Subject:
Title
Authority to advertise a public hearing to be held on March 29, 2016, regarding a proposed ordinance amending portions of Chapter 150, Impact Fees, of the Pinellas County Land Development Code.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Authorize the advertisement of a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for March 29, 2016, regarding a proposed ordinance amending portions of the Impact Fees chapter of the Pinellas County Land Development Code.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.3 Catalyze redevelopment through planning and regulatory programs
4.4 Invest in infrastructure to meet current and future needs
4.5 Provide safe and effective transportation systems to support the efficient flow of motorists, commerce, and regional connectivity
Summary:
The proposed amendments to Chapter 150 of the Pinellas County Land Development Code set forth the site plan requirements associated with the proposed Mobility Management System. Other proposed changes to Chapter 150 included in this Ordinance seek to change the name “transportation impact fee” to “multimodal impact fee,” modify the boundaries of the impact fee districts and downtown area districts to be consistent and better coordinated with current development patterns, correct the fee schedule rate for adult congregate living facilities, and add a footnote regarding the unit of measure used for the general commercial category to calculate the multimodal impact fee.
Background Information:
In response to the 2011 Community Planning Act, which removed State-mandated transportation concurrency management requirements, the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) endorsed the Pinellas County Mobility Management System on September 11, 2013. The Mobility Management System provides a framework for a coordinated multimodal approach to managing the traffic impact of development projects as a replacement for local transportation concurrency systems. It calls for establishing a tiered development review approach requiring larger scale projects adding new trips to the surrounding road network to implement transportation management plans (TMPs).
The cost of implementing a TMP can be applied as credit toward a project’s multimodal impact fee assessment. TMPs would include strategies such as trail, sidewalk, bus stop and intersection improvements or trip reduction programs such as vanpooling or telecommuting. Smaller scale projects with limited impact on the transportation system would only be required to pay a multimodal impact fee commensurate with the number of new trips they generate. The System is also intended to ensure consistency between County and municipal site plan review processes as they pertain to reviewing and managing the traffic impacts of development projects while increasing mobility for all users of the transportation system.
While the proposed amendments to Chapter 150 establish the Mobility Management System and multimodal impact fees and associated impact fee districts, a separate proposed Ordinance amending Chapter 134, Article VI (Concurrency System) of the Pinellas County Land Development Code repeals transportation concurrency in support of the proposed Mobility Management System. Both Ordinances are being proposed concurrently and, if adopted, would take effect at the same time.
An Ordinance including proposed amendments to the Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan providing policy support for replacing transportation concurrency with the Mobility Management System was heard by the Board on November 24, 2015 and transmitted to the State Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for review. Following receipt of DEO comments, a second hearing for adoption of the Ordinance amending the Comprehensive Plan is anticipated to go before the Board in March 2016. The public hearings held by the Board to consider the proposed amendments to Chapters 150 and 134 of the Pinellas County Land Development Code would be scheduled to coincide with the public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.
This package of amendments was originally heard by the Local Planning Agency (LPA) and transmitted to the DEO by the Board in late 2014; however, it became evident after the amendments were transmitted that the all of the municipalities were not quite ready to take action on their corresponding amendment packages. This was important because the multimodal impact fee, similar to the existing countywide impact fee, is a countywide fee and approach requiring countywide agreement on both the policy and regulatory approach. Consequently, adoption of the County’s original amendment package was postponed until each of the municipalities was ready to adopt their related amendment packages. At this time, with the municipalities now on a similar timeline, the County is proceeding with its amendments.
Fiscal Impact:
No additional costs will be incurred by Pinellas County in the implementation of the Mobility Management System.
Staff Member Responsible:
Gordon Beardslee, Director, Planning Department
Partners:
Municipalities
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Ordinance (strikethrough / underline)
Attachment 2 - Ordinance (clean copy)