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Forum Notes

May 11, 2010

Boca Grande Community Center

Boca Grande

 

Future Community Vision:

• See the Boca Grande Community Plan’s vision
• Promote, in every aspect, the Boca Grande lifestyle
• Boca Grande is very seasonal
• Leave us alone
• Keep Boca Grand as is
• We are a donor community
  • But we do not want to become our own municipality
  • However there is a mixed feelings about whether the county does a good job; some yes – some no
• Quality of Life
  • Quieter lifestyle
  • Improve emergency response time and services
• Community Character
• Economic Development
  • We have enough shops
  • No chains
  • Commercial property taxes are too high
    • They threaten the viability of small businesses
• Cultural/Social Development and Resources
  • Boca Grande seems to have no consensus because a lot of independent thinking and independent thinkers
  • Increased demand for cultural activities
  • Need for cultural venues – tired of going to Sarasota to experience cultural events
  • Place Whidden’s property on the historical registry
    • The zoning does not allow for museum uses
• Environmental
  • Problem with roadside litter
• Land/Community Development
  • Low density
  • Reasonable home size
  • Maintain strong individual property rights
  • Do not over regulate
    • If a new law is created, take one off
• Transportation
• Golf cart tradition and values
• Enforcement of speed laws
• Bicycles – improve the bike and golf cart path from 1^st street south to protect pedestrians and bikers from cars

Land Use/Development:

• We are OK the way we are

• Gasparilla Act

  • Enforce the Gasparilla Act
  • Do not amend
  • Enforce the Boca Grande community plan and planning vision.
  • Can you change the Gasparilla Act?
  • Don’t allow high rise development
• Too much regulation
• There is not much to develop because there is no land left
• Ownership of more than one lot prevents selling of one lot
• Do not urbanize Boca Grande
  • Enforce zoning and limit variances
• Community center
  • Promote proper maintenance
  • Allow dogs
  • Utilize native plants
  • Enhance the community center as needed to meet the community’s needs
  • Encourage new programs
• Parking issues during spring break
  • But we can live with it for 2-3 weeks
• Gilchrist Street
  • Be open to suggestions for beautification
  • Work in concert with stakeholders
  • Address the community’s parking needs on Gilchrist
• FP&L Property
  • Concerned that current zoning would allow undesirable uses
    • Single family
    • Marina/gambling ship

Parks/Conservation:

• Follow comprehensive plan
• Parks and public spaces
  • Protect our beaches
  • Review signage on beach access streets
  • Is the ball field well used
    • Could it be better utilized for another purpose
  • If the FP&L property becomes available buy it
• Conservation areas
  • Protect island beaches and wildlife
  • Acquire more conservation land
  • Continue aggressive iguana eradication program
  • Community needs help with iguana population
  • Remove exotic plants
  • Promote native biodiversity
• Access and location
  • Access to public lands – status quo is good
  • Add signage to send people down the island to the public beaches

 Transportation:

• Roadways
  • Concerned about the bridge/causeway
    • Speed
    • Cost to rebuild
    • Accessibility
    • Impact on small businesses
    • Required design standards for construction of new bridge
    • Debate about who should run the bridge, as some think the State of Florida should do it
  • 20 MPH on causeway is too slow
    • One of the bridges should be 20 MPH to preserve their stability
  • Road improvement scheduled for on and off the island are supported
  • Do not allow roads off the island to be widened
  • Provide valet parking on Gilchrist so people do not have to park on grass
  • Improve roadway drainage
    • There are mixed feelings about open ditches and piped
    • If there are open ditches, then they should be cleaned and maintained properly
• Multimodal
• Sidewalks/trails
• Bikeways
  • Maintain a county bike path
  • There should be a bike path on both sides of Gilchrist Street
  • Prohibit bikes and golf carts on sidewalks
    • Enforce with signage and patrols
  • Mark north end of bike path at First Street with painted directional sign on the path
  • Regulatory sign on bike path
    • Warn pedestrians
    • Remind people to pass on the left
    • Rename golf cart path to “bike path”
• Transit

Public Services:

• The services to the island are good
• Utilities
  • Improve drainage on the island
  • Address the problem with power outages
• Land Development
  • Enforce zoning
  • Oversee and enforce regulations for tax exemptions on “palm farms”
• Schools
  • Continued support for the island school
• Emergency services
  • Keep the ambulance service
  • Maintain local control of the fire department
  • 911 routing causes delays in response time
  • 911 calls cannot find addresses or do not know where Boca Grande is
    • EMS should have drills to better familiarize emergency services with the island
    • Residents and businesses should improve visibility of their street numbers
  • Protect the resident sheriff program
  • Hurricane evacuation is adequate as it is
• Other
  • Flood control in front of community center
  • Support for the community center

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