Questions And Answers From Annual Meeting That Could Not Be Addressed During The Meeting

TEAM Punta Gorda
Minutes of Annual Membership Meeting
Monday, November 7, 2005
(Held at the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association building)

The meeting was called to order by President Roger Kress at 7:15 p.m. with a thank you to the approximately 350 members for their attendance and participation.

A welcome to their new facility was given by Bill Albers, President-Elect of the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association.

Roger Kress began the meeting by stating that as Punta Gorda is changing to move into the future, TEAM has had to do the same thing, with expanding and reorganizing, and he then listed and introduced the Officers and Board of Directors, along with Advisory Council and Operating Committee members. He requested members present use the pink cards given them at the door to write their questions for a question-and-answer session toward the end of the meeting, and blue cards for suggestions and ideas, which will be turned over to the committees.

Roger Peterson, Program Leader for the Operating Committee was then called on to update the members on TEAM projects. He listed the activities TEAM is currently involved in: Harbor Inn, Community Land Trust, City Marketplace, Highway 41 and Aqui Esta intersection, Sunloft building, Sweetbay, Downtown Beautification, Old Courthouse, Laishley Park, FEMA/Enhancement of the Arts project, Mooring Fields, Open Market, Traffic/Parking Study, Event Center, CRA Projects, Affordable/Workforce Housing, and Grande Harbor. He explained the open market concept as a way to fill in until shopping areas can be built, and to bring activity to the downtown area.

Bob Peterson was called on to comment on the housing areas being worked on by his committee. He reviewed median income statistics and housing needs based on these income levels, and the various properties and programs being considered to fill this need. He explained the concept of land trust ownership, wherein the property is owned by the trust with a 99-year renewable lease to homeowners. When a homeowner wishes to move on, the home is sold to the trust within a structured pricing system, and returned to the market to be resold by the trust, thus maintaining affordable pricing for the homes.
He also reviewed the vocational education/FEMA plan for training in building trades. Funding considerations are estimated to be five to ten million for low cost housing, one-half million for workforce housing, and two hundred fifty thousand to begin a land trust program. The City Council and staff are helping to look for possible properties.

John Benande reported on the progress of short-term projects in partnership with the City and various local groups to enhance the downtown. The City just this week approved a plan to landscape its easement across from restaurant row, and has begun site preparation and installation of palm trees; TEAM will assist with additional plantings, and will work with the City to identify other high visibility project areas.

He also reviewed the progress of the Event Center/Meeting Space project, being headed up by Charlotte County Parks and Rec. Department, which is planning to hold a community meeting for input on the project design. As the building will serve as a gateway to the city, and also must meet not only current but future needs of both the county and city, TEAM will work with the county and city to develop a business plan to cover these needs. This matter is scheduled for discussion at the County Commissioners’ meeting tomorrow morning.

Jay Buckley spoke for the waterfront team of eight members regarding projects to make Punta Gorda a more boater-friendly destination community. He reviewed various meetings with other cities which have recently been through the process of permitting, etc., for mooring fields, and is working with a state group which will present suggestions for making the process easier. He expects a mooring field may be a reality in two to three years. He also mentioned preliminary work being done on a hoped-for cut-through of Alligator Creek.

Tom Cavanaugh, Team Leader for the Resource Center, reviewed the purposes of the Resource Center as acting as facilitator for businesses and developers with the various government entities, along with acting as liaison with Jaime Correa and his group for review of proposed projects. He listed builders and developers who have brought projects to TEAM for review, comment, or assistance in determining compliance with Master Plan 2005, and reported on status of some of the larger projects, such as Old Town (units currently on the market); Sunloft Center (retail on lower floor, offices second and third levels, residential on fourth level, with two levels of parking for those units and an additional four levels available to the public, which is being arranged with the city); Harbor Inn (in the final design stages and will be presenting to the city shortly), and Downtown Marketplace (negotiations with Bealls is positive and Marketplace designers will be working with TEAM on the design).

Tom Kerr spoke on an enhancement of the arts program, currently in the stage of development of a feasibility study with FEMA, the Arts Council, and the city, looking toward an area similar to the developments in Bradenton and Sedona, AZ. FEMA will direct the group to funds for multi-use facilities for artisans (a combination of retail, galleries, and affordable housing). The timeline begins with the start of the feasibility study in January and to be complete in June, 2006, and start of the project in September 2006, to be complete in August 2007. He also mentioned a proposed program with Florida colleges and universities for a student design competition.

Judy Brentano addressed the issue of fundraising for sustaining the ongoing activities of TEAM in the function as facilitator to find funds for Citizens Master Plan projects. She introduced co-chair Nancy Johnson, who has expertise in working with non-profit organizations and grant writing. Nancy stressed working on the affordable/workforce housing issues, mooring fields, city beautification, and mini-grants, incorporating matching-fund grants, along with private and public funding. In addition to doing research into existing funding and matching this up with various projects, Nancy and Judy will be tracking federal funding, watching budgets, and researching who was funded last year for which type of projects, which indicates possible additional funding for similar projects in Punta Gorda.

The funding goal for TEAM this year is $125,000 to be used for consulting fees for Jaime Correa in interpretation of the Master Plan, operations of the Resource Center, TEAM projects such as beautification, education of the public on issues regarding rebuilding through the speakers bureau, and a TEAM mini-grants program to organizations such as local garden clubs and arts committees and as seed for land trusts, all toward implementation of the Master Plan.

Judy introduced the fundraising committee, and mentioned up-coming events. She suggested if everyone in attendance donated $25 and called 10 friends to each donate $25, $70,000 of the funding goal could be raised in two days.

Jake Dye spoke regarding TEAM communications, primarily via e-mail, such as the Pulse newsletter, Impulse (quick one-time communications regarding news or events), and stressed that the key to communications is the website (www.teampuntagorda.org), updated continually by Mark Jacobson and himself. He also mentioned the site has links to the city, county, and Chamber of Commerce websites to keep up to date on current information.

Dan Brubeck, head of media relations and public education spoke of the wonderful coverage and assistance of the local media, particularly the Sun, in helping tell TEAM’s story and keeping the public informed of various projects. He mentioned keeping informed via radio 1580 AM, with Charlie Shoe and Ann Henderson, who have been very helpful also. He likened the rebuilding and revitalizing of the city to blades of grass beneath the snow, alive and growing and getting ready to begin showing through.

Dan introduced Theresa Murtha, in charge of the TEAM Speakers Bureau, who explained the activities of this group, and that anyone desiring a speaker to update their organization, should just give her a call and she will make arrangements. She also discussed the volunteer opportunities in this area.

Harvey Goldberg, heading Government Relations, explained his function to work with City Council and staff, county government, staff and departments, and both state and federal governments. He stated that a positive result in TEAM’s projects would not be possible without the truly mutual support and respectful relationship with these agencies. He stated he has been working with a group on a city gateway project on the river and bridges, with the city on a downtown traffic study, with the focus group Revite and downtown businesses. He mentioned that several TEAM members participate on city and county advisory boards and committees. He introduced and thanked County Commissioner Adam Cummings, City Councilwoman Marilyn Smith-Mooney, City Councilman David Phelen, and City Manager Howard Kunik for attending.

Elaine Charney spoke on behalf of the Operations and Administration Team, and thanked and listed the volunteers helping with Membership, Finance, Volunteers, TEAM office, and special events, pointing out that there are volunteer opportunities in these areas also. She mentioned the events in which TEAM has participated in this past year: the charrette for citizen input and open house for introduction of the Citizens Master Plan, the Spirit of Punta Gorda celebration, gallery walks, and fundraising events (block party booth, pig roast, and golf tournament). She also mentioned that t-shirts with the new TEAM logo are now available at the TEAM Office, 265 E. Marion, Suite 117, and will be sold at up-coming events. For the next year TEAM expects to participate in the Christmas parade, boat parade, host a silent auction, boating event, second annual pig roast, the Marine band, and help sponsor a tour to Delrey Beach (a community designed by Jaime Correa, with many ideas for Punta Gorda).

Roger Kress then spoke stressing TEAM’s strength coming from the community, and never losing site of the goal of including and bringing together the entire community, and thanked all members for their support and involvement.

He then addressed the questions brought forward on the cards from the members present, and called on City Manager Howard Kunik to assist in responding in some areas. Questions involved:
Traffic problems: an engineering firm has been selected by the city to study downtown traffic and circulation; the project is funded and contract is being negotiated, and the study should begin in December.
Palm Automotive issue: Howard Kunik responded that Palm has upgraded their design for the proposed auto dealership, now coming closer to conforming with the new LDR’s along Highway 41, and this will not look like the typical auto dealership; Palm considers this design a springboard to refurbishing their other dealerships, and for others building along 41; the city is looking at annexation of some of those properties.
Sacred Heart Church: Plans are progressing.
Removal or repair of damaged buildings: Howard Kunik reported that the city sent out 50 letters last Friday to owners of such properties, asking if they plan on rebuilding and that there are grants available for homeowners who cannot afford demolition; some demolition may have to be contracted for by the city.
What is the CRA: Mr. Kunik responded that this is a Community Redevelopment Area, designated to get a step up through development; the CRA gives a designated area a freeze on taxes, and as improvements are made all tax monies go back into development for that designated area only. He stated that there was $38 million in tax base lost due to Hurricane Charley and these projects will help bring that back.
Destroyed housing on Cooper and Olympia streets: All of these areas are being looked at by the city for repair or demolition.
Downtown parking plans: Buildings such as Sunloft are in the planning stages so that the city won’t become large areas of paved parking lots.

Additional questions which were not addressed and the responses to those questions will be posted on the TEAM website.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05.

Submitted by Betsy Taylor,
Recording Secretary
 

These are the Questions And Answers That Could Not Be Taken During Our Annual Meeting.

TEAM Punta Gorda

Annual Meeting

November 7, 2005

 Questions and Answers

#	Question	Answer
1	Can the waterfront be used for large format entertainment venues?	Yes.  The waterfront is an excellent location for community entertainment venues.  Gilchrist Park hosted 3-5,000 for the Spirit of Punta Gorda celebration.
2	Can the arts community be housed downtown quickly?	No, there is at least a one to two- year window to make this happen.
3	Can New Orleans performers be invited to Punta Gorda?  What about other performers from outside the area?	Possibly, but this is not a task for TEAM Punta Gorda.  We’ve referred your idea to CPAC – the performing arts center.
4	Does the CMP allow energy efficient dome structures, thatched room treatments, Seminole Chichee construction, etc.?	The CMP does not specifically refer to that type of construction, however illustrations in the plan (water front and open air markets) seem to acknowledge it.
5	Can rooming houses be used to house workforce?	Generally not.  Our definition of “workforce” includes teachers, fire fighters, police officers, nurses and technicians working in the medical fields, city workers, and many other service workers within the city of Punta Gorda.  Typically, we are talking about people who have family earnings in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $60,000 per year. Generally, these people are looking for homes in the neighborhood of $150,000 to $225,000, or for apartments.  Recently, we have met with a group of developers who are interested in building 40-60 units of condos in this price range specifically earmarked for workforce housing.
6	There are no minorities among the leaders of TPG.  Will TPG go to minority organizations to speak?	TEAM Punta Gorda, from the very beginning, has always known the importance of reaching out to every sector of our community to include minority communities in the revitalizing and rebuilding efforts of Punta Gorda under Citizens Master Plan 2005. TEAM has worked very closely with Trabue Woods Economic Development Corp., True Light and the Cooper St. Recreation Center during the charrette process. Our website has more information on these projects. TEAM, along with these groups and others, are actively pursuing additional minority buy-in for our efforts.   TEAM has two minority members in key leadership roles - Anna Callwood, President of Trabue Woods Economic Development Corp., is a Member of TEAM’s Board of Directors and Isaac Thomas, Director of the Cooper St. Recreation Center, is a Member of TEAM’s Advisory Council. We have several minority volunteers and members as well.   Is there more that can be done to involve a greater number of people in this most important task?  Absolutely. That is why TEAM continues to look for opportunities to speak to different groups about what can and should be done. Contact our speaker’s bureau, through the website if you have a group that would like to know more about how to get involved.
7	Why does the city break from Aqui Esta to Burnt Store Road along 41?	The city limits are quite irregular in this specific area which includes several small neighborhoods that are not in the city limits but are surrounded by the city limits.  This goes back many years to when the city was incorporated and these neighborhoods chose not to join the incorporated city.  Most of the land south and west of Aqui Esta down to Burnt Store Road is in fact within the city limits – and further down to Pine Trail Road.  One large area outside the city limits includes the land bordered by Almar Drive, Singapore Rd, US-41 and Pompano Dr.  The city has annexation plans that may ultimately bring these areas into the city in years to come.
8	What’s happening at IMPAC University?	We are aware of nothing special occurring at IMPAC U., other than repair of their damage.
9	Can student’s art be used to beautify our downtown?	Yes.  In the Master Plan this will be a component of the project.
10	What can TPG do to stop phosphate mining on Horse Creek area from directly affecting our harbor?	While we are concerned about our environment just as you are, this issue goes beyond the charter and scope of TEAM Punta Gorda.  We will put our energies into the concepts of the Master Plan and restricting phosphate mining is not part of that plan.
11	What is the plan for parking downtown?	The city has engaged Kimley-Horn to prepare a downtown Circulation and Parking Study.  TEAM has been asked to assist with the scoping and contract preparation, which we will do.
12	How will TPG coordinate efforts with libraries, schools, medical facilities, etc., along with the city and county?	We have recruited high school and college leaders to serve on our Board of Directors and provide input.  A medical facility director will soon be added.  We also have appointed community leaders from several community agencies and groups to serve on our Advisory Council, providing their input and coordination from there.
13	When will we see your 2006 budget?	The Annual Budget will be posted on our web site by December 31.  The budget year begins1-1-06.
14	Has the Master Plan been approved by the city?	As a citizen’s initiative, the Master Plan does not require city approval.  However, the Master Plan has been endorsed by city officials on numerous occasions and is frequently cited by city officials when discussing the city’s development.
15	Are any dates set for ground breaking on any of the projects?	The Isles Yacht Club has already broken ground. So has Thomas Ryan Realty and several other small projects.  Groundbreaking for large projects is still a ways off.
16	Are changes in zoning regulations being considered to help meet the goals of the MP?	Yes, City land use regulations already closely parallel the CMP.  The City recognizes that some of their LDRs need to be changed, and we are working with them to affect those changes (especially parking).  City LDRs support a great deal of the content of the Master Plan already.   Dialogue with the County is under way in a similar fashion.
17	What is a CRA?	A Community Redevelopment Agency, responsible for development in an area wherein certain taxes are reserved for redevelopment of that specific area.  Punta Gorda’s CRA is from Cooper St to Fisherman’s Village and from the Harbor to Virginia Ave.  Certain taxes paid by businesses and residents are reserved for development of that area.
18	Why support the courthouse?	The Citizens Master Plan 2005 includes the courthouse as a community focal point with adjacent parking.  Please see Chapter 6 of the Plan for further discussion.
19	When will Fisherman’s Village Marina be operational?	As of Nov. 19, Fisherman’s Village Marina is next up for approval on the US Army Corps of Engineers list, with approval expected in 2 weeks.  Construction will begin immediately upon approval with the West side of the center dock and the fuel dock now planned to open in February.  Final completion next August.
20	What can TPG do to help with affordable housing?	Team Punta Gorda has been working very diligently with other area concerned citizens to establish a community land trust.  The CLT would initially use grant funding to purchase available land and then build affordable houses on these properties.  The land would be owned by the CLT and leased at a very nominal rate to the owner of the dwelling.  The cost for these dwellings would range from $110,000 to $150,000 which would qualify them for the affordable housing range.
21	Can TPG provide assistance/guidance to commercial property owners who might be ready to sell their property now?	TPG encourages sellers of commercial property to make their potential buyers aware of the guidelines set forth in the CMP.
22	Will eminent domain be used to obtain building properties?	There has been no mention of the use of eminent domain by city planners and leaders that we are aware of.
23	What’s happening with the Wotitzky building?	We don’t know!  The Wotitzky Law Firm and their architects have chosen not to share their plans with TEAM Punta Gorda.  We are certain that their building will comply with the City’s LDRs but we don’t even know if these are the current LDRs or those LDRs previously applicable.  This project preceded our agreement with the Punta Gorda City Planning staff to share information, so we really don’t know what is happening there.
24	The new condo development by Ponce will provide/add much more traffic to the roads and bridges.  How is this being addressed?	Zoning generally accounts for the traffic that will be generated if an area is “built-out” or fully developed.  (Also see question # 11 above).
25	Why are higher buildings being considered by Ponce Park?  It is getting like Miami Beach, which we moved here to get away from.	Building heights are a matter of much debate in Punta Gorda, which requires a rather lengthy explanation.  First, however, we must state that in no way does the Ponce Park multi-family residential neighborhood resemble the high rises of Miami Beach, and we doubt it ever will.    A developer is proposing a 6-building complex, called Grande Harbor, at a height of 59' (including first level parking and 5 floors of living space) at the far end of Punta Gorda Isles in the Ponce Park neighborhood.  The Citizens Master Plan contains a strong recommendation that building heights should be varied so as to create an "articulated" skyline, instead of having all buildings at the same height.  The practice of New Urbanism on which the Master Plan is based, also recommends that, instead of using a fixed height standard, building heights should be determined by several factors.  First and foremost is location.  Some locations are more height sensitive than others. We want to make sure that Punta Gorda, especially historic downtown, does not become overtly vertical.  Second is structure size – the smaller the footprint, the taller the building can be without offending the visual senses.  Third, what is the total impact on the desired small town atmosphere when all buildings are looked at as a whole?  And finally, because taller buildings generally create greater density of people, density issues must be addressed separate from height – i.e., a taller building on a small footprint to allow for more green-space or public walkways may be preferable to a short building built out to the side lot-lines with no green-space.  The key is that the planned population density does not change!   There are many other considerations in determining proper building height, but these four are among the primary issues outlined in Citizens Master Plan.    The proposed Grande Harbor development is well below the allowed density for that area.  One reason for the additional height is to put the buildings on smaller footprints so as to allow for more green space.  Another reason for the additional height is to permit first-level parking instead of having large expanses of outdoor asphalt parking lots.  Finally, this complex will be at the far west end of Punta Gorda Isles in a mostly condominium neighborhood where the existing condominium buildings in place or under construction are at the height of 40' of living space (maximum per city code).  The Grande Harbor buildings meet all of the Master Plan criteria and will provide an articulated skyline of mid rises, not high rises.
26	Is the Master Plan posted on the web?	Yes.  Go to www.teampuntagorda.org and click on “Citizen’s Master Plan.” You can see the entire plan, including the drawings.
27	Are the projects on the web?	We will begin adding project information to the TPG website as our volunteers assemble the information.
28	What about bike trails?	Bike trails are included in Citizens Master Plan 2005 and will be addressed in the Downtown Circulation and Parking Study being conducted by the city (see question #11 above).