OPC CAC Statement Re Domani (1)Statement by Old Port Cove Community Action Committee On Ordinance 2008 ~OS
An Ordinance Removing property from Special PoCicy 5.2 and Assigning it a I-Iig1a
Density Residential Futrcre Land Use Designation
August 28, 2008
The intent of this Drdinance is to rezone property currently approved by the Village
Council for a special use residential project by the Kolter Communities called the
Domani.
We support a residential project on the proposed site, but not at the maximum density
proposed in the Ordinance.
Dver 1.400 resident owners at Old Port Cove will be affected by your decisions regarding
the Domani Property. We have no assurances that after your rezoning to R-3, that our
concerns will be satisfactorily met, despite the graciousness of the Kolter company in
meeting with representative of our community. Most of our concerns were left to the
post-zoning decisions of the planning commission and future construction decisions by
Kolter.
We believe you need to know of our concerns before you proceed and get the appropriate
answers before you act to rezone to the property to a higher density.
Why rezone to high density before the community has answers to its concerns. Is that not
the approach taken in the Special Polley 5.2 process? The Village Council knew more of
particulars before approving the special zoning change that brought about the Domani.
This is the last undeveloped prime property on the water. Should we not proceed with
special consideration and caution - as the Village did with the original development.
Kolter Communities is a quality international builder and we are sure it seeks to be a
good neighbor.
The plans for the original Domani proposal were considerate, Iower density and worked
within existing special policy zoning practices. In the current market climate, Kolter
decided to abandon the project.
The Village's plans to rezone the site to R-3, high density is premature_
Plans to permanently re-zone for a proposed two 18-story condominium buildings and 34
two-story townhomes replacing the origina177 unit plan is premature because the
proposal:
• appears to visually crowd the lot, the plot plan is to be determined
set-backs, plot plans and exterior design have not been proposed
* underground parking, in the original plans, have not been committed to in the
newly expanded, high density proposal
the proposal maximizes the R-3 zoning allowance -11 24 units per acre
• Traffic patterns have not been fully studied - U turns are necessary to proceed
South from the property - Is there an impact on intersections and the need for a
new traff c or caution light?
• Appearance issues have not be addressed
• Construction maybe elongated by a two phased time line -building one tower
first and then a second after it is economically viable, extending construction at
the site over a 2 to 5 year period.
In July representatives of Old Port Cove attended the Village Council Meeting and
immediately following its conclusion a special one item meeting before the Mayor and
Village Of~ieials was held to hear an update from Kolter executives an their Domani
Project plans.
Kolter acknowledged that they had met with Old Port Cove representatives and that we
expressed support for the project with some reservations concerning the increased scope
and potential traffic impact on Old Port Cave and US Highway #1; as well as the
appearance of the planned structures.
Kolter chose not to discuss any appearance issues other than to say that they were certain
that based on the earlier approved plans, that they would not raise any issues of
consequence.
They said that the next time they appeared at the Village Council it wi11 be for approval
of the project and that the sales office would open in the Fall of 2009 and that the total
project completed by 2013.
As far traffic, they reiterated that all outbound traffic from the project would by necessity
go north--away from Old Port Cave towards PGA Blvd. All or substantially all of the
Southbound traffic on US Hwy One would have the ability for a direct left hand turn into
the new proj ect without need to make a left on Lakeshore Drive.
As for the two planned towers and 30+ townhouses), they would build half of the town
houses and one tower initially and then, based on their {sales}success, construct the other
similar struct~rres.
When asked which tower would they construct first, Kolter representatives said the one
closest to Old Port Cave.
A second question was whether they had spoken with Old Port Cove Holdings Ca_ or
planned to in order to possibly receive an easement right or variance in order to have
lxafh.c go South through the front of the OPC shopping area in order to exit out Lakeshore
Drive to the South of them. Kolter representatives responded that they had not and they
that was not in their plans.