Last March, The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hired a new executive director. Jorge Camejo joined Hollywood after working for the City of Boca Raton for more than 28 years as the executive director of the CRA from 1989 to 1998. In 1998, he took on the development role as CRA executive director and director of the Development Services Department until 2009 and subsequently served as director of Community Development.
After having a few months to get a grip on the issues facing the Beach and Downtown, Hollywood Gazette gave Camejo the opportunity to respond to the questions our readers expressed they are most concerned with.
Hollywood Gazette: First, how would you explain the purpose and mission of a CRA?
Camejo: The purpose and mission of the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is guided by the Community Redevelopment Plan adopted by the City Commission, serving as the local governing body, pursuant to State Statute, Chapter 163, Part III. Below I have included excerpts from the CRA Annual Report, which identifies some of the objectives of the Downtown and the Beach CRA Districts. The most fundamental role of a CRA is to eliminate slum and blight conditions as defined under Florida law.
Downtown District
Redevelopment Objectives:
• Stimulate quality development and redevelopment;
• Protect and enhance neighborhoods bordering Downtown and provide suitable buffers between the Downtown Core and the neighborhoods;
• Provide public funds to stimulate private development; and
• Protect and reinforce a traditional commercial district in the Downtown Core.
Beach District
Redevelopment Objectives:
• Promote redevelopment and eliminate the causes of physical and economic blight;
• Ensure safe and sanitary conditions through infrastructure improvements;
• Increase public parking;
• Enrich the visual and functional quality of the streetscape for all users;
• Provide a viable business environment and a high quality of life for Hollywood Beach residents and visitors;
• Re-establish tourism as a vital industry in Hollywood Beach;
• Enhance Hollywood Beach as a tropical destination;
• Upgrade existing public recreation facilities; and
• Expand recreation opportunities.
Hollywood Gazette: What new strategy will you implement to stabilize the business turnover Downtown?
Camejo: In order to stabilize business turnover in the downtown I believe we need to re-build confidence and momentum. Music, the arts and entertainment are clearly elements that differentiate Downtown Hollywood from other areas. The newly opened ArtsPark presents an opportunity from which to build. The CRA staff is currently working in concert with a reinvigorated Downtown Hollywood Business Association (DHBA), the City of Hollywood Parks Recreation and Cultural Arts Department and the CRA Office of Tourism to develop a marketing strategy and event programming that will create synergy and stimulate the maximum level of activity for the Downtown area. There are a number of other tenant proposals that the CRA is working on that will further the momentum within the aforementioned music, arts and entertainment genres.
Further, I believe we need to address some fundamental aesthetic and property maintenance issues in the Downtown, as well as the Beach. These issues include:
• Removal of all temporary construction fencing surrounding vacant parcels
• Upkeep and general property maintenance standards
• Structural building maintenance issues
• Updating regulations in the City Code to provide flexibility in certain areas and greater clarity regarding certain limitations
It is important to note that the merge of the Code Compliance unit into the Police Department has resulted in some very positive outcomes in terms of bringing properties into compliance. In addition, the City Commission is in the process of restructuring the Special Magistrate process for greater efficiency and increased case volume.
Hollywood Gazette: What is the plan for parking and traffic during construction of the Margaritaville project? How does the CRA intend to make up for both the loss of these parking spaces during the construction of the project and the loss of revenue?
Camejo: The CRA Board has directed staff to identify provisional parking sites that may be utilized during the interim period while the Margaritaville project is under construction. There are some issues that must be addressed in order to accomplish this directive, including an amendment to Chapter 157 of the city code. Currently, the city code requires all parking areas to be finished with asphalt in order to create a permanent parking condition. The provisional lots would be stabilized but not finished with an asphalt surface. The intent of utilizing provisional parking is to provide relief for the beach area parking demand at minimal cost. The CRA is also actively pursuing opportunities for creating additional permanent public parking at active locations in the beach area.
The CRA staff is currently working with the City Parking Department in order to quantify the loss of revenue resulting from the reduction of parking in the beach area. This analysis can serve as the basis for the CRA Board to consider payment of an annual impact fee to the City of Hollywood to compensate for the loss of revenue in future years.
Hollywood Gazette: How much does the CRA pay the City for “Enhanced Services” annually? What specific services does the Downtown and the Beach respectively receive from the City for these services?
Camejo: Enhanced Services are defined as those additional services paid for by the CRA and provided by the City of Hollywood that are above and beyond the level of service normally and customarily provided by a municipality as part of the normal public service responsibilities of local government. See the July issue for graphs that break down the distrubution of enhanced services.
In addition, the Beach and Downtown district budgets can be found at www.hollywoodcra.org
Hollywood Gazette: Is there anything else you would like for the residents of Hollywood to know?
Camejo: I believe it is important to understand that the Community Redevelopment Agency is not the City of Hollywood and is a separately constituted entity that is regulated pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III of the Florida Statutes. The CRA provides an opportunity for the CRA districts in Hollywood to benefit from having access to additional tax revenue from outside taxing sources that are made available only because of the creation of the CRA. However, as required under state law, these revenues can only be used within the boundaries of the CRA districts. Without the CRA, these additional revenues would not be available for investing in these specific geographic areas of Hollywood.
