Saturday, October 20, 2018

The facts about the Palmetto Bay Village Center. Its not 485, its never been 485.

We hold the cards.  My opponent and her team either do not get it about the 22 acres or they have no qualms about deliberately spreading misinformation.

It could not be any simpler: The developer must transfer the 22 acres to the village as a condition to any change in developmental rights at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Not transferring the 22 acres means that that the developer has no right to 85 units, granted or reduced.

Not transferring the 22 acres to the village means that that the developer's rights remain as existed since 2008: 300 senior units, 100 town homes.

There has never been and never will be 485- based upon the traffic chokeholds that we placed in the ordinance we passed 3-2 in 2016.  We are in some serious negotiations, and those negotiations are delicate. The negotiations require that politics be put aside and we speak in a unified voice.

So far these negotiations are playing out as expected at the Monday, Oct. 15, hearing as the PBVC owners:

  • Objected to this ordinance, also alleging the timing is premature.
  • Threatened to not deed over the 22 acres (actually 40 acres) unless they get their way.
Strong leadership stands up to threats.  We countered with the fact that the PBVC loses all of their rights of the 2016 ordinance if they walk away, reverting back to the 2008 rights. The owners of the PBVC don't want this.

Here are some of the concessions I achieved Monday night (October 15, 2018):
  • The owners admitted that the final number will not be "485". 
  • The representative for the PBVC mentioned that negotiations are ongoing for 200 -- half of the units -- to be Senior housing units. That's a HUGE offer in regard to traffic reduction.
The Village Manager and our Village Attorney will now enter into negotiations that should result in a significant reduction of the overall impact of this property AND obtain endangered Pine Rocklands.

None of the above would have happened if Councilman Singer had not brought this ordinance forward. None of this will happen, or our final results will be reduced if we don't stand together.

Being mayor is a special responsibility that I take very seriously. I have to continue to work hard and represent the best interest of the Village. Contrast this with a candidate and her supporters who undermine the process for there own political gain.

No comments:

Post a Comment