Maitland City Talk

Many of our Maitland citizens are excited about the prospects of having a new “high-quality, pedestrian-friendly downtown” and are asking me where we are in the process of developing one. Since I took office as mayor in January of last year, our downtown has been one of my top priorities. Before we could move forward, however, the following had or is in the process of happening:

• Working together with the Planning & Zoning Commission and the City Council, we streamlined our Development Permit Application Process making our city more inviting for development. We are proud our permit process has been showcased as a prototype for other cities and counties.

• We are in the process of consolidating the multiple zoning classifications of our downtown lands to allow for more flexible mixed-use development. This allows us to finish the updating of our Land Development Code (LDC) paving the way for the long-awaited completion of the Downtown Maitland Zoning District (DMZD) Design Standards. This critical “Framework” will ensure we can have a “high-quality, pedestrian-friendly downtown.” The DMZD Design Standards or affectionately known as the “Pattern Book” will be completed by the end of February.

Let me clarify what will constitute our downtown.

The dream/ideal area for our high-quality, pedestrian-friendly downtown is the area bounded by 17-92 to the east, Maitland Avenue to the west, George Avenue to the north and Lake Lily to the south.

Over time, hopefully, this entire area will become our downtown. However, at the present time due to economic constraints, the only portion of that area that is feasible for redevelopment is from George Avenue south to Packwood Avenue. This area is comprised mostly of vacant land, buildings scheduled to be torn down, and/or dilapidated vacant buildings. It is the area that we need to focus on now. Let’s call this Phase One.

Phase One would consist of a two-block area beginning along Independence Lane from Packwood Avenue north to Horatio Avenue and then continue north by extending Independence Lane to George Avenue.

The composition of Phase One would be small shops, specialty boutiques, and restaurants on the ground floor with offices and apartments on the upper floors. The existing historic Central Park, with the beautiful old oak trees, that is located adjacent to the north of the new City Hall would be preserved and enhanced. There would be on-street parking and pedestrian-friendly activity areas and walkways. The pleasant environment would be similar to Winter Park’s Park Avenue or Hannibal Square, but would have Maitland’s own unique identity.

With the present economy, land values and construction costs have decreased substantially. By moving forward with redevelopment now, it will be much less costly and, therefore, require less project density. We now have the opportunity to achieve the downtown scale and ambiance that we hoped for.

I’m happy to share we have been talking with potential developers about the goals of our city for the creation of our new downtown. Proposed new development will nicely complement and be similar to our new fire station and city hall that are presently being built on Packwood Avenue and Independence Lane.

At the end of February, with our LDC and DMZD Design Standards in place, the door will officially be open for the redevelopment of our new downtown. Due to the present economic conditions, if we don’t take advantage of it now, we may lose this window of opportunity.

With my architectural and development background, I am looking forward to guiding and protecting the city throughout the redevelopment process. In the years to come, I am looking forward to seeing you and your families enjoying a great dining experience or shopping at a quaint boutique in our new high-quality, pedestrian-friendly downtown.

Maitland has waited too long; it is time to make our new downtown a reality.

City Council Meeting Jan. 23

The Maitland City Council met on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. To listen to a recording of the meeting, visit www.itsmymaitland.com. The next regular scheduled Council meeting will be Monday, Feb. 13.