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City of Palm Coast EAR Public Input Process. Update Prepared for the Palm Coast City Council By The FCRC Consensus Center November 24, 2009. The Evaluation and Appraisal Report. Required by statute Evaluates functioning of the comp plan and identifies issues with it
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City of Palm CoastEAR Public Input Process Update Prepared for the Palm Coast City Council By The FCRC Consensus Center November 24, 2009
The Evaluation and Appraisal Report • Required by statute • Evaluates functioning of the comp plan and identifies issues with it • Lays foundation for comp plan amendments to address the identified issues • Due Fall 2010
EAR Public Input Meeting Series Engaged the community in identifying possible issues • 7 Neighborhood Meetings (July -- September 09) • 2 Issues and Topics Meetings (Sept -- Oct 09) • 1 Agency/Local Government Meeting (Oct 09) • Possible City-Wide Forum (Spring 10)
Neighborhood Meetings Agenda • History of Palm Coast and current trends • Information on the EAR • “Treasures” • Vision for the future • Issue identification • Beginning of discussion to identify strategies
Issues and Topics Meetings Agenda • Review issues and input from neighborhood meetings • Review and refine possible strategies to address the issues • Participants assess and evaluate possible strategies
Community Character/Quality of Life Issues • One of Palm Coast’s greatest “treasures” • Maintaining Small-town atmosphere; • Protecting and enhancing the neighborhoods; • Ensuring compatibility of uses; • Enhancing the range of convenient shopping; • Considering a broader range of housing types, in appropriate places, to accommodate all ages and stages of life in the community; • Encouraging the proximity of medical offices and health services.
Community Character/Quality of Life Highlights of Possible Strategies • Review land use map for compatibility of uses • Design and appearance standards • Increased pedestrian and bicycle friendliness, public spaces • Maintain focus on single family for neighborhoods, while allowing a greater range of housing where appropriate (including urban villages)
Natural Areas Issues • Nearness to nature an important defining characteristic of the City • Nature preserves and public lands. • Overall nearness to nature in all its forms • Parks • Trees lining major streets • Buffers and open spaces around neighborhoods • Proximity of beaches and the ocean
Natural Areas Highlights of Possible Strategies • Include criteria for lands to be preserved in comp plan • Inventory environmentally important lands in and around the City • Increase comp plan requirements for natural area protection in new development (wetlands, uplands and corridors) • Continue participation in acquisition programs • Native vegetation in new development
Recreation and Amenities Issues • Trails and pathways consistently cited as “treasures” • Recreational facilities and opportunities, and desire for them varying from neighborhood to neighborhood • Golf or boating • Active parks • Opportunities to enjoy nature
Recreation and Amenities Highlights of Possible Strategies • Coordinate with individual neighborhoods to establish need/desire for additional facilities.
Economic Development Issues • Jobs • Diversification of tax base • Balance of commercial and residential • Concern that economic development not change the fundamentally residential character of the city.
Economic Development Highlights of Possible Strategies • Economic Development Element in comprehensive plan. • Set aside areas for industrial development - incentivize. • Focus primarily on clean industries. Performance standards for other industries. • Analyze proposed development for impact on balance of jobs and residential. • Ensure mixed-use in mixed use areas. • Diversify retail activities to keep more dollars in the community and provide enhanced shopping opportunities.
Services Issues • Stormwater • Water Supply • Transit • Youth Activities • Public Safety • Library • Code enforcement (not a comp plan issue)
Services Highlights of Possible Strategies • Stormwater -- continue maintenance, rehab and replacement, target individual issues • Water Supply -- stronger emphasis on conservation, continued participation in Coquina Coast study • Transit -- coordinate with Flagler to study potential for transit service • Youth Activities -- coordinate with School District to enhance availability of programs and facilities • Library -- coordination with Flagler for additional services • Public Safety -- assist neighborhoods with establishment of Neighborhood Watch programs
Transportation Issues • Mentioned most often in context of its contributions to quality of life. • East-west roads. • General improvements for mobility. • Neighborhood-specific problem areas. • Street lighting.
Transportation Highlights of Possible Strategies • Identification of east-west roadways appropriate for extension. • Policies and criteria for when to widen and when not to widen roads. • Develop/promote canopy roads. • Neighborhood-specific improvements. • Policies and criteria for additional street lighting.
Where To From Here? • Possible City-Wide Forum in Spring 2010