CRESTVIEW — Representatives from the city and its partners will meet Tuesday to find a way to move forward a project that would upgrade an at-capacity sewer line north of Intestate 10.

If their efforts are successful, a shopping center that is part of the project could produce as many as 1,200 jobs, Mayor David Cadle said.

The city has been in negotiations for several years with developers of a residential neighborhood and an assisted living facility, and with the landowner of the planned shopping center site.

Keep reading for the workshop's date and time.

The arrangement would allow each partner to facilitate its respective developments by contributing to a sewer line upgrade that the city says it can't afford on its own.

However, the project came to a halt in August 2012 when Beach Community Bank, which owns the 144-acre tract planned for the shopping center, said it had not received promised impact fee waivers.

"Based on the city's representations, we contracted to sell the property to a developer who understood the fees would be waived," Beach Community Bank president and CEO Tony Hughes stated in an email.

While the city has waived more than $1.2 million in estimated transportation impact fees for the project, Public Works director Wayne Steele said it cannot legally waive the estimated $554,730 sewer utility impact fees, which are pledged for the project's sewer treatment plant.

"But there are some other options the city can offer," Cadle said.

Partners are optimistic

Beach Community Bank Senior Vice President Scott McCormick said the developer, Bob Peck of Watkins Retail Group, cannot move forward on the shopping center until concerns of sewer line easements and the impact fee waiver are resolved.

Any impact fee waivers the city provides will be more than made up by additional sales and property taxes the shopping center generates, McCormick said, calling the partnership "a win-win for all."

"People around Crestview are very pro this project," he said. "There are not a lot of shopping options to choose from."

McCormick said he was encouraged by comments made by Cadle and city council members during a May 21 meeting, and believes the city supports the project.

"At the end of the day, in all honesty, I am very optimistic that on June 4 at the workshop, we will come to a conclusion that will make everybody happy and we'll move forward," he said.

"I am convinced this project will come to fruition," Cadle said. "When it's finished, it has the potential to bring as many as 1,200 jobs to Crestview as well as shopping opportunities our citizens want."

Want to go?

The Crestview City Council on Tuesday will meet with other partners in a project to upgrade an at-capacity sewage line north of Interstate 10. The public workshop is at 4 p.m. June 4 in the City Council Chamber at City Hall.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: June 4 workshop to address sewer line partnership

BAKER — Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles in the coming weeks plans to draft a proposal on taxing McCauley Road residents to pay for their road’s maintenance and improvements.

"If the commission as a whole sees fit to adopt a policy, then I expect that citizens of McCauley Road would then follow with a petition to participate under the terms of that program," he said Thursday, following a public meeting at the Baker Recreation Center.  

Several officials from the county public works department, including director John Hofstad, attended and spoke at the meeting. 

Discussion focused on creating a municipal service taxing unit to fund road improvement and maintenance for residences on the less than 1-mile private dirt path. A majority, or 65 percent of residents, must show support by petition, officials said at the meeting. If signed, property owners of 19 parcels would divide the annual cost of improvements. That’s $155,236 or $235,695 over 20 years for a dirt or paved road, respectively, according to rough figures presented at the meeting.

Many residents have expressed that they want to pay the tax.

Joann Harder said she prefers the tax, as opposed to the past alternative: for residents to pay for loads of dirt to be delivered and applied to the road, only to have heavy rain wash the dirt away.

"It makes sense to me to just pave it," she said. "I just want it paved so it can quit washing out."

County maintenance would keep the road from washing out and prevent road sediment from flowing into nearby creeks and ponds.

Another benefit of paving the road is the possible increase in property values, Derrick Stewart said.

 "They way I look at it … your property value should go up with a paved road," he said. "People don't want to buy a piece of property on a dirt road and where they worry about getting in and out (of their property)."

A few residents, including Tim Freeman, expressed concern for the plan. He wanted to know the exact cost and process involved before signing a petition.

However, Boyles said the overall reaction suggested support for the proposal.

"I got the sense that the community is generally supportive, if we can give them a definitive plan as to how the process would work," he 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: Baker residents in favor of additional taxing to pave McCauley Road

CRESTVIEW — The City Council has unanimously approved out-of-city water service for a Dollar General store planned across U.S. Highway 90 from Valley Road, east of the city.

The council approved providing service to Taramore Development during a special Tuesday meeting. The council took no action on the matter during its regular May 13 meeting.

Councilman Mickey Rytman moved to approve the developer's request for water service, which passed without discussion.

Taramore has agreed to accept annexation into the city in exchange for water service, which is already provided to the site. The city’s Technical Review Committee and the Local Planning Agency already had approved the project.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview greenlights additional Dollar General

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will try to jumpstart the Crestview Power Center, a 144-acre retail project on pause after the landowner demanded more than the $1.25 million impact fee relief the city had provided.

At a special meeting Tuesday night, the council unanimously agreed to hold a June 4 workshop with all involved parties to try to resolve the impasse.

The proposed mall is part of an agreement between the city, landowner Beach Community Bank, and developers of the Redstone Commons residential development and Bishops Landing assisted living facility.

The partnership would fund a new sewer line and lift stations to replace an existing line that is at capacity, precluding any growth in the area north of Interstate 10.

The city turned to Beach Community Bank for easements on property it owns north and east of Lowe's to complete the project. The City Council approved the partnership in August 2011.

A 'deal killer'

As the project began last August, Beach Community Bank's engineer, Darrell Barnhill, sent Public Works director Wayne Steele an email stating the bank's $1.046 million city impact fees would be a "deal killer," according to Steele.

The fees, calculated by the bank, were nearly the same amount as the cost of Florida Department of Transportation-mandated improvements to State Road 85, Steele said.

In February, Beach Community Bank requested a waiver of $554,730 in city sewer utility impact fees. However, those fees could not legally be waived, Steele said.

"It is my opinion that Beach Community Bank or Mr. Barnhill is now using the easements as leverage because they overlooked the cost associated with D.O.T.-required improvements to Highway 85," Steele wrote in a report to the council.

"This is just my opinion, but I find it interesting that the D.O.T. requirements are almost the exact same amount as their water and sewer impact fee total."

Redstone Commons and Bishops Landings have met their obligations under the agreement and deserve city sewer and water services, Steele said.

If Beach Community Bank can't work out an agreement with the city, Steele said an alternative plan would be a $585,000 upgrade to another existing line using city-owned easements.

Making it work

Council members have sought ways around the impasse.

Mayor David Cadle and Fire Chief Joe Traylor said public safety impact fees could be reduced if the Power Center's fire suppression systems reduced the impact on Traylor's department.

"This is something the city has been looking for for years," Councilman Mickey Rytman said. "Over the long term, the tax base from retail sales is going to even out" losses in impact fees.

"I don't think any member of our council or any city representation is opposed to this project," Council President Robyn Helt said, adding that the current and previous city councils worked diligently to see the project through to fruition.

"I think the council's willingness to put a moratorium on traffic impact fees to the tune of more than $1 million shows our commitment to the project," Helt said.

Though his department has an alternative plan in case an agreement isn't reached, Steele said his recommendation is to work with the bank, obtain the needed easement and "move forward."

"We do want to find a happy medium for this easement," Beach Community Bank senior vice president Scott McCormick said.

Want to go?

The Crestview City Council will discuss the Crestview Power Center project during a June 4 workshop at 4 p.m. at City Hall.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council schedules workshop to revive retail center project

CRESTVIEW — Explaining that Crestview's building permit fee schedule does not cover actual expenses, building official Jonathan Bilby presented proposed revisions to the fee schedule to the city council.

Speaking at a Monday afternoon workshop, Bilby said there is an annual shortfall of more than $62,000 between fees taken in by the city's Building Division and the actual cost of reviewing plans and doing inspections.

The shortfall is covered by tax dollars, Bilby said.

"We have to go back to the general fund and every taxpayer is having to help cover this," Councilman Mickey Rytman said.

Bilby asked the council to revise the city's fee ordinance and use the Florida Building Code instead.

He also recommended taking a processing fee when a developer first applies for permits to cover administrative costs. Under the current procedure, if the developer cancels the project, the Building Division cannot recover any expenses it had already incurred.

Bilby also recommended rounding fees to the nearest dollar to make it easier to estimate fees for developers. Under the current fee structure, for example, a 200-square-foot home addition would incur total fees of $282.58.

"Our base permit fees are the absolute lowest in the county," Bilby said, recommending fees more in the "mid-level" range to alleviate a burden to taxpayers while not discouraging growth.

Bilby's recommendations included adding a plan review fee; lowering reinspection fees; addressing expired permits; revise electrical fees; and adding fees for changing electric hot water heater, fire sprinkler adjustments or additions fee, and a $10 charge for faxing permits.

The revised ordinance is almost read, Bilby said. He wants to seek input from the Building Industry Association before bringing it to the city council, probably within a month.

"Addressing permit fees can help us provide for a balanced budget and help pay for training and education we're required to have," Bilby said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview to consider revising building permit fees