Oviedo CRA staff shift and draft redevelopment plan move toward city council review
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Summary
City staff announced a Jan. 1 transition in CRA staffing and presented an updated draft Community Redevelopment Area plan that adds project categories, a new affordable-housing element, and a list of potential infrastructure, mobility and cultural projects; the board will review the draft and is expected to recommend it to city council for public hearing and adoption.
Mr. Cobb, city staff, told the Oviedo Community Redevelopment Agency Governing Board that, effective Jan. 1, Mr. Kelly will take primary staff responsibility for the CRA and Cobb will serve as backup. "Mr. Kelly will be taking on the primary responsibility for the CRA. I will become the backup," Cobb said.
Mr. Kelly then presented a draft update to the CRA plan intended to reflect recent changes to the city comprehensive plan, downtown master plan, land development code and mobility plan. He said the draft reaffirms CRA boundaries around historic downtown and Oviedo in the Park and groups proposed work into six task categories, including administration; business development and neighborhood enhancement; cultural and public art; streetscaping and mobility; stormwater and water-utility projects; and property acquisition.
"They are designed, under the Community Redevelopment Act of 1969, with the purpose of revitalizing slum and blight and foster economic development," Kelly said, explaining the statutory basis and the plan's focus on infrastructure investments to leverage private development. He also said the draft adds an affordable-housing element, noting the city can coordinate with the Seminole County Housing Authority on projects in the Doctor's Drive area.
Kelly recommended the CRA governing board review the draft, adopt a resolution recommending the update to city council, and forward the updates to the Local Planning Agency for a consistency review ahead of a city council public hearing and potential adoption. He told members staff can include an explicit comparison showing what is new in the draft versus the prior plan at the board's December meeting.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes: Motion moved and seconded; chair called the vote and the motion passed with no opposition (recorded on the meeting minutes). - Consent agenda: Motion moved by a board member, seconded; the chair called the vote and the motion passed with no opposition.
Why it matters: The CRA plan guides tax increment financing (TIF) investment and sets priorities for infrastructure and site preparation intended to spur private redevelopment in the downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. The timetable Mr. Kelly outlined — LPA consistency review and a subsequent city council public hearing — means the draft will undergo additional review and public comment before any funding or property-acquisition authority is exercised.
What comes next: The board asked staff to return to the December meeting with a clear list of items that were added or changed in the draft so members can compare versions. Any formal action to adopt the plan update or allocate funds would require subsequent resolution(s) and the public hearings Kelly described.
