I wanted to sincerely thank all of you who took time from your incredibly busy schedules to appear on the Planning and Zoning Board “Zoom” call yesterday. Combined with the work of your Smart Development Steering Committee, each of you served to send a message to the applicant that the community is directly opposed to the requested density and project scope. It was incredibly heartening to know that what started as a grass roots campaign many months ago has manifested itself into a true movement for mindful growth and development in your community!
As many of you now know, last evening the Planning & Zoning Board chair called for a vote to “defer” or “table” the application and directed that the Applicant’s agent (Lennar) return to each association (preferably in one charette) and work together to scale the project down. This is also consistent with the Planning & Zoning Board staff report received last Friday (recommending denial of the land use plan amendment and re-zoning application). Because Lennar did not receive a denial from the Board, it is prevented from proceeding to City Council at this time and must resolve the deficiencies in its application first. This could take a few months to resolve. Rest assured that the Planning & Zoning Board would not have taken this unusual action had you, as a community, not been resolute and had you not voiced your opposition.
From a personal stand, I can understand why some of you might be frustrated that you were not given an opportunity to speak at the Zoom conference call last evening. Having prepared a 60-page deck, we were loaded for bear. It would not have accomplished our purpose to insist on making that presentation given the movement by the Board to “defer,” which is the exact mode of relief we sought months ago in our online petition. All along, our message to the City has been: let's consider all in-fill development in a methodical, open, transparent manner that encourages and involves community participation and let's be sure to oversee future development that is only consistent in density, character and spirit with the neighboring residential communities. We also believe strongly that all of us moved to the City (and/or work in the City) with the understanding that there is a compact of sorts. The City agrees to abide by the County Comprehensive Land Use Plan and we invest our hard earned blood, sweat and treasure into its land. It is a joint venture borne out of mutual trust and understanding. Any proposed changes to this important compact should only be made when a proposed project is truly special and meets an extraordinary standard with the implicit understanding that the price of land cannot and must not ever be the basis to support an increase in density. EVER!
While this matter is pending, we would encourage each of you to review the slate of council candidates running for the November 3 race. According to the Broward Sierra Club, all nine candidates running for election – including two incumbents, their challengers and those running for the vacant seat -- are on the record as “opposing” the BCSB/Lennar project. We have heard from several candidates who have elevated opposition to the BCSB/Lennar dubious land sale front and center in their own campaigns. Therefore, we would encourage each of you to become involved in the upcoming elections. In fact, Rob Koreman, running for Group 5, City Council (https://www.koremanforcouncil.com/) and has, from day 1, picked up on the Broward/Hiatus lot proposed development as one of his key campaign priorities.
Jennifer Andreu, who is running for Group 3, City Council has also taken up the mantle and opposes the Hiatus/Broward development plan (https://www.electjenniferandreu.com/) as has Siobhan Edwards (Group 4) (https://electedwards2020.com/index.html) all three of whom deserve our consideration and support.
This week, we also heard from Jennifer Izaguirre (Group 3 challenger) (www.Izaguirreforcouncil.com and Tim Fadgen (Group 4 challenger) directly, both of whom are on record as opposing the project. We encourage all the other candidates for council to contact us directly and to commit, in writing, to oppose this project. (Please email us at: PlantationSmartGrowth@gmail.com).
As you can see, all of your work has resulted in more than just an interim victory here; you have elevated this issue into an important and critical political juggernaut pulling control away from some of the conventional political kingpins and returning it to YOU, the people. That is an incredible feat!
A few days ago, we learned that some were upset over this sort of grassroots campaign (see our last update on Good News, Troubling News, see link to last update, below). Nonetheless, last night you delivered a message to those working in the dark trying to use dirty tricks to overturn your collective willpower. You proved that you are resilient and will not be deterred by such dirty tricks.
We will continue to keep you apprised of future meetings on the Broward/Hiatus project. We do not expect Lennar to go gently into the night. In December, 2019, in seeking an extension from the original sales contract, Lennar sought to assure the School Board that “it is committed to seeing th[e] transaction through to the end, and believes that it has a very good chance of overcoming any challenges from a third party.” Public Record Request for BCSB Executive Summary backup for the First Amendment to the Agreement of Sale and Purchase with Lennar Homes. Apparently it didn’t predict you all to be so powerful in delivering your message to the City yesterday.
For that and all you do, Congrats!