MINUTES OF 5/4/10
NORTH FORT MYERS DESIGN REVIEW PANEL
Meeting Minutes
MAY 4, 2010
(DRAFT)
I. Call to order
SCOTT J. BRENNER, PRESIDENT, called to order the regular meeting of the NORTH FORT MYERS DESIGN REVIEW PANEL at 6:00 p.m. on MAY 4, 2010 in the Theatre Room of North Star Yacht Club, N. Ft. Myers, Fl.
Attendance: The following Board Members were present: Scott Brenner, Jim Lattmann, Alec Mylan, Jack Howerton, John Gardner, Wayne Daltry Makepeace, and Mike Land.
The following additional persons were present: GreggMakepeace, Auxiliary Member, T.G. Gooch, Tina L. Gooch, Dick Thomas, Ron Wilder, and Benjamin Henry, Real Estate Manager of Lamar.
II. Approval of minutes from last meeting: The minutes of the previous meeting, which had been submitted by Mike Land, Secretary, were approved as modified by the following change: It was John Gardner, not Gregg Makepeace as erroneously stated in the Minutes, who reported that Faith Assembly of God did like the sign they erected. Gregg had merely added that he personally didn’t like it.
III. OFFICERS’ REPORTS:
PRESIDENT BRENNER reported that Commissioner Tammy Hall was anticipatedto be attending the NFMCPP meeting tentatively scheduled for next Monday, May 10 at 6 pm at The Party House at Shell Factory. He reported that Wayne Daltry has agreed to accept the Presidency of this Panel if he is elected, and that Dick Thomas was interested in serving as Vice President if elected.
John Gardner, Chairman of NFMCPP stated that he is working with Andrea in preparing a Memo calling for nominations for the Board of the NFM Community Planning Panel and the NFM Design Review Panel, and that they would accept nominations as early as next Monday, via email or fax. He reminded all that the Design Review Panel elects its own officers from the new Panel after the Panel has been elected by the CPP.
John reported that LaRue Planners has agreed to re-work the scope of their work, and the amount of money for their services and is having difficulty making an overlay open up for the district. This will be the first form-based code/ complete streets project, and that the resulting county code must be specific and sound enough to pinpoint a definite location for certain types of projects.
Jim Lattmann, V. President, called for new blood to run for Membership on the Board of NFMDRP.
Mike Land, Secretary, discussed the specifics of the upcoming nomination process and asked John Gardner if he wanted a written resume, a written nomination, or some other format for identifying and assembling the nominees. John responded by suggesting that Mike prepare a Nomination form and post it on our blog, which Mike agreed to do.
Wayne Daltry, Assistant Secretary, reported that a yearly amendment to the Comprehensive County Plan was passed recently, and that the Evaluation Appraisal Report Panels met recently for its 7-year update cycle, and that the group was energized and has a good sense of proportion.
IV. OLD BUSINESS:
Alec Mylan brought up for discussion the Goodwill Presentation regarding the site in Palmona Park from last month’s meeting, and felt that we should let it be known that we consider the Goodwill proposal to not be a very good use, and a violation of the spirit of the overall planning for North Ft. Myers. John Gardner stated that he would verify it with Tammy Hall at Monday’s meeting, but he believed that the land was previously allocated by Lee County to Palmona Park, along with $250,000.00, to build a community association building thereon, but that through inaction, Tammy said the money would be forfeited and the property was given to Goodwill for their disabled housing project. Gregg Makepeace indicated that this had irritated the leader of the Palmona Park residents, George Sands, and their V. President, Linda Gleason, who both expressed that position in a meeting on or about February 23, 2010. Wayne Daltry pointed out that Palmona Park is one of 6 neighborhood stabilization areas in the county. Moved by Mylan, seconded by Lattmann that we object to the Goodwill housing for disabled persons proposal as an abandonment of that component of the neighborhood stabilization plan that is necessary to restore the values of the entire community, and that we notify Lee County of our position. The motion passed unanimously. Wayne Daltry said that Lee County is interested in finding some entity to cover the ongoing maintenance at this Palmona Park site, which is too small for Lee County Parks to maintain. It was suggested that someone ask Goodwill to maintain this site until some development commences.
V. NEW BUSINESS:
Presentation by Benjamin Henry, Real Estate Manager of Lamar, the outdoor advertising company. The company has purchased a number of windmills pursuant to a governmental incentive program and they desire to place many of them on their existing highway billboards in North Ft. Myers, one 12 foot fan on each billboard to power the lights on that billboard, and seek this body’s approval for same. This has apparently never been done before. During questioning by the attendees it was brought out that each windmill generates enough energy to offset the cost of lighting one billboard by existing conventional methods, but no excess. These windmills are 18 feet high and would be placed on top of 30 foot billboards, and Lamar needs a special exception process in order to get the additional height needed. Wayne Daltry, as President of the local Audubon Society, requested that Lamar check the flight patterns of Purple Martins to assure that there would be no harm to or interference with them. By unanimous vote, the Panel disapproved the request.
Wayne Daltry, who is Chairman of the Local Planning Agency a/k/a The Lee Commission, reminded us that workshops are coming up for Evaluation Appraisal Report 7 year update cycle, and that the members of this Panel must attend and be heard.
Jack Howerton brought up for general discussion the fact that by the year 2030 most of the many manufactured homes in our community will be considered obsolete, and what should be done about it now. Wayne Daltry made the observation that redevelopment is part of our assumption; but that many of these subdivisions used a substandard sized lot and that each area needs a separate look because the projected market does not support replacement. Jim Lattmann stated that his community, Old Bridge, uses 50 foot wide lots and that bigger trailers require a combination of lots. Jack Howerton pointed out that Suncoast Estates is the largest area and that Mother Nature has and will have a negative effect on that neighborhood, and Lee County must focus on that point.
John Gardner, whose insurance agency insures many of these trailers, said that the Federal government will pay the owner of a trailer built before 1975 to replace it with more energy-efficient housing; that you can’t insure any trailer older than 1980; that many are being abandoned; that older parks will gradually disappear; that if a park goes bad there is no one to buy it so the trailer rots, and that you can purchase a new trailer now for $44,900.
Scott Brenner suggested that this issue be an amendment to our Vision Statement, and Wayne Daltry said that he would act on it.
Upon motion duly made, seconded and unanimously passed, the meeting was adjourned at 7:40 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
MIKE LAND, SECRETARY