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   Presentation by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council RE: Resiliency Plan for Rivergate/Palm District

   discussed

   The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) presented a CARES Act-funded conceptual resiliency plan for the Rivergate/Palm District, including a SWOT analysis, 3D visualizations, seven development concepts (gateway features, mixed-use development, multi-modal transportation, collector roads, stormwater park, riverfront access, and sustainability), and economic forecasting. The presentation was informational, with no formal action taken.

   📍Corner of US 19 and Main Street📍Main Street Landing📍Rivergate/Palm District📍Sims Park🏢Arnett Muldrow and Mahan Reichel Group🏢Bifo Brady's🏢Hacienda Hotel🏢Kaiser University🏢Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council👤Councilman Altman👤Debbie Manz👤Harry Walsh👤Randy DeShavo👤Sarah Vitale👤Sean Sullivan#CARES Act#Cascades Park (Tallahassee)#Coastal high hazard area development requirements (St. Petersburg)#Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act#Cote River blueway concept#Mallory Square (Key West)#Rivergate/Palm District Resiliency Plan#Rivertown Revival Plan#SWOT analysis#Sparkman Wharf (Tampa)

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   [00:00:23] We only have one thing on the agenda tonight, and that's a presentation by the Tampa Bay [00:00:25] Regional Planning Council. [00:00:26] Ms. Manz? [00:00:27] Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. [00:00:30] The city was very fortunate to have received some funding, so to speak, through the CARES [00:00:37] Act to support our efforts on a project to work along with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning [00:00:44] Council, and we have Sean Sullivan in attendance this evening, as well as Sarah Vitale and [00:00:51] Randy DeShavo, and their task was to prepare a conceptual plan for the Rivergate and the [00:01:00] Palm District, intending to improve the quality of life and serve as positive impetus to some [00:01:08] economic development growth. [00:01:11] The plan was to be guided by principles in resiliency and sustainability. [00:01:19] The Rivergate and Palm Districts, just so everyone knows, is the area bounded on the [00:01:27] east by U.S. Highway 19, on the west by the Main Street Bridge, Bridge Road on the north, [00:01:35] and River Road on the east. [00:01:37] You've got east and west mixed up there. [00:01:40] And we'll have a map. [00:01:41] We'll show you a map for your benefit a little later on in the presentation. [00:01:45] Nineteen's west and the river's east. [00:01:49] And as part of Sarah's presentation this evening, she'll review for you some of the stakeholder [00:01:55] input that was a vital part of this project, and we conducted a SWOT analysis at that time. [00:02:04] She has done really nice work on a conceptual site plan and some 3-D renderings, and we've [00:02:10] got some economic forecasting for future years as well, and with that we'll turn it over [00:02:15] to Sarah and kick off the PowerPoint. [00:02:19] Thank you. [00:02:20] I'm impressed with this large podium. [00:02:22] I hope you can hear me well. [00:02:25] Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Mrs. City Manager, members of the Council. [00:02:29] It's always a pleasure to be here in New Port Richey, and we thank you for the opportunity [00:02:33] to address the Council. [00:02:35] My name's Sarah Vitale. [00:02:36] I'm a Senior Planner with the TBRPC. [00:02:39] I'm also joined by my colleague, Harry Walsh, who's our Economic Development Planner sitting [00:02:44] in the middle there, who will be joining me in the podium in just a little while. [00:02:48] And of course, our Executive Director, Sean Sullivan, is also here with us. [00:02:52] So for those of you who are unfamiliar with Regional Planning Councils, where should I [00:02:57] point this? [00:03:05] It helps to have the one with batteries. [00:03:07] There we go. [00:03:09] Thank you. [00:03:10] So for those of you who are unfamiliar with Regional Planning Councils, TBRPC is made [00:03:14] up of 27 member governments that span across the six-county Tampa Bay region. [00:03:19] We provide planning support for many big issues that affect the region, including protecting [00:03:23] the environment, planning for economic development, and preparing for hurricanes. [00:03:28] New Port Richey is one of our member governments, with Councilman Altman serving as our Council [00:03:32] Representative. [00:03:35] We have a lot to cover, so I will move a bit quickly. [00:03:38] I want to make sure that we get through these three parts of my presentation, and leave [00:03:41] time for questions and discussion. [00:03:44] So moving right along, with the project context, what has brought us all here tonight? [00:03:51] TBRPC provides its member governments with technical assistance, and these can often [00:03:55] take the form of a rapid redesign exercise, where we try to address a specific problem [00:04:01] through 3D design and economic analysis. [00:04:05] Back in February of 2020, we created a few 3D visualizations of resilient development [00:04:10] options to address flooding in downtown, and it was this work that really set the stage [00:04:15] for the development of a full conceptual plan for the Rivergate Palm District. [00:04:22] And like Mrs. City Manager mentioned, the conceptual plan was actually funded by the [00:04:27] Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act for short, which provides [00:04:33] funding to local governments for economic development projects. [00:04:37] So the City was not burdened with the cost for this study, it was completely covered [00:04:41] by the CARES Act. [00:04:43] The deliverables for this project include not just the conceptual master plan report, [00:04:48] which is full of guidance and resources and planning ideas for the District, but it also [00:04:53] includes a 3D model and a flyover animation, which I believe can be used to help illustrate [00:04:58] these ideas in future planning efforts and projects and ongoing community engagement. [00:05:06] Just last week, you heard from another planning group, the Arnette Muldrow and Mahan Reichel [00:05:11] Group. [00:05:12] That team is developing a comprehensive master plan for the entire downtown area, as well [00:05:17] as the US-19 corridor. [00:05:19] And we've been working closely with them to make sure that our planning efforts are coordinated, [00:05:24] so that the City is getting the most out of both of these planning studies. [00:05:29] And I think that TBRPC's conceptual plan can complement the Rivertown Revival Plan in many ways. [00:05:35] However, ours is a bit different in that we're focused on a much smaller area, the Rivergate [00:05:40] Palm District, districts combined. [00:05:43] We're doing this work in a shorter time period, in a matter of months versus up to a year [00:05:48] of coordinated planning. [00:05:49] And we're evaluating targeted resiliency-focused development options, trying to prioritize [00:05:55] our efforts to think about the factors that impact resiliency. [00:05:59] How we develop in the midst of sea level rise and storm surge from hurricanes. [00:06:03] Those types of issues specifically, whereas the other planning group, they're considering [00:06:08] those topics in addition to many other topics within their plan. [00:06:14] Moving on to the conceptual planning and design results, here's the map that we're waiting [00:06:20] for. [00:06:21] We're going to focus on the Rivergate Palm District study area, which includes everything [00:06:25] shown here within the red dashed boundary. [00:06:28] Properties north and south of Main Street, east over the bridge, and a few pieces of [00:06:32] property just south of the historic Hacienda Hotel. [00:06:39] Back in October, we kicked off this planning effort by hosting a community meeting, asking [00:06:44] the questions, where is New Port Richey now? [00:06:46] And where does New Port Richey want to go in the future? [00:06:50] What does this community want to see in the district and in this new revitalization of [00:06:54] their downtown? [00:06:57] And all of that feedback from the meeting and from other discussions with city staff [00:07:02] was captured within a SWOT analysis. [00:07:04] SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. [00:07:09] And I want to save time for the later part of my presentation, so I won't dive into all [00:07:13] of that feedback now, but it is provided in great depth within the plan. [00:07:17] But I do want to call out one of these key threats, and that's the area's vulnerability [00:07:21] to flooding. [00:07:24] So when you're thinking about making investments in the area, it's important to think long-term [00:07:29] about resiliency. [00:07:31] And here you see the Rivergate district in the red box, with the Cote River in blue, [00:07:37] and then the greenish color representing flooding during a high tide event. [00:07:41] However, this high tide scenario is in the year 2045, so it does include the compounded [00:07:46] effects of added sea level rise between now and then. [00:07:52] Here's an image of a king tide in 2045, where purple is the expanded flooding area. [00:07:58] A king tide is a term used to describe exceptionally high tides that occur during a new or a full [00:08:03] moon. [00:08:06] And brace yourself, here's an image of storm surge from a Category 1 hurricane, if it were [00:08:10] to strike New Port Richey, in the year 2045. [00:08:14] So you may be thinking, how do you avoid those types of impacts when you're talking [00:08:18] about a flood of this extent? [00:08:20] And in this case, we can think about building sustainably and resiliently, elevating new [00:08:25] construction so that if a hurricane comes through, the flooding that's experienced is [00:08:30] less impactful and expensive to deal with. [00:08:36] In the plan, we provide a few case study examples, one of which is close to home. [00:08:40] The city of St. Petersburg has recently updated its development requirements for new construction [00:08:46] in the coastal high hazard area. [00:08:48] So when New Port Richey is thinking about redevelopment, they can look towards other [00:08:53] communities within our region that are also facing these challenges and see how they've [00:08:57] responded. [00:08:59] And then a more specific example, one of my favorites, is Cascades Park in Tallahassee, [00:09:03] Florida. [00:09:04] It's an example of a project in downtown that was first and foremost designed to retain [00:09:08] and slowly release stormwater on site. [00:09:12] So it doubles as a stormwater management facility, relieving flooding in the surrounding areas, [00:09:17] but also serving as a beautiful green space in the heart of their downtown. [00:09:23] Now back to the Rivergate Palm District, we developed a few guiding vision statements [00:09:28] that capture much of the feedback that was given to us from the community meeting back [00:09:32] in October. [00:09:33] And getting these vision statements written down is really a first step in creating a [00:09:38] coordinated and community-driven plan for redevelopment. [00:09:41] These are just a few examples from that one meeting. [00:09:45] But a few guiding vision statements. [00:09:47] The new Rivergate Palm District embraces the Cote River. [00:09:51] I really think that the river is such a great natural amenity and the strengths of this [00:09:55] area are just so unique. [00:09:57] It's great that it moves right through your city and I think there's incredible potential [00:10:01] to increase riverfront access and activities associated with the river. [00:10:06] And I really like this planning concept from Pasco County where the river is seen as a [00:10:11] navigable route through the city, a blueway is what they call it, with the potential for [00:10:16] a trailhead right in downtown New Port Richey. [00:10:19] So I think that's a really interesting idea and one worth continuing to explore. [00:10:26] Another vision statement, the Rivergate Palm District offers unique attractions. [00:10:30] There's a lot of fun activities throughout the district and it's just as entertaining [00:10:33] as the rest of the Main Street District. [00:10:36] But it may be presented in a different way. [00:10:38] If we're thinking about newer construction, naturally the construction will be more modern [00:10:42] in style. [00:10:43] There's the opportunity to develop a bit higher and take advantage of some of the views [00:10:48] of the gulf and of the river. [00:10:50] And although higher in density, it's important that this new construction is still designed [00:10:55] at the appropriate scale so it's still very walkable and pedestrian friendly like the [00:10:59] rest of downtown. [00:11:04] And finally, the district is safe and welcoming for all. [00:11:07] Right now when you're driving along US 19, you're not quite as aware of all of the exciting [00:11:12] things to do and places to visit that exist just down Main Street. [00:11:17] It doesn't feel like you're approaching or have arrived at this really unique downtown. [00:11:21] Although I will note that some of the recent signage does make a big difference. [00:11:25] But through additional signage and landscaping and relatively low cost solutions, the area [00:11:32] can become more recognizable, attractive, and welcoming to visitors and residents. [00:11:41] A focus for this phase of the project was to emphasize specific development concepts. [00:11:46] So listed here are seven that correspond with those three guiding vision statements. [00:11:52] And to do so, we didn't want to emphasize these just in the plan, in a written format, [00:11:57] but also visually. [00:11:59] So we developed a 3D model so people can really start to get a sense of what this type [00:12:03] of redevelopment could look like and feel like. [00:12:09] Here's a before image. [00:12:10] I just want to state that these visualizations are purely conceptual, but they are extremely [00:12:15] useful for community planning. [00:12:18] So here's the before image. [00:12:20] Now after, with the 3D model of new development layered on top. [00:12:25] And I'll talk through each of those seven points. [00:12:32] So the first one, the landmark gateway entry feature at the corner of US 19 and Main. [00:12:38] Last week you heard about this vision statement developed by the other planning team, and [00:12:42] it's a very similar statement to ours. [00:12:44] The Main Street gateway area is visually distinctive from other intersections. [00:12:49] It provides a clear identity for and transition to downtown. [00:12:53] And the use of trees, these signature landmark tall palms, I think, are a great planning [00:13:00] concept to kind of anchor each of the four corners of the intersection so that people [00:13:04] driving up and down US 19 can see that from hundreds of yards away. [00:13:09] They know that they're arriving somewhere soon, and they should turn off and check out [00:13:13] what's going on on Main Street. [00:13:16] Here you can see the new gateway arch that spans across Main Street that you will physically [00:13:22] drive under. [00:13:23] It welcomes you, in a sense, to the Main Street district. [00:13:28] And then on the left and right, you'll see some new signage features that were included [00:13:31] within the 3D model. [00:13:36] Moving on to the second one, mixed use development concepts that help offer unique attractions [00:13:41] for the district. [00:13:44] And similarly, we have a similar concept here with the last planning group. [00:13:49] The idea that long-term, we're thinking about taller buildings, higher densities, but oriented [00:13:54] to the street. [00:13:55] And that the urban design practices are promoted throughout. [00:13:59] This retains its walkability. [00:14:01] It supports a mix of uses and amenities, but also, importantly, responds to the challenges [00:14:06] of sea level rise in the future. [00:14:10] Here's an example looking south. [00:14:13] The white massing in the forefront of the picture in the center is Kaiser University. [00:14:19] Behind that, there's a new hotel redevelopment concept. [00:14:22] You see the parking garage included there. [00:14:24] I know that that just broke ground recently, and that's a very exciting project. [00:14:28] And then along Main Street, a lot of mixed use development concepts. [00:14:34] Here's an image facing towards the parking garage. [00:14:37] You can see that in the background. [00:14:39] Here we've designed a public pedestrian through access, plaza-style development so that you [00:14:45] are easily able to walk from the parking garage to Main Street and to the activities that [00:14:50] are located on Main Street without having to traverse a lot of busy traffic. [00:14:56] And then some of the development concepts here are more modern, more green. [00:15:00] You'll see some green walls, green roof systems in some cases, a lot of signage, a lot of [00:15:06] street lighting and landscaping. [00:15:11] Here's across the street from there, another public plaza with street art and things to [00:15:16] help create a more pedestrian-friendly and attractive environment right along Main Street. [00:15:21] And importantly here, you can see that there's the addition of on-street parking along Main [00:15:26] Street and then also the parking is oriented to the back of the lot, the parking lots, [00:15:31] so that you're bringing the buildings closer to the street and help create more of a pedestrian-friendly [00:15:36] environment. [00:15:40] Here's a view of the corner of River Road and Main Street. [00:15:44] This building, it's a mixed-use building and it's elevated, so you're going upstairs or [00:15:49] up the rampway to get to the activities of the building, it's elevated because of that [00:15:53] issue of flooding. [00:15:56] But this one, it could potentially be a commercial dining, brewery-style development. [00:16:02] Really the point is that you're thinking about mixed-use development. [00:16:12] And then across the street, there's some residential uses. [00:16:15] A little bit more modern in style, there are smaller units that each unit has a little [00:16:19] bit of green space elevated above the other units. [00:16:26] Here's a view of the new hotel. [00:16:28] It's a limited-service hotel. [00:16:31] The point here was to emphasize the elevation, so you'll see that there's a parking, dedicated [00:16:36] parking space, but then the amenities for the hotel are located above that on the rooftop. [00:16:41] So you see a pool there and yeah, so a more modern, smaller-style hotel that can complement [00:16:47] the entire district. [00:16:52] Here is a visualization of a bank building, bank-inspired, so it could be a mixed-use [00:16:56] office building. [00:16:58] This one is fronting US 19. [00:17:00] It has a similar setback as you would see on US 19, so the parking's in the front, but [00:17:05] it is designed so that there is a public pedestrian access to help you get from that building [00:17:13] safely to Main Street and the other attractions throughout the district. [00:17:19] Here's a concept developed by Arnett Muldrow and Mahan Reichel, trying to maintain the [00:17:24] tree coverage at the site that's across from the historic Hacienda Hotel, because there [00:17:29] are a lot of mature trees there, and I understand that shade is a concern. [00:17:33] So maintaining that tree coverage is important. [00:17:36] Using more temporary-style architecture could be an interesting thing to explore, so I include [00:17:41] an example on the top left of the Sparkman Wharf in Tampa, but inspired by that and working [00:17:48] closely with the other planning group, we developed this concept where the front of [00:17:53] the lot, you're able to maintain the mature oaks, and you have some decking and some more [00:17:58] flexible entertainment space, pop-up retail, and those shipping container-style maybe restaurant [00:18:07] or bar is available to you at the front of the site, and then a mixed-use building behind it. [00:18:14] Number three, the multi-modal transportation amenities. [00:18:17] So making sure that this new district is accessible for people who choose multiple different transportation [00:18:25] options, so they may want to bike, they might want to take the bus, they may want to walk [00:18:29] from their homes, or even golf cart, which I know is a really exciting thing to do here. [00:18:35] I co-located some of those uses and amenities beside the parking garage with the idea that [00:18:40] there may be a way to kind of concentrate some of those uses and make it more efficient [00:18:46] and keep the bus from having to stop and go on Main Street. [00:18:50] So moving it just south of Main Street might be an idea to explore. [00:18:54] And then the idea that in the future, there'll be a lot of ride-sharing, like Lyft and Uber, [00:19:00] and I see a lot of new projects downtown where they incorporate those concepts into the site [00:19:05] plan so that there's a high-capacity drop-off and pick-up area that's efficient and isn't [00:19:10] causing more traffic. [00:19:12] Here's an example of more of the bicycle amenities and pedestrian amenities. [00:19:19] You've got the crosswalks. [00:19:21] You've got the lighting to make sure that people can cross the road safely. [00:19:25] You've got the SHARO, the bicycle signage on the road, to indicate that this is a shared [00:19:30] bicycle road. [00:19:34] Here you've got some covered bike amenities to make sure the bikes are protected from [00:19:38] the elements. [00:19:40] We've got some lighting. [00:19:41] You'll see the new logo on the banners on these lights. [00:19:46] Street seating and landscaping to just overall make this area more pedestrian-friendly. [00:19:54] Number four, the addition of collector roads and modifications to the existing street network [00:19:59] to alleviate traffic. [00:20:01] When you look at this map, the blue is the existing routes, and you'll notice that there [00:20:06] are not a lot of routes to get you from US-19 through the district to the Main Street Bridge [00:20:12] and over to the historic Main Street District, so thinking about redesigning the block structure [00:20:18] to create more routes, newer routes, so you can take a right off of US-19 and get your [00:20:26] way through the district without having to contribute to the traffic that's on Main Street. [00:20:31] So the new routes are in the red. [00:20:36] Number five, an attractive and welcoming urban park that retains stormwater, so inspired [00:20:40] by Cascades Park in Tallahassee. [00:20:44] Here's a view of that park where you'll see there's a large area that can collect water [00:20:48] during storm events. [00:20:49] The park can be designed to flood and contain even more water during those severe storm [00:20:54] events. [00:20:58] Here to help make sure this district embraces the river, you see three new riverfront access [00:21:04] points and boat ramp style development. [00:21:08] And this one was really inspired by what I've seen in Key West. [00:21:12] This is Mallory Square, where there's a lot of really interesting wow factor type activities [00:21:17] that you can check out and visit just along the water, and that was a bit of the inspiration [00:21:22] for this is looking south at the north boat ramp. [00:21:28] So you'll see there's space for boats to pull up or boats to park there at the dock. [00:21:35] Different sorts of commercial uses could exist right there along the water to help create [00:21:41] more of an attraction than what your typical boat ramp is, which is a single use, but more [00:21:46] of a multi-use boat ramp. [00:21:48] It could be a really interesting concept to explore. [00:21:52] This is south of what was Main Street Landings. [00:21:56] I know it's just gotten a new name, but just south of that site, there's the potential [00:22:00] and there's the space to do a smaller kayak launch type site to help alleviate some of [00:22:07] the demand on the north boat ramp. [00:22:08] So if there's just smaller, more passive boating or kayaking, they could have their own on [00:22:16] and off ramp right south of Main Street Landing. [00:22:21] And this is across the river, so looking by Bifo Brady's, which is just south of that, [00:22:27] and thinking about a commercial dining option that isn't just all private. [00:22:33] So within the space, you can design something that has public access, and then if they would [00:22:38] like to grab a bite to eat, that's also available there. [00:22:41] And there's also the potential of a docking system that can be continued to bring you [00:22:46] all the way up to Sims Park. [00:22:48] So I think that was a really interesting concept to explore. [00:22:53] And number seven, overall emphasis on sustainability, green infrastructure, and resilience to coastal [00:22:59] hazards. [00:23:00] And a few examples here are some of the residential concepts that were folded into the plan. [00:23:05] These are more of a townhome style development, where the first floor is for parking and garage [00:23:10] uses, and the living space is actually elevated to above the base flood elevation. [00:23:17] And here's a similar example, but of a multifamily development, so apartments where you can park [00:23:22] on the first floor, and then the living spaces are above that. [00:23:28] So included within the deliverables, like I said, is the plan. [00:23:31] You've got the 3D model, and then you have this flyover animation. [00:23:35] And I won't show the video now in the interest of time, but if you'd like, you can visit [00:23:39] that link and look at it on your phone. [00:23:41] It'll take you through the site like you're flying through a helicopter. [00:23:45] And that's a draft form. [00:23:46] We can add music to it. [00:23:48] We can take certain shots. [00:23:50] Whatever's of interest and value and use for the city is what we could create, now that [00:23:55] we have this 3D model. [00:23:58] And with that, I'm happy to turn it over to Harry. [00:24:02] Harry's going to walk us through his economic analysis of the report. [00:24:07] Thank you, Sarah. [00:24:09] So hello, everyone. [00:24:10] My name's Harry Walsh. [00:24:11] I'm Economic Development Planner with the TBRPC. [00:24:14] In the interest of time, I'm going to, hopefully you can all hear me, I'm going to try and [00:24:18] be as brief as possible, which is going to be... [00:24:20] Up a little bit if you want. [00:24:21] Move the mic up a little? [00:24:22] Yeah. [00:24:23] You're a little taller. [00:24:24] Okay. [00:24:25] Yes, there we go. [00:24:26] There you go. [00:24:27] Sarah and I are a little bit different height. [00:24:28] So I'm going to try and be as brief as possible here, which is a distinct exercise in self-restraint [00:24:32] for me as I am a nerd about economic development and could ramble on this for hours. [00:24:35] So it's important to understand this is not a typical economic impact analysis or ROI [00:24:41] that we did here. [00:24:42] This is a conceptual plan with an ethos of resiliency, of trying to give a new aesthetic [00:24:49] to the whole area of this part of downtown New Port Richey. [00:24:53] So everything that I did was relating to simply measuring the square footage, which we'll [00:24:58] discuss right here. [00:25:01] So after Sarah set up this model, designed all the buildings, she measured the floor [00:25:08] space for me and then categorized the floor space based on what type of development it's [00:25:13] going to be. [00:25:14] So residential, office, or commercial. [00:25:17] You can see here, this is exactly how it was set up. [00:25:19] This is the map that was shown before from above. [00:25:23] And with that, we were able to do a few different things. [00:25:26] So going back to that, the things that I was able to do was produce an estimated support [00:25:31] and employment level, which I'm going to revisit and talk about what that actually [00:25:35] means. [00:25:36] I was able to look at the value of this concept at the current valuation of New Port Richey [00:25:40] and at a higher level of valuation, because of course, once we build this, we're hoping [00:25:44] that New Port Richey will increase in value with all the new recreation, the new things [00:25:48] that are there. [00:25:50] And then with this new concept value, I compared it to the existing value, you get a difference. [00:25:55] And then with that difference in property value, you can calculate increase in property [00:25:59] tax rates. [00:26:00] And then of course, that translates directly into a TIF or CRA situation, if the area was [00:26:05] designated as such. [00:26:07] So with that, the first thing that we did, after we categorized everything, and I know [00:26:11] this might be a bit hard to read, everything will be in the full report. [00:26:14] So don't worry if it's a little bit too small here. [00:26:17] Using a planning guide from Virginia Polytechnic, we had standards for if you have an office [00:26:22] space, if you have a commercial space, how much square footage does each employee need [00:26:28] usually? [00:26:29] If you take something like an office employee, that might take about 200 square feet of space. [00:26:35] If you have 1,000 square feet of office space, that can support about five employees. [00:26:39] And so that's the intuition we're using here when we're talking about supported employees [00:26:44] by the space. [00:26:45] And so we excluded residents, of course, because usually residents does not support employment. [00:26:50] And then with that, we were able to calculate about 430 jobs being supported by this new [00:26:56] concept plan. [00:26:57] So again, this is not saying 430 jobs would be generated by this. [00:27:01] We're not talking about construction jobs. [00:27:03] If it existed, it could house about 430 jobs just based on averages and its size. [00:27:09] Importantly, this is not including Kaiser University, which is already known to be a [00:27:14] part of this development area. [00:27:15] I reached out to Kaiser. [00:27:17] We were talking and we just were not able to get the numbers of how many employees they [00:27:20] plan to include there before the conclusion of this report. [00:27:23] So that is not part of this 430 as well. [00:27:28] And so the next section, I took the, we had parcel data, we had the appraiser's office [00:27:34] data about what's the current value of all of the properties in the Rivergate Palm District [00:27:39] area. [00:27:40] And I was looking at it, and when I was doing my initial analysis, there are a few properties [00:27:44] that are like, they're warehouses that were very highly valued, nearly a million dollars [00:27:48] or so on their own, that were extreme outliers compared to the rest of the properties. [00:27:53] And there were certain parcels that were valued at nothing or sub $10,000 and they were fairly [00:27:58] large. [00:27:59] And so it ended up not being useful to compare that to this new plan. [00:28:04] So what I did to at least give something that would be one-to-one is we took this current [00:28:09] concept with the square footage that we measured as we discussed, and then I took the justified [00:28:15] values, essentially the appraised value of these properties, and if you divide it out, [00:28:20] I got a median dollar per square footage value. [00:28:22] So right now, a property in the Rivergate slash Palm District area is valued at about [00:28:27] $15 per square foot. [00:28:30] And so that's how I got this current value, is you take that $15 per square foot, multiply [00:28:35] it out by the square footage that we have in this concept, and then that's this current [00:28:40] median value, again, meaning of the concept if it existed right now in New Port Richey. [00:28:46] Then we wanted to look at an increase in valuation. [00:28:50] And so what I did is I wanted something that wasn't too high in the sky, something that [00:28:54] could be reasonable, a reasonable goal for this development to be valued at. [00:28:58] And so I looked at the zip code that this part of New Port Richey exists in, and the [00:29:03] zip code includes a lot of the higher value coastal properties. [00:29:07] And so I included that, did the exact same thing, took the total value, divided it out, [00:29:11] and it was a bit higher. [00:29:12] It was about maybe $19, $19.50 per square foot. [00:29:16] So a certain increase, but I think maybe a conservative, reasonable one. [00:29:20] So this is something I really want to stick in your mind when you see the results. [00:29:24] If you think that's low or it's something, I made a very conservative estimate, and we [00:29:29] all hope that New Port Richey really shoots up and this is a very valuable area. [00:29:34] And so with this existing concept and then this new concept, existing value concept and [00:29:40] then the new concept, there were about a $2 million difference. [00:29:43] So this is about a $2 million increase. [00:29:46] And like I said, we were just looking at the square footage of the actual structures. [00:29:52] And so the parks, the publicly owned parks, the boat ramps were not specifically valued [00:29:57] in this, but they are implicitly included. [00:30:00] this valuation. So again, if you think it's low, you can say that those are probably going [00:30:04] to add a bit more value to the area. So we have this $2 million difference. [00:30:09] And then with that, I had the millage rate of New Port Richey currently that I could [00:30:14] find was 8.75. And just to make sure everyone's on the same page, the millage rate is $8.75 [00:30:21] levied on every $1,000 of taxable property. So an effective tax rate of about 0.88%. And [00:30:28] simple math gives you about $18,000 of additional revenue. So if you're looking at a TIF or [00:30:34] CRA, and this was roughly matched by the county, you'd see about $36,000 going into a TIF each [00:30:39] year. And it represents about a 24% increase in [00:30:45] this valuation. And so that's the takeaway. Basically, the difference, if New Port Richey, [00:30:51] which is currently, this part of New Port Richey is currently undervalued relative to the rest [00:30:55] of the zip code, you would see about a 24% increase to be about the average of the zip [00:31:00] code. And that's what we're measuring for these impacts. [00:31:03] So we started, again, very conceptual with this plan. And Sarah made some great visuals [00:31:09] incorporating what the community wanted and some input that they had. And then from that, [00:31:14] we were able to talk about some supported jobs for the area. And then a little bit of [00:31:19] increase to revenue for either directly to the city or for a TIF situation. And the percentage [00:31:25] increase for this is about 24%. And I would love to see, once this goes forward, if parts [00:31:31] of this are adopted and development continues, to incorporate some costs and actually look [00:31:35] at an ROI. With that, I'm sure there might be some questions [00:31:39] about this. So I'm going to try and cut myself off. And I will turn it back over to Sarah [00:31:43] to finish up the presentation. Thank you, Sarah. [00:31:56] So moving on to our recommendations. And there really are four addressed within the plan. [00:32:03] First is take a look at the results of the SWOT analysis. It's all of the feedback received [00:32:09] during this meeting and captured feedback from meetings with city council members and [00:32:14] staff. And consider them when you're talking about planning and future planning projects. [00:32:20] And also especially consider some of the key threats and weaknesses identified. The flooding [00:32:24] issue that I spoke about and then also issues related to traffic and congestion and access [00:32:29] within this district. Second, develop guiding vision statements [00:32:35] through effective community engagement. And I understand that the broader comprehensive [00:32:41] master planning process does include some community visioning. And I think that that's [00:32:45] a great thing. The more community engagement, community visioning that can be done, the [00:32:50] stronger and more consensus you'll develop as a community. [00:32:57] Number three, implement land development regulations and design standards. In the plan, I include [00:33:02] a few different action items. But through development regulations, you can begin to [00:33:06] specify what types of activities and types of structures and development can occur within [00:33:12] the sidewalk. And I think that that would be a really interesting concept to explore [00:33:16] within this Rivergate district. So here's an example of a sidewalk zone diagram. But [00:33:22] again, it's also described within the plan. And finally, consider some of the economic [00:33:28] development potential that Harry spoke about. This is just an example of proposed conceptual [00:33:34] development. But of course, there will be real impacts of new development within the [00:33:38] area. And you can take his forecast and kind of extrapolate in different ways. [00:33:46] So what's next for New Port Richey? In conclusion, there's already a renaissance taking place. [00:33:53] There's a lot with Kaiser developing and the parking garage. It's a very exciting time [00:33:58] for New Port Richey. And it's also a critically important time for the city to get this right. [00:34:04] I see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So I want to commend you for all the work [00:34:08] that you've already been doing and the success that's already been seen. And we really hope [00:34:13] that these resiliency concepts can fit in or add value to the planning that's already underway. [00:34:21] And what's next? This is a draft report. It's under review now. So we encourage you to read [00:34:26] it and provide us with your feedback. All of the deliverables, these three, will be [00:34:30] sent to the city within the next few weeks. And again, thank you so much for your time [00:34:36] tonight. And if you have any questions, if we have time for discussion, I welcome it. [00:34:41] Do we have some time for any questions? Did you bring a Briggs truck with you? [00:34:50] I mean, it's beautiful. And I will have to say, we have the property. It's available [00:34:56] and we can find investors that want to come. I'm sure they would jump on it. I think it [00:35:01] also would change the whole downtown. A lot of the houses in the downtown area were built [00:35:06] in the 60s and 70s. And I thought maybe back in the 80s when we had a little downturn in [00:35:14] the economy and also people in Tampa could get up here and do the Sunshine Parkway and [00:35:21] stuff. I thought they'd come up here and buy the properties. But instead, investors came [00:35:25] up and they've been rentals. So we're 46% rentals. But a project like this, I really [00:35:29] think in bringing that kind of business up here and those 400 plus jobs, that I think [00:35:37] people would take another look. Plus, like you say, the gulf and the river is a focal [00:35:42] point that we could actually maybe turn those houses over. People would buy those houses [00:35:46] and change the whole downtown. I'm just not sure I'm young enough to be here for that. [00:35:53] Yeah, I just want to say it's inevitable. So we should really get started, I think, [00:36:01] in the process. Start introducing these concepts in future developments and construction. Something [00:36:07] we can look at with our building codes. The legislature, even state legislature, seems [00:36:12] to be kind of jumping on board with it, embracing it, or at least talking about it anyways. [00:36:18] So that might be a plus, too, in getting things done. Let's not wait until we have to do it. [00:36:24] Let's start planning now and get it done. Excellent presentation. Both of you. [00:36:31] Well, of course, these are my peeps here, because I'm with them every once in a while, [00:36:37] and I appreciate the effort that they put in. I really feel honored to be one of the [00:36:41] first cities to get the benefit of this rapid design and the follow-up, and I hope other [00:36:45] cities will take advantage of it as well. One of the things that I've learned, as example, [00:36:52] some of the resiliency elements, which could be funded, for example, from FEMA through [00:36:57] their BRIC program, which is just loaded with money and needing projects, but the next time [00:37:04] to apply for that is December. So the reality is that comes quickly. In fact, life is like [00:37:09] a roll of toilet paper. The older, the farther you get to the end, the quicker it goes around. [00:37:16] And so, for me, Christmas is around the corner. And I think it does speak to the need for [00:37:24] us to be postured and positioned to make applications, which is going to require us to find a developer [00:37:33] that's willing to be patient for those other elements, because if you ask the private sector, [00:37:39] they're going to want to get their money in, and they're going to want to make money, and [00:37:43] this is a much more, as you said, involved in our branding and our personality. And I [00:37:51] think when you look at the specific district and try to evaluate what it does for that, [00:37:56] just the sign alone, helping people turn in to go into a business or a restaurant in the [00:38:03] city at large, is what we've been kind of clamoring for, because we all have heard how [00:38:08] many people drive right by and don't even know there's a city here. So, you know, it's [00:38:14] our front door, and I think that it's not something, as Muldrow told us, the other firm, [00:38:23] it has to happen incrementally. But I'm hopeful, and it sounds like, you know, we're all kind [00:38:29] of also hopeful. I think it's going to require a lot of work on our part to position ourselves [00:38:35] to get that request for proposals or to find that unsolicited bid when they see what we're [00:38:40] looking at. But the flyover and the conceptual stuff is really what works, and so I appreciate [00:38:46] having that. Thank you. [00:38:48] I think one of the things from the last presentation we had from Mulder was, had suggested a boat [00:39:01] ramp on the west side of the U.S. 19 Bridge, which, quite frankly, I had never considered [00:39:07] before after we had supper Friday night. My wife and I actually drove over there and [00:39:14] went through the Whiskey River parking lot and into that space and looked at it and said, [00:39:21] this actually is big enough to do this. I pulled it up on the county property appraiser's [00:39:29] website. In round numbers, half of it is in New Port Richey and half of it is in New Port Richey. Some of it is owned by individuals. Some of it is owned by Whiskey River. Some [00:39:43] of it is owned by the motel. But there may be some possibilities there, and if we probably [00:39:52] want to reach out to New Port Richey to broach the subject with them, because they've got [00:39:58] the same problem we do with problems with getting boats in and out of the water, and [00:40:02] this might be a solution. If we do that, then the image, the conceptual that you put [00:40:11] up starts to make some sense, because there are some things that we could do with those [00:40:15] two parcels north of the existing boat ramp that don't involve trailer parking. So I sort [00:40:22] of went the long way around to get there, but I think it's something I think we need [00:40:28] to take a look at. Mike? Yeah, Mayor, I agree with those comments 100%, and we've talked [00:40:37] about that a little bit already, but I think that property that you refer to across from [00:40:44] Sins Park and the river is really critical for us to maintain some semblance of control [00:40:52] over as we approach this river gate area. By the way, I'm jealous. I want to go back [00:41:00] and change my career. I think it would be a great, great thing to do. So, redevelopment [00:41:09] is hard. We've experienced that, and we learn it, and we see it in other parts. In this [00:41:15] particular area that you're reviewing between the river and US-19 is, I think, particularly [00:41:24] hard, but I think some of the ideas you've given us are great, and we've got a little [00:41:32] bit of a head start there with the college and the parking garage, and hopefully entice [00:41:39] the hotel and others. I wasn't real crazy about your predictions about flooding. I'm [00:41:47] in that area, and we're coming up here in about another year or so, the 30-year anniversary [00:41:53] of the no-name storm, and flooding in this area was pretty bad. So, it's important for [00:42:02] us to consider that in our planning going forward, because it's just a matter of when [00:42:07] it's going to happen again. The first term I ever heard this term is sidewalk zoning, [00:42:16] and I said, wow, that makes a lot of sense, and I think we struggle with that a little [00:42:21] bit currently downtown and how we were sharing limited sidewalks. I really like the plan [00:42:27] as far as being pedestrian-friendly and increasing the density of some living units that people [00:42:34] can enjoy that. I think it's a great idea for us to keep focused on and work towards, [00:42:42] but thank you. Great presentation. So, if I understand correctly, you said that if we [00:42:52] were able to develop a project like this, that it would increase the value per square [00:43:00] foot by 25% of any building? Am I interpreting that correct? It's median value per square [00:43:06] foot, which is kind of a common indicator, and so I just made that assumption. I'm not [00:43:10] saying it will do this. I was trying to see something that was higher, but that this particular [00:43:16] area of downtown could be comparable to, and so that's why I picked zip code. I could have [00:43:20] picked downtown Tampa or St. Pete. I could have picked Manhattan. I just wanted to pick [00:43:24] something that I thought was reasonable. I kind of chuckled when you were talking about [00:43:30] you looking at different property values, and some were here and some there, and how [00:43:32] you could figure that out, because I know what you're talking about there. Well, I appreciate [00:43:37] your activity, and I don't think you're a nerd. My foggy glasses. Are you an accountant [00:43:44] on the side? Okay, well, thank you both very, very much. We appreciate it. Thanks for the [00:43:51] time. Thank you. We don't have anything else on this agenda. We will adjourn until 7 o'clock. [00:43:57] I would ask, in the interest of COVID safety, that anyone that is going to stay, stay in [00:44:04] one of the seats that's marked, and if you can't find a seat, please stay outside, and [00:44:10] we'll make sure that if there's a TV out there so you can watch the proceedings, and if you [00:44:16] are interested in addressing counsel during box pop or anything else, we'd like to make [00:44:22] sure we get an opportunity to get you in here, but we want to keep everybody safe tonight. [00:44:28] So with that, we'll adjourn this meeting, and we'll reconvene at 7.

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3. 3Adjournment