What are the Initial Concerns from Staff Regarding the Latest OLF 8 Offer?

 Attorney Alison Rogers sent Board Members the below review of the contract from Tri-W Development, LLC., and CAH Developments, LLC., late Friday afternoon for the purchase of 540 acres at OLF 8.  These points will be discussed Thursday during the board's meeting.

Has the New Auction for OLF 8 Begun?

As I had anticipated would be the case--the BCC has now received a fresh offer for all 540 acres of OLF 8 for the tidy sum of $40 Million Dollars. (and I anticipate several more in the coming weeks)

In this particular, very bare bones, three page offer (see it below)--no mention of the DPZ Master Plan--but multiple requests for full cooperation in rezoning the property, achieving preliminary site plan approvals, and amending the comprehensive plan.  So there is that.

-120 day inspection period requested

-total of $1 Million in earnest money, with an additional $100,000 that goes hard after several steps are taken and after the inspection period.

-Three (3) 30-day extensions requested.

I see some issues with the offer, chief among them is the guidance that the BCC already gave signalling that we will reserve 250 acres for job creation--so I would expect that this offer will have to be re-tooled.

Some of the speakers at recent meeting should be ecstatic.  It is someone other than DR Horton.....

We will see what the full board chooses to do with this offer--as this decision is up to the full 5-member board.

New Proposed Bulid out of OLF 8 Field Results in HALF as many Residential Dwellings as DPZ Hybrid Plan Would Have Allowed......

Less (new high density housing built on OLF-8) is More (better 😊) 

I know that headline is a mouthful.

But what would the total number of residential units be, if some buyer made an offer and built out the OLF-8 field precisely as DPZ stipulates in their Hybrid Plan -  the compromise plan the board adopted two years ago for OLF 8?  How does that number of residences compare to the latest offer/plan submitted by D.R. Horton and Stirling Properties in their revised offer of $24.1 Million for OLF-8?

I wanted to know so I asked staff to do an analysis--which they recently completed and sent back to me.

"We’ve broken down the numbers of the plans into overall residential densities. The Horton (new) plan doesn’t include the mixed residential/commercial category as in the hybrid plan, and it proposes much lower overall densities.

 The total residential density in the [DPZ] hybrid plan is 40 units per acre. This comes from the total densities for each zoning district and the total acreage of those districts. It’s probably higher than what could be built given the variables but it’s the same way we calculate density for all zoning districts.

 The total residential density in the new[Horton/Stirling] plan is 6.7 (rounded from 6.6) units per acre. This was calculated with the 170 acres of residential and the total residential units of 1,133."

Okay so just as pictured, the lasted proposed build out consists of a town center, green spaces, commercial, retail, residential AND 241 acres for Economic Development/Job Creation.  And the total number of residential units is 1,133.

Under the DPZ hybrid plan adopted by the board--the 61 acres  set aside for residential development allowed for up to 40 units per acre.  So, multiplying the 61 acres for high density residential dwellings in the DPZ hybrid plan (and not including any of the hundreds of residential over retail in the DPZ plan's 47 acre set-aside for mixed use)==you get more than 2,400 residential units on OLF 8!! 

So the latest Horton/Stirling plan cuts, by more than half, the total number of traffic exacerbating, infrastructure taxing high-density residential dwelling units on the field while still providing retail, a town center, green spaces, restaurants, and other amenities---as well as a significant amount of space for job creation.

Remember--most that live out here in Beulah, like I do, wanted NO RESIDENTIAL on this field, as we have plenty of high density residential development all around this area already.

Just more to consider as we look at what is proposed.

But for my vote---LESS residential and more amenities is bettter.

Was the Meeting Noticed Properly?

 

There was a hastily-arranged "town hall" announced this week.  There will be multiple commissioners on the call and an issue that WILL come before the board will be discussed.  Was the meeting noticed properly, though?

Although I believe it is premature and didn't necessarily feel it was warranted yet, before the BCC workshopped the latest DPZ hybrid plan for OLF-8, a "Town Hall" online has been scheduled for next Tuesday afternoon by DPZ Co-Design.

This potential town hall was mentioned at our recent meeting---but again--- I did not know it was a firm, absolute "go" until late Wednesday afternoon.  Thursday, I had my aide Debbie Kenney sign me up online to participate---which I intend on doing.  Participating, interacting, and speaking.

Because although I recognize the current iteration for the OLF-8 field is much better than previous renditions----I still think it needs a lot of work and a lot of massaging to get it just right.  It's not like this is the last and final plan--regardless of who was in a special last minute meeting to cobble it together.  It did not come off the mountain on tablets inscribed by fire and lightning bolts from heaven....

So although I don't think it is ready for primetime and the "town-hall" is premature--I will participate.

But wait--what if my counterparts want to as well?  From the meeting comments and other things I have heard from other sources--it's my understanding at least one or two of my counterparts will be on the livestream townhall as well.

And that is where I think this knee-jerk, hastily called town hall may put us in hot water if we are not careful.  Although this is not a meeting of the board---if one or more board members speak on this land-use  issue at this special "OLF-8 Town hall" meeting (and this is OBVIOUSLY something that will come before the board for a vote)--if NOT properly advertised--- this could potentially be considered a meeting out of the sunshine.  I don't want that to happen.  I am going to speak, and I don't necessarily want my peers precluded from doing likewise.

So in a few hours when everyone wakes up, I'll send an email and find out.  I hope this event was properly noticed, with a 7-day ad.

Otherwise, if it wasn't, it would probably be wise to advertise it properly to a different date.

We'll see though, maybe DPZ and the county team did, in fact, already advertise it.  IF so, no big deal.  See ya Tuesday at the townhall!

Regulations and Rules for Registered Architects in the State of Florida

Some nebulous professions in Florida like community liaison, media specialist, campaign operative, campaign coordinator or communications specialist may not have firm fixed rules, regulations, and codes of conduct.  Not so for Registered Architects in the State of Florida...

As everyone in Pensacola who is not living under a rock knows by now--there has been some very, very concerning and troubling issues surrounding the Board's project to Master Plan our OLF-8 property in District 1.

As emails have surfaced and many have now been examined, one of the things that most concerns me is the lack of notice by our consulting team, led by Registered Architect Marina Khoury, about schemes and plans to undermine the Board of County Commissioners' project at the OLF-8 field that appear to have been developing on a separate track concurrently with the public Charette Process.

Team Leader Khoury was copied on emails where the client (Escambia County) was being targeted by third party individuals for "Public Embarrassment" and also where insinuations were being made that the Escambia County Commissioners (DPZ's Client here) were acting with "malfeasance."  Yet no notice to any County staff was made.  These emails sent to our consultant via email copy to her created what even the most casual observer would instantly realize was potentially a serious conflict of interest! At a minimum such emails sent to the "team-leader" of our consultant group would have necessitated IMMEDIATE consultation with the client.  Didn't happen.

I have asked our County Attorney if our contract has been breached due to some of these sorts of machinations I'm now seeing within these released public record emails.  

And County Attorney Alison Rogers has now provided me her response and also additional documentation concerning the professional duties, responsibilities, Canons, and obligations of a Registered Architect under the AIA (of particular note, the canons under III)and also under Florida Administrative code.

As I peruse the information related to Architects under the FAC--I see areas of this code that may have

Why is the BCC's Consulting Team Working against the BCC: Part III--A Tremendous Push for Housing on OLF 8

The apparently relentless push for housing on OLF-8 by DPZ, given what the public is saying, seems akin to the trope about a square peg and a round hole...

Housing on the OLF-8 property was always a NO for me and my vote.  I knew the majority of my constituents agreed with that one point---by an overwhelming majority.  They know what I know already as a 17-year resident of Beulah right on 9-Mile Road.  We have too much residential already and our infrastructure has not kept up---and so NO, these citizens DON'T want any more housing on the OLF-8 field, period, thank you very much!

Two automated, large-pool statistically-significant polls that have been run county-wide among registered voters confirmed this.  The first one was run in August of last year.  The last one was run less than one month ago.  What do they both have in common?  Two important things: First off-folks don't want housing on OLF-8 and secondly--folks want us to pursue high-paying, high tech jobs on OLF-8.  A huge majority of the respondents county-wide want this.

Now, there are some who do not understand statistics and polling and believe these surveys should not "be trusted" because these persons critical of the surveys, themselves individually,  were not called to give input.  Others attack the credibility of the firm that conducted the poll.  But to do so really, really spotlight's someone's ignorance.  These polls were automated, run by an auto-dialer with touchtone voting.  So-regardless of who runs the auto dialed telephone poll---it has no bearing on the outcome or the results.  The results are the results are the results--whether your best friend or worst enemy asks the questions via this sort of a computerized system. So to attack the results is simply a ridiculous, feeble, and disingenuous tactic that has no basis in logic.  The final feckless argument I hear is "The questions were leading!!"

Again--this is outrageous.  Look at a couple of examples of the questions:

"Should the majority of the OLF 8 land, by Navy Federal, be used for more housing and retail shops; or

Why is the BCC's Consulting Team Working against the BCC: Part II--Why Was the Client Kept in the Dark?

Public Record emails seem to indicate that many meetings were set between the county's consultant DPZ CoDesign and groups of citizens that were working against the county's interests as it pertains to the OLF-8 project in District 1's Beulah Community.  Why was the county (the client) kept in the dark about the substance of these meetings?

 After a document dump of emails from late last week it became painfully obvious, to even the most casual observer, that the consulting firm we hired to implement the board's unanimously approved guidance document in conjunction with citizen input county-wide was being tainted.  And I don't say this lightly or without evidence.

As I discussed here and here--it appears to me that our consultants were giving an inordinately magnified voice to one large employer and their interests, NFCU, and a small group of nearby residents who were/are vocally opposed to any commerce being developed on the OLF-8 property.

I believe this was being done to magnify this opposition in an attempt to present this as a "mandate" or "ground-swelling" of grass-roots approval supporting residential construction on the field and in strong opposition to any commerce on the field.

As I've now carefully gone through the emails that were presented last week, I see DPZ's Communications Contractor Travis Peterson of Impact Campaigns working directly with both of these groups on what appears to be a second track---not in alignment with the county's (aka the client's) interests.  For instance, whenever a meeting is discussed where the "Beulah Coalition" ( a small group of  Navy Federal Credit Union employees and several nearby residents, primarily of the "Nature Trail" subdivision) is to be appraised of an update or given a briefing--County project managers are not on the distribution lists--not invited.  But DPZ staffers are copied on these invites.  Why not the county's project managers?  Why no invite for the client?"

Terri Berry, the County's Project Manager for the OLF-8 initiative said at Thursday's meeting she was told, specifically, that she was "not invited" to these meetings.  This is a red flag--no matter how many ways folks from DPZ want to rationalize that.  It was inappropriate.  Another county staff member with whom I spoken and with knowledge of this topic confirmed that the county's staff "did not" participate in meetings with this Navy Federal Credit Union/DPZ citizens group.

But looking past that part---why was the client, the county, not appraised of the content/outcome of

Why is the BCC's Consulting Team Working Against the BCC? Part I

 

Take a look at this email, above.

It is one of many emails I requested and received today regarding the OLF-8 project.

It all started with posts I read in Rick's Blog.  He requested these OLF-8 related emails from DPZ ---a private company that is (allegedly) working for the County on helping to design a great plan for our OLF-8 property.

They (DPZ) didn't know (apparently) that their emails related to the county's project were public records under the Florida Sunshine law.  And so they stonewalled the initial request.  Eventually, they realized they had to comply and so they put together the emails and made them available.  And now I have copies, too. 

 And what I see as I go through these emails is what appears to be a deliberate attempt to discredit the board and the county's position.

At the meeting on January 7th I was attacked personally--and the DECADES long plan to create jobs at the OLF-8 field was attacked.  The BCC was excoriated by the very speakers that Travis Peterson, above, is encouraging.  Evan as the BCC pays his $200.00 per hour salary as a part of the DPZ team.

What gives?

So tomorrow morning I will have some questions for DPZ.  Like these:

Who do you consider your client to be?

Why are your team members assisting those that are actively working to discredit your client?

Why are you not being impartial and unbiased?

There are a lot more emails.  I'm going through all of them-----page by page, centimeter by centimeter.

Yes, I'm going to have some questions tomorrow.  

The first one is easy:  

Why is the BCC's Consulting Team Working Against the BCC?

more to come.....

I've Been Invited to Speak at an OLF-8 Community Meeting at Nature Trail This Tuesday at 4:30

I'll be speaking with the Nature Trail Homeowner's Association this coming Tuesday.  The topic: OLF-8

There have been lots of emails flying around about OLF-8.

What folks think, what they are being told, what they want, what they don't want, and everything in between.

The largest single common denominator that I have seen is that the lion's share of these emails are coming from the largest subdivision in Beulah, Nature Trail.

This is also the subdivision that is right across the street from Navy Federal Credit Union and the OLF-8 property.

So, at an unrelated meeting I attended yesterday I happened to see the current Nature Trail HOA president, Karen Sindel.  I spoke with her about the latest happenings as it pertains to Nature Trail and the OLF-8 development;  I asked if I could get time to come and speak, in person, to the residents of Nature Trail.

She graciously obliged, stating that there was a standing meeting of the HOA next week, February 9th, at 5:00PM and that I could speak to the group 30 minutes prior, starting at 4:30.

So I'll be there at 4:30 next week.

Looking forward to clearing up some of the misinformation that is circulating.  I'm also looking forward to some honest, one on one discussions with folks to hear their concerns.

So When Will the OLF-8 Master Plan Be Finished Part II?

This timeline, above, provided to commissioners from DPZ Design, represents the completion schedule they anticipate for completion of the OLF-8 Master Plan

....Staff has been forwarded the above, revised timeline for the completion of the OLF-8 Master Plan by DPZ design.  The completion timeline appears to have been extended by two months.

Over the next two weeks, individual, one on one meetings between commissioners and DPZ staff will be held to bring us up to speed on the progress of DPZ's suggested/proposed plan (s).  From DPZ:

"As part of the OLF-8 Master Plan scope of work, the consultant team is evaluating and analyzing each of the 4 master plan scenarios for the site.  This evaluation and analysis will be based on several criteria, including traffic impacts, infrastructure needs, estimated time to achieve each plan, potential revenue / returns on investment, and job creation opportunities.  We would like to offer you a virtual update/briefing on the progress of this analysis, as well as an update on the project as a whole.  I will be reaching out to you and/or your staff to schedule these 1:1 briefings, which we would like to complete before our Charrette Recap presentation to you at the December 8 COW meeting."

So When Will the OLF-8 Master Plan be Finished?

Over the weekend commissioners were emailed the above timeline-- showing the estimated completion of the OLF-8 Master Plan by DPZ and significant benchmarks we will hit on this path.  Interestingly and significantly:  first draft of potential plans for BCC approval will come to us next month. 

From the staff email:

"A change order has been written to extend the DPZ contract from Jan. 21, 2021 to May 3, 2021 to allow time to complete the project.  Reasons for the schedule slip is due to cancellation of the August COW, Hurricane Sally, and unavailability of the Nov. COW.  The attached timeline identifies a path forward and allows the project to wrap up in the April timeframe."

 

What is Next for OLF 8 in Beulah?

We had our latest update from the design team that is working on a master plan for OLF 8 this past Thursday.  And it was excruciating.  It ran long, and they droned on and on and on.....it went too long and it was too detailed.  It reminded me of a lecture in Astronomy class when I was in college.  Too much talking on stuff that did not matter.

Importantly---the presenters were totally and completely out of step with what we were looking for.

They brought ideas and concepts that appear to be more well suited to a large metropolitan city--not a rural, bucolic suburb struggling to maintain the last vestiges of a country atmosphere.

These "consultants" were talking about building a hotel and up to 1900 residential units on OLF 8.  This idea had all of us on the dais shaking our heads side to side---so much so even the News Journal noticed the cognitive dissonance coming from the zoom screen....

In a decade's long effort and $18 Million dollars later----we want JOBS not a low-wage retail mall, high-rise hotel, and 1900 residential units in a walkable TOWN!  That is not what we acquired this property for!

I have been steadfast and consistent on this project since day one when I inherited it upon taking office--even as I live right across the street.  We need high-tech, clean tech jobs in nicely designed buildings with SOME amenities for nearby residents.  That was the compromise.  Yes, I represent this area, and YES I live right across the street.  

Would I LOVE it if the field was packed with nice retail amenities, restaurants, grocery stores and retail and a park and a soccer field and a clock tower and cobblestone streets and a cultural arts museum and an agricultural display, and a large kite-flying field, and pickle ball courts, and outdoor yoga, and outdoor art displays,  etc. etc. etc.  Yes, of course I would--selfishly as a resident nearby--who wouldn't?  That would be fantastic----even if I KNOW the land was not purchased for my enrichment and entertainment--sure I'd like that.  Selfishly--YES--I'd love it!

But that is not why we worked so hard and spent so much time and effort on acquiring this key real estate situated right on the freeway in a growing, booming area of commerce.

We need to create good jobs, for residents of the ENTIRE COUNTY and get some value added to the property through a Triumph Gulf Coast grant for infrastructure enhancements to the bare land which will help us offset the costs of acquisition, and then we need to maximize the value of this land and turn it over to folks who will create GOOD JOBS with it.  Good jobs, some amenities for nearby residents, but JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!