Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout02132013CRACOMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING Held during Regular City Council Meeting Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 6:30 pm Sebastian City Council Chambers 1225 Main Street Sebastian, Florida The February 13, 2013 Regular Council Meeting minutes were approved on February 27, 2013 at a Regular City Council Meeting and included the CRA minutes. The CRA minutes portion of the February 13, 2013 CRA meeting are presented again for approval by the Community Redevelopment Agency. 8. CONVENE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING (CRA Packet Under Separate Cover) A. Mayor McPartlan called the Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting to order at 7:26 p.m. B. Roll Call CRA Members Present: Mayor Bob McPartlan Vice -Mayor Don Wright Council Member Jerome Adams Council Member Andrea Coy Council Member Jim Hill C. ADorove January 9. 2013 CRA Minutes MOTION by Mr. Wright and SECOND by Mr. Adams to approve the January 9, 2013 minutes passed with a voice vote of 5 -0. D. Fagade Sign and Landscape Grant Awards The Community Development Director said the Committee met January 30, there were five applications considered and two Committee members were currently present to address the Board. Mr. Wright asked the Board to consider the general comments the Committee members were about to give along with their individual comments on each application. Ms. Keys, Chair of Committee, displayed improved sign pictures of previous grant recipients and noted as the program continues, the Committee has been seeing trends in that requests coming in are for monument signs with plastic fronts, internal lighting which does not encourage the fishing village theme noting they do not have authority to enforce the fishing village look. She displayed a few conforming sign pictures. She said another trend is the business owners are changing the signs after they are paid for and installed. She suggested that changes be approved noting the Committee can meet quickly if needed. She also said the Committee is concerned with the lack of maintenance to approved projects. COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Page Two Warren Dill, Member of the Committee, said the applications are often approved with conditions and the property owners have a responsibility to comply with them. He suggested having a written contract with each applicant requiring them to pay the money back if the conditions aren't met; future changes would have to be reviewed by the 7.•39 pm Committee; or have Code Enforcement enforce the rules through an ordinance. He said this will ensure better compliance in the future. The Community Development Director noted the program was not drawn up by ordinance and staff has noticed the non - compliant recipients and used Code Enforcement in the past. He noted some of the altered signs displayed by Ms. Keys have been approved by the Community Development Department. Ms. Keys interjected that staff only has the right make sure the sign meets code, the Committee looks at the design of the sign. The Community Development Director said the program instructions are not the best and they should probably work with the Committee, public, and staff to improve the instructions. He pointed out that the program has had some great success stories. Ms. Keys requested the authorization to have a workshop with staff to improve language to give them the ability to control some of this. Ms. Coy said she liked the suggestion to come up with more signs like Southern Sisters'. Mr. Hill said the program has really enhanced the CRA district, they are talking about a few isolated incidents, and it already falls upon the City to make sure all properties are compliant and maintained, not just those in the CRA district. Ms. Keys clarified that a sign change can be approved by staff as long as it meets code but the Committee is needed to make sure it complies with the grant. The City Manager said the City does need to use Code Enforcement on some of the nonconforming businesses. He suggested changing the program by setting specific stylistic modifications that provides more of the fishing type feel; they could consider liening the property which would make a contract part of the program; and one of the requirements could allow a new sign to be erected for a business that didn't have one. Mr. Wright said any property owner can request a sign, but when the City pays for it and the Committee has ideas that exceed the code, they should go along and maintain their ideas as well. Mayor McPartlan pointed out there are always a few bad apples in the bunch and suggested requiring maintenance of the sign for three to five years as opposed to eternity. Mr. Adams asked if the money is paid before or after the work is completed and why the business is reimbursed if they aren't compliant. Ms. Keys explained the City reimburses the applicant after the work is done and the changes normally occur after payment. The City Manager noted in pictures displayed by Ms. Keys, the City did an inspection and it was good that day, the landscaping was fresh. In the Squidly Books case, the COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Page Three 8:13 pm copy changed and the City didn't have ability to stop that because the sign didn't change but the displayed Man Cave sign was non - compliant. Mr. Adams said he agreed if there is a particular style they want to maintain. Ms. Keys displayed pictures of businesses along U.S. 1 that are supposed to have landscaped buffers. It was the consensus of Council to allow staff to conduct a workshop with the Committee. Damien Gilliams, 1623 US Hwy 1, said the agendized applicants should be tabled until the City Attorney can review program wording to hold the businesses' feet to fire. He did not want to see more money spent when there are problems with the existing signs. He also said they should be getting the highest and best use by matching the program with other funding such as the SBA. He said Council should take Ms. Key and Mr. Dill's advice. Mr. Wright asked the Board to discuss each application individually, the majority of the program has been successful, and to stop completely would be a shame. Mr. Hill agreed. Mr. Adams asked if the Committee works on the rules, can they be retroactively applied to tonight's applicants. Mr. Wright suggested having the City issue a memorandum of understanding with each applicant. The City Manager said of the 15 -20 completed signs, three are delinquent, and the City should have been more active. He said if they want to ensure the code is followed, the sign is maintained, the lien is the way to protect the City's investment, but they have to consider how friendly they want to conduct business. He advised the program is very successful and they should move forward. The Applicants Mr. Wright noted what is depicted for Alpha Hardware & Marine Supply in the packet is not how the sign will end up looking. Ms. Keys explained every applicant asked a sign company for a sign and they were given standard design that they didn't care for so the Committee thought they should receive approval and meet again with them to come up with a final design. She continued to explain that the Committee felt Buried Treasures and Ar -Pats were non - conforming signs that should be tabled but the Committee was happy with Alpha Hardware and Sebastian Vacation Rentals. MOTION by Mr. Wright and SECOND by Mr. Hill approve the Alpha Hardware and Sebastian Vacation Rentals applications as expressed by Committee with a final review and hold the other applications until the Committee has further discussion with the business owners. Mr. Adams noted Riverview Park Plaza did not have a recommended award for landscaping but asked about the sign. Ms. Keys said the program ran out of money, the COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Page Three applicant was not at the meeting; his project site is being planned which requires landscaping so the Committee would like to see what is installed first before making any decisions. Ms. Keys offered to contact the owner. Result of the roll call vote: AYES: All NAYS: None Passed 5 -0. E. Mayor McPartlan adjourned the CRA meeting at 8:21 p.m. By: Bob McPartlan, Mayor CRA Chairman ATTE T: Sally A. Mai g MMC City Clerk