Short, Semisweet Commission Meeting

With Vice Mayor Vanessa Edmunds presiding in the absence of Mayor Paul Oliver, the Cedar Key Commission gave unanimous approval to all agenda items at its first meeting of 2006. However, two members of the Historical and Architecture Review Board questioned the speed with which the Cedar Key Hotel Holdings' development review was approved. Under new business, Commissioner Sue Colson proposed that money currently budgeted for payment to the late J.Q. Hodges for consulting be redirected into a citizenship scholarship in honor of Mr. Hodges.

Ordinance 399, which exempts existing structures in a designated downtown area from parking requirements of the Land Development Code, was passed on its final reading. Commissioner Heath Davis expressed reservations before voting in favor of the ordinance. He said that the ordinance"opens a wide door" for other businesses that might need accommodations for parking.

Dr. John Andrews, Chair of the Historical and Architecture Review Board, addressed the Commission, speaking in general about the development review process and in particular about the impact of new hotel rooms on parking, water and sewage treatment capacity. The Historical and Architecture Review Board had asked for more information about the hotel development in the Historic District. Dr. Andrews' comments were seconded by H & A Board member George Sresovich, who added that the developers had promised a model of the development, but later said that cost was prohibitive. City Attorney David Coffey responded by saying that the City Code does not require a developer to provide a model, and that the Commission only must receive input from the H & A Board, not approval. The need for rapid approval of the development review was mentioned several times.

In a quasi-judicial hearing the Commission approved a minor boundary adjustment requested by James McCain. Speaking in support of McCain's request, Nancy Taylor said, " The Commission does things for everyone else, so why not for the Chief? (Fire Chief McCain)."