01/09/2012 COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
January 9, 2012
Present: Chair/Trustee Frank Hibbard, Trustee George N. Cretekos, Trustee
John Doran, Trustee Paul Gibson, and Trustee Bill Jonson.
Also Present: William B. Horne 11 - City Manager, Jill S. Silverboard - Assistant City
Manager, Rod Irwin - Assistant City Manager/CRA Executive Director,
Pamela K. Akin - City Attorney, Rosemarie Call - City Clerk, Nicole
Sprague - Official Records and Legislative Services
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order— Chair Frank Hibbard
The meeting was called to order at 9:27 a.m. at City Hall.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the December 13, 2011 CRA meeting as submitted in
written summation by the City Clerk.
Trustee Bill Jonson moved to approve the minutes of the December 13, 2011 CRA
meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
3. CRA Items
3.1 Presentation of the East Gateway District Vision Plan, January 2012.
On May 31, 2011, the Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and
M. Arthur Gensler, Jr. and Associates, Inc. entered into a contract for the East
Gateway District Vision Plan. This collaborative neighborhood vision plan
addresses three main areas:
1) A Neighborhood Market/Economic Analysis that defines the economic base
for market-supportable revitalization efforts;
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2) Community Outreach and Stakeholder Involvement culminating in a
Community Design Charrette that provides a strong, clear vision of the
area and responds to current and future market opportunities; and
3) A Concept Plan and Policy Framework that identify specific implementation
actions and tools that help achieve the vision over a 20-year horizon.
At the onset of the project, Gensler/Social Compact planning staff met with
CRA/City officials. For the first 2-3 months, there was continuous data exchange
and interaction to ensure that the planning team had a good understanding of the
historical, cultural, environmental and social aspects of the East Gateway
community.
As part of the Neighborhood Market/Economic Analysis, Social Compact provided
an Interim Report, which included a brief overview of demographic and market
conditions in the East Gateway District, the extended study area, and the City of
Clearwater. The market analysis for the East Gateway Community suggested that
the area was, for the most part, sufficiently served with financial services,
groceries, and retail/restaurant providers. Nonetheless, there was a very small
apparel leakage that could potentially support 5,500 square feet of this type of
retail. Additionally, Social Compact recommended capturing the additional
revenue generated by the increased visitors to the area and their increased
expenditures and focusing on local institutions and businesses for growth and
development.
Critical to the community planning process was the engagement of a committed
and concerned citizenry. In July, the Vision Plan Steering Committee was formed
to serve as the conduit to the planning team and the greater community that they
represented to channel information and set direction for integration. Its members
included members of the Business and Neighbors Association (BNA), the
Stakeholders Advisory Group (SAG), and prominent businesses in the East
Gateway District.
In August 2011, we organized three Focus Group Vision Sessions that gave the
consultants the opportunity to hear directly from the community and collect the
goals, desires, their own personal observations, likes/dislikes and discuss other
comparable communities they felt were representative of the environments they
would like to see in the East Gateway District. During the two
Charrette/Community Workshops that were held in September 2011, the
community identified the goals that it deemed most important and prioritized what
was necessary to achieve the community redevelopment Vision.
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The overarching vision statement for the East Gateway District is: "As an "urban
edge" community, the East Gateway District offers un-paralleled opportunities not
found anywhere else in the greater Clearwater area. The District has all the
qualities of traditional neighborhood development, live/work/play and educate in a
culturally diverse setting, vigorously sought out by a demographic of young
professionals, families and aging adults. Through the Cleveland Street and Gulf to
Bay corridor enhancements, a strong open space connectivity strategy focused on
Stevenson Creek, an expanding commercial anchor at Missouri and Cleveland
and the development of an identifiable core "place to congregate and celebrate,
this walkable mixed-use community will become a destination for an emerging
market of residents and visitors."
Through observations of the physical assets of the East Gateway District, input
from the community, and data collected from the market/economic analysis, the
consultants have proposed the following strategies/recommendations:
• Change perception and negative influences that impact the community
image, attractiveness, safety and redevelopment opportunities;
• Encourage and support restaurant and shopping destinations focusing on
local, unique shops, ideally a combination geared towards both city
residents' and tourists' needs;
• Create more foot traffic in the East Gateway District (toward a more
walkable community);
• Focus on business development to support local institutions;
• Focus development near the Missouri Avenue and Cleveland Street
intersection as a commercial anchor through a strategic concentrated
development initiative;
• Create a district corridor along Cleveland Street and Gulf to Bay Boulevard
as a "complete street" within a redevelopment district promoting walkability,
shared resources and edge conditions for a vibrant community destination;
• Develop a north-south connectivity axis of open space and community
amenities along the Stevenson Creek drainage basin;
• Create a central gathering place where the community can come together
for regularly scheduled events and activities, offering a sense of place and
a community destination core;
• Create a strategy to rebrand the East Gateway District as a cohesive
vibrant destination community to live, work, recreate and educate;
• Explore the opportunity of renaming Gulf to Bay Boulevard through the
branding process;
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• Modify to the existing policy/framework to assist in the redevelopment
process and ease some of the restrictive or negative policies that currently
are controlling the area's growth; and
• Introduce formed-based code as a regulatory tool to assist in the
redevelopment process.
The East Gateway Vision Plan presents the vision statement for the East
Gateway District; outlines the concept plan for the various development zones;
and provides a matrix of action items to implement the recommended goals and
strategies.
In 2008, the CRA approved and adopted the East Gateway Five-Year Action
Program, which will conclude in September 2012. Staff recommends preparing
the next five-year action plan for Fiscal Year 2012-2017 to include cost estimates,
timeframes, and staffing recommendations for the Council's consideration and
approval.
Gensler and Associates representative Keith Greminger and Social Compact
representative Elisa Lee provided a PowerPoint presentation.
In response to questions, Mr. Greminger said the income per acre in the East Gateway
community is $205,000 due to a high population density in the small area. The median
household income is $31,098. Ms. Lee said the study extended the East Gateway
District in order to assess the area's market potential; as developers would look at the
area in same manner.
In response to a concern, CRA Executive Director Rod Irwin said the community
members see Gulf to Bay Boulevard as a major impediment for safety and pedestrian
crossing. They have expressed a desire for more green spaces that is safely accessible
by foot.
In response to questions, Ms. Lee said residents have expressed a desire for more
urban/workforce -middle income housing. Economic Development and Housing
Director Geri Campos Lopez said cost estimates for Cleveland Streetscape phase 3
have not been established but staff expects it to be lower than $8 million. Mr. Irwin said
staff will start developing the 5-year action plan and cost estimates should Council
agree with the plan's general concept.
Two individuals spoke in support.
Staff was directed to present an implementation plan for the East Gateway District
Vision Plan at a future meeting.
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4. Other Business — None.
5. Adiourn
The meeting was adjourned at 10:41 a.m.
Attest
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Chair
Community Redevelopment Agency
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