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Oak Bend Townhomes Project Approved for SR580 Site

7/30/2018

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Picture
above: Oak Bend front view
PictureRod Collman, President, sdg Architecture
​sdg Architecture is involved with a new development on SR 580 in Dunedin that I am very excited about for several reasons. It is to be constructed on the property of the old Oak Bend trailer park at SR580 and New York Avenue.

​Before I describe the project, I thought I would talk briefly about what can go into something like this before it can be approved. There were changes of plans that caused delays but ultimately, it was a positive example of the City Commission and Staff, the owner and the architect, working together toward the best outcome for the city.

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above: Oak Bend rear view
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Picture
above: Rendering of future Oak Bend Townhomes
left: Current Oak Bend Trailer Park
The project was originally conceived by the owner as an apartment complex but in 2017 a market research report made it clear that the highest and best use for this property was to build townhomes. Working with the Land Planning Agency (LPA) we were approved with conditions, including those regarding an important element of any development project, the trees. After working with the city arborist, we revised the site plan for townhomes but with the same number of units (32), and we were able to save more trees than in the original plan. The architectural style of Craftsman was selected for its' home town feel and comfortable look of the site frontage on two streets and the building fronts facing the internal drive approach, Most of the buildings needed “front door” curb appeal on both the front and the rear.

There would be fifty additional shade trees required by the city in addition to the existing, and six different types of trees. Of course, all of the grand trees would be preserved. An arborist would be hired to inventory and tag each existing tree with a condition rating. An application for tree removal in conjunction with our infrastructure would be required. We were scheduled for a second reading by the city commission after the County changed the land use designation. 
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above: Oak Bend community layout and shade tree plan
For review, land use change and rezoning, the plans went to the LPA and the first City Commission hearing, then transmitted to the County for land use review with PAC (Pinellas County Planners Advisory Committee), Forward Pinellas/MPO (Pinellas County’s planning council and metropolitan planning organization), and the Pinellas County Commission on their consent agenda. Planning with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District would be required as well.

We then had the second reading at the commission and met all requirements demanded by the arborist.  The City changed the zoning from Mobile Home to Medium Density Residential. The project was finally approved by the City Commission in June of 2018 after almost eight months of hearings and reviews.
​
So, what have we been able to achieve? In keeping with the growth of the downtown area and the repurposing of blighted property, the project offers desirable residential units ($550,000 starting cost) with amenities such as a community pool and individual elevators and personal parking for up to four places at each unit
 in walkable/bikeable distance to the new upcoming Publix (and Greenwise Market) and other retail, restaurants, breweries and a bus stop, in a modern community with character – and a lot of trees! 

I am looking forward to seeing what ideas the process of the upcoming public art ordinance will bring to the project as well. 

​


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Offering a Warm Welcome: City of Dunedin Working Toward a Public Art Master Plan

7/25/2018

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Picture
Robert Ellison (the late): Bounce, Dunedin Community Center, 2007, photo by David Shankweiler
PictureRod Collman, President, sdg Architecture
In a recent post I wrote about one of the four factors of urban vitalization - ‘Offer a Warm Welcome’. Over decades, our city government, volunteers and business owners have brought back the charm and viability of the downtown core, resulting in the vibrant, thriving and growing village we enjoy today. This warm welcome is soon to be enhanced by a city-wide public art program, an ultimate warm welcome for visitors and a source of pride and conversation for our residents. A proposed Public Art Master Plan is currently under review by the City Commission. So, what is Public Art?​

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Have you ever visited another city, or even Dunedin, and encountered a sculpture in a downtown area, a mural on an old industrial building, architecture with ornate one-of-a-kind features such as artist designed iron gates, etched glass or landscaping? The art can be large or small, ancient or modern, realistic or abstract, contemplative or fanciful. It can be things we’ve never ever thought about. The Public Art Master Plan is an opportunity to access the creativity of some of our finest artists, to support those artists, and to enrich our urban landscape and cultural environment. This is accessible art that provides enrichment, conversation and quality of life for residents and visitors.

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Randolph Rose: Bronze Train Station Statues (Conductor Figure out of frame), Dunedin History Museum Building, Formerly Dunedin Train Station, Gift of Art by Melba Rilott 2013
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Hal Stowers: Remembrances, Metal birds, Armston Park fountain, a collaboration between the City of Dunedin, The Dunedin Garden Club, Mrs. Harry Armston & Family, and the artist. 2001, Photo by Christine Renc-Carter
​“The Public Art Master Plan (PAMP} welcomes residents and visitors to our Dunedin where people care about the quality, appearance and expression of our environment.”, said Elizabeth Brincklow, Elizabeth Brincklow Arts LLC, and author of the City of Dunedin’s Public Art Master Plan. As further stated by Americans for the Arts, “Placed in public sites, this art is there for everyone, a form of collective community expression. Public art is a reflection of how we see the world - the artist’s response to our time and place combined with our own sense of who we are.”
PictureLenn Neff: READ, Dunedin Library, A Gift from Friends of the Library, 2000. Photo by Elizabeth Brincklow
​As proposed, Dunedin’s PAMP calls for a commitment by the developer of public (municipal) projects of 1.33% of the project’s building permit valuation for public art and its’ maintenance. Private owners and developers who are subject to City Commission Design Review shall commit 1%. An investment in public art in a private project can provide everything an investment in a municipal project can, plus return benefits in visibility, foot traffic, leasing interest, marketing and branding, and economic revitalization.

​The commitment for public or private development art enhancement can be satisfied by one of the following:

  • The financing of an on-site, artist-designed stand-alone artwork (i.e., a sculpture, creative brickwork, artistic landscaping)

  • An artist-designed artwork integrated within the architectural design (etched glass, entryway brick design, artistic gate, a mural, embedded mosaic, etc.)

  • A private developer may choose the option to deposit their percentage into the Public Art Fund account to be used for the public art enrichment of the City’s public spaces.​
​Works not associated with a development project such as gifts of art and artworks on loan also offer viable opportunities to enhance the public art collection of the City of Dunedin. Commissioned works may come from individuals or partnerships. Excellent examples include the “READ” neon artwork at the Dunedin Public Library by artist Lenn Neff. Artist Hal Stowers’ metal bird sculpture “Remembrance” in the Armston Park Fountain, the “Give Me Shelter” bus shelter on SR 580 near Mease Dunedin Hospital, “Bounce”, the steel outdoor sculpture by the late Robert Ellison at the Dunedin Community Center, and the “John Hubbard Memorial Bench” by metal artist Bill Coleman at the Dunedin Public Library.
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above: Commissioner Deborah Kynes was the liaison with the City of Dunedin in the recent project for the “Give Me Shelter” bus shelter on 580 near Mease Dunedin Hospital. I was the “project manager” for this installation working closely with Swartz, the PSTA and the City to develop the project successfully. The funding of the project was a collaboration between the City of Dunedin, Mease Dunedin Hospital, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, and the North Pinellas Cultural Alliance. Pinellas Park metal artist Clayton Swartz (also the artist chosen for the sculpture at the entrance to the Victoria Place mixed use complex downtown) was selected from a short list from the call for artists for the project. Swartz picked from a series of visual icons for the welded aluminum honeycomb elements of the screens that would embellish the bus shelter, trash can cover and bike rack. Examples included ‘Shelter, Community, Care, Giving’; ‘Relationships, Mother and Child, Guidance, Trust’; ‘Medical, Service, Life Saving’; and ‘Healthy, Family, Friendship, Community’.  
Photo by David Shankweiler
PictureBill Coleman: Memorial Bench – John Hubbard, Dunedin Public Library. Dunedin Public Library Foundation, 2006, Photo by Elizabeth Brincklow

“The City's Arts & Culture Committee and the staff or public art consultant will assist the developer in their public art selection process,” said Brincklow. “The PAMP provides a framework for the deliberate administration and acquisition of public art for the city and includes an explanation of the mission, vision and goals of the public art program. The Public Art Master Plan gives the City Mayor, Commissioners and Staff guidelines to focus on what constitutes new and appropriate projects and gifts of art, and to create a balance in terms of what styles and media are incorporated.” 

“For me, a big part of the excitement of it is that our city is joining 350+ small, medium and large cities nationwide with a working Public Art Policy, 60 in Florida alone with 14 of them having both public and private ordinances – cities that have taken steps to create an art-centric focus.”


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    Authors



    Gary Badders of Shorelines Design Group and architect Rod Collman created SDG Architecture in 2014, combining the two companies and their many decades of successful Residential and Commercial Architecture and Design experience.


    Rod Collman of SDG Architecture has provided award winning commercial design and architecture for the last 50 years. Gary Badders of Shorelines Design Group has provided custom residential home design services for the past 30 years. Now working together in their Dunedin, Florida office with a staff of ten, they offer a full range of professional services and can provide the excellence in design and quality services you demand.

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