Redefine panel presents report

Redefine panel presents report BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com After Ivan destroyed many homes and buildings on Pensacola Beach last September, the Santa Rosa Island Authority was faced with the task of rebuilding the beach, and decided to empower a panel to make recommendations on the direction the rebuilding process should take. Rather than reach a consensus on whether the beach should be a busy entertainment center focusing on tourism , keep its residential flair, or find a balance between the two options, the Committee to Redefine Pensacola Beach often dissolved into lengthy discussions about the condo cap and disputed the number of hotel rooms in a proposed building, the rooms’ square footage and even whether a condo/hotel should contain a stove. However, last week the committee ended its duties, agreeing to submit a summary report to the Santa Rosa Island Authority that called, in essence, for more planning. Monsignor Luke Hunt made many attempts to bring the panel back around to the task at hand, and he was assisted by vice chairman Jim Cox. The summary report states that developing a long-range plan for the island is beyond the scope of the committee, and asks that the Santa Rosa Island Authority revisit a 2003 study called “Vision 2010 and Beyond,” which was done by the Whitman Center at the University of West Florida. The panel pointed out the need for developing an architectural style or theme, especially within the central core area; enhancing pedestrian access in the core area; and adding parking spaces. The report calls for the island to retain the residential building cap of 4,128 units to preserve the beach from rampant growth that is occurring on other Gulf Coast communities. Additionally, the report: ¦ Calls for the beach to be included in Escambia County’s long range planning process ¦ Recommends hiring consultants to lead a planning process now while rebuilding is underway ¦ Asks SRIA to establish architectural and building material guidelines for single family homes ¦ Calls for revisiting the zoning plan that was established 17 years ago, including rezoning areas to reflect the low-density development on lots zoned for higher density. ¦ Suggests keeping hotel zoning approvals on a case-bycase basis, and collecting impact fees when zoning changes are granted. ¦ Calls for building hotels with convention facilities to improve year-round tourism. Members of the panel were Scott Amberson, Larry Fox, Kirk Newkirk, Jim Reeves, Casey Trout, Joe Endry, Julian MacQueen, Stan Potts and Robert Rinke.