18-1 City of Dunedin, Florida Local Planning Agency
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CITY OF DUNEDIN, FLORIDA LOCAL PLANNING AGENCY REGULAR MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018, 6:00 P.M. PRESENT: Chair Diane Brand, Vice-Chair Dan Massaro; Members Adam L. Smith, Matthew Wielinski, Steven Sandbergen, Dennis W. Alspaugh, David R. Pauley and alternate member James L. Roberts ABSENT: Alternate member James (Jim) Graham ALSO PRESENT: City Attorney Robert Eschenfelder, City Clerk’s Senior Administrative Assistant Ashley Singh, Director of Planning and Development Gregory Rice, Housing and Economic Development/CRA Director Bob Ironsmith and eighteen people. Chair Brand convened the meeting at 5:59 p.m. Chair Brand explained the rules and procedures of the Local Planning Agency (LPA) and that a public hearing would be conducted. She added that the agency is an advisory board comprised of volunteers who make recommendations to the City Commission. This meeting would be open to the public, and all persons in the audience providing testimony would need to identify themselves and be sworn in by the clerk. Chair Brand advised that although procedures of the board are structured in a quasi-judicial manner, the board itself is not quasi-judicial and has no power to make final decisions on applications brought before them. She then explained the standard public hearing procedure and that at the conclusion of the public hearing, the board would, by vote, give its decision on each matter and the rendition of the board’s order will occur by voice vote at that time and no written decision will be forthcoming. 1.a. Approval of minutes to the Local Planning Agency meeting of October 10, 2018. Vice-Chair Massaro and Chair Brand noted the following corrections: Page 18-9 he thought this was a good idea. Page 18-12 Vice-Chair Massaro asked for the his opinion Page 18-12 they only makes recommendations to the City Commission. MOTION: Motion was made by Mr. Pauley and seconded by Mr. Smith to approve the minutes of the Local Planning Agency Meeting of October 10, 2018 as corrected. VOTE: Motion carried unanimously. City Clerk’s Senior Administrative Assistant swore in all those wishing to speak to or give testimony to any of the agenda items. 1.b. Ordinance 18-31: Amendment to 1991 Main Street Special Public Transportation Zone, requesting the speed limit to 15 MPH on Douglas Avenue between Scotland Street and Skinner Boulevard. Chair Brand introduced the agenda item and determined none of the Board members had ex parte communication with anyone regarding this agenda item. Housing and Economic Development/CRA Director Ironsmith advised: This proposed ordinance is to amend the City’s Special Public Transportation Zone which has been in the downtown since 1991. This zone allows the City to reduce speeds to be more pedestrian oriented, comfortable for parking and safe. Douglas Avenue which is rapidly becoming the next Main Street because of the various projects including the Artisan, Pearly’s, Dunedin Brewery and Woodwright is becoming extremely active and 18-1 Regular Meeting Local Planning Agency November 14, 2018 now the new parking garage is there. Speeds are going through quite fast and there are a lot of mid- block and different types of crossings. The recommendation is to amend the ordinance to include the boundaries for reduced speed from 25 MPH to 15 MPH beginning from Scotland going up to Skinner. Staff thinks this is an important measure. He spoke with each of the LPA members on the phone to explain staff went out of the normal order presenting this to the City Commission first, then the LPA and then it will go back to the City Commission based on the timing and availability of the City Commission meetings in order to get this action in play prior to the peak winter season. A Traffic Consultant was hired with George F. Young, Inc., Jerry Dabkowski; however, he could not attend tonight’s meeting. His recommendation as well as that of the City’s Traffic Committee internally all recommended the reduction in speed. Vice-Chair Massaro verified with Mr. Ironsmith this is only in relation to Douglas Avenue to the CRA boundary south on Scotland. Mr. Sandbergen referred to the staffing, Background: It should be noted that other physical improvements in conjunction with the Douglas Avenue speed reduction may be needed as speed enforcement alone is not always efficient in ensuring speed compliance. Mr. Ironsmith explained that reference is in relation to typically in these situations speed enforcement is not always the best way to go; there will be a reader board there and so forth. It could be a speed table which is not a speed bump, but it is elevated a couple of inches at the crosswalk and there might be some other aspects considered to make sure the physical aspect is there for people to slow down. It is a monitor and review situation. Mr. Sandbergen referred to Item #7. Monroe Street bounded on the east by Douglas Avenue to the west by the Pinellas Trail; he asked about the small section between the Pinellas Trail and Broadway. Mr. Ironsmith stated he would have to take a look at that area and noted it looks like that is currently in the Special Transportation Zone and he thinks that section has always been in the zone as well as Highland, Honey Lane and a few other streets. Mr. Sandbergen asked if there are any signs or indicators because it has always been 25 MPH; how will someone coming into town, when this passes, know. Mr. Ironsmith explained when it goes into effect the reader boards will be put out for notification as it will be a learning curve and the City is not looking to have a lot of enforcement tickets; that is not the role for this. There will be an education period. Vice-Chair Massaro referred to the Introduction page of the George F. Young, Inc. report and verified with Mr. Ironsmith on the graphic everything depicted in red is already in the Special Public Transportation Zone and the yellow is the proposed on Douglas. Mr. Ironsmith commented regarding the success of downtown having been based on walkability, safety and being comfortable to include outdoor seating and crosswalks; this will mirror what is in the rest of downtown. Mr. Alspaugh questioned the current speed limit coming north on Douglas, prior to Scotland and Mr. Ironsmith thought it was 25 MPH or 30 MPH. Mr. Alspaugh was thinking if it is 35 MPH and it is dropped as soon as you cross to 15 MPH there is going to be a period in there and inquired if there would be any kind of a step down for example 35 to 25 to 15 MPH so people are not all of a sudden realizing they are 18-2 Regular Meeting Local Planning Agency November 14, 2018 speeding. Mr. Ironsmith will speak with the consultant regarding a transition. Mr. Smith referred to the report which indicates the posted speed limits along Douglas Avenue are 30 mph, south of Skinner Boulevard, and 25 mph north of Main Street. Mr. Ironsmith commented also that section of Douglas just a little north of Scotland has the parallel parking and has a different feel, so he thinks people will begin to be aware this is a different area and also there is the traffic light. Mr. Wielinski asked if there are any designated crosswalks right now across Douglas between Grant and Skinner. Mr. Ironsmith advised there is one in the middle of the Artisan by Nature’s Food Patch. Mr. Wielinski did not recall there being any signs for crosswalks and Mr. Ironsmith noted there is just the pavement surface there and he agreed it would be best to have a sign as suggested; a pedestrians have the right-for-way type sign. Mr. Pauley verified with Mr. Ironsmith the red areas shown on the graphic in the report are 15 MPH and Mr. Ironsmith noted in the future staff hopes to present the Gateway at 15 MPH also. Mr. Pauley referred to the concern discussed about the Solid Waste trucks blocking the streets and the delivery vehicles as well which is a safety issue and asked if that issue was not addressed when the Artisan was approved. Mr. Ironsmith commented the Artisan did not really come into it, but it did with the Courtyard on Main where they are doing an actual pull off; he thought the issue with the Artisan was all the people moving into the apartments with the moving trucks for a period of time which has calmed down; however, there is still food delivery and the City is asking them to go into the parking area for some of their drop offs. When Mr. Pauley asked how tall the Solid Waste trucks are, Mr. Ironsmith was not sure but definitely more than 8 feet. Mr. Pauley noted the two 10-foot entrances and something he recalled about the Artisan was the trucks would go down that area. Mr. Ironsmith explained they pick up where there is surface parking outside the garage. Mr. Pauley inquired who owns the diagonal parking spaces in front of the Artisan and Mr. Ironsmith explained the City owns the spaces and that the Artisan paid two-thirds and the City one-third for the spaces. Mr. Pauley commented he thought it was a wonderful idea with the new project for pulling off the street and asked if the City recouped those parking spaces since there are a lot of them under that building and used one of those for truck delivery; however, Mr.