Repeal the CMU ordinance? Mayor Martin responds to Blacks "43" memo
Mike Miller's Tra Ponti, pavilions at the beach park, and the repeal of Boone's CMU ordinance -- Mayor Martin is filling his plate up fast
-- Mayor Ed Martin. 11/24/07
-- posted to Venice Florida! dot com on 11/27/07

Got a comment? Make it here.

On November 14, a week after the election, City manager Marty Black kicked out his now famous "43" memo, which outlined the current issues facing the City of Venice as Black sees them. Black was seeking input, directing traffic, and covering his political posterior in the memo -- better to toss the dirty laundry out on the floor and let council pick through it, or so Black seems to be thinking.

Below is Mayor Ed Martin's response to the memo, as sent by Martin to Black by email on November 24.

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Marty:
Thanks for your efforts to help us understand current policies and future options. Here are some preliminary responses. Should this not be addressed properly to council members, I would appreciate your passing it along.

Tra Ponti
I believe we should repeal the CMU zone and replace it with an improved version. The new version should include parameters such as height, density, building design, land- and street-scaping, etc. The CMU should benefit from experience of other cities, villages, with such zoning plans. Should the council wish to use form-based planning for such districts it should not be open-ended, depending on multiple council decisions. Instead a plan should be developed, spelling out desired characteristics, (staff and consultant input to council), setting a basis for negotiation, joint planning with developer.

As for Tra Ponti, per se. there may be no reason for a CMU, as alternative zoning may be used, or perhaps amended to a minor degree allowing the kinds of uses proposed but within a more normal zoning pattern. An example might be the hotel/resort type zone which sets densities, occupancy limits, etc.

Comprehensive Plan
A fundamental premise of the comp plan should be reviewed by council. While the Envision Venice process provided public input favoring small town feel, low scale, etc. the meetings were interrupted by presentations by the chair of the planning commission and some staff input, insisting that more density and height was necessary and desirable. This input was inappropriate to the process and also led to the current plan making a statement that the future direction of the comp plan should be toward more density and height. This emphasis should be removed and the plan designed to maintain the character of Venice which residents prefer, lower scale, lower densities, Mediterranean style architecture in public areas, (housing may be more varied.) That does not mean that relatively more density could not be considered for centers such as downtown, but that can be accomplished as Nolen did--in low scale buildings. This change will also have ameliorative benefits such as moderating traffic, air and water pollution, etc. which can become part of the environmental portions of the plan. Parks and open spaces should be a more visible part of the plan, including in the area of the city east of I-75.

The heights suggested by the city manager for consideration should be adopted, 35 with potential for 10 feet conditional approval for parking or other usage is a desirable height overlay for the community. Consideration of heights in neighborhoods should take into account base heights necessary for flood control, coastal zones, etc and modifications is allowable height made to avoid exceeding 45 feet.

The villages concept, apart from the inappropriate heights, may be an artificial concept, useful only in the context of trying to increase density, as above mentioned. Overall in-fill development should be guided by new guidelines emphasizing moderate densities and heights.

Airport Landscaping
Landscaping Airport Avenue should continue to move forward. This is an area where commercial development can be encouraged and making the avenue more attractive should help. Should the approved hotel on Avenida del Circo move forward, improvements to Airport Avenue may benefit from the additional traffic between the hotel, Sharky's, nearby beaches, etc. We should consider ways to market this area to provide additional revenues to the airport and the city's economy. Perhaps we can involve the Economic Development Agency in this process.

Public Hearings
I am adding this category to cover several items mentioned. I believe the public will be well-served by having the chance to participate in discussion of major initiatives early in the process. This workshop process would include such items as annexations, zoning upgrades, development applications, special fees for such items as fire services, special event fees, impact fees, priorities for one-cent tax, etc. The sense I have from the recent campaign is that citizens feel they do not learn of, or become involved in, proposed actions, e.g., airport, Tra Ponti, etc. until the course has been set by staff and/or council or outside developers.

I feel if the public hears the pros and cons of various items, has access to the basic data driving the policy options, they will enter the discussions openly and without suspicions of being "railroaded." While this may not have been the intent of previous decision processes, the perception is sometimes the reality in the public policy arena.

Parks
Tramonto Vista Park has had two iterations. First it was to be a "passive park" with little structural development. Then, after a second public discussion, the council chose a more active park, involving the possibility of three large pavilions, (65 feet in diameter as I recall,) a performance space with an estimated cost of about $500,000 by rough estimate, paved parking for hundreds of cars, etc. I think a review would be in order with refined cost estimates, site plans, etc. It might be that park development might be phased in, e.g., one pavilion until demand was established. The use of a similarly sized pavilion at Caspersen Park may provide information on demand there.

Myakka: I think it would be in order to move ahead with this park as there is little alternative park space available at present for residents in the northeast part of the city, particularly with water access.

Ruscetta: I would like to see a concept plan designed for this entire area, from the waterway to US 41, including the city facilities, assuming the removal of the cement plant, including consideration of the area where the public housing now exists and the property the city owns on U.S. 41. This area should be given consideration for several possible directions, e.g., park, affordable housing, waterfront recreation and possible commercial, e.g., cafes, shops, etc. With an policy direction set, this area can be appropriately developed along any of the lines suggested, or others which may develop out of the planning process. If there is an opportunity to bring this land into the public sector, earmarked for parks, that certainly should be explored thoroughly.

Master Planning--Downtown, Laurel Road, Pinebrook, etc.
I think Sue Lang's thoughts on focusing on B 41 with an eye toward making the east side of the street more accessible is worth serious thought. Such traffic slowing, pedestrian-friendly crossings, etc were suggested by citizens and rejected at the time B 41 was widened. Later city planner, Mary Ann Bowie, made similar recommendations to the city.

While the Harbor Drive and W. Venice intersection should be improved, it may not be the higher priority.

The improvements to roadways in north-east Venice should be part of a newly developed conceptual plan for that area, which would have council decide what kinds of development is desired, revisiting the densities assigned in annexations and the types of usages. Items such as community centers (as in Centennial Park), park and recreation lands, and other aspects of modern village planning could be applied to this area. While much of the land is in private hands, the city has negotiating room and leverage in much of the future development through zoning approvals, site use plans, etc.

Compatibility issues with the county may also come into play. Traffic concurrency should be a major consideration. For example, widening Laurel Road, linking through to Border Road, etc. may turn out to be higher priorities than the Knight's Road, Laurel Road interchange. Similarly, widening Pinebrook Road is a decision that would be impacted by the overall direction of the area to be served to the north and east.

Airport / FAA
There are a number of knowledgeable citizens who have been studying the airport with an eye toward traffic usage, safety areas, impact on the golf course, neighbors, etc. I think a public workshop to hear these presentations would provide a basis for the revision of the airport plan now in process and would help in developing a view of how the city would like the airport, per se, to develop and what functions it would like to see the airport serve for the city. In some ways the airport seems to be driving the city rather than the city designating the goals for the airport and the surrounding community.

There are a number of issues that need clarification. For example, the statement has been made by airport planners the FAA and others that mistakes have been made in approval of previous plans, including the 13-31 runway renovation. What were those mistakes, what corrective actions, if any are necessary and do they effect the 5-23 approval process?

My understanding from informal conversations with FAA officials is that Venice needs to identify what it wants at the airport and then the FAA can respond, favorably or unfavorably. They have told me they need proposals to react to. That could provide the basis for judgments, exceptions, etc. to their standards.

Miscellany
A number of items in the memo raise questions where additional briefing would be necessary before having an informed opinion about maintaining or changing policy, e.g., union contracts, wages, groundwater storage, etc. These are areas where full briefings to provide new members with facts, history, etc. would be most helpful.

Thanks for going to the effort to identify all these issues. Your efforts help drive the discussion forward and are very useful.

-- Ed Martin, Mayor, sent 11/24/07