Florida Planning Magazine | Spring 2018

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

Spring 2018

www.floridaplanning.org

Art

The

of Space

Transforming the Historic Bacardi Tower in Miami into a Campus for Inspiration

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) was established by Lin and Ted Arison in 1981 to identify and support the next generation of artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts. With the organizations’ growth and an expanding mission to support emerging artists around the nation, YoungArts needed an inspiring home that allowed artists to flourish in a creative environment, a space that fostered collaboration and experimentation, and that combined functionality with history, design and vision. continued on page 4

By: Heike Dempster and Dejha Carrington

OTHER FEATURES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

6

Plant City Union Station

9

The Sunset Rises Again

11

Florida’s 4 Atlas of ReUrbanism Cities

12

Renovated Streamline Hotel

14

Tourism Development is a Gem

15

How Can History Help Your Plan?

17

Planning in Grade School

19

Public Policy Mobile Tour 2018

21

Nominations

by Petition

President’s Message - p. 3 Conference Update - p. 18 Newest FAICP Planners - p. 20 Member Spotlight Q&A - p. 22 APA Working for You - p. 23 Planners on the Move - p. 24 Consultants Directory - p. 26 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

813-327-5450

presidentelect@floridaplanning.org

Heart of Florida Section

Marisa 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

Atlantic Coast Section

Mike Disher, AICP

386-236-2183

atlanticcoast@floridaplanning.org

San Felasco Section

Forrest Eddelton

352-334-5022

sanfelasco@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, CSI

321-319-3213

sectionaffairs@floridaplanning.org

Treasurer

Tony LaColla, AICP

813-273-3774

treasurer@floridaplanning.org

Capital Area Section

Devan Leavins

850-891-6441

capitalarea@floridaplanning.org f

Emerald Coast Section

Catherine McCloy, AICP

850-769-6476

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

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.

2 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Protecting the Past for a Great Future

Historic preservation districts are very important and crucial to a community’s growth and evolution by preserving distinctive elements of its historical culture and heritage that would otherwise be lost by demolition and new development. It ensures the harmonious, orderly, and efficient growth and development of the city through retention and reuse of its cultural resources.

Historic preservation districts tend to foster and strengthen civic pride through the acknowledgement of the accomplishments of the past by safeguarding the city’s heritage for future generations.

More often than not, when asked, people from all around the country, and most notably the millennial generation are looking for opportunities to live work and play in a place that is authentic. Developers often try to recreate these “authentic” places, but it is not the same and does not have the rich architectural qualities of exposed brick, windows that actually open, and walkable communities. Many Americans today want their communities to have “charm” or “character” and to be unique and distinctive.

How do you do this?

Well, one way is to inventory our historic buildings and culturally significant spaces and implement creative ways to preserve these historic resources through reuse and repurposing them to address unmet needs in the city. This expands

In this issue of Florida Planning we focus on Historic Preservation and Reuse.

You will learn about the renovations of the Sunset Lounge, where jazz legends like Count Basie and Duke Ellington performed, and how this project is moving forward as a catalyst for revitalizing West Palm Beach’s Historic Northwest.

opportunities for a rich and diverse cultural and architectural experience and ultimately enhances the quality of life and makes our communities more livable.

So, in this issue of Florida Planning we focus on Historic Preservation and Reuse. You will learn about the renovations of the Sunset Lounge, where jazz legends like Count Basie and Duke Ellington performed, and how this project is moving forward as a catalyst for revitalizing West Palm Beach’s Historic Northwest. You will also read about the old and beautiful Bacardi Building in Miami that is being reused and is occupied by the YoungArts Foundation.

All these examples of historic preservation and reuse around the state are just a small sampling of how, while we are Making Great Communities Happen, we also preserve our rich historical and cultural heritage for future generations.

One more thing ... Mark your calendar and make plans to attend our next Annual Conference in West Palm Beach, Sept. 11-14, 2018.

You do not want to miss it!

As always, I would love to hear from you. So, please send me a note at president@floridaplanning.org.

Until next time, continue to #PlanFlorida.

Andre Anderson, AICP APA Florida President

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 3

[ART] OF SPACE

continued from cover page

In October 2012, YoungArts acquired the landmark Bacardi Tower and museum buildings in Miami, from Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. In an act of civic and cultural philanthropy, Bacardi conveyed the buildings and their plaza to YoungArts at a significant reduction of their market value, ensuring the preservation of this landmark, a recognizable part of Miami’s social and cultural fabric. The two main buildings on the campus are the Tower building and the Jewel Box, connected by the YoungArts Plaza.

The Tower, designed by Cuban architect Enrique Gutierrez, features a contemporary azulejo mural by Brazilian artist Francisco Brennand. The Jewel Box, an outstanding example of modern cantilever construction, was designed by Ignacio Carrera-Justiz; the exterior is covered in thick hammered stainedglass tapestries based on an abstract painting by German artist Johannes Dietz.

Historically, the Tower was used as corporate offices and the Jewel Box as a museum. Both buildings are admired examples of tropical modernism and were granted a historic designation by the City of Miami Preservation Board in October 2009. After YoungArts’ acquisition, the space transformed into the 3.3-acre campus it is today: a place of creation and inspiration where artists gather, collaborate, perform, exhibit, experiment and 4 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

connect with the community and each other. World-renowned architect and YoungArts Artistic Advisor Frank Gehry was commissioned to design a master plan for the adaptive reuse transformation, preserving the iconic features of the buildings while creating a multi-disciplinary arts complex that includes a two-story gallery space in the Tower and a dance studio, and exhibition and performance space in the Jewel Box. The YoungArts campus has become an artistic home to many YoungArts winners and an ever- growing number of alumni.

Every year, YoungArts winners from across the country gather here for weeklong intensives in January and February. Since the beginning of 2018, YoungArts has welcomed more than 250 winners in Cinematic Arts, Classical Music, Dance, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing for National YoungArts Week and YoungArts Miami, attending master classes and working with mentors including actress Phylicia Rashad, Academy Award-winning director Doug Blush, award-winning visual artist Teresita Fernández, and Miami-based arts advocate and celebrated curator Rosie Gordon-Wallace.

Alumni and residency programs such as the multidisciplinary Outside the Box public performance series, a new spring dance continued on page 5

[ART] OF SPACE

continued from page 4

residency, and the In Process residency series also bring YoungArts alumni back to the campus. Public performances regularly turn the YoungArts Plaza into an interdisciplinary stage that welcomes the greater Miami community, while residency programs allow for alumni to use multiple spaces for the development of both new work and existing concepts. As an active campus and arts

incubator, YoungArts’ adaptive reuse approach allows for heritage preservation while simultaneously paving the way for a future of ongoing programmatic expansion coming this spring.

Heike Dempster is the YoungArts outreach coordinator. Dejha Carrington is the YoungArts Vice President of External Relations and Communications.

They both can be reached at info@youngarts.org.

On May 12,

YoungArts invites the public to experience

Outside the Box: Yara Travieso.

Combining elements of theater, dance, film and music, “El Ciclón” is a “wild neo-feminist mythology trapped inside a 1950s B-movie psychological thriller with singing, dancing, and just enough alligators” created by YoungArts alumna in dance, intersectional artist, director and choreographer Yara Travieso. The event is free and open to the public; for more information or to RSVP, please visit the website at youngarts.org.

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 5

Union Station and Train Viewing Platform

P

By Mark P. Hudson, AICP

lant City has a rich history dating back to the mid-1800s. It was incorporated in 1885 and derived its name not from the surrounding agricultural industry, but from the railroad builder, Henry B. Plant.

Originally, the municipality was a large cotton center, but over time changed its focus to strawberries, with more than three-quarters of the nation’s midwinter strawberry crop coming from the surrounding areas of eastern Hillsborough County. To support the agricultural community and to allow it to thrive, the two railroad lines that cross at the heart of the town became an integral part of the identity of Plant City.

Plant City was connected to rail in 1883 and its historic Union Station was completed by 1909. In the 1920s, the municipality was shipping large quantities of farm produce and 44 passenger trains arrived daily to Plant City. As Gilbert V. Gott notes: “… from the platforms of Union Station, young men left their families for the WWI trenches of France, and later, during WWII, for the shores of Normandy and Gram… and… upon their return, this station jubilantly welcomed them back...”.

However, by the 1960s the automobile and its supporting highway system spelled the end for passenger train service to Plant City and Union Station was closed for good in 1971. In hopes of preserving this asset, Union Station was later donated to the City of Plant

City in 1974. Then began the long and arduous task over the coming decades of restoring this landmark to its former Plant City Union Statio glory, which was placed on the National n, 1911 Register of Historic Places in 1974. By the end of the 1990s, the restoration of Union Station was largely complete, once again becoming a central place for community activities and drawing visitors to the historic downtown of Plant City.

By 2012, then Mayor Sparkman (and other community leaders) identified the need to build upon this asset and to foster a real “sense of place,” and to do so worked with CSX Transportation to establish a fund to construct next to the Plant City Union Station a Train Viewing Platform and Tower. An appeal went out to the local community who raised the needed funds, totaling more than $230,000.

Consulting with local experts (such as designer Benny Lubrano, Jr.) and using historical photographs, the platform was designed to a proportion, scale and the architectural style that builds upon and supports the nearby Union Station. To watch the approximately 25 trains that go through the municipality each day, it is raised to be level of the passing engines and boxcars to ensure excellent viewing and is also placed strategically at the intersection of two (north/south and east/west) rail lines of CSX Transportation. Building materials (red brick, roof shingles, etc.), paint colors, rooflines, platform support columns, windows and identification signs were designed to support the architectural style of the Plant City Union Station. The tower was constructed to give additional perspectives of the passing railcars and is equipped with a ramp and elevator to provide access to elderly and disabled patrons.

The Train Viewing Platform and Tower is not only a centerpiece of the community and point of pride for Plant City, but also it is unique to central Florida. The closest similar facility is in Georgia. The facility has been featured in numerous rail enthusiast publications whose circulation not only continued on page 7

6 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

[PLANT CITY] UNION STATION

continued from page 6

reaches across the county, but around the world.

The Plant City Train Viewing Platform and Tower officially opened to the public in early 2014. It became an instant success, with local residents and visitors from far and wide, and though it has only been open a short time attendance continues to grow. As of late, there have been spikes in attendance of over 120 visitors in a single day.

Around the same time, efforts began to improve the small collection of railway artifacts housed at the Plant City Union Station. In this effort, local resident Robert Willaford generously donated his personal collection of railroad artifacts (valued at over $250,000) to form the centerpiece of a new museum at the historic Union Station.

The collection is all encompassing, consisting of baggage carts, workman’s tools, crossing signals, ticketing equipment, etc.

However, the focal points of the collection are a train engine and a red caboose. Moving the massive train engine and caboose to the museum became an event in itself, covered by local media, and accomplished through voluntary services, provided by Brewington’s Towing and Wetherington Tractor Service, Inc. In particular, the red caboose has proven extraordinarily popular with children, many of whom have never seen one in person. Inside is a display that allows children (and some adults) to hearken back to a past era and pretend to be a train conductor. A great educational opportunity for children and adults, the museum is open six days a week and operated by volunteers from within and around Plant City.

Both the new Viewing Platform and Museum were officially dedicated on Feb. 8, 2014 and has since become a major attractor to train enthusiasts and a great asset to the City of Plant City. Many other community events have benefited and created a mutual synergy from these projects by holding their events on this site, such as the antique car shows and bike fests.

The project has proven to be a great contributor to the economic vitality of downtown merchants, who have benefited by the increased tourist traffic and shoppers. This project shows the importance of planning, design and community engagement to promote preservation and reuse projects that revitalizes an historic downtown, such as Plant City.

Mark Hudson, AICP is an Executive Planner for the Hillsborough County

Plant City Train Viewing Platform and Tower

Architectural Drawings

Planning Commission. He can be reached at hudsonm@plancom.org.

Aerial View of Museum and Platform

Placing the Caboose

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 7

One hundred and HDR. A century of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. A legacy of bringing innovative solutions to every project – no matter the challenge. A future of collaborating and creating the only way we know how. Together.

8 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

The Sunset Rises Again

By Friederike Mittner, AICP Located in the center of the Historic Northwest Neighborhood of

West Palm Beach, the Sunset Lounge was a place to see and be seen, and a place to hear the best musicians of the era.

Circa 1923, the Sunset was built with a rooftop garden, first floor garage and service station. A large volume space with a barreltopped roof was added to enclose the second-floor ballroom including a mezzanine for table and chair seating and to accommodate an elevated bandstand and was known in the 1930s as the Sunset Royale Night Club. The second floor was for dancing and live music, providing a glamorous venue for black jazz musicians to perform, as the segregation laws of the era would not allow any black performers into Palm Beach Island or white sections of West Palm Beach.

The Sunset Lounge was part of the “Chitlin Circuit,� the touring route of a string of black nightclubs throughout the South where quality black entertainers performed. The Sunset boasted one of the largest ballrooms and serious building construction, compared to the simple structures known in this era. For the next 25 years, the performers who graced the stage at the Sunset Cocktail Lounge continued on page 10 continued on page 14

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 9

[THE SUNSET] RISES AGAIN

continued from page 9

read like a who’s who of jazz music – Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Nat “King” Cole, Lionel Hampton, Ray Charles and even James Brown.

Soon hundreds of patrons, both black and white, knew that the Sunset Lounge was the place to hear the best music in the south. The rich and famous of Palm Beach society would also mingle at this temple of jazz where music was the common denominator. Back then there were restaurants and shops along Rosemary Avenue with the Sunset Cocktail Lounge as the jewel in the crown. As music tastes changed, the Sunset’s owners decided to remodel the upstairs to include two floors of apartments between 1973 and 1974. The ceilings of the upper floor of the apartments enclosed the roof trusses, hiding all previous elements of the ballroom. The stage, balcony and much of the original wood disappeared. In 2016, the City of West Palm Beach bought the historic building in order to bring it back as a centerpiece for the redevelopment of the neighborhood.

As part of the Community Redevelopment Agency’s work to revive the Northwest District, the agency in conjunction with the city’s Historic Preservation Division is spearheading the rehabilitation project.

The Sunset Lounge will be closed for approximately one year for a complete rehabilitation of the notable 13,500 sq. ft. structure. The $4.5 million project will also demolish adjacent non-contributing buildings to make way for a new, state-ofthe-art entertainment complex, parking lot, plaza and more. In addition to the renovation of the existing lounge with a new bar, restaurant, ballroom and balcony, the plan also includes a new 7,200 sq. ft. building with talent rooms, broadcast facility, office space and box office. This addition is a contemporary complement to the shape and lines of the historic structure and was unanimously approved by the preservation board.

The Sunset Lounge is listed on both the Local and National Register of Historic Places and we invite all to see it rise again in late 2019.

Friederike Mittner, AICP is a historic preservation planner with the city of West Palm Beach. She can be reached at FMittner@wpb.org.

planning for

healthy & sustainable communities Tampa | Orlando | Sarasota www.vhb.com 10 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

Florida’s 4 Atlas of ReUrbanism Cities Show Historic Places are Part of Vibrant Cities By: Melissa Wyllie, Executive Director of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation

Older buildings are an essential part of healthy, economically strong cities.

Preservationists understand and believe a few things to be true about protecting historic places: they are the greenest building option available, they promote health and Historic photo of downtown Ybor City in Tampa.

Today the historic neighborhood contributes to wellbeing and the city’s character as well as its economy. (photo can be a strong credit: Florida Memory, public domain) economic driver.

We do not fight to protect historic places so the shell of an old building continues to exist in isolation. We fight to protect historic places so they may be utilized in their neighborhood, lived in and worked in.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has been working for over a decade to quantify the impact of reuse, reinvestment and revitalization through its ReUrbanism initiative to build the successful, inclusive and resilient cities of tomorrow.

The Atlas of ReUrbanism was launched as a tool to better understand and leverage the opportunities that exist in American cities. According to the Trust, after looking at the age, diversity and size of all buildings in the 50 cities they studied, research showed neighborhoods with a mix of old and new buildings consistently perform better across a host of social, economic and environmental metrics than do areas without older buildings. Across all cities in the Atlas mixed blocks have 33 percent more jobs in new businesses, 46 percent more jobs in small businesses, and

60 percent more women- and minority-owned businesses.

They are also denser and provide 28 percent more units of affordable rental housing.

Florida has four cities included in the Atlas: Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Miami. Although ours is a geographically large and diverse state, certain trends about older buildings and neighborhoods – high-character areas – emerge.

Across all four Florida cities, population density was higher in blocks of older, smaller, mixed-aged buildings. In Tampa, there was 91 percent greater population density in those older blocks. Tampa also has 8,382 more jobs in small businesses in those older blocks and 76 percent more women and minorityowned businesses. The other cities also showed significantly higher population density, numbers of small business jobs and women and minority-owned businesses in their historic areas.

The Florida Trust believes demolition of historic resources should always be a last resort. We know that more and more people are choosing to live, work and visit places with character, distinctive architecture and a sense of history.

The data from the Atlas of ReUrbanism bears this out and is another tool to quantify the importance of including historic buildings and neighborhoods in plans for the future of our cities. During our Florida Preservation Conference in Jacksonville in May, Jim Lindberg, vice president for research and policy at the National Trust and director of Preservation Green Lab, the ReUrbanism program for cities, will be a keynote speaker. We look forward to learning more about ReUrbanism and the impact historic places can have on our cities.

To learn more about ReUrbanism and to access the Atlas of ReUrbanism, visit SavingPlaces.org/Reurbanism.

Melissa Wyllie is the Executive Director of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. She can be reached at mwyllie@floridatrust.org.

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 11

Hotel postcard image from 1940

Streamline Hotel, Daytona Beach, 1940’s

RENOVATED STREAMLINE HOTEL

PRESERVES DAYTONA BEACH’S RACING HISTORY By: Douglas M. Gutierrez, AICP

on Dec. 14, 1947. The meetings The Streamline Hotel, were concluded on Feb. 21, 1948 the oldest standing hotel in with the formation of NASCAR. Daytona Beach, was listed Post-glory days, the Streamline individually on the Local has had many roles, from a Register of Historic Places retirement home to a youth by the City Commission on hostel to a bar and, most March 17, 1999. The fourrecently, a “flophouse.” story hotel was built in 1940 The hotel had unfortunately with an Art Deco Streamline suffered from disinvestment, Moderne style of architecture becoming a haven for drugs and is considered to be and prostitution. The police one of the best examples chief once called the building a of the Streamline Moderne “den of iniquity.” architectural style in the In 2014, the hotel was sold greater Daytona Beach area. to local businessman Eddie The hotel was designed Hennessy, who planned to by architect Alan J. renovate it into a “South MacDonough, who designed Beach, art-deco style boutique a number of architecturally hotel.” The hotel was important public buildings on featured on an October 2014 behalf of the Works Progress episode of Hotel Impossible.

Administration (WPA) With assistance from the including the Daytona Beach Bill France, Sr. met with several drivers, officials, and promoters of racing at the Ebony Club on the roof of the hotel on December 14, 1947.

The meetings were city’s CRA, which included a Bandshell, Ormond Beach Fire concluded on February 21, 1948 with the formation of NASCAR historic commercial grant, the Station, Holly Hill City Hall, restoration project started to Daytona Beach Armory, and become a reality. Since the Streamline is a historical structure, Peabody Auditorium. It was the first fireproof hotel in Daytona the historic preservation board had to review and approve Beach and used as an air raid shelter during World War II. the proposed makeover. After three years of renovation that Opened in 1940, it is recognized as the birthplace of the gutted the historic hotel to its bare walls and costing $6 million National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). dollars, the new Streamline opened May 2017.

Bill France, Sr. met with several drivers, officials, and continued on page 13 promoters of racing at the Ebony Club on the roof of the hotel 12 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

[RENOVATED] STREAMLINE HOTEL

continued from page 12

The lobby exhibits exclusive, never-beforeseen Daytona Beach motorsports images from the France family archives. The rooftop bar, in honor of those founding fathers of NASCAR, is named the Boardroom Sky Lounge. The Streamline has modern amenities yet retains its sense of nostalgia. The names of the Logo for restor ed hotel racing pioneers who attended those meetings adorn the walls of the hotel’s new Sky Lounge. Silver roomnumbers and directional signs are embellished with racing stripes. According to Mr. Hennessey “The Streamline will serve as an iconic and nostalgic experience for racing and non-racing fans alike taking them back in time to a place where the new and the old come together.”

The new Streamline hotel received the Historic Preservation Board’s annual Preservation Award and is considered a milestone that residents and local leaders believe to be a potential catalyst to lift the blighted area on the beach side of Daytona Beach. In fact, more improvements to the surrounding are planned by Mr. Hennessy and the city.

The restored hotel today.

Douglas Gutierrez, AICP is a senior planner in the City of Daytona Beach’s Planning Division. He can be reached at gutierrezd@codb.us

Lobby

New Rooms

Rooftop Bar

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 13

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IS A GEM IN THE CROWN OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN By: Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP NORTHWEST FLORIDA In my previous position as the Planning for promotion. This year we increased and Community Development Director that number to 10, which has been a for Gadsden County, I was also the challenge to fill slots for each show.

Tourist Development Director. In a small We send two individuals to each community, you wear many hats. trade show, and many of the shows As a result, I was also a de facto are in February and March. Many representative on the board of directors overlap in time. I was selected with for the regional tourism organization, another board member to attend Explore Northwest Florida. (As a note, ITB Berlin in March, the world’s we just elected to change our name premier and largest travel trade from RiverWay South in January, so we show. According to the 2017 ITB weren’t fully able to update our trade Berlin Survey Analysis, attendees Prior to opening day, we visited the booth space to make sure we show materials prior to the beginning were ready to go. Several representatives from different tourism originate from five continents, over organizations across the state took part in the Visit Florida booth. of the show season.) When I left my 180 countries, and total more than position at Gadsden to return to private 110,000 visitors annually. It was truly industry, I was fortunate enough to stay an exciting experience. on the Explore Northwest Florida board

This trade show is a two-fold as an at-large member. event.

The first three days are reserved In Northwest Florida, our regional for industry-related attendees, which economic development organization, allow us as exhibitors to work business Opportunity Florida, works well with deals and network. These include media us at Explore Northwest Florida. In representatives who are in the business fact, there are two members who are of blogging, writing for magazines, or on both boards of directors including creating video productions for travel myself. In that regard, we are able destinations. Many were tour operators, to share our experiences and crossBoard members Allara Mills Gutcher and Pam Fuqua who will put together a group to come promote and coordinate the goals of to your destination. Others were both organizations.

As a land use planner, my involvement advertisers, public relations companies, in areas outside of my primary field brings or convention/seminar organizers who me perspective and understanding I might want you to exhibit at their show next! not otherwise be afforded. Working with

The weekend is reserved for the tourism and economic development the general public, of which you can fields helps me to better understand how anticipate 81% are from Europe. Only land use planning policies and regulations four percent of the weekend visitors interact with the development side are from the Americas, which includes of growth management. I think more North and South America (Source: ITB importantly, my presence in those arenas Berlin Analysis of the Visitor Survey, allows the planning perspective to be Some Florida exhibitors were fortunate enough to have a short 2017). Florida has a big draw for not visit with Charge d’Affaires ad interim Kent Logsdon from the known in sectors that rarely understand only Germans, but other Europeans due U.S. Embassy in Berlin (center left). why we do what we do. to the grey and rainy winter climate.

Last year the board decided to begin Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP is the principal owner of The Planning Collaborative. a stronger marketing campaign and attend six travel trade shows She can be reached at allara@theplanningcollaborative.com.

14 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

How can history help your plan?

By Patricia Tice, AICP, PE, LEED AP & Peter Sechler, AICP, PLA

Authenticity. It’s often the biggest challenge in new urbanist planning. Once you’ve seen a community done well, it can be hard to translate those best practices into a wide diversity of places. Not everywhere can be Paris or Jane Jacob’s Greenwich Village.

But it doesn’t need to be!

Each place has a unique story, community patterns and opportunities for enhancement.

The challenge can sometimes be helping the community see alternative futures that build upon existing valued characteristics while looking beyond perceived barriers to change.

In this way, each community can look at possibilities for creating authentic solutions that are rooted in the sense place, but open new ways of thinking that accommodate change – which is a fundamental aspect of all cities. One key to creating an authentic place is to investigate how it became the place it is now.

WHY WAS IT FOUNDED? Both the people and circumstances surrounding the founding of a community can give a vital key to its purpose and context within a wider region.

For example, Orlando was originally settled at Fort Gatlin which was a military fort built in the aftermath of a massacre during the Second Seminole war. Forts are good places

for military preparedness, safe rest and healing. Does that ultimately mean Orlando was destined to be a “famous place” (the meaning of the name Orlando) for rest, medical care, and military training? We can’t say for sure, but it certainly has become all of those things. Besides all the tourist attractions, Orlando has three major hospital groups and a world-class simulation industry that has grown out of its historic navy presence.

Was Winter Park destined to exemplify the park-like atmosphere its downtown exudes?

Was Winter Garden destined to become and remain a place for agriculture to thrive?

Again, it would be hard to argue that they haven’t come to exemplify exactly what they were founded to accomplish. Winter Garden has even taken their origin and used it as a part of their revitalization efforts with the slogan, “A charming little city with a juicy past,” and economic development initiatives focused on supporting urban agriculture. Their farmer’s market has been a major part of the downtown revitalization bringing in both locals and visitors every week. If nothing else, a community’s history can provide ideas or phrases that everyone in that community can relate to and rally around. That’s a great place in which to start your plan. continued on page 16

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 15

[HOW CAN HISTORY] HELP YOUR PLAN

continued from page 15

WHAT PURPOSE DID IT FULFILL IN ITS ORIGIN? Regional context is key. Often bedroom communities attempt to become a center of activity in their own right, but that may be a mistake. If your place within the regional context is a place where home and community have thrived, then it may be wise to focus on doing that really well.

Rather than trying to recruit or create a spectacular new Silicon Valley, they can find ways to make community scale retail functional and walkable. They can support their local schools and create great parks and public places that allow a sense of community loyalty to thrive. The City of Maitland seems to do a great job at this. We’ve even seen op-ed articles in the Orlando Sentinel about the marvelous nature of the Maitland Moms. Their schools have an outstanding reputation and their quaint downtown is rapidly growing into a thriving mixed-use center. It’s a great place for local doctors and neighborhood eateries to thrive and grow. They have a major employment center but it’s on the other side of I-4 from the traditional bedroom community area which retains its historic role in the region.

Of course, if a community started out with a strong sense of purpose that has been thwarted or never fully developed, it begs the question as to why. Was there some kind of corruption or pattern of abuse within the community? Unfortunately, behavior patterns and attitudes can get passed down from generation to generation.

Sometimes your historic research will turn up a pattern of conflict that is repeated over and over through several generations. Pay attention for that pattern to emerge again as you move forward in the plan and prepare to address it head-on. Your planning effort may be able to mend fences, heal wounds, or reframe attitudes that have held an entire community back for decades.

WHAT WERE THE MAJOR TURNING POINTS IN ITS DEVELOPMENT? Recognizing how a major economic or social change impacted a community can lay the groundwork for moving forward.

Throughout Florida, the advent of the railroad has been a major factor in developing communities. As an example, when Lynx began considering a commuter rail system for the Orlando Region, many people thought the best location should be along its major transportation spine, I-4, but high density or current travel demand by itself is not enough to create a successful transit system. Transit success depends on the ability to connect housing with employment.

The old CSX line fit this need well because of the historic role that line had in creating the communities in the first place. Both the major urban centers and the historic bedroom communities were 16 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

formed along the train line. I-4 has very little housing located along it and therefore would struggle to gain ridership because people would have to drive to it first and then take the train.

WHAT NATURAL RESOURCES DOES IT HAVE? Understanding the lifecycle of a community’s natural resource management can be key to understanding what comes next.

Obviously, a beachside community will have the beach and its uses as a key part of its plan perpetually, but issues with climate change may have a direct impact going forward. Understanding how that community has dealt with change in the past may give you clues to how they will address it (or avoid it) now. In south Polk County, phosphate mining has been a major industry but many mines are now nearly depleted. However, the rail infrastructure that served the phosphate mines is being repurposed to deal with regional freight movement. This continues the historic pattern of industrial use long past the time when the physical resource that created it is gone. The land itself is also being repurposed as recreational areas, retirement homes, or conservation areas.

Sometimes natural resources can be a blessing and a curse.

Windermere is a tiny strip of land between several major lakes that was founded as a residential community. The community has made the choice to limit their land development to lower densities and roadway infrastructure to two lane roads, maintaining their historic residential character. Although regional traffic struggles to get around the huge chunk of land that the town and their lakes represent, these choices have dramatically increased the value of the land and the quality of the development in the area.

COMMUNITY PLACES BUILT FOR CHANGE. Communities are changing all the time, in terms of economic, social and physical conditions and emergent opportunities. Change is often a difficult topic for community members (and community leaders) to grapple with, particularly when that change present real or perceived threats to an established fabric of community life.

By looking at history, and the patterns of change and development of a place over time, the current situation can be put into a context of past, present and future. By doing so, the most important and authentic aspects of a community can be discovered and protected, while new opportunities are engaged and realized.

Patricia Tice, AICP is a transportation planner, engineer, and amateur historian in Winter Garden, FL. Her consulting firm, CREWS, LLC, provides innovative transportation thinking to a wide range of public and private clients. She can be reached at patriciatice@crewsllc.com. Pete Sechler, AICP is the Director of the Community Solutions Group at GAI Consultants in Orlando where he assists communities across Florida to define and activate their community vision through citizen driven processes of planning and design. He can be reached at p.sechler@gaiconsultants.com.

By Tony LaColla, AICP

PLANNING IN GRADE SCHOOL

Te a c h i n g G u i d e s N o w Av a i l a b l e f o r M e m b e r s Planners are often asked to visit local schools or after-school

To provide educational resources for our members, APA Florida recently completed ready-to-go curriculum guides for kindergarten through high school students.

programs to speak about the planning profession and their day-today jobs. With little resources available, some planners can find it difficult to relate their profession to grade school students during special events such as during the Great American Teach-In or during a career day. To provide educational resources for our members, APA Florida recently completed ready-to-go curriculum guides for kindergarten through high school students.

The four newly available curriculum guides include a detailed facilitator guide with grade level appropriate lesson plans, PowerPoint presentation, and hands-on activities for

• kindergarten through 2nd grade • 3rd grade through 5th grade

• middle school

• high school levels The learning exercises are fun, allow the students to be creative, and get them thinking about how the town or city they live in is designed and planned. Each of the four guides is also designed to be time flexible, between 30 minutes and 75 minutes, depending on the time available in the classroom. You, as the facilitator, can use the guide however you choose by using the entire program or even just elements of it depending on your needs or the needs of the class. In addition, each grade band is designed to meet Florida common core standards which make the lessons about city planning even more valuable in the classroom.

APA Florida hopes these curriculum guides will help our young citizens understand planning and the planning profession so that they will not only be better-prepared citizens but also might be interested in a career in city planning in the future.

The curriculum guides are available by visiting floridaplanning.org/guides.

Tony LaColla, AICP is a senior planner for the Hillsborough County Planning Commission. He can be reached at lacollaa@plancom.org.

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 17

2018 APA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

#APAFL18 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED Palm Beach County Convention Center l September 11-14, 2018

The 2018 APA Florida Annual Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce the keynote speaker lineup for this year’s event.

Leigh Gallagher is the Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune magazine, where she edits feature stories on a variety of subjects, oversees Fortune franchises including the magazine’s 40 Under 40 rankings and hosts Fortune Live, the publication’s weekly half-hour business news show airing Thursdays at 11am. She is also a co-chair of the Fortune Most Powerful Women and Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summits and speaks regularly at Fortune and other Please visit #APAFL18 business and economics conferences. website for up-toLeigh is a seasoned business news commentator, appearing regularly on date information at MSNBC’s Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, Face the Nation, CNBC’s Squawk Box, public radio’s Marketplace and a variety of other outlets. She is a co-chair floridaplanning.org/ of the Fortune U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership conference and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Leigh’s first book, The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving (Portfolio, August 2013) has been described as a “first-rate social history,” a “steel fist in a velvet glove,” and “fascinating reading on changing trends in how and where we live.”

Mustafa Santiago Ali is the Senior Vice President of Climate, Environmental Justice & Community Revitalization for the Hip Hop Caucus (“HHC”), a nationwide non-profit and non-partisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change. In his role at HHC, Mustafa leads the strategic direction, expansion and operation of the Hip Hop Caucus’ portfolio on Climate, Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization.

Mustafa is renowned as a national speaker, trainer and facilitator specializing in social justice issues focused on revitalizing our most vulnerable communities. Throughout his career, he has conducted more than 1,000 presentations countrywide, including speeches, guest lectures and trainings. He has also worked with more than 500 domestic and international communities to secure environmental, health and economic justice. Mustafa joined the Hip Hop Caucus, after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he served as the Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice and Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization.

Craig Fugate is a former FEMA Administrator, serving from May 2008 to January 2017. During his tenure, Craig led the agency through more than 500 presidentially declared major disasters and emergencies and created what has become known as the Waffle House Index—an informal metric used to help predict the effects of an incoming storm and the potential level of assistance required for disaster recovery.

Craig also guided U.S. assistance in international disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti and the Fukushima radiological incident in Japan. He currently consultants for Cadmus, where he facilitates risk assessments and high-impact exercises, including cybersecurity, natural hazards, terrorist attacks, climate resilience, and public health risks.

18 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

WHAT DID YOU MISS? PUBLIC POLICY MOBILE TOUR 2018

By Susan Poplin, AICP, MSP

This year’s 2018

Public Policy Tour gave attendees a chance to “clump and coo” over newer, innovative, development projects in the Capital City area. The “cooing” tour brought to life a tiny home community known as The Dwellings and an infill project called Braemore Park. Both of these projects required creative site design to achieve the preferred project, and involved innovative, high-profile applicants.

Located in unincorporated Leon County and a first nationwide, The Dwellings project is a 130-unit tiny home residential condominium project on approximately 33.52 acres. On the tour, Trevor Reinhardt, deputy director, for The Dwellings showcased the compact design of the site and the space efficiency in the units. The models, include a single-story studio, a single-story one-bedroom model and a two-story, one-bedroom/loft, all featuring state-of-the-art HVAC systems, carriage doors, dualfunctioning furniture, and hidden storage.

Dwelling Director John Schmidt, explained the community is designed as a lowbarrier housing option to meet a growing need for those with limited options.

Monthly program fees to reside in the homes range between $550 - $850 and include:

utilities, case management, 24-hour security, health care, transportation, and laundry.

Residents pay their program fees with earned income, benefits from Social Security, Social Security Disability (SSD) and the Veterans Administration, or even sponsorship.

While the community is not intended to provide senior housing, about 48 percent of the residents are over the age of 55, with the average age of the neighborhood being 53. John and Trevor have hosted national and international guests to see this unique project, sharing much of what they have learned during its short time in operation. Touring planners were glad to also be given this opportunity.

Much in contrast to The Dwellings, planners boarded the bus again to visit an urban infill project, Braemore Park. Proposed by local developer, Jason Naumann of the Naumann Group, and designed in consultation with Southern Living custom builders.

Braemore Park redeveloped an existing 8-acre site with a 1920s home into 28-unit condominium project. The project continued on page 21

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 19

CONGRATULATIONS NEWEST FAICP PLANNERS

By Andre Anderson, AICP, APA Florida President

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, please join me in congratulating seven Florida Planners that have been accepted into the 2018 College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

(From left to right, bottom photo) • Susan Coughanour, FAICP • Clarence Eng, FAICP • Mary Gibbs, FAICP • Daniel Kirby, FAICP • Nancy Stroud, FAICP • Steven Tindale, FAICP • Rochelle Lawandales, FAICP These planners have achieved the Institute’s highest honor, which is a reflection of their dedication to great planning, particularly here in Florida.

Congratulations!

20 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

Nominations by Petition for APA Florida 2018 Elections Pursuant to the Chapter Bylaws, the Nominations Committee has presented the proposed election slate to the APA Florida Executive Committee.

Nominations for any office may be added to this slate by petition of 20 members.

Petition forms may be downloaded at here or by contacting the Chapter Office at fapa@floridaplanning.org. Please submit the petition to the 2018 Nomination Committee c/o APA Florida, 2017 Delta Boulevard, Suite 201, Tallahassee, FL, 32303 by 5:00 PM EST on June 1, 2018. 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.

2018 APA Florida Election Slate Wiatt Bowers, AICP President-Elect

Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP Josh Long, AICP

Treasurer Secretary VP-Membership Services VP-Section Affairs VP-Professional Development VP-Certification Maintenance VP-Communications VP-Conference Services

Kathryn Gademer, AICP John Roach, AICP Lara Bouck, AICP Jennifer Vail, AICP Tony Palermo, AICP Yexsy Schomberg Doug Kelly, AICP Tony Robbins, AICP Lindsay Haga, AICP Allison Megrath, AICP Mark Brown, AICP Jill Quigley, AICP Trina Gilliam Michelle Heinrich, AICP Jay Collins, AICP Thuy Turner, AICP

[PUBLIC POLICY] MOBILE TOUR

continued from page 19

boasts low-country style, single-family residences that front an internal linear park with a clubhouse.

It is located just 5 minutes from Midtown Tallahassee and 10 minutes from downtown.

Jason Naumann explained to planners the concept of the development where the garages face a rear access road that loops around the development, and the central focus is on residents with homes that face each other across open

space. Pedestrian walkways and an access to the nursery next door encourage getting outdoors and walking. Some in the development community wondered about the project’s ability to succeed because of the opposition from neighbors, and unusual central design with houses less than 10 feet apart.

Concessions, including robust buffers and prohibitions on 2nd story windows facing neighbors, were implemented. Any doubt about the value of this innovative infill project were removed when on April 1, 2017, 10 of the 28 units went on sale to the public and were sold within two hours of offering.

Susan Poplin, AICP is a Principal Planner for the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department. She can be reached at susan.poplin@talgov.com.

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 21

Member Spotlight Q&A:

Catherine McCloy, AICP

Where are you originally from?

I am a Florida girl. I was born in Pensacola and grew up in Panama City.

What college/university did you attend?

My undergraduate degree is from University of Florida (Go Gators!) and my masters is from Florida State (Go Seminoles!).

What is your current position?

I am a Project Manager with Stantec in the Panama City office.

I have been with them more than 12 years and worked in their Tallahassee, Tampa, and Panama City offices.

What is your current and any past positions in APA FL and/or APA National?

I am currently the Chair of the Emerald Coast Section. In the past, I was part of the Suncoast Section’s executive committee and participated on one of the Tampa conference committees.

What you would be doing now if you hadn’t chosen the planning profession?

My career began in tourism and if I hadn’t transitioned into planning, I think I would still be focused on tourism and economic development. I would most likely be working with someone like the Tourism Development Council or Economic Development Alliance.

Are you a member in other planning or non-planning boards, committees or organizations?

My formal membership is primarily in planning. I volunteer at various community activities and events associated with our local police department.

Would you like to share anything about your family?

I have an amazing family! My husband, Ben, and I grew up together in Panama City. Now we have two kids – Essie (5 years old) and Dixon (4 years old). They get to grow up down the street from all of their grandparents and some of their aunts, uncles, and cousins.

What are your hobbies and interests?

We spend a lot of time on the water. We like to go out in the boat to nearby lakes, the Bay, and the gulf.

22 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

Ever had your 15 minutes of fame?

No, not unless you count a public workshop.

Do you have any advice or career tips for new planning graduates?

As a new graduate, it is important to continue to learn and stay up to date on the latest planning trends. Working on a variety of projects as well as reading and researching about projects across the country and world can help to keep you creative and open minded. Reading the APA newsletter and magazine is an easy way to incorporate new information into your routine.

What have you gained or learned by being a member of APA Florida and serving as a section leader?

I have learned so much about groundbreaking projects taking place across the state. It is easy to focus on just what is going on around you; but you can discover so much more when you look at what is happening outside of your community. Those ideas can be tweaked and brought back, offering new concepts that can be used in your own backyard.

Is there a particular state planning topic you’d like to comment on or feel fellow planners need to follow?

Recently, I have been focusing on public engagement.

There are so many different techniques and creative solutions available to get communities engaged and involved in the planning process. I love learning about innovative strategies that different projects have employed.

APA FLORIDA WORKING FOR YOU Control and Prevention, the chapter has embarked on addressing public health through planning practices and creating a connection between planners and public health professionals in our state. Visit plan4healthyfl.org to access public health concepts, links to related state organizations, available national and international resources and public health opportunities and announcements. Members can also join the Plan4Healthy Florida Facebook group. ICYMI ...we were excited to see our program was featured in the APA Blog at planning.org last month.

APA FLORIDA REPRESENTED AT LEADERSHIP MEETINGS During NPC18, there were a number of leadership meetings requiring participation by APA Florida leadership. Chapter President Andre Anderson, AICP, chaired the Chapter Presidents Council (CPC) Membership Committee meeting and also participated in the CPC meeting. Laura Everitt, AICP, shadowed Andre in anticipation of her assuming the chapter president’s seat in September. With Laura and Executive Director Alex Magee, he participated in a Student Engagement Roundtable as well as a Diversity Roundtable.

Henry Bittaker, AICP, represented the chapter as its Professional Development Officer (PDO) at the PDO meeting. Alex Magee attended the CPC meeting as well as the Chapter Executive Directors meeting.

Several Chapter members gave their time to serve as delegates at the Delegates Assembly and provide comments on three policy position papers proposed by APA. A big thank you to Andre Anderson AICP, Kim Glas Castro AICP, Brent Lacy AICP, Henry Bittaker AICP, Rochelle Lawandales FAICP, Hadley Peterson, Alex Magee and Nick Lepp AICP CPT!

CHAPTER VP SELECTED FOR THE PLANNING ACCREDITATION BOARD’S SITE VISITOR POOL Vice President of Certification Maintenance Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP, has been selected as a member of the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) Site Visitor Pool. The PAB is sponsored by the APA, AICP, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The PAB is a group of professionals that review bachelor’s and master’s degree planning programs across North America for accreditation.

The mission of the PAB is to “promote excellence among planning programs and ensure high quality education for future urban planners”.” After initial training, she will be eligible to be a part of one of the Site Visitor Teams which is comprised of three individuals; two professors and one professional planner.

PLAN4HEALTHY FLORIDA WEBSITE NOW AVAILABLE

APA FLORIDA PAST PRESIDENT REAPPOINTED TO APA NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Our chapter’s Past President, Melissa Zornitta, AICP, was reappointed to APA’s National Membership Committee. As a member of this committee, Melissa will be reviewing proposed membership strategies performance metrics.

CHAPTER VP HELPS UPDATE AICP EXAM STUDY GUIDE Henry Bittaker, AICP, VP for Professional Development, is currently assisting with a major update to the APA/CPC’s (Chapter President’s Council) AICP Exam Study Guide. His work will focus on area including plan making and implementation, areas of practice and practice exam questions.

CHAPTER GRANTS PROVIDED TO SECTIONS As part of the chapter’s annual non-competitive grant cycle, 10 sections have been provided with funds to assist in each section’s unique programs and events. Members statewide can expect future programs and events in their local section such as a the Tactical Urban Workshop (Emerald Coast), a Land Use Law Program (Promised Lands), State APA Scholarships (Treasure Coast) and other local events. continued on page 27

APA Florida’s public health and planning initiative is now online! Through grants provided by APA and the Centers for Disease Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 23

APA Florida

PLANNERS ON THE MOVE AMBADI NAMED PASCO COUNTY EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Smita Ambadi, AICP, principal planner with the Pasco County Planning & Development Department, is the county’s 2017 Samita is second from the right.

Employee of the Year. Smita played a key role in the redevelopment efforts along the west side of Pasco County. Her development of the communications plan for the Gateways Crossing project and use of social media platforms moved this major Pasco County objective to completion.

Well done, Smita!

VOLUSIA ADDS STEVEN BAPP TO PLANNING STAFF Steven Bapp has joined the Volusia County Growth & Resource Management Department as a member of the Current Planning staff. Steven previously worked as a planner with the City of New Smyrna Beach.

BEAM SHINES AS PALM BAY PLANNING MANAGER Beth (Elizabeth) Beam, AICP, is now the Planning Division Manager for the City of Palm Bay. Beth has dual degrees in planning and environmental science. Beth has worked with several large national consulting firms and provided both planning and environmental consulting services for several businesses/agencies in Florida.

28-YEAR VETERAN TOM BROOKS RETIRING FROM VOLUSIA Tom Brooks, AICP is retiring after 28 years with Volusia County. In addition to his long tenure as a member the Comprehensive Planning staff, Tom has also served for many years on APA Florida’s Legislative Policy Committee.

Tom has also been involved for many years with the Surfcoast Chapter of FPZA (Florida Planning and Zoning Association) as Professional Development Officer. From 2015-2017, Tom assisted the Atlantic Coast Section with hosting the 2017 APA Florida annual state conference in Daytona Beach.

In retirement, Tom plans to move to Tennessee with his wife, Kathlene (Kat), and 2 dogs. He intends to watch more sports (which probably won’t go over well with his wife.) Best of luck, Tom! DISHER TO RETURN TO PONCE INLET Michael Disher, AICP, is rejoining the Town of Ponce Inlet Planning & Development Department. After nearly two years with Volusia County’s planning staff, where he worked on code amendments and special projects, Michael returns to Ponce Inlet in the position of Assistant Director.

24 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

DEWBERRY ADDS MICHAEL DORWEILER AS TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SPECIALIST Dewberry announced that Michael Dorweiler, AICP, has been hired as a senior project manager. Michael is based in the firm’s Tampa office and works closely with the firm’s Central Florida transportation groups, including Orlando.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in history and geography from Gustavus Adophus College (1985), Michael went on to earn a master’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s of city planning with a concentration on community and regional planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1994). He is a member of the American Planning Association and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

NEW SMYRNA BEACH ADDS DOSTER TO PLANNING STAFF Stephanie Doster has joined the New Smyrna Beach Planning Department. Stephanie previously worked for the Town of Ponce Inlet, where she specialized in site plan review, landscaping, and tree preservation.

LAURA EVERITT JOINS VHB Laura Everitt, AICP, LEED GA, Esq., recently joined VHB as the Transit and Rail Planning Manager in its Tampa office. Throughout her career, including her previous position with Tindale Oliver, Laura has worked with transit agencies, big and small, to produce a wide range of projects from transit development plans to multimodal corridor studies. Laura currently serves as the President Election of APA Florida.

HETT GARNERS CREW HONORS Marilyn Hett, AICP was the recipient of the 1st Regional Impact Excellence Award given by the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Tampa Bay honoring an individual who played a pivotal role in a project, organization or campaign which had a significant and measurable positive impact on the community. The Regional Impact Award honors one dedicated to promoting regional economic development and fostering a unified and prosperous greater Tampa Bay region. Marilyn managed the Historic Preservation Challenge Grant program with more than $6 million invested in over 70 historic buildings, sites and heritage tourism projects in Hillsborough County. continued on page 25

[PLANNERS] ON THE MOVE

continued from page 24

GEORGE KRAMER NAMED S&ME REGIONAL MANAGER S&ME has named George Kramer, AICP, LEED AP, as its Area Manager for Design South. George is a third-generation planner, Florida native and graduate of the University of Florida whose expertise is in urban and regional planning. His experience covers a wide range of cutting-edge projects from a city-wide mobility plan for America’s oldest city, to a 10+ year ongoing comprehensive planning effort for development of a new town on the site of a 40,000-acre former cattle ranch. He has placed a high priority on S&ME becoming known in Florida as an expert in Urban Infill Development and in Complete Streets.

WILLIAMS RECEIVES TRAILBLAZING HONOR Shelia Thompson Williams, who was the first black woman to serve as an urban and regional planner with both the city of Tallahassee and Leon County planning departments, received the 2018 Trailblazer Award by the Oasis Center for Women & Girls. She was nominated by her 19-year-old son.

“It was never impressed upon me that, as a black female, I could not do it. I never heard that from anyone,” Shelia told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Gender should not dictate what you do. Society should not be able to put limits on who you are.”

Read the great article on Shelia’s accomplishments in the Tallahassee Democrat here. Great job, Shelia!

SPRAKER PROMTED TO ORMOND BEACH PLANNING DIRECTOR Steven Spraker, AICP, has been promoted from Senior Planner to Planning Director for the City of Ormond Beach. Steven’s promotion follows the retirement of former Planning Director Ric Goss last December.

APA FOUNDATION IS NOW ACCEPTING DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING REQUESTS The APA Foundation is honored to release its first Disaster Recovery Request for Proposals (RFP).

Contributions from you—APA members across the country—have been matched by the APA Foundation, doubling the funds available through this RFP. Thank you for your investment in our community assistance recovery efforts, which help economically challenged and disaster-devastated communities affected by hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.

Planners in communities affected by 2017 disasters are invited to apply for grants to assist their community recovery efforts. The following activities qualify for distribution of APA Foundation Community Assistance Funds to support planners in communities declared by FEMA as disasters, and affected by the 2017 hurricanes and disasters:

• Travel and professional expenses for APA Community Planning Assistance Teams (CPAT) or similar programs in affected communities.

• Expenses for planners in affected communities to attend disaster-focused planning educational events (training, workshops, symposium).

• Expenses for disaster mitigation training offered by chapters and divisions in affected communities.

• Knowledge-building programs and/or campaigns that advance local/regional resiliency through planning and design partnerships (e.g., Dutch Dialogues for Katrina).

Please review the Disaster Recovery RFP information page for more details about eligibility and requirements. Please submit application materials to Foundation@planning.org.

Applications will be accepted through Monday, June 18, 2018. Applicants are encouraged to submit as soon as possible.

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 25

[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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http://hgslaw.com

26 Spring 2018 / Florida Planning

Certified Planner | jlong@gunster.com | (800) 749-1980

hdr100.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.

designstudio “passion for design”

t. +1.305.444.4850 www.plusurbia.com

www.vhb.com Engineers | Scientists | Planners | Designers

Planning for healthy & sustainable communities Tampa | Orlando | Sarasota

[APA FL] WORKING FOR YOU

continued from page 23

APA FLORIDA MEMBERS SHARE MENTORING PROGRAM STORY APA FL and Sun Coast Section members Melissa Dickens, AICP and Evangeline Linkous, PhD, AICP, were featured in the APA’s blog for their article discussing the MAPS (Mentor A Planning Student) program between the University of South Florida and Sun Coast Section. The article (Leveraging Town and Gown: Strategies for Win-Win Mentoring) can be viewed at planning.org and discusses a program framework and guidelines to create a beneficial relationship.

FREE WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTS 2018 LEGISLATION CHANGES

Now that the 2018 legislative session has ended, the chapter provided a free webinar to all members discussing the changes that will affect planning in Florida. Speakers included Lester Abberger (APA Florida Legislative Representative), Alex Magee (APA Florida Executive Director) and Laura Everitt (APA Florida Legislative Policy Chair). You can watch this webinar as well as all our past webinar and CM event by going to our AICP Certification Management page.

Spring 2018 / Florida Planning 27

[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 July 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.

[THANK YOU] TO OUR ANNUAL SPONSORS

[UPCOMING] EVENTS MAY 4: WEBINAR: REIMAGINING AGING IN COMMUNITY An aging America has profound impacts on communities that we are only beginning to comprehend.

There is also uncertainty about the ability of traditional societal institutions to adapt to the needs of an aging society as the complex web of roles, norms, values and structures are rapidly changing. Fiscal constraints demand new pathways to encourage resource investments that strengthen aging-in- community. Information here.

MAY 13-18: GOVERNOR’S HURRICANE CONFERENCE West Palm Beach. This is nation’s largest and best-attended conference focusing on hurricane planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation, offering more than 300 hours of training and workshops covering all aspects of hurricane readiness, full of the latest trends, topics, tools and technologies to best improve your disaster response/recovery processes will be offered. This opportunity provides access to tried and true solutions and ideas for a wide range of hurricane-related challenges that can be put into action immediately when you return, many at little or no cost! Information here.

MAY 16: APA CAREER REALITY WEBINAR: ENVIRONMENTS, NATURAL RESORUCES AND ENERGY PROFESSIONAL PATHWAYS A panel of professionals from diverse career levels will discuss a wide range of important topics including career development, establishing a professional network, and projections for opportunities in environmental planning. This moderated panel will allow panelists to share their own experiences and stories. Webinar audience members will be able to participate using live polling technology and interactive questions. Information here.

MAY 18: PLANNING OFFICIALS TRAINING WORKSHOP Palm Springs. Planning officials will receive basic instruction and information about: planning principles and process; responsibilities of various advisory boards; legal considerations; how to run an effective board meeting; sustainability; urban design economics of new development and growth; current trends; and public participation methods. Information here.

MAY 23: 1000 FRIENDS OF FLORIDA WEBINAR: URBAN TREE SELECTION FOR SUSTAINABILITY What role can local governments and property owners play in promoting healthy ecosystems within urban environments? Timothee Sallin will discuss the importance of maintaining existing and selecting new sustainable vegetation for Florida communities with an emphasis on the role of local governments.

Information here.

APA Florida 2017 Delta Boulevard, Suite 201 Tallahassee, FL 32303

MAY 31: GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COASTAL RESILIENCE Naples. Communities increasingly realize the need to balance environmental and economic goals to sustain healthy coasts. Green infrastructure is one approach which benefits nature and people through incorporating the natural environment and constructed systems in an integrated network. Join us at the workshop to learn how green infrastructure can play a critical role in making South Florida’s coastal communities more resilient to natural hazards such as hurricanes and sea level rise. Information here.

Phone: 850-201-3272 Fax: 850-807-2576

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