08/31/2009
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
August 31, 2009
Present: Chair/Trustee Frank Hibbard, Trustee Paul Gibson, Trustee George N.
Cretekos, Trustee John Doran, and Trustee Carlen Petersen.
Also William B. Horne II - City Manager, Jill S. Silverboard - Assistant City
present: Manager, Rod Irwin - Assistant City Manager, Pamela K. Akin - City Attorney,
Cynthia E. Goudeau - City Clerk, and Rosemarie Call - Management Analyst.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 9:06 a.m. at City Hall.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the June 15, 2009 CRA Meeting as submitted in written
summation by the City Clerk.
Trustee Carlen Petersen moved to approve the minutes of the June 15, 2009 CRA
Meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
3. CRA Items
3.1 Accept the review of the 2002 Downtown Parking Study - Final Report dated
August 19, 2009, completed by Timothy Haahs and Associates, Inc.
In 2002 a detailed Clearwater Downtown Parking Needs Assessment and
Feasibility Study was completed. At the time, the 2002 findings suggested the
current available parking capacity during normal weekday conditions meets or
exceeds demand with the exception of one defined area and during special
events at Coachman Park.
Since completion of that Assessment,: 1) the CRA in 2008 adopted and is in the
process of implementing the recommendations of Cleveland Street District Retail
Strategy, which projects increased retail/restaurant occupancies and use over a 2,
5 and 10 year time horizon; 2) the City Council has entered into a joint venture
with Ruth Eckerd Hall to acquire, renovate and re-open the Capitol Theater as a
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665 seat performing arts venue;
3) the City Council has expressed their intent to close, demolish and remove the
surface parking at the Harborview Center in the immediate future; 4) Temporary
surface parking on the so-called “super block” is likely to disappear as the
economy improves and landowners again contemplate redevelopment
opportunities; and 5) CRA/ED staff have increasingly focused on recruitment of
new tenants into Downtown office properties, thus reducing vacancy rates and
impacting parking capacity.
In light of these changes, all of which hold the potential of impacting the
Downtown parking system, CRA and Parking staff felt an updated capacity
analysis was timely. The subject Review was commissioned to evaluate the
impact on the existing parking system for 2, 5 and 10 year projections from the
proposed Cleveland Street District restaurant / retail strategy, future office space
demand, the Royalty Theater demand and office space occupancy impacts. The
City’s parking consultant, Haahs and Associates, conducted the analysis in
conjunction with staff from Parking and Economic Development.
A conservative approach to availability was used, including no assumption of
availability of private lots not already available, and anticipating the loss of current
public spaces, such as the Harborview lot, where City actions are imminent that
would eliminate the availability and the imminent loss of temporary parking on
sites slated for future development (i.e. the Superblock).
Finally, the study did not consider the parking demand likely to be generated by
an Intermodal Beach Rapid Transit (BRT) initiative under consideration for the
Downtown. A parking component associated with such a center by definition
requires a directly proximate mode shift capability and would need to be serviced
by its own parking, not by dispersed lots competing with other use categories.
In conclusion, the Study suggests that the current parking system can support the
anticipated future growth over the 10-year study period of retail/restaurant, theater
and entertainment categories during typical weekdays and weekends.
The exception is in the office category, where building parking limits and
competitive tenant recruitment pressures on parking supply in the immediate area
surrounding the “cluster“ of offices near Cleveland and Garden Streets. In the
short term (over the next 5 years), the City/CRA will need to continue to provide
incentives for additional parking spaces to meet demand as the buildings
approach full occupancy as currently provided under the parking assistance
program by Economic Development. Over the long-term (next 10 years), the study
concludes that if full occupancy of the office buildings is reached, there is a deficit
of parking spaces to meet the office demand.
It is also expected that availability in all categories would continue to be impacted
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by large events at Coachman Park, but would remain manageable using ancillary
parking strategies already in place.
Additional directional/wayfinding signage is recommended, as well as
implementation of an “ambassador” program to assist with parking management
during large demand periods in the future. An initiative to obtain public use of
private lots is also recommended as a cost effective means of expanding
availability.
Haas and Associates representative Vickie Gagliano provided a power point
presentation.
In response to questions, Ms. Gagliano said additional parking should be in close
proximity to existing building. Over time, market will shift and people will not mind
walking to parking.
It was stated that the City needs to do a better job of identifying available parking.
Parking in the evenings and on weekends is free.
Assistant City Manager Rod Irwin said plans include developing a website with links to a
parking map for theater and restaurants.
Trustee John Doran moved to accept the review of the 2002 Downtown Parking Study -
Final Report dated August 19, 2009, completed by Timothy Haahs and Associates, Inc.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3.2 Approve the FY 2009-2010 Community Redevelopment Agency Preliminary
Budget and Adopt CRA Resolution 09-01.
The major changes in the FY 2009-2010 budget are as follows:
Tax increment revenues increased by 20.8% or $530,492 due to a 10.7%
increase in assessed values (+23.7% old CRA; -13.23% new CRA) attributable to
the addition of several major development projects in and around the downtown
core (i.e. Water’s Edge; Station Square; Marriott Residence Inn, etc.).
Operating expenditures increased by $39,682, largely due to the increase in “pass
through” funds for the DDB as a result of higher assessed values. Net of the DDB
“pass through,” the operating expenditures are decreased by $14,056.
This year, the Administration portion reflects the transfer of 33% of the cost of a
Senior Staff Assistant to the CRA, which was previously funded by the Housing
Division of Economic Development, to reflect actual staff support to the CRA and
DDB. The reorganization of duties within the Economic Development and
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Housing Department identified the need to prioritize assignments and reassign the
work to the appropriate cost center.
Transfers Out to various projects are listed as designated in the CRA Six Year
Plan.
The Preliminary FY 2009-2010 budget is consistent with the Six Year Plan for the
CRA.
In response to a concern regarding the Water’s Edge bankruptcy, it was stated they are
required to pay taxes but can challenge the evaluations.
Assistant City Manager Rod Irwin said if the challenge is successful then staff would
amend the budget by cutting programs or transferring funds from the redevelopment
fund.
Economic Development and Housing Director Geri Campos Lopez said all taxes that
come in are to be reimbursed per the development agreement.
Trustee George N. Cretekos moved to approve the FY 2009-2010 Community
Redevelopment Agency Preliminary Budget and Adopt CRA Resolution 09-01. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3.3 Approve an Interlocal Agreement between the CRA and the City of Clearwater to
provide CRA funding in FY 2009/2010 in the amount of $130,376.59 to underwrite
the cost of additional Community Policing Services by the Clearwater Police
Department in the East Gateway CRA District, pursuant to the East Gateway
District Five-Year Action Plan and authorize the appropriate officials to execute
same.
The CRA approved the East Gateway District Five-Year Action Program on May
13, 2008. The Action Program responded to public input on the issues of drug
dealing, prostitution and street crime by including an action item for increased
police presence and crime reduction within the East Gateway District.
An allowable funding source of this action item is the use of CRA Tax Increment
Financing (TIF) funds. Florida Statues allows for the use of TIF funds for
"community policing innovations" in Community Redevelopment Areas.
CRA and Police Department staffs have reached agreement on a proposed scope
of services and terms as delineated in the attached Interlocal Agreement.
Included in that scope is the delineation of specific, measurable crime reduction
targets by which to monitor the success of the initiative as well as providing clear
language required by statute assuring that the resources are applied to the
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CRA/East Gateway area.
Staff recommends approval of the Interlocal Agreement. Funding will be from the
CRA East Gateway Project account (388-94849).
Trustee Paul Gibson moved to approve an Interlocal Agreement between the CRA and
the City of Clearwater to provide CRA funding in FY 2009/2010 in the amount of
$130,376.59 to underwrite the cost of additional Community Policing Services by the
Clearwater Police Department in the East Gateway CRA District, pursuant to the East
Gateway District Five-Year Action Plan and authorize the appropriate officials to
execute same. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4. Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 9:46 a.m.
~~
Chair
Community Redevelopment Agency
Attest
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