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BEACH BY DESIGN2 ~G~ G~Z 1J~S. ~ acv \ G~ `~\~ Haines. Angel ~~ From: Hall, Chris Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 11:47 AM To: Haines, Angel Subject: RE: Charge to the Public Angel, The cost on the Beach by Design books will be $5.00 per book plus tax and $26.37 plus tax for the books with the color pages. The total cost for the complete job is 10 books b/w is $50.00 ($5.00 per book) and for the 100 color books is $263.37 ($26.37 per book). ~~ ~ ' p~° ~o , Q °Beafch~ by D~.,es~ign: A I~IC~IlllII1TIlllIlIl~Ii'~ Il~~~ll~~~n ~ ~ °ACCll~~ ~.~~~~- I~~ ~1~ ~~~ll ~~~~Il~.~~auIl~l~llIl~~~ r r.~ ADOPTED ~Fedruary 15, 2001 ORIGINAL EFFECTIVE DATE dune 6, 2001 AMENDED ~Decem6er 13, 2001 Prepared for.• City of Clearwater F~ovic~a Prepared by: SIEMON & L,ARSEN Strategic Land Planning & Management TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction/Summary ...................................................................................1 II. Future Land Use ........................................................................................5 A. Old Florida District .................................................................................7 B. Destination Resort District ............................................................................8 C. Marina Residential District .......................................................................... 11 D. Retail and Restaurant District ........................................................................ 14 E. Pier 60 District ....................................................................................15 F. Small Motel District ................................................................................ 16 G. Beach Walk District ................................................................................17 H. Clearwater Pass District .............................................................................19 III. Mobility ............................................................................................20 A. Arrival and Distribution .............................................................................23 1. Entry ......................................................................................23 2. North Beach ................................................................................25 3. South Beach ................................................................................27 B. Alternative Modes of Transportation ................................................................... 30 1. Pedestrian ..................................................................................30 2. Bicycles ...................................................................................31 3. Intra-Beach Transit ...........................................................................31 C. Access Rationing ..................................................................................34 1. Residential and Guest Priority .................................................................. 34 2. Access Rationing by Controlled Access Lanes ...................................................... 35 D. Transit from Downtown to Beach ..................................................................... 36 E. Transit between the Barrier Islands .................................................................... 36 IV. Off-Street Parking ...................................................................................37 A. Pier 60 Garage ....................................................................................39 B. Pelican Walk Garage ...............................................................................40 TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) C. Rockaway Garage .................................................................................41 D. Clearwater Pass District Garage ...................................................................... 41 E. Clearwater Marina Garage ........................................................................... 41 V. Catalytic Projects ....................................................................................42 A. North Mandalay Resort Development .................................................................. 42 B. Community Redevelopment District Designation ......................................................... 43 C. Beach Walk -New South Gulfview Drive .............................................................. 49 VI. Economic Reality and Feasibility .......................................................................54 VII. Design Guidelines ....................................................................................56 .. ,,, ~.. ~_.. ~. _. ..~ _ -~ ~~ ., B h D eac y eslgn. Beach by Design I. INTRODUCTION/SUMMARY `The City of Clearwater is committed to the revitalization of Clearwater Beach as a "great " place to live and visit. Clearwater Beach is both a world famous tourist destination but also home to more than 8, 000 families. Clearwater Beach is comprised of two elements: the natural environment and the built environment. The natural environment -the beach, the bay and near shore waters -are remarkable resources where residents and visitors can recreate and relax. Clearwater Beach is recognized as one ofthe truly great beaches in the United States, if not the world. In contrast, the built environment on central Clearwater Beach -the traditional tourist area -suffers from obsolescence and age. Most of the buildings in Clearwater were built at a time when the tourism business was very different than it is today and the strength of the City's tourism is not sufficient to support modernization and redevelopment. Beach by Design assumes that there is considerable market support for residential, hotel, time share and retail uses on a revitalized Clearwater Beach if the negative aspects of character and quality of the public realm, including traffic circulation and traffic, are improved. In 1997 and 1998, a Plan was prepared for Clearwater Beach entitled "Clearwater Beach: Strategies for Revitalization." This Plan was prepared after an extensive public process, directive surveys and input from the City Commission and City administration. The purpose of Beach by Design is to implement the recommendations ofthat Plan in light of fiscal and legal constraints, analysis of the economy and the market, as well as changed conditions. Clearwater Beach: Strategies for Revitalization presented a number of strategies which if implemented would lead to the redevelopment of the Beach. These strategies can be grouped in the following generalized topics: •'• transportation and parking redevelopment of the superblocks between Clearwater Beach and the Hilton and redevelopment of the Mandalay retail district • upgrading of the Beach • Gulfview/Coronado hoteUretail redevelopment • East Shore entertainment district and marina • Baysidernulti-family redevelopment • Brightwater Finger redevelopment Inherent to "Strategies for Revitalization" is the recognition of need to find a balance between residents and tourists. Transportation and Parking Clearwater Beach: Strategies for Revitalization contained a number of transportation and parking projects. Some of the significant transportation improvements included modifications to the overall arrival and distribution system, Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach 1 City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design including the narrowing of Mandalay from four lanes to two with parallel parking, the expansion of one or both of the streets to the east and parallel to Mandalay, and modifications to Gulfview Boulevard. In addition, Strategies for Revitalization recommended the development of a coordinated streetscaping program, the expansion of sidewalks and significant parking garage projects. The amount of parking which these parking prof ects would add if implemented is up to 1,110 spaces. Upgrading the Beach Strategies for Revitalization contains a number of strategies for upgrading the Beach itself. Two of the most significant strategies include the removal of parking from the Beach to create an enlarged beach activity zone from South Gulfview west to the water and the creation of a "beach promenade" building on the "success of Pier 60 Park as a place of significant pedestrian, bicycling and skating activity." These enhancements were viewed as significantly enhancing the viability of the commercial properties on the east side of South Gulfview. More specific projects included within this overall strategy include: a promenade of colored concrete, undulating in form, with appropriate beach landscaping, conversation areas, matching trash receptacles, benches and lighting, and the incorporation of tournament quality volleyball courts. Redevelopment of the Superblocks between Clearwater Beach Hotel and theHilton and theMandalayRetailDistrict Strategies for Revitalization characterizes the area between the Clearwater Beach Hotel and the Hilton as "the best opportunity for additional high-rise, mixed use hotel development." Strategies for Revitalization calls for a concentrated three-block strip of upscale beachfront hotels. This critical mass of development is necessary to support the Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach 2 redevelopment of Mandalay as a "Main Street Retail Street" and to generate and support a diversity of up-scale restaurants, clubs and other forms of entertainment in short supply on the Beach. Strategies for Revitalization recognized that the height limitation of 92' might present a real hindrance in attracting desirable development and in that event, height limitations should be relaxed in consideration of"trade-offdemands." Gu~iew/Coronado HoteURetail Redevelopment Strategies for Revitalization recognizes the redevelopment of Gulfview/Coronado as "key to the long term success of Clearwater Beach." Strategies for Revitalization provides for specific parking/transportation improvements to this area in order to "optimize project densities" in the area. The design of buildings in this area should allow greater height while maintaining human scale at pedestrian level and maintaining light, air and view corridors. EastShore EntertainmentDistrict and Marina Strategies for Revitalization views the East Shore Entertainment District and Marina as an opportunity to expand available commercial opportunities that can take advantage of immediate water side development. It also suggests atwo-level waterfront retail and restaurant activity area linked to the Mandalay retail district and a marina with a boardwalk which would allow linkage to the City's marina. BaysideMulti family Redevelopment Strategies for Revitalization proposes that some of the small hotel and motels be converted to true residential uses of comparable densities, thereby strengthening any remaining viable small hotels. Between Baymont and Papaya there should Ciry of Clearwater, Florida :.-~_ ~eacn ay uesign be mid-rise, multifamily residential units or condominiums as well as high quality time share. Augmentation of quality housing stock will better support the consolidated retail districts on Mandalay and the proposed East Shore Entertainment District. Strategies for Revitalization also called for the vacation of East Shore for one block and combining the waterfront property with the property between East Shore and Mandalay. Brightwater Finger Redevelopment Strategies for Revitalization calls for the conversion of this area to three and four level townhouses and time shares. Regulations should encourage development that is consistent with redevelopment that occurs across the waterway. Beach by Design is based on a series of strategies: • creation of an attractive and efficient "arrival and distribution'" system at the intersection of State Road 60 and North Mandalay and Coronado; • transformation of North Mandalay into an attractive, pedestrian-friendly street which provides a high quality address for retail and restaurant uses; • renovation of South Gulfview to the west to create a unique two-way, local street as part of a destination quality beachfront place; • improving traffic circulation to the south of State Road 60; -~~~., Beach by Design is a ~; preliminary design for the ""`=~~" revitalization of Clearwater Beach which implements Strategies for Revitalization. Beach by Design focuses on the land area between Acacia Street and the Sand Key bridge, but will have a direct and immediate impact on lands to the north and south ofthis area. • improving sidewalks and creating an entire beachfront transit system; • constructing new parking facilities south of Pier 60 park to support beach visitors and north of Pier 60 park to support the North Mandalay retail/restaurant corridor; • promoting a small number of catalytic redevelopment projects; and • the adoption of design guidelines which are necessary to achieve the objectives of Beach by Design. 3 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design,for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design Focus Area Beach by Design Beach by Design: A Pr°eliminary Design•for Clearn~ater Beach City of Clearwater; Florida Cleartia~ater Beach s natural and built environment Beach by Design ii. FUTURE LAND USE The existing pattern of land use is a mix of primarily commercial uses -- hotels, motels, retail shops, restaurants and tourist and/or recreational operations -- between Acacia Street and the Sand Key bridge. Functionally, this area is divisible into a number of distinct districts: • an "Old Florida" district which lies between the Bay and the Gulfand Acacia and Rockaway; • a destination resort district west of North Mandalay between the Pier 60 district and Rockaway; • a marina district to the east of Poinsettia and North Mandalay to the north of Baymont between Rockaway and State Road 60; • a retail/restaurant district between State Road 60 and Baymont and North Mandalay and Poinsettia; • a Pier 60 district comprised ofthe beachfront land between the Hilton Hotel and the Days Inn and the City Marina; • a small motel district between Coronado, Hamden and on Brightwaterto the south ofthe Pier 60 district; • a unique beach walk district to the west of Coronado between the Pier 60 Park and the Adams Mark Hotel; and • a south beach/Clearwater Pass district including all land between south and east ofthe Adams Mark Hotel between Clearwater Pass and the Bay and west and north of the Sand Key bridge. Fu,~cl i onal and C;:~c Di.~Yricts ............ OLD FLORIDA DESTINATION RESORT ••••••• MARINA ••••••• RETAIL/ RESTAURANT ••••••~• PIER 60 •••••••• SMALL MOTEL BEACH WALK •••••••• SOUTH BEACH/ CLEARWATER PASS Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design_ for Clearwater Beaclz C ity of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design Each of these districts rf a distinct condition and have c opportunities for revitalizati redevelopment. Priority Redevelopment Areas Restaurant/Reta District Resort District Pier 60 Plaza Streetscaping Gulf Front Redevelopment Realignment (vehicular and pede: promenade) Redevelopment and Revitalisation Opportunities Old Florida (Residential) ation and Renovation mited Densities Marina District (Residential) Roundabout Use/Entertainment Opportunity xed use/Parking Opportunity Strategic vitalization and renovation Figure 3: Opportunities for ..,~fevelopment and Revitali~alion ii Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design A. The "Old Florida" District The area between Acacia and Rockaway is an area of transition between resort uses in Central Beach to the low intensity residential neighborhoods to the north of Acacia. Existing uses are generally the same as the balance of the Beach. However, the scale and intensity of the area, with relatively few exceptions, is substantially less than comparable areas to the south. The mix of uses in the District favors residential more than other parts of Clearwater Beach and retail uses are primarily neighborhood-serving uses. Given the area's location and existing conditions, Beach by Design contemplates the renovation and revitalization of existing improvements with limited new construction where renovation is not practical. New single family dwellings and townhouses are the preferred form of development. Densities in the area should be generally limited to the density of existing improvements and building height should be low to mid-rise in accordance with the Community Development Code. Lack of parking in this area may hinder revitalization of existing improvements, particularly on Bay Esplanade. A shared parking strategy should be pursued in order to assist revitalization efforts. 7 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach Ciry ~f Clearn~ater, Florida Beach by Design B. Destination Resort District The Destination Resort District represents a unique opportunity for quality beachfront redevelopment which would serve as a catalyst for the revitalization and redevelopment of Clearwater Beach to the north of the Pier 60 Park. Two of the stronger destinations on Clearwater Beach -- the Hilton and the Clearwater Beach Hotel -- are located at opposite ends of the District, bracketing the blocks between Papaya and Baymont. This area is currently improved with modest one and two story motels and retail shops which clearly show their age, with frequent tenant turnovers and frequent vacancies. Sidewalks within the area are dilapidated ornon-existent and road pavement is broken and uneven. North Mandalay is a visible reminder of the challenges facing Clearwater Beach. Notwithstanding the presence of the Hilton Hotel, the Clearwater Beach Hotel, Pelican Walk and Heilmans, North Mandalay is little more than 80 feet of concrete bordered by narrow sidewalks, tourism retail and restaurant uses. However, North Mandalay is more than a marginal retail street; it is also the entry way to some of Clearwater's best neighborhoods to the north. For many years, the City has contemplated the beautification of North Mandalay in the hope of creating a more vibrant tourism-based speciality retail district like that found in other tourist destinations like Sarasota and Naples. Conflicts over North Mandalay's traffic function have stalled efforts to beautify the street into a desirable street which provides visitors and residents a good qualitative level of service. Notwithstanding the ~-•--~---~-.....~.• • ~ __ _ •_ existing conditions within North Mandalay and the Destination ---~-~-~-_ Resort District, the District represents the primary opportunity . ~. ~ _ ~ " for near-term redevelopment on ~ ~ ~ -...-.. ~~-~,~: P ,,,,~,~,~ -~- ,, ~ d_-_ .~.~. Clearwater Beach because of the ~ ~~ ~' ~~~'~~ ' ~~ ~`~ '" °'` ~_ _ a.. __.~. relative strength of the Hilton and „ '~~~~.~~~ ~ ~~ the Clearwater Beach Hotel and the t ~ ~ ~~" '" ~~ , ~~. opportunity for beachfront resort ~ ~ ~ ~ '~ ~ development with direct beach ~ w ~-. ~~ ..A ; access. Unlike the area to the south ~-~~=- - --~~-~~~---- ~-~ -~ "~ A ~ ~.,, ~,,.w of Pier 60 Park, private ownership `~ ~~-~~ __ , ~o " - extends to the beachfront in the ~~~ d. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearn~ater Beach City of Clearwater, Fla~ida ~~ Beach by Design ab~,~ ~,~ x k ~._ ~ , r~.o` 3 ~ b~^~~,~ Destination Resort District, creating an opportunity for the assembly of land with frontage on the Beach. The assembly of these lands into redevelopment parcels of sufficient size to accommodate contemporary resort residential and hoteUtime share development can be facilitated by the vacation of the right of way of North Gulfview between Baymont and Papaya which exists only to provide local access to properties within the District. Ideally, lands within the District would be assembled on a block by block basis with the land between North Mandalay, Papaya, San Marco and the Gulf as one parcel and the land between North Mandalay, San Marco, Baymont and the Gulf a second parcel. The existing condition of the retail uses along the west side of North Mandalay have a negative impact on North Mandalay as an attractive and desirable street. The success of Pelican Walk, a bold and pioneering redevelopment effort, has been negatively impacted by the unattractiveness and economic weakness of retail uses along the west side of North Mandalay. The preferred form of redevelopment for this area is mixed use with resort residential and hospitality uses fronting on the Beach and retail, restaurant and residential uses fronting on North Mandalay. Currently, more than half of the frontage on North Mandalay does not have an active retail facade on both sides of the street. This lack of "closure" diminishes the potential of North Mandalay as a retail street. Ideally, North Mandalay would be redeveloped as a two-sided retail street with retail uses on both sides of a street which is sufficiently pedestrian-friendly that shoppers could easily cross from one side to the other. Pedestrian friendliness requires a functional barrier between moving vehicles and pedestrians on the sidewalk in the form of parked 9 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearn~ate~; Florida Beach by Design cars, closely-spaced street trees or some other kind of physical barrier. Pedestrian friendliness also requires well-marked cross walks and, in the case of a four lane street, a safe `'haven" in the median so that pedestrians can make the crossing in two stages. North Mandalay sidewalks should be designed so that pedestrians can walk along building facades and the curbside portion of the sidewalk is dedicated to landscaping and street amenities including cafe seating and casual setting of street furniture. Property owners should provide arcades or awnings to provide cover for pedestrians during inclement weather. Sidewalks should be surfaced with pavers or composed of other specialty materials like the colored coquina pavement used in the sidewalks at the Beach Roundabout. North Mandalay should be lined with palm trees, spaced no wider than 30 foot on centers. While Majool Date Palms would be a very desirable street tree for North Mandalay, matched Washingtonian or Sabal Palms would be an acceptable cost compromise. Low landscaping planters should be included in the non-walking portion of the sidewalks with colorful foliage plants or annuals. Flowering annuals should be located in pots along the building side of the sidewalk to identify individual uses and to introduce color into the streetscape. The median should be landscaped with ground cover and specimen street trees. The political rhetoric in regard to North Mandalay has framed the issue of traffic convenience and safety versus aesthetics. In truth, the issue is far more complex and involves the natural tension and the interrelationship between quantitative and qualitative measures ofquality of life. This issue is discussed in further detail in the Mobility section ofthis Plan. 10 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design, for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design °~J / lj ~y °, ~. ~ `y i ~~~~~~~~ C. Marina Residential District The area to the east of Poinsettia and North Mandalay to the north of Baymont is primarily a residential district with a few motel and restaurant uses. The parcels of land to the east of East Shore front on Clearwater Bay. However, those parcels are relatively shallow, limiting the utility of the existing parcelization. Beach by Design anticipates the redevelopment of the Marina District as a waterfront residential neighborhood with parcels to the east of Poinsettia consolidated with parcels to the east of East Shore in favor of land assembly. Four distinct blocks should be created from this consolidated land between the Causeway and Baymont Street consistent with existing area street patterns. Pedestrian access should be provided through each block to the Intracoastal Waterway and ternlinate at a public boardwalk located along the shoreline from the Causeway to Mandalay Avenue. Retail and restaurant uses are appropriate in the north 11 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach ~~', ; e, : , ,..~.,. ~ ~9r ~ ,~, ,~ . ~ , '~ ` . -~ __._ ,...M -~- "~~~~. :~ ~~, Ciry of Clearwater, Florida _~ a .__. t~~.~ Beach by Design and south block only and residential uses located between. The Yacht Basin Apartment site, which is located on the north side of Baymont, should be considered an integral part of this neighborhood. It must be included in any consolidation effort and is an appropriate site for a marina based hotel and other residential uses. If all of this land is consolidated under single ownership and developed according to the Marina Residential District framework as a unified plan, the City should do the following: vacate East Shore; create an assessment district to finance the boardwalk construction; participate in a garage at Pelican Walk; and make available the density pool for amarina-based hotel meeting the requirements of Beach by Design on the Yacht Basin Apartment site, including the potential allowance of 150 feet in building height. All other building heights within this district would be permitted between 2-4 stories above parking. Height In addition to the requirements of the Design Guidelines the following requirements shall apply in the Marina Residential District between Baymont Street and the Causeway. • Projects that consolidate a minimum of five acres will be eligible for approval of height up to 100 feet, subject to meeting the standards ofthe Community Development Code, Beach By Design and approval by the Community Development Board. • Projects that consolidate a minimum of 2.5 acres will be eligible for approval of height up to 70 feet, subject to meeting the standards of the Community Development Code, Beach By Design and approval by the Community Development Board. Structures located between the Causeway and Baymont Street exceeding 35 feet in height, shall occupy no more than fifty (50) percent ofthe property frontage along the Intra-coastal Waterway If the "single" property consolidation described above does not occur, intermediate strategies should be employed. These strategies should result in smaller, but significant, lot consolidation in the East Shore area consistent with the four "distinct blocks" identified previously between the Causeway and Baymont Street. This area should also value two larger consolidations of approximately five acres each as an incentive for redevelopment. The goal of marina based development in conjunction with a public "Bayside Boardwalk" should also be pursued. Additionally, the Yacht Basin site should be redeveloped in its current configuration without further subdivision. In order to implement these strategies the following incentives are available: In the event that lot consolidation under one owner does not occur, Beach by Design contemplates the City working with the District property owners to issue a request for proposals to redevelop the District in the consolidated manner identified above. If this approach does not generate the desired consolidation and redevelopment, Beach by Design calls for the City to initiate a City Marina DRI in order to facilitate development of a marina based neighborhood subj ect to property owner support. If lot consolidation does not occur within the District, the maximum permitted height of development east of East Shore will be restricted to two (2) stories above parking and between Poinsettia and East Shore could extend to four (4) stories above parking. An additional story could be gained in this area if the property was developed as alive/work product. 12 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design Yacht Basin Property • The Yacht Basin property will be redeveloped without further subdivision and subject to the design guidelines. The property will feature lower building heights around the perimeter ofthe property with higher buildings located on the interior of the site with stepped back design. • The project will provide streetscape improvements on the Mandalay and Baymont sides either on the project property or on the existing rights-of--way. These improvements are intended to link pedestrians with the Mandalay and Bayside Boardwalk areas. • The project will contribute to Pelican Walk parking garage project on terms to be determined by the City Commission. East Shore Vacation Any vacation of East Shore Drive would be subject to a traffic analysis prior to the vacation. The City may conduct this evaluation prior to a proposal for street vacation. Bayside Boardwalk/Pedestrian Linkages Development utilizing the lot consolidation incentives will dedicate a ten-foot easement along the Bayside that will link to a pedestrian streetscape improvement along Baymont. The Yacht Basin redevelopment will provide the streetscape improvement from the proposed Boardwalk to Mandalay Street along the Baymont frontage. The Bayside Boardwalk can be either on the landside ofthe seawall and or a component of marina development on the waterside on the seawal 1. Marina Development Development utilizing the lot consolidation incentives should include a marina component, subject to applicable permitting requirements. 13 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Cleanl~ater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida ~eacn qy uesign D. Retail and Restaurant District A key element of any successful resort destination is a vital retail and restaurant district. Given traffic considerations for North Mandalay, Beach by Design contemplates that North Mandalay will be an attractive street, but will have limited function as atwo-sided "retail street." As a result, Beach by Design contemplates that the land area between North Mandalay and Poinsettia will become a retail/restaurant district in contrast to North Mandalay becoming a great retail street. Several uses including Pelican Walk, Heilemans and Eckerds front on both North Mandalay and Poinsettia, providing for an efficient and functional land use pattern. A key element of the Retail and Restaurant District strategy is the construction of a parking garage which will provide convenient parking to the District. ~~ ~~~ Nl. s ... ..~ ~.~~, 14 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design_for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida ~~ Beach by Design E. Pier 60 District The Pier 60 District is composed of the lands which surround the Beach Roundabout at the intersection of Memorial Causeway, Poinsettia, North Mandalay and Coronado. Most of the lands are owned by the City of Clearwater and are used for the City Marina, Pier 60, Pier 60 Park and public parking. Beach by Design calls for the beautification of this entire District in conjunction with the construction of the Roundabout and for the development of a Pier 60 Plaza as a place of assembly on the Beach IS Beach by Design: A Prelirninary Design.for Clearwater Beach City of Clearn~ater; Florida ~~ Beach by Design .I •. 1 r ~I -,,._.~ I I I 1 li 1 ~~ ~ ,~_, tl ~I I II ~I I ~~ 1 ~ ;. '. ~~ ~~ ~ I ~~ ~ ~ - ._; '-, F. Small Motel District The area to the east of the Beach Walk District is an area of small motels, many of which have established clientele. The Small Motel District reflects a common paradox of beachfront communities -- improvements which were constructed in a different time before jet travel and air conditioning -- with limited on-site amenities and off-street parking. In many parts of the country, these kinds of units have evolved into residential uses. However. the relative intensity of adjacent land uses and the volumes of north south traffic have maintained the current condition between Hamden and Coronado. Beach by Design contemplates that the existing improvements in the Small Motel District will be sustained over time. Although the existing improvements may not represent the theoretical "highest and best" use of this area, the relatively good condition of most buildings and the economic value of the existing improvements make it difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate significant land assembly, demolition and new development. Brightwater Drive is also developed with small motel uses with building conditions and transient populations similar to those found along Hamden and Coronado. Brightwater's location on the Intracoastal Waterway, in between two other stable residential "fingers", makes it riper for redevelopment. Beach by Design calls for the redevelopment of Brightwater with land uses and building mass which are compatible with the residential cul-de-sacs to the north and south. Mid-rise townhouses and timeshares between 2 - 4 stories above parking are contemplated. Additionally, consideration should be given to the development of a shared parking facility along the street to provide some of the required parking that will be associated with redevelopment. 16 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida ;~ -_~, ,I Beach by Design +~ ~, G. The Beach Walk District The area to the west of Coronado between the Adatns Mark and the Pier 60 Park is the primary "beachfront" destination on Clearwater Beach. There are more than 800 public parking spaces located on or near the Beach. These parking lots encompass approximately 52 acres of land. While these parking lots are extremely convenient for beach patrons, the lots have a significant adverse impact on the character of South Gulfview as a "beachfront" district and as a resort development area. The parking areas range in width from 275 to 900 feet and constitute a visual and physical barrier between pedestrians and drivers along Gulfview and patrons of the retail/resort uses on the east side of Gulfview. The modest state of motels and hotels along the Gulfview strip, in comparison to motels and hotels to the north and south of the "strip", is a reflection of the fact that those uses are separated from the Beach proper by two lanes of traffic, a single lane of parallel parking and either 2 or 4 bays of parking - a distance of 150 to 275 feet. Looking north toward beachfront area 1W ' ~ `~ff .+ r s- .._ aN ~~4 1 ~~ 3 °4 ~ .~~ ~ ~ 17 Beac% by Design: A Preliminary Design.for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater. Florida ~~ ~~ .. .. ;~ ~~ _;~ ~._ Beach by Design The future of the Beach Walk District may be limited by pending changes to the Coastal Construction Control Line ("CCCL"). The Department of Environmental Protection is currently considering a revision to the CCCL which would move the line landward. Even though the CCCL is a line of control, not setback, it is unlikely that significant new structures will be pernlitted to the west of the relocated CCCL. In that the CCCL does not prevent revitalization of existing structures, it is likely that redevelopment in the Beach Walk District will primarily take the form of renovation of existing structures. Beach by Design contemplates the renovation of South Gulfview into a great beachfront place. The planned renovation involves removal of some or all of the existing surface parking to the west of Gulfview. The construction of a new parking structure south of the Pier 60 park will allow for the replacement of spaces which are removed from the beach proper. Gulfview would then be relocated to the west of the existing road right of way to the area currently improved as surface parking lots. The new Gulfview, however, would be in the form of a vehicular and pedestrian promenade which would constitute both a means of transportation and an attractive place for residents and visitors. Depending on the alignment of the relocated South Gulfview, Beach Walk could potentially create at least one development site with a dry sand beach. This would greatly enhance the chances of attracting the quality resort development contemplated by Beach by Design on South Beach. Beach by Design contemplates that the existing road right of way which is not limited by charter restriction would be declared excess property and made available to the owners of properties to the east of South Gulfview if those owners propose to undertake renovation or redevelopment of those properties in a way which will advance the City's beach revitalization objectives. This strategy supports revitalization in two ways - creating a "world class" address for the revitalized properties and providing additional land area for the construction of additional amenities. Both the promenade and the road issues are discussed in greater detail later in this Plan. cl 18 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clear-w~ater Beach City of Clearwater Florida Beach by Design H. Clearwater Pass District The area to the south and east of the Beach Walk District and the Small Motel District is a distinctive area of mixed use -- high rise condominiums, resort hotels, recreation and tourist and neighborhood serving retail uses. The Pass side of the District is relatively robust, though the availability of off-street parking is a limiting factor in the revitalization of these improvements. The Clearwater Bay properties are more modest in their stature and economic condition; nevertheless, the motel properties are relatively successful. The balance of the District is made up of commercial retail properties which provide neighborhood service uses and entertainment and tourist shops to residences and visitors. 19 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design. for Clearwater Beach City of Clearx~ate~; Florida Beach by Design contemplates that the Clearwater Pass District will be an area of strategic revitalization and renovation in response to improving conditions on the balance of Clearwater Beach. ~~ Beach by Design III. MOBILITY The functional and economic integrity of a place like Clearwater Beach depends in large part on the extent to which residents and visitors are able to move safely and efficiently to and from the Beach and from place to place on the Beach. The existing transportation system is comprised of Memorial Causeway, a four lane boulevard which connects Clearwater Beach to the mainland, and a series of north-south roads which connect with the Causeway at the Beach Roundabout. Mobility on Clearwater Beach is comprised of two separate elements: 1) access to the barrier islands from the mainland; and 2) intra-barrier island travel. Mobility on Clearwater Beach is one of the most difficult challenges the City of Clearwater faces for a number of reasons. First, the primary mode of transportation on Clearwater Beach is the private automobile. Between 35,000 and 55,000 vehicles pass through the Beach Roundabout on a daily basis. In part, this is a reflection of America's general love affair with the automobile. It is also a reflection of the lack of facilities to accommodate alternative modes of transportation like sidewalks and bicycle paths. The "Jolly Trolley' is, theoretically, an alternative mode of transportation; unfortunately, the Trolley is stuck in the same traffic as all of the other vehicles on Clearwater Beach. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design, for ClearN~ater Beach Second, the roads on Clearwater Beach are used for multiple, conflicting purposes. For the residential areas on Clearwater Beach and Sand Key, North Mandalay, Poinsettia, Coronado, South Gulfview and Hamden are sub-regional arterials which provide those areas with access to the City as a whole and the region. For central Clearwater Beach, the roads are local retail streets where residents and visitors access goods and services. And finally, these roads are the same roads used by visitors and tourists to access the Beach and be a part of the beach/tourism/entertainment scene. Unfortunately each of these user groups has different objectives and needs which often conflict with one another. For example, a resident on his or her way home from work is most interested in the shortest and 20 City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design quickest way home. At the same time, a local on the way to the hardware store is more interested in finding a convenient parking space. And, the visitor or tourist may be more interested in sitting in traffic and enjoying the Clearwater Beach "street theater." However, each of these users -with their different and conflicting needs -are trying to use the same road network at the same time. Barrier Island residents have different expectations and tolerance for traffic and parking delays. Resort beaches on barrier islands are unique places and it is not practical to expect them to function like other suburban landscapes. Indeed, throughout the nation traffic congestion is the norm for attractive accessible beaches -Cape Cod, Rehobeth Beach, the Outer Banks, Myrtle Beach - to name just a few. In other words, inmost parts of the country, the special character of the amenity is generally accepted as outweighing the inconvenience of congestion. As a simple matter of fact, the same is evidently true in Clearwater Beach. People wait in traffic to get to the Beach because the value of the amenity, apparently outweighs the inconvenience of congestion and delay. The difficulty which arises is that those who live on the Barrier Islands have a different set of expectations and tolerance for delay. Second, mobility on Clearwater Beach is not just a matter of traffic volume versus road capacity. Clearwater Beach is blessed or cursed, depending on one's perspective, with a practically infinite demand for beach access. Clearwater Beach is one of the finest beaches located in a major metropolitan area in The City's ability to provide additional parking spaces on the Beach is finite. 21 the world. The blessing relates to the economic benefits of this demand/supply in balance. The curse derives from the City's finite capacity to provide parking spaces on Clearwater Beach. In other words, all the road capacity in the world is not going to provide an acceptable level of service if a significant amount of traffic has no place to go and is forced to search or wait on Beach roads, hoping for a parking space. While it is technically feasible to provide additional parking on Clearwater Beach, the reality is that large surface parking lots and parking structures are generally incompatible with the desired character of a quality resort beach community. South Gulfview -with almost 500 surface parking spaces actually constructed on the Beach -- is, in fact, a classic example of how the demand for parking at a highly attractive community amenity can diminish the character of the amenity itself. Parking in the area is generally incompatible with the desired character of a quality resort beach community. Third, Clearwater Beach is largely built out and there is no room for additional road laneage, even if it made sense to provide additional capacity. In reality, the future of Clearwater Beach will be determined by how the City chooses to deal with the mobility issues on the Beach. If the City continues to rely upon the private automobile as the primary mode of transportation to and from and along Clearwater Beach, the City will be confronted with the Hobson's choice of unimaginable peak season, peak day, peak hour traffic congestion or acres and acres of Clearwater Beach paved over to provide additional road capacity and off-street parking. Alternatively, if the City takes steps to promote or require the use of alternative modes of transportation, the City will confront America's "love affair" with the private Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida beach by Design automobile, a confrontation which is almost always resolved in favor of Henry Ford's legacy, a circumstance which calls to mind one modern philosopher's perspectives on mankind's ability to confront its challenges. More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly. as commercial and residential addresses - the City should establish a greenway/sidewalks/bike path/transit program for Clearwater Beach to provide pedestrian and transit access along South Gulfview and North Mandalay individuals who live on the Barrier Islands and guests at resort units on Clearwater Beach should be given priority access to Clearwater Beach by private automobile during periods of peak demand Woody Allen There are four elements of improved mobility on Clearwater Beach: 1) an efficient and attractive "arrival and distribution" system for traffic coming to the Beach; 2) a functional north-south road system; 3) the use of non- automobile forms of transportation, particularly for intra- Clearwater Beach trips; and 4) demand controlled by and limited by capacity. Beach by Design contemplates that the City of Clearwater will: 1) improve the function of the road network on Clearwater Beach to the extent that is possible without diminishing the character of the Beach; 2) expand the use of alternative modes of transportation for intra-Clearwater Beach trips; and 3) ration automobile access to Clearwater Beach, at least during periods of peak demand. Beach by Design projects that the City will implement road network improvements, alternative modes of transportation and access rationing on the basis of the following principles: the City should improve the function of the north- southroads onClearwater Beach as traffic ways and Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach - guests at resort units on Clearwater Beach should be encouraged to use a means of transportation other than the private automobile during periods of peak demand, the City should provide alternative means of access in the form of preferentially priced parking in downtown Clearwater and convenient transportation to the Beach - the City should impose congestion pricing for off-street parking on Clearwater Beach during periods of peak demand - when parking facilities on Clearwater Beach are fully occupied, the City should limit access to the Beach to individuals who live on the Barrier Islands or are guests at resort units on Clearwater Beach or Sand Key the City should design and construct road and parking improvements in the context of access rationing and to ensure that any such improvements do not adversely impact the resources of Clearwater Beach 22 City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design A. Arrival and Distribution The intersection of Memorial Causeway and the North Mandalay/Poinsettia/Coronado north-south network on Clearwater Beach is the quintessence of the conflicts inherent in Clearwater Beach's multiple personality. At once, the intersection is the arrival and departure point for the economic lifeblood of the City's tourism economy -- a tourist's first and last impression of Clearwater Beach -- and Clearwater Beach's lifeline to the mainland. Historically, the intersection has been a choke point of epic proportions with peak day, peak season backups extending many miles to the east. The Clearwater Beach: Strategies for Revitalization identified the intersection as one of the five most important problems on the Beach: 1. Clearwater Beach Entry Sequence This subarea serves as the approach and entry to Clearwater Beach. It allows the visitor and the resident to sense arrival to a unique, urbanized barrier island and offers first glimpses of the architectural character and social values of the community. Views to the major assets of this sub-area (namely the Clearwater Municipal Marina, Pier 60 and its newly constructed family park, and the Gulf itself) were congested by visual clutter (in the form of signage and utilities), an outdated Civic Center, a small commercial venture, numerous surface parking lots, and unattractive commercial areas to the north of Pier 60 Drive. Non- coordinated signage and a complex system of right of way also confused traffic. In response to these conditions, Strategies for Revitalization recommended that the intersection be redeveloped in a way which would ensure a balance between traffic movement and creating a positive ``entry experience." In response to a City Commission direction to accelerate the improvements to the Strategies for Revitalization Proposed Improvements intersection in advance of the new Causeway Bridge, the preliminary design for the intersection was prepared and submitted to the City Commission in the fall of 1998. The central element of the recommendation of Beach by Design for the intersection was a large, attractive Roundabout. Although the desirability of a roundabout like "St. Arn~ands" was identified as an opportunity for Clearwater Beach during the Strategies' planning process, the graphics which accompanied the Plan indicated a "T" intersection with commercial/retail development along the north and south sides of the road. When the Strategies concept was evaluated, it became apparent that the capacity of a "T"intersection and the viability of street retail along Causeway Boulevard did not satisfy the objectives set out in Strategies. Various alternatives were examined and a large roundabout was identified as the most efficient intersection for 23 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater Florida Beach by Design the site which also could achieve the objective of creating a landmark entry experience. Although relatively rare on the west coast of Florida, traffic circles and roundabouts have been successfully used in many parts of the world to strike a balance between demands for traffic efficiency in areas which are aesthetically important to a community. St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota and a roundabout on Camino Real at the entrance to the Boca Raton Hotel and Club are familiar examples of the use of the roundabout to strike a balance between the demand for traffic efficiency and community character. The only potential intersection design which provided greater capacity than the roundabout was a grade separated intersection which would have had a significant negative impact on retail uses along North Mandalay and the attractiveness of the entrance to Clearwater Beach. The Clearwater Beach Roundabout, which was completed in I 1999, reflects the imperative that the intersection of Memorial Causewa and North Mandalay be both functional and attractive -- carry high volur and still be an attractive landmark welcoming a resident or visitor to the icon to be remembered, to be used in marketing the Beach as a quality play visit. The roundabout was designed to improved the, function o fthe intersection by approximately 2~ %. The Roundabout is not, however, a "silver bullet" which will so City's mobility problems on Clearwater Beach. The Roundabout was improve the function of the intersection by approximately 25% over condition. However, the Roundabout will not, alone, be able to solve all problems which occur on the Beach, particularly during peak hours, pe peak season. All intersections have capacity limits and no intersecti multiple lane, grade separated interchanges can handle the volume of conflicting 24 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design_for Clearwater Beach City ofClearwaler; Florida Existing Roundabout Beach by Design turning movements experienced on Clearwater Beach during peak periods. Thousands of vehicles try to get to the Beach at the same time that residents are trying to get to the mainland on the few peak season, peak days when Clearwater Beach plays host to internationah national and regional overnight and day visitors. The existing intersection, whatever its character, is the "governor" on traffic movement to and from the Beach and contrary to popular opinion, is the primary cause of peak traffic congestion. By definition, an intersection with a capacity of 4,200 vehicles per hour can not provide an acceptable level of service when service demand exceeds capacity. Objective measures of traffic demand and capacity indicate that the service capacity for the residents is limited not by laneage of North Mandalay, but by the capacity of the intersection of Memorial Causeway, North Mandalay and Coronado. In other words, no matter how much capacity and no matter what the level of service which exists on North Mandalay, congestion, particularly peak hour, peak season, is the result of the capacity of the intersection. It does not matter whether North Mandalay has the capacity to carry 15,000 vehicles per day or 32,000 vehicles per day, traffic congestion will result if the capacity of the intersection with the Causeway is exceeded. 2. North of the Roundabout: North Beach The primary north south street to the north of the Beach Roundabout is North Mandalay Boulevard which is the principal retail address on Clearwater Beach and is the only continuous north south collector which connects all of the areas to the north of the Beach Roundabout to the regional transportation system. Poinsettia and East Shore accommodate a modest amount of north south traffic as far as Baymont, but primarily serve as a diversion route in the event of afternoon congestion at the Beach Roundabout. Beach by Design contemplates that North Mandalay between Baymont and the new Roundabout should be redeveloped to make the street into a good if not great beach community, retail address. Ideally, North Mandalay, between the new Roundabout and Baymont, would be transformed into a retail street with wide sidewalks and parallel on street parking with the same character as Fifth Avenue in Naples, Atlantic Avenue in Delray or Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. The residents of Clearwater Beach, particularly those to the north of Acacia, however, are extremely concerned that a reduction in the number of lanes on North Mandalay will exacerbate what they believe is already intolerable traffic congestion. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design,for Clearwater Beach 25 City ofClem°watei; Florida beach by Design The Roundabout has a capacity of approximately 4,200 vehicles per hour (up by 25% from the intersection it replaced). At the current time, traffic on North Mandalay has a peak of approximately 1,200 vehicles per hour. So long as traffic entering the Roundabout from Coronado and Memorial Causeway does not exceed 3,000 vehicles per hour, then traffic going to and from the residential area to the north of Acacia should not experience congestion. If, however, traffic to the Beach were to add more than 2,500 vehicles during a peak hour, congestion will occur, regardless of how many lanes exist on North Mandalay. The City Commission has considered a series of alternatives for North Mandalay between the Roundabout and Baymont including 2, 3 and 4 lane configurations and including a changeable lane option where the parallel parking lanes would be used for travel during peak periods. The alternatives represented an array of balances between the character and the capacity of the street. The 2 lane configurations would allow for wide sidewalks, on-street parallel parking on both sides of the road and a generous, landscaped median. In the 31ane version, a bi-directional center lane replaced the median. Each of the 4 lane alternatives involved a compromise of the width of sidewalks, on-street parking or the median in order to accommodate two travel lanes in each direction. After extensive consideration of the alternatives, the Commission selected a 2 way, 4 lane cross- sectionwith parallel parking on the western side. <tXlFS~.. ~~ <$Zti . <`-Jt ~ n T 3~))t3~$> .~ r 't~'l F tJ<t3 3 Z s. > ; tF t 13j jTi t ttSt~4r t ~tfSt tJ S ~Z` ~> ~ + SY~ •t 'fit r ~Y' t Stt,` >~ ~' ~<f 2 " ~ - ~ S ~ y ~ .. ~ ~ v ~~_ ~ _ ~ ~ _ - - - ~ `~.- .~ x . : r _. ~ t - ----- r-. ~`-•~~ -~ T r . ~. ~ , ,; ~ . _.~ ~ 1 , t t fJs sz< ,x ,Fsr ~t XS '?YES t<, t Sit ~t - l~$4 < t r t s ;, r ~ x ~, t 1 • • - -• ~ Option of parallel parking (option peak period travel lane) Proposed Improvement to North Mandalay 26 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida f Beach by Design The Roundabout has a capacity of approximately 4,200 vehicles per hour (up by 25% from the intersection it replaced). At the current time, traffic on North Mandalay has a peak of approximately 1,200 vehicles per hour. So long as traffic entering the Roundabout from Coronado and Memorial Causeway does not exceed 3,000 vehicles per hour, then traffic going to and from the residential area to the north of Acacia should not experience congestion. If, however, traffic to the Beach were to add more than 2,500 vehicles during a peak hour, congestion will occur, regardless of how many lanes exist on North Mandalay. The City Commission has considered a series of alternatives for North Mandalay between the Roundabout and Baymont including 2, 3 and 4 lane configurations and including a changeable lane option where the parallel parking lanes would be used for travel during peak periods. The alternatives represented an array of balances between the character and the capacity of the street. The 2 lane configurations would allow for wide sidewalks, on-street parallel parking on both sides of the road and a generous, landscaped median. In the 3 lane version, a bi-directional center lane replaced the median. Each of the 4 lane alternatives involved a compromise of the width of sidewalks, on-street parking or the median in order to accommodate two travel lanes in each direction. After extensive consideration of the alternatives, the Commission selected a 2 way, 4 lane cross- sectionwith parallel parking on the western side. Proposed Improvement to North Mandalay 26 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design,for Clearwater Beach City of C'lear~~ater, Florida Option of parallel parking (option peak period b•avel lane) Beach by Design 3. South of the Beach Roundabout: South Beach Mobility south of the Beach Roundabout is complicated by several factors including narrow roads, ``back out" parking (much of it on public rights-of--way), access to beach parking facilities, through traffic to Sand Key, limited sidewalks, conflicts between through traffic and local traffic and conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians on South Gulfview. According to multiple traffic studies prepared for the City of Clearwater, adequate traffic capacity for the areas south of the Beach Roundabout, including Sand Key, means two relatively free-flowing lanes of capacity southbound and two free-flowing lanes northbound. At least two recent traffic studies have recommended that the area to the south of the Beach Roundabout be served by a set of one way pairs -- two lane, one way streets, either Coronado and Gulfview or Coronado and Hamden. A key element of Beach by Design is the transformation of South Gulfview into a local access street as a part of a great resort street/place. Unfortunately, the transformation of South Gulfview into such a place would further constrain the capacity of the road and would not be appropriate for non-local traffic. Consequently, Beach by Design focuses on improvements to Coronado and Hamden in order to improve traffic conditions south of the Beach Roundabout. There are several options, including the one way pairs recommended in the traffic studies, with Coronado one way south and Hamden one way north. One study evaluated Coronado and Hamden as unbalanced pairs with two lanes south and one lane north on Coronado and two lanes north and one lane south on Hamden. Alternatively Coronado could be widened to a three or four lane configuration. Each of these alternatives is problematic. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach One way pairs are generally not popular with the public because of the perceived inconvenience of indirect access and because they tend to operate at higher speeds than two way facilities (making one way pairs more efficient). Speed is particularly problematic because of the extensive ``back out" parking along Coronado and Hamden. Practically all of the motels and other businesses along the east side of Coronado between First Street and Hamden currently have perpendicular parking which requires a driver to "back out" into the travel lane in order to depart, a movement which conflicts with through traffic movements. On the other hand the widening of Coronado to 3 or 4 lanes requires the removal of more than 153 parking spaces from public rights of way and eliminating parking for more than 23 motels on the east side of Coronado. In this context, Beach by Design is sensitive to several factors. First, while traffic congestion on Clearwater Beach is, at times, horrific, the reality is that serious and unmitigated congestion is episodic. Observations vary, but most studies conclude that unmitigated congestion occurs on approximately 40 days of the year and that during those periods, there are no engineering solutions. In addition, there are 100 to 160 days on which traffic congestion is more than an inconvenience, though it is not clear that traffic flows are 27 City of Clearwater, Florida Perpendicular parking along streets conflict ~a~ith through traffic movements Beach by Design substantially worse than those experienced in the vicinity of significant traffic generators and attractors like major shopping centers. In other words, Beach by Design is wary of a design standard which is calibrated to provide a high level of service for seasonal demands when road improvements diminish the character of a special resource like Clearwater Beach. That is particularly so because of the natural human tendency to fill whatever capacity is made available. The reality is that if roads are un-congested, trip making increases and vice versa. Beach by Design favors community character definition improvements over pure engineering solutions to traffic and parking congestion. Beach by Design resists a purely engineering solution to capacity demands to the south of the Beach Roundabout in favor of the community character defining importance of South Gulfview as a local street and place of special quality. In that context, any of the alternatives which have been suggested -- one way pairs and unbalanced pairs on Coronado and Hamden and widening ofCoronado --are preferable to the subordination of the character of Clearwater Beach to traffic needs. In his book "In The Wake of the Tourist", noted planner Fred Bosselman observed the natural human tendency to over use special places until the speciality which was so attractive in the first place is destroyed. Miami Beach, still a lush barrier island in the early 1940s, is a classic example of Bosselman's lament and warning to others -- all the rage in the SOs and 60s and declared slum and blight in the late 70s. The City of Clearwater would do well to heed Bosselman's warning and avoid what the noted conservationist and political cartoonist Ding Darling so cleverly described as the "Outline of History." For the City of Clearwater and its citizens, there are no more utopias and the vision of Beach by Design is to strike a meaningful balance between the competing interests which are served by Clearwater Beach. That means hard choices and real financial commitments -- legacy h r ~,, . ~ '~ ,r, ,u<~,., i ~, ~ ~"~'~ I! `. •.a-~ . «. ~--~' ~ ~y . . • W ~., 4~ -~ ~\o t 3 - ~ woo ya+,wna2o JWW OJR {}iP{ILATMIM I j"t ~ MSS uKQE~.TtD9 ~~...~ %, ~ " fl - ."i ' ~,.,~( ~ ~ w*E TM~ SSWw+~' GDLXE g0a11Tit ICt~"' / N~ b T1CRK N r ~ tu 4orl4r+clw71 ~1 ---....~,. ' avii7e~ .~J'Ja4VE~ wrtYr'a •.. wa ' 1 ~5 , / L 4~ 7 ~'~ ' lcsb 6o srrrn .. rrt...~.. \ ~~ ~ p Aea ~~ ~~ ti ~Y is ~ ~k'/fl P ~ ~ , --~ ~ _ -- _ -~. - i ~. 1 ~ The Outline of History 28 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design decisions which will define the character of Clearwater Beach and its quality of life for generations to come. In the final analysis Beach by Design follows Strategies for Revitalization and seeks a balance between competing interests and values. participates in any redevelopment along Coronado, the City should make every effort to obtain additional right-of--way in conjunction with redevelopment. This initiative could even help secure sufficient right-of--way for a four lane cross-section. History shows that people tend to over use special places until the specialty which was so attractive in the firstplace is destroyed. Ultimately, Beach by Design looks to Coronado to improve vehicular movement south of the Beach Roundabout. While the existing public right of way for Coronado is 60 feet, only 30 feet is currently paved and used for travel. The balance of the right of way is used for intermittent parkways and sidewalks and for off-street parking. Beach by Design proposes that Coronado be improved as a three lane road in one of the following configurations: 1) two lanes south and one lane north, or 2) one lane south, one lane north and one lane for median, turn lanes or to be reversible according to peak directional demand. Beach by Design proposes that the City improve Coronado by recapturing a portion of the public right of way which is currently used for parkways, sidewalk and off-street parking. To the extent practicable, the right of way should be reclaimed in a manner that minimizes the impact of the loss of off-street parking on those properties with nooff-street parking other than the spaces located in the public right of way. Beach by Design proposes a 45 foot wide cross-section with three travel lanes, direction to be decided, and a 9 foot sidewalk on one side of the new cross section. It should be noted that the existing constraints at the intersection of Coronado and Hamden likely require that the cross-section taper to two lanes prior to the intersection. However, given that much of the congestion south of the Roundabout is generated by beach patrons, the demand should be diminished by trips which are diverted to new parking facilities in the area. In the event the City Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach Although Beach by Design recognizes the demand for additional road capacity to the south of the Beach Roundabout, Beach by Design does not recommend that Hamden be improved to three lanes for several reasons. First, the utility of Hamden as a through traffic route will be affected by the extensive back out parking all along its length of the western side. Second, increase traffic speeds and volumes will further stress the small motels which line Hamden. Third, Hamden currently serves as primarily a local street and the quality of the small motels -- some of which have established a boutique following -- and the residential neighborhoods to the east are likely to be diminished by the conversion of Hamden into a through street. Finally, Hamden is a great, if unrealized address. More than a third of the road fronts on Clearwater Bay and if anything, Beach by Design recommends that Hamden be improved as a unique address which will justify reinvestment in the existing improvements along Hamden. 29 City of Clearwater, Florida Proposed Improvement to Coronado Beach by Design B. Alternative Modes of Transportation Unless the City of Clearwater opts to subordinate the character of Clearwater Beach to provide additional road capacity, e.g. one way pairs, widening two lane roads to four lanes and massive parking structures, the City has no choice but to induce a significant share of intra-barrier island trips to use alternative modes of transportation. There are three modes of transportation which are technically feasible for Clearwater Beach: pedestrian, bicycle, and transit. 1. Pedestrian Clearwater Beach is a generally hostile pedestrian environment. Sidewalks are discontinuous or absent altogether throughout the Beach, and the few sidewalks that do exist are too narrow for a typical family to walk in any formation other than single file. The adjacent aerial photograph shows the sporadic location of sidewalks to the south of the Beach Roundabout and shows that there are many missing links in the system. Worse still, the sidewalks which exist are narrow, poorly maintained, rough concrete and largely unshaded --all attributes of good sidewalks. Most urban designers believe that sidewalks must be of sufficient width to allow groups of 2-3 people to walk abreast and to allow some persons to walk leisurely while others walk more quickly, a total of 10 feet or more. None of the sidewalks shown on the aerial photograph are ten feet wide. If the City of Clearwater wishes to promote pedestrianism as an alternative mode of transportation for intra-island trips, the City must create an attractive, comfortable and continuous network of sidewalks. It is not The City has no choice but to introduce alternative modes oftransportalion to deal with mobility issues. 30 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach necessary that sidewalks be provided on both sides of every road, but it is necessary that all portions of Clearwater Beach be served. Beach by Design recommends that the City of Clearwater make a serious commitment to improving the pedestrian environment on Clearwater Beach. A central element of that commitment is the creation of Beach Walk, the proposed realignment and configuration of South Gulfview which contains a promenade, a bicycle/roller blade trail and a gulfront sidewalk. City ~f Clearwater, Florida Existing Side Walks South of the Roundabout Beach by Design In addition, the recommended improvements to Coronado include a continuous sidewalk from Hamden to Pier 60. In the vicinity of Pier 60 Park, Beach by Design proposes that sidewalks be widened on the west side of the realigned Coronado and that the beach promenade be extended to the Beach Pavilion from the northern terminus of South Gulfview. To the north ol~ the Roundabout, the opportunity for significant pedestrianism is dependent on the width and character of the sidewalks which are included in the improvements to North Mandalay. Assuming that North Mandalay is a four lane facility, there are very limited opportunities for improved sidewalks. To the extent the City participates in any redevelopment in the area between the Beach Roundabout and Rockaway, the City should make every effort to obtain additional right-of-way in conjunction with redevelopment so that at least one sidewalk of at least 14 feet in width can be constructed between North Beach and the Pier 60 Park. The sidewalk system in the Clearwater Pass District should also be enhanced and connected with Beach Walk. In addition to improving the pedestrian environment on Clearwater Beach, it is critical that the beach pedestrian network be fully linked to Downtown. The potential for connecting the Pinellas Trail to the Memorial Causeway and linking it to the beach network should be pursued. transportation, the City needs to install convenient and safe pathways and racks for secure storage at key locations. Many communities in much less comfortable enviromnents have substantially increased use of bicycling for entertainment, shopping and recreation trips by providing generous facilities for cyclists. 3. Intra-Beach Transit Transit is yet another option for intra-barrier island movements. Technically, the Jolly Trolley qualifies as transit, however, its operations are more akin to an amenity, than a form of transportation. Transit is generally unpopular in the United States and perceived to be ineffective and unaffordable. Nevertheless, transit could be a meaningful alternative means of transportation if: 1) the movement of transit vehicles is not affected by traffic congestion; 2) the facilities have relatively short head ways (delays between vehicles); 3) the vehicles are attractive and comfortable; 4) grants-in-aid can be obtained for 2. Bicycles Bicycling is a natural transportation alternative in a resort community. In many resorts, visitors rent bicycles as a means of touring and transportation and consider cycling as a part of the vacation experience. Unfortunately, there are no meaningful paths for bicycles on Clearwater Beach. Along Coronado, for example, a bicyclist has no choice but to compete with cars for what are relatively narrow travel lanes. If the City of Clearwater wishes to promote bicycling as an alternative mode of 31 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design, for Clearwater Beaclz CitvofClearx~ater, Florida Beach by Design capital costs; and 5) the cost of operation is funded on a comprehensive basis. Beach by Design recommends an intra-island transit system to carry passengers between the public parking lot at Rockaway and the parking lot immediately to the north of the Adams Mark. The proposed transit system would be relatively slow moving vehicles, moving at 6-10 miles per hour -rubber wheeled or narrow gauge trolley -- along a fixed guideway. The adjacent aerial photograph shows the general location of the proposed guideway and the location of existing or proposed parking facilities. There are three reasons for a fixed guideway. Most importantly, if the transit vehicle uses the public roads which are clogged with traffic, the vehicles will not be a meaningful alternative to the car. Second, pedestrians and vehicles, even slow-moving vehicles, do not mix well unless they operate in ~ ~ z. ~ ~ - ~~,, a defined area which is specially designed -- urban ~ __ plazas pavers and pedestrians with the right of way force vehicles to accommodate pedestrians. In addition, fixed guideways alert pedestrians to the presence of transit vehicles, even when they approach from the rear of a pedestrian -- when the vehicle honks its horn, the pedestrian knows where the vehicle will be when he looks around. Moreover, the proposed transit system is contemplated to operate in tandem with increased pedestrian activity. In other words, a family staying at the Adams Mark might decide to go to Pier 60 Park or City Marina. They could. if they prefer, wait at the Adams Mark parking lot until the next transit vehicle arrives, or in the alternative, they could start to walk to the Park or Marina along the fixed guideway, expecting to get on the next north bound vehicle. If the vehicle is delayed or they stop along the way, they have nevertheless been converted from a potential car trip into an alternative mode of transportation. 32 Beach by Design: .A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearn~ater, Florida Location of Proposed Guideway and Parking Facilities Beach by Design To the south of the Beach Roundabout, it would be relatively easy to accommodate a transit guideway in the proposed South Gulfview re-alignment. Assuming two way movements along a single lane, i.e. use of lay by areas for passing vehicles, a guideway of approximately 10 feet in width is all that would be required. Near the Beach Roundabout, the guideway could easily be located between the Beach Roundabout and Pier 60 Park. ~ WEST To the north of the Beach Roundabout, the alignment is far more difficult. The following shows one alignment which is theoretically popular with four travel lands. This alternative assumes that the Pelican Walk garage is constructed prior to or contemporaneously with the implementation of transit. The guideway could be located on the west side of North Mandalay where parallel parking is currently contemplated. Depending on the number of lanes which were provided, the introduction of the guideway along North Mandalay would restrict the width of the sidewalks which could be included. Beach by Design recommends that North Mandalay should be narrowed to two ~. 33 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Proposed North Mandalay Guideway Alignment (North of the Beach Roundabout) Proposed South Gulfview Guideway Alignment (South of the Beach Roundabout) Beach by Design wide travel lanes which would accommodate generous sidewalks on both sides, one lane of parallel parking, a 6 foot landscaped median and a fixed guideway. To the north of the signal at Baymont, there is substantial right of way which could be used to accommodate the guideway. Headways are critical to the effectiveness of transit. If the wait for a vehicle is too long, the user will not rely upon the service and will use other means of travel. This is particularly true where the trip (here intra-barrier island) is relatively short. There are no studies of required headways for a resort setting; however, the general rule of thumb for transit systems indicates that a headway of no longer than 10 minutes is desirable if the user is to be able to rely upon the service in making a mode choice. Beach by Design recommends that the transit system be designed with 5 minute headways during peak periods of demand. Assuming an average effective speed of five miles per hour (taking into consideration frequent stops), the trip from the Adams Mark would take approximately 12 minutes. In order to provide 5 minute headways, assuming a 5 minute turn around at each end of the trip, the system would require 5 vehicles to be operating during peak periods. At this level of operation, assuming 20 passengers per vehicle and an average trip of 2,500 feet, the system could service in excess of 10,000 passengers a day. C. Access Rationing Beach by Design recommends that the City confront the reality that as long as Clearwater Beach is easily accessible, it will The City needs to confront the reality that Clearwater Beach is accessed by far more persons and vehicles that the current mobility system can handle. The City needs to assure that the residential lifestyle in the Barrier Islands is preserved and enhanced. be accessed by far more persons and vehicles than the system can handle, no matter how many lanes of travel are created or how many parking garages are constructed. Beach by Design recommends the City implement relatively radical access rationing measures during the 40 or so peak days when the volume of cars seeking to gain access to the Beach overwhelms the system, resulting in mile plus long traffic queues. Beach by Design also recommends that the City consider less radical measures during the additional 100+ days where congestion is substantial. Resort guests are the lifeblood of the City's tourism industry. 1. Residential and Guest Priority Access to Clearwater Beach implicates a number of interests which should be served by the City's beach access system. Assuming that the City wishes to strike the balance between the Beach as a tourist destination and residential area as prescribed in Strategies for Revitalization, Beach by Design recommends that the City ration access to the Beach during periods of peak demand. First, those who live on the Barrier Islands represent a fiscal benefit to the City; that is, they pay more in taxes than they demand in services. Equally important, Clearwater's attractiveness as a business location is, as is every other city in Florida, directly related to the availability of accessible, high quality housing with a premier quality of life. As a result, the City has a fiscal interest in ensuring that the quality of the Barrier Island residential lifestyle is preserved and enhanced, 34 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design if possible. Second, resort guests are the lifeblood of the City's tourism economy. They contribute indirectly through the property taxes the resorts pay and directly through bed taxes and the millions of dollars which are spent in the City during their stay. The care and comfort of these visitors must be a priority if the City is to continue to be successful in what is an increasingly tourism economy. Concurrently, those who provide services to the City's tourism patrons need convenient and affordable access to Clearwater Beach, coincidentally and most importantly, just when the Beach is experiencing peak traffic demand. Finally, those citizens who are willing to use transit to access the Beach should be rewarded with priority access to the Beach. who prefer to go to the Beach on their own terms. And if non- resident, non-owner, non-employee, non-hotel guest persons wish to get to the Beach without standing in line, they have the option of using transit. While rationing generally constitutes an intervention in the market, the rationing system proposed by Beach by Design, reinforces the market because it puts all users on equal footing given their interest in the Beach and tolerance for congestion and makes the choice of transportation mode a practical and meaningful choice. Beach access during 40 peak days should be rationed. Barrier Island residents and hotel guests should have an express lane to the Beach. 2. Access Rationing By Controlled Access Lanes Beach by Design recommends that access be rationed during the 40 peak days by essentially dividing the Memorial Bridge and Causeway into two roads -- one for residents, hotel patrons, business owners and employees and transit and one for all other vehicles. The northernmost east bound lane on the Causeway would be restricted to priority drivers and the southernmost would be available for all other vehicles. The substance of the proposed rationing is relatively simple -- those who live or work on the Beach and those willing to park downtown and take transit to the Beach should have an express lane to the Beach. Those who prefer to go to the Beach in their private automobiles may continue to do so by doing what they do now -- waiting in traffic for their turn. The difference, of course, is that those who live and work on the Beach and those who opt to access the Beach by transit are no longer held captive by those Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach Priority access should not be given to commercial vehicles. Commercial trade and deliveries should be made at times which do not conflict with peak traffic congestion. Beach by Design does not recommend that commercial vehicles be given priority access for two reasons. First and foremost, a barrier island is a unique place and the commercial trade needs to make deliveries at times which do not conflict with peak traffic congestion. That is how commerce is practiced in tourism markets all over the world and there is no reason why commercial practices can not be conformed to the reality of access to Clearwater Beach. Second, delivery trucks are least nimble in stop and go traffic and their presence during peak demand periods is nothing more than an invitation for accidents and frustration. During the 100+ additional days when traffic congestion is significant, Beach by Design recommends that the City either implement controlled lane access (similar in concept to a high occupancy vehicle lane) or impose congestion pricing on access to the Beach road network. Congestion pricing has come into 35 City of Clearwater, Florida beach by Design vogue in recent years as transportation service agencies have sought to balance the competing demands for travel capacity. Controlled lane access or traffic congestion pricing should be implemented during the 100+ additional significant traff is congestion days. Some congestion pricing systems are relatively simple, like those islands where frequent users pay a steeply discounted toll (usually in the form of commuter passes or discount books) and in frequent users -- those who contribute to peak period demands) who are required to pay a toll that may be 10 to 20 times the commuter rate. Other congestion pricing programs involve differential tolls for all vehicles as a means of encouraging drivers to make trips at times other than peak periods of demand. Where afternoon congestion is predictable, tolls are higher during the afternoon than in the morning. Many communities practice congestion pricing indirectly through parking fees, though this method of fee collection is somewhat inefficient because it does not capture those drivers who go to the Beach to just look around. There are manifest reasons why transit makes sense for Clearwater. First, accommodating cars on Clearwater Beach is problematic -- asphalt and parking garages diminish the character and quality of the beach experience for residents and visitors alike. Second, making downtown an embarkation point for Clearwater Beach would be a tremendous benefit to downtown businesses. Moreover, it would allow the City to justify support of downtown parking garages as being of multiple benefit to the community at large. Third, transit makes more efficient use of public facilities. Finally, implementation of transit access to the Beach would elevate public respect for the Beach to a level the natural resource deserves and does not now receive. E. Transit Between the Barrier Islands Recently the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) established Trolley service between Sand Key and Pass-A-Grill. Beach by Design recommends that the City work with PSTA to extend the route to Clearwater Beach. This link could accommodate transportation needs of visitors and residents alike from other Pinellas County beach communities and potentially connect with the proposed intra-beach transit system. D. Transit from Downtown to the Beach Beach by Design recommends that the City implement a transit program to carry visitors to and from Clearwater Beach and, potentially, to link with the proposed intra-beach transit system. Assuming that the City implements access rationing and that priority access is available to transit vehicles, it is very likely that transit will become a viable alternative for beach access, whether by ferry, trolley, light rail or rubber-wheeled vehicle. The City needs to implement a transitprogram to carry visitors form downtown to the Beach. 36 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater Florida Beach by Design I~ OFF-STREF,T PARKING The extraordinary character of the Beach is both a blessing and a curse to the City and its residents. As one of the "best" beaches in the world, Clearwater Beach is a popular destination for tourists and day visitors. As one of the "best" beaches in the world, Clearwater Beach attracts tens of thousands of tourists and day visitors who want to park as close to the Beach as possible. On peak days when preferred parking facilities are filled, drivers searching for a parking space queue up in the street and exacerbate an already congested road network. At the same time, other drivers cruise from location to location in the hope of finding a parking space, adding to congestion, already intolerable to residents and visitors alike. Off-street parking was identified as a key issue in Strategies for Revitalization for several reasons. First and foremost, Strategies for Revitalization recognized the need for additional parking spaces to serve peak day, peak season demand. Second, Strategies for Revitalization identified the cost of structured parking as a substantial disincentive for community redevelopment and additional off-street parking as a key to revitalization. Third, many of the existing improvements on Clearwater Beach are non- conforming in terms of off-street parking, a fact that limits the potential revitalization of existing properties. Finally, Strategies for Revitalization called for the removal of the surface parking lots to the west of South Gulfview as a part of a strategy to transform South Gulfview into an attractive beachfront address. ZE PARKING FACILITY ~ property located at Rockaway Street TERM PARKING FACILITY ~ property located behind The Pelican Walk ITURE PARKING FACILITY On property located at the Clearwater Marina NEAR TERM PARKING FACILITY on property located south of Pier 60 Park FUTURE PARKING FACILITY South Beach/ Clearwater Pass Proposed Near and Future Parking Facilities 37 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design, for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design Clearwater Beach is currently served by 3,535 public parking spaces. On peak days during the season and on holidays, literally tens of thousands of cars come to the Beach and there is insufficient parking to accommodate all of the visitors to the Beach. The provision of additional parking is, however, complicated by a number of factors. A primary concern is the ability of new garages to generate sufficient revenues to service debt incurred to construct a garage when projected parking demand shows that additional spaces will generate no revenue on approximately one half of the days of every year. While there is obvious demand for as many additional parking spaces as possible on the 40 or so highest peak days of the year, and soiree additional need during the next highest 140 days of the year, there are already enough spaces on Clearwater Beach to meet parking demand during the balance of the year. As a consequence, net parking fees from only 180 revenue days must be sufficient to service the debt incurred to construct the garage. Moreover, occupancy data collected by the City for its parking facilities on Clearwater Beach shows that the further a parking space is from the Beach, the less likely the space will be occupied, even during periods of peak demand. Equally important, parking garages are large, massive structures which are not naturally compatible with the special character of a resort beach. That is particularly true where land has previously been subdivided by a fine grain network of local roads. Strategies for Revitalization proposed removal of the surface parking spaces to the west of South Gulfview, with the exception of the surface lot immediately north of the Adams Mark, and the construction of parking garages in the blocks between South Gulfview and Coronado and Coronado and Hamden. However, the cost of land assembly -- acquiring existing income producing hotel rooms -- increases the cost per parking space to a level which is not reasonably supportable by parking revenues, particularly where the parking spaces are relatively remote from the Beach as was proposed in Strategies for Revitalization. .. ~ i:: Approximately 400 '_ ~~a ;' parking spaces are to be ' ` :,..~..'. ~'~ relocated. In addition, : ~ •~. available data and a parking ~ ~~ r study conducted for the City ~ ~:_ F-~ ~~ ~ ,:. indicates that at least 400 ~~, a~ -~ additional parking spaces r;~• ~' ,, are needed to meet existing ~'~~"` ~ parking demand during the ~~~ ~ ~-~ ,-~ ,.,, 200+ days of highest parking ~, demand on the Beach. If the '~ '~'~ ~~`I ~~ °°~~ North Mandalay corridor is upgraded and the uses along ~:``,~ • the corridor flourish, additional parking of 200 to ~` 400 additional spaces would Relocation of be required. The timing of Beach Parking the North Mandalay garage will be influenced by the extent to which on-street parking is available after North Mandalay is improved. Beach by Design contemplates at least two additional parking facilities on Clearwater Beach and additional garages if and when additional demand arises in the form of community revitalization. The first two garages -- one to the south of Pier 60 Park and a second on the surface parking area behind the Pelican Walk specialty retail center -- are programmed to be constructed as soon as practicable. Beach by Design recommends that the additional parking garages be constructed on aself-financing basis -- that is debt service is covered by net parking revenues. 38 Beach 8y Design: A Preliminary Des•ign_for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design Additional garages, e.g. a garage on the underutilized land at Rockaway and the other between South Gulfview and Bayway in the Clearwater Pass District -- would be constructed when economically feasible, as demonstrated by occupancy rates in existing facilities or where a garage is required to support a significant redevelopment/revitalization initiative. A. South of Pier 60 Park Parking Garage The exact location of the additional parking garage to the south of Pier 60 Park is dependent on a number of variables including the willingness of private property owners to cooperate with the City. The City Commission has previously approved the concept of a very large garage to be constructed on the Pier 60 parking lot and the Days Inn property. The concept involved the acquisition of the Days Inn property, the closure of the east-west leg of South Gulfview and the possibility of 150+ hospitality units to be constructed as a part of the project. The primary justification for the inclusion of the Pier 60 parking lot in the project was the cost advantage, because the land is currently owned by the City and used for parking purposes, outweighed the visual impact of a parking garage on the Beach. Moreover, the cost implications of land already owned by the City avoided the question of whether a hospitality component was economically feasible. In contrast, other sites where the City would have to acquire all of the land was either contingent on a hospitality component to help defray the cost of assembly or infeasible. Subsequent to the Commission's action, an alternative parking garage proposal has been advanced by the private sector. The alternative involves the construction of a parking garage on an assembly of land on both sides of 3rd Street between South Gulfview and Coronado. The proposed garage would be a part of a vertically mixed use project and would make at least 500 parking spaces available to the City. Beach by Design is relatively indifferent as to the precise location of the garage so long as the parking spaces are located within a reasonable walk from the dry sand Beach. The alternative parking garage proposal is explicitly contingent on a municipal commitment to transform South Gulfview into a great beachfront place by improving South Gulfview as a great street or simply closing the road to traffic. The principal advantage of the alternative garage location is that a parking garage will not be constructed on the Beach on the Pier 60 parking lot between Coronado and the Beach proper. The principal disadvantage of the alternative garage is that it may not provide sufficient parking spaces to accommodate the relocation of spaces east of South Gulfview and increase the inventory of beach parking by 400 additional spaces. 39 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design.for Clearn~ater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Proposed Improvements -- South of Pier 60 Park Garage Beach by Design Another possible location for a garage south of Pier 60 exists in the vicinity between Coronado and Hamden and between Third Street and Brightwater. This location presents an opportunity for a garage with a residential component. A portion of Hamden could be vacated in order to consolidate land and create a waterfront parcel in conjunction with the four laning of Coronado. Vacating a portion of Hamden may not impede traffic flow and calm the traffic of this area of South Beach which would enhance the residential character of the Devon and Bayside cul- de-sacs. Prior to any vacation, an analysis of the traffic impact of this alternative would need to be conducted. In the event the analysis does not support the vacation, this is still an appropriate location for a parking garage. B. Pelican Walk Garage The Pelican Walk Garage, to be constructed on the existing surface parking lot on the Poinsettia side of the property, is conceived to provide additional convenient and secure parking for North Mandalay and the Retail and Restaurant District and to compensate for the possible loss of on-street parking as a part of the improvement of North Mandalay. In addition, the garage is anticipated to be a catalyst for the revitalization and expansion of existing improvements in the District. The size and the timing of the Pelican Walk garage will be dictated by the ability of the garage to pay for itself and the extent to which individual property owners are willing to participate in some sort of public/private partnership. While several properties like Heilemans and the Clearwater Beach Hotel have an apparent need for additional parking, particularly during the season, total demand for additional spaces is not, at this time, sufficient to support the debt necessary to construct the garage. A recent parking demand study indicates that the garage might actually generate sufficient revenues to support debt service if the garage is successful in attracting beach patrons to the garage, but that even then, the net revenues would be insufficient to meet bond coverage requirements that projected revenue equal to 140% of debt service. Additional development or revitalization along North Mandalay or property owner participation in the garage would be necessary if the garage is to be financed exclusively on a revenue basis. ELEVATION STUDY Proposed Improvements Pelican Walk Garage 40 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida PROP05ED LOCATION Beach by Design There are two alternative conceptual designs. The first is a four level garage which would be limited to the Pelican Walk parking lot. The second is a more comprehensive (and shorter) garage which would extend along Poinsettia to the southern boundary of the City's surface parking lot between Eckerd's and Heilmans. This garage would require that the Eckerd's surface parking lot between the Eckerd's building and Poinsettia be acquired for the garage project. The first alternative is a simpler project involving a single property owner who has already indicated a willingness to work with the City. The second alternative involves two property owners, one of which may or may not be cooperative. The first alternative, however, is isolated from North Mandalay and would be accessible only from Poinsettia. In contrast, the second alternative could be accessible from both North Mandalay and Poinsettia, enhancing use by visitors to North Mandalay and in peak period, beach goers. C. Rockaway Garage An additional parking garage site has been identified on underutilized land on the west side of North Mandalay to the south of the fire station between Rockaway and Bay Esplanade. The site is owned by the City so that only the cost of the structure would have to be paid for by parking revenues. The site, however, is relatively remote from the center of beach activity and is of little value in relocating parking from. the South Gulfview beachfront. As a result, the Rockaway garage is considered a long term option in the event that a garage south of Memorial Causeway and the Pelican Walk garage are insufficient to meet future parking demand on the northern part of the Beach. D. Clearwater Pass District Garage The revitalization and expansion of the hospitality uses in the Clearwater Pass District is limited by the availability of off-street parking. In the event that sufficient demand for additional off-street parking justifies a garage with at least 400 spaces, the City should participate in land assembly and revenue financing, provided that the principal beneficiaries provide economic assurances that the proposed garage will operate on abreak-even or better basis. E. Clearwater Marina Garage In the event that additional surface parking is displaced from Clearwater Beach and no other public or private land is available, an alternative site for a garage is the existing Clearwater Marina surface parking lot. Alternatively, this site could accommodate a garage in the event some portion of the Pier 60 surface parking is utilized to enhance recreational opportunities. 41 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design CATALYTIC PROJECTS In community redevelopment momentum is everything. The economic and aesthetic trajectory for Clearwater Beach has been insistently downwards for many years, notwithstanding the individual efforts of many property owners and businesses. That trajectory has momentum which needs to be overcome in order to achieve the objectives of Strategies for Revitalization. The Beach Roundabout has started the reversal of the Beach's prospects, as will the new parking garages and the improvements to North Mandalay and Coronado. More is needed, however, if the City is to be truly successful in transforming Clearwater Beach into a beach community which strikes a meaningful balance between the Beach as a place of residence and as a successful tourism destination. In many redevelopment areas, one or more development projects -- often public/private partnerships --are the pioneering projects that reverse the general economic trend of the area and serve as catalysts for reinvestment and revitalization. Beach by Design includes several catalytic initiatives in addition to the Beach Roundabout to create a positive sense of momentum for Clearwater Beach. During the preparation of Beach by Design, awell-known Pinellas County residential developer approached the City in regard to a possible redevelopment project on Clearwater Beach. The developer indicated that he was impressed with the City's new land development regulations, and the City's commitment to the revitalization of Clearwater Beach as evidenced by the City's decision to create the Beach Roundabout. The developer proposed to develop a residential condominium on an assembly of lands located between Papaya and San Marcos to the west of North Mandalay,. The proposed site was in an area identified in Strategies for Revitalization as a primary redevelopment opportunity area. The City worked with the developer in an unsuccessful effort to complete assembly of the land along North Mandalay and entered into an agreement in regard to certain improvements to North Mandalay. Construction of Mandalay Beach Club was recently commenced. The project is comprised of two towers of 13 and 14 stories which are oriented towards the Gulf of Mexico. Off-street parking is provided in a garage which serves as the building pedestal. By all apparent measures, the project has been very A. North Mandalay Resort Development Strategies for Revitalization identified the land between the Hilton Hotel and the Clearwater Beach Hotel as a priority redevelopment opportunity. The land is unique in that it is located between two of the major hotel properties on Clearwater Beach and fronts on North Mandalay, the closest thing to a retail street that exists on the Island. Strategies for Revitalization anticipated that redevelopment in this area, together with the existing hotels, would create a critical mass of economic activity that would be able to generate support for businesses and restaurants on the Beach. 42 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design,for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Mandalay Beach Club Beach by Design. successful and has stimulated substantial investor/developer Proposed interest in Clearwater Beach as a desirable redevelopment Com,nuniry Redevelopment location. District Designation B. Community Redevelopment District Designation Area While improving the function and character of the public realm --streets, sidewalks, public facilities and off-street parking -- on Clearwater Beach will substantially improve its apparent economic vitality, experience demonstrates that private investment does not necessarily follow public investment. In most successful redevelopment/revitalization efforts, one or more catalytic projects have been used to accelerate the pace of investment in redevelopment and revitalization, usually large scale public investments like aquaria. In part, the need for catalytic projects is a result of many years of market dis-interest because of declining fortunes. Most importantly, however, is the added economic risk of being the pioneer in recognizing an emerging market. It is always easy to attract investors after the pioneer has demonstrated the viability of the market. The situation on Clearwater Beach is complicated by a number of additional factors. The existing regulatory regime limits density on the Beach to 40 hotel units per acre. In order to justify the cost of demolishing income producing improvements (no matter how modest), new resort development would require a significant increase in density above 40 hotel units per acre. Depending on the discount rate and the current economic performance of the existing product, the gross cost of acquisition and demolition of existing units ranges from 2 to 4 times the per room cost which a quality resort hotel developer could afford to pay. Finally, much of the obsolescence of Clearwater Beach is attributable to the lack of resort facilities with a full range of on- site amenities. Several of the better hotels on Sand Key and Clearwater Beach operate as "destination resorts," however, even 43 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater; Florida beach by Design those resorts lack many of the amenities that are available at better hotels in other markets with which Clearwater Beach competes. The economics of destination resorts are such that, except in very exotic destinations, they require a certain critical mass of rooms in order to support the high cost of quality improvements and amenities. Industry sources indicate that 200 to 250 rooms is a practical minimum for the number of rooms which are required to create a successful, highly-amenitized destination resort. For Clearwater Beach, that means an assembly of 6.25 acres of land is required under the existing regulatory regime of 40 rooms to the acre, a land area which is all but impossible in the redevelopment/revitalization context. To overcome these constraints Beach by Design contemplates the development of a small number of catalytic resort projects which would reposition Clearwater Beach and serve to re-establish Clearwater Beach as a quality, family resort community. The concept involves at least one additional resort to the south of Pier 60 Park to serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of South Gulfview and, possibly, an additional resort facility in the North Mandalay resort district. These resorts would be designed to serve ashighly-competitive, fully-amenitized resorts which would effectively reposition Clearwater Beach in terms of the quality of the Beach as a tourist a destination. Once Clearwater Beach is re-positioned as a destination, Beach by Design anticipates that the general strengthening of the market will make it economically feasible to revitalize and upgrade the smaller tourist units on the Beach as a more affordable option for what will then be a significantly upgraded tourism destination. In order to stimulate the desired catalytic resort projects, Beach by Design establishes a limited pool of 600 additional hotel rooms which would be available for use at one or more sites within designated priority redevelopment areas for a period of five (5) years. This period would run from the date that the Community Redevelopment District is approved by the County and accepted by the State. In the event that the units were not allocated pursuant to Beach by Design within five (5) years, the pool of units would cease to exist. Although Beach by Design creates a pool of additional hotel rooms which are not currently authorized under the existing planning and regulatory regime, Beach by Design foresees that the additional units will not in fact have any adverse impact on Clearwater Beach, the City of Clearwater, Pinellas County, the Tampa Bay Region or the State of Florida. That is so because the way in which the units would be made available ensures that the nominal externalities of additional barrier island development will be eliminated or mitigated. For example, the reason d`etre of a destination resort is to have guests travel to the resort and spend most of their time (and money) at the resort. This fact is reflected in the Institute of Traffic Engineer's 6th Edition of the Trip Generation Manual which shows that destination resorts generate somewhere between 50% and 12% of the number of trips generated by traditional motels and hotels. Experience from around the State of Florida -- from Sanibel to Miami to Boca Raton to the Florida Keys -- demonstrates that guests at destination resorts generate a fraction of the number of daily trips which are projected by the Institute of Traffic Engineers for the occupants of an ordinary hotel room. Equally important, the availability of on-site amenities means that when guests leave the resort, their trips are highly discretionary and unlikely to occur during peak travel periods. A critical concern under Florida law involves increased residential densities on the State's barrier islands. Although the primary concern relates to hurricane evacuation, environmental issues are also implicated in undeveloped areas. Historically, Florida planning and zoning has treated hotel units as a type of Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach 44 :r City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design residential dwelling, even though hotels are commercial operations and hotel guests do not generate school children or regularly require social and health services. As a result, an increase in hotel units on a barrier island, as a matter of law, constituted an increase in residential intensities -- directly, where hotel units are defined as a residential use, or indirectly, as in the case of the Pinellas County Planning Rules and the City's land development regulations where hotel and residential units are interchangeable subject only to a density ratio. For the purposes of the additional hotel units pool, Beach by Design provides that such units are not interchangeable with residential units and that hotel rooms will be limited to tenancies of 30 days or less. In addition, Beach by Design provides that any hotel room which is allocated from the additional hotel room pool will be subject to a legally enforceable deed restriction that the hotel which contains any additional hotel rooms will be closed as soon as practicable after the National Hurricane Center posts a hurricane watch for an area which includes Clearwater Beach. As a result, no occupants of destination resorts would remain to be evacuated when and if a hurricane warning is posted. Recent experience reveals that most hotel reservations are cancelled when a hurricane watch is posted and that most hotel operators close as soon as possible because of the cost of maintaining staff and operations with only a few stalwart guests. In contrast, residents are likely to wait until the last minute or until they are ordered to evacuate. For Clearwater Beach, resort hotel units are an obvious advantage over residential units, that is, 0 persons required to evacuate from one acre of land improved with a destination resort hotel when a hurricane warning is posted, as opposed to 69 persons from one acre of land developed at current residential densities. Resort hotels are advantageous to the public in other ways. On average such facilities generate very few public service demands -- most guest needs are provided by the resort. Such facilities pay better than average wages to their employees, have relatively high assessed valuations and their patrons pay sales and bed taxes ensuring that such uses are fiscally beneficial. Moreover, the very nature of destination resorts -diverse, higher income tourist, would provide much needed support for local businesses and restaurants, directly through patronage and indirectly through the provision of goods and services to the resort itself. Finally, the amenities provided by destination resorts supplement local resources to local residents, enriching the community's quality of life. The allocation of units from the pool to a particular prof ect would be strictly controlled and would require that the proposed resort be of a character that it will serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of Clearwater Beach. In order to be eligible for additional resort hotel units, a project would have to have the following characteristics: • a minimum of 200 hotel rooms or 150 marina based hotel rooms, unless a particular proposal of fewer units has such a distinctive character and quality that the resort will be a landmark destination • a full range of on and off-site amenities including full service restaurant, room service, concierge, valet parking, exercise club, boating, fishing, golf, at least 20,000 square feet of meeting space, or comparable amenities • access to hotel rooms through lobbies and internal corridors • a national or international "flag" or other comparable marketing affiliation or program which will ensure support of the repositioning of Clearwater Beach as a resort destination Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach 45 City of Clearwater Florida Beach by Design • require a legally enforceable covenant to implement a trip generation management program which promotes non- vehicular access to and from the resort which shall include at least airport shuttle provided as a part of the basic room rate and resort-provided transportation tooff- site amenities and attractions • require a legally enforceable mandatory evacuation/closure covenant that the resort will be closed as soon as practicable after a hurricane watch which includes Clearwater Beach is posted by the National Hurricane Center • the site must have a minimum land area ol~at least 1 acre • the resort is to be developed on property, which in the opinion of the City, is currently improved with substandard, inefficient or obsolete improvements • the development complies with these criteria, is located in the Tourist District and is eligible to increase the height of structures up to 150 feet • the resort provides demonstrable benefits to the City such as opportunities for public off-street parking • no more than 25% of the rooms may have kitchen facilities • exceptional architectural design and high quality finishes and furnishings • the site must front on the Gulf of Mexico or be separated from the Gulf by beach and a single public road or be located on the Intracoastal Waterway • subject to a legally enforceable covenant obligating the resort to participate in a Clearwater Beach operation and maintenance assessment program ~`k,, ~,: :~ ~~, a 4 c. ti ~~Mw ~ ~yxa R~ -" a ~ '~~~., 3 ,~,: ~ °~ ~. ..~ M* " ~ a ~ ;,~ ;.. „~, ~ ~. t ~ ~ ~ ....xf $~,~~~'.-~~'Ya y~y. ,~~ cx ~ 'g}`, yd yz 4 ~ b ~~~~ ~}y.~ 46 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design•for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design The allocation of additional hotel rooms from the pool would be made by City Commission approval. The land areas which are eligible for additional hotel rooms from the additional hotel room pool are highlighted on the adjacent aerial photograph. The Rules Concerning the Administration of the Countywide Future Land Use Plan As Amended establish a Plan Classification entitled "Community Redevelopment District." According to the Countywide Rules, the purpose of the cl~issification is: To depict those areas of the County that are now designated, or appropriate to be designated, as community centers and neighborhoods for redevelopment in accord with a specific plan therefor. Section 2.3.3.8.4, Countywide Rules, August 20, 1999. Clearwater Beach is already developed with mixed uses and is a residential, economic and recreational focal point of the County. The unique circumstances extant on Clearwater Beach require separate standards for density for catalytic resort projects consistent with the special qualities of the Beach; and the implementation of Beach by Design's catalytic projects to reposition the City of Clearwater's resort economy is consistent with and furthers the purpose of the Community Redevelopment District Plan Classification. In addition, Clearwater Beach satisfies the "locational" requirements for a special designation. The Countywide Rules provide that the Community Redevelopment District classification is appropriate for areas "designed to serve local retail, financial, governmental, residential, and employment .Are. Eligible. Addition Hotel Roor 47 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design.fa~ Clearwater Beach City of Clearn~ater, Florida Note: aerial view prior to mn.rtruclion q('mundahnat and associated public intpmvements Beach by Design focal points for a community; and to specified target neighborhoods designed to encourage redevelopment in one or a combination of uses ..." Clearwater Beach supports a high concentration of residential, commercial and hospitality uses and Beach by Design recommends an increase in hotel density as a catalyst for transforming the Beach into a more balanced and quality resort community. Beach by Design demonstrates that the intensification of hotel use to stimulate reinvestment and revitalization on the Beach, paradoxically reduces travel demand and the number of persons who would have to be evacuated from the barrier islands in the event a hurricane warning is posted for Clearwater Beach. It is indisputable that Clearwater Beach is a "focal point for a community". Finally, Beach by Design provides a strategic context by which the special designation accommodates the special needs of Clearwater Beach in concert with intra and inter-area transportation. The land area which constitutes the special area on Clearwater Beach is approximately 280 acres in area and already includes many uses which are permitted in Community Redevelopment Districts including residential, office, commercial, and institutional. Beach by Design recommends that the Comprehensive Plan of the City of Clearwater be amended to designate central Clearwater Beach (from Acacia Street to the Sand Key Bridge, excluding Devon Avenue and Bayside Drive) as a Community Redevelopment District and that this Chapter of Beach by Design be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan and submitted for approval to the Pinellas County Planning Council and the Pinellas County Commissioners sitting as the Countywide Planning Authority. In addition, Beach by Design recommends that the use of TDRs under the provisions of the City's land development regulations be encouraged within the Community Redevelopment District to achieve the objectives of Beach by Design and the PPC designation. 48 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater; Florida Beach by Design C. Beach Walk: The New South Gulfview Drive The Beach is Clearwater Beach's principal asset -- a wide, white sand beach of remarkable character with spectacular sunsets. Outstanding in its own right, the Beach is all the more attractive because it is located within a major metropolitan area -- within an hour's drive of more than 2,300,000 persons and is accessible by car. The Beach, however, for all of its width and beauty, is generally not visible from the vantage point of the general public from the roads. To the north of the Beach Roundabout, the Beach is obscured from the public realm by private development except for the parking lots at Bay Esplanade and several street dead ends. At Pier 60 Park, the Beach and the water are somewhat visible through the improvements in the park and over and around the parked cars in the Pier 60 parking lot. To the south of Pier 60 Park, there is no private development to the west of South Gulfview. Nevertheless, the views from South Gulfview are primarily of asphalt and parked cars. Gulfview Drive south of the Pier 60 Park reflects the lack of coherence in the City of Clearwater's stewardship of the City's most important resource. Indeed, the public realm along South Gulfview is all but an embarrassment. The street itself is shabby, with poor definition, substandard sidewalks and a median lane frequently used by large 18 wheel delivery trucks. Street lights are standard DOT issue and there are no bicycle paths. To the west of South Gulfview is a 586 space surface parking lot which is literally on the beach -- making the view from South Gulfview -- potentially one of the great beachfront drives in the world -- one of asphalt and parked cars. The Clearwater Beach sunset -- an experience that should overshadow other popular sunset locales like Key West -- is all but obscured. The private realm is not much better. The motels and hotels along the "strip" are showing their age and obsolescence. The primary retail uses at street level are T-shirt shops, souvenirs and restaurants. The few opportunities for outside dining are in 49 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design, for Clearwater Beach C'iry of Clearwater Florida Beach by Design areas where the sidewalks are so narrow and so close pedestrians and passing cars that crash barriers have been installed in some areas to create some sense of place and safety for patrons. The character of the public realm which separates these otherwise beachfront properties severely impacts the economic vitality of the units and is a substantial, if not absolute, deterrent to reinvestment. With the exception of the Legends restaurant, a few small buildings and the new McDonalds, itself a indicator of the character and quality of South Gulfview, the properties between the Pier 60 parking lot and the Adams Mark Hotel are in need of revitalization or redevelopment. Strategies for Revitalization and Beach by Design contemplates that the revitalization of Clearwater Beach in general and the South Gulfview area in particular requires a repositioning of Clearwater Beach as a tourist destination. Beach by Design proposes that one or more properties along South Gulfview to the south of Pier 60 Park be redeveloped as true destination resorts with the expectation that the presence of such facilities would substantially enhance the market position of Clearwater Beach and would justify re-investment in the smaller properties along South Gulfview, Coronado and Hamden. In order to attract the desired resort, Beach by Design proposes that the City of Clearwater designate Clearwater Beach as a Community Redevelopment District in order to overcome the density and economic constraints on resort development under the existing regulatory regime for a limited number of true destination resorts. Beach by Design, however, assumes that additional resort density by itself is not enough to overcome the existing conditions on Clearwater Beach, a resort is proposed to be located on property which fronts directly on the Beach. That means that the City must either close South Gulfview to the south of Pier 60 Park and remove the public parking from the Beach so that private properties located on the east side of South Gulfview become beachfront, or take other steps to make South Gulfview into an address of comparable amenity value and character. Beach by Design is grounded in the expectation that the relocation of South Gulfview will transform the beachfront into a landmark place which will be an attraction to residents of the City and the region and an amenity for the City's tourists. Beach by Design also contemplates that the new South Gulfview will be a Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design,for Clearwater Beach 50 City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design "great" address which will stimulate revitalization and renovation ofthe existing improvements. Beach by Design recognizes that closing South Gulfview would be a substantial incentive for redevelopment. However, Beach by Design is grounded in the balance between the needs and interests of residents and tourists. In this context. Beach by Design proposes that Soutll Gulfview be maintained as a public road, but that South Gulfview, be transformed into a great beachfront place which would rival, indeed outdo, the other popular beachfront drives in Florida including AlA in Fort Lauderdale Beach and South Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. The proposal is to create a beachfront drive that is uniquely Clearwater and is at the same time a great "address" and a great "place." Beach is repositioned in the tourism market place. The Beach by Design proposal to relocate South Gulfview to the west of its current alignment achieves multiple purposes. First, it creates a drive with a real view of the Beach and the Gulf of Mexico. Second, it would allow the City to vacate the east 35 feet of the existing right of way in favor of the properties along the eastern frontage of existing South Gulfview as an incentive for appropriate redevelopment. Many of the existing properties would substantially benefit from an additional 35 feet of depth which could be used for the addition of facilities and amenities such as safe and comfortable areas for outdoor dining. Beach by Design includes a proposal that the parking lots to the west of South Gulfview be removed from the Beach as was recommended in Strategies for Revitalization. Beach by Beach by Design proposes to create a great beachfront -- to be known as "Beach Walk" -- by relocating South Gulfview from the existing right of way to the west where the existing surface parking lots are located. The redevelopment and revitalization of the properties that front on South Gulfview is constrained by several factors including small parcel sizes and the Coastal Construction Control Line. As a result, most of the motels and hotels along the east side of South Gulfview have limited opportunities for redevelopment even if Clearwater Design proposes two alternative alignments for South Gulfview -- a sinuous alignment and a parallel alignment. In either alignment the road would be configured as a two way, two lane section. Whatever the alignment, Beach by Design proposes that the realigned South Gulfview include a 30 foot wide pair of pathways along the western edge of the alignment -- one for bicycles and roller bladers and the other for pedestrians. In addition, Beach by Design recommends that the western half of the existing right of way be converted into a broad pedestrian SI Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design, for Clearwater Beach City ofClear-water. Florida Beach by Design promenade with sidewalk cafe seating and other traditional sidewalk scenery. In the event that the City implements the Beach by Design recommendation for an intra-Clearwater Beach transit system, the transit guide way would be located along the western edge of the promenade. The sinuous alternative involves a curvilinear alignment that shifts between the western edge of the existing right of way to the western edge of the existing surface parking lot. A driver following the course of the alignment would have direct views of the Gulf of Mexico when the alignment. moves toward the Beach. The sinuous alternative would allow the City to reconfigure some of the parking on the Beach at discrete locations in the landward area to serve local business needs and provide convenient handicap parking. If any of the parking is retained, the parking areas should be highly landscaped and designed to have a distinct sense of place. The parallel alignment could be located at any point between the existing right of way and the western edge of the surface parking lot. Whatever the alignment, Beach by Design recommends that it be heavily landscaped with parallel street trees along the entire course of the road and the Beach promenade. The east side of the new South Gulfview would be the transit guide way, assuming that the intra-beach transit proposal is implemented, which in turn would be bounded by a 25 foot wide promenade sidewalk. The promenade is contemplated to primarily to serve local pedestrian access to businesses on the east side of South Gulfview and serve as a corridor for pedestrians who have destinations at or to the north of Pier 60 Park. Ideally, the motels and hotels will have taken advantage of the opportunity to revitalize their property so that the sidewalk on the eastern side of the road will be bounded by new and improved grounds with pools, outside cafes and other "seaside" amenities. The sidewalk would be separated from the travel lanes of the new South Gulfview by a four foot parkway with generously spaced street trees. The two travel lanes -- one north and one south -- would be 10 feet in width and would be separated from the bicycle and pedestrian walk by a second 4 foot parkway with street trees. 52 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City ofClearwater, Florida Beach by Design The bicycle/rollerblade lane would be 15 feet in width and would be separated from the pedestrian walk by some sort of visual demarcation. The pedestrian walk would front directly on the dry sand with small plazas with seating and steps to the beach located along the walk at strategic locations. If the sinuous alignment is selected, the cross section would be practically the same as the non-sinuous alignment except that small parking area align land that Beach by Design strongly recommends the sinuous alignment for several reasons. First, maintaining some of the surface parking will benefit existing businesses along the existing right of way. Second, the curvilinear alignment will naturally calm traffic along its length. Third. the curvilinear form helps to break the beachfront into a series of discrete landscapes. Finally, the curvilinear alignment would be distinctive and memorable, qualities which would support the City's desire to reposition the Beach as a tourist destination. 53 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of C'lear-water, Florida beach by Design VI. ECONOMIC REALITY AND FEASIBILITY and tourists, the City must commit the investment resources necessary to improve mobility and to create a place of distinction. "There is no free lunch. " Milton Friedman In Strategies for Revitalization, the community called out the problems on Clearwater Beach: In recent years, residents and business owners in Clearwater Beach have become increasingly concerned about the physical conditions on the island and the potentially negative impact that these conditions have on residents and businesses of Clearwater Beach. Among the primary concerns expressed about the island are changing tourist and market perceptions of the island due to the general lack of reinvestment in business properties in the area, poor traffic and pedestrian circulation, parking, and poor aesthetic conditions. Beach by Design is nothing if not ambitious. Beach by Design proposes to re-mediate the concerns identified in Strategies and transform Clearwater Beach an attractive and vital resort community that strikes a meaningful balance between the interests of Beach residents, business owners, the citizens of the City of Clearwater and the City's tourism economy. Beach by Design is not, however, a picture book of ideas -- it is a practical public and private investment strategy. The history of public asset management on Clearwater Beach is a classic example of dis- investment and if the City wishes to address its citizens' concerns about Clearwater Beach and to create a resort community which is responsive to the concerns and interests of residents, businesses The estimated cost of improvements proposed in Beach by Design are significant. The table on the following page identifies projected capital costs on a generalized basis for the public investment elements of Beach by Design. The cost estimates are for planning purposes only, but have been prepared on the basis of recent, actual cost data. Beach by Design proposes that the $11.1 million investment could be paid for by a range of funding options such as Pennies for Pinellas, the city capital improvement program, increases in ad valorem taxes as a result of new development, developer contributions, tax increment financing, grants and special funding programs, state and federal highway programs, and parking revenues. Beach by Design recommends that the City seek federal funding for the capital costs of the inta-beach and beach access transit systems. Several Florida coastal cities are currently pursuing federal funding for greenway/transit projects and Beach by Design proposes a system which in terms of real function should be very well-received by state and federal transportation authorities. The question of funding availability may ultimately be a matter of legislative direction. The cost of the guideway, except for rails if the vehicle is a narrow gauge rail vehicle, is incorporated in the cost of road/promenade improvements. The cost of acquiring the infra-beach transit vehicles is estimated at $2,800,000 _.~y _ .,....,,.., ..... ;.~ .,. w 54 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design The following table portrays the estimated cost of the public improvements porposed in Beach By Design: Beach by Design: Public Investment Costs North Mandalay Improvement Estimated Cost Road 4 lanes w/1 lane parking $1,775,500 Sidewalks 3,000 feet $ 450 000 Street Trees 100 $ 300,000 Coronado 3 lanes w/sidewalk $1,562,000 Hamden 21anes $1,213 370 South Gulfview Road , bike and ped ways 41anes $2,083,333 Promenade and lams 117 000 uare feet $1,462 500 Street trees 392 $1,100,000 Sub-total $9,726,703 Con ' enc 15% $1 459 005 TOTAL $11,185,708 55 Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design III. DESIGN GUIDELINES Implementation of Beach by Design involves more than community redevelopment initiatives, it also involves private development and redevelopment that conforms to design objectives and principles established in Beach by Design. These objectives and principles will help the City promote safety, encourage cleanliness, and provide a comfortable environment. Any issue not addressed in these Design Guidelines shall be governed by the requirements ofthe Community Development Code. Beach by Design: Design Objectives The design guidelines are intended to address and promote the followingprinciples and are intended to be administered in a flexible manner to achieve the highest quality built environment for Clearwater Beach. They are not intended to serve as regulations requiringspecific reliefexceptwith regard to building height and spacing between buildings exceeding 100 feet in height. Bulk 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. To promote development and redevelopment which is in scale with the character and function of Clearwater Beach To ensure that the gross density and intensity of development on Clearwater Beach does not exceed the capacity of public infrastructure To ensure that new development is compatible with existing buildings To maintain a distinct character on Clearwater Beach To avoid further "walling ofP' of the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway with "rows" of high rise buildings To promote diversity in the scale, mass and height of buildings To ensure that sidewalks are sufficiently wide to allow groups of pedestrians to pass without having to walk in the street To ensure that the height of buildings is relative to and in scale with the width of public places Design 1. To ensure aesthetically pleasing architecture in a tropical vernacular 2. To create inviting, human scale "places" at the street level of all buildings 3. To promote an integration of form and function 4. To create a sense of a "beach community neighborhood" throughout Clearwater Beach 5. To use landscape material to differentiate Clearwater Beach from other beach areas and intensely developed places in Pinellas County 6. To landscape all surface parking areas so that the view of such parking facilities from public roads, sidewalks and other places is determined by landscape material instead of asphalt 7. To ensure that the street level of all buildings is pedestrian friendly „~.-. 56 ..... _., ~ ., _ . _ Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design A. Density The gross density of residential development shall not exceed 30 dwelling units per acre, unless additional density is transferred from other locations on Clearwater Beach. Ordinarily, resort density will be limited to 40 units per acre. However, additional density can be added to a resort either by transferred development rights or if by way of the provisions of the community redevelopment district (CRD) designation. Nonresidential density is limited by Pinellas County Planning Council intensity standards. B. Height Maximum height is prescribed by the respective zoning districts in the Community Development Code unless otherwise restricted by Beach by Design. The height may be increased, however, to one hundred fifty feet (150') i£ 1. additional density is allocated to the development either by transferred development rights or with bonus hotel units pursuant to the CRD designation; 2. portions of any structures which exceed one hundred feet (100') are spaced at least one hundred feet (100') apart (with no more than two (2) structures which exceed one hundred feet (100') within five hundred feet (500'); or four (4) structures which exceed one hundred feet (100') within eight hundred feet (800') so long as the elevations of all structures which exceed one hundred feet (100') when such structures are viewed from the east do not occupy a total of forty percent (40%) of a north south vertical plane which is parallel to the alignment of Coronado and North Mandalay of the building envelope above one hundred feet (100'); and 30 UN1T5 f ER AGRE '~ CRD DENSITY -'~ 1 BONUS UNITS (RESORTS ONLY) I~ ~ ~ A ~\\a~ ~.. ONE ACRE ~~~~ G~~ ~~ G~ ~,, .._ ~/ TRANSFERRED RESIDENTIAL OR RESORT DENSITY ,~ H - .~. Tools for Increasing Residential and Hotel Development Densities MAXIMUM HEIGHT MAY BE INCREASED TO 150 ft. (SEE REQUIREMENTS) ................ 150 _;,: - _..- w -------- MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 100 ft. ._ Application of Building Height Standards 57 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida beach by Design Oi'TION 1: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) BUILDINGS ABOVE 100 FEET IN HEIGHT WITHIN 500 FEET O!'TION 2: NO MORE THAN FDUR (4) BUILDINGS ABOVE 100 FEET IN HEIGHT WITHIN 800 FEET (SEE B. HEIGHT, 2 FOR ELEVATION REQUIREMENTS F01Z STRUCTURES EXCEEDING 100 FEET) I! Required spacing for buildings or portions of arty structures which exceed one hundred feet (100) in height. . _. 58 ,~ ... _ , Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida ~-.._ _ _ _ _._ 800 ~ -- _ ,.:; --- ----- 800 ------------ --.._......_...--- -----~, .~......._........_....... __......_ ................ ___ __.... 800 - ------,~ Imo.. _.. _ ............._--______......._.._...._............__ 800 _........... __ __ __ _._ _ _ Beach by Design 3. the floorplate of any portion of a building that exceeds forty- fivefeet (45') in height is limited as follows: a. between forty-five feet (45') and one hundred feet (100'), the floorplate will be no greater than 25,000 square feet except for parking structures open to the public;and b. between one hundred feet (100') and one hundred fifty feet (150'), the floorplate will be no greater than 10,000 square feet; and building dimensions in the vertical or horizontal planes are equal in length. For this purpose, equal in length means that the two lengths vary by less than forty percent (40%) of the shorter of the two (2) lengths. The horizontal plane measurements relate to the footprint of the building. 2. No plane of a building may continue uninterrupted for greater than one hundred linear feet (100'). For the purpose of this standard, interrupted means an offset of greater than five feet (5'). c. deviations to the above floorplate requirements may be approved provided the mass and scale of the design creates a tiered effect and complies with the maximum building envelop allowance above 45' as described in section C.1.4 below. C. Design, Scale and Mass of Buildings No particular architectural style is prescribed. However, good architecture, from a community character perspective, comes in all shapes and styles. There is, however, in every community an established vocabulary of the "good," the "bad," and the "ugly." New buildings should respect this vocabulary and enhance the community character wherever possible. The more daring the design, the more sensitive the particular architecture is to failure. Quantifiable aspects ofthe architectural vocabulary are: 1. Buildings with a footprint of greater than 5,000 square feet or a single dimension of greater than one hundred (100) feet will be constructed so that no more than two (2) of the three (3) PERMITTED 15' '~-- i -,- - ~ ~ : - 451^ ~- r ~/ _~- - _ ~~ 75, 100' 100' 215' DESIGN FEATURES: - Building dimensions: 215'w x 75'd x 45'h > No one dimension i5 "equal" to another > No horizontal plane extends more than 100' without interruption DESIGN FLAWS: > Building dimensions: 100'w x 100'd x 45'h > Width and depth are "equal" > Building face extends more than 100' without interruption Application of quantifiable architectural standards (1) and (2) 59 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater; Florida Beach by Design 3. At least sixty percent (60%) of any elevation will be covered with windows or architectural decoration. For the u ose of THEORETICAL MAXIMUM h IP BUILDING ENVELOPE this standard, an elevation is that portion of a building that is MAXIMUM visible from a articular oint outside the arcel ro osed for HEIGHT development. / ~` 4. No more than sixty percent (60%) of the theoretical ,~! ~. maximum building envelope located above forty-five feet ' ; f ~~~ (45') will be occupied by a building. For the purpose of this 15o j 60% OF MAXIMUM ~`.~ standard, theoretical maximum building envelope is the % ~ BUILDING ENVELOPE `;~` maximum permitted building volume that could be ~ MAYBE OCCUPIED .~ , BY A BUILDING theoretically occupied by a building and occupied by a building includes any portion of the maximum possible ~ 45' building envelope that is not visible from apublic street. .__. 5. The height and mass of buildings will be correlated to: (1) the --_____ _______ dimensional aspects of the parcel proposed for development Application of quantifiable architectural standard (4) and (2) adj acent public spaces such as streets and parks. 6. Buildings maybe designed for a vertical or horizontal mix of permitted uses. D. Setbacks 1. Rights-of--way. The area between the building and the edge of the pavement as existing and planned should be sufficiently wide to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. The distances from structures to the edge of the pavement should be: a. fifteen feet (15') along arterials, and b. Twelve feet (12') along local streets. PROPERTY LINE -- PUBLIC REALM 15 ~ ', N07 SUFFICIENTLY WIDE. - SETBACK REQUIRED: _ 15' ON ARTERIAL (MIN.) ~L- _-]_; --;;~ 12' ON LOCAL 5T. (MIN.) , _ ~ "A 10 FOOT WIDE ARCADE ~._~ , ,-~-~ ~~ _~_; MAY BE CONSTRUCTED ~` _- _*; _.,1 PUBLIC REALM IS - ,~- ~~ ~~ SUFFICIENTLY WIDE. I-''-~' € NO SETBACK REQUIRED. ~., , ; ~; ,__ '' '-' `' DECORATIVE AWNINGS '- `- 'W ~ ,y " ~ MAY BE EXTENDED , PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY Application of Setback Standards 60 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida PROPERTY Beach by Design A ten foot (10') pedestrian path is key to establishing a pedestrian-friendly place in the nonresidential environment. Accordingly, arcades may be constructed in the public space, but may not narrow the pedestrian path to less than ten feet (10'). Decorative awnings and arcades and public balconies may extend into the public space, and even into the right-of--way (provided they do not obstruct vehicular traffic). Outdoor cafe tables are also permitted in the public space, subject to the requirements in Section H, Sidewalks. 2. Side and Rear Setbacks. Except for the setbacks set forth above, no side or rear setback lines are recommended, except as may be required to comply with the City's Fire Code. E. Street-Level Facades The human scale and aesthetic appeal of street-level facades, and their relationship to the sidewalk, are essential to a pedestrian-friendly environment. Accordingly: 1. at least sixty percent (60%) of the street level facades of buildings used for nonresidential purposes which abut a public street or pedestrian access way, will be transparent. For the purpose of this standard: a. street level facade means that portion of a building facade from ground level to a height of twelve feet (12'); b. transparent means windows or doors that allow pedestrians to see into: i. the building, or ii. landscaped or hardscaped courtyard or plazas, where street level facades are set back at least fifteen feet (15') from the edge of the sidewalk and the area between the sidewalk and the facade is a landscaped or hardscaped courtyard or plaza. ~_ <<~ ~~, -~ ~~ .~•. e ,~ _ ~. ~ "~ 61 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida /llustrative Sample: Sidewalk Cafe Separated. from Pedestrian Area Beach by Design parking structures should utilize architectural details and design elements such as false recessed windows, arches, planter boxes, metal grillwork, etc. instead of transparent alternatives. When a parking garage abuts a public road or other public place, it will be designed such that the function of the building is not readily apparent except at points of ingress and egress. 2. Window coverings, and other opaque materials may cover no more than 10% of the area of any street-level window in a nonresidential building that fronts on a public right-of--way. 3. Building entrances should be aesthetically inviting and easily identified. 4. Goods for sale will not be displayed outside of a building, except as a permitted temporary use. This standard does not apply to outdoor food service establishments. 5. Awnings and other structures that offer pedestrians cover from the elements are recommended. Awnings help define entryways and provide storefront identity to both pedestrians and drivers. F. Parking Areas To create awell-defined and aesthetically appealing street boundary, all parking areas will be separated from public rights of way by a landscaped decorative wall, fence or other opaque landscape treatment of not less than three feet (3') and not more than three and one-half feet (3'/2') in height. Surface parking areas that are visible from public streets or other public places will be landscaped such that the parking areas are defined more by their landscaping materials than their paved areas when viewed from adjacent property. The use of shade trees is encouraged in parking lots. However, care should be taken to choose trees that do not drop excessive amounts of leaves, flowers, or seeds on the vehicles below. 62 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida /llustrative Sample: Aesthetically Appealing Facade Beach by Design Entrances to parking areas should be clearly marked in order to avoid confusion and minimize automobile-pedestrian conflicts. Attractive signage and changes to the texture of the road (such as pavers) are recommended. When a parking garage abuts a public road or other public place, it will be designed such that the function of the building is not readily apparent except at points of ingress and egress. G. Signage Signage is an important contributor to the overall character of a place. However, few general rules apply to signage. Generally, signage should be creative, unique, simple, and discrete. Blade signs, banners and sandwich boards should not be discouraged, but signs placed on the sidewalk should not obstruct pedestrian traffic. SHADE TREES AND MEDIUM ACCENT TREES (OR PALM EQUIVALENTS) GROUND COVER OR OTHER VEGETATION PROPERTY SHRUBS LINE FENCE OR WALL ~ 3' TO 3'/z' HEIGHT ' i, l . ~~DD e ~: - ~. 0 0 STREET Surface Parking Areas H. Sidewalks Sidewalks along arterials and retail streets should be at least ten feet (10') in width. All sidewalks along arterials and retail streets will be landscaped with palm trees, spaced to a maximum ofthirty-five feet (35') on centers, with "clear grey" of not less than eight feet (8'). Acceptable palm trees include sabal palms (sabal palmetto), medjool palms (phoenix dactylifera `medjool'), and canary island date palms (phoenix canariensis). Sidewalks along side streets will be landscaped with palms (clear trunk of not less than eight feet (8')) or shade trees, spaced at maximum intervals ofthirty-five feet (35') on centers. Portions of required sidewalks may be improved for non- pedestrian purposes including outdoor dining and landscape material, provided that: PUBLIC RESIDENTIAL PARKING ROAD U5E GARAGE Illustrative Sample: Facades of Parking Garages Abutting Public Roads 63 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida Beach by Design l . movement of pedestrians along the sidewalk is not obstructed; and 2. non-pedestrian improvements and uses are located on the street side of the sidewalk. Distinctive paving patterns should be used to separate permanent sidewalk cafe improvements from the pedestrian space on the sidewalk. To enhance pedestrian safety and calm traffic, distinctive paving should also be used to mark crosswalks. I. Street Furniture and Bicycle Racks Street furniture, including benches and trash receptacles should be liberally placed along the sidewalks, at intervals no greater than thirty linear feet (30') of sidewalk. Bicycle racks should also be provided, especially near popular destinations, to promote transportation alternatives. Complicated bicycle rack systems should be avoided. The placement of street furniture and bicycle racks should not interrupt pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk. J. Street Lighting Street lighting should respond to the pedestrian-oriented nature of a tourist destination. In this context, it should balance the functional with the attractive -providing adequate light to vehicular traffic, while simultaneously creating intimate spaces along the sidewalks. Clearwater's historic lighting is an attractive, single-globe fixture atop acast-iron pole. 64 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida Illustrative Sample: Wide Sidewalk Lined with Palms Beach by Design K. Fountains Fountains provide attractive focal points to public spaces and add natural elements to urban environments. They should be interesting, engaging and unique. While it is important not to overburden architectural creativity regarding fountains, they should meet at least the following standards in order to be a functional and attractive component of the public space: 1. they should be supplemented with street furniture such as benches and trash receptacles, and 2. they should have rims that are: a. tall enough to limit unsupervised access by small children, and b. wide enough to permit seating. Fountains should be encouraged in landscaped and hardscaped courtyards and plazas. L. Materials and Colors Facades Finish materials and building colors will reflect Florida or coastal vernacular themes. All awnings should contain at least three (3) distinct colors. Bright colors will be limited to trims and other accents. Glass curtain walls are prohibited. 65 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of Clearwater, Florida /llustrative Sample: Fountain Located on Sidewalk with Decorative Pavers• Beach by Design 2. Sidewalks Sidewalks will be constructed of: 4. Color Pallette A recommended pallette for building colors is presented on the following page. a. pavers; b. patterned, distressed, or special aggregate concrete; or c. other finished treatment that distinguishes the sidewalks from typical suburban concrete sidewalks. Materials should be chosen to minimize the cost and complexity of maintenance. 3. Street Furniture Street furniture will be constructed of low-maintenance materials, and will be in a color that is compatible with its surroundings. ~~. 66 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City orClearwater, Florida Illustrative Samples: Functional, Human-Scaled Street Lighting teach by Design ~~ ~ . ___ k ~- ~~ ~ ~: ~~ ~~~ ~~ ' ~~,'~ 67 Beach by Design: Design Guidelines City of C'leanvater, Florida ORDINANCE NO. 6689-01 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA ADOPTING A COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA PLAN FOR CLEARWATER BEACH ENTITLED BEACH BY DESIGN: A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR CLEARWATER BEACH AND DESIGN GUIDELINES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the economic vitality of Clearwater Beach is a major contributor to the economic health of the City overall; and - WHEREAS, the public infrastructure and private improvements of Clearwater Beach are a critical part contributing to the economic vitality of the Beach; and WHEREAS, substantial imp,~;ovements and upgrades to both the public infrastructure and private improvements are necessary to improve the tourist appeal and citizen enjoyment of the Beach; and WHEREAS, Policy 2.1.1 of the Future Land Use Element of the Clearwater Comprehensive Pian calls for the renewal of the beach tourist district to be encouraged through the establishment of a community redevelopment area; and WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater contracted with the consulting firm of Siemon and, Larson for the purpose of preparing a redevelopment strategy for Clearwater Beach; and WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater has invested significant time and resources in studying Clearwater Beach; and . WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater has conducted numerous public meetings regarding Beach by Design and has considered the public testimony in the development of the plan; and. WHEREAS, Beach by Design represents the consultant's recommendation, based upon its professional expertise and research, and input from Clearwater residents, property owners, business owners, and City staff; and WHEREAS, Beach by Design contains specific development standards and design guidelines for areas of Clearwater Beach that are in' addition to and supplement the Community Development Code; and WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater has the authority pursuant to Rules Governing the Administration of the Countywide Future Land Use Plan, as amended, Section 2.3.3.8.4, to ,adapt and enforce a specific plan for redevelopment in accordance with the Community Redevelopment District plan category, and said Section requires that a special area plan therefore be approved by the local government; and WHEREAS, Beach by Design provides a limited density pool that can only be used for hotel resort development which will aid in the renewal of the beach tourism industry; and Ordinance No. 6689-01 WHEREAS, Beach by Design establishes Clearwater Beach as an area where transfer of development rights may be used pursuant to the Pinellas Planning Council Rules Governing the Administration of the Countywide Future Land Use Plan, as amended; and WHEREAS, Beach by Design has been submitted to the Community Development Board acting as the Local Planning Authority (LPA) for the City of Clearwater; and WHEREAS, the Local Planning Agency (LPA) for the City of Clearwater held a duly noticed public hearing and found that Beach by Design is consistent with the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, ~n February 1, 2001 and February 15, 2001, the City Commission of the City of Clearwater reviewed and approved Beach by Design; now therefore, ' 44 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ... GLEARWATER, FLO~tIDA: Section 1. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design Guidelines attached hereto as Exhibit "A" is hereby adopted. Section 2. The boundaries of the special area plan governed by Beach by Design are shown on the map attached hereto as Exhibit''B."~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~~ Section 3. Beach by Design is hereby approved and adopted as the special area plan and prescribes long range planning strategies for the area. Section 4. Beach by Design contains specific development standards and design guidelines for areas of Clearwater Beach that are in addition to and supplement the Community Development Code;, and Section 5. Beach by Design establishes a limited density pool for hotel resort development that can be used in a specified area pursuant to the specific requirements established in Beach by Design. Section 6. Beach by Design establishes an area where the transfer of development rights may be used pursuant to the specific requirements established in Beach by Design. Section 7. The City Manager or designee shall forward said plan to any agency required by law or rule to review or approve same. Section 8. It is the intention of the City Commission that this ordinance and plan and every provision. thereof, shall be considered separable; and the invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not affect the validity of any other provision of this ordinance and plan. Section 9. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption. 2 Ordinance No. 6689-01 PASSED ON FIRST READING PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING AND ADOPTED February 1, 2001 February 15, 2000 Brian . Au t Mayor-Commissioner Approved as to form: r~ Leslie K. Dougall-Si e Assistant City Attorney ~~ Attest: ~4 n --LEI.. ~ . Cy t is E. Goudeau Cit Jerk 3 Ordinance No. 6689-01 ~~~o ~ Exhibit ~ ~pe~ial Area Pawn ~®~ndarie~ S•T,REEi. ` ty F+RS7 82~ ~i !Ai ~{ 4J e q~ ~ W i~. o..~pL,~ r ~ 7 - ~'~ :CI o ~' K OR®INANCE NO. 6917-01 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO BEACH BY DESIGN: A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR CLEARWATER BEACH AND DESIGN GUIDELINES; BY ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE MARINA RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT PROVISIONS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LAND CONSOLIDATION, HEIGHT AND CITY INCENTIVE OPTIONS; BY ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE HEIGHT PROVISIONS OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES AS THEY RELATE TO THE MARINA RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the economic vitality of Clearwater Beach is a major contributor to the economic health of the City overall; and WHEREAS, the public infrastructure and private improvements of Clearwater Beach are a critical part contributing to the economic vitality of the Beach; and WHEREAS, substantial improvements and upgrades to both the public infrastructure and private improvements are necessary to improve the tourist appeal and citizen enjoyment of the Beach; and WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater has invested significant time and resources in studying Clearwater Beach; and WHEREAS, Beach by Design, the special area plan governing Clearwater Beach, contains specific development standards and design guidelines for areas of Clearwater Beach that need to be improved and/or redeveloped; and ... WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater has the authority pursuant to Rules Governing the Administration of the Countywide Future Land Use Plan, as amended, Section 2.3.3.8.4, to adopt and enforce a specific plan for redevelopment in accordance with the Community Redevelopment District plan category, and said Section requires that a special area plan therefore be approved by the local government; and WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to Beach by Design has been submitted to the Community Development Board acting as the Local Planning Authority (LPA) for the City of Clearwater; and WHEREAS, the Local Planning Agency (LPA) for the City of Clearwater held a duly noticed public hearing and found that amendment to Beach by Design are consistent with the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, on November 15, 2001 and December 13, 2001 the City Commission of the City of Clearwater reviewed and approved Beach by Design; now therefore, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: Ordinance No. 6917-01 Section 1. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design guidelines is amended pursuant to the attached "Exhibit "A" is hereby adopted. Section 2. Beach by Design, as amended, contains specific development standards and design guidelines for areas of Clearwater Beach that are in addition to and supplement the Community Development Code; and Section 3. The City Manager or designee shall forward said plan to any agency required by law or rule to review or approve same. Section 4. It is the intention of the City Commission that this ordinance and plan and every provision thereof, shall be considered separable; and the invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not affect the validity of any other provision of this ordinance and plan. Section 5. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption. PASSED ON FIRST READING PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING AND ADOPTED Approved as to form: Leslie K. Dou~all-S~es Assistant City Attorney ~- November 15, 2001 December 13, 2001 Brian J. Au st Mayor-Commissioner Attest: ~~~~ Cynt 'a . Goudeau City Clerk 2 Ordinance No. 6917-01 ~%d EXHIBIT "A" for ORDINANCE NO. 6917-01 C. Marina Residential District The area to the east of Poinsettia and North. Mandalay to the north of Baymont is primarily a residential district with a few motel and restaurant uses. The parcels of land to the east of East Shore front on Clearwater Bay. However, those parcels are relatively shallow, limiting the utility of the existing parcelization. Beach by Design anticipates the redevelopment of the Marina District as a waterfront residential neighborhood with parcels to the east of Poinsettia consolidated with parcels to the east of East Shore in favor of land assembly. Four distinct blocks should be created from this consolidated land between the Causeway and Baymont Street consistent with existing area street patterns. Pedestrian access should be provided through each block to the Intracoastal Waterway and terminate at a public boardwalk located along the shoreline from the Causeway to Mandalay Avenue. Retail and restaurant uses are appropriate in the north and south block only and residential uses located between. The Yacht Basin Apartment site, which is located on the north side of Baymont, should be considered an integral part of this neighborhood. It must be included in any consolidation effort and is an appropriate site for a marina based hotel and other residential uses. } If all of this land is consolidated under single ownership and developed according to the Marina Residential District framework as a unified plan, the City should do the following: vacate East Shore; create an assessment district to finance the boardwalk construction; participate in a garage at Pelican Walk; and make available the density pool for amarina-based hotel meeting the requirements of Beach by Design on the Yacht Basin Apartment site, including the potential allowance of 150 feet in building height. All other building heights within this district would be permitted between 2-4 stories above parking. If the "single" property consolidation described above does not occur intermediate strategies should be employed. These strategies should result in smaller, but ~~ onificant lot consolidation in the East Shore area consistent with the four "distinct blocks" identified previously between the Causeway and Baymont Street. This area should also value two larger consolidations of approximately five acres each as an incentive for redevel~ment. The Qoal of marina based development in conjunction with a public "Bayside Boardwalk" should also be pursued. Additionally, the Yacht Basin site should be redeveloped in its current configuration without further subdivision. In order to implement these strategies the following incentives are available: Exhibit to Ord. No. 6917-O1 Hei ht. In addition to the requirements of the Design Guidelines the following requirements shall apply in the Marina Residential District between Baymont Street and the Causeway. 1. Protects that consolidate a minimum of five acres will be eligible for approval of height up to 100 feet subject to meeting the standards of the Community Development Code Beach By Design and approval by the Community Development Board. 2. Projects that consolidate a minimum of 2.5 acres will be eligible for approval of hei hg t_up to 70 feet subject to rneetinQ the standards of the Community Development Code Beach By Design and approval by the Community Development Board. 3. Structures located between the Causeway and Baymont Street exceeding 35 feet in height shall occupy no more than fifty (50) percent of the property frontage along the Intra-coastal Waterway In the event that lot consolidation under one owner does not occur, Beach by Design contemplates the City working with the District property owners to issue a request for proposals to redevelop the District in the consolidated manner identified above. If this approach does not generate the desired consolidation and redevelopment, Beach by Design calls for the City to initiate a .City Marina DRI in order to facilitate development of a marina based neighborhood subject to property owner support. If lot consolidation does not occur within the ewe District, the maximum permitted height of development east of East Shore will ~be restricted to two (2) stories above parking and between Poinsettia and East Shore could extend to four (4) stories above parking. An additional story could be gained in this area if the property was developed as a live/work product. . Yacht Basin Property 1. The Yacht Basin property will be redeveloped without further subdivision and subject to the design guidelines. The property will feature Lower building heights around the perimeter of the property with higher buildings located on the interior of the site with stepped back design. a. The project will provide streetscape improvements on the Mandalay and Baymont sides either on the project property or on the existing ri,~hts-of- way These improvements are intended to link pedestrians with the Mandalay and Bayside Boardwalk areas. Exhibit to Ord. No. 6917-O1 2 b. The project will contribute to Pelican Walk parking_ arage project on terms to be determined by the City Commission. East Shore Vacation Any vacation of East Shore Drive would be subject to a traffic analysis prior to the vacation. The Cit~may conduct this evaluation prior to a proposal for street vacation Bayside Boardwalk/Pedestrian Linkages Devel~ment utilizing the lot consolidation incentives will dedicate aten-foot easement along the Bayside that will link to a pedestrian streetscape improvement along Baymont The Yacht Basin redevelopment will provide the streetscape improvement from the proposed Boardwalk to Mandalay Street along the Baymont frontage. The Ba sy ide Boardwalk can be either on the landside of the seawall and or a component of marina development on the waterside on the seawall. Marina Development Development utilizing the lot consolidation incentives should include a marina component subject to_pplicable permitting requirements. VII. Design Guidelines B. Height n ,,„~a,.°,a ~ o+ ~, nn>> Maximum height is prescribed by therespective zoning districts in the Community Development Code ^~° *~° -~^ •~-~~~-~ t unless otherwise restricted by Beach by Design ~~ +~,^+ +i,° ~,°;,,~,+ ~;,-..,;+^+;~„ The height maybe increased, however, to one hundred fifty feet (150') if *~**~*~x~***~* Exhibit to Ord. No. 6917-01 3 ~~~ 4 ? V ~ ~~~f~ ;~ ~ ~~ . .- ar ,p ~ ^i j .''t k t ~ ~ '' ~,, , mot' i = t' ~ 1 ~ r , -~ i ~_ ~< ~~ a ~~ __ ~ r~ ~~ r . ~~ a ~ ~ ~~ r,; ~,,,,,~~ ~ ~ a„ ~ :~ , I ~r ~m ~ ~ 't. i 4 Y., _~' . .~ %a y`~ ~~ s ~+~~ , ~ _ ; ,~ ~ ~ ~~~~- _ ~, ,~Y ll! Y ,:YI ~i~ '~ :. p~ _~y. "~Y ~ 'jl ~~.µ ,J~ 1 ~JAt~ w~~~ .~` '' ~ CiiR..~{"`~ .. iQf ils1 1 ~?C'~~~~ Y~.~1~ { ' {~ n.K i ii' l~~ Jig ~ r.~i ~~ _+~'•yfw' ~' ~_f : a ~~ .~ ~~ ^, ,~r~ ~ ~~ ~ r t ~ ,rte - ~' ~ -~ 3 ", ' . h .:y~ ~ u1 " ! F ~ P~ ~~li-t 7x S,~,, Y~ •. ~.~,,i ~-h e j yt.. ~tJ ~' ...~ T.': ''~ ':y ~~~ -~{. F ) > ~' n ~ ea.n .. ~.s 9 ~s :ate tw~a~a' 4~, .~ ~. ~~'N<;_ a BEACH BY DESIGN/Marina District Amendments/Map Exhibit for Ord. 6917-01 ORDINANCE NO. 7294-04 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA MAKING AMENDMENTS TO BEACH BY DESIGN: A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR CLEARWATER BEACH AND DESIGN GUIDELINES; BY AMENDING SECTION V. CATALYTIC PROJECTS, SUBSECTION B. COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT DESIGNATION BY EXTENDING THE TIMEFRAME THE POOL OF 600 ADDITIONAL HOTEL ROOMS IS AVAILABLE FROM FIVE (5) YEARS TO TEN (10) YEARS; BY REVISING THE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH MAKE A PROJECT ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL HOTEL UNITS; BY REVISING THE LAND AREAS ELIGIBLE FOR THE POOL OF ADDITIONAL HOTEL ROOMS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the economic vitality of Clearwater Beach is a major contributor to the economic health of the City overall; and WHEREAS, the public infrastructure and private improvements of Clearwater Beach are a critical part contributing to the economic vitality of the Beach; and WHEREAS, substantial improvements and upgrades to both the public infrastructure and private improvements are necessary to improve the tourist appeal and citizen enjoyment of the Beach; and WHEREAS', the City of Clearwater has invested significant time and resources in studying Clearwater Beach; and WHEREAS, Beach by Design, the special area plan governing Clearwater Beach, contains specific development standards and design guidelines for areas of Clearwater Beach that need to be improved and/or redeveloped; and WHEREAS, the City of Clean+vater has the authority pursuant to Rules Governing the Administration of the Countywide Future Land Use Plan, as amended, Section 2.3.3.8:4, to adopt and enforce a specific plan for redevelopment in accordance with the Community Redevelopment District plan category, and said Section requires that a special area plan therefore be approved by the local government; and WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to Beach by Design has been submitted to the Community Development Board acting as the Local Planning Authority (LPA) for the City of Clearwater; and WHEREAS, the Local Planning Agency (LPA) for the City of Clearwater held a duly noticed public hearing and found that amendment to Beach by Design are consistent with the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan; and Ordinance No. 7294-04 WHEREAS, on November 15, 2001 and December 13, 2001 the City Council of the City of Clearwater reviewed and approved Beach by Design; now therefore, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: Section 1. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design Guidelines, Section V. Catalytic Projects, Subsection B. Community Redevelopment District Designation, is amended by revising the 3`d paragraph on page 44 as follows: B. Community Redevelopment District Designation *.** In order to stimulate the desired catalytic resort projects, Beach by Design establishes a Limited pool of 600 additional hotel rooms which would be available for use atone or more sites within designated priority redevelopment areas for a period of ~+v~e-{5~ ten 10 years. This period would run from the date that the Community Redevelopment District is approved by the County and accepted by the State: In the event that the units were not allocated pursuant to Beach by Design within €w~e-E5`} ten 10 ears, the pool of units would cease to exist. .*.* Section 2. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design Guidelines, Section V. Catalytic Projects, Subsection B. Community Redevelopment District Designation, is amended by revising the first bullet on page 46, which is fifth characteristic required for a resort using the density pool, as follows: * «*,- • require a legally enforceable covenant to implement a trip generation management program which promotes non-vehicular access to and from the resort which shall include at least airport shuttle ~een~ate and resort-provided transportation to off-site amenities and attractions. .*** 2 Ordinance No. 7294-04 Section 3. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design Guidelines, Section V. Catalytic Projects, Subsection B. Community Redevelopment District Designation, is amended by revising the third bullet on page 46, which is seventh characteristic required for a resort using the density pool, as follows: **** • no more than 25% of the rooms may have full kitchen facilities, defined as consisting at a minimum of full-size refrigerator, sink and conventional range. The remainder of rooms may have partial kitchen facilities, defined as including fewer than all of the foregoing appliances, or mini-kitchens, defined as including solely reduced-size kitchen appliances. *.** Section 4. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design Guidelines, Section V. Catalytic Projects, Subsection B. Community Redevelopment District Designation, is amended by deleting the last bullet on page 46 which is the fourteenth characteristic required for a resort using the density pool as follows: **** *#~* Section 5. Beach by Design: A Preliminary Design for Clearwater Beach and Design Guidelines, Section V. Catalytic Projects, Subsection B. Community Redevelopment District Designation, is amended by revising the aerial photograph on page 47 which depicts the areas eligible for additional hotel rooms as shown in the attached "Exhibit "A"; and Section 6. Beach by Design, as amended, contains specific development standards and design guidelines for areas of Cleawater Beach that are in addition to and supplement the Community Development Code; and Section 7. The City Manager or designee shall forward said plan to any agency required by law or rule to review or approve same; and Section 8. It is the .intention of the City Council that this ordinance and plan and every provision thereof, shall be considered separable; and the invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not affect the validity of any other provision of this ordinance and plan; and Section 9. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption. 3 Ordinance No. 7294-04 PASSED ON FIRST READING June 17, 2004 PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING AND ADOPTED Approved as to form: .~ Leslie K. Dougall-Si s Assistant City Attorney October 7 20 Bri J. u Mayor Attest: ~~. ~tZ - r~e.pu~; C~ C?~. ~& Cynthia E. Goudesu City Clerk 4 Ordinance No. 7294-Q4 Exhibit A Ordinance No. 7294-04 r~ n ~~ ~'~ . ~~ i "'+ ` . • ~r-~ _ .o `p~ ~ ~ -- ~~ . ,, .~ °` `~ ~~ ,~ ~`* ~ ~'~. aT ~~ ? s ~ ~ l 4 E ~~~ s r x r" ~ ~:,~ ~ C L EA RWATE R B EAR H ~, ~ ~~~~ ~~~1 n~~ ~,~/~~ ~ ~~u, ;2~~~4=~~ /7/~~c Novem~ier 29, 2oor Prepared for: City o f Clearwater F~oric~a Prepared by: SIEMON & LARSEN Strategic Land Planning & Management BEACH PARKING STRATEGY ~ I FAR \n/AT F R B E AC H ~E~X9E~CUToIoV~ES~U~~"agMPAaRbY<--- For many years, the City of Clearwater has considered increasing the inventory of beach parking, and in conjunction with the revitalization interests on the Beach, to relocate parking from the Beach to facilitate revitalization. Despite numerous studies, plans, preliminary designs, and a development agreement with a private developer relative to beach parking, the City still does not have a specific plan of action which ensures that parking facilities needed to support the major revitalization initiatives will be available in a timely fashion. This report presents a specific strategic, time certain approach to the provision of needed parking facilities and is intended to serve as a basis for a formal decision by the City Commission in regard to the City's implementation of Beach by Design. The report recommends that: ® The City Commission formally commit to implementing the realignment of South Gulfview and the construction of Beach Walk. ® The City undertake to acquire an assembly of land between Coronado and Hamden for the replacement of parking removed from the beach as a result of the realignment of South Gulfview and the construction of Beach Walk The City should be prepared to accept responsibility for an annual operating deficit (assuming interest only financing during the interim parking period) related to the acquisition of the assembled land and demolition and ,construction of the temporary surface lot during the life of the temporary lot of less than $100,000 r~ The City should construct a parking garage with no more than 450 spaces on the Pelican Walk parking lot as soon as possible, assuming that the parking lot can be acquired on financially acceptable terms r ~R"WAT~E~R ~~~E~A~C~H~ ~ ~#.- - A BRIEF HISTORYOF BEACH PARKING The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places. Author Unknown In conjunction with the City Commission's decision to proceed with the new causeway bridge, the Commission committed to the provision of additional beach parking facilities by the time the new bridge was opened. Strategies for Revitalization recommended that beach parking to the west of South Gulfview be relocated into parking garages located between Coronado and Hamden. During the Beach by Design preliminary design process, the City's consultant team analyzed the feasibility of 19 beach locations for additional parking facilities in terms of functionality and economic feasibility. In response, the City Commission first selected what was Known as ~~Pier 60 plus"-the existing Pier 60 surface parking lot and the Days Inn property-as a site for a new south beach parking garage. In addition, the City Commission approved the Pelican Walk garage - to be constructed when it was shown that it would be self-sufficient. Likewise the City Commission endorsed a future parking garage at Rockaway when beach parking demand would make a garage at that location self-financing. The Pier 60 plus garage, however, was delayed because of problems encountered in the acquisition of the Days Inn property and was rescinded when the developers of the Seashell Resort proposed to provide a 400 car garage open to the public as a part oftheir project. CLEARWATE R BEACH Beach by Design Beach by Design contemplates two important redevelopment initiatives: the realignment of South Gulfview and construction of Beach Walk, and the renovation and revitalization of North Mandalay. The development of new parking facilities is central to both initiatives. The South Gulfview/Beach Walk initiative involves the removal of approximately 327 spaces from the beach immediately to the west of the existing right of way of South Gulfview. Those spaces must be replaced in conjunction with implementing the initiative. The widening of North Mandalay likewise involves the removal of parallel parking spaces along the east side of the road and the principal revitalization strategy for the North North Mandalay Renovation and Revitalization Gulf Front Redevelopment and Realignment of South Gulfview (vehicular and pedestrian promenade) PARKING STRATEGY Mandalay retail district in Beach by Design isthe construction of a parking garage on the parking lot of Pelican Walk to enhance the functionality of the North Mandalay retail community. 2 South Gulfview/Beach Walk: Replacement Parking Beach by Design is "relatively indifferent" in regard to the specific location of a new parking garage to the south of the Roundabout, "as long as the parking spaces are located within a reasonable walk from the dry sand beach." Initially, it was anticipated that the South Gulfview/Beach Walk initiative, including a 400 car garage open to the public would be provided as a condition of development of the approved Marriott Seashell Resort project.The developer in fact assumed that obligation in a Development Agreement which was approved by the City Commission on March 1, 2001. ' Intervening events -first litigation by an objecting property owner, then a recession, and now "9/11" -have substantially diminished the likelihood of implementation of the South Gulfview/Beach Wall< as a part of the Seashell Resort project in the foreseeable future.- In May of 2001, after litigation was filed challenging the Seashell Resort development agreement, the City Administration provided the City Commission with an analysis of the parking options which were available for replacement parking spaces and additional beach parking. The Commission was not satisfied with the level of detail available to support the various alternatives and the Administration was directed to prepare additional analyses, including updated analyses of the financial feasibility of the garage options. Parsons completed a series of analyses in October of 2001 which generally confirmed the reliability of the base data that the Administration has been using for its analyses and confirmed the level of risk involved in large scale parking garage initiatives to the south of the Roundabout and at Pelican Walk. When the Markopoulos settlement proposal was rejected by the City Commission on October 4, 2001, the uncertainty of developer implementation of the South Gulfview/Beach Walk initiative lead the City Commission to direct the Administration to analyze the steps which would be necessary for the City to assume responsibility for implementation of the Gulfview/Beach Walk initiative which in turn requires the City to address the need for replacement parking.l t:.. ~.. P~x~~ ~~ ~~ >.a~~ ' The City Administration previously provided the Commission with several south beach parking options including a parking structure on the Seashell Resort site, Pier 60 and the Marina. Each of these options were deemed problematic by the Commission for a variety ofreasons. CLEARWATER BEACH 3 CITY OF CLEARWATER OFF-STREET PARKING INITIATIVE PARKING OPTIONS The KimptonlPrime project Pirrkulg spaces :ue Located Uuczzt;unh• chte to pending ~.pproved Development ,1g7eeutenL PTO)eL'1 pturides •lC)0 par4~ing spaces u•itltin Ilte eaz~age tvluch is a part o2 the lxoposed Seashell Resort. Lt addition 60 stuface parlarlg spaces are Included in tine conceptual plan for tha reahuuuent ofSoudt Gtili<zeu~ CoronadoaHamden prol,crsect garage of as many as 1.?00 p+ulartg spaces. Ntuu1~.7 of apricots tiisctt~ed incluclitte specificpmpertles: zxtel+slcnt of the site. and closing of a segtuetu of the Hamden Street to allow "wrapped" waterfront residelttial touts - a catalyst far revttalrz~ticn] City Marina Proposed parking stntchtre at the City blanlla rSn•alrgies for Rc~,'ilnl i_nria, ?ier o0 protxtsed pzn'kiltg slntchua of as many as 800 spaces Pelican Walk I'rolx~sed parlattg structure of ap}xuximateh' 6W spaces iu a ~ clecl:garaee immectiately adjaceN to the leach an<.l the new South f ;ult\-iew anti Reach \3 alk 1'edestdan overpass ecx'oasthe realigned SouthGtilfti2w The rui+ted rue of the }noperty afters the opporhlluty In slueail cost tauaeby rechtcirtg overall coat. per space Large g+uake (800 to 1.200 spaces'1-- relatively lots height Garage froilitates x7ile»irtg of Corotuvdo to a •t lane fscilih- Crntcenieitt parking forntotels along f~rn•onado Closing of 1{antden -- positive inspect on t1k integrity of $te east aide of Soutln fl each Garage w not necessarily tied to any Ixiriictilar devektlnuent legal clrallettgcs -- delay n111 yreclude tine a~ ~ulabtht}' 02 additiotuil space; iu advruu;e Ot the i111elllllg Ot the IICN' lxictge Net gain in ntuuber of sp<]ces is soutewhere Ixhveen 142 and I (>3 (only 3'.5'.~b of The -tU0 adcfihotud s}xtces) Site Ie~cation - oppo,ite si~~ of Coronado Site requires an elevated cross-over to avoid haffic co7Vlicts Site requures lanes assentlily - ln aLlematic Expensive -- unless the Hamden-clatu'e were ustd to redttcc costs City-owrtedlartcl Aesthetic unpllcations of Marina la;ation Location -- demand for parking at the Miuirna is ttiglt. Luuitcd calxtcity (appro. particularly duriu¢ peak AOOspaca,)dttetotharelative season ]]anouvess ofthc site Site location -- cast side of Cororutdo ~ledest.;vehicttlat haflic axttlicts) <~ity-otvnedlandartdett<rently Aesthetic implications, used forparl:ittg dimettvous are exhentely iuglosittg Location --Pier 60 demalui for lutrkZltgisltigh Site locntiwt -- nitlwt sltori distance to the Reach Pmfened site frcnu a firraucial Ronnabout (pedestrian costprespective -vehictilar hattic cotttlicts) hogicalanddesitnl,lzlacation Littutadca}xicrtyandatstdtlc to Ilte relative ttarrou~tess of Catalyst for rc~~ittdizstion of the site file North hiatulalav retail tu;igl tUcnhood Lalnd is relatively e~teluive increases parkutg availability Site location - hmitui beach inthcarca park7ne-access PARKING STRATEGY - - 4 Pelican Walk The proposed garage at Pelican Walk has been contemplated for many years, however, the economics of the proposed garage, as included in Beach by Design, did not satisfy the City's self- imposed criteria that the garage be self- supporting.There were several reasons why the Pelican Walk garage was problematic. Most importantly, the size of the garage was defined by the maximum number of spaces which could be constructed on the existing parking lot, plus the air rights over the Eckerd's parking lot and the City's existing surface parking lot immediately to the north of Heileman's. The justification for maximizing the number of parking spaces was based on the idea of using the garage for beach parking during periods of peak demand. The problem with the idea, however, was that the limited amount of revenue generated by those limited number of peak days when parking at Pelican Walk would be used for beach parking was insufficient to support debt service on the parking spaces above and beyond the requirements of the North Mandalay retail district. Studies conducted by the City's redevelopment consultant and Parsons concluded that the Pelican Walk parking garage contemplated in"Beach by Design"would not be self-financing and would require a financial subsidy for at least a number of years. ELEVATION STUDY CLEARWATE R BEACH 5 PROPOSED LOCATION Financial Feasibility of Parking Garage Options Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. Aaron Levenstein The City has invested substantial time and money analyzing the economic feasibility of constructing parking garages on the beach. The results of those analyses, products to a great extent of the nature of the questions which were asked, were and are predictable. That is so because the reality is that the beach parking demand is highly seasonal and extremely variable. A plot of actual parking revenues shows that the lowest weekly demand for parking is 15.4% of the highest weekly demand. Moreover, the average hourly use of the existing parking spaces is only 53% based on a 7 hour day. In the south beach area, parking demand exceeds capacity on fewer than 200 days per year, and then only for relatively short periods of time on any given day. If capacity of 400 spaces 1400 N 1200 w 1000 N 0 800 W ~ 600 z 400 200 0 were added to the inventory in the south beach area, parking demand would equal or exceed capacity on only 65 days. The same analysis indicates that none of the additional 400 spaces would be used on 190 days of the year. What the analyses, and all of the studies which have-been conducted for the City, show is that new parking garages are unlikely to generate enough revenue, at least during early years of operation to cover actual debt, unless and until additional parking demand materializes as a result of the City's redeveloamentandrevita1ization initiatives. Moreover, the unfortunate reality is that the provision of replacement and/or additional beach parking involves the provision of structured PEAK HOURLY DEMAND BY WEEK ~ - ~ r, ~v~ - . OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP SOURCE: CITY PARICING REVENUE DATA AND PARSONS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS ~P~~AyfZ~KII~N~G, SrTIRAT,E~G:Y;_.~-~_~__.~__. M.~__._..._.~~..~,.,._.: - ~~~ ~ - -- - y 6 i _ _ - --- -- ~____ _ ~__.,_.~...~ a ~ .~ ~o___._.__.__....._._____.. ---° - parking spaces which cost more than 10 times a surface parking space to construct and maintain. As a result, the economic feasibility of replacement and/or additional beach parking is not likely to be sustained by a parking rate structure established by City Commission fiat based on revenue needs and constituent tolerance levels, unless additional parking demand materializes, particularly during non- peak periods. If; for example, the periods of very low use were increased,the bottom line in annual revenues per average space would be significantly improved, an outcome which is a key part of the destination resort strategy -to better balance season and, non-season tourism. All this does not mean thattheCity should not pursue replacement and additional beach parking, but to make it clear that the City's previously self-imposed requirement that parking garages be self-financing severely limits the ability of the City to provide parking which is responsive to peak season, peak day, peak hour demand for beach parking. And it means that the traditional analyses of economic feasibility are likely to show insufficient net revenues to sustain debt service and coverage requirements unless additional demand, particularly during non peak season, peak day, peak hour periods. Where Do We Go From Here A city without a plan is like a ship without a rudder. Benjamin C. Marsh2 If the City Commission wishes to control its own destiny in regard to the implementation of Beach by Design and realize its promise of a beach revitalized,theGty must: 1. fund and construct the realignment of South Gulfview and Beach Wall, including suitable replacement parking; and 2. proceed with a parking garage at Pelican Walk that is sized to meet the needs of the North Mandalay retail district, and if necessary, provide additional collateral to secure debt which is incurred. z An Introduction to City Planning: Democracy's Challenge to the American City (1909). x~~~~~ C-~L-~E~A`NFAT~~~R~ ~g. E~A~~.H PARKING STRATEGY A STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION A Strategy for Implementation of the South Gulfview and Beach Walk Initiative South Gulfview and Beach Walk The implementation of South Gulfview and Beach Walk is a relative straightforward undertaking. All the City needs to do, other than provide for replacement parking, is identify a source of funds currently estimated at $5+ million, complete design development, prepare construction plans, establish a maintenance of function plan, select a contractor and commence construction. However, the financing of the South Gulfview/Beach Walk improvements is somewhat problematic. The Development Agreement with the Marriott Seashell Resort provided that the developer would design and construct the improvements and that the cost of the improvements in excess of the developer's pro rata share of the costs would be recaptured by a rebate of a portion of the additional property and utility taxes that the project would generate. The Seashell agreement also contemplated that the City would require other benefitted properties to contribute a pro rata share of the cost of the improvements which would be repaid to Seashell. Assuming that the Seashell Resort is not going to proceed in the reasonably near future, the City will have to find a way to finance the required improvements. There are several sources of funds which have been discussed and may be available. The fact that the City opts to finance the South Gulfview/Beach Walk improvements does not mean that the City could not still impose a fair share obligation on the benefitted properties. There are a number of ways in which a special assessment or development exaction could be imposed on benefitted properties so that only those properties which are redeveloped and take advantage of the vacation of the east half of the existing right of way of South Gulfview would be obl igated to contribute a pro rata share. ~ _ _ .~. -~ i CLEARWATER BEACH 9 a ` ~ ; i .. ~ i z. M r.• ~~ ,~;>> r i ,. . 5 `~ x~ ~. ~ (i.^ffi ~= i. ';• ' ~,~ ~. I. ~~~ ~~ ,,,, ~'+ a ... ~ ~ :~ r~~+.~. d PARKING ST fZ AT E G Y --_~ - ~ ~~-~.~- ~~ , _ _ _ io REPLACEMENT OF BEACH PARKING In order for the City to implement the realignment of South Gulfview and construct the Beach Walk, it is necessary that the City make provision for as many replacement parking spaces as possible for the spaces which would be removed as a part of the South Gulfview/Beach Walk project. The location of the replacement spaces in the south beach area is, as it has been recognized for years, problematic. In the original Strategies for Revitalization for Clearwater Beach, a series of off-street parking garages between Coronado and Hamden were contemplated.The ~~Beach by Design" planning process concluded that land acquisition would be controversial and costly and that the City's policy at that time to construct additional parking facilities sooner rather than later argued in favor of parcels which were either owned bythe City or involved a limited number of owners. The issues of land assembly and cost were, in fact, the reasons why the Pier 60 plus option was the highest ranked site for additional beach parking. There are several options which are available to provide replacement and additional beach parking. CLEARWATE R BEACH ~1 PARKING OPTIONS Coronado/South Gulfview An obvious location for replacement parking are lands between Coronado and South Gulfview, where the Seashell Resort and the Markoupolos project contemplated large parking structures open to the public. The aesthetic and economic implications of large parking garages between Coronado and South Gulfview have, however, always been of great concern. That concern persisted during the brief primacy of the Pier 60 plus garage and during consideration of the Seashell Resort which was promoted as a superior alternative to the Pier 60 plus site. In addition to general concerns about the attractiveness of parking garages, the public discussion tended to draw back from the rationale that it was sensible to locate a free- standing garage immediately adjacent to the Beach Walk, even if the garage was "wrapped" at the ground level with retail uses. This hesitation was based, at least to some extent, on a belief that the land between Coronado and South Gulfview is the City's best land and best opportunity to revitalize Clearwater Beach as a unique and desirable beachfront "neighborhood;' acommunity resource and a quality tourism destination. Although the Seashell Resort development agreement was approved with as many as 825 spaces, the approval did not resolve the general discomfort with the mass that resulted from the inclusion of "public" parking spaces in the Coronado/South Gulfview block. The issue of mass was also a conspicuous concern when a proposed settlement agreement between the objecting owner of the Days Inn property and the City was rejected by the City Commission. Finally, the cost of land between Coronado and Hamden, relative to other land on the Beach, makes parking structures an expensive proposition. PARKING STRATEGY - 12 MARI<OUPOLOS PROPERTY Pier 60 The existing surface parking lot at Pier 60 is municipally owned and, theoretically, could be easily converted into a very large public parking garage. However, the scenic and functional costs of a garage at Pier 60 have always been resisted. Indeed, the source of the Pier 60+ option was a desire to avoid the functional and scenic implications of a garage by allowing the garage to be "stepped back"to the south. When Pier 60 was last presented to the City Commission as a potential site for a parking garage, the City Commission was not enthusiastic and there is no reason to believe that the various negative aspects of a parking structure on the site will be overcome in the near future. Indeed, it is more likely that recent discussions about improving the scenic and recreational value of the Pier 60 parking lot in conjunction with the proposed Markopoulos settlement agreement have attuned public expectations to less parking and more scenic and recreational value. City Marina Another long-term candidate site for additional parking is the City marina. The logic behind this site is the apparent need for additional parking to serve the marina and its strategic location; which may also be the principal disadvantage of the marina site. There are a number of reasons why the marina is not a priority site for the provision of replacement or additional beach parking. First, and foremost, the marina fronts on the entryway to the Beach and the Beach Roundabout. The concept of the Roundabout complex is an attractive and efficient place of arrival and distribution for traffic coming to and leaving Clearwater Beach. A parking garage at the City Marina would likely interfere with the design objectives for the Roundabout complex as local movements, as drivers queue up to enter the garage, conflict with through movements. Second, the construction of a parking garage which is not part of a long term revitalization and re-use plan for the marina would likely foreclose many revitalization options which are currently available tothe City. Third, a parking garage on the marina property would be a substantial distance from the dry sand and would substantially increase the number of pedestrians crossing Coronado in the vicinity of the Roundabout. Finally, the dimensions of the marina property, in the absence of large scale redevelopment, are not ideal fora parking garage and would not be easy to address the aesthetics of the garage. Pier 60 ®City Marina CLEARWATE R BEACH 13 Coronado/Hamden Beach by Design, as did Strategies for Revitalization, identifies the properties located between Coronado and Hamden as potential locations for replacement and additional beach parking. As with other potential sites, there are advantages and disadvantages with the Coronado/Hamden properties. The advantages, however, seem to clearly outweigh the disadvantages. The Coronado/Hamden land is a patchwork of small motels and individual properties making land assembly a difficult and costly process. The City could, if it wished, deploy its power of eminent domain to assemble land, however, the City Commission has historically been hesitantto do so. Moreover, land assembly by eminent domain is not "a walk in the park" and generally ends up costing multiples of fair market value once the jury weighs in and attorneys fees on both sides, which under Florida law are paid by the condemning authority, are considered . Private assemblies of land~are an alternative, however, recent history on the Beach suggests that unrealistic property owner expectations make private assemblies difficult if not possible. In one recent example, the actual assembly was notthe problem, ratherthe total cost of satisfying the appetites of multiple property owners was economically infeasible-at any realistic density. That is not to say that assembl ies are not possible, but rather to say that they are difficult and involve the parable of the "goose that lays the golden eggs" - a single property owner can destroy an assembly which would otherwise improve the lot of al I owners. On the other hand, the land between Coronado/Hamden is less valuable than Gulf front land and isat leasttheoreticallymore easily assembled. Another advantage of the Coronado/Hamden land is that it would be less problematic to develop an efficient and attractive garage considering the dimensions of the blocks and the character of the neighborhood. Indeed, the blocks to the north of Brightwater could accommodate athree-bay garage which would be very efficient and a very large number of spaces could be provided, at once or in phases, without requiring a large number of decks. In addition, the assembly of a number of small motels offers a number of potential benefits to the City. Most, if not all of the small motels along the east side of Coronado currently use the public right of way for parking, a problem which is recognized in "Beach by Design" where: the City recognized that it should "improve Coronado by recapturing a portion of the public right-of-way which is currently used for parkways, sidevualk and off-street parking." If land between Coronado and Hamden were assembled for a garage, the right-of-way problem would be addressed in two ways. First, the right-of-way would be reclaimed for those properties acquired as a part of an assembly. Second, the construction of parking facilities between Coronado and Hamden would provide properties which are not acquired with a reasonable parking alternative sothattheimpact of removing off-street parking from the east side of the Coronado right-of-way would be substantially mitigated. Sti I I another advantage is the real ity that the City. in acquiring land assembly would be acquiring an inventory of transferable residential/hotel development rights which could be used by the City to provide redevelopment incentives to non-destination resort redevelopment projects and to provide incentives afterthe bonus pool has expired. ~~.P~A~R.~.KI~N;G3 kSp~r~RAT~E~G~Y_~_M~.____v W ~ ~~.~ _~:~~ 14 Perhaps most importantly, the provision of parking between Coronado and Hamden-across the street from land between Coronado and South Gulfview which has been identified as the only real opportunity for the development of quality destination resorts - would allow employee, valet, eventand overflow parking to be accommodated in the parking garages as opposed to inclusion in the mass of the resort structures. Although it is not easy to predict the actual parking demand of yet unplanned resorts, it can be reasonably anticipated that the number of spaces in a resort structure could be substantially reduced - perhaps by 30% to 50% - if employee, valet, event and overflow parking were located in garages across the street between Coronado and Hamden. On the other hand, the location of beach parking on the east side of Coronado sets up a peak hour conflict between through traffic and pedestrians crossing the road on their way to the Beach. To some extent, the conflict is mitigated by differing peaks -AM commuter traffic (when turning movement conflicts would be the greatest) is generally over by the time of peak parking demand for beach goers. This conflict could also be substantially mitigated if any ~. CLEARWATE R BEACH 15 BEACH PARKING DISTANCES garage between Coronado and Hamden were connected to the west side of Coronado by a pedestrian over pass.Assuming that the widening of Coronado, which would be facilitated by recapture and possible expansion of right of way, is sufficient to accommodate reasonable queuing, it is likely that the existing traffic condition would be substantially improved. Not all locations within Coronado and Hamden area are equal in terms of suitability, even though the east-west distance between the Coronado/Hamden sites and the dry sand is roughly equal because beach goers' desire lines have a significant northern bias towards the Pier 60 complex. In addition, the likely sites of future destination resorts are located in the northern 1/3rd of Gulf-front properties. As a result, the northern most block, between First and Third is the optimum block between Coronado and Hamden, based exclusively on parking patron "desire lines." The block between Third and Brightwater is less advantageous, but still reasonable if sufficient land can be assembled at a reasonable price. Further south, between Coronado and Hamden, is also a possibility, though the likelihood that beach patrons attracted to the Pier 60 complex will park in a garage that far south is doubtful given the distance. PARKING STRATEGY 16 ACQUISITION PRIORITY Recommendation It is recommended that the City Commission make a formal commitment to construction of replacement parking on an assembly of land between Coronado and Hamden if, and only if, a reasonably-priced land assembly is presented to the City which is of sufficient size to accommodate a floor plate, of at least 75,000 square feet with a minimum dimension of not less than 210 feet. Based on current asking prices on the.Beach, from appraisals assembled as a result of -the City's redevelopment activities on the Beach, the cost of 75,000 square .feet should be approximately $60 per square foot of improved land. Given the natural proclivity of individual property owners to assume that their property is worth more than • anyone -else's ,and the transactional/friction/legal costs of public assembly and the ability of a parking structure, to support these costs, it is recommended that the City take a position that it is prepared to pay a modest premium over fair market value, but that does not mean the City is prepared to grant property windfalls. While this price represents an enormous premium over assessed value and a significant premium over .appraised value, it is not difficult to rationalize a premium of 30%, assuming appropriate assembly and no other cost except demolition to the City. Assuming that the existing parking capacity and demand ratios are maintained over time - that is, increased demand is linked to additional capacity in some reasonable way, net operating revenues of a parking garage would provide sufficient cash flow to repay debt service but would not be sufficient to provide a coverage ratio of 140%. Moreover, if the City aligns capacity to demand on the basis of at least 5 hours of parking on at least 250 days a year, a garage should be"self-financing"atthe premium recommended, but would require some additional revenue source to secure favorable rates and acceptable coverage ratios: It is recommended that the City establish a relatively short time frame for acquisition of a land assembly for two reasons. First, the. realignment of South Gulfview and construction of-the Beach Walk are time sensitive and the City can. not afford. to wait _to implement a replacement .parking strategy. Second, and perhaps- more importantly, land assembly is difficult at best -and time is not an .ally. If the owners of candidate properties wish to sell, the .City needs to say directly that this is vuhat we can pay and unless. an appropriate ..assembly of owners- are. willing- to ell of a reasonable premium, the assembly is not :going to be successful: And, time will .not make the decision different, or easier. In the. event that a reasonably priced land assembly is presented to the. City, it is recommended that the. City approach the provision of replacement and additional Beach parking in phases. Initially, it is recommended that the City demolish the existing. improvements on the assembled land and construct a temporary surface parking lot to provide. replacement parking.The economics of the temporary parking lot .are. not self-financing, however, the City's exposure is relatively modest, particularly if the property could be acquired on some sort of fund transfer basis and carried as an asset until a garage is constructed. Assuming demolition and construction of the temporary surface lot at approximately $5.50 per square foot and acquisition at the maximum premium recommended for the annual cash flow deficit (assuming an interest only cost of funds) would ~,CL E~;~ R 's ,ATE R~` B EA~C~H 17 be less than $100,000 depending on the size of the assembled parcel of land. When additional demand for beach parking results from the implementation of the South Gulfview/Beach Walk improvements and/or the development of destination resort facilities, the City should construct a parking garage sufficient to meet projected demand on aself-financing basis. This approach will minimize the City's risk and the scope of the City's initial financial obligation. In the event that a reasonably priced land assembly is not presented to the City within the 120 day period, the City's commitment to the construction of replacement parking between Coronado and Hamden should expire and be of no further force and effect. In this event, the City should undertake to provide a minimum of at least 250 replacement parking spaces in the form of parallel parking along available right of way, on property available for lease for at least five years and through the reconfiguration of existing surface parking facilities. In particular, the City should immediately give notice to all private property owners with parking or other improvements within the right of way along Coronado to remove those improvements. The right of way should be improved with parallel, pay parking for beach patrons as a part of the Beach relocation strategy. The success of this recommended strategy in providing a stable and predictable environment for private investment is the City Commission's willingness to establish a definitive action plan and to adhere strictly to its terms. The race is not always to the swift... but to those who keep on running. Author U nknown That is so because the future of Clearwater Beach has been held hostage by indecision for too long and if the City wishes to genuinely commence implementation, it must commit to a course and stick to it. 18 PELICAN WALK GARAGE SITE oAaS~T~RoA~ToE~G~YaF00 ~Raloa'A~P~L~E~'~`aaE~ i' T°AaTo1;0~ s` A Strategy far Implementation of the Pelican Walk Garage The reality is that the provision of parking is an effective redevelopment incentive. It is well-known, for example, that several major restaurant brands would like to locate on Clearwater Beach. At this time, however, there is insufficient parking for the parking demands of those establishments.Assuming that the North Mandalay retai I d istrict wou Id be enhanced by the establ ishment of these restaurants on the Beach, at. Pelican Walk, for example, then the provision of additional, convenient parking would facilitate revitalization investment which is otherwise deterred by the limited marketability of existing space because of parking deficiencies. If a reasonable price could be negotiated with the owner of Pelican Walk and the number of spaces constructed in a Pelican Walk garage were limited to a total of 450 spaces, then the basic economics of the garage are reasonably feasible. In their report, Parsons concluded that peak parking demand would be. 227 spaces during the week and 350 spaces during the weekend.While it is easy to quibble with these projections if the North Mandalay retail district, including Pelican Walk itself, is revitalized, the important point is that the net revenues forecast by Parsons would support debt service -but not coverage -assuming that land acquisition does not exceed approximately$1 million.Whilethere is undoubtedly risk the in the performance of the garage, the risk can be substantially mitigated if property owners and' businesses.in the area would participate by guaranteeing certain minimum revenues during the early years of operation, as one property owner/developer has already pledged. As for the provision of additional beach parking for the northern part of the Beach, the original City Commission parking decision contemplated that a parking garage at Rockaway was a future phase garage and that a garage should be developed as soon as sufficient demand exists to support debt service and debt coverage. Recommendation It is recommended that the City Commission make a formal determination to implement the Pelican Walk garage, as soon as an acceptable land acquisition agreement can be negotiated. It is recommended. that the City implement a parking demand monitoring system for north beach and as soon as sufficient demand for 5 hours of parking per day for 250 days per year for an additional 300 parking spaces is evident, the City should implementthe Rockaway garage on a revenue bond basis. 19 .