HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Environmental Advisory Committee_Tab 03_4/13/2022Agenda Item #3.
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC)
STAFF MEMO
Meeting: Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) - Apr 13 2022
Staff Contact: Marguerite Wilson Department: Environmental Advisory
Committee
Proposed Criteria for EAC Review of Environmental Issues Potentially Created by Future Development
Proposals Submitted to the Village for Approval
SUMMARY: '04
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Criteria for EAC Review of Environmental Issues 041322
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Agenda Item #3.
Village of Tequesta
Environmental Advisory
Committee
Memo
To: Environmental Advisory Committee Members
From: Thomas G. Bradford, Chair, EAC
cc: NA
Date: April 6, 2022
Re: Proposed Criteria for EAC Review of Environmental Issues Potentially Created by
Future Development Proposals Submitted to the Village for Approval
At our last meeting, it was decided that Marguerite Wilson would draft the heart of a memorandum
that will be sent to the Village Council on the idea we reached a consensus on pertaining to the
Village DRC process and the current lack of any meaningful environmental review. The consensus
idea was for the Village to include an Environmental Specialist along with an environmental
review requirement to the Village Code provision pertaining to the DRC process.
Marguerite sent her email to all of us and I have included what she requested below. Words that
have been added by me to what Marguerite submitted are shown as with underlines. Words that I
have deleted are shown as st6kethfough-s.
One has to give some thought to the timing of those things proposed below and the cost of an
Environmental Specialist in a consulting role which the Village will look into closely before
buying into our proposal.
In order to ensure that having the Environmental Specialist come and present to the EAC will work
in a timely fashion based on the established development approval process one has to figure out
when does the DRC meet, when does the EAC meet, when does the Planning and Zoning Board
meet, and when does the Village Council meet. I don't know all of these answers, but I do know
Florida may still have laws that limit the amount of time a city has to review an application. This
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Agenda Item #3.
all has to be worked out so that deadlines are known and timelines for work product and/or board
reviews get established to meet the deadlines with room to spare for unanticipated problems.
The Draft Memorandum
As you when weNvefe created The EAC was tasked with developing recommendations
for best practices, fostering community partnerships, and within the bounds of the Village's
Comprehensive Development Plan, developing recommendations for goals, objectives and
policies relative to sustaining and improving the environment of the Village of Tequesta. Of
Reviewing the Comprehensive Plan often leads to looking further into the Code of
Ordinances to determine what regulations the Village has in effect today and to ascertain if the
Village has taken the required steps needed to implement the various goals, objectives and policies
as stated in the Comprehensive Plan. niffeii ly, we fe wading thfaugh the r flsel-,. iffl E'effi t
This process led us to the Village DRC process spelled out in the Code of Ordinances. After much
debate and discussion, the EAC concluded the DRC process needs to be enhanced and specifically
it should have a standing environmental review component in the DRC process.
To that extent, EAC is recommending that the Village Council add an Environmental
Specialist (ES) in an expert consultant role to the DRC to review all development and
redevelopment applications for environmental compliance with the existing code, attend all
meetings of the DRC, as well as to catch and report potential shortfalls in the code with regards to
environmental best practices and to report them to the EAC for consideration of recommending
pertinent changes to the Village Council.
The EAC is requesting, that upon the ES's initial review of an application, that the ES presents
their draft written review, recommendation and conclusions in person to the EAC at the 1 st EAC
meeting following their review. Thereafter, the ES will attend the DRC meeting and will include
within his/her DRC report any EAC recommendations in the ES's final written comments to be
included within a new environmental section to be added to the written DRC report, which is
ultimately provided to the Planning and Zoning Board or the Village Council, whichever is
applicable for the hearing on the development proposal in question.
This review and presentation will greatly assist the EAC in proactively catching and
recommending code changes to the Village Council for the betterment of the Environment in the
Village of Tequesta. As oppose This new process will be a major improvement to the current
problem of reacting to a development or portion of a development that may meets the code, but is
potentially not positive for the E—environment in the Village of Tequesta.
The EAC is recommending that the cost for the ES's review and presentation to EAC be included
as a line item for development applications to be paid directly by the applicant or by adding the
additional cost to the overall cost of all applicable building permits or the application fee. The
E
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Agenda Item #3.
EAC is also recommending that the ES have experience reviewing applications in many different
municipalities, so they can identify better practices already in existence.
K,
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