| Document furnished by Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners for more information, see: http://www.charlottecountyfl.com/MurdockVillage/ Murdock Village Redevelopment Initiative Disclaimer The County has taken reasonable security measures to protect the integrity of its website and information posted thereon. However, no web site can fully ensure against infiltration. Absent any unauthorized act that deletes, edits or somehow manipulates the words or data in the reports and statements, such reports and statements are believed to be true and correct as of their date. ---------- Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions 2. What is the problem or circumstance that the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative is trying to address? 3. What is the historical backdrop for the excessive platting problem? 4. Beyond the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative, what actions has the County taken to address the excessive inventory of vacant platted lots in Charlotte County? 5. Why was a specific area in West Murdock selected for the redevelopment initiative? 6. What tools will the County employ in the redevelopment process for Murdock Village? 7. Please explain how a redevelopment agency fits into the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative. 8. How was the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency created; and what is the composition of its governing body? 9. How will the County's Request for Proposals Process unfold? 10. Why did the County choose to receive proposals from other than those development teams that were pre-qualified in mid-2003? 11. How will the County determine which proposal to select? 12. What impact will the "sustainable design charrette" have on the County's Request for Proposals process? 13. Who are the members of the County's selection committee? 14. Does the County have a citizen's advisory committee focusing on the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative? 15. How long will it take to negotiate a redevelopment agreement with the selected proposer? 16. Can anyone review the responses to the request for proposals? 17. What type of proposals should the County expect? 18. What will become of the County's regional park? 19. Will the County be imposing uniform design standards for the entire redevelopment area? 20. Is the County committed to acquiring all of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area and reselling the land to the selected development partner for redevelopment purposes? 21. Why is the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative different from any other development project? 22. How long will it take to complete the redevelopment contemplated for the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area? 23. How will the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative have a positive impact on the rest of the community? 24. How much does the County plan on initially funding the purchase of lands within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area? 25. How will the County repay the monies it has borrowed to acquire lands within the redevelopment Area? 26. Will the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area somehow be closed to outside traffic? ---------- 1. What is the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative? The Murdock Village Redevelopment initiative is a bold and pro-active attempt to redevelop approximately 1,200 acres of predominately vacant platted lots. The general boundaries of the area are created by SR 776 on the south, Orchard Street and the Crestwood Waterway on the west, U.S. 41 on the north and Collingswood Boulevard on the east. [Click here to view a map of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area.]. ---------- 2. What is the problem or circumstance that the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative is trying to address? This redevelopment initiative is focused upon addressing many of the undesirable results of excessive subdivision or platting of thousands of acres of land within Charlotte County between the end of World War II and the early 1980s. The lack of planning and obsolescent development which occurred in Charlotte County after World War II have contributed to the conditions of economic blight which now threaten the health, safety and welfare of the community. [Click here to learn more about the term "blight".] ---------- 3. What is the historical backdrop for the excessive platting problem? Charlotte County was chartered as a county in 1921, with its main population center being the coastal City of Punta Gorda located along the only north-south corridor between Tampa and Miami, U.S. 41 (also known as the Tamiami Trail). Completion of Interstate 75 through Charlotte County did not take place until the late 1970's. The City of Punta Gorda and Charlotte County generally were untouched by the land boom of the 1920s in Florida . However, after World War II Charlotte County began to experience significant population growth and attention due to the attractive Florida climate. This can be attributed in substantial part to the general national prosperity that followed the war and the dramatic impact of land development and speculation resulting from the creation of the "Port Charlotte Subdivisions" by Frank E. Mackle, Jr., E.J. Mackle and their development entity, General Development Corporation. Beginning in the 1950s and continuing throughout the early 1980s, thousands of acres between the Peace River and Myakka River were subdivided and platted into relatively small urban lots. In all, General Development Corporation platted over seventy (70) subdivisions, often several square miles in size, creating roughly a quarter million lots with minimal infrastructure - block after block and subdivision after subdivision with no sewer or water, and, in retrospect, hundreds and hundreds of miles of what have turned out to be substandard roads with poor or minimal drainage. Clearly, no demand existed within Charlotte County at that time for such subdivisions. As with prior land booms, the focus of sales was on out-of-state purchasers attracted by often unregulated marketing and real estate development efforts. Accordingly, hundreds of thousands of these vacant lots with minimal infrastructure were sold to absentee owners seeking speculative return or future hopes for retirement or vacation uses that never materialized. The situation was compounded in that the platting practices of the developers were geared toward maximizing the number of lots that could be sold for residential use. As was the practice at the time, predominately all of the platted lots within these subdivisions are subject to self renewing deed restrictions which limit them to single family residential use, thus limiting the land's ability to meet changing market demands. As a consequence of the short-term focus of marketing thousands of vacant lots, the long-term viability of the resultant "community" poses significant issues for local government and the private sector decades later: extraordinary maintenance costs; the huge costs to retrofit inadequate infrastructure; inefficient land use patterns subject to restrictive covenants that shackle any real ability to meet changing market demands; a diversity of ownership which severely impairs the private sector or local government from effectively addressing inadequate and outdated subdivision development. Additionally, as the decades have passed without significant development in many subdivisions, a substantial number of the structures which include, but are not limited to, site improvements, subdivision infrastructure, roadways, buildings and other improvements arranged, built or constructed within the Port Charlotte Subdivision have physically and functionally deteriorated faster than local government or landowners can address such economic, physical and social stress. The future land use element of the 1997-2010 Charlotte County Comprehensive Plan concluded that if the current inventory of vacant lots (in excess of 225,000) were developed, the County would have a population of approximately one half million people. For instance, a population of 500,000 people would require: - 50.98 million gallons of water per day (MGPD) would be needed to handle residential, commercial and industrial needs (current supply capacity is 12.75 MGPD); - capacity to treat approximately 37.8 MGPD of raw sewage (current treatment capacity is 7.325 MGPD); - 39 elementary schools, 15 middle schools and 11 high schools (currently there are 11 elementary, 4 middle and 3 high schools); and - a Fire/EMS Department with a staff of 629 including 51 stations and 78 fire trucks/ambulances (currently there are 191 staff, 16 stations and 38 fire trucks/ambulances). From the foregoing it is clear that there is a significant need between the current level of services and what would be required for future build out. Although the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative will not cure the ills created thousands of vacant platted lots, it is a pro-active step toward breaking the shackles of aggressive and shortsighted development and land speculation activities occurring decades ago. ---------- 4. Beyond the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative, what actions has the County taken to address the excessive inventory of vacant platted lots in Charlotte County ? In an effort to reduce the continuing impact of the excess of vacant platted lots, the County has undertaken several successful strategies. For instance, the County has acquired, with assistance from the State of Florida , large tracts of land (31,330 acres with the potential development of 21,250 residential units) for public ownership and use. As well, the County has sought to acquire property through tax deed acquisitions and or directly acquiring targeted land. Unfortunately, these activities require substantial funding which is not self-renewing or self-liquidating. The County has also developed the use of a transfer of development rights ordinance designed to shift density from outlying lots to better serve properties within the urban service area. It is through a combination of these strategies that the County struggles to overcome its legacy of thousands and thousands of under used and vacant residential lots. Economic and real estate research indicates that there is an increasing demand for newer amenity-laden residential plats which comport with market needs and that infill of the existing platted subdivisions has slowed. Accordingly, market forces are shifting development to the margins of the County's urban service area away from the already platted urban infill areas that currently exist. This shift continues to indirectly support an underdeveloped and underutilized urban core of predominantly vacant residential lots while producing an increasing demand for new infrastructure and services to the remaining unplatted areas of the County. The Murdock Village community redevelopment initiative presents a strategy to address surplus vacant platted lands in a manner designed to cause the cost of such redevelopment to be borne ultimately by the redeveloped area involved. The other strategies remaining available to the County all require significant one time use of precious fiscal resources (cash to purchase land) which must compete with numerous other demands on the County's available resources. ---------- 5. Why was a specific area in West Murdock selected for the redevelopment initiative? The Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area has been selected for a number of reasons, including excessive platting [Click here to learn more about the problem of excessive platting] and the resulting conditions of blight [Click here to learn more about the blight conditions which redevelopment can address] , its relative lack of development and proximity to the central transportation and economic core of the unincorporated Murdock area in the northern portion of Charlotte County. In 2002 the County asked for the advice of the Urban Land Institute [Click here to learn more about the Urban Land Institute] , a research and education organization that assists communities with difficult land issues with preliminary advice and assistance. The Urban Land Institute's recommendation was to "un-plat" the area and re-assemble it into larger parcels in order to make it more appropriate for development. The Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area encompasses 1,200 acres near the economic and social core of the Murdock area that were platted, but relatively undeveloped. The land values were perceived as stagnant and not keeping pace with other areas. The County was faced with enormous infrastructure and service costs to catch up in terms of supplying infrastructure and services to a substantially platted, but vacant area. The area was not developing as originally planned and within the 1,200 acres only eighty (80) quarter acre lots had been improved with residences. The fact that vacant lots were being used as locations to dump trash, the streets and subdivision infrastructure were deteriorating, and the ad valorem tax revenues generated by the area did not come close to addressing the enormous costs for needed maintenance and capital improvements made the area a candidate for redevelopment. After listening to suggestions from the Urban Land Institute, the County commissioned WilsonMiller to prepare a concept plan for redeveloping the entire area. [Click here to view the February 25, 2003 concept plan presented by WilsonMiller.] The concept plan articulated an initial vision and the County's request for proposals process is designed to focus and narrow that vision into proposals and development plans which can be implemented. [Click here to learn more about the County's request for proposals process.] ---------- 6. What tools will the County employ in the redevelopment process for Murdock Village? The Murdock Village redevelopment initiative involves several innovative tools in its implementation: - Community Redevelopment Agency : The County has created the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency and the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area to use many of the statutory tools available to local governments in Florida for redevelopment purposes [Click here to learn more about the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency.] - Redevelopment Partner : The County has sought creative talent and energy of willing and capable redevelopment partners. [Click here to learn more about the process the County is using to attract redevelopment partners.] Involvement of a redevelopment partner comports with the dictates of Florida law that a community redevelopment initiative of this nature attempt to afford maximum opportunities, consistent with the sound needs of the community as a whole, for the redevelopment of any redevelopment area by private enterprise. - A Competitive Request for Proposals : The County has worked to create a competitive process in which qualified and willing redevelopment partners, or development teams, can demonstrate their qualifications and compete to provide the County with focused and detailed proposals relating to redevelopment and the acquisition and disposition of the real property involved. [Click here to learn more about the County's request for proposals process.] To date, the County has received statements of interest from several potential redevelopment partners or development teams. On February 24, 2004 the County Commission confirmed that all proposals from qualified development teams are encouraged and that equal consideration will be given to all proposals received. [Click here to view the required qualifications.] As well, the County Commission has provided that proposers may also seek to be pre-qualified before submitting a response to the request for proposals. [Click here to view a list of firms or development teams that have already been pre-qualified]. - Determining Vested Land Use Entitlements : Because of the excessive platting over the last several decades, much of the area could be incrementally developed without regard to modern growth management or planning regulations. The County has applied to the Department of Community Affairs for a Binding Letter of Vested Rights which will set the parameters of what development is vested from a development of regional impact review. This will provide certainty and confidence for the community and any redevelopment partners as to how the area is viewed by State regulations. A specific response is expected shortly. Once the final uses and development totals for the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area are established through the selection of a redevelopment partner in the request for proposals process, appropriate changes to the vested rights can be approved through the submission of application for modification of the Binding Letter of Vested Rights. It is anticipated that the future plan for the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area will create fewer impacts than the original "Port Charlotte Subdivision" plats and, therefore, the redevelopment proposals resulting from the request for proposal process will not be subject to development of regional impact review. [Click here to view current correspondence and response from Department of Community Affairs.] - Acquisition of Lands Within the Community Redevelopment Area: Because of the inability of the private marketplace to cure the ills of excessive platting decades later, one of the significant tools in any redevelopment initiative is the power of the local government to assemble the property for redevelopment. The County is committed to acquiring the entire Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area for redevelopment purposes. This commitment to acquire property involves both voluntary acquisitions and, as required, the use of the power of eminent domain (sometimes referred to as condemnation powers). While it is painful for families and businesses to relocate, the County is committed to being professional, fair and courteous to all affected property owners. The County has embarked upon acquiring the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area concurrently with the request for proposal process to solicit willing and capable redevelopment partners. [Click here to learn more about the County's acquisition strategy and progress to date.] - Redevelopment Financing Tools : The County anticipates using several potential redevelopment financing tools to recover its investment in redevelopment within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area: Purchase Price Paid By Redevelopment Partner . The County expects that a portion, but most likely not all, of the cost to acquire lands within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area for redevelopment purposes will be recovered through the purchase price to be offered by a redevelopment partner as a result of the request for proposal process. [Click here to learn more about the request for proposal process.] The purchase price will be paid in cash as a result of a Redevelopment Agreement to be negotiated with the redevelopment partner providing the most attractive response to the County's request for proposals. Tax Increment Financing . Tax increment financing allows the County to commit substantially all, or a portion, of the increased tax revenue resulting from the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative to the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. Tax increment financing essentially involves establishing a base year for valuation purposes and then in each succeeding year determining the difference between the tax revenues in the base year and the additional tax revenues resulting in each subsequent year as a result of increased assessed values resulting from redevelopment. [Click here to view an estimate of tax increment revenues which might be derived from the Murdock Village redevelopment Initiative.] This redevelopment financing tool will not affect the local school boards tax revenues or taxes of any other taxing authority other than the county. Whether the County releases all of the tax increment revenues back to the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area, or some lesser portion, is expected to be a function of the purchase price offered by the successful proposer in the County's request for proposal process. To date, the County has reserved the right to commit less than all of the tax increment revenues to the redevelopment area. Future incremental tax revenues from the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area not committed for redevelopment purposes would go into the County's general fund and could provide a means to repay the County for its investment in the community redevelopment initiative. Because a certain amount of tax increment revenue is expected to be expended by the County within the redevelopment area, the County Commission on February 24, 2004 made a policy determination to commit a minimum contribution of $15 million in tax increment revenues to the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative. These dollars would not be delivered directly to any selected developer, but rather would represent the County's minimum share in paying for capital projects and associated expenditures within the redevelopment area (e.g. water, sewer, drainage, etc.). This does not prevent the County from committing additional tax increment revenues derived from the redevelopment area; it only sets a minimum to be relied upon by potential proposers in preparing their proposal and purchase price offers. County staff and advisors have suggested that such a minimum commitment be clearly communicated to provide confidence to the proposers in the process. This amount represents future tax increment revenues derived solely from the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area and constitutes roughly about 30% of the projected tax increment revenue expected to come from the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area over a thirty (30) year period. The specifics of this general commitment will be further memorialized and negotiated in a Redevelopment Agreement to be negotiated with the successful proposer. [Click here to learn more about the anticipated Redevelopment Agreement.] Community Development District : A community development district is a local unit of special purpose government used by both the private and public sectors to deliver, finance and manage basic services and infrastructure for community development. Community development districts are independent special districts established pursuant to general law provisions in Chapter 190, Florida Statutes. The County is prepared to favorably receive a petition from its redevelopment partner to create and establish a community development district and expects to enter into one or more interlocal agreements which provide for the delivery of infrastructure and essential services by a community development district to be located wholly within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. The County reserves the right to retain substantial control of this process in exchange for the contribution and financial support (e.g. providing tax increment revenues) in underwriting a portion of the infrastructure involved. By "substantial control" the County means that it maintains an expectation that any community development district would be accountable to the expenditure of tax increment revenues and assessments in the redevelopment area; any selected proposer should be prepared, for example, to document such accountability through the Redevelopment Agreement and one or more interlocal agreements with the County, the County's redevelopment agency, and the independent redevelopment district. It is quite possible that all of the infrastructure to be financed and delivered would be actually constructed by the community development district. Community development districts are subject to all applicable government in the sunshine and open record laws for governments in Florida . Bonds issued by community development districts are typically repaid through assessments imposed on the landowners and, to a lesser extent, revenue sharing arrangements through interlocal agreements with local governments and their community redevelopment agencies. Educational Facilities Benefit District : The County's request for proposals assumes that the selected developer will provide budgets and proposals which contemplate, among other things, the dedication of a school site (estimated not more than 20 acres), depending on the demographics and needs, for a middle school or elementary school. In order to avoid the circumstance where a school site is dedicated, but a school is not developed concurrently with the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative, proposers have been encouraged to consider the use of educational facilities benefit districts. Educational facilities benefit districts are created pursuant to Chapter 1013, Florida Statutes, specifically Sections 1013.355 and 1013.356, with the stated purpose of authorizing public cooperation amongst district school boards, affected local general purpose governments, and benefited private development interests in order to implement financing for timely construction and maintenance of school facilities. The intent of such statutory authorization is to provide efficient alternative mechanisms and incentives to allow the sharing of costs of educational facilities necessary to accommodate new growth among district school boards, affected local general purpose governments and benefited private development interests. With the concurrence of the local school board, the County will consider establishing an educational facility benefit district to assist in the construction and delivery of an elementary or middle school within the redevelopment area, the presence of which is expected to help to achieve a family oriented environment in Murdock Village . Essentially, an educational facilities benefit district possesses a statutory authorization to impose non-ad valorem assessments for school facilities upon residential properties within such a district. Such assessments provide real and substantial benefits to the residential lands involved by advancing timely construction of educational facilities, taking advantage of efficient alternative mechanisms to accelerate the relief of burdens and demands on the Charlotte County public school system created by the new growth and development, and assuring the opportunity for students residing in Murdock Village to attend a school located within the redevelopment area. Whether or not such a financing mechanism is used is absolutely within the discretion of a local school board. Municipal Service Taxing Unit : In addition to all other financing mechanisms, the County may also consider establishing a municipal services taxing unit authorized by Chapter 125, Florida Statutes. A municipal service taxing unit is purely a mechanism by which a county can fund a particular service through the levy of ad valorem taxes, not countywide, but only within the redevelopment area. In the nature of a tax equity tool, a municipal service taxing unit can limit the taxes imposed to just the redevelopment area. A municipal service taxing unit could be used to segregate additional ad valorem taxes levied only within the redevelopment area to ensure that funds derived from such additional levy are used to provide a myriad of essential services and capital facilities to Murdock Village . Again, a mechanism to assure that the county's investment in the redevelopment area is ultimately repaid from taxes and assessments paid by landowners within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. How all these financing tools are used or employed will be determined as a result of expected proposals and negotiations with a potential redevelopment partner. As well, such structure will ultimately be memorialized in a Redevelopment Agreement and or a series of interlocal agreements between the selected developer, the County, its redevelopment agency, and or other governmental entities such as a community development district or an educational facilities benefit district. ---------- 7. Please explain how a redevelopment agency fits into the Murdock Village Redevelopment Initiative. In April 2003 the County identified a redevelopment study area and asked for analysis from Real Estate Research Consultants, Inc. to further substantiate whether the area was in need of redevelopment. On May 27, 2003 the Board of County Commissioners conducted a duly advertised public hearing on the matter. In addition to being knowledgeable about the conditions in Charlotte County and the study area, the Board of County Commissioners considered County staff comments, expert opinions and public comment and input in addition to the data and analysis contained in the West Murdock Redevelopment Study Area Finding of Necessity Report, dated May 2003, prepared and presented by Real Estate Research Consultants, Inc. [Click here to view the West Murdock Redevelopment Study Area Finding of Necessity Report.] Immediately after the May 27, 2003 public hearing the Board of County Commissioners determined that there was in fact a need for a redevelopment agency to carry out redevelopment provisions authorized by Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes (the "redevelopment Act 1969"). In doing so the County Commission made a series of findings and determinations which, among other things, designated the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area [Click here to view a map of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area], created a Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency [Click here to learn more about the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency ] , and adopted a series of findings relating to conditions within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area [Click here to learn more about the blighted conditions which redevelopment can address.]. Accordingly, the County adopted its Resolution No. 2003-81, Resolution No. 2003-82 and entered into an interlocal agreement between the County and its redevelopment Agency; all in an effort to determine, declare and substantiate the need for redevelopment activities within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. [Click here to view Resolution 2003-81, Resolution No. 2003-82 and the Interlocal Agreement between the County and its community redevelopment agency.] ---------- 8. How was the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency created; and what is the composition of its governing body? The Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency was created by resolution of the County Commission. [Click here to view Resolution 2003-81, Resolution 2003-82 and the Interlocal Agreement between the County and its redevelopment agency.] Although a separate public body corporate and politic, the composition of the redevelopment agency is ex officio the County Commission. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the County Commission serve respectively as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency with the remaining members of the governing body of the redevelopment agency being the remaining members of the Board of County Commissioners. Concurrent with their employment by the County, the County Administrator, the County Clerk and the County Attorney, or any special counsel of the County, also serve respectively as the Executive Director, Clerk and general or special counsel to the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency. Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, provides the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency with supplemental powers and authority to make the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative possible. In lay terms, the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency could be considered an alter ego of the County Commission providing additional supplemental powers and authority so that the community can implement the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative; nevertheless the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency is a distinct and separate legal entity from the County Commission. ---------- 9. How will the County's Request for Proposals Process unfold? In mid-2003 the County Commission determined to seek willing and capable proposers to participate as a redevelopment partner in addressing the recommendations provided by the Urban Land Institute [Click here to learn more about the Urban Land Institute] and the WilsonMiller concept plan. [Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation of February 25, 2003 WilsonMiller concept plan.] At the time, five (5) development teams with significant qualifications responded. The County selected three (3) development teams as fully responding to its request for qualifications. That process occurred concurrently with the County's own determination concerning the feasibility or economic viability of an evolving redevelopment initiative. The request for qualifications made it clear that the County reserved the right to accept or reject any and or all letters of interest, and waive irregularities and technicalities, and to request resubmission, if need be. Subsequently the County has sought input from the qualified respondents and developed a request for proposals. This process took longer than anticipated, but has resulted from collaboration with interested proposers and input from the County Commission, its staff, consultants and legal advisors. The request for proposals was approved by the County and notice was initially published on February 2, 2004. [Click here to view request for proposals and all Addendums. Caution - it is important to review the request for proposals in light of all Addendums in that the request for proposals has been modified.] Once the request for proposals was advertised, interested proposers were offered an opportunity to provide input and ask for clarifications at a pre-bid conference on February 13, 2004. [Click here to view a summary of the February 13, 2004 meeting with interested proposers.] As a result, the County authorized clarifications to the request for proposals. [Click here to view Addendum No. 2 to the request for proposals. Caution - it is important to review the request for proposals in light of all Addendums in that the request for proposals has been modified.] Responses to the request for proposals are due on May 12, 2004 . However, the County has made it clear that if a substantial number of the proposers seek additional time to fully respond, it may entertain extending the time to submit proposals. The County will offer the opportunity for interested proposers to comment upon initial drafts of a Redevelopment Agreement during March and April 2004. A selection committee has been designated by the County Commission to consider and evaluate proposers [Click here to learn more about the County's request for proposals process.] This selection committee will also receive comments from interested proposers on any draft of the Redevelopment Agreement. All meetings of the selection committee designated by the County Commission, including meeting with interested proposers, will be noticed and conducted in conformance with government in the sunshine regulations. [Click here to view schedule of upcoming meetings related to the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative.] The County has established a schedule for submitting proposals and for completing the ultimate selection of a redevelopment partner, but reserves the right to amend milestone dates and be flexible in considering the proposals and implementing the redevelopment initiative. [Click here to view the anticipated critical events schedule relating to the request for proposal process.] ---------- 10. Why did the County choose to receive proposals from other than those development teams that were pre-qualified in mid-2003? First, the County has always reserved the right to modify the process for selecting a redevelopment partner. Second, a conservative interpretation by the County's legal advisors relating to the notice of disposition of real property (which is a part of the proposals requested) requires that the County's published notice request proposals from any qualified person or entity. Accordingly on February 24, 2004 the County Commission confirmed that all proposers from qualified development teams should be encouraged and confirmed that equal consideration would be given to all proposals received. As well the County Commission authorized its selection committee to pre-qualify any interested proposer prior to the deadline for submittal of proposals. [Click here to view Addendum No. 2 to the County's request for proposals.] ---------- 11. How will the County determine which proposal to select? The County's approach to considering responses to its request for proposals is to consider the proposals separately from the sealed offers to purchase. [Click here to view the request for proposals and specifically section RP-32 Anticipated Schedule.] After the deadline to submit proposals, for a period of approximately thirty to forty (30-40) days, the County's selection committee intends to examine and consider proposals received, seek discussion, clarifications, submittal of additional information and or presentations from the proposers. Immediately thereafter the County's selection committee will open and examine sealed purchase price offers, rank and make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. Pursuant to Section 119.07(3)(m), Florida Statutes, the sealed purchase price bids will be made available for public review when they are opened by the County. All meetings of the County's selection committee will be conducted after public notice and in conformation with all government in the sunshine requirements. [Click here to view upcoming meeting dates.] [Click here to view the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Committee upcoming meeting dates.] The request for proposals contains evaluation criteria which will be used by the County selection committee to recommend a redevelopment partner or development team to the County Commission. [Click here to view evaluation criteria.] The County Commission is expected to select a proposer to negotiate a Redevelopment Agreement in mid-summer 2004. In the event negotiations with the selected proposer are unsuccessful, the County reserves the right to terminate negotiations and commence negotiations with an alternative proposer. All proposers are required to deposit $200,000 with the County during any period in which they are actively negotiating a Redevelopment Agreement. It is important to note that there is not to be any contact between a proposer and any member of the County's selection committee or any member of the Board of County Commissioners regarding the project or proposal submitted by any proposer. Should any member of the selection committee initiate contact or fail to report any contact, such committee member may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Any proposer contacting any selection committee member or member of the Board of County Commissioners regarding a submitted proposal is subject to sanctions up to and including having the County disqualify that firm's submittal. ---------- 12. What impact will the "sustainable design charrette" have on the County's Request for Proposals process? The County secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Florida Energy Office to conduct a sustainable design charrette for the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative. The sustainable design charrette provided a forum to discuss concerns for making a development or facility more efficient in the use of energy, land and materials while minimizing its environmental impact. The Murdock Village charrette was held on January 28-29, 2004 at the Charlotte County Cultural Center in Port Charlotte where several groups convened to discuss resource conservation, building design and community planning, energy conservation and community/recreation issues. Those in attendance included the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator , County staff representing nearly every department, local business leaders, representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida Green Building Coalition, Audubon International, the University of Florida and members of the general public. A final report was prepared documenting the issues discussed and charrette recommendations. [Click here to view the Sustainable Design Charrette for Murdock Village Final Report.] It is important to bear in mind that the recommendations contained in the charrette are not binding requirements for developer proposals. The results of the Charrette provide suggestions for achieving efficiency in the use of energy, land and materials and for minimizing the environmental impact of the redevelopment initiative. ---------- 13. Who are the members of the County's selection committee? The County's selection committee is composed of the following persons: Roger Baltz, Assistant County Administrator; Tom O'Kane, Public Works Director; Ann Navan, Budget Director; Tom Cookingham, Manager Planning Services; and Betty Williams, Economic Development Coordinator. ---------- 14. Does the County have a citizen's advisory committee focusing on the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative? Yes. The County has created the seven (7) member Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency advisory committee. The advisory committee is composed of a County Commissioner, a contractor, a real estate broker, two (2) owners of property within the redevelopment area and two (2) members-at-large. At present, Commissioner Matthew DeBoer serves as the County Commission representative, Larry J. Sandles is the contractor representative and Clive William Hollin is the real estate broker representative. Craig Benton, D.C. and Suzanne T. Graham serve as property owner representatives whereas David M. Klein, M.D. and A. J. Tousignant serve as members-at large. The Chair and Co-Chair of the advisory committee are David M. Klein, M.D. and Larry J. Sandles, respectively. The advisory committee is supported by Ed Courton of the Community Development Department and legal counsel from the County Attorney 's office. The advisory committee intends to meet at least monthly and will meet concurrently with the selection committee, also designated by the County Commission, during the request for proposal process. All advisory committee meetings will be noticed and open to the public in accordance with Government in the Sunshine laws. [Click here to view upcoming meetings of the advisory committee.] ---------- 15. How long will it take to negotiate a redevelopment agreement with the selected proposer? At this juncture it is difficult to provide any specific timeframe. However, because the County is going to circulate rough drafts in March and April, it is hoped that the process of negotiating and finalizing a redevelopment agreement will move quicker than if the County waited until mid-summer to commence drafting with a selected proposer. This way, in theory, the County will have the benefit of input from all proposers as far as a base redevelopment agreement document is concerned. Again, the nature of the document will ultimately be dictated by the proposal offered by the selected proposer and negotiations could take several months. This was not unforeseen by the County and the County recognizes that any initial closing of lands within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area will be subject to several conditions precedent or prior obligations on the part of the County. For instance, the County has told the potential redevelopment partners in the request for proposals to assume that any obligation to close on a portion of or all of the lands to be conveyed by the County to the proposer for redevelopment purposes is subject to the County first (1) obtaining and providing a letter addressing land use entitlements from the Department of Community Affairs which obviates the need for a development of regional impact [Click here to learn more about determining vested land use entitlements.] ; (2) that the County will initiate and ultimately adopt the necessary amendments to its comprehensive plan which will be consistent with the proposer's development plan, a future redevelopment plan, and appropriate land use changes within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area [Click here to learn more about contemplated comprehensive plan changes.] ; (3) that the County will initiate the process to consider and adopt a redevelopment plan as required by Section 163, Part III, Florida Statues, for the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area [Click here to learn more about the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Agency ] ; (4) that the County will undertake and continue to undertake the acquisition of lands and parcels that have been identified by the developer, if not all of the approximate 1,000 acres which may be available for redevelopment within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area [Click here to learn more about the County's acquisition strategy.]; (5) that the County will process, consider and adopt appropriate resolutions vacating all necessary plats; (6) that the County will provide fee simple title without restrictions now imposed by existing restrictive covenants; and (7) a boundary survey of the property to be conveyed. All the foregoing are complex responsibilities that will take several months to accomplish. The developer may waive certain of these conditions; however, realistically the earliest date for any initial closing will be during 2005 and maybe 2006. [Click here to view the most current draft of the redevelopment agreement circulated to qualified developers.] Please understand the draft redevelopment agreement is at all times subject to change until approved and executed by the parties. ---------- 16. Can anyone review the responses to the request for proposals? Yes. Due to the length and complexity of the responses, the County will not be able to post all proposals on its website. The County expects to list the proposals received on its website and copies will be made available for review by the public. Please note, the sealed purchase price offers will not be opened until the selection committee has had an opportunity to seek clarifications of the base proposals. However, as soon as the sealed purchase price offers are opened, they will also be made available to the public for review. Prior to the selection of any proposal and entry into a Redevelopment Agreement, the County Commission will also conduct a public hearing on the matter. [Click here to view upcoming meeting dates.] ---------- 17. What type of proposals should the County expect? The request for proposals outlines numerous criteria that each proposer should consider. [Click here to view request for proposals and all addenda.] The County believes that the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area has entitlements of between 3,900 and 4,900 housing units and at least one million square feet of non-residential development before the need for development of regional impact review process would be triggered. The County has articulated preliminary redevelopment goals within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area in the request for proposals that the County preliminarily believes would fully use the expected entitlements. However, the County has placed a premium on creativity and innovation and to the extent a proposer seeks to incorporate less housing units or less non-residential square feet of development, the proposer should demonstrate in its proposal why such lesser amounts are appropriate and justified by perceived market conditions or other relevant development considerations. The request for proposals makes it clear that each proposer should include a significant non-residential development in the form of a town center and a significant number of residential units as an integral part of any redevelopment proposal. The mix of residential units (multi-family, single family, condominium, rental units or other forms of use and ownership) will be left to each developer to determine in their respective proposals. ---------- 18. What will become of the County's regional park? There is an existing regional park within the redevelopment area. This park or its exact equivalent acreage must be functionally maintained. If a respondent believes its proposal relies substantially on moving the park to another area within the redevelopment area, this can be accommodated subject to substantially maintaining the integrity, size, and facilities of this park. The cost of any such relocation must be reflected in any proposal and must be absorbed exclusively as a development expense. Further, the full facilities and use of any relocated park must be made available before the existing park is redeveloped. ---------- 19. Will the County be imposing uniform design standards for the entire community redevelopment area? The County in its request for proposals has asked proposers to consider and provide conceptual design standards and principles relevant to any development plan. The Redevelopment Agreement will serve to memorialize and require any proposer to honor such commitments as the project is developed. Accordingly, the County will be examining each proposal with an eye toward uniform design standards, while at the same time providing its redevelopment partner with maximum opportunity for creativity and innovation as the redevelopment initiative materializes. ---------- 20. Is the County committed to acquiring all of the Murdock Village redevelopment Area and reselling the land to the selected development partner for redevelopment purposes? The County's request for proposals asks all proposers to articulate in their proposal the land necessary for acquisition. In order to give the proposers confidence that the County is committed to the redevelopment initiative, the County Commission has articulated that it is committed to acquiring the entire 1,200 acres if need be. To date the County has purchased land in the redevelopment area from willing sellers. Every effort is being made to treat property owners fairly and with compassion. [Click here to learn more about the County's real property professionals assigned to work with affected landowners.] In all instances, properties will be appraised by independent licensed property appraisers and the County will use these appraisals and related information to negotiate with the property it purchases. To the extent feasible, the County has allowed homeowners to lease back homes while they find or build a new one and, where possible, the County has offered to swap for other lands owned by the County outside the redevelopment area, subject to availability and quality of title for the County-owned lands. Of course, when all negotiations fail, the County reserves the option to take the property by eminent domain and will afford all owners all appropriate consideration required by law and our State and federal constitutions in a fair, courteous and professional manner. ---------- 21. Why is the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative different from any other development project? The distinguishing characteristic with the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative is that it is an attempt by local government to address and change the complexion of a platted, but substantially vacant area. The project is different because of Charlotte County 's involvement and would not be possible without the provision and exercise of the many and varied tools available to government to cause this type of redevelopment and re-engineering. Admittedly, this is a bold step for any local government; but the County believes it is in the public interest to act proactively now to re-engineer and redevelop the area in order to seize a major opportunity to establish an economic and social hub for the future. Failure of the County to act today would make such a redevelopment opportunity cost prohibitive and even impossible in the near future. ---------- 22. How long will it take to complete the redevelopment contemplated for the Murdock Village redevelopment Area? Preliminary analysis by economic real estate consultants used by the County indicates that market absorption for the mix of non-residential and residential development now generally contemplated by the County may take between eight (8) and ten (10) years once a redevelopment partner receives title to the land in a developable condition. In other words, the County is currently working to acquire all the property within the redevelopment Area with complete assemblage expected to occur in 2005 or 2006, so build out is expected to occur sometime between 2013 and 2015. [Click here to learn more about obligations of the County before construction commences.] Once the County receives and evaluates proposals, selects a redevelopment partner and renegotiates a redevelopment agreement, the timeframe for completion will become clearer. [Click here to learn more about the County's currently anticipated critical events schedule to select a redevelopment partner.] ---------- 23. How will the Murdock redevelopment initiative have a positive impact on the rest of the community? Clearly, the Murdock Village redevelopment initiative provides a real and substantial opportunity to create a new economic and social hub and break the shackles of the excessively platted lands in Charlotte County [Click here to learn more about the problem of excessive platting.] Just as importantly, the redevelopment initiative provides several potential benefits to the community as a whole: an opportunity for a new and different type of mix of non-residential development and residential units other than single family homes on platted lots; ---------- 24. How much does the County plan on initially funding the purchase of lands within the Murdock Village redevelopment Area? The cost to acquire land within the Murdock redevelopment Area has been estimated to be between $70 million and $75 million. To date the County has committed to expend $33 million in the acquisition process. The County's real estate professionals have estimated that the $33 million now committed will allow the County to consolidate under single ownership the western half of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. [Click here to view a map of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area.] The County is underwriting these expenditures on a short term basis in several ways. Initially, the project was funded with $3 million in sales tax funds. In June 2003 the County borrowed an additional $5 million using sales tax funds to fund interest for a period of five (5) years. In October 2003 the County authorized an additional $15 million in acquisition funding funded by a short term loan with Bank of America payable in one year with interest only payments. Bank of America and other institutions have expressed interest in this redevelopment project and its financing needs. In February 2004 the County approved an additional $10 million to further the acquisition process so that a single contiguous piece of land (approximately 500 acres) could be assembled in the western portion of the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. In other words, the County is using short term financing approaches to continue the acquisition process until a long term financing structure is developed in conjunction with a selected redevelopment partner. [Click here to learn more about how the County expects to recover its investment in redevelopment within the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area.] ---------- 25. How will the County repay the monies it has borrowed to acquire lands within the Community Redevelopment Area? While the exact methods and amounts of repayment of debt are not expected to be solidified prior to negotiating a Redevelopment Agreement with a willing and capable redevelopment partner, the general redevelopment principles have been identified by the County. The Redevelopment Agreement will address elements such as the timing of land purchased from the County and exactly how much and when purchase price payments will be received. [Click here to learn more about obligations of the County before construction commences.] The County does not expect that all of its land acquisition costs will be paid through an offered purchase price from a redevelopment partner. The redevelopment initiative is expected to generate future tax increment revenues which will increase significantly upon build-out. [Click here to learn more about potential tax increment revenues.] These tax increment revenues (difference between ad valorem taxes generated today and additional taxes generated each year thereafter as the project develops) will provide a significant opportunity for the County to recover, over a period of years, any difference between monies expended in acquiring lands and the purchase price offered. Once a proposer is selected, the County will negotiate in the Redevelopment Agreement a financial structure which is expected to repay all short term borrowing as soon as feasible and or establish long term debt repayment using future tax revenues derived from the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. [Click here to learn more about current status of funding and potential sources of debt repayment.] ---------- 26. Will the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area somehow be closed to outside traffic? No. While the County is prepared to give its redevelopment partner great latitude in delivering internal infrastructure, the request for proposals requires that Flamingo Boulevard and Toledo Blade corridors will be developed and maintained as a part of the County's arterial-collector network. Within these constraints, proposers are expected to preserve these vital corridors for evacuation and transportation purposes. [Click here to learn more about transportation issues in Murdock Village.] As well, the County expects all proposals to respect the sense of openness and place articulated by the WilsonMiller concept plan. [Click here to view the February 25, 2003 concept plan presented by WilsonMiller.] ---------- |