Resolution 2001-125
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RESOLUTION NO. 2001- ~
A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE COLLIER COUNTY
COMMUNITY CHARACTER PLAN AND ENDORSING ITS
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
WHEREAS, On April 13, 1999 the Board of County Commissioners created the ad hoc
Select Committee on Community Character and Design and charged the committee with
overseeing the development of the Community Character Plan;
WHEREAS, In February 2000, the Board of County Commissioners authorized the
selection of a planning consulting team led by Dover, Kohl and Partners to develop the plan;
WHEREAS, the County's goals for the plan included a community-based visioning
process with wide public awareness and involvement, urban and rural design standards, mobility
in terms of function and aesthetics, and greenspace planning from the neighborhood level to
natural resource protection.
WHEREAS, the intent of the plan was to develop a guide on maintaining and enhancing
vital, quality communities while meeting the challenges of rapid growth;
WHEREAS, Collier County has prepared the Collier County Community Character Plan;
WHEREAS, the Collier County Community Character Plan establishas general objectives
described as "Setting the Course" that meet the County's goals and intent;
WHEREAS, the general objectives in the Community Character Plan provide direction for
the development of implementation strategies for Urban and Rural Design, Mobility, and
Greenspace;
WHEREAS, the method for the adoption of the Community Character Plan will be through
growth management plan, land development code and other amendments;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
The Board of County Commissioners hereby accepts the Community Character Plan and
endorses the general objectives described in the Plan as "Setting the Course." The general
objectives of the Community Character Plan are attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and are
incorporated by reference herein,
THIS RESOLUTION ADOPTED after motion; second and majority vote this I 0 "rt;
day of A p(t.i L.
,2001,
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Approved as to form and legal sufficiency:
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Marj ri , Student
Assistant County Attomey
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"EXHIBIT A"
SETTING THE COURSE
General Objectives of the Collier County Community Character Plan
1) COMMUNITY DESIGN MANUAL
a) GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS
i) Revitalizing maturing neighborhoods - Some of Collier County's neighborhoods
aren't aging as gracefully as they should be and need to be re-energlzed, These
neighborhoods should have officially sanctioned "community plans" generated
through direct involvement of local residents, These plans should promote each
neighborhood's intrinsic strengths and identify their deficiencies, and then be used to
guide public and private improvements,
Ii)Transformlng plans for conventional subdivisions - Collier County's large pods of
isolated development are a deterrent to mobility and a primary cause of traffic
congestion. Making changes to newly built neighborhoods is extremely difficult.
However, some isolated neighborhoods have been approved but not yet built; their
site plans should be modified to increase the connectivity with existing and proposed
roadways before Collier County extends the prior approvals.
iii) Growing new neighborhoods - The culture of community-making demonstrated by
Collier County's pioneers should be reestablished. New neighborhoods should be
based on a sound pattern of streets and lots. A wider variety of housing choices
should be made available by reintroducing traditional neighborhood concepts as an
alternative to balance the many gated subdivisions that have been buill over the past
20 years,
iv) Regarding single gate communities - Most recent developments provide only one
way in and out, and install a security gate at that point. Newly approved developments
should instead have open street connections along spine roads about every quarter
mile, Multiple gates can be used to secure individual blocks or portions of
neighborhoods, provided these gates do not block access to adjoining
neighborhoods,
v) Regarding stormwater management - Technical regulations can inadvertently
block ideal development practices. Collier County should encourage stormwater
management techniques that return rainwater directly to the ground whenever those
techniques can reduce runoff that would otherwise be routed to drainage canals,
vi) Future of the Future land Use Map - New suburban and urban development
should be kept within the current urban boundary rather than being allowed to creep
further into the countryside. Redevelopment and vacant acreage inside the urban
boundary should be used to accommodate most anticipated growth.
b) WORLD CLASS STREETS
i) Strategies for designing great streets - Great streets are the backbone of a well-
designed community, Streets are critical conduits for vehicles but they are also
important public spaces that should be designed as a unified whole, with sidewalks
and street trees never being mere afterthoughts, Streets should be of such quality
that they are genuine amenities to the neighborhoods they serve.
ii) Rethinking the corridors - Collier County's major roads can be functional yet
beautiful corridors that residents are proud of and visitors admire, Even failing
commercial strips can be transformed into grand boulevards - converting visually
blighted areas to premier mixed-use public places. Partnerships with adjoining
landowners are a key to such transformations,
c) MEMORABLE CENTERS
i) Commercial architectural standards - Collier County's architectural standards have
improved the look of big-box retail stores, but have not been effective enough in
arranging buildings on commercial sites, These standards should be upgraded to
improve Interconnectivity, and also should require the largest commercial buildings to
be laid out on a resilient pattern of streets and blocks because that pattern will long
outlast the first generation of buildings and land uses that are placed on these sites,
ii) Activating the activity centers - For ten years Collier County has channeled
commercial development into major activity centers. Despite the original mixed-use
concept, most activity centers are dominated by huge parking lots for retail stores and
restaurants, New activity centers should only be approved with complementary mixes
of uses, As existing activity centers mature and vacant land becomes scarce, their
inefficient parking lots should be converted to parking garages surrounded by mixed-
use buildings
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d) EVOLVING SUBDIVIDED PERIPHERY
i) Golden Gate - The Golden Gate Area Master Plan needs to be updated in response
to rapid growth, Special rural design techniques should be worked out, in consultation
with residents and property owners, to meet the demands of growth while maintaining
valuable natural resources and rural character. Some initial ideas are presented for
consideration by residents updating the master plan for Golden Gate Estates,
2) MOBILITY MANUAL
a) Connecting neighborhoods - New neighborhoods should be connected to their
surroundings rather than being isolated. Where possible, existing neighborhoods can also
be connected, using traffic-calming techniques to prevent excessive or speeding traffic,
Adjoining commercial parcels should have an integrated system of connections before
new buildings are constructed,
b) Enhancing Colliers major road network - Collier County should create~ balanced road
network by improving its network of principal arterial roads while simultaneously creating
a secondary network of smaller roads that link neighborhoods, The potential for this
secondary network should be illustrated on a new thoroughfare plan map. Road impact
fees should be increased to pay for this secondary road network.
c) Designing great streets - Great streets come in all sizes and types, Even the widest
roads-major arterials-can be configured as parkways, or as boulevards, or as
conventional highways with occasional urban segments that have on-street parking and
buildings close to the road, Collier County should adopt a "palette" of street types that can
be used (or improved upon) during the road design process.
d) Balancing character with congestion - Community character should be at the forefront
of all planning decisions, For example, concurrency, the system used to determine road
capacity, can inadvertently aggravate urban sprawl, or force auto-dominated solutions to
broader planning problems, By developing "transportation concurrency management
areas," Collier County can ensure that concurrency contributes to the character-
enhancing planning solutions identified by elected officials.
e) Planning entire road corridors - Road design and land development approvals usually
are distinct processes. A closer link between adjoining land uses and the character of the
road would benefit both, with the improved road able to support a development pattern
that maximizes community investment and character. Collier County should expand its
involvement in such "corridor management plans."
3) GREENSPACE MANUAL
a) Neighborhood parkS - Small parks make ideal centers for neighborhoods, Collier
County should require neighborhood parks in new neighborhoods and should increase its
existing program that creates small parkS in existing neighborhoods.
b) Community parks - Collier County needs four more community parks to serve its
residents, Sites for three of these parks have not yet been selected, These sites should
be selected and purchased in the very near future, and all four parkS should be
constructed as quickly as recreation impact fees become available.
c) Linkages - Collier County has a pathway plan to build sidewalks, bike paths and lanes,
The plan should be fully funded and include shade trees and design features suitable for
pedestrian comfort and safety in relation to the adjacent roadway type and land uses,
Shaded sidewalks are also needed within neighborhoods, especially near schools and
shopping, In addition, an interconnected system of sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails should
be developed for both recreation and transportation,
d) Beach and bay accesses - Collier County is blessed with beautiful beaches, but there is
a severe shortage of public access, A single park at Vanderbilt Beach provides access to
several miles of beachfront. The county should aggressively pursue additional access,
either by acquiring land for a new park or through access easements.
e) Natural lands - Voters in many communities enthusiastically support special taxes to set
aside valuable natural lands. A similar program in Collier County could connect existing
preserves and improve recreational opportunities, as suggested in the Greenspace
Master Plan, County government should assist the citizens' movement that is exploring
this idea and should place a referendum before the voters if a sound proposal results from
that process,