CRESTVIEW — The Community Redevelopment Agency board is considering downtown improvements it can make in its last 11 years. The district designation sunsets in 2025.

Now, board members have Economic Development Council Vice President Kay Rasmussen's analysis of their master plan. The CRA's existing plan, last updated in 1998, gives the board wide leeway to enhance the district, she said.

Feasible "activity programs" include building rehabilitation; downtown marketing and promotion; public-private partnerships such as with the Main Street Crestview Association; a downtown amphitheater; vehicular traffic pattern improvements; and single family infill housing, Rasmussen said.

"Anything you want to do, you can do," she said.

The plan supports programming events to draw people downtown, recommending at least two festivals a year, a goal already surpassed by events including the Triple B Festival, the Average Joe Car Show and the Fall Festival.

Projects under consideration, including a linear park linking the historic district with Twin Hills Park and a community garden, received Rasmussen's enthusiastic endorsement.

Residential base

During a CRA workshop Thursday, consultant Jack Dorman, stressed the importance of establishing a downtown residential base, which will require a land use code change.

"We've got to have a downtown that doesn't close at 5 o'clock in the afternoon," he said. "There has to be residents and residences that don't close after sunset."

Florida A&M University officials have expressed concerns about the lack of affordable student housing, Mayor David Cadle said. Dorman said a zone change would allow student housing, such as apartments above downtown businesses.

Having a three-story downtown building with commercial on the first floor, offices on the second and residential on the third could "triple the rental potential, but right now we can't offer that," city planner Eric Davis said.

Board members expressed enthusiasm for the potential to realize many of their goals.

"I'm overwhelmed by your presentation, but in reality we can make it happen," board member Joe Blocker said.

WANT TO GO?

The Community Redevelopment Agency's next meeting is 5 p.m. Feb. 24 at Crestview City Hall

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mixed zoning, downtown residences among suggestions for downtown improvements

CRESTVIEW — Residents' opposition to sections of a proposed animal control ordinance has convinced the City Council to revise currently recommended regulations.

As a result, the ordinance, which would bring Crestview's animal code in line with Okaloosa County's, will be revised during a March 10 workshop.

Several residents on Monday expressed concern for these current provisions:

• The animal control officer could enter private property, even in non-emergency situations, without a warrant

• The city could determine the number of pets to keep

• The prohibition of pot bellied pigs and egg-laying hens

Resident Dr. Jean Mitchell spoke in favor of a provision that others disagreed with. Mitchell said she was pleased to see it would be unlawful for a pet owner to tether the animal to a stationary object.

"The ordinance as written will allow for a runner, trolley or pulley system," Mitchell said.

However, resident Wendell Beatty, who has previously spoken in opposition to parts of the proposed ordinance, said government dictating how an owner restrains pets infringes on individual freedoms.

"Please let the owner determine how they restrain their animals," Beatty said.

Council members agreed with some of the concerns.

For example, residents could violate the code if their dogs or cats had a litter of young that suddenly increased the number of pets over the maximum, Councilman Mickey Rytman said.

Council President Robyn Helt noted that urban chicken raising is becoming more popular, and said she supported it.

Because revising the ordinance to address residents' concerns would also require revisions to the city's land use code, the council agreed to look at both documents during the March 10 workshop.

Council members ask that residents share their concerns in advance of the workshop so City Clerk Betsy Roy can work their suggestions into a revised ordinance.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Crestview City Council Animal Ordinance Workshop

WHEN: 5 p.m. March 10

WHERE: City Hall, 198 N. Wilson St., Crestview

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Opposition to animal control ordinance sparks workshop

CRESTVIEW — The recent ice storm illustrated the need for an emergency situation communications protocol, city leaders said.

Leaders praised continuous news feeds and traffic updates from media including the News Bulletin's Twitter and Facebook sites and Crestview radio station WAAZ/WJSB, but said during the storm, that was the only way they were kept abreast of developments.

"I was getting ice storm information from Facebook and news reports, but wasn't hearing from other officials," City Council President Robyn Helt said.

"We're all grateful for the news reporting," Helt said, but in some storm situations, there is the possibility that reporters "can't always get information."

Though Public Works Director Wayne Steele emailed city leaders several situation reports during Jan. 26, Fire Chief Joe Traylor said rapidly evolving events that kept his firefighters busy precluded the opportunity to issue updates to city leaders.

"It's important we have a plan in place so people can focus on their jobs but have a person who can brief the council," Helt said. "I learned about what was happening the way others did: through the news."

Helt encouraged department heads to produce a protocol that could be initiated in emergency situations to keep city leaders informed of developments.

"I just want to be sure we don't have a deficiency in our mode of communication in the city," she said.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Ice storm generates need for emergency communication plan

LAUREL HILL — The city and residents would benefit from abandoning a 20-foot easement, the City Council said.

The city has not maintained an easement between 4th and 3rd Streets, between Sunnyside and Chicago Avenues, in 50 years, Councilmember Larry Hendren said. 

"The city has never claimed (the easement), never cleaned it up and it has no benefit to the public," city attorney Dan Campbell said.

 Abandoning the easement also would benefit the city, Mayor Robby Adams said.

"It would be deeded back to the adjacent landowners, so we will actually receive taxes on it," he said.

Property owner Tony Weekly likes the deeded-back-to-adjacent-landowners part.  

"I own property on both sides of the easement: four lots on one side and five lots on the other. They would join if that easement wasn't there," he said.

All nearby property owners must sign a petition before city officials can adopt an ordinance to abandon the easement, Campbell said. 

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City officials: Abandoning easement would boost tax revenues

CRESTVIEW — Skaters here may soon get to ollie, tailslide and kickflip locally if the City Council accepts a donor’s offer of $120,000 worth of park equipment.

The “like-new” prefabricated skate park equipment, including ramps and lighting, was “put in place by a government agency that then didn’t want them,” Public Works Director Wayne Steele said.

Anthony Hemphill, whose family periodically donates equipment to regional municipalities, recently made the offer, and extended the original Feb. 2 deadline because of the storm, Steele said. City leaders, who would formally vote on the matter during a later public meeting, would have to approve stormwater management systems and electrical work for the proposed Twin Hills Park site and pay $55,000 to install the equipment.

The park would be access-controlled by swipe cards issued after users signed waivers or, in the case of minors, had them signed by their parents, Steele said.

CRA funding available 

In January 2013, a skate park and dog park were proposed as Community Redevelopment Agency-funded improvements.

CRA money would be used for the city’s match toward the Hemphills’ donation if approved, Steele said.

Steele advised the council that changes in state statutes allow municipalities to classify skate parks as recreational facilities on par with sports fields and youth and adult athletic programs.

The Florida League of Cities includes skate parks under a municipality’s general insurance policy, Steele said.

“We’re getting $175,000 of equipment (with installation) for $55,000,” Councilman Tom Gordon said.

“I think it’s ridiculous if we let this go.” “I am very much in agreement to accept something like this if we have a guarantee the equipment is what he says it is,” Councilman Joe Blocker said.

 “Be cautious, please, that a gift horse is not a Trojan horse in disguise,” city attorney Jerry Miller said. “Our systems are in place to protect cost and product.”

While City Clerk Betsy Roy said city purchasing guidelines require the project to be sent out for bid, Steele said his research found the city could never find skate park equipment for $55,000.

Steele said he would have to do more research into the condition of the equipment and the Hemphill family’s donations to other communities.

Steele said Hemphill would accept a consensus up until the equipment, which is currently in Georgia, is crated and ready to be transported.

"I hope we can work it out with the family and make it happen, because it would be so sad if we couldn't," Steele said. "We may have time to work out an answer for them."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview offered skate park equipment