COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

On a contractual basis, the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council (WRPC) provides urban design and redevelopment planning assistance to its member local governments. Such assistance usually involves the preparation of conceptual land use design solutions and economic restructuring suggestions based on community consensus building. The program is meant to serve as a tool for member local governments seeking to translate comprehensive plans and policy statements into graphic representations of desired future outcomes. Depending on local needs, the program may include community visioning and a "charette process," technical redevelopment planning assistance and preparation of redevelopment plans, and/or special project planning.

Community Visioning

WRPC staff is available to assist local governments with community visioning efforts. This may include assistance with identifying study areas, preparing preliminary land use studies and inventories, holding public hearings, facilitating community consensus building sessions, preparing conceptual design and preliminary design development proposals, and the use of computer aided design software and projection equipment through a "charette process."

"Charette Process"

A charette is an intense brainstorming process whereby redevelopment concepts are pursued through design. A charette is an opportunity for the public and private sectors to share ideas on how best to redevelop and revitalize a particular area.

Redevelopment Planning

WRPC staff is available to assist local governments with technical redevelopment planning assistance and preparation of a "redevelopment plan" in accord with F.S. Chapter 163, Part III. This may include assistance with the creation of a community redevelopment area, creating and staffing a community redevelopment agency, preparing a redevelopment plan, and establishing a tax increment finance district and trust fund.

"Redevelopment Plan"

A redevelopment plan can be prepared by the WRPC to indicate such land acquisition, demolition and removal of structures, redevelopment improvements, and rehabilitation as may be proposed to be carried out in the community redevelopment area; zoning and planning changes, if any; land uses; maximum densities; and building requirements. Plans can contain a detailed statement of the projected costs of the redevelopment, including the amount to be expended on publicly funded capital projects in the community redevelopment area and any indebtedness of the community redevelopment agency, the county, or the municipality proposed to be incurred for such redevelopment if such indebtedness is to be repaid with increment revenues. Further, plans can provide a time certain for completing all redevelopment financed by increment revenues.

Special Project Planning

WRPC staff is available to assist local governments with special project planning related to community redevelopment. This may include assistance with preparing a district-wide historic resources survey, a district footprint map, public information and marketing materials, condensed architectural guidelines for both business and residential uses, a tax increment finance schedule, targeted marketing studies, infill development strategies, contaminated site mitigation measures, assistance with establishing a local low interest loan pool, special events planning, signage control standards and guidelines, parking, housing, and transportation studies, and assistance with the preparation of grant applications and the provisions of grant administration services.

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