Beach Redevelopment Forum Update

Beach residents and business owners were updated on the ongoing redevelopment effort at the CRA Beach District 1 Community Redevelopment Forum held March 14 at the Hollywood Beach Culture and Community Center.

City Commissioner Cathy Anderson, who represents the Beach District, hosted the forum along with the Beach District of the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). In addition to Commissioner Anderson, the well-attended program featured Mayor Mara Giulianti, City Manager Cameron Benson, CRA Beach District Executive Director Gil Martinez and urban planner Bernard Zyscovich, who gave a detailed presentation on future beach initiatives.

Plans for Hollywood Beach, as recommended in the comprehensive planning and zoning study Zyscovich conducted last year, include creating a village atmosphere with a "lush pedestrian environment." Zyscovich said there is a "tremendous opportunity" to promote Hollywood Beach as a "green destination" through new design guidelines and regulations.

The eco-friendly initiatives are designed to promote the public nature of the beach with the creation of new landscaping requirements, building setbacks and height limitations for new construction, as well as zoning regulations that address parking needs in conjunction with other public facilities such as parks, a community center or an arts venue. Martinez said 400 new parking spaces will be available at the Garfield Street Parking Garage, Recreation & Community Complex now under construction, with an additional 1,600 spaces at the proposed Marriott project at Johnson Street.

The proposed height limitation along Surf Road is 50 feet. The maximum height proposed for State Road A1A and side streets is 65 feet, but because of new setbacks, buildings would not be "right on the street," Zyscovich said. Setbacks would be 15 feet for 40 percent of building frontage and 10 feet for 60 percent of building frontage.

New design guidelines would require landscaping in setbacks visible from the street, the creation of landscape buffers to protect the public character of the beach, and the preservation of beach views at street ends. Zyscovich said a landscape buffer within the Broadwalk dedication would reduce the impact of building on the public beach and provide access for oceanfront properties.

New design guidelines would permit a combination of planting areas, green walls, green roofs and interior gardens. In addition, permeable paving areas, such as bricks on sand, are being proposed to replace asphalt surfaces to allow rainwater to seep into the ground.

Zyscovich recommends that LEED certification be required for all new construction and major renovations. Developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED rating system ensures that a building project is truly "green," or environmentally friendly.

"We are intending for Hollywood Beach to become a model community," Zyscovich said. "A village atmosphere in the Old Florida style."

He said the next steps are to obtain feedback from the CRA Board, Planning & Zoning Board and Historic Preservation Board; coordinate with the landscape architect on the streetscape plans; create a historic district ordinance; and finalize the zoning and design guidelines.

For more information, contact the CRA Beach District at (954) 924-2980 or visit www.hollywoodbeachcra.org.