Did the Community Get a Fair Hearing on Bahia Mar from the Planning and Zoning Board? In 2011, Rochelle Golub objected to 28 residential units on the Bahia Mar site – Now, a Planning and Zoning Member, she is “personally excited” about a project with 651 residential units. On October 18, 2017, many members of the Fort Lauderdale Community went to the Planning and Zoning meeting to protest the proposed Bahia Mar Site Plan. Almost twice as many speakers were against the project as were for the project. But instead of responding to the legitimate community concerns about adding 15 buildings with 651 apartments and 176,965 square feet of commercial and retail space to the City-owned property, the Planning and Zoning Board voted 6 to 3 to support the Bahia Mar project. (Only Steve Glassman, Leo Hansen and Catherine Maus voted against the proposal). One of the most disturbing behaviors during the evening was the complete about-face of Board member Rochelle Golub. In 2011, Rochelle Golub wrote to Bruce Roberts about a prior Bahia Mar project proposal: “2. Residential Units: Why should the Commission approve residential units in the proposed PUD rezoning? The current Lease at Article 19.0 Section 1 provides that the Lessee agrees to use the leased premised "as a first-class hotel-marina and resort complex, which may include ... offices, apartments, and other kindred and similar businesses." “From the context of the Lease and the history of the property, "apartments" refers to transient rentals for the boating community. For example, while the Lease permits the Lessee to sublease certain portions of the marina without the City's approval, there is no similar grant to the Lessee to sublease "apartments".” “The current SBMHA zoning district, which I believe post-dates the Lease, permits residential units. I believe that many, including me, are confused about the definition of "residential units" as used in the SBMHA zoning description as compared to the claim of right by the Applicant to residential units.” “As used in the SBMHA, the term was apparently intended to reflect short term transient rental of apartments as permitted in the Lease.Applicant's request for "residential units" in the PUD requires the term to permit long term real property interests vested in consumers through 2111 which they assert are contemplated in the SBMHA.” (Certain sentences of this passage have been bolded for emphasis of Ms. Golub’s 2011 statements.) The entire text of the mail was printed in a 2011 Sun Sentinel article which noted: “She also re-raised concerns about the 28 luxury condos planned for the 290-room hotel...” You can read the 2011 article at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-mtblog-2011-06-welltimed_email_stalled_bahia-story.html Let’s fast forward to 2017. At the Planning and Zoning meeting on October 18th in response to public comment, Ms. Golub stated: “I think it is Staff’s job and our job to know the answers to the questions. If the community don’t think they have the answers, then hopefully they will read through the complete file.” “The real issue with all of this is that it disturbs me when people talk about understanding a lease that they have not read…” “The lease and the objective and use of the land are being met here, and I am personally excited.” Some took her comments such as accusing people of not reading the lease as disparaging a knowledgeable public. So, in summary, in 2011 she objected to 28 residential units and now she thinks that 651 residential units are exciting. In 2011, she wrote that “while the Lease permits the Lessee to sublease certain portions of the marina without the City's approval, there is no similar grant to the Lessee to sublease "apartments". So, what will happen to the 651 residential units? Did we get a fair and impartial hearing? You decide! P.S. Guess who made the motion to approve the Bahia Mar proposal?