Showing posts with label Diplomat Properties LP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diplomat Properties LP. Show all posts

Friday, April 27, 2012

Today's the second anniversary of Hallandale Beach citizens coming together and winning an important victory at the Broward County Comm. over the Diplomat LAC project. We'll need a similar effort to eject Joy Cooper & her Rubber Stamp Crew in six months

Above, Hallandale Beach City Hall and HB Police Dept. HQ. March 19, 2012 photo by South Beach Hoosier

Above, the very helpful rendering created in 2010 by N.E. Hallandale Beach resident Don Boudria that I used in numerous emails and ran on my blog in the hectic days before the Broward County Commission had their final vote on the Diplomat LAC project and rejected it.

It gave everyone who really wanted to know the facts a reasonable sense of perspective on the effect in the immediate neighborhood of suddenly having numerous large condo towers alongside the Diplomat County Club of the size that the Diplomat's owners -Diplomat Properties LPoriginally wanted.


(It obviously doesn't depict the many large condo towers over on the beach in both Hollywood and HB, as well as the parent Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa.)
This was created looking east towards the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean from what is roughly Atlantic Shores Blvd., the east-west street that also serves as the eastern entrance to the Mardi Gras Casino over on U.S.-1/Federal Highway/.
I should've thought of using Google Maps then, too, but I didn't.

That successful collaborative effort was proof positive that everyone working together towards one common sense goal has worked before in Hallandale Beach, and I was very happy to play my small part in it, both writing about the process and in speaking against it before the various govt. entities that had to decide its future after it passed the HB City Commission 3-2 at 2:47 a.m. days before Christmas 2009/

Some people who DIDN'T have a part in that success and who actually thought that original, completely incompatible Diplomat proposal was fine include HB Mayor Joy Cooper and Commissioners Dotty Ross and Anthony A. Sanders, the latter of whom whom I know for a fact consistently refused the neighborhood's invitation to walk around the area with homeowners who'd be directly effected so he could get a first-hand point-of-view. 

That is, if you call NOT responding to emails asking him to come listen to Hb residents a refusal, and not a complete snub, as most NE residents took it. 
Surprise!

Also supporting the Diplomat project then against the majority of informed Hallandale Beach citizens was Alexander Lewy, who was elected a City Commissioner about six months later.

The very good news for all of us in Hallandale Beach and environs is that the first three individuals -Cooper, Ross & Sanders- all have commission seats that expire in November, and Ross isn't running for re-election, while the other two are.

Obviously, thinking the way we do here at the blog -pro-reform, pro-accountability, pro-transparency- we plan on making sure that the two of them have to continuously publicly defend their actions and votes in 2009 on this particular proposal, and explain why that was yet another instance where they were on the wrong side of the majority of informed citizens in this community. 

Did I say "yet again"?
For good reason, too!

A similar sort of collaborative effort will be necessary again in November, six months from now, if we're going to have any success in reclaiming this city from the Joy Cooper Rubber Stamp Crew and transforming it into the sort of normal, reasonable place where common sense and good ideas -along with constructive criticisms- are welcome at City Hall, not strangers, as has been the case there for far too long.

What Hallandale Beach residents actually want is NOT so very complicated: a well-run and pro-active city where elected officials and city employees are held accountable for what they do or don't, where decisions and votes at Hallandale Beach City Hall are made based on commonly-accepted facts and analysis -and agendas that are known to everyone in the community long before votes are taken, NOT just available to interested lobbyists and attorneys- and made in the best long-term interests of all of this city's residents and neighborhoods.

Don't kid yourself, though.
Six months will be here sooner than you think, so it's time to get organized and get working to make that change we so desperately need in Hallandale Beach a reality. 

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Plucky underdog HB activists live to fight another day as Broward County Commission votes 4-4 on Diplomat LAC

Hallandale Beach Chicken of the Sea coming home to roost?
No, plucky Hallandale Beach residents know better than
to crow yet and prematurely count their chickens!

Fowl weather at Hallandale Beach may be very bad news
for Hallandale Beach City Hall and their lapdog acolytes.
February 14, 2008 photo by
South Beach Hoosier.

I'm very, very pleased to say tonight that on Wednesday,
I will be posting my pithy comments
and analysis,
along with some photos and video,
of today's important
Broward County Commission
meeting on the Diplomat
LAC
proposal, which resulted in a series of 4-4 votes
on various motions,
meaning that under the County's
rules, the next
step will be yet another meeting before
the
County Commission, on April 13th.

Three more weeks to try to peel away one of the
other
county commissioners.

Political drama!

Stacey Ritter
and Ilene Lieberman are lost causes
in more ways than one as I've mentioned
here previously,
and didn't even need to be in the
room for those of us
opposed to the Diplomat's
condo towers to know
they'd already made up
their mind, as I predicted here
-and I was right.


They weren't there, but you could feel the aloofness
and condescension over the phone line.

The over-confident
Diplomat officials, unctuous
union lackeys and the high-priced lawyers,
lobbyists
and consultants they've been paying for
months left
the Broward Commission Chambers
in shock!


You see, they were counting their chickens
BEFORE
they were cooked!

Monday, March 22, 2010

South Florida news media's silence in asking Steve Geller hard questions has never been more noticeable than now

What follows is an email I sent out this afternoon
to numerous South Florida print/TV reporters
and columnists, raising questions that you may
well have been asking yourself.

The part about Steve Geller could've been
asked last month or last year.
Oh, that's right, I did.
Reporters and columnists, not so much.
-------------

Monday March 22nd, 2010

Noon

Many of you have a reputation for being more

than willing to indulge former State Senator
Steve Geller's ego, and to contact him for
almost any reason under the sun if you think
he'll say something pithy that'll make your
audience chortle, even if he really doesn't
know any more about the subject than many
other people you could ask.

So that said, is there a reason that you and

the rest of the South Florida news media
haven't asked Steve Geller to publicly
declare his own sympathies, one way or
the other, in the fight by Hallandale Beach
citizens -and their allies in Hollywood-
against the incompatible Diplomat LAC
plan scheduled to be voted upon Tuesday

afternoon by the Broward County Commission?

Or to ever mention what other local Broward
pols are saying or doing in relation to the
prospect of four or five 25-story-plus condo
towers being dropped on a residential
neighborhood, largely because the Union
that owns the Diplomat Country Club,
along with their partner Starwood, has done
such a dreadful job of improving and marketing
the expensive golf course, that nobody wants
to play there.

(If they get the approval they seek from the
Broward County Commission, it's clear that
the Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Union will
try to sell it toute-de-suite.)

For instance, sounding-out local pols like
Eleanor Sobel, Joe Gibbons, Jennifer
& Ken Gottlieb,
Elaine Schwartz or
Ann Murray or...

In most parts of the country, they'd be part
of the equation, and maybe even vocal leaders
in the fight.
But here, they just sit on the sidelines, as if
local voters in HB and Hollywood don't notice
their MIA status, and won't take it into account
negatively come Election Day.

(They're in for a surprise, as we WILL
take it into account and ask questions
about
their silence.)

No, instead, we are met with completely
incurious reporters who don't seem to want
to ask reasonable questions that Southeast
Broward residents want answers to.


It's the biggest issue in this city -
besides
reforming a very corrupt HB City Hall
-
and yet you all have, individually and
collectively,
given Steve Geller a free ride
for months.


You've been completely averse to asking basic

questions of someone who could, theoretically,
actually represent most of this city and
Hollywood
if he were to actually somehow defeat
Sue Gunzburger
, though I think it's unlikely.

Why?

Why this great reluctance to ask
Steve Geller
tough questions?

Is it the possibility of losing access to
a quotable source?


Frankly, that's what most people I know who

are interested in public policy in South Florida
believe.
You know, the ones interested enough to actually

show-up and participate and be quoted by you
or
featured in interviews you conduct?

That's also the belief of many Florida reporters
from
outside of South Florida.
If you didn't already know, many of them think

Geller plays the South Florida media like
a violin,
some more easily than others
-
from practice!

And why the great reluctance to ask Geller
to state the specific date by which he will
actually be living in the Commission
District he's running
for, while he continues
to live outside of it up in Cooper City?

Geller
has been a carpetbagger this entire
campaign, an adjective that you all seem
very reluctant to use for reasons that don't
necessarily speak well for your profession's
integrity.
It's all just so very, very curious.

And what is Broward Commissioner
Diana
Wasserman-Rubin
going to do on the
Diplomat LAC, since Hallandale Beach is part
of her District, even if the project
itself is not?

Will she continue to give the concerned
neighborhood the complete runaround?


DWR had no problem at all in meeting Hallandale
Beach Commissioner Anthony A, Sanders
in person on March 8th at the
Hepburn Center
in HB to hear the typically one-sided rhetoric
sans facts that he specializes in.

But when the actual neighborhood directly
affected
by the over-the-top project wanted
to show her
around and give her some first-hand
perspective
and context to better understand
their plight
-
and more easily imagine a 25-30-story
condo suddenly going up 100 feet from
their kitchen window, and plunging them
into near permanent shade
- after initially
agreeing to come,
DWR decided the following
day, last Friday,
that she didn't want to meet
with them on-site.

Which defeats the purpose of a walking
tour,
no?

Instead, she asked them to come to her

West Park office today at 4 p.m., at the
Family Success Center, 4733 SW 18th Street,
one block south of Pembroke Rd.


Those of you who want to break away from
the media herd may want to consider
swinging-by there and see how it's goes,
but at this point, given all her other myriad

problems, DWR seems to just be digging
herself into a deeper hole with HB citizens,
who already thought she was distant and
far-removed from their day-to-day concerns,
which will only be magnified if she votes
for
the Diplomat on Tuesday.

After failing to meet residents where
the project is slated to be built.


For the record, besides
Sue Gunzburger,
who has been to numerous meetings in both
HB and Hollywood on this issue that I've
attended, NONE of the other Broward
County
Commissioners have bothered
to come to
the affected area to see what's
in store for
these beleaguered residents.

Perhaps the attached Massing Study done
by the Diplomat's consultants will give
you a sense of their future if the Diplomat
gets their way.

Seeing is believing, which perhaps best explains
why
DWR chooses not to visit the scene.

She knows that she can't look people in the eye
and say that she
likes what the Diplomat
proposes to do to their
home, so she forces a
handful of them to have to come
to HER office,
where she has home-court
advantage, and can
conclude the meeting whenever she wants.


If I were a betting man, as of this afternoon,
I'd say that
Diana Wasserman-Rubin will
vote for the
Diplomat's project, along with
both Stacey Ritter and Elaine Lieberman,
the latter two forever the
developer's friend
and among the biggest individual drags on
Broward getting into the 21st Century thru
their smirky, ham-handed ethical problems.


Me, I'm just wondering when the news media

down here will once again have both some bark
and some bite.

-----

Those of you who want to see the Massing Study
I referred to above for yourselves should drop me
an email and I'll send it to you.
Write me at hallandalebeachblog(-at-)gmail.com

Thursday, December 17, 2009

At 2:43 a.m., Hallandale Beach approves First Reading of controversial Diplomat Country Club LAC, 3-2

Above, the 1923 Abraham Lincoln 3-cent stamp

Thursday December 17th, 2009
3:20 a.m.

You know how at the top of this blog of mine it
says that you are NOT in the Land of Lincoln.
That's still the case.

Not that you'd asked, just saying...
Sadly, that was proven by the past 6-7 hours here
in Hallandale Beach, when an opportunity to do
the right thing for the future of the majority of people
who actually live here right now, was missed.
Missed because of a lack of leadership and a chase
for imaginary city taxes that may never materialize.

Five hours and forty-three minutes after the
agenda item came up at 9:03 p.m. Wednesday
night, starting barely thirty minutes after a
marching band walked thru the packed HB
Commission Chambers, to the great confusion
and consternation of many arriving attendees,
the Hallandale Beach City Commission approved
Diplomat Properties L.P.'s LAC proposal
largely along the lines I feared it would when
I arrived at 6:45 p.m.


Comm. Dotty Ross made the motion for approval
at about 2:36 a.m. and Mayor Joy Cooper
seconded the motion after having previously
handed the presiding gavel over to Comm.
William Julian.


Voting for the approval:
Dotty Ross
, Joy Cooper, Anthony A. Sanders.

Voting against: Keith London, William Julian.

I'll have more to say about this meeting later today.


I'd really been looking forward to being able to
bring you video of the most important parts
of the evening, both to clarify some points I've
been making here on the blog for a while,
as well as to show you the lighter-than-air
quality of many of the promises made on
behalf of the project, but due to both the length
of the meeting and more importantly,
some secondary problems associated with
my camera and I getting thoroughly soaked
in a torrential thunderstorm on Friday
afternoon, that's not likely to happen unless
I can salvage some video and photos.


Many people arriving at 7 p.m. for the Public Comments
portion of the meeting for non-agenda items were very
surprised to see that Holiday Decorations prizes were
still being given inside a packed Commission Chambers.
Not me -I expected it.
Experience!

So instead of going over their three-minute comments
in their head from their seats inside, everyone milled
around in the dark.

You only see these movers-and-shakers because of
my
camera flash -when it was working.
December 16, 2009 photo by
South Beach Hoosier
.


See I told you there was a marching band!
This is a shot of the marching band lining-up inside
the City Hall breezeway to go inside the Commission
Chambers.
That's Becker & Poliakoff attorney
Alan B. Koslow on far right, facing you.
Again, you only see them all because of
the camera flash.
December 16, 2009 photo by South Beach Hoosier

You remember what I said yesterday about the
messed-up ceiling, don't you?
See, I wasn't exaggerating about that, either.
Those public parking lot lights in front of Hallandale
Beach City Hall were still out, too.
But then you probably guessed that, right?
Now you're catching on...

Below, the marching band coming out of the Hallandale
Beach City Commission Chambers around 7:45 p.m.
or so, Wednesday night.

Seeing is believing.
That's why it's Hallandale
Beach, oui?



Monday, November 16, 2009

Unpopular RAC and LAC plans to be discussed Tuesday at P&Z meeting and Comm. Keith London's meeting

Commission Keith S. London
Resident Forum
meeting
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
City of Hallandale Beach Cultural Center,
Room 107

Main topics of discussion:
-City of Hallandale Beach RAC
-Diplomat Properties LP LAC
* There will open discussion on any other
topics of interest as well.

If you can't make it to the important P&Z
meeting Tuesday afternoon, sure to be lively,
be sure to attend Comm. London's meeting
at 6 p.m. to get the post-game analysis and
color commentary from concerned HB
residents who will be there in force.
--------------
These items of concern to residents of both
Hallandale Beach and Hollywood were also
discussed in this space on November 1st:
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/unpopular-rac-proposal-and-diplomat.html


Agenda for Tuesday's afternoon's Hallandale
Beach P&Z meeting at 1:30 p.m. at:
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1302

Related docs at:
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentCenterii.aspx?FID=140

Diplomat Properties L.P.'s
Local Activity Center (LAC)
i.e. m
ultiple 25-30 story properties located on
Atlantic Shores, N.E. 14th Ave., Diplomat
Parkway, and near The Duo:

http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1299

Did the Diplomat's transportation consultant
ever actually say what months of the year
his trip count research was conducted?

I'd hate to think they made the same mistake
the city's Transportation Master Plan
consultants apparently made, doing it in the
summer instead of in January, but then why
wouldn't they if they thought nobody was
paying attention at
HB City Hall?

It's not like the commissioners other than
London would think to ask.

City of Hallandale Beach
Regional Activity Center (RAC) plan:
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1300

This item failed to be passed by the P&Z Board
on October 28, 2009.

On Sunday night, I discovered this color-coded
map of the RAC proposal
prepared by Calvin,
Giordano & Associates, Inc.
, which you
may find of interest.
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1294


The first reading and vote of the City of Hallandale
Beach's
RAC plan will be at Wednesday's City
Commission, November 18th, at 1:30 p.m. &
7:00 p.m. in the HB Commission Chambers.


Has City Manager Mike Good ever given
a reasonable, written justification for
fast-tracking these proposals?

Per the LAC, I noticed that at p. 30 of 51,
the city persists in thinking that there's
any public or transit community support
for having an FEC train stop at S.E 3rd
Street, and South 1st Avenue.

Why, because it's close to HB City Hall,
the upcoming Village at Gulfstream
and Gulfstream Park itself, including
the track and the casino?

A separate train station three blocks south
of one at Hallandale Beachj Blvd. is a joke,
and none of the serious people at the many
SFECC meetings I've gone to have EVER
seriously believed that was going to happen.

One near The Mardi Gras is more likely
than a second one on 3rd Street, and that
one may be located on the Hollywood side
of Pembroke Road, not HB's side.

I'm pro-transit and even I'd be against
having one at S.E. 3rd Street.
For the city to think they'd have TWO
stations within three blocks is beyond
absurd.

But that's what passes for logic here.

Below, information regarding the Diplomat
proposal that went buh-bye last year after
getting about zero support in the community.
--------------------

CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH

MEMORANDUM

DATE: January 24, 2008

TO: D. Mike Good, City Manager

FROM: Richard D. Cannone, Director, Development Services

      SUBJECT: Diplomat Properties: Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, Approving a Large Scale Change of Land Use from Commercial Recreation, General Commercial and Low Residential to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) Residential (#34-07-PA) and Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, more specifically, to create new provisions for an Irregular Residential (Dashed Line Areas) land use category and amending the provisions for the Commercial Recreation land use category to permit hotel, motel and similar lodging as an ancillary use (#33-07-TC).


PURPOSE:

To consider on First Reading three separate ordinances pertaining to three land use related applications, requested by the Diplomat Country Club. Those requests include the following applications:

  1. Application #34-07-PA for a Future Land Use Plan Map amendment to change the land use designation from General Commercial, Low (7) Residential and Commercial Recreation to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) (“Dashed-Line Area”).
  2. Application #33-07-TC(A) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow for dashed-line areas.
  3. Application #33-07-TC(B) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation Future Land Use Plan designation.

BACKGROUND:

The applicant, Diplomat Properties, Limited Partnership has filed the aforementioned applications for the 96.26 gross acres of the Diplomat County Club north of Hallandale Beach Boulevard, south of Atlantic Shores Boulevard, east of NE 14th Avenue and west of the De Soto Waterway in order to allow 1,050 residential units to be developed within the golf course. In addition, the applicant seeks to clarify language within the Commercial Recreation Land Use category to permit hotel, motel and similar lodging uses as an ancillary use.

The applicant held a community meeting on November 5, 2007 in accordance with City Policy.

DISCUSSION

Attached is the staff report prepared for the Planning and Zoning Board that includes both the policy and technical analysis.

Based upon Staff’s recommendation, the Planning and Zoning Board at the January 23, 2008 meeting recommended the following:

  1. Denial (Vote: 6-1) of Application #34-07-PA for a Future Land Use Plan Map amendment to change the land use designation from General Commercial, Low (7) Residential and Commercial Recreation to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) (“Dashed-Line Area”).
  2. Denial (Vote: 6-1) of Application #33-07-TC(A) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow for dashed-line areas.
  3. Approval (Vote: 6-1) of Application #33-07-TC(B) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation Future Land Use Plan designation.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends the following:

DENIAL of Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, Approving a Large Scale Change of Land Use from Commercial Recreation, General Commercial and Low Residential to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) Residential, in order to permit 1,050 residential dwelling units within the existing Diplomat Country Club Property, generally described as a portion of Tract B, Block 1 and a portion of Block 11 and Block 13 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat, according to the Plat Thereof, as Recorded In Plat Book 46 at Page 24, of the Public Records of Broward County, Florida (legal description attached).

DENIAL of Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, more specifically, to create new provisions for an Irregular Residential (Dashed Line Areas) land use category.

DENIAL of Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, more specifically, amending the provisions for the Commercial Recreation land use category to permit hotel, motel and similar lodging as an ancillary use. Staff is not in disagreement with this request but would like to further consider as part of our EAR-based amendments. Accordingly, this request is not necessary and should be denied at this time.

------------
HALLANDALE BEACH, FLORIDA

MEMORANDUM

DATE: January 14, 2008

TO: Planning and Zoning Board

FROM: The Mellgren Planning Group, in capacity of consultant for the City

THRU: Richard D. Cannone, Director of Development Services

      SUBJECT: Application #34-07-PA by Diplomat Properties, LLC for a Future Land Use Plan Map Amendment of property within the Diplomat Country Club, and Application #33-07-TC for a Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

APPLICANT:

Diplomat Properties, LLC, Applicant

Debbie Orshefsky Esquire, Agent

OWNERSHIP:

Diplomat Properties, LLC

LOCATION:

For purposes of this report, the subject properties will be referred to as Parcels A, B and C as described below, and as depicted on the location sketch below:

Parcel A: generally described as a portion of Tract B, Block 1 and a portion of Block 11 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat (46-24, BCR) consisting of 5.2393 net acres and 5.5648 gross acres.

Parcel B: Block 13 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat (46-24, BCR), consisting of 1.448 net acres and 2.1344 gross acres

Parcel C: generally described as a portion of Block 11 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat (46-24, BCR) consisting of 86.7777 net acres and 88.5610 gross acres.


LOCATION MAP





REQUEST:

The Applicant is requesting both a City and County Future Land Use Plan Map Amendment for 96.26 gross acres of the Diplomat County Club north of Hallandale Beach Boulevard, south of Atlantic Shores Boulevard, east of NE 14th Avenue and west of the De Soto Waterway.

The Applicant is also requesting an amendment to the text of the City Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan.

The applications are as follows:

1. Application #34-07-PA for a Future Land Use Plan Map amendment to change the land use designation of Parcels A, B and C as follows:

a ) Parcel A (5.565 acres): from General Commercial to Dashed Line Area (Irregular 11.24 du/ac).

b) Parcel B (2.134 acres): from Low (7) Residential to Dashed Line Area (Irregular 11.24 du/ac).

c) Parcel C (88.56 acres) from Commercial Recreation to Dashed Line Area (Irregular 11.24 du/ac).

2. Application #33-07-TC(A) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow for dashed-line areas.

3. Application #33-07-TC(B) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation Future Land Use Plan designation.

PLANNING DISTRICT:

Diplomat/Three Islands

PARCEL SIZE (NET):

Parcel A: 5.239 Acres

Parcel B: 1.448 Acres

Parcel C: 86.777 Acres

Total: 93.464 Acres

EXISTING ZONING:

Parcel A: CR-P, Commercial Recreation (Passive) District

Parcel B: RS-5, Residential Single-Family District

Parcel C: CR-P, Commercial Recreation (Passive) District

EXISTING USE:

Parcel A: southerly extension of Diplomat Golf Course

Parcel B: marina

Parcel C: main portion of Diplomat Golf Course, including the existing country club and a 60-room hotel

PROPOSED USE:

Residential: 1,050 dwelling units

Commercial Recreation: country club and the 349 hotel units.

EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATIONS:

Parcel A Parcel B Parcel C

City: General Commercial Low (7)Residential Commercial Recreation

County: Commercial Low (5) Residential Commercial Recreation


SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USE PLAN DESIGNATION OF APPLICATION SITE:

LAND USE PLAN ZONING

        North: Low-Medium (14) Residential RM-18 District

        Commercial Recreation CR-P District

        South: General Commercial CCB, City Central Business

        Planned Redevelopment Overlay

        East: Low (7) Residential RS-5 District

        Low-Medium (14) Residential RM-18 District

        West: Low-Medium (14) Residential RM-18 District

        SURROUNDING LAND USE OF APPLICATION PARCEL

    North: Low-rise multiple-family residential, single-family detached residential and northern extension of golf course

    South: The Duo high-rise condominium and Diplomat Shopping Center

    East: Low-rise multiple-family residential, De Soto Waterway and single-family detached residential

    West: Low-rise multiple-family residential along NE 14th Avenue





        II. LAND USE HISTORY

        ________________________________________________________________

On August 18, 1998, the City Commission approved Application #50-98-DB by Diplomat Properties for Major Development approval of the redevelopment of the Diplomat Country Club including 60 hotel rooms.

        III. INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW SUMMARY

        ________________________________________________________________

Staff conducted an evaluation of the proposed amendment relative to its impact on City and public facilities. The following is a summary of amendment impact. For a detailed analysis, please refer to Exhibit “A” to this report.

Potable water. No available raw water capacity at this time. Staff, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, is preparing a plan for the City’s future water supply. New wells and treatment facilities will be needed, subject to South Florida Water Management District approval, at an estimated cost of $42 million dollars.

Sanitary sewer. There is sufficient capacity to serve the proposed amendment, with a remaining capacity of .240 mgd (enough to accommodate approximately 686 du) under the City’s Large User Agreement with Hollywood.

Public schools. Student impact to the junior high school and high school will be acceptable. The student impact to Hallandale Elementary, which is already overcrowded at 121 percent of its capacity (111 percent when year-round session is factored in), will be 44 additional students.

Transportation. The amendment will not degrade the for area roads with the exception of NE 14th Avenue, which would be degraded from the current LOS “D” to LOS “F” by 2012, and will be at LOS “F” by 2030 with or without the amendment. Hallandale Beach Boulevard west of Diplomat Parkway is already operating at LOS “F” and will continue to do so.

Parks and recreation. The amendment will generate a need for almost 6 acres of parks and open space, according the City’s adopted LOS Standard of 3 acres per thousand residents. The City has sufficient recreation and open space acreage to accommodate the amendment and the projected population through the short (5 years) and intermediate range (10 years) planning horizons. The City will need to evaluate whether it will be able to meet its adopted Level of Service Standard of 3 acres per 1,000 residents beyond the 10 year horizon, as it is anticipated that the proposed amendment and recently approved developments may increase the projected population in the City beyond what is currently anticipated. Future residents of the proposed amendment site will likely have access to the Diplomat Golf Course, which is a private recreational facility, as well as other on-site facilities possibly shared by the country club, if it is to remain. However, the golf course is not a deed-restricted open space.

Hurricane evacuation LOS and shelter capacity. Broward County Emergency Management Agency has indicated that evacuation Level of Service and shelter capacity will not be diminished below acceptable levels by the amendment.

Affordable housing

The applicant “is prepared to work with the City to provide a financial contribution to the City to be used by the City to construct or have constructed up to 158 (i.e. 15 percent of the proposed 1,050 new residential units) at locations within the City of Hallandale Beach.”

________________________________________________________________

IV. STAFF ANALYSIS OF APPLICATION

________________________________________________________________

    A. Application #33-07-TC(A) would amend the text of the Future Land Use Element to allow “dashed-line areas” on the City’s Future Land Use Plan Map. Dashed line areas are planned unit developments or similar large-scale development sites, such as the proposed Diplomat Golf Course redevelopment, that are circumscribed by a dashed line on the Future Land Use Plan Map. Within the property circumscribed by the dashed line on the map, a maximum residential density is indicated. In the case of the subject amendment, that density is 11.24 du/ac (net). The maximum number of dwelling units allowed within the dashed-line area is obtained by multiplying the total acreage by the maximum density, even though most of it is not intended for residential use.

    The difference between an amendment site circumscribed by a dashed line and one that is not, is that the dashed-line area allows a developer to shift the residential density within the overall amendment site. For example, the 1,050 dwelling units that would be allowed within the Diplomat Golf Course could be allocated in any combination among the four sites designated for residential use and shown on the map in Exhibit “B”, such that maximum number of units within any of the four residential pods proposed for the amendment site is unlimited, as long as the maximum overall density of 11.24 du/ac (1,050 units) is not exceeded.

    Application #33-07-TC(B) would allow hotels, motels and similar lodging in the Commercial Recreation land use plan designation as an ancillary use. This proposed text amendment is consistent with the language in the Commercial Recreation permitted uses section of the Broward County Land Use Plan.

    B. Application #34-07-PA to amend the Future Land Use Plan Map would allow 1,050 dwelling units in a location where residential use is not currently permitted, and which is now part of the Diplomat Golf Course and related facilities. The amendment will not eliminate the golf course, and will have minimal impact on the land area currently devoted to golf course use and also designated Commercial Recreation on the Future Land Use Plan Map.

    The application proposes four distinct and separate areas within the golf course and marina properties where residential use would be permitted. The four areas total approximately 16 acres out of the entire 93.46-acre amendment site. The dashed-line area allows all of the four sites to be proposed as one unified land use plan amendment, and allows the 1,050 dwelling units and hotel use to be distributed among the four sites in any combination that will comply with the development standards of the City’s Zoning and Land Development Code.

______________________________________________________________

        V. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSIDERATIONS

        ________________________________________________________________

Application # 33-07-TC for amendment of the text of the Future Land Use Element is discussed under “Staff Analysis,”

Analysis of Application # 34-07-PA for amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map requires consideration of several comprehensive planning issues, discussed below.

Amount, location and character of growth

Consideration of the proposed map amendment includes a central policy issue: what is the desired amount, location and character of future growth?

By the year 2015, the official Broward County population projections indicate that the Hallandale Beach population will grow by almost 9,400 people and 2,850 dwelling units. By the year 2030, the projections indicate a total growth of almost 19,700 people and 5,400 dwelling units. The City has already approved several residential development projects that will help the City realize approximately 50 percent of the projected growth, assuming all are constructed. Application # 34-07-PA would add 1,050 units to the City, or approximately 37 percent of the projected number of new dwelling units. The subject amendment would, by itself, account for almost 20 percent of the number of residential units projected to be built by the year 2030, and as a result, would likely increase the City’s population in excess of projections, particularly when combined with other major developments recently approved.

The City is currently undertaking development of a Citywide Master Plan. The purpose of the plan is to determine where future growth should occur, how intense it should be, and what kind of form it should take (ex: low-rise, high-rise, mixed-use, transit-oriented, etc.). It is anticipated that a substantial portion of future growth will be directed to areas in need of redevelopment due to slum and blighting conditions in the form of revitalized neighborhoods with neighborhood commercial centers, and to properties fronting principal arterials such as Hallandale Beach Boulevard and US-1 in the form of mixed commercial/ residential development that would likely be more intense than neighborhood redevelopment.

Neighborhood compatibility

The surrounding area is predominantly characterized by low and mid-rise multiple-family residential buildings as well as several single-family detached residences. The rear yards of seven of the single-family residences border the golf course. On the southern periphery of the golf course is a two-tower high-rise development (The Duo) and a commercial shopping center. The immediate neighborhood consists of properties fronting Atlantic Shores Boulevard between NE 14th Avenue and Diplomat Parkway, and properties fronting Diplomat Parkway north of E. Hallandale Beach Boulevard to just north of Atlantic Shores Boulevard. The immediate neighborhood is characterized by low and mid-rise multiple-family residential development and single-family detached residences.

The 1,050 proposed residential units and additional hotel rooms would be concentrated on approximately 16 acres of the 93.46 acre site. The applicant has not identified how many units would be constructed within each of the four proposed residential areas in the amendment site. The applicant also has not provided any details as to height and massing, and such details are not required for plan amendment applications.

Given the intensity of development and site configuration, it can be expected that one or more tall high-rise buildings will be constructed. There is potential, therefore, for the scale of potential buildings to be out of proportion with the immediate neighborhood. Additionally, the country club site as a whole has the potential to grow out of scale with the immediate neighborhood if the country club remains, or if the hotel use expands. Approximately 2,500 parking spaces will be required for the residential and hotel uses, which may comprise approximately one million square feet of structured parking area.

Impact on public facilities and services. Impacts on public facilities and services are analyzed under “Interdepartmental Review Summary.”

________________________________________________________________

VI. APPLICABLE CODES AND ORDINANCES

________________________________________________________________

The golf course is presently designated Commercial Recreation and is zoned CR-P, Commercial Recreation Passive District. The City’s Comprehensive Plan and the City’s Zoning and Land Development Code presently permits golf courses as a principal use and other uses such as hotels as accessory uses. Section 32-163 of the Zoning and Land Development Code further specifies that accessory uses in CR-P District are limited to the following provided they occupy not more than 15 percent of the total site area. The applicant also has requested a text amendment to allow hotels as an accessory use for the purpose of clarifying the permitted uses in the Commercial Recreation category. Sec. 32-163 is excerpted below.

    Sec. 32-163. CR-P commercial recreational (passive) district.

    (a) Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of the CR-P commercial recreational (passive) district is to provide suitable sites for commercial recreational attractions and facilities of a passive nature which require extensive land area and are recognized as being supportive of a tourist-oriented economy in areas consistent with the city's comprehensive land use plan.

    (b) Uses permitted. Uses permitted are as follows:

    (1) Commercial recreation uses, limited to golf courses.

    (2) Accessory uses limited to the following, provided they occupy not more than a cumulative total of 15 percent of total site area:

    a. Golf driving ranges.

    b. Hotels, motels, restaurants, private clubs and cocktail lounges.

    c. Parks, playgrounds and beaches.

    d. Swimming pools.

    e. Tennis, racquetball and handball courts.

    For the purpose of this subsection, a hotel, motel, restaurant, private club, cocktail lounge, golf driving range, swimming pool, tennis, racquetball or handball court, park, playground and beach may be considered an accessory use to the main permitted golf course use, provided that those uses are incidental to and dependent upon the continued existence and operation of the main golf course use, even though uses may be more heavily utilized or realize substantially more income or profit than the main golf course use.

The proposed amendment is consistent with the intent and purpose of the Comprehensive Plan, and would not necessitate a change to Sec. 32-163 of the Zoning and Land Development Code.

COMMUNITY MEETING

The applicant held a community meeting on November 5, 2007 as required by City policy.


VII. REVIEW OF APPLICATION CRITERIA

Article VIII, Section 32-963 specifies the following criteria to be addressed in considering applications for rezoning and land use amendments:

(1) The relationship of the proposed amendment to the purposes and objectives of the City's Comprehensive Land Use Plan, when adopted, with appropriate consideration as to whether or not the proposed changes will further the purpose of this and other codes, regulations, and actions designed to implement said plan.

Not consistent. Staff finds that the proposed land use change is inconsistent with the following Comprehensive Plan policies:

    Future Land Use Element

    Policy 1.3.4. B: High density residential developments should continue to be located with direct access onto major arteries.

    Policy 1.5.3: Maintain a Commercial Recreation Category including Hallandale Beach major commercial recreation facilities, i.e., Gulfstream Race Track, Hollywood Dog Track and Diplomat Golf Course.. …Conversion of these facilities to other uses having increased impacts on public facilities will be contingent upon the new development’s ability to maintain adopted LOS Standards for affected public facilities.

    Policy 1.12.2: The Growth Management Department shall evaluate impacts resulting from new developments to ensure that adequate facilities are either in place or planned so that Level of Service standards are not reduced.

    Transportation Element

    Policy 1.10.1: The City shall maintain its highest intensities of land use along major transportation routes and encourage the clustering of parking area near major routes and transit stops.

(2) The proposed change would or would not be contrary to the established land use pattern.

Not consistent. The average proposed density of the amendment site is 11.24 du/ac. This number is calculated by dividing the number of proposed dwelling units by the acreage of the entire amendment site (93.5 acres). The net density, excluding the golf course parcel to remain, will be approximately 65 du/ac. This number is calculated by dividing the number of proposed dwelling units by the acreage of the four proposed residential pods within the amendment site (approximately 16 acres), as shown on Exhibit “B.” The proposed 65 du/ac net density is substantially higher than both the predominant 18 du/ac land use plan density of adjacent multiple-family properties and 5 du/ac density of adjacent single-family detached residences. The potential height of one or more high-rise buildings would pose a compatibility issue, as the majority of adjacent structures are low-rise in nature.

(3) The proposed change would or would not create an isolated district unrelated to adjacent and nearby districts.

Not consistent. High-rise residential towers are located approximately one-quarter mile to the east across the De Soto Waterway and one-quarter mile to the south. Mid-rise (approximately 6-8 stories) towers are located west of NE 14th Avenue. There is no precedent, however, for high-rise towers and a density of 65 du/ac (excluding golf course) within the core of the Diplomat Planning District east of NE 14th Avenue and west of Three Islands Boulevard. Staff finds that building height, location and massing may be equally relevant considerations as density, but cannot be adequately evaluated without the type of information provided during Major Development Review.

(4) The proposed change would or would not alter the population density pattern and thereby have an adverse impact upon public facilities such as school, utilities, and streets.

Not consistent. Impacts to public facilities and services are evaluated under “Interdepartmental Review Summary” and are of concern due to limitations on elementary school capacity, sanitary sewage treatment capacity, local roadway capacity, allowable Biscayne Aquifer withdrawal, lack of Floridian Aquifer wells, and present inability to treat the necessary quantities of brackish Floridian Aquifer water.

(5) Existing district boundaries are illogically drawn in relation to existing conditions on the property proposed for change.

Not consistent. Existing district boundaries are not illogically drawn in relation to existing conditions on the amendment site.

(6) Changed or changing conditions make the passage of the proposed amendment necessary.

Not consistent. The application states that the proposed amendment is necessary to accommodate the City’s future projected population. South Florida has experienced steady construction of residential units over the last two decades, which is projected to continue. However, the location of residential development has shifted from strictly suburban growth in western areas to renewed interest in infill development and residential and mixed-use redevelopment throughout Broward County. For this reason, the City’s population is expected to grow to more than 53,000 residents by the year 2030, and the City has seen a surge in residential projects.

Due to the county-wide change in the spatial pattern of residential growth, the application is correct in stating that conditions have changed. However, the amendment is not necessary to accommodate the City’s projected population. The City’s 2030 population growth is projected to occur gradually over the next 22 years. The amendment, combined with other recently approved and planned residential projects, would achieve nearly 50 percent of that projected growth in just a few years.

Strategic, coordinated and well-planned redevelopment distributed throughout the City—but not necessarily concentrated in very large projects such as the proposed amendment—will ensure the City can accommodate its projected population. Such redevelopment will occur throughout the City, consistent with sustainable development practices, in areas designated for same upon adoption of the Citywide Master Plan and implementing amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Plan Map. Therefore, at this time, the passing of the proposed amendment is not necessary.

(7) Substantial reasons exist why the property cannot be used in accordance with the adopted land use plan and/or the existing zoning.

Not consistent. The amendment site is a golf course and country club with a hotel and accessory marina. The golf course, spa and country club serve the guests of the Diplomat Hotel on Hollywood Beach, among others. The applicant has not indicated that the land use plan designation impedes the present use of the amendment site, or other permitted passive recreation uses. In fact, the proposed expansion of the hotel on the property from 60 rooms to 349 rooms will be in furtherance of the uses permitted under the current land use plan and zoning classifications.

(8) Whether or not the change is out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood.

Not consistent. The proposed change is substantially out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood.

_______________________________________________________________

VIII. STAFF FINDINGS

_______________________________________________________________

Application #34-07-PA for amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map and Application #33-07-TC was analyzed with due consideration to several germane planning issues, as follows:

    1. Amount, location and character of growth.

      a. The proposed amendment alone would account for nearly 20 percent of the City’s projected 2030 population increase, yet is not consistent with the principles for redevelopment upon which the evolving Citywide Master Plan is premised.

      b. The proposed amendment is inconsistent with Future Land Use Policy 1.3.4, which recommends that high-density residential development be located with direct access to major arterials.

    2. Neighborhood compatibility (see also review criterion 8).

      a. The physical compatibility of the proposed amendment with the immediate neighborhood has not been demonstrated.

      b. The amendment will have a noticeable traffic impact on neighborhood roads, some of which are projected to be overcapacity even without the amendment.

    3. Affordable housing supply.

      a. The applicant has indicated a willingness to enhance the City’s affordable housing supply through construction of, or contribution for, off-site housing.

    4. Impact on public facilities and services (see also review criterion 4). The amendment will have a substantial impact on potable water, sanitary sewer, transportation and public school facilities.

      a. SFWMD has prohibited additional withdrawals from the Biscayne Aquifer, which is the main water supply for all of South Florida. The City must develop new wells to access the Floridian Aquifer in order to supply the potable water needs of new development, and must build capacity for treating the more brackish water of this source. None of the infrastructure is yet in place, and has not been funded, and final water allocation from SFWMD has not been determined as of yet.

      b. The amendment will utilize approximately 34 percent of the remaining sewage treatment capacity allocated to the City via the Large User Agreement with Hollywood, leaving only enough capacity to accommodate approximately 686 additional residential units or an equivalent amount of commercial development. Therefore, future diverse residential and/or commercial development may potentially be precluded due to lack of sanitary sewage treatment capacity.

      c. The amendment is anticipated to cause a failing level of service on NE 14th Avenue by 2012. Hallandale Beach Boulevard (west of Diplomat Parkway) and NE 14th Avenue are projected to operate at LOS F by 2030 with or without the amendment.

      d. The amendment will add 44 students to Hallandale Elementary School, which is already overcrowded.

      e. City has adequate park acreage to accommodate the proposed amendment at this time, but will need to reevaluate in the coming years whether the acreage will be sufficient beyond the 10-year planning horizon. However, the amendment will create a demand for almost 6 acres of additional parks from the City’s inventory.

      f. Adequate solid waste collection and disposal capacity will exist to serve the proposed amendment, and the amendment will have to satisfy the adopted drainage LOS.

      g. Adequate hurricane shelter capacity exists, and the amendment is not anticipated to lower the adopted LOS for evacuation.

    5. Criteria for review of proposed plan amendments. The amendment application does not satisfy the criteria for consideration of plan amendments.

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IX. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

________________________________________________________________

Based upon the aforementioned findings of facts, staff recommends the following:

Staff recommends that Application #34-07-PA for amendment of the Future Land Use Plan Map be denied.

Accordingly, staff also recommends denial of Application #33-07-TC(A) for amendment of the text of the Future Land Use Element to create dashed-line areas.

Application #33-07-TC(B) for amendment of the Future Land Use Plan text, to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation category, is consistent with the intent and purpose of the Commercial Recreation category, and staff recommends approval.


IX. PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD RECOMMENDATION______________

Suggested Motions:

1. I move to deny application #34-07-PA based upon staff recommendation.

    2. I move to deny application #33-07-TC for amendment to the text of the Future Land Use Element to create dashed-line areas based upon staff recommendation.

    3. I move to approve application #33-07-TC for amendment to the text of the Future Land Use Element to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging ancillary to the primary commercial recreation use based upon staff recommendation.



EXHIBIT “A”

PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES IMPACT ANALYSIS

Parks and Recreation

  • Inventory: 165 acres (58 acres of parkland, 107 acres are waterways)
  • LOS Standard: 3 acres/1,000
  • 2006 LOS (34,622 population): 103.9 acres needed
  • Additional parks demand generated by the proposed amendment: almost 6 acres
  • Projected 2030 LOS (54,321 population): 162.93 acres needed (without the amendment)


Potable Water

  • Average daily demand is 6.54 mgd.
  • SFWMD intends to limit withdrawal to 6.2 from the Biscayne Aquifer.
  • Committed demand for approved but unoccupied projects is approximately .50 mgd.
  • The amendment will create .385 mgd of additional demand, for a total of demand of 1.22 mgd in excess of the amount of water that the City anticipates it will be allowed to withdraw from the Biscayne Aquifer.
  • Treatment capacity: 8.0 mgd, with a 15 mgd expansion planned.

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) determines how much untreated ground water the City can withdraw from its Biscayne Aquifer wells each year. SFWMD does so through issuance of consumptive use permits, which specify maximum withdrawal on an average and peak daily basis. The permit has expired and is currently under review by SFWMD. As such, the City is operating without a valid permit. The situation is similar across South Florida as the SFWMD and local governments grapple with water supply limitations.

SFWMD has prohibited most cities, including Hallandale Beach, from using the Biscayne Aquifer to meet the water needs of future growth. In fact, SFWMD is requiring a reduction in Biscayne Aquifer withdrawal and requiring potable water suppliers to find and fund alternative water supply sources and treatment.

Hallandale Beach is pursuing the development of wells to tap the deeper and more brackish Floridian Aquifer. The Floridian Aquifer is a more expensive source of water because deeper wells have to be drilled to reach it, and because treating brackish water requires different, and more expensive technology than treating fresh waster from the Biscayne Aquifer. Additionally, the technology used to treat brackish water is less efficient, meaning that for each gallon of post-treatment potable water produced from the Floridian Aquifer, more than one gallon of pretreated raw water is required.

The City Engineer has estimated the cost of pursuing Floridian Aquifer wells to be approximately $42 million dollars. Also, it is not known at this time to what extent the Floridian Aquifer can support the region’s future growth.

Sanitary Sewer

  • City of Hollywood treats sanitary sewage from Hallandale Beach.
  • City of Hollywood has a total 48.75 mgd plant capacity and 43.54 mgd flow. No planned expansions at this time.
  • Hallandale Beach is allocated 7.85 mgd average annual daily flow
  • Actual average daily demand from Hallandale Beach: 6.798 mgd
  • Committed flow for approved but unbuilt Hallandale Beach projects: 0.453 mgd
  • Diplomat amendment project demand: 0.359 mgd
  • Remaining Capacity : 0.240 mgd (enough for 686 SFR)


Schools

The amendment would impact the following schools as indicated:

  • Hallandale Elementary School: 44 students (overcrowded at 111% of capacity based upon multi-track year-round calendar)
  • Gulfstream Middle School: 8 students (under capacity)
  • Hallandale High School: 12 students (under capacity)


Transportation

Hallandale Beach, like all of eastern Broward County, is located within a Transit-Oriented Concurrency Area. Within this area, developers make one-time payments to Broward County based upon the traffic they would generate, but the money is used to improve and operate mass transit service.

Nonetheless, transportation impact, particularly on collector and local streets is a valid and important consideration when evaluating proposed plan amendments. Accordingly, the applicant submitted a traffic impact yielding the results on the following page.








2005

LOS

Without Amendment With Amendment
2012

LOS

2030

LOS

2012

LOS

2030

LOS

Diplomat Parkway N. of Amendment C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

S. of Amendment
Atlantic Shores Blvd. E. of Amendment D

D

D

D

C

C

C

C

C

C

W. of Amendment
NE 14th Avenue N. of Atlantic Shores Blvd. C

D

D

D

F

F

F

F

F

F

S. of Atlantic Shores Blvd.
E. Hallandale Beach Blvd. E. of Diplomat Parkway D

F

D

F

D

F

D

F

D

F

West of Diplomat Parkway
W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. (I-95 to US-1) E F F F F

CommercialRecreation

Irregular (11.24du/ac) Residential

Dashed linearea

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