02-24-1994 MINUTES OF THE LOCAL PLANNING AGENCY
SPECIAL MEETING
HELD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1994
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Switzer at 7:30 p.m. followed by a moment of
silent meditation and the pledge of allegiance.
The determination of a quorum was made.
PRESENT: Chairman Switzer, Members Jones, Landefeld, Miller, Rhodus, Swickerath,
Alternates Draia and McKey. Also present were City Manager Shapiro, City
Attorney Rosenthal, Planning Director Wagner, City Consultant /PEC Hooper,
Deputy Clerk King, and Clerk/Stenographer Lewis.
ABSENT: Member Bond.
NEW BUSINESS
PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS (PUBLIC HEARING)
Chairman SWITZER said this was a public hearing and explained the process of the hearing.
Planning Director Wagner introduced Administrative Services Director Beamer, City Manager
Shapiro, City Attorney Rosenthal, and Consultant Hooper as present and able to answer
questions regarding the Comprehensive Plan Amendments. The amendments are the result of
the ELMS legislation, in which the State legislature changed a few laws on growth management
in the State. One change allowed for more flexibility to the Concurrency Management System.
In order to change the Land Development Code the first step is to make changes to various
elements in the Comprehensive Plan. The Board was issued complete elements taken from the
adopted Comprehensive Plan, showing proposed changes by strike -out and highlights. The
modifications will make it easier to administer the concurrency management system and bring
the City up -to -date with other communities in the area. Staff will provide the Board with the
actual proposed changes to the Land Development Code in the Comprehensive Plan at the next
meeting.
CASE NO. CPA- 94 -1 -1
Modification of the Recreation and Open Space Element, the Future Land Use Element,
the Capital Improvements Element and Figure 30 in the Appendices
Planning Director Wagner said the Open Space Element had presently been structured in such
a way that the City had adopted a whole range of standards as part of the Recreation Element.
The standards cover such things as ball fields and basketball courts in detail. This is not a
common practice in Comprehensive Plans. Most communities in their plans have adopted these
types of things as guidelines,and very few adopt elaborate detailed facility standards. Such
details in the standards make it difficult for the City to administer, as typically these facilities
come on line in blocks of items. In other words when a park is added, a number of facilities
Local Planning Agency Special Meeting
February 24, 1994
are developed at one time so it comes in increments. It doesn't come in as one developer comes
in and builds his project. We don't add an increment in recreation space, we add it a block at
a time. Mr. Wagner suggested changing the detailed standards into simple guidelines.
The second main change proposed is to formally adopt 4 acres per 1,000 population as the
concurrency standard for parkland within the City. Previous to that, the City had a standard of
25 acres of recreation and open space per 1,000. Open space is loosely defined to include, not
only park space, but also conservation lands, lakes, and even corridor open space along road
rights -of -way. This is very difficult to quantify. The existing plan provides plenty of open
space within the City to meet that standard based on our current and projected population. The
current Land Development Code requires 20 -30% open space within any development the City
permits and Mr. Wagner pointed out that it was not a standard the City needed to continue
tracking over a period of time. The main focus is to be sure that the City has adequate park
space within the community. Four acres per 1,000 is what the agency, now part of the DEP,
Department of Natural Resources, recommends. The 4 acres per 1,000 standard for the State,
then, will also be the City standard. This standard turns out to be very typical for cities of our
size and in many cases is in excess of what a lot of cities have adopted.
These were the main changes to the actual Recreation and Open Space Element. Also noted
were some minor modifications to the Future Land Use Element. In order to make these
%my changes consistent throughout the document, the staff had to go into the other elements and make
changes such as text changes. Also modified was the Capital Improvements Element to formally
adopt the 4 acres per 1,000 and a few of the tables have been changed to reflect some of the
facilities that are part of the system. In the existing plan the new golf course and a couple of
other parks with an improper amount of recreational acreage were not included in the first
inventory of facilities. Those figures, along with a recreational facilities map on page 30, and
adding the municipal park complex as part of City Hall, have been updated.
The public hearing was opened and no one wished to speak. The public hearing was closed.
Chairman Switzer asked about the guidelines concerning the mini -parks on page 5. Planning
Director Wagner said they were the initial standards and instead of doing it on a park by park
basis, staff looked at the entire City. Alternate Member McKey commended the staff on the
work in preparing the Comprehensive Plan. He asked if the 4 acres changed the amenities of
the current single family requirements. Also, he asked if the golf course was part of the open
space facilities because it was not free. Mr. Wagner said the 4 acres do not change the
amenities required by the single family developments, and that the golf course was a user fee
type facility similar to a swimming pool. Member Landefeld, seconded by Member Miller,
moved to recommend to the Board of City Commissioners a s . royal of the . ro s osed
Com rehensive Plan Amendment CPA- 94 -1 -1 for transmittal to the Florida Department of
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Local Planning Agency Special Meeting
February 24, 1994
Community Affairs for their review and comments . Motion carried 6 - 0.
CASE NO. CPA- 94 -1 -2
Modification of the Traffic Circulation Element, the Future Land Use Element and the
Capital Improvements Element
PEC Consultant Hooper briefly summarized the Traffic Circulation Element using page 2 of
the Traffic Circulation Element. Many LPA members had been present at the time it originally
was reviewed when this was brought forward and the City attempted to adopt level "D" for its
transportation network. At that time FDOT and the Department of Community Affairs said it
could not be done because the City was in an urbanized district, not an urban district.
Consultant Hooper said the City went ahead and adopted level of service "C" for the State
roads and arterial roads with the idea to immediately petition the MPO to include us into the
Orlando urban boundary. Once that was accomplished, the City could set its level of service
"D" on the road networks, similar to what Orange County, Apopka, and all of the adjacent
urban cities so there would be a consistent roadway standard. Application was made last year
which went through the MPO, FDOT, Washington and back to the City. This takes a full year
to accomplish, and that is what the Board was reviewing. Consultant Hooper explained page
14, Table 1 Evaluation of Roadway Capacity, showing that the City proposes to lower the Level
of Service from LOS "C" to "D ". The current LOS is "C" which the Local Planning Agency
and the City Commission approved in 1991. The last major change was on page 50, the actual
't.- changing of the policy 6.4 which adopts the minor arterial and collector roadway as LOS
Standard D, arterial roadways - LOS Standard D, and freeway facilities - LOS Standard D. The
other material included language cleanup removing the old 1985 trip data and replacing it with
newer and more updated traffic /transportation network modeling and road network conditions.
It is a very small but significant change for the City.
City Manager Shapiro asked if the level of service "D" is the typical level of service in urban
areas. Consultant Hooper said it was the typical urban service and it is what is in Orange
County. It is typical within the urban boundaries and for the most part in surrounding cities
that are in the urban boundary. Apopka, Orlando, and nearly all of Seminole works this way.
City Manager Shapiro said if the City is going to end up with a regional plan it must work on
the same system or a comparable system existing between cities.
The public hearing was opened.
Louie Geys, 238 N. Westmont Rd., Ste. 280, Altamonte Springs, FL 33714, asked the City
Engineer to describe the Evaluation of Roadway Capacity Chart on page 14. Consultant
Hooper pointed out the process used in acquiring the data, how trips and anticipated trips affect
the traffic circulation element.
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Local Planning Agency Special Meeting
February 24, 1994
Jim Ferdinand, 2001 Mercy Drive, Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32808, asked Mr. Hooper what
changes were going to occur on Maguire Road with the LOS going to level "D. " Consultant
Hooper said there were 17,400 projected trips as opposed to the current 14,000. It would
change from level "C" to "D."
The public hearing was closed.
Member Swickerath said he had been on the Board for a long time and that the Board functions
both as the Local Planning Agency and the Planning and Zoning Commission. He was not sure
he concurred with what Mr. Hooper said the Board previously approved. What is proposed
lowers the level of service to a point where you can add more trips per day to a road. The City
has not widened any roads. All the City is doing is saying it is willing to suffer more
inconvenience. He was not so sure that it wasn't an appropriate thing to do in a lot of cases,
but he did know personally and he believed the Board had addressed very seriously, the situation
on SR -50 particularly. It is probably true that the City Commission is willing to accept these
levels of service and they are probably appropriate, but the City has not increased capacity.
Mr. Swickerath did not believe the people on the Board agreed to reduce the level of service
or recommend a reduction of a level of service any place since all it does is increase travel time.
City Manager Shapiro said he recalled discussions regarding level of service and when staff
did the Comprehensive Plan there was a sub - committee that covered traffic and there were
`�.► discussions on levels of service at that time. It was all part of the joint approval of the LPA
when it sent the Comprehensive Plan to the City Commission. Mr. Swickerath expressed
concern over increasing traffic levels and wondered if the City was willing to suffer more
inconvenience for the growth and requested a search in records as to the Board's
recommendation of traffic level "D". He pointed out there are several corridors that are really
difficult to negotiate, especially around the East -West Expressway and SR -50 . He
recommended that the City Commission take a long look at the proposed LOS's to avoid having
our streets become like SR -436. He wanted the City and his colleagues to be aware that
someone would have to "come up with the bucks" in dropping from level "A" to "D" and this
could cause a higher tax rate. He did not understand why the Board had to accept everything
so quickly. City Manager Shapiro said there was a price for keeping dirt roads like
Windermere and it would take 20 years to reach level "D ". Consultant Hooper said it was
being consistent with other urban areas. Alternate McKey expressed concern over increased
traffic on White Road. Member Rhodus appreciated all the work that had been put in to
planning but would like more information and time concerning the issues. She asked about the
time frame of the projects. City Manager Shapiro said that growth in the area is based upon
economics. Member Landefeld, seconded by Member Rhodus, moved to recommend to the
Board of City Commissioners approval of the nroposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPA -
94-1-2 for transmittal to the Florida De•artment of Communit Affairs for their review and
comment. Upon Member Swickerath's suggestion, the motion to
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Local Planning Agency Special Meeting
February 24, 1994
include a recommendation that the City Commission examine the proposed level of service on
each segment individually. Motion carried 6 -0.
RECESS 8:50 - 8:55
CASE NO. CPA- 94 -1 -3
Modification of the Capital Improvements Element
Administrative Services Director Beamer explained the financial feasibility affecting the
elements of the plan. In looking at the various changes recommended for the transmission, the
staff also looked at other facilities including parks and traffic circulation in the Capital
Improvement Element. Overall, a 20 year horizon for the Comprehensive Plan is being broken
into 5 year financial feasibility increments. Bonding, an integral part of the plan, could not be
broken into a 5 year increment for Water and Wastewater. The 1993 Bond Issue, in the official
statement, stated the money would be utilized in specific areas and these would be included in
the proposed Comprehensive Plan. Drainage basins have been modified, and the City had been
optimistic about getting all of these done in one year but funds were not available. A detailed
study on basins will be issued to the City Commission soon. The report goes from surveying
the existing and looking at the land use to Capital Improvements necessary to reach a level of
service that will keep flooding from occurring. A third of the basins may be finished in the
1993 -94 fiscal year. As the City Manager indicated, the process is still in place and City is
looking to add more improvements in the next few years.
issor
The public hearing was opened and no one wished to speak. The hearing was closed.
Member Switzer said a "pet peeve" for him was a lack of restrooms around the gazebo and boat
dock of Starke Lake. City Manager Shapiro pointed out each year these are included in the
budget and each year they are cut for lack of funds. Member Rhodus asked if the use of the
new City Hall restrooms would be available to the public and Mr. Shapiro said they were
interior restrooms and would be locked on the weekends.
Alternate Member McKey questioned page 23, paragraph A of the Capital Improvements in
the proposed Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Beamer said the strike -out area should have been left
in and it will be corrected. Member Miller asked about page 27 under County Local Option
Gas Tax, Current Status which should read "Orange County has adopted the rate of six cents."
Member Jones seconded b Member Miller moved to recommend to the Board of Cit
Commissioners a • . royal of the • ro Dosed Com ' rehensive Plan Amendment CPA- 94 -1 -3 for
transmittal to the Florida Department of Community Affairs for their review and comment.
Motion carried 6 -0.
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Local Planning Agency Special Meeting
February 24, 1994
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m. /,
7-
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AROLD SW " ZER, 4113w airman
ELLEN KING, Deputy CI rk
I IE LEWIS, Clerk /Stenographer
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