MEMORANDUM

TO: Town Council and Local Planning Agency

FROM: Bill Spikowski

DATE: April 8, 1998

SUBJECT: Comprehensive Plan Draft for LPA Public Hearing

You are being provided a complete draft of the Fort Myers Beach Comprehensive Plan, dated March 31. The following changes have been made in the drafts of these elements since they were last reviewed at joint workshops of the LPA and Town Council:

Community Design Element (previous draft was dated June 9)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Clarified text on page 3-13 regarding the effects of LDC changes on the hidden paths concept
• Separated part of Goal 1 into Goal 2
• Deleted the second policy under the "Estero Boulevard" objective (because the design phase on the south-end sidewalks has been completed)
• Modified Policy 1-A-3 to add "lowering construction and maintenance costs from the original design" as a criterion for the design of sidewalks south of the Lani Kai
• Relocated Objective 1-B and related policies
• Deleted Policy 2-A-4 regarding a citizens' committee on building a boardwalk along the beach
• Added to Policy 2-B-2 to add a new element to the proposed residential streets program, "financial assistance for planting street trees"
• Shortened the wording of Goal 3
• Added to Policy 3-A-6 a cross-reference to related policies of the Future Land Use Element
• Made major modifications to the policies under Objective 3-D (Times Square) to remove overly specific policies, reduce redundancy with other elements, and eliminate inconsistencies with more recent policies in other elements.

Future Land Use Element (previous draft was dated March 12)

• Revised the table-numbering system to conform to style of the final comp plan
• Described the distinction between the "public realm" and "private realm" on page 4-26
• Revised Policy 4-A-3 on page 4-38 to include a reference to specific policies on future commercial development
• Revised Policy 4-A-7 on page 4-38 to include references to the Conservation and Coastal Management Elements
• Corrected the cross-reference at the end of Policy 4-A-8
• Revised Policy 4-B-4 to include mobile home and RV parks in the "Mixed Residential" category
• Revised Policy 4-B-8 to include libraries as a permitted use in the "Recreation" category (even though the existing library is not so designated)
• Revised Policy 4-C-1 to delete "Options A and B"; in their place is a reference to Chapter 15 where conflicts with existing zoning are discussed in more detail
• Revised Policy 4-C-4 to clarify that the height limits apply only to new buildings
• Revised Policy 4-C-7 to clarify that "planned development" zoning is needed to transfer densities
• Modified page 4-43 to insert text that had been inadvertently deleted from the end of this page in the March 12 draft of this element.

Coastal Management Element (previous draft was dated October 13)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Updated page 5-4 to reflect more recent historic preservation data
• Modified page 5-6 regarding damage caused by Hurricane Donna
• Modified pages 5-7 and 5-8 to recompute evacuation times based on latest growth forecasts in the Future Land Use Element
• Shortened the discussion of floodplain programs on pages 5-11 to 5-13 since these issues are discussed in more detail in the Future Land Use Element
• Modified Policy 5-A-2 to reflect the buildback policies of the Future Land Use Element
• Modified Policy 5-B-3 to reflect the floodplain management policies of the Future Land Use Element
• Modified Policy 5-C-3 to refer to the buildback policy in the Future Land Use Element instead of repeating that policy here
• Modified Objective 5-E to add a measurable component

Conservation Element (previous draft was dated October 13)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Revised text on page 6-7 to include the exact dates when Little Estero Island may be closed to protect wildlife
• Revised Table 6-6 on page 6-15 to reflect final sea turtle disorientation data for 1997
• Revised the goal on page 6-36 to replace "ensure" with "improve"
• Revised Policy 6-B-4 to reflect the Future Land Use Map categories for beaches and coastal hammocks
• Revised Policy 6-E-3 to replace "remove" with "control"

Transportation Element (previous draft was dated March 12)

• Modified text on pages 7-4 and 7-5 to reflect technical comments by MPO reviewers
• Modified page 7-8 to insert text that had been inadvertently deleted from the end of this page in the March 12 draft of this element.
• Updated page 7-24 to reflect latest status of the MPO's "barrier island travel survey" and to discuss the MPO and Lee Tran's TDM programs
• Added a new section on level-of-service standards, including new Table 7-2
• Added a new section on the future transportation map, including new Figure 18
• Revised Policy 7-A-3 for clarity
• Revised Policy 7-D-5 for clarity
• Revised Policy 7-E-4 to reflect current plans for new sidewalks and to complete a missing cross-reference
• Revised Policy 7-E-6 to replace the words "road widening" with "public improvements"
• Added "using Crescent Street" to Policy 7-H-3
• Replaced "employers" with "businesses" in Policy 7-H-6
• Added Objective 7-G
• Revised Policy 7-H-5 to support the MPO's barrier island travel survey
• Added new Objective 7-I and Policies 7-I-1, 2, and 3 regarding levels of service and adoption of the future transportation map

Utilities Element (previous draft was dated June 9)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Provided updated figures throughout the element on population forecasts, to correspond those contained in the Future Land Use Element
• Provided updated figures on customers and capacities (supplied recently by Florida Cities Water Company)
• On page 8-4, described location of water mains coming onto Estero Island
• On page 8-5, described an advisory committee being established by Florida Cities
• On page 8-9, discussed Lee County's new deep-well injection system and the new sewage line being built across Big Carlos Pass
• Updated Table 8-8 with latest data from Lee County Utilities
• Modified Table 8-9 to reflect latest occupancy data
• Added a heading for each objective
• NOTE: some versions of this draft have the goals, policies, and objectives numbered beginning with "6" rather than "8"
• Reworded Objective 8-A to stress increasing the town's role in utility issues
• Added new Policy 8-A-3 on town involvement with Lee County Utilities sewer service
• Replace "define" with "maintain" in Objective 8-B
• Added a measurable target for water conservation in Objective 8-C
• Modified Policy 8-C-6 to include the PSC in this policy
• Added recycling at commercial enterprises to Objective 8-D
• Shortened the appendix

Stormwater Management Element (previous draft was dated June 9)

• Modified page, table, figure, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Replaced "define" with "maintain" in Objective 9-D, and eliminate reference to water quality standard
• Revised Policy 9-D-1 concerning the effects of the stormwater master plan on levels of service
• Revised Policy 9-F-6 to make it more definitive

Recreation Element (previous draft was dated October 23)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Updated the status of improvements at Lovers Key on page 10-4
• Updated the status of county-town negotiations over Bay Oaks on page 10-10

Capital Improvements Element (previous draft was dated January 12)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Modified page 11-2 to remove the perception that the beach access points may be owned by Lee County (which currently maintains them with tourist tax funds)
• Updated the discussion of Sanibel's public services tax on page 11-4
• Clarified the discussion of the town's utility tax referendum on page 11-4 as to the referendum having been optional
• Added the town's latest grant to page 11-9 ($200,000 to expand the Times Square improvements)
• Added the new transportation level of service to page 11-12
• Updated Table 11-3 beginning on page 11-14 to include potential capital improvements from the Transportation Element
• Added some suggested capital improvements to Table 11-7, the five-year schedule of capital improvements [this table is still incomplete]
• Added the new transportation level of service to Policy 11-B-4

Housing Element (previous draft was dated January 12)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan

• Deleted the lengthy appendix (Lee County's Affordable Housing Needs Assessment)
• Added a clause to Objective 12-A on maintaining current levels of housing for island employees
• Added the words "at least" to Objective 12-D

Historic Preservation Element (previous draft was dated January 12)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Made minor changes to "overview of local history" to reflect comments by technical reviewers
• Deleted incorrect reference to damage from Hurricane Donna on page 13-8
• Deleted Objective 4 and related policies (which had been reprinted here from the Housing Element)

Intergovernmental Coordination Element (previous draft was dated January 12)

• Modified page, table, and policy numbering to conform to style for final comp plan
• Corrected text on page 14-3 regarding the town's NPDES role with Lee County and its appointees to the MPO
• Added text on page 14-5 concerning possible effects of county-wide consolidation on independent fire districts and the town
• Modified page 14-6 to increase priority of studying alternative service arrangements
• Added paragraph on page 14-7 concerning a stronger role for the town in Lee County's sewer service
• Increased discussion of Florida's Department of Children and Families on page 14-12
• Modified Table 14-1 beginning on page 14-15 to include policies from the Transportation and Future Land Use Elements, and to reflect the final policy numbering scheme throughout the elements
• Revised page 14-19 to indicate that the Future Land Use Element lowers intensity of development in most cases
• Added a new section on page 14-22 that summarizes the SRPP's transportation section and comments on the consistency of the Fort Myers Beach plan
• Revised policy 14-A-3 to clarify that these processes are voluntary to the town, not mandatory
• Revised Policy14-B-4 to indicate that consolidation is not an acceptable option
• Added Policy 14-B-7 on the town's role in sewer service