Comprehensive Plan Workshop

Town of St. Leo

Comprehensive Plan Workshop

Agenda

Wednesday, February 28, 2024 6:30 PM

Saint Leo University Boardrooms

33701 CR 52, St. Leo, FL 33574

Facilitated by: Consultant, Bonnie. C Landry, AICP

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81938785571?pwd=cEhHbyswR3VVb0hQQ1hTUHlZemlIdz09

Passcode: 548352

Email additional comments or questions to Bonnie Landry, AICP at (772) 266-9427 or bonnie@bclandry.com.

For more information about this project, please see the webpage here on the Town’s website: https://www.townofstleo.org/administration/page/comprehensive-plan-update

 In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person with a disability requiring reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this meeting should call the Town Clerk at (352) 588-2622 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting day. 

TOWN OF ST. LEO

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE PUBLIC WORKSHOP

FEBRUARY 28, 2024 6:30 PM

SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY BOARDROOMS

33701 CR 52, ST. LEO, FL 33574

OPENING      Town Administrator Andrea Calvert welcomed attendees and introduced Commissioners and Steering Committee Members present. She thanked all in attendance (approximately 50).   

TOWN COMMISSION                                             STAFF

Vincent D’Ambrosio - Mayor                                 *Tom Ashburn, AICP - Town Planner

James Hallett, O.S.B. - Mayor Pro Tem               *Andrea Calvert, MMC - Town Administrator/Clerk

*Donna DeWitt, O.S.B. - Commissioner               *Rebecca Merwin - Assistant Town Clerk

Curtis Dwyer - Commissioner                                Luke D'Ambrosio - Intern

William Hamilton - Commissioner                        Khristian Parrish - Intern

                                                                                    Hannah Lynn - Intern

STEERING COMMITTEE                                         Bonnie Landry - President, Bonnie Landry & Assoc.

Dr. Jen Shaw                                                             Myriam Sanabria - Planning Technician, Bonnie

Paul Williams (via Zoom)                                          Landry & Associates

Tory England                                                             Heather Shaw - Office Manager & Project

                                                                                      Coordinator, Bonnie Landry & Associates (via Zoom)

* also a Steering Committee member                  

OVERVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

Bonnie Landry, Purpose of Comprehensive Plans

Comprehensive Plans:

• Provide principles, guidelines, standards and strategies for orderly and balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental and fiscal development of the Town of St. Leo.
• Reflect community commitments to implement the Plan and its elements.
• Establish meaningful and predictable standards for the use and development of land.
• Provide meaningful guidelines for the development of land development and use regulations (LDR).
• Have requirements that are outlined in Florida Statue 163.3177 Comprehensive Plans.
• Are required by FL Statues.

Reviewed Stages of Comprehensive Planning

Shared Planner’s Role and Public’s Role

Discussed Public Involvement

ACTIVITY # 1 – HANDHELD POLLING DEVICE ACTIVITY

Workshop participants completed polling activity using OMBEA handheld devices. There were approximately 34 participants in the polling activity.

ACTIVITY # 2 – AMENITIES VOTING

Participants ranked a list of amenities. They choose the top three they felt were most important, one meaning most important. Results will be analyzed and shared after the Workshop.    

ACTIVITY # 3 – SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

Participants were split into four groups. An aerial map of the Town, and red and green circle stickers were provided. Red indicated an area of concern; green indicated a positive area. Participants added the stickers to the aerial map. On a comment card, participants wrote down the location and notes about why they put the red or green sticker on that location. Each group reported their table’s results. These maps and comments will be analyzed and shared in the Workshop report.

Table 1:

Pros: The Wellness Center. It is a place that students love to come eat, workout and enjoy the pool. Apartments 5 and 6. Students love the location. The (planned) Town Center, Baptist Church, and Abbey Golf Course.

Cons: Facilities, Storage, Dock & Pavilions They are dated and can be improved. Development. (The area) could not support the housing. Need more parking on campus. Insufficient round-about/traffic calming in area.

Table 2:

Pros: Lake Jovita.  It should be preserved. (The Town is a) safe area even with heavy traffic; Wellness Center. Positives are the pool and café. Saint Leo University.

Cons: Housing development along the golf course. Participants thought something better should be there. The flashing traffic light (at CR 52/Pompanic St./College Ave.) is unwelcoming.

Table 3:

Pros: Saint Leo University. Lake Jovita. (The planned) Town Center. (The CR 52/Pompanic St./ College Ave.) Roundabout had mixed feedback. Wellness Center. Some participants like the new housing but wish it was more spaced out.
 

Cons: A lot of new housing that needs to be spaced out. Roundabout. Tennis and basketball courts near the Monastery; land that was cleared near the University Wellness Center and nothing was done afterwards; trash near front entrance of Lake Jovita Subdivision; parking at Town hall.

Table 4:

Pros: Monastery, Abbey church, University dock

Cons: high density residential units

Activity # 4 – Open Forum

Participants spoke about:

• The need for public transportation and walkability.
• Pasco trails; we would like to see this go out around the old SR 52 and into the new CR 52 to draw new traffic; it should be an 8-foot-wide path.
• St. Leo needs more convenient food options that are closer.
• St. Leo needs multi-family housing options.
• Commissioner Hallett spoke to acknowledge that St. Leo Abbey Golf course has not sold and is not on the market.
• St. Leo needs more convenience options within the Town boundaries.
• St. Leo should annex more land for tax revenue and businesses to coming. That would give the Town an identity.
• There is no place for students to gather after dark or congregate and go get food after late night study sessions; even vending machines are behind locked doors.
• A participant spoke about desire for students to come back to visit and live in Town; 95% of the population is students. The past, present, and the future can live here.
• It is important for St. Leo to establish more playgrounds and areas for families to gather.
• Commissioner Hamilton said that the Town should look to Dade City's example.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 PM.

Heather Shaw - Office Manager & Project Coordinator, Bonnie Landry & Associates

Rebecca Merwin - Assistant Town Clerk