PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION (P&Z)
Patrick Michael Grall-District 1 Jonathan Day-District 4 Kenneth A. "Chip" Landers-District 3 Angela Waldrop-District 5 Todd Brognano-Member at Large, Vice Chairman Jordan Benson Stewart - Member at Large Shawn Frost - Non-voting liaison School Board
Alan S. Polackwich, Sr.-District 2, Chairman
The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 7:00 p.m. on THURSDAY, April 13, 2017, in the County Commission Chambers of the County Administration Building, 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SHALL ADJOURN NO LATER THAN 11 :00 P.M. UNLESS THE MEETING IS EXTENDED OR CONTINUED TO A TIME CERTAIN BY A COMMISSION VOTE.
AGENDA
ITEM#l CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ITEM#2 ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA
ITEM#3 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. March 23, 2017
ITEM#4 PUBLIC HEARING
A. Consideration of Proposed Land Development Regulation Amendment to Chapter 913 (Subdivisions and Plats) Allowing Lot Splits for Commercial Property [Legislative}
ITEM#5 COMMISSIONERS MATTERS
F:\Community Development\CurDev\P&Z\Agenda & Lists 2017\4-13-17 agenda.doc ITEM#6 PLANNING MATTERS
A. Planning Information Package
B. Update from Staff
ITEM#? ATTORNEY'S MATTERS
ITEM# ADJOURNMENT
Except for those matters specifically exempted under the State Statute and Local Ordinance, The Commission shall provide an opportunity for public comment prior to the undertaking by the Commission of any action on the agenda, including those matters on Consent Agenda or matters added to the agenda at the meeting.
ANYONE WHO MAY WISH TO APPEAL ANY DECISION, WHICH MAY BE MADE AT THIS MEETING, WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS MADE, WHICH INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE ON WHICH THE APPEAL IS BASED.
ANYONE WHO NEEDS A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION FOR THIS MEETING MUST CONTACT THE COUNTY'S AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) COORDINATOR AT 772-226- 1223, AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
Meeting may be broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 27 - may be rebroadcast continuously Saturday 7:00 p.m. until Sunday momin 7:00 a.m. Meetin broadcast same as above on Comcast Broadband, Channel 27 in Sebastian.
F:\Community Development\CurDev\P&Z\Agenda & Lists 2017\4-13-17 agenda.doc 2 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
There was a meeting of the Indian River County (IRC) Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of the County Administration Building, 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach, Florida. You may hear an audio of the meeting; review the meeting agenda, backup material and the minutes on the Indian River County website www.ircgov.com/Boards/P.?.C/2015. Present were members: Chairman Alan Polackwich Sr., District 2 Appointee; Patrick Grall, District 1 Appointee; Chip Landers, District 3 Appointee; Dr. Jonathan Day, District 4 Appointee; and Jordan Stewart, Member-at-Large. Vice Chairman Todd Brognano, Member-at-Large; Angela Waldrop, District 5 Appointee; and Shawn Frost, non-voting School Board Liaison, were absent. Also present was IRC staff: Bill DeBraal, Deputy County Attorney; John McCoy, Chief of Current Development; Ryan Sweeney, Senior Planner of Current Development; and Lisa Carlson, Recording Secretary. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. and all stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. Additions and Deletions to the Agenda Chairman Polackwich pointed out a typographical error in the agenda regarding land use designations. Approval of Minutes ON MOTION BY Mr. Landers, SECONDED BY Mr. Stewart, the members voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the minutes of the February 23, 2017 meeting as presented. Item on Consent Chairman Polackwich read the following into the record: A. McBride Accessory Dwelling: Request for administrative permit use approval to convert a garage into a 572 square foot accessory dwelling. Linda McBride, Owner. Indian River Project Management, Agent.
PZC/Unapproved 1 March 23, 2017 Located at 1496 Treasure Cove Lane. Zoning: RS-3 (Residential Single-Family up to 3 units per acre). Land Use Designation: L-1 (Low Density Residential 1 up to 3 units per acre). (AA-17-05-66-95030117- 78733) [Quasi-Judicial]
Chairman Polackwich asked the Commissioners to reveal any ex-parte communication with the applicant or any conflict that would not allow them to make an unbiased decision. The members stated that they had not had any ex parte communication. ON MOTION BY Dr. Day, SECONDED BY Mr. Grall, the members voted unanimously (5-0) to approve staff recommendations on this Quasi-Judicial matter.
Item Not on Consent Chairman Polackwich read the following into the record: A. FPL Heritage Switchyard: Request for administrative permit use approval for a private limited utility facility (electrical switchyard). Florida Power & Light Company, Owner. Culpepper & Terpening, Inc., Agent. Located at the southeast corner of 4th Street and 98th Avenue. Zoning: A-2 (Agricultural 2 up to 1 unit per 10 acres). Land Use Designation: AG-2 (Agricultural 2 up to 1 unit per 10 acres). (SP-MA-17-04-04 / 2016120041-78459) [Quasi-Judicial]
Chairman Polackwich asked the Commissioners to reveal any ex-parte communication with the applicant or any conflict that would not allow them to make an unbiased decision. He disclosed that in the 1980's, his family entered into litigation with FPL and that the issue was resolved after several years. In addition, while serving as County Attorney between 2010 and 2013, he worked cooperatively with FPL on a variety of community electrical issues. The other members stated that they had not had any ex-parte communication. The secretary administered the testimonial oath to those present who wished to speak at tonight's meeting on this matter. Mr. Ryan Sweeney, Senior Planner of Current Development, reviewed information regarding the request for administrative permit use approval and gave a PowerPoint presentation, copies of which are on file in the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) Office. He recommended that the Commission
PZC/Unapproved 2 March 23, 2017 grant administrative permit use approval for the FPL Heritage Switchyard with the conditions stated in the staff report.
Applicant Mr. Bruce Barkett, representing FPL, clarified details of the proposed project and requested that should the County's landscaping ordinance be amended as planned, that they would like the opportunity to update their landscaping plan.
Mr. John McCoy, Chief of Current Development, agreed that if the land development regulations (LOR) changed in the applicant's favor, they would have the opportunity to modify their landscaping plan prior to obtaining their Certificate of Occupancy (CO).
ON MOTION BY Mr. Landers, SECONDED BY Dr. Day, the members voted unanimously (5-0) to accept staff recommendations with the revisions regarding LDR's on this Quasi-Judicial matter. Public Hearing Chairman Polackwich read the following into the record: A. FPL Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center: Request for special exception use approval for a private heavy utility facility (solar energy center). Florida Power & Light Company, Owner. Culpepper & Terpening, Inc., Agent. Located on the west side of 98th Avenue between 4th Street and 9th Street SW (Oslo Road). Zoning: A-2 (Agricultural 2 up to 1 unit per 10 acres). Land Use Designation: AG-2 (Agricultural 2 up to 1 unit per 10 acres). (SP-SE-17-04-06 I 2017030093-78598) [Quasi-Judicial]
Chairman Polackwich asked the Commissioners to reveal any ex-parte communication with the applicant or any conflict that would not allow them to make an unbiased decision. He made the same disclosures as with the previous case and stated that he felt that he could be fair and impartial in this case. The other members indicated that they had not had any ex-parte communication. The secretary administered the testimonial oath to those present who wished to speak at tonight's meeting on this matter. Mr. Ryan Sweeney, Senior Planner of Current Development, reviewed information regarding the request for special exception use approval and gave a PowerPoint presentation, copies of which are on file in the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) Office. He recommended that the Commission
PZC/U napproved 3 March 23, 2017 recommend that the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) grant special exception approval for the proposed solar energy center with the conditions stated in the staff report.
Applicant Ms. Krista Hendricks, representing FPL, clarified details of the proposed project and gave a PowerPoint presentation, copies of which are on file in the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) Office.
Mr. Mike Ziegler, representing Mr. WC Graves IV, adjacent landowner to the proposed facility, voiced his concerns regarding the integrity of the culverts involved in the proposed project. He asked that the Board have a professional engineer assess the integrity of the existing culverts and provide a professional engineering report of findings with recommendations that ensure continued drainage and irrigation as well as safe travel, averting an accident involving personal injury or property damage directly caused by culvert or. roadway inadequacies.
Lengthy discussion followed regarding Mr. Ziegler's concerns.
A revision to the culvert condition was suggested by the Chairman. That revision was accepted by the applicant's agent, Mr. Bruce Barkett. Mr. John McCoy agreed with the proposed revision, which makes the condition more open ended to account for field conditions.
ON MOTION BY Dr. Day, SECONDED BY Mr. Stewart, the members voted unanimously (5-0) to accept staff recommendations with rev1s1ons regarding culvert improvements on this Quasi Judicial matter. Commissioner's Matters
There were none.
Planning Matters
There were none.
Attorney's Matters
There were none.
Adjournment
PZC/U nap proved 4 March 23, 2017 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m.
PZC/Unapproved 5 March 23, 2017 - PllBUC HEARING LDR Al\1ENDi\H::\T INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA !LEGISJ .ATI \ 'El MEMORANDUM
TO: The Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission
DEPARTMENT HEAD CONCURRENCE:
Stan Boling, AI~' P; ommunity Development Director
THROUGH: John W. McCoy, .~ CP; Chief, Current Development~M
FROM: Ryan Sweeney; Senior Planner, Current Developmen~
DATE: April 5, 2017
SUBJECT: Consideration of a Proposed Land Development Regulation Amendment to Chapter 913 (Subdivisions and Plats) Allowing Lot Splits for Commercial Property
It is requested that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Planning & Zoning Commission at its regular meeting ofApril 13, 2017.
BACKGROUND
At its meeting of February 14, 2017, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) directed staff to draft an amendment to the Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter 913) to provide a streamlined process for splitting commercial property (see attachment 1). During discussion at the February 14 BCC meeting, staff noted that many jurisdictions have minor subdivision processes and that staff could support a code change that would allow for commercial property splits with criteria.
The current Subdivision Ordinance provides an allowance for a "one-time" split (i.e. from one parcel into two parcels) of property, regardless of zoning designation, that has not been previously split since July 23, 1983. However, ifa property has been divided via a one-time split after July 23, 1983, then any further division of the resulting parcels must be reviewed and approved through the subdivision platting process. In order to allow for additional divisions of commercial property without going through the formal subdivision platting process, the Subdivision Ordinance needs to be amended.
In response to the BCC's direction, staff has drafted a proposed amendment to the Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter 913 ). The proposed amendment provides for additional division of commercial property by filing an administrative approval (AA) site plan application, instead of the division(s) being reviewed and approved through the formal subdivision platting process. The proposed amendment will allow a commercial parcel or parcels to be divided regardless of whether the previous parcel or parcels were split after July 23, 1983, if certain criteria are met and site plan approval is granted (see the analysis section of this report for more details).
F:\Community Development\CurDev\P&Z\20 l 'NJ 13.06 Commercial Lot Splits 04-13-17 Public Hearing.docx 1 The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) is now to consider the proposed ordinance and make a recommendation to the BCC to approve, approve with modifications, or deny the proposed ordinance.
ANALYSIS
The current subdivision platting process is a multi-step process, and applies to both commercial and residential property. The first step is the pre-application conference meeting which involves review ofthe subdivision's conceptual layout and a determination of overall "big picture" requirements that may apply. The next step is the preliminary plat which provides the general layout and design of the subdivision, and requires Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) review and approval. The third step is the Land Development Permit (LDP) which involves submittal of a detailed set of construction plans for all required infrastructure (e.g. roads, drainage improvements, utilities, and landscaping/buffering), and is reviewed and approved at the stafflevel. The final step is review and approval of the final plat which is a legal document that legally describes and divides the property into separate lots and tracts, and establishes easements, ownership and access rights, and maintenance obligations. Final plats require BCC approval. That approval is not granted until required infrastructure is either completed or substantially completed with remaining items guaranteed by a posted security.
The proposed regulation provides an optional site plan review process (see attachment #2) for commercial lot splits that will be an alternative to the subdivision platting process. Residential properties are not affected by the proposed amendment. For residential property, the expected end product is a number of independent, buildable lots that are fully-served and supported by all necessary infrastructure; those items will continue to be addressed through the current platting process. Unlike conventional single-family residential property, development ofcommercial property is controlled by the site plan review and approval process. Thus, under the proposed amendment, commercial lot splits and associated layout and infrastructure requirements will be reviewed through the site plan review process, without the need for a full subdivision plat review, subject to certain conditions.
As structured, the ordinance change will continue to allow a commercial property owner to go through the full subdivision platting process which can be advantageous for establishing common areas and easements, and for legally describing and marketing commercial building lots. If adopted, the new regulation will allow county staff to review and approve certain divisions of commercial properties through the site plan process, instead ofthe full subdivision platting process. It should be noted that the proposed commercial lot split site plan alternative will not completely replace formally platted commercial subdivisions. In practice, most divisions oflarge commercial properties will still be reviewed and approved through the subdivision platting process. Also, most changes or modifications to a previously platted common area ( e.g. a storm water tract) will require replatting through the subdivision replat process, per Florida's statutory plat requirements.
The proposed regulation is separated into two subsections. One subsection governs the division of a platted commercial lot or tract (i.e. parcels that were previously created through the subdivision platting process), and the other subsection governs the division ofan unplatted commercial parcel of
F:\Community Development\CurDev\P&Z\2017\913.06 Commercial Lot Splits 04-13-17 Public Hearing.docx 2 record (i.e. existing parcels that were not previously created through the subdivision platting process). In both cases, each resulting parcel must meet applicable land development regulation (LDR) requirements for lot size, lot dimensions, and paved road frontage. For the division ofplatted lots or tracts, the resulting parcels must be served by existing adequate infrastructure (e.g. roads, drainage improvements, utilities) as provided with the original subdivision improvements, and development will be controlled via the lot split site plan and any subsequent site plan for development of the commercial lot.
The other subsection addresses the division ofunplatted commercial property. Forunplatted parcels ofrecord, resulting parcels must be served by existing adequate infrastructure ( such as provided by a previous site plan development) or by future infrastructure, including shared infrastructure, that will be identified during review ofthe lot split site plan and committed to via a recorded covenant that cannot be terminated or modified without County consent. As structured, development ofunplatted commercial properties that go through the proposed process will be governed by the approved lot split site plan and any associated covenant deemed necessary to ensure future provision ofadequate infrastructure at the time of development of the commercial lot.
RECOMMENDATION
Staffrecommends that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommend that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the proposed commercial lot split ordinance.
ATTACHMENTS
1. February 14, 2017 BCC Agenda Item and Minutes 2. Proposed Ordinance
APPROVED AS TO FO -~
:m:.?tmWILLIAM K. OEBRML DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY
F:\Commwiity Development\CurDev'J>&Z\2017\913.06 Commercial Lot Splits 04-13-17 Public Hearing.docx 3 February 14, 2017 ITEI\~ 14.B.1
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIO~~ERS
INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Members of the Board of County Commissioners
DATE: February 6, 2017
SUBJECT: Minor Subdivision Site Plan Ordinance
FROM: Peter O'Bryan ~ ~ & Commissioner, District 4 ~ , •
I would like to ask the Board to consider directing staff to draft an ordinance allowing for a m1nor subdivision site plan for commercial splits.
AnACHIIENT 1 Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2017
13. COUNTY ATTORNEY MATTERS
13.A 17-0140 Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals Member Appointment
Recommended Action: The County Attorney recommends that the Board review the applicant's resume and application, and determine whether to appoint her to fill the unexpired term for the "General Public" representative to the Construction Board ofAdjustment and Appeals.
Attachments: Staff Report Committee Application (CBAAl - Dixonc C Dixon Resume
County Attorney Dylan Reingold requested that the Board consider the appointment ofCindi Dixon to fill the unexpired term for the "General Public" representative to the Construction Board ofAdjustment and Appeals.
A motion was made by Vice Chairman O'Bryan, seconded by Chairman Flescher, to appoint Cindi Dixon to fill the unexpired term for the "General Public" representative to the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 5 - Chairman Flescher, Vice Chairman O'Bryan, Commissioner Adams, Commissioner Solari, and Commissioner Zorc 14. COMMISSIONERS MATIERS
A. Commissioner Joseph E. Flescher, Chairman
B. Commissioner Peter D. O'Bryan, Vice Chairman
14.B.1 17-0159 Minor Subdivision Site Plan Ordinance (for discussion--no back-up)
Recommended Action: Direct Staff to draft ordinance allowing for a minor subdivision site plan for commercial splits.
Attachments: Commissioner Memorandum
Vice Chairman O'Bryan recapped portions of County Ordinance 1983-24 pertaining to the rules for splitting parcels in subdivisions. He noted that the rules allow for a parcel to be split one time, and that the owner must undertake the full subdivision approval process if the parcel needs to be split again. He asked his fellow Commissioners to consider initiating a minor subdivision site plan for commercial property splits, which would provide more flxibility to the property
Indian River Counfy Florida Page 10 ATTACHMENT 1 Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2017
owner and still ensure that staff has an overall vision ofthe future parcels.
Wesley Davis, 7000 I 84th Avenue, discussed the need for the minor subdivision site plan, citing an example of a new Dunkin' Donuts where due to a lot adjustment, the developer must undergo the entire replat process.
Community Development Director Stan Boling described the types of situations where the minor subdivision site plan would apply, and informed the Board that it would take approximately 90-120 days to amend the Subdivision Ordinance.
Bob Johnson, Coral Wind Subdivision, sought and received information on whether the minor subdivision site plan would impact Community Development staffing.
A motion was made by Vice Chainnan O'Bryan, seconded by Chainnan Flescher, to direct staff to draft an amendment to the SubdivisionOrdinance, allowing for a minor subdivision site plan for commercial property splits, and to move forward with the amendment process. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 5 - Chairman Flescher, Vice Chairman O'Bryan, Commissioner Adams, Commissioner Solari, and Commissioner Zorc C. Commissioner Susan Adams
D. Commissioner Bob Solari
14.D.1 17-0163 Naming of Gifford Park Ball Fields
Attachments: Commissioner Memorandum
Additional Back-up Provided 02/13/17
Commissioner Solari relayed a proposal from a citizen to name the Gifford football field after William H. "Chicken Shack" Wilson, Jr., (Coach Wilson) and Scott Chisholm. He stated that both individuals have a lifetime of helping local young people, and read a portion of Coach Wilson's and Mr. Chisholm's biographies.
Anthony Brown, 4159 57th Court, spoke ofthe ethics and sportsmanship which were instilled in him by Coach Wilson, and recounted an incident where Mr. Chisholm helped outfit the Gifford Little League team at no charge.
Discussion ensued regarding the numerous contributions made to the community by the two gentlemen.
Indian River County Florida Page 11 ATTACHIIENT 1 ORDINANCE 2017-
AN ORDINANCE OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, CONCERNING AMENDMENTS TO ITS LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS (LDRs); PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 913, SUBDIVISIONS AND PLATS; BY AMENDING SECTION 913.06(1) UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY AND 913.06(2) EXEMPTIONS; AND BY PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF CONFLICTING PROVISIONS; CODIFICATION; SEVERABILITY; AND EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS (LDRS) CHAPTER 913, SUBDIVISIONS AND PLATS, BE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION#l:
Amend LDR Section 913.06(1) Unlawful activity; as follows:
(1) Unlawful activity. It shall be unlawful and subject to the penalties provided herein for any person to:
(A) Create a subdivision without first complying with the provisions of this chapter and filing a plat approved by the board of county commissioners unless exempt under section 913.06(2). The dividing ofland into two (2) or more parcels without filing a plat under the provisions of this chapter, where the land divided was the result of a previous division ofland into two (2) or more parcels which occurred after July 23, 1983, is prohibited.
(B) Divide property by any means for the purpose of sale or transfer of title unless each of the resulting parcels has at least the minimum area and width requirements prescribed by the zoning regulations and land use plan of Indian River County as applied to the lots created, unless exempt under sections 913.06(2) or 913.09(6).
(C) Divide property after December 8, 1973 by any means where a resulting lot does not have frontage on: a dedicated public right-of-way, private platted right-of-way (street), or a roadway historically and currently maintained by the county, as referenced on the county road grading map, of at least:
1. Sixty (60) continuous feet, unless exempted under section 913.06(2), or unless the lot fronts upon a cul-de-sac or curve and meets the requirements of section 913.09(6)(C), for properties located within the A-1, A-2, A-3, Con-2, Con-3, RFD and RS-1 zoning districts;
2. The minimum lot width of the zoning district applicable to the lot(s) created for properties located within zoning districts other than those referenced in the above paragraph 1., unless exempted under section 913.06(2), or unless the lot fronts upon a cul-de-sac or curve and meets the requirements of section 913.09(6)(c). Access, ingress/egress, or other easements shall not be deemed to constitute a publicly dedicated road right-of-way unless previously dedicated to and accepted by
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the county. Private access easements shall be considered "private platted rights-of way (street)" for purposes of this section, if:
a. The physical roadway located within the easements(s) existed prior to the county's road frontage requirement (December 8, 1973). The alignment of the physical roadway may be shifted from its 1973 location if the roadway remains in the same general location and retains its 1973 beginning and ending points; and
b. The physical roadway has a passable width for two-way traffic meeting county local road standards (twenty (20) feet for single-family development); and
c. A notarized letter, acceptable to the county attorney's office in regard to form and legal sufficiency, from the person or entity responsible for road maintenance is filed with the county and recorded in the public records, indicating the person or entity responsible for maintenance and the method ofmaintenance performed; and
d. The person(s) proposing the lot split files for and obtains administrative approval from staff, verifying that requirements are satisfied regarding private road right of-way frontage.
Note: Parcels created between September 21, 1990 and December 4, 1991 are subject to the sixty (60) contiguous feet (rather than a minimum lot width) frontage requirement, regardless of the zoning district in which the property is located.
(D) Commence the construction of any improvements required under this chapter without first having obtained a land development permit from Indian River County or fail to construct or maintain improvements in accordance with an approved land development permit, plat approval or requirements of this chapter.
(E) Create a public or private right-of-way (street) without platting in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter.
(F) Divide any lot or tract in a platted residential subdivision that was approved by the board of county commissioners of Indian River County in a manner which results in a construction-site smaller than or inconsistent with the surrounding lots in the subdivision unless approved by the board of county commissioners.
1. Any request to divide a lot or tract in such a manner shall be reviewed and considered as follows:
a. The technical review committee (TRC) shall review the request and make a recommendation to the planning and zoning commission;
b. The planning and zoning commission at a public hearing shall review the request and make a recommendation to the board of county commissioners;
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c. The board of county commissioners at a public hearing shall review the request and approve, approve with conditions, or deny the request.
2. Written notice of the public hearings shall be mailed certified to each owner of property in the subdivision at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the hearing.
3. Prior to approval of a lot split, the board of county commissioners shall determine that:
a. No substantial negative neighborhood impacts are anticipated as a result of the split or subsequent similar neighborhood lot splits;
b. The resulting lots conform to the applicable county zoning requirements and state regulations;
c. The resulting lots are buildable under current regulations;
d. No substantial adverse impacts on existing infrastructure are anticipated, as the result of the split or subsequent similar neighborhood lot splits, via the resulting increase in density or intensity ofuse;
e. The impacts of the split or potential splits will not degrade adopted levels of service to unacceptable levels, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 910, Concurrency Management;
f. The applicant certifies that he knows of no recorded deed restrictions or covenants which would prohibit the division or splitting of the lots.
SECTION #2:
Amend LDR Section 913.06(2) Exemptions; as follows:
(2) Exemptions. The following activities shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter:
(A) Creation ofequal or larger building sites from lots ofrecord.
1. The combination or recombination of all or a portion ofpreviously created parcels of record where the newly created or residual parcels comply with all applicable zoning district dimensional criteria or, where applicable, the regulations governing nonconformities.
2. The combination or recombination of all or a portion of previously platted parcels of record are exempt where none of the newly created or residual parcels contain less area, width or depth than the smallest ofthe original parcels ofrecord being combined and no streets of any kind or public easements are created, changed or extinguished.
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(B) Boundary settlements. Any conveyance between adjoining landowners if:
1. The purpose of the conveyance is to adjust or settle the common boundary line between adjoining landowners;
2. The deed ofconveyance or other legal instrument states such purpose and is recorded in the official records of Indian River County; and
3. The resulting parcel(s) conform to the applicable zoning district dimensional criteria.
(C) Conveyance to government. Any division of land for the purpose of conveying land to any federal, state or local government entity or agency or public utility, provided such conveyance is accepted by the grantee by an instrument recorded in the public records of Indian River County.
(D) Division by order of court. Any division of land by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(E) Corrective instrument. Any conveyance for the purpose of correcting an error made in the language used in an original conveyance.
(F) Forty-acre tracts. Any division of land where all parcels resulting from the division contain forty ( 40) acres of land or more and no public easements or streets are created. When the tract prior to dividing is a size which is not an even multiple of forty ( 40) acres, a fractional breakdown resulting in lots of equal size which are larger than thirty-eight (38) acres also qualifies for the exemption. Notwithstanding this exemption for the creation of parcels forty (40) acres or greater in size, any proposal or aggregate proposals to create fifty (50) or more parcels forty (40) acres or greater in size shall be deemed to constitute a subdivision and shall require approval as a subdivision. All provisions of this chapter shall apply.
(G) Platting ofa portion ofa tract. Platting of a portion of a parcel or tract under the terms and procedures of this chapter, shall not constitute a splitting of that parcel or tract.
(H) Lot split for commercial propertv.
1. Any division of a previously platted commercially zoned lot or tract where each resulting parcel meets applicable land development regulation requirements for lot size, lot dimensions, and paved road frontage, and is served by adequate infrastructure as demonstrated through an administrative approval site plan filed in accordance with site plan ordinance section 914.06(1)(c) and approved by the Community Development Director or his designee. Prior to receiving administrative approval, the applicant shall demonstrate that each resulting parcel meets subdivision covenants and restrictions, as applicable.
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2. Any division of an unplatted commercially zoned property where each resulting parcel exceeds one acre in size, meets applicable land development regulation reguirements for lot size, lot dimensions, and paved road frontage, and is either served by existing adequate infrastructure (including shared access with adjacent properties} or is subiect to a recorded covenant adequately providing for shared infrastructure and shared access at the time of development, as demonstrated through an administrative approval site plan flied in accordance with site plan ordinance section 914.06(1)(c) and approved by the Community Development Director or his designee. The County shall review and be made a party to any covenant used to meet this regulation to ensure that the covenant is not terminated or modified without County consent. Such covenant shall include as an exhibit a legal description and survey sketch provided by the applicant.
SECTION #4: SEVERABILITY
If any clause, section or provision of this Ordinance shall be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid for any cause or reason, the same shall be eliminated from this Ordinance and the remaining portion of this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect and be as valid as if such invalid portion thereof had not been incorporated therein.
SECTION #5: REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES
The provisions of any other Indian River County ordinance that are inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are repealed to the extent of such inconsistency or conflict.
SECTION #6: INCLUSION IN THE CODE OF LAWS AND ORDINANCES
The provisions of this Ordinance shall become and be made a part of the Code of Laws and Ordinances of Indian River County, Florida. The sections of the Ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such, and the word 11 ordinance" may be changed to 11section", "article", or any other appropriate word.
SECTION #7: EFFECTIVE DATE
This Ordinance shall take effect upon filing with the Department of State.
This ordinance was advertised in the Press-Journal on the __ day of__ _, 2017, for a public hearing to be held on the __ day of____ _, 2017, at which time it was moved for adoption by Commissioner-----~ seconded by Commissioner ______, and adopted by the following vote:
Chairman Joseph E. Flescher
Vice Chairman Peter D. O'Bryan
Commissioner Bob Solari
Bold Underline: Additions to Ordinance ATTACHMENT 5 Stfil.Ee d-.:ffi\lgh: Deleted Text from Existing Ordinance 2 F:\Community Development\CurDev\Ordinances\20 l 70rdinances\2017-_ 913.06.docx ORDINANCE 2017-
Commissioner Tim Zorc
Commissioner Susan Adams
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
The Chairman there upon declared the ordinance duly passed and adopted this ____ day of -----, 2016.
BY: Joseph E. Flescher, Chairman
ATTEST: Jeffrey R. Smith, Clerk of Court and Comptroller
BY: ------Deputy Clerk
This ordinance was filed with the Department of State on the following date: ______
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGAL SUFFICIENCY
Dylan Reingold, County Attorney
APPROVED AS TO PLANNING MATTERS
Stan Boling, AICP; Community Development Director
Bold Underline: Additions to Ordinance ATTACHMENT 6 Strike through: Deleted Text from Existing Ordinance 2 F:\Community Development\CurDev\Ordinances\2017Ordinances\2017-_ 913.06.docx PLANNING I
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA MATTERS I I MEMORANDUM
TO: Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission ~ FROM: Stan Boling, A1CP; Community Development Director
DATE: April 7, 2017
SUBJECT: Planning Information Package for the April 13, 2017 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting
For this meeting's packet, the following articles are provided:
(1) "Florida consumer sentiment in March hits pre-recession level", Florida Trend, April 5, 2017.
(2) "Florida's Housing Market Continues to Show Rising Prices in Feb. 2017", Florida Trend, March 23, 2017.
(3) "Construction employment increased in 43 states during 2016; Florida and Rhode Island add most jobs", Florida Trend, March 27, 2017.
(4) "A state of wealth", Florida Trend, March 28, 2017, Andrew P. Corty.
(5) "The Rise and Fall of an African American Inner City", Moderncities.com, March 31, 2017, Yuri Gama.
(6) "To Address Affordable Housing Shortage, Restoring 19th-Century Homes" The New York Times, March 28, 2017, Christine Negroni.
(7) "America is 'over-stored' and Payless ShoeSource is the latest victim", The Washington Post, April 5, 2017, Travis M. Andrews.
(8) "The troubles at the American mall are coming to a boil", The Washington Post, April 5, 2017, Sarah Halzack.
cc: Board of County Commissioners (via e-mail) Jason Brown (via e-mail) Michael Zito (via e-mail) Michael Smykowski (via e-mail) Phil Matson (via e-mail)
F:\Community Development\CurDev\P&Z\ARTICLES\Articles for 2017\4-13-17 articles.docx Floricla constirnt~r sentiment in March bits pre-recession
..le: ·,,...... p.-1 by Posted 4/5/'2.017 Upduted 40 mins ago
Consumer sentiment among I The reading of 99 in March was the highest since March 2002 and the second-highest since November 2000. The 5.2-point increase in March followed a dip in February, which ended the month with a revised reading of 93.8. All five of the components that make up the index increased. Perception of one's personal financial situation now compared with a year ago ticked up four-tenths of a point, from 88.1 to 88.5. Perceptions as to whether now is a good time to buy a major household item such as an appliance rose 3.8 points, from 99.7to 103.5. "The increase in these two components shows that current economic conditions improved among Floridians in March," said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF's Bureau of Economic and Business Research. "In particular, women and those under age 60 displayed more optimistic perceptions." Expectations of personal finances a year from now rose 7.8 points from 99.5 to 107.3. Opinions of anticipated U.S. economic conditions over the next year increased 7.2 points, from 92.0 to 99.2. Similarly, expectations of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years rose 7.2 points, from 89.5 to 96.7. "Overall, Floridians are far more optimistic in March than the previous month. The gain in March's index came mainly from consumerc,' future expectations about the economy. Importantly, these views are shared by all Floridians, independent of their demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status," Sandoval said. "These expectations are particularly strong among women and those with an income under $50,000." Consumer sentiment at the national level also remained positive in March at 96.9, according to the University of Michigan's survey of consumers. In Florida, consumer sentiment may have been lifted by good economic news. The Florida labor market has continued expansion, adding jobs on a monthly basis for more than six years. The unemployment rate in Florida remained unchanged at 5 percent in February, the most recent figure available. Over the last year, the unemployment rate has remained stable: Between March and December 2016, the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, and since January the rate has been 5 percent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Florida ranked third of all states in the country in personal income growth, with a growth rate of 4.9 percent in personal incom~ between 2015 and 2016. The main contributor to this change came from net earnings, which includes wages, salaries and supplements but excluding contributions for government social insurance. Nationwide, economic activity and the labor market has continued to expand and strengthen, and household spending has risen. As a consequence, last month the Federal Open Market Committee decided to raise the federal funds rate to a target range of 0.75 to 1 percent. "In general, the economic outlook is very positive and the positive sentiment ½ill aid the economy to expand even further," Sandoval said. Conducted March 1-30, the UF study reflects the responses of 507 individuals who were reached on cellphones, representing a demographic cross section of Florida. The index used by UF researchers is benchmarked to 1966, which means a value of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that year. The lowest index possible is a 2, the highest is 150. Details of this month's survey can be found at http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-data. Florida Trend Florida's I-lousing Market Continues to Sho\i\r :Rising Prices in Feb. 201.7 by Posted 3/23/2017 Updatc ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida's housing market continued to report a tight supply of homes for sale and rising median prices in February, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Sales of single-family homes statewide remained relatively flat last month, totaling 18,0331 down only 0.5 percent compared to February 2016. "Florida's economy is growing, with more jobs being created," said 2017 Florida Realtors President Maria Wells, broker-owner with Lifestyle Realty Group in Stuart. "And a growing economy boosts the state's housing sector as well. However, many local markets are reporting low inventory of for-sale homes at a time of increasing buyer demand. For sellers, it's a good time to list their homes, as they continue to get more of their original asking price at the closing table. In February, sellers of existing single-family homes received 95.8 percent (median percentage) of their original listing price, while those selling townhouse condo properties received 94. 7 percent. "In these kinds of market conditions, serious home buyers must be prepared to act fast, and work closely with a local Realtor to find the right home for their needs and their budget." The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes last month was $225,000, up 12.5 percent from the previous year, according to data from Florida Realtors research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/ associations. The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in February was $167,500, up 11. 7 percent over the year-ago figure. February marked the 63rd month in a row that statewide median prices for both sectors rose year-over-year. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), the national median sales price for existing single-family homes in January 2016 was :i;230,400, up 7.3 percent from the previous year; the national median existing condo price was $217,400. In California, the statewide median sales priCC; for single family existing homes in January was $489,580; in Massachusetts, it was $330,000; in Maryland, it was $261,868; and in New York, it was $250,000. Looking at Florida's townhouse-condo market, statewide closed sales totaled 7,949 last month, up 4.1 percent compared to February 2016. Closed sales data reflected fewer short sales and cash-only sales last month: Short sales for townhouse-condo properties declined 39.6 percent while short sales for single family homes also dropped 39.6 percent. Closed sales may occur from 30-to 90-plus days after sales contracts are written. "Florida's market for existing single-family homes in February continued to perform in line with what we've seen over the past year and a half," said Florida Realtors® Chief Economist Dr. Brad O'Connor. "Due primarily to fewer distressed properties on the market, sales of single-family homes edged down. However, non-distressed sales of single-family homes were up almost 10 percent year-over-year, showing that the traditional market - as opposed to the niche distressed market - is healthy and continues to grow. "Meanwhile, Florida's condo and townhouse sales are off to very good start in 2017. Coming off a 6.2 percent year-over-year increase in January, condo and townhouse sales rose 4.1 percent year-over-year in February. For perspective, the last time statewide condo and townhouse sales rose on a year-over-year basis for two consecutive months was in August and September of 2015." For the second consecutive month, inventory remained at a tight 4.2-months' supply in February for single-family homes, and was at a 6,4-monthi;;' supply for townhouse-condo properties, according to Florida Realtors. According to Freddie :Mac, the interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.17 percent in February 2016, up significantly from the 3.66 percent average recorded during the same month a year earlier. February 2017 • Feb 2017 Fla single family data detail • Feb 2017 Fla single family summary • Feb 2017 Fla condo data detail • Feb 2017 Fla condo summary • Feb 2017FlaMSAsummary Fl.orida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 165,000 members in 55 boards/associations. ..~ -...... _ .. _ A M E i< I G l•. ( S BYv uur siUfl , e·very ste~ of me -way. SBDC- ----. FLOF I OA Florida Trend Construction eJn.ploYJnen.t increased. in. 4 3 states during 2 016 ; Florida and Rhode Island acid :most jobs by Posted 3/27/2017 Updatccl 9 hours ago Forty-three states added construction jobs between February 2016 and February 2017 while 39 states added construction jobs between January and February, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials noted that the despite the relatively widespread increase in construction employment, most states are still significantly below peak construction employment levels. "~\combination of solid demand and unseasonably mild weather added to construction employment in more states than usual in February," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. "But conditions vary widely. Five states set new records for construction employment, while more than half the states are still at least 10 percent below their all-time highs." Florida added the most construction jobs (34,700 jobs, 7.5 percent) during the past year. Other states adding a high number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months include California (16,500 jobs, 2.2 percent); Texas (14,200 jobs, 2.0 percent); and Louisiana (13,500 jobs, 9.6 percent). Rhode Island added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year (12.2 percent, 2,200 jobs), followed by Idaho (10-4 percent, 4,200 jobs); Oregon (10.0 percent, 8,900 jobs) and Louisiana. Five states reached new highs for construction employment: Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota and Texas. Seven states and the District of Columbia shed construction jobs between February 2016 and February 2017. Mississippi lost the highest number and percentage of construction jobs (-4,000 jobs, -8. 7 percent). Other locations with steep percentage losses include D.C'. (-6.9 percent, -1,100 jobs) and Alaska (-3.0 percent, -500 jobs). Virginia (-1,40 o jobs, -o. 7 percent) had the second-highest number of job losses over the year, followed by D.C. Illinois added the most construction jobs between January and February (7,300 jobs, 3,4 percent). Other states adding a high number of construction jobs include Ohio (6,300 jobs, 3.0 percent); California (5,100 jobs, o. 7 percent); Colorado (5,000 jobs, 3.2 percent) and Minnesota (4,500 jobs, 3.8 percent). Alaska added the highest percentage of construction jobs during the past month (7.9 percent, 1,200 jobs), followed by Delaware (4. 7 percent, 1,000 jobs); South Dakota (4.2 percent, 1,000 jobs); Minnesota and Vermont (3.8 percent, 600 jobs). Construction employment decli~ed in 10 states during the past month and was unchanged in D.C. and New Mexico. Virginia shed more construction jobs than any other state (-3,200 jobs, -1.7 percent), followed by South Carolina (-2,600 jobs, -2.6 percent) and Mississippi (-1,600 jobs, -3. 7 percent). Mississippi lost the highest percentage of construction jobs between January and February, followed by South Carolina and Virginia. ,\ssor.iation officials said that many firms continue to face shortages of available qualified workers as they try to keep pace with growing demand. They urged federal, state and local officials to act on measures outlined in the association's Workforce Development plan to increase career and technical education opportunities, especially for high school students. ··'More high school students should know that there are multiple paths to successful careers, and often those paths lead to construction," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "If we want construction firms to continue expanding, we need to make sure there are enough qualified workers available to do the job." View the state employment data by rank and state. View the state employment map. auc CAN HELP YOU i4KE POW 1 ,'ii I•." l :; i!,: i I·' r· w,, 1;'=l: .w • , R 11 ,., ,t,t••' -. 1 hr1oh?~) ~rn:ov It,'• f IO ' i · t , "'I 11.: 1::. Florida Trend .t\ state of ,veal.th by .An drew P . Corly Posted 3/28/2017 $2,600,000,000. That's the net worth it takes to be among the top 25 wealthiest Floridians. Most of us can't imagine that level of wealth. When we printed a similar list just four years ago, it took "only" $1.2 billion tc, crack the top 25 - less than half of thi~ year's figure. Even Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, with a net worth of $2.5 billion, missed the cut. Why is that? For one, more of the truly wealthy are gravitating to Florida. As editor Mike Vogel points out, Florida has no state income tax, no city/ county income tax, no state inheritance tax and good asset protection laws. Plus, Florida offers excellent airports, top-flight activities and, of course, warm winter weather. (MarkWemplP.) Accumulating huge wealth usually means building a national or international company. Shad Khan, an immigrant from Pakistan, used his engineering know-how to start an auto parts business. He's now worth $7.4 billion. Reinhold Schmieding, whose parents were immigrants, built one of the world's leading orthopedic surgical instrument companies. The Naples entrepreneur has a net worth of $4.1 billion. Then there's Thomas Peterffy, a Hungarian immigrant who's a pioneer in electronic stock trading. He's Florida's wealthiest at $ 15.2 billion. The list highlights the huge divide between the wealthy and ordinary wage earners. While the wealthy employ lots of helpers - cooks, drivers, gardeners, executive assistants, even yacht crews - they don't face the same financial trade-offs that most of us do every day. Even if we have fantastic jobs and careers, we can't have everything. We are forced to make choices. The growing gap between the working class, professionals and the wealthy is worrisome. We have become a nation divided, a fact that became evident in the recent election. Serving the wealthy is big business. Florida is home to dozens of trust companies and private banks that help the wealthy maximize returns, hand money down to future generations in tax-efficient ways, honestly minimize tax burdens, invest for short-and long-term goals and plan for retirement. Our Economic Backbone piece on wealth management features tax and investment tips and a list of trust and investment banks to help you navigate the options. Florida continues to grow. Today, the Sunshine State is home to 20,731,650 people, up nearly 400,000 from last year. That's a gain of more than 1,000 people each day. The growth isn't occurring evenly. The smallest five counties have 58,363 residents, up only 39 people from last year. Yet the largest five counties now include 8,860,453 residents, a gain of 2.1%, or almost 200,000 people over the same 12 months. This trend toward urbanization is happening worldwide. For better or worse, most people now prefer to live closer to others, where there are more lifestyle choices and, of course, more jobs. In this edition, F'LoRIDA TREND publishes its annual Economic Yearbook for the 49th successive year. We peer into the number ofjobs and the home values in each region, then explore the population, wage levels and income growth of each county. For Florida business executives and economic development leaders, this is the most referenced issue of the year, often the backbone of speeches and presentations. We're proud to present it again and are sure you will continue to find it useful. -AndyCorty Publisher [[email protected]] l/Vant to read the whoie is"° ue? Select from the following options: * offer valid for new subscribers only Want to retire comfortably? If you have-~ $500,DCl() ~rtfoHo, do-.·mload the guide by Fo:be.:, cc-:umni.st ~r.,! money m,3nager Kei7 FiGher's fmn . !t's. called T,ie Defir1irive Gr,;Jde to Retirement lnccme. Evi:n if vou h::we ::»: ,meth1n1J el1se 1n pi~1,:e n•Jht :-1..-:iv.i, it -~~::i m,1kE---E- sen5e to ' requ,:.>st Y"°jur gu1,jel j llJ\lU fl l NVH: Ml.~ r-.• *-·· ·-· ·--·· ------... . -~-· ------ Florida Trend THE RISE AND FALL OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN INNER CITY March 31, 2017 The Case of Parramore, an African American community in Orlando that has been almost erased from history. When driving around a city it is easy to overlook the erosion of the historical factors that have shaped a neighborhood. Such is the case when considering the trajectory of urban development in the postwar racially segregated American South. The historical timeline of Florida's modem development contains objectionable incidents of violence, disenfranchisement and disparity among social classes. The hidden story of the intersection between racial oppression and urbanization became clear to me as I explored the social, cultural and economic decline of the African American community of Parramore in Orlando, Florida. In order to do that, I have analyzed the differences and similarities between the impact of racial segregation and uneven economic development presented in the United States as a whole and in Parramore, mapping out the main reasons that forced the African American community to decay: the formation of black settlements after Reconstruction, disenfranchisement and racial violence against black Americans, and the disruption of inner cities through the construction of public housing and interstate highways. ., '. .. ' ·-\ ~ ~T#; .. ~~- • 1·l ' --- _____ , r · '· j__ j_LJ ,,...... ,. ... ---- The Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center in Parramore (University ofCentral Florida) After the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the racist customs left over from America's legacy of slavery reappeared in the form of "codes" that regulated the settlement and commuting of African Americans. As the industrialization of the country developed throughout the 20th century, the history of racial segregation in America paralleled the history of the rise and the decline of the inner cities. Historians C. Woodward and William McFeely write that, with the black codes, African Americans became disfranchised throughout the South and that ''Neither equality nor aspirations for equality in any department oflife were for them."[l] Hence, as Reconstruction ended, racist politicians succeeded in promoting racially discriminatory policies. African-American Settlements in Central Florida ,..,...,. -~----. The Wells Built Museum in Parramore (Wikipedia) In Florida's Orange County, as in other Southern communities, the first African American settlements appeared through the influence of white employers who provided housing for black domestic help and grove workers.[2] In 1870, businessman and diplomat Henry Sanford opened Georgetown for his black citrus pickers.[3] Fifteen years later, Winter Park developers plotted and laid out the community of Hannibal Square for their black employees.[4] In Orlando, James Magruder, a white homebuilder, subdivided into lots the location of the first African American community, Jonestown, in the southeast section of downtown.[5] Although Jonestown emerged as the first, Parramore became the largest black community in Orlando. Following the same pattern of development, Parramore appeared after James B. Parramore, a white confederate soldier and ex-Orlando mayor plotted the area for the community in 1881. [6] Parramore emerged from the relationship between the two races in which whites decided where African Americans could live and work. Similar to rest of the South, Florida developed an aggressive pattern of racial violence and disenfranchisement. Historian Irvin Winsboro writes that betwe~n 1880 and 1930 white mobs lynched 3,220 blacks in the South. [7] At odds with the common perception that Florida has always been a moderate region in the South, during these 50 years the Sunshine state maintained one of the highest per capita rates of extralegal deaths.[8] According to historian Tameka Hobbs: "Even though Florida was one of the most sparsely populated of the Southern states, for the period between 1882 and 1930, it had the highest rate oflynching per 100,000 ofits black citizens at 79.8, followed by Mississippi with 52.8. By the 1940s, Florida was only one of two states with recorded lynchings.[9]" ,. ------ Parramore Avenue's Hankins Building was constructed by Dr. lS. Hankins in 1947 (DawntownOrlando.com) Central Florida suffered the same fate as racial violence spread throughout the country during the First Great Migration when whites began physically threatening blacks when they attempted to legally vote.[10] In 1920, after African Americans tried to vote in Ocoee, whites destroyed the entire black section of the city.[11] The mob moved to other counties of the region killing around 50 African Americans and burning all of their properties.[12] lbree years after the Ocoee Massacre, white violence against blacks destroyed the entire small town of Rosewood, Florida.[13] The white mob burned black churches and black houses and tortured, mutilated and killed six black Americans. The Ku Klux Klan's revival in the 1920s intensified white brutality. Newspapers across the state reported that the Klan recruited young people and organized public parades in small towns across the state.[14] Beyond brutal violence, the 1885 Florida Constitution also hampered blacks from voting by creating barriers such as multiple ballot boxes, requiring literacy tests and poll taxes.[15] In Orlando, the White Voters Executive Committee of the Democratic Party controlled primary elections and denied voting rights to blacks until 1950.[16] Hence, white brutal violence and institutionalized acts converged into making African-Americans completely disenfranchised. Uneven deveiopme:nt imd the Fede::."al Investment in Urbim Sprawl For much of the twentieth century Orlando's black society strove to establish itself as a thriving community. By 1940, Parramore enjoyed relatively good economic development with some successful professionals and establishments. The leadership ofAfrican Americans such as Sylvester Hankins Jr. and Dr. William Wells demonstrated how individuals helped foster Parramore's development. Hankins Jr. was a physician born in Parramore in 1895. He attended Johnson Academy through the eighth grade and helped organize the Orange County Branch of the NAACP.[17] Throughout his life, Hankins Jr. prospered as a member ofthe Mental Health Board of Orange County.[18] In addition to his job, as an anti-segregation activist Hankins Jr. constantly provided free healthcare and tuition donations to low-income African Americans.[19] + " . • ~· ... ;; -,~-- :, ' i -· _-.I _,. ,. -, •, T I . . ..·,. ':'" :-;,. -· . ~-. . .. -: - -~ :~ -· , I , - ! : ' ~ •. r \ '; .._ i l .. ) ., -. ! ·l .II ·i ,[ ' r - ·~ .-~~-· ... ·. .. ' c:::;·•. c:''./""a ., ·:}C.·:,• - :. :·'1 , •u •• .,., "j ! T.\ \IP.\ .,;-., ,: -I ...... ___._ .!.. -•-•-· .--.•- • . /f r•• ------~ _ _,, ,_._ .,..,, __\._,.:....______j .. A 'security map' o/Tampa, FL produced by the Home Owner's Loan Corporation that sought to steer mortgages away from inner-city neighborhoods between 1935 and 1940. This practice led to lenders redlining urban neighborhoods into virtual ruins. Image Credit: University ofRichmond. Another example was Dr. William Monroe Wells, who emerged as a successful black physician in Orlando after his arrival in 1917. A contemporary to Hankins Jr., Wells provided free healthcare for low-income black Orlandoans with the assistance of Mrs. Josie Belle Jackson.[20] Besides his daily job, Dr. Wells had an important role fostering local culture and providing entertainment. In the 1920s, Wells built a hotel and a nightclub in Parramore.[21] Performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, and Count Basie played at the venue and later spent the night at the Wells' Hotel.[22] The South Street Casino provided entertainment for black Orlandoans to dance and play. , Dr. Tim Lucas Adams, affirms that his parents used to attend parties and his father had the opportunity to play trumpet at the venue.[23] Dr. Wells and his establishments' success represented thriving moments for the community. The house ofDr. William Wells (Pinterest) Just like several others African-American neighborhoods, Parramore suffered bold urban transformations after 1940. As the first Great Migration led African Americans to depart for the North and West, the South experienced a wave of revitalization through federal funding that led to super charged urban development.[24] Postwar growth unequally affected suburbs and inner cities in which governments and private corporations nurtured urban development in ways that maintained racial segregation and social inequality. [25] On one side, business and political leaders focused on developing suburbs. They favored building the interstate highway system, single-family housing, and suburban employment, with an emphasis on the car as the main means of transportation.[26] White, middle-class families enjoyed by far the greatest opportunity to take advantage ofthese policies, moving to suburbs with the government funding of agencies that favored whites over minorities in access to home loans and other benefits. Meanwhile, as the private sector developed the suburbs, the public sector turned toward transforming inner cities with projects of "urban renewal." These programs included "slum clearance" projects that demolished existing black communities, while concentrating African Americans in public housing projects that reproduced racial segregation, social inequality, and deficient infrastructure.[27] Another profound change cut black inner cities in the middle with the construction of the National Highway System, as interstate construction caused displacement of hundreds of thousands residents all over the country.[28] The Case of Parramore, an African American community in Orlando that has been almost erased from history. Affordable housing in Orlando's Parrrmore As Central Florida's population grew after World War II, downtown Orlando suffered the same decay as other downtowns across the United States. Service providers and residents moved to growing suburbs. [29] Similar to what happened in other inner cities around the country, Parramore suffered drastic changes in the 1940s. Sponsored by the Reorganization Act of 1939 and located in Parramore, Griffin Park became the first affordable housing project in town.[30] The public housing project contained 174 units and received numerous families who lived in Jonestown.[31] The slum clearance program demolished Jonestown on the east side of the railroad and relocated black families to Parramore on the west side of "the tracks."[32] Present-day market rate housing in Parramore Still in 1940, in the same place where Jonestown once existed, the government began the construction of a "white housing project" with 176 units called Reeves Terrace.[33] Ready in 1943, the project became home for low-income whites, most military and civilian war workers. Thus, as part ofthe federal policy of slum clearance, Reeves Terrace and Griffin Park emerged as examples of the racialization of the space in Orlando. The construction of Griffin Park together with the destruction of Jonestown and the building of Reeves Terrace symbolized the rearrangement of the city as African Americans were forced moving to the west, and whites moved to the east. Interstate-4 and National Higltway System # ~,P t:r"'· ~ ,_ ·__./ ~ :j - ~.• The construction of1-4 in 1Y5 7 as a wall between Parramore and Downtown Orlando In addition to affordable housing, the construction of the Interstate Highway System reshaped the United States after World War II. President Eisenhower signed the Highway Act in 1956, arid one year later Florida started the construction oflnterstate 4 (I-4) from Tampa to Daytona Beach. Unintended consequences ofl-4 construction affected African American communities in and around downtown Orlando. Black neighborhoods such as Parramore suffered devastating effects due to the discriminatory way expressway routes were chosen.[34] In this way, the United States quickly enhanced its technology and infrastructure while reinforcing the roots of persistent racial segregation. Developed as an African-Americans community during the 1880s, Parramore was seamlessly connected with downtown Orlando in 1947. By the late 1960s, Interstate 4 was constructed in a location that severed the neighborhood from the city's downtown core. Adobe Photoshop aerial overlays by Ennis Davis, AICP. 2016 aerials courtesy of Google Earth. 1943 historic aerials courtesy of the University of Florida George A. Smathers libraries Digital Collection. In Central Florida, residents and authorities of Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando, organized a successful campaign against 1-4, worried about possible problems brought by the building of an expressway through the middle of the city. In the 1950s, most Winter Park residents came from a white middle-to upper-class backgrounds, with many having migrated from northern cities where they had seen the destructive effects of highway construction through downtown areas. In 1961, Winter Park citizens pressured the State Road Department and the Bureau of Public Roads in Washington D.C. to push the expressway trajectory to the outskirts of the city.[35] Residents sent letters to newspapers and the city's civic groups joined the protest.[36] In the end, the city of Winter Park avoided its downtown's destruction. Unlike Winter Park, Parramore could not avoid the construction ofl-4 through its land. As Orlando's main newspaper, The Sentinel, approved of I-4 construction, some city residents questioned authorities about funding, environmental destruction, and the expressway route.[37] The public debate divided residents between those who wanted the highway passing through downtown Orlando, and those who wanted the highway to bypass the downtown area.[38] However, Parramore's voice did not appear anywhere during the debate. Hence, in 1957, after only few months of discussions the construction ofl-4 began. The construction displaced 551 properties in Parramore and reinforced the separation that already existed between the neighborhood and downtown Orlando.[39] The elevated structure ofl-4 ran along Division Street, and separated Amelia A venue, Livingston A venue, Robinson A venue, Washington Street, Central A venue and Church Street into east and west sides.[40] Before 1-4, all ofthese streets directly connected Parramore to downtown Orlando. As a result, from the 1970s to the 1980s, Parramore suffered visible impoverishment while downtown improved. Thus, the highway served to create a modem-day class barrier that enhanced the existing racial boundary. I-4 reinforced the racial segregation that already existed when a white businessman plotted Parramore's land in 1881. The Case of Parramore, an African American community in Orlando that has been almost erased from history. The Consequences for Pm-ramore A new vision for Parramore The transformations presented in this article were plainly reflected in data collected since 1980. Until the 1950s, Parramore's population increased. After 1960, the neighborhood's population aggressively declined. In a plani.7.ing report from 1987, the city's department affirmed that, h1 1960, f1arramore's population reached 10,630 reddents; in i 970, tJ1is number reduced to 7,273 and L, 1980, de,:;reased to a nun1ber of 5,252 residents.[4 1] Corr.paring the economic development between the city of Orlando and Pa-ramore, the Orlando Sentinel reporter Sherri Owens wrote that in 1960, PaJ.Tarnore's median household income reached $2,700 and ()rlando's meriian household incorne was around $3,200.[42] In 1980, economic disparity had dramatically increased. According to Owens, while Parramore's average household income was aroU1"1d $6,000, Orlando's number rer..ched the value of $1 4,000.[43} Hence, income inequality between Orlando and P&-ramore increased from $500 in 1960 to $8,000 in 1980. Other i.-nportant data presented a great dispmi.ty betw~en unemployment rates ofI'ai:-ramore and Orlando. L, 1960, the unemployment rate in Pa.:-ramore reached around 7 percent, and Orhmdo unemploym~nt rate reached 4 p~rcent.[44] Twenty years later, Parramore's unemployment rate cleared 10 percent, m!d Orlando's rate sU1-passed 5 percent.[45] Hence, t.lie uneven development ci'..er 'INorld Wm: I! between Africat"l .A..:..r:.1~ri,:;a.ri neighborhoods and white suburbs contributed to the economic decline of Parra.-nore. Parramore Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan and Subject Site -~ l' F' ' •' ' .'~-'.!i ..-'. I • r. ."l. !) . . !) ,.,, . .• , .. • I • t P',.A • a I !.) .9 "'<• .. :1 .!) (rt"\ " .i c:"..A .. ,.iitf .,,. • • i !) I .. .. .-~ . . • !?) -, ·.::. '.- ·-:. ... -~ .. I-· ,_-__ _. __ ·----~...,.- ~ •---·:- •··...... ·--·- -- -=- ·------..;;.~-- ,,. - -",-'-·--•• -" .- :---· ...- ....I PARRAMORE COMMUNITY VISION PLAN ---o The Parramore Community Vision Plan, 2015 For much of twentieth century Orlando's black society strove to establish itself as a thriving community. By 1940, although segregated from the rest of the developing areas, Parramore experienced relatively good economic development with a number of African Americans finding success in local business. The construction ofl-4 physically disrupted Parramore, as houses and commerce were destroyed and people were displaced. As a gigantic, elevated construction, 1-4 established a concrete division between Parramore and Downtown, a class and racial barrier that marginalized the West from the East with sharply divergent incomes and rates of unemployment. Thus, 1-4 appeared to reinforce borders already established by places like the Division Street and the railroad. r-,1 p ' t\ t I. _ \__, . To honor Parramore, the Orlando City Soccer Club installed a permanent, six panel historical display that illustrates the rich history ofthe neighborhood at their new soccer stadium built in the Parramore neighborhood. Image Credit: Orlando City. Until 1980, Parramore's history appeared as one blatant case in which the process of suburbanization contributed to the reinforcement of racial segregation and the impoverishment of black neighborhoods reproduced in many other communities throughout the United States. The main factors that led to Parramore' s decay were the historic disenfranchisement of African Americans, the use of physical violence through lynchings, massacres and bombings, and the community's powerlessness in fighting the disruption and social segregation imposed by the construction of the 1-4 and public housing since the l 950s. Infill multifamily residential along West Church Street in Parramore Article written by Yuri Gama, a recently admitted Ph.D. student at University ofMassachusetts in Amherst. A Brazilian urban researcher, he is interested in the history ofcities, social movements, public transportation, and the intersection of racial oppression and social inequality. References [1] C. Vann Woodward and William S. McFeely, The Strange Career ofJim Crow: Commemorative Edition with a New Afterword by Will, Commemorative edition (Oxford University Press, USA, 2001), 06. [2] Tana Mosier Porter. "Segregation and Desegregation in Parramore: Orlando's African American Community." The Florida historical quarterly, Vol. 82, No. 3, 2004, 292. [3] Porter, Segregation and Desegregation in Parramore, 292. [4] Porter, Segregation and Desegregation in Parramore, 292. [5] Kevin M McCarthy, African American Sites in Florida (Pineapple Press Inc., 2007), 196. [6] Joy Wallace Dickinson, "Exploring the Path to Parramore 's Past," Orlando Sentinel (June 26, 2005). Web. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2005-06-26/news/ORFLASH26_ 1_parramore-south-street-casino [7] Irvin D. S. Winsboro, Old South, New South, Or Down South?: Florida and the Modern Civil Rights Movement (West Virginia University Press, 2009), 06. [8] Winsboro, Old South, New South, Or Down South, 06. [9] Tameka Bradley Hobbs, "Strange Fruit: An Overview ofLynching in America, " in Go Sound the Trumpet!: Selections in Florida's African American History, ed. David H. Jackson Jr. and Canter Brawn Jr. (/'ampa: University a/Tampa Press, 2005), 97. {JO] Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, "Black History Bonus: The Ocoee Riot," Essence 19, no. JO (1989): 62. [11] Hobbs, Strange Fruit, 98. [12] Paul Ortiz, "Ocoee, Florida: 'Remembering 'The Single Bloodiest Day in Modern U.S. Political History', " Facing South - The Institute for Southern Studies, 2010 http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/05/ocoee-jlorida-remembering-the single-bloodiest-day-in-modern-us-political-history.html [13] Marvin Dunn, The Beast in Florida: A History ofAnti-Black Violence (University Press ofFlorida, 2013), 100. [14] Ben Green, Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr. Simon and Schuster, 1999, 31. [15] Porter, Segregation and Desegregation in Parramore, 294. [16] Cassandra Fyotek, "Historic Orange County: The Story ofOrlando and Orange County," (HPN Books, 2009), 46. [17] Geraldine F. Thompson, Black America Series: Orlando, Florida, (Arcadia Publishing, 2003), 25- 30. [18] Orlando Sentinel, "Dr. I Sylvester Hankins, Black Civic Leader," 3 Star Edition (Orlando, FL), August 25, 1991. [19] Orlando Sentinel, Dr. I Sylvester Hankins, Black Civic Leader, August 28, 1991. [20] Wells Built Museum of African American History and Culture Website, "PAST, INC, accessed May 22, 2015, http://wellsbuiltmuseumofafricanamericanhistoryandculture.org/the-history-of-dr-william-wells/ {21] Orlando Sentinel. "Doctor's Historic Home was 'a place for hospitality,'" December 26, 2006, B7. [22] Orlando Sentinel, Doctor's Historic Home was 'a place for hospitality, December 26, 2006, B7. [23] Dr. Tim Lucas Adams, interviewed by Yuri K. Gama, May 19, 2015, interview realized by e-mail. [24] Bruce J Schulman Assistant Professor ofHistory University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles, From Cotton Belt to Sunbelt?: Federal Policy, Economic Development, and the Transfonnation ofthe South, 1938-1980: Federal Policy, Economic Development, and the Transfonnation ofthe South, 1938-1980 (Oxford University Press, 1991), 220. [25] Myron Or.field, "Atlanta Metropatterns: A Regional Agendafor Community and Stability," ed. David C. Soule, Urban Sprawl: A Comprehensive Reference Guide (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006), 175. [26] Raymond A. Mohl and Mark H Rose, Interstate: Highway Politics and Policy since 1939, (University ofTennessee Press, 2012), 95. [27] Raymond Mohl, "Race and Housing in the Postwar City: An Explosive History," Journal ofthe lllinois State Historical Society 94, no. 01, (Chicago, 2001): 13. [28] Mohl and Rose, Interstate: Highway Politics and Policy since 1939, 152. [29] Ruth L. Steiner; Scott A. Wright. "Travel in New Urbanist and Traditional Communities: A Case Study of Downtown Orlando," (Florida Department of Transportation, 2000), 16. {30} Sherri M Owens, "Warehouse, shelters are too plentifulfor residents," Orlando Sentinel, November 3, 1997. {31] Thompson, Black America Series, 04. {32] Thompson, Black America Series, 04. [33] Goldie Blumenstyk, "Under The RoofOf Tradition Authority Clings To Old Ways OfFunding Low-income Housing," Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), February 7, 1988. [34] Gary R. Mormino, Land ofSunshine, State ofDreams: A Social History ofModern Florida (University Press ofFlorida, 2008), 247. {35] Henry Balch, "Tampa-Orlando Interstate Link about Done," Orlando Sentinel, February 1961. [36} Richard E. Foglesong, Prologue to Light Rail: The Interstate - 4 Controversy in Winter Park, 1999, 15. [37] Yeilding and Provost, Callahan Holden-Parramore-Lake Dot: Historic and Architectural Survey, (1988), 05. {38] Yeilding and Provost, Callahan Holden Parramore Lake Dot, 05. [39] Foglesong, Prologue to Light Rail, 18. [40] Howard, Needles, Tammen, and Bergendojf. "Orlando-Winter Park Expressway: Engineering Design Report," (Orlando, 1953), Plates 18 to 27, 32. [41] Orlando Planning and Development Department. Holden-Parramore Neighborhood Plan. (November, 1987), 7. [42} Owens, "Warehouse, shelters are too plentifulfor residents," Orlando Sentinel, November 3, 1997. [43] Owens, "Warehouse, shelters are too plentiful for residents," Orlando Sentinel, November 3, 1997. {44} Owens, "Warehouse, shelters are too plentiful for residents," Orlando Sentinel, November 3, 1997. [45] Owens, "Warehouse, shelters are too plentifulfor residents, " Orlando Sentinel, November 3, 1997. COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE 1 To Add.ress 1\ff,JrclalJle I-Iol1si11."l..Jg Sh0:rtag'L.I e,, Restori11g 19th_-(;e:r1t111y I-Ion1es Square Feet By CHRISTINE NEGRONI MARCH 28, 2017 The tiny city of .Apalachicola, Fla., is well known in preservationist circles for its abundance of restored 19th-century buildings, but when it comes to affordable housing, the Gulf Coast community comes up short. "Twenty-eight percent of the population in Franklin County pays 40 percent of its income for housing," said Jeffrey Sharkey, a political consultant from Tallahassee, Fla. Mr. Sharkey is one of the investors in Denton Cove, a proposed multifamily housing development that has divided the community and prompted a discussion about whether the city's housing problem should be solved with new homes or the historic ones that are its legacy. Denton Cove would be a 52-unit cluster of town homes built on the site of a decommissioned high school and paid for through the sale of Housing and Urban Development low-income tax credits. "It would have been the only $10 million residential development in the city in the previous 30 years," Mr. Sharkey said. But residents of Apalachicola, population 2,340, challenged the plan at meetings of the city's planning and zoning commission. They "didn't want 'those people' living there," Mr. Sharkey said. But this is no "not-in-my-backyard-story," according to Willoughby Marshall, an architect who lives with his wife in his childhood home. "Mostly, we're interested in history here," Mr. Marshall said. "We're not so interested in development because that's not in keeping with the nature of the town." The Marshalls and others are endorsing a local plan to train job-seeking residents in home construction through the rehabilitation of abandoned, working class cottages known as shotgun homes. There are dozens of them in an Apalachicola district called the Hill, where black fishermen and mill workers have lived for more than a century. The shotguns are historically significant because they are among the first examples of African architecture in the United States. "The original affordable housing here was the shotgun," said Creighton Brown, a re~ent transplant from New York who devised the plan. IVfr. Brown, a contractor specializing in historic structures, worked with a nonprofit housing developer in New Orleans to survey and map abandoned shotguns that could be restored to habitability. Bernard Simmons, a lifelo:Gg Hill resident who is a musician, lives in a shotgun that has been in his family for generations. "It's a piece of history," he said. "It speaks of my history, my ancestors. I feel their spirits in this house." While Mr. Simmons's home is a comfortable balance of old and new, others in the neighborhood are not as well tended. "Every block has three or four homes that are livable and the rest are abandoned," said Elinor Mount-Simmons, the president of the Hillside Organization of Laborers for Apalachicola, a community group. "It would be great if the Hill could come alive again as it once was." Even so, Ms. Mount-Simmons is not enthusiastic about the Brown program, which is sometimes referred to as Save Our Shotguns. Too many details remain unclear, she said. The Denton Cove plan, by contrast, was outlined in thick contracts and bank documents as required by law. The town homes would have energy efficient appliances, a pool and a fitness (!enter. But the development was not for people with moderate incomes, as some residents had originally been told. The county's depressed earnings meant only the poorest would qualify to live there. Concentrating the poor in one project was not a modern approach, said Bonnie Davis, a retired lawyer who moved to Apalachicola from Tallahassee. She and others embraced the idea that Apalachicola's architectural past might guide the future as it had in cities like Louisville, Ky., and New Orleans, where shotgun restoration programs have been underway for years. "'Nhen all this brouhaha came up, I, the Browns, many people said, 'We have to be about more than no,"' Ms. Davis said. In addition to training the local labor force in construction, Mr. Brown's plan had a financing component. Because 33 of the lots have more than one home on them, the purchaser would buy one home to live in and a second income-producing rental unit to help pay the mortgage. But speed was important. The tiny-house movement, combined with relatively low real estate prices on the Hill, has already caught the attention of people like Pete Olson of Connecticut. He is finishing up work on a 450-square-foot one-bedroom shotgun where he plans to live with his wife. Twenty years ago, Anthony Pierce, 57, a lifelong Apalachicola resident, bought four shotguns to restore and rent. Just preventing further deterioration by shoring up the foundation was a big effort, and after taking a job in Tallahassee, Mr. Pierce said he ran out of energy. What neither he nor Mr. Brown realized about restoring the shotguns was that a 1970s-era zoning change had imposed larger lot requirements on Hill homes if they became unoccupied for longer than six months. "The zoning effectively made the revitalization of this neighborhood impossible" for anyone who could not pay cash, said Carey Shea, the executive director at Home by Hand in New Orleans, the nonprofit housing developer, who had worked with Mr. Brown. If the program's beneficiaries could not get mortgages, Ms. Shea said, her company would have withdrawn from the project, despite her feeling that it has benefits over Denton Cove's more traditional plan. Ms. Shea said the job-training and home-ownership components would result in "a revitalized neighborhood, affol'.dable housing and job creation." Mr. Brown says he is lobbying to modify the zoning restrictions that impede the shotgun project. "There are 100 historic houses that are empty," waiting for low- and moderate income Apalachicolans to live in them, he said. The homes have been researched and mapped by Pam Richardson, one of several residents working on a monthlong art festival and tour of the shotguns in April. The festival should show that "restoring them is a much better prospect than concentrating poverty in one spot," Mr. Brown said. This was the argument against the Denton Cove project. But Mr. Sharkey sees the residents' resistance as perpetuating racial segregation in a city where century and-a-half-old opulent homes can be found on tree-shaded streets on the south side, while the north side's historic homes are deteriorating. In December, Denton Cove L.L.C. settled a lawsuit it had filed against Apalachicola claiming fair housing violations and reneging on the sale of the high school property. The inauguration of President Trump dampened the market for the sale of tax credits on which the project is reliant, so investors have not decided whether it is profitable to continue the multifamily project. "If somebody wants to come along and build single-family homes," Mr. Sharkey said of the Brown proposal, "God bless them." Co,-rec'lion: April 4, 2 0 :17 An article on the Square Feet page on Wednesday about resolving a lack of affordable housing in Apalachicola, Fla., misidentified the nonprofit housing organization for which Carey Shea is executive director. It is Home by Hand in New Orleans - not Project Home Again, where she was previously executive director. /\ version of this ::lli.id e ap!JElars in µrii1t on ll,;iarct1 29, 2017, on Pi::lgo t35 0: the New York edition with thu h~c1<.llinc: A 19th-Cl:)niury Solution to~ Town'£ Housing Crur;ch. © 2017 The New York Times Company The Ntw York Tbnt~ _ Gotoprevio111slidr ()oton.u:111ide Af<'>Wofabacpbo.urt ULA.. l1d1Lcol&. Ththo111a .,.m,;,qdr,c fintcuq,.laoL A6un.~ iillbeU1Ulm.SIML. ~--··.l Mat Wallheisct for Tkc New Yort 11mm Supp1111twd~ Load(JI.I ••• • £...... , •Th....:.i •l'io • ...,,;i • i1•·. ... lorl Ui·. f...... :..:r:.:...:..Ji j',U- , ..:..i.. Share This Slide Show • ~!!6.!.t • :Tv.;:t•. • I'!!! •liu>iil • '.we &!!~Mr Show More Slide Shows Engineering the DY4on Way The New York Timts ~ ]lr.tl!Ul!!!l!~JU,tqry •nd un,crt~ln FulUIJ. Go ID prttHIUI EWUI 0oMnr9J.llidc Benwd,,.._ Sutm - a,.lui:qbu ~di.-, w\ida 1w bcm in llll ffflllly far INlcraitiOIII. \ Hc,alth I.Q. DOVOU RIDE SO+ MILES A WEEK? ;,pedal rate Iii,· in.,ur Jnc~ for t,dlst< -~v.. •,;'.•_11. •.'P.11. •l:.·1ill • ·.;,t,:e Share This Slide Show ._• .-,.·ll::.,,. •h:\ • UDlll • _f•:;": Br•!:!!:!.5ll.d.t 5hon More Slid< Showa .- The Ne»: York Tjmcs _ ·f•i~v IIPmF~~-._ Long JJIUOCY and -~nrertain Furna Slide UOlOJ'.'"'.10\allNW• G111GDU111idu Page 1 of 5 ,ltbr \Uoshington ~Jo.lit Morning Mix t'i_v '''"'h, ,t. o\ndrr-wi , . I Payless Shoesource became the latest major retailer to declare financial distress ·when, on Tuesday, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced a restructuring plan that includes the immediate closure of 400 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. Further closures are possible as the company works "to aggressively 1nanage the remaining real estate lease portfolio." lVlean \A1hile, Payless said in a statement it will reduce its debt load by almost half and increase its presence in the e-commerce space. 1'This is a difficult, but necessary, decision driven by the continued challenges of the retail environment, which will only intensify," Payless chief executive Vv. Paul J ones said in a statement. "We will build a stronger Payless for our custon1ers, vendors and suppliers, associates, business partners and other ;.:;takeholders through this process." Page 2 of 5 The shoe store was founded in Topeka, Kan., in 1956 during the postwar boom and eventually expanded to about 4,400 locations in more than 30 countries. The con1pany, which focuses on "everyday and special occasion shoes ... at ~dfo:rdable prices," bills itself as the "largest specialty family footwear retailer in the ·western I-Ien1isphere." Recently, though, the footgear ernpire has struggled. According·to Nloody's, Payless's revenue feli 4 percent from October 2015 to October 2016. Celebrities such as Tyra Banks, San1 V\T orthington and, for a time, Star .Jones ·"vore and hawked the company's low-cost footwear, but such endorse1nents proved no 1natch for market pressures that have affected many n1ajor retail gian ts that once seemed indomitable. During the first three months of 2017, nine rI1ajor retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankt uptcy, CNBC reported, which "puts the industry on pace for the highest nrnnher of such filings since 200 9, when 18 retailers resorted to that action." I\1oody's, last month, listed 19 retailers as financially distressed, including Sears, .J. Crew and Gyinboree. Macy's, J.C. Penney, RadioShack and The Lhn ited are just a few of the companies that have announced closures this ·'Jt' s been a downward spiral for traditional retailers," Christian Magoon, CEO . \ 1' 'I'_ ..-,T'F Id ,.-, ...... TN M u ..i b_m.plny ~ ..1. _ s, to '"'I~ oney. Page 3 of5 The rise of Amazon and online shopping are often cited as a cause for the troubles of brick and mortar retailers. (Amazon founder Jeffrey P. Bezos owns 'The v\Tashington Post.) ;.,The model of online retailers is winning out," Magoon said. "They are more co1npetitive on pricing, they have better selection, and their convenience level 1s. qune. . ].ng . 1 1. " rt doesn't help, as Urban Outfitters CEO Richard I-Iayne pointed out, that coinpared to the housing market, the retail market is oversaturated. "R.etail square feet per·capita in the United States is more than six times that of Europe or J·apan. And this doesn't count digital commerce," Hayne said. "Our Industry, not unlike the housing industry, saw too much square footage capacity added in the 1990s and early 2coos. Thousands of new doors opened a:nd rents soared. This created a bubble, and like housing, that bubble has now Added ]Jayne, "'Ne are seeing the results: doors shuttering and rents retreating. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future and may even accelerate." I)e1borah Rieger-Paganis, managing director for AlixPartners consulting firm, shared a similar view in an interview with The Washington Post. ·'VVe're just over-stored," she said. "That's something that's plaguing a mall, a strip center and a stand-alone location." Page 4 of 5 ~Furthermore, those stores may be in the wrong places. As the United States rose out of the Great Depression with the end of the Second World ,,var, citizens flocked to the newly constructed suburbs. Although the suburbs still enjoy high levels of growth, the "nation's urban populaiion increased by 12.1 percent from 2000 to 2010, outpacing the :nation's overall growth rate of 9.7 percent for the same period," according to the 2010 census. ''You have a lot of these suburban malls, but people are 1noving back to the cities;" :Rieger-Paganis said. Vv7ithoui: customers to shop in them, "those locations just aren't perforrr1ing well anymore." That's one reason, Rieger-Paganis pointed out, that many big-box retailers are building in rr1ajor urban areas where they'd previously been absent, a trend she expects to continue. Take ~rarget, which opened a rare l\!Ianhattan location in. Octo b~r. The shuttering of those suburban mall locations, meanwhile, may have dire effects for neighboring stores, even high-performing ones. Struggling locations might launch promotions to up their top lines, while closing ones often liquidate their inventory in "everything must go" sales. Although attractive to consun1ers, these sales force other retailers "to be cornpetitive" and severely cut their own prices - even when it's detrimental to their bottorn lines. Page 5 of 5 "That becomes a death-spiral of retailers," Rieger-Paganis said. iVIix: in the fact that many companies took on debt in the past couple of years ,Yb.en interest rates were relatively low then later had trouble refinancing when the rlebt began to mature, and the result is a toxic financial stew. Jones reiuained confident of Payless's future regardless. "Vve are confident that this process will also enable us to leverage Payless's c~xnsting strengths to succeed," he said in a statement. 'fhese high school journalists investigated a new principal's credentials. Days latEr, she resigned. lVlercedes-Benz, Hyundai pull advertising from Bill O'Reilly's show amid sexual harassrnent accusations :Don Le1non to Bill O'Reilly: 'I did cover your sexual harassment allegations. :Did you?' T:--avis iii. Andrews is a reporter for The Washington Post's Morning Mix. Previously he was an editor for Southern 1_iv!n21and a pop culture and tech contributor for Mashable. Y Follow@travismandrews Page 1 of5 Business Tl1.e t1•'()1Jl1les a_t t]~1f~ American 1nall are coining to a hf)il A fresh round of distress signals sounded in the retail industry this ,veek, as another big-name chain announced hundreds of new store closings and still others 1noved aggressively to recalibrate their bu.sinesses for the online shopping stampede. Payless Shoes ource filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and outlined plans to inn11.ediately close nearly 400 of its 4,400 stores globally. Ralph Lauren is shuttering its flagship Polo store, a foot-traffic magnet located on tony 5th A.venue in lVIanhattan, the latest step in a massive cost cutting effort. Big-box office supplies stalwart Staples is reportedly considering putting itself up for sale. 1· 11e shake-out among retailers has been building for years, and it is no,v arriving in full force. Page 2 of5 'rll.e retrench1nent comes as shoppers move online and begin to embrace srnaller, niche 1nerchants. As a result, many major chains now find then1selves victims of a problem of their own making, having elbowed th.eir way into so many locations tllat the nation now has more retail ::,;q11are footage per capita than any other. To use the industry vernacular, they are simply "overstored." lVIa.ny have begun cutting back, sending ripples through the econo1ny. ·rhe , vave of store closures by Macy's and Sears alone ¥.rill empty 28 rnillio:n square feet of retail real estate, according to an analysis by research :fir;m CoStar. Often those vacancies are slow to fill, leaving shopping centers less hospitable to the chains that remain, feeding even rn ore departures and job losses. The IJialaise has spread even as the economy overall grovvs stronger and the stock 1n arket marches higher. J ust this week, Urban Outfitters reported that in the current quarter to-date, its comparable sales are "rnid single-digit negative." ~rhe women's clothing cl1ain Bebe said in a regulatory :filing °V'l ednesday it is closing 21 locations. Last week, yoga clothier Lululemon chief executive Laurent Potdevin acknowledged. the c] 1 a1.. n h al1.,]. seen " a s1ow·• s-r· artt · o 2017. " I.fe'N tr~.ditional retailers are immune: The Limited filed for bankruptcy and. shuttered all 250 of its stores. Hudson's Bay, the parent company of Page 3 of5 Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, announced a $75 million annual cost-cutting effort. Banana Republic and Abercrombie & Fitch each named a new chief executive, leadership changes that were precipitated by ongoing struggles to connect with customers. In a report published in late February, Standard & Poor's said it had already lowered ratings 20 times on various retailers in 2017. S&P a.nalysts wrote that they expect to see "increased levels of stress for the sector in 2017." As big retail closes stores, it has cost many Alnericans their jobs. So far in 2 017, retailers have announced plans to slash more than 38,000 positions, according to data from job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christin.as. 1\11d yet some of those losses have likely been offset by new jobs at startup retailers and e-con1merce operations. Amazon.com, for example, said earlier this year that it expects to create 100,000 full-thne roles over 18 months. R.etailers are deploying different kinds of firepower to try to regain some n101r1entum. J. Crew announced this week it is parting ways with its lo.ngtir.ne creative director, J enna Lyons, a change that effectively concedes that it needs to fix its fashion if it wants to boost its sales. Still other con1panies are exploring branching into different kinds of retailing formats: Ralph Lauren, for example, said it is exploring new Page 4 of 5 oppor tunities for its Ralph's Coffee concept. Macy's is selling off some of its lucrative real estate portfolio, hoping to strengthen its balance sheet. 1\nother chain, J.C. Penney, looks to be trying to position itself to take advantage of fallout fron1 the turmoil: rfhe retailer has started to carry large appliances again, a potentially shrewd move that could fill a void in the marketplace as Sears and J-II-IGregg close stores. It doesn't help any of these legacy brick-and-n1ortar companies that custo1ners are increasingly seeking out under-the-radar labels with a rnore specialized, boutique feel. The likes of Bonobos, Vvar by Parker, Shin.ala and Nlarine Layer are picking off shoppers that 1night once have filled their closets "Ni.th goods ffon1 more ubiquitous chains. .'.\lea_n while, as worries mount for brick-and-mortar players, Amazon's 3tock hit an all-~tin1e high on Wednesday. While others pare back, the Seattle co1npany announced a deal to stream NFL games, a milestone that underscores the e-comn1erce giant's growing muscle. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, owns The Vvashington Post.) t-\ccorcling to research fron1 Slice Intelligence, Amazon captured 38 percent of all dollars spent online during the holiday season. The next closest retailer, Best Buy, had a mere 3.9 percent. Page 5 of5 f\nd now the old guard has to worry about Amazon encroaching in new ways: It is branching into physical retailing, including opening several bookstores. In Seattle, it is preparing to open a concept called Amazon (~-o, a technology-powered grocery store that would not require shoppers to go through a checkout line. .All of this change is not just pushing traditional retailers to reduce their overall numbers of stores - it is also forcing them to re-think what their stores should look like. Office Depot, for example, is converting some stores to a smaller footprint ofjust 15,000 square feet. Target recently announced it is testing a new store prototype in which there will be a separate entrance and dedicated parking for shoppers looking to retrieve a "buy online, pick up in store" order. Sarah Halzack is The Washington Post's national retail reporter. She has previously covered the local job market and the business of talent and hiring. She has also served as a Web producer for business and economic news. '!I Follow @sarahhalzack