Category Archives: City of Stuart

Stuart’s Centennial

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Stuart’s Centennial Celebration is building toward a climax during the week of May 3rd through May 10th.  As the Centennial Chair for the city, we have planned that week to be when we celebrate with a gala, proclamations, time capsules, speeches, a parade and a free festival in Memorial Park. So far this year, we have celebrated our past with pageants, lectures and shows. The week of May 3rd through 10th will be the week we celebrate our present. But we should also think about our future.

Where will the city be in a decade or two or a hundred years from now? What should our aspirations and goals be and how do we put in place the policies and programs to achieve them? A city is organic that does evolve on its own with or without conscience guidance by its inhabitants. The evolution that occurs can result in a Stuart much as it looked in the 1970s. Our citizens became complacent and allowed outside forces to shape its destiny. Downtown almost became extinct.

We only began to emerge and foster the identity that we have today beginning with our own Jeffersonian period of the 1980s. I believe that Stuart is once again poised at a cross roads. Do we affirmatively shape our destiny or do we do nothing and allow outside forces to do so? These outside forces are not necessarily developers with grandiose plans. That is an easy threat or opportunity to control. No…the forces that will emerge to influence our community will be because of changes in technology, demographics, and life style.

History is meaningful to our community. It does help explain how we evolved. But the Stuart of 1914 is not the Stuart of 1925 or 1960 or even 2000. Look how much has changed even in the past decade. We should remember the past, but live in the present and plan for the future. Stuart, as any place, must serve the residents that are here and be attractive so that new people and businesses want to locate and be here. As we celebrate our birthday we need to think about our future.

Stuart and the Arts

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When one thinks of Stuart, you immediately have a picture of the water. Of course the city is known for its spectacular views of the St. Lucie. But the city is also becoming known for more than boating and fishing. Because of some dedicated people, Stuart is also becoming known for the arts.

Last Friday I attended a luncheon as a guest of Women Supporting the Arts. This group of local women is dedicated to not only supporting local artists but also in bringing public art to the city. They have purchased one of the bird sculptures that will grace the re-borne Colorado Avenue. They have also adopted a ceramic tile project for East Stuart.

Under the auspices of Mrs. Hardy’s Building Bridges organization, the children and senior citizens of the East Stuart Community have under the guidance of local artist Maggie Blizzard painted hundreds of tiles with meaningful and beautiful pictures. In the next few weeks they will be placed around the gateway sign to East Stuart on Martin Luther King Blvd. It was Polly and my great pleasure to donate the remaining amount needed to complete this phase of the project.

This is what makes our community so unique and beautiful. Many of us who call this place home have decided to donate our time, treasure and talent to making our city a better place to live. East Stuart has a unique place in our history. It is important that we all come together to embrace that community along with all our neighborhoods to make Stuart a better place to live and work.

E-MAIL SENT TO FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION RE FECI

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As a resident of Stuart, Florida, I am writing to state that the proposed “high speed” passenger train service between Miami and Orlando will seriously affect our quality of life on the Treasure Coast without any discernible benefit to us. The tracks bisect our community (as they do many others), and with 32 trains a day, will create a significant challenge for us when going from one side of town to the other.

At the same time, the railroad bridge which crosses the Saint Lucie River in Stuart will need to remain in the up position for most of the day. This will seriously hamper boating which is a key industry to our community and region. Because of this, property values for me and others who are on the “wrong” side of the bridge will lessen causing further erosion to our real estate tax base.

I am a proponent of rail service.  The disruptions I have outlined could be mitigated with a stop in Stuart. This would allow our citizens to take advantage of fast rail service to either Miami or Orlando without the inconvenience of driving to those destinations. With a stop in Stuart, visitors from other parts of Florida and tourists from all over the world could come to Stuart to shop in our stores, dine in our restaurants and take advantage of our beautiful waterfront.

I understand that FECI’s goal is to go from Miami to Orlando in three hours. However, FECI has already acknowledged that the trains must slow down considerably as they pass through Stuart because of the bridge and track configuration. A stop would take an additional 2 to 3 minutes, and they would only need to stop if there were passengers embarking or disembarking from the train.

As a corporate citizen, FECI, should help all our communities not just a few big cities. If they do not voluntarily elect to exercise good citizenship, then it is the government’s responsibility to insure that the vast majority of the citizens are not harmed by the action of any one citizen.

A COUNTY MYSTERY

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Geographically, Stuart is a tiny part of Martin County. But in the minds of most people, it is their name for all of Martin County although it comprises a little over 8 square miles of the county’s 753 square miles. I have been at meetings where people state they live in Stuart, but in reality they live in unincorporated Martin County.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there is such animosity toward us from county officials? Instead of working in tandem for the good of all residents, they behave as if Stuart is their competitor.

I have spoken with city commissioners and have been to nearly every commission meeting and workshop in the past year, and they are just as confounded as to why this attitude exists. An example is the latest counter offer proffered by the county to settle the TIF disagreement. (The TIF was explained in some detail in an earlier post.) Suffice it to say the county offer made no sense for two reasons.  First, their offer involved a third party, the gas pipeline company, not a party to the agreement.  And, second, it would cost the county more money than just paying the city what is rightfully owed for no discernable benefit except paying the city less.

There is much that I admire about four of the five present county commissioners. I am a staunch defender of their growth policies and the comp plan amendments. For the most part, I believe that they are truly fiscally conservative. But there is a blind spot when it comes to the City of Stuart. This prejudicial stance is hurting every county resident.

In order for their plan of preserving western Martin County to succeed, it depends on not only preserving the Urban Service Boundary but also on a strong and energetic Stuart. A dynamic city where the residents of Martin and the entire Treasure Coast can come to work, shop and be entertained is to everyone’s benefit. We are not rivals nor is Stuart the bad step child. Working together we can accomplish so much more than expending energy with petty grievances.

 

THOUGHTS ON COLORADO, DEVELOPMENT AND THE SALES TAX

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I was reading my earlier posts, and there is one instance where I really was wrong, and that was the Colorado Avenue upgrade. While I am still not a fan of traffic circles, I think that the narrowing to two lanes, pedestrian crossings and center median have contributed much to the revitalization of the entire street from Federal Highway to Confusion Corner. Now, with the planned addition of public art to the avenue, this will really be a great introduction to downtown.

When the current sales tax initiative was first brought up, I supported a more limited ½ cent for a three- to five-year duration.  I now believe it should be a full cent for ten years. The county and city infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes. Without a prolonged and targetted income stream to address these problems, planning and implementation will not happen. Because of the uncertainty of future funds, only projects for the favored few will be done instead of projects for all of our benefit.  With the right language in the statute, we can make sure that the proceeds won’t be used for another Splash Park.

Here are a few things I did get right. The idea of a Customs and Immigration facility at the “county” airport should be, once and for all time, scrapped. The same oligarchy that is always crying against expansive and expensive government wants to have the tax payers pick up the bill for their convenience. Besides the separation of powers in our constitution which clearly leaves this function to the federal government, we do not need to vote ourselves one more unfunded mandate to pay.

The BDB still needs to be weaned from the taxpayer’s treasury. There is no earthly reason to continue to support an organization that business people themselves won’t support with their own funds. Business will organically develop when they believe that Martin County and its cities have expedited permitting processes, good schools and is a great place to live. The worst thing we can do is subsidize any business entity with the promise of jobs or tax revenue at some future date. It is the same crony capitalism that we deplore in Putin’s Russia.

I will continue to speak out and fight for the maintaining of our county’s Comp Plan. Sprawl happens when we allow the supposed benefit of building for building sake and the “they will come” mentality to overlook sound economic judgment. Within the Urban Service District, Stuart and the other municipalities are where new and repurposed development should be encouraged. At the same time, Martin County and Stuart need to come together in common cause. Stuart is not a step-child that needs the county’s permission to perform as a government. The commissions and their staffs, especially on the county side, need to operate for the good of all residents.

Now that development is heating up, we will once again face challenges to maintain the Martin County way of life and the “Old Florida” ambiance of Stuart. Developers will try to breach the four story height limit through seemingly innocuous means such as roof top entertainment. We need to toughen not only the granting of Special Permits but how often and how many can be given in any one year. Legitimate restaurants and other establishments that operate within the parameters and the spirit of the law should be encouraged. At the same time those that use a mechanism meant to foster one-time events (such as block parties) as their business model should be stopped from ruining an entire neighborhood’s tranquility.

Outdoor music venues need to erect soundproofing barriers around their areas and position their speakers differently to minimize sound being carried beyond the venue’s boundaries. There is no constitutional right to have music blaring to the detriment of others who live nearby. I want to encourage people coming Stuart to enjoy themselves, but there are responsibilities that businesses have to the community as a whole.

I also would like to see in Stuart a mandatory meeting by the Development Office between developer and the neighbors when any new projects come before the city. There are instances where the plan being presented is more advantageous in terms of density, parking and setbacks for the neighborhood than what the developer has “as right” to build.  If both sides are talking to each other there would be less chance that a good plan is misunderstood. A little advanced planning could go a long way to solving problems before the politics take over.

 

 

OUR POLITICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE

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Last week, I was at a lecture given by Eve Samples of The Stuart News which highlighted the abysmal state of our rivers and the lagoon. Eve and her newspaper have done a great job of reporting and explaining this desecration. Her columns are very reminiscent of the columns and reporting on our rivers and lagoon done by the legendary Ernie Lyons in the same newspaper so many years ago. Then and now, the local press have certainly made us aware of the problems and some of the possible solutions.

But what have we done as residents, citizens and voters? A few of us have marched, contributed and joined organizations to stop this degradation. People such as Maggie Hurchella, Marty Baum, Donna Melzer and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch are full time advocates and warriors in the fight. The vast majority of us have kept quiet on this subject that is so vital to our homes, economy and future. We have done nothing.

Most of us have opinions and are not shy about expressing them. We are Democrats or Republicans, Liberals or Conservatives, pro or anti everything from the blame of Benghazi to whether the Common Core is good or bad. Where do we stand on our rivers? This silence and lack of involvement by most of us has led to this despicable state. The actions of residents, politicians and businesses have caused and perpetuated the decline. We are the only ones that can stop it.

We have some great local environmental commissioners. In the audience at the Sample’s lecture were County Commissioners Ed Fielding and Sarah Heard and Stuart Mayor Troy McDonald and Stuart Commissioner Eula Clarke. Through their actions using grants and our tax dollars, both commissions have made the county and city leaders in showing the way in protecting our environment. This is not so with our state and federal office holders.

On July 31st of last year, I wrote a letter to the President regarding Lake Okeechobee and the discharges. At the end of January, I received a form letter back telling me that the President shares my concerns about the environment and that he is working hard to protect it. After 7 months, that is the best the White House can offer…the same response that would go to anyone who sends a letter with the word “environment” in the body.

Governor Scott did not even attend the Everglades conference that was held 3 doors from his residence earlier this year. It was great that the Florida Senate held hearings, but appropriations have not as yet been forthcoming to do one thing for our waterways. Our state house representatives mouth pieties but continue to vote for the same anti-environmental policies. Congressman Murphy hosted concerned citizens in Washington and had influential Democratic members such as Leader Pelosi address them, but the farm bill with its sugar quotas and subsidies was passed with their votes. Senator Nelson is with us in spirit while doing everything he can to further the interests of the very people who are the environment’s biggest polluters. Senator Rubio is too busy to be bothered with anything as pedestrian as his constituents’ concerns while running for President in 2016.

What all of our state and national politicians have in common is their abiding love of campaign contributions from the very industries that are the worst offenders. While mouthing platitudes to voters, they have not stopped taking that money.  When do you think the voters will learn to put aside party labels and actually elect those people who will work for us instead of the special interests? For too long, we have allowed others to divide us along artificial lines. We need to now, as residents and citizens, vote in our interest. If the lagoon and rivers actually, die what happens to we who live in Martin County? Our homes will be worth less. Our quality of life will be dissolute. Businesses will flee along with the tourists and snow birds. That is how important this issue is to all of us whether we fish or not, boat or not, live on the water or not.

We need to become single issue voters in this respect. Our mantra should be you have one term to accomplish some measurable improvement to our environment. This issue is that important to all of us that we cannot allow our representatives to tell us one thing and then take political payoffs to ignore our interest. I have heard that you need to choose when voting the lesser of the evils. Evil is still evil and in this case it will be deadly to the ordinary everyday citizen of Martin County.

Our City Hall and it’s future.

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This was sent to my fellow committee members regarding City Hall after our last meeting on Feb 14, 2014:.

 

What this committee has been tasked with accomplishing is more than the fate of City Hall. It is actually to define the future of downtown and the essence of Stuart. Everyone from my fellow committee members to city staff, our elected commission and the general public sincerely want what is best for our home. It will not be our motivations that may make our individual conclusions differ. We are celebrating our 100th anniversary as a city. While the past is ever present, we must concern ourselves with our future direction.

Here is what we can all agree upon. First that access to the water and the keeping and enhancing of the park behind our current site for all our citizens is essential. Second, we want to maintain the architectural character and feel of our downtown area. This would limit the size and height of any new or remodeled structures for this site. The “Old Florida” small town charm is a nonnegotiable trait that should not be lost.

Since our last meeting, I have spoken with Jacque Lewis of the Martin County Hotel Association, Mike Braid, and Steve Vitalli . I have also spoken with a couple of other hotel people that I know as well as my own experience with the industry. If we keep in mind my above statement regarding our agreed upon traits, then I received the same answer from all, that a hotel is neither economically or physically possible on the city hall site. Perhaps there is someone who would want to do the project but it would be irresponsible to make such a recommendation without a bona-fide and thoroughly vetted developer-operator.

It is my belief that we are lacking several critical components in making a determination of this magnitude today. First we still do not know what FECI intends to do with the parking along their right away. Without a long term parking commitment (at an affordable price) anything decided would probably be sent back to the drawing boards. If we believe that we don’t have enough parking now and are looking to build a parking garage, how many more spaces would we need and where should we locate those spaces?

There is also a question as to whether we will eventually have an “All Aboard Florida” train station or stop. Does the parent company, which is essentially in the hospitality, residential and office development business, want to invest here. If so, can a mutually acceptable project for both them and a vast majority of Stuart residents be achievable. We also need to consider the best path of solidifying the great strides we have made in our core downtown while continuing the synergy between the core and Ocean, East Ocean, Colorado and East Stuart.

The other missing element in this exercise is how do we, as a community, fund moving city hall or even keeping it and doing any sort of rehabilitation. While it is nice for us to dream and pontificate about a future direction, it would  be totally irresponsible of us to recommend a “shiny new city hall by the Saint Lucie” without taking into account the actuality of paying for that vision.

Our gem, which is the city, is too precious to allow development of each parcel in isolation. We should ask the Planning and Development Department to be allowed to do what their name implies. We should not be asking for one more consultant’s report or one more un-vetted pipe dream such as “Salt Life”.

The time needed is more than a few hours over two days to make this recommendation. All components of downtown development must be looked at in totality so that an organic future can be imagined, embraced, encouraged and realized by the people of our city. For the past thirty years, we have had exercise upon exercise regarding this. It is now time for us to allow a more “nuts and bolts” approach to how we achieve these goals.

This committee should continue this discussion gathering more facts and information. There should be ongoing workshops with the various city departments but especially Planning and Development, the City Manager and Budget Director to formulate our next steps. As a Sunshine Committee, all our meetings are open to the public and public comment should be encouraged. This should be looked at as a beginning and not an ending.

One of Shakespeare’s most fascinating works is the “The Tempest”. In it, he explores the concepts of illusion and reality. What “is” and “is not”. Prospero, one of the characters, metaphorically tries to explain that what a couple has just witnessed is not reality. The buildings and palaces and city are not real but merely the product of a well-staged entertainment — that of life itself.

“Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind.

We are such stuff, As dreams are made on;”

Stuart Main Street has been given and accepted a task. I believe we should continue the work.
 

 

PLEASE SETTLE THIS TIF

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Sometimes we allow our personal feelings to overwhelm our better judgment. This is happening now between the Martin County and the City of Stuart Commissions over TIF money belonging to Stuart which was wrongly paid to the county. It was a clerical error made by the County Appraiser, and when discovered, it was immediately brought to the attention of both entities. For brevity, I have simplified the matter but the net result is that the county owes the city money.

If the IRS gave you a refund to which you weren’t entitled, they would expect you to return the money when the error was discovered. It’s no different here. There are minor points of law as to interest amounts and whether the statute of limitation is three or four years, but this issue can surely be settled without litigation.

However, it appears that the commissioners’ egos may be getting in the way of a just settlement. From my understanding, the county is taking a hard line. This will cause the city to do the same and could end up costing the taxpayers, whose money it actually is, unneeded and unnecessary legal bills. If this isn’t the height of stupidity, I don’t know what is.

It seems Commissioner Fielding, whose district comprises most of the city, should be taking a leadership role in settling this “TIF” amicably and fairly. Commissioners are only important because the people bestow that importance at the voting booth. While I generally support the views and actions of the majority of both commissions, I think changes may be necessary if this escalates further. Spending taxpayer money to keep taxpayer money in one pocket or the other is idiotic … not frugal or wise.  Both governmental entities should work together in the interest of the people they serve.

NOISE ORDINANCE: COMPROMISE CAN BALANCE RIGHTS

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At it’s January 13th meeting, the Stuart City Commission began passing a revised amplified sound ordinance. The current one is unenforceable being much too subjective. The current ordinance’s enforcement depends on an officer’s perceptions. We don’t rely on perception when it comes to issuing speeding tickets. We shouldn’t for sound either.

The commission with the help of staff is attempting to establish a framework so as to balance the right of enjoyment for all residents, guests and visitors. This is not an easy thing to accomplish. All too often we complain (and I am no exception) about our rights being infringed upon. But in society especially when you live and work in a city there also are responsibilities. One of which is to consider the rights of others.

As I am writing this I am listening to “Grand Funk Railroad” which was a rock band of my youth.  I know the music is above 65dB. Yet no one is complaining. There are no police at my door.  If I were to put my speakers on my back deck at the same decibel level, my neighbors certainly would not be happy.

And here is the crux of the matter; is my right more important than my neighbors’. Do we owe each other some consideration and respect since we live, work and play in such close confines? Whether you own a business, performer, live in the city or all three there needs to be respected consideration of others.

What the commission has proposed is not unreasonable. I don’t know if it is too stringent or not enough. I do know that there is neither unalienable right to play loud music nor to have absolute quiet. The revised ordinance should take effect and then can be revisited if needed.

published Jan 25 2014 in Stuart Times

THE FUTURE OF STUART ON OUR 100TH BIRTDAY

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The City of Stuart is approaching its hundredth birthday on May 7th. When measured against the world’s oldest cities such as Damascus, Syria or Jericho on the West Bank of the Jordan, Stuart is still in its infancy.  Even within our own state, Stuart is 349 years younger than St. Augustine.  But one thing all cities have in common, regardless of age, is that they are living organisms. Not for a moment can they rest on the past or in the present. They have no choice but to embrace the future. Cities must do so not with trepidation or fear but with dynamism that comes from a confidence of purpose.

Embracing the future does not mean neglecting our past. We are a place born of the water. It is vital for us to make sure that the Saint Lucie and Indian Rivers not only survive but are pristine and that they are returned to the state they were in when Stuart was first settled. The “Sailfish Capital of the World” can be known for nothing less.

Our historic downtown was close to extinction.  Stuart could have been consigned, as many other places were, to continued blight. Joan Jefferson and the work of many others have restored our downtown to a vibrant place of retail stores, restaurants, offices and homes. Their future is our present. Our future should be a time when we expand that vibrancy to other parts of the city such as East Stuart. It should be a time when we capitalize on our livability because of our restaurants, theaters, stores, and medical facilities.

Going forward, the needs of Stuart’s citizens will change.  As a society, we will be less car centric. Reliable and affordable mass transit will be needed and should be encouraged. The CRA should have greater but smarter density criteria. The building of smaller apartments should be encouraged so that young couples starting out in life and older ones looking to downsize have options. There will be more people working from home. We will need to have more reliable, faster and less expensive internet including universal WiFi.  We should look at connectivity as a utility the same as we do our water and sewer.

Stuart has a natural advantage when it comes to attracting both the marine and aviation industries. These businesses have good paying jobs for an educated workforce.  With modern production design and manufacturing, such as 3D printers, they are relatively clean as compared to other industries. However, all environmentally friendly businesses should be encouraged.

Stuart and Martin County cannot build a future on real estate development and construction. It is not only bad for the environment but unsustainable. That does not mean we do not develop and grow to accommodate our needs.  But, we shouldn’t though build just to build so that a few may become richer but the county and city as a whole becomes poorer. Our future is more reliant on a pristine waterway than on a paved-over savannah.

Stuart is a city that should encourage change and innovation in keeping with our past and present. We need to look to our past for guidance but not be blind to the world of the future. We must direct and shape our city plan toward the world that will be. This will no doubt require much discussion and deliberation among all our citizens. This future will, in no way, be as hard for us as Stuart’s founders had when they established this city on the Saint Lucie a century ago.