Minutes
for May 26, 2005
(as amended)
The meeting was called to order by Chair, Leah Schad, at 6:35 p.m.
Committee members in attendance included:
Leah Schad, Chair
Cathy Probst, Support Staff
Winston Crosbie
Jane Vickers
Robert Trepp
Lucius Wilcox
Ralph Bair
Mike Sexton
Also in attendance were James Dubois, Nat Roberts of Callery Judge Grove and Dan Cary.
The minutes from the meeting April 28, 2005 were reviewed and approved with a correction to the summary of Mike Green’s presentation to Considerations.
Chair Schad asked us to consider the results and identify the top 10 social infrastructure suggestions from the April meeting. The committee was then asked to place the remaining ideas into the top 10. The results follow:
Religious Institutions Schools
Weddings
Town Hall Meetings
Faith based support services
i.e. adult day care
Cemetery/Memorial Gardens
Amphitheatre Fitness/Bike
Trails
Concert Greenspace
Green space
Interactive Fountains
Performing Arts
Hotel/Conference Center
University Meeting/Conference
Library Small
hotel/Conference Performing
Arts Assisted
Living Facility
Adult Education
Historical Education
Community Center Equestrian
Trails
Movie Theater Equestrian
Center
Town Hall Corridor
for multi-use trails
Skating Rink Perimeter
Buffer
Bowling Alley
Multi-use park
Youth Center
Fitness Center
Agriculture
Botanical Gardens
Interactive Historical education and nature
Weddings
Green Market
Interactive garden
Retail/Professional
Performing Arts
Assisted Living Facility
Youth Center
Bowling Alley
Restaurants
Boutiques
Movie Theatre
Gas station
The committee had specific discussion regarding Equestrian and Assisted Living Facility regarding location, need, design, etc. It was decided that these topics be considered for further conversation at a future meeting.
The committee was asked to consider what the community should provide
for equestrian, good and bad points. Their points follow:
• The amount of horse manure per horse, permitting, disposal, etc.
• Parking for horse trailers.
• Homeowners may or may not want horses on their property.
• Perimeter trails connecting to surrounding neighbors.
• Is community horse friendly and is plan horse friendly?
•
Segregate equestrian area with 2 ½ to 5 acre lots with riding trails.
• Zoning issues for horse needs such as water and manure.
•
Don’t build to compete with Wellington.
• Large lots with horse barns.
•
Small boarding stable for families who can’t afford their own barn,
live in townhomes or don’t want the work of a horse.
Mr. Cary informed the group
that town planning has been around for hundreds of years and it has evolved
into some basic rules to consider when planning
a community. If the basic rules are followed, issues that the committee
discussed such as adult day care, will be solved. Mr. Cary recommended
the book “A Pattern Language” by Christopher Alexander. Points
reviewed included:
• Well defined center and edge
• Hierarchy of streets
• Beautiful streets designed for cars and people
• Diversity of housing types and affordability
• Mix of appropriate building types and uses
Mr. Cary continued his presentation with the following points:
• Traffic problems result
from poor planning and large entities require sufficient roads and parking
i.e. assisted living facility.
•
Retail shops located @ “main and main” near the high traffic
intersections. Town planning succeeds when there is a place for everyone.
• Street design is a part of the civic realm i.e. detailed, proportioned,
tree-lined to create great real estate and offer mix use options.
• Traditional neighborhood designs include various building types with
single family homes, townhomes, mixed use, estate and multi-family.
• Balance range of housing price points.
• Consider traditional neighborhoods with small parks close to home.
• No bars or clubs near residences in town.
Nat Roberts asked the committee to answer what density means to them.
Their responses follow:
• Overall acres vs. units.
• Traffic congestion.
• Town center with high density in middle and less at the edges.
• Space to breathe and stretch.
• Close proximity of people can create crime and chaos. People need privacy
and room.
• Planning and architecture.
• One unit per acre and a quarter similar to what we have in the Acreage/Loxahatchee
area.
• People not too close to each other.
• Development rights, design and incorporating entities, design done right
is less important than other priorities.
Public Comments followed:
Well-planned diverse community will draw people even if it is not the preference
of acreage residents. Design principals are key.
Consider the look of Southern Blvd. and density which is disconnected from community and not part of it. Loxahatchee Groves Town Center, which was not approved, could have been a good center for the community.
The next meeting is scheduled for June 30, 2005.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
