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December, '04: Part 1

Comprehensive Planning

In a conference call on December 3, officials of the state’s Department of Community Affairs indicated that North Redington Beach officials and county planners could expect a favorable response to their proposed comprehensive plan amendments that would help keep tourist facilities on the town’s beachfront.

The Town is recommending changes that would allow 50 units per acre for development of tourist facilities in the commercial tourist zone that now exists on the west side of Gulf Blvd. At the same time, development of condominiums in that area would be restricted to 15 units per acre.

State officials had several questions about the proposal that planners said can easily be answered. They also want assurances that the changes are acceptable to other communities within the region. Steps to get this are currently under way.

Town officials are hoping to have these plan changes approved by early spring. The issue was given priority because of growing developer interest in purchasing existing tourist facilities along the beach. Several developers involved indicated they would prefer to redevelop these properties with new tourist units, such as condo hotels, but could not do so under the current plan and its limit of 25 units per acre.

Residents who participated in public meetings on the planning process indicated a higher number of units for tourist facilities would be acceptable if they were limited in size so that total square footage in a structure would be comparable to what the larger condo buildings provide.

Town officials are working on new ordinances to define condo hotels and other transient facilities to meet these guidelines. They are also looking to legislate design standards that will encourage structures that enhance the overall appearance of the town. Finally, they are proposing an ordinance that would use developer agreements to make sure community objectives as well as those of developers is achieved.

Planners have analyzed the impact of the changes, and can show that they would not adversely affect basic utility services or traffic. They are preparing additional studies to show little effect on emergency management.

Planners also were able to show that because so many of the current structures in the affected area were built before the 25 units per acre plans were enacted, they exceed that number. As a result, the new standard would not affect the total available units in the area by that much.

Action by both the Planning and Zoning Board and the Town Commission will be required to put the changes in place. More information will be shared with residents and public hearings will be held.

Undergrounding

Utilities officials now estimate they will have the undergrounding completed by the end of April. They expect that the first phase of the project which includes 173rd Ave. Kennedy Drive and Rosa Lee Way, will be done by the end of January.

The summer hurricanes set back the original timetable for completion by at least three months. Officials now feel that they can devote the resources necessary to meet the new targets.

Upcoming Events

The deadline for candidates to qualify for the March elections is December 17. The winners of the town’s holiday decorations will be announced December 16.

Ordinarily, we try to update this news page on a monthly basis. This month, we’ll add items to cover the results of these two events by Monday, December 20.