MEMORANDUM

TO: Local Planning Agency

FROM: Carol Cunningham

DATE: January 14, 1997

SUBJECT: Review of Previous Community Design Studies

INTRODUCTION

Over the years that the Fort Myers Beach Community has been working together to bring about improvements to the livability and functioning of the community, a significant body of work has been produced which has continuing value in the Town's efforts to develop and implement a vision for the future. As a part of the comprehensive planning process, we have been gathering those resources from various County Departments and other entities in an attempt to build a "library" of foundation source material.

The following provides a summary of the work reviewed to date which has continuing applicability to formulating policy and furthering the implementation of community design and livability improvements. Of particular interest in advance of the "Designing Our Town" workshop with Victor Dover, are the analyses and recommendations of the Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) Working Papers prepared in May of 1993 and the University of Florida College of Architecture study prepared in July of 1991. Both these documents recommended Island-wide improvements as well as focusing on the Core Area. They both analyzed and incorporated, where appropriate, the data, analyses, and recommendations of all of the prior studies which are listed below in chronological order. Many of the University of Florida recommendations are incorporated into the WRT recommendations. Both documents are summarized below.

The Core Area Master Plan, which was subsequently prepared by WRT, provides the next level of specificity in terms of vision, policy and implementation recommendations for the Core Area. The Core Area Master Plan has received extensive public review, and portions of its recommendations have been adopted and implemented. Because the upcoming public workshop is focusing on areas of the Island other than the Core area, we have concentrated the summary herein on the analysis and recommendations for those areas other than the Core Area. We will revisit the Core Area Master Plan and the core area portions of the University of Florida plan in depth in approximately March of 1997 as a part of the comprehensive planning process, to evaluate and prioritize those recommendations not yet adopted.

Exhibits from both the University of Florida work and WRT's work for all areas of the Island, including the Core Area will be included as a part of the Gallery Walk exhibit at the "Designing Our Town" workshop.

RESOURCE DOCUMENTS (in chronological order)

Survey of Entire Length of Estero Boulevard from the old bridge and Center Street to the Big Carlos Pass Bridge. Includes aerials of same areas at 1" - 20' scale. Prepared by Duane Hall and Associates 11/15/79 for the then-proposed widening of Estero Boulevard. These surveys would need to be supplemented with field surveys and updated to accurately document right-of-way edges, utility locations and potential encroachments of private improvements into the right-of-way prior to developing engineering and construction documents for future projects. However, these surveys are quite useful as a reference for such planning exercises as: improving efficiency of trolley movements; testing the feasibility of various traffic calming options; testing the feasibility of creating additional sidewalk and bikepath areas, streetscape treatments, and in determining flood elevations at various points along Estero Blvd.

Pedestrian Mall Study Memorandum. Prepared by Harland Bartholomew and Associates, Inc. August, 1989.

Bowditch Point - Feasibility Study of General Parking Site Location. Prepared by GAI Consultants-Southeast, Inc. 1989. Contains an extensive field inventory of potential parking sites for the entirety of Estero Island and on San Carlos Island.

Preliminary Master Plan Bowditch Point Regional Park. Prepared by Herbert/Halback, Inc. December, 1989. Contains schematics and cross sections of improvements to Estero Boulevard from Lynn Hall Park to the Bowditch Point entrance for pedestrian and bicycle lanes. Contains recommendation for access to the park by ferry or water taxi.

Traffic Impact Statement Bowditch Point Regional Park. Prepared by GAI Consultants-Southeast, Inc. (1991)

Fort Myers Beach Project Phase I - Final Report. Prepared by The University of Florida College of Architecture. July, 1991. (see summary below).

Traffic Origin and Destination Survey. Prepared by Florida Transportation Engineering, Inc. February, 1993. Survey of 2500 motorists during last week of December 1992 to focus on place of residence, origin, and destination patterns.

Parking and Inventory Survey (Core Area). Prepared by Florida Transportation Engineering, Inc. February, 1993. Detailed parking utilization survey within the area defined by Estero Blvd. from Lagoon Street to Caroline Avenue and along Crescent Street and Old San Carlos Drive from Estero Blvd. to 1st Street (1741 existing parking spaces) and a more detailed hourly parking utilization survey for four representative Core Area parking lots.

Traffic Volume and Capacity on Estero Island. Prepared by Florida Transportation Engineering, Inc. March, 1993. Based on 1992 traffic counts.

Estero Boulevard Project: Working Paper 1 Inventory and Analysis; Working Paper 2 Problems and Opportunity Refinement. Prepared by Wallace Roberts and Todd. May, 1993. (see summary below)

Times Square Traffic Circulation Review. Prepared by Southwest Transportation Engineering, February 1994. Provides analysis and recommendations to provide some relief to the recurring gridlock:

• Close Times Square to motorists;
• Eliminate left turn movement from San Carlos Boulevard onto 5th Street;
• Implement an access management plan for Estero Blvd.;
• Provide more sidewalks/crosswalks and provide raised pedestrian islands;
• Provide additional parking;
• Implement a more active law enforcement management plan.

Topographic Survey of Portion of Estero Boulevard: from the north end of Lynn Hall Park to south end of the Lani Kai: from Buccaneer Road to Big Carlos Pass Bridge. Includes aerials of same areas at 1" - 20' scale. Prepared by Ink Engineering, November, 1994. Basis for engineering and construction documents for CRA project Times Square Improvements and for sidewalks at the south end of the Island.

Construction documents prepared by WRT for proposed sidewalk and entry feature project at south end of the Island. These projects, as originally designed, have not been constructed. A more "generic" sidewalk, funded by reallocated federal funds, is scheduled for construction in 1998-99.

Estero Boulevard Times Square Construction Documents -- layout, survey, site furnishing, seating, planting, irrigation, grading, street lighting. Prepared by WRT and Pelican Engineering. November, 1995.

The following provides summaries of WRT's Working Papers and the University of Florida Study, both of which can be considered foundation documents upon which we can continue to build the community design and livability recommendations and measures to achieve the Town's vision.

SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

Estero Boulevard Project: Working Paper 1 Inventory and Analysis; Working Paper 2 Problems and Opportunity Refinement. Prepared by Wallace Roberts and Todd. May, 1993.

Prior to preparing their working papers, during October of 1992, WRT met individually with a broad cross section of the Estero Island citizens as well as representatives of the CRA Planning Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, the Estero Island Civic Association, Board of Realtors, Historical Society, Times Square Merchants, PTA and Beach Voters Association in order to define issues, determine areas of agreement, and distinguish topics on which opinions were divided. In January 1993, the CRA and WRT held a community workshop and received input which refined the problems and opportunities they identified and defined specific implementation options.

The Working Papers analyze functional conditions and trends the length of Estero Boulevard and provide an analysis of right-of-way characteristics based on both field measurements and Lee County historical data. They provide a summary of regulatory constraints pertaining to flood elevation requirements. Spikowski Planning Associates has since conducted in-depth research into this topic and in cooperation with Victor Dover will provide further refined recommendations. As a part of the WRT study, Real Estate Research Consultants evaluated trends in the Estero Island tax base. This information, updated with recent data, can be useful as the town considers the potential of a downtown redevelopment agency (DRA) for the Core Area.

Transportation/Circulation/Parking Conclusions

The Working Papers incorporated the above noted traffic studies prepared by Florida Transportation Engineering, Inc. From these studies, WRT drew the following conclusions:

• A relatively small proportion (16%) of motorists on Estero Boulevard are non island residents "just passing through" Estero Island
• At the peak traffic hour (2:00 - 3:00 pm) most motorists are tourists entering or leaving the island (56%) followed by mainland residents (27%) and island residents (17%)
• The largest component of tourist trips were between the mainland and the island. A large proportion of this element likely consists of tourists saying elsewhere in the county but visiting the beach or sightseeing. This motorist is not likely to be discouraged by tolls, or lured by alternate modes such as off-island trolley links.
• The overwhelming majority of automobile trips made by seasonal and permanent residents (66% and 70%) were off island for shopping, dining, recreation, etc. This component might be effectively reduced by expanding on-island shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities, particularly in the Core Area.
• Although most trips begin or end off-island, on-island automobile trips may be further reduced by enhancing non-auto options, e.g. expanding trolley usage, creating pedestrian and bicycle friendly zones, particularly within mile of activity generators. Also, by placing parking strategically so as to "intercept" visitors' automobiles upon entry onto the island, motorists can be converted to pedestrians and trolley riders before they load additional auto trips onto Estero Boulevard.
• Based on the traffic concurrency limitations defined in the Lee Plan settlement agreement, traffic volumes would be allowed to almost double from present levels even though present traffic conditions are considered unacceptably congested at LOS E. It is not plausible that this many additional vehicles could be accommodated on San Carlos Boulevard or Estero Boulevard. Second, it is unreasonable to plan for a pattern or density of development on Estero Island which would generate these additional trips. Third, in spite of the absence of an impending effective traffic concurrency constraint, improvements to San Carlos and Estero Boulevard should aim to ameliorate present intolerable LOS E conditions through efforts to:
  • Ease traffic flow through Times Square
  • Convert auto trips to pedestrian/bicycle/transit trips
  • Reduce the demand for off-island trips by Island residents and visitors.
• Demand for beach parking during peak beach use times, exceeds the supply of spaces adjacent to the beach, but is less than the total supply of parking located at some distance from the beach.
• Although additional beach parking spaces would likely be utilized, the regional demand for beach parking is very large and "elastic," that is, it would likely consume whatever additional supply of convenient beach parking were built.
• In general the ration of occupied building space to parking spaces indicates and adequate parking supply to serve present land uses and densities.
• Short term actions to improve parking utilization should focus on improving visibility and pedestrian access from the Matanzas Lot to the beach along Old San Carlos Drive.
• Additional parking (garage) to serve beach visitors and present Times Square land uses does not appear to be warranted in the short term. However, additional "shared intercept" parking near the foot of the San Carlos Boulevard bridge may, in the longer term, become a key element in a strategy to reduce on-island auto trips; e.g. by "intercepting' visitors as soon as they arrive on the island, and immediately converting them to pedestrians and trolley riders. In addition, the consolidation of Core Area parking into a few shared parking reservoirs, rather than a fragmented multitude of private lots may be an effective means to gain greater parking efficiencies, (perhaps with fewer total spaces) reduce vehicular trips within the Core Area and encourage a more compact, pedestrian-friendly scale of development, uninterrupted by asphalt parking for each shop front.

Development Conditions and Trends

The Working Papers also described three development zones on the Island which are depicted WRT's Figures 1 and 2 and summarized below:

• North Zone/Core Area: Extending northward from approximately Voorhis Street. Characterized by highly mixed and fragmented pattern of uses, small parcel sizes, numerous single lot vacant properties among older single family neighborhoods facing Matanzas Pass south of Matanzas Bridge. (For greater specificity on Core Area patterns within this north zone, please see Core Area Master Plan) Development trends will focus on transitions in use surrounding Times Square with limited infill residential and retail/service uses on scattered vacant properties, and investments in the adaptive re-use and upgrading of existing buildings to serve new markets.
• Mid Island: Extending southward from Bay Oaks to Flamingo Street, uniformly single family in character on the Bay side. Several large undeveloped parcels suitable for various densities of residential development. Along Gulf front residential use also dominate, with high intensity condominiums in the center (from Bayview Avenue to Pescadora Avenue) interspersed with several hotels and with single family residential to the north and south. Future anticipated development trends will focus on continued absorption of residential development, both as single family infill clusters and buildout of condominiums and higher density planned multifamily developments.
• South Island: Characterized by large scale Gulf front condominiums, upscale, large lot single family homes and extensive vacant land and wetland areas. Includes Santini Plaza which acts as a South Island "town center." Future trends will focus on continued absorption of Bay side condominiums and resorts.

Island wide patterns

The WRT Working Papers assess the urban design framework of Estero Island utilizing the perceptions of the place, the arrangement of discrete neighborhoods and functional districts; the edges, views and landmarks that articulate and define them, and the characteristics of scale and form that make them unique. The WRT analysis divides the seven-mile length of Estero Boulevard into six distinct typologies as follows. (See WRT figure 3 and 4)

• Starting at Times Square, the portion of Estero Boulevard extending from Mariner Avenue north to Lynn Hall Park is characterized by low scale tourist retail on both sides and extremely constrained right of way and setback conditions.
• To the north toward Bowditch Point, the Boulevard is less constrained, with generally low scale residential structures on the Pass side and taller condominium and resort hotel structures on the Gulf side.
• From Times Square south to approximately Voorhis Street is a similar densely developed but somewhat older, transitional corridor. Taller condominium and resort structures dot the Gulf side, but in contrast low scale commercial uses have displaced residential uses on the Pass side.
• From this point south to the Mid Island Marina, and from Avenida Pescadora south to the bend in the Boulevard at Flamingo Street is the longest corridor section, characterized by single family residential on both sides and more generous right-of-way and setback dimensions and more widely spaced beach access points than exist to the north.
• In the center of this zone are two compact corridor zones characterized by high rise condominiums on the Gulf side and sparsely developed single family residential and commercial on the Bay side.
• From Albatross south to Lagoon Street is one of the most densely developed sections of Estero Boulevard with mid and high rise development on both sides and with Santini Plaza centrally located, but with generous dimensions of the right of way and landscaped setbacks.
• This typology reappears at San Carlos Point just beyond a 3/4 mile stretch of Boulevard with large lot single family development on both sides of the Boulevard.

The study identifies "Activity Generators" defined as concentric 1/4 mile and mile radius rings which represent comfortable walking distances for purposeful pedestrian trips. These include: Bowditch Point; Time Square/Lynn Hall Park and the Pier; Bay Oaks Park/Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza; Santini Plaza; and Mid Island Marina.

Opportunities and Constraints (WRT figures 5 and 6)

The WRT Working Papers provide a summary of opportunities and constraints. WRT identifies 5 different Estero Boulevard typologies related to degree of constraint for traffic and pedestrian circulation and space for landscape enhancement.

• Development opportunities or creation or enhancement of mixed use activity centers are identified for: .
  • Times Square
  • Winn Dixie/Bay Oaks
  • Mid-Island Marina (potential)
  • Villa Santini Plaza and
  • redevelopment opportunities:
    • Among the underutilized properties north and east of Lani Kai to consolidate and unify a close-in pedestrian oriented "village core" and
    • The Red Coconut. They note that at both locations development potentials would be significantly enhanced with a realignment of Estero Boulevard eastward to encompass deeper Gulf front properties with contiguous development on both sides of the CCCL.
• Drainage conditions where periodic flooding is most problematic is on Estero Blvd. north of Carlos Circle and Estero Blvd. at Palermo Circle
• Two potential island gateways are at the Matanzas Bridge "touchdown" point as San Carlos Blvd. turns south to become Estero Blvd. and just north of the San Carlos Bridge where excess right of way is available for landscape treatment.
• Revitalization opportunities and constraints in the core area are fully documented in the Core Area Master Plan. Additional site specific opportunities include:
  • Create a traffic "bypass" utilizing Crescent, Third Street and Old San Carlos, coupled with the closure of a critical section of Estero Boulevard.
  • Two strategic locations in the Core Area for the introduction of water taxis at the marina and at the lagoon with direct access for beach-goers directly into Lynn Hall Park
  • Opportunity to acquire one or more marginal residential structures for the purpose of enhancing the entrance gateway for the cluster of civic activities in Bay Oaks at school Drive.
  • By providing one or more shared parking lots away from the beachfront, in lieu of separate on-site lots, development is made more compact, visitors become accustomed to longer walking distances and underutilized corridors such as Old San Carlos can become active with pedestrians.
  • There exists a strong rationale for considering a shared parking lot or low scale garage ideally located behind new village businesses located on Old San Carlos, against the Matanzas Bridge ramp.
  • Architectural guidelines to encourage a lively outdoor pedestrian environment in the Core area by encouraging the following characteristics in buildings:
    • .Low scale
    • .Continuity with few side setbacks
    • .Pedestrian oriented storefronts/uses (no blank walls)
    • .Built to the sidewalk (no front parking lots or "yards"
    • .Shade devices (awnings or arcades)
  • Introduction of symbolic landmarks (icon, statue, plaza or structure) which create a sense of "arrival" in such locations as Times Square/Pier Plaza and San Carlos Gateway.

Proposed Policy and Early Action Projects

The WRT working papers conclude with a list of early action project concepts which are first articulated as policy statements and then translated to specific potential action projects. These were proposed to be consistent with the financial resources (prior to incorporation and while still a CRA), community priorities and physical limitations.

As a part of the preparation of the comprehensive plan, these policy statements and the projects they suggest should be re-visited in the context of the Town's emerging Vision and community design and livability objectives.

Policy Statements

Boulevard Improvements

• Pedestrian Circulation: Provide a continuous 8-foot-wide Bay side pathway the length of Estero Island and, within the Core Area, provide an "urban section" with sidewalks on both sides.
• Landscaping: Line the Bay side with palms to provide a continuous landscape theme, articulated at key gateways and activity centers.
• Overhead Utilities: Place utilities underground within the Core Area in order to maximize pedestrian friendliness and the corridor's amenity value.
• Drainage: Remediate spot drainage problems and convert open swales to perforated pipe systems where necessary to improve sidewalks and landscaping.
• Lighting: Augment existing roadway lighting with a continuous pedestrian scale lighting system the length of Estero Boulevard on the Bay side.
• Gateways: Create Estero Boulevard gateways near Carlos Point and near the touchdown point of the Matanzas Bridge using one or more design options: Specimen Palm Grove, Sign/Electronic Welcome Marquee, Symbolic Icon/Art.
• Trolley Stops: Create trolley stops with signage and covered seating areas and pull-offs as demonstration projects at the Island's principal destinations:
  • Villa Santini Plaza
  • Bay Oaks/Winn Dixie
  • Times Square
  • Bowditch Point
• Beach Access: Uniformly distribute beach access points consistent with patterns of demand and neighborhood characteristics. Upgrade beach access facilities including refuse containers, signage and, as appropriate, seating, dune crossovers and hose bibs/showers.
• Signage: Upgrade the signage system throughout Estero Island in three ways:
  • Gateway "welcome" signs
  • Directional signage (thematic)
  • Estero Boulevard "Neighborhood" street signs (thematic)

Times Square Redevelopment

• Encourage low scale, quality revitalization of Times Square to serve Island residents focused on the re-creation of Old San Carlos as the community's "main street."
• Actively discourage unnecessary auto trips within Times Square and create right of way conditions and development patterns tailored for pedestrian activity. Pursue these policies through the following pedestrian circulation improvements:
  • Old San Carlos/Estero: Improve sidewalks and remove obstacles to pedestrian circulation on Old San Carlos and Estero Boulevard. Close the one block section of Estero Boulevard in Times Square to automobile traffic.
  • Times Square Plaza: As a focal point of the pedestrian mall create a "plaza" space as a visual and functional landmark at the foot of the pier in conjunction with a prototype trolley stop.
• Vehicular Circulation Ease vehicular circulation thorough the Core Area by implementing the traffic re-routing and by other means, which may include a traffic manager.
• Development Controls: Prepare revised development controls which will reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while ensuring development which: is low in scale; compact in form; suitable for a pedestrian friendly village environment; and makes best use of shared resources for drainage and parking.

Implementation Projects

Corridor Improvements

Estero Boulevard has been analyzed in the WRT report based on right-of-way conditions and surrounding development patterns and has been divided into nine prototypical sections for the purpose of defining improvement increments:

• Section 1 Carlos Point to Lagoon Street
• Section 2 Lagoon Street to Albatross
• Section 3 Albatross to Driftwood
• Section 4 Driftwood to Avenida Pescadora
• Section 5 Avenida Pescadora
• Section 5 Sanders Drive to Voorhis
• Section 7 Voorhis Street to Carolina Drive
• Section 8 C Carolina Drive to Lagoon Street
• Section 9 Lagoon Street to Bowditch Point

For each of the above nine sections specific improvements will include some or all of the following elements:

Landscaping - placement of street trees in available right of way, consistent with requirements for sightlines and "clear zones," with emphasis on continuity of a palm-lined Bay side edge treatment.

Utilities - correction of spot drainage deficiencies and the placement of utilities underground where the Boulevard is reconstructed as an "urban" section in the Core Area

Sidewalks - sidewalk widening and construction in order to provide a continuous 8 foot Bay side path and sidewalks on both sides in the Core Area

Lighting - construction of continuous pedestrian lighting to serve the pedestrian pathway along the length of the corridor.

Curbs - construction of curbs in the core area "urban section" and where necessary to correct drainage problems.

Signage - placement of directional signage at strategic locations and decorative Estero Boulevard street signs along the length of the Boulevard.

Site-Specific Boulevard Improvements

Gateway - North - special treatment of the Matanzas Bridge "touchdown" point. May include electronic marquee/signboards, specimen palm grove or symbolic icon/monument.

Gateway - South - special landscape feature placed on excess Bay side right of way at Carlos Point.

Times Square Plaza/Mall - the creation of a "village square" at the foot of the pier as a focal point for the Times Square pedestrian mall.

Times Square Traffic Manager - placement of an elevated traffic officer podium at Estero Boulevard and San Carlos.

Trolley Stops - the creation of prototype trolley stops with covered seating areas, signage and traffic pull-offs at the major destination points:

• Bowditch Point
• Times Square
• Bay Oaks/Winn Dixie
• Santini Plaza

Crosswalk Signals - placement of pedestrian activated signals and striped crosswalks at key pedestrian-vehicular conflict points.

Fort Myers Beach Project Phase I - Final Report. Prepared by The University of Florida College of Architecture. July, 1991.

The University of Florida urban design analysis focused on the Times Square District, Estero Boulevard, and Matanzas Park and presented models and drawings representing solutions to help maintain and promote the small town character of the Island. These include:

• Scale of buildings and their relationship to each other (figure 1);
• Maintaining landscaping, views, and surface permeability (figure 2)
• Expanding visual and physical access to the Gulf and Bay (figure 3);
• Expanding the current levels of vegetation on the island, particularly trees (figure 4)

Estero Boulevard

The Estero Boulevard portion of the University of Florida project had as their objective to develop design ideas around beach and bay access points and to examine ideas to reduce traffic congestion along the roadway. Their recommendations include:

• Expanding beach and bay access points to 53, and link the bay accesses with a water taxi system.
• Differentiate the treatment of the narrow, medium, and wide beach accesses so that the narrower accesses remain more pedestrian oriented and the wider ones are more highly visible and provided with parking.
• Implement traffic calming in terms of reduced speed on Estero Blvd. as a means to reduce congestion and improve pedestrian and bicycle activity.
• Increase off-island remote parking with shuttles to the Island.
• Increase the number of trolley pull-offs to reduce trolleys interference with traffic and to make passenger pick-up safer and less rushed. Increase frequency of service and reduce cost.
• Underground power lines (utilize the Times Square areas as a test for the cost and technical feasibility for the remainder of the island.
• Encourage non-automobile circulation by the following:
• Increase sidewalk width from 4' to 6' or 8' to allow bikes and people to use the same path;
  • Introduce bicycle police patrols to enforce safety;
  • A make store entrances more pedestrian friendly;
  • Create buffers between walkways and traffic;
  • Provide places to rest along the pathway.
  • Provide a separate bike path on the beach side of the street for southern portions of the island;
  • Create rumble strips as cautionary devices at streets that intersect bike paths and pedestrian paths;
  • Provide more bike parking areas at key destination points;
  • Promote a water taxi system

Times Square

The Times Square portion of the study proposed three schemes for the future of the area: scheme one assumes minimal expansion of existing structures on grade and concentrates on the general beautification of the district; second scheme assumes that Old San Carlos will be developed incrementally with new structures raised the minimal 7 feet above existing grade; and a third scheme which proposes the construction of an elevated boardwalk which connects the new commercial/residential structures at an elevation which allows free passage over the existing cross streets. The model constructed as a part of this project depicts scheme three which was the most difficult to visualize (see figures 5 - 9).

The University of Florida Study explored design alternatives and locations for additional parking on the island to support the potential up-scale shops and proposed encouraging car storage off island with trolley or water taxi access; short term and expensive parking in Times Square; and a parking structure adjacent to the bridge which is accessed by three right turns off of the bridge. In addition all three schemes show the addition of a single tier of parking over the parking lot west of Snug Harbor to compensate for the parking removed by their proposed new amphitheater on the existing surface Bay side parking area.

Matanzas Park

The University of Florida's proposals for Matanzas Park, which refers to the area of the school, library, recreation center, and Matanzas Pass Preserve, are in the process of being realized with the development of the nature preserve land for educational and hands-on experience with the local ecology, the retention of the active recreational areas provided by the current park and school grounds, and the introduction of a public swimming pool and an Estero Island historic display area (see figure 10).