is that correct, until we --
MR. FEDER: That is -- that is the policy issue of this board. It
was what we proposed we initially sent to Tallahassee was to go to a
ten month for the planning process not for the design and
engineering.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: That's my -- okay.
MR. FEDER: And we had that in our initial submittal based on
the workshop, 27th, I believe, of September. We were told to
maintain that in this interim process given the policy of locations of
trying to develop a system that would hit the peak of the peak both in
costs and in the level of asphalt and the community impacts that that
would present.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. So, you don't foresee us
moving back when we're doing the count at the 250th hour. Do you
foresee when we will some day take that into account of the peak?
MR. FEDER: I would see that as we go through this system
that obviously the direction from this board will tell me where I go
on that, but I think we can evaluate that on an ongoing basis and
change if we find it's necessary, yes.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commission Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The one time that we had
allowed COA at permitting, if somebody wants to roll the dice and
take the chance that the capacity is there, is that provision still in?
MR. FEDER: What you're speaking to, commissioner, is
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December 11, 2002
waiver and, no, it is not.
The current system, which we're proposing to modify both with
the growth management provisions already sent and with these plan
development code changes, would do away with waiver and release,
which basically said that at final plat or plan rather than putting all of
my impact fees, not only transportation, but all my impact fees into
an escrow account, therefore, not available to anyone, that I could
roll the dice, as you put it, take the chance that concurrency will be
available for me when I go to actually pull my building permit and
that was waiver and release.
The person was signing a waiver saying I release you from any
liability. I'm going to continue to move forward and if there's not
capacity for me when I go to pull my individual building permit, my
problem.
Or they could have paid all of the impact fees for all funds into
an escrow account, as I said, not available to anyone.
What we're proposing rather in this system is there is no waiver
and release. We're trying to get the funds earlier in the process to
make the improvements and we're trying to pull some of the soft
speculation that we've experienced.
So, rather, what you do is you have the person, if they're going
to go for a final plat or plan and get that plat or plan because there is
available capacity for transportation, pay half of those impact fees at
that time, get vested and then have to pay the other within three years
to maintain that vesting on time.
You don't have to pay your other fees into an escrow account
which weren't valuable to anyone because they get paid at building
permit.
Your actual fee still is calculated based on when you pull permit
for all items including transportation.
MR. SCHMITT: And if I could make sure, Norman, that we
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December 11, 2002
clarify that this is an estimated payment at the 50 percent. The actual
impact fee you pay is the day that you actually have a -- a deemed
complete and sufficient application for a permit and then you -- you
can wait up to 90 days.
It was -- it is now 180 but we're changing it to 90 that you
actually have to come in, draw the permit and pay the -- the fees.
MR. FEDER: But then they're nonrefundable at that time and --
and as Joe points out, essentially what we're doing here is pulling the
process to the final plat or plan and, as I said, pull in the dollars at
that time.
But the reason it's called estimated is you pay the fees for that
500 unit and subdivision. They pay the fees that are currently in full
force and effect and then they pay the actual fuel at the time they pull
the building permit if it's been changed.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: I'm going to ask Stan if he could clarify the
issue with the escrow so you understand where we are now and what
this amendment will do with the $31 million we now have in escrow
that we can't touch.
MR. LITSINGER: We currently have an escrow fund as you're
aware where folks es -- escrow the estimated impact fees that would
be due on building permit.
With the adoption of this ordinance, we will close that escrow
fund for further deposits. All payment of impact fees after this date
associated with development approvals or in association with the
vesting process for the six-month period will go directory into the
impact fee funds.
As part of the vesting review process, we would hope that we
would be able to transfer significant moneys out of the $31 million
balance approximately in the escrow fund directly into the impact fee
funds so that you can appropriate those moneys to build the
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December 11, 2002
necessary roadway improvements immediately.
So, the escrow fund is something that we're going to see move
away, be closed except for existing deposits that may be drawn down
or transferred through the vesting process.
MR. FEDER: I'll -- I'll just add to that somebody who went
through the prior process I had mentioned and didn't go for a waiver
actually paid all of their impact fees into escrow and got this
certificate of adequate public facilities.
They have the option -- they had that for three years or five
years, after our prior process with the possibility to extend.
They can stay in that process, leave the money in escrow and
continue to develop under our prior policies because they were in
before, or knowing that their situation is such that at the end of three
years or five years they may not have that vesting status, they can
decide to opt in to the new process, which means that then they have
to pay that 50 percent when they choose to opt in and it becomes
immediately available for use.
And then within three years from the original certificate, which
might be a month later or two years or ! 1 months and 28 days later, I
guess, depending on when they -- on the prior process, they then
have to pay the other 50 percent level to maintain that vested status.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner--
MR. FEDER: So, they've got the ability to opt in.
On the old process, they can also surrender their certificate and
get reimbursement of that as-built. If they operate into the new, they
cannot surrender for reimbursement. They can surrender and then
move those impact fees within the district but they cannot be
refunded.
And vesting runs with the land. They cannot move it to another
project.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Halas.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Can you give me a -- a little better
clarification of the $31 million that's in escrow? How much of that
will we be able to take out, let's say, in the next year of that $31
million that's in escrow?
Do you have any handle on that?
MR. LITSINGER: Mr. Tindle here can tell you the exact
amount, which is transportation and what the breakdown is of the
various impact fee funds. The process will involve through the
transportation impact vesting review process a process in
development agreements that will result in the agreement to move
those moneys essentially across the hall, if you will, from the escrow
account to the impact fee account.
Again, it will be a voluntary process and the moneys that are
currently escrowed would remain so and are currently refundable on
the surrender of a certificate. We --
MR. FEDER: But the feeling is that, folks, if they have the
money tied up in escrow and they can get the ability to extend that
vesting on out, may well want to opt as we go through that six-month
process of looking at everything that's vested out there when it's
likely to come online.
So, that's going to part of that same process.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Well, I guess --
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, if I can just--
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah. You haven't really
answered --
MR. SCHMITT: I think--
COMMISSIONER HALAS: -- the question.
MR. SCHMITT: -- you're looking at about one-third of the
current --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
MR. SCHMITT: -- moneys that are in there right now I would
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December 11, 2002
tag as impact fee, transportation impact fee funds.
The issue is going to be whether or not those who are currently
vested and in the current program want to operate into the new
program. That's going to be the option because of the transition.
So, even if you're conservative and say maybe two-thirds,
because I -- I think there will be some enticement to do so, Norman
should have anywhere from five to six to $8 million available
immediately or at least within the next six months to begin the
program into his five-year work program and that's a significant step.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Does that conclude the presentation?
MR. LITSINGER: That's all.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Do we have any speakers on this
subject?
MR. SCHMITT: We have one, two, three, four, five -- seven
speakers.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Would you call up --
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA:
MR. SCHMITT: Bob--
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- speaker?
MR. SCHMITT: -- Stone followed by David Ellis.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Good evening, Mr. Stone.
MR. STONE: Good evening.
For the record, my name is Bob Stone.
I would like to address some of the concerns that I have with the
Land Development Code. I think Mr. Feder has alleviated some of
these. I didn't realize that you were actually collecting funds up
front.
The 1985 Growth Management Act, when written, contained a
clause, development shall con -- shall occur concurrent with the
-- the first one and then the backup --
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December 11, 2002
infrastructure requirements to support it.
When it was later changed by the ELMS committee in '92, and
rule 9(J)(5) came about, this effectively allowed the infrastructure to
lag development by three years.
Those counties which did implement concurrency in accordance
with the 1985 Growth Management Act as written did not allow
development to occur unless the infrastructure was available and in
place to support it.
Collier County did not do this and our infrastructure suffers
today because of this.
The current amendments speak primarily to the issue of
adequate roadway concurrency and in an attempt to install a level of
service system to determine when development may occur along
those roadways.
While roadways are an important issue -- an important part of
the infrastructure, they are secondary in importance to the issue of
adequate potable water and sewer facilities.
The finite supply of potable water in our aquifers and the
vulnerability of sewer facilities at peak season should take
precedence over our roadways.
These should be spoken to in as much depth in the Land
Development Code as roadways. The level of service of potable
water should be addressed in terms of how many acre-feet are
available within the aquifer for use in new development per capita
while sewer facilities should be based on how much capacity per
capita remains within the area of development without the necessity
of linking north and south plants or with the City of Naples.
Section 3.15.2.2 states that the purpose of an adequate Public
Facilities Act is to ensure that public facilities are available to serve
development concurrent with when the impacts of development
occur on the public facilities.
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December 11, 2002
This appears to sound as though development and infrastructure
will occur simultaneously; however, this cannot be assured unless
other more precise wording is contained in the language such as a
Certificate of Occupancy will not be issued unless all infrastructure is
available and in place to support the development prior to issuance.
The constraints that will be put in place should all infrastructure
not be available must also be addressed.
Unless there is teeth in the language of the Land Development
Code, there will be business as usual within the county and we will
continue to be further behind in our goals of making the true
concurrency occur between the development and infrastructure in the
county.
I strongly urge the board of county commissioners to include the
necessary language within these amendments which will ensure that
as a minimum potable water, surface facilities and roadways in that
order are available and will be in place and operable prior to an
occupancy permit.
In other jurisdictions impact fees are collected at the time a PUD
is put on the plan and approved list. There is no refund in the event
the developer does not implement the PUD or changes it to a lower
density in the future.
This results in PUDs not being planned and approved which the
developer does not intend to implement for years and makes the
impact fee available for use in infrastructure requirements well in
advance of development.
In the determination of roadway concurrency there should also
be another implementing factor added which many jurisdictions
include and that is an intersection analysis.
This constitutes an analysis of the intersection adequacy when
the total traffic consumes 80 percent or more, the peak hour capacity
of the approach links to the intersection.
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December 11, 2002
In those cases where the level of service is below the acceptable
adopted level of service, improvements must be identified that will
restore the intersection to an acceptable level.
And Section 3.1.5.3.3 and 3.15.3.24.1 speak to using a
ten-month window excluding February and March, and I believe Mr.
Feder has cleared that issue up.
Section 27.3.4, the term sunsetting should be fully defined.
Sunsetting does not remove a PUD from the planned and approved
list as the term applies. It simply allows the developer other means
to continue the PUD on planned and approved lists. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you, sir.
Miss Student, would you be so kind as to man the timer?
Thank you.
MR. STONE: Pardon me, sir?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: No. You're fine, sir. You're fine.
Thank you very much, Mr. Stone.
MR. SCHMITT: David Ellis followed by Bob Mulhere.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Good evening, sir.
MR. ELLIS: Good evening, commissioners. I'm David Ellis
with the Collier Building Industry Association.
A few points, and really to start out with, a lot of praise. The
last time we were here talking about this, it was a -- it was more of a
confused and muddled process.
I think your staff has done a wonderful job looking at this and
really trying to accomplish two goals.
Number one, the county said they wanted the money sooner in
process and they wanted to be able to use that money to move ahead.
I think you've got a good interim move towards that. We moved the
process up and we made the money available and for the folks that
were in the development industry, they said, okay, we'd like -- we'd
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December 11, 2002
be happy or we'll be willing to pay it sooner but what we want in turn
is some certainty.
We want to know that we have bought -- we have paid for,
bought into a system that will guarantee us the concurrent road when
we're done.
From a businessman's perspective that was a fair trade. And as
we looked at it, we realized the goals of the county and of those in
the development industry. That seems to be working in this process.
And your staff's -- we spent a lot of time looking at that together
and they've done a nice job of pulling that together.
The one thing that I would ask and the one area that we've --
we've somewhat agreed to disagree conceptually relates to when you
pay and when that certainty is offered.
In this process if you could imagine now, you will come in and
you will apply for a site development plan. During that time frame,
they will determine whether or not the road that you're on, if you're --
say you're building a community of 300 units, they will tell you
during that process that, yes, you're -- you have adequate roads for
that, and then at the time your SDP is issued you can thenbecome
concurrent.
And that's kind of a clean little package to put that in. The
problem is the realities of the market and the realities of banking and
other things make that very challenging.
What we would like to see is for you to be able to come in and
get a -- a determination of concurrency, a COA, a conditional COA.
The very first thing in the process basically to come in with the idea
of checkbook, you would come into the bank, the county, and say I'd
like to know if I can build this project and I'm going to have 300
units, here's a traffic study, and they would look at it and go, yeah,
that road can handle that.
And at that time with that determination then proceed through
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December 11, 2002
the SDP process before the extensive expense on the part of the
county for that determination as well as the extensive expense on
behalf of the developer to do all the -- the soft costs that go into that
process.
What could happen in this process, I could come in and apply,
go through, frankly, what tends to be a six month, maybe a year
process, and while I'm in the system, the road could fail.
And now I've made a significant investment, in some cases to
include purchasing the property, and then I'm told, no, you can't go
on.
And I think from the development industry's point of view,
they'd been -- they would be very willing to pay for that -- that
certainty sooner in the process, even -- even sooner.
Now the problem is, is that STP can be denied. You can get that
conditional approval, Yeah, the road's ready, but it doesn't meet the
standards. We'll find that out during that process.
At that point, of course, the county would need to be in a
position, I guess, to return that money, and because of that, that
money would have to be held in some kind of an escrow.
Again, it's a difficult process, but in order to do this well, that
would be something I think would be necessary to offer that full
certainty to those in the process.
And I don't know if you want to hear Norm on that. I -- I've --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Your time is still going, sir. Go --
you can continue.
MR. ELLIS: The last thing is, is one of the things, and this may
sound like a funny thing to say, there's nothing in your LDC or your
comp plan that says that once you get this money early, once you can
use it, that you actually will.
Now, it sounds kind of silly to say that but, frankly, it has been a
challenge for us. It has been the challenge in this process for this,
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December 11, 2002
where we are today.
Frankly, it has never been an issue of did we even have the
money. We had the money. We had the plan. We didn't execute
the plan.
Now, frankly, according to the way the rules work after six
years if you don't use it, you have to give it back.
Nobody has really tested that in Collier County. We want the
roads built. We'd love to see language in here that doesn't say you
should, could, would. We want it to say you will use that money to
improve the roads, you will be tied to that.
As commissioners, I think that even follows through more fully
with your commitment to the community as far as how we're going to
deliver this infrastructure.
And, again, it may sound like semantics and -- and Norm's
making that -- that point a moot point in some cases but he's here
today doing it, but that is something to be concerned of.
Remember again it wasn't an issue of did we have the money or
the plan. We didn't build the roads in the time frame that we
committed to and were funded for.
And, again, that's the end of my comment. I know Norm
probably is going to talk about my wanting to pay a little early.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I was wondering if any of the -- if
the commissioners have any questions of Mr. Ellis or of Norm
Feder?
Well, not at this time.
MR. ELLIS: Well, I will tell you, A1 Zichella and a few others
are going to come up and talk about that concept and they're actually
going to expose you to a time line and Al's going to be able to
explain that better that shows how that process would work and when
those impacts are actually made, so a preview of things to come.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Would you call up the next speaker,
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December 11, 2002
please?
MR. SCHMITT: Bob Mulhere followed by Dwight Nadeau.
MR. MULHERE: Good evening. For the record, Bob Mulhere
with RWA Consultants.
I'm representing myself here tonight. I'll be very brief. I -- I
think we've come a long way just really over the last several weeks in
developing a plan that is, I think, palatable both to the development
community and is responsive to, I think, what the citizens of Collier
County want.
The up-front 50 percent payment, as Norman indicated, will
allow you to cover the costs of planning and design and will actually
exceed the average costs of that.
And the time frame, I think, that was cited, probably a little bit
shorter for a number of projects. From final plat to actual impacts on
the road, I think, will vary depending upon the size of the project, the
scope of the project, for example, is there a golf course, how much
infrastructure they have to build up front.
And also it will vary on other factors, economic factors, such as
what the absorption rate for the particular market product is at that
time.
But I think on average you could assume that it would be three
to five years at a minimum before those impacts are felt and I think
you're safe in the 50 percent up-front collection followed by payment
within that time frame as it's outlined in here.
So, again, I -- I think that there's been a lot of behind-the-scenes
work to try to develop something that is compatible, acceptable to
both the development community and will achieve the -- the
commission's desires and, I guess, really that reflects the desires of
the citizens.
And, so, I'd like to express my gratitude for that. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you, sir.
Page 25
December 11, 2002
Next speaker.
MR. SCHMITT: Dwight Nadeau followed by A1 Zichella.
MR. NADEAU: Good evening, commissioners.
For the record, my name is Dwight Nadeau, planning manager
for RWA.
I'm representing various clients this evening but my presentation
is very short.
I would like to begin by commending staff. I spent many an
hour with Mr. Feder, with Mr. Scott, with Mr. Litsinger outside of
hearing rooms working on these 3.5 -- 15 regulations.
There's still some administrative issues that would have to be
worked out with staff relating to the implementation of this, but
overall we feel that it's a positive step forward in the removal of the
waiver and release program. We get the moneys sooner to build our
roadway infrastructure.
And with that, I'd like to thank you, commissioners, as well as
staff.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you, sir.
MR. SCHMITT: A1 Zichella followed by Reed Jarvi.
MR. ZICHELLA: For the record, A1 Zichella, WCI
Communities. I'm here for WCI as well as the CBIA.
I do have a handout, if I may. I'd like to pass it out.
MR. MUDD: Give it to me and --
MR. ZICHELLA: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Let the record show that this handout
is being handed out at the time of the meeting, that we haven't had
sufficient time to actually read it, but we -- we will accept it. MR. ZICHELLA: Thank you.
Just some food for thought here and some considerations, a time
line, and-- regarding it.
And, Jim, I'll need one back. I think I gave you every one I had.
Page 26
December 11, 2002
But, first, I would like to echo some of the comments that were
made -- thank you so much -- that were made here today regarding
staff and -- and the process.
I must tell you I think it's -- even though we have a few issues
that -- that we may not -- we've agreed to disagree.on here, and we'll
discuss this tonight, I think the process will, by and large, regarding
-- I have one -- the -- your transportation staff has been outstanding.
They -- they really are -- have done a great job while working with
us and helping to work out what's good for the community at large as
well as for the industry, and for that we're very grateful.
Now, the top sheet I gave you there, it really deals with, if you
refer to the third page, 3.15.7.3.11, there's some language you see
added there in red.
That's language that essentially is at -- is -- is at the root of some
of what we're struggling with between staff and the industry, which is
at what point we would receive a certificate of public facility
adequacy, at what point in the process?
And the suggested language in there in red is, frankly, with the
kind of-- of language that we would like to see added to this. We've
taken the liberty to put that in to give you an idea of how we envision
this happening.
The time line that's attached, which is actually the second page
of that, deals with at what point the impacts do occur and at what
point we think would be equitable to make our payment and receive
our certificates of the 50 percent transportation impact fee.
There is a summary box you'll notice on the lower right-hand
side. It indicates that the proposed schedule that's shown there will
reduce the time frame of collecting transportation impact fees by an
average of 120 days for complex projects with permitting issues
and/or other complications. The schedule could reduce the time
frame by six to 12 months for collection of the fees.
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December 11, 2002
So, it is a-- a time frame that deals with the preliminary
subdivision plat from when it's submitted to approval followed by the
final sub -- subdivision plat, site development plan.
And you'll notice it projects out about 12 months. And it shows
that in and around the seventh month, a TIS is -- is submitted, the
traffic impact statement that's called for in the L -- Land
Development Code.
On or about the eighth month, the county would approve or
deny the TIS and issue certificates for -- for traffic concurrency.
And in the 11 th month, you'll see we would pay the impact fee.
At that point we would be far enough along in the process that we
would know that -- that our -- our plan was going to be approved and
-- and -- and that the county -- and this will help avoid by the way
some of those issues of refunding and at what point do you -- do you
need to get the money back.
They're thorny issues and they're legitimate issues on both sides.
I mean, they want to use the money faster. By all means, we want
them to do that.
There is just a couple of-- of issues here I really wanted to
address strongly. And one of them is we are very close with --
coming up with a concept of how we pay for impacts, how we
actually get the work produced and in place in a much faster and
much more accelerated pace.
This is all good. We're just concerned with the timing of when
we pay and what we get for that -- for that, when we actually achieve
our certificates.
We're a little uncomfortable with you can only get your
certificates when the final STP is approved. And that's why we --
we've added the -- this substituted language and -- and suggest the
time line for your inspection.
Lastly, and I guess I have my papers in reverse order here. I
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December 11, 2002
was rushing out of my office trying to prepare this.
I would like to restate some of the intents that we had and why
the timing is important to us. And I had seven points here which are
seven reasons why, I guess, we would like to -- to reconsider that
original language that was in there.
And one of those is obviously that we want to improve the
availability of the transportation impact fee funds to the county with
the use of the trust fund accounts versus the escrow-type
accounts.
We want to encourage people by the way to opt in, not to sit on
the escrow. We don't think that that's productive as a group. We'll
do that if we have to, but I mean each developer would have to make
his own mind up. And we don't think that that's productive. We
want to give them the money.
I know Norm will build roads. And if you'll look at those seven
things -- I see that my time is up. I -- I would -- didn't realize I had
spoke so long but in any event if you would look-- take a look at
them, we think that helps make our case as to -- as to why we're
concerned with the time frame.
We want to help them get to their goal but we want a little
protection and certainty.
And David has addressed the -- the issues of the refundability
which are also valid issues.
And one last thing. He also addressed completion in actual
performance of the roads. You know, Norm has done a great job
here, you know, but if you don't get hit by a bus tomorrow, I don't
have a hell of a lot of confidence that we won't have another
42-month period where things didn't happen.
So, we would like some kind of language to be added and I'll be
happy to supply that sample language to you by E-mail if you -- if
Page 29
December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you, sir.
MR. ZICHELLA: -- don't mind.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We appreciate that.
MR. ZICHELLA: Is that allowed by the way? Am I allowed to
E-mail that--
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Of course you are. There are no
restrictions on sending E-mail to the commissioners.
MR. ZICHELLA: It's an open meeting here in the sunshine --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We welcome your--
MR. ZICHELLA: -- and I want to make sure I'm not crossing
the line. But I did have some. I forgot to bring it. I apologize.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: That's fine. Thank you very much.
MR. SCHMITT: Last speaker, Reed Jarvi.
MR. JARVI: Good evening. My name is Reed Jarvi. I'm a
transportation area -- excuse me -- transportation engineer for
Vanasse and Daylor. And I'm here on behalf of Vanasse and Daylor
and CBIA tonight.
I have two quick comments. One is specific; Page 19 on
3.15.6.4.2. We've talked about this at -- at several of our meetings
with staff and around and I think this came up as direction from the
Planning Commission.
If you see in the middle of that paragraph it talks about a
definition of de minimis, which was part of the Planning
Commission's suggestion and then we've added a -- a second half of
that statement that talks about significant tests and -- and we think
from our discussions in the past what we have agreed on with the
staff was that that -- what would be the third de minimis would be
really significant would be the right word.
So, the second half of that statement would read, or for which
the significance test, and it really should be significant -- significance
test, not significant test, in 3.15.6.4.3 below indicates that the
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December 11, 2002
development will generate more than a significant impact on the
roadway segments. And we would request that.
And the last point I have is just to reiterate what A1 said from
our -- and -- and David. From our standpoint we need to have some
understanding that the roadway concurrency is available or certified
at an earlier time frame rather than the end.
The graphic that A1 hand -- excuse me -- handed out shows a lot
of soft costs go into the preparation of a subdivision or an STP, and
to find out at the end that you can't build it, it's too late in the
process, so we need to have something earlier on.
There are other communities in the state. For instance,
Tallahassee has a certificate process that says once a certificate is
issued you have 28 days to submit your STP or whatever they call
their STP subdivision up in Tallahassee. Hillsborough has like 60
days.
So, there are qualifications there and we just think it should be
earlier in the process to give us that level of confidence and to get
funding and financing and -- and not spend, you know, hundreds of
thousands of dollars to find out that the answer is no. So, we would
request that.
And that's all I have. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you, sir.
Does that conclude the speakers?
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioners, that concludes the speakers,
but before we go any -- any further, we jumped right into this and,
so, for your understanding I'm going to ask Susan to go through the
ground rules so that she can explain to the commissioners what we're
asking you to do at least for tonight's hearing. MS. MURRAY: Good evening.
For the record, Susan Murray, Current Planning Manager.
Tonight is the first of two public hearings for the fall cycle of
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December 11, 2002
2002. You will not be voting tonight. Basically staff is seeking your
direction in terms of the amendments before you tonight as well as
taking public and then seeking your direction in terms of any
amendments or changes you would like to see to these proposed
amendments as they are in their present form.
They are also still under review by staff so at the next public
hearing, which is the final public hearing, January 8th, 2003 at 5:05
p.m. in this room, you will be -- that will be the final hearing and you
will be voting that evening and we will have an up-to-date ordinance
to you at that time and we will have changes to the proposed
amendments that you hear tonight based on your direction.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So what --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Well, hold on, Commissioner
Henning. Commissioner Fiala first and then we'll go to you,
Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes.
On -- on this that you've passed out to us today or yesterday or
whatever it was, the one that we've just been discussing, I don't have
any questions for anything you said.
Did -- did we have input from the CCPC and from DSAC on
that?
MS. MURRAY: Yes. Thanks for pointing that out.
There is -- there are three sections to your entire packet. The
main section contains the executive summary and in back of the
executive summary beginning on about the third page, you will see
the 2002 Land Development Code Amendment Cycle 2 summary
sheet, and that's the typical summary sheet we give to you every
cycle that outlines the amendments; the proposed amendment, the
section number and then each of your committees that support you,
their recommendations and vote are listed after each of the
amendments so you can see what the Planning Commission
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December 11, 2002
recommended, the EAC, et cetera.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
MS. MURRAY: And that's Pages 1 through 13, I believe, after
your executive summary and that's probably the thickest packet you
have in your hands.
MR. SCHMITT: However, please note that this item, which
appears on Page 10 of your chart, this was -- the information is not
on the chart for this amendment because we just passed this through
the Planning Commission this past Wed-- Thursday.
So, that's -- but it was a six -- actually a seven to zero vote in
favor where they found that it in compliance with the land
development -- with the Growth Management Plan.
And there was a condition on that because it's the pending
Growth Management Plan. It still hasn't been adopted yet. And I -- I would have to ask--
MR. LITSINGER: And also in your copy, I believe the changes
that came out of the Planning Commission's hearing Thursday are
outlined in blue --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
MR. LITSINGER: -- for the specific changes as a result.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I -- I'm sorry. I didn't find that in
there. I -- and I apologize for that but, thank you.
I just wanted to make sure that we had their input and know
what they had to say and recommend. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning, then
Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So, Miss Murray, what you're
saying is any input that we receive tonight will be or has been
considered by staff.
And the reason for my comments, Mr. Zichella's three page
changes, I haven't had time to compare it with what staff or the
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December 11, 2002
Planning Commission has recommended, so we'll -- we'll get that
input from staff at a later time?
MR. LITSINGER: Based on your direction tonight we will
come back to you on the eighth with either incorporating some of
these considerations or with the ordinance in the format that we are
proposing to you, which is the collection of impact fees at the
issuance of the final local development orders as they are identified.
MR. FEDER: Mr. Chairman, for the record, Norman Feder,
transportation administrator.
Depending upon the board's desire, we could try to respond at
least initially. We just saw the package as you did, but we've been
discussing this issue for some time.
We have some reservations about trying to do it earlier. We
understand why it's being asked and, so, please, due to all the
positive comments and the feeling that we had so little areas of not
concurrence through the process, I'm not sure I was there, but I'm
pleased to hear it.
On this issue what I will tell you though is that we do not have
the traffic impact analysis statement typically and we go to the first
and then go to the exact proposal for this evening.
But the concern was until you have done the traffic impact
analysis, you don't know what the impacts are so, therefore, I don't
want to reserve capacity but rather require the process to go through,
have a finding that there's adequate public facilities and then reserve
that capacity at that time.
To reserve it earlier, then go through the analysis, find it is or is
not preempting possibly somebody else in the process because
somebody comes in quickly and applies is -- is a concern that I've
expressed repeatedly in this discussion.
In effect, what we're planning to do is to make sure that our
analysis, our capacity information and as it's written in here as we go
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December 11, 2002
into the requirement, especially as we go to real time concurrency,
that information will be available.
A business decision can be made on whether or not there is
reasonable capacity on this facility because we'll have that data out
there and available.
But as far as any commitment, that needs to be at the time that
we have the full data to be able to evaluate and agree that in fact it is
available capacity and to give it.
What is an interesting twist I had not seen and what you got
presented tonight, and I'd like to defer it to the next meeting and
some further work is that they're proposing that once I have received
and approved of the transportation impact statement, then at that time
they could pay their one-half and -- and get adequate post to a
certification.
That does resolve my area of concern with a couple of caveats.
The first caveat is that what if other review process changed the
nature of that development in some manner that's going to change
some of the transportation impact? What if that project that I get a
certificate for they pay the fees and, remember, it's not nonrefundable
in going forward if it doesn't gain final approval because of other
issues.
So, there's some things I'd like to look at and then come back to
you as was said.
To a couple of the other technical changes, I think the issue that
was brought up to you, Reed Jarvi cited one in the definition of de
minimis, we've already made modification to that and we'll continue
along with your legal staff and our efforts to continue to redefine the
language and bring that back to you.
None of them are substantive. The substantive concepts are
going to be presented to you this evening.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning, did you
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December 11, 2002
finish yours?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: That's fine.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle, then
Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: One issue that has been raised is --
is intriguing and I think is fundamental to the effectiveness to this
entire program, and that is our obligation to do something with the
funding once we get it.
It's not going to solve any problem no matter what we do with
concurrency if we collect the money and then we -- we don't make
the decisions to get the construction done.
What can we do to -- to provide the assurances to everybody in
the county that we're going to do this, bearing in mind that -- that the
impact fees paid by a single development on a single road segment is
never going to be enough to widen that road segment. How do we
deal with that issue?
MR. FEDER: Thank you, commissioner, and -- and a very
astute observation that that is the issue. You can't necessarily tie it.
When somebody gives me one-twentieth of the dollars to widen a
section of roadway, I cannot tie that dollar to that roadway and to
that widening on the basis of one-twentieth.
What I can tell you is that there are many, many safeguards and
particularly based on the action of this board over the last year to two
years. Specifically, you've got a five-year work program that you're
committed to entask staff to.
That has been in the last two years that we've even had a
five-year work program and I can tell you in the last two years we
have produced consistent with that work program and met the first
two years of a very, very aggressive schedule. So, you've got a work program.
Also in here you've got through your AUIR language that
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December 11, 2002
already commits that anything that you consider as covered when
you make your determination on the AUIR is in fact in place and you
cannot divert those funds away. That is about as specific as you can
get.
The other is impact fees can only be used by ordinance within
that district or adjacent district to make improvements.
So, that's a commitment, else they have to be returned in six
years.
What I can tell you is if the feeling was in the past they weren't
being used, there's no balance available. It has been used and it will
be used.
So, I think you've got many safeguards already in effect, the
most notable of which is in your AUIR as it stands right now in
language and weren't sure that that language continues as we go into
the real time concurrency and the changes that will follow in six
months to a year.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Let me -- let me see if I've
got it -- this straight and I'll -- I'll talk in terms of the interim program
not the ultimate checkbook concurrency system which is --
MR. FEDER: Which is what we're facing today.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- which should give us a real time
control.
But the -- the interim process we're going to be evaluating the
adequacy of the public facilities. And, by the way, this covers water,
sewer and everything else. It doesn't just cover roads. MR. FEDER: Correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: But we're going to be -- be
evaluating the adequacy of the public facilities at a point in time well
in advance of the need for those public facilities. MR. FEDER: For the impactions.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: We -- we're -- we're -- we are
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December 11, 2002
required by DCA to use a three-year work schedule. Right?
MR. FEDER: We're required to use nothing broader than that.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Nothing broader than --
MR. FEDER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- the three-year work schedule.
So, if you are -- are collecting portions of the impact fees as
much as three or four years in advance of the potential impact, then
you know whether or not you've got it in the three-year work plan at
that point in time or whether you intend to put it in the three-year
work plan at that time.
It seems to me that the determination of concurrency must be
contingent upon us doing that and -- and we must -- we must obligate
ourselves to doing it.
If-- if we make a -- make a determination of adequate public
facility and we take someone's impact fees, then we have an
obligation to either already have that scheduled in a three-year work
plan or we must have a plan to do it within three years or before the
impact of the development--
MR. FEDER: Or not agree to that going forward.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- conflict.
That's -- that's right.
MR. FEDER: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That's right.
So -- so, at the time that we get the request from the developer
for a certificate of adequate public facilities, we should know
whether we've got it planned for expansion or we don't have it
planned for expansion.
If it's not planned for expansion, they can't get their certificate in
a public -- a facilities availability.
If it is planned for expansion, they do get the certificate of
public availability, public facilities availability and we also get the
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December 11, 2002
money well in advance so we can make sure we get there.
MR. FEDER: So that you can actually implement at that point
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
MR. FEDER: -- that's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So, is that a fair assessment of
where we're going?
MR. FEDER: That's a good assessment and -- and I will also
add that part of your assessment is very thorough because if you had
available capacities is the other way that it could go forward, yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: If there was no available capacity
we wouldn't issue the concurrency certificate at all. MR. FEDER: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: If-- if it's programmed within the
three years, the development isn't going to be operational within
three years from the point of time when we're conducting the
evaluation.
MR. FEDER: And we'll be collecting fees now --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: We'll be collecting fees to be able
MR. FEDER: To be able --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- to move forward.
MR. FEDER: -- to move forward and do whatever, yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Yeah. I-- I think there's
adequate safeguards there.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: What's your -- we're in the interim
period now. What's your best guess that we're going to get to real
time concurrency?
MR. FEDER: The first thing we have to do, which is provided
for in here, is to do a review of all vested development. As we
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December 11, 2002
mentioned, that transition will also be a part of that consideration of
opting into the new at the same time.
And in that analysis, what we need to do is determine what is
truly vested out there already today, determine when the impacts
from that development are likely to come online and where those
impacts will affect the system segment by segment.
Once we have that, then we can do what we were trying to do
before and that is to look at our system, what we want to implement
in the way of real time concurrency and then be able to say what
would the outcome of that be and what would be the cost to resolve
the issues?
And the concern was without that information you could
potentially create a moratorium with no solution in sight to it.
So, now we'll be able to evaluate does it even create that, and if
it does, how long would that have to go on? Do we need to then
incrementally go at it, do we need to modify? We'll have the data to
do it.
So, in answer to your question, I've been told it's extremely
aggressive to try and do that in six months but I've also been told
that's the direction this board wants.
So, I am going to try and do it within six months and at the end
of six months I will have it. And then we will be in a situation of
being able to take that data and start the discussions in the public
debate to look at what we do in changes to a real time concurrency
and then start that process of implementing both the growth
management, the tri-station element, capital improvement element
and then the follow-up modifications of the Land Development
Code.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: So, what you're going to do then is
you're going to be working with planning and permitting finding out
exactly what PUDs we can sunset, which ones we can take off the
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December 11, 2002
record and work --
MR. FEDER: I am not working the sunset, but I will be going
through and everything that is vested, we are going to work with the
development and try to evaluate exactly when its impacts are going
to come forward in here if you establish this.
Also there's a provision for a much more effective, folks, annual
reporting of that development until it gets to the point of 90 percent
complete.
So, once we come up with a reporting and they say that, for
instance, on this development so many units are going to be built,
they are going to therefore have these impacts on these road
segments, we are going to then work with community development
and evaluate how many units actually got built that year, go back if
it's outside of the plan, please update the date.
The plan is not in sync. And try to keep that annual monitoring
so I can constantly keep a basis of being able to say truly what is
already reserved, what checks have we written that haven't been
cashed yet?
That's the answer we haven't been able to do to this date.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Well, we -- is there any other
questions? Do you think we've -- bored us far enough that we can --
Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah, we just need to give
direction.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: That's--
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It doesn't sound like that we
have the full sense of Mr. Zichella's three-page amendment, so I
think it's appropriate for staff to evaluate it and give us some
recommendations at the next meeting.
MR. FEDER: We will do that.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay.
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December 11, 2002
MS. MURRAY: Okay. The next amendment we'll consider is
we're going back to your main package here with the executive
summary, and if you leaf back past the first 13 pages, you'll get to
handwritten pages in the center of the page and we'll start at Page 2.
And that's the amendment to Section 2.2.2.2. And this
amendment is related to public schools and it's to make the
agricultural and estate zoning district consistent with the essential
services provision of the LDC which allows educational facilities as
permitted uses in the agriculture and estate zoning district.
And this change is also consistent with the practice of
acceptance of some -- of submittals of site plans for administrative
review for schools and reviewing them as permitted uses within this
district through the process which is established by the interlocal
agreement between the county and the school board.
So, in -- what this essentially is doing is permitting public
schools as permitted land uses and private schools will remain as
conditional uses. And that is consistent with the practice we have
been doing and consistent with another provision of the code which
says they are permitted uses in those districts.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, one second.
Susan, is this the second reading or the first reading?
MS. MURRAY: This is the first reading.
MR. MUDD: Okay.
MS. MURRAY: And we do have registered speakers on this.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We do.
Would you call the speakers forward?
MR. SCHMITT: There are three registered speakers. The first
speaker, Michelle Lugo followed by John Clapper or if you prefer to
have John go first.
MS. LUGO: Yes, please.
MR. SCHMITT: John.
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December 11, 2002
MR. CLAPPER: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Good evening, sir.
MR. CLAPPER: Commissioners, Mr. Mudd, Mr. Weigel and
staff and members of the public, I'm very pleased to address the
commissioners this evening on behalf of Collier County Public
Schools.
I want to talk to you about these proposed amendments and
particularly how we have worked with county staff in a manner that
we appreciate very much.
For a lengthy period of time, there were many more
amendments than have been discussed this evening. There was a
long series of amendments that identified every single residential use
and identified that it was appropriate that the public school be a
permitted use in every single residential zone.
All of that has been deleted from the proposed amendments as
they appear in the final form that are before the commission tonight.
I have six comments to make with respect to that and then I'm
going to be followed by two of my colleagues from the facilities
department of the Collier County Public Schools.
It's very important to Collier County Public Schools to have
public schools as permitted uses in residential communities because
if they are conditional uses it creates problems for us.
We have to apply to build a public school. We have to go
through a longer and inefficient process to bring a school out of the
box and have it ready for use. We have to go through a public
hearing process, which may result in a rejection, and it may result in
some sort of a judicial proceeding after the -- the hearing.
So, what it does is it creates a great deal of uncertainty for us
with respect to when we get to open a public school.
My second point is there's only one time that we have to open a
public school and that's in August of a particular given year. We
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December 11, 2002
can't open it in September and serve the needs of the students in our
communities.
October-November is even worse. We've got to have it open in
August. We have to have a CO in July so we could put furniture and
computers and bring in our teachers and locate all of our staff, so it's
exceedingly critical for us to have an efficient process.
My third point. Sorry for the vernacular, but my third point is if
it ain't broke, don't fix it.
We've got an interlocal agreement. As a matter of fact we have
two. But we have a very lengthy and detailed interlocal agreement
that has been in use since 1996. It's been a very successful,
cooperative effort between county staff and school staff.
We've opened six very, very nice schools and communities all
over the county pursuant to that interlocal agreement and we want to
stick by that agreement.
And I think these amendments are a distinct departure from the
existing, valid interlocal agreement that exists today between the
county and the school board.
That interlocal agreement specifically says that schools will be
permitted uses in every residential zone.
Now that, as I understand it, is inconsistent with what county
staff is now proposing.
The first set of amendments that we worked on with county staff
we like because we thought that was consistent with the '96 interlocal
agreement.
My fourth point is that the '96 interlocal agreement is valid and
binding and it controls.
I think I've -- I've already said that.
My fifth point is that we've got a problem right now. We've got
four schools in the planning stage; Martin Luther King, Golden Gate
High School, Lewis and Clark High School and Eisenhower Middle
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December 11, 2002
School.
We believe that we have complied with the 1996 interlocal
agreement with respect to all of the siting characteristics for these
four schools and we have submitted construction plans on the four
schools and have been waiting for approval.
We have -- we've got a problem with our opening dates because
the process has somehow gotten off the path and gotten a little
inefficient.
We need to proceed on three of those schools right now.
Eisenhower school is going to be a problem.
It interestingly enough is a problem that's consistent with what I
talked about with conditional uses because someone has come
forward and as a result of a Dolland (phonetic) hearing has really
stopped the construction of Eisenhower Middle School.
It's going to provide overcrowding in all of the other schools
that would serve that school, it's a problem.
The problem is going to get worse. We're planning to build two
intermediate schools in Golden Gate City to alleviate overcrowding
that exists right now.
And we're not -- we're not even at the point on those two
schools that we are on the other four.
I'd like to introduce Michael Kirk. He's the director for
Facilities Planning and Construction. He will tell you about the
successes and the cooperation the Collier County Public Schools has
enjoyed with the county in years past with the hope that we can
return to that type of relationship.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Can I just ask you a quick --
MR. CLAPPER: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: -- question?
Where are these schools geographically locate -- going to be
located at?
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December 11, 2002
MR. CLAPPER: Most of them are in the Golden Gate City and
Golden Gate Estates area.
The Eisenhower Middle School is on the northern part of the
county on Vanderbilt, on the east side of Vanderbilt on the east side
of Imperial Golf Estates. Michael?
MR. KIRK: Good evening, chairman, commissioners.
For the record my name is Michael Kirk. I am director of
Facilities Planning and Construction for Collier County Public
Schools.
I wanted to talk tonight to tell you about some of the successes
that we've had over the past six years since the interlocal agreement
between the county and the -- and the commissioners was executed.
Since that time, we've opened six excellent facilities. In 1996
we opened Pelican Marsh Elementary, in 1998 we opened Gulf Coast
High School, in 1999 we opened Corkscrew Elementary School, in
19 -- in 2000, we opened Corkscrew Middle School, and August of
this year we opened Osceola Elementary School as well as Caloosa
Park Elementary School.
And all of those were opened under the existing interlocal
agreement that we presently have in place with the county.
We've worked over the past six years very closely with your
staff and -- in bringing our-- our site plan to -- to the county staff to
receive input and also to follow in lines with the guidelines that were
established in interlocal agreement.
We worked together to construct community centers, school
sites that could be used beyond just educational needs, but also are
used to deliver various types of community services throughout the
community and throughout residential areas.
Historically, we've been two governmental agencies working
together closely to provide excellent facilities throughout the county.
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December 11, 2002
If you go to other counties throughout the State of Florida, they
will tell you that we have some of the best facilities, educational
facilities, in the State of Florida.
Whenever possible and practicable, both agencies have
cooperated to co-locate facilities such as schools and parks and other
types of needed infrastructure throughout the county.
One of the things that I personally do is spend a lot of time with
your staff to talk about joint or co-locating various facilities,
especially with our parks and recreation -- your parks and recreation
department that I spend a lot of time with your director, Marlo
Ramsey, in talking about co-locating.
We've done that in the past schools. We've done that at
Corkscrew Middle School. We also did that at Osceola Elementary
which opened this year.
And two of the facilities that we are presently trying to -- to get
approval for and open up, they incorporate park facilities, so there --
there's been a lot of cooperation over the years.
We've incorporated parks and recreation projects within school
projects in order to be able to put those in place and be able to serve
as residential communities.
The interlocal has been successful in the past and it's my desire
to continue that interlocal to be used to govern how we not only site
schools but also how we receive approvals for our schools.
And we hope to continue to work with your staff and to work
with the commission in providing the educational facilities that are
needed to meet the growth in Collier County.
At this time I'll turn it back to -- to our attorney.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Commissioner Coletta.
MR. CLAPPER: Thank you, Michael.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Hold it just one second.
MR. CLAPPER: Yes, sir.
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December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Before we go any further, I
don't see any deletion from the residential component in the urban
area, just adding to agriculture and urban estates.
MR. SCHMITT: Well, let me -- for the record again, Joe
Schmitt, Administrator Community Development and Environmental
Services.
I think what we really have to do, and John will probably have
to highlight from the school board's perspective, but we need to
understand how we got to where we are today.
And I know Marjorie is working on this issue from a legal
perspective.
We had an interlocal agreement that was established back in
1996. Subsequent to that, the Land Development Code was never
amended to basically implement what was in the interlocal
agreement.
This amendment was initiated to do just that, to take and change
within the Land Development Code and identify for all zoned
activities that schools would be permitted uses instead of a
conditional use.
And that's the way the legislation was first written or the
amendment.
We brought it to the Planning Commission back in October 23rd
and, frankly, met stiff resistance. The Planning Commission did not
understand why we would allow for a permitted use within a
residential zoned neighborhood.
The fact is that there should be allowed some kind of public
venting process so people would have a say as to whether or not a
school should be located and, frankly, it makes good planning sense.
Just like any other developer or a private school, you have to
apply for a permitted use.
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December 11, 2002
We then changed our recommendation for the following hearing
with the Planning Commission and that was November 13th and --
and, frankly, we notified the school board, but I guess maybe we
didn't do that adequately.
But we withdrew the recommendation and the Land
Development Code will stay as is, that it has to be a permitted use.
Now, some of this is also complicated because the school board
never really had to come to the county for the review process. They
were, for all intents and purposes, exempt. Not until March of 2002
were they even required to have their plans reviewed and go through
the permitting process.
And this year will be the first year we actually see all buildings.
And there has been an evolution in this -- this requirement for an
interlocal agreement.
We're currently under a requirement to have completed by
March of 2003 an updated interlocal agreement. And those dynamics
throughout the entire State of Florida, there were a lot of dynamics
between the local planning authority, the planning departments and
the school boards as far as the -- trying to get the school boards to
comply with local building codes and local building -- local planning
requirements.
So, therein lies the dilemma. We -- we currently have and we
have been working extremely hard and I think my staff in trying to
make sure that there is success with the four schools that have been
identified.
And Michael knows because in fact we had another meeting this
afternoon. We had a meeting last week. And we understand the
impacts that on this community in delaying any of the schools.
We just learned of two new schools, both of which happen to be
in Golden Gate City, that you had before you our petition that was --
Jim McGerra (phonetic) had a couple of properties.
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December 11, 2002
Those have -- now have been purchased by the school board and
herein lies the problem. We've got now an absolute necessity to get
two more sites that are in residential areas identified as a permitted
use because they're looking for delivery in January of'04, almost a
little over, what, 13 months from now, to open up to meet the
requirements for school children in Golden Gate City.
We have two alternatives. Somehow we can look at that tonight
and -- and if you want to include and, again, it's your -- your
direction. If you want to include residential use as a -- or residential
-- residentially zoned, residential single family, residential
multifamily from our residential three to -- well, the entire spectrum
of residential zoning, and if you want to include permitted use, that
means for all intents and purposes they have carte blanche. They can
go in any residential community.
Now, that's not a PUD. A PUD is a separate zoned entity and
they have to amend the PUD to allow that unless the school -- a
school has been identified in that PUD.
So, the dilemma here is that, yeah, the rules are somewhat
changing because the school board's been kind of suffering through
some of these rule changes, but if in fact we continue as is, the -- the
school board has no option but to try and seek approval through the
permitted use process for the two schools in Golden Gate.
And I think the quickest we could do that is probably right now
on the fast track probably before we get to you would be in February.
So, that's how we got to where we are. There's no longer a
SURF or State requirements for educational facilities. They're the
ones that used to do all the review and that's kind of how we got to
where we are.
And I'll pass to the County Attorney's office.
MS. STUDENT: For the record, Marjorie Student, Assistant
County Attorney.
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December 11, 2002
And the law, the state law on this subject has evolved since the
early and mid nineties when the interlocal was done and there was
some ambiguity at that time, but presently the law requires that
school siting be consistent not only with the Growth Management
Plan but our zoning or Land Development Code. And, so, that's the dilemma that we face.
MR. SCHMITT: Now-- now, also understand that if you
approve or you direct staff to go back and allow as permitted use in
all zoned areas, so that's estates, commerce -- well, estates -- what are
we look at?
MS. MURRAY: Agriculture.
MR. SCHMITT: Agriculture and -- and residential that all
future PUD schools will be so permitted as well as a -- as a permitted
use unless it's specified within the PUD language.
So, the dilemma that the Planning Commission had was should
we in fact allow it to be a permitted use without going through the
public venting and public hearing process.
So, that's, frankly, where we're -- we're at -- we're at the
impasse.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah. Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Two sides to that issue that I
see. I'm sure the school board is not going to build a school where
it's not needed.
The other thing is I think it's a great process to have public input
on those school sitings and -- and mainly what the school name is
and I still haven't figured out what Mr. Lewis or Mr. Clark benefitted
here in Collier County.
But also another problem is sidewalks, transportation issues,
that if we're going to do it right, we need to have and should have the
public's input and our staff involved in that process.
MR. SCHMITT: And-- and, commissioner, we are.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER HENNING: And let me just say that the two
intermittent schools in Golden Gate or the two existing elementary
schools are at a capacity. They cannot put portables on top of
portables.
And that's a real concern of me and it does need to be located in
that community because the make-up of that community a lot of
people, families, do not have transportation.
So, I'm not sure if this amendment is a proper one, but I tell you
that I have a lot of concerns in the process, the planning process, and
maybe we're just too far behind the curve on these schools to make
this amendment.
But I could see both issues --
MR. SCHMITT: Well--
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- and I'm really tom.
MR. SCHMITT: And, commissioner, the other aspect of this is
that that's part -- been part of the growing pains between the staff and
the school board because of the detailed analysis for SDP approval
that we're requiring the school board to go through now, which they
didn't in the past.
And -- and it -- and it has added time to the planning process
and it's really encumbered Michael to try and meet schedules.
But it's -- it's looking at the things you're -- you have just
brought up about roads and capacity and -- and -- and sidewalks and
all the other things that we would do for any other developer.
And, as you recall, it was two meetings ago when I came before
the board and asked for a special approval for you to allow with the
proceeding of-- now, which -- I believe that was Lewis and Clark
while pending the approval of the -- of the amendment out at Orange
Tree because we have to have a PUD amendment for Orange Tree to
allow for that school.
And there is a crisis. There is a crisis in Collier County and we
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December 11, 2002
recognize that. In fact, my boss has given me some clear direction in
trying to help these guys get through this process.
The issue really here is for this amendment we're recognizing
the estates and we're recognizing ag as a-- a permitted or-- a --
correction -- a permitted use.
What we're looking for as a -- from a residential zoned, should it
-- should it be a permitted or a conditional use?
I think the only way to help this school board out is if we can
somehow craft language just to identify these two schools that are
currently within the -- within the crisis and that are the -- that's the
two schools within Golden Gate City.
And I -- I don't know if there's a legal -- if there's a legal -- okay
-- yeah, if there's a legal way we can help the school and then in the
future they'll have some -- through some planning be able to come in
for permitted uses.
MS. STUDENT: My thought on the subject would be in those
districts where the crisis exist have them be a permitted use for a
term, for example, one year, two years from the effective date of the
amendment, and after which the board could look at it again and
perhaps determine that the county would be better served to have
them return to conditional uses but in those districts where there is a
crisis.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: If I may, I'm in total agreement with
Commissioner Henning. I believe in public input. And I -- there
must be some way to be able to accommodate everybody with this
particular process.
If we have to move things on a special accelerated course to be
able to get there, possibly the school system might be able to hire
someone to be able to take the part of staff, some of the staffs
responsibilities because I know our staff is totally overloaded at the
moment to be able to facilitate this thing to happen sooner than later.
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December 11, 2002
But I truly believe the public process is necessary. I know in the
past when people came to us, they said, well, don't I have any say
about the school or don't I have any say about what's particularly
happening, the name or any part?
And the answer's been it's totally within the realm of the school
system. We have nothing to do with it.
Now, I find that we have a little bit of say in the whole thing
and, personally, I represent the people and I know what they've been
saying out there for some time.
So, if there's some way that we can craft this thing that would
accommodate the needs and still allow for public participation and
that possibly could grow as time goes on so that we can encompass
even more.
That's my own feelings.
We'll go to Commissioner Hales and then Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah, I -- I -- I concur with
Commissioner Henning and Commissioner Coletta.
But I also think that the -- the county ought to be working with
the school board in regards to where we're going to direct growth in
that therefore where we're going to place the -- the schools.
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, we're going -- and we're doing
that. In fact, both myself, Norm Feder and county manager and Mr.
Jim Simms, the assistant superintendent for facilities, we've just met
Friday again just doing that.
And if I could just -- the only real hangup in the whole
scheduling process is the -- is not -- we can do it staffwise. It's the
public announcements and the lead time, the public information
meeting and the public announcements that have to be in the paper
and the process that has to follow that linear process.
So, with that -- but I think what Marjorie just pointed out, I
think between that and the -- and the County Attorney, what we need
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December 11, 2002
to do is craft some language to help them out now to get these
schools built.
And I -- and I -- and I sensed after the -- from the Planning
Commission for the two locations in Golden Gate City for the other
projects that were proposed, there was a lot more support for schools
at those two sites than there were single family homes as I recall at
the Planning Commission.
You have not seen those yet because they're still pending.
And I -- but -- but I -- that transfers the risk onto the school
board because eventually that -- that permitted use will expire and --
or that -- yeah, that permitted use will expire and they'll have to come
in and apply for the conditional use.
But I -- I suspect -- this is a middle school and an elementary
school. They're fairly low intensity where the -- the problem is is
with the high schools. And that's where you usually get the kind of
public input because they want to make sure that the lighting from
football fields and those kind of things don't impact their quality of
life.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Let's go to Commissioner Coyle and
then we'll come back to some other questions.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: We're planning on applying some
additional rules to the school board and the siting and construction of
schools.
The second reading is going to be in January. It will then go to
Tallahassee for review and approval.
MR. SCHMITT: No, not -- not the --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Not -- not this one.
MR. SCHMITT: Not the LDC.
COMMISSIONER COYLE:
MR. SCHMITT: No.
COMMISSIONER COYLE:
It doesn't go anywhere for--
-- approval. This one -- this one is
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December 11, 2002
done after the second hearing.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Then -- then -- then I
would -- would concur that we --we expedite the process so that they
can get on with it but-- but still accommodate the -- the public
review process and if we have to schedule some extra meetings and I
think we're going to do that.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Did you want to wrap up, sir?
MR. CLAPPER: I wanted to point out that as of the 67 counties
in the State of Florida, we're probably in the top five for population
growth and that manifests itself in student population growth, which
is our business, and we have what we refer to as bubbles.
And bubbles come out of the elementary school and go into
middle schools and they're heading for high schools right now and
that's why we're opening -- or plan to open two major high schools in
August of 2004.
And it's -- it's a continuing challenge that we were very
successful at meeting with a lot of cooperation from the county from
'96 until 2002.
What I would think is an alternative, even though we have a
very good interlocal agreement that we crafted in 1996, perfect is
very difficult to achieve. We could make it better.
And I think the way to approach it is to take a hard look at how
we can change that 1996 interlocal agreement.
I would actually prefer not to approach this as a quick fix basis
to do something about the intermediate schools because I think this is
a lot larger than that.
We've got four sets of construction plans, you know, sitting at
the county planning desk right now, and the two we're talking about
aren't even there yet. You know, so, while they do -- all need to be
dealt with, I think that we need to have a cooperative FROG plan to
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December 11, 2002
deal with -- with all of these issues. CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Right.
MR. CLAPPER: We're -- we're anxious to get to work with the
county on that.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: You know, I personally like the idea
of you working with the county. I've always had a problem with the
schools being built outside of the realm of the county and the own --
their own inspectors and the cost overruns and the time spent and the
leaky roofs.
You know, this is in the past, not -- not the recent history, but in
the past. It has always been a great concern to me but I was iold that
was a realm that we couldn't go into.
And I kind of welcome the fact that the school board is working
with county staff to alleviate these problems and use the resources
we have to cure a final product that will be better than what we had
before.
Marjorie, did you have something to add to this before we move
on?
MS. STUDENT: I was just going to say I'd be happy to work
with Mr. Clapper and discuss this further with him.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Is there anything else you
want to add to this, Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I still would like to get the
education of Lewis and Clark.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'll give you the book.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Do we have sufficient
direction on this?
MR. SCHMITT: We have sufficient direction.
If I could just kind of summarize, our direction is to look at the
current crisis right now that exists specifically in the area of the two
schools that are identified in Golden Gate City.
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December 11, 2002
I think there is more than sufficient lead time for the schools
that are further out for the school board to apply for the permitted
uses.
And if not, I will have to get the schedule from -- from the
school board but originally we had a crisis for the four schools and
we've been pushing those.
The Orange Tree one is coming back to you for the amendment
to the PUD. We'll get these two schools somehow written in, the two
schools for Golden Gate City, and if there are any others that are
going to create a time crunch in regards to the school board not
coming in to ask for a permitted use, then we'll -- we'll bring that
back to you in January.
I -- I do want to stress though that the guidance from
Tallahassee in this last legislative agenda was, it came to the -- to the
local communities to update the interlocal agreements.
And we've been involved in that for the last several months. We
will be bringing back -- that back to you and subsequently they will
be bringing it to the -- the school board for the approval because we
have to have a -- a finalized agreement by the middle of March.
And we're currently working that issue as well.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: With all due speed.
MR. SCHMITT: So, with your guidance, I think that's -- we'll
go with that approach so we can, frankly, meet the needs of the
community right now and -- and from my assessment, I don't think
there is any objections out there in Golden Gate but somehow we're
going to have to --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: But we don't know that.
MR. SCHMITT: -- access that. Yeah.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. With that we're going to take
MR. CLAPPER: We thank you very much.
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December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you. We're going to take a
ten-minute break.
(A recess was had.)
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Would you please continue?
MS. MURRAY: Commissioners, the next item on the agenda
we can consider starts on Page 61 and we do have a couple of
registered speakers for this item. And I'll give you a brief overview.
This is essentially to amend Section 2.2.36 to extend for six
months the interim development control or moratorium for the
Vanderbilt Beach Residential Tourist Zoning District.
And it -- essentially, this extension is being asked for so that we
can conclude our research and studies but also ensure that we include
the seasonal residents that are typically in this area, you know, from
now until Easter.
And what we were finding as we were going through our
researching was that our time frames weren't working out to include
those folks in meetings that we needed to have with them.
And, so, in order to optimize the input from those folks, we
needed to have the meetings and conduct certain aspects of this study
at certain timings of the year, and so that's essentially why we're
asking for a six-month extension to allow us to do that and wrap up
and conclude mid year next year.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle and
Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: With respect to that, and I
appreciate you -- you making some arrangements to get input when
people are here, but if you have six months, an additional six months
and you complete this, it's going to be sometime in the summer
whenever those people are not here.
How can we make sure that they have an opportunity to review
that and we can take their concerns into consideration?
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December 11, 2002
Will we have a draft report early enough so that they will -- can
provide their input to us personally?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes. Mr. Chairman, good evening
commissioners. Don Schneider from Planning Services.
Yes, sir. I do have a draft available right now. I have
transmitted that draft to several of what I call the stakeholders in this
instance for this moratorium and I am planning meetings coming up
beginning in January.
Now, we had to -- to reschedule one that was scheduled for
December here. There just wasn't folks available at that particular
time to meet that schedule, but in January I will hold the first meeting
which I want, essentially, a small group of people to sit down with
me and look at this draft and begin to carry it forward at that time.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. I think all of us, and I don't
want to speak for the board, but I have the feeling that you would
like to get maximum public input on -- on this issue.
And, so, the time to do that is probably before most of those
residents go back up north.
Can we make sure we do that?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes, sir. We certainly can. We'll set that
in motion.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And I -- I think it would be
helpful if-- if we were able during these discussions to categorize the
-- the residents' concerns. I mean, if there's some -- some issues that
are just deal breakers, you know, we need to know that.
If there are some things that would just be nice to have, we need
to know that, too.
So, it would be helpful if we -- we could categorize those things
and -- and that way when we begin to evaluate them, we would have
a better understanding of the sense of the community.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes. Commissioner Coyle, we essentially
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December 11, 2002
did that a year ago. This year on April 25th, we had a visioning
meeting where we asked the residents to come together and we had a
tremendous turnout. It was in the neighborhood of 180 folks were
there.
We collected their visioning. They actually did a voting among
themselves to come up with their prioritized list, and it's from that list
that I have begun to draft this overlay zoning ordinance, so --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. So, you-- you feel--
MR. SCHNEIDER: I think--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- confident in what you're doing
is going to address the -- their really serious concerns?
MR. SCHNEIDER: I believe so.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes. For the most part, we have that in
there for the -- the benchmark to begin with.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: In this -- once we get all this
information compiled and we have some meetings here, are we going
to have enough lead time here to make any changes before the
moratorium comes off or do -- are we going -- would you think that
we may have to extend this moratorium beyond the six months that
was being requested at the present time?
And maybe I should wait and listen from the -- if there's any
other input on the -- from the --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No. That's a good question.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Commissioner Halas, if I could answer
that, I believe that our problem exists in that if we go through this
public input idea beginning in January, that they will help us to -- to
look at drafting this ordinance, then that means that we're going to
have to hit the fall cycle of the LDC changes that will come up
beginning next fall.
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December 11, 2002
And that's what put this particular ordinance into that cycle
assuming that we had it prepared by probably August-September to
get it into that cycle.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: So, does that mean then, what
you're saying then, that once we get this in the cycle that that would
-- there could be nothing done until that takes place, the -- the -- the
ordinance goes through the particular cycle in the Land Development
Code aspect of it?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Assuming that this particular moratorium
now
will end, of course.
COMMISSIONER HALAS:
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER HALAS:
In July.
At the six-month extension.
You're exactly right.
MR. SCHNEIDER: And, so, assuming that there's a lag in there
between that July and the beginning of the LDC cycle, there could be
things happened on the ground with a lifted moratorium between July
and the end of this cycle, second cycle, in 2003.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. So, what can we do? Are
we allowed to extend that beyond the six months that you're -- that is
being requested?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Well, I think it would be at your discretion,
this body. If they wish to extend it say until January 9th of 2004, it
would be at your discretion to -- to be able to do.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Just so that we can get whatever is
in place so that we can address the issues that are up there.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Is January the 9th, 2004 when you
expect the second hearing on the -- these revisions?
MR. SCHNEIDER: No, sir. That's actually the -- the date of
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December 11, 2002
the anniversary date of this current moratorium if it were to be
extended another year. Currently we're looking at January 9th, 2003
of being the expiration date of this moratorium that's before you this
evening.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: What I think might be appropriate
is -- is to have the moratorium expiration concurrent with the date of
adoption of the necessary Land Development Codes. Is there a way
to do that?
Marjorie?
MS. STUDENT: I think what we need -- it can't -- a moratoria
can't be openended and that partially closes it, but it still doesn't state
a specific duration.
I think what we might need to do is do some back planning and
see how long it's going to take to get those amendments through and
look at that time frame and then write that into this ordinance as to a
number of years or a certain number of months from the original
effective date of this -- or adoption date of this ordinance.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I think it would be a failure to
keep our commitment with the people if we were to -- to let the
moratorium expire without having the Land Development Code
changes in place.
But, yeah, I think we have to be fair to all parties here and I
would -- I would hope we would move quickly to get that done.
Are -- are you saying that we couldn't -- we couldn't get this
approved before next fall?
MR. SCHNEIDER: I don't believe so, sir, because it would
have to fall into the spring cycle of the LDC movement, which at this
point we haven't even begun to involve the public in our draft
ordinance. So, I don't believe that could happen.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: All right.
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, to answer your question, if in
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December 11, 2002
fact we did this in the fall cycle, the fall cycle approval, January of
'04, it would be almost coinciding within days probably of the -- the
approval, just as this January '03 will be for this cycle, it will be
January '04.
So, if you want that cushion, yes, it would extend it for 12
months. It brings us to January 9 and that's going to be very close to
the day that -- a year from now when we're looking, sitting here
talking about the -- the spring cycle or a fall cycle of '04 to be
approved in -- or '04 to be approved in January '04.
So, I think that's what you asked.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
MR. SCHMITT: It will be so close that that -- that gives the
cushion for both.
The study will be done and we're looking at the study to be done
by -- and everything ready to go by summer and, so, then we have to
get it in unless we have another special cycle and -- and we don't
need another special cycle. I think we have like three going, to be
talking to you about here in the very near future with some other
initiatives.
And -- and, frankly, that may be the cushion that at least we're
done, but it gives us the time to vent through the LDC amendment
cycle and then if that-- if those amendments are adopted, then of
course the moratorium is lifted--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: What about the --
MR. SCHMITT: -- functionally about the same time.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I think I have two points in
summary. I don't want to break our commitment to the people.
MR. SCHMITT: right.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. The other -- the other-- on
the other hand, I don't want to have an openended moratorium that
just continues to go because we can't get the staff work done.
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December 11, 2002
And if you can give us some assurance that you'll get it done
within that time frame, I'm -- I'm sort of happy to live with it.
The way things are going, rather than having a spring and fall
cycle, maybe we should have a monthly cycle.
MR. SCHMITT: We'll have a monthly cycle.
We do have a few other initiatives coming up here in the spring
on special cycles, but we -- we don't need one just for this.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. My -- my concern -- and
you're heading in the same direction I am, Commissioner Coyle.
My concern is that if we lift the moratorium and the -- the
community has voiced their-- their goals and-- and you're designing
-- you're designing what you feel would be best for that community,
but we lift the moratorium before we put it into effect, people can
start doing whatever they please. So, all of that work would be for
naught.
So, I would think that we must make sure that -- that the
moratorium lasts until the -- the planning process is completed and it
becomes part of the Land Development Code. I mean, that only
makes sense.
MS. MURRAY: We do have public speakers if you're ready,
sir.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yes, please.
MS. MURRAY: Okay. The first one is Dr. Richard Bing.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: How many do we have?
MS. MURRAY: Two.
And Dr. Bing will be followed by Carol Wright.
DR. BING: Good evening, commissioners. Richard Bing,
10951 Gulf Shore Drive. I'm chairman of the Vanderbilt Beach and
Bay Moratorium Committee.
There are at least three reasons why we should consider a
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December 11, 2002
12-month extension to the existing moratorium. The first one
obviously has to do with the seasonality of the preponderance of our
residents. We would like anything that's important to our area to
come before you when most people are here.
The second one is the CCPC unanimously agreed with the
12-month extension at their last meeting where this was discussed.
And then thirdly is we just now got our hands on, if you will,
the first draft and we feel that the real purpose of the moratorium, the
density and intensity question for Gulf Shore Drive and the
Vanderbilt Beach area is not being addressed yet. And we have
decided to do, I guess you might say, our own homework to bring
some ideas to the staff and yourselves so that we could be more
creative in how this is addressed.
So, for those reasons, we strongly request that you would extend
this moratorium for at least 12 months and take into consideration the
red tape that has to occur before it can be implemented in the LDC
obviously that just come out in your discussion as key.
The fourth thing I'd like to mention is maybe the study area
should be expanded. The RT moratorium covers a fraction of Gulf
Shore Drive and I'm not sure what it is, maybe a third or a half,
roughly.
And there are RMF 16, RSF 3 and commercial areas in the same
-- same neighborhood, if you will, that we're all concerned about
about density and intensity.
Therefore, with or without a moratorium attached to it, maybe
the study area should be expanded to include those areas because it
doesn't do a whole lot of good to fix it just for one zoning district if
the others are allowed to go rampant, if you will. So, thank you for your time.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Mr. Bing, question. Expanding
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December 11, 2002
on permitted uses that are already permitted today and if the residents
up there want to remove some of the density that is permitted, is the
residents willing to create an MSTU to buy those property rights?
DR. BING: That's a good question I can't answer because we
haven't discussed that amongst ourselves, but I'm not sure I
understand your question. You're saying that property is available
now?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No. If you have RMF 16 that
is zoned for it --
DR. BING: Right.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- and the intent is to lower that
density, that's taking away property right. Do you agree with that?
DR. BING: These RMF 16 properties are all developed
currently; in other words, there are buildings on that -- those
properties now.
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
DR. BING: There's no --
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
DR. BING:
RT.
Okay. And--
-- it has --
There's only one vacant land and I think that's an
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
acre on them?
DR. BING: Probably more.
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
thinking they might increase that?
And do they have 16 units per
Probably more. You're
DR. BING: There's one that I know of that is less, but as an
example we're at Vanderbilt gulf side and we have 144 units and
eight acres, which would really be only 128 with a 16 standard. That
was approved in '79.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The existing zoning on there --
on the RSF or -- or any of the zoning out there, do you feel that
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December 11, 2002
they're going to come in and request a variance for additional height?
Is
that your concern?
DR. BING: There are rumors about that happening on one
parcel of RMF 16 existing today.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So, I think we're going to
address it all the way around about is as far as the -- the
infrastructure, that's part of the study, correct, in what -- what the --
the available capacity is out there?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes, it is, Commissioner Henning.
Infrastructure and also considerations of being in a high hazard area
for hurricane evacuation and some issues involving Chapter 163 in
our Growth Management Plan in that increased densities in high
hazard areas are discouraged.
However, I'm finding it difficult right now to put teeth to that in
regards to our LDC to actually ask for those densities to be reduced
or capped. It's something for us to consider.
But as we go forward, those are the issues that I'm going to be
dealing with.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. And would it be more
appropriate as far as the evacuation in a high hazard coastal area to
craft language in the GMP?
MR. SCHNEIDER: It would. In fact, that's suggested that it
should be in there; however, the GMP right now kicks it back to the
LDC, which in a sense leaves some things to be desired as far as
being able to control those densities.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: One more thing, Commissioner
Coletta.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Sure. Please continue.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'm committed to doing it right
and if it takes a year, I think that you're going to find that the board
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December 11, 2002
of commissioners is wanting to do it right up there for the health,
welfare and safety of the residents in the Vanderbilt Beach area.
DR. BING: Good.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: But if we can do it within an
extended six months as was suggested from staff, I'm going to let it
do that. And at the end of six months, if it -- if it -- we don't meet our
goals and objectives, then we have the time frame to consider to
extend that another six months.
The concern that I have is that is going to be in summertime so
the residents are going to have to find out what their priorities are.
Do they want to be here in Southwest Florida to deal with their
concerns on the moratorium or do they want to be else -- somewhere
else?
DR. BING: Well, two things. One, I think there was just
enough conversation about the cycle that the implementation of any
amendments the LDC wouldn't occur until about the same time as a
one year extension would come off anyway. COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I think you all discussed that.
Secondly, I think we can represent people who are in absentia if
we are not going by, let's say, voice load. We have an organization
that -- that can speak collectively in fact.
However, we know that agenda items like tonight are prioritized
by the number of speakers and people get fresh thinking from the
people that they're speaking to and more attention when they do that.
So, not being naive to those things, we obviously wanted the
civil in our favor.
I think you're going to find that the commission is going to be
very receptive to suggestions from the general public at all times.
With today's modem world and the way that we can use E-mail
and the fact that they can pull up reports from the county government
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December 11, 2002
on a regular basis and possibly running things for your organization
so you can just simulate the information out there, we keep
everybody well apprized when that point in time does come that we
reach a final conclusion, we can get feedback from everyone and
their E-mails are more than welcome. And we do listen to them just
as well as we do to the people that come in here and it helps to shape
our opinion.
So, I -- I don't think they're going to be cut out of the loop if we
are forced into going into what's considered the off season by the
people that leave it-- leave us, but, you know, there's no reason why
they can't be totally in the loop.
Pull up the Naples Daily News every day for one thing. They'll
give you an idea of what's taking place.
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, can I --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mention
-- the reference to Naples Daily News.
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, ifI -- ifI could, I think I can
make this easy.
Staff really has no objection to go in 12 months. I think it-- it
leaves -- we're still going to finish the study.
All it's going to leave is the cushiOn to allow for the adoption of
any LDC amendments which really will not be done until about a
year from now. So -- so, there's no objection.
The concern about expanding the study, I am going to expand
the study but not the moratorium. I mean, that takes a separate board
action, but there are significant issues in regards to the residential
areas out in the Vanderbilt Beach and Vanderbilt Beach bay area,
which have to be addressed from a planning perspective.
But to -- to expand the moratorium into those areas will take a
whole different action. We have to go through a public process to
announce the expanding of the moratorium. We -- we really couldn't
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December 11, 2002
do that as part of an LDC amendment because it's -- it's that -- that
portion has not been advertised.
But -- but as far as the -- if you want to add the extra six months
here -- in fact, staff is -- it's -- it -- all it-- all it does is provide the
cushion to allow for the adoption of the amendments.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle.
MR. MUDD: And Joe missed one point and he will budget the
extension of this study in the '04 budget that you'll see starting in the
springtime.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I think I've heard enough debate to
-- to think I understand that if we do extend it for another year, and
we should by chance get a study completed earlier than that and it is
acceptable to the residents and all other people involved, we can
always implement it and terminate the -- the moratorium; right?
So, we would -- we -- could we not have a commitment that --
that when we implement this Land Development Code we terminate
the moratorium?
Is -- is that -- is that not something we can do whenever we
implement the Land Development Code?
MS. STUDENT: I think then what you'd have to do is just have
probably a special cycle to terminate it and just --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MS. STUDENT: -- delete it. And what would happen it would
just be entirely deleted from the Land Development Code.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay, but we could do that.
Couldn't we do it simultaneously with implementing -- MS. STUDENT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- the Land Development Code for
the provisions?
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Just do it all the same day and--
and then we take care of it. So, it gives us a flexibility. We give us
enough time extending it for a full year to deal with the study. If we
by chance had managed to deal with it earlier than that, well, then we
can-- we can deal with it.
MS. STUDENT: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Now, the only other comment I
have is concerning the -- the expansion of the area of the moratorium
and the Land Development Code changes that are essential to that.
Are the Land Development Code changes that we are currently
working on likely to be applicable to the expanded area so that we
can accomplish that expansion very quickly without having to go
through another year or two-year study process?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Commissioner Coyle --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Do you understand what I was
getting at?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes, I do. I believe I can understand that
by saying that my study has included those areas even though they're
not part of this particular moratorium --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Perfect.
MR. SCHNEIDER: -- so I do have the information.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Good. Good. That's wonderful.
MS. STUDENT: And I just wanted to add for the record that
the study area could be expanded and apparently has without the
need to do a moratorium for those other areas. It could just kind of
go right along with it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We -- we do appreciate your
comments and I think you guys are going in the right direction. DR. B1NG: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Next speaker.
MR. SCHMITT: Carol Wright.
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December 11, 2002
MS. WRIGHT: Good evening, commissioners.
My name is Carol Wright and I'm president of the Vanderbilt
Beach and Bay Association representing some 800 members.
I'm just going to ditto what Dr. Bing has said. I always let him
go first because he's so good at this.
But I did want to be on record to say that we certainly do hope
that this would go for a whole year because we've not even had our
first meeting yet with staff and this is not going to be an easy thing to
do. It's going to be very difficult for our area, I think.
So, I think it's going to take a lot of time and also I want to
reiterate that the CCPC did unanimously vote for one year. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you.
MS. MURRAY: Mr. Chairman, could we take that as direction
to extend it 24 months instead of 18?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We covered that.
MR. SCHMITT: 12.
MS. MURRAY: I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: 12.
MS. MURRAY: 12 -- 12 --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: 12 additional ones.
MS. MURRAY: -- additional. Thank you.
MS. STUDENT: And just for the record, the County Attorney
suggested I think that we put the January 31st, 2004 date in there just
in case there was a holdup, I think, in the Land Code Amendments in
the next -- in that cycle.
MR. SCHMITT: Yeah. That will be date specific and that's
good.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Okay.
MS. MURRAY: The next item is Section 3.13.8, which I
believe is on page -- excuse me. I thought I had that.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Are we taking these in sequence
now?
MS. MURRAY: No. We're still taking them in terms of the
speakers.
MR. SCHMITT: We have two more public speakers and then --
then we'll do the rest of them in sequence. MS. MURRAY: Page 127.
MR. SCHMITT: To make it easy.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: We could always talk a little less
up here, Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'll remind you of that later.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: You haven't heard me.
COMMISSIONER COYLE' Okay. I won't say anything else.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, no. You--
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: No, no, no, no, no. I won't allow
that. You're the golden voice here.
One more time.
MR. SCHMITT: One of a voice of reason.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: What page are you on?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: 127, wasn't it?
MS. MURRAY: 127.
MS. BURGESON: For the record, Barbara Burgeson with
Environmental Services.
This is a private submittal petition that was presented or
submitted by Don Pickworth for residents of Lely Barefoot Beach.
He is here. I don't know if you want staff to do a presentation
first or hear from the petitioner first?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: You're right there now. Why don't
you go ahead with what your side of the view this is and your
recommendation.
MS. BURGESON: Okay. Let me just start by saying that as
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December 11, 2002
this was going through the process, it has received denials from the
EAC, denials from the DSAC subcommittee, support by the
subcommittee recommendation, which was for denial, and denial by
the CCPC.
This was also presented by staff in the last LDC amendment
cycle and withdrawn due to the determination that it was inconsistent
with both the Land Development Code and with the Collier County
Growth Management Plan.
About six weeks ago or eight weeks ago, we sent out to the
board members, and I -- I apologize to Commissioner Halas because
I'm not sure if that would have been forwarded to you. I should have
done something to you in the more recent past.
I also handed out the hard copies this evening to support staff's
recommendation for denial of this petition, finding that it is
inconsistent with the Collier County Land Development Code and
the Growth Management Plan in several sections of both.
I don't know if you want me to go through those. I can hit some
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I don't think--
MS. BURGESON: -- some basic highlights.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- that would be necessary. What we
can do is we'll -- if we have questions, we'll ask you on that. MS. BURGESON: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yeah. I think with -- with denials
coming from every -- every avenue, I mean, staff, DSAC, EAC and
CCPC, it's kind of hard to even move forward. They are our
advisory boards and they've -- I'm sure that they've studied this
thoroughly or -- or should I not say that?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: No. You're-- you're-- you're
entirely in your rights, but I thing we do owe it to the petitioner to
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December 11, 2002
hear them though.
Why don't we do that at this time.
Good evening, Mr. Pickworth. You certainly got this stacked up
against you.
MR. PICKWORTH: Good evening, commissioners.
Yes, I do. And I -- I'm operating under a little bit of a handicap
here because while Ms. Burgeson said she sent this out several weeks
ago, I was handed this analysis on the Comp Plan when I walked in
here tonight.
But let me -- can I use this?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Please do.
While he's getting that up, do we have speakers on this
particular one?
MR. PICKWORTH: Is this on?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Loud and clear.
MR. PICKWORTH: Let me -- I represent the Lely Vanderbilt
Beach Property Owners Association Unit I. These are, oh, about
ninety some properties that are in what are called the Beach Gardens
at Lely Barefoot Beach.
And what I did is I just took one page off the plat here and kind
of highlighted it to maybe -- because I know it's kind of hard to see
these plats from where you are if you don't highlight them -- to just
give you an idea of what we're talking about here.
This is a typical Beach Garden setup there. This is Bonita
Beach Road and the -- the homesites are arranged in these horseshoe
configurations like this and there's an entrance road here, then
another one of these and there's a series of these down there. Some
of you have probably been up there before.
And the issue really has to do with this. This is -- this has been
out here for quite some time as you know. Some of these houses
were built in the early eighties and most of them are built now, so
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December 11, 2002
this has been in existence for quite some time.
And the issue has to do with the vegetation in this area right
here. Now, remember, out in the legs of these horseshoes, these are
homes sitting out here on these.
And the coastal construction line is back here. And these areas
here have landscaped plantings in them that have been there
anywhere from ten to 12 to in some cases actually as much as more
than 30 years, because some of these areas coincide with some of the
areas where there was, I think, a care -- or at least I was told by one
of the Lely people -- a caretaker's residence that was -- that was out
there back in the sixties.
And what -- what the dispute, I believe, is over the -- the staffs
insistence that the sod and other landscaping that has been put in here
be removed. And the other thing is the homeowners would like the
ability to have a 15-foot strip of sod in front of their homes so that
they would have access there to use these aerial ladders and other
maintenance type of vehicles that may from time to time need to get
there.
There is no desire on the part of these homeowners to go out
here on the dune system and plant normative vegetation.
In fact, a couple of years ago they spent $140,000 doing a dune
restoration project. And to the extent that there is any sod or
nonnative vegetation seaward of this 15-foot strip line we're asking
for, they will remove it. That's all that's being asked for here.
To give you an idea of how ludicrous this is, you've got
landscaping that has been here for years. Remember, this is in
between existing homes. This isn't out on the beach, that we're being
told has to be removed, but then we're being told we've got to come
and get a permit and variance to replant it even with native
vegetation.
Now, that doesn't make any sense. This vegetation has been
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December 11, 2002
here for years. It's well established. It's been through many storms.
And, so, we're here tonight, you know, asking for some help on this.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So, if they have to remove the
sod, they're going to have to go in with native vegetation and get a
variance? Is that true?
MS. BURGESON: No. No. And actually let me just clarify
one other item.
This partic -- this LDC amendment request and the last one that
was processed and -- and withdrawn never addressed anything except
for the single family lots.
This -- even this CCSL amendment that Mr. Pickworth is
presenting or proposing would not amend anything in the beach
common areas. It only addresses those single family lots. So, he is
not even requesting that this pertain to those Beach Garden areas.
The single family lots, anything in front of those lots, if you
were to allow them to plant right now, the -- the process is not a
variance. It's a simple permit process. It comes in to staff for
administrative review and processing takes a matter of a few weeks
to get that reviewed and issued.
So, it's -- it's not a -- a process that would have to go through the
variance.
And, also, I'd like to also make a clarification on the record that
the material that Mr. Pickworth was given tonight, we only gave him
in case he did not bring back with him that exact handout that I gave
to Mr. Pickworth at the EAC meeting several months ago.
That has not changed. That is the material that I gave to him
several months ago.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commission Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I'm still not certain about a
couple of things.
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December 11, 2002
Are you saying that the vegetation between these two homesites
would not be affected by this ordinance? MS. BURGESON: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So, they would not have to
remove that at all.
MS. BURGESON: They do have to. They have been in
violation for many years.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Ah.
MS. BURGESON: Let me just -- I can show you an example of
-- that red line is a combination of the old coastal construction
setback line, which is this line back here more landward of the beach.
It jogs down in front of the two single family lots and that is a-- as a
result of a coastal construction variance that was issued to them by
the state and that portion that is considered the coastal construction
development limit line.
This portion in front of this line here, this is an example of one
of the beach front gardens that did not over the years come in and
destroy the natural habitat and replace it with sod.
So, this is an example of what exists today as what is required to
be there by the code. This is an example and they're a little bit
further stretched out to show you a couple of different residential lots
and a couple of different Beach Gardens and a closeup to show you
what has happened over the years where the native vegetation has
been removed and sod has been placed in there.
It's not ever been permitted. In fact, back in the early nineties,
back when Mike Kirby tried to bring forward an entire code
enforcement case against probably the majority of the homes that
were starting to do this at that time, the administrative staff or the
administration at-- at Community Development Environmental
Services at that time did not support that as a code enforcement case.
So, it was known by staff a while back and it's -- it's finally just
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December 11, 2002
coming to the forefront right now to correct it.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I have a couple follow-up
questions concerning this.
Is there any grandfathering provision associated with this
particular ordinance or is there an attempt to do that at all?
MS. BURGESON: That everything that's -- no. I mean,
everything that's out there right now is illegal, I mean, in terms of
everything that's in front of that CCSL line that's not native.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Then -- then the other question is to
what extent would this area be improved by tearing out this
landscaping and not doing anything with it?
MS. BURGESON: For all of the reasons that the Land
Development Code and the Growth Management Plan identified the
need to have the native and natural system in there that would protect
the -- the beach, that protects the dune system, protects from erosion,
provides natural habitat.
There are gopher tortoises and protected species that use that
habitat. Taking that away from them reduces the ability for them to
-- to survive in that area.
It's -- I mean, having the natural vegetation in there is the best
way to provide protection to secure that that area not be destroyed in
the --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: But-- but--
MS. BURGESON: -- during storm events.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Is there a requirement that natural
vegetation be replanted if this is torn out?
MS. BURGESON: Yes, there is. And it would be through a
permit process, which is, as I said, an administrative process, not
something that goes through the board for a variance.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Why would they bother to apply
for a permit?
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December 11, 2002
MS. BURGESON: And they don't need to. They -- we would
require that they take out the sod. What they can do if they want to
is leave the sand there. You will end up with some natural
recruitment.
However, we would recommend that they come in with a
request for a CCSL permit. We've -- we've talked with them and
provided opportunities through many meetings with -- with the code
enforcement staff to, for instance, come up with one site plan that
might be suitable for all of the homes, which could expedite the
review process.
We -- we would be more than happy to work with them to get
those permits through the process.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Do we have any speakers?
MS. BURGESON: I do have a handout. Doug Fee and, let's
see, with the North Bay Civic Association was here earlier. He had
to leave because he had another commitment.
And since he -- since he left, he left these with me. This is a
petition with 200 signatures against this amendment.
MS. MURRAY: Doug Fee was registered to speak and had to
leave and asked Barbara to just hand that out for him.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So, these people opposed the
amendment?
MS. BURGESON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Who are these people?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: In other words, if we do not approve
this, allow it to go forward, he could still -- they could still go back
and get the correct permitting to make it happen? Is that it or no?
MS. BURGESON: He would need this LDC amendment to
place anything in front of the CCSL or the coastal construction
development limit line that is not native.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: And that's the request to put in
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December 11, 2002
nonnative vegetation?
MS. BURGESON: Right. To put in a lawn or sod.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Oh.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, then that--
MS. BURGESON: And just--just for the single family lots.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Make sure I understand that then,
these -- these people want to keep the lawns that are already
established and are there.
MS. BURGESON: The petition that you have in front of you is
in opposition--
COMMISSIONER HALAS: These people want this --
MS. BURGESON: -- of this amendment.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Right. They want this
reestablished back to native vegetation is what this is.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Is there any reason why Mr.
Pickworth wasn't given this material beforehand?
MS. BURGESON: It was only --
MR. MUDD: The petitioner that was signed up --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay.
MR. MUDD: -- signed up --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay.
MR. MUDD: It's good enough for easement.
MS. BURGESON: And also just to restate that there are a
number of citations in the Growth Management Plan and the LDC
that this is inconsistent.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Commissioner Coletta, if I may
make a suggestion?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Of course you can. That's what
we're here for.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER HENNING: If you want to poll your
colleagues to find out if they're in favor of this amendment. It takes a
super majority to approve the Land Development Code with this
amendment.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Well, let's start with you,
Commissioner Henning. How do you feel?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'm open about it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah.
Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, it sort of depends on how
Commissioner Henning feels about it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Well, I'm reserving my opinion until
a little bit later.
Commissioner Fiala.
Come on, it's Christmas.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I stick -- I stick with the CCPC
recommendation.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Oh, finally. Somebody makes up
their mind.
MR. MUDD: Mr. Chairman, just one point the County
Attorney just made. You can't really vote on Land Development
Code Amendment. It's inconsistent with the Growth Management
Plan.
MS. STUDENT: But you need to like have it explained on the
record why it's inconsistent and then Mr. Pickworth gets his shot and
then it's your determination as to whether or not it's inconsistent and
if it is inconsistent it -- it can't go. The law requires that land
development regulations be consistent --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I didn't think we were taking a vote.
We were just --
MS. STUDENT: No. I just wanted to put that on the record.
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December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Why don't we go ahead now -- let's
try something different. Let's express an opinion.
We'll start with you, Mr. Halas. I think you're a serious person
that can give us an opinion.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: I'm in favor of restoring that back
to its natural state.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Same.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Well, I think this -- the petition
speaks for itself. I'd have to go along with that. Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, I -- I think it's hard to -- to
argue against all of our advisory committees.
I -- I do have a basic concern however about trying to go back
into history and correct all the wrongs that had been done. If we do
that, we're going to find a lot of homes in an area that are -- are not
built in accordance with appropriate setbacks.
And if we're going to be consistent about that, then we have to
tear those homes down and -- and make them right.
So, I -- I think that -- that there are issues here that relate to -- to
overall fairness and I understand these things were done long in the
past and they're violations, but so were these homes that were built in
violation and people who came in and purchased them don't know
much about that until they do a title search.
So -- so, I -- I am -- I will accept the recommendations of the
committee but I simply do not like this kind of government. I think
it's extremist and I -- I think it -- it is going to devalue the property
values of people who have in good faith maintained their homes in
good order and their-- their landscaping in good order.
But I -- I can't find evidence which demonstrates that this is not
a violation of-- of our Growth Management Plan, so reluctantly I'd
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December 11, 2002
go along with it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, we don't have enough
votes, but I don't know if we're doing the legal -- the right thing, and
to hear Mr. Pickworth argue the Growth Management Plan.
MS. STUDENT: Commissioner Henning, I think you can hear
from staff and can hear from
Mr. Pickworth and then make your determination, which would
commence that'second meeting of consistency or inconsistency with
the comp plan, but that decision based on the evidence that you hear
is a decision that rests with the board.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I think -- who is that then?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, we need to hear the
arguments whether it's consistent or inconsistent and find at the
second meeting whether it is consistent or inconsistent and vote at
that time. That's what I heard.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Then does someone want to
make a --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I think we want to hear from
Mr. Pickworth.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Any comments?
MR. PICKWORTH: What I would like the opportunity to do
since I was handed this when I come in tonight and this was not in
the material that Miss Burgeson gave me at the time of the EAC
meeting because I've been looking for this for a long time.
And I will be happy to submit something in writing as part of
the record before the next board meeting. But if you want a flavor of
this, take a look at the second page.
To tell you how -- to show you how far off this is, they quote
objective 10.3 which talks about standards for undeveloped coastal
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December 11, 2002
barriers, and then if you go over a couple more pages, it defines
undeveloped coastal barrier systems and it says, shall be defined ba,
ba, ba, ba, for which no development approval or permits have been
issued by Collier County or plats recorded.
Well, there's the plat. I mean, just picking that one right off the
top, so you can see the kind of analysis that's been done here.
It's being assumed by Miss Burgeson that this landscaping was
put in there illegally. Well, I beg to differ with that. It was put in
there legally. Everyone out there who did that thought it was legal.
There is an existing PUD on the books which specifically permits
landscaping in these areas.
Interestingly enough, we had a meeting with the staff yesterday.
Now, this is after they've sent letters to the people who live out there
citing the ordinance they're supposedly in violation of and we
mention the ordinance that permits this and I get a bunch of blank
stares around the table.
They're telling people they need to comply with laws without
even having looked at specific ordinances which appear to permit
this.
Now, the lawyers can argue forever over how we treat each of
these ordinances. Well, it's pretty obvious that that wasn't even
looked at. And I'm here to tell you that I -- I don't believe that this
landscaping was put in there unlawfully at all.
But we would like the county commission to legislatively give
us some relief so that we can retain this vegetation, which we believe
is absolutely and fully legal.
I don't think these property owners should have to go to court to
establish that fact. That's what they're here for. They're here asking
their elected representative to -- to weigh the reasonableness of
what's being asked for.
There's no dune system here.
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December 11, 2002
Miss Burgeson isn't even qualified to testify on that kind of fact,
but I've talked to
Brett Moore, who you all know who he is.
This is behind the dune. There's no coastal erosion going to
take place as a result of that. There's no harm going to be -- going to
be done.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Mr. Pickworth.
MR. PICKWORTH: That's our -- that's our plea to you. And,
you know, I know we got until January 8th to make a final decision,
but I would simply ask that you would not accept as a point of fact an
assertion that this was put in there illegally.
And I know this goes back to some smoldering resentments
around there over who was back there running the enforcement
section and those different things over there ten or 12 years ago.
And I know there's some people now who think that everything
they did was wrong and that whatever they thought was legal was
illegal but, you know, that may not be the case.
Maybe the reason they didn't bring an enforcement action was
because someone out there then, which was certainly closer to the --
to the time of all of this maybe knew it was legal.
It's very difficult to establish the facts now because we're talking
about things that go back so many years. Some of the people with
the most information are no longer alive.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Perhaps when you come back before
us again you might want to supply all that evidence.
MR. PICKWORTH: I will do everything I can. I have been
trying. It has -- it has been difficult and frustrating, believe me, sir,
because again, for instance, I talked to Bill McKinley today who's
Lely's engineer.
He didn't spend a lot of time working on Barefoot Beach. He
was out on the -- on the one out on the East Trail.
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December 11, 2002
And he was -- he was telling me the gentleman who did most of
this work, who obviously would have a lot of these facts, he passed
away here several years ago.
So -- so, it has not been an easy task piecing this together and I
don't have all the information yet. But I can tell you this.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Mr. Pickworth--
MR. PICKWORTH: It's not a slam dunk.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah. Okay. I think you're at the
point where you're telling us that there's still more to come. MR. PICKWORTH: Exactly.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: This is just the first chapter of a
book that we're going to be seeing the -- the last part --
MR. PICKWORTH: Right.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- of the --
MR. PICKWORTH: And -- and all I'm asking for tonight is --
is, please, don't -- don't irrevocably make up your minds. Be willing
to listen to all of the facts. You've been told one side of the story and
I don't think that's the right story.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I'll -- I'll wait to see the rest of the
evidence.
MR. PICKWORTH: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Let's --let's go to Commissioner
Halas for a --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: May I --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- closing comment and then
Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah. I'm a little concerned here.
I obviously -- there are different departments here that have looked
at this. I'm sure that they've looked at all this data and then, of
course, you come in here and you state that we'd like to have an
extension of-- of 15 feet here to put -- plant more grass.
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December 11, 2002
And I have a problem with that because I think what we're doing
is we're -- we're continually trying to encroach into this coastal
setback line. And I have a problem with that.
MR. PICKWORTH: We're -- you know, we're not-- look,
we're not adamant. We'd like that 15 feet. We think there are some
very rational reasons for having it, okay? If--
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Well, yes, but if we look at the
departments here, you know, all these different departments that have
made their study and have made their analysis of this and they're
saying that we're -- you're not in compliance with the codes that are
out there. That's all I have to say about that.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Let's go to Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I would be interested by next
time to -- to see the documents that you make reference to, Mr.
Pickworth.
MR. PICKWORTH: I will.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And I -- I would also like the staff
to -- to tell us what other property in Collier County is -- is subject to
the same kinds of-- of regulation.
I -- I do know that in the City of Naples the CCSL extends quite
some distance inland and, in fact, would eliminate probably half the
vegetation on the beach or on the homes on the beach along -- in the
City of Naples.
I -- I wonder if-- if the same thing is true outside the city limits
both north and south. And I'd like to understand what precedent
we're establishing by doing this.
This -- this can get to be a very dangerous thing if we don't look
at the practical effect of the situation. Are we really, really doing a
good thing for the community or are we doing a bad thing for the
community?
And I think sometimes very strict and extreme interpretations of
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December 11, 2002
regulations can cause effects that we don't really like in the long term
but I'll save my -- my comments and I'll see this other information at
the next meeting.
MR. PICKWORTH: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. I think we've got sufficient
direction on this.
MS. BURGESON: IfI might, I'd like to answer some of the
questions that came up.
Mr. Coyle -- Commissioner Coyle, you had a concern that these
homes were illegal in setbacks. They're not. All of these homes are
perfectly fine in Lely Barefoot Beach.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I didn't have any problem.
MS. BURGESON: Right.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I didn't have any problem with the
homes. I'm merely talking about the principle. MS. BURGESON: Uh-huh.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: If-- if we're going to take a strict
interpretation of our law, then every home that has a setback variance
anywhere in Collier County should be torn down and moved. It's
that simple.
So -- so, if you're going to take a strict interpretation of the -- of
the law and apply it in this particular case, to be fair, you've got to
apply that strict interpretation to the law everywhere.
MS. BURGESON: We have. Staff has taken a look at it and I
have more presentations for you if you'd like to take a look at the
Strand.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm not sure you're getting my
point.
There was a lady who came before this commission at the last
meeting and she asked for a variance for her swimming pool. Okay.
It has nothing to do with the coastal setback line, but it has to do with
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December 11, 2002
the variance for the swimming pool. It's been there for a long time.
It was done illegally.
We granted her a variance so she would not have to incur the
cost of ripping that thing out and redoing it. We did that because we
saw no substantial public good to forcing her to do that.
There are thousands of situations like that throughout Collier
County. And all I'm suggesting to you is if you're going to take a
very hard line position on all of the regulations and the land
development codes we have, you need to be prepared to do that on all
of them.
Government must be fair and consistent. We just cannot pick a
couple of items because we like beaches and we want to protect
beaches. We also like people. Okay. And we like nice
neighborhoods and hopefully we like nice -- nice landscaping.
this will be decided next time.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I think it's a point well taken.
could --
MR. PICKWORTH:
said because it's --
But
If we
If I could add one more thing to what he
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Please, but make it short.
MR. PICKWORTH: Yeah, it will be very short. And -- and --
and it -- and it does maybe globalize this which it-- and this is what's
difficult.
The staff can say you violated the law. Now, if you're talking
about events that took place in the last year, two years, three years,
you know, the person on the other side who's being told he violated
the law has a relatively easy ability to come in and -- and either
refute that or say, yes, I did.
What do you do in something like this where you have this
much time? It's very, very difficult to defend yourself against this
charge.
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December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I understand it, Mr. Pickworth, but
you do have a chance to come back again -- MR. PICKWORTH: Yes.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- better prepared so that we can
address it at that time.
MS. MURRAY: Mr. -- Mr. Chairman, with all due respect,
would you indulge me for just one second? I fear, and I'm very
concerned about Commissioner Coyle's concerns. I fear we're
getting off the track here.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We are, very much so.
MS. MURRAY: This amendmen -- this amendment deals with
single family homes. Whatever happened in the past with the Beach
Gardens are past that or whatever is irrelevant. This isn't staff trying
to come back and put the hammer down where they thought they
should have done it ten years ago.
This is an application for single family homes to extend beyond
a CCSL line where the home was built to the CCSL line with full
awareness, as far as I know, of the property owners that regulations
differed beyond the CCSL line, yet they chose to build to zero.
And now they're asking for you to extend beyond that line.
That's -- that's my take and I just want -- I just want to make that
point and leave it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Right. And I want to see it in all our
documentation when it comes back before us again. We're not going
to belabor this any longer.
MS. MURRAY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We have a lot of items to cover here
tonight.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: What an eye opener. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Thank you though.
Thank you, Mr. Pickworth.
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December 11, 2002
MS. MURRAY: The next amendment would be on Page 35,
and if you'll indulge us a little bit more, I would like to have staff
make a presentation to you because these next two amendments have
to deal with the PUD zoning districts.
And these are as a result of the workshops we've had with you
concerning the rewrite of the LDC and specifically the PUD zoning
districts and the fact that you all wanted to see -- to see more
specificity during the rezoning process, et cetera, et cetera, so there is
quite a few amendments here that I'd like staff to give a detailed
presentation to you and have you have the opportunity, of course, to
give us feedback on what you see and if you like it or don't like it and
how we should proceed for here -- from here.
This has been a work in progress for quite some time and we
would really appreciate your feedback at this point. Page 35, Section 2.2.20.
MR. SCHNEIDER: And, Mr. Chairman, if I may, at your
direction of this body, we have attempted to create a guide for
petitioners --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We're going to take a five-minute
break while she --
THE COURT REPORTER: I've got it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Oh, you've got it already?
THE COURT REPORTER: I've got it.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Continue.
MR. SCHNEIDER: I'm Don Schneider with Planning Services
for the record.
We wanted to create a guide here for petitioners in creating
PUD zoning documents that are cohesive planning documents with
ample attendant detail to afford legislative bodies the ability to judge
these particular documents and their compatibility of the proposed
development.
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December 11, 2002
So, with that, I'd like to just run through some of the changes
that we've made to the PUD zoning documents.
On Page 36, I would call this the preamble where we've added
the words provide, create, encourage, evaluate and assure that to -- to
build up to the reasoning of why we want to do this with these
particular documents.
And going on at 2.2.22.1, the relation of Planned United
Development Regulations to the Growth Management Plan zoning
subdivision or other applicable regulations, we've added in that
particular section language that ties this to overlays, districts, special
development standards for specific land use types or the like and
supplemental regulations not limited to the provision to Collier
County Land Development Code.
We've also asked that an applicant for a PUD rezoning shall
indicate on the official PUD rezoning application and within the
document both the LDC section numbers and specific regulations and
the proposed modification to such regulations.
We all know that we allowed them in the PUDs to be creative.
That's part of what they're supposed to do, but we need to know
where they have made significant changes to the normal regulations.
And with that, moving on in the next area here, 2.2.20.2.3,
we've set out some specific guidelines here for-- for the application
itself so that we can essentially know when an application is open
and when it's closed so that if an application comes into our office
and no further work is done or supplied to us in regards to this, we
have the ability here to close it.
So, it keeps things from being ongoing into ad infinitum without
any particular work being done to them.
So, if-- if an applicant, for instance, is not going to -- to address
issues with us and it sits dormant, we have the ability then to close
that application, which means if he were to come back and reapply,
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December 11, 2002
we want him to go back to zero, pay his fees and come forward
again.
So, we're essentially asking people in this instance to -- to have
their ducks in a row before they start this process, which is in all of
our benefits, I believe.
The next paragraph goes into unified control. Here, we're
essentially stating that we would like to see the ownership of the
PUD area be under control of the applicant so there's no question
about the particular things going on in there.
And then I'm also asking on Page 38, some additions here, and
here again I'm just going to go over the -- the changes that we've
made that I think are significant to this whole process.
On Page 38 at the top of the page, item one that's underlined,
notify the Planning Services Department in writing of any change in
ownership, control and/or appellation of the development.
That's a rather esoteric word, but what I'm saying is that I would
like to see a paper trail in our file of the name of the ownership, who
owns this particular PUD and what are they calling it.
I'm new in the county and I found it difficult to go to the file and
follow the trail of some of these PUDs because the names have
changed and the ownerships have changed. Yes, Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: What type of follow-up are you
going to have on that so that you're -- you're -- some way or another
that you can -- say that somebody decides to change the name and
that and does not notify you, how are you going to be able to address
that so that you know that it has been changed or there's some type of
follow-up?
MR. SCHNEIDER: That's a good question --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Ask you to address that, please.
MR. SCHNEIDER: -- Commissioner Halas.
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December 11, 2002
I believe that all of these elements that we want to follow up on
are going to be keyed to the annual reporting process so that when
that annual reporting process comes about that they can -- at that
point must essentially indicate to us that, hey, a change has occurred
in the past year.
And that will help us create that paper trail that makes it easier
for us in the office particularly to -- to keep things on track with these
PUDs.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: So, you're saying that at -- every
year, somebody -- there's going to have to be paperwork filled out for
each of these PUDs that's to be submitted back to the county? Is that
what you're saying?
MR. SCHNEIDER: That's correct. Until filled out. We're only
monitoring this until to build out. At that point it's -- it's history
essentially
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, they already -- they already
provide an annual report.
MR. SCHMITT: We do -- we do that.
MR. MUDD: You're just -- you're just asking for some
additional information in that particular report. COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Going on to Page 39, we're asking here that
they -- in their document they provide screening for fences, walls or
vegetative screening boundaries for PUD districts shall be provided
at a minimum in accordance with the landscape buffering
requirements.
So, here again, we're bolstering that at a very minimum they --
they do what is required for those particular elements, landscaping
and all.
Moving forward, we took out some sections. If you notice on
Page 40, a multifamily entry level rental housing area has been
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December 11, 2002
deleted. We found it really wasn't necessary in this particular
document.
And moving on to Page 42, if you'll notice, we've actually
reordered some of the particular language in here. And we start with
2.2.20.3.3, which is the minimum-- minimum dimensional standards
within a PUD except as provided for within an industrial and
neighborhood village center component of this section, dimensional
standards with any tract or increment of the proposed PUD shall
conform to the minimum dimensional standards.
So, we -- we --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: That's a new insertion?
MR. SCHNEIDER: No, that-- that is not.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Like I said, it's not underlined and --
MR. SCHNEIDER: Right. That's where we begin with our
reordering.
And, essentially, we've stayed the same. If you bear with me
and go over to Page 47, Page 47, we have requested some additional
information here regarding principal vehicular access.
We're saying the interconnection of collector and local streets
within the PUD to adjacent lands or developments shall be required
except to be determined by the Transportation Services Department
director that an interconnection is not feasible or warranted due to
existing development patterns, transportation network needs or the
like.
So, in this instance we have requested that this interconnection
that we've all desired in the PUDs be seriously considered and unless
there's some really compelling reasons not to ask to be at least
addressed.
And then in Section 2.2.20.4 of this document, again I'm on
Page 47, we get into what I feel like is really the meat of this whole
change where we talk about the PUD districts.
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December 11, 2002
And in the next pages here as we go forward, we have set out
some specific PUD types, and by doing so, I think we've classified
things a little better that will make it easier for us to evaluate them as
they come to us.
We begin with a residential Planned Unit Development district,
which normally in that particular area we have a little acronym of
RPUD. We go to commercial facilities planned -- or excuse me --
Community Facilities Planned Unit Development District.
And, again, I had a little acronym of CFPUD. So, each of these
have their own particular uses described here that sets them apart.
The next one on Page 48 is Commercial Planned Unit
Development District. Following that is an Industrial Planned Unit
Development District.
Here again these are -- are specific as to what types of uses are
going to occur in those various districts.
And then we go into some special ones. Here's special
requirements for Industrial Planned Unit Developments and we list
various elements here that we need to see in those Industrial Planned
Unit Developments.
Then moving on over to Page 50, we have here developed an
Airport Operations Planned Unit Development District, which we
don't have all that many airports here, but Immokalee does certainly
have a significant one, and I wanted to make sure we had language in
there to address those issues.
And then a Mixed Use Planned Unit Development District and
then there are some special requirements listed there that were in the
original documents.
And moving on over to Page 54, we have inserted an entirely
new area here, which is Research and Technology Park Planned Unit
Development District.
And this essentially is in -- it's -- it's going along with some of
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December 11, 2002
the changes to the Growth Management Plan that has allowed these
new research and technology parks to be identified and we have
mirrored some of their requirements here.
And I've also set out in the next pages that would essentially
complete this document specific uses for the research and technology
park.
We've been very specific here in -- in uses. And one of the
reasons is that -- that research and technology parks, according to our
Growth Management Plan, are required to have target and known
target industries.
And they list percentages of those that they like to see involved
in them, so I felt that it was necessary that we be quite specific in
those uses to allow an individual say that's interested in doing a
research technology park to -- to assure us that he has met those
conversations.
The table then that occurs on through Page 60 outlines those
various uses that we've identified that meet those categories.
So, I guess, quickly, that's a -- a fast review of major changes
that we've made in this document. The intention here is to provide
you with more information to make better decisions regarding
compatibility of these -- these PUD documents and also to bring
them more closely in line with what I would consider to be better
planning documents that -- that doesn't just set aside zoning for
perhaps real estate purposes but allows us to do better evaluations
from planning standpoints.
So, not to bore you further with those things, that pretty well
concludes the PUD side on the 2.2.20 changes that we've made in the
LDC document.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Then we've got Commissioner Coyle
and Commissioner Henning and then Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Are we still using floor area ratio?
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December 11, 2002
MR. SCHNEIDER: Not entirely, sir. There are some areas
where we do consider that.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Go to Page 51 in the center of the
page. Is that -- is that there by accident or did we intend to apply that
to the commercial component?
MS. MURRAY: We explore area ratio for -- for ALS --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MS. MURRAY: -- and we also use it for hotels and commercial
zoning districts presently.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: All commercial zoning districts.
MS. MURRAY: That permit hotel zoning.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yeah. And that's not a change, sir. That's
an existing element we're just carrying over.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. I just want to make sure I
understand. That particular paragraph applies to Mixed Use Planned
Unit Developments contained in a commercial component.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Now, does the floor area ratio -- I
see it only applies to the commercial component of the mixed use;
right?
MR. SCHNEIDER: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Page 48, top of the page,
COmmercial Planned Unit Development District. Is this a mixed use
district or just commercial?
MR. SCHNEIDER: It's primarily commercial. We've listed the
-- construed to include the following where we said that the principal
uses would be the same as one would find in the C-l, C-2, C-3, C-4,
C-5 and TTRVC.
So, essentially, we've allowed the petitioner to draw from the
permitted uses in those districts to design his PUD from those, so --
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December 11, 2002
which would keep it in this category of Commercial Planned Unit
Development.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. How I'm reading it, and
correct me if I'm wrong, is in the commercial districts we're allowing
a residential component within it. Or am I wrong?
MS. MURRAY: You're correct in that we're allowing a
caretaker's residence and things of that nature.
What this is saying is within these districts, those are going to
kind of frame the uses that would be allowed in this type of PUD.
So, for example -- and let me just kind of give you an overall of
what we're trying to accomplish here.
Well, this just may be a bad example but maybe a good one.
When you all considered the planning director's official
interpretation for the Westview class PUD and there was quite a bit
of discussion and determination as to whether or not that PUD was
industrial, commercial or mixed use.
And I think what we're trying to do here is we're trying to target
the PUD so that commercial PUDs focus on commercial uses,
industrial PUDs focus on industrial uses.
Where I think we're falling maybe a little bit short as we're
reading through and I'm hearing your comments is we do have a
section for a mixed use PUD; however, we don't really identify
what's in there. And you could have a variety or a mixture of uses
and I think it would probably behoove us to say a mixed commercial
and industrial or a mixed residential and commercial and then
identify the zoning districts as well.
But to answer your question, this would just reflect those uses
permitted in the C -- C districts only.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Permitted uses in the C
districts.
MS. MURRAY: Right.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER HENNING: That's part of my concern is --
and I guess that's the commissioners' preference.
Commissioners, my concern is the possibility of blighted
commercial areas if we have a strictly commercial and-- and
multifamily.
So, where you have commercial on the bottom, multifamily on
top, it's all rented out, owner absent, he's a shareholder of a big
corporation in New York and so on and so forth.
That's my concern about it. And if we can regulate the
percentage of rental within that, I think that might take care of that.
MS. MURRAY: I'm not entirely sure I'm following your
concern.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. My concern is blight
commercial. If we allow all strictly rental in a commercial area like
a downtown area --
MS. MURRAY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER HENN1NG: -- Bay Shore, East Naples, U.S.
41, that's my concern. And if we can say give a percentage of rental
versus owner occupied, then the chances of that going to blight will
diminish quite a bit, but rental in -- in commercial is good, too, and it
just depends on the owner and his ability to keep up his profit.
But we've seen so much blight that I just don't want to create
more.
MR. SCHMITT: I hear what you're saying but I don't know if
we can legally restrict someone to what they can do with that piece
of property from a standpoint of individual rental.
I'd have to -- I'm looking to the County Attorney, but also from
a perspective of-- of the -- trying to manage that, I don't know.
Marjorie?
MS. STUDENT: I think it's something that we need to consider
and report back to you on at the final meeting.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER HENNING: And I think in the meantime
maybe we ought to really consider-- there's -- there's a positive side
to it, affordable housing. The negative side of it is the possibility of
blight. I mean, we can reach out in the community and see what the
community thinks about it.
MR. SCHNEIDER: There is -- excuse me but--
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Go ahead.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Mr. Chairman--
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Do you have a comment on it?
MR. SCHNEIDER: My thinking was going towards the fact
that if you look at some of our smart -- smart growth principles that
are being outlined today that residential over commercial seems to be
good and that it affords a lot of pedestrian-oriented type
communities, so we would have to come up with a mix there that
would -- would not disallow that sort of thing perhaps if indeed we
saw it as a smart growth potential.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Oh, I agree. And that is part of
the community character.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Right.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: But still it's a concern of mine.
MR. SCHNEIDER: I understand.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Let's go to Commissioner
Halas and then Commissioner Coyle and then Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Just a quick question. What does
TTRVC stand for?
MS. MURRAY: Travel Trailer Recreational Vehicle --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
MS. MURRAY: I would pull the book out just to be sure I was
a hundred percent correct. We don't use it that often but that's
essentially the district.
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December 11, 2002
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Just a suggestion with respect to
the rental units.
Generally the things that cause blight are when you rent units by
the day or week and you have lots of people running in and out when
no one has a sense of ownership there.
The way that many communities deal with that issue is to
prevent rentals of single family homes or apartments or town houses
only for periods of greater than six months, six months or greater.
And what that does is it encourages people who require the --
the affordable housing to negotiate a lease and stay there as opposed
to having a lot of people in and out every day or every weekend.
And that's-generally what -- what causes these things to become
poorly maintained and cause some unfavorable effects.
That, I think, is a possibility. I -- I believe, that the City of
Naples might have a similar ordinance that restricts the ability of
people to rent homes and/or even guest homes but establishes some
minimum lease period.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes, I have.
I think you're -- you're partially right there, Commissioner --
Commissioner Coyle.
One of the big problems that we have in East Naples where we
have many of the rental properties, not so much that they rent them
by day because there aren't that many facilities, is that the rents,
especially the new ones that we're are building are so high, although
they qualify for shipped funds, but they are so -- so expensive that
families have to double and triple up to get into them.
And, for instance, the Whistler's Cove Annex that's going to be
over there by Henderson Creek, they have a three-bedroom place,
you know, nice for a family except it's $1,049. Not many of us in
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December 11, 2002
this room can afford $1,049.
And they, by the way, have got millions of dollars credit to
build that and -- and that's -- so people have to double and triple up.
I've seen them sleeping in their car over in Whistler's Cove because
they need a place to shower and so forth. They line them up and --
and this becomes a terrible problem.
In the Manor they're sleeping in-- they have sheds with -- with
no windows or anything and no bathrooms, but they have sheds, and
those things become a problem.
We in East Naples -- and Commissioner Henning was -- was
coming in there, bless his heart, and carrying the banner for us. And
I -- I truly appreciate his continued support.
We in Smart Grove have learned that you cannot pack all of the
affordable housing into one area without creating a ghetto area.
You're familiar with that, I know, and so this is another subject.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah. And we -- we still have a
long agenda to go through--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. I will --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- so I'm going to move you along
just a little bit.
I just want to make one comment with -- where the affordable
housing is now, and then I want to get off the subject again on it,
code has to come in and start addressing some of the situations.
People should not be allowed to live in those kind of-- in that kind of
squalor.
Commissioner Coyle, and then let's see if we can wrap this up.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I was just going to make the
observation that we can go a lot -- along a lot faster if we didn't spent
so much time talking.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: What an original thing to say.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. I see we've moved around
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December 11, 2002
and --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Are you all set?
Okay. Where are we at now?
MS. MURRAY: We do have another section to go over with
you and I think you'll probably find this section even more
interesting.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I'm sure we will, but before we go to
the next section, we're going to take a ten-minute break. (A recess was had.)
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: All right. For the listening audience
out there, I want you to know that this meeting did not start at nine
o'clock this morning and that we started at 5:05 and the time now is
8:30 in the evening. We're doing real good on time, just so you don't
think this is some marathon session.
And Mr. Coyle and Commissioner Fiala, neither one of them are
talking that much, so we're going on.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You know, we did not start at nine
o'clock this morning, but at the rate we're going, it's going to be nine
o'clock in the morning when the time is up.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Stay tuned.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Commissioner Fiala keeps talking.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Continue.
MS. MURRAY: Commissioners, I'm working on Page 73, and
this is really the last section I need to go over with you in detail.
After this --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: What page?
MS. MURRAY: -- I'll flip -- 73.
I'll flip back to the front and just ask you to stop me as I read the
sections if you have any concerns because you had the material so --
okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah.
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December 11, 2002
MS. MURRAY: Okay. On 73, this has to do with the Planned
Unit Development procedures and I'm just going to highlight the
most important things here.
Back on Page 74 we reference the community character plan
reference to the guide for development and redevelopment in the
PUD district.
Number four under that, we ask that the boundaries within the
PUD, such as residential, office and retail/commercial and the types
of buffers with a cross-section for any buffer which deviates from
that which is otherwise required by the Land Development Code now
be submitted.
You asked us to show more distinct boundaries. We're asking --
that's the submittal.
All the nonresidential tracts, dimensions and boundaries shall be
illustrated on the master plan.
We at -- at one point had survey requirements here and thought
maybe with some public input that might have been a little bit too
stringent, but feel if-- if we can illustrate where the nonresidential
tracts are, you'll be able to see the relationship between residential
and nonresidential and then you can evaluate whether the PUD
sufficiently buffers or is -- the uses are compatible, et cetera.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Before you go too much farther,
Commissioner Henning, did you want to address something we just
covered or are you just putting it on for --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No. I--
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- when we finish the presentation?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No. No, no. Well, I -- I want
to to address this whole section.
It's almost like a PD where we're getting close to reviewing all
of that.
And I know that that was Commissioner Coyle's concern, that
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December 11, 2002
he would like some more information on it.
I can tell you my perspective hasn't changed. I really don't want
to see this much specificity because I think the planners are capable
of handling that, that type of specificity.
And we're going to have to go through an educational process,
and I guess my concern is the -- that the -- in the front here, it's
saying that cost is going to increase for the applicant. It's going to
take increased staff time to review.
So, my concern is if-- if we implement this without having
enough staff to review it, we're just getting a bigger and bigger
backlog and -- and if we're increasing cost, that the end product is the
home buyer and that -- and then we're getting further and further
away at Collier County being affordable.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah. I'd like to hear from staff on
that.
Myself, I don't have quite the same sentiments on that. I -- I do
know it's going to take awhile before this is implemented but we're
replacing staff at all times and I think the devil is going to be in the
details and how it plays out in the end.
But who wants to comment on --
MS. MURRAY: Sure. I think some of these items -- the
majority of these items will actually assist us and assist you. You'll
be able to make better decisions. You'll have more detail.
I don't think a lot of them are going to be overly costly. I think
our original draft, yes. We had required surveys, we had required
very specific things that we, since we've gone through the public
hearing process, have whittled out to be that which will provide
detailed information at the least cost and will be able to assist you in
making better decisions and be able to assist us in making better
decisions when we're reviewing site plans or a request for official
interpretations.
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December 11, 2002
And I point out, for example, the buffer language here. We
often have text in a PUD that describes the landscape buffer, but we
don't have the picture that goes along with it.
And, you know, when you read something, it's subject to
interpretation. And a picture is a very cheap thing to create but is a
very useful tool because it shows the public, it shows you and it
shows us exactly what the details of that buffer are.
So, that's an example, I think, where it would be time well spent
reviewing something like that to prevent future conflicts and future
misunderstanding and would also obviously benefit the public
because they know exactly what they're getting with a picture rather
than subjective phrases in a PUD.
So, that's an example where I think it would help.
I don't see -- nobody here from the public is here to speak about
it and they were at the Planning Commission and the other board
meetings as well.
But I don't see anything glaring in here that's going to cost an
enormous amount of money or that the county doesn't already have
the information for that's readily accessible to the individuals
preparing these applications.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle and then
Conunissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, as much as I'd like to, I-- I
really can't take credit for -- for a lot of these additions to -- to this.
Commissioner Henning is right. I -- I have always wanted more
specificity for PUDs. Generally that has been in the area of-- of
uses, permitted uses, and -- and that sort of thing so that we can
resolve conflicts with the neighbors.
But -- but I also agree with -- with you that the -- that most of
these changes would help us because what generally happens is that
unless they're clearly understand-- understood up front, we waste a
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December 11, 2002
lot of time trying to sort it out and -- and resolve conflicts later on.
And -- and I -- I would be supportive of this. I don't want to do
anything that's excessively cumbersome, but if-- if you think it is
helpful to you and the staff, I would be willing to support it.
MS. MURRAY: Where you might get-- where we did get
some -- some concern and we did not amend significantly was in
number five where we're requiring an outline of the proposed
building footprint and an indication of the proposed building height,
which the building height probably isn't a real big issue, but the
outline of the proposed building may be for individuals because if it
doesn't fall out that that's where they built the building, then they're
going to be back in here for a PUD amendment.
And the cost benefit to that ratio may be a little bit higher on the
cost side than on the benefit side and we wouldn't certainly be
objective to taking that out if-- if you so desire, but I know that was
one of your concerns in terms of the location of buildings --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
MS. MURRAY: -- and I don't know if you--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: How about architectural styling?
Is that included anywhere in here?
MS. MURRAY: The architectural provisions are under a
separate section and they are due to be amended in the next cycle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MS. MURRAY: In fact, a very comprehensive amendment.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MR. SCHMITT: I think what you're asking, Commissioner
Coyle, is that the artist rendition or at least an elevation view --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
MR. SCHMITT: -- and -- and that gets -- that's well beyond, I
think where we want to go because we haven't even done the SDP
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December 11, 2002
review process, and to get, quote, a board approval of an artist
rendition tends to -- to validate to the petitioner that it's already
approved when in fact they haven't even gone through any of the
architectural review process. So, we -- we purposely left that out.
That -- that they -- at a board meeting they may put up a
rendition just to display what they want to build but we're very
careful to point out that -- that it -- that that is all it is is just a
rendition -- a conceptual drawing of what they want to build because
they haven't even gone through the review process.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Fiala and
Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Sure. I've been looking forward to
more specificity within this document and I think that it's going to
help staff. It certainly is going to help me when we're voting on
something and I think possibly with that in place we'll also be able to
avoid some things that we're now in court about just because it will
give a -- give us more clear direction and we're looking for that.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: I-- I concur there with
Commissioner Fiala in this and I also like the idea where you
aCtually have a -- a plan showing where all the buildings are located.
That way we can catch to see if there's any setback problems
and we won't have to deal with after-the-fact variances and I think
that's very important.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Would you continue the
presentation?
MS. MURRAY: Sure.
We're requiring the document be submitted in an electronic
format which we already do. We're just digitalizing that through the
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December 11, 2002
code provision and we're attempting to standardize the documents a
little bit better than we have in the past so that what you will see you
will read the same document with the same sections and, hopefully,
similar language every time so it won't look entirely different to you
every time you see one of those.
Let's see. We're asking for locations of proposed vehicular
ingress and egress and the location of proposed and existing roads,
right-of-away and pedestrian systems within 1500 feet of the
proposed PUD so that staff and you all will be able to have the
perspective on how an interconnection would work with the
surrounding road network.
We are asking on Page 77 under Number 22 that any deviations
to sections of the Land Development Code shall be identified in the
PUD document by citing the specific section number, regulation and
proposed modifications for a -- to such regulation.
As you know, the PUD process allows for, quote, the creative
structuring of some of our regulations and I think sometimes it can
get really confusing as to what regulations are being modified, which
regulations are in effect because a PUD is not a classification in and
of itself.
It's still governed by provisions of the Land Development Code,
so where there are deviations from the Land Development Code, I
think we need to be very clear as to what the deviations are and what
section is being deviated so that when it comes to interpretations
either by you or staff, it will be very clear as to what deviations were
meant to replace what sections of the code.
The -- Page 78, on the bottom of the page, the prehearing
conference will be required to be held prior to advertisement of the
hearing date.
I'm losing a little track. Just a minute. Just a second. That's a
minor change.
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December 11, 2002
On Page 80, we are talking about time limits for approved
PUDs.
I just want to bring this to your attention so you don't think
anything is changing here in terms of the time frames we established
at the last LDC cycle or the cycle before that in terms of sunsetting.
But what we are actually doing here is defining the word sunset
and saying that if a sunsetted PUD doesn't -- didn't meet the time
frames established by the ordinance and that they're to submit a
report and the purpose of the report will be to evaluate whether or not
it met this criteria.
And that's pretty much what we do, but we've never defined the
term sunset and we get to talk about it all the time and -- so we're
going ahead and doing that now and then we're attaching various
regulations obviously to PUDs instead of sunsetting.
On Page 82 we are putting the burden on the property owner to
take the initiative to address the sunsetting PUDs rather than staff.
So, what we're encouraging them to do is prior to or any time
after the director determines that a PUD has sunsetted, the property
owner will be required to initiate one of the following: A request for
a PUD extension or a request for a PUD amendment.
And then it goes on to explain what the board of county
commissioners' options are once that is initiated.
Also with respect on that page to number one, there was always
some question about when a PUD has sunsetted, whether or not --
after a board direction had been given, whether or not somebody was
able to still submit, for example, a site development plan because if
they submitted a site development plan, that then met the criteria,
there was always a question of whether or not they were no longer
considered sunsetted.
So, we put in here that once it's -- once the PUD is sunsetted and
-- or if there was an extension to the PUD and that expired, no further
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December 11, 2002
development orders would be processed until the PUD was extended
either through a sunset or an extension process.
I think I -- I hope I'm not losing you on this. I'm trying to go
very quickly.
Again, if the board of county commissioners required the owner
to submit an amended PUD, the existing PUD would remain in effect
until subsequent action by the board; however, no further
development order applications would be processed by the county
until the PUD was officially amended.
So, in a sense what we're saying is once you -- once it's been
determined that a PUD is sunsetted, then it has to follow the options
of either being extended or amended and no further development
orders would be allowed to be processed until either one of those
options was complete.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: This is remarkable. You're finally
hitting on what we have to do. This is a great document.
MS. MURRAY: Okay. We're now on Page 83. Again that has
to do with sunsetting PUDs and it's essentially just supporting what
I've just described to you.
And, essentially, the rest are minor changes until you get to
Page 87. And on the bottom of the page, as you know, the challenge
with new regulations is always to attempt to implement them or make
them retroactive to previously approved PUD documents in this case.
You end up with a, quote, legal nonconforming status. So, in
other words, when you implement changes and regulations, there's --
they start at a point in time and the new items that come forward are
subject to it, but the old items enjoy a legal nonconforming status.
And this is my attempt without the County Attorney's review to
ensure that all the PUDs fall under this criteria that's proposed before
you, especially with respect to the sunsetting.
And that's -- that was the main thrust of putting this in was to
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December 11, 2002
ensure that the sunsetting --
MS. STUDENT: I need to perhaps work with Susan on that.
The language is more the type you'd use for a nonconforming use
than when you're in an application process, so we can work on that.
MS. MURRAY: That's fine. Yeah. That was the intent and --
and I just wanted to bring that to your attention so you know we're
attempting to make this, all -- all PUDs comply.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Do we have any speakers on this?
MS. MURRAY: No.
That's essentially it for that section.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Any comments? Okay.
MS. MURRAY: And now I think I can go through the rest
rather quickly and I would just rely on you to stop me.
And what I'll do is I'll just work from the summary sheet which
is on page one, which is about the fourth page of your executive
summary, and I'll read just the section number in and just ask, Mr.
Chairman, if that's acceptable, that you stop me if you have
comments or concerns.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah. I'll be looking for the
commissioners not to push their lights but just to speak up at that
point in time to keep this thing moving forward. MS. MURRAY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: With this --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yes, commissioner. Go ahead. Run
wild.
MS. MURRAY: Are you ready?
The first section would be 1.9.9 which is on page one. The
second section on Page 2 we've already discussed. That was the
school board.
Section 2.2.3.4.3, the estate zoning district, Section 2.2.12,
Section 2.2. ! 2.1 through 17.
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December 11, 2002
I'm now on Page 2 of the summary sheet. And we already
discussed 2.2.20. We've already discussed 2.2.36. I'm on Page 3. 2.6.9.
The next item, 2.6.15 has been withdrawn.
I'm now on Section 2.6.30, 2.7.2.3.5.
Now going to Page 4. We've already discussed 2.7.3.1.
MR. SCHMITT' I just want to stop a minute at the public
information meeting.
Just so you know and understand, that was based on the
guidance that was offered during our workshop to move the
information meeting further into the process and we will do that.
I just want to ask your guidance. There's been confusion
between public hearing and public information meeting and there's
been a suggestion that maybe we ought to call that the neighborhood
information meeting --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I like that.
MR. SCHMITT: -- rather than public information meetings.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Where is that? 2.7.3.1, is that
where you are?
MR. SCHMITT: Page 70, 2.7.2.3.5.
MS. MURRAY: At the bottom of Page 3.
MR. SCHMITT: Bottom of Page 3. Basically, the language,
what we've done there, we moved the meeting a little bit further into
the process.
It will be after they have had a meeting with staff. It kind of
defines their project a little bit better so when they have the meeting
with the neighborhood, they -- they could be a little more definitive
in what their -- their approach is.
I would also change a bit some of the requirements for the
advertisement, but I -- I've -- in dealing with the media, there has
been some, frankly, misunderstanding.
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December 11, 2002
They're thinking that that is a hearing, a public hearing, and it
really is -- all it is is a neighborhood information meetings, so we
may bring that back with that change.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah. We discussed that several
months back--
MR. SCHMITT:
MS. MURRAY:
Yes, we did. That was --
Public works.
MR. SCHMITT: That was brought up by the workshop. In
fact, I believe Dwight Nadeau recommended it and others and we
thought it was a great idea, so --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And I think at the time we were
also talking about the advertising. MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And -- and to make it more clear
because -- to people even driving by what you're really talking about.
MR. SCHMITT: Yes. Well--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And I didn't find that in here.
MR. SCHMITT: Not -- not the sign. We -- we -- the sign
requirement is different. This was strictly the advertisement in the --
in the newspaper.
We did talk about some of the other advertisements and
somehow we -- how we can consolidate those and we are -- we've
gone through a process to try and improve the readability of those
advertisements. And you're going to be seeing improvements.
These advertisements have already gone through kind of an
evolution. What this does is, for whatever reason, we -- we restricted
ourselves to the size, type and it's going to give us a little more
flexibility so we can -- we can adjust to meet the -- the requirements
of the public announcement.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And -- and the type is good and
everything, but what I'm just concerned about is that people can
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December 11, 2002
understand what you're saying. MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And that's my main concern --
MR. SCHMITT: And that-- that--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- and if you're inviting the public,
inviting the neighborhood and they don't know what we're inviting
them to --
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- they're not going to come.
MR. SCHMITT: And that has nothing to do with what's in the
LDC. That's just staff making sure that when we write something,
it's written in -- in nonplanning terminology so that folks can
understand it.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I always bring it down to first
grade. I could help you.
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: We've got to move on --
MR. SCHMITT: Okay.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: -- Commissioner Fiala. And
Commissioner Coyle is looking at me like why are you doing it? I'm
going to gauge your time.
MS. MURRAY: Back on Page 4 of the summary sheet, Section
2.7.5, Section 3.2.4.8.
I'm on Page 5. Section 3.2.6.4.8, 3.2.6.5.1, 3.2.6.5.8, 3.2.8.2.
Down on polling places, 3.2.8.3.14, 3.3.7.5, 3.3.7.1.2, 3.3.7.1.10.
The next item has been withdrawn by staff. We need to go back
to the drawing board there. That's 3.3.8.4. You may see that again in
the future.
At the top of Page 7, 3.3.8.6, 3.3.10, 3.4.5.1, 3.4.5.1.7.
Top of Page 8, 3.4.5.1.10, three four five two two, three four
seven one, three four seven one three, three four seven two.
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December 11, 2002
I'm on Page 9. Three four seven two one, three four thirteen
five one, 3.397.
We've already talked about three -- three thirteen six. Oh, I'm
sorry. We didn't. 3.13.6.
We talked about 3.13.8. We've talked about 3.15, 3.16.2.1.2.1.7
through ten. Three sixteen two one two two one, 3.3.
Top of Page 11. Three sixteen two four one one two with point
nine, 5.2.2.
MR. MUDD: Excuse me, Susan.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Yeah.
MS. STUDENT. I just have handouts. They're very-- it's just
to make the other sections consistent with what we're doing already
with the school board member. And I checked off on the one where
it's an addition to the page. And all it does is make it consistent with
the other changes.
And I'll just pass those out right now.
MS. MURRAY: And that would be Section 5.2.3.4., which is
new.
Shall I keep going?
Five two three one, five thirteen two eight.
I'm on the top of Page 12. We have four definitions; alley,
outparcel, passenger vehicle or front yard.
And, lastly, on Page 13, Appendix A, the Wellfield Protection
zone maps.
That's all your amendments for this cycle.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: And I--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: The only thing I didn't find in there
-- well, I already mentioned the one and that was about the wording,
and the other thing I didn't find that I was concerned with was we had
spoken and I -- I don't remember when though.
We had spoken about chain link fences and masking them to
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December 11, 2002
some degree with some kind with some kind of landscaping or
something. But I didn't find that anyplace.
MS. MURRAY: The amendments to the architectural standard
will be coming to you in the spring --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, okay.
MS. MURRAY: -- as well as, I believe, the landscape
provisions are scheduled for the spring.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: That will be there then.
MS. MURRAY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
MS. MURRAY: Yeah. We kind of maxed out our amendments
this time.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I guess we're going back to the
lights. Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I kind of felt like a kid in the
cookie jar for second dip in not using my light. It was -- I really
didn't know what to do.
So, anyways, in the ordinance, Page 10, Number 22, it is a use?
MS. MURRAY: Are you referring to the ordinance itself?.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yes.
MS. MURRAY: Okay. I'm a little hesitant to go to the
ordinance because I -- so that -- I told you before it was a little out of
date because there's --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Oh, okay.
MS. MURRAY: We have a lag time between the County
Attorney's office and us when the documents are prepared, so some
of that stuff is -- and the next ordinance you get, which is what you
have to consider anyway, will be -- certainly will be the final
document.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Then I would ask permission
from the county manager-- there's some other things within the
commercial district that Miss Murray and I are E-mailing back and
forth and I think we need to get together so that we have a full
understanding of what the intent is and what my concerns are.
And I think that we do need to take a look at some -- some of
this language.
I do have some other marked areas within the ordinance but I
understand if it was removed, then it's not a deed.
MS. MURRAY: I-- I can certainly discuss it with the
commissioner if that's okay with the county manager and I can make
sure that my understanding --
MR. MUDD: The only -- the only question I -- the only
hesitation I have is if it's a significant change, then it is probably
going to have to pop back to the Planning Commission in that thing,
so let's be careful on what we say on that one.
MS. MURRAY: Certainly. Okay.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: My turn?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: I don't know.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What's significant? That's up
to interpretation.
MR. MUDD: We wouldn't want to -- we wouldn't want to
offend anybody, nor would we want to break any rules either.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commission Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I want to stay on that one for just
a second.
On Page -- Page 14 -- let's forget about the ordinance for right
now, but on Page 14 there's also in Paragraph 22, which says exactly
the same kind of thing, so I have to make the assumption that this
was not an outdated portion of the -- of the -- MS. MURRAY: No.
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December 11, 2002
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And I thought we were trying to
get rid of that catch-all phrase. Did we not discuss that at one point
in time?
MS. MURRAY: This, I believe, and if staff can back me up on
this, I believe this was reinserted because it was inadvertently left out
in a past amendment, and this does not do what the previous
language did, which was allow the planning services director
essentially carte blanche to determine whether or not a proposed use
by somebody was comparable in -- in the district.
This is basically saying that provided the use exclusively serves
the administrative function of-- and the operational functions of a
business and is purely associated with activities in an office, that it
would be permitted in this district, because what we often get, for
example, is contractors and sometimes a contractor has heavy
equipment storage associated with its use and sometimes it's just
strictly an office function.
So, this does allow the planning services director -- or, I'm
sorry, not the director -- staff to essentially evaluate whether or not
it's strictly an office or it's beyond an office, because otherwise you'd
have to take a strict interpretation of the code and all those, whether
office or not, would have to go to C-5, the sample in this case.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Then I'd like to just go
briefly to the ordinance itself, on Page 9 of the ordinance, and maybe
this is one of the things you've cleaned up in later editions, but if--
you'll see on Section 9 in the middle of the page, we have Section
2.2.12, C- 1 commercial. That is repeated on Page 13. MS. MURRAY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Oh, 13. Okay.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So -- so, if-- if it's still in your
copy, we need to clean it up before you start to --
MS. MURRAY: Okay. Thank you. Yes, I see.
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December 11, 2002
MS. STUDENT: Commissioner, I just want to state for the
record that that ordinance had some duplicative things in it and it was
reviewed, passed by our office, and it's been cleaned up, so I just -- COMMISSIONER COYLE: So, that particular problem has
been cleaned up then, huh?.
MS. STUDENT: Yeah. The formatting was duplicative of
things and things of that nature has been -- or is being cleaned up as
we speak.
And as a matter of fact, I have to go through word by word and
check against what we're changing or what. And that's --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Can you do that now, please?
MS. STUDENT: I beg your pardon?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Can you do that now, please,
because I like to make sure it's complete before we leave here
tonight.
MS. STUDENT: Have we got another few hours?
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: And--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm finished, yes. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: No problem.
Before we go on to Commissioner Henning, there was -- there
was no other speakers today; right?
MS. MURRAY: That's correct.
MR. SCHMITT: No other registered speakers.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Fine. Commission Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I found my answer. Thank
you. I found my answer, the -- why I turned my light on.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Oh, great.
MR. SCHMITT: I know -- I know Susan went over it rather
quickly, but I just want to again for the public's edification, on Page
137, that had to do with the Planning Commission and make sure that
you -- you note that in fact the Planning Commission will increase
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December 11, 2002
because there is a school district member will get with the Planning
Commission for certain activities and -- and that was in compliance
with the state law.
MS. STUDENT: Yeah. The state law change requires that.
MR. SCHMITT: So, that again brings that -- that planning
function in a closer tie with the -- with the county's local planning
authority.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Do we get to pick that school
board member?
MS. STUDENT: No. Under state statute the school board will
appoint the person, but it's up to the board to determine whether or
not they have voting status. And that voting status is limited to items
that impact the school district.
MR. SCHMITT: One of the problems we have to sort out now,
that puts an even number of members on the board if there's -- that
member shows up for a school function or for-- to vote on a school
proposal, so we'll have to sort that out and figure out where that gets
US.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Well, you can always have it with
the chairman. They can't vote unless it's to break a tie.
your
here
legal?
MS. STUDENT: Nothing.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA:
Halas. Anything to add?
COMMISSIONER HALAS:
MR. SCHMITT: Yeah.
MS. MURRAY: That's all.
The next meeting will be January 8th, 2003 and that will be
final meeting and you will be voting then and --
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: All right. Let's go down the line
and see if there's any final comments from -- anything from
Thank you.
We'll start with Commissioner
No. Ready to go home and eat.
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December 11, 2002
tree.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Good.
Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I'm ready to go home and trim the
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. Commissioner Coyle?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Oh, I'm finished.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'm ready to go home and like
Commissioner Halas need some goulash.
CHAIRMAN COLETTA: Okay. With that we're adjourned.
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 9:10 p.m.
~ttest ~$ to CIIInllll'l
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS
CONTROL
JIl~l"~ OL~ ~'T~-~I-~IAiRMAN
Page 125
December 11, 2002
These minutes approved by the Board on
as presented ,~ or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT
REPORTING SERVICE, INC. BY ROSE M. WITT, RPR
Page 126