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HomeMy WebLinkAbout47 - MINUTES - City Commission MINUTES OF CASA BENI WORKSHOP DANIA BEACH CITY COMMISSION TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2006 - 2:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order Mayor Castro called the Workshop to order at 2:05 p.m. Present: Mayor: Anne Castro Vice-Mayor: Patricia Flury Commissioners: Bob Anton John Bertino—arrived at 2:13 p.m. C.K. McElyea City Manager: Ivan Pato City Attorney: Thomas Ansbro City Clerk: Louise Stilson 2. Presentation by Casa Beni Developers Bonnie Miskel, Attorney for the development, advised this is a 322 unit condominium with 18,500 square feet of retail/mixed use space. This would be 15 floors of mixed use, residential, retail and parking. The upper floor is a penthouse which is actually a two story town home product. There will be a valet drop-off, a promenade area, and a pedestrian friendly street retail area. Gabriel Salazar, Salazar Architectural Group, noted this project has an outdoor plaza atmosphere with a drop-off area for valet parking. The first floor would be retail, restaurants, shops and valet entry. The second and third level above the retail will be two story lofts; the penthouses will also be two levels (14 & 15). They are using traditional Mediterranean colors; the pool deck will be on the 14'h level; and the tennis court and gazebo will be on the 6th level. Commissioner Bertino arrived at 2.13 p.m. Attorney Miskel commented they tried to incorporate all the elements the Commissioners talked about in.all their past discussions. They know they need to offer more to consumers because they are the first redevelopment in the area. She passed around a sketch of a 3-D aerial view of what the building would look like from above. This project will incorporate a right turn lane onto Federal Highway from Dania Beach Boulevard, which was encouraged by FDOT; there will also be a right turn into the property for commercial traffic from Federal Highway, which was also encouraged by FDOT. Residents are encouraged to come in and out from the east side of the property. • Mr. Salazar advised they are dedicating an additional Right-of-Way on Dania Beach Boulevard which moved the building and property line back; they have also tapered the building back because they needed a deceleration lane on Federal Highway for the commercial entry. The parking garage will be on the north and east sides of the building on levels one through six. Attorney Miskel noted garbage pickup will be on lst Court, as well as inside the building. They would like a sense of whether or not they have done a good job setting the property back and creating levels and tiers; whether the height is acceptable based on the design; and if they have met the Commission's expectations. The setback between buildings of other future redevelopment is at least 10', which is the standard in Urban Redevelopment. She indicated they would need to vacate a portion of 1st Avenue to enable traffic to continue through the building and out, if needed for emergency vehicles. Mayor Castro opened the Workshop for public comments. Clare Vickery, property owner in Dania Beach, congratulated the development. She indicated the existing adjoining buildings on the north side would not remain and would be replaced with other new development. She is excited with this development and supports it. Commissioner Bertino commented he loves the plan and it would be positive for the City of Dania Beach. However, we need to be careful with what we do; this will be the centerpiece of the City and needs to be done right. His problem is, what do we want Dania Beach to be; this would look great in Ft. Lauderdale. He indicated the Commission had visioning sessions in years past with businesses and citizens, and the culmination was this was the concept but with a ten story cap. He would like to see the development scaled back to ten stories. Attorney Miskel responded height has been discussed several times by the Commission. The core of Ft. Lauderdale has 30+ stories and we are talking about less than half of that height. She indicated the value of this real estate and the cost of assembling the parcel has forced the height. Commissioner Bertino remarked Ft. Lauderdale has wide roads and Dania Beach has narrow roads. He indicated what the land is zoned for is what the land is worth, and the property owners should sell their land for what it is worth for ten stories. Mayor Castro commented the visioning sessions were held four or five years ago, since then the Commission approved a 14 story development. There are very few opportunities in the City for landmark buildings; this plat is one of them. This is a unique opportunity to get some of the larger projects completed, after that we can move forward with the smaller projects. She indicated the residents want us to move forward with development, and most parcels along Federal Highway are not sufficient to support higher buildings. She thinks most of the voters would support the project if they saw it because they want to get rid of the dilapidated downtown area. She is happy with the project and likes the overall concept of the development. Vice-Mayor Flury likes the concept and design of the building, however, the big issue is the height. She indicated the people who attended the visioning sessions in the past would express . frustration because nothing has happened since 1989. Now is the time to deal with the taller Minutes of Casa Beni Workshop 2 Dania Beach City Commission Tuesday,January 24,2006—2:00 p.m. • buildings and then scale down the developments. This is the time for this City to move forward, and she is supportive of the project. Commissioner Anton asked Patty Hart about her association's thoughts on the project. Patty Hart responded they discussed it and invited the developer to make a presentation at a future meeting. She indicated if they keep it in the commercial zones and major roads, and keep it out of their neighborhood, they are fine. Commissioner Bertino commented he is a member of Ms. Hart's association because he owns property in that area. He indicated a lot of people won't say anything until election time. He does not believe the people in Dania Beach want more than ten stories. Commissioner Anton commented we need to be realistic if we want to see redevelopment. He does not see many projects coming in for ten stories. He thinks this is a phenomenal project and is visually pleasing, and believes it will be an asset to the City. Commissioner McElyea questioned what difference it made once you've gone over ten stories. He thinks this is a beautiful project. Mayor Castro commented she hopes there are only a few projects like this. She thinks this is a good cornerstone and she does not envision Dania Beach with tall buildings along Federal Highway and Dania Beach Boulevard. • Dominic Casale, President of DVNY Development Company, noted he understands Commissioner Bertino's concerns, he tried to purchase the buildings to the north of the proposed development but the prices are absurd. Once his development is built, he does not believe anyone else will be able to build this height because of the cost. He indicated we do not want Dania Beach to be a pass-through; we want people to come here. He is committed to building this project, if approved. He thanked the Commission for their support. 3. Adjournment Mayor Castro adjourned the Workshop at 2:58 p.m. CITY OF DANIA BEACH ATTEST: ANNE CASTRO MAYOR-COMMISSIONER LOUISE.STILSON CITY CLERK • Approved: February 14, 2006 Minutes of Casa Beni Workshop 3 Dania Beach City Commission Tuesday,January 24,2006—2:00 p.m.