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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 03 08 Regular ATTACHMENT "A" 231 Oak Road Winter Springs, Florida 32708 March 7, 1999 Mayor and City Commissioners City of Winter Springs 1126 East State Road 434 Winter Springs, Florida 32708-2799 Dear Mayor and Commissioners: As a resident of Winter Springs for more than 15 years and as an urban planner for over 25 years, I would like to commend you for the vision shown in working with staff, consultants, and key stakeholders to plan a town center for our community. Such a town center can serve as a much needed focal point for local economic, social, and governmental activities. Recently I had the opportunity to attend one of your work sessions on the Town Center District Code and briefly review the draft provisions of the code. This draft code has many fine features. However, as I.understand the draft, not much guidance is provided for the location of a wide variety of allowable. land uses. Before the code is finalized, it is suggested that consideration be given to providing additional guidance on land use locations. This guidance would not need to eliminate flexibility, but rather place reasonable limits on the degree of flexibility to reduce the potential for a few poorly located land uses from damaging the viability of the town center. For example, in the heart of the town center along the road referred to as "Main Street" the draft code appears to allow all permitted uses on all floors. Based on the list of permitted uses, this would seem to permit residential and small institutional, scientific instrument manufacturing, and office uses next to the sidewalks along the road which is apparently intended to be the economic hub of the town center. As indicated in the Town Center Master Plan, the first floor areas along these sidewalks would appear to be much better suited for retail activities. By focusing primarily on retail sales activities along these sidewalks, the economic vitality should be enhanced and the potential for "dead spots" which discourage retail customers should be diminished. A focus on retail sales could be achieved by adopting a special use standard which prohibits most other land uses from being located in the first floor portions of buildings adjacent to "Main Street", Market Square, and Magnolia Square. Important civic facilities might be made allowable in these first floor building areas as a special exception. Additional guidance should also be considered for areas envisioned in the master plan as residential neighborhoods. The draft code appears to allow all permitted uses, including a wide range of commercial uses, on all floors in these areas. In order to protect the residential integrity of these areas and preserve their marketability, perhaps standards could be adopted to require most non-residential uses to receive special exception approval in these locations. In addition, the uses eligible for special exception approval in these locations might be limited primarily to various public, semi-public, office, and convenience commercial activities. It is hoped that the comments will be useful in the development of a healthy town center for Winter Springs. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. Sincerely, ?1:L/~~ 6t:7'-~C~~C;/ Barry CC!. pbell .- / / 0". ATTACHMENT "B" 3/5/99 Mr.Mayor and City Commission, .l recently spoke at a commission meeting in support of the city codes. I had. intended to speak again about this matter but a personal emergency will not make it possible for me to attend for some time. Therefore 1 am asking Mayor Partyka to read this letter to the commlSStOn. In a Sentinel news article I read several things that are highly disturbing. First. at the meeting Mr. McLeod spoke of his employees taking home commercial vehicles and called it a ""perk". Then in the news article it stated he said it would be unfair to residents that had been parking this type of vehicle for a long time. This may be a perk for Mr. McLeod but it surely is not for the majority of us that obey the law and care for the quality of our communities.! knew we had codes against this and other things when I chose to live here, this code is not new. I chose to live here partly beacause of this type of code and Mr. McLeod must have been aware oftrns also. It is not right that a eitv commissioner would advocate violating the laws. Now that the commission has publicly said they would not continue to cite violations there has been a very noticeable increase in commercial vehicles in my neighborhood. Just two doors away, a flat bed truck that the code department some time ago had the owner move to an appropriate place is back .Now it is parked on the lav.'1l usually loaded '^lith equipment.! have invested a lot of money in my home, 1 obey the rules, and this is what 1 have to look at. I want to live in a residential neighborhood, r am not the one ignoring the rules why isn't the city helping me and the majority of the citizens that do not thumb our noses at the rules and then complain when they are told to conform. At the meetlng T spoke at, a lady said she did not care ifher property appreciated at all as long as she could park her truck. I do not think the majority of the citizens think this way. In driving around several neighborhoods many of the COmmercial vehicles are not even in the driveway. many are On the lawns,on the sidewalks, and if the trucks or trailers are in the driveway ,the other vehicles are on the lav\'l1s Or sidewalks.TIlis cannot be acceptable. For many years it appears the codes were only enforced 9 to 5 during the week. The city has always enforced these codes as far as I know. The problem appears to have come to light when codes were enforced during the week ends when most of these vehicles were at home. If the city wants to give some borderline violations 30 days or so to comply so be it . But the codes must be enforced and we cannot wait. To drag out this issue will only prolong and increase this problem. Two \\Tongsdo not make a right and the city must see that our la\vs are complied with. Yours Truly f? / Bruce Bo\~er J~ /Vj,{,z &-..-"./'-1/-<- 221 Shore Rd. Winter Springs Fl. 32708 ATTACHMENT "C~' Dear Mayor Partyka and City ~: I--{M"-l-- C:.~K\ ~<;\uN c'ir-! ~~L ccr{ ~ Commissioners: R.ECiEJ~VED MAR 0 ~ 1999 March 3, 1999 CIT\ :;,: vvll\fi-l::.F 6r'RINGS ';1T'1' HALL As a property owner in Winter Springs for many years, I am very concerned about some of the comments which appeared in the Orlando Sentinel regarding commercial vehicles in Winter Springs. Most people do not want these vehicles in their neighborhoods because they are unsightly and are a cancer in our neighborhoods. Once they start showing up it is time for property owners who care to move elsewhere. This has already occurred with several people that I know: I was especially concerned over Commissioner McClouds's statement because he has three employees with his commercial vehicles parked in Winter Springs, that changes could be unfair to residents who own commercial vehicles. I As a commissioner, it is hard to believe that he encourages employees and others to break the law. He also says that he does not want to be unfair to them. What about the rest of us who obey the law? What about the damage that it has done to our neighborhoods and real estate values. These laws have been part of Winter Springs for many years, and they should stay. Leave the law alone. Just enforce it. I request that the Mayor read this letter into the record at the next meeting. Yours truly, Bismark Wheatley - .~...;c:--"'fl," /*: ..,--L ';/,--",1 ).--" ~:t'..t. ',b/" . ..,.,. ,.'-' .. -~~. 11 ~ ATTACHMENT "D" RESOLUTION NO. 876 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRJ[NGS, FLORIDA, EXPRESSING APPRECIATION TO DOUG REID FOR HIS SERVICE ON THE CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD. WHEREAS, DOUG REID has performed an outstanding service to the public by representing the City of Winter Springs on the CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD since July 1998. WHEREAS, the work and efforts of DOUG REID has greatly benefited his neighbors and the residents of Winter Springs, and WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, wish to express their appreciation and acknowledgement on behalf of the citizens of Winter Springs and to commend DOUG REID for his conscientious and faithful service. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA: SECTION I - That this Resolution of Appreciation for the service of DOUG REID be. recorded upon the public records and minutes of said City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida. SECTION II - That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to DOUG REID with our heartfelt thanks for a job well done! PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS day of ,1999 1" ~ ~ 1 kwe ~ det H<<f ~ ~ C4<<4ed tk4. 4eat ~ de ~. PAUL P. PARTYKA, MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK DATE ATTACHMENT "E" I \ INDEX to PUBLIC HEARINGS and/or WORKSHOPS City of Winter Springs II Schrimsher 1. Planning and Zoning Board Hearing - November 4, 1998 d 2. Planning and Zoning Board Hearing - December 2, 1998 3. City Commission Meeting/Workshop - January 13, 1999 4. City Commission Meeting/W orkshop - February 11, 1999 5. City Commission Meeting/Workshop - March 1, 1999 ### ORL9S 109156.1 - LKF