Town of North Redington Beach

October, 2006

Public Meeting Scheduled On Town Plan

The public will get another chance to comment on the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and its future goals at a special workshop with Town Commissioners on Tuesday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall.

County planning staff will also be there to answer questions and otherwise elaborate on the key features in the Plan.

While it hasn’t even been a year since the state accepted a major update of the Town’s Plan, regulations require that there now be an evaluation of how well the Plan is working. This provides an opportunity to make changes where needed and keep the Plan current with altered conditions.

Town officials and planners have been working for over six months on the evaluation. They have prepared what the state calls an Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR). This is what will be reviewed at the workshop.

The EAR in many communities reviews a Plan that was developed 10 or more years ago. Since the Town’s Plan was just updated, there are very few issues that haven’t already been addressed.

Town officials and planners concluded that by and large the vision for the Town’s future, which became the basis of the updated Plan, is moving on schedule.

Four issues are identified in the EAR as requiring more attention. Paramount among those is the future of the Gulf Boulevard corridor. Some steps have already been taken to improve safety on the road. There are also new regulations in place to help retain tourist activity along the beach.

Looking ahead, the Town is committed to beautification programs and to redevelopment on the east side of the corridor. Officials have said in the plan that the Town will accept mixed use development here, but rather than try to define what this will look like, the Town will respond to developer proposals, Design standards, protection of adjoining neighborhoods and input from a special Gulf Boulevard planning group will be used in this evaluation.

Other issues deal with disaster planning, intergovernmental cooperation and maintaining the Town’s affordable housing stock.

Following the public workshop, planners will prepare the report for formal adoption and submission to the state’s Department of Community Affairs. This will require additional public hearings in December by the Planning and Zoning Board and in January by the Town Commission.

The EAR is due in state hands by next February 1.

In setting up these reviews, the state expects local authorities to develop action plans that address the issues they have identified. These often take the form of amendments to the Plan’s goals, objectives and policies.

To view a summary of the actions the Town is proposing, go to the following link:

List of EAR Ammendments

Election Day November 7

The auxiliary building across from Town Hall will again be the site for the election in North Redington Beach on November 7.

In addition to the various offices to be filled, Town residents will be asked to approve two amendments to the Town’s charter to raise the monthly stipend of the Mayor from $400 to $500 and of the other Commissioners from $200 to $300.

The Commission completed action to put these issues on the ballot at the regular October meeting.