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03-13-08 Agenda Spec WSCITY COMMISSION CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA SPECIAL/WORKSHOP MEETING -THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008 6:00 P.M. DELRAY BEACH CITY HALL FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM The City will furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of a service, program, or activity conducted by the City. Contact Doug Smith at 243- 7010, 24 hours prior to the program or activity in order for the City to reasonably accommodate your request. Adaptive listening devices are available for meetings in the Commission Chambers. SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA Pursuant to Section 3.12 of the Charter of the City of Delray Beach, Mayor Rita Ellis has instructed me to announce a Special Meeting of the City Commission to be held for the following purposes: REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT/S.D. SPADY ELEMENTARY MONTESSORI MAGNET SCHOOL: Consider a request from S.D. Spady Elementary Montessori Magnet School for financial support to send students selected from S.D. Spady Elementary Chorus to perform in Denver, Colorado with the 2008 Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Honor Choir on March 26, 2008. Funding is available from 001-6311-572-83.01 (General Fund/Other Grants and Aid) after budget transfer. WORKSHOP AGENDA 1. Osceola Park Neighborhood Improvements Update 2. Discussion on FY 2009 Budget Parameters 3. Commission Comments Please be advised that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at this meeting, such person will need to ensure that a verbatim record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. The City neither provides nor prepares such record. MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Commissioners FROM: Robert A. Barcinski, Assistant City Manager THROUGH: David T. Harden, City Manager DATE: March 5, 2008 SUBJECT: AGENDA ITEM SP.1 - SPECIAL/WORKSHOP MEETING OF MARCH 13, 2008 FUNDING REQUEST-S.D. SPADY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHORUS TRIP ITEM BEFORE COMMISSION City Commission is requested to consider approval of a request for funding from Mr. Kurt J. Clark, Chorus Director at S.D. Spady Elementary Montessori Magnet, to support students selected to perform with the 2008 Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Choir. BACKGROUND Attached is a letter received from Kurt J. Clark requesting funding assistance for the trip to Denver to participate in this program on March 26, 2008. The cost to send one student is $1,750. Last year the City approved a similar request for $1,500. FUNDING SOURCE Funding in the amount of $1,000 is available in 001-6311-572-83.01 (Other Grants and Aid) after a budget transfer from Manager's Contingency. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of a $1,000 contribution to S.D. Spady Elementary School for the chorus trip. 901 NW 3rd Street -Delray Beach, FL 33444 (561} 454-7800 Fax: (561} 454-7801 MartSa K. O'Hare Teresa Thomas Rona Tata Prirtcmal Montessori Mae~net Coordinator Assistant Principal Monday, January 28, 2008 1Vlayor Rita Ellis City Manager David T. Harden The S. D. Spady Chorus would like to thank the City of Delray for the financial assistance you have provided for the last three years. The students participating in the honor choirs, with your assistance, have a profound impact on the Spady Chorus. The younger students are inspired by the experiences and skills Shared with them by the older students. Perfo~l with guest conductors and the best singers in the United States are opportunities that will always be cherished? This year Y am proud to announce that four students from the S. D. Spady Elementary Chorus have been selected to perform with the 2008 Organization of American Kodaly Educators Nal~or~all3onor Choir: These students were selected among 900 audition tapes. K.J. Clark, Kori Clark, Chloe Skinner, and Amber Urso, will travel to Denver, Colorado, on Match 26, 200$ to sing with the Organization of American Kodaly Educators N tion Honor Choir. Because of the rising costs of airline tickets to Denver, Colorado, the approximate cost is $1'750.00.00 for each student and a chaperone. We appreciate the support that the City of Delray Beach has given the S.D. Spady Chorus in the past and Look forward to achieving our future goals with your help. Sincerely, Kurt J. Clark Chorus Diutecto MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Commissioners FROM: Randal L. Krejcarek, P.E., LEED AP Richard C. Hasko, P.E., Environmental Services Director THROUGH: David T. Harden, City Manager DATE: March 5, 2008 SUBJECT: AGENDA ITEM WS.1 - SPECIAL/WORKSHOP MEETING OF MARCH 13, 2008 UPDATE ON OSCEOLA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS, PROJECT #2004-003 ITEM BEFORE COMMISSION This item is before the Commission to provide an update on the current status of the improvements in the Osceola Park Neighborhood. BACKGROUND In December 2004, City Commission approved the Osceola Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan. For purposes of this plan the neighborhood is bordered by SE 5th Avenue (Federal Highway southbound) on the east; Swinton Avenue on the west; SE 2nd Street on the north; and SE 10th Street on the south. The purpose of this Redevelopment Plan was to fulfill the requirements of the Comprehensive Plan and provide the framework for the revitalization of the entire neighborhood. City staff and representatives from the neighborhood have met numerous times to discuss implementation of the redevelopment plan recommendations. While construction plans have been completed there are continuing discussions regarding the implementation of various aspects of the redevelopment plan. Discussion with Commission will include a review of the issues and options that are available to the neighborhood. The project components consist of: Non-Assessable Imnrovements: 1. Water Main Upgrades $1,850,000 2. Drainage Improvements $ 77,000 3. Street Resurfacing $ 130,000 Total Non-Assessable Cost $2,057,000 Assessable Imnrovements: 1. Traffic Calming $ 272,000 2. Sidewalks $ 531,000 3. Alley Improvements $1,727,000 Total Assessable Cost $2,530,000 Assessable improvement costs will be shared equally between the City, CRA and property owners. Approximately $843,400 will be assessed to the property owners resulting in an estimated assessment of approximately $2,000 per lot. This assessment will vary from property to property because the assessment will be based on square footage of each property. RECOMMENDATION This is a presentation to keep Commission informed and answer any questions regarding this neighborhood plan. TRANSMITTAL MEMO TO: Lula Butler, Community Improvement Director FROM: Jennifer E. Costello, Neighborhood Planner RE: OSCEOLA PARK/PUBLIC MEETING MARCH 4, 2008 -CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS DATE: March 6, 2008 Below is a summary of our Public Meeting held to review the Osceola Park Re- development Plan, adopted by the City Commission in December 2004. The evening was opened with the PowerPoint presentation of the Redevelopment Plan by Ron Hoggard, Principal Planner, followed by several slides relating to alleys, sidewalks and utilities presented by Randal Krej carek, City Engineer. There were approximately 30 residents in attendance. Based on the comments and issues expressed, the final outcome is that there is no consensus support for moving forward with the implementation phase of the plan within the Osceola Park community. The residents appear to be unwilling to assume a portion of financial responsibility for the project and are rejecting the potential assessment of their properties, especially the assessment of public right-of--way improvements such as alleys, sidewalks and road resurfacing. In addition residents want to see additional street lights, modifications to the redevelopment plan to include them and they were divided on the alley and sidewalk improvements in general. The evening closed with city staff agreeing to create and mail a survey relating strictly to the redevelopment plan and mailing it out to all property owners in the Osceola Park neighborhood. The residents requested that the redevelopment plan be placed on hold until the survey can be reviewed at a later date in another public forum. /j ec Osceola Park Redevelopment Plan Adopted December 6, 2004 C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H F L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 ('11BLL or CONTENTS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcDLVLLOI~ML~T PLtl\ Section Executive Summary Introduction The Study Area Background & History of the Area Purpose of the Plan The Planning Process Existing Conditions Data Collection Existing Land Use Age of Buildings Housing Tenure Residential Unit Size Property Values Property Sales Demographics Future Land Use & Zoning Maps Future Land Use Zoning Police Crime Report Code Enforcement Proximity to Nuisances Non-conforming Lots and Uses Pedestrian Circulation -Sidewalks Street Lighting Alleyways Plan Implementation The Vision Redevelopment Scenarios by Area Residential Development Business Development Historic Preservation Future Land Use Zoning Map Amendments Land Development Regulations Infrastructure Improvements Utilities Fire Protection Enhanced Code Enforcement Crime Management and Public Safety Parks and Recreation Funding Implementation Steps page 1 1 1 2 4 6 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 17 17 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 26 26 26 27 27 27 27 Figures & Tables Figure 1 Early 20th Century View From Water Tower Figure 2 The Study Area Figure 3 Photo - 1925 Mission Style House Figure 4 Photo - 1925 Bungalow Style House Figure 5 Redevelopment Area #5 Table 1 Existing Land Use Figure b Existing Land Use Map Figure 7 Percentage of Residential Units by Type Figure 8 Photo -Reclaimed Single Family Home Site Figure 9 Photo -Illegal Dumping Figure 10 Number of Buildings by Age Figure 1 1 Housing Tenure by Unit Type Figure 12 Housing Tenure Map Figure 13 Percentage Increase of Property Assessments Table 2 2003 Property Assessments Figure 14 Property Sales by Use (1999 - 2003) Figure 15 Average Household Size by Unit Type Figure 16 Population Breakdown by Age Group Figure 17 Current Future Land Use Map Figure 18 Current Zoning Map Figure 19 Police Incident Calls (1999 - 2003) Figure 20 Code Enforcement Violations (1999 - 2003) Figure 21 Photos -Rear of Commercial Uses Figure 22 Photo -Roadway Terminus at Railroad Figure 23 Photo -Broken and Missing Sidewalks Figure 24 Existing Sidewalks Map Figure 25 Photo -City Owned Property on SE 1st Avenue Figure 26 Photo -Example of Duplex Conversion Figure 27 Photo -Parking in the Swales Figure 28 Proposed Future Land Use Map Figure 29 Proposed Zoning Map Figure 30 Photo -Localized Flooding in Swale Areas Figure 31 Proposed Master Plan Figure 32 Preliminary Cost Estimates 1 page 1 1 2 2 3 b b 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 14 15 15 18 19 19 22 23 24 25 27 C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H )-' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXliCUT1Vli SUMM1llZY OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RLDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N LOC11T10N LOCATION The Osceola Paxk Neighborhood Area is located immediately south of the Central Business District. It is bordered by SE 5~' Avenue (Federal Highway southbound) on the east; Swinton Avenue on the west; SE 2°~ Street on the north; and SE 10~' Street on the south. The FEC Railway bisects the area, running diagonal- ly from northeast to southwest. Three-quarters of the area is located east of the railway and is represented by the Osceola Park Neighborhood Association. HISTORY As the central part of Delray was developing in the 1900s, an early subdi~rision known as Osceola Park was established south of town between the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks and the Florida East Coast Canal. George G. Currie and F. J. Lewis, of the Currie Investment and Title Guaranty Company, recorded the plat for Osceola Park in January of 1913. Designed in a grid pattern, the lots were primarily 50.5 feet wide and 132.5 feet deep. The streets in Osceola Park were originally named after local pioneers such as Sundy, Ingraham, and Blackmer (today the streets and avenues are numbered). The subdi~rision was very progressive with cement sidewalks, paved roads, a central sewerage system, and electrical access. In addition, two parks, Currie Common and a ball field, were set aside in the development, and shade and palm trees were planted on the neighborhood's main streets. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN The Future Land Use Element of the City's Comprehensive Plan identifies several older areas of the City that, due to substandard infrastructure, obsolete or inappropriate uses of land, vacant and dilapidated structures, and other similarly blighting conditions, are in need of special attention. Goal Area "C" of the Future Land Use Element represents the starting block upon which its imple- mentation strategy has been built. It is stated as follows: BLIGHTED AREAS OF THE CITY SHALL BE REDE- VELOPED AND RENEWED AND SHALL BE THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING AREAS TO THE RENAIS- SANCE OF DELRAY BEACH. A major part of the implementation strategy is for the City to pre- pare and adopt "Redevelopment Plans" for declining areas. These areas are depicted on the Future Land Use Map as Redevelopment Areas #1 through #6. Redevelopment Area #5 is located in the Osceola Park Area. This designation effectively acts as a holding zone on each area, where Future Land Uses designations will not be assigned until a Redevelopment Plan has been completed and adopted. The scope of this Redevelopment Plan has been expanded beyond the limits of Redevelopment Area #5 to include the sur- rounding residential neighborhood. The purpose of the Plan is to identify the specific deficiencies and assets of the area, evaluate C I T Y O F D E L R A Y the exisring and potential uses, and identify specific measures for arresting decline, facilitating new development, and enhancing the quality of life for neighborhood. The Plan is divided into three sections: The "Introduction" b ves a brief background and history of the area. The specific Comprehensive Plan policies, which provide the starting point for the plan are identified and a brief summary of the planning process that helped shaped the contents of the Plan is provided. The "Existing Conditions" section describes the neighborhood in terms of the factors that affect the quality of life in the area. It contains a description of the exisring land uses, zoning, and Future Land Use Map designations that apply. Analyses of devel- opmentpatterns, occupancy status, property values, infrastructure, code enforcement calls and crime problems are also included. The "Plan Implementation" section outlines the strategy for the revitalization of the neighborhood, including the actions that the City will take to facilitate it. OVERVIEW OF EXISTING CONDITIONS Development Pattern The neighborhood area contains a mix of residential, commercial, light industrial and community facility land uses. There are also several undeveloped parcels. Residential development accounts for 71% of the total 107 acre land area of the neighborhood. Single-family residences are the principal land use with 59% of the land area. Major non-residential land uses include commercial development with 99% of the land area and light industrial with 6%. Undeveloped property accounts for only 3.3% of the land area. There are several platted residential subdivisions within the neigh- borhood area, containing a mix of single-family, duplex and mulri- family structures. (?verall, the neighborhood contains 294 single- family residential units, 21 apartments/guest houses associated with single family, 82 duplex units and 107 multi-family units for a total of 515 residential units. Compared to the overall City, the percentage of owner-occupied units is much lower in the Osceola Park neighborhood (51.5%) than the City as a whole (69.7%). Although rentals are scattered throughout the area, the highest concentrations are in the multi-family districts in the northern and western portions of the neighborhood. This is to be expected, since multi-family structures are much more likely to contain rental units. There is an inappropriate mix of nonconforming duplex and mul- tiple family development with single family residences in the sin- gle family district. The combination of apathetic landlords and unmotivated tenants has resulted in many deteriorating duplex and multi-family properties. Lack of building maintenance (painting, B E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXliCUT1Vli SUMM1llZY OSCI?OLtl p11RK RLDliVliLOPMliNT pLt1N OvLizviLw or EXISTING COND1T10NS window and door repair, etc.), inadequate and overgrown land- scaping, crowding and overpacking are the major problems. Combined, these problems have a blighting influence on adjacent single family homes. Of the 44 duplex parcels within the neighborhood, 19 (43%) are located in the R-1-A district which does not permit duplexes. Of the remaining parcels, 9 (20%) are non-conforming with respect to lot size (i.e. less than 8,000 sq. ft.). Of the 22 multifamily developments within the neighborhood, 4 are located in the R-1-A district, which does not permit multifam- ily, and are therefore nonconforming with respect to use. Of the remaining projects, 13 were found to be non-conforming with respect to density. Four of these projects had densities in excess of 20 units per acre and 1 exceeded 30 units per acre. Historic Structures There are 183 buildings in the neighborhood over 50 years old. With a median age of 48 years old, one-half of all buildings with- in the neighborhood were constructed before 1956. Although new buildings are still being constructed, only 21% are less than 20 years old. Given their age, it is unlikely that many buildings meet current life safety regulations with respect to smoke detectors, emergency egress escape windows, hurricane anchorage, electrical wiring, etc. Crime Report The location of each property within the neighborhood was examined with respect to the number of incident calls generated. Compared to Citywide figures, overall criminal activity in the Osceola Neighborhood decreased from 3.29% of the citywide total in 1999 to 2.76% in 2003. However, since the neighborhood represents only 1.4% of the total land area of the city, the 2003 figure is still nearly twice the citywide average based on land area. Additional measures will need to be taken to bring this figure clos- er to the citywide average. Code Enforcement The location of each property within the neighborhood was examined with respect to the number of incident calls generated. Compared to Citywide fib res, overall code ~riolations in the Osceola Neighborhood increased from 5.2% of the citywide total in 1999 to 8.3% in 2003. Since the neighborhood represents only 1.4% of the total land area of the city, the 2003 figure is nearly 6 times the citywide average based on land area. Drastic measures will need to be taken to bring this figure closer to the citywide average. Adjacent Nuisances The Osceola Park neighborhood is adjacent to a number of prop- erties and transportation facilities that affect the stability of resi- dential properties in the neighborhood. Residential properties backing up to the Federal Highway and Railroad commercial cor- C I T Y O F D E L R A Y IV ridors contend with increased noise levels, overflow parking and unsightly serjrice areas. Landscape buffers between these commer- cial/industrial uses and residential properties within the neighbor- hood are often deteriorating or nonexistent. Dealing with these deficiencies would have a major impact on the neighborhood as a whole. Pedestrian Circulation - Sidewalks Sidewalks are pro~rided on only about half of the residential streets in the neighborhood. On streets where sidewalks do exist, there are many missing or broken segments. Traffic Issues Traffic problems within the neighborhood include speeding on some local residential streets, and commercial truck traffic through the neighborhood. Consideration must be given to elimi- nating excessive through-traffic on residential streets in the neigh- borhood which are headed for the railroad commercial corridor The integration of nonresidential development within the neigh- borhood presents a problem when dealing with the commercial truck traffic it generates. This traffic should be directed away from residential roadways. Parking There are two parking issues within the neighborhood. The first issue is the excessive number of cars parked in the swales and in some cases, front yards, throughout the neighborhood. The lack of adequate parking is a major blighting influence in the neighbor- hood. The second is the lack of adequate parking for the nonres- idential properties in the rail corridor. The large amount of auto repair businesses, is the primary cause of this problem. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION The overall purpose of the Plan is to capitalize on the strengths of the area and provide methods to deal with the weaknesses. The Plan provides the framework for the re~ritalization of the entire neighborhood. This equates to the three main proposals of this Plan: Elimination of the problems associated with small lot duplex and multi-family development intermixed with single-family development; Reduction of the negative impacts associated with through and non-residential vehicular on local residential streets; and Improvement of the physical appearance of the neighbor- hood through enhanced police acti~rity; code enforcement and beautification. Adoption of the Redevelopment Plan will require amendments to the City's Future Land Use and Zoning Maps as well as a number of text amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. These amend- ments will be adopted as a portion of Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2005-1. ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXliCUT1Vli SUMM1llZY OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RLDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N Future Land Use Map (PLUM) Amendments The northern part of the neighborhood is currently designated as RDA-5 (Redevelopment Area #5) on the Future Land Use Map (PLUM). Five Future Land Use Map designations will be required to accommodate existing or proposed development within rede- velopment area #5. No PLUM changes are required outside the boundaries of the redevelopment area. The proposed designa- tions for properties within this area are as follows: • Sub-area 1: Properties along the FEC rail corridor, between SE 2°~ and SE 6~' Streets on the west and between SE 2°~ and SE 5~' Streets on the east -Change the PLUM designation from RDA-5 to CC (Commercial Core) - approximately 10.26 acres. This change is required to accommodate existing commercial and light industrial development. The properties are currently zoned CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor), which is con- sistent with the designation. • Sub-area 2: Properties along the Federal Highway corridor, between SE 2°~ Street and SE 3`~ Street -Change the PLUM des- ignation from RDA-5 to CC (Commercial Core) -approximately 1.8 acres. This change is required to accommodate existing com- mercial development. The properties are currently zoned CBD (Central Business District), which is consistent with the designa- tion. • Sub-area 3: Properties along the Federal Highway corridor, between SE 4~' and SE 5~' Street -Change the PLUM designation from RDA-5 to GC (General Commercial) - approximately 0.85 acres. This change is required to accommodate existing commer- cial development. The properties are currently zoned GC (General Commercial), which is consistent with the designation. • Sub-area 4: Lots 6 to 14, Block 79, Town of Delray, located on the east side of SE 1" Avenue, between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Streets -Change the PLUM designation from RDA-5 to MD (iVledium Density Residential - 5 to 12 du/acre) -approximately 1.41 acres. The properties are currently zoned RM (Residential - Medium Density), which is consistent with the designation. • Sub-area 5: Properties on the west side of the FEC rail cor- ridor, between SE 6~' and SE 7~' Street -Change the PLUM des- ignation from RDA-5 to MD (iVledium Density Residential - 5 to 12 du/acre) -approximately 1.23 acres. This change is required to accommodate existing and proposed development. This area con- sists of two parcels. The southern parcel is zoned RM, which is consistent with the designation. It is a part of Swinton Place, a 19- unit townhouse development. The northern parcel, which is unde- veloped, is currently zoned CBD-RC (Central Business District - Rail Corridor), which is not consistent with the designation. Therefore, a rezoning of this parcel will be required as well. • Sub-area 6: Properties fronting on SE 2nd Street, between SE 3`~ Avenue and the Federal Highway frontage properties - Change the PLUM designation from RDA-5 to MD (iVledium Density Residential - 5 to 12 du/acre) - approximately 1.12 acres. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y V The properties are currently zoned RM (Residential -Medium Density), which is consistent with the designation. • Sub-area 7: The remaining properties between SE 2nd Street and SE 5`~ Street, between the Federal Highway commercial frontage and the commercial/industrial rail corridor. -Change the PLUM designation from RDA-5 to LD (Low Density Residential - 0 to 5 du/acre) - approximately 19.75 acres. All of the parcels, south of SE 3rd Street, are currently zoned R-1-A (Single Family Residential) which is consistent with this designation. The parcels, located north of SE 3`~ Street, are currently zoned RM (Residential - Medium Density), which is not consistent with the designation. These parcels will be rezoned concurrently with the PLUM amendment. In addition to the above changes, modification of Future Land Use Element Policy C-2.6 is required to reflect adoption of this Plan for the "Osceola Park Redevelopment Area," and to require that all future development be in compliance with the adopted Plan. Processing of this amendment will be undertaken by the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission concurrent with consideration of the PLUM amendment. Zoning Map Amendments Most parcels within the neighborhood area will retain their current zoning. However, implementation of the neighborhood plan will require rezoning of some parcels in the area. The proposed rezon- ings, shown on fib re x, are as follows: • Sub-area 1: 1 parcel on the west side of the FEC rail corri- dor, south of SE 6~' Street -Change the zoning designation from CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor) to RM (iVlultiple Family Residential -Medium Density) -approximately 0.85 acres. • Sub-area 2: 33 properties, located south of the frontage properties on SE 2°~ Street to SE 3`~ Street, between the Federal Highway commercial frontage and the commercial/industrial rail corridor. -Change the zoning designation from RM (iVlultiple Family Residential -Medium Density) to R-1-A (Single Family Residential) -approximately 5.91 acres. The rezonings will be considered by the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission concurrent with the PLUM amend- ment. Traffic The following measures are recommended to help alleviate the problems associated with vehicular traffic in the neighborhood: • Reduce the highway feel on local residential streets by remov- ing additional pavement used for off-street parking on all sin- gle family homes and multi-family structures where possible. • Plant street trees to add visual interest and reduce the feeling ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXliCUT1Vli SUMM1llZY OSCI?OLtl p11RK RLDliVliLOPMliNT pLt1N pL11N IMPLliMliNT11T10N of width of the roadways. • Remove conflicting landscaping at the intersections where visibility is a problem. • Install traffic calming measures on selected streets to control speeding and nonresidential traffic. The use of curb bulb-outs at the entrances to the neighborhood will include landscaping and signage for neighborhood identify. Two round-abouts are planned for southern end of the neighborhood where exces- sive speeding is a problem. • Pave the alleyways to pro~ride access to the rear yards for serv- ice functiuon and alternative parking. • Pave SE 6`~ Street between Swinton Avenue and SE 1 st Avenue to pro~ride improve truck access. • Hire a traffic consultant to study the commercial truck traffic in the neighborhood and recommend ways to direct the traf- fic away from residential areas. • Hire a traffic consultant to study the Swinton Avenue ~ SE 4~ Street Intersection to make recommendations regarding traffic calming. Parking A primary focus of the plan is to reduce excessive parking along residential roadways, in the swales and in many instances in front yards within the residential neighborhood. To accomplish this, it is recommended that the alleys be paved to provide enhanced access to the rear yards. Although some properties already utilize the unpaved alleys to access parking in the rear, this improvement will make this option much more attractive. With more utilization, the alleys will become a important component of the public space and more eyes in the area will help to deter criminal acti~rity. Another focus of the plan be to pro~ride additional parking for businesses in the railroad corridor area. One location for addition- al spaces will be on SE 2°~ Avenue, adjacent to the railroad. Another potential location would involve acquisition of the cur- rently vacant lot at 215 SE 2°~ Avenue to create an off-street park- ing lot. The former structure was demolished on the site and its limited size will make redevelopment difficult. The parking of overflow vehicles from the automotive repair facilities on unimproved surfaces will be targeted for code enforcement and these facilities will have to find other ways to deal with the problem on site. For example, automobiles being stored on-site for parts should be relocated to another location and customers should be scheduled so that an excessive number of cars waiting to be repaired are not on-site at any one time. Enhanced Code Enforcement Code enforcement will play a critical role in the redevelopment of the area. The City will begin by implementing a special outreach program to help property owners understand applicable codes and ordinances regarding maintenance, trash disposal, parking, etc. It C I T Y O F D E L R A Y VI is recommended that the homeowners association work with the City to help educate neighborhood residents. Information includ- ed in newsletters or flyers as well as adoor-to-door canvassing to explain these programs would help the City to reduce ~riolations and improve the area. The second phase of the program will be for city code enforce- ment officers to do a complete canvassing of the neighborhood. A resident task force should be appointed by the homeowners association to be included in this initial walk through. The City will then prepare a report and call a meeting to present the findings to the association and then property owners will be cited according- ly; Following the initial clean-up phase, as the Plan is implemented, the area should be targeted for zero-tolerance code enforcement with frequent inspections for compliance. However, since code enforcement can only do so much, the area should also begin to police itself. The homeowners association will be tasked with pro- viding information on ~riolations as soon as possible to the City. It is hoped that once the area is cleaned up, property owners will begin to develop a sense of pride in the area. Historic Conservation District Given the number of older structures within the neighborhood that do not currently have the benefit of protective regulations in place to preserve their historic value, it is recommended that the City begin the process of creating a Conservation District within Osceola Park as soon as possible. Other Recommendations The Plan also contains the following recommendations: • Complete the sidewalk system throughout the neighborhood. • Study the railroad crossings at SE 4~' and SE 10~' Streets to determine if pedestrian safety can be improved. • Evaluate existing chain link fences in front yards to determine if in conformance to existing codes. Consider ordinance to eliminate all nonconforming fencing within 5 years; • Consider an incentive program for private property improve- ments, such as sharing the cost of paint, landscape materials, irrigation systems, etc; • Consider program to upgrade safety devices in older homes (e.g. smoke detectors); • Develop residential street light program; • Target area for mailing of information on CRA's loan pro- gram; • Promote the CRAs duplex conversion program to target this neighborhood in order to eliminate non-conforming duplexes scattered throughout the neighborhood; and • Determine the most appropriate use of the city owned parcel of land at the northeast corner of SE 1" Avenue and SE 4~' ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXILCUTIVI? SUMM1llZY OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RIsDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N Street. Options include, sale for development, landscaped open space or public parking. Funding Infrastructure improvements identified in the Plan for the Redevelopment Area should be included in the City's 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan. Engineering, design and detailed cost estimates of indi~ridual projects can begin as time and funding becomes available. The cost of the beautification component of the project, estimated at $2.3 million, will be divided equally between the City, CRA and the Property Owners, through cre- ation of a property assessment district. The City will commit staff time to accomplish some of the activ- ities outlined in the Plan, including enhanced code enforcement. Implementation Steps • Future Land Use Map Amendments and Rezonings • Modification of CIP as required • Enhanced code enforcement -clean up • Creation of Conservation District • Design and engineering of improvements within the neigh- borhood • Set up Special Assessment District • Construction • Monitor implementation and make strategy adjustments as required Vll C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 INTRODUCTION OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;vl;LOhM1;~T PL11N Txl; STUDY Aizl ~ THE STUDY AREA The City of Delray Beach Osceola Park Study Area, (shown in Figure 2), is located immediately south of the Central Business District. It is bordered by SE 5`~ Avenue (Federal Highway south- bound) on the east; Swinton Avenue on the west; SE 2°~ Street on the north; and SE 10`~ Street on the south. The FEC Railway bisects the area, running diagonally from northeast to southwest. Three-quarters of the area is located east of the railway and is rep- resented by the Osceola Park Neighborhood Association. There are no formal neighborhood associations for the portion of the study area located west of the railroad. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF THE AREA As the central part of Delray was developing in the 1900s, an early subdi~rision known as Osceola Park was established south of town between the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks and the Florida East Coast Canal. George G. Currie and F. J. Lewis, of the Currie Investment and Title Guaranty Company, recorded the plat for Osceola Park in January of 1913. Designed in a grid pattern, the lots were primarily 50.5 feet wide and 132.5 feet deep. At that time, subdi~risions platted in a grid pattern were omnipresent in Florida. In fact, many early subdivisions planned by speculators throughout the country were platted in this configuration. Because speculative real estate development in Delray was evolving into a lucrative business geared to a quick and maximum return on investment, the grid pattern was practical. It simplified surveying, minimized legal disputes, maximized number of lots and houses on the land, and facilitated the rapid buying, selling, and improve- ment of real estate. The streets in Osceola Park were named after local pioneers such as Sundy, Ingraham, and Blackmer (today the streets and avenues are numbered). The subdivision was very pro- gressive with cement sidewalks, paved roads, a central sewerage system, and electrical access. In addition, two parks, Currie Common and a ball field, were set aside in the development, and shade and palm trees were systematically planted on the neighbor- hood's main streets (Tropical Sun, January 2, 1913). 1 Figure 1. Early Twentieth Century View of Delray From Water Tower in Figure 2. The Study Area is the neighborhood immediately south of the Osceola Park. Photo Courtesy of Delray Beach Historical Society. Central Business District, between Swinton Avenue and Federal Highway. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 INTRODUCTION OSCLOLtl P~u~ RI;DI;v1;LO1~M1;~T PLAN Puiu~osL or Txl; PLAN George Currie actively promoted Osceola Park in both the Palm Beach Post and Tropical Sun with articles and advertisements fea- turing the "high-class" residential area of Delray (Palm Beach Post 4 December 1913; Tropical Sun 2 January 1913). As one of Delray's first planned neighborhoods, Osceola Park was very suc- cessful and lots were quickly sold. By 1914, thirty houses were already located in the subdi~rision and many more were planned for construction. To fill up the subdivisions and satisfy the housing shortage in the City, the Delray Realty Board initiated a "Build A Home" program in 1925. In order to shape Delray into "a metropolis of the first order," the townspeople were asked to build at least one house to sell on a speculative basis or rent to seasonal visitors (The Delray News, August 8, 1925). At this time, subdivisions such as Osceola Park and Dell Park remained appealing locations for new con- struction. In 1925, twenty "moderately-priced homes" were built in Osceola Park for sale or rental (Palm Beach Post, July 26, 1925). Like the commercial buildings and hotels being constructed at this time, many of the residences exhibited Mediterranean Revival or iVlission style architecture. However, the Bungalow house type was also prevalent in the 1920s. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y PURPOSE OF THE PLAN 2 In preparing its ~rision for the future in the 1989 Comprehensive Plan, the City of Delray Beach realized that build-out was rapidly approaching. It was also e~rident that future increases in ad-val- orem tax revenues would become more and more dependent upon the value of exisring properties and less dependent on new development. This fact and a growing realization of the impor- tance of neighborhood stability led the City to refocus its atten- tion toward the redevelopment and re~ritalizarion of the older sec- tions of Delray Beach. Recognizing that several of these older areas were becoming increasingly blighted and that property val- ues were declining, the City adopted apro-active approach to stop the decline. The Future Land Use Element of the City's Comprehensive Plan identifies several older areas of the City that, due to substandard infrastructure, obsolete or inappropriate uses of land, vacant and dilapidated structures, and other similarly blighting conditions, are in need of special attention in the form of a "Redevelopment Plan: 'Goal Area "C" of the Future Land Use Element represents the starting block upon which its implementation strategy has been built. It is stated as follows: BLIGHTED AREAS OF THE CITY SHALL BE REDEVELOPED AND RENEWED AND SHALL BE ::THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING .AREAS TO THE: .::RENAISSANCE OF DELRAY BEACH:. A major part of the implementation strategy is for the City to pre- pare and adopt "Redevelopment Plans" for declining areas of the City. These areas are depicted on the Future Land Use Map as Redevelopment Areas #1 through #6. This designation effecrive- ly acts as a holding zone on each area, where Future Land Uses designations will not be assigned until a Redevelopment Plan has been completed and adopted. A portion of the Study Area is designated as Redevelopment Area #5 (See Figure 4, Page 3). The following language, excerpted from Future Land Use Element Policy C-2.6 in the City's Comprehensive Plan, b ves a description of the program: Poliey G2.6 The following pertains to the area bounded by S. F. 2nd Street, Federal Highwa, y, S. F. S`~ Street, and Swinton Avenue (Osceola Par/ area: This area has industrial uses with inadequate par/~ing to the west, co~n~ner- cial uses to the east, and a mixed residential area which has turned naain~ into ;~~ir/~;=oc~nbi~~l nir,'/r. It is also enco~assed by wellfieldprotection hones. Thy p; ~iri,ul~ ft~~us of ~G;~r redweloprnentplan shall be to arrest deterioration, provide adequate par/~,v1; and services for the existing industrial and cornrner- cial areas, and accornrnodate housing which is con~atible with the other uses. The issues relating to industrial uses within this area were addressed within ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 3. 1925 Mission Style House Located at 823 SE 4th Avenue Figure 4. 1925 Bungalow Style House Located at 131 SE 7th Avenue ~TizoDUC_Tlo~ OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;v1;LO1~M1;~T PL~~ 'uiu~osL or Txl; PL11N 3 the new CBD-AC honing district, created on May 16, 1995. Therefore, the redevelopmentplan for this area will focus on the residential neighborhood The plan will, at a . ~ ~ ~ address the following issue.r.• C I T Y O F D E L R A Y • Appropriateness of the existing KMM honing district within the area. • Use of traffic-calming measures to reduce .,-peed and volume of tra~c on the ; r ~idential streets within the area. • Pa ',i1 for creation of a historic distr ~ ~ %~:ir tl~~~ area. • Luirdscape beautification. • Ircprovement of existing housing stoc%. This redevelopmentplan shall be prepared in FI' 98/99 and shall be adopt- ed through a co~rehensive plan amendment. In preparation of the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan, neighborhoods throughout the City were evaluated and a "Residential Neighborhood Categorization Map" was created. This map delineates areas according to the prevailing condition of private property. The main objective of the categorization is to identify the level of need in each neighborhood, which in turn will determine the strategies to be taken in meeting that need. The Osceola Park Neighborhood is currently categorized as follows: Kedevelopm~ir/ - Lac% of basic infrastructure; inco~atible mix of land uses; ~rnirir; vn.~ substandard structures and vacant lots. and K~ri/,il%:~,i~ion -Evidence of decline in condition of structures and ,ya,~tls; increase in came; property values stagnant or declining. For the portion of the Study Area categorized as needing "rede- velopment" (Fib re 5), Objective A-7 of the Housing Element calls for the City to identify appropriate measures to accomplish redevelopment of the area. Additionally, as stated in the following policies, a Redevelopment Plan shall be prepared for all areas so categorized. Poliev A-7. ~ Each of these areas shall be provided assistance through the prepara/i~rn of a `redevelopment Plan" that will focus on the assignment of app, gip; ;;i/~ l nr,d use and honing designations, a plan for the provision of infrasi; rig /n; ~, arad a program to acco~lish otherphysical i~rovements to the areas. Tb~ .rpecifi~c direction each plan will ta/~e is described in Objective C-2 of the Future L~nrd Use Element. The plans are to be prepared and adopt- ed as a form,il,nrnrrrGri~rr/ to tL~ Fn/n; r Lind Use Element andMap prior to embar/~ing upon unr be~c r~edrr~Ioprreertt activity. Poliev A-7.2 The priority for the prepa,~ aG'~an of plans for those KedevelopmentAreas which include a signif.~ vnir~b~;~ of resrden%~i1 i,.~~~r ZS aJ' fOllOws.' 1. Osceola Par/ (area betwe~ rr. S. F. 2"d and S. F. S`~ Streets, from Federal Highway to SwintonAr~rrml ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 5. Redevelopment Area # 5 is located in the northern portion of the Study Area [~TizoDUC_Tio~ OSCLOLtl P~u~ RLDLVLLOI~ML~T PLAN TxL PL11NN1NG Pizoc_LSs 2. T~allace Drive Industrial Area At least one plan shall be colleted each fiscal year. The remainder of the study area has a categorization of Revitalization. Objective A-5 of the Comprehensive Plan Housing Element calls for areas with this categorization to have a greater priority in terms of targeting of code enforcement and law enforcement operations; and to have a greater priority in the scheduling of capital improvements (infrastructure) which will assist in arresting visual signs of deterioration. Additionally, "Policy A-5.5" states that neighborhood plans are to be prepared: Poliey A-5.5 These areas shall be provided assistance through the devel- opment of a "neighborhood plan" which is directed toward the arresting of deterioration through physical i~rovements such as street lighting, street trees, landscaping, street repair, drainage i~rovements, side°~r,rl/~s, par/~s and par/~ing areas, installation or uh~radin~ water and sr»rr fry-~lities, all of which Ana, y be provided through f iiir,Gils , nr,~/ or assess~nerl/ ~l ~strzcts. The plans shall also address the appropriatir~ss of existing land use and honing classi- fications, tra~c circulation patterns, abatement of inappropriate uses, and to ;~liir~ ~f code enforcement programs. Thy plans shall be prepa; ~d 1~~ the Pl,nririas ,nrd Zoning Department, with assistance from the Cniriirimri~r Iuybr~~r~~rient Department, and the Cairiiriiuri~r Redevelopment Ageir~ r if located within the CKA district. At least one neighborhood plan shall be pre- pared each fiscal year. The przorzt, y of these plans is ar follow.r.• • Allen/ Fastview/La/~e Avenues (to be addressed in the North Federal Plan • Osceola Par/ • Delray Shores THE PLANNING PROCESS Following a series of neighborhood ~risits and collection of land use and environmental data, staff attended a series of neighbor- hood association meetings to ascertain the priorities of residents and property owners in the study area. The property owners who attended the meetings were enthusiastic and supportive of the idea of neighborhood stabilization through development of a neighborhood plan. The residents identified their concerns and priorities for the neighborhood. Staff incorporated many of those ideas into this plan. A draft of this plan was presented to the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Planning and Zoning Board for recommendation to the City Commission in November, 2004. The Plan was adopted by the City Commission on December 6, 2004. 4 C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 ~x1sTl~c COND1T10NS OSCLOLA PAIU~ RcD1;v1;LO1~M1;~T pLA~ BATA CoLLLC_Tlo~ DATA COLLECTION In preparation of this Plan, City staff compiled a database of all properties within the Study Area. The primary source of data was the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's tax roll. Additional information was obtained from field surveys conducted in the summer of 2004 and from review of recorded documents. The information in the database includes the property control number, property area, property ownership, building area, occupancy infor- mation, existing land use, and assessed value. The following land use and other property information is based on this database. EXISTING LAND USE There are approximately 107 acres (not including road rights-of- way) in the Study Area. The "Existing Land Use Mai, " (Figure 6) shows the distribution of the various land uses in the area and Table 1, below gives a complete breakdown of these uses by type. Table 1 Existing Land Use Osceola Park Neighborhood Land Use # of Parcels Acres Land Area (Sq. Ft.) % Land Area Bldg. Area (Sq. Ft.) % Bldg. Area City Park 1 3.20 139,392 2.95% 555 0.10% Commercial 34 9.56 429,351 9.15`% 105,996 12.53`% lluples 44 5.01 349,123 7.46`% 72,470 5.77`% Light Industrial 12 6.02 262,325 5.61`% 64,130 7.76`% l~fulti-Fundy 32 5.44 367,551 7.56`% 101,756 1231`% Office 14 3.53 167,020 3.57`% 21,173 2.56`% Open Space 3 2.17 94,533 2.02% 0 0.00`% Pre-school 1 030 13,000 0.25`% 1,559 0.19`% Single Funily 270 55.11 2,400,521 5132`% 409,921 49.53`% Single Funily with Apartment 21 439 191,176 4.09`% 40,464 4.90`% Undeveloped 16 3.59 156,150 334% 0 0.00`% Utilities 3 2.46 107,157 2.29`% 5,696 LO5% '1'O'1:~LS 451 10735 4,677,392 100.00`% 526,393 100.00`% The neighborhood area contains a mix of residential, commercial, light industrial and community facility land uses. The area also contains 17 undeveloped parcels. The principal land use is detached single-family residences with over one-half of the land area. Other major land uses in the area include 44 duplex parcels (7.46%) and 34 commercial parcels with (9.18%). Residential Development Residential development accounts for 71% of the land area with- in the neighborhood. There are several residential subdivisions within the neighborhood area, containing a mix of single-family, duplex and multi-family structures. Overall, the neighborhood contains 294 single-family residential units, 21 apartments/guest houses associated with single family homes, 82 duplex units, 117 multi-family units and one unit above a commercial business for a total of 515 residential units. Fib re 7 depicts the relative percent- ages of residential units by type. 6 C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 6. Existing Land Use ~X1STING COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;vl;LOt~M1;~T pL11N Ex1sTl~c L~~D usL Figure 7 Percentage of Residential Units by Type Osceola Park Neighborhood Multi-Family Units 23% Single Family Homes 53% Duplexes 16% _ __ Single Family Homes with Apartments 8% Non-Residential Development Non-residential development within the study area consists of a mix of commercial and light industrial land uses. Development parcels fronting on Federal Highway consist primarily of automo- tive sales/rental, offices and personal ser~rice commercial uses, while the area surrounding the FEC Railroad in the north part of the neighborhood consists primarily of light industrial, uses. The neighborhood also contains a city park, between SE 7~' and SE 8~' Streets, and a public utility on SE 10~' Street. Undeveloped Property The existence of undeveloped lots indicates unproductive land use, which limits tax revenues. These lots often become dumping grounds for trash and unsightly or unsafe debris. Overgrowth of vegetation on vacant lots often becomes an ongoing problem for the city's code enforcement program. There are 16 parcels within the neighborhood that are currently undeveloped. This figure equates to nearly 4 acres of land and 3.3% of the total land area within the neighborhood. The largest of the undeveloped parcels with 0.85 acres is located along the railroad, south of SE 6~' Street. The remaining parcels are concentrated in the north portion of the neighborhood and consist primarily of pre~riously developed lots on which older structures have been removed to make way for new development. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 7 While the redevelopment of these lots will ultimately be an improvement to the neighborhood, they pose an ongoing problem for the city's code enforcement program in dealing with the over- growth or lack of vegetation and the illegal dumping of trash and debris. AGE OF BUILDINGS A criterion to determine the need for rehabilitation is the age of the buildings. With a median age of 48 years old, one-half of all buildings within the neighborhood were constructed before 1956. Although new buildings are still being constructed, only 21% are less than 20 years old. Given their age, it is unlikely that many buildings meet current life safety regulations with respect to smoke detectors, emergency egress escape windows, hurricane anchorage, electrical wiring, etc. Therefore, an incentive program to upgrade these items would be appropriate in this neighbor- hood. The following chart gives a breakdown of all buildings within the neighborhood by age. As shown the chart, there are 183 buildings in the neighborhood over 50 years old. Figure 10 Number of BuIldings by Age Osceola Park Neighborhood 1zo 100 ao 60 40 20 0 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-09 60-69 60-69 70+ Building Age (Years) ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 9. Illegal Dumping on Vacant Lots Degrades the Neighborhood Figure 8. One of Several Reclaimed Single-Family Home Sites Being Offered For Redevelopment EXISTING COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;vl;LOt~M1;~T pL11N HousING Tl;~uizl In 1999, the City hired Janus Research to perform a historic site survey of the neighborhood to determine if the creation of a his- toric district was warranted. Based on its analysis of the historic resources within the neighborhood, Janus recommended that the City consider creation of a Local Conservation District instead of a Historic District designation. Additional information on this issue is included in the Implementation Section of this Plan. HOUSING TENURE The Osceola Park neighborhood contains a total of 515 residen- tial units. Of the 515 total units, 2 units are under construction, 265 are owner-occupied and 248 are rentals. Compared to the overall City, the percentage of owner-occupied units is much lower in the Osceola Park neighborhood (51.5%) than the City as a whole (69.7%). The "Residential Occupancy Map," (Figure 11) shows housing tenure for the entire neighborhood area. Although rentals are scattered throughout the area, the highest concentra- tions are in the multi-family districts in the northern and western portions of the neighborhood. This was expected, since multi- family structures are much more likely to contain rental units. The chart below gives a comparison of occupancy status for the differ- ent housing types within the neighborhood. Since absentee own- ership often contributes to property neglect, encouragement of owner-occupied single-family housing is a feature of this redevel- opment plan. Figure 11 Housing Tenure by Unit Type Osceola Park Neighborhood 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Single Family Duplex Multi-Family I I Owner ~ Renter RESIDENTIAL UNIT SIZE There is a wide range of residential unit sizes within the neighbor- hood area. The largest units are single-family detached units with an average size of 1,515 square feet. Duplex units are significant- ly smaller, with an average size of 905 square feet. Multiple-fami- ly units are smaller still with an average size of only 869 square feet. The Delray Beach Land Development Regularions currently require a minimum of 1,000 sq. ft. for duplex units. The minimum size for multi-family units is dependent on the number of bed- rooms, with 400 sq. ft. for efficiencies, 600 sq. ft. for 1-bedroom, 900 sq. ft. for 2-bedrooms, 1,250 sq. ft. for 3- bedrooms and 1,500 sq. ft. for 4-bedrooms. These numbers indicate that many neigh- 8 C I T Y O F D E L R A Y B E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 12. Housing Tenure ~X1STING COND1T10NS Osc_I;oLA PAIU~ RiDLVLLOPMLNT PLAN PIZnhL.IZTY VALUI?S boyhood duplex and multi-family units are nonconforming with regard to size. PROPERTY VALUES The total assessed value of the 451 properties within the study area was $52.9 million in 2003, up by 117% from $24.3 in 1995. The following chart shows a comparison of percentage increases in property assessments between 1995 and 2003 for the major land uses within the neighborhood. It is interesting to note that overall, residential properties performed much better than non- residential properties during this time period. PROPERTY SALES 9 The ability to sell property while values continue to rise indicates a strong market demand in the neighborhood. However, excessive turnover in a predominantly residential area can have an negative effect on social relationships and sense of identity in a neighbor- hood. Palm Beach County property tax roll records indicate that 64.5% of all properties within the neighborhood have been under the same ownership for at least 5 years and 45.7% have been under the same ownership for at least 10 years. Of the 152 properties, which sold in the last five years, 62 prop- erties changed hands twice and 24 sold three times. Figure 13 shows the number of property sales by type of development for each of the last five years. While the number of sales for most land uses vary only slightly from year to year, there appears to be an upward trend in the sale of single family homes since 1999. Figure 14 Property Sales by Use (1999 - 2003) Osceola Park Neighborhood Given a total acreage (excluding rights-of-way) of 107.4 acres, the average assessed value of all property in the neighborhood, including structures, was $11.30 per square foot of land in 2003. A breakdown of 2003 assessed values by exisring land use is given in the following table: Table 2 2003 Property Assessments Osceola Park Neighborhood Land Use Land Area (Sq. Ft.) Assessed Value Value per Sq. Ft. City Park 139,392 $211,572 $1.52 Commercial 429,351 $7,176,935 $16.72 lluples 349,123 $4,975,005 $14.25 Light Industrial 262,325 $3,023,459 $11.53 l~fulri-Fundy 367,551 $5,576,755 $15.17 Office 167,020 $2,654,500 $16.07 Open Space 94,533 $166,507 $1.76 Pre-school 13,000 $60,690 $4.67 Single Funily 2,400,521 $23,950,955 $9.99 Single Family with Apartment < 1 J1,176 $3,661,751 $1 J.15 Undeveloped 156,150 $565,476 $5.56 Utilities 107,157 $450,961 $4.49 '1'O'1:~LS 4,677,392 $52,567,635 $11.30 C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 30 2s zs 19 20 20 1s 10 10 ~ 6 ~ 6 6 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 t.'.aSingleFamily ®Duplex/MF iiNon-Residential r>iUndeveloped This trend is likely the result of sellers taking advantage of increasing property values and the high demand for housing in Delray Beach. However, its long term impact on neighborhood cohesiveness is worth watching. It is also important to note that although the actual number of sales vary by type of development, the figures are nearly propor- tional to the number of properties in each land use. For example, single family development, which accounts for 59.5% of all prop- erties in the neighborhood had 62.5% of the total number of sales in the five year period. DEMOGRAPHICS Demographic information was collected from the 2000 U.S. Census related to average household size and the age of the neigh- borhood population. This information is relevant since it relates to the adequacy of the exisring housing supply and the pro~rision of ser~rices to the residents, including recreational facilities. While the average household size for the overall City, is only 2.22 ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXISTING COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RI;DI;v1;LO1~M1;~T PLAN DI?MOG1Zt1PH1CS persons per households, the average is much larger in the Osceola Park neighborhood at 3.77 persons per household. The break- down for household size for owner-occupied and rental units compared to the entire City is shown on Fib re 14, below: Figure 15 Average Household Size by Unit Type Osceola Park Neighborhood 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 Overall Owner Occupied Rentals I:,I Osceola Park City Source: 2000 L.S. Census The Osceola Park population is much younger than that of the City as a whole. As shown on the following fibre, children (under 18) make up nearly 28% of the total population. This is consider- ably greater than the citywide fibre of only 19.2% children. Additionally, while seniors (over 65) make up only 4.6% of the total population in Osceola Park, they account for 25.9 of the City's total population. Figure 16 Population Breakdown by Age Group Osceola Park Neighborhood 104. " 238 _~ 131 805 I IUnder5 5-17 1118-21 I>>122-49 1150-64 I IOver65 2000 L.S. Census FUTURE LAND USE AND ZONING MAPS The Future Land Use Map (FLUiVi) and Zoning Map specify the land uses and types of structures that can be permitted on a par- cel. Together with the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Regulations, these are the primary tools by which the City reb lates development within its boundaries. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y FUTURE LAND USE 10 Several Future Land Use Map designations are applied within the study area. In addition to a large part of the area being designated as Redevelopment Area #5, LD (Low Density Residential), MD (Medium Density Residential), CC (Commercial Core), GC (General Commercial), OS (Open Space) and CF (Community Facilities) are each applied to at least one property in the area. The "Future Land Use Map," currently in effect for the area, is shown on (Fibre 16, page 12). The following paragraphs describe the FLUM designations shown on this map. Redevelopment Area #5 This designation was intended to serve as a temporary "holding" category, where Future Land Uses designations are not assigned until a Redevelopment Plan has been completed and adopted. Following adoption of this Plan, a Future Land Use Map Amendment will be processed to eliminate the Redevelopment Area #5 designation from the FLUM and establish appropriate designations for all parcels in the Area. Low Density Residential The majority of the neighborhood south of Redevelopment Area #5 is designated as Low Density Residential on the City's Future Land Use Map. This designation allows residential development at densities up to 5 units per acre. All residential zoning districts, except RM (iVledium Density Residential) are consistent with the Low Density Residential FLUM designation. Residential units in the Low Density residential designation should be primarily single family, but duplex, multiple family, or townhouse units may be constructed in the PRD (Planned Residential Development) and RL (Low Density Residential) zoning districts. Medium Density Residential One area of the neighborhood, adjacent to South Swinton Avenue is designated as Medium Density Residential on the City's Future Land Use Map. This designation permits residential units at den- sities of 5-12 d.u./acre. All residential zoning districts are consis- tent with the Medium Density Residential FLUM designation. The residential units maybe single-family, duplex, multiple family, or townhouse. Commercial Core This designation is applied to the Community's Downtown Area, which extends southward into the neighborhood along Federal Highway. It accommodates a variety of land uses including com- mercial and office development; residential development; older homes renovated to accommodate office use; "bed and break- fast" establishments; and industrial/commerce type uses. Community Facilities This designation is applied to current and future school sites; to current and future sites for public buildings; and to current and future sites for public facilities. It is also applied to single function buildings which have been constructed for community related ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 1xisTi~c COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;v1;LO1~M1;~T PL~~ ~~T~~~ L~~D usL M~1~ ' ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~i, Flu n. , . ;. - ~, 7 l ., ~r ''~S- ~' A~ LF i. ~ I -gin ~, _: ~: _ ~` ~' } _ ;~ ~ ~x - a ~~ ~, ~_ .;; , ;5 `s •.r .~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~ 3 i~~ , ~~~ ~I` 4 i~ ~~ .iii Ali ;p ~. ~+ i ~`. .,if ~~~ ~ti } j+ f~? jf ,~ ~. x ~~; ~f ~f ~'_~- ~--r , ~~ • ~ - - - - - ; . Figure 17. Current Future Land Use Map C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 11 purposes (e.g. churches) and which are not commercial in nature. The designation is applied to several parcels on SE 10`~ Street which are owned by Florida Power and Light Company and the City: Open Space This designation is applied to public recreation areas (such as municipal parks), to open space areas, and to conservation areas. Within the neighborhood area, there are two parcels designated as open space. One is the Currie Commons Park, located between SE 7~' Street and SE 8`~ Street, adjacent to the FEC Railway. The other, awell-landscaped mini-park located adjacent to Swinton Avenue and SE 10`~ Street, pro~rides a visual break in the develop- mentpattern and an opportunity for passive recreation in the area. ZONING The zoning designation assigned to a parcel is an important factor in its development potential. Zoning establishes the specific uses allowed as well as setbacks, height limits, and other development standards for structures on the parcel. The last major zoning changes occurred as part of a citywide rezoning, following adoption of the City's 1989 Comprehensive Plan. A new zoning map, which included five separate zoning cat- egories for the neighborhood, was adopted in September 1990. East of the railroad, south of SE 3`~ Street, the largest area with- in the neighborhood remained R-1-A, single-family residential. The CBD (Central Business District) was expanded southward to include properties fronting on Federal Highway between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Street. South of SE 3`~ Street, the remaining Federal Highway frontage was zoned GC (General Commercial). The properties surrounding the railway corridor between SE 2°~ and SE 6~' Streets were also zoned GC. The area between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Streets, between the two commercial zones was zoned RM (iVlultiple Family Residential -Medium Density). Properties along the Swinton Avenue corridor, between SE 2°~ and SE 9~' Street were also primarily zoned RM. Finally, the parks, open space and FPL facility in the south portion of the neighborhood, were zoned CF (Community Facilities). Since 1990, there have been several rezonings in the area dealing primarily with the non-residential classifications These included the following: • (1992) -Rezoning of the Federal Highway Frontage between SE 6~' and SE 7~' Streets from GC to AC (Automotive Commercial) to accommodate a used car dealership. • (1994) -Rezoning of the two parks from CF to OS (Open Space) and OS-R (Open Space and Recreation) • (1995) - Rezoning of the railroad corridor properties from GC to CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor) to accommodate light industrial uses in the area. • (1996) -Expansion of the CBD-RC district, west of the rail- ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 ~xisTi~c COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ R>DI;v1;LO1~M1;~T pLtl~ ~o~i~c } ;. ti~~ r• '•I r, ~, A= ~,' ll p~ ;4 ^~ t ~~e r~:~~ Y'z. r; I' }~ ~i f ~ 'i. :~ ~:~ :1 3 ~~ ~. ~~ ~ ~~ ~ r~, ?~ ~# ~! - ~~ _.~. ~' a' ,;~~ :~ _ e, - r; ~~~ ;~ ~~ i ~ t t ~° -i~fi , :l - . ~. ~ ,~g. `<`r,: . -'~'~ f 5. ~. - ~ ~. ~~: ~ }. ~~ 'll A~'61!' ~~? ~ 1 _ __ .. 5 .{ ...:........:.... o ..,., ~, Figure 18. Current Zoning Map C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 12 road, southward to SE 7~' Street. • (2000) - Expansion of the CBD district along Federal Highway southward to SE 4~ Street. As a result of the rezonings, the original five zoning districts with- in the neighborhood in 1990 has increased to nine: R-1-A (Single Family Residential); RM (iVledium Density Residential); GC (General Commercial); AC (Automotive Commercial); CBD (Central Business District); CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor); CF (Community Facilities); OS (Open Space); and OSR (Open Space & Recreation) Zoning district locations are shown on the "Current Zoning Map," (Fib re 1 ~. The following paragraphs briefly describe the zoning districts that are applied within the neighborhood area. R-1-A (Single Family Residential) The R-1 zoning districts were created to provide areas of single family detached residences and to protect those areas from the intrusion of inappropriate uses. The R-1-A district permits single family residential units with a minimum lot area of 7,500 square feet. Additionally, the district accommodates some non-residential uses (e.g. churches, day care facilities) as conditional uses. The R- 1-A designation is applied to most of the neighborhood east of the FEC Railroad. RM (Multiple Family Residential -Medium Density) The RM district allows a variety of housing types at densities of 6 to 12 units per acre. The district is applied adjacent to Swinton Avenue, between SE 2°~ and SE 9~' Streets and east of the railroad, between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Streets. CBD (Central Business District) The CBD district was established to preserve and protect the cul- tural and historic aspects of downtown Delray Beach and simulta- neouslyprovide for the stimulation and enhancement of the vital- ity and economic growth of the area. The district accommodates a wide range of residential and commercial development and has special provisions for increased densities and heights to accom- modate higher intensity uses. The district is applied along the Federal Highway Corridor between SE 2°~ and SE 4~' Streets. CBD-RC (Central Business District-Railway Corridor) The CBD-RC district is a specialized district that is intended to allow for development of light industrial type uses on properties that are in the downtown area, but are in close proximity to the FEC railroad. The purpose of the district is to recognize the long- standing light industrial character of this railroad corridor; to pro- vide for the upgrading and expansion of existing uses when ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 EXISTING COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RI;DI;v1;LOt~M1;~T PLAN PoL1cL C1Z1MI? RIsPO1ZT appropriate; and to enhance the economic growth of the central business district by providing employment opportunities in the downtown area. GC (General Commercial) The GC district is intended for small parcels of land that are suit- ed to small scale retail, ser~rice, and office uses. South of SE 4~ Street, most of the land fronting on South Federal Highway is des- ignated GC. AC (Automotive Commercial) The AC district is intended to provide areas for the sale, lease or rental of automobiles. Full service dealerships, with attendant accessory service uses are also permitted. Free-standing full serv- ice and specialized vehicle repair shops are permitted as condition- al uses within the district. This zoning district is applied to a used car dealership on South Federal Highway, between SE 6`~ and SE 7~' Streets. CF (Community Facilities) The CF district is a special purpose district, primarily, but not exclusively, intended for facilities which serve public, semi-public, and private purposes. Such uses include governmental, religious, educational, health care, social ser~rice and special facilities. The district is applied to the the FPL facility on SE 10T" Street and the open space/park between Swinton Avenue and the railroad north of SE 10`~ Street. OS (Open Space) The OS district was established to most appropriately identify parcels of land which are used primarily in an open space manner. Created to reflect some of the open space areas as shown on the Future Land Use Map, the OS District is applied to portions of land development projects which are primarily open space in nature (e.g., water bodies) and to other open space areas, including the municipal beach, which are normally not to have intense use or commercialization. The district is applied to the landscaped open space area at northeast corner of Swinton Avenue and SE 10`~ Street OSR (Open Space & Recreation) The OSR district was established to most appropriately identify parcels of land which are used primarily for recreational or public purposes in an outdoor setting. Thus, it is generally applied to parks, golf courses, and situations where public recreational facil- ities may exist. The district is applied to Currie Commons Park. POLICE CRIME REPORT The Delray Beach Police Department maintains crime figures for the City tabulated by a number of patrol grids. The study area is located within two patrol grids (800 & 850). The crime statistics shown in Figure 18 are compiled from the statistics for those two grids which represent approximately 1.4% of the total city land area. The statistics include seven categories: Property Crime, C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 13 Person Crime, Narcotics, Nuisance Calls, Traffic Related, Domestics and Suspicious Events calls. Property Crime includes arrests for auto theft, burglary, and larceny. Persons crime includes arrests for homicides, assault and battery, sex crimes, and robbery. Narcotics arrests include all arrests for drug offenses. Nuisance/suspicious events calls are reports of activities such as unlawful assembly, noise, disorderly conduct and intoxication, unlawful discharge of a firearm, trespassing, loitering, and prosti- tution reports. Figure 19 Police Incident Calls (1999-2003) Osceola Park Neighborhood 700 609 616 579 600 500 482 483 aoo 300 zoo 100 o -,- -,- -,- -,- 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 t'I Property Crime i i Persons Crime I I Nuisance Calls t'1Suspicious Events ®Narcotics Related I'ITraffic Related Domestics As shown in the above graph, the overall crime level in the neigh- borhood decreased by 20% over the five year period between 1999 and 2003. Narcotics related crime was the only category with an increase during this time period, going from 11 in 1999 to 19 in 2003 - a 73% increase. Of the remaining categories, persons crime had the largest decrease, going from 66 in 1999 to 24 in 2003 - a 64% decrease. Compared to Citywide figures, overall crime in the Osceola Neighborhood decreased from 3.29% of the citywide total in 1999 to 2.76% in 2003. Although this trend is encouraging, the current fib re is still nearly twice the citywide average based on land area. Additional measures will need to be taken to realize fur- then reductions. CODE ENFORCEMENT Staff examined City records for the five year period of 1999 to 2003 to determine the presence of building and property code violations that would constitute a blighting influence. The viola- tions included conditions such as the animal control, abandoned vehicles, landscape issues, unsafe structures and uses being con- ducted on the property that are not permitted. During that peri- od, 3,124 calls were made for one or more of the these conditions. Figure 19 gives a breakdown of ~riolations by year for the neigh- borhood. ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 hLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl P11RK RiDliVliLOPMliNT PL11N CODL ENNORCLMLNT Figure 20 Code Enforcement Violations (1999-2003) Osceola Park Neighborhood looo soo aoo goo 600 500 400 300 200 100 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 I'ilAbandoned Vehicle I (Animal Control I (General Violation e.!I Housing Code ®Landscaping ct 7 Nusiance Cs Occupational License I'<ITrash Pickup Unsafe Structure Based on this chart, there does not appear to be any trend for these ~riolations. The average total violations for the five year peri- od was 624. The overall number of violations spiked to a much higher level in 2000, dipped in 2001 and 2002 and then rose again in 2003. Compared to Citywide fib res, overall code ~riolations in the Osceola Neighborhood increased from 5.2% of the citywide total in 1999 to 8.3% in 2003. Since the neighborhood represents only 1.4% of the total land area of the city, the 2003 fib re is nearly 6 times the citywide average based on land area. Drastic measures will need to be taken to bring this figure closer to the citywide average. PROXIMITY TO NUISANCES The Osceola Park neighborhood is adjacent to a number of prop- erties and transportation facilities that affect the stability of resi- dential properties in the neighborhood. Residential properties backing up to the Federal Highway and Railroad commercial cor- ridors contend with increased noise levels, overflow parking and unsightly ser~rice areas. Landscape buffers between these commer- cial/industrial uses and residential properties within the neighbor- hood are often deteriorating or nonexistent. Dealing with these deficiencies would have a major impact on the neighborhood as a whole. Figure 21. Rear of Commercial Uses Adjacent to Residential Properties C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 14 The railroad also presents a noise problem in areas where it direct- ly abuts residential development. Although landscape buffering would improve the situation, it is the responsibility of the proper- ty owners to address the problem, since the landscaping would have to be placed on private property. However, in areas where the east/west roadways terminate at the railroad, landscape buffering is appropriate and should be installed by the City. Consideration must also be b ven to eliminating excessive com- mercial truck traffic through the neighborhood. Commercial truck traffic associated with the railroad commercial corridor should be directed away from residential streets. NON-CONFORMING LOTS AND USES Exisring development within the neighborhood was examined for deficiencies with respect to meeting today's land development code regulations. Lots were surveyed for such characteristics as land use, lot size, width, building size, meeting minimum parking standards and landscape compliance. Non-Residential Uses Most non-residential land uses within the neighborhood were found to be consistent with respect to use within their respective zoning district. However, problems with respect to other code requirements were identified within the non-residential zoning districts on Federal Highway and adjacent to the FEC Railroad. These problems include lack of landscape buffering and insuffi- cientparking. Residential Uses All exisring single-family development within the neighborhood is conforming with respect to use. However, 140 single-family lots (52%) do not meet the minimum lot size and/or lot width require- ments within the R-1-A zoning district. The Land Development Regulations address this issue with respect to the use of lots with- in recorded subdi~risions. These "Lots of Record" maybe used for ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 22. Roadway Terminus at Railroad ',x1sTl~c COND1T10NS OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;v1;LO1~M1;~T pL1li LD~sT~u~~ Clizc_uL~Tlo~ purposes allowed within the zoning district, as long as they com- ply with all other requirements of the district. It should be noted that these pro~risions exclude duplex and multiple-family struc- tures constructed on lots which are less than 8,000 sq. ft. in size. There is also a limitation that single-family lots have at least 50' of frontage. Some of the single-family lots within the neighborhood do not meet this requirement. Of the 44 duplex parcels within the neighborhood, 19 (43%) are located in the R-1-A district, which does not permit duplexes, and are therefore nonconforming with respect to use. Of the remain- ing parcels, 9 (20%) are non-conforming with respect to lot size (i.e. less than 8,000 sq. ft.). Of the 22 multifamily developments within the neighborhood, 4 are located in the R-1-A district, which does not permit multifam- ily, and are therefore nonconforming with respect to use. Of the remaining projects, within the neighborhood, l3 were found to be non-conforming with respect to density. Four of these projects had densities in excess of 20 units per acre and 1 exceeded 30 units per acre. PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION -SIDEWALKS Sidewalks are pro~rided on the perimeter roadways surrounding the neighborhood. Within the neighborhood, however, sidewalks are pro~rided on only about half of the residential streets. On streets where sidewalks do exist, there are many missing or broken seb ents. Figure 23. Broken and Missing Sidewalks STREET LIGHTING Typical cobra head street lights, attached to Florida Power & Light poles, are located throughout the neighborhood, primarily at road- way intersections and mid block. Although this level of lighting meets the minimum standards, excessive dead spots create oppor- tunities for criminal acti~rity and the overall feel is that of not being very safe when walking at night. This system should be aub menred with lighting on private property -preferably residential scale pole lamps, in the front yard of residences. ALLEYWAYS Most of the alleys within the neighborhood are unpaved and over- grown. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 15 Figure 24. Existing Sidewalks ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RIsDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N rHL v~s~o~ THE VISION The essence of what the neighborhood is stri~ring to become is represented in the following ~rision statements: • The Osceola Park Neighborhood has a strong identity within the City as a clean, safe, attractive en~rironment in which to live and raise children. • The Osceola Park Neighborhood consists primarily of well- maintained owner-occupied single family homes on attrac- tively landscaped lots. • The Osceola Park Neighborhood roadway system provides for excellent access and traffic flow while maintaining traffic volume and vehicle speeds at low levels on residential streets. • The Osceola Park Neighborhood provides for excellent pedestrian access in and around the neighborhood. • The Osceola Park Neighborhood contains a sibmsificant num- ber of preserved historic structures which contribute to the charm and character of the whole neighborhood. • The Osceola Park Neighborhood pro~rides space for children to play outdoors in a safe, controlled environment. • The Osceola Park Neighborhood pro~rides the opportunity for compatible business development and redevelopment in select areas. The purpose of this plan is to develop strategies to guide the neighborhood in the direction prescribed in the above ~rision statements. This equates to the three main proposals of this Plan: • Elimination of the problems associated with small lot duplex and multi-family development intermixed with single-family development. • Reduction of the negative impacts associated with through and non-residential vehicular traffic on local residential streets. • Improvement of the physical appearance of the neighbor- hoodthrough enhanced police activity, code enforcement and beautification. REDEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS BY AREA Given the limited amount of vacant land, future development in the Osceola Park Neighborhood will consist primarily of infill development and redevelopment. The following discussion pro- vides abasis for a plan for future development within the area. It is the intent of this Redevelopment Plan to provide for the type and intensity of uses that are appropriate based upon the location of the property, the configuration of the particular parcels, and the nature of the surrounding uses. The Railway Corridor This area contains a mix of light industrial and commercial land uses including automotive repair, cabinet making, boat repair and C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 17 construction contractors. Except for one parcel in the southern portion of this area, no changes are recommended for the area with respect to use. However, the Market Report in the Downtown Master Plan recommended building upon the niche created by the large number of Haitian businesses in the area to create a unique shopping experience in the downtown area. Only one land use change is recommended for this area. The change involves the southernmost parcel in the area, located adja- cent to the railroad behind residential properties fronting the 600 block of Swinton Avenue. The parcel was zoned for multi-family development until 1996 when it was rezoned to CBD-RC. Since its rezoning, it has had two different Site Plan Approvals for light industrial/commercial uses. Both Site Plan approvals have expired. It is recommended that the FLUM designation and zon- ing on this parcel be changed back to accommodate multi-family development. This amendment is consistent with the designation for properties on the east side of Swinton Avenue in this area and will present less problems with respect to compatibility with exist- ing residential development. If this parcel is not developed in the short-term, an alternative use for the property could be for a City Park. SE 2nd Avenue, which is split by the railroad in the 200 block, is the major commercial roadway in this area. On the east side of the railroad, parking is a problem on SE 2°~ Avenue, due to the limit- ed number of off-street parking spaces pro~rided by the business- es and the concentration of automotive repair establishments. Where parking is pro~rided, most spaces are configured as black- outparking directly into the roadway. This creates a hazardous sit- uation during peak hours. A concentration of high turnover retail and service facilities, catering to the Haitian community, con- tributes to the high level of traffic in the area. A primary focus in this area will be to provide additional parking for the businesses in the area. One location for additional spaces will be on SE 2°~Avenue, adjacent to the railroad. Another poten- tial location would involve acquisition of the currently vacant lot at 215 SE 2°~ Avenue to create an off-street parking lot. The for- mer structure was demolished on the site and its limited size will make redevelopment difficult. The parking of overflow vehicles from the automotive repair facilities on unimproved surfaces will be targeted for code enforcement and these facilities will have to find other ways to deal with the problem on site. For example, automobiles being stored on-site for parts should be relocated to another location and customers should be scheduled so that an excessive number of cars waiting to be repaired are not on-site at any one time. Another focus for this area will be to improve the traffic circula- tion for commercial trucks on the 400 block of SE 1" Avenue. This narrow street is a dead end roadway with light industrial devel- opment on the east side of the road and residential development on ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 pL11N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl p11RK RiDliVliLOPMliNT pLt1N RiDILVI?LOPMI?NT SCI?N111Z10S BY Altitl the west. Truck traffic currently maneuvers on SE 4th Street to back up southward onto SE 1st Avenue. With the intersection of SE 4th Street and Swinton Avenue so close, this impedes traffic flow and creates a hazardous situation. It is recommended that SE 6~` Street be paved between SE 1" Avenue and Swinton Avenue to projride a more circuitous route for the truck traffic. Commercial truck traffic serjricing businesses in this area should be directed away from residential roadways Truck traffic should use SE 2°~ street as the primary entrance point into the area and then turn south onto SE 2°~ Avenue on either side of the railroad. Alleyways will be improved to provide access alternatives and alle- viate some of the service functions on the roadways. The use of SE 4th Street and the 200 block of SE 1"Avenue should be min- imized. Since this will require some type of traffic control meas- ures to achieve, it is recommended that the City hire a traffic con- sultant to study this issue and make recommendations. Additional landscaping will be added throughout this area, where needed, to break up large expanses of pajring and projride some shade relief. Landscape will also be used to buffer commercial properties from adjacent residential development. Finally, the disposition of the city owned parcel of land at the northeast corner of SE 1" Avenue and SE 4`~ Street should be investigated. This property, which is not be maintained, contains a city well. Alternatives include the following: • Sell the property with an appropriate easement for the well. One potential buyer is the property owner to the north. • Construct off-street parking for use by local businesses. It could also be designated an employee lot. • Landscape the area to provide a break to the large amount of paring in the area. Federal Highway Corridor This area contains a mix of residential and commercial uses. Automotive related uses are prevalent in the area, including a used C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 18 car dealership, a body shop, a automatic car wash facility and vehi- cle rental. Noland use changes are recommended for the area. Limited intervention is needed in this area. The major focus for the area will be to improve the alleyways separating the commer- cial development from the residential properties to the west and to enhance the buffers between the two uses. There are no buffers pro~rided by much of the older commercial development and this has a negative impact on adjacent residential properties. Code enforcement will be used to target parking on unimproved surfaces and to bring landscape up to code. As in the railway cor- ridor, automotive related uses will have to find alternative means to deal with the large number of vehicles serviced. Using the road- way swales and alleys as a permanent parking lot is not appropri- ate. It is noted that a study is underway to reduce Federal Highway from three to two lanes in the downtown area. The change is pro- posed to extend south to SE 4~` Street. If it occurs, this modifica- tion will include wider sidewalks and additional landscaping along the roadway making the area much more attractive to pedestrians. Over the long term, this will lead to a higher level of retail devel- opment along the corridor. Swinton Avenue This area contain a mix of single family and multi-family develop- ment. Noland use changes are recommended for the area. Limited public intervention is needed in this area. However, rede- velopment opportunities exist along the entire corridor aggregate aging and deteriorating single and multi-family properties and construct new multi-family development. One such opportunity is to aggregate the five single family homes south of SE 6~' Street and redevelop the property together with the vacant parcel to the east. A multifamily project, similar in scale to Swinton Place, immediately to the south, would be possible. Recommended improvements in the area include construction of SE 6~' between Swinton Avenue and SE 1" Avenue, discussed in the Railway Corridor Section, and traffic calming at the intersec- tion of Swinton and SE 4~' Street. This is a very busy intersection with stop signs on SE 4~' Street. Traffic conflicts caused by speed- ing vehicles and the volume of traffic entering Swinton Avenue makes this a hazardous intersection. It is recommended that a traf- fic consultant be hired to study this issue and make recommenda- tions. East Residential Area This area is located between the FEC rail corridor and commer- cial development to the west and the Federal Highway commercial development to the east. The two block area between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Street is currently zoned for multiple family development. The remaining parcels in this area, with the exception of Currie ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 25. City Owned Property on SE 1st Avenue pL11N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl p11RK RiDliVliLOPMliNT pLt1N RiDliVliLOPMliNT SCI?N111Z10S BY A1Zli11 Commons Park and the community facilities parcels near SE 10`~ Street, are zoned for single-family development. Although it includes some duplex and multi-family scattered throughout the area, this part of Osceola Park is exclusively single family homes. Therefore, the primary focus for this is is to protect and enhance the single family character of the neighborhood. To accomplish this goal, it is recommended that most of the multi-family zoned parcels, between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Streets, be rezoned to single family. The parcels, which front directly on SE 2°~ Street and one additional parcel to the rear, will retain multi-family zoning as a buffer from this busy commercial street and the Central Business District zoning to the north. To further reinforce the single-family character of the neighbor- hood, existing duplexes will be targeted for conversion to single family homes. A CRA program, which pro~rides grants up to $10,000 to do the conversion, will be promoted in the area. Traffic calming measures will be strategically located throughout the neighborhood to reduce speeding. Neighborhood identifica- tion signage and landscaping will be incorporated into curb bulb- outs at the entrances to the neighborhood. Streetscape will also play an important role in traffic calming the neighborhood. The lack of street trees or other ~risual elements at the sides of the roadways exaggerates the width of the streets and creates a high- way feel. This in turn leads to speeding. Remo~ring excessive paring, regrading swales and planting street trees will help the sit- uation Another focus of the plan for this area is to reduce the excessive parking along roadways, in the swales and in many instances in front yards. To accomplish this, it is recommended that the alleys be paved to pro~ride enhanced access to the rear yards. Although some properties already utilize the unpaved alleys to access park- ing in the rear, this improvement will make this option much more attractive. With more utilization, the alleys will become a impor- tant component of the public space and more eyes in the area will help to deter criminal activity. Completion of the sidewalk system is also included as a recom- C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 19 mendation of this plan. Only about 50% of the neighborhood currently has sidewalks and there missing links in in those area as well. Finally, additional recreational opportunities are needed in this area to support the children in the neighborhood, which make up 28% of the total population. Although there is a shortage of undeveloped property, appropriate for a pocket park, in the neigh- borhood, two parcels have been identified for consideration. The first is located at the terminus of SE 6`~ Street, on the east side of the railroad. Development of the site could provide playground facilities for younger children. The second site is located adjacent to SE 1'~ Avenue, between SE 8`~ and SE 9`~ Streets. Development of this site would be oriented to teens with pro~rision of a half basketball court, parking and open space. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT The median age for residential structures in the Osceola neighbor- hood is 48 years old and 58% of the buildings are at least 40 years old. Given their age, it is likely that many buildings do not meet current life safety regulations with respect to smoke detectors, emergency egress escape windows, hurricane anchorage, electrical wiring, etc. This plan recommends the creation of an incentive program to upgrade these items. East of the Railroad, within the single-family portions of the neighborhood, there are a number of small-parcel duplex and multiple family developments scattered among the single family residences. Over 69% of the duplex units and 92% of the multi- family units in this area are rentals. Unfortunately, the combina- tion of apathetic landlords and unmotivated tenants has resulted in many deteriorating duplex and multi-family properties. Lack of building maintenance (painting, window and door repair, etc.), inadequate and overgrown landscaping, crowding and overpacking are the major problems. Combined, these problems have a blight- ing influence on adjacent single family homes. Single-family homes in the neighborhood are generally in good ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 27. Parking in the Swales Figure 26. Example of a Duplex Converted Under this Program pL11N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl p11RK RIsDliVliLOPMliNT pLt1N RI?S1DliNT1t1L ~liVliLOPMliNT condition with isolated instances of structural decay. However, there are a number of properties with front yards in need of land- scape improvements such as installation of sod or other ground cover and planting of decorative shrubbery. It is the intent of this plan that all new residential development or redevelopment, located east of the railroad, be single-family detached housing. The only exceptions to this are for properties fronting on SE 2"`' Street or Federal Highway where multi-family development will be permitted. The Future Land Use Map desib nations and zoning will be amended where necessary to support this goal. Housing Improvement Programs There are a number of existing City and CRA programs which are available to improve housing in the neighborhood. These include: Bootstrap Program. A City program created to help improve the exterior of owner-occupied single family homes. The program tar- gets certain areas each year so that whole neighborhoods can be improved. Qualification for the program is based on income level. The focus for the Osceola Park neighborhood will be on yard dean-up and landscaping work. Subsidised Loan Program. A CRA program available to single and multi-family properties for exterior improvements. There are no spedal qualifications except that the property must be located within the CRA district. This qualifies all of the neighborhood area. Loans for residential structures have limits of 15,000 for a single-family residence, $20,000 for atwo-family residential struc- ture, and $5,000 for each residential unit combined in a building of three or more units. A loan ceiling of $50,000 applies to multi- family structures of ten or more units. Loans are amortized over a maximum five-year period and principal payments are made monthly. The CRA prepays 95% of the interest charges, set at the prime rate of New York banks, at the dosing of the loan. The exterior improvement program for residential properties may include: re-roofing, painting, signage, driveway paring, doors, win- dows, fencing, exterior modifications (porch, chimney), landscap- ing, awnings, security systems, rotten wood replacement, shutters, siding, exterior lighting, and irrigation systems. SHIP Program. This is a State program. Although the City current- ly utilizes all its SHIP money within the CDBG area, the program allows funds to be used to provide grants or loans for rehabilita- tion of existing homes throughout the dty. These funds could be used in the neighborhood to create-home ownership opportuni- ties for very low, low and moderate income households. This issue is addressed in Policy B-1.3 of the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan as follows: The City will utilise funds available from state and federal programs such ar HOME and SHIT' to create home ownershp opportunities for very low, low and moderate income households. These funds will C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 20 be rrr,~rl~ ,~~~,~il,~h1~ rrt~ wide in order to avoid a concentration of afford able h~~n.c~ir, ;~ir .rpr~~~fi~c areas of the City. Duplex Conversion Program. The CRA's Community Redevelopment Plan includes a program to convert non-conforming duplex struc- tures to single family residences. The program provides grants up to $10,000 projrided the converted unit is owner-occupied for a minimum of 5 years after the conversion. Since over half of the duplex structures within the neighborhood have the owner living in one of the units, some of these owners might take advantage of this program. One of the recommendations of this Redevelopment Plan is to prepare and distribute brochures detailing these programs to property owners in the area. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Opportunities for new commercial development are very limited in the neighborhood with only 1.16 acres of vacant land current- ly zoned for commercial uses. However, there are opportunities for new business development through the redevelopment of existing properties within the neighborhood's commercial dis- tricts. Many of these properties contain mart nal uses with deteri- orating structures that are ripe for redevelopment. Given the close proximity of this area to the downtown and significantly less property values compared to the downtown core, market pres- sures on this area for redevelopment are likely to increase. The "Marketing" chapter of the Downtown Master Plan con- tained recommendation for commercial development by business duster. The Osceola Park commerdal districts are located within Cluster 5. The following excerpt from the Plan is a recommenda- tion for the future development of this area. `~ecruit~nent efforts should also focus on building upon Haitian businesses already in the area. This niche would serve the needs of the local Haitian co~~unity as well as attract visitors and local residents who were loo%ing for a unique shopping experience. " Business Assistance Programs There are a number of existing programs which are available to businesses in the neighborhood. These include: CKA Subsidised Loan Program. This program is available for busi- nesses within the CRA district. The program was originally devel- oped in 1990 as an incentive for property owners to upgrade the appearance of their properties. The program was expanded in 1992 to include loans for the creation of new businesses and inte- rior modifications to existing structures to accommodate new businesses. Exterior renovation loans for commerdal structures have a maximum loan limit of $20,000 per building. The use of the funds are identical to residential exterior loans. The CRA pre- pays 50% of the interest charges, set at the prime rate of New York banks, at the dosing of the loan. ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RLDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N BUSINI?SS DILVI?LOPMI?NT Business loans may be made to either a business or to a property owner who wishes to renovate the interior of a structure. Loan limits are $50,000 and the proceeds may be used for tenant improvements (interior). The loan is amortized over afive-year period. The lending institution disburses the funds after the approved applicant submits invoices or purchase orders. The lend- ing institution sets its specific terms of disbursement. The tenant must be one whose use is permitted by the City's land develop- ment regulations. As with the exterior renovation loans, the CRA pays 50% of the interest charges. CKA Site Develop~nentA.rri.rtance Program. This CRA program pro- vides limited funding in the form of grants or loans to cover land development costs associated with new development or redevel- opment. The program helps subsidize costs of site development such as site design and engineering. One of the recommendations of this Redevelopment Plan is to prepare and distribute a brochure detailing these CRA programs to all existing businesses in the area. This brochure would also be used as part of a marketing package to attract new businesses to the area. In addition to these programs, there are a number of business loan programs available from the Federal Government through the Small Business Administration. SBA administers three sepa- rate, but equally important loan programs. SBA sets the guidelines for the loans while SBAs partners (Lenders, Community Development Organizations, and iViicrolending Institutions) make the loans to small businesses. With a guaranty loan, the actual funds are pro~rided by independent lenders who receive the full faith and credit backing of the Federal Government on a portion of the loan they make to small business. The guaranty which SBA provides these institutions transfers the risk of borrower non-payment, up to the amount of the guaranty, from the lender to SBA. Therefore, when a business applies for an SBA Loan, they are actually applying for a commercial loan, struc- tured according to SBA requirements, which receives an SBA guaranty: Sall Business Ad~ini.rtration Basic 7a Program. The SBA 7(a) pro- gram serves as the SBAs primary business loan program to help qualified small businesses obtain financing when they might not be elib ble for business loans through normal lending channels. It is also the agency's most flexible business loan program, since financing under this program can be guaranteed for a variety of general business purposes. Loan proceeds can be used for most sound business purposes including working capital, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, land and building (includ- ing purchase, renovation and new construction), leasehold improvements, and debt refinancing (under special conditions). Loan maturity is up to 10 years for working capital and generally up to 25 years for fixed assets. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 21 Sall Business Ad~ini.rtration 504 Prograan. This program uses Certified Development Companies (private, nonprofit corpora- tions set up to contribute to the economic development of their communities or regions) as intermediaries. It provides long-term, fixed-rate financing to small businesses to acquire real estate or machinery or equipment for expansion or modernization. Typically a 504 project includes a loan secured from aprivate-sec- tor lender with a senior lien, a loan secured from a CDC (funded by a 100 percent SBA-guaranteed debenture) with a junior lien covering up to 40 percent of the total cost, and a contribution of at least 10 percent equity from the borrower. The maximum SBA debenture generally is $1 million (and up to $1.3 million in some cases). Small Business Adnaini.rtration Microloan 7(na~ Loan Prograan. This pro- gram provides short-term loans of up to $35,000 to small busi- nesses and not-for-profit child-care centers for working capital or the purchase of inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery and/or equipment. Proceeds cannot be used to pay existing debts or to purchase real estate. The SBA makes or guarantees a loan to an intermediary, who in turn, makes the microloan to the appli- cant. These organizations also provide management and technical assistance. The loans are not guaranteed by the SBA. In Palm Beach County, these loans are available through "The Business Loan Fund of the Palm Beaches, Inc:' HISTORIC PRESERVATION Historic districts pro~ride a legal framework and incentive for pro- tecting the historic buildings within the district. Historic designa- tion can b vie a sense of identify to a neighborhood and instill pride in residents. It can also help to stabilize and improve prop- erty values. In 1999, the City hired Janus Research to perform a historic site survey to determine if the creation of a historic district within the Osceola Park Neighborhood was warranted. Janus found that the neighborhood, did not maintain the integrity or concentration of historic buildings to be designated as a local historic district, but recommended that the City consider creation of a Local Conservation District. Conservation districts pro~ride the following benefits: • a municipal policy for the protection of older properties out- side of historic districts; • enables the preservation of older neighborhoods' character; • establishes an objective selection criteria similar to that criteria used for historic districts; • tailors design guidelines to the degree of regulation desired by the neighborhood; typically, new construction and additions are regulated, while general repairs and maintenance are not regulated; • authorizes design guidelines for conservation districts general- Bi E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 L11N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RiDliVliLOPMliNT PL1li ~~T~~~ L~~D usL ly, or allows them to be specific to each district; • pro~rides an alternative method to preserve many older areas that have experienced some deterioration, demolition, or incompatible alterations; and • stabilizes declining neighborhoods and protects and enhances property values. Given the number of older structures within the neighborhood that do not currently have the benefit of protective regulations in place to preserve their historic value, it is recommended that the City begin the process of creating a Conservation District within Osceola Park as soon as possible. FUTURE LAND USE Adoption of the Redevelopment Plan will require amendments to the City's Future Land Use Map and a number of text amend- ments to the Comprehensive Plan. These amendments will be adopted as a portion of Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2005- 1. The northern part of the neighborhood is currently designated as RDA-5 (Redevelopment Area #5) on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). Five Future Land Use Map designations will be required to accommodate existing or proposed development within rede- velopment area #5. No FLUM changes are required outside the boundaries of the redevelopment area. The proposed designa- tions, shown on figure 27, for properties within this area are as fol- lows: • Subarea 1: Properties along the FEC rail corridor, between SE 2°~ and SE 6`~ Streets on the west and between SE 2°~ and SE 5`~ Streets on the east -Change the FLUM designation from RDA-5 to CC (Commercial Core) -approximately 10.26 acres. This change is required to accommodate exisring com- mercial and light industrial development. The properties are currently zoned CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor), which is consistent with the designation. • Subarea 2: Properties along the Federal Highway corridor, between SE 2°~ Street and SE 3`~ Street -Change the FLUM designation from RDA-5 to CC (Commercial Core) - approx- imately 1.8 acres. This change is required to accommodate exisring commercial development. The properties are current- ly zoned CBD (Central Business District), which is consistent with the designation. • Subarea 3: Properties along the Federal Highway corridor, between SE 4~ and SE 5`~ Streets -Change the FLUM desib nation from RDA-5 to GC (General Commercial) - approxi- mately 0.85 acres. This change is required to accommodate exisring commercial development. The properties are current- ly zoned GC (General Commercial), which is consistent with the designation. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 22 Figure 28. Proposed Future Land Use Map ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 ~L11N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RIsDliVliLOPMliNT PL11D • Subarea 4: Lots 6 to 14, Block 79, Town of Delray, located on the east side of SE 1" Avenue, between SE 2°~ and SE 3`~ Streets -Change the FLUM designation from RDA-5 to MD (iVledium Density Residential - 5 to 12 du/acre) - approxi- mately 1.41 acres. The properties are currently zoned RM (Residential -Medium Density), which is consistent with the designation. • Subarea 5: Properties on the west side of the FEC rail corri- dor, between SE 6`~ and SE 7~' Streets -Change the FLUM designation from RDA-5 to MD (Medium Density Residential - 5 to 12 du/acre) - approximately 1.23 acres. This change is required to accommodate existing and proposed development. The area consists of two parcels. The southern parcel is zoned RM, which is consistent with the designation. It is a part of Swinton Place, a 19-unit townhouse development. The north- ern parcel, which is undeveloped, is currently zoned CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor), which is not con- sistent with the designation. Therefore, a rezoning of this par- cel will be required as well. • Subarea 6: Properties fronting on SE 2°~ Street, between SE 3`~ Avenue and the Federal Highway frontage properties - Change the FLUM designation from RDA-5 to MD (iVledium Density Residential - 5 to 12 du/acre) - approximately 1.12 acres. The properties are currently zoned RM (Residential - Medium Density), which is consistent with the designation. • Subarea 7: The remaining properties between SE 2"`' Street and SE 5`~ Street, between the Federal Highway commercial frontage and the commercial/industrial rail corridor. -Change the FLUM designation from RDA-5 to LD (Low Density Residential - 0 to 5 du/acre) - approximately 19.75 acres. All of the parcels, south of SE 3`~ Street, are currently zoned R-1- A (Single Family Residential) which is consistent with this des- ignation. The parcels, located north of SE 3`~ Street, are cur- rentlyzoned RM (Residential -Medium Density), which is not consistent with the designation. These parcels will be rezoned concurrently with the FLUM amendment. In addition to the above changes, modification of Future Land Use Element Policy C-2.6 is required to reflect adoption of this Plan for the "Osceola Park Redevelopment Area," and to require that all future development be in compliance with the adopted Plan. Processing of this amendment will be undertaken by the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission concurrent with consideration of the FLUM amendment. ZONING MAP AMENDMENTS Most parcels within the neighborhood area will retain their current zoning. However, implementation of the neighborhood plan will require rezoning of some parcels in the area. The proposed rezon- C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 23 ~. 'I ~I i . y .1 .,iL ~,s j ~ ~ -~~; .'; r~: © ~~,;r:~: ~i ~~ ' r . k ~'~ :- ~, ~~ ~~ ~. . ~,~~ a ~ ~ s, ~,~~ FS' 1 ~'~ O Y~~ `.^~4 ~: - ~`'. F ~, . ~~ ~ _ ~~ - ~{ r~ . " . ;~- - - . i I -,, . ~~' ~ n. J 1-1# +. : ~ Fx_ 5 a `~"~ I+~. ~RI~ ~ ... I. _ ~~ 4 ~.. _ ~~ ,` t• .. - ~. ~. ~ - y l~ ~~~ .o -' ~ .~5 ~. ~~- Figure 29. Proposed Zoning Map ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 PLAN IM1~LI;MI;NT~TION OSCLOLtl P~u~ RcD1;v1;LO1~MI;NT PLAN ZONING MAP AMliNDMliNTS ings, shown on fib re 28, are as follows: Subarea 1: 1 parcel on the west side of the FEC rail corridor, south of SE 6`~ Street -Change the zoning designation from CBD-RC (Central Business District -Rail Corridor) to RM (iVlultiple Family Residential -Medium Density) - approxi- mately 0.85 acres. Subarea 2: 33 properties, located south of the frontage prop- erties on SE 2°~ Street to SE 3`~ Street, between the Federal Highway commercial frontage and the commercial/industrial rail corridor. -Change the zoning designation from RM (iVlultiple Family Residential -Medium Density) to R-1-A (Single Family Residential) -approximately 5.91 acres. The rezonings will be considered by the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission concurrent with the FLUM amend- ment. LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS Processing of LDR text amendments made necessary by the Neighborhood Plan will be initiated immediately following the adoption of the plan. As discussed in the "Existing Conditions" Section, there are a considerable number of non-conforming res- idential structures within the neighborhood. Additionally, some duplexes and multi-family buildings will become non-conforming with respect to use as a result of the recommended rezonings. It is a goal of this Plan that residential properties in the neighbor- hood be upgraded and improved. Article 1.3 of the LDRs, NON- CONFOR1ViING USES, LOTS AND STRUCTURES, places limits on expenditures for repair and maintenance of noncon- forming uses and structures. In order to prevent further decay, an amendment to the LDRs will be initiated to increase the current expenditure limits for residential properties within the neighbor- hood. INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS Overall, the neighborhood has a fully developed infrastructure system. Street surfaces are repavd on a regular basis and repaired as needed. Although there are isolated areas with drainage prob- lems, the area as a whole does not have a serious problem with C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 24 flooding. Localized flooding on some streets is due to poorly maintained swales which have become built up over the years. Street lighting is provided, but the lighting level is inadequate in many areas. The following section outlines the proposed infra- structure improvements in the area. Traffic Circulation Vehicular Traffic Circulation. Traffic problems within the neigh- borhood include speeding on local residential streets, lack of observance at stop signs, and commercial through traffic to the light industrial/commercial properties along the rail corridor. Policy C-1.1 of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan addresses this issue as follows: Efforts shall be made to limit excessive through-tra~c and nonresi- dential traffic on local roads within residential neighborhoods. There a problem with such traffic is specifi~cal~ identified, it should be addressed through the utilisation of tra~~c calming measures, such as round a-bouts, medians and speed humps. The intent of the policy is dear-this type of traffic has a nega- tive impact on the quality of life in residential neighborhoods and must be controlled. The following measures are recommended to help alleviate the problems associated with vehicular traffic in the neighborhood: • Reduce the highway feel on local residential streets by remov- ing additional pavement used for off-street parking on all sin- gle family homes and multi-family structures where possible. • Plant street trees to add visual interest and reduce the feeling of width of the roadways. • Remove conflicting landscaping at the intersections where visibility is a problem. • Install traffic calming measures on selected streets to control speeding and nonresidential traffic. The use of curb bulb-outs at the entrances to the neighborhood will include landscaping and signage for neighborhood identify. Two round-abouts are planned for southern end of the neighborhood where exces- sive speeding is a problem. The location of these improve- ments is indicated on the "Master Plan" (Figure 31). • Pave SE 6`~ Street between Swinton Avenue and SE 1 st Avenue to pro~ride improve truck access. Hire a traffic consultant to study the commerclal truck traffic in the neighborhood and recommend ways to direct the traf- fic away from residential areas. Hire a traffic consultant to study the Swinton Avenue ~ SE 4~ Street Intersection to make recommendations regarding traffic calming. Alleys are public spaces, ser~rice streets. As such, they ser~rice build- ings, both residential and commercial. They must be wide enough to accommodate trucks, dumpsters and utilities. Alleys need to be easily accessible both for vehicles and pedestrians, but they have no ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 Figure 30. Localized Flooding in Swale Areas PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCliOLtl p11RK RiDliVliLOPMliNT pLt1N LNF1Zt1STRUCTUIZ[~ IMP1ZOVliMliNTS sidewalks, setbacks or landscaping. The ser~rice and separation pro- ~rided by alleys improves the overall aspect of the general streets, enhances the privacy of rear yards and the back of buildings. The alleys throughout the neighborhood should be improved to pro- ~ride a means to access alternative parking in the rear yards. Pedestrian Traffic Circulation. Damaged sidewalks or lack of sidewalks on major roadways discourages walking around the neighborhood. Policy E-3.3 of the Public Facilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan states as follows: The Cit, y .rhallprograne installation of .ridea~ ~al/~.r on an annual basis, with the goal of con~leting a safe aryl cairr~iri~ir/ sidetval/~ system throughout the City by the,year 2000. The sidewalk system should be repaired and completed on resi- dential streets within the neighborhood. The installation of side- walks will enable residents to safely walk from one area of the neighborhood to another. The proposed walkway system for the neighborhood is depicted on Figure 31. An inventory of damaged or missing seb ents should be prepared as soon as possible. The Homeowners Associations should participate in this task. Repair of existing walks and installation of new walks should be includ- ed as part of an overall streetscape program for the neighbor- hood. It is also recommended that a study of the railroad cross- ings at SE 4~ and SE 10`~ Streets be performed to determine if pedestrian safety can be improved. Streetscape It is recommended that streetscape improvements be made to the neighborhood which includes additional street lights, street trees, repair of damaged sidewalks, the addition of new sidewalks, removal of illegal on-street parking, and the reconstruction of drainage swales. The Homeowners Association should be involved in the location and design of all new facilities. Funding for the project would be shared by the City, CRA and the proper- ty owners. It is recommended that the neighborhood create a property assessment district which, in turn, would be the legal entity with which the City would create a partnership. The forma- tion of a property improvement district would give the owners a collective voice in improving their neighborhood. The district would contribute a portion of the moneys needed to pay for the improvements. The swale areas, which by city code are the maintenance responsi- bility of the abutting property owners, are in poor condition in a large portion of the neighborhood. (?ver time these swales have filled up with soil to the point where they have lost the ability to carry stormwarer runoff. Additionally, a significant amount of swale area has been paved to provide on-street parking. This cre- ates a ~risual highway effect on residential roadways and leads to speeding. Regrading these swales and adding sod and street trees will reduce speeding, discourage on-street parking and improve area drainage. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 25 Figure 31. Proposed Master Plan ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11T10N OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RLDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N INN1Zt1ST1ZUCTUIZ[s IMP1ZOVliMliNTS Once these swales are improved, a program should be developed to ensure that they are adequately maintained. Since this effects the appearance of the neighborhood as a whole, the Homeowners Association should be given primary responsibility for the pro- gram. The program should include the following components: • Quarterly inspections by the association and annual inspec- tions by the City. • Swale maintenance education for homeowners and tenants conducted by the association. • Code enforcement action by the City when necessary. Another factor affecting the general visual appearance of the neighborhood is the excessive number of deteriorating chain link fences in the front yards of residential properties. It is recom- mended that a study be completed to determine the status of all nonconforming fencing in the neighborhood. The neighborhood Association should be included in this task. The feasibility of a program to require nonconforming fencing to be removed within five years should be determined. UTILITIES Water And Sewer Service Water ser~rice is provided to properties throughout the study area. While some extensions may be needed to serve vacant properties, no extensions or upgrades are required for existing developments. Sewer service is provided to properties throughout the neighbor- hood. No upgrades will be required to serve existing development. Extensions may be required with new development of vacant parcels. According to the Comprehensive Plan, the City's water treatment plant and the South Central Wastewater Treatment Facility will both be operating under capacity at build out. This Neighborhood Plan will not significantly affect the overall demand for water and sewer ser~rice in the City. Storm Water Collection The regrading of existing roadway swales is the primary need throughout the area. Other improvements needed to correct areas of localized flooding will be identified and corrected as funding becomes available. The current 5-Year Capital Improvements Program includes $590,000 for drainage work in this area. Although these specific projects are not a part of the improve- ments included in this Plan, their timing should be coordinated with the roadway and streetscape improvements identified in the Plan to avoid duplication of efforts, waste and most importantly, the destruction of completed work. Electrical Distribution And Street Lighting Electrical service is provided throughout the neighborhood area. No upgrades are required at this time. C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 26 This Plan recommends development of a program to projride additional exterior lighting on private property. Under this pro- gram, the CRA would share the cost with individual property owners to install a decorative pole light in the front yard. Photo cells would be installed in each fixture to ensure that the lights are activated each night. These lights would improve security in the neighborhood by filling in the dark spots between street lights. The program should be bid on a per light basis and installed in quantities of 5 to 10 at a time to reduce costs. The cost to each resident who wishes to participate in the program would be the same. It is recommended that the homeowners pay one-half the cost and that the CRA pay one-half. FIRE PROTECTION The Delray Beach Fire Department indicates that existing fire sta- tions are sufficient to provide adequate response times and serv- ice to existing development. The City will monitor the need for fire protection as new development or redevelopment is pro- posed. ENHANCED CODE ENFORCEMENT Deteriorating structures, peeling paint, litter and overgrown and unkempt vegetation can have a devastating effect on a neighbor- hood. Neglect can lead to blight, decay, decreased property values and loss of neighborhood pride. Code enforcement compels the care and upkeep of private property, including the exterior struc- ture and surrounding yard. Code enforcement will play a critical role in the redevelopment of the area. The City will begin by implementing a special outreach program to help property owners understand applicable codes and ordinances regarding maintenance, trash disposal, parking, etc. It is recommended that the homeowners association work with the City to help educate neighborhood residents. Information includ- ed in newsletters or flyers as well as adoor-to-door canvassing to explain these programs would help the City to reduce ~riolations and improve the area. The second phase of the program will be for city code enforce- ment officers to do a complete canvassing of the neighborhood. A resident task force should be appointed by the homeowners asso- ciation to be included in this initial walk through. The City will then prepare a report and call a meeting to present the findings to the association and then property owners will be cited accordingly. Following the initial clean-up phase, as the Pan is implemented, the area should be targeted for zero-tolerance code enforcement with frequent inspections for compliance. However, since code enforcement can only do so much, the area should also begin to police itself. The homeowners association will be tasked with pro- viding information on ~riolations as soon as possible to the City. It is hoped that once the area is cleaned up, property owners will begin to develop a sense of pride in the area. ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 PLt1N IMPLliMliNT11TlON OSCI?OLtl P1llZK RIsDliVliLOPMliNT PLt1N ~1Z1ML M11N11GLMLNT 11ND PUBLIC St1Nt TY CRIME MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY The Police Department has initiated a number of programs intended to reduce crime problems in our neighborhoods. The cornerstone of Police Department efforts to reduce crime in Delray Beach is the Community Policing program. Community Policing emphasizes a cooperative effort between the police and the community to fmd long term solutions to the community's problems. Community Policing is intended to both increase the police presence in the neighborhood and improve relations between the department and residents. This is a departure from past police methods which emphasized officers in patrol cars reporting to emergency radio calls. In addition to routine patrol activity, the Community Officers help to organize community improvement acti~rities, such as trash pick-ups, paint-up projects and organization of neighborhood watches. PARKS AND RECREATION There is the potential for two small parks within the neighbor- hoodwhich should be investigated. See Redevelopment Scenarios. DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES Dilapidated structures can give an area a blighted appearance, which discourages investment in adjacent properties. Therefore, the City will continue to evaluate poorly maintained and aban- doned structures to determine if they should be demolished. FUNDING Osceola Park Preliminary Cost Estimate Project # 2004.003 Item Description Unit Quantity Unit Cost Cost 1 Mobilization Cost LS 1 $175,000.00 2 Maintenance of Trattic LS 1 $75,000.00 3 Clearin and Grubbin LS 1 $75,000.00 4 Pavement Markin & Si na e LS 1 $25,000.00 5 Swale Gradin & Soddin SY 23,300 5.75 $133,975.00 6 F-Curb LF 120 25.00 $3,000.00 7 Dro Curb LF 10,500 16.00 $168,000.00 S 1"T e S-III As haltic Overla TN 800 67.00 $53,600.00 9 Street Trees EA 1,000 300.00 $300,000.00 10 5' Sidewalk (4" Thick) LF 12,802 14.00 $179,228.00 11 5' Sidewalk (6" Thick) Incl Dwa A tuns LF 5,301 16.00 $84,813.33 Propos ed Alley Reconstruction 12 1 1/2" T pe S-III Asphalt TN 1,700 50.00 $136,000.00 13 S" Limerock Base SY 18,700 9.00 $168,300.00 14 12" Stabilized Sub-grade SY 18,700 3.00 $56,100.00 Trattic Calming 15 Intersection Narrowing EA 17 8,000.00 $136,000.00 16 Roundabouts EA 2 35,000.00 $70,000.00 17 Specialty Signs EA 15 5,000.00 $75,000.00 Utilities 18 Water Main $899,000.00 19 Draina a $590,000.00 20 Sanitar Rehab LF 359 26.00 $9,334.00 21 As-Built Record Drawings LS 1 5,000.00 $5,000.00 22 Video Allowance LS 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 23 Utilit Allowance LS 1 10,000.00 $10,000.00 24 Sanitar Lateral Allowance LS 1 15,000.00 $15,000.00 25 Irrigation System Allowance LS 1 15,000.00 $15,000.00 26 Indemnification LS 1 10.00 $10.00 Sub Total= $3,460,360.33 10% Contingency $346,036.03 Total= $3,806,396.37 $3,806,000.00 Beautification $2,317,000.00 Water/Sewer $899,000.00 Drainage $590,000.00 Total $3,806,000.00 Figure 32. Preliminary Cost Estimates C I T Y O F D E L R A Y 27 Infrastructure improvements identified in the Plan for the Redevelopment Area should be included in the City's 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan. Engineering, design and detailed cost estimates of indi~ridual projects can begin as time and funding becomes available. The cost of the beautification component of the project (see Figure 32) will be divided equally between the City, CRA and the Property Owners, through creation of a property assessment district. The City will commit staff time to accomplish some of the activities outlined in the Plan, including enhanced code enforcement. IMPLEMENTATION STEPS • Future Land Use Map Amendments and Rezonings • Modification of CIP as required • Enhanced code enforcement -clean up • Creation of Conservation District • Design and engineering of improvements within the neigh- borhood • Set up Special Assessment District • Construction • Monitor implementation and make strategy adjustments as required Immediately following the adoption of this plan, processing of the Comprehensive Plan amendments, Future Land Use Map amendments, Land Development Regulations text amendments and rezonings required to implement the plan will begin. The CRAs Community Redevelopment Plan will also need to be revised to include the projects and programs included in the Neighborhood Plan. Members of the Homeowners Association who have participated in the development of this Plan should begin to meet with other neighborhood residents to discuss the pro~risions of the Plan and gather support for the Special Assessment District. Since the some of the capital improvements included in the Plan are not yet included in the 5-Year Capital Improvement programs for either the City or the CRA, these budgets will need to be amended and dollars allocated for the various projects. Implementation of the capital improvements included in the Plan will first require the preparation of land surveys. This work ele- ment should be scheduled as soon as possible. When the surveys are completed, the engineering, design and detailed cost estimates of indi~ridual projects can begin as time and funding becomes available. Other new programs contained in the plan will be developed and implemented as opportunities arise and funding becomes avail- able. ~i E A C H F' L O R I D A 100 NW 1ST AVENUE DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33444 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Commissioners FROM: City Manager DATE: March 7, 2008 SUBJECT: AGENDA ITEM WS.2 - SPECIAL/WORKSHOP MEETING OF MARCH 13, 2008 FISCAL 2009 BUDGET PARAMETERS ITEM BEFORE COMMISSION The item before the Commission is a discussion of the parameters for the FY 2009 budget. BACKGROUND As we begin preparation of our fiscal 2009 budget proposal, we would like to have direction from the Commission regarding the framework of the budget we should present to you. Our total millage this year is 6.5783. If we keep the same millage, we know the additional exemptions approved by the voters in January will reduce our property tax revenue by about $2.5 million. Under the property tax reform legislation passed by the state last year, the roll back millage rate will be that millage which will give us the same property tax revenue as last year, plus new construction, and plus the percentage increase in the state personal income index. The Commission can legally adopt the roll back rate by a simple majority vote. Going above the roll back rate requires more than a simple majority. There are alternatives to consider regarding which milllage rate to use for the proposed budget. Due to the impact of the declining real estate market, we expect the roll back rate to actually be a roll up rate this year (allowing for a higher millage than the current rate). Staff could prepare a proposed budget that increases the current millage to offset the increased exemptions and maintain current revenues. In the alternative, staff could present a budget based on the current millage. We have cost items in our budget which are embedded in collective bargaining agreements and personnel policies, most of which have been there for many years. Examples include the number of holidays, how we pay employees for working holidays, pension benefits, minimum call-out time, length of the public safety work week, take home cars, and additional worker's compensation benefits above the state minimums. Are changes to these off limits, or should we look at the potential cost savings from changing some of them? Another option would be to wait and see what the Budget Task Force recommends on these items. In addition to requesting your guidance on these issues, I also recommend that we have an outside consultant review the entire city organization to identify areas of potential cost savings. A draft proposal is attached. I have seen results from a study this firm recently did for the City of Daytona Beach, and I believe we would benefit from a review as outlined in this proposal I believe the fee of $20,000 is reasonable, and I recommend that we accept the proposal, subject to it being put into final form satisfactory to our attorneys. PUBLIC SECTOR. INNOVATION. SOLUTIONS. SCHOOis sxnx$ ~crnni. ~.naxn~. L 26 February 2008 City of Delray Beach David Harden 100 NW First Avenue Delray Beach, FL 33444 David: Thank you for the opportunity to provide you a draft scope of work for our 360° Organizational, Finance and Performance Assessment. I appreciated the opportunity to speak with you and gathered from our conversation that you would be willing to move forward soon. The attached draft Scope of Work contains the necessary language to be executed if you chose, and it is in a format that you are welcome to make edits to in making it more appropriate for what you have in mind. Several examples are included to illustrate the types of assessing we conduct and possible outcomes of that work. We guarantee that everything in our empirically-based assessments will be valued by your management team. Working with many municipal clients throughout the country has taught us that a variety of examiners of our work will produce a variety of perspectives and decisions. Presentation is often more important than the information - so we encourage decision-makers to examine our findings and invite us to discuss the content to make sure all understand what it says. Illustrating the "opportunities and benefits of innovation" will be our focus. Your satisfaction with the product is why our consultants are among the best practitioners in Public Finance, City Management, Emergency Services and Law Enforcement. Our team members will ensure that you receive careful, honest assessments that validate what is going well and where innovative and practical alternatives could move your organization in a more positive direction. As you review the attached information please use the `show changes' feature. Once we are comfortable with what the project will entail, please sign and execute two original copies, fax one to me, then mail the originals. I will then begin to assemble the project team and begin the work as required. Once I receive the originals, I will sign and return them within a couple of days I look forward to working on this project in the days ahead. Sincerely, David A. Evertsen, Principal Municipal Solutions, LLC Cc: Colin Baenziger, Senior Associate X72.736.1426 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' RIGHT OF USE. Below is an outline of a proprietary Organizational, Financial and Process Assessment and Strategic Plan methodology and process as it relates to Cost Savings, Quality of Service, Technology Use and Management, Process Review and Operational Functions towards the determination of addressing new tax limitations imposed by the 2007 Florida State Legislature on Local Government. The outline and description below is proprietary, provided at the request of the City of Delray Beach, Florida and provided as an "internal working document" for an internal preparation of project budget planning. This document is NOT a public document. Use of this document any other purpose than for internal planning (does not include RFP or preparation for consultant bids) without the express written permission of Municipal Solutions, LLC is prohibited. OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT - Explore each department's needs, skills, processes, resources and priorities to determine how refinement or improvement to operational efficiency (time), expenditures (costs), and revenue generation can be realized during the upcoming 2009 budget year and beyond. - Examine each department's Functions; evaluate the Form or Structure of each department to determine whether it is optimal towards fulfillment of the department and City-wide goals, objectives and priorities; and determine whether the current Resources (personnel, technology and physical assets) are being used efficiently. - Determine optimization alternatives to the organization's Functions, Forms /Structure, and Resources. - Determine if, where and why internal stop-gaps are failing and how they can be remedied. - Determine and quantify the most effective strategy for each department, to accomplish their organizational objectives. - Determine the most effective means for reducing the cost of operations while improving service delivery and service quality. - Establish the basis for internal assessments, controls, monitoring, and reporting for perpetual organizational improvement to these ends. - Provide ahigh-level report validating greatest-needs and areas of greatest-potential. Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 1 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' SCOPE OF WORK The Organizational, Financial and Process Assessment process is universal in its application within the organization. The Organizational Enhancement concept requires consultative familiarity with multiple facets of public service, as well as intimate knowledge of each municipal department's Function, understanding of how it's Form or Structure is intended to addresses key functions, and whether its personnel and physical Resources are being efficiently utilized to realize significant cost savings and service quality improvement. Below is a complete overview of the Organizational, Financial, and Process Assessment Process to achieve results of "doing more with less". PRE-ASSESSMENT A. Objectives: Project Orientation & Whiteboard Session: PowerPoint presentation to and discussion with Department Managers regarding the differences between the Status Quo principal and the principal of Innovation - what it means from various organizational perspectives (City Administration, Department Managers and Line /Field Staff), how it effects service delivery, and ultimately how it translates into measurable cost savings and quality of service to the taxpaying public. Discuss the importance of Renewal and how this Assessment aims to reduce cost of operations, and improve quality of service. Briefly discuss the range of potential outcomes from the assessment (organizational changes to Functional Duties, reorganization, and possibly reassignment). Discuss the objectives of our work, timelines and outcomes. Timin Within 30 days of contract execution. ASSESSMENTS Note: Examples are provided for illustration only. All alternatives will be explored and validated or excluded. Objective: Comprehensively examine the City's departments and identify essential Service Area Functions, the Form or Structure currently being used to carry out its intended objectives, and evaluate whether Function, Form or personnel and other physical Resources are optimal in reducing the cost of operations. Determine where significant cost-savings can be realized both short-term and in perpetuity, and provide a high-level evaluation with fairly detailed recommendations including changes to policy, technology, reorganization, reassignment, service level changes, mutual aid and more efficient use of all resources. A. Function: Service Delivery & Process 1. Evaluate principal areas of department functions, what services they provide (internal and external), and how current processes deliver those services. Examine rate-based revenues, user fees, and tax-generated Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 2 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' revenues for legal and prudent ways to redistribute costs for services and operational expenses. Example #1: Processing of land use permits, the cost involved, and the time required under current procedures. Are these procedures efficient and effective from various perspectives -including the private sector? Can they be changed to improve service quality while reducing the City's labor and resource costs? Are multiple departments communicating effectively in the processing of a permit or application? Are permit fees being properly collected? Are they inordinately low and can greater revenues be realized without diminishing service quality? Is staffing too high or low, or are functional duties inefficiently spread across multiple individuals? Example #2: Is the practice of weekly AR/AP costing the City more than bi-weekly processing of payments? If so, what are the potential cost savings and cost/benefit of such a shift from current practices? B. Organizational Structure: 1. Evaluate how the organizational structure, within and among departments might be more efficient in addressing current service areas. Such reorganization might include combining or separation of functions, sharing of resources, and / or the reassignment of personnel. Example #1: The current organizational chart for Fiscal Year 2007- 2008 illustrates an organization where Utilities, Leisure Services and Public Works are separate functional areas; however, comparison to other communities of similar size and service offerings illustrates a closer organizational relationship than Delray Beach's organizational structure does? Is a continuation of this organizational structure efficient? Is it based on function or personnel in the position? How might similar functional areas and organizational structure be optimized for cost savings and service delivery improvement? Example #2: The combining of Police and Fire into adual-certified Public Safety department could produce a significant savings in needed facilities, operational expenditures, capital purchases and improvement in quality of service. C. Resources: Management /Use (Personnel, Technology, Physical Facilities 1. Evaluate current Personnel, Technology and Physical Facilities to determine a greater efficiency than is currently realized. Consider the reassignment of personnel, more efficient use of physical facilities, and better use of technologies to improve efficiency and service delivery. Report will include the current and potential use of Best Available Technologies (BAT) to ensure the most efficient installation of equipment and effective operation of Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 3 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' the City's departments and functions. Recommend the installation, removal or replacement of equipment or programs to meet organizational financial and service delivery goals. Consider the benefits and cost savings of Electronic government (E-Gov) services which provide greater access for residents and businesses to municipal services while providing more efficient process management for staff and cost savings to the organization. Example #1: Online utility bill payment online, on-line registration for recreation or other social programs, and permit submittal, processing and tracking (internal and external). Example #2: Is the City following GASB 34 practices for Asset management and depreciation? Have these finance-driven practices been disseminated and driven into each organization and into key processes such as the City's Capital Improvements Program or IT Department's Master Plan and equipment replacement program? Example #3: Examination of the physical facilities might illustrate that personnel in one department are spread out across multiple buildings, requiring the regular use of vehicles and cell phones. Cost savings might be realized through the relocation of staff into fewer facilities, an examination of vehicle use (mileage, maintenance costs & policies of use), and cell-phone usage. Such examination might reveal opportunities for `tweaking' policies and modifying the use (and sometimes excessive use) of the City's technology and assets. D. Public Partnerships, Mutual Aid and Outsourcing: 1. Evaluate the potential for Mutual-Aid Agreements with other public institutions, including the County, School Districts, Special Districts or other government agencies in addressing services, technology or personnel towards performance improvement and / or cost-sharing of similar operations or maintenance expenses. Examine the potential for Outsourcing certain functions or services to private institutions including the potential of privatization of services and fee-based contracts. Example #1: The local public agency belongs to an affordable health insurance plan which permits the City to become part of the pool at a significant cost savings. Example #2: Significant cost savings might be realized through purchase of vehicles or other capital equipment through a purchase agreement with the Volusia County, the local school district, or the State of Florida or through participation on County or State purchasing contracts as allowed bylaw. Example #3: Outsourcing of police lab operations to Volusia County, or the development of service contracts with adjacent communities for City Fire /Police to provide laboratory or response services to other communities under a Mutual aid Agreement Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 4 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' DELIVERABLES: A. Preliminary Report B. Final Report will present the current problems, identify alternatives and provide acost-benefit analysis that can be implemented strategically-put in terms that a lay-person could easily understand & move forward after reading. It will be comprehensive in nature -covering all departments and services. Solutions will be specific and detailed. C. Presentations to Staff and City Council in a Work Sessions and / or Public Meeting is anticipated. TIMING: A & B: Preliminary Report: w/in 45 days of contract execution. A & B: Final Report: wln 45 days of Preliminary Report. C: Presentations: As need warrants and as time and expense allows. Additional Work: As requested via written change order. ADDITIONAL WORK (AS REQUESTED) A. Enterprise Funds B. Further Assessment into Specific Departments C. Validation /Implementation of Action Items or specific areas D. Additional Statistical /Financial /Legal Analysis or Deign work E. Technology Alternatives, Bid Document Specifications /Preparation, Vendor Evaluation /Selection and Contract Administration F. Developing and Securing Inter-government /Inter-agency Agreements G. Administration of Contracts or Agreements H. Strategic Planning of Annual Goals & Policies I. Customer Service or Skills-specific Training RATES Municipal Solutions' rates are structured one of three ways: Project-based, Hourly Rate-based, or Reduced Hourly Rate-based. Project-based rates are determined by overall project scope, time required for completion and the likelihood of variable costs or shifting timelines. Normally, Hourly Rate-based rates average between $125-$250 per hour but can vary depending upon the complexity /risk of the project, municipal organization and / or service level complexity, size and budget of the municipality, regional factors, the priority requested by a client, the levels of cooperative and independent effort, and the time constraints necessary to complete the work. A Reduced Hourly Rate generally is 15% less than normal hourly rates. Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 5 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' For purposes of this agreement, a preliminary not-to exceed Project-based rate of $20,000 will apply. The Hourly Rate or Project Rate or any additional work not supplied in this agreement will be determined at that time and included in any amendments to this or separate agreements by written change order. All supplies, travel, and expenses related to all elements including publication of documents (not to exceed 3 original copies), are included. Use of municipal supplies, telephone and photocopying equipment by Municipal Solutions Team Members is approved while on-site as is appropriate to offset additional expenses. Invoices are itemized including time and expense. Financial /project status worksheets are kept by the Consultant to ensure all projects do not exceed the amount agreed upon. These records are available upon request. Unless otherwise stated in this agreement, clients are billed monthly and our fees are payable within 30 days of invoice date. This project will be billed as follows: • 25% due within 15 business days of the execution of this agreement. • 25% due within 15 days of submittal of Preliminary Report. • 50% due within 15 business days of submittal of the Final Report. A 5% per month Late Charge will be charged on any outstanding balance not paid within 30 days of the invoice date, and no late charges will occur so long as payment is current. Unexpected or changing circumstances may be encountered during the engagement may be necessary, by the request of either party, without revision to the terms of this Agreement, though it is also understood that changes should be reduced to writing. CC}MPANY ~ERRESENTATION Municipal Solutions cannot provide an assurance that a `perfect' product will be rendered. However, all efforts will be made to ensure the best product possible for the client. Circumstances may arise in which it is necessary for us to modify our efforts or withdraw from the engagement. To mitigate the effects of such circumstances, the findings or reasons for concern, modification or withdrawal will be communicated clearly by each agent of this agreement, and reduced to writing as often as possible. Both parties agree to work in good faith to avoid any delay or premature termination in the relationship. The City has the ultimate responsibility for identifying a project manager or contact for the course of this project, and outlining necessary outcomes of this agreement. Municipal Solutions, LLC has the responsibility of providing timely and accurate information, communications, and the results in fulfilling the established objectives and tasks of this agreement. This responsibility includes Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 6 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' the maintenance of adequate records and internal controls and the safeguarding of accomplished tasks. Our agreement cannot be relied upon to disclose every problem in the relationship; however, both parties agree to notify each other immediately if any such matters come to one or the other's attention. We have confidence that the relationship will greatly benefit both parties. The City agrees that all records, documentation, and information in its possession in connection with our engagement will be made available to us, and Municipal Solutions agrees that all records, documentation, and information in our possession in connection with our engagement will be disclosed one to another, and that Municipal Solutions, LLC will have the full cooperation of the City's personnel, under the direction of its Principal, for the efficient and effective completion of the requested services. Both parties agree that the City shall solely own any document, record, or information created by the parties under this Letter of Engagement. The City shall not have to pay any party for the use or continued use of any document created under this Letter of Engagement. As required by generally accepted standards, we will make specific inquiries into various organizations to whom a relationship exists or may eventually exist. If the responses to our inquiries, the oral and representations, and results of our efforts somehow appear to compromise our relationship, both parties agree to first try to resolve the relationship together without resulting to litigation. If both parties are unable to resolve the dispute, then either party shall be allowed to pursue litigation or arbitration to resolve the dispute. Any litigation shall be brought in the Palm Beach County Court, which shall have exclusive venue for any matter arising out of this Letter of Engagement. If the parties mutually agree to resolve their dispute through arbitration, the arbitration shall be held in the City of Delray Beach. Although we are available to provide you with municipal consulting services, we are not obligated to venture beyond the terms of this agreement in writing. The City should rely on advice from our organization, however, we prefer to fully review and report our recommendations and results in writing to the City of Delray Beach. We prefer that this Engagement Letter be amended in writing if any of the above services are changed, however this condition may be amended as both parties are comfortable with the working relationship. Both parties acknowledge that this Letter of Engagement is subject to the conflict of interest provisions set forth in as amended and statutes or codes in the State of Florida. Insurance Municipal Solutions, Ilc maintains current liability, automotive and workers compensation insurance. Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 7 of 8 360° ©RGANIZATIONAL, FINANCIAL. €k PROCESS ASSESSMENT "'DOING MORE WITH LESS'' • $1 / $2 Million Commercial Comprehensive, E & O and Automotive Liability policy through The Hartford, and • Workers Compensation Insurance through SCF of Arizona. This engagement letter must be amended in writing if any of the above services are changed. If the above terms are acceptable to you and the services outlined are in accordance with your understanding, please sign the copy of this letter and return them to us as soon as possible. We are pleased to have this opportunity to serve you and we trust that our association will be a long and pleasant one. Sincerely, ~~ David A. Evertsen, Principal Municipal Solutions, LLC Accepted By: David Harden, City Manager Representing: The City of Delray Beach Date: Approved as to Form By: >, City Clerk or City Attorney Date: By: David A. Evertsen, Principal Representing: Municipal Solutions, LLC Date: Municipal Solutions, l(c 2007 -Proprietary- Page 8 of 8