City Commission Restores Advisory Community Design Guidelines

In October 2009, city commissioner Terry Turner proposed removing voluntary advisory community design guidelines from the zoning code.

“I think there was in [the guidelines] a potential for staff abuse,” Turner said.

In May 2010, the commission reaffirmed that position when they directed staff to develop mandatory design guidelines, which would also facilitate compliance with Florida statue.

On Monday, Feb. 7 the City Commission voted 4-1 to rescind that vote and restore the advisory community design guidelines

“In hindsight, it was clear we tasked staff with an impossibly complicated and difficult challenge,” Turner said at the meeting.

Turner said all you need to do is review the January Planning Board meeting to “see this truth.”

"As we talked to different stakeholders, I feel that what has happened sinced [the May 2010 vote] has indeed lost its structure," commissioner Suzanne Atwell said. "It became chaotic and that [planning board] meeting highlighted that." 

Going forward without changing the guidelines “was going to be incredibly divisive,” Turner said.

Commissioner Richard Clapp said watching the planning board meeting was "destructive for all of us". 

Commissioner Fredd Atkins, the one vote against the motion, said it does not matter if a change will be made or not. He has never supported the guidelines.

“This is not going to change no matter who implements the decision,” Atkins said. “This needs to be more of a community discussion, then just for us to sit here and set the parameters.”