Streamlining Development Regulation:Bonita Springs, Cape Coral & Fort Myers

Fort Myers City HallMarch 15, 2013

Streamlining Development Regulation: Focus on Bonita Springs, Cape Coral & Fort Myers Divide

Friday, March 15, 2013

8:00 am – 10:30am Fort Myers City Hall Commission Chambers

8:00am Registration, Networking & Continental Breakfast

8:30am

Welcome & Introductions • David Farmer, ULI SW Florida District Council Chair & Principal, Keystone Development Advisors, LLC • William P. Mitchell, Fort Myers City Manager

8:40am

David Graham Award Presentation Presented by Jack Lienesch, Estero Community Planning Panel Chair

9:00am

Presentation by City of Fort Myers Robert Gardner, Fort Myers Community Development Director

9:20am Presentation by City of Cape Coral • John Szerlag, Cape Coral City Manager • Paul Dickson, Cape Coral Community Development Director

9:40am

Presentation by City Bonita Springs • Carl Schwing, Bonita Springs City Manager • Arleen Hunter, Bonita Springs Director of Development Services

10:00am Panel Discussion Moderator: Neale Montgomery, Esq., Pavese Law Firm Panelists: • Robert Gardner • Paul Dickson • Arleen Hunter

10:20am Q & A

10:30am Adjourn

Thank you to today’s program Chair:

Dr. Paul Van Buskirk, Van Buskirk, Ryffel & Associates

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Streamlining Development Regulations

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• Offer the most competitive services in the region

• Reduce the regulatory review times

• Simplify the rules and processes to improve submittals

• Establish consistency to remove uncertainty

Streamlining Goals

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Streamlining Efforts

• Examined our processes and procedures

• Developed work flowcharts of the 12 most frequently used processes

• Conducted analysis

• Eliminated many redundant or unnecessary steps

• Found solutions and improved the system

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Plan Review Time ReductionSite Permits

PERMIT TYPE BEFORE AFTER

Driveway/Sidewalk 21 7

ROW – Commercial 21 7

ROW – Single Driveway 21 7

ROW – Double Driveway 21 7

Sealing & Striping 21 10

Site Work/Utilities 21 21

Underground Utilities 21 10

Utility Connection 21 10

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Plan Review Target Times Building Permits

0

5

10

15

20

25

21 Day 10 Day 7 Day

Before Streamlining (21 Permit Types)

Initial Resubmit Revision

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

21 Day 14 Day 10 Day 7 Day

After Streamlining(26 Permit Types)

Initial Resubmit Revision

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Plan Review Time ReductionBuilding Permits

COMMERCIAL PERMIT TYPE BEFORE AFTER

Renovations 21 14

Interior Build-Out 21 14

Demolition 21 10

Concrete Slab 21 10

Marine Related 21 10

Moving a Building 21 10

Cell Towers – New/Modification 21 10

Retaining Wall 21 10

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Streamlining Benefits

• Cost savings and project speed may determine if a project moves forward

• A consistent and efficient development process allows developers to know there will be no surprises

• There can be intense competition between various locations; a streamlined development process gives us a competitive edge

Both this volume of residential permits, and the City’s desire to be a destination for commercial development, have led the City to develop permit streamlining procedures.

Commercial Land DistributionCorridor Studies identified distribution of various types of commercial centers;

Current Streamlining Actions

Provide checklists of submission requirements;

Review applications for completeness prior to accepting the applications;

Provide pre-application “advisory meeting” to guide applicants;

Eliminated the notary requirement for most pages of an application;

Implemented an automated system of performance tracking;

Eight days to respond to permit (1st review), review times lessen after 1st review;

Procedures in-place to require meeting with applicant if re-submittal does not meet standards; and

Procedures in-place to ensure applicant/City communication to reduce turnover time between reviews.

Current Streamlining Actions

Future Streamlining

Efforts are being made to revise certain City procedures that currently require a public hearing to be reviewed administratively (certain variances, Planned Development Projects).

City has recently audited its procedures with support from Zucker Planning Systems. Results are expected by March 2013.

Urban Land Institute Southwest Florida

PresentationMarch 15, 2013

Created a Task Force in March 2012 to forge partnerships with:

o Bonita Springs Fire and Rescue Districto Bonita Springs Utilitieso Southwest Florida Water Management District

Instituted “One-Stop” permitting process with Community Partners

Partnership with Bonita Springs/Estero EDC

City designated Business Advocate

Instated the Philosophy of the 3- P’s*Painless *Predictable *Profitable

Expedited Permitting◦ Complimentary pre-application meetings and

architectural reviews with community partners at the table

LDC Regulatory Incentives◦ Shared and reduced parking by Administrative

Approval (saving 6 months of processing)

◦ Lowered parking lot ratio’s for selected uses thereby reducing impervious surface

Bonita Springs Priority Permitting Process:

Targeted Businesses receive “front of the line” service for permit processing.

Bonita Springs Utilities Aid in New Construction (ANC) Fee Credits for Economic Development:

The City in partnership with Bonita Springs Utilities provides an Aid in New Construction (ANC) fee credits program. Projects receive a reduction in their one time connection costs for plant capacity for utilities.

Naples/Fort Myers Greyhound Track: Bonita Beach Road and Old 41 Road (slots, gaming and 100 acres of undeveloped land)

Density Reduction Groundwater Recharge Area (DRGR)

Shopping Center renovations◦ Center of Bonita: US 41 and Bonita Beach Road-

new Publix and reconfiguration of internal circulation◦ Prado Shopping Center: Bernwood Parkway and US

41- Façade renovation