9/10 sat 8:30 | planning for walkable multimodal neighborhoods

Renea Vincent, AICPRenea Vincent, AICPPlanning DirectorCity of Tarpon Springs, Florida Whit Blanton, AICPWhit Blanton, AICPVice PresidentRenaissance Planning Group Scott Swearengen, Scott Swearengen, AICPAICPProject ManagerRenaissance Planning Group Shilpa Mehta, AICPShilpa Mehta, AICPSenior Urban DesignerRenaissance Planning Group

CITY OF TARPON SPRINGS

RENAISSANCE PLANNING GROUP

Why can’t we achieve

redevelopment in the urban core?

Stagnant redevelopment activity – even in the boom years!

Outdated growth policies severely limit density and mixed-use development

Lack of redevelopment activity in the City’s urban

core

Lack of redevelopment activity in the City’s urban

core

Constrained transportation network cannot

adequately support urban redevelopment

Unique identity – national brand Safe, vibrant streets

WalkabilityLive-work balance

Strong tourist marketEconomic development / job

creationHousing and retail options

A revitalized urban core (composed of quality

redevelopment) that serves as a vibrant, thriving

destination with a wide range of travel options

o Central Gulf Coast (Sun Coast)

o Tampa Bay Regiono Tampa, St.

Petersburg, Clearwater

o Northwest corner of Pinellas County

o Gulf of Mexico, Lake Tarpon, Anclote River

o U.S. Highway 19 (SIS)o Alt. 19o Pinellas Trailo No limited access

highwayso Limited transit

o Settled in 1864o Incorporated in

1887 (1st in Pinellas County)

o 17square miles (46% water)

o 23,500 residents – 12% Greek, 5% Latin/Hispanic, 6% African American

o Quaint downtown – historic railroad depot

o National Register Historic District

o Prevalent, long-standing Greek heritage

o Historic working waterfront (sponging industry)

o Cultural tourism – from local to international visitors

o Recreation amenities – fishing, trails, parks, beaches

o Unique History• Sponging• The Arts

o Strong Cultural Heritage• Deep Greek roots• Eastern Orthodox

Church

o Local, National and International Recognition• Tourism

o Existing Urban Fabric• Walkable streets• Infrastructure• Mostly preserved

downtown fabric

o Working Waterfront• Unique designation• Local industry• Tourist draw

o The Pinellas Trail• Local/regional tourism• Multimodal connection

through Pinellas County

• Recreation and aesthetic amenity

o Location• Out-of-the-way location• Limited regional market

capture• Limited local capture

o Constrained Roadways• Challenges redevelopment• Traffic congestion

o Lack of Neighborhood Investment• Lengthy, daunting

process• Impermissible

regulations

o Underutilized Properties• Prominently located

vacant properties• Expansive surface

parking lots• Undesirable

development

o Waning Tourism• Knickknacks,

trinkets and t-shirts• Day trips• Resistance to

change• Nostalgic longing vs.

the 21st Century• Static cultural

heritage

Transportation

Land Use

Urban Design

o Quality urban neighborhoods require plans with balanced and integrated elements:• Transportation – a multimodal network

supports walkability and mixed-use urban development

• Land Use – a tighter mix of uses along with higher densities and intensities supports a multimodal network and puts less strain on vehicular capacity impacts

• Urban Design – spaces designed to strengthen access and connection between uses and streets encourages walkability and supports mixed-use development

o The Vision:• Quality redevelopment growth• Higher densities and intensities• Mixed-use urban neighborhoods• Mobility options

o Constraints:• Constrained roadway system• Failing LOS on State facilities• Limited ROW• Limited vehicle capacity

How do we both mitigate the expected growth and stimulate the desired growth under the existing constraints?

o Start by rethinking the transportation system• Multimodal vs. vehicular centric• Urban neighborhoods vs. suburban subdivisions• Connectivity vs. exclusivity• Access function vs. capacity• Transportation quality vs. vehicular quantity

The transportation network is the circulatory system that defines and supports community life.

o Essential means to create economic growth

o Unifying framework for integrated planning and investment

o Enables stronger City partnership with public and private entities

o Establishing the boundaryo Projecting future growtho Enables stronger City partnership with public /

private entitieso Defining Quality of Service: Conditions,

Targets, Standardso Identifying multimodal projects to support

growthExisting and Adopted Multimodal Level of

Service Standards

BicycleLOS

Standard

PedestrianLOS

Standard

TransitLOS

Standard

Existing Condition

D+ C F

Adopted (2007) D+ C F

Adopted (2015) C B E

Adopted (2025) C B B

o Multi-jurisdictional context

o Build-out impacts to Strategic Intermodal System

o Coordination with FDOT – lessons learned

o Defining thresholds, commitments and actions

o Local approval

o MMTD creates mechanism for clearly defined investments

o Streamlined processo Beginnings of a

mobility fee (2008)

o Create a trip bank / cost per trip

o Future adjustments

First, establish a ‘trip bank’ and then proceed as follows:

o Calculate total cost of capital improvements to meet target MMQOS

o Determine acreage available for redevelopment

o Calculate total number of units and floor area that can theoretically be constructed

o Calculate trip ends based on estimated units and floor area

o Calculate cost per trip: estimated total cost of improvements / total number of trip ends

o Apply per trip cost to a proposed project

o Total costs for bike, ped, road connectivity and transit improvements (10 year transit operating cost): $13,146,471

o Future additional DUs: 2,612 o Future additional commercial sq ft:

1,540,000 o Trip Bank: 34,033 trip endso Cost per trip: $13,146,471/34,033 = $386

o Large-scale plans for future growth and development involving a mix of uses and a range of densities require a Special Area Plan

o Pinellas Planning Council content Guidelines and Requirements (Countywide Plan Rules)

o Large-Scale Future Land Use Amendment

o Works well in contiguous areas with shared goals and objectives for future growth

o Tailored toward areas within a City that excerpt a unique character

o Establishes Future Land Use AND with a specific plan

o Allows flexibility to the standard county-wide plan rules, especially with mixed-use development

o Summary of Plan Area issues and objectives

o Plan Area divided into ten distinct Character Districts (i.e. sub-areas)

o Each Character District includes generalized permitted land uses and future land use-level development standards

o Public infrastructure and facilities impacts evaluated

o Consistency with Countywide Plan demonstrated

o Encouraged in most areaso A maximum residential density and ‘non-

residential’ FAR set individual use limits, respectively

o A ‘maximum development’ FAR sets the overall development limit on mixed use projects, regardless of use

o Multiple potential use combinations

o Character Districts establish ‘base’ residential densitieso Additional density can be gained when one property

‘receives’ a portion of another property’s ‘base’ densityo A ‘receiving’ property can accept up to the ‘maximum’

density for their Character Districto Encourages higher residential densities

o Helps jobs-to-population balance

o Detailed analysis of CHHA properties

o Preserve previously permitted density limits in CHHA

o No density transfers “to” properties in the CHHA

o Development impacts difficult to measure in an open mixed-use scenario

o ‘Redevelopment Probability’ methodology utilized to more accurately measure impacts

o Parcel by parcel examination of existing development

o Criteria established to determine the likelihood of redevelopment

o Much more accurate than typical ‘maximum development potential’ methodology

o A Plan for the Community, by the Community

• Planning and Redevelopment Focus Group

• City Commission, Planning Commission and Heritage Preservation Board

• Established a cohesive, community-based vision for future growth

• Identified implementation strategies to achieve the vision

• Established Plan objectives

o A clear land use plan to guide future development

o Mixed-use development incentives to improve walkability

o Higher density residential development incentives to foster a stronger jobs-to-housing balance

o An improved Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use framework to guide new form-based land development regulations

• LDC Update required to be measurably in compliance with SAP

• Form Based Approach• Density, FAR and Uses were

the common variables used to assure compliance.

Form-based codes address the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks.The regulations and standards in form-based codes are presented in both words and clearly drawn diagrams and other visuals.FORM BASED CODE INSTITUTE

www.formbasedcodes.org/what-are-form-based-codes

FORM BASEDDESIGN

STANDARDS

• Districts based on Community Character

• Street Types based on Function

• Building Types based on Use

• Use and Bulk Standards• Visualization

• Based on the SAP Character Districts

• Building Form and Use based on Street Type

• Mixed Use • Continuity with Existing• Multimodal • Transect Approach

Urban Core T6Urban Center T5

General Urban T4Suburban T3

Rural T2Natural T1

• frontage types

• Includes Land Use, Transportation, and Building Design Guidance

• Bulk Regulations (Density & FAR)

• Thoroughfare Types• Building Placement

(Coverage, Setbacks, & Frontage)

• Building Form (Height, Frontage Type, & Parking)

• Building Function

• Facilitate Mixed Use and Shared Parking

• Based on Building Function Categories

• Adjusted for Intensity of Use (Open, Limited, Restricted) based on Location

• Parking Requirements based on Building Function

• Shared Parking Factor

• Thoroughfare Standards include public right-of-way and public frontage elements

• Urban Placemaking

• Include Building Function/Use, Form, and Placement

• Frontage includes Parking Location

• Connecting Land Use, Transportation and Urban Design

• Choosing the Right ToolForm Based Approach

• Mixed Use and Multimodal• User Friendly Code• Staff Administered• Extensive Community Outreach

TRANSPORTATION

LA

ND

US

E

URBAN DESIGN

o MMTDo Reframe transportation and a solution to

the mobility problemo Leverage in negotiating with developers

and agencieso SAP

o A plan for mixed-use developmento Incentivize residential and higher densities

(jobs-to-housing balance)o FBC

o Attention to building form and neighborhood character

o Implement the plan

Challenges Projects

Constrained transportation network MMTD Lemon Street redesign Safford Avenue improvements On-going sidewalk program

Outdated growth policies SAP FBC

Out-of-the-way location MMTD Wayfinding and Signage Master Plan

Lack of neighborhood investment SAP FBC

Underutilized properties SAP FBC Live Oak Street park design

Waning tourism SAP FBC Wayfinding and Signage Master Plan

o Building momentum and excitement – implement projects during plan adoption

o Baby steps – from full Board oversight to administrative approval

o Sequential (methodical) approach –review agency understanding, buy-in and approval (FDOT, FDCA, PPC)