Minds meet on heights
Miracle baby' compromise could allow 65-foot-tall buildings on coast.

Developers were flanked by environmentalists while land-use attorneys stood shoulder-to-shoulder with homeowner association presidents, reading from prepared statements they'd written together.

Charlotte County scheduled a public hearing and a meeting of the minds broke out.

Unfortunately, consensus came so suddenly -- to be exact, three minutes before the hearing -- that it will take two weeks to digest an unexpected whirlwind of compromise and conciliation on proposed amendments to the county's planned development ordinance.

If all goes well, Tuesday's "miracle baby" ordinance will be adopted by commissioners following a July 8 public hearing.

In essence, the compromise will allow buildings up to 65 feet tall within 1,200 feet of the shoreline in a foot-for-foot exchange of height for open space, and only after proposed projects are vetted by the public in workshops.

Planned developments, referred to as planned unit developments elsewhere, encompass all elements of a large-scale proposal to ensure cohesive coordination of traffic, drainage, utilities, landscaping and building standards, as well as state and federal regulations.

County planners and focus groups have been studying ways to revise the planned development ordinance since April.

However, after three workshops, the groups -- especially the West County panel -- could not agree on a formula to exchange open space for height beyond the county's 35-foot limit.

The county's Planning and Zoning Board has twice turned the revised ordinance down and, after an acrimonious two-hour hearing on June 10, commissioners made no motion at all.

Discord was exacerbated by confusion with calculations that included "viewsheds" and "hardscapes," which might, or might not, be publicly accessible outdoor open space.

In the end, said Percy Angelo, a Democratic Commission 3 candidate, with simplification came concession.

"We tried to make it as simple as possible and as easy to use as possible," she said.

Angelo said the latest rendition of the amended ordinance actually makes few changes from the original law.

The revised code includes elements from Sarasota County's ordinance that forgos variances for minor modifications but requires buildings taller than 35 feet "be innovative and site-sensitive," she said.

Angelo said under the revised ordinance, a builder who wants to add 20,000 feet of floor space above 35 feet must provide 20,000 square feet of open space at ground level on the same parcel.

The revised law would restore roadside setbacks to 20 feet, give commissioners what amounts to a line-item veto on modifications, and require developers to stage public workshops with nearby residents.

The revisions were amenable to land-use attorneys and developers because, essentially, they allow hotels as tall as five stories on the Cape Haze Peninsula and, perhaps, along the Peace River.

The Burnt Store Corridor, Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Area, Murdock and the city of Punta Gorda all have their own height codes.

Debra Highsmith, a Burnt Store resident, said the revised ordinance could encourage "tower creep," as she fears it will do eventually with 90-foot-tall buildings permitted in Tern Bay within the Burnt Store Corridor.

However, Cape Haze Property Owners Association President Marvin Medintz, one of the revisions' most vocal critics, called the compromise ordinance "a miracle baby."

"Getting historic foes together like this is groundbreaking," Englewood/Cape Haze Chamber of Commerce Interim Director Jon Bednerik agreed.

"Citizens coming up with solutions for their community is absolutely the best that could happen," Commissioner Tricia Duffy said, before warning, "I (hope) that once we start tweaking, we don't tweak it to death."

By John Haughey, Staff Writer