Florida Planning Magazine | 2017 Fall Issue | Planning Healthy Communities

FLORIDA PLANNING A Publication of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association

Fall 2017

www.floridaplanning.org

2017 G RE

Dating back 450 years as the first European settlement in the United States, Pensacola has a rich and colorful history, and the heart of the city of Pensacola is its downtown. A refreshing blend of historic resolve and cosmopolitan progress defines Downtown Pensacola, a 44-block district encompassing historic and archaeological sites, chic shops, eclectic art galleries and award-winning restaurants.

It’s a walkable district lined with colorful bicycle racks, and bustling with alternative transportation options—from pedicabs to Segways to trolleys to holiday-time horse-drawn carriages. Thou-

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DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA

PLACES IN T F A

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OTHER FEATURES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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Oh La La Paris est tres magnifique!

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Planners4Health Project

10

Healthy Community Design (HDC)

12

14

16

How Alachua Casselberry Adds Designing for Health Health Element to with the Well County Developed Comp Plan Building Standard its Community Health Element

18

Miami Looking in All the Right Places

21

Breaking Down the Big Box House

25

2017 Conference Chapter Awards

President’s Message - p. 3 In Memoriam - p. 30 APA Working for You - p. 31 Law Case Update - p. 32 Consultants Directory - p. 34 Events - back page

The Florida Chapter of APA provides statewide leadership in the development of sustainable communities by advocating excellence in planning, providing professional development for its members, and working to protect and enhance the natural and built environments.

[APA FLORIDA] KEY CONTACTS - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Name

Phone E-mail

APA Florida Executive Committee President Andre Anderson, AICP

407-957-8428

president@floridaplanning.org

President-Elect

Laura Everitt, AICP, Esq., LEED GA

813-224-8862

presidentelect@floridaplanning.org

Heart of Florida Section

Marissa Barmby, AICP

863-534-7130

heartoffl@floridaplanning.org

VP-Professional Development

Henry Bittaker, AICP

561-523-0678

profdevelopment@floridaplanning.org

VP Conference Services

Wiatt Bowers, AICP

904-363-8488

conferencesvcs@floridaplanning.org

University Liaison

Jeff Brown

850-644-8519

university@floridaplanning.org

First Coast Section

Ennis Davis, AICP

904-396-5727

firstcoast@floridaplanning.org

Orlando Metro Section

Joshua DeVries, AICP

407-742-7813

orlandometro@floridaplanning.org

Sun Coast Section

Melissa Dickens, AICP

813-273-3774

suncoast@floridaplanning.org

San Felasco Section

Forrest Eddelton

352-334-5022

sanfelasco@floridaplanning.org

Atlantic Coast Section

Lisa Frazier, AICP

321-750-7060

atlanticcoast@floridaplanning.org

Secretary

Kim Glas-Castro, AICP, LEED AP

561-434-5086

secretary@floridaplanning.org

Promised Lands Section

Jason Green, AICP

941-505-1700

promisedlands@floridaplanning.org

VP Certification Maintenance

Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP

850-319-9180

certmaintenance@floridaplanning.org

VP Communications

Michelle Heinrich, AICP

813-276-2167

communications@floridaplanning.org

YPG Representative

Brandon Henry

813-272-5940

ypg@floridaplanning.org

Student Representative

Daniel Hubbard

850-209-7409

students@floridaplanning.org

VP Section Affairs

Doug Kelly, AICP

321-329-3213

sectionaffairs@floridaplanning.org

Treasurer

Tony LaColla, AICP

813-273-3774

treasurer@floridaplanning.org

Capital Area Section

Devan Leavins

850-891-6400

capitalarea@floridaplanning.org f

Emerald Coast Section

Catherine McCloy, AICP

850-236-6771

emeraldcoast@floridaplanning.org

Broward Section

Robert Modys

954-828-4911

broward@floridaplanning.org

Gold Coast Section

Edward Ng, AICP, MPP, MPI

305-594-0735

goldcoast@floridaplanning.org

Treasure Coast Section

Alessandria Palmer, AICP

561-366-1100

treasurecoast@floridaplanning.org

VP Member Services

Marcie Stenmark, AICP

727-724-1555

membership@floridaplanning.orgta

Immediate Past President

Melissa Zornitta, AICP

813-272-5940

pastpresident@floridaplanning.org ff

Executive Director

Julia “Alex“ Magee

850-201-3272

fapa@floridaplanning.org

Ad. Assistant/Bookkeeper

Amanda Pickles

850-201-3272

adminbk@floridaplanning.org

Communications Coordinator Patti Shea

850-201-3272

staff@floridaplanning.org

Legislative Representative

Lester Abberger

850-524-2779

lesterabberger@nettally.com

Webmaster (Consultant)

Summer Taylor

888-949-5487 x706 summer@exaktmarketing.com

All Other Inquiries, contact APA Florida at 1-850-201-3272 or e-mail fapa@floridaplanning.org.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE It has been one year since I took office as APA Florida President, and what a year it has been!

It has been one year since I took office as APA Florida President, and what a year it has been! I have a met so many planners, elected officials, and citizen planners over the past year and I am very proud to be able to highlight all the great accomplishments that we achieved in only one year. As President, I get to represent Florida at the APA National leadership meetings in the Spring during the national conference and again in the fall in Washington DC. This past September, I got a chance to participate in Planner’s Day on Capitol Hill, where planners from around the nation get a chance for one-on-one with our respective senators in Congress.

This year’s was the largest attendance ever!

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the host committee from the Atlantic Coast Section in collaboration with the San Felasco Section, our members were treated to another exceptional chapter conference Despite the threat of Hurricane Irma undermining our annual conference, we were still able to hold a very successful statewide conference in Daytona Beach. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the host committee from the Atlantic Coast Section in collaboration with the San Felasco Section, our members were treated to another exceptional chapter conference.

So what have we been doing over the past year? Well let me tell you…

• The chapter continues to update our Strategic Operational Plan (SPO) and following a two-day Executive Committee retreat, we have updated the document, which was presented for approval at our Annual Meeting in September. The updates include some key initiatives in response to our membership survey that we conduct each year following our annual statewide conference. Some key initiatives include more training across the state, conference scholarships and short planning videos for the public to explain what planners do.

• As a result of the BP Oil Spill Settlement, the APA Florida Chapter received some proceeds of the settlement that enabled us to quickly begin the process of implementing much of the initiatives highlighted above.

• The chapter will be offering the following over the next 5-6 years fully funded: - Two conference scholarships for each of the 12 statewide sections (24 scholarships/year).

- Increase the Minority Scholarship amount offered each year.

- Develop Florida-based one-hour education curriculum for K-12 students to learn about the planning profession and what planning does in their communities, available to be used by members in classrooms - Develop/compile short videos on the importance of planning and specific planning issues for use on social media, presentation, and workshops.

- Creation of a Circuit Rider program to travel the state of Florida to provide learning opportunities for each of the chapter’s 12 sections - Increased our outreach effort to students and have revised and updated our Student Brochure.

• Earlier this year the chapter was awarded a planning grant through APA from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the Plan4Health initiative. As s result we convened more than 30 planning and public health professionals from around the state and held a Planners4Health Roundtable at the University of Florida in Gainesville, which was facilitated by Allara Mills Gutcher from The Planning Collaborative, to discuss how to better create cross-sectional relationships between planners and public health officials. One of the more significant results of the discussion was the direction continued on page 33

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[GREAT PLACES] PENSACOLA

continued from cover page

Images courtesy of Downtown Pensacola.

sands come to the nationally-recognized Blue Wahoos waterfront stadium, just around the corner, during spring and summer, and thousands more head downtown each Saturday for Palafox Market, a farmers’ market enjoying its tenth anniversary in 2017. During the holidays, downtown Pensacola glows with the lights of half a million white lights and the month-long Winterfest, recognized as one of Florida’s Top Events.

Downtown Pensacola is known for its laid-back, coastal way-of-life, long and storied history and diverse culture.

Founded by Spanish conquistador Don Tristan de Luna in 1559, Pensacola was the first European settlement in the New World. Over the centuries, the flags of Spain, Britain, France, the Confederacy and the United States have flown over the “City of Five Flags.”

Pensacola’s downtown is full of historic sites—virtually every brick sidewalk and city park is directly connected to America’s earliest colonization. Historic Pensacola, made up of

28 sites, structures, programs and exhibits in downtown Pensacola including the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, the Pensacola Museum of Commerce and the Pensacola Museum of Art—is managed by the University of West Florida to preserve local history for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the public.

Contrasting and complementing downtown’s rich history is an eclectic mix of chic shops, modern galleries and trendy restaurants dotting historic Palafox Street, the main downtown thoroughfare. Gourmet food trucks, water views and awardwinning fine dining coexist, while relaxed Southern-style sums up the unique shopping atmosphere among crape myrtle-lined streets and shaded city parks. On Saturdays, a fresh farmer’s market, Palafox Market, has served up locally harvested vegetables, fruits, honey and goods for the past ten years.

In 2016, a 3,000-square-foot mural was painted on the side of the Jefferson St. Parking Garage, a public art project designed to encourage other art installments.

Downtown Pensacola is known for its laid-back, coastal way-of-life, long and storied history and diverse culture.

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Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 5

! a l a l h o

! e u q fi i n g a m s è r t t s e s i Par

ege, AICP

aH

By Meliss

E

urope is known for its development patterns that not only require, but accommodate, walking and biking by its residents. So, it’s no surprise that the United States in comparison to European cities has higher rates of obesity, higher rates of weight-related diseases and lower mortality rates due to such as factors as auto dependency and motor vehicles crashes and fatalities. Also, Florida unfortunately is routinely ranked as one of the most dangerous places for bikers and pedestrians.

So, what can we learn from our European friends and apply in our communities to improve our health and safety? APA Florida member Melissa Hege shares her recent Paris trip photos and observations with Florida Planning on how to retrofit streets and roadways to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians and buses without disrupting the city’s beauty and charm. Hey, if they can do it, why not Florida?

Here’s how.

BIKESHARE, PARISIAN STYLE Paris takes bikeshare to a whole new level. The bicycles are not a commercial advertisement for the vendor’s sponsor (so American). Paris’ bikes are quintessentially Parisian from the subdued neutral gray color to the European style bicycle frame. Select bikeshare bicycles that reflect the city’s style.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER, A SIDEWALK WITH SPACE FOR EVERYONE Wide sidewalks are all the rage in Paris. What makes this sidewalk so great are the different zones which tell people how to use it. Bicycle and motorcycle parking along the edge, walking in the middle and a protected zone along the storefronts. Pavement markings, paving patterns and bollards help to delineate these areas. continued on page 7

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[OH LA LA] PARIS

continued from page 6

HOW TO SHARE THE ROAD, BIKE LANES For cyclists, painted bike lanes don’t offer much protection from cars especially at intersections. Here’s a clever way to keep cars from swerving into cyclists when making right turns. An oversized bollard routes cars away from the bike lane. Brick paving and pavement markings alerts cyclists and drivers that the intersection is approaching.

HOW TO SHARE THE ROAD, MULTI-USE LANES When space is limited, bicycles and buses share the same lane so that more space can be created for a center sidewalk and cozy bus shelters. Look at the cool yellow pavement markings that indicate the lane is shared and the white directional markings for bicycles crossing the shared lane.

STREETS FOR EVERYONE, PARKING LANES Here is a cacophony of pavement markings.

You may have to be a native to know exactly what they all mean, but there’s room for bicycle parking, delivery vehicles, bicycle traffic, car traffic and pedestrian crossings. Phew!

MORE SHARED SPACE, MULTI-USE LANES Are you starting to notice a theme?

Parisians like to share lanes with bicycles and buses. Makes sense. The bus is more efficient when it doesn’t have to drive with traffic and bicycles can take advantage of these wide open lanes for an easy and relatively stress free cycling experience.

Another nice feature is the ornate metal fence which separates the sidewalk from the bus/bike lane. Creates a comfy sidewalk to accommodate cafe seating.

SLOWING DOWN TRAFFIC This is a typical Parisian side street. It’s narrow, so there’s not much opportunity to speed down the road. But just in case that’s not a sufficient deterrent, this street has a kind of rumble strip made of cobblestones to slow traffic and the speed limit painted in large white numbers at the top of the intersection. Pretty simple. How

easy would it be to paint the speed limit on some of the more dangerous streets in Florida? Bollards and metal fencing provides another layer of protection for the strolling Parisian. Tres chic.

A PLACE FOR PEDESTRIANS, CAR FREE STREETS Florida already has some examples of this pedestrian exclusive street – such as Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. It’s so successful that retailers pay outrageous rents just to have a presence on the street.

These streets are more common in Paris and they exist for the sheer pleasure of strolling between neighborhoods without having to maneuver around cars. There are place for sitting, walking and space for planters and street trees. The street is calm and pleasant.

BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS I love that this crosswalk is placed in the middle of the block and perfectly aligned with the Pantheon monument. Getting to the building is not just about crossing the street, but crossing the street at a precise location in order to get the perfect view of this monument. Parisians think of everything!

GETTING AROUND TOWN And for the cyclist that has to tote around multiple children without losing style points.

Here’s a weather proof bike caddy to protect your little ones from the rain. This could work in Florida’s rainy afternoons!

PARKS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES When streets are wide enough, rather than adding another lane for car traffic, Parisians build parks. Yes, right in the middle of the street. A nice little respite for residents looking for some greenery or a business person on their lunch hour. It’s a civilized way to create comfortable spaces for everyone.

The lesson--streets can be a wonderful extension of a place’s personality while providing a vital function to move all kinds of traffic. We don’t need to build banal, utilitarian streets in our communities that serve nothing more than cars. Here are examples of how one retrofit its streets by sharing spaces and using mostly paint and some embellishments.

Melissa is an APA Florida member and operates her planning practice – Melissa Hege City Planning, LLC – from Miami. She also writes about improving our cities through better planning on her blog and contributes to various publications. Visit her today at melissahege.com/blog.

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“a web-based platform, intersect planning and public health.”

The Planners4HealthProject’s Mission

FLORIDA’S

By: Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP

PLANNERS4HEALTH PROJECT The Florida Chapter of APA was greatly excited to receive the Planners4Health grant in the amount of $50,000 funded by the Centers for Disease Control via APA in 2017.

We began planning early on in anticipation of the receipt of the grant and were ready by the Feb. 1 start date. In order to do this, we began recruiting each of our six task force members in late 2016 and into January 2017, each of who were prepped and ready to begin.

The task force representation included a diverse sector of professions and individuals from across the state from both rural and urban areas. They included Kim Ogren, an environmental planner and non-profit consultant (state-wide); Karen Hamilton, a planner with the South Florida Regional Planning Council (Miami); Greg Stuart, Executive Director of Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization which is a transportation-focused organization (Ft. Lauderdale); Laura Cantwell, Associate State Director of Advocacy and Outreach at AARP (Tampa); Dr. Nick Comerford, Director of the UF N. Florida Research and Education Center (Quincy); and Emily Suter, Health Planning Director for the Health Planning Council of NE Florida (Jacksonville). I was asked to steer the project as project manager and was hired by the Florida Chapter with the funds provided by the grant.

We hired a facilitator to help us discover what our project was going to be. Since Florida had not received Plan4Health funds previously, we were new to the project and did not have a previous year’s momentum to build on.

We came together with a fresh start and new notions! Our facilitator helped us through several exercises to brainstorm at a day-long meeting in Tampa where we developed a list of goals and came to a consensus decision that our project was: “Through a web-based platform, intersect planning and public health.”

Because we knew we had three firm guiding principles of : 1) foster cross-sectional partnerships between planners and public health officials continued on page 9

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[PLANNERS4HEALTH] PROJECT

continued from page 8

2) develop something easily disseminated 3) develop something sustainable, our decision to develop a web site was set.

Task Force Member Kim Ogren said “The project endeavors to design and implement an approach, a resource and possibly technical assistance, to planners around the state to grow the number of planners working on health-related projects.

The existing tools and resources available are necessary but insufficient. The Florida Chapter of APA seeks to refine an approach that meets Florida planners’ specific needs, to encourage their taking action including lowering the barriers to working with individuals in their community from the public health sector.”

At this meeting we also decided to develop and publish a survey to distribute to APA and state health officials so we could learn where square one was with our target audience knowledge base of each to the other profession. We received 220 responses from land-use planners from across Florida.

Some interesting facts include: • • • • •

130 respondents worked for a local government 104 worked in an urban area 104 worked in a suburban area 12 were rural 30% interacted with public health officials in their line of work • 71% reported there was political interest in regulating or guiding growth toward healthier environments in their community • 84% either did not know or stated their organization did not require health related planning in adopted policy

Unfortunately, although a similar survey was sent to public health officials, we did not get as great a response rate. We discovered later that the State of Florida restricts emails with links or surveys in them, so it is likely not many were able to receive the survey request.

With these results, we began planning a second meeting with greater participation to help discover best ways to market the website, and for assistance in content development. This “roundtable” event was held in Gainesville, and included several health officials from Hillsborough, Sarasota, Putnam, Clay and Dixie/Levy Counties as well as planners from Alachua County, Winter Haven, Lakeland and Forward Pinellas in addition to representatives from the University of Florida and Florida State University.

This meeting was also guided by a hired facilitator to help us discover where and how we needed to move the project along. Both large and small group discussions were centered

Top: First Planners4Health meeting on Feb. 2, 2017 Middle: Gainesville roundtable discussion group activity.

toward how to market the website (outreach), and what content to include that would be of value to the audience of planners and health officials. These results have been transmitted to the webpage designer who has since built a framework for content to be inserted.

The funding portion of the grant ended Sept. 29. At this time, the Chapter is working with staff and myself on guiding the content-building stages of the website. The address has been chosen and purchased, so look for us in the future at Plan4HealthyFL.org.

Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP, is the Owner/Principal of the Planning Collaborative, a land use planning services firm located in Northwest Florida. She can be reached at allara@theplanningcollaborative.com

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Healthy Community Design (HCD): A CONCEPT WHOSE TIME HAS COME

By Curtis M. Ostrodka, AICP, LEED, AP

AS AN INITIATIVE TRANSFORMS AN ORLANDO NEIGHBORHOOD, A PLANNER SEES GROWING INTEREST IN HCD PRINCIPLES The fear of every planner is working on a potentially transformative project only to watch it go nowhere. That frustration comes with the job. But, on the flip side are the successes that could be game changers. They tend to eclipse the professional letdowns and fuel our desire to forge ahead with ideas we’re passionate about.

The City of Orlando’s Parramore Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan (PCNP) falls into the latter narrative for me.

Three years ago, I wrote about this initiative, which was still

make Parramore one of the healthiest neighborhoods in Orlando.

The HCD-based project touches almost every aspect of Parramore life, including education, employment, transportation, housing, personal wellness, public safety, recreation and healthful food sources. Since the plan was implemented in 2015, the city has repaired 325 sidewalk gaps and/or crosswalks, upgraded all street lamps to LEDs, awarded nearly $100,000 to local businesses through the Minority/Women Business Entrepreneur Assistance Program, and documented a 61% decline in juvenile

“THE FRAMEWORK OF HCD ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY TO USE IT IN ANY COMMUNITY, SUBURBAN OR URBAN. YOU CAN MORPH THE PRINCIPLES OF YOUR HCD TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY.” being developed at the time, in the Fall issue of Florida Planning.

VHB had worked with the City of Orlando on the visioning phase of the plan and integrated in it Healthy Community Design (HCD) principles that could help combat chronic health issues in the historically African-American community. The city launched the PCNP in 2015 and immediately set out to reach a key objective –

arrests and a 56 percent decline in teenage pregnancies. The plan was awarded the 2015 APA Florida Award of Excellence and recently the International Downtown Association awarded it a 2017 Planning Certificate of Merit.

The cornerstone of the PCNP is education, with a new pre-K-8 community school and planned college campus forming bookends continued on page 11

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[HEALTHY] COMMUNITY DESIGN

continued from page 10

of a cradle-to-career nurturing program. In August, the new community school opened, with free preschool starting at two years old, an on-site health clinic, and a Boys & Girls Club. Just a few months earlier, the University of Central Florida and Valencia College broke ground on a joint campus that is part of the publicprivate Creative Village project. Every student that graduates from the Parramore PS-8 Community School and its feeder high school will receive a college scholarship to UCF, thanks for the generous philanthropy of Harris Rosen, one of Orlando’s most successful hoteliers.

While observing the Parramore initiative’s progress, I also noticed something else as encouraging taking shape – a growing awareness of the built environment’s deleterious impact on society.

Just north of Orlando, the City of Casselberry adopted a “healthy communities element” within its comprehensive plan.

VHB’s Orlando office, where I work, is involved in HCD-based Complete Streets projects with the Cities of Kissimmee and Umatilla, the latter spurred by a Community Health Needs Assessment that found a pressing need to address chronic

diseases related to the built environment.

Meanwhile, MetroPlan Orlando, the Central Florida regional transportation planning agency, recently added a “Health and Transportation program” and hired a health planning specialist.

Clearly there’s a trend developing, presenting planners with opportunities to propose integrating HCD principles in appropriate projects.

The beauty of Healthy Community Design is simplicity; its tenets are easy to communicate and understand. Paul Lewis, FAICP, Orlando’s chief planning manager, offers a keen insight into HCD’s strongest selling point: “The framework of HCD allows flexibility to use it in any community, suburban or urban. You can morph the principles of your HCD to address the needs of your individual community.”

Adaptable to communities’ needs and translatable to the general public, Healthy Community Design is a concept whose time has come.

Curtis M. Ostrodka, AICP, LEED, AP, is Director of Community Planning for VHB in Orlando. He can be reached at costrodka@vhb.com or follow @CurtOstrodka on Twitter.

Learn more and subscribe for free to the AARP Livable Communities monthly e-newsletter by visiting aarp.org/livable.

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 11

Casselberry By: Emily Hanna, AICP

Adds Health Element to Comp Plan

Beyond physical improvements, Casselberry has made strides to change its long-range vision for the community, and it’s a “healthier” one.

The City of Casselberry has been growing, in more ways than one. The city recently finished construction on two large luxury apartment complex projects, two single-family home subdivisions, multiple trails and its first complete street project, Oxford Road. Beyond physical improvements, Casselberry has made strides to change its longrange vision for the community, and it’s a “healthier” one.

In 2016 the city’s Community Development Department partnered with the University of Central Florida’s Urban and Regional Planning Master’s program (MSURP) to engage students on how to make the Casselberry a healthier place to live, work and play. The idea was to create a “Health Element” within the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which was slated for its Evaluation and Appraisal Report in 2017.

The MSURP Capstone Class, with the city’s assistance, began researching other municipalities’ health elements, to discover that only one other city in Florida has a health element, Miami. Many counties have health elements, and many others have goals, objectives and policies that are related to health, but all of them were very unique to that location.

The students furthered their research by conducting surveys of the Casselberry residents, reviewed the existing Comprehensive Plan for healthy policies and conducted park audits of the

12 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

neighborhood parks and their users. The students also looked at census tract data and created baseline health indicators for the city to use in the future. In the end, the students provided Casselberry with a Healthy Communities Report and the Healthy Communities Element, which includes multiple goals, objectives and policies to further the city’s healthy vision.

The City of Casselberry City Commission unanimously adopted the city’s Comprehensive Plan and its new Healthy Communities Element on Sept. 25. The Comprehensive Plan must still undergo review by the DEO, but the city is looking forward to implementing their new element.

The Casselberry City Manager James “Randy” Newlon said: “The City Commission has chosen to expand the city’s core mission to improve community health. The elected officials believe that through smart urban planning this will happen. The city will use its powers and resources to improve the built environment and steer future development so that the goals and objectives of the Healthy Communities Element will be reached.”

Emily Hanna is the chief planner of the City of Casselberry’s Community Development Department. She can be reached at ehanna@casselberry.org.

FLORIDA MEMBERS HELP RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING PROJECTS IN MICHIGAN Great planning extends out of the Sunshine State and into Michigan as a handful ofFlorida FAICP members were honored to serve as the Project Awards Jury for APA Michigan’s 2017 Awards Program. The jury consisted of FAICP members Jim Paulmann, David Haight, Steve Lindorff, Owen Beitsch, Brian Canin, Mary Kay Peck and Jay Stein.

APA Florida member Jim Paulmann, FAICP, joined APA Michigan planners at their awards ceremony in Mackinac Island, Michigan in September to help recognize these outstanding examples of planning.

The Michigan winners are: • Outstanding Planning Project: Best Practice (City of Auburn Hills – Age Friendly Action Plan) • Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan (City of Trenton – Trenton Coast Resiliency Master Plan) • Outstanding Planning Project: Best Practice – Transportation (Realize Cedar: Urban Design Framework) • Outstanding Planning Project: Best Practice – Urban Design (Blackman Park Expansion) • Outstanding Planning Project: Best Practice – Urban Design (The City of Southfield Evercentre Plan) • Outstanding Graduate Student Project Award (Stabilizing MorningSide, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 13

DESIGNING FOR HEALTH

WITH THE WELL BUILDING STANDARD By: Ledia Durmishaj & Samantha Wai

As designers and architects of healthcare facilities and sustainability advocates, the concepts of health and wellness permeate our work.

Yet people’s homes and workplaces impact their wellbeing just as much or more than their doctors’ offices or hospitals. GS&P’s Jacksonville staff took that to heart when relocating from the suburbs to downtown and – without even intending to – designed a new office that closely aligns with the new WELL Building Standard.

The International WELL Building Institute defines this standard as “an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being.” Why does that matter in a place of work? Because there are clear connections between employees’ wellbeing, productivity, and healthcare costs, according to the Healthways Center for Health Research.

Thanks to a presentation at Greenbuild 2015, Samantha and I, healthcare intern architects in GS&P’s Jacksonville office, first learned about WELL shortly before the office relocation.

As we delved deeper, we soon realized the new workplace designed by Jacksonville’s Corporate + Urban Design studio closely aligns with the standard’s seven concepts: Light, Comfort, Mind, Fitness, Air, Water and Nourishment.

LIGHT WELL Standard: Illumination guidelines aim to minimize the disruption of circadian rhythms, which can enhance sleep quality and boost productivity.

Our space: Floor to ceiling glass encloses our new space on the top floor of a downtown high rise with 360-degree views. The expansive glazing eliminates the need for artificial lighting during much of the day and performs at a high level to reduce solar heat gain. To enhance the effect, we took every opportunity to remove obstacles, such as mechanical systems, in the ceiling that would block natural light from entering the space. Accounting Specialist Cindy Holt says, “The natural light in the new office space gives me a sense of being outdoors all day, and the view of the city is incredible!” continued on page 15

ter for Health Research

Source: The Healthways Cen

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[DESIGNING] FOR HEALTH

Picture taken by Mayur Patel: New urban core location offers gre ater walkability

continued from page 14

After: Natu ral throughout light permeates the entire o ffice.

overhead Before: Private offices and the light. of t mos lded duct work shie

COMFORT WELL Standard: Requirements in this category focus on creating distraction-free, productive and comfortable indoor environments.

Our space: Imagined as a “design workshop,” our open office concept promotes communication and collaboration. Excellent Wi-Fi and a variety of alcoves, meeting rooms and collaboration spaces allow staff to find the working arrangement that best fits their needs at any given time. Writable wall surfaces and movable panels also allow for spontaneous brainstorming throughout the office.

Partitions between workstations were designed to help with the space acoustics, and we’re currently looking into occupant controlled moveable shading devices for glare reduction.

MIND WELL Standard: Design, technology and treatment strategies support the creation of a beneficial physical environment for cognitive and emotional health.

Our space: Concentrating GS&P Jacksonville’s ope n concept offices and support spaces office layout at the building core and preserving an open perimeter created a more inspiring work environment by maximizing the availability of daylight and views of downtown Jacksonville and the St. Johns River. When employees feel stressed or overstimulated, a wellness room with a comfortable lounge chair and speaker playing soothing sounds offers a refuge to meditate and relax.

FITNESS WELL Standard: With benchmarks that encourage the integration of physical activity into daily life, the standard promotes more active, healthier lifestyles.

Our space: Thanks to its downtown location, our new office encourages employees to walk to nearby Hemming Plaza and other places for lunch and allows many to leave their cars at home and walk or bike to work. Every workstation also has power-assisted, height-adjustable chairs and desks to allow for sit-stand working and increase physical movement during the day.

AIR WELL Standard: Guidelines for reducing or minimizing indoor air pollution and contaminants support the health and wellbeing of building occupants by improving indoor air quality.

Our space: The air fed through our ventilation system is filtered with moisture control.

Considering the potential for heat gain in the space (both actual and perceived), much consideration was given to occupants’ thermal comfort. The design team worked with GS&P mechanical engineers to develop an inconspicuous schematic solution using high-velocity nozzles that distribute air from the building core over the open work spaces.

While two thirds of the heat load is addressed through the central HVAC system, the remainder of the space is served by a perimeter loop of units that provide localized heating and cooling adjustments.

WATER WELL Standard: Requiring proper filtration techniques and regular testing helps ensure building occupants receive safe and clean water of optimal quality.

Our space: Our office’s water supply is filtered to reduce the count of harmful biological contaminants, metals, minerals and disinfection byproducts.

NOURISHMENT WELL Standard: Better eating habits and food culture are encouraged by providing fresh, wholesome food choices and discouraging the use of unhealthy ingredients.

Our space: Healthy food is regularly provided to staff in the break room, which also includes sanitary food prep areas with all the necessary supplies.

We love showing off the new Jacksonville office, so please give us a shout if you’d like to stop by for a visit!

This article was reproduced with the permission of Gresham Smith and Partners. It originally appeared on their website.

View of main conference room from lobby entrance

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 15

How Alachua County Developed Its Community Health Element In 2011, Alachua County adopted a new Community Health Element, with the Goal to “Preserve the health of Alachua County residents by facilitating health care delivery, improving the livability of the community, and providing all Alachua County residents opportunities for active living.�

To develop the element, county comprehensive planners worked with WellFlorida staff to facilitate a process with the County Health Care Advisory Board. 1This group includes attorneys, community advocates, healthcare consumers, and medical professionals representing Florida Nurses Association, Alachua County Health Department, County Medical Society, hospitals and health clinics.

Detailed below are the initial priority areas of focus identified by the medical professionals: 1. Improved access and affordability to a comprehensive array of care including primary medical care, specialty care, hospital care, dental care and behavioral health care.

2. Elimination of preventable chronic illness.

3. Reduction of obesity among adults and children.

16 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

By: Kathleen Pagan, AICP

4. Coordination among local health systems and entities.

5. Enhancement of school-based health promotion and activities.

6. Sensitivity to needs of special populations and those populations affected by health disparities.

The policy framework was developed to address these issues.

Key concepts of the new Community Health Element are Aging in Place, promoting active living in transportation and recreation systems, and social living including community gardening.

Presently working on plan implementation, county planners are utilizing every tool and partnership available to include community environmental health in the planning process. In a university community with a major medical research center, local planning is able to benefit from partnerships and rely on the expertise of many other professionals from fields related to community health. continued on page 17

[ALACHUA] COUNTY

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Below are some factors we’ve determined critical to our project implementation: Recognizing the important linkage of health and nutrition, programs including Florida Organic Growers and School Board of Alachua County Farm to School are critical.

Public health experts including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff and National Institute of Health, planners and architects, and others in the livable communities’ field are examining the ways in which the built environment can affect health. Allied professionals are collaborating.

Encouraging physical activity, reducing air pollution, ensuring access to healthy food and preserving the natural environment are important for public health. An informative resource for communities working on health issues is PAS Report “Planning and Zoning for the Built Environment.”

Increasingly the Social Determinants of Health (and conversely, of Inequality) are discussed. (eg - this RWJ Foundation initiative.)

Health Impact Assessments Community Participatory Research are critically important tools when taking in a 360-degree scope of the community.

All community hospitals are now required (by ACA legislation) to compile community health data. A community health website is required for a community hospital, and a Community Health Dashboard developed by HCI (headquartered in Berkeley, Calif.) includes 250 indicators (info legend/ gaugegreen= good, red=bad, yellow=ok). Check out UF’s data.

Adding community health to the Comprehensive Plan can help build the partnerships needed to achieve health equality.

The Alachua County Comprehensive Plan is online (and the Health Element begins on page 413.)

Kathleen W. Pagan is a senior planner with Alachua County. She can be reached at kpagan@alachuacounty.us.

HCAB mission is “Identify health services available for low-income residents and develop recommendations for improving service.”

1

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Our attorneys also have extensive experience litigating land use and property rights issues before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, as well as state and Federal courts around the state, including comprehensive plan challenges, consistency challenges, eminent domain and inverse condemnations, and constitutional matters. With attorneys and staff from Jacksonville to Miami and Tampa to Tallahassee, Gunster is helping to inspire Florida’s future.

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Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 17

N

ew ways to make our communities more healthy and vibrant are sometimes right in front of us. As we focus this issue of Florida Planning on planning for healthy communities we see that underutilized and overlooked land can be a precious resource in an urban area. A developing project in Miami provides an excellent example – The Underline. Similar to the famed High Line in New York City, which reclaimed abandoned elevated rail lines to become one of the city’s top destinations, The Underline seeks to not only become a destination, but also a multi-modal transportation route and community health catalyst. We want to give you an update about this ambitious public project.

Operations – designers of New York City’s High Line – was selected to develop the ambitious master plan. In late 2015, the master plan was unveiled after six public engagement meetings. The 10-mile project is a signature linear park, an urban trail and a living art destination. The park will also serve to link southern neighborhoods to downtown Miami.

Central to the project is an off-road bike and pedestrian facility that provides not only recreation, but also an alternative to vehicle transportation. The well-positioned trail will also take advantage of rail, bus and transit connections.

Other recreational opportunities, such as playgrounds, skate parks, outdoor gyms/courts and climbing walls are also envisioned. Public art will be installed to complement the native

THE PROCESS: The Underline started as the brainchild of Meg Daly, a Miami resident who realized the potential of an existing asphalt path under the city’s elevated rail line (the Metrorail) as she used it for walking when an injury prevented her from using a car or bike for transportation. Her ideas led to the formation of the non-profit “Friends of The Underline,” which entered into a public-private partnership with Miami-Dade County and various city and state agencies, as well as area stakeholders, to develop plans for Miami-Dade County’s first mobility corridor. The design firm James Corner Field

Miami

Looking In All The Right Places

By Melissa Hege, AICP, and Michelle Heinrich, AICP

18 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

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[MIAMI] ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

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surroundings and landscaping in the passive recreation areas (such as bird trails, rain gardens and sitting areas). To reflect adjacent neighborhoods, the master plan calls for four character zones – Nature & Play, Art & Craft Incubator, Green Tech and Active Recreation - to also give each area its own identity within the overall trail.

Since the 2015 Master Plan was finalized, the project has been moving forward with an anticipated completion date of 2020. The total price tag for project is estimated at $110-120 million, which will rely on both public monies and private donations.

PLANNING UPDATES: A Health Impact Assessment has been commissioned to ensure the Underline optimizes community health. Among the key takeaways, the study showed the project has a high potential to increase physical activity and social connections — two of the strongest protective factors against chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart failure.

FUNDING UPDATES: • The project received a $5 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature. Funds are directed to Miami-Dade County for construction and are in addition to the 2016 SunTrail grants and a $2 million appropriation for a total of over $11 million from the State of Florida.

Images courtesy of James Corner, Friends of The Underline

The existing northern end of The Underline, at the Miami River, has a dead-end path and no connection to the sidewalk.

The future “River Room” features oolite seating steps, orienting visitors toward views of the river and downtown Miami. Paths that connect to nearby pedestrian and bike routes reinforce connections to the Miami River Greenway, across the river and into downtown.

• The Miami hotel, Atton Brickell, had donated $25,000 to be earmarked for the Brickell Backyard Hammock Trail portion of the project adjacent to Simpson Park. The 12-story Atton Brickell Miami overlooks Simpson Park and is located across the street from the planned project and sees the economic impact this project will have on the area businesses.

• Publix Supermarkets has donated $50,000 to also be used for the Brickell Backyard. Publix has two stores in the Brickell area and states “This project will provide an exciting new opportunity for people to connect, provide access to safe park space, encourage a healthy lifestyle and generate economic growth and we are thrilled to be an early supporter and partner in this effort.”

• The City of Miami has committed $50 million to the project.

With this commitment, nearly 80 percent of the project’s $60 million cost in the City of Miami and 40 percent of the projects total $120 million cost will be funded.

• $9 million has been received from 600 non-profit organizations in the past two years during such events as the 2016 Give Miami Day. PROGRAMMING UPDATES: Key to the project’s success is continued support from community members and advocates. A regular schedule of programs and events, which are developed by volunteers, is helping to engage the community and increase support and excitement for the project.

Some of the larger events included: • Public exercise programs continue to be offered. The Underline Cycle Club Rides take place throughout the year. Each ride is free and open to the public. Bi-Monthly yoga classes are held at the Brickell City Center. Both programs area supported

by Baptist Health South Florida grants.

• Showcasing what’s to come, the area has been used for a Pop Up Dog Park (or “Pup” Up) and Pop Up Gym with partner organizations such as the Miami Parking Authority.

• UM School of Architecture funded by a Miami Foundation Public Space Challenge will build and program a pop up pavilion and performance stage at Brickell Metrorail station from Dec. 7-10 during Art Basel.

• The “UnderLounge” event was held in March 2017 with free music, local food vendors, exercise sessions, all-ages art classes and even a bicycle fashion show! This popular event drew over 500 attendees.

• The Friends of the Underline continues to partner with other advocate groups such as the Nature Conservancy and High Line Network. The High Line Network is a group of 19 industrial reuse projects that are rethinking our public places. continued on page 20

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATES: • Brickell Backyard begins! Brickell Backyard is the first phase of the project slated for construction in Spring 2018. This phase will include a series of park like “rooms” that are tied together by a succession of parks and punctuated by trails for cyclists and pedestrians. Environmental, geotechnical and utility surveys have begun. Design advances to 90% with review by Miami Dade County Transportation & Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces, TPO, DERM, City of Miami, Miami River Commission, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and more.

Existing corridor adjacent to Simpson Hammock Park.

The proposed “Hammock Trail” will feature species inspired by the historic Brickell Hammock with opportunities for nature education and inventive play.

• Phase II from SW 13th Street to SW 19th Avenue is in schematic design (Design/Build) and will begin procurement in next month.

• Temporary art has been unveiled which was curated by Miami Dade Art in Public Places and funded by ArtPlace America grants. This sparked press coverage by both Architectural Digest and NYT Style Magazine as this new public art was celebrated.

• In late 2016, South Miami Hospital unveiled plans to build a Healing Garden next to the future Underline with construction to begin in next year. The Healing Garden will be adjacent to US 1, near South Miami Hospital’s East Tower Building. The garden will provide a peaceful area for people to relax, rest and reflect.

Excitement for this project continues both in the community and outside our state. Recent press coverage states “Miami is poised to become the next city to transform an under-utilized urban corridor into a public green space where locals and visitors alike can walk, bike and enjoy being outside” by Lonely Planet and “This is how you make public transit beautiful” by Travel & Leisure.

Follow their progress at www.theunderline.org. Or better yet, come visit Miami and see firsthand this Florida example of a community improvement project simultaneously targeting health, transportation and economic development initiatives.

20 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

Breaking Down the Big Box House How the city of St. Petersburg adopted and implemented zoning regulations to address compatible residential infill.

By: Elizabeth Abernethy, AICP

On July 20, after 18-months of research, analysis, community outreach, code drafting and redrafting and more community outreach, the St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved a package of more than 85 changes to the city’s standards for residential land development.

The new standards include limiting the size of new homes in traditional neighborhoods and creating design bonuses to improve compatibility with surrounding homes. The design bonus options, along with establishing maximum floor area ratios (FARs), help to “break the box” by reducing scale and mass at the street. These amendments attempt to better balance needed infill residential development with protection of the character of unique neighborhoods.

BACKGROUND

By 2015, St. Petersburg started experiencing an accelerated rate of redevelopment in residential neighborhoods.

The redevelopment consists primarily of tear down and rebuilds on existing platted lots and infill of new homes on multiple lot “parcels” that had been in single ownership. City planning staff recognized, from 10 years of experience implementing residential development standards that were originally adopted in 2007, that there were some items in the code that needed updating.

Additionally, staff started to receive concerns from neighborhood residents regarding the character of new home construction. From 2007 through June 2017, 1,028 permits were issued for new single-family homes, which represents about 1.5 percent of the overall housing stock of 68,623 single-fami-

ly homes. While the overall percentage is small, the impact on certain rapidly evolving neighborhoods exceeded 10 percent.

In 2007, St. Pete established new residential zoning classifications for its neighborhoods, under two umbrella designations: Neighborhood Traditional (NT) and Neighborhood Suburban (NS). Generally, neighborhoods developed and platted in the 1920s, and characterized by a grid roadway pattern with alleys were designated NT and those developed post World War II, generally without alleys were designated as NS. Both districts had site and building design standards to reinforce the character of their areas. Until the recovery from the recession, which began in 2015, these code provisions were not significantly tested.

CODE UPDATE PROCESS The code review process was initiated at the end of 2015 with the purpose of supporting and furthering design standards, clarifying code language that might be confusing or conflicting, and responding to concerns expressed by both neighborhood residents as wells as the builders/designer community. An extensive public outreach effort was launched, starting by identifying the city team and potential stakeholders. Invitations were sent to all the neighborhood associations and a list of builders, designers, architects and contractors inviting them to a series of five workshops held at the main library on a variety of topics identified by both planning staff and by citizens during the March to October 2016 timeframe.

An overview of the issues with associated research, data and analysis, and solicited feedback from the attendees was presented at each workshop. The dynamic process was archived and shared via a web site throughout the process.

A Public Participation Report summarizing the efforts and the input was provided to the Development Review Commission continued on page 22

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 21

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and City Council during the subsequent workshops and adoption hearings. A summary table of the amendments, breaking down the amendments into three categories: substantive, clarification, consistency was also prepared.

• 40 of the changes were considered to be “Substantive,” meaning amendments resulting from new issues.

• 37 were classified as “Clarifications,” reflecting the effort to provide clear and intuitive code language.

• The remaining changes were considered to be “Consistency” changes, meaning changes based on federal, state and local laws.

tory tool box to help better balance these new homes with the surrounding development.

In considering adding this FAR limit to code, a balance between the conflicting interests and objectives of the private property owner vs. the public at large was imperative. While neighbors are concerned about size, there were counter balancing concerns about continuing to facilitate critically important housing reinvestment in St. Petersburg’s older neighborhoods and not unduly restricting private property rights and limiting free market conditions.

The most significant regulatory change and most discussed related to regulating the size and bulk of new homes through adoption of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) limits. Traditionally, FAR has been used for controlling the size of buildings for non-residential development. In recent years, planners have started to use this tool for controlling residential development as well, to address growing concerns regarding compatibility of new homes in established neighborhoods Additional changes included reducing dimensional standards in one of the traditional districts to promote redevelopment efforts. Design standards were modified to regulate construction of substantially similar homes next to each other. Notable are the new exemptions for design standards for carports on alleys, eased restrictions on Accessory Dwelling Units, and improvements to the regulatory process for Redevelopment and Reinstatement projects.

RATIONALE & ANALYSIS Concerns had been expressed regarding the size and bulk of new homes being built, particularly in the traditional neighborhoods, and their consistency with the surrounding neighborhood and development pattern. Many new homes have second stories built close to or at the minimum required setbacks, creating a boxlike, bulky appearance.

Based on these concerns, planning staff researched the average home size in the city, comparing the entire housing stock to homes built since the code changed in 2007, and it demonstrated a significant increase in size for new construction. The typical house built from the 1940s-1960s was two-bedroom one bath.

Homes have been getting bigger as the community has transitioned from a city with small homes built for retirees. Planning staff was fully aware that recommending a new regulation that would affect the design and limit the size of larger homes was certain to be a controversial topic, however it was decided that this was an important tool that needed to be added to the regula22 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

In the previous code, which is substantially similar to most zoning codes in Florida and nationwide, the size of a house was limited by the required building setbacks, the maximum height, and the maximum impervious surface ratio. For example, on a 5,800 s.f. lot in the NT-2 zoning district, this would equate to a home with over 8,000 square feet, which is a 1.43 FAR. A standard planning analysis was performed, by researching other codes, analyzing the city’s data, performing field reviews, and performing an “Order of Magnitude” analysis, to determine an appropriate standard.

Use of FAR for residential homes is still an emerging trend in the planning field. Staff found five examples in California, one in Colorado, and four in Florida. None of the surrounding jurisdictions in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee or Sarasota counties use FAR limits for purposes of limiting home size. Of the Florida jurisdictions, the one that was most similar is Miami Beach, which first sets a minimum size of a home at 1,800 s.f., then a 0.50 FAR (garages are exempt from the FAR calculation). The other three jurisdictions have tiered FARs, based on zoning district and parcel size, ranging from 0.33 for very large lots to 0.55, and two of the four include bonus provisions. It is important to note that all of these jurisdictions are smaller than St Pete, whose population is over 260,000. No other similar sized cities have taken this approach to regulating house size.

The first step in analyzing the city was to look at the existing conditions. Using property appraiser data for all single-family homes in each of the NT and NS zoning districts. The overall City average FAR was 0.23. Next, homes constructed after the code changed in continued on page 23

[ST. PETE] RESIDENTIAL INFILL

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2007 were analyzed, and the average FAR increased to 0.31. Lastly, homes built in 2016 were reviewed, to see if the homes were continuing to get bigger, and the data supported that, with a citywide average of 0.40.

The next step after analyzing the trends was to propose an FAR limit for each zoning district. Bonus options were included to allow increases in FAR. These 15 bonus options included design elements to break the box and bring down the scale and mass at the street front, so that the homes will better fit in with the surrounding neighborhood. Homes were then field reviewed based on the proposed limits and an FAR was proposed which was a consistent standard throughout all zoning districts. Homes built in 2015 and 2016 were analyzed to determine how many of these would have been impacted had the regulation been in place.

This order of magnitude analysis table shows three FAR options: 0.40, 0.45 FAR and 0.50. Lower FAR options were included due to on-going discussions with citizens from NT zoned neighborhoods advocating for lower FAR limits.

before the first formal public hearing in June. After the June DRC hearing, an FAR exemption for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) up to 500 square feet was added. The allowance to construct ADUs in NT districts was brought back to the code, having been deleted decades ago, in 2007. ADUs add affordable rental units to the housing pool, as well as allowing use for extended families, such as parents or the “boomerang kids�.

Throughout the winter and spring, staff met with a group of neighborhood stakeholders to review the progression of drafts and incorporate feedback and prior to the public hearings, these community stakeholders lobbied for a 0.40 FAR limit. After additional publicity and through stakeholder initiated social media outreach, another neighborhood group formed advocating for a lower FAR, 0.30 with a 0.10 bonus cap.

These two photographs show two recently constructed homes with a similar FAR of 0.63 and 0.64, demonstrating how the use of design bonuses can reduce the mass and bulk at the street level:

FAR options were presented to city council at two workshops in October and December 2016, and after direction was received at the second workshop, the recommendation for a 0.50 base limit, with a provision for bonuses up to 0.70 was established (0.20 bonus FAR cap).

Public outreach continued from December through June, in the form of presentations to the CRA advisory committee, the umbrella Council of Neighborhood Associations, five individual neighborhood associations, the Chamber of Commerce and to the countywide realtor association. In February and March, two additional workshops were conducted with the Development Review Commission (DRC),

Public hearings continued before the city council on July 13 and 20. There was healthy feedback at all of these hearings, with several hours of citizens input at each hearing, including representation from neighborhood stakeholders and the builder/developer/designer groups. At the first City Council hearing, council voted to establish a 0.40 base FAR with a 0.60 FAR bonus cap in the two of the NT districts, and keep the staff recommendation of 0.50 with 0.70 bonus cap in one of the suburban districts and the other two traditional districts. Council also asked staff to bring back additional bonuses to address concerns about the lower 0.40 FAR impacting one story homes, and after listening to the input at the DRC and first city council hearing, staff recommended adding five additional bonuses including one for selection of a traditional architectural style, planting of larger trees, solar ready, LEED or Florida Green Building, and for one-story buildings. The final FAR cap of 0.40 was established in two of the traditional neighborhoods, and 0.50 in another.

continued on page 24

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REPEATING FACADES Another code modification intended to help protect the neighborhood character was the adoption of a strengthened repetitive design standard, limiting similar design within three parcels in every direction.

“Design of homes located on the same block face or within three lots on an adjacent block face with similar floor plans shall be varied, such that a substantially similar home cannot be replicated. Variation shall include at least three of the following elements: architectural style, roof form, materials, and details (doors, windows, columns).”

CONCLUSION Three months after adoption of and implementation of the new code there have not been any significant challenges. The 18-month code revision process was extremely challenging and required significant dedication of staff resources. Achieving a unanimous approval through the extensive public outreach and consensus building process was validation that it was worth the time and effort put forth. The multiple sources of positive feedback and compliments regarding the inclusive outreach process further reinforced the merits of staff’s efforts. Confirmation that something special had been accomplished was deepened with the receipt of an email from a local builder that was initially adamantly opposed to the FAR limits: “Thank you. I may disagree with some of this but I think you did an EXCEPTIONAL job balancing all the factions without preconception or prejudice.”

For more information and handouts summarizing the code changes, please visit the webpage, www.StPete.org/LDR, or email us at DevRev@StPete.org.

Elizabeth Abernethy, AICP, is the zoning official and development review services manager for the city of St. Petersburg. She can be reached at elizabeth.abernethy@stpete.org

24 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

2017 APA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Thank you to everyone who made the 2017 conference a success!

See you next year in West Palm Beach!

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 25

Congratulations to the 2017 LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS! LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Jim Studiale, AICP This year’s APA Florida Lifetime Service Award goes to Jim Studiale, AICP, for his outstanding achievements in the field of planning.

Jim has more than 40 years of planning experience within the State of Florida and has held certification as an AICP planner for 35 of those years. His contributions to the planning and development field are reflected in the transformation of the City of Lakeland during the past 17 years that he has led the Community Development Department.

Jim believes in the value of planning to create places that reflect a shared vision of how to build upon existing community assets and resources. This passion has fueled Jim’s professional career as an AICP planner that has helped shape the physical landscape of Lakeland and Central Florida.

To read a full biography on Jim, click here.

2017 OUTSTANDING LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL Former Mayor of Titusville, Jim Tulley Jr. APA Florida is pleased to present former City of Titusville Mayor James H. Tulley, Jr. with the Outstanding Public Official of the Year Award for 2017.

As mayor, Mr. Tulley had a long history of promoting bicycle and pedestrian activities and saw the future of these trails as a real economic development/eco-tourism tool for the city.

Mayor Tulley was also instrumental in making sure Titusville’s portion of the Rail Trail was completed and he worked with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to gain approval for the planned Space Coast Trail to cross Federal Space Center property. He is and was a proponent of Florida Greenways and Trails, particularly the Coast-to-Coast Trail, the East Coast Greenway and the St. Johns to Sea Loop Trail.

To read a full biography on Mr. Tulley, click here.

26 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

STUDENT PLANNER OF THE YEAR Les Brown Les Brown, a recent graduate of the University of Florida, is the 2017 APA Florida Student Planner of the Year.

As a first year graduate student, Les volunteered to work on a student project helping a bicycle club in The Villages to develop a bicycle master plan. He took leadership of the project and helped develop a survey of the club membership that will be used as part of the planning effort. Using this project research, he prepared a paper for publication in the Transportation Research Record: the Journal of the Transportation Research Board, a rare occurrence for a master’s student.

In addition to these projects, he has been working on a project to provide technical assistance to rural communities to prepare applications for the Safe Routes to School Program, which funds projects to improve sidewalks and other infrastructure near K-12 schools.

He recently moved to Washington DC for a job with ICF. Read a full biography on Les here.

DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHAPTER Trina Gilliam Trina Gilliam is the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Contribution to the Chapter Award, which recognizes an APA Florida member who has contributed to the goals and objectives of the APA Florida and to its development plan through an extraordinary effort over a short period of time.

Trina was selected, not just because she contributed her time and talents to the planning of this conference, but because she is a wonderful example of how our student members can get involved in APA Florida and make a difference in the short period that they are in school.

She is an enthusiastic, dedicated, hard-working, and self-motivated student, volunteer and professional-in-training.

She is currently working on a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Central Florida. She is a member of the Urban Knights student organization at UCF and actively invites a variety of interesting planning professionals to speak at their events. She is also an active student liaison with the Atlantic Coast Section of APA Florida.

For a full biography on Trina, read here.

Congratulations to the 2017 PROJECT AWARDS RECIPIENTS!

During the 2017 Annual Conference, APA Florida acknowledged five individuals as the recipients of the 2017 APA Florida Leadership Awards.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan Category: Comprehensive Plan (Large Jurisdiction)

l to r: Allen Parsons, Elma Felix

Planning for the future begins with capturing the community’s vision. The Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap to the vision of Sarasota County, to guide development of land, economic growth, resource protection, and the provision of public services and facilities in Sarasota County. The Plan underwent a major overhaul; allowing the public and staff to transition a siloed Plan into a new user-friendly Plan, using a system of overarching thematic Elements, highlighting synergies and Core Principles throughout the Plan’s 15 chapters. The resulting Comprehensive Plan provides the framework and direction which will enable the county to achieve its desired goals.

Downtown Ocoee Master Plan Category: Neighborhood Planning

l to r: Andrew McCown, Blake Drury, Pete Sechler

In 2016, the City of Ocoee worked to develop an ambitious plan for their downtown neighborhood including the historic main street, lakefront, adjacent residential, and interchange area. Though it has always been the civic and cultural heart of Ocoee, the downtown had, in many ways, been left behind and lacked infrastructure and investment to make it a desirable destination. It was only through the vision of the community and the leadership of the elected officials that a real path forward to a revitalized downtown could be charted – a downtown that the people of Ocoee can enjoy and be proud of.

Polk County Neighborhood Mobility Audit Category: Best Practices The Polk Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) has implemented a new planning tool to ensure its most vulnerable residents have access to jobs and essential services. Neighborhood Mobility Audits use a combination of GIS analysis, field review and public outreach to evaluate mobility in traditionally underserved areas. Low-income households are 2-3 times more likely to use public transportation or alternative modes of transportation, so the audits focus on the potential for bicycle, pedestrian and transit access. Over 250 mobility improvements have been identified in fifteen different neigborhoods and, to date, more than $10 million has been allocated to programmed projects.

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AWARDS OF MERIT Capital Cascades Trail Segment 3/FAMU Way Category: Planning Project

Megan Doherty

Capital Cascades Trail/FAMU Way are Tallahassee’s newest, premier infrastructure accomplishments in the heart of the downtown and college districts. Funded primarily by the local option penny sales tax, the facilities combine multi-modal design, recreational amenities (multi-use trail, playground, and market square), environmental improvements, and community culture and arts to create a project that embodies the Blueprint mission. After years of planning, CCT Segment 3/FAMU opened to the public October 2015, attracting numerous visitors ever since. The facility now serves as a gateway to the FAMU community and has greatly increased the area’s sense of plan and quality of life.

Hialeah Transit Oriented Development Category: Neighborhood Planning The Hialeah Transit Oriented Development Plan will transition two of the city’s car-dependent suburban, underutilized warehouse districts into vibrant, mixed-use, compact communities served by premium commuter rail. The fully-adopted zoning will create 313 acres of walkable, urban development in a working-class community that has not benefited from major economic development in decades. These TOD regulations will reduce the cost of living in Hialeah, which recent studies found to be second-worst city in America in terms of income gap applied to housing affordability. Collaborating with the City Planning and Zoning Department, the complex project was completed in seven months.

Debora Storch

Laura Cantwell, Allen Parsons

Voluntary Resolution for Universal Design and Visitability Category: Innovations in Planning for all Ages Sarasota County is Florida’s first World Health Organization Age Friendly Community. Among the many aspects of this community based effort was an incentive program to increase inclusion of age-friendly design standards in new housing developments. Sarasota County’s Universal Design and Visitability program: 1) sets standards for accessible housing units through “checklists”; 2) incentivizes builders with fast track permitting and marketing; and 3) recognizes builders through certification stickers and awards. The voluntary program is cost-neutral and easily replicable, integrating into existing permitting processes and community education efforts. Partnerships with industry and advocacy groups have resulted in strong community interest.

Village of Tequesta US 1 Master Plan Category: Best Practices The Village of Tequesta US 1 Corridor Master Plan and Complete Streets Project proposes the first-ever lane elimination in Palm Beach County by decreasing vehicular lanes from 6 to 4, adding protected bike lanes, improving safety, and increasing connections to local, regional and national pedestrian and bicycle networks. The Master Plan resulted from a comprehensive public involvement campaign led by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, and the Village seizing an opportunity to implement their vision by leveraging FDOT’s scheduled Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (RRR) maintenance project for the US 1 corridor. Construction is scheduled for the fall of 2017.

Arlene Davis

Jeff Briggs, Allison McGillis

Vision Winter Park Category: Best Practices Clarifying shared preferences for the future, the City of Winter Park engaged residents and businesses in an intensive public involvement campaign and celebration of the city. Vision Winter Park was directed with a community steering committee and included mailings, social media outreach, questionnaires, and over 60 events ranging from neighborhood gatherings to educational, entertaining forums to ensure participation across all neighborhoods and age groups. The exciting result was Vision Winter Park. The broad-based community awareness of planning possibilities and support for the vision themes guided the Comprehensive Plan update and has initiated other vision inspired projects. continued on page 29

28 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

[2017] PROJECT AWARDS

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AWARDS OF MERIT Eatonville Capacity Building Project Category: Grassroots Initiatives Building on years of involvement supporting health and wellness with the Town of Eatonville, the oldest incorporated black municipality in the country, the Winter Park Health Foundation determined that funding a capacity building program was essential to the economic future of the community. The Healthy Eatonville team proposed a partnership with the Town of Eatonville Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to assist in their efforts to create a vision for the Town of Eatonville that ensures the Historic Town of Eatonville supports a healthy, livable, workable and sustainable future for its residents and visitors. The partnership cracked the code on historic inaction by focusing on training people to breakdown tasks and achieve goals – a hallmark of grassroots efforts to get things done! The goal of the work and partnership was to support an initiative providing substantive and organizational skill-building, partnership development and strategic planning for the town during a crucial time of the town’s future development.

St. Johns County Passive Park and Recreation Masterplan Enhancement Category: Student Project The St. Johns County Park and Recreation Masterplan Enhancement project engaged residents and visitors in a collaborative planning process to evaluate and enhance the County’s passive park system. Utilizing an extensive public engagement process and LOS analysis, the student team from the FSU Department of Urban and Regional Planning identified strategies and recommendations for meeting the recreation needs of underserved areas and developing connections between existing parks and trails. In this way, this project supplied St. Johns County with a toolkit to update its Parks and Recreation Master Plan and to capitalize upon the significant ecotourism opportunities provided by its abundance of natural and historical assets.

Jeremy Crute

Congratulations to the 2017 MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS!

APA Florida is pleased to recognize Daphne Green and Wisnerson Benoit as the recipients of the 2017 Minority Scholarship. This scholarship is meant to celebrate planning and foster increased interest in planning by providing financial support for planning students who are members of underserved ethnic groups and who attend a PAB-accredited planning institution or urban planning program actively seeking PAB accreditation in the state of Florida. Daphne received the $2,000 scholarship and Wisnerson the $1,500.

Both recipients are currently enrolled at FSU’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Daphne is focusing on neighborhood planning and community design while Wisnerson is concentrating on economic development.

Both have a strong future in the field of planning and APA Florida is happy to support them in their studies!

Daphne: “I would like to use my voice to inspire communities to organize, create neighborhood associations and committees with the wherewithal to demand the services and infrastructure they know their communities need from decision makers who would usually not help them up the participation ladder” Wisnerson: “My goal as a planner is based upon my desire to design equitable solutions and lead implementation of policies that result in increased chances in communities that are often neglected by the cold calculations of the growth machine.”

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 29

IN MEMORIAM

OLIVER KERR, FAICP (1940-2017) APA Florida and the

Gold Coast Section lost a good friend, consummate planner and compassionate community leader with the passing of Oliver Kerr, FAICP, on June 10, 2017. He was 77. Oliver retired in 2006 following a 32-year career with the Miami-Dade Planning Department as Demographic Section Supervisor.

Oliver, who was born in Armagh City, Ireland, arrived in Miami in 1964 as a Catholic priest at the Archdiocese of Miami. He worked at the Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables for two years before attending Catholic University of American in Washington, D.C., where he studied education and administration. In 1964 he started a four-year post at St. Francis Xavier in Overtown where became involved in urban planning issues.

“The Overtown neighborhood was broken in those years with a great loss of housing from the construction of the I-95/I-395 interchange and the urban renewal/land clearing activities of the government. At that time, I lived above the St. Vincent de Paul salvage store on Miami Avenue and Eight Street and attempted with some success to get new housing built in and around the church.”

With Kerr’s leadership, 47 new town houses were constructed on Northeast 20th Street and Fifth Avenue in cooperation with three other churches in the area. Apartments followed. Along with other seminarians, Kerr helped run a summer arts and recreation program for Overtown children. “This was part of the communitybuilding work that I loved,” he wrote.

It was in Overtown that he met Karen, who would become his first wife after leaving the priesthood. Oliver left the priesthood in 1971 and returned to Catholic University to obtain a Master degree

30 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

in City and Regional Planning. While attending Catholic University, Oliver was a Research Associate at the Washington Center for Metropolitan Studies. Oliver returned to Miami in 1973 and married Karen. They raised a family of five children – two of who they adopted. Oliver’s second wife, Mary Ann, died in 2015. Oliver was in the care of Karen at his passing.

“He was dedicated to his family, chosen profession, and committed to those ideals he held dear,” said Manuel Armada, his colleague of 30-years. “His ability to write and produce thorough, concise, clear, and easily understood reports was without equal.

His extraordinary oratorical skills were legendary. Oliver could deliver a speech, on the spot, about almost any subject and mesmerize the audience. He attributed this skill to having kissed the Blarney Stone.”

Former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez named a day in honor of Oliver Kerr in 2006. The Miami New Times named Oliver as “Best Public Servant” in 2003. He was awarded the distinction of Fellow, American Institute of Certified Planners in part for his volunteer work in conducting prep courses for AICP candidates.

Oliver was an Orange Bowl ambassador who volunteered with the Human Services Coalition. In 2002, he joined the South Florida Emerald Society, which sponsors the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Coral Gables, and served as a two-term president.

Following his retirement from Miami-Dade in 2006, Olive taught at FIU Metropolitan Center. As a Senior Research Associate at FIU Oliver worked on planning and housing studies in cities and counties throughout SE Florida from Martin to Monroe Counties. In 2011, he was appointed to the Board of the South Miami-Dade Economic Development Council and worked with leadership in Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, and Pincrest to establish urban centers in these three young municipalities in South Miami-Dade County.

Oliver’s survivors include his children Michael, Daniel, Lea and Brian Kerr; grandchildren Madison, Ava and Erin; and five siblings.

He was predeceased by his son Joseph and brother James.

APA FLORIDA WORKING FOR YOU PLANNERS ADVOCACY NETWORK GROWS

2018 ANNUAL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Because Hurricane Irma forced a shortened annual conference this year, a free Virtual Conference has been developed to help conference registrants obtain CM credits through the end of the year. Sessions are offered as live events and recorded for distance learning events.

APA has recently launched a new free member benefit: The Planners Advocacy Network (PAN). The network was created in response to members’ interest in getting more involved in politics on a national level. APA offers a host of materials to assist members in crafting a message and delivering your story, writing effective emails, and what APA’s legislative policies entail. Since this summer, PAN membership among Florida planners has grown by 53 percent since this summer.

Get involved today by contacting Chapter President-Elect Laura Everitt at presidentelect@floridaplanning.org.

Sessions offered to date:

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Eeny Meeny Miny Moe: How Will We Choose to Go? Legal Implications: Planning for Sea Level Rise (LAW Working to Address Affordable Housing: A Regional Approach Impact of Changing Demographics on School Planning Pedaling Food, Cycling and Eco-Tourism: St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop Trail Planning for an Aging Population: Insights from New Research The Economics of Planning Integrated Transportation Framework for High Crash Locations and its Application in Florida

AICP CANDIDATES PILOT PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE

Be sure to check your email and the APA Florida website for upcoming sessions. Thanks to all our presenters who have helped us with this effort!

2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE WORK BEGINS

Our Treasure Coast Section and volunteers have kicked off plans for the 2018 Annual Conference to be held September 11-14, 2018 in West Palm Beach. If you have any interest in volunteering or have any questions regarding the 2018 State Conference, please email Josh Long at jlong@gunster.com.

SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS ANNOUNCED Two lucky conference attendees won this year’s Scavenger Hunt in Daytona Beach at the 2017 Annual Conference.

Congratulations to Bridget Callea and Todd Vargo who will each receive a complimentary registration to the 2018 Annual Conference in West Palm Beach! See you there!

Members can now get a head start on becoming AICP certified through the new AICP Candidates Pilot Program. Students and graduates of PAB accredited programs will now be able to qualify for the AICP exam prior to earning the minimum of two years of professional planning experience. The May 2018 Exam will be the first test taking opportunity for planners who qualify to participate.

For more information, contact your Chapter PDO, Henry Bittaker, at profdevelopment@floridaplanning.org or click here.

FREE STUDENT APA MEMBERSHIP

APA Student members now receive membership to APA, Chapter, AICP and up to five divisions for FREE while they are actively pursuing their degree. Students who complete their studies can then transition into a two-year program featuring introductory dues.

For more information, contact Chapter Membership Vice President Marcie Stenmark at membership@floridaplanning.org. continued on page 33

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 31

LAND USE & PLANNING: Law Case Update by: David Theriaque, Esq. CITY OF KEY WEST V. KEY WEST GOLF CLUB HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., 42 FLA. L. WEEKLY D1209 (FLA. 3RD DCA MAY 31, 2017) Key West Golf Club Homeowners’ Association, Inc., Key West Golf Club, LLC, and Key West HMA, LLC (“Property Owners”), own property located on an island within the City of Key West’s municipal boundaries but not on the main island. The Property Owners challenged application of the City’s stormwater utility fee to their properties. The trial court concluded that it was illegal to do so.

The Third District Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s decision, concluding that the Property Owners “contributed to the need for the stormwater utility by discharging stormwater” and “[t]hey also benefitted from both the stormwater utility’s flood control and pollution control measures.” The Third District’s opinion contains an excellent analysis regarding a local government’s authority to establish a stormwater utility. The Third District analyzed two prongs: 1.

Can these properties be subject to any stormwater utility fee; and 2.

Does the stormwater utility fee bear a reasonable relationship to the benefits conferred?

Finding that both prongs had been met, the Third District concluded: No system for setting stormwater utility rates is permit. . . . It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to establish a perfectly fair and accurate method of assessing these types of stormwater charges. For this reason, the legislature is given broad discretion in setting such fees. While the City may well have had the discretion to amend the ordinance and charge the [Property Owners] a lower rate, it certainly would not have discretion under the existing ordinance to exempt these landholders altogether as the trial court did.

This case, coupled with City of Gainesville v. State, 863 So. 2d 138 (Fla. 2003), are must “reads” for local governments that desire to establish a stormwater utility.

CITY OF SATELLITE BEACH V. GOERSCH, 217 SO. 3D 1143 (FLA. 5TH DCA 2017) In 2012, the Goersches purchased a home. Their home contained a fence that was installed in 2006. In 2007, the City amended its Code of Ordinances and, as a result of such amendment, the fence became non-conforming. The Goersches sought a permit to extend their fence, which was issued by the City. The City’s building inspector refused to issue a certificate of completion for the fence because it failed to comply with the requirements of the 2007 amendment.

The Goersches applied for a variance, which the Board of Adjustment denied. The Goersches sought certiorari review in the circuit court, contending that the Board’s decision was not supported by competent substantial evidence. The circuit court agreed and quashed the Board’s decision.

The City sought second-tier certiorari review by the Fifth District Court of Appeal, contending that the circuit court erred by improperly shifting the burden of proof. The Fifth District agreed, noting that “the applicant carries the burden to establish the criteria necessary to grant the request is [sic] met.” The Fifth District quashed the circuit court’s decision, stating: The Board concluded that the Goersches did not meet that burden, and the record supports this conclusion. Since the Goersches never met their burden, the burden did not shift to the City to show that there was substantial competent evidence to support the Board’s denial of the variance request. Accordingly, the circuit court failed to apply the correct law by shifting the burden to the City to show that the Board’s denial was supported by substantial competent evidence.

This case provides an excellent reminder about the initial burden that an applicant must meet in quasi-judicial hearings.

MATHERS V. WAKULLA COUNTY, 219 SO. 3D 140 (FLA. 1ST DCA 2017) John and Brenda Mathers (“Property Owners”) filed a lawsuit to determine whether a dead-end gravel road located in Crawfordville, Florida, was a county road or a private road. A neighbor had installed a gate across the road, preventing the Property Owners from accessing their property. Wakulla County contended that the road was private because it had never accepted the road as a dedicated continued on page 33

32 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

[APA] FLORIDA WORKING FOR YOU

continued from page 31

NATIONAL COMMUNITY PLANNING MONTH CELEBRATED

Our love of the planning profession was celebrated in October during National Community Planning Month – a month long event to get inspired and be inspired by our profession.

During this month, The Great Places Program provides examples of outstanding planning projects around the nation and state and the behind the scenes work that helped create them. Visit APA’s NCPM hub for resources available to planners to help us share the value of planning.

[APA] PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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to develop a website to connect planners and public health official. The website, Plan4HealthyFL.org, is under construction.

• Our Young Planners Groups (YPG), lead by Brandon Henry, continue to be a very active component and represent what we consider to be the future leaders of the chapter and planning in Florida. YPG again spearheaded the Great Places in Florida initiative. This year’s winner is Downtown Pensacola.

• Hadley Peterson, a student from Florida State University, was one of six winners that was awarded the 2017 Judith McManus Price Scholarship through the APA Foundation.

• The chapter continues to offer free webinars to our membership and recently offered “When Ethics Collide” to discuss the ethics code of both the AICP and the International City Management Association (ICMA) Code of Ethics, which evolved from roots in the reform movement, but they have both taken different paths.

• The APA Florida Chapter submitted eight nominations for the 2018 Class of the FAICP. October was not only the month for Halloween and trick or treating; it was also when we celebrated National Community Planning Month, which is a time to highlight the important role of planning in our community. Check the APA website to see what communities around the nation did to celebrate National Community Planning Month. What did you do? Send me a note to andre. anderson@stcloud.org, I want to hear from you.

[LAW CASE] UPDATE

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roadway. The trial court granted summary judgment to the County.

The First District Court of Appeal reversed, concluding that pursuant to Section 95.361(2), Florida Statutes, the road had been presumed to be dedicated. Section 95.361(2), Florida Statutes, pertains to roads that have been constructed by a nongovernmental entity. Such roads are presumed to be dedicated to the local government if they have been regularly maintained or repaired for seven years by the local government. Moreover, such presumed dedication does not require the local government to accept such dedication. Rather, “ownership of the road automatically passes to the government entity at the moment it provides regular maintenance and repair for the prescribed period of time, regardless of any acceptance on the part of the government entity.”

In this case, the road in question had been continuously maintained by the County for twenty (20) years. Additionally, the road contains a sign indicating that the road is a county-maintained road. Consequently, the First District reversed the trial court’s summary judgment.

According to the opinion, this is the first reported decision construing Section 95.361(2), Florida Statutes. It will be interesting to see if other courts similarly conclude that dedication without acceptance is valid.

SAVE THE DATE Public Policy Workshop Tallahassee, FL February 7, 2018

Until next time, continue to #PlanFlorida.

Andre Anderson, AICP APA Florida President

Fall 2017 / Florida Planning 33

[CONSULTANTS] DIRECTORY Advertise in the Consultants Directory The Consultant Directory is a fitting place to showcase your firm. $250 buys space for a year in the newsletter (five issues) plus inclusion in our web-based consultant directory. Display ads to promote your business, conference, projects and more are available. Contact the Chapter office at 850-201-3272 for rates and details.

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34 Fall 2017 / Florida Planning

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[FLORIDA] PLANNING Published by the Florida Chapter, American Planning Association, the Florida Planning newsletter has a current circulation of 2,600 members, subscribers and other readers. Four issues are published a year.

CHANGES OF ADDRESS For APA members, Send to: Member Records Department American Planning Association 205 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1200 Chicago, IL 60601 Fax: 312-786-6700 or log onto www.planning.org/myapa

ARTICLES Florida Planning welcomes articles, announcements, letters, pictures and advertising. Call 850-201-3272 regarding articles.

The next issue will be published February 2018.

DEADLINES Article deadlines are generally four weeks prior to publication.

Ad deadlines are generally two weeks prior to publication. Consult the editor for any exception to this schedule.

ABOUT THE CHAPTER APA Florida is a non-profit organization funded through membership dues and fees.

Contributions are also welcomed for general purposes and earmarked programs. Please note that contributions are not tax deductible.

For news and information on Chapter concerns, visit the APA Florida website at www.floridaplanning.org.

APA Florida 2017 Delta Boulevard, Suite 201 Tallahassee, FL 32303 Phone: 850-201-3272 Fax: 850-807-2576

[THANK YOU] TO OUR ANNUAL SPONSORS

[UPCOMING] EVENTS NOV. 15: MULTIFAMILY MANIA: TRANSFORMING TAMPA’S URBAN LANDSCAPE Tampa. The APA Florida Sun Coast Section and AIA Tampa Bay are hosting a riveting panel with multifamily developers sharing all about their new and exciting upcoming projects. Join us for a panel discussion of the development process, architectural design features, and how these projects will impact the City of Tampa. Attendees will get the inside scoop from the top industry all-stars!

Information here NOV. 16: SEA-LEVEL RISE AND FLOODING: PLANNING & LAW FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS West Palm Beach. This Florida Sea Grant workshop is designed for local government leaders and staff, attorneys, engineers, planners, and floodplain managers who want to understand the practical and legal issues local governments confront in planning for sea-level rise and increased flooding. The full-day workshop includes professional credits for AICP planners, floodplain managers, attorneys, and engineers. 5 CMs. Information here.

DEC. 6: 1000 FRIENDS OF FLORIDA 2018 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW Webinar. With the 2018 Florida Legislative session set to start on Jan. 9, once again 1000 Friends President Ryan Smart, Policy and Planning Director Thomas Hawkins, and Board Member Emeritus Lester Abberger will discuss key community planning and conservation bills to be considered during the 2018 legislative session, and how they could impact state and local governance in Florida. 1.5 AICP LEGAL CMs. Information here.

DEC. 13: LAND USE, MOBILITY AND TECHNOLOGY IN URBAN AMERICA Webinar. Cities at different stages of development all grapple with managing the traditional challenges of housing, transportation, infrastructure financing, and environmental sustainability.

These complexities are further compounded by rapidly changing modes of operation, new and disruptive technologies and changing expectations and demands from citizens and business. What innovations are taking place in cities these days, and how can government, business and non-profit leaders utilize this wave of change to shape a quality of life that is improved and not compromised?

How can they work together vs. at cross purposes? 1.5 CMs for live viewing only. Information here.

FEB 1: WATER RESOURCES MINI-CONFERENCE Panama City. Join us for this day long ASCE / FAPA joint event. Professionals from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Northwest Florida Water Management District, the City of Tallahassee, the City of Pensacola, and Eglin Air Force Base will be presenting on regulatory programs and changes dealing with environmental permitting as well as innovative storm water and water resources projects in our region. Water is the issue of the future and it is an area of focus where engineers and planners have common ground so lets get together and talk- you wont want to miss this! Information here.

For more information on these and other APA Florida events, please visit www.floridaplanning.org/calendar/