Florida Planning Spring 2012

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

Spring 2012

www.floridaplanning.org

A

By Jennifer Willman, AICP Contributors: Tony LaColla, AICP and Marcie Stenmark, AICP

C

onstruction of the long-awaited I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector is underway thanks to $105 million in federal stimulus funds and a creative financing program. The new mile-long highway will link Interstate-4 and the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, alleviating truck traffic on neighborhood streets by providing direct freight access to the Port of Tampa. continued on page 4

continued on page 4

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

7

Funding for Sustainability Planning

OTHER Features

8

In the Wake of the Space Shuttle

10 14 15 Charting a New Course

Innovation to Industry

APA FL 2012 Elections: Nominations

by Petition

President’s Message - p.3 APA FL Conference FAQs - p. 12 Law Case Update - p. 16 Consultants Directory - p. 19 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 Fax E-mail

Statewide Officers President

Merle H. Bishop, FAICP

863-701-8702

863-701-9832

Merle.Bishop@kimley-horn.com

President-Elect

Brian Teeple, AICP

904-279-0880

904-279-0881

bteeple@nefrc.org

Immediate Past President

Kim Glas-Castro, AICP

561-758-7551

kglascastro@bellsouth.net

VP-Membership Services

Mary Kay Peck, AICP

702-354-2671

mkpeck@@mkpeckassociates.com

VP-Section Affairs

Melissa Zornitta, AICP

813-272-5940

813-272-6255

zornittam@plancom.org

VP-Professional Development

Andre Anderson, AICP

407-896-0455

407-896-0425

aanderson@pdgfla.com

VP-Conference Services

Wiatt Bowers, AICP

904-363-8488

904-363-8811

Wiatt.Bowers@atkinsglobal.com

VP-Certification Maintenance

Henry Bittaker, AICP

561-523-0678

hbittaker@aol.com

Secretary

Marcie Stenmark, AICP

813-272-5940

813-272-6255

stenmarkm@plancom.org

Treasurer

Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP 850-319-9180

allara@theplanningcollaborative.com

Section Chairs Atlantic Coast

Ryan Morrell, AICP

321-795-8426

321-956-3069

ryan@civaterra.com

Broward

Rosana Cordova, AICP

954-880-0180

954-880-0181

rcordova@craengineering.com

Capital Area

Terry McKloski, AICP

850-402-6336

terry_mckloski@apafloridacapital.org

Emerald Coast

Christy Johnson, AICP

850-332-7976

850-637-1923

Christy.Johnson@wfrpc.org

First Coast

Tony Robbins, AICP

904-739-3655

904-730-3413

TRobbins@prosserhallock.com

Gold Coast

Karen Hamilton

954-985-4416

954-985-4117

khamilton@sfrpc.com

Heart of Florida

Amy Palmer, AICP

863-551-4723

amy@cfdc.org

Orlando Metro

Chris Bowley, AICP

386-878-8602

cbowley@deltonafl.gov

Promised Lands

Alexis Crespo, AICP

239-407-7777

AlexisC@waldropengineering.com

San Felasco

Doug Robinson

352-393-7838

robinsondk@cityofgainesville.org

Sun Coast

Jay Collins, AICP

813-273-3774

813-272-6258

collinsj@plancom.org

Treasure Coast

Tod Mowery, AICP

561-747-6336

561-747-1377

TMowery@cotleur-hearing.com

University Liaison

Bob Deyle

850-644-8512

850-645-4841

rdeyle@fsu.edu

Student Representative

Morgan Runion

850-527-1877

mnrunion@gmail.com

Administration/Staff Executive Director

Julia “Alex“ Magee

850-201-3272

850-386-4396

fapa@floridaplanning.org

Ad. Assistant/Bookkeeper

Ricki Dailey

850-201-3272

850-386-4396

adminbk@floridaplanning.org

Legislative Representative

Lester Abberger

850-524-2779

850-222-8199

lesterabberger@nettally.com

Webmaster (Consultant)

John O’Brien

johnbrien123@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor

Summer Taylor

summer@gdbddesign.com

727-452-2416

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

2 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE You were recently asked “why have you remained a member of APA Florida?” in the recent membership survey. (If you haven’t responded yet, there it still time to participate in the survey.) Does APA Florida help you in the job that you do? If you are unable to answer “yes” to this question, I hope you will consider a few of the early responses given regarding the value of APA Florida membership.

What is the value of APA Florida membership to you?

• Sharing experiences with colleagues.

• Expanding a professional network.

• Keeping up-to-date on local, regional and state issues.

• Learning from colleagues who have dealt with similar issues and problems.

• Developing a broader perspective beyond one office, commission or school.

• Access to the current thinking in planning theory and practice.

• Access to professional development and education to gain more information in the planning field.

• Essential for maintaining an understanding of planning issues on a state level.

Renewal of your membership in APA and APA Florida enables you to be part of an association of thousands of planners throughout the nation and Florida. Your membership unites you with planners from around the nation and the state to bring you the latest information, education, research and experience to assist you in meeting the myriad of challenges you are likely to encounter in your planning career.

APA and its predecessor organizations, ASPO and AIP, have provided the tools and resources to nurture and promote our profession for over 100 years. It is only through your membership that APA, and particularly APA Florida, has been able to succeed in offering quality services, such as professional development and networking opportunities, to help you succeed in these challenging times.

What is the value of APA Florida membership to you?

Several of you have commented on the cost of your membership. Membership dues for APA are higher than several of our allied professional associations. However, in making a comparison, you must consider the number of members and the services provided.

Engineers, architects, landscape architects, and the like, are essentially required to be members of their respective professional association in order to practice their profession. APA’s membership numbers are smaller by comparison and, yet, our association provides the same, if not better, quality and responsive services to our members as much larger organizations. In fact, the resources and information available on both the APA and APA Florida websites are second to none, with no increase in dues for a number of years, except for a APA-initiated 5% increase in 2010. I value the resources and network of colleagues available through my membership and would hate to see those opportunities go away with a reduction in dues.

With the economic recession and slow recovery, membership numbers in APA and APA Florida have continued to decline in recent years. If we want to see our professional association remain strong and be an influential voice of the professional planner at all levels of government and business, it is incumbent on each of us, as members, to promote the Association to our colleagues as a valuable tool and resource in order to be more effective and competent in our job. If you know planners or planning board members who are not currently members of APA or APA Florida, please, speak with them about the value of being a member and what it has meant to you. ( Planners in Florida have the option of being members of the Chapter only if that is their preference. ) One of the values of being a member of APA Florida is the high quality annual conferences that your Chapter conducts each year. Plans are well underway for this year’s fall conference, which is scheduled from September 12th through 15th at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (formerly the Naples Grande) in Naples, Florida. In addition to outstanding presentations that bring you relevant and informative sessions, you will have plenty of continued on page 5

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 3

[A CONNECTOR] TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

continued from cover page

Rendering of Completed Connector in Aerial View Looking Southwest

So far, about 900 jobs have been created by this project that will offer efficient travel options for residents, commuters and visitors in the area.

The Connector is a collaborative endeavor between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority. It is the largest construction contract that FDOT District Seven has offered for bid. The $396 million Connector is a “designbuild-finance” project that will be contractor-financed initially, as allowed by Section 334.30, Florida Statutes. PCL/Archer Western, a Joint Venture, is serving as lead general contractor for the construction that is scheduled to be completed in late 2014.

High above 31st Street, the Connector will consist of more than 20 bridges, built using “span-by span” and balanced cantilever construction methods. The unfinished segments made at the nearby casting yard appear as bridges to nowhere, being set in place by mobile lifters. Several elevated ramps will merge into a 12-lane toll facility with an all-electronic collection system that will allow traffic to maintain highway speeds. The open road tolling, expected to cost users $0.50 to $1.00, will be done through SunPass and Toll-by-Plate from a specially-designed gantry that spans all lanes of the highway. When the Connector opens, approximately 28,000 vehicles are expected to use it daily.

As one of the first roads in the U.S. with dedicated truck lanes, the Connector will have a significant positive impact on the surrounding neighborhoods, removing up to 10,000 trucks from local streets daily, making it safer and quieter for pedestrians and bicyclists. Ybor City, Tampa’s Latin Quarter, will be safer and more walkable as a result of the Connector. As one of three National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida, Ybor City is a mixed use neighborhood and entertainment district that attracts a significant amount of visitors.

4 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

Top: “Span-by-Span” Construction Method; Bottom: Rendering of Toll Gantry

Since I-4 opened in the mid-1960s, trucks have driven through Ybor City between I-4 and the Port of Tampa on one-way pairs of 21st and 22nd Streets. With ten traffic signals and two railroad crossings between I-4 and the Expressway, these local streets are inefficient for freight traffic. Historically significant buildings, including the Columbia Restaurant and a gas station that abut 22nd Street have been damaged by trucks driving into them.

Once the Connector project is complete, maintenance of 21st and 22nd Streets will transfer from the FDOT to the City of Tampa.

Project funding includes a $5.3-million set aside for the “21st/22nd Street Urban Corridor” component to enhance the safety and design of the one-way pair. Potential capital improvements include lane reductions with on-street parking, bicycle/pedestrian improvements, decorative lighting, and stormwater improvements. Meetings with the community, FDOT, and the City of Tampa will occur this year to determine how the funding will be allocated within Ybor City.

As part of the Connector project, FDOT prepared a National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 report for Palmetto Beach, an impacted neighborhood. A large portion of the Palmetto Beach community has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a historic district. FDOT completed the NRHP application and after extensive review by the Florida National Register Review Board, Palmetto Beach is expected to be designated later this year.

Palmetto Beach will also benefit from a gateway mural that will be located on the side of the 20th Street ramp. This is one element of many aesthetic treatments designed with community input to be consistent with surrounding neighborhood character. Unique lighting, decorative structural details, and landscape elements were incorporated in the design of many bridges. For example, the project engineer PBS&J designed the 7th Avenue overpass to reflect the red brick and architectural style of Ybor City. Palmetto Beach opted

[A CONNECTOR] TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

continued from previous page

for a colorful cargo container design to reflect its relationship to the Port of Tampa.

The Connector project not only creates jobs during its construction; it will have long-term effects on stimulating Florida’s economy due to how it will benefit the Port of Tampa. The Connector will be completed just in time to allow the Port of Tampa to take advantage of the Panama Canal’s expanded capacity to handle larger cargo and container ships when it is fully operational in 2014. Enhanced traffic flow once the Connector is completed will mean more business can be handled by the port. The Port of Tampa has helped sustain and create thousands of jobs for the Tampa Bay community by investing over $31 million in port infrastructure to prepare for the future. Acting as a catalyst for growth, the Connector is an investment expected to positively affect the economic development of Florida.

Jennifer Willman, AICP is a Project Manager with Jacobs and can be reached at Jennifer.Willman@jacobs.com. Tony LaColla, AICP and Marcie Stenmark, AICP are with the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission.

22nd Street at 8th Avenue Existing Condition of State Road

22nd Street at 8th Avenue Proposed Urban Corridor Design

21st Street at 2nd Avenue Existing Condition of State Road

21st Street at 2nd Avenue Proposed Urban Corridor Design

[PRESIDENT’S] MESSAGE continued from page 3

opportunity to network with friends and colleagues. I hope you have this event on your calendar and are planning to join us in Naples. Also, now is the time to submit nominations for Project Awards. Information has been posted on the Chapter’s web site.

The work that your Chapter performs each year is found in the Annual Strategic Operating Plan (SOP) and Work Program which identifies outcome-bases task for the year.

While this document is updated each year, the Chapter’s Executive Committee conducts a biennial retreat to conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of the SOP. The membership survey that you recently participated in is used to help ensure the Chapter’s work tasks are consistent with your opinions and needs. This year, the Executive Committee will hold its retreat on May 11th and 12th in Gainesville. As in recent years, declining revenues for the Chapter will mean some difficult decisions and choices for Chapter programs and services. If you have any comments or suggestions that were not already provided via the membership survey, please share them with your Section Chair or one of the Chapter officers before that date. You will have an opportunity to provide comment and input on the upcoming draft SOP prior to the annual business meeting on September 13, 2012 in Naples.

I want to congratulate six members of APA Florida who have been recognized for their achievement of excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, public and community service, and leadership. The following APA Florida planners were inducted into the AICP College of Fellows in a ceremony on April 15, 2012 at the National Planning Conference in Los Angeles, CA: Pat Blackshear, AICP; Whit Blanton, AICP; Victor B. Dover, AICP; Charles R. Gauthier, AICP; Thomas G. Pelham, AICP and William M. Spikowski, AICP. Congratulations to our new FAICP inductees!

Finally, I want to thank the Florida Delegates who debated APA’s proposed Policy Guide updates for Smart Growth and Energy. Our delegates this year were: Charlie Gauthier, Alex Magee, Allison Megrath, Brian Smith, Marcie Stenmark, Tim Stillings, Brian Teeple, and myself. If you are interested, you can find all 23 adopted Policy Guides on the APA website (keyword: Policy Guide).

Merle H. Bishop, FAICP APA Florida President

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 5

6 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

By encouraging cooperative collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries to better integrate decisions about housing, land use, economic development, community development, water, environmental protection, transportation, energy and social equity, Regional Plans for Sustainable Development can be created, and more importantly, implemented. Over the past two years, HUD/EPA/DOT have awarded three grants to Florida regions out of a total 74 nationwide.

Three Florida Regions Capture Funding for Sustainability Planning By Pat Steed Heartland 2060 Consortium Regional Plan for Sustainable Development The Heartland 2060 Regional Plan will create a vision based upon an economically sustainable future for existing and new communities that preserves natural areas, protects wildlife and agriculture, supports healthy communities, provides multi-modal transportation, and ensures opportunity for all ages.

A $1.4 million grant was awarded to the Heartland 2060 Consortium, which includes DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and Okeechobee counties; Archbold Biological Station; Florida’s Heartland Regional Economic Development Initiative; Heartland Workforce; Sebring Airport Authority; the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida; and Central Florida Regional Planning Council.

The Plan will include alternative future scenario modeling; an affordable housing model and inventory; an energy baseline inventory and analysis; an economic development Strategy for alternative Fuels; an environmental and natural resources database; and a five-year strategic action plan.

Two important energy related tasks include an energy baseline inventory that will quantify energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and allow local governments, citizens, and utility providers to advance toward energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. This will create regional energy security, and the tools developed here may be transferrable to other regions. A plan for development of economic strategies for alternative fuels will capitalize on the Heartland’s agricultural strengths. The potential for the region to be a biofuels exporter will be analyzed.

Southeast Florida Regional Partnership Regional Vision and Blueprint for Economic Prosperity The South Florida Regional Planning Council, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and more than 200 public, private and civic organizations are collaborating to create a comprehensive regional continued on page 13

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 7

In the Wake of the Space Shuttle How Kennedy Space Center is Being Repurposed for the Future

By Steven Gilmore

In the predawn hours of July 20, 2011, the Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility for the final time, amongst cheers, applause and tears from the thousands of NASA employees, contractors and visitors there to say goodbye.

The landing was the culmination of a 14-day mission and more significantly the Space Shuttle Program, which for 30-years had served as a major component of KSC’s programs, programs that had injected tens of billions of dollars into Florida’s economy. As the major driver of KSC’s operations, the end of the Shuttle Program would have an, as yet unknown, effect on KSC’s impact on the state and local economies. KSC’s direct economic impact was $1.83 billion in FY2010, and the Shuttle was a major portion of that. This in turn contributed to an approximate total economic impact in Florida of $4.1 billion and about 33,000 jobs . KSC’s future economic impact in Florida will be largely influenced by the layoffs that occurred as the Shuttle Program wound down, with KSC experiencing a loss of 6,036 jobs between 2007 and 2011, with the largest round taking place just two days after Atlantis landed.

With so many changes on the horizon the landing of Atlantis marked a defining moment for KSC and as the orbiter sped past on the 15,000-foot runway it disappeared into the darkness of the humid morning, into a void symbolic of the end of the Shuttle Program and a new era for KSC. REWRITING HISTORY For 50 years, KSC’s space launch facilities have served only one user, NASA. The two major government space programs, the Apollo Program and the Shuttle Program, financed the building and maintenance of the space support infrastructure that exists on KSC’s 140,000 acres. This included roads, bridges, utilities, services, facilities and the workforce that directly and indirectly supported the Programs at KSC during that time. With only one monolithic program user - the governmentKSC was able to function without zoning or much of an organized land use policy regarding the siting of facilities or infrastructure. The only real siting restrictions that have existed at KSC were environmental regulations due to observance of federal law (e.g. National Environmental Policy Act,

8 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

[WAKE OF THE] SPACE SHUTTLE et al.) and habitat protections inclusive of KSC’s location within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. As a result of KSC’s “function over form” structure, the Center is made up of a lattice of inconsistent land uses, which had worked fine for a half-century.

The 2010 NASA Authorization Act charged the space agency with opening KSC facilities to non-NASA entities. The goal: to enable the development of commercial space capabilities where NASA is tasked with providing resources to support both the commercial development of space vehicles and essential launch infrastructure.

In step with this transition, the newly formed Center Planning and Development Office (CPDO) was created to serve as the “front door” for partnerships and commercial development of KSC. CPDO has been working with commercial space industry partners to make use of facilities and capabilities that are no longer fully utilized with the retirement of the space shuttle. The goal is to find commercial partners who may occupy these facilities in support of their commercial program and absorb the operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, maximizing the benefits of the past investments made by the taxpayer, with no additional cost to them. If a commercial partnership is not established, many of these facilities will be demolished or abandoned, losing that unique capability. These partnerships also have the added potential benefit of bringing hightech jobs back to the area.

Potential commercial partners’ options at KSC are not limited to utilizing existing facilities. Exploration Park, located on the grounds of KSC, is a 400-acre research and technology development being built by Pizzuti in collaboration with Space Florida. Exploration Park provides a location for businesses and research groups to operate in close proximity to the launch and landing facilities and technical capabilities at KSC, while operating outside of the secured area.

The initial phase of Exploration Park, the Space Life Science Lab (SLSL), was built in 2003 through a partnership with NASA, Space Florida and the State of Florida. The SLSL has resulted in the creation and long-term retention of over 100 high-tech and research jobs; additionally, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), a nonprofit managed by Space Florida and operating out of the SLSL, was awarded a NASA contract to manage the International Space Station – National Laboratory and will be solely responsible for all public and private experiments administered in national labs on the ISS. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE In order to assist in KSC’s partnership efforts, the Spaceport Planning Office, within CPDO, is developing the new 20-year Master Plan that will serve as the roadmap for the future of KSC. Creating a Space

TOP: An artist’s conception of the Space Launch System (SLS) configured with the Orion MultiPurpose Crew Vehicle, the SLS is intended to get a crew and cargo to destinations beyond Earth orbit, including Mars Credit: NASA MIDDLE: With the Space Life Sciences Lab (background) as the anchor, Exploration Park will turn 400-acres of once fallowed orange grove into 450,000 sq. ft. of research, lab and office space at build out. Credit: The Pizzuti Companies BOTTOM: An artist’s conception of the KSC of tomorrow, with the ability to support a variety of space launch capabilities Credit: NASA

continued on page 12

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 9

CHARTING A NEW COURSE CHARTING A NEW COURSE Communities are ever changing. Homes and businesses are built, bought, and sold. New people move into the neighborhood; others leave. Businesses open and close, and some become cornerstones of the community. Civic places, like people, evolve and adapt to change.

Shaping Communities Planners are agents of change. They play many roles – facilitator, educator, counsel, advisor, guardian, and leader.

The last few years have brought more change and uncertainty than any time in memory. Our communities and profession have experienced many challenges including economic uncertainty, housing crisis, climate change, technological revolution, legislative revisions, and energy uncertainty. More than ever, planners are called to assume new roles and to consider new ways of thinking and doing things to meet these new challenges. At the same time, our profession is adapting to smaller staffs, reduced budgets, and increased demands by the public. The result is a profession more able, better prepared, and more adaptable to meeting future challenges and guiding community changes.

A New Era of Exploration Planners are also explorers. We recognize that the course we are charting comes with exciting opportunities, unknown challenges, and unforeseen circumstances. Planners face such times with both anticipation and trepidation.

In 1512, Juan Ponce de León was granted permission by the Spanish government to set out on an exploration. A year later he charted a course from Puerto Rico and sailed to a new land he called La Florida. Five centuries later, Floridians are wondering, “What’s next?” Last year’s APA Florida conference posed the question, “What Do We Do Now?” This summer we have an answer chart a new course!

Charting a New Course is the focus of the 2012 APA Florida Conference. There are lots of great things happening in Florida, and we are looking to bring together planners from across the state to share these experiences, learn from one another, and explore new opportunities. Together we will be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities, overcome challenges, and explore the unknown.

10 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

Sessions We will learn how to guide our communities into the future. As explorers, we understand planners learn best by being active participants in the discussion, thus our presenters are being encouraged to actively engage participants in a discussion of reallife examples, hands-on application, and other innovative planning techniques that address six conference topics: Discovering Buried Treasure: Redevelopment and Retrofitting Suburbia; Sail the High Seas: Transportation Opportunities; Clean Bill of Health: Health and the Built Environment; Beacons in the Night: Professional Development/ Social Media and Technology; Sweet Trade: Economic Development; and Land Ho!: Agriculture/Natural Environment/Food Security. The emphasis will be on best management practices where based on the latest techniques, practical tips and new approaches that can by applied to your communities.

Keynote Speakers Our keynote speakers have been selected to help us consider new ideas, new solutions, and new perspectives. They are each experts in their respective fields of communication, transportation, urban design, and policymaking.

They will encourage us to consider new ways of thinking about old ideas, help us discover different points of view, and challenge us to evaluate the status quo.

• On Thursday, September 13, three long standing professional planners will open the conference with a discussion about the ever-changing role planners have in shaping the future of our communities. Mitch Silver, APA President and Chief Planning and Economic Development Officer for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, will share his national perspective about the future of the planning profession based on more than 25 years of planning experience. Brian Teeple, APA Florida President-elect and CEO of the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council, will share his thoughts on what new and innovative projects planners at the regional and state level are doing to move our communities forward. Mary Gibbs, Director of Lee County Department of Community Development, will highlight how planners at the local level are adapting and diversifying their roles to meet the changing needs of local neighborhoods and communities.

September 12-15, 2012 / Waldorf Astoria, Naples • Also on Thursday, Sam Staley, Director of Florida State University’s DeVoe L. Moore Center and Robin Rather, a private consultant who specializes in market research and strategy, will present a point-counter-point discussion about planning in the 21st Century. Dr. Staley, one of the nation’s leading experts on market-oriented approaches to land use and growth management, will present an alternative vision of planning in light of the changes in Florida’s growth management laws. Robin Rather, recognized as a leading advocate communication, will discuss how planning can coexist with market realities.

•

On Friday September 14, Charles Marohn, a leading planning policy thinker and president of StrongTowns, will present a discussion about the impact land development practices have on local government budgets, fiscal resources, and policy decisions. He brings his background as a professional engineer and certified planner to help us understand that the planning decisions our communities make will shape their long-term financial viability and determine how well they are able to meet the challenges of future generations.

• On Saturday September 15, Jeff Speck, a leading city planner and architect, will present a discussion about community walkability, urban design, and placemaking. Jeff, a renowned practitioner of the New Urbanism movement and advocate for smart growth and sustainable design, will share how suburban communities can improve community livability, foster great places, and provide for walkable communities.

He will then bring his ideas to life as he will lead a Saturday afternoon design workshop about walkable communities.

destinations. Wednesday night’s Old China Hands Welcome will be held on the veranda of the Waldorf Astoria – where we are staying. With its relaxing views of the mangroves and pool, this reception will give you a chance to unwind while catching up with old colleagues and meeting new friends. Thursday night’s Evening of Arts and Music at the Phil will give you a chance to explore the arts, listen to music, and share a cocktail while walking around one of Southwest Florida’s premier centers for music and the arts. Friday night’s Evening on Fifth Avenue will start at Sugden Theater where you can experience the nightlife, shops, and restaurants of Naples’s revived downtown center.

Sites of Naples and Fort Myers Having spent a few days exploring the future of planning in Florida and the Southwest Region, you may decide to spend an extra couple of days in the area. Why not? With all that the Naples and Fort Myers region has to offer, there is much to see and do including: the Naples Botanical Gardens, Naples Zoo, the new Children’s Museum of Naples, The Imaginarium in Fort Myers , the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva, and much more. We know you and your family will love exploring our region and finding your own discoveries.

Photos courtsey of Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB

Mobile Workshops One of the best ways to chart a new course is by participating in a mobile workshop. This year there are nine workshops—including three afternoon sessions on the first and last days of the conference.

The workshops will allow you to explore all the diversity that Southwest Florida has to offer. Visiting places like Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Naples, Everglades City, Immokalee, Lee County’s Research Enterprise Diamond, and Clam Pass natural preserve, you will experience communities that are charting a new course as they work to make their centers more walkable, historic places more valued, environmental resources better protected, and economies more viable.

Receptions Of course one of the best reasons to attend APA Florida’s annual conference is the opportunity to share tales of glory and hardship with your fellow planners – those who know and instinctively understand the tales you speak of. Evening receptions will provide opportunities to do just that in a variety of different settings and Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 11

[WAKE OF THE] SPACE SHUTTLE

continued from page 9

Center with multiple tenants and multiple missions produces new challenges which require new solutions and policies. A planning charrette was conducted at KSC in September 2011 resulting in a report that fueled the KSC Future Development Concept (FDC). The charrette included stakeholders within NASA, the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida agencies, including Space Florida and the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), local governments and commercial partners. After a two day discussion, all understood the strategic importance of KSC to Florida and concluded that KSC’s ability to maintain that importance would depend on its capacity to evolve to a multi-user concept and undertake the challenge of changing KSC’s way of doing business. The FDC envisions KSC as a future multi-user spaceport in which NASA is the primary, flagship tenant and multiple commercial companies and other federal agencies serve as supporting tenants. All tenants would share the launching capabilities and other unique assets with the oversight and governance of a third-party “Spaceport Authority.” This creates a few challenges in which the Master Plan will attempt to solve in order to realize the end state envisioned in the FDC. One challenge for the Master Plan will be to create a Future Land Use Plan. A plan which will include quasi-zoning regulations defined by seven Spaceport Development Areas (SDAs) in which future uses must correspond to the Area’s defined purpose. The SDAs will serve as the first-step and policy foundation for more intensive zoning policy in future Master Plan updates as KSC matures into a multi-user spaceport.

Another challenge to the multi-user spaceport concept is the concern that NASA oversight may impede on the autonomy of commercial partners to do business. To alleviate this concern and create a regulatory environment more suitable for commercial development, the Master Plan will recommend a regulatory framework for Commercial Operating Zones (COZ). The COZs, as currently envisioned, will consist of individual facilities or areas in which NASA would allow an “embassy” model of governance, in which the federal government would maintain ownership of the land but the commercial entity would maintain autonomy to operate within that zone, subject to industry standards like OSHA, with minimal oversight by NASA. This would also provide the ability for private and non-NASA entities to inject their own capital and financing into facilities and operations.

THE PATH FORWARD CPDO estimates that due to newly established commercial partnerships, support from state agencies (including Space Florida and DEO) and the anticipated growth in commercial space exploration, a majority of the jobs lost at the close of the Shuttle Program could return in the next 5-10 years. And even though 12 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

the successor rocket to the shuttle, the Space Launch System, is designed to operate with a smaller labor pool than the shuttle program, additional jobs will be needed to support it by the first launch in 2017.

While KSC has lost a number of highly skilled workers in the last few years, the success of an emerging commercial industry can mitigate future losses by providing a place for those skilled space workers to utilize their unique knowledge and skills to continue to push the limits of space exploration. This future is not inevitable; much relies on the success of KSC’s partnerships and ability to plan successfully for this new multi-user paradigm. Defining “success” may prove to be the most difficult endeavor, as altering 50 years of history is not easy, but KSC will remain a major economic influence on Florida.

As KSC reignites the economic engine of this new era, the future is no longer a void in the predawn morning…but the sunrise of a new day.

Steven Gilmore is a student in Florida State University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning; currently he is serving a one-year term as a Co-Op student for NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Center Planning and Development Office. You may contact him at seg10@my.fsu.edu.

APA Florida Conference FAQ’s

By Wiatt Bowers, AICP

Every year APA Florida conducts a post-conference survey.

And while most attendees report overall satisfaction with the conference and are complimentary, a few questions/ comments seem to arise every year. As a result, I decided to write this article, to answer a few frequently asked questions and give members an inside look at how our conferences are put together.

How is the conference location chosen?

Conference locations are selected more than two years in advance. Proposals are submitted by interested sections and the Executive Committee makes the final decision.

Attendance is a major factor, as our growth since 2005 has limited the location options for the conference. One thing APA Florida will be considering is establishing a more formal schedule, where every 5-6 years conferences would rotate between southeast Florida, southwest Florida, central Florida, Tampa Bay, and north Florida.

Here’s a look at where the past five conferences were held and where the next three will be.

• 2007 (Orlando) • 2009 (Jacksonville) • 2011 (Palm Beach) • 2013 (Orlando)

• 2008 (Miami) • 2010 (Tampa) • 2012 (Naples) • 2014 (Jacksonville) continued on page 18

[SUSTAINABILITY] PLANNING

continued from page 7

vision for enhancing the economic vitality of Southeast Florida, one of the largest and most diverse regions in the nation. The region includes seven counties: Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River.

The Partnership is working to leverage resources and coordinate strategic planning and investments to enhance economic prosperity and job creation; increase access to affordable housing; expand transportation choices; enhance the environment; and ensure vibrant and resilient communities. The Partnership secured a $4.3 million grant to create a Regional Vision and Blueprint for Economic Prosperity.

The Southeast Florida Regional Partnership adopted seven guiding principles: 1. Provide more transportation choices 2. Promote affordable housing opportunities 3. Enhance economic competitiveness 4. Support existing communities 5. Coordinate policies and leverage investment 6. Value communities and neighborhoods 7. Enhance community resilience to the impacts of climate change The Blueprint will provide for a regional resource library and data warehouse, regional leadership and capacity building, scenario planning and extensive community engagement.

East Central Florida Consortium Transit as an Economic Catalyst: Planning for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Around East Central Florida’s SunRail stations In 2011 the East Central Florida Consortium was awarded $2.4 million for a HUD Category 2, or implementation grant.

The Consortium will use the grant to develop and prepare for implementation of sustainable and inclusive development plans around the future station locations for East Central Florida’s SunRail commuter rail system, which is anticipated to begin operation in 2014. With capital investment estimated at $357 million in Federal, state, and local funding for its first phase, SunRail will catalyze a “Corridor of Commerce” to transform communities and encourage sustainable growth, particularly in minority and/or low-income neighborhoods adjacent to several of the committed stations.

The grant will support detailed planning for six out of the 12 Phase I SunRail stations, affordable housing assessments for all 12 stations and regional collaboration to share best practices and to guide future planning in the region. Communities will coordinate plans and investments so SunRail becomes the focal point for revitalizing existing neighborhoods, attracting skilled workers and innovation-oriented businesses, expanding safe and convenient travel options, helping improve energy efficiency and air quality and providing minority and lower-income households with greater access to opportunity.

The Consortium includes: East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, six counties, seven cities, four metropolitan planning organizations, Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Creative Village Development LLC, Florida Department of Transportation, Health Council of East Central Florida, myregion.org, the Nonprofit Housing Roundtable of Central Florida, Orlando Health, Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida and Urban Land Institute.

Pat Steed is the Executive Director for the Central Florida Regional Planning Council and can be reached at psteed@cfrpc.org.

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 13

Innovation to Industry By: Debrah Forester, AICP

Visit: www.i2ifl.com for more information on the program.

Winners will be posted following the May 3 announcement.

14 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

Charlotte County, like much of the state, faced record-breaking unemployment rates in 2010. The approach to job creation during this economic downturn brought a renewed interest in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit and developing a focus on early stage companies.

During a review of the existing work plan strategies, the Charlotte County Economic Development Office (EDO) identified an alternative approach to diversifying the economic base and creating jobs. Through Charlotte County’s relationship with the Florida Economic Gardening Program, which provides technical assistance to second stage companies (companies that employ at least 10 employees and gross revenues between $1 million to $50 million), representatives from the Edward Lowe Foundation held a workshop in Charlotte County on February 16, 2011. The Edward Lowe Foundation, established in 1985, was created to “champion the entrepreneurial spirit” as a cornerstone of the free enterprise system and a supporter of the National Center for Economic Gardening.

One outcome of the workshop was an open dialogue with the existing business supportservice providers: Goodwill; FGCU Small Business Development Center; SCORE; Small Business Development Services, LLC ;and Southwest Florida Works on the advantage of working together and avoiding duplication of resources while providing relevant services to a variety of customers. This dialogue lead to the development of a local Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) that would provide convenient, just-in-time assistance to existing businesses at all levels – potential, start-up, and second stage companies.

In addition to establishing the Entrepreneurial Support Organization, the Economic Development Office continued to investigate alternative approaches to nurture the entrepreneurial culture in Charlotte County. Further research identified a program in Utah called “Concept To Company” (C2C). In 2008, Ogden, Utah held the first C2C competition and since that event the competition has expanded throughout that state. Organized by the Grow Utah Ventures, the objective is to select candidates, through a competitive process, that

have an innovative concept that can grow into a successful company. The winners receive assistance including cash, professional services, and mentoring to focus on growing their concepts. To date, C2C has launched 75 businesses and provided $500,000 in cash and services.

In March 2011, the Enterprise Charlotte Economic Council, the local private-public 501 (c ) 6 economic development council, voted unanimously to create a program that would provide an opportunity to identify new products and nurture those “innovators” from “idea” to commercialization. Charlotte County would benefit from new business development and the potential of long-term economic growth while establishing Charlotte County as “entrepreneurial friendly”.

Between March 2011 and October 2011, the ECEC recruited four Premium Sponsors (Ambitrans, Mosaic, Kitson & Partners & USF Polytechnic) and raised $20,000 to move the program forward. Over the next several months, the program’s identity was created which included: a new logo; new website; and program guidelines in order to launch the program at the County’s 3rd Annual Energy Options Conference on October 5, 2011.

As with any contest, determining the rules and the selection process are fundamental to a successful program. After reviewing the rules from similar contests, the ECEC and their attorney developed the final set of official rules that were posted to the website. Basically, the contest was open to all legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age or older. The contest was open to new start-up businesses and existing businesses with annual revenues of less than $5 million. Entries must be original work and were required to describe an idea for a legitimate invention or business that could lawfully operate in the United States and significantly uses technology in the product, production, or core processes of the business.

[INNOVATION] TO INDUSTRY To qualify the idea or innovation must not have any commercial sales revenue generated at the time of submission. Applicants were required to commit to relocating or forming the business in Charlotte County within 90 days of receiving the prize award and remain in Charlotte County for at least three years from the time of prize delivery. An individual could submit several applications provided each entry was unique; however, there was a limit of one prize per person, household, business or email address. By submitting the application online, each entrant warranted that the information provided did not violate the rules of the contest including that the entry was an original work of the entrant. All information submitted was confidential and will remain confidential until the winners are publicly announced and the prizes awarded. All applications were due by midnight on December 31, 2011.

The three winners will receive a cash award plus a two-year rent free business location and in-kind services ranging from legal and accounting services to enrollment in business development training. To include more private sector participation in the contest, donations of in-kind services provided an opportunity for existing local businesses to contribute to the program without needing to meet a minimum contribution requirement. Below are the cash prizes for each of the three categories: • The Grand Prize winner receives $7,000 cash prize • The Second Place Winner receives $5,000 cash prize • Third Place Winner receives $3,000 cash prize By the close of the application cycle, thirty-eight (38) applications were received.

The panel of judges which consisted of the four Premium Sponsors plus one ECEC Board member, reviewed the applications and determined that 31 applications qualified based on the rules of the contest. As part of the confidentiality requirement, the judges did not receive any of the personal information of the applicant.

The judges conducted a second screening and selected six applicants for the finalist shortlist. Each finalist was invited to present their proposal including the details on their invention/ innovation in person to the judges in a 45 minute interview.

Following the interviews, the judges selected a Grand Prize Winner as well as a second and third place winner.

On March 2, the three winners were accepted by the ECEC Board and notified. The ECEC will announce the winners on May 3, 2012 at the ECEC Investor’s luncheon and press conference. Each winner will have the opportunity to present an overview of their business plan to the audience. Applicants that were not selected for a prize award are invited to attend the luncheon and a followup session with members of the ESO to provide continued support on developing their business plan. The ESO is available to provide services to the all interested applicants. An excitement is building within the community to meet the winners and celebrate the growing entrepreneurial spirit in Charlotte County.

NOMINATIONS BY PETITION FOR APA FLORIDA 2012 ELECTIONS Pursuant to the Chapter Bylaws, the Nominations Committee presented the proposed election slate (see below) to the APA Florida Executive Committee in March. It was published in the April 30, 2012 eNews and Notes, and also placed on the website at that time.

Nominations for any office may be added to this slate by petition of twenty members. Petition forms may be downloaded at www.floridaplanning.org or by contacting the Chapter Office at fapa@floridaplanning.org. Please submit the petition to the 2012 Nomination Committee c/o APA Florida, 2040 Delta Way, Tallahassee, Fl 32303 by 5:00 PM on May 30, 2012. Each petition should clearly identify the proposed candidate and office for which their name is being offered. Each member signing the petition should both print and sign their name, and include their membership number. If you have any questions about the petition process, please contact the Chapter office.

2012 APA Florida Election Slate President Elect

Pat Blackshear, FAICP Michael Delk, AICP Melissa Zornitta, AICP

Treasurer Andre Anderson, AICP

Kevin Tyjeski, AICP

Secretary Lorraine Duffy Suarez, AICP

Cherie Horne, AICP

VP-Membership Laura Everitt, AICP Services Mindy Heath, AICP

VP-Section Affairs Wiatt Bowers, AICP

Tony LaColla, AICP

VP-Professional Allara Gutcher, AICP Development Debra Hempel, AICP VP-Certification Maintenance

Henry Bittaker, AICP Curt Ostrodka, AICP

VP-Conference Services

Chanda Bennett, AICP Kathie Ebaugh, AICP

Debrah Forester, AICP, is with the Charlotte County Economic Development Office. She can be reached at debrah.forester@charlottefl.com.

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 15

LAND USE & PLANNING: Law Case Update by: David Theriaque, Esq. Remseaoliv, LLC v. City of South Miami, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 237b (Fla. 11th Cir. Ct. Dec. 16, 2011) The City Commission for the City of South Miami voted to designate property and a building as “historic.” The property owner opposed the designation and filed a certiorari proceeding. One basis for the property owner’s challenge was the City Commission’s reliance upon a report by the City’s expert witness without such expert witness being available for crossexamination during the City Commission’s quasi-judicial hearing.

The circuit court quashed the City Commission’s decision, holding that the City had violated the property owner’s procedural due process rights. The court concluded that the City Commission should not have considered the report by the City’s expert witness because such witness did not testify, and, therefore, was not available for cross-examination. As a result of the exclusion of such report, the court determined that there was no competent substantial evidence in the record to support the City Commission’s designation of the property and building as “historic.”

This case exemplifies the uncertainty regarding the procedural due process requirements for quasi-judicial hearings. This case also reinforces the legal principle that, when in doubt, err on the side of providing more due process.

322 South County Road, LLC v. Town of Palm Beach, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Supp 343a (Fla. 15th Cir. Ct. Jan. 13, 2012) The Town of Palm Beach determined that a property owner had abandoned the grandfathered nonconforming status of a building that had been used since 1938 for commercial and residential purposes. The Town’s Zoning Code precluded use of the property for residential purposes. The Town’s Zoning Code mandated that grandfathered nonconformities lose such status when there has been a discontinuance of the grandfathered use for a period of two years, regardless of whether the property owner intended to discontinue such use. The property owner filed a certiorari proceeding, contending that the Zoning Code must be construed to require an intention to discontinue a grandfathered nonconforming use.

The circuit court determined that abandonment can only occur when an owner intends to terminate a nonconforming use, even though the plain language of the Zoning Code did not address intent. The property owner in this case was making extensive improvements to the property so the residential use could continue, had regularly dealt with the Town’s building inspectors throughout the renovation process, and had maintained a valid occupational license for use of the structure as a residential property. Thus, the circuit court quashed the Town’s decision terminating the grandfathered nonconforming use of the property.

This case is consistent with a long line of cases that places the burden on local governments to prove that a property owner has abandoned a nonconformity and that intent matters. It should be noted, however, that many zoning codes preclude extensive renovations of nonconformities. Such preclusion is consistent with the policy that nonconformities are intended to be brought into compliance at some point in time.

Village of North Palm Beach v. S & H Foster’s, Inc., 80 So. 3d 433 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012) The Village of North Palm Beach granted a property owner’s petition for voluntary annexation. At the time of such annexation, the property was leased to an entity (“Pub”) that lawfully used the property as an “after hours bar” which served alcoholic beverages until 5:00 a.m. The Village’s Code of Ordinances prohibited the sale or on-premise consumption of alcoholic beverages between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. (“Alcoholic Sales Prohibition”).

The Pub filed a lawsuit against the Town, seeking a declaratory judgment that the Town was precluded from enforcing its Alcoholic Sales Prohibition – which had existed for twelve years prior to the voluntary annexation. The circuit court ruled that the Pub had a vested right to continue using the property as an “after hours bar” and, therefore, the Town could not enforce its Alcoholic Sales Prohibition against the Pub. The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed, holding that the lease between the Pub and the property owner required the Pub to comply with all “laws, ordinances, rules and regulations of governmental authority respecting [the Pub’s] use, operation and activities” on the subject property. The Fourth District concluded that the Pub did not have any grandfathered status to avoid complying with the Town’s Alcoholic Sales Prohibition.

This case demonstrates that a property owner should verify that his or her existing use is lawful before requesting annexation into a municipality.

David Theriaque is with the firm of Theriaque & Spain in Tallahassee. He can be contacted at dat@theriaquelaw.com.

16 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

2012 Session Wrapup By: Lester Abberger

As a result of “a quirk in the political calendar” the Florida Legislature met and completed most of its business in January and February of this year.

Compounding the complexity of addressing yet another projected budget deficit, some $2.5 billion for this fiscal year, was the once in every ten years reapportionment process.

These two issues, fraught with tough choices and difficult decisions, were the dominant themes of the 2012 session.

Legislators were understandably reluctant to tackle growth management and planning issues this time round, particularly in light of the comprehensive, sweeping, some suggest radical changes to the law which were enacted in 2011. There seemed to be general consensus among legislators and stakeholders alike to stand down as we continue to sort through the consequences and the real world implications of the 2011 Legislation.

We worked closely with legislators, legislative staff, local governments, and other affected parties on the “must pass” glitch bill necessary to correct inevitable oversights, internal contradictions, and process and procedural conflicts stemming from the massive 2011 growth management overhaul.

Our goals were two-fold; to provide objective, professional, and experiential guidance to legislators and legislative staff, and to limit the scope of the glitch bill to a narrowly defined set of truly technical issues. We were successful in both regards. The work of APA Florida’s Legislative Policy Committee was absolutely integral to and indispensable in these efforts.

Among other issues with which we grappled were the now annual DRI bill, and important legislation to return some measure of budgetary authority and autonomy to the state’s water management districts. Moreover, we were quite active in opposition to several measures that would have preempted local government capabilities to make decisions appropriate to local conditions and priorities.

We worked on several substantive budget issues, consistent with APA Florida public policy priorities. The landmark Florida Forever program, once a national model, was funded at a paltry $8.4 million, a far cry from the $300 million annual level of funding secured during more robust economic and budget conditions. Everglades’s restoration was funded at a barely adequate $30 million, but the affordable housing trust fund was raided once again. In consequence, and regrettably, important affordable housing programs were not funded.

Continuing budget deficits, reapportionment, term limits, unsettled Senate leadership questions, the impending 2012 elections, and, of course, the evolving implications of the 2011 growth management rewrite all have significant public policy repercussions for the planning profession in Florida. We are better prepared than ever to meet those challenges.

The assiduous, effective efforts of the members of the Legislative Policy Committee, led so ably by Brian Teeple, are enabling us to leverage the benefits of your professional experience to make a positive, constructive difference in the legislative and public policy arenas. Your president Merle Bishop and your executive committee have continued to further refine our strategic policy objectives and have kept us focused appropriately on issues where we can provide value-added contributions as legislation and other policy initiatives are considered. Alex Magee has provided invaluable support and wise counsel in these as well as in myriad other efforts to educate and inform you.

As we continue our efforts from here to promote responsible planning from a public policy perspective, we welcome your views and your guidance. Please know how grateful I am for your continuing encouragement and support.

Lester Abberger is APA Florida’s Legislative Representative and can be reached at lesterabberger@nettally.com.

Congratulations to Florida’s Newest Certified Planners!

By: Andre A. Anderson, AICP, LEED® AP Vice President for Professional Development “AICP certified planners carry a high mark of distinction because they are required to meet rigorous standards, maintain their expertise through continuing education, and serve community interests.” (AICP) Becoming a certified planner is a significant step in a planner’s career and demonstrates leadership and a commitment to high standards of professional practice, proficiency of planning theory and tools, a pledge to uphold ethical standards, and participation in ongoing professional development.

So, it is with great pride and admiration that we present Florida’s newest certified planners and qualified members of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Please take a moment to congratulate them on this great achievement.

Serge Atherwood (Hollywood) Christopher Keller (Winter Park) Dorothy Selig (Rockledge) Lisa Botero (Jacksonville) Suzanne Lex (Tallahassee) Misty Servia (Sarasota) Kelly Delmonico (Melbourne) April Joy Macadangdang (Sunrise) Brady Smith (Pinellas Park) Megan Doherty (Tallahassee) Holly Munroe (Tallahassee) Stephen Stewart (Jacksonville) Christopher Edmonston (Tallahassee) Thuy Pham (Plantation) Justin Tabor (Alachua) Charles Gray (Pensacola) Bobby Powell (Crawfordville) Galina Tachieva (Miami) Timothy Hester (Melbourne) Barbara Schalmo (Winter Park) Elizabeth Wheaton (Miami Beach) For more information on becoming a certified planner, please visit the APA website at http://www.planning.org/certification/.

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 17

[APA FLORIDA] CONFERENCE FAQs

continued from page 12

As we look beyond 2014, expect to see the conference return to the Miami area.

Furthermore, mark your calendars now as the APA National Conference will return to Florida in 2018, with Miami Beach as the host city.

How are the registration fees determined?

We sometimes hear that our conference seems expensive. Frankly, I think the APA Florida conference is a pretty good deal. Our early registration fee last year was $365 (this year will likely be the same). Put another way, that’s just a $1 per day investment in your professional development.

Every year a preliminary conference budget is developed. This budget includes estimated costs for keynote speakers, food/beverage, transportation, receptions, audio/visual rentals, administrative costs, and more. On the other side of the ledger are registration fees and sponsor/ exhibitor revenues. We are able to keep registration fees lower thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors, who often generate more than 25% of the total revenues brought in by the conference.

For 2012, we are estimating the conference to cost approximately $175,000 and revenues to be around $250,000. You may notice that this includes a “profit” of $75,000. However, it is important to note that dues do not sustain all of the functions of APA Florida alone. In 2012, nearly $69,000 of conference revenues will be set aside to help support chapter office activities, including our communications and legislative policy programs. In addition to the amount set aside to keep the chapter running, the host section receives a guaranteed minimum of $7,500.

We also encourage students to attend the conference. Their costs are not covered by their reduced registration fees alone, so the rest of us are paying a little more to make sure students have the opportunity to learn from and with us.

Finally, if the conference is successful, additional revenues beyond the amounts budgeted will be seen. Much of this “additional profit” is sent back to your local sections, where it is used to fund enhanced professional development and other activities.

Why do we choose more costly hotels?

After the 2011 conference, we received 18 Spring 2012 / Florida Planning

many glowing comments about the opportunity to stay at the Breakers in Palm Beach. But, some of you noted that the hotel costs were high and that holding the conference there may have sent the wrong message during these tough times. As noted earlier, APA Florida selects conference locations more than two years in advance.

We then work with the local host section to identify a preferred hotel. When we selected the Breakers back in 2009, we all thought the economy would have recovered and Florida would be humming along again by 2011.

The reality is APA Florida tries to strike a balance between finding attractive locations/ hotels that may entice people to attend with a desire to find hotels with reasonable rates that also provide the conference and exhibit space we need. Prices for the conference hotels in 2012, 2013 and 2014 are all set at $129, with a block of student rooms reserved at main hotel at an even lower rate.

Why doesn’t APA Florida contract with additional lower-priced hotels?

Once we select the conference location, we begin contract negotiations with the preferred conference hotel. All of the meeting & exhibit space we use is complimentary based on contracted room nights and guaranteed minimum food/ beverage expenditures. The contract allows us to reserve a large block of rooms (up to 800 throughout the length of the conference).

If APA Florida doesn’t meet our contracted room nights and/or food/beverage amounts, we would be required to pay penalties as well as possibly forfeit some of the complimentary meeting/exhibit space.

In 2010, we changed things up a bit and held the conference at the Tampa Convention Center. While we saved money on food costs (as compared with quoted prices from the nearby Marriott), the facility itself cost over $25,000 to rent. Furthermore, we still had to contract with the adjacent Embassy Suites hotel, to guarantee there would be rooms for the majority of conference attendees.

Generally, once our contracted block at the main hotel fills up (and if other rooms at the hotel will be difficult or expensive to obtain), APA Florida provides information on additional hotels. We usually do not enter into a contract with these hotels for a guaranteed number of rooms, but we do negotiate a conference room rate, which is often lower than the main conference hotel.

Why does the conference include a half-day at the end, often on Saturday?

We often hear suggestions that the conference should be shortened and not include the last day. There are several reasons this idea has not been implemented.

First, the final ½ day allows for additional professional development sessions (and CM credits). Secondly, if we ended the conference a day earlier, many would not stay at the hotel the final night and we wouldn’t have enough room nights to get the complimentary meeting/exhibit space.

Now, as far as the Saturday question goes, we’ve struggled with this. We appreciate the desire of attendees for personal time on the weekend, but we’re also cognizant of the need to minimize time out of the office. There’s also another factor that goes into setting conference dates – the Jewish High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur usually fall between late August and mid-October. This limits our available dates for the conference, and sometimes requires that we restructure the format. As a result of the Jewish holidays, we experimented with a Tuesday-Friday conference in both 2009 and 2010. While many attendees liked the schedule, we heard some complaints from supervisors about additional time spent away from the office. For those of you who like the Tuesday-Friday format, we’ll be returning to it for the Orlando conference in 2013.

Why is there always a shortage of coffee?

This may come as a surprise, but coffee at hotels can be quite expensive. In fact, the average cost over the past few years has been around $70 per gallon, including the service charge. That’s over $4 for every 8 oz. cup of coffee. And while our conferences aren’t boring (I hope), planners sure do drink a lot of coffee. One thing I’ve learned while putting these conferences together over the last four years - there can never be enough coffee!

I hope this article has answered some of your questions and provided some insight into all that goes into planning our annual APA Florida conferences. If you have other questions or ideas on how to make the conference better, feel free to email me at wiatt.bowers@atkinsglobal.com

[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.

Spring 2012 / Florida Planning 19

Florida Chapter AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION 2040 Delta Way Tallahassee, FL 32303

[FLORIDA] PLANNING Published by the Florida Chapter, American Planning Association, the Florida Planning newsletter has a current circulation of 2,900 members, subscribers and other readers. Four issues are published a year.

Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage

PAID

Tallahassee, FL Permit 350

This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

[THANK YOU] TO OUR ANNUAL SPONSORS

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 June 2012.

Deadlines Article deadlines are generally four weeks pior to publication. Ad deadlines are generally two weeks prior to publication.

Consult the editor for any exception to this schedule.

Subscriptions The annual subscription rate for Florida Planning is $25.

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 contributes are not tax deductible.

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

[UPCOMING] EVENTS MAY 9-12, 2012: CNU 20 Conference: The new world West Palm Beach. This is the 20th Congress for New Urbanism conference. There will be four days of speakers, mobile tours and networking. Details at www.floridaplanning.org/calendar.

MAY 11, 2012: STATEWIDE AGING IN PLACE HOUSING SUMMIT Orlando. This Summit will discuss opportunities already underway in Florida and the benefits that aging in place options offer for job and economic growth. Please contact Gail Matillo at matillog@elderaffairs.org or 850-414-2165 for more information.

MAY 18, 2012: PLANNING FOR SIGN CODE SUCCESS Orlando. Learn the latest technologies, controls, impacts and regularity issues related to onpremise signs. 6 AICP CM pending. More information at www.floridaplanning.org/calendar.

JUNE 20-23, 2012: FPZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Orlando. This year’s annual FPZA conference, “Connecting the Dots,” will address planning techniques and principles necessary to effectively link our communities together. More information at www.floridaplanning.org/calendar.

JUNE 21-22: RISK & RESPONSE: SEA LEVEL RISE SUMMIT Boca Raton. The purpose of this summit is three-fold: Highlight the interrelationships between sea level rise, limestone geology, and water management in Florida; share the ongoing responses and adaptation planning of agencies, institutions, and civic society to sea level rise; and compare the Florida situation and response with other vulnerable localities in the US and worldwide.

Contact Mary Beth Hartman, mhartman@fau.edu or 561-799-8553 for more information.

SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2012: 2012 APA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Naples. Save the Date and make plans to attend this outstanding conference - Charting A New Course! Visit www.floridaplanning.org for more details and to become a sponsor or exhibitor.

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