Town staff hard at work on Key developments

I was initially prompted to write this as a result of continued interest and speculation about the Publix project, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided it would be helpful to talk publicly about what’s really going on these days on Longboat Key — and what the town is doing to ensure that our future remains bright.

But first, the latest on Publix: In 2009, shortly after Publix purchased the shopping center at Avenue of the Flowers, the town manager, town planner and I met with Publix regional real-estate manager, regional asset manager and their developer at Town Hall. During this meeting, we laid out the town’s vision for the future of the town center and discussed how we could work with Publix to ensure that their plans were supportive of ours — and vice-versa. At that time, Publix indicated it had no immediate plans for the re-development of the center, but that it would keep us apprised of its plans as it progressed.

Since that time, Publix has become more engaged in the process and has, to date, made two preliminary submissions to the town’s planning office for feedback. This is a fairly common step in the creation of a redevelopment plan and allows both the town and the developer to work together to ensure that the developer fully understands the local rules and constraints, as well as the community’s sensitivities and aesthetic. It also allows the town to make suggestions and recommendations so that the development is consistent with local planning goals before too much energy is invested in design and engineering plans.
In addition to meeting with our town planners, Publix also met with the recently formed Revitalization Committee and has received feedback from it, as well, and, as recently as last week, I traveled to the Publix headquarters in Lakeland to meet with individuals at the corporate level to further discuss their plans and the town’s goals.

Although I have heard some say that the town has not been proactive in reaching out to Publix, I believe the opposite is true: We have been involved since the beginning in a proactive and positive way. Our town center is an important place on Longboat Key — it is where we meet and greet our neighbors and where visitors form first impressions of our island and community. Publix has indicated its willingness to work with us while remaining true to its own standards and brand, and although there is still much work to be done to ensure that we get it right, I believe we are well on the path to success. I know I speak for not just myself but my fellow commissioners in saying that we intend to remain engaged every step of the way.

Regarding other areas of activity on the Key, the Town Commission and staff are actively engaged daily, working with individuals and groups on potential redevelopment projects, including the future of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, Whitney Beach shopping center and the town’s proposed redevelopment of Bayfront Park and community center. The town’s planners and the Planning and Zoning Board are reviewing our current codes and comprehensive plan to make sure we are prepared to meet the challenges these redevelopments will bring.

In fact, just this past week, the Town Commission had final vote on changes to the town’s comprehensive plan that will bring more clarity and allow future developers to better understand the town’s vision.

Although some have questioned whether these changes were made to accommodate the Longboat Key Club redevelopment, the truth is that these are mainly technical clarifications to the existing Comp Plan to make it easier to interpret for future projects. I like to think of it this way: You may think your car is running fine based on your daily commute to work or the grocery store, but it’s not until you head out on an extended trip or try to pull a heavily loaded trailer that you find you are unable to go the distance. The “added load” of the Key Club project drew our attention to areas of our comp plan that needed some attention in order to remain versatile and reliable for the future.

In general, the Town Commission and staff are working hard to review and ensure that our town’s codes, charter, comp plan and other “rules of the road” are in a condition that will help us meet the current and future challenges of our community, while at the same time providing an appropriate amount of flexibility for future redevelopments. I’ve heard many people say that Longboat Key is a difficult place for developers and contractors to work. That may have been true in the past, but I know that we have worked hard to change that impression, and I know it has changed.

We all want what is best for Longboat Key. I believe the town is being proactive with regard to the Publix plans and the future redevelopment of some of our island’s key properties and that we are on the right path to ensure that they become well-developed assets that strengthen our community now and in the future.

JIM BROWN is mayor of Longboat Key and former member of the Planning and Zoning Board.