02/23/2000 - Town Hall MeetingTOWN HALL MEETING
CITY OF CLEARWATER
February 23, 2000
The first of a series of town meetings to discuss the latest downtown development, beach, Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, and One City. One Future. plans was held at the Harborview Center at
7:00 p.m. on February 23, 2000.
The meeting was hosted by FOX Channel 13 television personality Charlie Belcher. A panel consisting of the City Manager and Commission, Police Chief Sid Klein, Charlie Siemon of Siemon,
Larsen, and Marsh, and David Frisbee and George deGuardiola of deGuardiola Development, Inc., were present to answer questions. The informational meeting gave residents the opportunity
to interact with City officials and the proposed downtown developer.
George deGuardiola and David Frisbee of deGuardiola Development, Inc. said they were present to listen to the community. They envision a unified downtown that incorporates ideas and
input from the community through a series of community meetings. They noted the firm has no predetermined ideas and will organize all available information for incorporation into redevelopment
plans. They encouraged everyone to complete the surveys distributed.
Twenty persons spoke regarding: 1) a food or department store in downtown; 2) placing the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on the waterfront; 3) a museum; 4) infrastructure; 5) the new library;
6) transportation and traffic issues; 7) private property owners; 8) the abandoned police station on the beach; 9) connecting the Pinellas trail to the waterfront; 10) taxes in the CRA
district versus the rest of the City; 11) the abundance of church properties in downtown; 12) tourist dollars; 13) Harborview; 14) the roundabout; 15) the bayfront; 16) the West Palm
Beach redevelopment project; and 17) roundabout, bridge, and redevelopment as key components. The panel addressed each issue as it relates to the redevelopment project.
City Manager Michael Roberto said the City has been writing redevelopment plans since 1962. The key to redevelopment is the implementation and integration of all the pieces. He said
the deGuardiola team’s strength is the ability to integrate redevelopment. He noted that any construction west of Osceola requires a referendum and is built in to the process. Mr.
Siemon said the strategy includes the introduction of residential elements into the downtown. New developments will provide increased revenues and taxes for infrastructure improvements.
Locations for the library, etc. have not been determined as over the next six months the developer will negotiate with the City for a development plan. Mr. deGuardiola said the library
is an important component of downtown and will be interfaced with other attractions. Mr. Frisbee said the economic increment that private entities will experience is a vibrant downtown
to be enjoyed by everyone. Police Chief Sid Klein said people will only come to a destination if they feel safe. He shared information
obtained from a recent survey, which indicates, the predominate issues over the last ten years are: 1) traffic; 2) burglary; 3) vandalism; and 4) drugs. He said patrols have been
increased in certain areas to address traffic, homelessness and other issues and crime has decreased.
The facilitator thanked everyone for their participation and encouraged residents to attend future town meetings scheduled throughout the City.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.