Mayor's proposal may take building restrictions debate to new
heights
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA
Citizen Staff
KEY WEST — Affordable
housing may be the top priority for the city, but lifting height
restrictions in New Town to create more worker housing is not a solution
that is sitting well with all.
Mayor Jimmy Weekley
recently asked the city Planning Board to discuss waiving height
restrictions in New Town for affordable housing. It's not clear if this
would lead to a blanket lifting of the height restrictions for all
affordable housing projects in New Town, or if the projects would be
treated on a case-by-case basis.
Weekley cited the
seven-story Senior Citizen Plaza on Kennedy Drive as an example of an
existing New Town building that exceeds height requirements and provides
affordable housing.
The city height
requirement for buildings in New Town ranges from about 25 feet to 40
feet, depending on the zoning district. A developer must ask the city
Board of Adjustment for a height variance to exceed the limit, according
to a 1998 city charter amendment. The Board of Adjustment would then
have to put the proposal before the voters in a general election, the
city charter states.
The city height
requirement for buildings in New Town ranges from about 25 feet to 40
feet, depending on the zoning district. A developer must ask the city
Board of Adjustment for a height variance to exceed the limit, according
to a 1998 city charter amendment. The Board of Adjustment would then
have to put the proposal before the voters in a general election, the
city charter states.
"It's important for the
island to preserve its community character, which is the primary reason
I worked to have this restriction included in our city charter," Bethel
wrote. "It takes politics out of the decision-making process regarding
future development and allows our residents the opportunity to determine
how they want their community to appear."
Exemptions to height
restrictions should be left in the hands of the voters, Bethel said
Sunday.
"We have a process for it
and we should let the process work," Bethel said.
George Born, local
historian and city Historical Architectural Review Commission chair,
also cautions the city about easing height restrictions in New Town.
There is an impression among many in town that New Town has far less
historical significance than other parts of town, hence the name. Born
recently wrote about the issue in his Sunday column for The Citizen. A
study undertaken in 1998 found historic buildings on a number of streets
currently outside the designated historic district: Ashby Street, Eagle
Avenue, Flagler Avenue, Johnson Street, Leon Street, Seidenberg Avenue,
Staples Avenue, Thompson Street and Von Phister Street, Born wrote.
George Born, local
historian and city Historical Architectural Review Commission chair,
also cautions the city about easing height restrictions in New Town.
There is an impression among many in town that New Town has far less
historical significance than other parts of town, hence the name. Born
recently wrote about the issue in his Sunday column for The Citizen. A
study undertaken in 1998 found historic buildings on a number of streets
currently outside the designated historic district: Ashby Street, Eagle
Avenue, Flagler Avenue, Johnson Street, Leon Street, Seidenberg Avenue,
Staples Avenue, Thompson Street and Von Phister Street, Born wrote.
"Planning for this
possibility is yet further complicated since our data on historic
buildings outside Old Town is rapidly going out of date. The recommended
time frame for updating local inventories of historic places is every
five to seven years -- because ideas about what is historically
significant naturally change with the passage of time."
City Commissioner Ed
Scales sees the mayor's proposal as sparking the dialogue on affordable
housing projects in New Town, which may lead to a voter referendum, he
said. Scales and other city officials view the city Housing
Authority-owned affordable housing complex Poinciana Plaza as a possible
location where the height restriction could be eased.
"This could be the time
to look at that project," Scales said. "This discussion could trigger
that."
The Planning Board has
twice postponed discussing height restrictions. The first time was
because of a lack of public input. The board again postponed discussing
at its Thursday meeting, after a discussion of the Watermark project ran
until nearly 11 p.m.
tohara@keysnews.com
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