A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

PRESENTATION ON HORIZON WEST

JUNE 21, 1995

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in special session on Wednesday, June 21, 1995, at 10:00 a.m., in the Board of County Commissioner's Meeting Room, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Rhonda H. Gerber, Chairman; William "Bill" H. Good, Vice Chairman; G. Richard Swartz (Commr. Swartz was not present due to a prior commitment); Catherine C. Hanson; and Welton G. Cadwell. Others present were: Bruce Duncan, Assistant County Attorney; Sue B. Whittle, Interim County Manager; Ava Kronz, BCC Office Manager; Paul Bergmann, Senior Director, Department of Planning & Development Services; Mark Knight, Chief Planner, Department of Planning & Development Services; James E. Barker, Director of Environmental Management; Barry Brown, Planner II, Department of Planning & Development Services; John Cento, Planner II, Department of Planning & Development Services; James Stivender, Jr., Director of Public Services; MaryAnn Bardon, Transportation Engineer, Public Services; and Marlene S. Foran, Deputy Clerk.

PRESENTATION ON HORIZON WEST

Mr. Paul Bergmann, Senior Director, Department of Planning and Development Services, stated that Mr. James A. Sellen, Executive Vice President, Miller-Sellen Associates, Inc., would be making a presentation this date on Horizon West, and that Mr. Sellen was the author of "A Village Land Use Classification and Horizon West Study Report". Mr. Bergmann noted that a summary document had been distributed prior to the start of the meeting this date. He explained that the Horizon West project was initiated, at the request of the property owners, as a public/private partnership in consensus building and visioning. He explained that Orange County became involved in the project because of a need for a new approach to growth management in Orange County, and the proximity of the planned Western Beltway that was to become a reality.

Mr. James A. Sellen, Executive Vice President, Miller-Sellen Associates, Inc., appeared before the Board to discuss the Horizon West Study Report, which was comprised of the following three elements: Executive Summary of the Horizon West Study; The Village Land Use Classification for amendment into the Orange County Comprehensive Policy Plan; and the Horizon West Study Report and Background Data. He displayed on the monitor a site plan of the proposed Horizon West project. He discussed the trends and the development and how the Western Beltway would affect the region. He stated that new development must become more compact, be of mixed uses and more pedestrian-oriented, and communities must be designed in ways that empower and encourage people to move about as much as possible without depending on the automobile. He explained that to accomplish this communities must be designed to allow a greater variety of land uses closer to work and home by providing more opportunities to connect land uses with walkways and bicycle paths, and by creating a land use pattern that was more transit friendly. He stressed that planning horizons must be extended beyond the 20 year period set by state and federal programs, and people must be involved extensively in a planning process that was focused on whether we have been successful in solving our growth management problems. He stated that the Horizon West planning process has incorporated this solution into the development of the "Village Land Use Classification".

At this time, Mr. Sellen displayed on the monitor a plan of a prototypical village and discussed the building block concept for the village which starts with the neighborhood school as the center focus surrounded by two, three, or four neighborhoods. He directed the Board's attention to the Village Land Use Classification section of the report and briefly discussed the following policies and the general criteria that must be met for setting up a village: General Village Principles; Town Center; Village Size; Neighborhood Development; Commercial Development; Initiation of a Village/Specific Area Plan; Adequate Public Facilities and Services; Village Greenbelts; Limited Access Expressways and Principal Arterial Highways; Transfer of Development Rights; Aquifer Recharge; Plan Implementation; and Land Development Code Update.

Extensive discussion occurred in regard to the village concept as a sustainable village; at which time, Commr. Good expressed concern that agricultural lands had not been set aside and stated that, if this was a sustainable community, the missing link seems to be where do the people living in the village get their food. He stated that if certain areas are going to be urban, we need to make a commitment to do a domestic production of food crops, and recognize that said concept must be incorporated as part of the planning process.

Mr. Sellen explained that the village was regionally sustainable to the extent that everything needed could be found within the community. At this time, he displayed a site plan on the monitor illustrating a trend in the development of the south Lake County and west Orange County region if development continued without growth management planning. He explained that each village would have a tax district, and Orange County would establish a task force to examine and recommend alternative financing mechanisms that would be considered by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners to accomplish the extension of public facilities and services as well as allow for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive areas within the Village District. He stated that the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has reviewed this project and were satisfied that this concept was not sprawl and were looking at this new approach to growth management as a test case for other counties in the state. He stated that he would hope that Lake County and Orange County would continue to share information, and work together on utilities and roads.

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting adjourned at 11:10 a.m.

___________________________

RHONDA H. GERBER, CHAIRMAN



ATTEST:





__________________________

JAMES C. WATKINS, CLERK



msf/6-21-95/6-21-95/boardmin