Neighborhood opposition appeared to outweigh company pursuits this week in Key West.
On the April 1 metropolis fee assembly, a dozen or so residents persuaded native lawmakers — properly, 5 of the seven — to disclaim a lodge’s request for a zoning change that might permit it to construct 21 new luxurious villas throughout the road from non-public houses.
Park Resorts & Resorts, the Virginia-based actual property funding belief that owns the Casa Marina Lodge, had indicated that the proposed new transient lodge villas on one Seminole Road lot had been wanted to subsidize the development of 25 new workforce housing models on a neighboring lot.
A kind of tons at the moment contains 25 derelict residences in 4 buildings that had been beforehand occupied primarily by lodge staff, however have been empty and uncared for since 2005, when Hurricane Wilma flooded them.
The lodge house owners might instantly rebuild these residences with no zoning modifications required, in accordance with the planning division’s report. However the 21 new lodge villas would want the industrial zoning designation.
Therefore, the controversial request on the April 1 metropolis fee assembly. Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez and Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover had been the one two officers who voted in favor of the zoning change. Hoover has lengthy supported the mission, saying neighborhood residents for years have complained in regards to the “eyesore.”
Neighborhood residents emphasised that they aren’t against any workforce housing models, however a few of them have claimed the lodge house owners are “holding them hostage,” solely agreeing to eliminate the derelict buildings in alternate for the profitability of 21 new lodge rooms. It was not a commerce the neighbors had been keen to assist.
“Consistenty, your skilled planners have stated this isn’t a good suggestion,” native actual property lawyer Carlene Grant informed the commissioners on April 1. “The individuals who personal the Casa Marina don’t even know they personal it. It’s an actual property funding belief, not a small group of native buyers. Take the recommendation of your planners and deny this.”
Former Key West mayor Sheila Mullins additionally opposed the mission, reminding the commissioners that the town has lengthy labored to encourage transient leases to be transferred out of residential neighborhoods, not added to them.
“This modifications a home from a house to a commodity,” she stated. “And our island is stuffed with small inns that might use this as a precedent to increase transient makes use of into neighborhoods.”
A consultant from Keys Final Stand environmental group stated, “Why didn’t Park Resorts rebuild that housing years in the past once they knew there was a necessity? Voting sure for this says {that a} company’s rights to profitability outweigh the rights of the residents.”
Resident Joey Phillips additionally opposed the transfer, saying, “The planning division says they haven’t met any of the standards for a zoning change. How far more cash do they should justify constructing workforce housing — for primarily their very own staff?”
Karen Siegel, who along with her husband, Jeff, helped create the nonprofit Defend Our Residential Neighborhoods to oppose the mission, stated, “They wish to take greater than three acres from residential to industrial. This must cease. These folks right here on this room are who you signify — not a multibillion-dollar lodge company.”
Native psychologist Fred Covan questioned aloud about what would encourage folks to vote in favor of the zoning change.
“The lodge’s motivation is cash, after all, however what would your motivation be in the event you vote in favor of this?”
In the end, the fee voted 5-2 to disclaim the zoning change, upholding the planning workers’s suggestion.
“In essence, the proposed zoning amendments are solely wanted and are supposed to facilitate the development of transient models in return for the event of deed restricted worker housing models,” the planning workers report states. “Nevertheless well-intentioned, this strategy will lead to a discount of current market price housing inventory, exacerbating ongoing housing shortfalls.”
It was unclear instantly after the assembly whether or not there was any avenue to enchantment the denial, or what the lodge possession’s subsequent steps is likely to be.
After the assembly, Jeff Siegel, of Defend Our Residential Neighborhoods, informed the Keys Weekly, “The actual victory right here isn’t ours. It belongs to the group. When folks come collectively like this, change isn’t simply doable; it’s unstoppable.”
