More than 100 Hillcrest/Parkview residents packed the large Parkview Clubhouse (4600 Hillcrest Drive) for a Town Hall meeting on the proposed Harwin-Tobin “Affordable Housing” development at 1101 Hillcrest Drive, across the street from Championship Academy. Applause erupted several times during the 1.5 hour meeting when speakers from Hillcrest and Parkview at Hillcrest raised concerns about the proposal. In a nutshell, residents fear the affordable housing rental units will increase traffic, congestion, crime, and flooding and decrease property values. To get and keep financial incentives from the government, the rental units must remain “affordable” for 30 years. Opponents also note the City is preparing to permit more than 1,300 rental units adjacent to and down the road from Hillcrest with the upcoming Park Road Development project and three tower buildings at the nearby Orangebrook Golf & Country Club. Most rental units will go for market rate at the two locations, although about 200 rentals total have been set aside for “Affordable Housing” based on income at the two properties.
Meanwhile, representatives for the Housing Trust Group, and the attorneys for the Harwin-Tobin 1101 project, stressed that their plan calls for privately built housing, not government Section 8 or Project housing. And, they added, it is for working people up and down the economic spectrum. For example, some units will go to people at 80% of the Area Median Income; some renters will move in with income at 60% of the AMI; and still others will make 30% of the AMI. For context, District 6 Commissioner Idelma Quintana said the Broward County Area Median Income is currently around $74,000. And she provided this link after the meeting: https://broward-county-housing-affordability-bcgis.hub.arcgis.com/
Officials for the developers also explained that folks who apply for the rental units will undergo strict background and financial checks. And, they added, the developers implement strong security and maintenance measures to keep the building in good shape for renters and the surrounding community. The developers also announced a second Zoom meeting with Hillcrest/Parkview residents, although a date has not been set. The meeting will unveil the revised plans, due to community and other feedback. Among other things, the new plan will reduce the number of planned rental units and increase parking space. Lauding the community for coming together, Ray Chait, President of Hillcrest 16, and Parkview at Hillcrest HOA President Brian Belmonti, chaired the meeting. Chait is responsible for making public the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants on file with Broward County. The Declaration cited by Chait requires an overwhelming vote of approval by residents of the Hillcrest PUD to increase how many units are permitted here. The PUD is maxed out at 3,000, which is why the developers are asking the City of Hollywood to increase the size of the PUD.
Elizabeth Somerstein, a partner with the Greenspoon Marder law firm, addressed this issue. She didn’t want to get into details because Hillcrest and Parkview at Hillcrest residents are planning to raise money to hire an attorney to represent their interests. But she said it’s her belief that the proposed development is a City zoning issue not bound by the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants. This difference of opinion about a legal issue is a major reason that Chait again urged residents to contribute $3.00 per unit to hire an attorney. He also said Tucker Gibbs, an experienced land use attorney, is reviewing the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants in preparation for possibly advocating on our behalf. According to Chait, you should make out your checks to the Hillcrest Leadership Council, which organized the Town Hall.
Developer attorney Somerstein also updated people about a change in plans with City of Hollywood officials. Originally, the developers intended to appear at the May 13 City Planning and Development Board meeting on the affordable housing proposal. But that meeting was pushed back to May 20, at the request of the developers. However, after the Town Hall meeting, Inside Hillcrest learned the developers requested a second postponement to continue working on their revised plans. A new meeting date has not been set with the Hollywood Planning and Development Board, which issues recommendations before the City Commission makes a decision. A woman in the audience, who previously served as a city commissioner in a different county, urged residents to contact members of the Hollywood Planning and Development Board, Mayor Josh Levy and the six City of Hollywood commissioners. They need to know how the community feels, this woman argued. You can email the mayor and commissioners at mayor commissioners@hollywoodfl.org.
A link to contact the Planning and Development Board members follows, here: https://fl-hollywood2.civicplus.com/171/Planning-Development-Board For background and context, here is a link to a Miami Herald article about an affordable housing development already built by the Housing Trust Group in Hollywood. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article264812384.html
And here’s a link to a Housing Trust Group website on a second affordable housing project it did in Hollywood, also for working people at a range of economic levels.
