Ordinance Would Encourage Front Porches in Town Center Districts

by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino

The allowance of front porches in the Town Center districts will have a public hearing at the July 15 City Council meeting.

This effort grew out of the R2P2 initiative (Coastal Florida Recovery and Resiliency Partnership Project), which is an initiative funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Disaster Recovery program. It provides technical assistance to support long-term resiliency. Among the five focus areas that were studied was the Town Center Commercial District – located between Palm Ridge Road, Tarpon Bay Road, and the west end of Periwinkle Way. This district, as described in the Sanibel Plan, is intended “to serve as a focal point for community activity, special events, and informal assembly.”

Precedent imagery from small towns and island settings can inspire the possibilities for Sanibel’s Town Center. The examples above in Figure 38 include small-scale mixed-use buildings at or near the sidewalk. The fronts of buildings include porches, awnings, and colonnades. Parking is found on the street or behind or alongside buildings, not between the front of the building and the sidewalk or shared-use path. Even when there are small or even large gaps between buildings, there is a consistent building-to-street setback, establishing a relaxed character and a highly walkable environment. (City of Sanibel)

The Sanibel Plan designates two districts in the Town Center, as shown above in Figure 37. The General Commercial area is intended to “provide for commercial and mixed use development in the geographical center of the City … providing a wide variety and mixture of retail, office and service uses, along with integrated residential uses of low and moderate intensity”. A second district, Town Center Limited Commercial, similarly supports mixed use development and is intended to “support the establishment and retention of island and resident serving commercial uses and discourage commercial uses that cater principally to the day visitor to the City.”

The Council will be voting on proposed amendments that will achieve the following:
• Create an incentive, through reduced setbacks, to facilitate reinvestment in the Town Center and complete storefront improvements at aging developments.
• Create an incentive to incorporate front porches into architectural design of redevelopment – which is a defining element in Sanibel’s “Island Style” as outlined in the Sanibel Plan.
• Provide an appealing alternative to existing (nonconforming) parking spaces on Palm Ridge Road to enhance curb appeal and address safety concerns at the adjacent Shared-Use Paths.
• Integrate transitional quasi-public space with landscaping that exhibits “design with nature” to achieve architectural harmony with scenic preservation goals of the Sanibel Plan.