A publication of the Pinellas Planning Council

April 2003

In This Issue:

• PPC Hosts Wireless Communications Workshop
• It's Not Too Early to Plan for EARs
• Welcome New Officers
• Welcome New Council Members
• For Your Information: The PPC Web Site
• Opportunities Summit Findings Document is Released

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PPC Hosts Wireless Communications Workshop

The countywide wireless technical workshop was held on March 21 at the Harborview Center in downtown Clearwater.   In response to interest generated by last year’s study, Wireless Facilities: Planning for the Next Generation of Technology (see the July 2002 newsletter), the PPC recently sponsored a technical workshop for local governments. Held on March 21 at the Harborview Center, the half-day-long event attracted more than forty local government planners, building officials, planning and zoning board members, legal professionals, and elected officials, along with industry representatives and other interested citizens. The PPC retained a panel of four consultants, each with different backgrounds, to present various educational sessions. Three of the four were from CityScape Consultants, Inc., a firm that advises local governments on wireless issues. Richard Edwards, President, and Susan Rabold, Vice President/General Manager, provided an overview of the history and technology of wireless communications, while Anthony Lepore, Esq., Vice President/General Counsel, described the major legal issues pertaining to the siting of towers and other facilities. Accompanying the CityScape team was Ken Wedholm, representative of STEALTH Concealment Solutions, Inc., who discussed the current generation of stealth facilities and showed photos of examples from around the country.

Among the assessments made by the consultants: While local governments have seen a drop-off in applications for new towers and antennas during the last two years, it is a temporary one, brought on by the national economic downturn. Demand for wireless services, meanwhile, is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Not only are existing wireless facilities here to stay, but their numbers will increase greatly in the future, particularly once the economy strengthens and new technologies are implemented. Local governments should review their ordinances now, to ensure that adequate protection will be in place when this occurs.

In addition to presenting general information about wireless facilities regulation, the team examined the ordinances used in Pinellas County, based on information compiled during the PPC study. Overall, the local governments were found to have created an adequate framework for regulating wireless facilities. There is room for some improvement, however, to bring ordinances up to date with the latest technology and legal trends. For example, an applicant seeking to erect a new tower could be required to obtain a third-party technical review, justifying that one is needed. Applicants could also be required to remedy any interference with local public safety radio.

Facilities tracking is another area in which local governments have made a good start, but where some improvement could be made. The countywide database, maintained by the Pinellas County Planning Department, is more advanced than those of most Florida counties. However, the way in which information is collected and transmitted to the county varies widely among jurisdictions, and it is often incomplete. Accurate tracking is an essential part of the planning process, since it can help local governments predict where demand for new facilities is most likely to occur.

Overall, reaction to the workshop was positive; many local government representatives commented that they had gained useful information, or had been given ideas for new planning strategies. And although there were competing interests represented among the audience—leading to some lively debates during the question-and-answer session—participants indicated that the information had been presented in a fair and balanced way, respecting the viewpoints of both local governments and the industry.

Now that the workshop has concluded, PPC staff will work with the consultants to prepare a summary document for distribution to the local governments, along with a request for feedback on the conclusions and recommendations. The results will be presented to the Council, and will include options for further countywide actions that may be beneficial to pursue. Examples of possible actions may include a comprehensive assessment and revision of the facilities tracking system, and/or drafting of model language to assist local governments wishing to update their ordinances.

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It's Not Too Early to Plan for EARs

On March 19, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council hosted a workshop on a topic many communities have been dreading: the Evaluation and Appraisal Report, or EAR. The official due date for Pinellas County is August 2005, with municipalities due twelve to fifteen months later; but according to representatives of the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), it’s not too early to begin planning.

Mandated by the 1985 Growth Management Act, EARs are a part of the Florida comprehensive planning process, in which all municipalities and counties are required to participate. The EAR provides a framework for each community to reexamine the goals, objectives, and policies it has established, and to determine how well they have been working. The resulting document will then serve as a basis for the next plan update.

Why is the EAR such an object of trepidation? For many jurisdictions—particularly smaller ones with few or no planning personnel—the lengthy comprehensive planning process requires a considerable investment in both staff time and fiscal resources. In addition, because plan content is strictly regimented by the state, local governments have complained that it is little more than a “checklist,” reflecting neither community identity nor the realities of day-to-day planning. However, DCA staff member Walter Banning acknowledges that the department has been severely criticized for this approach in the past, stating, “There are no more checklists.”

The Growth Management Act has already gone through one major revision (the original version was adopted in 1975), has been studied extensively by state task forces and legislative committees in the intervening years, and may be revised again by 2004. In the state’s defense, the task of developing a single set of requirements to guide planning in hundreds of diverse jurisdictions has not been an easy one. While some regions of the state have sophisticated land use planning programs, such as in Pinellas County, others are notorious for their laissez-faire approach to development; in these communities, the comprehensive plan process may be the only planning that takes place. Achieving a regulatory balance between these extremes has proven elusive.

DCA representatives have made an effort to appear kinder and gentler in recent years, taking time to visit the communities they administer and to meet with local staff. At the workshop, the speakers encouraged the audience to be creative when preparing EARs, incorporating content that is important to the community, and relating the document to real-world planning. In order to ensure a smooth process, communities are encouraged to contact their reviewers early, and obtain a “letter of understanding” clarifying any unusual issues up front.

The workshop also featured a number of new requirements added by the Legislature since the last EAR. The documents must now contain an inventory of any interlocal service delivery agreements maintained by the community, assess whether land use planning has been successfully coordinated with school siting, evaluate the financial feasibility of maintaining existing level-of-service standards, and account for any projected increase in potable water consumption. Perhaps most significantly, while certain small communities were exempt from preparing an EAR during the last cycle, all local governments are now required to do so. For Pinellas County, this means communities that have never updated their plan or prepared an EAR since adoption in 1989 will have to do so.

While the due date may seem a long way off, given these new requirements, it’s not too soon for communities to begin thinking about the EAR process. Will staff have the resources to do the job by itself? If not, who is available to provide technical assistance? What will this assistance cost, and does the community have the means to pay for it? No one looks forward to the EAR, but answering these questions now will help the process go more smoothly in 2006.

Consolidated EARs: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

One idea put forth by PPC staff has been to combine the efforts of several communities by developing a consolidated, multi-jurisdictional EAR. DCA representatives agree that the idea has merit, although the details would have to be worked out.

Because of their size, similar major issues, and limited staff resources, the most likely candidates for a multi-jurisdictional EAR are the beach communities. Over the next several months, PPC staff and local government representatives will be working with DCA staff to explore this idea.

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Welcome New Officers

Mayor Robert DiNicola, Chairman City of Indian Rocks Beach (Group B Communities)
		Mayor Robert DiNicola was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and relocated to Indian Rocks Beach in 1978. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and worked for the Office of the Architect of the U.S. Capitol until retirement. Prior to being elected mayor in 1994, he served as a city commissioner for eight years. He and his wife, Renie, have two children, and are the owners of Merle Norman Cosmetics Studio in Clearwater.

Commissioner Calvin Harris, Ed.D., Secretary Pinellas County
Commissioner Harris is a lifelong Clearwater resident. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, a master’s degree from Truman State University in Missouri, and an Ed.D. from Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale. Appointed to the Board of County Commissioners by the Governor in 1997, he was re-elected in 1998 and 2002. Prior to his career in county government, he served for fifteen years as director and provost for a number of programs at St. Petersburg College. He and his wife, Ruth, have three children and one grandchild.

Mayor Robert Jackson, Ph.D., Vice-Chairman City of Largo
		Mayor Jackson was born in Colebrook, New Hampshire, and moved to Largo in 1968. He served in the U.S. Army, and received a bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State Teachers College, a master’s degree from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. After spending twenty-nine years as principal of three Pinellas County schools, he retired in 1997. He served nine terms as a Largo City Commissioner, beginning in 1974, and has been mayor since 2000. He and his wife, Lucille, have four children and seven grandchildren.

Mayor Frank DiDonato, DC, Treasurer City of Tarpon Springs
Mayor DiDonato was born in Live Oak, Florida, and relocated to Tarpon Springs in 1976. He served in the U.S. Navy as an operating room technician in Vietnam, and later graduated from the University of Central Florida and Palmer Chiropractic College. Originally serving as a city commissioner for four years, he has been mayor since 1998. He has an active chiropractic practice, is a past president of the North Suncoast Chiropractic Society and the Florida Chiropractic Association, and was voted Chiropractor of the Year by the latter association in 1994. He has two sons.

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Welcome New Council Members

Councilor Pete Bengston City of Seminole
		Councilor Bengston was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, moved to Pinellas County in 1945, and has lived in the greater Seminole area since 1965. He attended St. Petersburg Junior College and served in the U.S. Army. An active participant in city government, he has served on several committees and the fire department advisory board, and has worked as a part-time annexation coordinator. Appointed to the Seminole City Council in 2000, he was re-elected in 2001 and 2003. He and his wife, Fay, have three daughters and five granddaughters.

School Board Member Jane Gallucci Pinellas County School District
School Board Member Jane Gallucci was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and moved to Pinellas County in 1983. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Waynesburg College and a master’s degree from Montclair State University. After serving as a guidance counselor in Pinellas County schools for nine years, she was elected to the School Board in 1996, and is currently vice-chairman. She has served as the president of the Florida School Boards Association, and is presently on the Board of Directors of the National School Boards Association. She and her husband, Bob, have two children.

Vice-Mayor Robert Hackworth City of Dunedin
		Vice-Mayor Hackworth was born in Fort Ord, California. A Dunedin resident from 1970 to 1984, he relocated to Colorado, then returned to Dunedin in 1995. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He has followed an eclectic career path: he has been a professional runner and cyclist, owner of a sports marketing firm, a real estate developer, and is currently a partner in an educational publishing company. Elected to the Dunedin City Commission in 2002, he became vice-mayor in 2003. He and his wife, Gwynne, have two children.

Would you like to know more about the PPC? View the latest agendas? Read past newsletters? Our web site has a wealth of information for both local government representatives and the general public. Since it was launched in July 2000, it has been visited nearly 9,000 times! Some of the features include: An “Info About Us” page, which answers frequently asked questions about what the PPC does and how Pinellas County governments are organized. A “What's New” page with the latest news about PPC activities. A schedule of public hearings and meetings, with links to the most current agendas, and an archive of minutes. An electronic mailing list, which notifies recipients of new online newsletters and significant web site updates. An archive of past newsletters, annual reports, special studies, local assistance projects, and other documents. Step-by-step instructions for submitting a Future Land Use Plan amendment, with downloadable forms. A searchable, online version of the complete Rules Concerning the Administration of the Countywide Future Land Use Plan, As Amended.

There's much more on the site, so if you haven't visited lately, be sure to stop by.

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Opportunities Summit Findings Document is Released

The Redevelopment Opportunities Summit for the Pinellas Community, held at the Harborview Center in downtown Clearwater on December 12 and 13, 2002, was an unprecedented event, bringing together representatives of the county’s 25 local governments, private developers, members of the business community, homeowner and neighborhood association members, and interested citizens for a frank, in-depth discussion of the economic future of Pinellas County. A Steering Committee chaired by Commissioner Karen Seel, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), guided the program. Featured presenters included Richard Gehring of Prime Interests, Inc., William Fruth of POLICOM Corporation; Richard Dutter of Dutter Design & Consulting, Inc.; James Moore of HDR Engineering; Steven Seibert, Secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs; and Nancy Graham, former mayor of West Palm Beach and current president of Urban Principles, LLC; along with a number of other distinguished panelists.

The summit elaborated on themes that were first put forth in 2001, when the PPC and the Pinellas County Economic Development Department began a joint examination of countywide redevelopment issues. The study—which became the first phase of an ongoing effort (see newsletters from October 2001, April 2002, and October 2002)—identified the approaching condition of “buildout,” in which no developable parcels of 100 acres or more remain within the county. With increasing redevelopment of existing uses already evident countywide, but local plans and regulations still largely geared toward greenfield development, the study identified strategies by which local governments could plan for and guide future redevelopment, using the opportunity to enhance their communities.

But the summit also went beyond this initial vision, adding a new sense of urgency by describing the negative economic impacts that will occur with buildout if no proactive steps are taken: As developable land disappears, new businesses will stop moving into the county; existing firms, in need of room to expand, will move out; and the aging buildings left behind will be filled by lower-wage employers or simply abandoned. As high-wage jobs depart the county, employment opportunities for residents will decrease, and many smaller businesses will suffer. These effects have occurred in built-out counties in other parts of the nation, and are already beginning to be seen in Pinellas County. With planning and incentives for redevelopment, however, local governments can help ensure that ample real estate opportunities remain, and that the economy remains sustainable.

Capitalizing on the enthusiasm generated by the event, the BCC and PPC have jointly released a document detailing the major findings and conclusions. The Opportunities Summit Findings: Economic Development and Redevelopment for the Pinellas Community summarizes the presentations, which focused on the balance of jobs and income in the county, the need to create new real estate opportunities, and the need to maintain and improve quality community design. Also discussed are an interactive community visioning exercise played by the summit audience, results from a survey of community attitudes toward a number of potential redevelopment initiatives, and follow-up steps that will be needed to further desirable redevelopment and meet economic goals.

Copies of the document, as accepted by the PPC and BCC, are being printed and will be distributed to each local government. An electronic version is also available on the PPC web site.

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Upcoming Public Hearing and Meeting Schedule

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The Pinellas Planning Council

* Councilmember serves on this governing body.

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The Countywide Planning Authority

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The Pinellas Planning Council Staff