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09/10/2001CLEARWATER BEACH ENTRYWAY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER September 10, 2001 Present: Commissioner Ed Hart Facilitator/Non Voting Chair Lucile Casey Committee Member – arrived 4:20 p.m. Hoyt Hamilton Committee Member Bruce Littler Committee Member Arthur Lupien Committee Member Roger Schulman Committee Member Carl Wagenfohr Committee Member – arrived 4:05 p.m. Bob Bickerstaffe Committee Member Absent: Herb Brown Committee Member Dan Moran Committee Member Also present: Garry Brumback Assistant City Manager Paul Bertels Traffic Operations Manager Lt. Mike Waters Police Department Cynthia E. Goudeau City Clerk Patricia O. Sullivan Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEM #1 – General Discussion Options under development by staff will be available for review on September 25, 2001. Options include: 1) shrink fountain’s footprint and lower its height; 2) raze fountain and replace with landscaping; 3) raze fountain and install a statue(s); and 4) retain water feature similar to the reflecting pond, which was part of the original design. All options will use less water and electricity than the current fountain. In his August 14, 2001 letter to the City Commission and City Manager, CBA (Clearwater Beach Association) President Chris Hensler said the organization was offering $1,500 for a design competition for the replacement of the fountain and suggested criteria. It was felt the City Commission should approve design criteria issues. Concern was expressed regarding the timeliness of a contest. It would be less expensive to alter the fountain at the same time as modifications to the roundabout’s roadway are underway. Discussion ensued regarding constraints related to the proposed contest. Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback said staff will seek City Commission direction in October. In response to a question, Member Wagonfohr said a CBA judging committee will determine the contest winners and forward their recommendations to the City Commission. A RFP (Request for Proposals) has been issued for roundabout roadway work, which is scheduled to begin in November. In response to a question, Mr. Brumback said staff is determining if settling problems in the fountain are covered by warranty. It was felt if CBA recommendations are forwarded directly to the City Commission, the CBEAC will have no input. It was noted the CBEAC had recommended the fountain not be modified. Concern was expressed the CBA has no experts to judge the competition. Member Wagenfohr moved to endorse a CBA design competition for the roundabout fountain with contest results forwarded, within 6 weeks of Commission authorization to the CBEAC for review and to make recommendations to the City Commission. The motion was duly seconded. Concern was expressed staff also is working on options. It was felt public input is important. It was stated engineering staff must review all recommended concepts for logistical analysis. Staff proposed options will include renderings. Concern was expressed conflict may occur if staff proposals appear to compete with CBA results. It was requested staff options include estimated monthly operating costs, water consumption, and not to exceed numbers. Mr. Brumback said before construction, the City was aware fountain operating costs would be high. It was felt any contest should not begin until staff options are distributed. It was suggested the City also needs to consider water consumption for other City uses such as swimming pools and golf courses. Traffic Operations Manager Paul Bertels recommended the roadway and fountain projects be separate. Discussion ensued regarding contest related difficulties. The motion was withdrawn. ITEM #2 - Ideas Member Wagenfohr distributed a copy of page 208 from a Federal Highway Administration publication related to Central Island landscaping recommendations. Concern was expressed modifications to the fountain not result in an attractive nuisance, which would seriously endanger pedestrians who attempt to access it. It was recommended a water element remain as the roundabout is a destination landmark. It was suggested bubblers be installed on the fountain’s outside edge, with landscaping in the center. It was felt attractiveness is paramount. It was suggested the World War I statutes on the Memorial Causeway could be incorporated into the design. It was recommended staff developed options be distributed to CBEAC members when they are available. It was suggested the fountain be replaced by an armillary, a type of sundial. Concern was expressed the structure would be distracting. It was recommended the competition be permitted and information be provided to the contestants regarding the roundabout’s interior dimensions, the four staff proposed options, and a disclaimer indicating all design submittals must be evaluated by staff for cost, practicality, and feasibility. In response to requests, staff will provide committee members with copies of the roadway RFP, engineering drawings of the crosswalk, and a final copy of the related charette report. Discussion ensued regarding ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) restrictions related to the crosswalk signal cycle. It was recommended a sensor be installed to determine if a pedestrian remains at the crosswalk by the time the signal is ready to change. The next CBEAC meeting is scheduled for October 1, 2001 at 4:00 p.m. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 5:16 p.m.