Commission tweaks comp plan amendments
by Lisa Neff. islander Reporter
Holmes Beach commissioners are nearing the final stage of approving amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan, with a vote coming as early as Feb. 24.
The city submitted EAR-based amendments to the plan to the Florida Department of Community Affairs last October, and received a series of recommendations for revision.
The commission discussed proposed changes with city planning consultant Bill Brisson on Feb. 10.
Brisson said a number of changes clarified statements or corrected inconsistencies in the plan, but a few recommendations from the DCA involved adding newly mandated provisions.
The DCA, for example, asked the city to update its plan to address energy efficiency to come into compliance with a state law enacted in July.
To address this, Brisson proposed adding language to the comp plan that encourages the continued support of the Island trolley and states that the city will create guidelines for the development of “green” buildings and adopt exterior lighting standards to minimize light pollution and reduce energy consumption.
The DCA also raised a question about the city’s future land-use map, which allowed for an overall increase of 56 units in conflict with the state law against increasing density in a coastal high-hazard area.
Brisson said part of the reason for the change in the map was the creation of the mixed-use overlay area in the city’s downtown district and changes in the Sportsman’s Harbour area.
He suggested that to comply with the state law, the city limit the net new units in the Sportsman’s Harbour area to not more than 10.
The actual number of additional units that could be built in Sportsman’s Harbour is probably no more than three, Brisson added.
“Therefore, limiting the number of additional units to 10 in this area will have no practical effect upon property owners,” Brisson said. “It will, however, satisfy the DCA that under maximum allowable density, there will be no increase in density within the coastal high-hazard area.”
The commission agreed.
The state also asked the city to modify its five-year schedule of capital improvements, which consists of work planned on roads and stormwater basins.
Other recommendations from the state that Brisson said were easily addressed included the addition of a coastal high-hazard area map, which covers the entire city, and the addition of Key Royale Drive as an evacuation route.
The commission is scheduled to take up the amendments during its Feb. 24 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. |