Veteran Bradenton planner Tim Polk to retire, leaving legacy of 'community engagement'

BRADENTON -- If there's a legacy that Bradenton City Planner Tim Polk will leave behind when he retires Jan. 31, it's one of bridging a gap between city hall and the residents that city policies affect.

While working in Fort Worth, Texas, years before he would arrive in Bradenton, Polk received a plaque from the Mid South Neighborhood Association that reads: "Our man from the city." He learned long ago the importance of working with people rather than against them.

"I hear people all the time say, 'Oh, we need to fight city hall.' No, you need to access city hall through community engagement," he said. "When you learn how to access city hall and learn how to speak with people, it becomes easier. I love dealing with neighborhood planning and working with community groups like we did in the Village of the Arts and are doing now in Point Pleasant. I love teaching people how to be diplomatic and work with the city to meet both goals. It's better we plan with you rather than for you or against you."

Polk's passion for planning, design and architecture began at an early age. Growing up in Highland Park, Mich., near Detroit, Polk had an unusual interest for a boy of 12 in how his neighborhood and streets were laid out.

"People thought I was a real nerd," said Polk. "Actually, I was more of a jock, but I was just very perceptive in how the neighborhoods and street grids were laid out and how they function in terms of the process. I was very interested and intrigued and about three years later my parents were informed that the Chrysler Corp. was going to buy them out. That's when I got very interested with what eminent domain was all about. It was also the first time I heard the term 'urban renewal.'"

Polk joined the Air Force in 1967. About three years into

his service, he began to focus on what he wanted to do with the rest of his life and the love for planning resurfaced. He went on to obtain his fine arts degree in architecture and design from the University of Michigan and took his first planning job in his hometown of Highland Park.

He would eventually serve multiple municipalities across the country, garnering experience in all facets of planning, community development and housing. From smaller towns like Garland, Texas, to serving two mayors in Atlanta, Polk, 67, found his way to Bradenton in 2005 when the economy was in full swing before the Great Recession hit. Ironically, Polk said the Great Recession likely saved the city from a development style that the city ultimately would have regretted.

"We coined a term in Atlanta at that time called blowing and growing," said Polk. "It was like throwing track down in front of a moving train and you really don't want to do that because you'll make a lot of mistakes. Having that kind of recess from development allowed us to do some strong planning and develop some strong policies that shaped the city the way it should grow. So from that standpoint, we took advantage of it."

Polk's arrival in 2005 coincided with the Riveria Southshore project, now Villages at Riverwalk, that would have built nine-story condos. The recession killed that project and no one seems to mind. During the recession, Polk implemented form base codes that requires development to match the city's vision for specific architecture, historic preservation and more, Polk feels the city has development under control in terms of how it can proceed -- and it is proceeding.

Collaboration a must

"I get calls from developers and investors all the time," he said. "The main thing the city needs to plan for is a workforce dominated by millennials, something a lot of cities are already doing and something Manatee County as a whole has a good grip on. But we need collaboration between the city, the county and the (Economic Development Council). You can't plan in a vacuum individually. It won't work."

Polk said the city will need to have a long-range planner on staff to work with other entities to make that happen.

"We also need to look at our existing plans, do some amendments and regroup and do new plans for downtown," he said. "We are on the cutting edge of a lot of things, but now we need to look at our comp plan again because things are changing again. To always be on the cutting edge, you can never stop. The whole idea is to continue our success and not be afraid to think outside the box."

A city in transition

Bradenton isn't only losing a veteran planner. He serves as the Central Community Redevelopment Agency Director and is the department head for the city's code enforcement. As CCRA director he formed the Faith Based Alliance, of which he plans to stay involved. The CCRA will formally transition to an advisory board soon. The city council assumed control of the CRAs as of Jan. 1 and continue to formulate an organizational plan.

The Faith Based Alliance is an example of Polk's community engagement legacy that will have a lasting affect. He's always said his role as CCRA director is more than a job, "It's a ministry."

He sees a good future for the city with more hotels and restaurants in its future and a continued focus on the city's cultural arts master plan and the ongoing work by Realize Bradenton.

"All of that needs to continue," he said. "That will help shepard what needs to be done in regards to keeping ahead of the curb. I see great things for Bradenton. Keep thinking outside of the box. When you need a rest, you know you can't rest. That's how you stay on the cutting edge."

The city hasn't named a new planner, but is actively seeking Polk's replacement during a crucial transition time as the city launches a new economic development department that will work closely with the planning department in attracting new business to Bradenton.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter @urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published January 10, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "Veteran Bradenton planner Tim Polk to retire, leaving legacy of 'community engagement' ."