Category Archives: City of Stuart

IS THE TREASURE COAST ALL ABOARD FLORIDA?

Posted on by

There is passenger train service coming to the Treasure Coast which will be called “All Aboard Florida”. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to come aboard anywhere on the Treasure Coast since we are being bypassed. It will run nonstop from Orlando to West Palm Beach and then on to Fort Lauderdale and Miami. That doesn’t mean Martin and Stuart won’t have the train, it will just be the one rushing through 32 times a day once everything gets up and running.

The price of a one way ticket will be about $100 and take 3 hours’ time from Miami to Orlando. Florida East Coast Industries, the route’s owner, expect tourists and business people to make up the bulk of the ridership. Currently FECI not only owns the right of way but also is one of the largest real estate companies in Florida. According to their website, they currently have over 7 million square feet of commercial space. The company is a direct successor to Flagler’s railroad empire and is currently controlled by a Wall Street firm, The Fortress Investment Group.

So why is this important to the residents of Stuart and Martin County? There will be an impact to our roads and boating. With 32 added trains, although each much smaller than the current freight trains, travelling at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, those roadway gates and rail bridges will be down more than currently. Also, how about the added noise along the right of way not to mention the expense of maintaining the road crossings with the higher use?

Will the trains provide any benefit to us?  If there is no stop in Stuart, I can’t see any. A few officials and the rail road executives have said that people on the train will see the beauty of Stuart and will want to come back for a visit. That may hold true for a few of the Floridians who catch a glimpse as the train speeds by, but tourists who elected to bypass the area are not likely now to rent cars and return. All in all, the train will cost us dollars and not bring any to us in return.

What is the probability of the long term success of “All Aboard Florida”? FECI is touting the train as not receiving any public tax dollars. There is not one current passenger system in the country that is not government subsidized. So the likelihood of this venture succeeding is slim.  So why would a savvy Wall Street hedge fund attempt to do this? The same reason Flagler did over a century ago…to develop the real estate and bring tourists to his hotels.

If you look at the plans in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando, these cities will not only have stations but also be development hubs for office buildings, hotels and apartments. The trains will act as a loss leader to the company. FECI will not be receiving subsidies for train travel but will have tax and development incentives for the new properties being built. Once the development is in place, if the trains then prove to be too unprofitable and government refuses to subsidize the travel, another experiment in private mass transport will end.

Currently there is no benefit to Stuart or Martin County in this passenger train plan. The likelihood that either Fort Pierce or Stuart will have even one train a day stop is not great. I’ve heard that tri-rail could be extended or Amtrak, but I wouldn’t hold my breath given the dearth of public financing. While there is nothing wrong in lobbying FECI for a rail stop in Stuart, I wouldn’t spend any tax payer dollars to move that forward at present.

Until we, as a nation, decide to subsidize mass transit including inter-city rail travel, then ventures like “All Aboard Florida” will probably not succeed as a transportation alternative. It would be a great benefit to many of our citizens to have an affordable option such as this but, as a county and a city, we should not count on it happening. What we really need to do is to expand our own mass transit system with more reliable and frequent busses and trams. If Stuart wants to have a more livable downtown, this is something that we need to explore.

 

 

 

LETTER TO STUART COMMISSION RE AKRON AVENUE DEC 3RD

Posted on by

Dear Commissioner:

I understand that the developer has pulled his original application from the Akron Avenue property and will re-apply to build a larger building with fewer units. That is a very disappointing development. I am definitely not someone who believes every lot should have a high density use. At the same time neither am I anti-development. The city needs smart development. From the plans I saw the original proposal was exactly what Stuart needs and was situated where it should be.

Unfortunately neighborhood opposition took into account only the number of units but not the overall footprint of the building. The city needs especially downtown small apartments to attract and keep not only younger residents but also older ones looking to downsize or just wanting to be close to downtown Stuart. This is a niche that needs to be filled.

 

The project that will proceed of right will be much larger with smaller setbacks. While a new building is better that an empty lot what will be built will not give us the size units we need. Unfortunately it will not be what the neighbors envisioned either. In most of the CRA certain residential buildings, such as a one family residence occupied by a nuclear family, will probably not be built today. This was a missed opportunity.

 

In the future it may make sense to hold a preliminary meeting between the neighbors and the developer chaired by a city official who knows the codes and regulations. With a knowledgeable city official presiding who was able to explain options to both sides, positions would not be as inflexible. For I believe even in this instance something could still be worked out to the neighbors, the developer and ultimately Stuart’s advantage.

Why Can’t the County Make Up Their Minds

Posted on by

Why is it so hard to have the Martin County Commission accept an offer of free land from Stuart to build offices for the Tax Collector and Appraiser? It seems to me that, for a variety of reasons, locating those offices in the city (particularly downtown) would be a win for both governmental entities as well as all the residents of the county. Rental rates are climbing, so the faster the relocation of those offices to county-owned buildings the better.

Building in most areas of Martin County would mean encouraging sprawl and the added cost of new infrastructure to handle the development. It would be unwise to place offices in different areas from one another. This would result in the public, other businesses that need to be in proximity to these offices, and county employees would be inconvenienced by not being in a central location. The more we can keep government functions in a compact space, the better the efficiencies of scale.

As a city and with a modicum of infrastructure improvements, Stuart can accommodate these offices as well as the associated businesses that will move into the area. By being located within the downtown area, density is not an issue and sprawl is averted in other parts of Martin County. At the same time, other sections of downtown will be redeveloped because of this influx. It is a win-win situation.

Sometimes it seems to me that these two governmental entities are busy working at cross purposes instead of working together. They forget that the citizens of Stuart are also citizens of the county. They vote and pay taxes to both. What is good for Stuart is good for Martin County and visa-versa. One is not better than the other and, in fact, each needs the other to be successful. No commissioner from either body should be disdainful about dealing with each other or their counterparts on the other commission.

This county commission has proved that it can accomplish much in a short period of time, witness the Comp Plan Amendments. It shouldn’t take months or years to decide what to do regarding our constitutional offices. The city commission has done everything asked regarding those parcels. Now it’s time for the county commissioners to fulfill their part. There is no room for prima donnas or indecisiveness.

 

Leasing of the Flagler Center

Posted on by

Here is a link to a letter that was printed in the 11/24/2013 edition of The Stuart News:  http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/nov/24/letter-analyzing-stuart-commissions-vote-to/

This is the letter I submitted….just in case there are problems connecting via the link.

I was at a recent Stuart Commission meeting where they voted unanimously to lease the Flagler Center. I, like Mr. Steinberg whose letter was recently published in this newspaper, was initially confused as to why the lowest bidder won.   But, calling on my experience as an owner and manager of real property, it is important not only to look at the amount being offered but also to the person’s ability to perform on his proposal.

Since I was not privy to the information or the metrics used by staff on why one was chosen over the other, I don’t know how I would have voted if on the Commission. But what bothered me that night was the reason given by each Commissioner for how they voted. Each stated that they could not go against staff recommendations. If the commissioners had said that, after digesting the report, they agreed with staff, then I would have had no problem.

As elected officials, they are the final arbiter. That is why the matter comes before them.  The Commission is not a rubber stamp of the bureaucracy. Stuart does have dedicated and knowledgeable employees, but in the final analysis, it is our elected Commission that serves to protect the people’s interests. While that interest may have been ultimately served, it was in spite of the reason expressed that night by the Commission.

To the other point in Mr. Steinberg’s letter, I voted no on the ballot initiative. I did so only because of the non-county use expressed therein. Mr. McDonald and the Commission are exactly correct in wanting the County offices to remain in the city. While I was not in favor of abandoning the ball fields, I would not hesitate to donate the Frazier Creek parcels. To do otherwise would be penny wise and pound foolish.

Intergovernmental Cooperation

Posted on by

Martin County and the City of Stuart are two governmental entities that should be working together to further the interests of every citizen. The needs of both are intertwined in so many ways that it demands they develop policies in concert that are beneficial to both. From economic development to ecological conservation to land use, a coordinated effort would increase results.

Working in concert doesn’t just mean the occasional joint meeting. There should be task forces headed by a commissioner from each commission that meets to determine coordinated policy. The task forces should also include staff and citizen representatives. The commissioners would then report back to their respective bodies for feedback and eventual enactment of policies.

This would require both entities not to just preach coordination but to actually practice it. Staff alone, even under the best of circumstances, can only advise those elected by the voters. The commissioners themselves need to be involved to make this work. Reliance on staff for technical or administrative tasks is necessary. But the business of governing is more than just issuing proclamations and passing staff recommendations.

For what happens in Stuart does affect all residents of the county to some degree as does what happens in the county affect Stuart residents. No one lives in isolation and is impervious to consequences across governmental boundary lines. We, as citizens, have chosen to live in different parts of Martin County for various reasons. I live close to downtown Stuart because I like the amenities that affords. Someone else lives in rural Hobe Sound or Palm City or Jensen Beach because of their particular preferences. That doesn’t mean we do not have an interest for the well-being of all of Martin County.

CITY AND COUNTY NEED TO WORK IN TANDEM

Posted on by

At their last meeting, the Stuart City Commission voted “no” to the annexation of the Baker Road property. Earlier in the week, when the annexation came before the LPA, I also voted no for the reasons I expressed in an earlier post. It was heartening to see that the commissioners believed, as did I, that there were many more questions needing to be answered by the Wynne Corporation, who is the developer of the project.

Putting aside this particular vote, I would urge both the City of Stuart and Martin County to formulate an annexation plan for the present and future. Under current Florida law, cities do have the right to annex land if certain criteria are met. About a decade ago Stuart and Martin County went through a very litigious period regarding this very issue for which legal fees were paid with tax payer dollars. As the economy improves and development resumes, it is extremely important that these two government entities work together to insure that there is an agreement on the future boundaries of the city.

County Commissioner Smith was quoted in the Stuart News as being against all annexation.  I believe this is not a sustainable or defensible position. As population grows, it will be more desirable from a financial, economic and ecological perspective to have greater density in a portion of our county. Stuart, because of its definition as a city, is defined as an urban area. In the future as social and demographic changes occur, more and more of our residents will want, need and prefer a more cosmopolitan lifestyle.

This does not mean that the city does away with the 4 story height limit or becomes Delray North. It does, however, mean that its planned development encompasses more multi-family housing, office and retail buildings located not in strip malls but built as integral parts of existing neighborhoods with street presence to encourage and facilitate more foot traffic.

I love the fact that I can walk to downtown Stuart from my home within a matter of a few minutes. Walking in my immediate neighborhood is pleasant. However, in order for me to reach downtown, I must walk along Federal Highway for several blocks and then attempt to cross. There is nothing pleasant about that part of the journey. Better planning should encourage those practices that would lead me and others to leave our cars at home. A few trees, more street friendly architecture, and a safer way of crossing Federal Highway would lead to more city pedestrians.

If there is a place that does allow for a more cosmopolitan life style, such as the city, then the county’s designated urban service area can provide a lifestyle allowing for less density.  This more suburban area will give those residents and businesses that want that lifestyle a place to live and work. In this way, we will still continue to allow for a rural western Martin. This more holistic planning approach will preserve our current lifestyle for our future residents. We do not need to succumb to the South Florida disease of sprawl in the misguided hope of economic development. That will only serve a few developers and their high paid consultants. The building industry is not the way to sustain jobs and growth. Sustainable growth is achieved through residents, companies and industries that either move or remain here because it is the best place to work and raise a family.

At the LPA meeting, one of the representatives of the Wynne Corporation said this piece of property was going to be developed and it couldn’t be stopped, so it might as well be them. That argument or statement completely misses the point. Economic development of vacant parcels will happen. The question is not stopping it but allowing it to occur within a framework that will be beneficial to the community as a whole. If the city and the county can work in tandem on issues such as annexation, then all the residents of the county will gain.

Exciting Times for the City of Stuart

Posted on by

It is very exciting times for the City of Stuart. With the purchase of the old Triangle parcel and the possible building of a new city hall, change is in the air. But whose vision for the city will we be realizing? Is there a consensus of the residents for what is to happen? The present commission and the city manager are envisioning a radically changed downtown landscape. A new city hall, four story parking garage, hotel and convention center are the ideas being discussed. Does the future of Stuart look like Delray? How do we the residents get to decide our fate instead of the select few?

We need to recognize that Stuart is no longer some small town. The proposed city budget for 2014 is approximately $20,000,000.00. There are 17,285 full time residents with an increased population of 21,000 in season. Which means the per capita budget number is approximately is $1000 per person. That $1000 does not include the county or school board per capita costs. The city has 275 employees or one for every 70 residents. So city residents pay a premium to live in Stuart.

Sleepy little Stuart has and is continuing to grow and become more and more something different from its past. That is a good thing not something to be feared or dreaded but to be embraced and celebrated. The future of the city demands that we plan for growth. But do we allow the growth to occur with the ideas of a few or do we, as citizens and taxpayers, decide Stuart’s path.

We with all of Martin County elected and changed the county commission last year to reflect our desire to live differently than the rest of South Florida.  Martin County now has a smart growth majority commission which is dedicated to preserving the character of the county. It now is time for the voters of the city to do the same. Either we through whom we elect to the city commission decide the fate of Stuart or the developers, their minions and the connected few will.  Do we want a Stuart to reflect our values and vision or will we passively allow others to decide our fate?

 

And, About Those Traffic Circles

Posted on by

Do you remember the old kid’s song lyric, “here we go loop di loo, here we go loop di la”. Those silly lyrics always meant to me that the revelers were going around in circles. That is the way I feel about government in Martin County sometimes. Stuart has lately become simply enraptured by the thought of creating traffic roundabouts which is another name for circles. If you have some sort of real or perceived roadway issue, Stuart has only one solution.

Want to slow down traffic; make a circle. Want to spiff up a road; make a circle and add brick pavers. Want to justify a contract to a favorite consultant; ask him to draw a road with circles. And do you want to give out a lucrative road contract; make sure to include circles.

While the rest of the U.S. is abandoning this idiotic traffic approach, the Stuart city fathers are embracing the need to go round in a circle. Perhaps to some of them the circle represents an earlier more quaint time. A bygone era when roads were uncluttered and the alternatives such as a stop light were unappealing. What better way to say “Old Stuart” than by adding a circle at Colorado and Martin Luther King.

Or perhaps Stuart wanted a more cosmopolitan approach mirroring the Piazza della Republica in Rome or the grandeur of the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Maybe Piccadilly Circus which leads to Regent Street, an upscale shopping mecca in London, is the look they were striving for leading to Flagler and Osceola. Isn’t our Arc de Triomphe the Sailfish statue? Two meaningful cultural symbols located in the Place du Carousel and the Sailfish Roundabout respectively.

Sometimes roundabouts are the best solution such as with Confusion Corner. For the most part, especially on straight roads or where two streets intersect, roundabouts are planned idiocy. To my knowledge, the only city in America where roundabouts or circles are truly entrenched and embraced is Washington, DC. To say that Washington is a city of circles would be an understatement. I hope Stuart is not trying to emulate that metropolis.