Florida Planning Magazine | Summer 2018 | Coastal Resiliency

FLORIDA PLANNING A Publication of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association

Summer 2018

www.floridaplanning.org

Hernando County First in Florida to Bring

ENTIRE COASTAL ZONE into Comprehensive Plan

By Dorothy Zimmerman

With technical support from Florida Sea Grant, Hernando County has become Florida’s first county to add a long-term management strategy for its entire marine and coastal zone to the county’s comprehensive plan.

“To my knowledge this is the most comprehensive and explicit treatment of marine resources in a local government comprehensive plan in Florida,” said Tom Ankersen, Florida Sea Grant’s legal specialist who led the initiative.

Typically in Florida, a county’s comprehensive plan provides long-range guidance on dry land or shoreline issues to keep growth and development in balance among competing interests, Ankersen said. Management of marine submerged lands has not been factored into the planning equation. continued on page 4

OTHER FEATURES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

7

Sea-Level Rise Resiliency

9

Engaging the Public in Crafting Your Coastal Community Resiliency Plan

10

Get Ready to Cast Your Ballot

11

The Fine Line Between Land and Sea

12

The Cost of Sea-Level Rise in Tampa Bay

13

CLEO Aims to Educate Planning Professionals

15

2018 Project Award Winners

President’s Message - p. 3 Member Spotlight Q&A - p. 16 APA Working for You - p. 17 Planners on the Move - p. 18 Consultants Directory - p. 20 Events - back page

The Florida Chapter of APA provides statewide leadership in the development of sustainable communities by advocating excellence in planning, providing professional development for its members, and working to protect and enhance the natural and built environments.

[APA FLORIDA] KEY CONTACTS - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Name

Phone

E-mail

APA Florida Executive Committee President Andre Anderson, AICP

407-957-8428

president@floridaplanning.org

President-Elect

Laura Everitt, AICP, Esq., LEED GA

813-327-5450

presidentelect@floridaplanning.org

Heart of Florida Section

Marisa Barmby, AICP

863-534-7130

heartoffl@floridaplanning.org

VP-Professional Development

Henry Bittaker, AICP

561-523-0678

profdevelopment@floridaplanning.org

VP Conference Services

Wiatt Bowers, AICP

904-363-8488

conferencesvcs@floridaplanning.org

University Liaison

Jeff Brown

850-644-8519

university@floridaplanning.org

First Coast Section

Ennis Davis, AICP

904-396-5727

firstcoast@floridaplanning.org

Orlando Metro Section

Joshua DeVries, AICP

407-742-7813

orlandometro@floridaplanning.org

Sun Coast Section

Melissa Dickens, AICP

813-273-3774

suncoast@floridaplanning.org

Atlantic Coast Section

Mike Disher, AICP

386-236-2183

atlanticcoast@floridaplanning.org

San Felasco Section

Forrest Eddelton

352-334-5022

sanfelasco@floridaplanning.org

Secretary

Kim Glas-Castro, AICP, LEED AP

561-434-5086

secretary@floridaplanning.org

Promised Lands Section

Jason Green, AICP

941-505-1700

promisedlands@floridaplanning.org

VP Certification Maintenance

Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP

850-319-9180

certmaintenance@floridaplanning.org

VP Communications

Michelle Heinrich, AICP

813-276-2167

communications@floridaplanning.org

YPG Representative

Brandon Henry

727-724-1555

ypg@floridaplanning.org

Student Representative

Daniel Hubbard

850-209-7409

students@floridaplanning.org

VP Section Affairs

Doug Kelly, AICP, CSI

321-319-3213

sectionaffairs@floridaplanning.org

Treasurer

Tony LaColla, AICP

813-273-3774

treasurer@floridaplanning.org

Capital Area Section

Devan Leavins

850-891-6441

capitalarea@floridaplanning.org f

Emerald Coast Section

Catherine McCloy, AICP

850-231-7402

emeraldcoast@floridaplanning.org

Broward Section

Robert Modys

954-828-4911

broward@floridaplanning.org

Gold Coast Section

Edward Ng, AICP, MPP, MPI

305-594-0735

goldcoast@floridaplanning.org

Treasure Coast Section

Alessandria Palmer

561-366-1100

treasurecoast@floridaplanning.org

VP Member Services

Marcie Stenmark, AICP

727-724-1555

membership@floridaplanning.orgta

Immediate Past President

Melissa Zornitta, AICP

813-272-5940

pastpresident@floridaplanning.org ff

Executive Director

Julia “Alex“ Magee

850-201-3272

fapa@floridaplanning.org

Ad. Assistant/Bookkeeper

Amanda Pickles

850-201-3272

adminbk@floridaplanning.org

Communications Coordinator Patti Shea

850-201-3272

staff@floridaplanning.org

Legislative Representative

Lester Abberger

850-524-2779

lesterabberger@nettally.com

Webmaster (Consultant)

Summer Taylor

888-949-5487 x706 summer@exaktmarketing.com

All Other Inquiries, contact APA Florida at 850-201-3272 or e-mail fapa@floridaplanning.org.

2 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Planning for Disaster Preparedness & Recovery So, how is your summer going? Is it hot enough for you?

We seem to be experiencing a hotter than normal summer, even with all the rains from the start of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, which just kicked off in June and continues until the end of November. All over the country we are seeing extreme events from intense heat to torrential rains and flooding to extreme dry conditions and wildfires. So, now more than ever, it is important that we engage our citizens, community leaders, and elected officials on the importance of disaster preparedness and recovery as we plan and design our cities to be resilient and adaptable to these various extreme environmental conditions.

When it comes to Resiliency & Adaptation, APA Florida has taken a leadership position and spent the past few years conducting extensive research to compile local and national resources for planners to access and use. Our Resiliency Toolbox for example, has a wealth of information of action plans from across the state, highlighting local government efforts to proactively address climate change, sea-level rise, and coastal resiliency.

When it comes to Resiliency & Adaptation, APA Florida has taken a leadership position and spent the past few years conducting extensive research to compile local and national resources for planners to access and use.

In this issue of Florida Planning, we focus our attention on Disaster Preparedness & Recovery. We take a look at Hernando County’s Marine Area Strategic Plan, the first of its kind in Florida to include a blueprint for the management of marine waters some 9 nautical miles seaward from the state coastline. The blueprint is the result of a year-long effort of technical assistance from the Florida Sea Grant.

We will learn more about how New Smyrna Beach is actively engaging the public and crafting a Coastal Community Resiliency Plan through a year-long “city-led, citizen-fed” campaign of community forums under the construct of assigning each month a unique subject with an emphasis on resiliency planning.

Also in this issue, read about the work of the APA Foundation Hurricane Recovery Campaign to fund Community Planning Assistance Teams or CPATs, which are geared toward helping economically challenged and disaster-devastated communities affected by hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.

One more thing... Registration is now open for our 2018 APA Florida Annual Conference in Downtown West Palm Beach, Florida, Sept. 11-14, 2018. The theme this year is Treasure Map to Florida’s Future. You do not want to miss it!

As always, I want to hear from you. So, please send me a note at president@floridaplanning.org.

Until next time, continue to #PlanFlorida.

Andre Anderson, AICP APA Florida President

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 3

[HERNANDO] COASTAL ZONE

continued from cover page

Trust Fund by BP after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, comprehensive plan will Ankerson said. The money now address activities in will now be used specifically submerged habitats up to 9 for marine enhancement nautical miles out from the projects that coincide with county’s coast, where state goals in the plan. waters end and federal “According to Hernando waters begin.

County, the plan has already “It extends literally from been helpful in facilitating shoreline to state line,” restoration permitting and Ankersen said. “We were in establishing RESTORE unable to find any similar Act funding priorities,” instances of this in Florida.”

Ankersen said.

Hernando County is The authors of Hernando located just north of the County’s marine area plan Tampa Bay metropolitan are Alexandra Barshel area along the Gulf of and Samantha Sanders, Mexico. The county has third-year legal students historically been rural with in the UF law school’s significant agricultural environmental and land-use activity and limestone law program. mining. The economy is The team also includes also boosted by a large, Top: The Hernando County Marine Area Strategic Plan is the first of its kind in Florida to include a blueprint for the management of marine waters 9 nautical miles seaward of the Brittany Hall-Scharf, Florida nature-based recreation state line. (Hernando County Tourism photo). Middle and bottom images courtesy of the Sea Grant agent with UF/ and tourism industry University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant.

IFAS Extension in Hernando dependent on extensive County; Keith Kolasa, manager of Hernando County’s aquatics tracts of undeveloped wilderness and near pristine habitats along and waterways divisions; and Emma Pistole, a master’s student its 18-mile Gulf coast. at the University of Florida studying fisheries and aquatic science.

For more than a year, Ankersen and a team comprised of legal Micheal Allen, director of the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological students from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Station served with Ankersen as faculty advisors on the project.

Sea Grant extension faculty have been engaged with Hernando County officials in the development of approaches for sustaining Hall-Scharf, who has been instrumental with on-the-ground and improving its marine environments. support and in the drafting and editing process, said the effort demonstrates how Sea Grant professionals apply science-based In March, the Hernando County Board of County solutions to problems that affect coastal residents, businesses Commissioners voted to amend the coastal management element and communities. of its comprehensive plan with recommendations from the team’s final report.

“Working on this plan has helped three UF students gain The report offers a blueprint for the restoration, enhancement experience and prepare them for future careers,” Hall-Scharf said. and management of the county’s marine waters. It is focused on “It was also a great way to bring awareness to the marine shoreline stabilization, oyster reef restoration, artificial reefs, and coastal resources of one of Florida’s communities, and show hardbottom and seagrass, healthy commercial and recreational what Florida Sea Grant agents and specialists bring to the table. fisheries, and navigation and water access.

The simple things we do every day in our jobs have big impacts It also provides a 15-year, science-based spending framework on the future of our natural resources.” for penalty money paid into the RESTORE Gulf Coast Restoration continued on page 5 Hernando County’s

4 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

[HERNANDO] COASTAL ZONE

continued from page 4

She added that team member Keith Kolasa will put forth a formal resolution to the county commissioners to adopt the entire 65-page Hernando County Strategic Marine Area Plan report as an official reference document within the county comprehensive plan.”

“As a result of this plan, Hernando County has included funding for the collection of baseline data to fill data gaps that currently exist for our expansive areas of hard bottom and seagrass beds,” Kolasa said.

“It’s important that we understand and document the existing biodiversity and community structure so that we can make informed management decisions as we move forward with enhancement projects such as artificial reefs.”

Six main goals intended to sustain and improve the county’s marine environment, tourism industry and water access points are addressed in the plan.

The goals are: • To ensure that all estuarine shoreline interfaces in Hernando County contribute to the ecological health and resiliency of the County’s coastal and estuarine ecosystems.

• To maintain, restore and create a robust system of nearshore

•

• •

•

oyster reefs that contributes to estuarine health, productive fisheries and coastal resiliency.

To enhance Hernando County’s fisheries by maximizing available structure for recreationally important fish species at all life history stages through artificial reef deployment.

To maintain robust economically and ecologically sustainable recreational and commercial fisheries.

To develop, maintain and enhance a resilient program of land-based and in-water maritime access infrastructure to support the sustainable commercial and recreational use of the marine and estuarine waters of Hernando County.

To ensure the ecological integrity of Hernando County’s unique assemblage of seagrass bed habitats and interspersed hardbottom.

Dorothy Zimmerman is the Communications Director for Florida Sea Grant. She can be reached at dozimmer@ufl.edu.

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 5

6 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

STATE TO LAUNCH WEBSITE ON

SEA-LEVEL RISE RESILIENCY

By Whitney Gray

Protecting Florida’s thousands of miles of beautiful coastline is essential for a healthy environment and a robust economy. It’s not surprising that more than two-thirds of Florida’s residents live in 35 coastal counties, and that tens of millions of tourists visit beaches from Pensacola to Key West to Jacksonville each year.

What may be surprising is how vulnerable the coast is to the effects of sea-level rise. Coastal flooding — including “sunny day” flooding at high tides — along with erosion and ecosystem changes already is occurring and can damage natural and man-made systems.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has a long history of protecting, preserving and restoring coastal habitats.

DEP’s Florida Resilient Coastlines Program (FRCP) continues these efforts by synergizing community resilience planning, natural resource protection tools and funding to prepare for sea-level rise.

By working with federal, state and local governments, universities, nonprofits and technical experts, FRCP coordinates efforts and shares opportunities across the state. The program distributes federal funds from the Florida Coastal Management Program and state funds, allocated by the governor and legislature, to help communities develop resiliency plans, vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans, and to help researchers develop practical tools for reducing risks.

One strategy for encouraging resilience planning is to offer financial assistance to local governments working on “Peril of Flood” requirements for a Coastal Management Element. By performing the robust analysis intended by Sec. 163.3187(2)(f) F.S., (https://bit.ly/2MZjvWq) communities are, in essence, performing a sea-level rise vulnerability assessment. FRCP also can assist these

communities with adaptation planning and implementation, thanks to new funding allocations from the Governor and Legislature.

The newly available Florida Adaptation Planning Guidebook is the culmination of more than five years of research by DEP, in partnership with the Department of Economic Opportunity and other state and local entities, during the Community Resiliency Initiative (CRI). The CRI was funded by DEP through the Florida Coastal Management Program and NOAA. The guidebook outlines process steps and best practices for local governments adapting to sea-level rise and will be available at no cost to planners and local governments.

In the coming months, the FRCP will launch a website with information, resources and funding announcements about sea-level rise resilience. The program also will host a statewide resilience workshop. The FRCP’s vision is that all Florida coastal communities are resilient and prepared for the effects of climate change, especially coastal flooding, erosion and ecosystem changes.

You can participate in DEP’s vision for keeping Florida coastal communities resilient and prepared for rising sea levels. Join the quarterly Coastal Resilience Forum Webinar or request your Florida Adaptation Planning Guidebook by contacting FRCP Administrator Whitney Gray at Whitney.Gray@floridadep.gov.

Whitney Gray is the Administrator for DEP’s Florida Resilient Coastlines Program. She can be reached at Whitney.Gray@floridadep.gov.

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 7

APA FLORIDA LISTS RESILIENCY AS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY

During this time of year, we are reminded of our state’s vulnerability to the season’s natural events. At the same time, global environmental changes also impact our state yearlong.

With these concerns in mind, APA Florida’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) has proposed to update the 2018 Florida Legislative Program, Position and Policy Statements to include the topic of resiliency as a new legislative priority for our chapter.

Along with other environmental policies already included (such as climate change, energy, hazard mitigation and sustainability), the topic of resiliency would be included. If approved at the Annual Member Meeting in September, the chapter will support and lobby for legislation that “supports a growth management system at the state, regional and local levels that recognizes and provides for plans, incentives, standards and regulations that address resiliency planning and development practices.”

Furthermore, APA Florida would support planning tools that increase resiliency efforts, such as the following: (1) infrastructure that can withstand natural hazards; (2) development

8 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

patterns that occur outside of high hazard areas; (3) the relocation of vulnerable facilities to safer locations; (4) protection of existing environmental systems that assist in hazard mitigation; (5) economic recovery programs; and, (6) regional plans for recovery and redevelopment after an event.

- Laura Everitt, AICP, LEED GA, Esq., APA Florida President Elect

Engaging the Public In Crafting Your Coastal Community Resiliency Plan

By Michael Salisbury and Philip Veski

Increasing the resiliency of cities is becoming a major objective in many coastal areas throughout Florida. Although the definition of resiliency varies in the literature, the general concept is clear: the capacity of a city to adapt to unique situations.

Increasing local resiliency requires addressing several components — environmental, infrastructural, social, and so forth — thus, a holistic approach aimed at covering these factors is crucial. The dynamic nature of urban systems calls for an understanding of the related complexities that contribute to local resiliency.

Acknowledging the many factors inherent in urban systems, as well as contextualizing the many facets of resiliency, are the basis for the topics discussed herein.

The city of New Smyrna Beach is located in Volusia County, has roughly 26,000 residents with an incorporated area of approximately 41.1 square miles. In an effort to increase local resiliency, the city has

adopted a comprehensive approach to this matter.

While several resiliency projects are being implemented or are in the works, the city has identified community engagement as a critical step in enhancing its resiliency. We determined that community participation efforts enhance the understanding of vulnerabilities, highlight the capacity that current policies have in planning related efforts, and improve citizen awareness through in-person engagements with subject matter experts. The current Coastal Community Resiliency (CCR) project being conducted by the City of New Smyrna Beach was envisioned to address these issues.

Hot on the heels of a historic hurricane season and with a slate of new construction projects eager to break ground, the need for environmental disaster resilience in the city had been well-established. As planning efforts continued on progressed, page 10

Increasing local resiliency requires addressing several components — environmental, infrastructural, social, and so forth — thus, a holistic approach aimed at covering these factors is crucial.

continued on page continued on14 page 10

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 9

[ENGAGING PUBLIC] RESILIENCY PLAN

continued from page 9

however, the applicability of a resiliency mindset to a wider variety of topics rapidly became clear. A year-long “city-led, citizenfed” campaign of community forums began to take shape under the construct of assigning each month a unique subject with an emphasis on resiliency planning.

Starting in February, these forums have averaged more than 200 attendees per session and included topics such as adapting to threats to water quality, sea level rise, flooding, and cultural resources. By March, attendance remains high when we began discussing smartly managed growth and development as housing demand increases switching to improving social equity resilience against the stressors of modern society by promoting community involvement, higher education, and technical skills training throughout April. By May, we changed to a hot topic: fortifying public assets against threats such as school shootings and opioid dependency. And in June, we moved to developing economic

resilience against the next market downturn by seeking to attract high-skilled jobs and redeveloping underutilized areas.

Following a midway pause in July, future sessions will include parks and recreation in August, tourism in September, and transportation in October before program wrap-up in November.

In concurrence with CCR, all questions, comments, and other data collected at each session is then rigorously refined by city staff and presented to a neighborhood council of local citizen leaders before short and long-term recommendations are forwarded to stakeholders for feasibility study and implementation.

Readers are encouraged to visit our website for more information.

Michael Salisbury is a Planner I for the City of New Smyrna Beach. He recently received a master’s degree from the Department of Geosciences at Auburn University. Phillip Veski is also a Planner I for the City of New Smyrna Beach. Before this, he proudly served around the globe for 12 years as a Naval Officer and earned his BSBA in Decision and Information Sciences from the University of Florida. Edited by Amye King, AICP, Planning Director.

Get Ready to Cast Your Ballot!

It is time to cast your ballot for new 2018 APA Florida Election Slate officers! This year, we are again Wiatt Bowers, AICP participating in APA’s consolidated ballot President-Elect Joshua Long, AICP for chapters and divisions so please carefully Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP read the following instructions.

On Aug. 7, APA will send each APA Florida member Kathryn Gademer, AICP Treasurer an email with a link to the ballot. You will receive this John Roach, AICP notice from Survey Ballot Systems, and it will contain Lara Bouck, AICP your unique link to the ballot. All voting will be done Secretary Jennifer Vail, AICP online and only members in good standing will be Tony Palermo, AICP allowed to vote. Voting will end on Sept. 7. Two email VP-Membership Services Yexsy Schomberg reminders will be sent to members who have not voted during this time period in case you miss the first one.

Doug Kelly, AICP VP-Section Affairs To assure your election specific broadcast email Tony Robbins, AICP arrives safely in your inbox on Aug. 7-8, 2018, simply Lindsay Haga, AICP add the following email address as an approved VP-Professional Development Allison Megrath, AICP sender noreply@directvote.net. If you do not receive Mark Brown, AICP your election email by Aug. 9, 2018 please contact VP-Certification Maintenance support@directvote.net.

Jill Quigley, AICP You will be voting on the chapter slate listed in here.

Trina Gilliam VP-Communications The ballot site will contain candidate position Michelle Heinrich, AICP statements - please make sure you review them Jay Collins, AICP before voting!

VP-Conference Services Thuy Turner, AICP Members of an APA Division that is up for voting will also be voting for division leadership at the same time. The chapter slate will show up on the ballot first. If you are a member of a division that is holding elections, that division slate will follow the chapter on the ballot.

Should you have any questions or problems accessing the ballot webpage, please contact Lynn Jorgenson at LJorgenson@planning.org.

10 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

The Fine Line Between Land & Sea Fort Lauderdale’s Seawall Ordinance By: Nancy J. Gassman Creating a vision for the land is a foundational aspect of urban planning. However, for coastal communities, sea level rise threatens to reclaim the land on behalf of the ocean. The city of Fort Lauderdale, known as the Venice of America, has 165 miles of tidal waterways. Throughout its evolution as a community, seawalls were used to delineate the boundary between property lines and the tidal canals and rivers. In the past, the seawall’s main function was to stabilize the interface between the water and the land, preventing wave and tidal action from eroding property. However, in this present and future era of sea level rise, seawalls must be seen not just as a structure that keep the upland up but also as barrier to keep the sea in the sea. This requires a different design mindset and new regulations to address the realities of rising seas.

In the fall of 2015, widespread flooding associated with extreme king tides motivated the City of Fort Lauderdale Commission to request revision of its seawall ordinance (Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR), Section 47-19.3 Boat slips, docks, boat davits, hoists and similar mooring structures to require a minimum seawall elevation.

The ordinance had to address seawall elevations, line of sight concerns, aesthetics, permeability, drainage impacts, the interface with docks, and mechanisms for compliance.

In addition, staff had to reconcile the economic burden of replacing a seawall with both immediate flooding concerns and future sea level rise.

The initial public discussion draft of the ordinance established standards for seawall construction that would mitigate the effects of tidal flooding and sea level rise over the next 50 years consistent with the city’s 2035 Fast Forward Fort Lauderdale vision of being “A safe and resilient city.”

The two provisions that drew the most attention from residents were: 1) The requirement that every seawall in the city would have to be raised by 2035; and 2) the proposed minimum seawall elevation (4.6 feet

NAVD88) was higher than the maximum elevation allowed under the existing ordinance (3.9 feet NAVD88).

While public hearings were scheduled as part of the ordinance review process, the potential widespread impact created a demand for a broader public outreach. Ninety days and 20 public meetings later, the proposed ordinance had been transformed by stakeholders concerns that included timeline to address flooding, broad mandate to elevate all seawalls, social equity, overall costs of new seawall construction, unforeseen gaps in application and unintended consequences.

Instead of impacting nearly every neighborhood in the city, the final proposed ordinance supported seawall elevation only in areas experiencing tidal flooding and for all new seawall construction. Because of the extensive public outreach and staff’s responsiveness to the feedback, the final ordinance (see graphic for highlights) was adopted with little public comment or resistance.

The passing of this major adaption policy recognized the need for investing in both the public and private infrastructure in order to achieve community resilience to sea level rise.

Nancy Gassman is the Assistant Public Works Director, Sustainability Division for the City of Fort Lauderdale. She can be reached at ngassman@fortlauderdale.gov.

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 11

THE COST OF SEA LEVEL RISE

IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA

Rising sea levels may submerge significant coastal areas of the Tampa Bay region by 2060.

By: Randy Deshazo, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

While there are varying estimates, one worst case possibility suggests that sea levels may rise as much as 2.95 feet over the next 40 years. Such an increase may cause thousands of coastal properties to be flooded, thousands of jobs to be lost, lost taxes and lost income from tourism as well as the loss of much of the region’s barrier islands.

Using Geographic Information Systems, economic impact software, county property records and geocoded employment data, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) prepared The Cost of Doing Nothing: Economic Impacts of Sea Level Rise in the Tampa Bay Region to consider the potential impacts of year round flooding on the regional economy. While the Tampa Bay Area consists of six counties within Regional Planning Council’s boundaries, TBRPC looked at impacts to four core counties—Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee Counties. Together the impacts from sea level rise bear cumulative costs of $162 billion to the region’s Gross Regional Product. The direct impacts of sea level rise are summarized in the following table.

When Mean Sea Level Increases by 2.95 Feet

Estimate

Value of Submerged Residential Property in 2015

$14.9 Billion

Value of Submerged Commercial Property in 2015

$1.3 Billion

Cumulative loss of Property Taxes (2020-2060)

$5.4 Billion

Job Losses in submerged areas Gross Regional Product Losses by 2060

continued on page 14

17,184 $162 Billion

But direct impacts from inundation are only part of the story.

Sometimes the most important and longer lasting impacts of large scale events are indirect in nature. As such, The Cost of Doing Nothing: Economic Impacts of Sea Level Rise in the Tampa Bay 12 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

Region assesses the direct and indirect impacts of sea level rise on the regional economy. Because there are many ways of framing sea level rise as a problem, TBRPC prepared a series of computer simulations using REMI PI+, a sophisticated economic modeling tool, to compare different aspects of the issue.

The simulations viewed the same issue—the implications of a sea level rise of 2.95 feet—from different aspects of the economy. In the

Regional Map Depicting Inundated Areas (Dark Blue) in 2060

CLEO AIMS TO EDUCATE Planning Professionals to Stave Off Disasters People hear a lot about global warming/climate change, but do not fully understand why it is happening, or the extent of it.

Florida is the most vulnerable state to climate change impacts in the United States. From sea level rise, to extreme weather events, salt water intrusion and heat vulnerability, our state faces a unique set of challenges that must be addressed if we are to maintain a beautiful and resilient state.

As Florida’s development of communities continues to grow, it is incredibly important for our planners, architects, and engineers to have a full understanding of the risks and challenges, because their designs impact Florida’s future, as well as our planet. Billions of dollars in real estate are at risk from flooding and seal level rise. By 2045, nearly 64,000 homes in Florida face flooding every other day.

Half of those are in South Florida. Florida’s estuaries, which are threatened by development, not only generate billions of dollars of economic growth from commercial and recreational fishing, boating and bird-watching, they actually provide a buffer against tropical storms and hurricanes.

The CLEO Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization exclusively dedicated to climate change education, engagement, and advocacy, provides trainings that highlight the urgency of climate action while championing solutions for a resilient future.

CLEO is the No. 1 nonprofit organization for climate science education in the region, with a world class expert advisory council. It has been working with frontline communities since 2010. CLEO’s trainings help developers, planners, and architects, better understand the science of global warming, the effects, and the solutions.

Greenhouse gases are at a historic high, and land ice is melting at an unprecedented rate. To give planners an example of sea level rise threats: from 1992 to 2011, Antarctica lost nearly 84 billion tons of ice a year. From 2012 to 2017, the melt rate increased to more than 241 billion tons a year, according to a new study published on June 13, 2018 in the journal Nature. It is vital for planning professionals, as well as our local government, to have a clear

By Natalia Ortiz

The CLEO Institute, a 501(c) (3) non-profit, non-partisan organization exclusively dedicated to climate change education, engagement, and advocacy, provides trainings that highlight the urgency of climate action while championing solutions for a resilient future.

continued on page 14

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 13

[SEA LEVEL RISE] TAMPA BAY

continued from page 12

first simulation, TBRPC examined the stand-alone implications of the loss of some $16 billion in inundated properties, of lost property taxes and lost access to jobs. This simulation anticipates a resulting loss of $2 billion of Gross Regional Product to the regional economy in 2060.

The second simulation considered the loss of non-tourism related jobs. This scenario anticipates the loss of $4.4 billion of Gross Regional Product in 2060 while the third simulation, modeling the loss of tourism jobs, results in the loss of $1.9 billion in Gross Regional Product. While these three different angles overlap conceptually and are inseparable under actual inundation conditions, the simulation results define the nature of the problem. Even though Sea Level Rise can flood much of the region’s coastal land and its tourist economy, it is the non-tourism related economy that has the most to lose.

Across these different approaches to sea level rise, there is a cumulative impact of about $162 billion in current dollars across all years until 2060, assuming nothing is done to prevent sea level rise or to mitigate its emergent impacts. That $162 billion loss is the cost of doing nothing.

Randy Deshazo is the Principal Planner for the TBRPC. He can be

UCF EARNS PAB ACCREDITATION The University of Central Florida has been awarded accreditation of their Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning program by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). This accreditation will be granted for seven years, which is the longest term possible under PAB guidelines.

UCF will now join Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University and the University of Florida in offering an accrediting planning program in Florida. Visit the UCF website to learn more about their program. APA Florida is excited for future UCF students and excited to welcome UCF representatives to the Executive Committee!

-- Michelle Heinrich, AICP

reached at randy@tbrpc.org.

[CLEO] AIMS TO EDUCATE

continued from page 13

understanding of the science and the impacts of climate change on Florida, to be able to plan and design environmentally sustainable developments that ensure the safety of the community, and that they don’t exasperate climate change impacts, such as storm surge, flooding, etc.

The need for climate education is best understood by using Nelson Mandela’s quote- “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Presenting the most current scientific data, and using an interactive format, CLEO helps people understand the urgency for climate action, and the solutions to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.

To learn more about The CLEO Institute, or sign up for a climate training, visit www.cleoinstitute.org or call 305-573-5251.

Natalia Ortiz is the Director of Development for the CLEO Institute. She can be reached at nortiz@cleoinstitute.org

14 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

APA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

2018 PROJECT AWARD WINNERS Palm Beach County Convention Center l Sept. 12, 2018

Each year at its annual conference APA Florida recognizes outstanding planning projects in the state. The Project Awards Program provides APA Florida members an opportunity to learn about innovative development, conservation, government and environmental projects where planning has had a positive impact on the outcome.

This year, the Project Awards Committee evaluated a total of 17 nominations, coming from all around Florida. The committee select eight Awards of Merit plus one student project in the following categories: Planning Project Best Practices (3) William Burgess Overlay District Paw Park Village Recipient: Nassau County Planning and Economic Opportunity Department Recipient: City of Sanford Comprehensive Plan – Large Ludlam Trail Corridor District Recipient: Miami-Dade County

South Florida (SR 37) Complete Street Recipient: Central Florida Regional Planning Council, City of Lakeland, FDOT District 1

Comprehensive Plan – Small 2017-2027 Comprehensive Plan Recipient: City of Venice, Kimley-Horn

Pasco County Connected City Plan Recipient: Pasco County, Metro Development Group, Heidt Design Grassroots Initiatives Smokey Hollow Barbershop Recipient: BluePrint Intergovernmental Agency

Neighborhood Planning OBTNext Recipient: Orange Blossom Trail Development Student Project MPO Policy & Planning Guidance for Transit Applications of Automated Vehicles Board, City of Orlando, Orange County, GAI Recipient: FSU Department of Urban & Regional Planning Graduate Students Community Solutions Group Congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to celebrating you in West Palm Beach!

GET ON VIDEO, WIN AN AMAZON GIFT CARD

We ask, if you answer you will be entered to win an Amazon gift card at the annual conference. We want your story so we’re giving you time to think about an answer for one of the questions below. Let us know if you would like to participate at the conference, and once we record your answer, you will be entered for the gift card drawing.

1. I’m a planner because …

2. What do you think is the best part of the annual conference?

3. What is the best advice you received in your planning career OR what advice would you give to fellow planners or new professionals?

4. What do you think is the most valuable part of being a member of APA Florida?

If you are attending the conference and would like to participate, please contact Patti at the chapter office, staff@floridaplanning.org.

For up-to-date conference information, go to floridaplanning.org/conference Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 15

Member Spotlight Q&A:

Josh DeVries, AICP

Where are you originally from?

Munising, Mich.

What college/university did you attend?

I earned a Master of Science – Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science – Planning from Northern Michigan University.

What is your current position?

I’m a Project Manager for Transportation Planning for the Osceola County, Department of Transportation and Transit.

What is your current and any past positions in APA FL and/or APA National?

Since 2017 I have served as the Chair of the Orlando Metro Section. Before that I was the section’s 2nd Vice President (2016-17), Osceola Director (2011-14) and as the section’s YPG liaison (2012).

What you would be doing now if you hadn’t chosen the planning profession?

Probably working on classic muscle cars in a shop or even better, doing research and development for a racing team.

Would you like to share anything about your family?

I am a happy father of a 7-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy and am married to a wonderful woman with a passion for animal care and animal welfare.

What are your hobbies and interests?

Spending time with family or friends fishing, exploring wildlife management areas, and watching racing.

Do you have any advice to new graduates in your field or some career tips?

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

New ideas and perspectives can be helpful to a department and lead to positive change in the community. Also, don’t be afraid to work outside your comfort zone. Transitioning from the academic to professional environment can be a big change so immerse 16 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

yourself in internships and other opportunities to help ease that transition after graduation.

What have you gained or learned by being a section leader?

I have gained many professional connections, built upon friendships, and learned many new approaches to planning challenges. I have also learned about the importance of APA Florida and the benefits provided to its members. It has also helped me to improve upon my teambuilding and leadership skills. Finally, as Chair of the Orlando Metro Section, I have had the chance of getting to know some of our members better, and understand their interests so, as a professional organization, we can better serve our overall membership.

Is there a particular state planning topic you’d like to comment on or feel fellow planners need to follow?

Regardless of what aspect of planning you are involved in, we all need to be thinking and planning decades in the future. Technological is advancing at an exponential rate, and we need to make sure that we are planning appropriate land uses, transportation networks, and infrastructure that will be able to accommodate these advancements, especially with when it comes to autonomous and connected vehicles. A little more time spent upfront can save millions of tax payer dollars in the future.

APA FLORIDA WORKING FOR YOU APA FLORIDA MEMBERS FEATURED IN APA NATIONAL BLOG … TWICE! Our members continue share their stories and advice to planning professionals across the nation.

APA Florida member Whit Blanton, FAICP, shared his recommendations for mentoring in his story “Mentoring Is a Two-Way Street,” where he discusses the Sun Coast Section’s Coaching for the Advancement for Mid-Level Planners (CAMPs) program. While those just starting in the planning field can benefit from participating in a mentoring program, joining a mentoring program at the mid-point in ones career can also be valuable.

Also featured in June was Leny Hauaman Velasquarez of the Central Florida Regional Planning Council with the feature entitled “APA Ambassador Turns Students into Map Makers in Polk City, Florida.” Using the APA Florida’s new curriculum guide, she worked with kindergarten and second-grade students in creating a plan for their city. This project helped show children what planning professionals do, what planning is and maybe even create a few professional planners for future generations.

SAVE THE DATE!

Great Places of Florida nominations opening on Aug. 13

CHAPTER AWARDS COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO SECTIONS As part of the chapter’s annual competitive grant program, six sections (Broward, First Coast, Gold Coast, Orlando Metro, Sun Coast and Treasure Coast) have been awarded with funds to assist in each section’s unique programs and events. Grant amounts range from $200 to $800 for items such as the Treasure Coast Section’s Brownfield Redevelopment Workshop, the Orlando Metro Section’s Nightlife Economy Workshop and the Sun Coast Section’s Vision Zero community service project. Don’t miss these and other great events in your area - check out your section’s webpage on www.floridaplanning.org or Facebook page for news and events.

WORK CONTINUES ON NEW APA FLORIDA WEBSITE The APA Florida website will be transitioning to be hosted by APA National. Work has already started with chapter staff and members working to migrate material to the new platform. During this process, the group is also evaluating current webpages, updating information and working with APA National staff on how our information will be formatted and displayed for better use by our members.

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 17

APA Florida

PLANNERS ON THE MOVE ARBEAU RELOCATES FROM HOUSTON TO CENTRAL FLORIDA After three years with the Goodman Corporation in Houston as a senior associate doing transit and mobility planning, Donnie Arbeau made the move to the Sunshine State to join the Central Florida Regional Planning Council / Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization as a Program Manager. In his new position, Donnie will implement transit and transportation disadvantaged planning and programming. Additionally, he will help develop the CFRPC/HRTPO GIS program and help develop various planning studies, reports, project analysis, and public outreach.

Donnie’s previous experience includes developing and managing capital improvements programs, funding pursuit, grant applications, construction administration, federal compliance, FTA grant management, planning studies, intergovernmental coordination, promoting business development opportunities, GIS program management, GIS mapping, travel demand modeling, public outreach, social media engagement, and organizing local and regional planning events.

Donnie has been an APA member since 2015 and has dedicated his career to public service and has been fortunate to learn from outstanding peers in the planning community.

BRASIER ONBOARD TAMPA DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP Alana Brasier, AICP, has joined the Tampa Downtown Partnership is its new Operations & Public Space Manager. Alana brings more than seven years of experience in urban planning and development from across the country and in Tampa Bay. Alana will manage all on-street services provided by the Special Services District to ensure a clean, safe, and welcoming environment in Downtown Tampa. She will also oversee Tampa’s Downtown Guides and Clean Team, assist with planning and implementing overall operations of the Special Services District, and help the Partnership continue to foster relationships with partner agencies and downtown stakeholders.

Previously, some of Alana’s local work included the Selmon Greenway Feasibility Study and authoring the TIGER grant that awarded funding to complete the Tampa Riverwalk and construct the Selmon Greenway. She was the first graduate of the University of South Florida’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning program in 2011.

DEARDORFF RETIRES FROM CITY OF LAKELAND AFTER 22 YEARS Celeste Deardorff, AICP, retired on June 29 after 22 years of service to the City of Lakeland’s Community Development Department. Characteristic of Celeste, she asked those speaking at her retirement celebration to keep it short or “skip it.”

Despite that City Manager Tony Delgado, former Mayor Gow Fields and others spoke of her heart and her unselfish service not only to the city but to so many co-workers, friends and elected officials in her years with Lakeland. Celeste was critical to Lakeland’s development of an outstanding planning program that was recognized throughout the state and was only the second in the state to be awarded independent certification. Celeste was regularly called on by APA to testify at legislative hearings on matters related to comprehensive planning and state oversight of Florida Planning Requirements. She was the primary author of the 2000 and 2010 Lakeland Comprehensive Plans and she managed a wide variety of Lakeland’s initiatives to manage growth while fostering greater economic development.

Before coming to Lakeland Celeste worked at both the RPC and Polk County. Among the titles Celeste held in her career in Lakeland were Principal Planner, Manager of Long Range Planning, Planning Manager, Assistant Director of Community Development and Interim Director of Community Development.

What was obvious to most is that in her various roles she always treated others with kindness and respect, encouraging greater growth in employees and a broader understanding of the function planning has in shaping a better and more ideal community. Celeste further demonstrates her commitment to the Lakeland community through her participation in civic organizations and advocacy for issues aimed at improving the lives of our local seniors. All of us who worked with her in Lakeland wish her a wonderful retirement and continued success in making a difference in the lives of others and in everything she does.

GAI’S PANZA RECEIVES UCF ALUMNI AWARD The University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Public Administration honored GAI Consultants, Inc. Assistant Planning Manager Patrick Panza, AICP, with an Alumni Achievement Award.

Mr. Patrick received the award during the school’s annual Public Service Recognition Week celebration.

Patrick is an Assistant Planning Manager for GAI’s Community Solutions Group and has 10 years of experience in planning, design, and policy analysis accumulated through a variety of public- and continued on page 19

18 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

[APA FLORIDA] ON THE MOVE

continued from page 18

private-sector projects during which he has utilized his technical abilities to create innovative approaches to the analysis and design of community development solutions. He specializes in the application of Geographic Information System technologies to planning processes.

Patrick holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Central Florida.

KNOWLES ADDED TO CFRPC’S POST DISASTER RECOVERY TEAM Curtis Knowles joined the Central Florida Regional Planning Council in November 2017 as the Post Disaster Recovery Program Manager where he assists the local governments and businesses with disaster recovery efforts for the region’s five counties -- DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee and Polk.

Curtis has more than 16 years of management and professional planning experience in state, regional, county and city organizations in conjunction with emergency management, transportation, regional and local planning, as well as economic development.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geography from Valdosta State University. He is a former Treasurer for the APA Florida Heart of Florida Section.

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LINDQUIST MOVES TO PINELLAS PARK Erica Lindquist joins Pinellas Park as its newest Planning and Zoning Coordinator. Erica was recently a Senior Planner with the city of New Port Richey since 2015.

MCCLOY JOINS THE ST. JOE CO. Catherine McCloy, AICP, recently joined The St. Joe Company as a project manager for the Asset Management team in Watersound, Fla. She will coordinate the master planning, design development, construction management and tenant turnover process to ensure project expectations are achieved.

Additionally, Catherine will be responsible for entitlement management that will consist of coordination of processing entitlements with local, state and federal agencies, permit/entitlement records management, required maintenance of existing permits, and oversight/reporting of the St. Joe Company EMA / SAJ-RGP.

Summer 2018 / Florida Planning 19

[CONSULTANTS] DIRECTORY Advertise in the Consultants Directory The Consultant Directory is a fitting place to showcase your firm. $250 buys space for a year in the newsletter (five issues) plus inclusion in our web-based consultant directory. Display ads to promote your business, conference, projects and more are available. Contact the Chapter office at 850-201-3272 for rates and details.

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20 Summer 2018 / Florida Planning

[FLORIDA] PLANNING Published by the Florida Chapter, American Planning Association, the Florida Planning newsletter has a current circulation of 2,600 members, subscribers and other readers. Four issues are published a year.

CHANGES OF ADDRESS For APA members, Send to: Member Records Department American Planning Association 205 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1200 Chicago, IL 60601 Fax: 312-786-6700 or log onto www.planning.org/myapa

ARTICLES Florida Planning welcomes articles, announcements, letters, pictures and advertising. Call 850-201-3272 regarding articles.

The next issue will be published October 2018.

DEADLINES Article deadlines are generally four weeks prior to publication.

Ad deadlines are generally two weeks prior to publication. Consult the editor for any exception to this schedule.

ABOUT THE CHAPTER APA Florida is a non-profit organization funded through membership dues and fees.

Contributions are also welcomed for general purposes and earmarked programs. Please note that contributions are not tax deductible.

For news and information on Chapter concerns, visit the APA Florida website at www.floridaplanning.org.

APA Florida 2017 Delta Boulevard, Suite 201 Tallahassee, FL 32303 Phone: 850-201-3272 Fax: 850-807-2576

[THANK YOU] TO OUR ANNUAL SPONSORS

[UPCOMING] EVENTS AUG. 1: PART 1 OF EPA’S HEAT ISLAND WEBCAST SERIES Part 1 of EPA’s Cool Fixes for Hot Cities webcast series will cover San Antonio’s Under 1 Roof program, which aims to provide relief from extreme heat and high utility bills to the city’s low-income residents. Learn about San Antonio’s program, the benefits of cool roofs, and monitoring efforts in this webcast. Information here.

AUG. 3: WEBINAR: CREATING & TELLING YOUR SUSTAINABILITY STORY THROUGH DATA & ENGAGEMENT Local governments face increasing pressure to transition to a more citizen-centric form of service delivery that is transparent, holds the government accountable, and provides an easy pathway for community members to be involved in decision-making. In many ways, this is a shift towards a more sustainable community. But for many local government leaders, limited staff and budgets make it e it difficult to even think about, let alone take action towards, incorporating “new” tasks into the daily staff routine to create a more sustainable community. Information here.

AUG. 17: WEBINAR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION – WHAT IS IT? WITH EXAMPLES FROM A SUSTAINABILITY ICON, NORWAY! As urban populations have grown, the need for sustainable transportation systems is increasingly crucial. Communities must now account for a range of complex factors in their transportation and land-use planning, including mass transit, economic development, livable communities, population density, climate change, alternative energies and more. This webinar explores the concepts behind sustainable transportation and provides an overview of successfully applying sustainable transportation principles in Norway. Information here.

AUG. 27-29: FLORIDA HOUSING COALITION STATEWIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE Orlando. The Florida Housing Coalition’s Annual Conference attracts more than 700 affordable housing advocates, lenders, developers, administrators and policy makers. The Annual Conference offers trainings from the nuts and bolts of housing to cutting edge training and an opportunity to learn from a broad range of experts. More than 30 workshops will provide training in all aspects of affordable housing. Information here.

SEPT. 11 - 14: APA FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE West Palm Beach. Join us at the Palm Beach County Convention center for three days filled with exciting and educational mobile tours, panel sessions and featured speakers. Get registration, mobile tour and session information on the conference website, floridaplanning.org/conference.

SEPT. 12: CAREER REALITY WEBINAR: COMPENSATION AND SALARY NEGOTIATIONS FOR PLANNERS Learn the importance of salary negotiation, discover how to research the salary range of the position, how to put your work history in context, and how to negotiate the best in take-home pay in combination with benefits. Information here.

For more information on these and other APA Florida events, please visit www.floridaplanning.org/calendar/