EDAB 04/16/2013 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Casselberry Economic Development Advisory Board Minutes of April 16, 2013 Meeting Page 3 Board Recommendations Ms. Pamela Lynch, Economic Development Coordinator, stated that the Board has had several meetings and been educated on several topics. She asked that the Board begin developing recommendations to be compiled by City staff. The Board questioned whether a shuttle system from the SunRail station to Casselberry would be economically feasible. Ms. Pamela Lynch, Economic Development Coordinator, stated that it may make sense if the City Center project were completed. She stated that at this juncture, there may not be enough financial support from local business owners. Mr. Kelly Brock, City Engineer, advised that the Board keep in mind that SunRail is a commuter rail and will only be in operation, in its initial phase, during peak hours. He said it would only be in service six hours a day intended to serve commuters going to and from work. The Board expressed concern regarding the potential lost opportunity to Casselberry should the SunRail stations become economic drivers. A follow -up conversation ensued regarding the potential to exploit the walking trails and waterway paths to bring people to the City. The Board felt that Casselberry's trails create a connected city which may be an economic draw. They said that if the City is a bedroom community it should cater to that bedroom community. They felt that since they aren't in the major target area of some infrastructure projects, the City should exploit the fact that they are not. Ms. Lynch stated that based on their previous discussions, retail follows residential and a strong residential core will yield future economic opportunity. The Board questioned what percentage of streets in the City had sidewalks and how many were accommodating multimodal transportation. Mr. Brock stated that most streets in the City have sidewalks of about four to five feet in width. He stated that the City was about to launch a major rehabilitation project and will be resurfacing about two - thirds of the streets.