All right, it is now 306 p.m.

Uh, let's call this meeting to order.

This is a meeting, uh noticed meeting about the TGA target growth areas workshop uh concerning Bill 2026 311 uh and updates to the comp plan to identify target growth areas.

Uh first of all, I want to thank um the team that worked together.

This was a big group effort over months and months and months of working.

Thank you all for from planning and permitting and and the outside attorneys in the mayor's office, everyone.

This uh is really a comprehensive look, and let me again say something that I've talked to.

I know I got a call from one of uh someone from the media this morning about this particular legislation.

This is not the end.

This is the beginning framework of what it looks like to ensure um that this works for for our community and and what growth does.

So with that, uh, we will start this meeting and we'll have introductions to my rights.

And Rockman Johnson, district 14, and we'll make sure that this is uh being streamed so it will be shared with all the other members that aren't able to make it today.

Uh with that, I would like to have an overview of the uh, Ms.

Parola, if you could come up and give us an overview of what it is, and I know there's a presentation, so uh for those it should be on the screen so you just see thank you.

Um thank you.

Um what we have in front of you today is the target growth area map boundaries that we are proposing to be part of the conference of plan.

That's the actual legislation that's in front of you today.

But what I'm gonna give you is an overview of the entire project because there will be comp plan changes and later on zoning changes.

So I want to make sure you're aware of how this whole process worked.

Um, first of all, it starts with a committee that was formed in about 2023, and the committee was formed to look at um different issues that the city was facing, and those were our increased vulnerability to flood risk, um, the increase in population that was coming to the state, and the lack of um uh sufficient affordable housing.

So the committee was formed together.

That committee was um appointed by the mayor, and consisted of developers, attorneys, affordable housing advocates, a CPAC member, they were engineers, um, it was open to the public so the public could attend and offer comments, any of that, and it also had most of city staff able to answer any questions that they had, not only from the planning department but from development services and public works.

Um, the chair of that committee was Emily Pierce, and she is in the audience today, and um I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any questions as we go through this process.

So those are the three areas that the committee worked on for about a year and a half, and um we were looking to for a way to increase resilience to flood risk, increase housing opportunities, and while doing that, protect neighborhood character while accommodating growth.

Um, what the committee decided to do, they came up with recommendations that they knew could work for the goals of reducing flood risk, increasing housing.

Oh, I forgot.

Thank you.

And does it all okay and protecting neighborhood character?

I think we can go to the next one.

So the committee looked at an incentive-based approach to encourage residential growth.

This is all about residential growth and the appropriate areas, and they we identified this target growth area, which is the boundary you have on that map, where it's most suited to accommodate growth.

It's in the low flood risk areas, and that comes from the Office of Resilience with their compound flood model.

So it is least likely to flood, it's along transit corridors.

We high ridership transit corridors.

We worked with the KTA to make sure we were in appropriate areas, and also on the Emerald Trail within a half mile of those areas.

So we came up with this boundary, which would be most appropriate for increased residential growth because it has a walkability component, it can get to transit.

It's low flood risk, so it's a low risk of um developing in that area.

Um what that and at the same time we would be protecting neighborhood character because this area also removes a couple of things.

It does not include any zoning overlays.

Those zoning overlays, um, you've been through them at council.

They have their own set of guidelines, they have their own set of standards.

So it does not include zoning overlays, it does not include anything in the low density residential districts.

So anything that is in low density residential LDR land use that is not included in this boundary.

It also does not include anything that's in an accident potential zone for an airport.

So that's how we developed the boundary for the target growth.

And you can see that on the screen right there: the pink and the yellow.

The pink and the yellow, what that identifies is if it's in the urban priority area or the urban area.

That was another factor we used.

The urban and urban priority areas are already formulated in the comprehensive plan, and they are areas that the city policy-wise would look forward to revitalizing an infill, just like we're trying to do here today.

So that's the overall map.

We presented to all the CPACs.

So what you're going to see here are the different CPACs districts, the planning districts, and how much of this target growth area is in those areas.

But remember, it does not include low density residential.

So in any of those areas, your single-family neighborhoods are protected.

The incentives.

More permeable surfaces, more landscaping that manages stormwater, capturing rainfall on site, on site renewable energy.

What this doesn't do, it does not apply to all neighborhoods, it only applies to that boundary identified on your map.

And right now it does not infringe on single-family neighborhoods.

Right now we're in the comprehensive plan amendment portion of this overall plan.

So the only thing that is part of ordinance 2026 311 that's in front of council today is the actual target growth map, the boundaries of that map, and establishing the target growth area within the comp plan and the allowance for an increase in density if you were to take advantage of those incentives.

What you'll see after this first round of legislation on the comp plan for the next round of legislation, this gets sent to the state for comment.

When that comes back, the council will see the same ordinance again under a different title, but it the same ordinance but under a different number.

And with that, you'll see the zoning code changes.

And the zoning code changes will spell out specifically what we went through today.

The flexibility that you're getting under the zoning code for design elements and the affordable housing component.

If you're going to take advantage of that, and any kind of increase in density to mirror what you're approving in the comp plan if you're in that target area.

So that's where we're at right now.

And if you have any questions, we have the planning department team and we have the chair of the LDR update committee and myself to answer anything any questions that you might have.

This is just the purple and pink yellow area.

It's the purple and yellow areas, yes.

All right, thank you.

And we do have, I could provide at another time, but we do have it divided by council district as well.

If you'd like to just zoom in on your council district.

And I know they brought that to LUZ.

We I remember when you, I think you we asked for it, and I know you sent it over, so I know you provided it in the past.

Yes.

Umily, I think the chair, if we could, the chair has something brief to add.

And if there are any public comment as well, you can uh do we have any public comment cards, Andrew?

If so, don't forget to fill out a card.

We'd be more than happy to recognize you.

Madam Chair.

Is your mic on?

No, it's not.

Can you do that again?

Emily Pierce, 1301 River Place Boulevard.

Thank you.

So what I wanted to tell you is this process actually started 10 years ago.

Um we started with trying to figure out where did we want to encourage and discourage growth in the city, and we realized we needed to see where the city flooded.

So 10 years ago, um, I chaired a committee called the Adaptation Action Area Group, and our first recommendation was that we hire a chief resilience officer, which we did, and the result 10 years later, actually five years later, is a compound flood model that is probably the most sophisticated in the country.

We have the Army Corps of Engineers using it.

We have other states and other local governments looking at it.

Um, we have information at our fingers that frankly nobody else has.

So it's pretty impressive.

This group, the one of the first things that we were told is that a renter in the city of Jacksonville needs to earn at least $25 an hour in order to afford a very basic two-bedroom apartment.

The supply of those is extremely low, and a lot of people earn a lot less than $25 an hour, and that needs to cover your rent and your utilities.

The other thing that we learned is over half of the renters in this city that are considered low income, and low income is actually a very high bar here.

It's 80% of AMI, which is I think our AMI is close to $200,000, correct?

Um, anyway, it's a it's a very high percentage.

So I'm sorry.

So it is um, I don't know where that is.

So what this means is that your firefighters, your police, your teachers, those are all actually considered low income in the city of Jacksonville.

Any of the starting people in any of the very important roles that we have in this city, 50% of those people in that low income bracket spend over 50% of their income on their housing costs.

50% of the 50%.

I mean, that's a huge, huge number.

So we realized we needed to help the city in any way that we can to try and encourage meaningful change to the way that development happens in the city.

During the midst of our meetings, we had the missing middle legislation that was introduced that turned out to be a really helpful um piece of legislation.

It didn't pass, but it gave us a really uh good idea of what the public was willing to work with now.

We'd like to see obviously this program extend into other areas, but we realized we could not put this in LDR.

We could not put this in the suburban area.

So it really helped build the framework that we had on how we came up with the target growth areas.

We also worked with JTA very closely to get these 13 transit corridors and the Emerald Trail we went a half mile on each side um because transit is a very important part of this as well.

The only thing I really wanted to add to what Helena said was this group was put together we had a NEFPA member we had builders we had engineers etc.

Our goal was we didn't want to come up with a piece of paper that looked good.

We didn't want to come up with legislation that sounds good but doesn't really work so we had the builders NEFPA the developers the engineers everybody and the affordable housing consultants run the numbers and look at this legislation and see will this make a meaningful difference in the city?

And they said yes resoundingly we took this today to the chamber of commerce um they voted unanimously to support this bill we also have spoken with NEFPA we have spoken with in addition to the CPACs a number of special interest groups um lift jacks and others and we have so far gotten resounding support for this um they won't say it but they took this to all the CPACs and those of you who have been to CPAX know that when we bring a development to a CPAC generally we get a no vote.

They're not super supportive of development they actually got a standing ovation at one of their CPAC meetings so I we really believe I really believe in this legislation and I certainly hope that the city supports this and I would um ask for your support as well thank you that's why we're here for the workshop thank you so much and I will say I gotta say I what CPAC are you going to Emily this is I I was now granted I was at a CPAC meeting last night until nine o'clock the meeting started at 6 30 but I will say the Southwest CPAC doesn't generally push back on development.

I go every meeting and I try to be as involved as I can all right thank you for that thank you are there any questions or additional comments about the legislation and I believe like I said it does come up we're up on it so uh we're just hopefully pushing that I'm gonna make sure this gets out hopefully in time for anybody to see it but any other comments do we have any public comment councilman did you have anything you wanted to ask or add the thank you uh Councilman Johnson for having us this meeting um looking at the the the map here the yellow uh I see where it comes into my district and uh um I would say of all the all the maps this is probably reflective of uh something that is doable um the I guess the uh getting into the incentives and all that that'll be things that'll be hashed out on down the road and um you know I'd you know with NEPA and them uh always the concern is that they they get in and say yeah this is a great idea but by the time uh these builders finally get it and turn it around then the prices are as high as they can get for it uh where the affordable aspect kind of goes out the window are we looking at any kind of of thresholds that they got to stay within as far as affordable that's all really in the eyes of the beholder.

Well aren't we at 125 of AMI or 120 right 120 AMI it's not 100.

I know it was over 100.

I want to say it's 120 AMI could you right now what we have proposed this will be part of the zoning code is 100% AMI for the rentals and one twenty for the home ownership um but again that will be reviewed with the zoning code and if there are changes made at that point then there are changes made that's after it goes to the state.

After, yes, that's when we get the actual zoning.

Start to get into the nuances of what it's going to be.

So this this is um uh a combination of rental and so no ownership.

Sorry.

The incentives it gets a little bit confusing with that table.

The idea is that they could choose certain resilient design standards in their construction, or they could do affordable housing for rent or to own.

You're welcome to mix and match, but to qualify for the increased density, they only have to dip into one of those categories.

What if they because I thought I understood they could do some of both?

They could.

Yeah.

But for us to give them the density, they don't have to do both.

The bare minimum is either three of the five resilient design standards.

Or the AMI.

Or the affordable house.

If they want to do both, we are more than happy with that.

But we're not asking them to do both.

You're not asking them to do both.

We would love it.

I'm asking them to do both.

But yeah, that does that answer your question, Councilman.

Yeah, I just wanted to uh clarify the the thresholds and what we are trying to achieve here uh when we want to get people out of renting and into homes.

Um that that's what I hear more of.

And so I I definitely would like to see that needle moved more toward the ownership uh with all this effort that we're putting into it.

So with that, thank you.

Thank you.

Well, thanks everybody for coming.

Glad we're able to make it a quick meeting.

If there are any questions, feel free to email.

Oh, we do, I'm so sorry.

Please.

Could you come up to the podium, please, and uh give us your name?

And Andrew, if you don't mind getting a comment card, just so she'll have you.

Ruth Nelson Peoples, you need my address?

Uh you can just say address on file.

I'm sorry, I haven't seen any of this or heard anything about this before.

So the incentives, I didn't get a copy of that page, and I was wondering who decides those incentives.

Well again, if I'm not mistaken, Brittany, you can speak to it, but I think then don't we have to make when it comes back once we start the process, it's in a it's a pro this is not something that we vote on and it instantly goes in.

When the comp plan changes, that has to go to the state, comes back to us, and that's when we get together to figure out what it's going to be specifically.

So the specifics of the incentives, we gotta first is a multi-step process to get here.

Okay, but I I just was wondering how that worked out, the incentives.

Who makes the decision on that?

And and I'd like a copy of that page.

You will make the decision on that.

You is the when I say you, I mean because it's gonna come back to hearings.

It's gonna come back, there'll be public hearing, which means you have an opportunity to give your input.

So that when I say you, I don't mean like you specifically.

So it'd come to city council.

It will.

Okay.

Am I correct in that, Brittany?

That's what I understood from the legislation.

So individual incidents are public, I think, so right.

You get on the mic.

Um, and these are meeting in 2023 and give the report in 25.

The chair, Emily uh can speak to that.

Planning professionals, developers, they do we have some consultants, community groups.

So they met for quite a like over those two years to develop these recommendations as possible incentives.

Yeah.

I'm not I'm not questioning the incentives.

It sounded very nice that there's variances available.

I'm just wondering who you have to go to to get those variances.

Is it like we do now where we basically I feel like beg city council about how that's gonna be incorporated into the that was all the process for variances, and I'd like a page, a copy of the page of variances that you're allowed to ask for.

I call them variances, y'all call them incentives.

Um basically the same thing, right?

Okay, kind of.

Yeah, please, please.

But I I don't think the variance in the incentive is the same thing, but yeah, that's not the same thing.

You're saying you're calling them very that's not this, those are two different things.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

But Helena can give you Ms.

Pavola, give you a little more insight.

I think, however, this is a nuanced question that's really specific, so I'm I'm sure that she can stay for a moment.

I think we've got all the information we need at this point.

So with that, uh it is 329.

I just understand your time and all of us council meetings coming up shortly.

We'll call this meeting adjourned.

Thank you.

Okay, all right.

Ms.

Premola, you're gonna help her?

Okay, pardon.