PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA

                                                       INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

TO:       Honorable Chairman and             DATE:   07/09/02            FILE:    CAO 02-3229

            Members of the Board of

County Commissioners

                                                                        SUBJECT:         Proposed Neighborhood Parks

THROUGH:  Robert D. Sumner                                                    Ordinance

                   County Attorney                                                      Introduction: 07/16/02

9:30 a.m.-DC

FROM:      David A. Goldstein

                Assistant County Attorney      REFERENCES:           

It is recommended that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners.

DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS:

Please find for your consideration and introduction a Neighborhood Parks Ordinance.  Section 4.4 of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (attached) identifies a significant deficiency in Neighborhood Parks in Pasco County, which are defined in our Land Development Code as parks “designed to serve the population of a single neighborhood and generally accessible by bicycle or by foot.”  The current Land Development Code does not contain any specific minimum requirements for new residential subdivisions or developments to create and maintain neighborhood parks. The proposed ordinance is intended to modify the Land Development Code to provide minimum Neighborhood Park requirements for new residential developments.  Existing subdivisions would not be subject to these minimum requirements.

Under the ordinance, the developers of new residential subdivisions and developments of more than 25 dwelling units would be required to create and maintain at least one (1) upland acre as a Neighborhood Park, plus an additional 1/100 of an acre for each dwelling unit over 100 dwelling units.  The ordinance requires the Neighborhood Park(s) to be easily accessible to the residents by automobile, foot and bicycle, and include, at a minimum, open play areas.  The ordinance requires the Neighborhood Park(s) to be maintained by the developer, or a homeowners association, CDD, or open space trust.  The requirement to provide Neighborhood Parks is intended to address neighborhood park needs of new residential development, and not district or regional park needs; accordingly, the provision of Neighborhood Parks would not be eligible for park impact fee credits.   

ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS:

1.         Introduce the attached proposed Neighborhood Parks ordinance.

2.         Do not introduce the attached proposed Neighborhood Parks ordinance.

RECOMMENDATION AND FUNDING:

The County Attorney’s Office recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve alternative number 1, and refer this ordinance to the Citizen’s Ordinance Review Committee for their next available meeting.

No funding is required for this item.

DAG:ls

Attachment:                  Proposed Neighborhood Parks Ordinance

                                    Section 4.4 of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan

cc:        Sam Steffey, Growth Management Administrator

            Debra Zampetti, Zoning/Code Compliance Administrator

Cindy Jolly, P.E., Development Director

            Jim Slaughter, Parks and Recreation Director

            Daniel Johnson, Assistant County Administrator (Public Services)