Sharing alert from Hollywood residents from Facebook:
1301 S Ocean Drive ALERT!
The City manager has transmitted a Land Use Amendment application to the Broward County Planning Council, asking for permission to add density to 1301 S Ocean Drive (asking for permission from the county to change "community, recreation, and open space" to "medium high residential.") If the Broward Planning Council were to add this to an upcoming agenda, the public would be able to go in and comment on this item.
The proposed area for amendments includes the areas outlined in red. Note the following: Harry Berry is not included. This is because that acre is controlled by the Dept of Environmental Protection and the Department of the Interior (the acre was purchased with Land and Water Conservation Funds (federal funds) for the purpose of public recreation). The acre includes Harry Berry Park and the small parking lot on A1A/Azalea Terrace. The City is not allowed to make any changes to that acre without applying for a "conversion of use" from the federal government. The City did not tell anyone that this land was LWCF funded. They hoped that nobody would find out. Luckily, a resident brought this to the DEP's attention early in the process. As long as that acre remains federally protected, the park and parking lot will be public. (There is no guarantee that any of the other public spaces will remain public in the future). The City says that they intend to apply for a conversion of use from DEP. If they were to be denied, then this project would affect public use of the LWCF parking lot.
The Broward Planning Council will consider many factors when deciding if this Land Use Amendment is appropriate. For example, water, sewer, solid waste, and drainage demands, public use of recreation and open space, the City's preservation of green space, traffic and roadways, vacating Azalea Terrace, how it will affect mass transit, areas of concern on the property, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals, sea level rise, soil, beach access, current zoning/height restrictions (Bougainvillea has much shorter buildings and if 1301 wasn't public property, it would have a restriction of 65 feet), hurricane evacuation (shelters, roadways, fuel), developer's history of public outreach and public meetings with all of the residents of Hollywood, flooding, impact to dunes, established character of the beach, compatibility with our City's beach master plan, etc.
The City of Hollywood must make a recommendation on the proposed amendment by resolution or a motion at a public hearing. This approval must occur at least 21 days prior to the first Planning Council public hearing and within 4 months of the transmittal of this letter and corresponding application.
You can ask both the City of Hollywood Commission to vote NO on this land use amendment, and you can ask the Broward Planning Council to deny this land use amendment.
Written comments may be submitted at any time via email PlanningCouncil@broward.org planningcouncil@broward.org or USPS addressed to 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 307, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.
The subject should be 1301 S. Ocean Drive.
(Another area of concern: The developer said, "not touching the dunes is the goal." That red line certainly makes it look like the City is including touching the dunes, does it not? You can comment about this at the City meeting March 15 at 5 PM City Hall (Citizen Comments- you can speak for up to 3 minutes) and you can also comment at the Broadwalk extension meeting at City Hall on March 16 at 5 PM.)
Legal questions/concerns regarding this P3 Proposal: https://welovehollywoodbeach.com/f/legal-questions-surrounding-project
Another attorney weighs in on legalities: https://welovehollywoodbeach.com/f/more-high-profile-groups-coming-out-against-the-project
Read the beach master plan here: http://www.hollywoodcra.org/DocumentCenter/View/31/Beach_MasterPlan?bidId=