Here’s The Scoop…Scene And Heard… Around Town/P & Z Meeting 10/15/08
October 16, 2008 by Barbara
A REAL SMALL TOWN FEEL GOOD EVENT…
Who would have thunk it…the real group providing that much sought after small town feel good event…was at our very own Chamber Of Commerce Fish Fry!…
It was the warm and welcoming to all…….good food and great weather….
Nice to know so many are fans of this site and looking forward to the next post!…
Guess some things never change….Chamber of Commerce President Paul Novak informed this writer that Vice Mayor McIntee walked away from his promise of the VFD donating $5000 to the Chamber’s Christmas- By- The -Sea event…despite publicly and privately making such assurances….
Upon my return home a faithful reader informed me…I am being blamed for the about face…due to my posting that many VFD supporters were upset with monies going elsewhere.. it’s a classic case of McIntee “passing the buck”…..when he could not deliver on his solitary promise…unknown and unsupported by the VFD membership…
It is up to the Town to step in…find the funds…just as would be done for any other event…as with the CIC or green fest….to ensure this event is fully covered…so close to this years date…
Some conversations both at the Fish Fry …the P & Z meeting and afterwards from neighbors…..
Not one person has taken the Vice Mayor up on his announcement to call Commissioner Dodd to complain about the parking meters….
The Chamber members who spoke on the subject say they know of no businesses that have been disturbed by the idea of the parking meters being enforced….
One said the owners would do what other towns do…have a bowl with quarters for their patrons….if they are in a bind…
Where are those outraged …sobbing owners ….asked one…they certainly are not coming to the podium to complain…
We have parking meters…we need the revenue…and with all their (McIntee and Silverstone) talk of following the advice of the Manager and staff…why not follow it now….the Town wants the meters enforced….24/7…
ONTO THE P & Z BOARD….
NOTE: P&Z are invited Tues. Oct. 21st at 7pm at Jarvis Hall to discuss the heights…Overlay repeal and street improvements…the future…
It will be televised…thanks to the Commission voting 3-2 to return to the 2006 vote to allow it…previous post…
BCbythesea…guess P & Z Vice Chair Cristie Furth was MIA when that vote took place…for she made a motion for it to be televised….it passed 5-0….HMMM…
Tonight’s applicant was the Seaward Apartments…at 4128 El Mar Drive…next to the Villa Caprice….
I was told by the owner after the meeting …where he had informed the board that the sale of the property fell through …and his family decided to rebuild…that the buyer had been the owners of the Villa Caprice……of the Holiday Inn…which means also…. Oriana ….we hear they have to the other properties on the market throughout that area….and the Villa Caprice…is not moving forward to develop…..along with the Oriana development…having no final CO…it makes that million dollar escrow….far from a done deal….YIKES!….
The project itself will be a welcome addition …a contemporary 4 unit building…reduced from the pre- Wilma 8 unit complex…….
There was much discussion about the uses of the building…what is allowed in the RM-25 zoning…it was presented as a combination of use for family…and rentals…short and long term..
Pervious area became a case for Sherlock Holmes as the board members could not understand a deduction of 900 square feet….
What did it matter…was the real question…for it is a 50 foot lot and the applicant was staying within the minimum requirements… Development Director Jeff Bowman stated that it was the architect’s license on the line…and a request could be made at the end of the project for calculating the percentage…if it fell short the onus would fall on the applicant and his architect to remedy…
A drainage system has been added…and Fema is on board….enclosures will be made…and a slightly pitched roof…along with landscaping… hurricane glass …turtle friendly lighting…and undeground utilities…
Unfortunately the Development department was not well represented…for not distributing color renditions of the site plan with each package given to the board….a surprise to the architect when called on it by the Chair…responding he delivered them as required…someone dropped the ball….
Director Jeff Bowman was in attendance but delivered a substandard presentation…when repeatedly asked to do so from the Chair…only to read the standard criteria of the site plan and building process…..not a proper presentation of recommendations…including any input from staff……..and the engineers…..unlike past presentations by his predecessors…
The final vote 5-0 with the additional recommendation that the property maintain 6 parking spaces….it moves on to the Commission Nov.10,2008…
Walking home…a well informed resident remarked on the new public safety complex…dark and unoccupied still….
What was put forth to this writer was quite an eye-opener and something that should be questioned….
Any other building…undergoing a change such as this…designated to become something other than its original intent…a hotel….would require plans…and permits…to be brought in front of this very board….before allowing it to proceed….think about it…and what it says..about this acquisition….
A progress report and an accounting update is required….
more to come…..
