A Publication of the Pinellas Planning Council
An Economic Development and Redevelopment Plan for the Pinellas Community
Marking the culmination of a four-year effort, the draft document entitled Pinellas by Design: An Economic Development and Redevelopment Plan for the Pinellas Community will be presented to the PPC and the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), in its capacity as the Countywide Planning Authority, for their review and approval by the end of the year. The document, informally called the EDRP, is a product of a strategic planning effort between the PPC and BCC acting through its Economic Development Department. It creates a unique linkage of countywide land use planning and economic development programs, allowing each local community to define its future vision in a coordinated plan framework.
The effort enlisted the input of all 25 local governments, the business community, and the general public. Central to the process were three countywide redevelopment summits: the December 2002 Opportunities Summit, which raised awareness of redevelopment issues and created consensus that ongoing action is needed; the October 2003 Strategies and Policies Summit, which translated that consensus into broad redevelopment objectives and identified means to achieve them; and the February 2005 Draft Plan Summit, which offered specific recommendations and asked the community to evaluate them for inclusion in the draft document.
As demonstrated during this public participation process, there is general agreement that redevelopment is inevitable, that it should be planned, and that it has great potential to both preserve and enhance the high quality of life we enjoy in our communities. Three major areas of concentration were agreed upon: economic investment and job creation, designed to attract and retain high-wage target industries; real estate factors, emphasizing the need for sufficient and appropriate land to allow effective redevelopment; and regulatory tools and urban design, providing the blueprint needed to shape the urban environment. These concepts provide the framework for the draft plan.
Obtaining approval of the EDRP, while a crucial first step, is only the beginning of the plan realization process. Implementation and monitoring of the plan will be ongoing activities. Its strategies and implementation actions will need to be integrated into PPC, Economic Development, and local government policies and procedures, which will need to be coordinated with one another.
The EDRP planning process has been a watershed effort for Pinellas County. Never before have such diverse countywide and local planning efforts been coordinated so closely, with so much input from the business community and the general public. As we go forward, continued cooperation will be the key to achieving our shared countywide vision.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION
PPC and CPA Hold Joint Meeting
On July 25th, the PPC and Board of County Commissioners (BCC) held a joint meeting to address a number of countywide planning issues. The meeting was designed to help clarify the role of the PPC in relation to the BCC in its role as the Countywide Planning Authority (CPA), to establish consensus on specific planning topics, and to provide guidance for the PPC work program. The major conclusions reached as a result of the meeting are outlined below.
Coordination of PPC Recommendations: To rectify concerns that county staff recommendations are sometimes offered subsequent to the Council having made its recommendations to the CPA, it was decided that in the future, proposed amendments and preliminary PPC staff recommendations will be transmitted via email to county staff and other local governments earlier in the review process. This will allow all parties additional time to identify any issues in order that they may be considered by the Council in forwarding its recommendations to the CPA.
Annexation: Ordinance No. 00-63, which established annexation planning area boundaries for local governments in the county, requires the PPC to review the boundaries every five years and recommend any changes. Because such a review is due by the end of this year, it was decided that a work group consisting of three PPC and three BCC members will be formed to address this review process and any related issues with the voluntary annexation ordinance. It was also clarified that the supplementary review guidelines used by the BCC, which are not part of the ordinance, are advisory rather than regulatory.
Housing: Anthony Jones, Assistant Director of the Pinellas County Community Development Department, presented an update on the Community Housing Work Group study of housing affordability in the county. The PPC and CPA members affirmed their commitment to addressing this issue, and requested to be kept informed of the work group's progress and findings.
Industrial Land: An inventory and assessment of existing industrial properties is needed to create guidelines for evaluating proposed land use amendments. It was decided that county and PPC staff should work together to identify potential guidelines and report back to their respective boards.
Overall, the meeting was a successful example of intergovernmental cooperation. The approaches devised at this meeting, along with such future discussions, will help keep countywide planning coordinated in Pinellas County.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
PPC Assists Clearwater with Annexation Reviews and Code Study
The City of Clearwater recently contracted with the PPC to provide technical assistance with two projects: a review of voluntary annexation applications, and an analysis of the development review processes set forth in the city's code.
Between April and August, PPC staff provided assistance to the Planning Department in processing voluntary annexation applications. This work included reviews of all annexation petitions that were submitted to the city, from receiving the application to writing the staff report for Community Development Board and City Council meetings, and conducting any required follow-up. The PPC also provided support to a new city staff member who will perform these reviews in the future.
In addition, the PPC has been helping the city assess the development review process set forth in its Community Development Code, with emphasis on identifying any portions of the code that may be unnecessarily complex, burdensome, or time-consuming. The project will incorporate a survey of frequent code users, including members of the development industry and city staff, to identify those procedures that are perceived to work well and those that could use refinement. Suggestions for improvement will be solicited, and procedures used by similar local governments in Florida and other areas of the nation will be compared.
The outcome of this study will be a set of recommendations intended to improve the current development review process with respect to its ease of use by the city staff and the public, while ensuring that these procedures continue to serve their intended purpose. The project is anticipated to be completed in the Fall of 2005.
PPC Strategic Plan Updated
On February 23rd, the Council met in a work session to review and consider an update of the Strategic Plan for the Pinellas Planning Council. This document, created in 1999, describes the PPC's mission and role, its strategic goals and objectives, and an outline of its work program. The Council approved revisions to the document during their regular meeting on April 20th.
A number of changes seek to clarify the PPC's role with respect to the Board of County Commissioners in its role as the Countywide Planning Authority (see above). Other additions include the following action items:
| • | Explore the means to more fully integrate land use and transportation planning, with respect to redevelopment policies. |
| • | Coordinate the plans and interests of the School Board with Countywide Plan implementation. |
| • | Emphasize coordination between countywide planning and economic development efforts in implementation and monitoring of the Economic Development and Redevelopment Plan (EDRP). |
| • | Together with the County Economic Development Department, assist local governments, as requested, with implementation of the EDRP. |
The updated Strategic Plan will serve as the basis for guiding the PPC's work program and budgeting process in the immediate and near-term future, and for coordinating its role and work in the countywide planning process.
Upcoming Public Hearing and Meeting Schedule
Planners Advisory
CommitteePinellas Planning
CouncilCountywide Planning
Authority
• October 10, 2005 • November 7, 2005 • December 12, 2005 • January 9, 2005*
• October 19, 2005 • November 16, 2005 • December 21, 2005 • January 18, 2005*
• November 1, 2005 • December 6, 2005 • January 3, 2005 • February 7, 2005* * Tentative dates
The Pinellas Planning Council
• Councilmember Bill Foster, Chairman (St. Petersburg) • Councilmember Hoyt Hamilton, Vice-Chairman (Clearwater) • Councilmember Sandra Bradbury, Treasurer (Pinellas Park) • Mayor Jerry Beverland, Secretary (Oldsmar) • Mayor Beverley Billiris (Tarpon Springs) • Mayor Dick Holmes (Group C Communities: Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Gulfport, Kenneth City, Seminole, South Pasadena*) • Vice-Mayor Jerry Knight (Group B Communities: Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, North Redington Beach*, Redington Beach, Redington Shores) • School Board Member Linda Lerner (Pinellas County School District) • Commissioner Robert Hackworth (Dunedin) • Mayor Robert E. Jackson, Ph.D. (Largo) • Commissioner John Morroni (Pinellas County) • Vice-Mayor Deborah L. Martohue (Group A Communities: Madeira Beach, St. Pete Beach*, Treasure Island) • Commissioner Nadine S. Nickeson (Safety Harbor) * Councilmember serves on this governing body
The Countywide Planning Authority
- Commissioner John Morroni, Chairman
- Commissioner Kenneth T. Welch, Vice-Chairman
- Commissioner Ronnie E. Duncan
- Commissioner Calvin D. Harris, Ed.D
- Commissioner Susan Latvala
- Commissioner Karen Williams Seel
- Commissioner Robert B. Stewart
The Pinellas Planning Council Staff
- David P. Healey, Executive Director
- Ryan A. Brinson, Planner
- April Collins, Secretary
- Michael C. Crawford, Planning Manager
- Dolly Eylward, Office Manager
- Linda Fisher, Program Planner
- Katherine Holt, Office Assistant
- Larry S. Pflueger, Principal Planner
- Michael Schoderbock, Planner
If you have any questions or comments about this newsletter, please feel free to email us, call us at 727-464-8250, or write to us at:
Pinellas Planning Council
600 Cleveland Street, Suite 850
Clearwater, FL 33755-4160
