7-Eleven: Status report update desired

[Andrew N.]

I am posting the conversation with 7-Eleven in this thread so that we have a public record of the conversation/progress for any new members to the group and also to have the conversation archived for any future discussions. I apologize to those that have already received this information earlier today. Andrew

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Gentlemen,

One week ago we met on-site at your new 7-11 on the corner of Edgewater Drive and Colonial.  We were pleased at the opening dialog. We have been expecting since that time a recap of the meeting and what plans were in place to ensure the safety of your patrons (our neighborhood) as you promised as well as proposed timing of each. 

As of this writing, we have heard not a word from anyone within your organization. As you know, immediately following our meeting with you, we reached out to your manager Sandra and are featuring her in our newsletter that goes out this week, welcoming her to the neighborhood as well as asking our community to stop by meet her and visit your new store. We are doing our part as good neighbors to be supportive, all in good faith. 

At that same meeting we asked (again) about the status of the fence which remains unresolved. We were told that plans had been submitted and Doug Metzger suggested that they were quite backed up in the approval process. I really don't understand the delay in a simple fence in that there are no load bearing issues here but rather one of ascetics and security. What must we do on our end to expedite this fence issue? We are wiling to involve any and everyone to focus on this.

As you all should painfully know by now, that same beloved store was robbed two weeks to the day at alleged or threat of gunpoint. That scares the dickens out of me and every other person I know in our community. Not a great way to begin gentlemen. Worse, according to police reports, no one knows which way he fled as there are only two exterior cameras, both facing West. 

This robbery further exacerbates our anxiety over this unsecured entry into our neighborhood - the fence. 

Police reports show that four incidents (break-ins/assault/robbery) occurred within blocks of your store in a two day window. This is too close to home. 

What we are asking for is a status of where we left off conversations last week.

Specifically, the final securing of the fence (we want to know timing not just dialog that it takes a long time - we know better); installation of lighting on the existing wall that fronts the problematic retention recess area (again a permitting situation that can be hastened with proper motivation which we are willing to provide); possible changes of landscape medium in the recess area (move this from a conversation point to a conclusion); additional cameras to protect not only your employees (the building is surrounded by blinds on three of the four sides) but also to protect us as your potential customers. These points above do not even address the issues of first impressions to our community that we also discussed and can be surfaced once the security is addressed. I mention them as I do not want them to fall off the dialog table.

We want you to succeed. We want our community safe. We would like to partner with you to these ends, however, to do so, we must hear from you and the city that these things are not on "someones'" desk buried while waiting for "someone" to get around to it, while in the meantime, we have to live with the security issues.

I, for one, do not want to walk up on a crime in process and find myself involved. 

To all decision makers involved: 

Please make this a priority, not just one of several stores or projects that are currently going on. 

We all await your responses.

Regards,

Donn Carr

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Donn:

One clarification on your letter...I did not say 7-Eleven had already submitted permits... I said if they had I was not aware of it, but that I would expedite them as soon as they did...

In fact 7-Eleven HAS NOT submitted plans as of yet for the additional lighting in the retention area or the fencing fixes.  I spoke with Charley Carpenter, 7-Eleven's regional engineer yesterday about this topic and he told me they would be submitting soon, and that the delay was a result of their surveyor providing incomplete off-site data on their as-built survey documents.  

I am sure 7-Eleven will let me know when they come in for the fence and lighting permits and I will assist them in walking the permits thru the systems.

Have a great week, 

Douglas A Metzger, AICP - City Planner III 

City of Orlando – City Planning Division, Urban Design Studio 

Appearance Review Board Coordinator 

400 S. Orange Ave. - 6th floor 

Orlando, Florida 32802 

ph.: 407.246.3414 fax: 407.246.2895 

e: douglas...@cityoforlando.net 

website: http://www.cityoforlando.net/planning/cityplanning.htm 

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Thank you Doug for the clarification. It is greatly appreciated. 

Perhaps hearing can be selective, however, we had all heard the same thing, but not from you. 

This puts the ownership and sense of urgency regarding this issue squarely upon 7-11. 

Doug, we greatly appreciate your involvement and commitment to this project. Please keep us up to speed.

I trust we will hear from the 7-11 folks shortly. 

Regards,

Donn Carr

[Andrew N.]

City Planner, Doug Metzger's Update on 7-Eleven 2/6/2013:

Hi Don, Happy Wednesday.

The building permit for the 7-Eleven fence closures and additional retention area lighting [BLD2013-00709] has been submitted and is under review....the permit has been approved by all review departments [including me] except electrical which has requested some additional information regarding the retention area lighting...once that information is received from the 7-Eleven team the permit will be approved and 7-Eleven can install the fences and lighting....

Please let me know if there is any other information that you need about this item. 

Have a great day,

Doug

[Andrew N.]

No updates on Doug's end. He DID respond, but it appears that 7-Eleven had to submit a revision due to some electrical concerns by the city. Below is the update from the Construction Manager Anthony Edwards.

Donn,

I was able to find out that we have a revision required by the electrical reviewer and the revisions will be submitted back to the city tomorrow with a hope for release by Monday if not sooner. All other departments have passed us so hopefully we will be released soon. I have passed on the issue from your previous email regarding CTW’s to my operations team so I have no further update on that matter but from my discussions with the Asset protection team today we will pursue prosecution of such individuals.

Anthony M. Edwards