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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Workshop_02/05/1992 • VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA BUILDING DEPARTMENT Post Office Box 3273 • 357 Tequesta Drive Tequesta, Florida 33469-0273 • (407) 575-6220 EAX: (407) 575-6203 V I L L A G E O F T E Q U E S T A V I L L A G E C O U N C I L W O R K S H O P M E E T I N G M I N U T E S F E B R U A R Y 5, 1 9 9 2 I. The Tequesta Village Council held a workshop meeting at the Village Hall, 357 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, Florida, on Thursday, February 5, 1992. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M. by Vice Mayor Ron T. Mackail. A roll call was taken by the Recording Secretary, Fran Bitters. Councilmembers present were: Vice-Mayor Ron T. Mackail, Edward C. Howell, Earl L. Collings and William E. Burckart. Mayor Joseph N. Capretta was not in attendance. Village Officials present were: Village Manager Thomas G. Bradford, and Joann Manganiello, Village Clerk. John C. Randolph, Village Attorney, was also in attendance. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Burckart moved to approve the Agenda as submitted. Councilmember Collings seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Earl L. Collings - for Ron T. Mackail - for Edward C. Howell - for William E. Burckart - for the motion was therefore passed and adopted and the Agenda was approved as submitted. Village Council Workshop • Meeting Minutes February 5, 1992 Page 2 ------------------------------- III. OVERVIEW OF TOWN CENTER MASTER PLAN TO DATE Village Manager Bradford gave an overview of the Master Plan to bring everyone up to date. In the latter part of 1988 the Village Council became aware of the fact that Lighthouse and Tequesta Plazas had severe problems that would not be eliminated overnight. Concerns of citizens regarding this issue became increasingly evident, especially after a 1987 Planning Commission Survey which indicated this issue was prevalent on the minds of citizens. Approximately April 1989, the Village Council created the Downtown Development Task Force which consisted of five key people within the community who had an interest in a good and cohesive development for Tequesta's Town Center area. One of the first recommendations of the Task Force was that the • Village hold a Charette (a five-day mini-architectural type summit) to brainstorm different architectural ideas which would hopefully address the different parameters which were felt to be important for that area (i.e, architectural style, landscaping, pedestrian amenities, all tied into remaining areas, both vehicular and pedestrian). These factors were given to consultants (Image Network) to provide for the Village a Master Plan during the Charette. The outcome of the Charette was the Tequesta Town Center Master Plan. Approximately December, 1989, the Village Council adopted, in concept, the Master Plan; approximately January, 1990, the Village Council declared Zoning In Progress to allow the staff to move forward with zoning changes contemplated for this area. The Village has received an indication from Palm Beach County that the area is vested, relative to traffic, for 600 housing units and up to 115,000 square feet of commercial space. The staff then began working on an Ordinance which would implement the Plan. A local Developer continually reminded the staff that the Plan needed flexibility and pointed out that some things in the Plan were not necessarily marketable. r1 U Village Council Aorkshop • Meeting Minutes February 5, 1992 Page 3 ------------------------------- The State Supreme Court issued a Ruling (the Joint Ventures case) which states that right-of-way protection plans, such as Palm Beach County has, are considered to be a taking without compensation. The Master Plan considers not only specific land uses and proposed buildings, but also delineates where roads are to be located. At the last Village Council Workshop meeting, staff presented to Council a proposal whereby the Master Plan would be a concept Plan which would be the outline/guide to be used by the Village to encourage Developers, through incentives, to develop towards that model. Council consensus was that the incentives were not enough to guarantee that the development would be that of the Master Plan. Staff was asked to create an Ordinance which would allow for flexibility, yet guarantee that the Master Plan parameters would be met. Such an Ordinance (the IGD Ordinance) is ready, in draft form, for this evening's workshop. In conjunction with Northern Palm Beach County Water Control • District (the District), the Village was successful in convincing the State Legislature to pass a local Bill which brought the entire Master Plan area into the District's boundaries, which enables property owners within that area to form, if they so wish, a Unit of Development (i.e., a mechanism for taxing themselves in order to provide for infrastructure). The IGD Ordinance provides a two-track system which allows the Village Council to Master Plan the entire area from paint colors, land use, lot size, setbacks, etc. The flexibility is that if the Developer chooses to do something that is not in the Plan, the second track alternative is for them to make their proposal. Upon doing so, the area is broken into wards and each ward would have to be cohesive and tie in with the remainder of the Plan, to be approved by the Village Council. • Village Council Workshop • Meeting Minutes February 5, 1992 Page 4 IV. REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED INCREMENTAL GROWTH DISTRICT (IGD) ORDINANCE AND ITS BASIC DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT AS A BASIS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE TOWN CENTER MASTER PLAN Victor Dover, of Dover, Kohl & Partners, urban design consultants working together with the Village on these issues, gave an overhead projected presentation, explaining the concept of the Ordinance. Mr. Dover covered two areas: 1) principles which underlie the Ordinance; and 2) the mechanics of the Ordinance. He presented an enlarged poster which took the "meat" of the written document and re-arranged it in poster format (a matrix), making it much easier to use and see at a glance the requirements of the Ordinance. It was Mr. Dover's understanding that the Village wanted the Plan, with an orderly, cohesive downtown area, with • traditional neighborhood principles, as well as flexibility, so that Developers might know that other plans are possible, within appropriate planning standards. Those principles were given ,dimensions against which an alternative plan could be tested. Those principles, through the IGD Ordinance, have been turned into litmus tests, trying to strike a balance. The IGD Ordinance opens the door two ways: If anything except the Master Plan is considered, the Ordinance ensures that those plans will be at least as good as the Master Plan, if not better. Many plans are possible which embody the principles of the Ordinance. The Ordinance allows the Village to comfortably adopt a regulating plan with the force of law, so that small scale development can occur easily. Anyone who wants to build in adherence to the regulating Plan should have a one-stop permitting process, scrutinized to the regulating Plan, so that Developers adhere to the Plan, could be pre- approved. The other alternative is also possible -- a process designated by which Council and citizenry will scrutinize those alternatives, test them against the litmus test. If the alternative plan presented is at least as good, if not better, than the one already adopted, then that alternative plan could be adopted, pasting it in to the regulating Plan. • Councilmember Howell left the meeting at 7:5o p.m. Village Council Workshop • Meeting Minutes February 5, 1992 Page 5 ------------------------------- After Mr. Dover's thorough presentation, Village Manager Bradford explained that a consensus from the Village Council was needed showing whether or not Council felt staff was headed in the right direction with this Ordinance with the two-track system, or whether another route should be taken. V. VILLAGE COUNCIL DIRECTION TO STAFF REGARDING TOWN CENTER MASTER PLAN AND/OR IGD ORDINANCE Councilmember Collings commented that the two-track system did give more flexibility. He further observed that there were probably two different considerations: through the eyes of a consumer the Plan appears to be charming; through the eyes of a Developer, the question is how to profit from the Plan. Each of those thrusts must work together. Mr. Collings felt the planning concept was excellent. Councilmember Burckart left at 8:00 p.m. Dan Carey, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, stated that the Plan presented was a good one and that communities needed to have the opportunity to gracefully evolve. Therefore, the development of wards was a good idea, since one of today's biggest hurdles in developing was financing. Bill Shannon, local citizen, was concerned with the eco-site located at St. Jude's Church, explaining that no other use is permitted for that site. Carlton Stoddard, local citizen, felt the two-track approach was "okay", provided the watchful judgment of the Village Council was left in place. He felt decisive control was very necessary. John Giba, local citizen, felt that though the concept of planning is a highly desirable first step, the implementation needed to be an area of concern. It appeared to Mr. Giba that the precise standards of the Plan did not show flexibility, and in fact were too precise for Developers, since the development of any area is market driven. Village Council Workshop Meeting Minutes February 5, 1992 Page 6 ------------------------------- Gary Van Brock, local Developer, felt the development standards presented were pre-World War II, for older neighborhoods. His position was that it was not economically feasible to duplicate the old with new construction. The concepts presented applied to traditional areas, and could not be called "progress" . Mr. Van Brock objected to the large size of the alleys behind each lot, porches, arcades, contended there were no provisions for multi-family, and that the style of buildings was dictatorial. He felt the plan had no flexibility, was very limiting, and therefore unacceptable. Ed Nelson, local Realtor, felt that the main improvement to the Plan was wards. He felt the two-track method presented a very flexible Plan. Gordon Ripma, local Developer, felt the regulating plan was good but that the Plan still did not offer flexibility. Village Manager Bradford stated that the Plan is subject to change. If Council accepts the two-track concept, there would follow a series of Council Workshop Meetings to dissect the Ordinance to look at different things like the need and width of alleys, setbacks, etc., systematically going through the Ordinance. Once done, if acceptable to Council, there would be a Public Hearing to adopt the Ordinance. Vice Mayor Mackail reported that before Mr. Howell's departure from the meeting tonight he stated he was in favor of continuing with the two-track system, that the Plan was important, and worth pursuing. Vice Mayor Mackail approved of the two-track system. He agreed the eco-site near St. Jude's Church needed to be looked at further, the flexibility of the Plan gave the Village and Staff the ability to continue to move forward, providing better direction. He felt it was necessary to be conscious of the local tax base, and that growth needed to be created in that area. Village Council Workshop Meeting Minutes February 5, 1992 Page 7 ------------------------------- VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ....-. ..--- , Fran Bitters Recording Secretary ATTEST: J nn Manganiell Village Clerk DATE APPROVED: ~i ~0 9 ~-- •