WEST ATLANTIC AREA NEEDS ASSESSMENT

COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY

DELRAY BEACH FLORIDA

October 2012

Prepared for

West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition (WARC)

Facilitated by

Greg Vann Buckle & Associates, APA Charter Member (1978)

Supported & Sponsored by

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition would like to express thanks to the following for their participation and contribution to the West Atlantic Community Workshop Process:

 

Florida House of Representatives District 88 State Representative Elect Bobby Powell

Palm Beach County Commission District 7, Priscilla Taylor Gladys Whigham

City of Delray Beach Commissioner Tom Carney, Commissioner Angeleta Gray

Village Academy School Principal Guarn Sims

Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Commissioner Bill Branning

Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority Chairman Seabron Smith

Southwest Neighborhood Alliance President Ann Stacey-Wright

Northwest Neighborhood Alliance President Joycelyn Patrick

Waste Management Ellen Smith, Government and Community Affairs Manger

Neighborhood Advisory Council

Spady Cultural Heritage Museum

Habitat for Humanity

Coalition for Black Student Achievement (CBSA)

Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce

Delray Beach Community Land Trust

Delray Beach Housing Authority

Center for Technology Enterprise & Development (Ted Center)

Donnie’s Place Southern/Soul Restaurant

Professional Facilitators Dale Adams, Michael Brady, Greg Buckle, Paul Skyers, Mary Smith, Lynn Solomon, Paul White

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Methodology Overview – Workshop Agenda ………….. 2 Team Assessment ………………………………………. 3-6 General Conclusion …………………………………….. 7 Recommendations ……………………………………… 8 Appendix ……………………………………………….. 9

o Workshop Participants

o WARC History and Mission Statement

o Community Redevelopment Area Map

o West Atlantic Area Maps

o Workshop Professional Facilitators

2 

 

METHODLOGY OVERVIEW On September 8, 2012 the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition (WARC) spearheaded a Needs Assessment Workshop for the West Atlantic Corridor and adjacent northwest and southwest neighborhoods. The workshop was well attended by a diverse cross-section of 75 participants which included elected officials, CRA staff, City staff, developers, business owners, community leaders and residents. All parties were interested in hearing the citizens speak about the needs of the West Atlantic Community. The WARC Board Chairman, Reginald Cox, opened the workshop and stated that over the past year he has attended many southwest and northwest neighborhood associations’ meetings and had many discussions about the objectives that were identified in the various plans related to West Atlantic Avenue over the last twenty five years. He asked the question, “What have we learned over the last twenty years?” He stressed the importance of collecting a shared vision for the future development of the West Atlantic Community. The purpose of the workshop was to start the review and reaffirmation process for the vision by identifying the current and future needs of the West Atlantic Community. The primary goal of the workshop was to build a better relationship among the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition, Residents, Property Owners, and Business Owners with the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). After explaining the goals of the workshop and introductions, Mr. Cox turned the meeting over to the lead facilitator, Mr. Greg Vann Buckle. Mr. Buckle introduced his facilitation team and provided an overview of the workshop process and the ground rules for participation. The participants were divided into four teams that were headed by two professionals. One professional served as a team facilitator and the other served as recorder. The participants were asked to immediately break out into groups according to the numbers that were prewritten on the back of each agenda. The groups spent the next forty-five minutes discussing, identifying and prioritizing the needs of the community. The next forty-five minute phase of the workshop, each team presented their findings to the entire group. Mr. Buckle turned the workshop back over to Mr. Cox who gave closing remarks and reminded all participants that the WARC Board will use the input to reassess WARC’s goals and pursue a 2013 Strategic Plan. Many participants continued their discussions during lunch and pledged to continue to support the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition in the efforts to move the West Atlantic Community forward.

3 

 

TEAM ONE ASSESMENT:

Facilitator: Michael Brady Recorder: Mary Smith

COMMUNITY NEEDS IDENTIFIED

1. Grocery Store w/ fresh produce

2. Copy Center

3. Market/Supermarket

4. Bank

5. Park/Playground

6. Restaurant (Family Style) (Sit Down)

7. Higher Learning Facilities

8. Health Clinics/Urgent Care/Doctor Offices

9. Signs-Street

10. Sidewalks

11. Public Transportation- Buses, Shuttles extend to side streets.

12. Less Green Space

13. Community Policing/Substation

14. Make Shops Walkable

15. Lounge, Music/Dancing

16. Get it done

TEAM ONE TOP FOUR PRIORITIES

#1 Grocery Store

#2 Community Policing/Substations

#3 Health Clinics/Urgent Care/Doctor Offices

#4 Bank/Financial Institution

4 

 

TEAM TWO ASSESMENT:

Facilitator: Lynn Solomon, P.A. Recorder: Dale Adams

COMMUNITY NEEDS IDENTIFIED 1. Supermarket

2. Bank

3. Hotel

4. Doctors Office

5. Family Restaurant

6. Ethnic Restaurant

7. Drug Store

8. Medical Clinic/Wellness Center

9. Walkable Accessible Neighborhood

 

TEAM TWO TOP FOUR PRIORITIES

#1 Supermarket

#2 Medical Clinic/Wellness Center

#3 Banking/Financial Institutions

#4 Family Restaurant

5 

 

TEAM THREE ASSESMENT:

Facilitator: Paul White Recorder: Ellen Smith

COMMUNITY NEEDS IDENTIFIED

1. Supermarket

2. Healthcare Facility

3. Pharmacy

4. Cafe

5. Restaurant

6. Neighborhood Park

7. Retail Shops

8. Art/Cultural Center

9. 5th Ave needs to be included (Historic)

10. More Street Lighting

11. Child Care Facilities

12. Bus Shelters

13. Job Fairs/Job Training/Work Force Alliance

14. Elder Care

15. Youth Mentoring

16. Higher Police Visibility

17. More Public Transportation

18. Planned Events in Park

19. Theatres, Play, Movie Theatre, Entertainment Complex

20. Infrastructure-Stormwater

21. Additional Streetscape

22. Activities for Youth

23. Support for new and existing small business

24. Requirement for developers to hire local.

TEAM THREE TOP FOUR PRIORITIES

#1 Supermarket

#2 Youth Mentoring

#3 Requirement for Developers to Hire Local

#4 Pharmacy

6 

 

TEAM FOUR ASSESMENT:  

Facilitator/Recorder: Paul Skyers

COMMUNITY NEEDS IDENTIFIED

1. Bike path throughout neighborhood

2. Hotel

3. Preserve existing homes and add rental units

4. Entertainment and hospitality cluster/Theatre/Jazz Club

5. Streetscape transition from gateway into neighborhoods

6. Bowling Alley

7. Game Room/Youth Club

8. Restaurant/Sports Bar

9. More Public Parking

10. Creative Arts Complex

11. Assisted Living Facility/Nursing Home/Senior Center

12. Smooth Transition Commercial to Residential Uses

13. Alleyway Improvements

14. Supermarket

15. Bank

16. Workforce Assistance

17. Post Office

18. Walkable Access to Good and Services

19. Retail Shops

20. Quality Infrastructure

21. Pharmacy

22. Medical Clinic

TEAM FOUR TOP FOUR PRIORITIES

#1 Hotel

#2 Supermarket

#3 Entertainment and hospitality cluster (Theatre/Jazz Club)

#4 Alleyway Improvements

7 

 

GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

As stated in the overview, the presence of 75 participants and multiple stakeholder groups have shown the continued desire to move West Atlantic forward twenty years after Visions West Atlantic 2003. The overwhelming consensus among all stakeholders is that the time has come to satisfy the basic needs and services of the West Atlantic Community. Team responses have been compiled below to show the top four priority needs based on reoccurrence:

Supermarket/Grocery Store

Health/Wellness Facilities/Pharmacy

Bank/Financial Institution

Entertainment and Hospitality cluster (Theatre, Jazz Club, Restaurants)

Many participants, who were also involved in the Visions West Atlantic workshop in 1993, stated that these particular uses have continued to rank high within all the development plans over the last twenty years. To revitalize the economy in the West Atlantic Community it is vital that the above mentioned facilities are prioritized for development. The West Atlantic Community wants what any other neighborhood wants for its area:

To reduce crime and vandalism

To create a good image

To have access to goods and services

To have an improved quality of life

To have pride in their community and cultural preservation

To enhance the beauty of the neighborhoods

To attract new businesses

To raise property values, and

To host a healthy and sustainable economy

The West Atlantic Avenue business and residential community has shown its continued

interest in moving forward through its participation in the workshop process. All teams felt

that a unified front is necessary for future planning and development considerations along

West Atlantic Avenue. The SW and NW neighborhoods want to be included, from

formulation through implementation, and not overlooked when it comes to building their

community.

“The Challenge: If Not Now, When?”

8 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS The West Atlantic Redevelopment Community Leadership Team should consider the following recommendations moving forward: 1. Restore the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition (WARC) as the primary liaison

for redevelopment of the West Atlantic Avenue Corridor and the adjacent neighborhoods. This includes:

A. Developing a strategic plan for the WARC to include details on the

communication process with all stakeholders.

B. Identifying and partnering with other organizations to implement the

plan.

C. Integrating the plan with the City’s Comprehensive Plan, as well as the

CRA’s Redevelopment & Work Plans.

2. Establish an ad-hoc committee that will develop the area block-by-block with a

focus on contiguous development.

3. Focus on prioritizing basic community service development and providing

businesses that focus on a broader target market for a balanced equation for

success.

4. Develop a marketing strategy and incentives that will attract desired development.

5. Preserve historical and cultural heritage of the area by encouraging community

engaged development.

6. Research, identify and visit other communities with similar demographics that

have been successful in providing basic service redevelopment.

7. Seek commitment (buy-in) of all stakeholders through transparency, setting clear

goals with a realistic timeframe and a solid communication plan.

8. Establish a national public relations campaign to attract and create a dialogue

with high profile entrepreneurs who are interested in investing in businesses that

provide for cultural diversity, empowerment and local job creation.

9 

 

A P P E N D I X

o Workshop Participants

o WARC History and Mission Statement

o Community Redevelopment Area

o West Atlantic Area Maps

o Workshop Professional Facilitators

 

 

W O R K S H O P P A R T I C I P A N T S  

1. Rita L. Titus Resident

2. Nancy Johnson Resident

3. Mike Williams Habitat for Humanity

4. Michael Malone DB Chamber

5. Gladys Whigham District 7 Comm. Priscilla Taylor

6. Sean Jones Developer

7. Jeff Perlman Resident

8. Diane Colonna CRA

9. Beulah Rutherford Resident

10. Willie William Resident

11. Anna M. Rose Resident

12. Betty Goodman Delray Beach Heights/SWN Alliance

13. Gary Goldfarb Business

14. Ed Walker Resident

15. Marjorie Ferrer DDA

16. Mark Bruck Habitat for Humanity

17. Diane Franco DDA

18. Charlene Jones Spady Museum

19. Vera Farrington EPOCH

20. Mary Wright NW Neighborhood

21. Ellen Smith Waste Management

22. Jennifer Costello City of Delray

23. Patricea Nelson Resident

24. Francesca Mallows SWN Alliance

25. Kevin Rickard New Urban Communities 

 

 

W O R K S H O P P A R T I C I P A N T S

26. Brandy Bostwick SWN Alliance

27. Alice Finst Resident

28. Dorothy Ellington DB Housing Authority

29. Josh Smith Resident

30. Bill Branning CRA

31. Andre Parke Sachs Sax Caplan

32. Seabron A. Smith TED Center

33. Evelyn Dobson DB CLT

34. Rudean Cartwright-Willam Resident

35. LaTanzia Jackson CBSA

36. Andrew Ramsey Resident

37. Lisa McMiller SWN Alliance

38. Jessica Rove Resident

39. Vlad Dumitrescu Business Owner

40. Teresa Frazier Resident

41. Lynn Solomon Facilitator

42. Nigel Roberts City

43. Greg Buckle Facilitator

44. Dale Adams Facilitator

45. Cory Cassidy Resident

46. Patti Buehler Resident

47. Alfred Straghn WARC, Business

48. Patricia Wright WARC, Resident

49. Even Jules Bethel Church

50. Vincent Nolan CRA

51. Ele Zachariades Sachs Sax Caplan

 

 

W O R K S H O P P A R T I C I P A N T S

52. Celestine H. Cartwright Resident

53. Tom Carney City Commission

54. Gail-Lee McDermott DB NAC

55. Otis Payne Resident

56. Jan P. Resident

57. Joycelyn B. Patrick NWN Alliance

58. L. Walker Resident

59. Peter Perri WARC

60. Ann Stacey-Wright SWN Alliance

61. Bobby Powell State Rep. Elect

62. Traniesce Willis Resident

63. Lena Wallace Resident

64. Kenya Spear Resident

65. Angeleta Gray City Commission

66. Henry Williams NW Neighborhood

67. Elain W. Resident

68. Paula N. Rocker Resident

69. Tim Hernandez New Urban Comm.

70. Rosetta Rolle Resident/NW Neighborhood

71. Guarn Sims Village Academy

72. Margie Walden WARC

73. Chuck Ridley Resident - NW/SW Alliance

74. Samuel Spear WARC

75. Kristyn Cox-Goodwin CRA/WARC

 

 

WARC HISTORYAND MISSION

OFFICERS 

 REGINALD A. COX, RA, MBA, CBO, CHAIR REGINALD A. COX & ASSOCIATES, INC. 

rcox@reginaldacox.com

 JIMMY WEATHERSPOON, VICE‐CHAIR  PALM BEACH COUNTY URBAN LEAGUE 

weat6347@bellsouth.net

 MARGIE WALDEN, SECRETARY EXECUTIVE VP, ALLIANCE OF DELRAY 

mjwalden1@bellsouth.net

 PETER PERRI, TREASURER OWNER, PJB, LLC 

bpjppp@aol.com

 

 

DIRECTORS 

ALFRED STRAGHN OWNER, STRAGHN & SON FUNERAL HOME  SHARON BURKE MONTAGE DIVERSITY CONSULTANTS, LLC 

sburke@montageeducation.com

 ALAN KORNBLAU DIRECTOR, DELRAY BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY 

alan.kornblau@delraylibrary.org

 SAMUEL SPEAR JR. OWNER, SPEAR‐SYSTEMS, INC. 

sam@spear-systems.com

 PATRICIA WRIGHT HOA PRESIDENT,CARVER MEMORIAL  PARK 

sunshinep57@yahoo.com

  KRISTYN COX‐GOODWIN, ADMINISTRATOR CRA PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR 

coxk@mydelraybeach.com

   

 

We, the Board of the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition want to personally thank you for being a part of the WARC Community Workshop on Needs Assessment for the West Atlantic Area. This workshop was called so that we, the stakeholders of this community, can come together to review the visions we’ve collected and shared, weigh them against today’s plans and develop strategies to continue and/or reassess those visions. WARC is here to open the doors for communication between one another: public and private, resident and visitor, property owner and business owner. After a 1988 redevelopment strategy for the West Atlantic area was abandoned due to an outline of substantial demolition and displacement of residents and businesses, in 1993, the CRA organized the first phase of a community planning effort by inviting numerous community members to a series of meetings to discuss the concept of a West Atlantic Redevelopment Plan. These meetings resulted in the organization of a larger community based Steering Committee whose initial charge of was to develop a process and strategy for the planning effort. The Steering Committee participants referred to themselves as stakeholders in the resulting process which was termed "Visions West Atlantic". "Visions West Atlantic" was a forum for a series of community meetings held over a two-year period that ultimately produced recommendations concerning redevelopment issues for West Atlantic Avenue. These recommendations form the backbone of the West Atlantic Redevelopment Plan, which was adopted by the City in 1995.

The community "visions meetings" recognized that the need to facilitate the redevelopment of West Atlantic Avenue could not stop with completion of the plan. After a series of discussions, the group established the need for oversight and a full time staff person to implement the plan. The West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition (WARC) is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization created in 1996, as a result of the vision meetings, to advise the CRA and City on redevelopment issues in the area. WARC exists to ensure that the West Atlantic Corridor is completely redeveloped and that this redevelopment is consistent with the wishes and desires of the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Mission of the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition (WARC) is to serve as a vehicle for community redevelopment, linking the resources of the public and private sector to advocate for the improvement of the economic, social and cultural future of the businesses and neighborhoods surrounding West Atlantic Avenue.

Over the last 15 years the West Atlantic Corridor has achieved successful public and private projects such as Atlantic Grove and the Municipal Library; however, redevelopment along the West Atlantic Corridor still lags behind other successful initiatives found on East Atlantic Avenue and Pineapple Grove (NE 2nd Avenue). This Community Workshop is designed to identify and address barriers to the redevelopment along the West Atlantic Corridor and how WARC can continue to be the liaison between the Community’s Voice and the Organization’s Plan. The forum will be facilitated by professional planners assembled by WARC with the role of helping our community develop a shared vision and action steps required for complete redevelopment in this area of need.

Again, thank you for your attendance and we look forward to working with you today, tomorrow, and in the future.

Sincerely, Your 2012 WARC Board

 

 

COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA

 

 

WEST ATLANTIC AVENUE CORRIDOR AERIAL

WEST ATLANTIC AVENUE CORRIDOR CURRENT PARTIAL ZONING DISTRICT MAP

 

 

NW/SW NEIGHBORHOOD AREA MAP

 

 

WORKSHOP PROFESSIONAL FACILITATORS

Greg Vann Buckle Vann Buckle Planning Consulting is a Land Planning and Design firm in Southeast Florida working with a network of associates for 41 years. Vann Buckle has dealt with tremendous growth by assisting builders, realtors, developers and neighborhoods in coping with increasingly complex land utilization and controls.  

Paul Skyers Mr. Skyers provides technical financial assistance to public and private clients in the areas of loan packaging, business planning, procurement assistance and management/marketing.  

Mary Smith Mrs. Smith is a licensed realtor and home designer, bringing knowledge, energy and enthusiasm from start to completion to each transaction.  

Lynn Solomon Ms. Solomon, Attorney at Law, has worked on housing strategies and land use issues throughout Palm Beach and Martin counties.  

Dale Adams Mr. Adams is a civil engineer designer, land planner and project manager with 30 years experience in the South Florida area.  

Michael Brady For more than 20 years Mr. Brady has used his experience in Sales, Marketing, Public Relations and Team Management to achieve public consensus.  

Paul White Mr. White has a 30-year career in City Management in Ohio, Georgia and Florida. Mr. White is adept at steering organizations through difficult financial challenges.