Loading...
TA2012-02003; ORD 8318-12 Case N u m ber: TA2012-02003 Ordinance Number: 8318-12 Agenda Item: F-3 Amendments to the Community Development Code CDB Meeting Date: March 20, 2012 Case Number: TA2012-02003 Ordinance Number: 8318-12 Agenda Item: F=3 CITY OF CLEARWATER PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT TEXT AMENDMENT REQUEST: Amendments to the Community Development Code — Ordinance No. 8318-12 INITIATED BY: Official Records and Legislative Services/City Council BACKGROUND: The Building/Flood Board of Adjustment and Appeals, which handles building and flood variances, appeals from Building Official interpretations, Unsafe Building cases, and Housing Code cases, consists of five members. Section 47.032(1)provides that the affirmative vote of four members is necessary in order to take action on cases involving modification of Building Official determinations. Because of daytime meeting times and conflicting obligations of inembers, it has at times been challenging t� ohtain the at�endance of four or five members. It was suggested that the Board may benefit from the addition of an alternate member. This arrangement has worked well with the Community Development Board. The amendment will lead to more efficient operations of this important decision making Board. ANALYSIS: Proposed Ordinance No. 8318-12 includes the following amendment: Amends Section 47.031 to add one alternate member to the Building/Flood Board of Adjustment and Appeals and to provide that such member shall serve at the pleasure of the City Manager for a four-year term. CRITERIA FOR TEXT AMENDMENTS: Community Development Code Section 4-601 specifies the procedures and criteria for reviewing text amendments. All text amendments must comply with the following. 1. The proposed amendment is consistent with and furthers the goals, policies, objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. Community Development Board—March 20,2012 TA2012-02003—Page 1 The Comprehensive Plan provides in part as follows: COASTAL MANAGEMENT ELEMENT GOAL E.1.: Management of Clearwater's coastal storm area shall provide for the long- term accessibility, safety, economic viability, neighborhood stability, and environmental integrity of these unique areas. GOAL E.2.: Management of Clearwater's coastal resources shall prohibit activities that would damage or destroy the natural or built environment, or threaten human life due to hurricane hazards, and shall promote activities that enhance the natural and built environment. Objective E.3.1.: Clearwater shall administer land development regulations to protect public and private property and human life from the effects of hurricane winds and flooding. By providing for the more effective functioning of the Board which has oversight functions regarding the City's building and flood damage prevention efforts, the Ordinance will further the above Goals. 2. The proposed amendments further the purposes of the Community Development Code and other City ordinances and actions designed to implement the Plan. Section 1-103E. provides that it is the purpose, inter alia, of the Community Development C;ode to: nrotect the character and the social and economic stabilitv of all parts of the city - . - - - through the establishment of reasonable standards which encourage the orderly and beneficial development of land within the city [Subsection 2.]; protect and conserve the value of land throughout the city and the value of buildings and improvements upon the land [Subsection 3.]; and coordinate the provisions of this Development Code with corollary provisions...designed to establish an integrated and complete regulatory framework for the use of land and water within the city [Subsection 12.] SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION: The proposed amendments to the Community Development Code are consistent with and will further the goals of the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan and the purposes of the Community Development Code. Based upon the above, the Planning Department recommends APPROVAL of Ordinance No. 8318-12 that amends the Community Development Code. Community Development Board—March 20,2012 TA2012-02003—Page 2 Prepared by Legal Department Staff: •� � �� � - -a Leslie K. Dougall-Si es 1 Assistant City Attorney ATTACHMENT: ❑ Ordinance No.8318-12 Community Development Board—March 20,2012 TA2012-02003—Page 3 ORDINANCE NO. 8312-12 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE, PART II, SECTION 47.031(1) BUILDING/FLOOD BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND APPEALS; BY ADDING AN ALTERNATE MEMBER TO THE BUILDING/FLOOD BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND APPEALS; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: Section 1. Section 47.031 — Created; membership; terms is hereby amended as foilows: (1) There is hereby established the building/flood board of adjustment and appeals, which shall consist of five members and one (1) alternate member. The members of the board shall be appointed by the city manager. (2) Members of the board shall be persons with knowledge and experience with the technical codes adopted in this chapter, such as design professionals, contractors or building industry representatives. (3) A board member shall not act in a case in which the member has a personal or financial interest. (4) The term of office of a reqular board member shall be four years. Vacancies shall be filled for an unexpired term by appointment by the city manager. Continued absence of any member from required meetings of the board shall, at the discretion of the city manager, render any such member subject to removal from office. The alternate member shall serve at the pleasure of the city manaqer for a four year term. Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption. PASSED ON FIRST READING PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING AND ADOPTED George N. Cretekos Mayor Approved as to form: Attest: Ordinance No. 8312 -12 . Leslie Dougali-Sides Rosemarie Call Assistant City Attorney City Clerk 2 Ordinance No. 8312-12