of the
Smart Growth Task
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Review and Discussion

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     SMART GROWTH COMMITTEE

March 19, 2008 DRAFT Minutes

 

Time and Place: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 from 6-8 p.m., 1st Floor, Lee County Administration Building, 2115 Second Street, Fort Myers, Florida.

1.      Call to Order, Introductions, Review of Agenda

Chairman Brian Griffin called the meeting of the Lee County Smart Growth Advisory Committee to order at 6:01 p.m.

 

The following committee members in attendance:

Dr. Margaret Banyan

Ms. Liz Paul

Mr. Ron Hamel

Mr. Neal Noethlich

Ms. Margaret Fineberg

Dr. Bill Hammond-Chairman

Ms. Jill Tyrer

Mr. Brian Griffin, Co-Chairman

Ms. Ellen Lindblad

Mr. Damon Romanello

Ms. Carie Call

Mr. Steven Teuber

The following committee members excused absence:

Ms. Whitney Gray

Mr. Lee Ford

Commissioner Hall

The following committee members unexcused absence:

Mr. Mike Mullins

Mr. Jack Luft

The following staff in attendance:

Wayne Daltry, Director of Smart Growth                  Joanne Haley, Marketing Manager       

John Fredyma, County Attorney                               Mike Horsting, Sr. Planner       

Lucy Crook, Recording Secretary                             Carmen Monroy, Transit Projects

Steve Myers, Lee Tran Director

2.      Administrative Matters

A.  Minutes of January 16, 2008.

Action Needed: Accept and Approve the minutes as amended by discussion of the members.

MOTION made by Ms. Fineberg to accept the January 16, 2008 draft minutes; seconded by Mr. Hamel. Called and carried.

3.      Discussion:

A.     Transit Updates – Steve Myers, Director introduced staff in attendance.

Joanne Haley, Marketing Manager; Mike Horsting, Sr. Planner; and Carmen Monroy, Transit Projects.  He provided the following handouts: Lee County Transit Planning Tools, a CD of the executive summary of Transit Development Plan; We All Have a Stake in Expanding Public Transportation, and power point, Public Transportation in Lee County: A Partner in Smart Growth. The power point refers to the future plan use and where industry is going, specifically energy independence and global warming. It focused on using public transit to reduce emissions, dollars and more. See power point for details. (Ms. Lindblad arrived at 6:19 p.m.). Also note website, http://www.rideleetran.com/tdppdf.htm

Questions answered by Mr. Myers:

·        Fourteen percent of the budget is funded by riders. Mr. Griffin added that funding transit is a social responsibility of tax payers.

·      The large, empty parking lot in the N. Ft. Myers shopping center on Highway 41 has not been explored as a Transit Park and Ride across the bridge to downtown. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has to meet requirements to receive federal funds, i.e.; some dedicated right-of-way and frequency of stops, 10 minutes at peak and 15 minutes non-peak.

·        Bio-diesel will begin to be used and ultimately a stepping stone to hybrid use. The County is working on a used oil refinery plant.

·        There are limited new routes where there is increase of frequency within the existing system through 2015 goal. Pine Island has a route once a week.

·        It was noted that Park and Ride would be more utilized if the frequency increased. Routes have been designed around housing and the university and presented to the University.

·        Seventy-five percent of the riders are not car owners. Twenty-five percent choose to ride due to the cost of fuel and parking.

·        Discussion on shuttles between Estero malls, especially during the peak season, would require a travel demand study. A study has been done from Daniels Parkway to the south county line. Mr. Noethlich said Estero would consider approaching mall owners to use a shuttle if the cost could be provided.

 

Action Item: Mr. Myers will try to provide the cost to shuttle between certain malls in the Estero area.

 

·        There has been decrease in riders and traffic with the decline of the Spanish population.

·        Mr. Moser asked for statistics from the perspective of how much vehicle owners (put wear and tear on roads) are subsidized by driving own vehicle compared to the cyclists/bus rider who also pay taxes. Drivers say cyclists are not paying their own way. The numbers could help paint the big picture to beat this argument.

 

 Action Issue: Statistics on how much drivers are subsidized compared to cyclists/bus riders.

 

·      Dr. Banyan explained about providing bike lockers for transit users to rent for protection from weather and vandalism.

Award for Overall Excellence for Smart Growth April 7th - Mr. Daltry said this is the end of the fifth year of the program which makes Lee County Smart Growth eligible to EPA for an award. The key is sustainability in: 1) transit, 2) a multimode community and 3) mixing uses. “Now that it is sustainable, Lee Tran bus will be looked at as a more serious option and it will be an important crossover to choose between second car and mortgage payment.”

Certificate of Appreciation to Dan Moser – The state is no longer funding Mr. Moser’s position with the Health Department. Co-Chairman Griffin presented Dan Moser a certificate for his efforts in Smart Growth. Mr. Daltry confirmed that Mr. Moser will be consulting for Lee County. He will assist with SG initiatives, reviewing impediments in regulations in completing the streets to transit interface and more.

Complete Streets Follow-up- Dr. Banyan and Dan Moser - Dr. Banyan confirmed that she and Mr. Moser have started a committee to look at bicycle, pedestrian and public transportation (Complete Streets), but also to do advocacy. There is a lot of policy and a need to focus more on education. FGCU is doing a planning workshop that she has steered towards a Complete Street Workshop. She is looking for presenters along with Mr. Burton for the Complete Street Workshop as part of FGCU’s planning. Dan Moser explained the advocacy program needs someone from outside the County’s system with regards to work/cycling because of the internal resistance.

School Board - Mr. Teuber talked about the school board promoting students to walk to school under an obesity program that failed because there are no complete streets. Federal law requires students who reside within two miles to walk. The School Board has not been adhering to this because of the lack of complete streets. This is an issue to bring in the forefront that if busing is reduced, traffic will increase. Another high cost is the bus zones and enormous transportation cost because of the School Choice Program – 65% of students are bused. If this was eliminated, the students could walk to neighborhood schools.

D.O.T. - Mr. Moser noted that the current road resurfacing policy does not include bike lanes and this has to be changed before the next project begins.  He explained that Transportation says it is too much liability to put marked bike lanes in roadway even though it is done in Cape Coral, St. Petersburg and other county’s in the state.

Mr. Noethlich said to follow up on Mr. Teuber’s School Board comments, i.e.; cost of gas and busing kids - partnering with the school district could help bring out this argument. It was decided to get public transportation, school board, pediatrics, sidewalk and a host of committees involved by creating a mechanism for communication. Important to see how other counties have dealt with this issue to obtain a vision.

Action Issue: Mr. Hamel asked to receive from Mr. Teuber the percentage of students living within the two mile radius of the school for discussion. This is a SG issue.

 (Break at 6:55 p.m. and returned 7:05 p.m.)

 Mr. Daltry referred to Coconut Point Mall photos of “on street parking” because it is a mixed-use site identified on the map. (See handout attached.)

A.     Large Homes/Small Lots - Co-Chairman Griffin explained the McMansion problem in Lee County with high dollar beach property with homes on a 40’ X 60’ substandard lot is knocked down and replaced with a three story McMansion five feet from the water and property line, disrupting the water view and no setbacks are required, etc. It affects property value. He proposed to move this issue to the county attorney.

Discussion:

Mr. Daltry said to consider a motion to request SG committee to appear at the May M&P meeting. Include staff taking photos taken around the County to show what happens with lots under this concept. The key is sub-standard lots – 6200’ and getting waivers on set backs. There was discussion using M&P as a vehicle to get the process through planning.

 

 Motion on the floor for SG to take this countywide McMansion issue to BoCC to take to May M&P meeting; seconded by Ms. Fineberg. Called and carried.

Mr. Daltry said in April he will send information for members to review and comment. Mr. Fredyma talked about hardship of variances.

B.     Rural Lands Update – Wayne Daltry said, “BoCC directed staff to bring before April M&P a proposal by which a charter amendment be drafted to declare annexations of property beyond the urban boundary shall not be allowed a land-use change by annexing authority unless approved by BoCC. A common Water Resource Management Plan is being developed no matter what a community has in their jurisdiction. The rest of the Rural Land presentation was reviewed at the March M&P, i.e., all county activities that were going on and what corridors are being moved toward such as Lehigh Acres. The ways of completing these corridors are to be presented in the May M & P. Important to get this in before the Charter Review Committee (CRC website address is http://www.leegov.com/charterreview/) sends its report to the Board of County Commission (BoCC). If BoCC agrees, this will be part of the package to go to voters in 2008.

Co-Chairman Griffin explained the issues CRC are putting forth to BoCC to go to the electorate in November 2008.

4.      Task Progress:

A.     Member Issues –

            The Edison Bridge does not have a bike/pedestrian lane because of the age of the bridge. D.O.T. did not think the other bridges warranted pedestrian access.    

            Regarding the Tax Appraiser eliminating agriculture. Mr. Hamel explained that the tax appraiser was trying to address the “rent a cow” to clear up who was actually agriculture exempt. 

          There was talk about 2020 land purchases and the bill going through the legislature regarding Special Acts. There are 19 fire districts that require a lot of expense. This bill could make it more comfortable for the fire districts to merge.

B.     Other progress Reports

DR/GR –The workshop will be in April. He will send the date to the Committee.

Co-Chairman Griffin talked about Senator Bennett taking away the home rule on issues from the    County so DRGR may be spinning wheels.

5.      Public Comment- None.

6.      Set next meeting (April 16, 2008), identify agenda items and.

 

Motion made by Ms. Lindblad to adjourn at 7:45 p.m.; seconded by Dr. Banyan. Called and carried.

 

Respectfully submitted by:

 Lucy Crook, Administrative Specialist

County Manager

 

 

 Lee