The MULLET RAPPER What’s Happening in the Everglades & 10,000 Islands! News, Stories, Classifieds & Tide Table
25¢
April 2, 2022 - April 15, 2022 © 2022, K Bee Marketing, Inc.
P. O. Box 134, Everglades City, FL, 34139
Volume IX
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Issue # 413
Everglades City is Developing a New Comprehensive Plan
McLeod Park Clean-up & Gardening Saturday, April 9th , 8:00am ***VOLUNTEERS NEEDED***
The Everglades Lions Club is going to replenish the mulch in the playground and around the planting areas. Bring gloves, rakes, shovels, hats, water, wheelbarrows and whatever else you use to spread mulch. Tell your friends! This is open to anyone who wants to help keep our Park beautiful. RAPPER TABLE OF CONTENTS Pastor Bob / Charles Sobczak Museum Events School News My Slice/ Xword Recipe/ Biz listings/ Tides/ Parks
Calendar
p. 2
P. 8
Event Calendar/ Announcements
p. 3
ESHP Update
P. 4
Manatee Are Moving
p. 5
SURVEY
p. 6
New Thrift Store
p.11
Sea Turtles
p. 7
Classifieds
p.12
P. 9 P. 10 p.11
FEATURED: MANATEE NEWS, P. 5
***Here are the Details From the Special Meeting on March 24th*** By Kathy Brock The City of Everglades City has been working from a Comprehensive Plan that was adopted in 1990 and updated in 1993. In short, the City’s plan is outdated. What is a Comprehensive Plan? A Comprehensive Plan is both a direction-setting document, and a legally enforceable document. The Comprehensive Plan must also be consistent with the Land Development Code (LDC). Once the Comprehensive Plan is changed, the LDC must also change to achieve that consistency. How does a Comprehensive Plan effect businesses and residents? The comprehensive plan, also known as a general plan, master plan or land-use plan, is a document designed to guide the future actions of a community. This includes guidance on how to make decisions on public and private land development proposals, the expenditure of public funds, cooperative efforts and issues of pressing concern, such as historic preservation or the rehabilitation of older neighborhood areas. Most plans are written to provide direction for future activities over a 10 to 20-year period after plan adoption.¹ In other words, this is very important to Everglades City business and property owners as these decisions will have a direct impact on you and our community. The City of Everglades City is doing this so that their Comprehensive Plan is more current. Typically, municipalities review these plan every 5 years, ten years at the latest. This is a very over-due process but it is one that comes with some risk for those of us who live and work here as now is the time decisions will be made that could change some aspects codes, zoning and growth within the City. Why now? The City is in the process of obtaining grants for things like the new sewer and wastewater plant. To qualify for those grants, the City must have a current Comprehensive plan. Everglades City was awarded a grant to hire a firm to help write the Comprehensive Plan. The 2-hour long meeting at City Hall also included ZOOM video conferencing participants, including Ken Metcalf, a certified City Planner from the firm Stearns, Weaver, Miller (see: https://www.stearnsweaver.com/attorneys/kenneth-metcalf/). Mr. Metcalf is the consultant that has been hired to direct this process. Other things that will be considered in this plan include actions that will be taken after the completion of a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Evaluation. The firm will analyze our vulnerability to flooding (spoiler alert: we are vulnerable), and how to address that issue with building codes. Other important decisions and changes could be made regarding Zoning, Density, Historic Preservation, Growth and uses of public land. An important aspect of this process is surveying the community so that we have an opportunity to communicate any of our concerns to the City and Planner. The survey will be available at City Hall in Lisa’s office (where you pay the water bill), and on the City website https://www.cityofeverglades.org/public-notices. For anyone who cannot get to City Hall or print the forms on the website, I am putting the survey on page 6. You can answer the questions on page 6 and on your own paper as needed. Handwritten is fine as long as it is legible. Remember, you may state any concerns or ideas that you might have in addition to the questions on the survey. The most important thing to do is participate and send in your responses. The future of our area is being planned. If you have ideas about the future of our community now is the time to act. Please take the survey on page 6! ¹https://community-planning.extension.org/the-purpose-of-the-comprehensive-land-use-plan/
SWFL Coast tide predictions, maps, tours & more at www.visitevergladescity.com! Call us @ 954-662-7003
