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Minutes 08-01-24 BOYNTON� BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY CRA Advisory Board Meeting Thursday, August 1, 2024 - 6:30 PM Community Room 115, 100 E. Ocean Avenue 561-737-3256 1. Call to Order Acting Chair McQuire called the meeting to order at 6:36 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Acting Chair McQuire asked the board to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Roll Call Members Present: Naomi Cobb (Chair) [Arrived 6:54 PM] Courtlandt McQuire (Vice Chair) Lesha Roundtree Chevette Gadson Alexandria Lopresto Tom Ramiccio Staff: Bonnie Nicklien, Grants & Project Manager Timothy Tack, Acting CRA Executive Director Other: Susan Oyer, Resident Karen Cruitt, Prototype Inc. 4. Agenda Approval A. Additions, Deletions, Corrections to the Agenda None. B. Adoption of Agenda Motion: Mr. Ramiccio moved to adopt the agenda. Ms. Lopresto seconded the motion. In a 1 voice vote, the motion passed unanimously. 5. Public Comment Ms. Susan Oyer first thanked the Board for all the good work. Additionally, she noted very little attention was paid to the south CRA district, which included blighted plazas. She also spoke about The Pierce and maintenance of the historic sign. 6. Consent A. CRA Advisory Board Meeting Minutes — July 8, 2024 Motion: Ms. Roundtree moved to approve the July 8, 2024, minutes. Ms. Lopresto seconded the motion. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously. 7. Assignments A. Pending Assignment No. 1 - Discussion and Consideration of New Assignments from the CRA Board assigned at the February 13, 2024, CRA Monthly Board Meeting Mr. Tack summarized the July 8 meeting discussion and provided updates. He reviewed the Cultural District boundaries and noted Town Square comprised almost half of the area. He discussed the plans for redevelopment of the area. Ms. Lopresto recalled that the discussion emphasized making the area more walkable and enhancing the landscaping. Additionally, there was talk of introducing a small grocery store. She also highlighted the importance of incorporating a bike lane and pedestrian safety. Ms. Roundtree recommended a gateway into the Ocean Avenue downtown to delineate the district. Mr. Tack noted The Villages would incorporate an artistic feature in the park area. Ms. Roundtree emphasized the importance of people knowing when they enter the Cultural Arts District. She suggested ideas such as painting the road, pavers, or lighting around the new foliage. Additionally, she recommended festivity during the holiday season. Ms. Roundtree said an interactive water feature would be great. Chair Cobb arrived at 6:54 p.m. Mr. Ramiccio stated that the Cultural Arts District should be a destination and agreed with Ms. Roundtree on the need to create a distinct identity. He emphasized the importance of street-level activation and expressed disappointment with the decision regarding the Magnuson House. Mr. Ramiccio suggested that the zoning should be designated as a Downtown Destination District, with the TOD classification eliminated. He also addressed transit and residential unit requirements, expressing a desire for the area to be more pedestrian-friendly as an entertainment, restaurant, and destination district. 2 Chair Cobb agreed with the importance of walkability and emphasized an opportunity to turn things around. She supported the ideas expressed by Ms. Roundtree and Mr. Rammicio. Chair Cobb also spoke about the development on the west and asked for consideration on how to attract residents in the west to travel east. Acting Chair McQuire supported the ideas of gateway, splash pad, and additional ideas expressed by Board members. He referenced the hotel site and Villages North and Villages South and asked about increased height. Mr. Tack noted it can be maximized with the Live Local Act. Acting Chair McQuire suggested the most impact would be at the hotel and historical sites. He questioned whether historical house should be located in the area. Ms. Lopresto inquired whether a bid had been received for the hotel site. Mr. Tack stated he was unaware of any discussions the City has had with developers. Mr. Ramiccio suggested the Magnusson House and Anderson House could be combined into one parcel and consider redevelopment such as a bed and breakfast or café. Additionally, he stated live entertainment and events would attract visitors as well. He reiterated his suggestion to change the zoning. Acting Chair McQuire emphasized the interest to have both commercial and retail, as well as activations. He asked about the retail square footage. Mr. Tack stated everything fronting Boynton Beach Boulevard and Ocean would be commercial retail. Discussion ensued regarding a parking structure, workforce units, and a satellite police station. Chair Cobb brought attention to the necessity of a public safety strategy, noting the issues occurring in District 3. She recommended community policing. Mr. Tack clarified the CRA cannot fund fire and only fund innovative policing. Ms. Gadson agreed with Ms. Roundtree's suggestion regarding creative branding for the district. She emphasized the need for a compelling draw to the area and mentioned the potential benefits of hosting festivals. Mr. Tack encouraged the Board to consider a dependent district or Chamber of Commerce to encourage additional businesses in the corridor. Acting Chair McQuire welcomed public comments. Ms. Susan Oyer shared several points of concern and insight. She highlighted that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was considering implementing East to West trams. Despite the district hosting the second-largest number of events in the county, these events are not adequately marketed. She also noted that The Villages, which was previously her family's property, was significantly overhyped. Ms. Oyer suggested a review of the need for excessive building height, recommending a limit of 8- 10 stories rather than allowing new development to overshadow 1-2 story buildings. She emphasized that the street was already recognized as the Avenue of the Arts and suggested that the CRA could play a role in utilizing the art currently in storage. Additionally, she mentioned that approved splash pads and the Kanga art project had 3 fallen through. Acting Chair McQuire recapped the following recommendations from the Board: • Cultural District needs a gateway to create a sense of arrival • Increase activation throughout the corridor (Splash pad, incorporation of more family interactions) • Better lighting • Wayfinding and signage for the district • Foliage and trees (palm trees; flowers) • Designate this as a unique district within Boynton Beach (Ocean Ave - different pavers) • Public safety • Market and services to support the increased development and density • Identify the cultural district as a destination district • Opportunities for increased connectivity from western Boynton Beach and possible incorporation of access to the tri-rail system • Opportunities to preserve historic buildings for possible relocation • Preservation of and increased amount of art component throughout the corridor Motion: Ms. Lopresto moved to discuss the Industrial District at the next meeting. Ms. Cobb seconded the motion. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously. B. Pending Assignment No. 2 - Discussion and Consideration of New Assignments from the CRA Board assigned at the February 13, 2024 CRA Monthly Board Meeting Regarding Property Acquisition None. C. Reports on Pending Assignments None. D. New Assignments None. 8. CRA Board Items for CRA Advisory Board Review and Recommendations A. Old Business None. B. New Business Acting Chair McQuire expressed gratitude to the staff for a successful Night Market, which featured over 85 total vendors, 20 plus food trucks and bars, with 15 of those businesses from CRA area, and family-friendly events. Mr. Tack noted that the primary goal of the event is to highlight and support local businesses. 4 9. Future Agenda Items Ms. Lopresto suggested compiling all key takeaways from each district for a high-level review. Mr. Tack confirmed that these would be included in the Board's report. Chair Cobb thanked Mr. Tack and a representative from Circuit for attending a community meeting at the Carolyn Sims Center to better educate the senior community on the opportunity. 10. Adjournment There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM. NOTICE THE CRA SHALL FURNISH APPROPRIATE AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES WHERE NECESSARY TO AFFORD AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF A SERVICE, PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY CONDUCTED BY THE CRA.PLEASE CONTACT THE CRA,(561)737-3256,AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY IN ORDER FOR THE CRA TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE YOUR REQUEST. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS MAY BE ADDED SUBSEQUENT TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE AGENDA ON THE CRA'S WEBSITE. INFORMATION REGARDING ITEMS ADDED TO THE AGENDA AFTER IT IS PUBLISHED ON THE CRA'S WEBSITE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE CRA OFFICE. 5