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The Village of Palmetto Bay Council conducted a special zoning hearing involving two markedly different issues on Monday, Sept. 18. About a dozen residents and guests were present.
Village Council and staff present were Mayor Karyn Cunningham, Vice Mayor Leanne Tellam, Councilmember Patrick Fiore (Seat 1), Councilmember Steve Cody (Seat 2), Councilmember Marsha Matson (Seat 3), village manager Nick Marano, village attorney John C. Dellagloria, village clerk Missy Arocha and Community Economic Development director Heidi Siegel.
The first item was an application (V-23-007) by Christ Fellowship Palmetto Bay Campus, located at 8900 SW 168 St., requesting a variance regarding signage. Discussion between village councilmembers and representatives of Christ Fellowship were essentially negotiations on the details of the variance. After some adjustments to the size of the signage and the hours they would be illuminated, the ordinance passed 3-2 with Vice Mayor Tellam and Councilmember Matson casting “no” votes,
The second item on the agenda was a request for an ordinance (RZ -23-007) sponsored by Mayor Karyn Cunningham and prompted by the “Live Local Act” passed in July by the State of Florida. Ostensibly to help provide low-cost public housing, the act removes the rights of municipalities to enforce zoning on such projects, seemingly making it possible for developers to do whatever they want.
Concern was prompted by the recent announcements by the owners that the landmark Clevelander Hotel and Bar on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach would be torn down and replaced by a 30-story development with 40 percent of the units designated as affordable, with a similar project taking place in the City of Doral.
Mayor Karyn Cunningham described the item that was up for first reading.
“The bill (Live Local Act) which was a part of tonight’s agenda outlines a lot of things but it does not outline the implementation and so you have each city across the state of Florida in the process right now of creating what that will look like for each one of the individual municipalities. What the statute does do is essentially it says that we must allow for affordable housing in certain parts of our community that are zoned mixed-use and what that is, it’s commercial and residential all in the same space.”
Mayor Cunningham said that she knew the vice mayor had joined up with the Florida League of Cities and they had hosted workshops on the Live Local Act.
“But how do we meet the guidelines of the statute while protecting what I think is very important to most of the residents in our community — their single biggest investment, their homes,” Mayor Cunningham added.
Heidi Siegel, Community Economic Development director, spoke next.
“The Live Local Act states that the village must allow projects under the act in its commercial and mixed-use zoning districts,” Seigel said, speaking at length on the details and adding that village staff recommended that the village council approve the ordinance on first reading.
Councilmember Matson asked if the village owns Park Drive property that would be eligible under the live local act.
Siegel said that it does not, and that it would not apply.
“In October the village must identify all the areas that are parks or future parks,” Seigel said. “Most of the current residential districts of various types would not fall within the Live Local Act designations. Some apartment buildings might.”
Siegel also said the housing projects under the Live Local Act would result in a significant loss of tax revenue for the village, since they would be exempt from taxes.
The proposed ordinance will come up for second reading at the next village council meeting.
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