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Home My WebLink AboutV(M) Approval and Authorization for Staff to Advertise a Request for Qualifications for the Finding of Necessity and Community Redevelopment Plan Agenda 9-02-2003 Mayor be Center of Good Li. Commission V M S. Scott Vandergrift r,.Q"�„�, Danny Howell, District 1 Scott Anderson,District 2 City Manager Rusty Johnson, District 3 Jim Gleason Nancy J. Parker, District 4 STAFF REPORT TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners FROM: Janet Shira, Assistant to the City Manager DATE: August 15, 2003 RE: Proposed Community Redevelopment Area(CRA) ISSUE Should the Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners grant approval of the proposed CRA boundary and direct staff to begin the process of hiring a consultant to conduct the Finding of Necessity(Blight Study) and to assist the City in working with Orange County to formally approve a CRA in Ocoee? BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION Earlier this year, staff made a presentation to the City Commission to explain the general concept of CRAs. The intent of community redevelopment is to revitalize areas in decline by attracting private reinvestment. This is done in combination with public investment which demonstrates to private developers that the City is serious about rehabilitating blighted areas. After conferring with various consultants who have experience and expertise in developing CRAs and with existing CRA directors, staff is of the opinion that the Highway 50 corridor presents the best option for an immediate redevelopment initiative. There are several properties that are well-positioned for redevelopment and are either vacant or not being used to their greatest potential. Some examples of these are the two gas stations that are closed, the Colony Plaza building, the former Wal-Mart shopping center,the former Scotty's building, and several other parcels along Highway 50 through Ocoee. As one of the most heavily traveled routes in Ocoee, Highway 50 not only serves to get people from one place to another,but right or wrong it also provides many people with the only impression of Ocoee that they get. As such, the City should focus its efforts on making this part of Ocoee a showcase that identifies us and sets us apart from the general commercial blight,traffic congestion, and urban sprawl that people have begun to expect along Highway 50 in West Orange County. There are many ways a CRA can help a City with redevelopment. Chief among these is the financial mechanism called Tax Increment Financing(TIF). The process is fairly simple. A CRA is created and the value of the real property within its borders is determined for that base year. For each piece of property within the CRA, the taxes on the property's value continue to be collected and used by the taxing authorities for general government purposes. If development Page 2 CRA Staff Report August 15, 2003 or redevelopment occurs on a piece of property within the CRA which increases the value of that property and in turn the taxes that property owner pays, that increment—the dollar amount above the property's base year taxable value—is deposited in the CRA's trust fund. These TIF funds can be used immediately, saved for particular projects, or can be bonded to maximize funds available. The primary stipulation is that these funds must be used for specific redevelopment purposes and not for general government expenses. Ocoee must get Orange County's approval in order to develop a CRA. If the City Commission approves the proposed CRA tonight, staff will immediately begin discussions with the County and as soon as the consultant is on board and the Finding of Necessity is completed, we will be ready to negotiate with the County on the formal terms of the CRA. There is a reason we are pursuing this so quickly. December 31, 2003 would be the deadline to establish 2003 as our base year. That would allow Ocoee to include the following year's incremental increase, which we would actually receive as income to the CRA in 2005. If we don't manage to get the CRA established by the end of this calendar year, we will not receive any actual income until 2006 at the earliest and we will not be eligible for any increase in taxable value that occurs in 2004. Attached to this staff report is a map showing the proposed boundary for the CRA. Also attached is another map which outlines a possible future CRA which would include the downtown area. The actual Finding of Necessity formally identifies blight and establishes the CRA boundary. The funds to cover this study as well as the subsequent Community Redevelopment Plan are included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2003/2004 budget. RECOMMENDATION Staff respectfully recommends that the City Commission approve the proposed CRA boundary and authorize staff to advertise a Request for Qualifications for the Finding of Necessity and Community Redevelopment Plan. Cc: Jim Gleason, City Manager Wanda Horton, Finance Director Joyce Tolbert, Buyer Tom Grimms, Senior Planner(CRA Project Team) Ed Bishop, Accountant(CRA Project Team) David Wheeler, Public Works Director(CRA Project Team) 4v: �' • III .� :, w.r- . ��: ., J '2oo4i a ...` _ _ ' .' kis{„ �: i 3ii.. '' :ff: c a { 4 74 •- ; M1 � .Y �1� :1'4,-!::t*::: .;��K+ i. , . 1 loppwpipl in ill i ; , • t; r////// / /// / // /// Fes. / /// /j / /, / ,/// '+..fit // /// // •'� / �\ - \\,..A.: . . itirt, , ,,.... . -f.,1:. .-\,, ,,,,,,1/4"-,,N.N. .4%." INIMMIkr.' • ..414'' AP.> "\-- al MeV, '...:s' 4 : :A. N.., ,L* ., 0,4....1... 114p''''"....4 44 ,V1-,...111" —41: .., . 7.0:. , ' ' *1."‘41 1 i r 1' 1° #4."-wilt: le ,,,:41....sr m 1 1O1 /---_ 11 ' 40- V _ PI *WPM. ' - A _.., „.., . 1 .,...i. ELN-D_ CESSITY R ORT FOR A COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA "t17 City of Ocoee AIL FINDING OF NECESSITY REPORT FOR A 31 COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA (CRA) 31 Prepared for City of Ocoee 31 150 N Lakeshore Drive, Ocoee, FL 34761 31 3secoE � t 31 Prepared by Herbert .Halback, Inc. (HHI) 21 and Real Estate Research Consultants(RERC) in consultation with ;S The Cardwell Law Firm r"1 119 Real Estate RESEARCH The Cardwell CONSULTANTS31 Law Firm 31 Technical support provided by City of Ocoee Draft—June 18, 2004 I 1 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area I TABLE OF CONTENTS I 1. Introduction 2 1.1 Purpose of Study 2 1 1.2 Community Redevelopment Act Overview 2 1.3 Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area 5 11 1.4 Project Process 8 1.5 General and Social History 8 II 2. Physical Environment Inventory 10 S 2.1 Natural Environment and Features 10 2.2 Existing Land Use 13 I 2.3 Traffic Data and Characteristics 18 2.4 Parking and Access 23 m 2.5 Storm Water 25 2.6 Wastewater 26 11 2.7 Potable Water 27 2.8 Crime and EMS Analysis 28 3 2.9 Visual Character, Existing Building and Site Conditions Analysis 30 II 3. Real Estate Development and Investment Activity 36 3.1 Area Lodging Environment 37 3.2 Area Residential Environment 38 3.3 Area Retail and Restaurant Environment 39 3.4 Reported Investment and Disinvestment Activity 39 3.5 Diversified Ownership 40 3.6 Implications for Further Efforts 41 n 4. Criteria for Determining Blight 42 ® 4.1 Scenario One 42 4.2 Scenario Two 43 n 4.3. Substantial Deterioration 43 51 5. Conclusion: Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area Blight Factors 44 es n FA Draft—June 18, 2004 1 C City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area t 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of Study The City's Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2002 specifically addresses blighted areas in the Future Land Use Element under Section XI Redevelopment, pages 1-29, stating that the City "shall conduct detailed studies of all areas where blighted conditions (including drainage and infrastructure inadequacies) may occur". It also states that this information will be used to submit applications for community redevelopment funds. In light of this, on December 16, 2003, the Ocoee City Commission instructed City staff to retain the HHI (Herbert-Halback, Inc.) lead consultant team specializing in community redevelopment to investigate and document blight conditions within the proposed Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area. The purpose of this study is to examine and document blight, as defined in Section 163, Part Ill, Florida Statutes (F.S.) (the "Redevelopment Act") within the proposed Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area in the City of Ocoee, Florida (herein referred to as the "Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area" or simply as the "Study Area"). a The study will focus on land-based resources within the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area and its ability to generate economic return and local tax revenues. As a general matter, resources that are in a state of physical decline, are ® underutilized, or are improperly deployed, limit a local jurisdiction's ability to remain competitive in a larger economic context, ultimately affecting its financial condition and its level of services. Local governments highly dependent upon ad valorem revenues are the most vulnerable in these situations. Real property assets that are physically or functionally deteriorated or that do not meet contemporary or competitive development requirements are constrained in their ability to ® generate these kinds of taxes. As such, their physical character and utility, along with the services required to sustain them, are key factors in determining a community's economic health. This analysis relies substantially on tax roll data acquired from Orange County Property Appraiser, interpretations of City or staff supplied data, visual inspections of the Study Area and City prepared maps. 1 1.2 Community Redevelopment Act Overview The purpose of the Redevelopment Act is to assist local governments in preventing and/or eliminating blighted conditions detrimental to the sustainability of economically and socially vibrant communities or areas. The following paragraphs describe those blighting conditions, their specific effects, and the intentions of the community redevelopment regime as a tool for implementing policy and programs. I Draft—June 18, 2004 2 i City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Section 163.335(1), F.S. ...[blighted areas] constitute a serious and growing menace, injurious to the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the residents of the state; that the existence of such areas contributes substantially and increasingly to the spread of disease and crime, constitutes an economic and social liability imposing onerous burdens which decrease the tax base and reduce tax revenues, substantially impairs or arrests :'sound growth, retards the provision of housing accommodations, aggravates traffic problems, and substantially hampE rs the elimination of traffic ' hazards and the improvement of traffic facilities; and that the prevention and elimination of slums and blight is a matter of state policy and state concern in order that the state and its counties and municipalities. shall not continue to be endangered by areas which are focal centers of disease, promote juvenile delinquency, and consume an excessive proportion of its revenues because of the extra services required for police, fire, accident, hospitalization, and other forms of public protection, services, and facilities. Section 163.335(2), F.S. ...certain slum or blighted areas, or portions thereof, may require acquisition, clearance, and disposition subject to use restrictions, as provided in this part, since the prevailing condition of decay may make impracticable the reclamation of the area by conservation or rehabilitation; that other areas or portions thereof may, through the means provided in this part, be susceptible of conservation or rehabilitation in such a manner that the conditions and evils enumerated may be eliminated, remedied, or prevented; and that salvageable slum and blighted areas can be conserved and rehabilitated through appropriate public action as herein authorized and the cooperation and voluntary action of the owners and tenants of the property in such areas. Section 163.335(3), F.S. ...powers conferred by this part are for public uses and purposes which public money may be expended and the power of eminent domain and police power exercised, and the necessity in the public interest for the provisions herein enacted is hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination. 21 Section 163.335(5), F.S. ...the preservation or enhancement of the tax base from which a taxing authority realizes tax revenues is essential to its existence and financial health; that the preservation and enhancement of such tax base is implicit in the purposes for which a taxing authority is established; that tax increment financing is an effective method of achieving such preservation and enhancement in areas in which such tax base is declining; that community redevelopment in such areas, when complete, will enhance such tax base and provide inreased tax revenues to all affected taxing authorities, increasing their ability to accomplish their other respective purposes; and that the preservation and enhancement of the tax base in such areas through tax increment financing and the levying of taxes by such taxing authorities therefore and the appropriation of funds to a redevelopment trust fund bears a substantial relation to the purposes of such taxing authorities and is for their respective purposes and concerns. Section 163.335(6,) F.S. ...there exists in counties and municipalities of the state a severe shortage of housing affordable to residents of low or moderate income, including the elderly; that the existence of such condition affects the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of such counties and municipalities and retards their growth and economic and social development; and that the elimination or improvement of such conditions is a proper matter of state policy and state concern is for a valid and desirable purpose. Draft—June 18, 2004 3 S City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report fc r a Community Redevelopment Area 1 Under the Redevelopment Act, if an area is found to be blighted, a resolution must be adopted by the local governing body finding that there are blighted conditions within the defined Study Area, and that the repair, rehabilitation, and/or redevelopment of such areas is in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare. Before the governing body can adopt any resolution or enact any ordinance to create a community redevelopment agency, approve a community redevelopment plan or establish a redevelopment trust fund, the governing body must coordinate delegation of redevelopment powers with Orange County and provide public notice of proposed actions to Orange County which has the power to levy ad valorem taxes within the redevelopment area boundaries. Such notice alerts the County to any possible changes in their budgets as a result of a redevelopment action. If an area is found to have blighted conditions, the next step is to establish a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) in the City. The CRA, as the legal unit acting for the City of Ocoee which would direct the preparation of the community redevelopment plan for that area described in the "Finding of Necessity Resolution". The community redevelopment plan must provide physical information on the redevelopment area and identify potential project types that can diminish or eradicate the specified blighted conditions. 5 Under the Redevelopment Act, a redevelopment plan is subjected to a compliance review conducted by the local planning agency (LPA) before it can be submitted to the City Commission for approval. The LPA has up to 60 days to review the redevelopment plan as to its conformity with the City's Comprehensive Plan for the development of the Ocoee as a whole and provide comments to the CRA. After receiving recommendations from the LPA, the local governing body shall hold a public hearing on the approval of a community redevelopment plan after public notice in a newspaper having a general circulation in the area of operation of the community redevelopment area. 2 The next step under the Redevelopment Act is the creation of a redevelopment trust fund, established by ordinance and adopted by the City Commission. The most recent certified real property tax roll prior to the effective date of the ordinance will be used to establish the tax base (the "Base Year") within the redevelopment ,area in order to calculate the tax increment. In the present case, the assumed timetable to move forward suggests that the calculation of the tax increment will rely upon the 2004 certified rolls. After putting in place the redevelopment architecture described above, the CRA will become funded upon the availability of tax increment revenues. Tax incremen': revenues become available as the result of increased property assessments associated with new development and redevelopment within the redevelopment area beyond those of the Base Year. Funds allocated to and deposited into the trust account are used by the CRA to finance or refinance any community redevelopment it undertakes pursuant to the approved community redevelopment plan. 21 21 Draft—June 18, 2004 4 i • ■ City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area ■ In the case of the Redevelopment Study Area, the City of Ocoee and Orange County are the only taxing authorities with some financial interest in the implementation of a formalized redevelopment process. Other entities, that also may • exercise certain jurisdiction or control within the same legal boundaries defined for this study will not, as a matter of law or policy of the City, experience any diminution in their ad valorem revenues stemming from a resolution that defines or finds blight as described herein. These entities are, in fact, likely to experience an increase in their revenues over time as the result of such action. • • 1.3 Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area The Redevelopment Study Area is confined to a specific geographic area of approximately 1,170 acres, defined primarily irs by its relationship to SR 50 (West Colonial Drive). The Redevelopment Study Area is mostly located within the s• jurisdiction and control of the City of Ocoee except for a few unincorporated parcels. However, the entire Study Area is located within the City of Ocoee's Joint Planning Boundary and is generally contained within the boundaries created by Old Winter Garden Road, and The Florida's Turnpike on the south; Story Road on the north; Western Beltway on the west; and South Clarke Road and Maguire Road on the east. The main roads that service the Study Area are West Colonial Drive and Maguire Road and Bluford Avenue. Mal MIE Presently, the Redevelopment Study Area has a mix of general land uses that include retail commercial, professional offices, light industrial, medical/institutional/public facilities, vacant properties and very limited single family residential. Future land uses especially for vacant properties are expected to be mainly commercial. In addition certain physical . conditions, notably the absence of a completed sidewalk network, inadequate transportation level of services for most • r- . roads and vacant parcels unify the area in terms of certain = , - 81'J1111m,-- common themes. Having identified the Redevelopment Study Area as a relatively unified and homogenous area, the team considered - = the specific conditions that constitute blight as listed in the Redevelopment Act identified by the Florida Legislature. An area may be determined blighted if it conforms to any one of SR 50 Corridor the 2 scenarios listed on the next page: Draft—June 18, 2004 5 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Scenario 1: An area in which there are a substantial number of deteriorated, or deteriorating structures, in which conditions, as indicated by government-maintained statistics or other studies, are leading to economic distress or endanger life or property, and in which two or more of the following factors are present: (a) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, parking facilities, roadways, bridges, or public transportation facilities; (b) Aggregate assessed values of real property in the area for ad valorem tax purposes have failed to show any appreciable increase over the 5 years prior to the finding of such conditions; (c) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness; (d) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions; (e) Deterioration of site or other improvements; (f) Inadequate and outdated building density patterns; (g) Falling lease rates per square foot of office, commercial, or industrial space compared to the remainder of the county or municipality; (h) Tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land; (i) Residential and commercial vacancy rates higher in the area than in the rem cinder of the county or municipality; (j) Incidence of crime in the area higher than in the remainder of the county or municipality; (k) Fire and emergency medical service calls to the area proportionately higher than in the remainder of the county or municipality; (I) A greater number of violations of the Florida Building Code in the area than the number of violations recorded in the remainder of the county or municipality; (m) Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent the free alienability of land within the deteriorated or hazardous area; or (n) Governmentally owned property with adverse environmental conditions caused by a public or private entity. See Section 163.340(8), F.S. Scenario 2: An area in which at least one of the factors identified above are present and all taxing authorities agree, either by interlocal agreement or agreements with the agency or by resolution, that the area is blighted. Figure 1 shows an aerial map with the general boundaries and major roads in the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area. Draft—June 18, 2004 6 ti City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Figure 1: Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area _ "r'L'..1 �. SE s. . 4.,.-i . ••4•. �y,,at „yy ark t z : a 'C._'_ �n , HI' r , ...' t w• , .fM �.:.. _--_ i WAFi➢�,t.a�i.�c..i �t'rr.rr;ijQir'y �iLt i� •YiC LL+•cl a� 'i._. � r I ! k`,J ," ra _I ■s _ `{:tlu 41,. 1 ' i►:,: '4 . - 'tCiu '. �: YY Lin J` � } {{1 ' r1 f 'L ! F'!11 . '. TSI yC. 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'fid �.i�sg. Legend OCOEE REDEVELOPMENT STUDY AREA N Proposed Study Area Boundary Parcel Boundary Total area: approx. 1,170 acres Alk = Draft—June 18, 2004 7 City of Ocoee = Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 1.4 Project Process Determining if blight conditions exist within the Study Area is an initial step in ascertaining an area's appropriateness as a Nes nisei community redevelopment area. This analysis documenting the extent of blight conditions and analysis in support of that documentation is referred to herein as the "Finding of Necessity Report". This Report describes the physical, economic, and regulatory conditions within the Community Redevelopment Study Area that are associated with blight or its causes = and discusses the need for a community redevelopment area. The consultant team working with City staff inspected the Redevelopment Study Area, reviewed government maintained statistics and prepared this Report. 1.5 General and Social History When Florida was a comparatively young state, people traveled from the north to the area now known as Ocoee. After the Civil War, confederate :-,L :>,; '""„ soldiers and their families founded the City of Ocoee. Captain Bluford Sims .. ' • and General William Temple Withers were the first to settle in the area. It , . 'l',t -: 1-4.,:itr- t •was Captain Sims who gave Ocoee its Indian name, which means "not ' ' ,�� r i• w:o: • Jsy, '�,cold." Sims and Withers were responsible for the formation and 1,,. ` ,,70•1r, 4. t i -;;�, S ! I ? F� r 11 }'` .s construction of the Ocoee Christian Church in 1898. The Withers-Maguire �i!,< ' ,ry�ai r'` 4t ; House was also built that year which is listed in the National Register of ' ;� _ •• ' �' = Historic Places today. Captain Sims also planted the first commercial ••_�,. 'P orange grove in the county and laid ground for the future growth of Ocoee. w''• • k., r e magic maim —41 Rail tracks laid and completed for the Florida Midland Railroad in the t` ‘i 1880's, caused rapid growth in the area. Many more settlers moved in, • —mg ' large areas were cleared, and the market grew larger with better �t. _ ; 'T • transportation facilities. Hard surfaced roads did not come until many ,., r"" years later, but the sand trails were improved. As a result crops like corn, A„,..-.;1,..-- `" i.,�� * f "• 1` cotton, and sweet potatoes were abandoned in favor of more lucrative - . �r�� :"•"4;?';- • -.-. citrus groves and vegetables for the winter market of the north. Though " ^ -,:-..,..:7t...- ` - • the Florida Midland Railroad would experience some decline and disrepair —,� { �� i „ ; = ;;-� .; �;,4 over time for another more preferred gauge of track, it had unquestionably done much to spur growth in Ocoee. Draft—June 18, 2004 8 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area The City of Ocoee was incorporated in 1925 and has been a center for the citrus industry since the City's founding in the last quarter of the 19th century. The citrus trees were originally brought into the area over Lake Apopka by barge and flat '"y bottom boats, and led to the growth of the area with residents and business alike. With the coming of the railroad and the = success of the citrus industry, more and more families moved to Ocoee. HERITAGE 3 - ;: MUSEUM ■ moui , 7., r..4:-:Ni , W'.. . kI a F tea. if �r 40,- * , s 'A. 11;1/1 4' i =mop - .i. "rie .. ............. s •�. 1 1 ar, tt r bleb 414 = iimi .. f 1 4 ' ...:4116 4 V ., , OM- - I iiiik S. le.- ti , Ocoee in the early 1900's `°, _ Flou Shing Citrus Industry Y = The City is experiencing phenomenal growth today. Connections to the Florida's Turnpike, East-West Expressway (SR 408), and the Western Beltway (SR 429) have brought growth to Ocoee focused along State Road 50. There are many dwelling units proposed that are in the preliminary plan submittals, approval and development stages. The supporting infrastructure is now largely outdated and there is evidence of deterioration that must be addressed if the community is to sustain its character and economic vitality. However, there is a general consensus among residents and City leaders = that new development patterns should be sensitive to the small town characteristics of Ocoee. .= Draft—June 18, 2004 9 2 i City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area ■ 2. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT INVENTORY A review and analysis of the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area's physical environment is required to determine whether certain blighting influences or conditions exist. This section of the report documents the area's natural features, existing • land uses, transportation systems, utilities infrastructure and visual character/condition of buildings and sites. Figure 1 on page 7 shows an aerial view of the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area. wig 2.1 Natural Environment and Features The proposed Study Area is urban/suburban in character, known as an area of retail commercial, professional and light industrial uses. The Study Area and the City of Ocoee in general is within an area identified as the Mt. Dora Ridge, characterized by undulating hills, with well drained sandy soils, dotted with frequent lake depressions and solution sinks that usually contain water. Two landscape associations, or ecological communities are present in and around the City, namely, pine flatwoods/hammocks/hardwood swamps, and sandhills/isolated or flowing water wetlands. The mild climate is favorable for field crop and citrus production. In general, the City of Ocoee lies within three major basins: the Wekiva River, Cypress Creek, and Lake Apopka. Within the Study Area, there are two lakes, ' Lake Bennet, located north of SR 50 and east of Bluford Avenue and Lake Lilly, 111 located just south of the intersection of Old Winter Garden Road and ! Professional Parkway and one major retention pond near the SR 50 and Florida's Turnpike interchange. There are small associations of 100-year flood ;tr plain and wetland areas located along Geneva Street in the vicinity of the Ocoee '. Cemetery and another area east of the Florida Auto Auction and the site ` . E3 opposite to that facility. All these associations and wetland areas are located in A+ M1ny the Lake Lotto basin. Figure 2 on page 11 shows the landscape association and 100-year floodplains map. Figure 3 on page 12 shows a map of soils and wetland conditions. Draft-June 18, 2004 10 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area = Figure 2: Excerpt of Landscape Association and 100-year Floodplains Map Source: City of Ocoee Comprehensive Plan, 2002 14,1----- ,-nrMa N 4. i, .,VISra L,L i 1` I u 11- Legend J'�� r r I Landscape Associations: _) STO�-RD —, - . — —I —. 3. Flatwoods/ Vii Mesic Hammocks! „ ,,, �' �•� �` F Hydric Hammocks! /, a al <�"� Hardwood Swamps 4.Sandhill/ ` - L '^ 1 �-� .- I _. West•Oaks/ Isolated Wetlands 1 s © W COLO I •• 1 i Mall w ■ Landscape Association Boundary --- 1 ► 00 Year Floodplain h � Central I' � - ' � 11111L-12 Heatti • j� .r Joint Planning Area . 4111-�.,,�- i _- '�T i I Hospital _l_ — City Limits i FRP' 7. �. ;` -. �.. OutsideofJPA Inco orated Orange County ... 1/41ValkkiXimm".."---- 1 ITN%Or 1 ‘ �� _ F ■ir. `w••' �_ MI Lake/Pond MINIJ _ =:, rawjri ••• West Orange Trail 1 ," ►-"- Rail Line .� ;�`f: Q , ��'�:� r 4? "1. Ell`� �.�`•� .., — Expressway MINI 1+N i . \ _____J i` -`1.J_, tsuwt •.M ; O State Road _ !!I t \ 'G) NH�s"..�♦ii IY;. .4 �• -`'`-r---;.-- 0 County Road H.. k�' ---„ ". ,,c,,; y;� Zr��-`' * Proposed to be included In JPA �."I r, f [ ', `^i,_ ilrii tl..:l r/p/ o '� V t 751 g %;:77.4.---5m111..."- .... Nor , rr 7 ti- � -" .rr 11 Draft-June 18, 2004 11 a wi ;s City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area in mi Figure 3: Excerpt of Soils and Wetland Conditions Map Source: City of Ocoee Comprehensive Plan, 2002 qui Ll ;t�_ �1 , �1� � _ l111--,---i: Le end N= _STORY' _•. _ -lop _ "� Soil Names: I _ 1 -CANDLER '�� N•' _ ii i_ 3-TAVARES-ZOLFO-MILLHOPPER �� Wet 4-URBAN LAND-TAVARES-POMELLO a l E` _ 1 5-SMYRNA-POMELLO-IMMOKALEE 6i — 9-SAMSULA-HONTOON-BASINGER C,:,Xj , .. N _ 4 Leis,I r et) W COLR MN Wetlands 4 — \\ Health y jHili, Joint Planning Area n� � Central - City Limits � � Hospital Outside of JPA —� `� - _ Unincorporated Orange County ..7.7---•- � N7111/4... ."2.1_,,,.-_.- r. - __ - Lake/Pond { KE'll 111 ••• West Orange Trail Aims,. � tiii11}� } Rail Line r _ I11# . _44],-.. '. - Expressway O State Road 1 /ii _ D '`,, n:. 0 County Road Ali ....i....i w — \ 0 \ ' '''= in:._ —_ — * Proposed to be included in JPA 111 7 mol. lip -----.) : ,. c . ___Ill .4,..../t - , i 5 H , 7 H. J 0.n i ,,-_,..r r. \\\ j i. 4,, A I , , i -� 1 MEMO Draft-June 18, 2004 12 ----a City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Finding There are no significant natural environment conditions or features that hamper development and infrastructure improvements within the Study Area. The City of Ocoee does not have a comprehensive wetlands mitigation policy. However, in some cases, compensating stories are allowed where permitted. Tiger Minor Park, adjacent to the Study Area and Ocoee Cemetery, a City owned and operated facility located north of Story Road, is a significant amenity that can have a positive impact on the Study Area. 2.2 Existing Land Use and Zoning The Study Area's existing land use, future land use and zoning was used to arrive at a reasonable understanding of the moo pattern of development activity within the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area, to identify whether existing land uses are mom permitted under current zoning regulations, to assess whether neighboring uses are compatible with each other, and to determine whether certain uses assist or deter development activity. Generally, the Study Area and its adjacent neighborhoods has been 1.4 viewed as a retail commercial, professional office and light industrial moo corridor. This view is represented in the numerous local and regional retail stores, a major health-care facility, an auto auction facility, 9 x - offices, some hotels and other rental properties primarily focused on the SR 50 (West Colonial Drive) arterial. Directly impacting the Study . Area is the effect of the numerous new single-family residential• LI subdivisions that have been proposed and established adjacent to the Study Area especially on Maguire Road and Clarke Road. Presently there are a few tracts of unincorporated parcels along the SR 50 corridor and Marshall Farms Road, which house residential properties. Nonetheless these isolated single-family residential homes are surrounded by non-residential and light industrial uses. Although not considered a non-conforming use under current zoning and Comprehensive Plan regulations in the City of Ocoee, the presence of these low density residential properties can lead to or suggest other issues such as underutilization of the property. Draft—June 18, 2004 13 moo City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area �I The current commercial uses are a carryover from the older commercial units or plats along SR 50. The Study Area's easy access to the Florida's Turnpike, East-West Expressway (SR 408) and the Western Beltway (SR 429) make it _ 4411 an ideal location for light and heavy industrial, distribution facilities, regional commercial and professional offices. However there are many commercial properties along SR 50, which are vacant or in a state of deterioration, which are deemed to be an underutilization of land. This may be attributed to many - . � ! # factors including the perception of congestion and lack of safety created by the -: aesthetically unpleasing environment. While many businesses may be surviving in the present condition, there is a lack of a commercial environment that portrays a unique Ocoee culture that would benefit its residents, visitors as •▪.. well as businesses. The combination of inappropriate site utilization, lackluster • - �" commercial architecture and street aesthetics, site access constraints, traffic Florida Auto Auction on SR SO congestion, lack of multi-modal access and other factors are precursors to functional and physical deterioration. -No Of the estimated 627 records, at least 380 records are owned by varied individuals or principals, making it difficult or impossible for private interests to mobilize the area for an assemblage that might counteract many of the physical or economic conditions that have been described in this report. Absent major intervention, an assemblage seems highly unlikely in the context of current ownership and dysfunctional platting. The City's Building Official reports a fair amount of code enforcement activity over the past 3 years. An analysis prepared for this study shows 13 housing code violation cases, 10 public nuisance cases, 17 zoning violation cases, 8 building code violation cases, and 1 fire code violation case within the Study Area over the past 3 years. The following maps present the zoning and land use conditions: Figure 4 on page 15 shows the Zoning Map. Figure 5 on page 16 shows the Existing Land Use Map Figure 6 on page 17 shows the Future Land Use Map Draft-June 18, 2004 14 me NMI On. MUM City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area MIMI MEI Figure 4: Excerpt of Zoning Map ..., Source: City of Ocoee Community Development Department (GIS), 2004 min mei a - Oggi - Vi. i ; %r Y CRFFR pt } n 3 - II r H �y nwi' .r4..3iYlialif ..: • -r iikLAKE = NN ill i L\ di__ ..JL. BEET 1�_. 10.4.4 I.-. ter+ „.._ I 1il .." ` H • � ._altoas, W - = , . City of Ocoee Zoning Map k• . tit*: : IV" et...''',., k . .... _ __ il I ,01;00 . v.., w .._... a 11 fri:":\r: _. ,; t r— , i 1i r 1 .. ,. . Draft—June 18, 2004 15 i MOW Mlia City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area mum = Figure 5: Excerpt of Existing Land Use Map Source: City of Ocoee Community Development Department (GIS), 2004 r I ' Legend �. t eI- !. i -1[ 1 ___mak: i / moo Existing Land Use Classification: Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential - \ Professional Offices and Services : LAKE Commercial BENNE' f MI Light Industrial ' ` '. , i Heavy Industrial ` Conservation/Floodplains 21111 i trill I L Recreation and Open Space Alum t, -•ir \ 11111 Public Facilities/Institutional •, J r--- ... _"'1 Vacant _ r~ i1►L Road Right-of-Way a LAKE.471_ 11, - LILL Y • Existing Public Potable Well r ' MP* O Wellhead Protection Area �\ i Joint Planning Area 21 �_� — City Limits • i Outside of JPA i _ 11 ' \ j. Unincorporated Orange County •i ___ Lake!Pond `''� r � T— ■ •• West Orange Trail Rail Line - Expressway r - .4 CD State Road 0 • i 0 County Road I * Proposed to be included in JPA Draft-June 18, 2004 16 .ia MEN ,M City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area immi +. Figure 6: Excerpt of Future Land Use Map Source: City of Ocoee Community Development Department (GIS), 2004 MIMI MIMI ..:. moil i . I 1 , I-• ;1 ,.R . : ftp CI fl:atm } �i -;may.,..�1..... ,+�� --.(*. .� 1 Rt ,.. : Ntf rtxlJ:hos .M! ... f Cror[.iy Ras dtt-tti3l .L. _.�- High y N Ks rse,eua iI '' PP..tescarb11(Xflcei a'.d S.erWcei .., /�"""" _...4 �....,,�'•.� �,. L IC Irte.strisi limey r+dvspe, ! . Cove fwliallFaxelpary. ae. o Sisme • .r ,. Ian td o � .rl _ I i i I • •�l` r • I DOVYi�wn R.r..A vol rrrrr.Area ... _ lh4f 1�trtlHr I _ LLL _ 3 I elestlr;P_biL Rx.1hm rIr'r,i __.1„,„.,: ► Witt Ilya" Ptdkid kr Aram r .,4. y v(Ow's*HL l;xtt Stool t 10, --'�-,•_- d ' GEM Jtit*Rwtrtk-( Arum _.1._.— _� /-, — cttis Urals r :N Q.tslda of JPA t' L. para�or 0.4ing.Coa>h t3ii r PSr.rl s ..d. +. . e e txtCeram 1*ai I.+ 7{`iw1SfM1�. - "P 1r1 f,'�p{t)fi1 L too fre.3.dcri 11.1PA j t ). I - - Draft-June 18, 2004 17 amiR City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Finding ins �. While the Study Area is known as a commercial, light industrial, and professional - center, it is clear that the quality of existing commercial development and supporting infrastructure are not compatible with the quality of life that the City would like to m▪os provide its residents. Many commercial properties along SR 50 are in a state of �., deterioration or vacant, deemed to be an underutilization of land. This may be due to the availability of better quality commercial in adjacent jurisdictions. The few 11,1 single-family homes along Marshall Farms Road and residential land uses along SR .._ -R▪IM ,{ 50 are incongruous with the nature and character of the Study Area. The City and • MIR other tax collection agencies would benefit materially if these vacant lots and under WWI occupied properties would be replaced by higher and better quality commercial and Vacated Commercial-Old Wal-Mart • "" mixed uses. Of special concern is the high vacancy rates at the old Wal-Mart shopping center on SR 50 and Maguire Road and the diversity of ownership at Colony Plaza and gas station directly across the street from this shopping center. Diversity of ownership is a major constraint to any redevelopment activity in the area that will likely be exacerbated by the delinquencies, poor title histories, and a battery of physical and legal impediments that typically preclude redevelopment beyond a small scale. It will be difficult for private interests to assemble holdings of sufficient size and usefulness to introduce alternative development patterns, schemes, or products. Inadequate infrastructure, utilities and the proliferation of bad traffic access and management together with the high commercial vacancy rates have lead to functional and physical deterioration of the Study Area. 2.3 Traffic Data and Characteristics The following analysis of traffic conditions is based on the City of Ocoee's Comprehensive Plan adopted in October 2002. The transportation needs of Ocoee are sophisticated in light of the rapid population changes over the last 10 years. In the 2000 census Ocoee's population stood at 24,391 a 64% increase in ten years; twenty points more than the 44% growth Orange County experienced in the same time period. The City's population projections for the year 2020 stands at 78,062. The projected growth for the City of Ocoee will most likely put greater demands on the transportation network. The following table identifies the Future Peak Hour/Peak Direction Levels of Service of major roadways within the Study Area in 2020 (Source: City of Ocoee Comprehensive Plan, 2002): Draft-June 18, 2004 I 8 qm City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area u m MIN Roadway From To No.of Adopted Pk. Hr./ I Pk. Hr./ Pk. Hr./ I Level of Lanes LOS Pk. Dir. 1 Pk. Dir. Pk. Dir. Service Standard Volume Capacity V/C Ratio Performance m▪in Blackwood Ave. Old Winter Garden Rd. SR 50 4 D 2,514 3,021 0.83 D MN UM Clarke Rd. SR 50 White Rd. 6 D 3,030 4,668 0.65 C Maguire Rd. Professional Pkwy. SR 50 4 D 2,649 3,132 0.85 E di▪m Maguire Rd. SR 50 Marshall Farms. Rd. 4 D 1,840 2,894 0.64 C Maguire Rd. Marshall Farms. Rd. Story Rd. 4 D 1,854 2,894 0.64 C m▪ow Maine St. Bluford Ave. SR 50 4 D 1,697 2,548 0.67 C ,,r Marshall Farms. Rd. SR 50 Maguire Rd. 4 D 1,148 2,402 0.48 B Old Winter Garden Rd. SR 50 Professional Pkwy. 4 E 2,083 2,894 0.72 D mew Old Winter Garden Rd. Professional Pkwy Blackwood Ave. 4 E 2,081 2,894 0.72 D Professional Pkwy. Ext. SR 50 Maguire Rd. 2 D 896 1,070 0.84 D Professional Pkwy. Maguire Rd. Old Winter Garden Rd. 4 D 2,041 2,120 0.96 E SR 439(Bluford Ave.) SR 50 Geneva St. 4 D 2,241 2,669 0.84 D SR 50(W.Colonial Dr.) Wofford Rd. Marshall Farms. Rd. 6 D 3,738 6,185 0.60 C wil SR 50(W.Colonial Dr.) Marshall Farms. Rd. Maguire Rd. 6 D 3,644 6,185 0.59 C r.) SR 50(W.Colonial Dr.) Maguire Rd. Old Winter Garden Rd. 6 D 3,565 6,185 0.58 C SR 50(W.Colonial Dr.) Old Winter Garden Rd. Blackwood Ave. 6 D 4,791 6,185 0.77 D SR 50(W.Colonial Dr.) Blackwood Ave. Clarke Rd. 6 D 4,702 6,185 0.76 D Story Rd. Wofford Rd. Kissimmee Ave. 4 E 1,948 2,748 0.71 D miosi According to studies done by the City using Florida Department of mai" Transportation's (FDOT's) ART-TAB computer application, several roads in the Study Area will experience varying levels of congestion. Congestion as defined by a VC ratio of 0.7 (Level D) or greater is projected to occur on several key i roads within the Study Area. They are: • West Colonial Drive (State Road 50) ..• -" -... ,.=. - • Story Road = • Professional Parkway moil • Old Winter Garden Road SR 50-AMajorArterial - ••.r • Bluford Avenue Draft-June 18, 2004 lc) • City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area The current perception when driving along SR 50 within the Study Area is that of congestion and traffic back ups. The traffic data presented in the Comprehensive Plan confirms this perception. Safety becomes a major issue along with congestion. The abrupt start and stop motion especially on SR 50, typically presents a stacking situation that can easily lead to numerous vehicular accidents. Truck traffic to and from the Florida Auto Auction facility and industrial establishments along Story Road also pose significant traffic safety issues. Much of the vehicular traffic along SR 50 is .61 through traffic to Winter Garden or to the Florida's Turnpike, East-West Expressway (SR 408) or the Western Beltway mit (SR 429). The combination of through traffic and local traffic makes it more difficult to initiate access and management systems. A combination of speed, congestion and inadequate access management create functional deterioration in the SR 50 corridor. As these conditions worsen, it will be increasingly difficult to attract investment in the corridor. With traffic volumes rapidly increasing within the Study Area roadways, safety and access management becomes the primary issues along with congestion. - Burgeoning development adjacent to the Study Area adds to the problem. Accidents along key roads and intersections especially on SR 50, Old Winter Garden Road and .ter Clarke Road are expected to become more frequent. Existing alignments and • 'ta` intersections of Bluford Avenue, Marshall Farms Road, Maguire Road, Maine Street and Blackwood Avenue will need to be examined for their potential to safely carry _o projected traffic volumes. FDOT has long-term plans (fiscal year 2007-2008 or later) -- to six-lane SR 50. However, these plans have been deferred due to lack of funds. The availability of other infrastructure including pedestrian crossings and sidewalks were also reviewed as part of this traffic analysis. There is a lack of continuous sidewalks, safe crosswalks and adequate street lighting especially along SR 50 and other major roadways within the Study Area. The City has recommended several roadway improvement projects within the Study Area to improve both connectivity and roadway capacity. Figure 7 on page 21 shows the Roadway Improvement Master Plan 2020 Map for the Study Area. The StudyArea and the Cityof Ocoee ingeneral lack in non automobile-oriented transportation options. Emphasizing P P P 9 multi-modal mobility options and better traffic management can significantly improve the quality of life within the Study Area. The City's Comprehensive Plan addresses bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements. The plan calls for bicycle facilities at key locations within the Study Area, including: Maguire Road south of SR 50, Maine Street, Old Winter Garden Road, and SR 50 providing access to the West Oaks Mall, Health Central Hospital and other multi-family developments in the vicinity. The plan also calls for filling in existing gaps in all sidewalk systems. Lynx, Central Florida's public transit provider, operates Bus Route # 27 primarily traveling east west within the Study Area, along SR 50, Old Winter Garden Road and Story Road. A new north south public transit route and recreational trail connections that would improve the quality of life within the Study Area are suggested in the City's Comprehensive Plan. Figure 8 on page 22 shows the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Master Plan 2020 Draft—June 18, 2004 20 i li i City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 1 r i • Figure 7: Excerpt of Roadway Improvement Master Plan 2020 Map I Source: City of Ocoee Comprehensive Plan, 2002 , VIS I A ' — • • . v ' - •P • FIMMMIIIIIIIIE•77.1 .-- asaarcisalk.bastraf N Legend 0 . • ST.- :• . _. _ _ ______ _ ' - I 0 Safety and Operational -E-4 a im --ik, . . : . Improvement Projects 111 ' q9 .' NEST . — New Roadway or NIIL 4'4, w, Widening Roadway .:.0.4@ .......- LAKE BNNET W fa Traffic Calming and/or Is 1 1 \ 1 's‘X 111116 tiv COL..0 IAL DR Gateway Treatment E "IN • -• • • • • • • • me 1 it Illr Health 11.I I i lik WalMart 9- 1 i . ..... Joint Planning Area . Hospital • ••• . Outside of JPA ,d, Orgetitsr1) , ll • • - Unincorporated Orange County • - II. _ __ Lake/Pond ly • 0 . n o ......,,,A „le wiip.--- ._._ ••• VVest Orange Trall •, — Rail Line .... -- — ' • 1E} \ \ 0 State Road mil tr, TOMYN BL • LILL < 0 County Road / / _ _ ,-- * Proposed to be included in JPA ''' ....__ lo- • 7,-- u.▪ si 1 . • i tfy, = -- I . , ' , . 1 /( ,-A , •-•-••._ , - - • ; 41111Affilb ...11 .INII = = WW1 M Draft-June 18, 2004 21 1 E iji mid M City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area = Figure 8: Excerpt of Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Master Plan 2020 = Source: City of Ocoee Comprehensive Plan, 2002 — - `:j, i VIS FA I • .u N L i 1 ; 0 - : •. Legend 4 _ — 1 STORy-RQ_ -�—_ ••••• •• �*• Bikeway • • , • ' ••• Recreation Trail '•••• ••• 1 Sidewalks Needed / v • • - ••••l• • 0 New Transit Routes • . • • est Oak: ' •-BENN.:• 5U COL • DR Mall i On-Street Parking ti ., - • Park and Ride 1ill __ WalMart CentralJoint Planning Area ••t \ ospital Outside of JPA n ot ''' _ Unincorporated Orange County M NA/0 - !WA Lake/Pond .•a' Illi\ s ... West Orange Trail -- Rail Line n oi I V Expressway �� - __ O State Road M. 1 1(' K - jrTCountyRoad �.i _- ._I ,-,> \ - Proposed to be included in JPA to C ,1 _,- i I E— � J ,_,_ ' : . Ni.iii .... _ i 1 .-% i I , 1 0 j- _j k ' ' - 1. -s) -- --— r 4>77 L'''.,,,...' Draft—June 18, 2004 22 moo City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area ..i Finding The traffic projection studies call for significant traffic improvements including adding lanes to most major roadways within the Study Area. Alignments of certain roads such as Bluford Avenue and Marshall Farms Road create odd angles and intersections with other roads which hampers the smooth flow of traffic, thereby creating congestion. The lack of curbs, continuous sidewalks, safe crosswalks and adequate street lighting contributes to unsafe conditions within the Study Area. The City has documented numerous accidents between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Should more development occur within the Study Area, more pedestrian accidents are likely to result if the situation is not addressed. The combination of through traffic and local traffic plus truck traffic coupled with NMI limited roadway capacities cause congestion and unsafe driving conditions. The - 4602111114.0 inability of numerous roads within the Study Area to safely carry projected traffic volumes seeks a review of the transportation network and alignments. Access to private properties along SR 50 and other major roadways may be better managed mal through measures such as provision of medians, limiting driveways and requiring !", joint and or cross accesses. Public transit and non automobile-oriented nos transportation choices are significantly lacking too. The few existing bus stops have improper pedestrian connections to sidewalks and roads. The present ,m deteriorating conditions of the transportation network and other traffic related problems will accelerate the area's decline if steps are not taken to mitigate the ' e - „ issues discussed above. MOM mai 2.4 Parking and Access The local economy's reliance on retail, professional offices and medical facilities is evident by the land uses within the Study Area. Various restaurants, and retail stores, along both sides of SR 50 have tremendous parking demands. All these businesses own and maintain their parking lots and provide free use of said facilities to their patrons. However, IMMO with the very possibility of more intense, commercial and mixed-use developments occurring along SR 50, especially in -tet the central area around Maguire and SR 50 intersection, parking deficiencies may result. Access to these properties may also need to be better managed to accommodate future development. Draft-June 18, 2004 13 mot City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area There are insufficient sidewalks within the Study Area. Field investigations revealed that segments of SR 50 have only partial sidewalks along some sections of the road or no sidewalks at all. In addition, the collector roads within the Study Area generally lack sidewalks. The City of Ocoee's -, x Comprehensive Plan estimates that 49 percent of the entire city has one-sided :, sidewalk coverage and only 19 percent of the entire city has two-sided p, "- coverage. Estimates for the Study Area are in this range, which is significantly low compared to other pedestrian friendly areas in the region. In addition to =�a the lack of sidewalks, access management on SR 50 and other roads is elemental. Currently, random access points and curb cuts lead to bad access mai management practices, congestion and accidents. Contemporary practices such as provision of medians, limiting driveways and requiring joint and or Discontinuous Side►4alks—SR 50 cross accesses help mitigate this problem. Finding Within the Study Area, conditions associated with access management and sidewalks are inextricably linked. Deficiencies in sidewalks and proper access management both contribute to potential accidents involving pedestrians. ® While the City of Ocoee recognizes that this community is a local and regional destination for shopping, and healthcare, it Mad has not provided the adequate pedestrian facilities to handle residents and visitors. Sidewalks are an important component in making a community both safe and desirable to visit. A pedestrian-friendly place can lead to a positive economic situation allowing key businesses to have enhanced linkages. Instead of driving from one place to another and visiting only one or two places of business, one can walk and visit numerous eating and drinking, entertainment, and retail facilities. Proper access management and sidewalks are all important components of a desirable business environment. Without these facilities, accidents involving pedestrians will most likely continue. In light of the above discussions sidewalks and access management are likely to be major issues for the continued investment, redevelopment and positive perception of the Study Area. —tee Draft-June 18, 2004 24 3 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Reportlor a Community Redevelopment Area 3 2.5 Stormwater 3 Upon review of the City's Comprehensive Plan, structural practices that are currently being followed within the Study Area and the City in general with respect to stormwater drainage are: off-line retention, on-line retention and detention with filtration, detention, grassed waterways and swales, natural systems, and landlocked basins. The Study Area has three natural drainage basins, namely Lake Bennet, an unnamed stream with drainage improvements that flows easterly from the Florida Auto Auction and West Orange Industrial Park areas across the city, parallel to SR 50 into Lake Lotta, and an unnamed wetland association west of Lake Lilly and south of Professional Parkway. Stormwater runoff is 3 primarily conveyed to these basins by the various structural practices described above Current City regulations adequately regulate quantity discharges and currently the City prohibits development in the floodplains. 3 However, discussions with the City's Public Works Department raised several inadequacies in the stormwater situation. 2 Six-laning of SR 50 will cause relocation of utilities including stormwater swales along this co-ridor. Overflow of the Lake Lotto basin and the need to relieve occasional flooding on SR 50 were mentioned. Numerous culvert crossings and stormwater pipes especially on Bluford Avenue and Maguire Road are undersized and need improvement. Occasional flooding occurs on Story Road, Marshall Farms Road and Bluford Avenue. The future widening of Story Road and 3 Professional Parkway will require a total overhaul of the stormwater systems in these areas. Inadequate stormwater management adjacent to SR 50, Bluford Avenue, Maguire Road, Professional Parkway and Story Road contributes to increased street flooding, roadway deterioration and adjacent parking lot flooding potentially leading to reduced property values and an inability to maintain these roads in an orderly fashion. 3 Finding 3 Based on information provided by the City's Public Works Department on April 20, 2004, there are inadequacies in the stormwater drainage system, discharge practices and uniform design standards which cause the current stormwater 3 situation to be a significant blight contributing factor. Although the Study Area is endowed with natural drainage basins that run throughout the area, the systems that convey stormwater to these basins are inadequate. System inadequacies include deficient culverts and stormwater pipes. Stormwater systems will need upgrading to accommodate any increased development, redevelopment or street improvements particularly in situations whish call for addition of curbs 3 and sidewalks. Given these considerations, stormwater is an issue for continued investment and redevelopment in the Study Area. Inadequate infrastructure planning, design and construction, and the lack of a coordinated citywide infrastructure master plan further deteriorates the current situation. 3 3 3 2 Draft—June 18, 2004 25 2 3 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Reports or a Community Redevelopment Area 3 2.6 Wastewater 3 Upon review of the City's Comprehensive Plan, the City of Ocoee has owned and operated its own sanitary sewer system since 1988. The Study Area being primarily commercial, office and light industrial, wastewater disposal is not an area of major concern as opposed to residential uses. There are five lift stations located throughout the Study Area. The system within the Study Area is primarily a combination of gravity sewer lines and forced mein sewer lines. These lines 3 run along major roadways within the Study Area, namely, SR 50, portions of Bluford Avenue, Maguire Road, Professional Parkway, Blackwood Avenue and Maine Street. Certain areas along Marshall Farms Road and Professional Parkway 3 are operating on septic tank systems. 2 Based on information provided by the City's Public Works Department on April 20, 2004, significant system upgrades and improvements will be required in conjunction with the proposed widening of SR 50. Inadequate capacity and undersized forcemains is a general problem throughout the Study Area especially along SR 50. The Public Works Department Director reports that in the past 3 years the main sewer line along SR 50 had 5 breaks spilling wastewater into Lake Bennet, and certain areas especially near the Colony Plaza may have to be relocated or redone for health reasons. There is also no reuse or treated watsewater effluent system for irrigation. The City's Public Works Department gets frequent inquires from businesses within the Study Area about possible wastewater effluent systems to lower their irrigation costs. Finding Based on the City's Comprehensive Plan and discussions with the City's Public Works Department staff, the City inherited an antiquated wastewater utility system. Earlier plans and drawings of the system especially for certain sections along SR 50 are not available. Therefore, there is a dire need for a coordinated systems master plan. The relocation of the utility system in conjunction with the widening of SR 50 will require a major overhaul of the system. The City's Comprehensive Plan calls for significant improvement and expansion of the City's wastewater facilities in future. The City continues to require urban development to utilize existing capital infrastructure and minimize costly expense of 2 providing services to areas of sprawl. The City's Public Works Department strongly feels that the existing system will be unable to handle the immediate near future development activities within the Study Area. Given these considerations, wastewater is a major blight contributing factor for continued investment and redevelopmert within the Study Area, the lack of which will impede proper development and redevelopment and may even cause a system wide collapse. Certain issues such as frequent bursts in the main sewer lines can prove unhealthy and detrimental to the safety and well being of residents within the Study Area. I 31 I Draft—June 18, 2004 26 2 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report fc r a Community Redevelopment Area 2.7 Potable Water 3 Upon review of the City's Comprehensive Plan, the most common supply source for the Study Area and the City in general is the groundwater from the Floridan Aquifer. The City of Ocoee is served by three water supply and treatment facilities, namely, Jamela Water Treatment Plant (WTP), Forest Oaks WTP, and South WTP. None of these facilities are 3 within the Study Area. Land uses within the Study Area being primarily commercial, office or light industrial where potable water is not a primary area of concern. Presently, the major corridors are served adequately. However, based on discussions with the City's Public Works Department on April 20, 2004, concerns were raised on possible deficiencies 3 in the system if mid and high-rise developments are proposed within the Study Area. Adequate water pressure especially for fire requirements will be lacking in this case. Major system upgrades and imprcvements will be required in 2 the immediate future along Maine Street and Blackwood Avenue to match developer proposals and new construction. Significant improvements will also be required to relocate the water supply system in conjunction with the proposed 3 widening of SR 50. 3 Based on the studies presented in the City's Comprehensive Plan, SR 50 east of Bluford Avenue, Bluford Avenue, Marshall Farms Road and Professional Parkway are served by a 12 inch diameter water mail. Other areas such as SR 2 50 between Bluford Avenue and Marshall Farms Road Maguire Road north of Professional Parkway and connectors to many commercial properties along SR 50 are serviced by 8 inch and 6 inch diameter pipes. The City recently completed 2 a major enhancement of the distribution system that added approximately 50,000 linear fest of mostly 12 and 16 inch pipes throughout the system. 2 Finding As per the City's Comprehensive Plan study potable water is amply available within the City and Study Area. Currently 2 the only water pollution problems in the area exist in the surface water. Most of the pollution found in lakes is due to agricultural and residential runoff. At this time the quality of the water recharging the Floridian Aquifer is not seen as a potential problem. There are no major industrial plants that generate large amounts of point source emissions. The most significant emissions generators are automobiles. At present even this source is insignificant. Due to limited residential uses, potable water is now not considered as a major infrastructure item within the Study Area. However, in the very 2 likely scenario of more intense mid and high-rise development desiring to locate here, the system would need an overhaul to accommodate these changes. Taking this into consideration, the potable water situation may be considered 2 a factor that impedes development and redevelopment to more intense and market-oriented uses within the Study Area. 2 Draft—June 18, 2004 27 2 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 2.8 Crime and EMS Analysis The Study Area has been an area of concern with regards to crime for the City of Ocoee. The declining commercial and lack of mixed uses provide an environment conducive to criminal activity ranging from auto thefts to robberies. The Study Area consists of approximately 1,170 acres, which is ,, 14.7 percent of the total City area of 7,970 acres (in 2000 excluding rights-of- way). Crime statistics provided by the Ocoee Police Department in March - 2004 for the years 2001 through 2003 show disproportionately higher rates of �'' .�� certain criminal activities such as auto thefts, battery cases, retail = theft/shoplifting and robbery within the Study Area when compared to the City - 41111 as a whole. This may be attributed to socioeconomic conditions such as high vacancies and a lack of appropriate uses and activities within the Study Area. Table 1 on page 29 shows types and numbers for various criminal activity and percentages of those activities for the Study Area when compared to city-wide totals: Draft—June 18, 2004 28 2 City of Ocoee ss Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area si 2 TABLE 1: CRIME AND EMS CALL ANALYIS FOR PROPOSED CRA STUDY AREA Study Area City Wide Total Total Percentage of M CATEGORY 2001 2002 2003 2001-03 2001-03 Calls 911 Hang-Ups 120 156 188 464 , 2,799 16.58 M Abduction/Attempt Abduction 1 0 1 2 12 16.67 Accidents, Vehicle 551 570 601 1,722 4,738 36.34 Alarms 279 253 297 829 6,980 11.88 All Other 670 591 684 1,945 19,457 10.00 Assault Cases 42 38 46 126 994 12.68 M Auto Thefts 62 63 43 168 653 25.73 Battery Cases 50 41 27 118 618 19.09 M Burglary Cases 27 43 22 92 883 10.42 Burglary, Vehicle 74 52 45 171 1,032 16.57 M Child Abuse/Neglect Cases 23 14 12 49 496 9.88 Criminal Mischief Cases 40 30 36 106 1,281 8.27 M Death/Suicide Investigations 14 12 8 34 223 15.25 Disturbances 782 666 721 2,169 16,636 13.04 MI Drug Offenses 11 5 12 28 521 5.37 MI Drunk Driving 21 16 36 73 707 10.33 Fraud/Forgery 37 33 72 142 997 14.24 MI Invalid Or Missing Code 1 11 4 16 217 7.37 Missing/Runaway Adults 14 7 10 31 253 12.25 Missing/Runaway Juveniles 8 5 10 23 423 5.44 Retail Theft/Shoplifting 102 104 112 318 1,199 26.52 3 Robbery 6 4 9 19 74 25.68 Sex Crimes 3 2 3 8 72 11.11 Structure Fire 20 16 11 47 207 22.71 n Suspicious Incidents 125 124 130 379 2,810 13.49 Theft Cases 149 126 138 413 2,435 16.96 3 Traffic Enforcement (Not including Accidents or Drunk Drivers) 2,387 1,904 2,230 6,521 38,398 16.98 5,587 4,865 5,460 15,912 93,887 16.95 21 211 Draft—June 18, 2004 29 •i. City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Finding While the overall crime rates for various categories within the Study Area have remained consistent over the past three years, the effect of vacant properties, empty and unobserved parking lots create an environment that is conducive to crime within the Study Area. Incidents of vehicular accidents, auto thefts, battery cases, retail theft/shoplifting, robbery, and structure fire are significantly higher than City averages. The perception of crime is also significantly increased in these situations. Mixed uses that support activities could reduce this perception and create a good business environment that will assist development activity. The present deteriorating conditions of empty lots and commercial vacancies will accelerate the area's crime situation if steps are not taken to mitigate the problem. 2.9 Visual Character, Existing Building and Site Conditions Analysis =+e mom The objective of this analysis is to determine if there are a substantial number of deteriorated, or deteriorating structures. which lead to economic distress or endanger life or property. In March 2004, the consultant team conducted windshield surveys of the Study Area to determine blighting conditions. The results are described in this section. In general, many vacant parcels exist, possibly contributed by a lack in the transportation network. Some commercial buildings appear to be • experiencing higher than average vacancies due to the conditions discussed in section 2.2: Existing Land Use and Zoning. Vacant parcels and falling commercial lease rates may be deemed as significant blight contributing factors. .44 •PP =Ea '" For the purposes of managing the data gathered by the visual survey of mig . existing building and site conditions, the planning team sub-divided the Ocoee CRA Study Area into four smaller sub-areas. The following is a brief description of the sub-areas, its buildings, site conditions and accompanying "�., .. exhibits: Draft-June 18, 2004 30 M City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Sub-area 1 North East Segment (Area north of SR 50 and east of Bluford Avenue) • Presently the sub-area conveys a visual image of a place in transition from an agrarian to intense development. However, there are no apparent signs of corresponding infrastructure improvements. _ • Blackwood Avenue and Maine Street are critical as most of the new developments within the Study Area are proposed here. Maine Street is currently an unpaved road providing access to some dilapidated residential parcels. _ • The sub-area has many new residential and commercial developments planned for the immediate near term. • Sidewalks are generally not present here and the its lack conveys a negative connotation in contrast to the image = the City would like to promote here, namely, a modern activity center providing a quality live and work environment (based on the SR 50 Activity Center Special Development Plans, 1998). _ • Antiquated commercial uses or vacant properties along Bluford Avenue, the prime connector to Downtown Ocoee. = 7_ � �: ',�. __ PA k., H iii tit. _ J .ilapidated Resisletttial—Maine Sir*— Vacant Properties— ' S0''' -:-.1%,, r , MN C • • 4.. `i =:.-- - Unpaved Road—Blackwood Av Deteriorating Residential—Maine St Draft—June 18, 2004 31 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area M Sub-area 2 North West Segment (Area north of SR 50 and west of Bluford Avenue) • The sub-area is predominantly occupied by the Florida Auto Auction Facility, which can be aptly described as a very large parking lot. = • Many trucks access various facilities within the area causing mixed traffic situations presenting an uninviting image. • Residential structures along Marshall Farms Road are mostly dilapidated, most of which are posted for sale. • The now vacant former Wal-Mart facility and the adjacent strip shopping mall occupy prime locations at the intersection of Maguire Road and SR 50. The aesthetic qualities of this development may deter businesses from choosing to locate here. • Sidewalks are generally not present within the sub-area and certain locations especially along Story Road = experience occasional flooding. i" ,y - r t w og mil t1 1 k �t a i i —. SALE 1 6494100 _ a a . Mixed Traffic-Story Rd Deteriorating Revident iiins Rd -. .. • tl , A w ing Auto Repair Facility-SR 50 Vacated Commercial-Maguire Rd1SR 50 moiii Draft-June 18, 2004 32 M City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area M Sub-area 3 South West Segment (Area south of SR 50 and west of Bluford Avenue) • The sub-area has large vacant tracts of land, some of which are in the 100-year floodplains and are fairly inaccessible without major new roads and supporting infrastructure. =, • A prominent eyesore in the City exists within this sub-area, namely the Colony Plaza. A vacated gas station also exists in this vicinity, at the intersection of Maguire road and SR 50. = • The City has received proposals for large big-box retail development and typical out parcel commercial development east and west of Maguire Road. • Sidewalks are generally not present here and Maguire Road is likely to experience traffic congestion in future. • Though the City has received many proposals for new development, the aesthetic qualities of the older commercial strip malls in the sub-area may deter smaller businesses from choosing to locate here. • 4 Colony Plaza-SR 50/Maguire Rd Mil MIMI _.- r - y mil., Vacated Gas Station -SR 50/Maguire Rd Vacant Parcels—Professional PIS MOM Draft—June 18, 2004 33 .r City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Sub-area 4 South East Segment (Area south of SR 50 and east of Bluford Avenue) • This sub-area appears visually sound, housing major facilities, namely, the new Wal-Mart Super Center and Health Central Hospital. • A few vacant commercial out parcels exist conveying an image of intense retail and activity. • Health Central has long term plans for mixed-use developments along Old Winter Garden and SR 50 on vacant parcels owned by the institution. • Continuous sidewalks are generally not present despite public bus routes servicing the area. This creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians. • Odd angles and intersections created by Bluford Avenue at intersections with SR 50 and Old Winter Garden Road create a sense of confusion and danger when driving these roads. — — �-- � = Typical Commercial-S. Bluford Ay 411111111111111r .*** 'Oar MEM "V"' t•4:. * - ' .. ..y,. amilli MIN ..11111 Vac Parcels-SR 50 and Clarke Rd Odd Lltersectwn ..44 Draft-June 18, 2004 34 = City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area MI Finding Deterioration is not exclusively a building condition. It is also a structural and functional condition. Many vacant properties and commercial spaces particularly at the old Wal-Mart Shopping center on SR 50 and Maguire Road and the 2 now vacant former Colony Plaza site and gas station directly across the street from this Shopping center cause functional deterioration. In effect, the areas in aggregate are functionally, if not physically, deteriorated. There is also a widespread 2 need for an efficient and functional transportation network that supports building activity, sidewalks, and paved surfaces that are not being met. In general, while different sub-areas evidence a range of physical deterioration, the problems 2 stemming from traffic, access management and site constraints cause functional deteriorations within the Study Area. ". r sft- Ai' ,.-t:-....;•., . .4-. _ . , .. .4,.. , . ..,. , . iip,„ „.. k rr4 ated Residential-Marshall Farms Rd Functional Deterioration i-Maguire Rd/SR 50 3 3 2 3 .arm„ Draft—June 18, 2004 35 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 3. REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY One of the important tasks assigned to the consultant team was to research the underlying physical, social, and economic conditions present in the Ocoee study area that might contribute to the pattern of real estate development or other investment activity likely to occur over the next few years. The Ocoee study area is linear, extending some two miles along SR 50/Colonial Drive, the community's principal business corridor. Generally, the area lies between Clarke Road to the east and the Western Beltway (SR 429) to the west. The study area's northern boundary is Story Road, while the southern boundary consists of the Florida's Turnpike and Old Winter Garden Road. Ocoee, much like many parts of Central Florida, was historically home to orange groves and vegetable farms. The winter freezes, coupled with the development of Disney World, changed the landscape of Centra Florida forever, including Ocoee. In addition, the construction of a regional road network including the East/West Expressway (SR 408), the Florida's Turnpike, and the widening of SR 50/Colonial Drive provided access to the once r3mote parts of Ocoee and contributed to the more recent levels of growth in Western Orange County today. As Central Florida became more suburbanized, supporting commercial development was constructed along Ocoee's main commercial corridor — SR 50/Colonial Drive. While development in the study area in the recent past can be considered by some as relatively strong, there appears to be numerous vacant and underutilized properties. Underutilized parcels were defined as those with structures representing less than 33% of the total assessed value of an individual record according to Orange County's 2004 preliminary tax rolls. This percentage should not be construed to mean that a specific parcel or that all parcels failing to meet the test are underutilized. Rather, it is an indicator, taken at an aggregate level, which begins to show where development might take better advantage of the underlying land. As a benchmark, land supporting residential development tends to be held at 25-30% of the total land and building value. Specific parcels may have been overlooked because of incomplete or inadequate data. 3 Though the present effort should not be construed as a detailed analysis intended to identi'y the potential for each of 3 these sites, it is sufficient in scope to gauge the general deployment of real property resources within this setting. Given the general nature of the analysis, failure to identify or characterize specific sites accurately should not materially alter the 3 outcome. 3 3 3 3 Draft-June 18, 2004 36 3 3 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report:or a Community Redevelopment Area 3 The Ocoee study area contains approximately 1,170 acres of land comprised of some €27 tax records. The 2004 3 preliminary Orange County tax rolls set the taxable values for these holdings in aggregate at about $154,893,000. Once certified, the value outlined above (or some figure relatively close to it) would be utilized as the basis for future tax 3 increment revenue. In total, we identified 174 parcels that might be deemed as underutilized and vacant, according to the criteria outlined. Implicitly some, if not all, these parcels might be developed or redeveloped as circumstances or conditions warrant based upon their apparent lower values, physical use, and status. In the aggregate they represent about 40% of the Ocoee study area's total taxable valuations. As a group, the data points to the disturbing patterns of land use that are likely to disrupl the community's economic base. The gross land involved is most indicative of development trends and land use activities that have failed to maximize the value of the underlying real estate. Though potentially not troubling in the short run, it does portend a problem in maintaining control of the area's physical integrity over the longer term and virtually discourages infill 3 development that might enhance the value of these sites. Over time it becomes increasingly more complex to leverage the use of these poorly deployed assets absent material intervention. Mai 3.1 Area Lodging Environment Edfl A visual inspection of the study area revealed that there are currently two lodging properties within the study area. However, a third lodging facility is slated for completion within this year (2004). We have accounted for the two active lodging properties within the tax rolls. Combined, these two properties have a taxable value (2004) of about $3,158,700, which is approximately 2% of the Ocoee study area's total valuations. In addition to the hotels mentioned above, the Colony Plaza is also within the Ocoee study area. The Colony Plaza is a multi-story condominium and was marketed as an investment opportunity because of its Durported close proximity to Disney World. The original concept appeared to be popular, especially with foreign inves'ors. The Colony Plaza was 3 constructed in the late 1960s and was open until 2001. Since then, the property has remained closed and has been documented as a source of multiple code enforcement violations. The 2004 preliminary tax rolls values the property at approximately $2,193,000, which reflects the dilapidated state of the building and the parcel's underutilization, since its taxable value in 1999 was estimated at $10,300,000. 2 Draft—June 18, 2004 37 2 3 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report:or a Community Redevelopment Area 3 Because the revenue potential of a hospitality use is so dependent upon the physical condition of the real property asset, 3 it is important to consider the age of these various properties. It is virtually axiomatic that owners must continue to reinvest in their properties to remain competitive and to retain some useful life of the asset. Given the highly seasonal nature of the area's hotel occupancies, it becomes very difficult to balance each owner's neEd for return against the cost of investment, especially as a hotel unit begins to reach the end of its 30-40 years of useful life. In Daytona, Hallandale, and Ft. Myers such investment has not occurred throughout their respective tourist areas and the affected lodging 3 inventory has reached a level of physical and financial obsolescence that has been difficult to reverse. 2 3.2 Area Residential Environment 31 More than half of the properties within the Ocoee study area identified as single family reside itial do not have homestead exemptions according to official records. Because of the attractive tax treatment Florida grants properties that are reported as the principal place of residence, it has to be assumed that these properties, regardless of their appearance, are either used as second homes and/or rented out. 31 An estimated 46 parcels of the total in the Ocoee study area are ostensibly used for residential purposes. Of these about 33 are reported as single-family units with about 61% of these constructed prior to 1980. About 14 of the single-family 3! units currently claim the homestead exemption. The total taxable value of the single-family inventory and land designated for that use amounts to about $2,490,531, about 2% of the total taxable valuations in the Ocoee study area. 31 Unlike hotels and motels which are relatively regulated, many of the single family properties, as well as some of area's multi family and mobile home properties frequently avoid maintenance and are a source of building code violations even if not immediately observable. Because they are not highly scrutinized for their possible use as rental properties, they rarely pay their appropriate sales, resort or other taxes and tend to be undervalued. As a result, they are unlikely to carry 31 a proportionate share of the community's or the region's service costs. In physical terms, a concentration of such units is itself a potential threat to the community's economic resources because they are generally sited on small lots and widely scattered throughout the communi*y. This pattern of irregularly sized and dispersed lots constrains logistical efforts to assemble or reassemble larger parcel:3 for reuse. 3 31 Draft—June 18, 2004 38 3 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 3 3.3 Area Retail and Restaurant Environment I The spine of the Ocoee study area, SR 50/Colonial Drive, has a distinctly commercial-oriented focus, responding to the 3 demands of the ever-growing resident population in the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as the drive by traffic from Western Orange County and Southeast Lake County. 3 The retail inventory is a mix of regional, community and neighborhood scale retail outlets. The most imposing retail facility is the newly opened Wal-Mart on SR 50. Product types that are offered also vary, from furniture stores, apparel and accessories, to personal supplies. There are also a fair amount of restaurants that line this corridor. The tax records report approximately 31 parcels used for various types of retail and dining activities. The total value of these commercial facilities and parcels is estimated at approximately $43,019,000 or 29.5% of the Ocoee study area's total taxable valuations. In terms of their ostensible physical condition and age, the overall inventory does not appear to be that old. At least 70% of the retail properties were built after 1980, suggesting that they followed much of the residential development in the Ocoee study area. Most of these properties are likely to be code compliant. 2 As with motels and other non-residential properties that lie along the SR 50/ West Colonial Drive corridor, the age and ostensible condition of these various retail establishments belie their ability to remain competitive in the longer term as the retail and entertainment market matures. A visual inspection of this retail inventory, especially the older retail properties, points to poor parking arrangements, poor ingress/egress and building configurations that are simply unsuited to contemporary retail requirements, particularly as those are defined by credit worthy tenants. 11 3.4 Reported Investment and Disinvestment Activity 2 Because much of the Ocoee study area is very non-residential oriented and is located along the City's busiest corridor, a certain level of maintenance and upkeep is expected from the various properties (retail, office and industrial). While we can concede that there is some ongoing renovation and remodeling throughout the Ocoee study area, the pace of new construction has been relatively modest, primarily reacting to the recent growth in residential development. According to the most recent certified tax rolls, there were 14 commercial properties that were built in the last five years. This is an average of less than 3 commercial buildings per year. The taxable value of these commercial properties that were 31 constructed in the last five years total approximately $28,528,000. 3 Draft—June 18, 2004 39 I 111 211 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area In regards to residential investment, the Ocoee study area has very little residential properties. In total, there appears to be 46 residentially designated parcels within the study area. According to the property appraiser data, the Ocoee study area experienced development of 3 single-family residential buildings in the last 5 years. The aggregate taxable value of these properties is approximately $181,000. Disinvestment is more difficult to document. Typically, official records are only maintained for those properties that are removed or converted. To mitigate for the lack of documentation, we generally rely on the property appraiser tax records 23 for an assessment of the values of the buildings in relation to the total property (lot and structure). As a general rule, we view properties that have building values worth less than 33% of the total value to be an underutilized property. In total, we identified 174 parcels that might be deemed as underutilized or vacant according to the criteria outlined. Implicitly some, if not all, these parcels might be developed or redeveloped as circumstances or conditions warrant based upon their apparent lower values, physical use, and status. In the aggregate they represent approximately 40% ($57,789,000) of the Ocoee study area's total valuations. In addition to the underutilized property documented above, the Colony Plaza, as mentioned earlier, is also deemed to be a manifestation of recent disinvestment activity in the study area. RERC reviewed the taxable history for Colony Plaza from 1999 to 2004 (preliminary tax roll data) and found that its taxable value has been in a rate of decline since 2001. According to the Orange County Property Appraiser data, the taxable value history for the referenced property is as follows: 19992000 2001 2002 12003 2004 $10,299,733 $10,357,409 $9,840,704 3,448,074 $2,193,074 $2,193,074 win Effectively, the most urgent threat to the Ocoee study area's commercial and residential inventories is the potential failure to maintain standards that satisfy the consumer's contemporary demands. Generally, the commercial industry is 2 probably better positioned to control decline because fewer owners control larger pieces of property and they are cognizant of consumer demands. At the community level, however, the fractured nature of ownership could be a concern if affected parties do not share a common goal and vision. 511 3.5 Diversified Ownership 23 The Colony Plaza, because of its designated use as a condominium and timeshare property, has a diverse ownership 21 pattern. Including the land, the buildings, and the individual condominium/timeshare units, the Colony Plaza has 294 tax records. Of the estimated 294 records, there are 230 distinct owners, many of which list Puerto Rico as their home address. 31 Draft—June 18, 2004 40 2 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area Excluding the Colony Plaza, of the estimated 305 records, at least 150 are owned by varied individuals or principals, making it difficult or impossible for private interests to mobilize the area for an assemblage that might counteract many of the physical or economic conditions that have been described in this Finding. Absent major intervention, an assemblage seems highly unlikely in the context of current ownership and dysfunctional platting. Finding It will be difficult at best for private interests to assemble holdings of sufficient size and usefulness to introduce alternative development patterns, schemes, or products. The diversity of ownership is a major constraint to any redevelopment activities in the area that will likely be exacerbated by the delinquencies, poor title histories, and a battery of physical and legal impediments that typically preclude redevelopment beyond a small scale. 3.6 Implications for Further Efforts Our analysis of the data, as gathered and provided by the City of Ocoee and Orange County, suggest a relatively unified and homogenous study area in character and orientation even if specific land uses differ. Basically, the Ocoee study area's character is commercial oriented and is highly dependent on the residential support in the greater West Orange County area and drive by traffic on SR 50. If the built environment is not maintained through a continuing stream of investment and reinvestment, the community's ability to generate fiscal resources can be at risk. While the Ocoee study area might not decline drastically in the short run, the City's ability to prevent such degradation and its effects will be felt in the long term as sales and tax collection revenue will most likely mirror the area's decline. The requirement to support the commercial market is concentrated on a mix of support retail, services, and entertainment facilities that must balance their revenues and cost very carefully. If the quality of commercial infrastructure is not preserved through continued investment and reinvestment, this segment of the local economy will be endangered. There are numerous examples of older communities in Florida that have adopted a "budget" approach to their commercial segment, which has led to a decline and has been a problematic pattern to change. Finding Our analysis of the data suggests that there are early signs of unfavorable conditions within the Ocoee study area. That said, one cannot determine with absolute precision where the community falls in its relative stage of maturity. If we ascertain that the commercial industry is still growing and expanding, then these conditions can be more simply mitigated. Conversely, if the industry is in the state of decline, almost any strategy becomes challenging to implement due to the reluctance of private capital investment. Draft—June 18, 2004 41 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 4. CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING BLIGHT In effect, Chapter 163 Part III 163.340 F.S, establishes two similar, but discrete, pathways to determine if the study area is a blighted area, sufficient to warrant the full battery of redevelopment powers conveyed by such a designation. • The first scenario involves the layering of two tests. The first test is broadly conditional and the second test is Num- criteria specific. Both tests must conclude that the described conditions exist affirmatively. • The second scenario involves a specific agreement among parties subject to a prospective trust fund agreement. 460 Where such agreement exists, then the jurisdiction seeking to designate a redevelopment area need pass a less rigorous test. As in the first scenario, this test relates to specific criteria and it must conclude affirmatively. 4.1. Scenario One The first test of scenario one requires that a study area identified as a blighted area contain a "substantial number of deteriorated, or deteriorating structures, in which conditions, as indicated by government-maintained statistics or other studies, are leading to economic distress or endanger life or property ". The second test is that the area must be one in "which two or more of the following factors are present". (a) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, parking facilities, roadways, bridges, or public transportation facilities; 2 (b) Aggregate assessed values of real property in the area for ad valorem tax purposes have failed to show any appreciable increase over the 5 years prior to the finding of such conditions; 3111 (c) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness; (d) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions; X (e) Deterioration of site or other improvements; (f) Inadequate and outdated building density patterns; (g) Falling lease rates per square foot of office, commercial, or industrial space compared to the remainder of the county or municipality; 311 (h) Tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land; (i) Residential and commercial vacancy rates higher in the area than in the remainder of the county or 111 municipality; (j) Incidence of crime in the area higher than in the remainder of the county or municipality; (k) Fire and emergency medical service calls to the area proportionately higher than in the remainder of the county or municipality; Draft-June 18, 2004 42 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area (I) A greater number of violations of the Florida Building Code in the area than the number of violations recorded in the remainder of the county or municipality; (m) Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent the free alienability of land within the deteriorated or hazardous area; or (n) Governmentally owned property with adverse environmental conditions caused by a public or private entity. See Section 163.340(8), F.S. These are identical to the fourteen criteria introduced in Section 1.3 of this Findings Report. 4.2. Scenario Two Chapter 163.340 (8) F.S. also allows that a bl ghted area may be "any area in which at least one of the factors identified in paragraphs (a) through (n) above are present and all taxing authorities subject to 163.387 (2)(a) agree, either by interlocal agreement or agreements with the agency or by resolution, that the area is blighted. Such agreement or resolution shall only determine that the area is blighted". 4.3. Substantial Deterioration Chapter 163.340 (8) F.S. provides no specific criteria or guidance regarding the definition or attributes of deteriorating structures save that implied in the balance of the legislation which focuses on a series of indicators that in the aggregate are assumed to lead to economic, physical or social distress. Generally, blight conditions in the Study Area include bad traffic management practices, insufficient roadway capacity to handle peak periods, infrastructure deficiencies, and higher incidences of crime. In the present case, buildings and structures except a few are largely of acceptable physical } condition but many of the commercial buildings are functionally deteriorated, rendered obsolete by the constraints caused by diversity of ownership, site, access, and mediocre aesthetics. Whatever their apparent physical condition, such condition should not be construed as a measure of their useful life. In our opinion, these varied conditions and circumstances are documented herein. Collectively and individually, they represent a "substantial number of deteriorated, or deteriorating structures" such that they are "leading to economic distress or endanger life or property ". Draft—June 18, 2004 43 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area 5. CONCLUSION: OCOEE REDEVELOPMENT STUDY AREA BLIGHT FACTORS The Ocoee CRA Study Area is one in which a substantial number of deteriorated structures exist and these are materially injurious to both the Study Area's and community's overall sustainability. As documented, these deteriorated structures, functions and conditions are such they "are leading to economic distress or endanger life or property". Of the fourteen criteria listed in Chapter 163.340 (8) FS, our analysis indicates that six conditions exist in the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area and are retarding its immediate and longer term social, economic, and physical development. Alternative one requires that at least two criteria be satisfied. Alternative two requires that at only one criterion be satisfied. a) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, roadways, and public transportation facilities (Chapter 163.340 (8)a FS) The absence of satisfactory roadway and transportation network that satisfies current and future land use patterns create congestion and potentially dangerous trips along SR 50, and other major roadways within the Study Area. Though improvements along SR 50 and other roadways have been discussed and planned, the lack of funds have deterred the materialization of these plans. Localized flooding is known to occur in certain areas such as Story Road and Bluford Avenue. This seems to be a result of inadequate stormwater carrying capacities. Drainage solutions typically occur in conjunction with road (re) construction. The absence of continuous sidewalks is not only a safety issue but also further evidence of inadequate transportation. The condition of the existing road grid precludes the provision of sidewalks without costly reconstruction. The observed traffic patterns caused by the commercial activity along SR 50, industrial uses in adjoining area, and through traffic, clearly, contributes much to circulation and to the safety conditions within the Study Area. Vehicular stacking remains a problem especially on SR 50 and a likely problem on Maguire Road. The abrupt start and stop motion, typically present in a stacking situation, can easily lead to numerous vehicular accidents as recorded in Table 1 on page 29. Though addressed in the City's Comprehensive plan, the expansion of the public transportation system and provision of more facilities is constrained by the lack of funds. b) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions (Chapter 163.340 (8)d FS) Insufficient sidewalks pose an immediately identifiable problem within the Study Area especially along SR 50. While 9 accidents will occur, whatever safeguards are put in place, clearly having sidewalks for pedestrians on which to walk and a visible pedestrian-designated space wherein motorists are alert and vigilant, would diminish the number of accidents involving pedestrians. The wastewater situation with frequent bursts and spills in the main sewer line also cause unsafe and unsanitary conditions within the area. In the long term, the inability of the City to provide sufficient water to satisfy fire safety requirements in the very likely possibility of mid and high-rise development occurring within the Study Area also pose problems. Draft—June 18, 2004 44 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area c) Deterioration of site or other improvements (Chapter 163.340 (8)e FS) As noted in the analysis, most buildings and structures within the Study Area are physically sound overall. There are a few residential properties on Marshall Farms Road and Maine Street that are in a deteriorating condition. However, the primary concern is deterioration in context and setting, which will discourage long-term sustainability and lead to a reduction in useful life more rapidly than would be the case in a stable commercial environment. The context and setting is defined in large part by the quality of the public infrastructure. Among the most noticeable deficiencies are the lack of a good transportation network, sidewalks and other pedestrian-oriented amenities, traffic congestion and supporting utilities. These conditions collectively present a real challenge to redevelopment within the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area. d) Incidence of crime in the area higher than in the remainder of the countyor municipality (Chapter 163.340 8 ' 9 p Y ( P O1 FS) and e) Fire and emergency medical service calls to the area proportionately higher than in the remainder of the county or municipality (Chapter 163.340 (8)k FS) The effect of vacant properties, empty and unobserved parking lots create an environment that is conducive to crime. As documented in this report, the incidents of vehicular accidents, auto thefts, battery cases, retail theft/shoplifting, robbery, and structure fire within the Study Area are significantly higher than City averages. The perception of crime is also significantly increased in these situations. The present deteriorating conditions of empty lots and commercial vacancies will accelerate the area's crime situation if steps are not taken to mitigate the problem. f) Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent the free alienability of land within the deteriorated or hazardous area (Chapter 163.340 (8)m FS) Arguably, the Study Area's diverse ownership is among its most fractious problems. A case in point is the Colony Plaza property. Of the estimated 305 records, at least 150 are owned by varied individuals or principals, making it difficult or impossible for private interests to mobilize tl-e area for an assemblage that might counteract many of the physical or economic conditions. Given the number and non-resident status of these owners, it will be difficult for private interests to acquire the property to turn around its blighting condition. Aggressive intervention will be needed to assemble parcels or holdings adequate in size such that the larger community is evidently committed to changing the Study Area's social, physical and economic character. I i Draft—June 18, 2004 45 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area The information summarized in this Findings Report is adequate by the standards of Scenario One, explained in Section 4.1 on page 42 to acknowledge blight within the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area. The foregoing factors together with other data of inference provided by the City of Ocoee provide a factual predicate. Based on these Findings, the City may determine the Study Area to be blighted. The City Commission through the adoption of a formal resolution and provisions of public notice of proposed actions, may declare that the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Ocoee Redevelopment Study Area is in the interest of public health, safety, morals and welfare. Upon coordination of delegation of redevelopment powers with Orange County, the City may establish the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), adopt a Community Redevelopment Plan and establish the Redevelopment Trust Fund. Draft—June 18, 2004 46 City of Ocoee Finding of Necessity Report for a Community Redevelopment Area DATA REFERENCES 1. Section 163, Part III, Florida Statutes (F.S.) (the "Redevelopment Act"), March 2004 2. City of Ocoee Comprehensive Plan, 2002 3. Ocoee State Road 50 Activity Center Special Development Plan, 1998 4. Access Management and Intersection Operations Study, 1998 5. Capital Improvements Program 2004-2008, 2003 6. Crime and EMS Analysis, Ocoee Police Department, March 2004 7. City of Ocoee website: www.ci.ocoee.fl.us, 2004 8. Windshield Survey of Study Area by RERC, March 04, 2004 9. Windshield Survey of Study Area by HHI, March 05, 2004 10. Project Team Meeting # 1 (Refer to Meeting Minutes), April 7, 2004 11. Meeting with City of Ocoee Planning Director, Russ Wagner, April 14, 2004 12. Meeting with City of Ocoee Public Works Director, David Wheeler, April 19, 2004 13. Project Team Meeting # 2 (Refer to Meeting Minutes), May 5, 2004 14. Joint Planning Area Agreement between Orange County and the City of Ocoee, 1994 15. Code Enforcement Activity Synopsis, City of Ocoee Building Official, June 2004 Draft—June 18, 2004 47