Pine Avenue Restoration Moves One Step Closer To Becoming a Reality...
It was December 19th, 2007, that the Pine Avenue restoration proposal moved significantly closer to fruition.
Critical Pine Avenue Property Zoning
It was reported that day, that developer Michael Coleman had closed the first targeted property needed for phase one of the Pine Avenue development. It was also reported that the city commission’s office decided to zone six lots on North Bay Boulevard ROR instead of commercial.
The zoning of those six properties represents a huge step forward for the Pine Avenue Restoration Project.
"It was a big first step," said Michael Coleman, who is spearheading the 21-lot retail, office, and residential project on the city’s main east-west thoroughfare. "I’m relieved and it’s a good beginning. Getting the six lots on the bay into ROR on the Future Land Use Map is huge."
The city commission voted 3-2 to take the recommendation of the planning and zoning board and put those six lots on the northeast corner of Pine and South Bay Boulevard into the ROR district. Coleman and his partners have a contract to purchase those six lots, as they are an integral part of phase one of the Pine Avenue Restoration development.
Only commissioners Duke Miller and Dale Woodland voted against changing the designation from commercial to ROR.
Pine Avenue Property Closure
The Pine Avenue Restoration, LLC closure on their first piece of property also was a hugely positive development in terms of moving the project forward. The double lot at 315 Pine Avenue, which is on the southwest corner of Pine and Crescent, was now in the hands of the project’s developers.
Closing was Friday, Dec. 14, and Coleman declined to disclose the price he paid for the property.
Pine Avenue Restoration Phase One Funding in Place
The second critical property closing for the Pine Avenue development was as soon as the following week. It was another double lot, this one at 503 Pine. A third parcel at 401 Pine Ave. comprised of three conforming lots, was scheduled to close on January 15.
"Those are critical properties as we’ve envisioned the project," Coleman said. "That’s everything on the south side of Pine that we need." Coleman reported to the media that all the funding was in place for part of the project that will be located on the south side of Pine Avenue.
The properties in the south side make up Phase One of the project planned for Pine Avenue.
"Our next step will be to closely follow the process of the development of the Land Development Regulations," he said. The LDR’s will grow out of the comprehensive plan that the city commission voted last week to transmit to the Florida Department of Community Affairs for approval.
It hadn't been but half a year since Coleman first presented his Pine Avenue proposal to the Anna Maria city commission, and already the critical phase one properties had been acquired and the funding in place.
If all development projects could be like the Anna Maria Pine Avenue Restoration, the world would be an easier place to live for all of us.
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