“Neighborhoods Only” (2016)

Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations, June 4, 2016

Traffic Ideas – Speeding

• Provide more police presence to enforce existing traffic laws
• Use signage on heavily congested roads to target speeders
• Use flashing lights, speed bumps and other deterrents to speeding
• Use speed detectors such as those in Pinecraft area
• Establish more 4 way stops in neighborhoods
• Consult with experts in traffic management
• Redo islands

Traffic Ideas – Volume and Congestion

• Build a third bridge from the main land to Longboat Key
• Reroute traffic to less congested streets
• Experiment with barriers to see if a narrower Fruitville Rd is plausible  No money needed to experiment
• Increase the number of secure bike racks and short term bike rentals
• Stagger hours for employees of downtown businesses   

Traffic Ideas – Cut-throughs / Construction

• Notify property owners of upcoming construction with signage, door hangers, flyers, etc
• Require permits for over-sized vehicles
• Park on one side of street only
• Provide temporary speed bumps and radar during construction projects
• Encourage residents to be proactive in reporting problems in their neighborhoods.
• Protect canopied trees from truck traffic.

Traffic Ideas – Planning by City

• Survey and target gridlock
• Hire staff to include experts in traffic management
• Advertise for monetary gain for city (on benches,…)

Traffic Ideas – Pedestrians

• Divide sidewalks providing space for pedestrians and bikers
• Crossovers with 4-way walks
• Build overpasses for pedestrians on large, heavily traveled roads
• Support Legacy Trail Expansion

Traffic Ideas – Transportation

• Provide incentives for public transportation use
• Encourage public transportation with ferry services, water taxies, Park and Ride lots, circulating shuttle/trolley system from beaches to major tourist attractions and downtown,
• Use electric carts
• Ensure every bus stop has a bench and protection from the sun
• Provide free public transportation
• Privatize pubic transportation
• Use smaller buses
• Encourage ZIP cars in downtown with short term rentals
• Offer SCAT buses as shared rides open to everyone
• Offer door to door service
• When more public transportation is in place, offer free days every now and then; sell week/month/yearly passes

Parks and Green Space

• Work with neighborhoods to identify and purchase space for new parks, including pocket parks
• Maintain parks with more consistency
• Ask residents and commissioners to rank parks so maintenance can also be done on a ranked system.
• Remove staff to respond to the crisis of the day very selectively
• Develop and maintain parks consistent with natural ecosystems, not on a one size fits all mind set
• Establish a Park Conservancy with taxing abilities
• Provide park programs for children and adults
• Take back all city parks from the county
• Designate a pet friendly beach
• Provide public education about the parks
• Prohibit restaurants from putting chairs in the parks
• Maintain all park features, including fountains, benches, trees, equipment, paths to keep parks safe as well as inviting
• Maintain setbacks to keep green space
• Develop Fruitville Road Park now
• Increase lighting in parks and change to cost efficient LED Lighting in all parks
• Increase budget for parks
• Develop and implement a parks master plan
• Unlock existing bathrooms and install bathrooms in parks that don’t have them
• Put pressure on the county for more help and money for parks

Trees

• Keep tree canopy, but regularly prune limbs over streets to keep truck traffic from damaging trees
• Approve the tree ordinance
• Protect and save ancient oaks and slash pines in Lukewood Park during construction of LF 87
• Increase the number of tree medians
• Establish an Urban Forestry program which has a master plan
• Create and designate more canopy streets
• Add more trees to those streets which don’t qualify as canopy roads
• Protect the trees and ensure strong consequences for violators of the tree ordinance
• Plant trees in rows.  Add new medians and islands on streets like Osprey
• Encourage pervious sidewalks and parking areas to stop making our city a concrete parking lot. 
• Keep the waterfront available to all residents instead of allowing more buildings
• Plant trees in the city right of ways
• Save old growth trees
• Sponsor periodic park clean up days
• Work on new zoning ordinance
• Work to change city culture and to embrace enforcement of tree rules with developers and builders
• Participate in holistic urban planning – environmental, quality of life, trees and pedestrians.

Development and Design – Planning

• Officials need to work with neighborhoods to include more neighborhood involvement.
• Establish a standing committee within CCNA  to test drive code changes before adoption. 
• Maintain the character of special places.
• Require setbacks.
• Put limits on permeability, maybe 60% impermeability rather than70%.
• Question air rights.
•  Take advice from studies already done.  We Paid to have them done.  Why not listen to them?
• Eliminate administrative site plan approval.
• Integrate transit into overall development plan. 

Development and Design – Building and Design

• Build attractions that would be more innovative such as golf courses and roller coasters.  Attract light manufacturing. 
• Build a pedestrian overpass over US 41.
• Design safe bike lanes (examples: European approaches)
• Lock in urban design plans and enforce them, give them teeth !

Development and Design – Programs and Policy

• Move away from one size fits all policies.
• City buys back houses and establishes programs for home ownership for those who work downtown.
• Reinstitute substantial impact fees and use the money to fund a robust, multi modal public transit system.
• Establish a stand-alone planning department
• Restrict growth.
• Establish programs to encourage home ownership for working class people, to purchase and improve homes to preserve integrity of neighborhood including funding.
• Expand urban design studio staff and expertise.
• Zoning – lot line to lot line in established neighborhoods deprives city of heritage trees and character we are so proud of – change zoning rules
• Put different codes in place for different neighborhoods.
• Continue to increase density downtown to eventually reduce traffic