Downtown ad hoc group to be formed Nov. 3
Five community members are still on the radar to be appointed to serve on an ad hoc committee for issues relating to the downtown zoning district of Fort Myers Beach.
But, due to a request to move the suggested Town Council member spot out of the group and into a liaison position, there appears to be another opening and a “re-advertising” for the positions needs to accomplished prior to name selections. Selection announcements are now expected on Monday, Nov. 3, at Council’s 6:30 p.m. meeting.
Leaning on the advice of one of its committee leaders, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council agreed to appoint a five-person ad hoc board to discuss issues within the defined area between DiamondHead Resort and Lynn Hall Park. The region includes Old San Carlos Boulevard and what was formally known as Seafarer’s Mall and Helmerich Plaza.
The group was originally proposed to be comprised of one Council member, one Town Public Safety Committee member for traffic and safety aspects, a member of the Local Planning Agency for planning and zoning issues, a Times Square business person for local area impact decisions and a resident in the downtown zoning district. Now, it may involve a second resident or business person to take the Council member’s place.
Councilwoman Summer Stockton thought a Council member would act best as a liaison and not an actual member of the ad hoc team. Two members of the committee may already be chosen. LPA Chairman Hank Zuba, the committee member who brought forth the ad hoc committee suggestion, and Town Public Safety Committee Chairman Bruce Butcher look to be locks on the group after being chosen by their respective boards.
“Issues I just would like to address would be to keep in mind the tasks of the significant timeline today that we will be hopefully looking at – the question of a zoning, the question of tools the Town has like transfer of density, traffic studies and the flooding implications downtown for any re-development,” Zuba said. “We are talking about facing a different downtown now.”
As of Monday evening, letters of interest have come from Pete’s Time Out owner John Lallo, Coastal Resort Properties Director and Matanzas Inn owner Douglas Speirn-Smith, Beach businessman John Richard, Beach resident John Pohland and resident Tracey Gore.
“Unfortunately, not everybody can be a member of a committee, but I would hope that we would be completely open in a workshop style to people that would come in to offer both advice as well as expertise in relation to the tasks that we are looking for with no interest self-generated by ownership of the parcels or relationship with any developers,” said Zuba. “We want the conflicts of interest to be left at the door. Anything the ad hoc committee does should be for the benefit of the community.”
The change in makeup with a “re-advertisement” can be viewed on the Town website (www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov) .
Prior to finalizing the group, Council stated it would work on the specifics that the committee will be tasked with and possibly a timeline for clear direction at its 10 a.m. work session on Nov. 3. The group could discuss policies involving economic development, island re-development, FEMA implications, transfer of development rights factors and possible traffic solutions linked to any prior site reconstruction at Seafarer’s and Helmerich plazas.