HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2008-185 Proposed Expanded CRA RESOLUTION NO. 2008-185
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DANIA
BEACH, FLORIDA, PERTAINING TO AN EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AREA, SUCH RESOLUTION
BEING PROMULGATED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 163, FLORIDA
STATUTES, AND SECTION 18.86, BROWARD COUNTY
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE; APPROVING A FINDING OF NECESSITY;
DEFINING THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA; DETERMINING THAT THE
REDEVELOPMENT AREA SUFFERS FROM ONE OR MORE INDICATORS
OF BLIGHT; DETERMINING THAT THE EXPANSION OF THE
REDEVELOPMENT AREA IS APPROPRIATE AND CRITICALLY
NECESSARY IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY,
MORALS AND WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY; MAKING
CERTAIN OTHER REQUIRED FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS;
PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, blight constitutes a serious menace injurious to the public health, safety,
morals and welfare of the City, imposing onerous burdens which decrease the tax base and
reduce tax revenues, substantially impairing or arresting sound growth, aggravating traffic
problems and substantially hampering the elimination of traffic hazards and the improvement of
traffic facilities, and increasing the costs of providing public services to blighted areas; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes, requires the following findings to be
made in order to designate a portion of the City as a "community redevelopment area", and the
City Commission finds the following:
(1) One or more slum or blighted areas, or one or more areas in which there is a shortage
of housing affordable to residents of low or moderate income, including the elderly, exist
in the City of Dania Beach; and,
(2) The rehabilitation, conservation or redevelopment, or a combination of those actions
of such area or areas, including, if appropriate, the development of housing which
residents of low or moderate income, including the elderly, can afford, is necessary in the
interest of the public health, safety, morals, or welfare of the residents of the City of
Dania Beach; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Dania Beach commissioned a study
entitled "Finding of Necessity for the Purposes of Expanding an Existing Community
Redevelopment Area" ("Study"), a copy of which is attached to and made a part of this
Resolution as Exhibit "A", to determine whether any additional portions of the City of Dania
Beach display sufficient indications of blight, as required by the statutes, to warrant designation
of the additional areas as a"community redevelopment area"; and
WHEREAS, while the City has determined that the expanded area identified in Map 1,
"Existing and Proposed Community Redevelopment Areas" of the Study ("Proposed Expanded
CRA") demonstrates conditions of blight, the area can be conserved and rehabilitated through
appropriate public action as authorized under the Florida Statutes and the Broward County
Administrative Code, which will preserve and enhance the tax base for the benefit of all taxing
authorities; and
WHEREAS, Broward County is a charter county and is authorized under Florida law to
delegate such powers provided in Part III of Section 163 to the governing bodies of
municipalities within the County; and
WHEREAS, Section 18.86 of Broward County's Administrative Code provides
additional procedures and requirements for creating community redevelopment agencies within
the County; and
WHEREAS,the Study shall constitute the "Slum and Blight study" required by Broward
County;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA:
2 RESOLUTION#2008-185
Section 1. That the foregoing WHEREAS clauses are deemed true and correct and made
a part of this Resolution.
Section 2. That the City Commission finds:
(a) Based upon the fact and evidence presented to and considered by the City
Commission,the following conditions exist in the Proposed Expanded CRA:
1. Conditions are present in the Proposed Expanded CRA that are
detrimental to the sound growth of the City and substantially impair or arrest the
growth of the City and present conditions and uses in the Proposed Expanded
CRA that are detrimental to the public health, safety, morals and public welfare;
2. There is a predominance of defective or inadequate street layout;
3. Lot layouts in the Proposed Expanded CRA are faulty in relation to their
size, adequacy, accessibility or usefulness;
4. There are examples of unsanitary and unsafe conditions;
5. There are examples of deterioration of site and other improvements;
6. There are inadequate and outdated building density patterns;
7. There are inadequate transportation and parking facilities; and
8. There is a diversity of ownership and defective or unusual conditions of
title are present that prevent the free alienability of land within the deteriorated or
hazardous area.
(b) The notices required by Section 163.346, Florida Statutes, have been timely
published or mailed in accordance with that statute.
(c) Action must be taken immediately to prevent further blight and deterioration and
to protect and enhance public expenditures previously made in the area of the Proposed
Expanded CRA.
(d) The preservation or enhancement of the tax base from which a taxing authority
realizes tax revenues is essential to its existence and financial health; that the preservation and
enhancement of such tax base is implicit in the purposes for which a taxing authority is
established; that tax increment financing is an effective method of achieving such preservation
and enhancement in areas in which such tax base is declining; that community redevelopment in
such area, when complete, will enhance such tax base and provide increased tax revenues to all
affected taxing authorities, increasing their ability to accomplish their other respective purposes;
and that the preservation and enhancement of the tax base in such areas through tax increment
3 RESOLUTION#2008-185
financing and the levying of taxes by such taxing authorities therefore and the appropriation of
funds to a redevelopment trust fund bears a substantial relation to the purposes of such taxing
authorities and is for their respective purposes and concerns.
Section 3. That the City Commission, based upon evidence presented to it and in the
public record, finds that a "blighted area", as defined in the Florida Statutes, exists in the
Proposed Expanded CRA area since the area is deteriorating and economically distressed due to
outdated building density patterns, inadequate transportation and parking facilities, faulty lot
layout or inadequate street layout and does further find that the rehabilitation, conservation or
development or a combination of those actions, of such Proposed Expanded CRA area described
is necessary in the interest of the public health, safety, morals or welfare of the residents of the
City of Dania Beach, Florida, and that such area is appropriate for designation as an additional
part of the existing"community redevelopment area" as defined by Florida Statutes.
Section 4. That the City requests that the Board of County Commissioners of
Broward County delegate the exercise of all powers and responsibilities conferred upon Broward
County by §163.410, Florida Statutes, to the City of Dania Beach for the purpose of applying
them to the area of the Proposed Expanded CRA of the City of Dania Beach, establishing a
Community Redevelopment Agency and preparing a Redevelopment Plan to be submitted to the
County for approval.
Section 5. That all resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict with this Resolution
are repealed to the extent of such conflict.
4 RESOLUTION#2008-185
Section 6. That this Resolution shall be in force and take effect immediately upon its
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on October 14, 2008.
ATTEST: s+pao's F�qS BERT C. JONE
�Po — OR-COMMI994ONER
LO ISE STILSON, CMC
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO M
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BY: r' -� , Ax
THQMA%J.'ATjSlJ9O
CITY ATTORNEY
5 RESOLUTION #2008-185
t
City of Dania Beach
Finding of Necessity
for the purposes of expanding an existing
Community Redevelopment Area
Prepared by:
ZY&
THE MELLGREN
PLANNING GROUP
6555 Nova Drive, Suite 305
Davie,Florida 33317
Ph: (954)475-3070 Fax: (954)475-9550
www.TMPGplanning.com
August 2008
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK................................................... I
A. Introduction...................................................................................................... I
B. Florida Statutory Requirement for Establishing a Community Redevelopment
Area.................................................................................................................. 1
C. Broward County Charter Rule Requirements for Establishing a Community
Redevelopment Agencies. ...............................................................................3
II. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE.............................................................................5
A. Existing Community Redevelopment Area..................................................... 5
B. Proposed expansion of Community Redevelopment Area.............................. 5
C. Description of the slum or blight conditions. .................................................. 6
D. Purpose for creating a Community Redevelopment Area...............................6
E. Justification and explanation of why a Community Redevelopment Area is
the only means to overcome slum and blight. ................................................. 6
F. Description of the proposed redevelopment area and its immediately adjacent
areas................................................................................................................. 7
a. Boundaries.............................................................................................. 7
b. Existing Land Uses.................................................................................9
C. Future Land Uses.................................................................................. 11
d. Zoning Districts .................................................................................... 14
e. Contaminated Sites/Brownfields .......................................................... 16
G. Description of activities undertaken to discern/engage public interest in the
Community Redevelopment Area. ................................................................ 18
H. Description of the impact of Community Redevelopment Area on residents
and businesses................................................................................................ 18
I. Description of public-private partnerships.................................................... 19
III.DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS..............................................21
A. Description of deteriorated demographic and economic conditions including
supporting data and photos............................................................................ 21
B. Historical data on vacancy rates and rental rates for commercial and
residential properties in the Community Redevelopment Area, the City and
theCounty...................................................................................................... 23
C. Population density for the Community Redevelopment Area and for the
municipality and the County.......................................................................... 25
D. Conditions of overcrowding,unemployment,poverty, age of housing stock,
affordability of housing, crime, economic distress, as compared to the City
andCounty..................................................................................................... 25
E. Population Size(Community Redevelopment Area compared to City and
County).......................................................................................................... 32
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
IV. CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYSIS..............................33
A. Description of physical deterioration including data and photos. ................. 33
B. Description of existing infrastructure and planned infrastructure
improvements (including those aside from Community Redevelopment Area
projects) for drainage,roads, water and sewer utilities, street lights, and
parks............................................................................................................... 50
C. Description of existing plans (including those aside from Community
Redevelopment Area projects) for housing, commercial and industrial site
improvements. ............................................................................................... 50
D. Description and quantification of the impact that the Community
Redevelopment Area will have on lot size,faulty street layout,poor parking,
and other physical conditions. ....................................................................... 51
V. FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS.................................................................................52
A. Provide data on assessed values and taxable values over the three year period
preceding this study for the redevelopment area, the municipality and the
County............................................................................................................ 52
B. Provide data on the number of tax-exempt properties and types of
exemptions..................................................................................................... 53
C. Describe how slum and blight have contributed to a decline in the tax base
and how a Community Redevelopment Area can reverse the decline. ......... 54
D. Compare amount of taxable value in the redevelopment area to that of the
municipality................................................................................................... 55
VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................56
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. City and Community Redevelopment Area Land Area Calculations................... 5
Table 2. Community Redevelopment Area Existing Land Uses........................................ 9
Table 3. Expanded Community Redevelopment Area Future Land Uses........................ 11
Table 4. Expanded Community Redevelopment Area Vacant Housing Units................. 24
Table 5. Comparison of Unemployment Rates, 2008....................................................... 26
Table 6. Comparison of Household Median Income, 2008.............................................. 27
Table 7. Comparison of Households Earning less than$25,000 annually, 2008 .............27
Table 8. Comparison of Per Capita Income, 2008............................................................27
Table 9. Age of Housing Stock Comparison, 2000.......................................................... 28
Table 10. Households in Expanded Community Redevelopment Area Below Poverty
Level, 1990-2000.............................................................................................................. 32
Table 11. Population Comparison, 2000-2008................................................................. 32
Table 12. Assessed Value Analysis, 2006-2008............................................................... 52
Table 13. Taxable Value Analysis, 2006-2008................................................................. 52
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Overgrown and deteriorated site-unsanitary and unsafe conditions ............... 21
Figure 2: Unpaved parking and pedestrian access............................................................ 22
Figure 3: Unfinished infrastructure lacking swale and sidewalk maintenance................. 22
Figure 4: Deteriorating structure and site conditions—inadequate parking..................... 22
Figure 5 : Inadequate off-street parking............................................................................ 23
Figure 6: Unsafe structural and infrastructure conditions—obstructions in walkway ..... 23
Figure 7: Vacant lots poorly maintained........................................................................... 35
Figure 8: Abandoned,boarded-up house.......................................................................... 36
Figure 9: Deteriorating structure, lack of maintenance .................................................... 36
Figure 10: Multi-family units............................................................................................ 36
Figure 11: Multi-family with boarded windows............................................................... 37
Figure12: Vacant lots....................................................................................................... 37
Figure 13: No landscaping,lack of site maintenance....................................................... 37
Figure 14: Debris pile—unsanitary and unsafe conditions............................................... 38
Figure 15: Lack of maintenance ....................................................................................... 38
Figure 16: Deteriorating multi-family structure with inadequate parking and landscaping
........................................................................................................................................... 38
Figure 17: Aging, dilapidated structure, unsafe site conditions........................................ 39
Figure 18: Vacant unit with boarded windows................................................................. 39
Figure19: Fallen fences....................................................................................................40
Figure 20: Unpaved driveways.........................................................................................41
Figure 21: Boarded up windows....................................................................................... 41
Figure 22: Junk and debris on vacant parcel—unsanitary and unsafe conditions............ 42
Figure 23: Boarded house................................................................................................. 42
Figure 24: Abandoned, dilapidated structures.................................................................. 43
Figure 25: Inadequate off-street parking, deferred maintenance......................................43
Figure 26: Boarded house.................................................................................................43
Figure 27: Lack of property maintenance.........................................................................44
Figure 28: Abandoned structure, vandalized....................................................................46
Figure29: Graffiti.............................................................................................................46
Figure 30: Vacant parcels,not maintained, fallen fences.................................................46
Figure 31: Vehicles parked on sidewalks.........................................................................47
Figure 32: Deteriorating industrial property.....................................................................47
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
LIST OF MAPS
Map 1 Existing and Proposed Community Redevelopment Areas..................................... 8
Map2 Existing Land Uses................................................................................................ 10
Map3 Future Land Uses................................................................................................... 11
Map4 Zoning Districts..................................................................................................... 15
Map5 Contaminated Sites................................................................................................ 17
Map 6 Part 1 Crime Concentrations.................................................................................. 30
Map 7 Narcotics Incident Concentrations......................................................................... 31
Map 8 Neighborhood Boundaries..................................................................................... 34
Map 9 Vacant Parcels Location........................................................................................48
Map 10 Deteriorating Site and Building Conditions........................................................49
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
I. INTRODUCTION AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK
A. Introduction
This report was undertaken for the purposes of inventorying and documenting the existing
conditions of slum or blight in the City of Dania Beach as part of an effort to determine and
justify the boundaries of a Community Redevelopment Area. The structure of this report was
developed using the "Outline for Slum and Blight Studies" prepared by the Broward County
Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department. The information included in
this document satisfies the data and analysis needs of the County through its charter form of
government and the minimum requirements of the State of Florida for establishing a Community
Redevelopment Area per Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes (F.S.).
B. Florida Statutory Requirement for Establishing a Community Redevelopment
Area.
In Florida, the establishment of a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) is governed by
Chapter 163, Part III,F.S. Pursuant to Section 163.355, no county or municipality shall exercise
the community redevelopment authority conferred by Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes until
after the governing body has adopted a resolution, supported by data and analysis, which makes
a legislative finding that the conditions in the area meet the criteria of"slum" or"blight".
In Section 163.340 F.S.,both terms, "slum" and"blight", are defined. Slum is defined as an area
having physical or economic conditions conducive to disease, infant mortality, juvenile
delinquency, poverty, or crime because there is a predominance of buildings or improvements,
whether residential or nonresidential, which are impaired by reason of dilapidation, deterioration,
age or obsolescence, and exhibiting one or more of the following factors:
a. Inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces;
b. High density of population, compared to the population density of adjacent areas
within the county or municipality; and overcrowding, as indicated by
government-maintained statistics or other studies and the requirements of the
Florida Building Code; or
c. The existence of conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other causes
Blight is defined as an area in which there are a substantial number of deteriorated, or
deteriorating structures, in which conditions, as indicated by government-maintained statistics or
other studies, are leading to economic distress or endanger life or property, and in which two or
more of the following factors are present:
a. Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, parking facilities, roadways,
bridges, or public transportation facilities;
b. Aggregate assessed values of real property in the area for ad valorem tax purposes have
failed to show any appreciable increase over the 5 years prior to the finding of such
conditions;
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
c. Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy,accessibility,or usefulness;
d. Unsanitary or unsafe conditions;
e. Deterioration of site or other improvements;
f. Inadequate and outdated building density patterns;
g. Falling lease rates per square foot of office, commercial, or industrial space compared to
the remainder of the county or municipality;
h. Tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land;
i. Residential and commercial vacancy rates higher in the area than in the remainder of the
county or municipality;
j. Incidence of crime in the area higher than in the remainder of the county or municipality;
k. Fire and emergency medical service calls to the area proportionately higher than in the
remainder of the county or municipality;
1. A greater number of violations of the Florida Building Code in the area than the number
of violations recorded in the remainder of the county or municipality;
m. Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent the free
alienability of land within the deteriorated or hazardous area; or
n. Governmentally owned property with adverse environmental conditions caused by a
public or private entity.
However, the term "blighted area" also means any area in which at least one of the factors
identified in paragraphs (a) through (n) are present and all taxing authorities subject to s.
163.387(2)(a) agree, either by interlocal agreement or agreements with the agency or by
resolution, that the area is blighted. Such agreement or resolution shall only determine that the
area is blighted. For purposes of qualifying for the tax credits authorized in Chapter 220,
"blighted area" means an area as defined in this subsection.
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
C. Broward County Charter Rule Requirements for Establishing a Community
Redevelopment Agencies.
In October, 1999, Broward County adopted resolution 1999-1398 which created Sections
18.86 and 18.87 of the Broward County Administrative Code setting forth procedures for
the creation and amendment of municipal community redevelopment agencies and
criteria for County review of municipal requests to create community redevelopment
agencies.
Section 18.86, "Creation of a Municipal Community Redevelopment Agency" reads as
follows:
a. In order for the County to delegate authority to a Municipality to create a
Community Redevelopment Agency, a Municipality shall provide County with a
finding of"necessity," together with and supported by a Slum and Blight study,
all of which shall be referred to as the "Application."
b. The Application shall include such information as required by statute and such
available applicable information as would illustrate the following criteria, or an
explanation why the information is not available or applicable.
1. That a"Slum area"exists, which is an area in which there is a predominance of
buildings or improvements, which by reason of deterioration or obsolescence,
has a higher density of population and overcrowding than that of adjacent areas
within the County or municipality, are conducive to ill health, transmission of
disease, infant mortality,juvenile delinquency, or crime, and detrimental to the
public health, safety, morals or welfare;
2. That a `Blighted area" exists, which is an area in which there is a substantial
number (20% or more), of slum or deteriorating structures and conditions
which endanger life or property;
3. That the only additional criteria supplemental to Florida Statutes to be required
of applicants in their submission of their Slum and Blight study is a statistical
and narrative analysis of the taxable values in a proposed Community
Redevelopment Area for at least the three (3)year period preceding the year in
which the finding of necessity study is prepared.
c. The County Administrator or designee shall review the Application to determine
whether it meets the above criteria in the aggregate, and recommend approval or
disapproval to the County Commission. The County Commission,based upon the
County Administrator's recommendation, shall either approve or disapprove the
Application. If the Application is approved, the County Commission shall
delegate to the Municipality only the authority to create a Community
Redevelopment Agency (Agency) and to prepare a Redevelopment Plan(Plan) in
accordance with Florida Statutes. The Plan should specifically identify its term.
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
d. The Agency, through the Municipality, shall submit a completed Plan to the
County for review and approval. Upon submission, the County Administrator or
designee shall review the Plan and recommend approval or disapproval to the
County Commission. The County Commission, based upon the County
Administrator's recommendation, shall either approve or disapprove the Plan. If
the Plan is approved, the County Commission shall delegate to the Municipality,
all powers necessary to implement the Plan.
Section 18.87, "Requirements for a Municipal Community Redevelopment Agency"
reads as follows:
a. During the term of the Plan, the Agency shall provide to the County a copy of the
annual audit and annual report required by 163.387(8), F.S., and 163.356(3), F.S.
The Agency shall include a comparison of Plan goals, objectives, and policies to
annual program accomplishments and an analysis comparing current year tax base
to the base year, in addition to the statutorily required financial statements.
b. The County Commission, based upon the County Administrator's
recommendation, shall either approve or disapprove any changes to the Plan as
follows:
1. A boundary change. Requests for changes to the boundary shall include such
information as required by 18.86 a. and b.
2. An extension to the term of the Plan involving the continuing contribution by
the taxing authorities beyond the original plan adoption, as may have been
amended, shall be negotiated between each existing community redevelopment
agency and the County, subject to approval by the community redevelopment
agency's local governing body and the Board of County Commissioners.
3. A change to the Plan of such magnitude as would require a County or
municipal land use plan amendment.
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
II. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
A. Existing Community Redevelopment Area.
In 2002, a 525 acre area within Dania Beach was designated as a limited authority
Community Redevelopment Area by County Resolution#2002-423, pursuant to a finding
of slum and blight. At the time, the population of the Community Redevelopment Area
was estimated to be 5,354 and the Community Redevelopment Area comprised nearly 10
percent of the entire land area of the City of Dania Beach. In 2004, the Dania Beach
Community Redevelopment Area plan was finalized and approved by the County through
County Resolution #2004-423. In 2006, an amendment was made to the interlocal
agreement between the City of Dania Beach, the Dania Beach Community
Redevelopment Agency, and Broward County. This amendment affected the
redevelopment capital program only and had no impact on the boundaries of the created
Community Redevelopment Area.
B. Proposed expansion of Community Redevelopment Area.
The City of Dania Beach is now proposing to expand the current boundaries of its
Community Redevelopment Area by 824 acres to a total of 1,349 acres. If the
Community Redevelopment Area expansion is approved, the Community Redevelopment
Area will comprise 25 percent of the entire land area within the City of Dania Beach (see
Table 1), and contain a total population of 9,415. In general, the boundaries of the
Community Redevelopment Area are proposed to be expanded towards the east and west
to include a larger land area proximate to Federal Highway, areas of commercial and
industrial development that have declined and become blighted, and neighborhoods west
of Federal Highway that are in need of major redevelopment, extensive refurbishment
and significant reinvestment.
Throughout this document the terms, "expanded Community Redevelopment Area" or
"expanded CRA" are used to identify the total 1,349.1-acre area of the combined CRA
and the area to be added.
Table 1. City and C mmunity Redevelo meat Area Land Area Calculations
Existing CRA 525 0.82 9.9%
Area to be added 824 1.29 15.5%
Expanded CRA 1,349.1 2.11 25.4%
City of Dania 5,315 8.30 100%
Beach
Source: The Mellgren Planning Group, June 2008.
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
C. Description of the slum or blight conditions.
The information contained in this study confirms that slum and/or blight still exist within
the existing Community Redevelopment Area and are prevalent in areas that lie outside
of the existing Community Redevelopment Area. Areas of slum or blight that lie outside
the existing Community Redevelopment Area are proposed in this study to be included in
an expanded Community Redevelopment Area. Preparation of this study included a
review of materials prepared in support of the Dania Beach Community Redevelopment
Area Plan of 2004 as well as field observations in the existing Community
Redevelopment Area, which confirmed that there has been no appreciable change in
conditions since the plan was adopted.
D. Purpose for creating a Community Redevelopment Area
The purpose for expanding the Community Redevelopment Area and continuing to
designate an agency to carry out community redevelopment activities in Dania Beach is
to prevent and eliminate conditions of slum or blight.
E. Justification and explanation of why a Community Redevelopment Area is the
only means to overcome slum and blight.
The creation of a Community Redevelopment Area in the areas proposed will allow the
City of Dania Beach to lawfully exercise additional municipal powers to prevent and
eliminate slum or blight conditions identified within the existing and expanded
Community Redevelopment Area. These powers are identified in Chapter 163, Part III of
Florida Statutes and include, but are not limited to, the following authority: to raise funds
and utilize those funds to spur redevelopment activity; to acquire property through
voluntary methods of acquisition; to demolish and remove buildings and improvements;
to install, construct or reconstruct streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other public
improvements; to dispose of property at a fair market value; to enter into buildings or
property in order to make inspections, surveys, appraisals, soundings or test borings; and
other activities authorized under Section 163.370 F.S.
The enduring conditions of blight in the existing and expanded Community
Redevelopment Area can only be corrected through a multifaceted and coordinated use of
municipal powers. The expansion of the Community Redevelopment Area will allow
Dania Beach to focus its efforts on its downtown core and surrounding neighborhoods
and businesses that have fallen into blighted conditions over time. Improvements in these
core areas will halt the spread of slum and blight and create an opportunity for
redevelopment and reinvestment. The Community Redevelopment Area will allow the
City to direct monies and efforts towards these areas through the guidance of a plan and
an expanded list of funding sources. It will also allow the City to improve or demolish
and remove structures which, for some time, have been impeding the area's ability to
experience private redevelopment and reinvestment.
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
F. Description of the proposed redevelopment area and its immediately adjacent
areas.
a. Boundaries
The boundaries of the existing Community Redevelopment Area are proposed to
be expanded towards the east and west to include a larger land area proximate to
Federal Highway, areas of commercial and industrial development that have
fallen into disrepair and are deteriorating, and neighborhoods west of Federal
Highway that are in need of reinvigoration and reinvestment. The boundaries of
the existing and proposed Community Redevelopment Areas are shown on Map
1, which follows the next page. In addition, the description of the Community
Redevelopment Area boundaries, as expanded is as follows:
Commencing at the intersection of Sheridan Street and North 22"d Avenue, the
Community Redevelopment Area boundary extends east along Sheridan Street to
SE P Avenue, then north to SE 15`h Street, then west to SE 2"d Avenue, then
north along SE 2"d Avenue to SE Is` Street, then east along SE ls` Street to the
Dania Beach city limits, then north to Dania Beach Boulevard, then east along
Dania Beach Boulevard to the Dania Beach city Limits, then north approximately
1,300 feet, then west approximately 680 feet, then south approximately 630 feet,
then west to Gulfstream Road, then south approximately 315 feet, then west
approximately 640 feet, then south to Dania Beach Boulevard, then west along
Dania Beach Boulevard to NE 5�h Avenue, then north along NE 5d' Avenue to the
Dania Beach cut-off canal, then east along the canal approximately 2,000 feet,
then north approximately 1,285 feet to the Dania Beach city limits, then west
along the city limits until reaching the single family homes located on NW 6`h
Avenue, then south to the Dania Beach cut-off canal, then west along the canal to
North Bryan Road, then south approximately 510 feet, then west approximately
1,325 feet, then south approximately 1,100 feet, then west to 1-95, then south
along I-95 and continuing south along the 1-95 ramp approximately 2,030 feet,
then east 875 feet, then south to Stirling Road, then east along Stirling Road to
North 22"d Avenue, then south along NE 22"d Avenue to the point of
commencement.
7
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
b. Existing Land Uses
With the addition of the lands proposed for inclusion, nearly one-third of the
existing land uses in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area are
residential uses and almost all of the residential uses are located away from the
City's main corridors and separated from the corridors by commercial uses. The
intersection of Federal Highway and Dania Beach Boulevard is a major node
within the Community Redevelopment Area and is surrounded by a mix of uses.
Industrial uses are located on the periphery of the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area boundaries, along the Florida East Coast Railway and in the
western half of the expanded Community Redevelopment Area. There are a
number of scattered park and community facilities land uses within the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area. It is also important to note that roadways
currently comprise 16.5 percent of the total land area in the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area. The distribution of existing land uses within the expanded
and existing Community Redevelopment Area is shown in Table 2 and depicted
graphically on Map 2.
Table 2. Commun ity Redevelopment Area Existing Land Uses
i
Residential(all densities) 110.3 21% 419.6 31.1
Commercial 187.22 36% 302.3 22.5%
Industrial 14.35 3% 210.7 15.6%
Vacant w/Office Designation 60.5 12% 60.5 4.5%
Parks&Recreation 10.03 2% 32.8 2.4%
Community Facilities 16.85 3% 31.3 2.3%
Utilities 0 0% 2.6 0.2%
Conservation .24 0% 0.2 0.0%
Roadways 107.49 20% 223.0 16.5%
Water 18.02 3% 66.0 4.9%
Total 525 100 1349.1 100%
Source: The Mellgren Planning Group, June 2008
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
c. Future Land Uses
With the addition of the lands proposed for inclusion, there are a total of 16
separate future land use designations within the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area. The most prevalent land use designation is Low-Medium
(10) Residential, which makes up 25 percent of all land in the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area. Following close behind are Industrial and
Commercial future land uses, each of which comprise 15 percent of the land in
the expanded Community Redevelopment Area. Aside from Transportation, the
only other major future land use designation is Local Activity Center (LAC),
which comprises 10 percent of all developable land in the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area. Most of the LAC designated lands are included in the
existing Community Redevelopment Area. A small portion of the southeastern
LAC is being proposed for inclusion, which would result in the entire LAC area
falling within the expanded Community Redevelopment Area. The LAC is
designed to support a balanced mix of uses characterized by compact, pedestrian
friendly design and neighborhood scale, and framed by architecture and landscape
design appropriate to local history and ecology. As noted above, 16.5 percent of
the total land in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area is designated as
Transportation (roadways). Transportation and Water, which is 5 percent, are
instrumental in shaping the future land use pattern in the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area. The distribution of future land uses within the expanded
and existing Community Redevelopment Area is shown in Table 3 and depicted
graphically on Map 3,which are contained on the following 2 pages.
Table 3. Expanded Co munity Redevelo iment Area Future Land Uses
_ MIKOV2 -
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Low(5)Residential 10.7 20.4% 25.6 1.9 %
Low-Medium(10)Residential 85.3 16.24% 341.4 25.3%
Medium(16)Residential 0.1 0.02% 21 1.6%
Irregular(13)Residential 0.0 0.00% 2.2 0.2%
Irregular(15) 0.4 0.08% 14.7 1.1%
Residential
Commercial 91.4 17.41% 206 15.3%
Industrial 9.7 1.85% 206.2 15.3%
Local Activity Center 120.4 22.93% 121.7 9%
Employment Center 60.5 11.52% 60.5 4.5%
Parks&Recreation 10.0 1 1.9% 32.8 2.4%
11
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
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Community Facilities 10.8 2.06% 25.3 1.8%
Utilities 0.0 0.0% 2.6 0.2%
Conservation 0.3 0.06% 0.2 0.0%
Roadways 107.5 20.47% 223.0 16.5%
Water 18.0 3.43% 66.0 4.9%
Total 525.1 100% 1349.1 100%
Source: The Mellgren Planning Group, 2008
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
d. Zoning Districts
The City of Dania Beach maintains 32 separate zoning districts throughout the
City. Within the expanded Community Redevelopment Area, there are 6
residential districts, 5 commercial districts, 4 industrial districts, 3 transit-oriented
districts, and 1 open space district. The distribution of zoning districts within the
expanded and existing Community Redevelopment Area is shown in Map 4 on
the following page.
In the area to be added there is also a mix of zoning districts, including 5
residential districts, 4 commercial districts, one open space district and 4
industrial districts that allow for a mix of industrial and office uses. The largest
portion of the area to be added is comprised of residential zoning and most is
designated for single family. There is a significant amount of industrially zoned
land, which is located primarily around the northern and western periphery and
along the Florida East Coast Railway.
14
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
e. Contaminated Sites/Brownfields
The existing Community Redevelopment Area contains 13 contaminated sites,
primarily located along Federal Highway. The area proposed for inclusion in the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area will add 8 sites for a total of 21
contaminated sites in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area. See Map 5
on the following page for the location of all contaminated sites within the existing
and expanded Community Redevelopment Area. There are no designated
brownfields within the existing or expanded Community Redevelopment Area.
16
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
G. Description of activities undertaken to discern/engage public interest in the
Community Redevelopment Area.
Several studies and planning initiatives have previously taken place to revive and master
plan the area. "City of Dania Beach Downtown Community Redevelopment Plan"'2004;
"City of Dania Beach, Urban Infill and Redevelopment Area Plan", March 2003; "City
of Dania Greenway Conceptual Plan", April 1998; "Historic Preservation Plan for the
City of Dania Beach, "June 2000; "Needs Assessment and Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design Study, " September 2005;and"Neighborhood Master Plan
Workshop", 1999, represent activities that were undertaken to create and implement the
existing Community Redevelopment Agency. Because the City has previously been
through several initiatives to encourage redevelopment, it was critical to gain community
trust and buy-in in the redevelopment effort for the proposed expansion of the City's
Community Redevelopment Area boundaries.
The input process included a number of meetings with stakeholders and residents. On
June 3, 2008 the professional planning consulting team met with the Chamber of
Commerce and the Executive Business Council separately. On June 6 and 7, the team
conducted a visioning session with the residents of the City. Feedback from these three
events was presented to the City Commission's visioning session on June 11, 2008. The
purpose of these three sessions was to identify commonalities among the visions of each
of the three groups, the elected officials, the business community and the residents. Once
these visions and core values were established, a team of experts, including the
professional planning consulting team, landscape architects, traffic engineers, market
analysts and financial analysts, went back to the community for a weekend long charrette
on June 20, 21 and 22,which focused on the expanded Community Redevelopment Area.
The purpose of this charrette was to identify the participants' perception of their existing
living and working conditions, where they envisioned redevelopment to occur and what
kind of redevelopment they desired for their community. Three options were prepared by
the residents, and were aggregated into a single `Synthesis Plan' the third day. This area-
wide plan will be refined and brought back to individual neighborhoods for further
feedback from the residents. When this process is complete the master plan will be
presented to the City Commission for its approval.
The public input process for the expansion of the Community Redevelopment Area was
extensive and interactive. Grouping the stakeholders by areas of interest (business,
residents and elected officials) ensured that the redevelopment master plan will be
comprehensive and equitable. The City has made extensive efforts to reach out all
concerned people, has put together a team of experts from varied fields to ensure that
implementation of the redevelopment plan will be feasible. The City is committed to
continuing its efforts to revive and energize its declining downtown and neighborhoods.
H. Description of the impact of Community Redevelopment Area on residents and
businesses.
Residents that reside and businesses that operate inside or adjacent to the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area will be positively affected by its designation. A
18
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
Community Redevelopment Area strengthens the City's ability to eliminate conditions of
slum and blight that threaten the public's health, safety, and welfare. Changes brought
about by expansion of the Community Redevelopment Area will improve the quality of
life for residents and allow the community to project a more positive image. For
businesses, the Community Redevelopment Area designation will create new
opportunities to expand upon their existing business or increase sales and customer
activity. Improving failing areas will also increase property values, strengthen the
municipal tax base, and provide the City with the means to capitalize on its existing
resources.
I. Description of public-private partnerships.
Dania Beach has a history of strong community involvement that is reflected in the
number of public/private partnerships that have been forged in the past several years.
These activities represent a commitment from a variety of corporate and industrial
entities and government agencies working in concert.
Public/private partnerships can involve a range of activities from the funding of
community or citywide initiatives to the involvement of citizens at a local meeting to
craft a vision for their community. Nowhere is there a better example of a community's
time, talent and treasure than when the citizens of a neighborhood, town or county come
together to suggest what may occur in the future. Dania Beach has been the focus of
many public/private partnerships during the past decade.
In 1998, Dania Beach was granted Main Street Florida status and this has lead to the
development and revival of a number of programs that are intended to revitalize the Main
Street corridor.
In that same year, the South Florida Water Management District prepared "Setting a
Course Towards the Future", a project report funded by the Florida Coastal Management
Program that was focused on the Dania Cut-Off Canal. The goal of this project was "to
foster cooperation among the parties to develop locally acceptable solutions to problems
confronting the canal's numerous jurisdictions and the property owners dependent upon
the health and functioning of the canal and its environs".
The Children's Services Council of Broward County's Institute for Community
Empowerment (ICE) conducted a neighborhood Master Plan Workshop in 1999 that
again provided an opportunity for residents to develop future goals for the community.
In November 2000, Dania Beach Elementary School applied for and received a Broward
Beautiful Grant to address the serious need to buffer the school from street noise and
traffic flow and to reduce street visibility and the related distractions for the students.
This project was completed with the help of the City of Dania Beach, the Department of
Public Works, Myer's Landscaping, the American Maritime Officers, Dania Lions Club,
Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Broward and many volunteer in-kind
donated work hours.
19
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
In late Fall of 2001, the Marine Master Plan was completed by the Urban Harbors
Institute, Marine Industries Association of South Florida and the Florida Atlantic
University (FAU) Joint Center for Environment and Urban Problems. Many
recommendations were made with respect to the character of the City, the navigable
waters within the City of Dania Beach, water-dependent commercial uses and the
development potential of thirteen sites was identified for the City.
In 2002 the original City of Dania Beach Downtown Community Redevelopment Plan
was prepared, which lead to the creation of the existing Community Redevelopment Area
boundary. Later that Fall the residents undertook several meetings, walkthroughs,
preparation of the City of Dania Beach Urban Infill and Redevelopment Area Plan,
advisory meetings and community stakeholder meetings that formed the basis for the
completed Urban Infill and Redevelopment Area Study.
In 2003, the Catanese Center at Florida Atlantic University prepared the Urban Infill and
Redevelopment Area Plan for the City of Dania Beach. This was a very thorough study
of the portion of Dania Beach that lies west of the existing Community Redevelopment
Area. Many residents of Sun Garden Isles, College Gardens and Dania Beach Heights
participated in neighborhood planning meetings (walkthroughs and brainstorming
sessions), community advisory committee meetings, neighborhood association meetings,
Commission meetings and one-on-one discussions with study area stakeholders.
Those commercial and retail public/private partnerships that involve the capital outlay
from area businesses for specific projects within the Community Redevelopment Area
will be on hold while the City of Dania Beach processes the modification of its
redevelopment plan in order to ensure that resources and energies directed at newly
defined priority projects within the Community Redevelopment Area will be optimized.
20
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
III. DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
A. Description of deteriorated demographic and economic conditions including
supporting data and photos.
The three neighborhoods comprising the largest portion of the proposed Community
Redevelopment Area expansion exhibit clear and convincing evidence of deteriorated
demographic and economic conditions. The area includes a mix of aging residential and
a few new single family and duplex housing units. Commercial development suffers
from deterioration, lacks adequate parking and often conflicts with adjacent residential
development. Vacant lots that are overgrown and often serve as dumping grounds, and
homes that are in need of major repair, exist throughout the Community Redevelopment
Area. Deteriorated infrastructure, utility pole anchors located in walkways, unpaved
roads and widespread deterioration of swales, which is generally caused by inadequate
off-street parking, exist throughout. The area also exhibits a lack of consistent and well
maintained street landscaping. Some of these conditions create an impediment to
physically challenged residents of the area. There are homes that lack front steps,
crowded and exposed water and electric meters, sagging electric overhead wiring and
peeling paint. The public transportation bus stop is located below grade and between the
sidewalk and the street with no access for handicapped individuals. A lack of
maintenance in the area gives large portions of the community a blighted appearance.
These conditions are indicators of seriously deteriorated and stagnant demographic and
economic conditions in the proposed Community Redevelopment Area expansion area,
as indicated in Sections 13, C, D and E, which follow. Extraordinarily high vacancy rates
in the residential, office and retail markets; low rents as compared to the County and
City; and, high poverty and unemployment rates are clearly borne out in the physical
conditions of the area. These data are reinforced by extensive field survey results. Map
10 illustrates that the area that is proposed for inclusion in the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area contains a substantial number (well in excess of 20 percent) of
deteriorating structures and conditions which endanger life or property.
Figure 1: Overgrown and deteriorated site - unsanitary and
unsafe conditions
21
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
I
Figure 2:Unpaved parking and pedestrian access
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Figure 3: Unfinished infrastructure lacking Swale and
sidewalk maintenance
II
Figure 0: Deteriorating structure and site conditions —
inadequate parking
22
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
Figure 5:Inadequate off-street parldng
Figure 6: Unsafe structural and infrastructure conditions —
obstructions in walkway
B. Historical data on vacancy rates and rental rates for commercial and residential
properties in the Community Redevelopment Area,the City and the County.
Residential Market
Broward County is ranked sixth in the nation for the highest percentage of homeowners
spending 50 percent or more of their income on housing, with 21.5 percent of Broward's
residents falling into that category. Currently, in the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area housing market, 16.7 percent of the housing units in the market area
are vacant. In 2000, 16.8 percent were vacant and in 1990, 19.2 percent were vacant.
These data are shown in Table 4 on the following page. This apparent small decrease in
vacant housing is actually a result of unsafe structures being demolished (vacant houses
no longer exist), and the current numbers will be adversely affected by the continued
downturn of the housing market in south Florida.
23
City ofDania Beach Finding of Necessity
Table 4. Expanded Community Redevelo ment Area Vacant Housing Units
k
A h
339 16.7% 329 17.5% 367 20.7%
m
744 16.7% 704 16.8% 737 19.2%
Source. Census 2000, Integra Realty Resources, 2008
The downturn in the national housing market has been especially severe in Broward
County. The `total housing sales volume' in Broward County has declined by 22 percent
through the end of 2007. Re-sale housing has declined 13.3 percent since the peak year
of 2004. New single-family/town home sales closings accounted for only 9.9 percent of
the total sales volume in 2007. New condominium/apartment sales closings accounted
for only 13.8 of the total sales volume during the same period. Within the proposed
expanded Community Redevelopment Area, in June 2008, there were only 48 active
housing units listed with the Multiple Listing Service. (Integra Realty Resources, 2008).
Commercial Market
The Dania Beach expanded Community Redevelopment Area represented 0.4 percent of
the office market share in Broward County for the first quarter of 2008. This small share
of 252,200 leasable square feet is also the least expensive at $13.50 per square foot. This
rent is less than half the average in the County, which is $27 per square foot and almost
$6 less than Dania Beach as a whole. Even with a rental rate that is almost less than half
of rates charged in other communities, the expanded Community Redevelopment Area
has a vacancy rate of 23 percent. This compares to a 10.9 percent vacancy rate in the
City and a 9.4 percent rate in the County. Inadequate infrastructure and the visual
appearance of the commercial corridors within the expanded Community Redevelopment
Area contribute to this high vacancy rate. This is a depressed area. Vacancy rates of this
level are a drain on the community because empty, unproductive, non-revenue
contributing and underperforming, taxable sites cost more to maintain than what they
produce. There is a domino effect that occurs in communities with vacant and under-
utilized commercial space. The properties become less attractive to potential commercial
tenants, vacancy rates increase, businesses move elsewhere and the result is a downward
spiral of property distress. (Integra Realty Resources, 2008).
The retail market within the Dania Beach expanded Community Redevelopment Area has
a total inventory of 908,809 square feet; 18 percent of which, or 163,586 square feet, is
vacant. There are 928 businesses located within the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area, which employ 6,679 citizens. Part of the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area is located in one of the two Enterprise Zones in Dania Beach and
could become a target for development in the future. The advantage of opening or
24
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
expanding a business in such an area is the variety of tax incentives that are part of
Enterprise Zone development for both business owners and their employees. As
evidenced by the vacancy rate, however, the positive impacts of the Enterprise Zones
have yet to be realized in the proposed expanded area of the Community Redevelopment
Area.
Retail in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area has an 18 percent vacancy rate
as compared to 5.8 percent in the City and 4.2 percent in Broward County (Integra Realty
Resources, 2008).
Industrial
The industrial space market share of Broward County that lies within the Dania Beach
expanded Community Redevelopment Area is only 1.4 percent of the County total of
35,435,844 square feet. This represents 1,927,620 square feet. This category for both the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area and the City of Dania Beach represents the
only business category that has a higher rental rate than Broward County. The rental rate
for industrial space is $9.57 per square foot within the expanded Dania Beach
Community Redevelopment Area, $10.36 per square foot in the City of Dania Beach, and
Broward County is the lowest with a fee of $8.99 per square foot. The proposed
expanded Community Redevelopment Area also has a current vacancy rate of 3.8
percent, while Dania Beach citywide has a 4.2 percent vacancy rate and the County has
5.7 percent of its industrial market space available for rent. Field observation, however,
indicates that the data for higher rents in the proposed expanded Community
Redevelopment Area are likely skewed by a single large new warehouse development
north of Stirling Road and proximate to Interstate 95. This development is immediately
adjacent to a much older and very deteriorated warehouse community that fronts directly
onto Stirling Road. (Integra Realty Resources, 2008,field observations by TMPG
C. Population density for the Community Redevelopment Area and for the
municipality and the County.
The proposed expanded Community Redevelopment Area has a 2008 population of 9,415
and a land area of 1,349, acres which equates to a population density of approximately 7
residents per acre. In comparison, the City of Dania Beach, which has a population of
21,480 and contains 5,315 acres, has a population density of approximately 4 residents
per acre. Finally, Broward County with a total land area of 1,220 square miles and a
2008 population of 1,820,376, has a population density of approximately 6.7 people per
acre. (Integra Realty Resources, U.S. Census)
D. Conditions of overcrowding, unemployment, poverty, age of housing stock,
affordability of housing, crime, economic distress, as compared to the City and
County.
Overcrowdine
The overcrowding that pervades in the area proposed for inclusion in the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area represents an overcrowding of incompatible uses and a
lack of space and buffering between these uses. With each transition in land use, there is
potential for incompatibility. These incompatibilities can often be mitigated through
25
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
design or buffering requirements. As an example, a change from medium residential to
low residential can cause incompatibilities in the size and scale of the structures as well
as parking layout, impervious surface areas, and lighting. A well designed land use plan
and zoning map will limit these occurrences and, through guidelines and regulations,
mitigate any possible incompatibilities.
An analysis of the existing and future land uses and zoning districts in the area proposed
for inclusion in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area demonstrates an
overcrowding of different uses and districts. A number of parcels are surrounded by two
or three different types of land uses and as many as four and five different zoning
districts. This is the result of incremental changes over time with no overriding vision.
As opposed to being integrated into a mixed use development supported by strict design
guidelines, or simply laid out into common districts, the uses and districts in the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area are so crowded that all the incompatibilities
between them cannot be mitigated, which results in the decline and underutilization of
many of the properties. In addition, the lack of logical transition from one use to another
creates inconsistent neighborhood and commercial districts and prevents land owners
from reinvesting in an area until the perceived state of flux has been resolved.
Unemployment
The percentage of those in the labor force (16 years and older) but unemployed is
substantially higher in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area than in the City
and County. In the current year, it is estimated that 9.9 percent of the labor force in the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area is unemployed as compared to the City at 6.9
percent and the County at 6.6 percent (see Table 5). High unemployment rates in
localized areas have been directly correlated with problems such as crime, over reliance
on social welfare programs, reduced income, delinquent tax collections, and suppression
of wages. Field analysis of the area reveals pockets of vagrancy, extensive graffiti,
property abandonment and other signs associated with high levels of unemployment.
Table 5. Comparison of Unemployment Rates,2008
9.3% 9.9% 6.9% 6.60/,
Source: U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
Poverty
There are a number of indicators that can be used to identify areas of poverty and how
extensive the problem has become. A primary indicator is household median income. In
the expanded Community Redevelopment Area, the household median income for the
current year is $33,932, as compared to that of the City which is $44,029 and the County
which is $55,541. With the addition of the area proposed for inclusion, the households in
the expanded Community Redevelopment Area earn 23 percent less than the rest of the
City and 39 percent less than the rest of the County(see Table 6).
26
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
Table 6. Comparison of Household Median Income, 2008
10,
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R
12., ,i,,
law"
$36,100 $33,932
Source: U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
In addition, in the expanded Community Redevelopment Area,39.9 percent of households
make less than $25,000 annually as compared to that of Broward County, in which 21
percent of households make $25,000 or less(see Table 7).
Table 7. Comparison of Households Earning less than $25,000 annual) , 2008
W
T,
779 39.9% 2,770 129.1% 151,750 21.3%
Source: U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
Another poverty indicator is per capita income. Per capita income is a measurement of
income spread across an estimated population. This statistic can shed light on situations
where a household may have a higher than average household income but also a higher
than average number of individuals living in that household. In the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area, the per capita income in the current year is $20,002 as
compared to that of the City which is $25,456 and the County which is $29,818 (see
Table 8). These data suggest that one or two wage earners of the household are
supporting a large number of dependents in households in the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area.
Table 8. Comearison of Per Cagita Income;2008
FIN,
$21,561 $20,002 $25,456 $29,818
Source: U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
Finally, the percentage of school aged children who receive free or reduced lunch is a
reliable indicator of poverty in a community. In Broward County as a whole, 45.3
percent of elementary school students and 42.8 percent of middle school students receive
free or reduced lunch. In comparison, the schools that serve the expanded Community
Redevelopment Area have the following percentages of students on free or reduced
lunch: Dania Elementary, 76 percent; Oakridge Elementary, 80 percent; Bethune
Elementary, 88 percent; Collins Elementary, 94 Percent, Attucks Middle School, 70
percent; and, Olsen Middle, 67 percent. As these statistics show, schools serving the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area have a much higher percentage of students
receiving lunch subsidies, thereby documenting a higher rate of poverty in the study area.
27
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
Aee of housing stock
The proposed expanded Community Redevelopment Area contains an estimated 4,155
housing units in the year 2000 (see Table 9). Of these, 75 percent were built prior to the
year 1980 as compared to that of the County in which 59 percent of all housing units
were built prior to 1980. The median year of construction of housing built in the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area is 1971 as compared to the median year of
construction of housing built in the County, which is 1977.
Table 9.Age of Housing Stock Comparison,2000
la
: $
Total units 1,856 4,155 10,875 741,043
1999 to March 2000 2.3% 2.1% 1.3% 2.6%
1995 to 1998 4.4% 3.6% 7.1% 8.2%
1990 to 1994 4.6% 5.8% 6.5% 8.7%
1980 to 1989 14.8% 13.5% 18.2% 21.2%
1970 to 1979 30.7% 29.1% 30.4% 29.8%
1969 or earlier 43.3% 45.8% 36.6% 29.5%
Median Year 1972 1971 1974 1977
Source: U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
It is important to note that annexations in 2001 added an estimated 3576 dwelling units to
the City. Annexations consisted of the addition of dwelling units in Chambers Estates
(3556); Edgewater (803); Estates of Fort Lauderdale (1750); Ravenswood Estates (960);
and Unincorporated Area(53). When combined with the total units estimated by the U.S.
Census, the resulting housing unit count in the City of Dania Beach is 14,451.
Source: Broward County Planning Services Division, Broward-by-the-Numbers.
Affordability of housing
Housing affordability is defined as a housing cost that does not exceed 30 percent of a
household's gross income. Housing costs considered include taxes, insurance and utility
costs. When the monthly carrying costs of a home exceed 30 percent of household
income, then the residents are considered cost burdened and the housing is considered
unaffordable.
In the expanded Community Redevelopment Area, 40 percent of households earn less
than $25,000 annually. More than half of these households earn less than $15,000
annually. Using the 30 percent of income rule, households that earn $25,000 a year can
afford a monthly payment of $500 or less. A payment of $500 allows a person to
purchase a home which costs $90,000 or less assuming that the borrower qualifies for a
30-year mortgage with an interest rate of 6 percent and is only required to make a down
payment of$5,000, or 5.5 percent of the purchase price. These favorable lending terms
are not always available but are included in this discussion as a best case scenario. In an
analysis of the current housing values in the Dania Beach Community Redevelopment
28
City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
Area, an area generally recognized as one of the most affordable areas in the City and
County, only 19 percent of homes are valued at less than 90,000. Not only does this not
meet the affordable housing demand but many of the homes in this price range are in
need of substantial rehabilitation and repair, indicating a need for greater household
income for structure upgrading.
Crime
County maintained crime statistics are classified into two types: narcotics and Part One
crimes. Part One crimes include auto crimes, burglary, larceny, robbery, sexual battery,
and other crimes such as aggravated assault, battery, criminal mischief and trespassing.
Narcotics are defined as any illegal drug or unlawfully possessing such a drug.
Within the expanded Community Redevelopment Area, there were a total of 3,481
documented crimes between January 1, 2006 and June 3, 2008. This equates to a ratio of
1,650 crimes per square mile as compared to the citywide rate of 809 crimes per square
mile and a total of 6,718 crimes. Additionally, of all the crimes that occurred in the City
between the two timeframes, 52 percent of them (3,481) occurred within the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area despite the fact that the area comprises only 25 percent
of the total land area in Dania Beach. This high incidence of crime adversely affects
tourism and retail sales, discourages private property reinvestment, and weakens the
sense of community in Dania Beach. See Maps 6 and 7 on the following pages for Part
One Crime Concentrations and Narcotics Incident Concentrations within the City of
Dania Beach.
29
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City of Dania Beach Finding of Necessity
Economic distress
According to the 1990 U.S. Census, 23.6 percent of all households in the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area were below the poverty level. According to the 2000
U.S. Census, 21.5 percent of all households in the expanded Community Redevelopment
Area were still below the poverty level. While a slight reduction between the 1990 U.S.
Census and the 2000 U.S. Census did occur, the reduction in poverty was less than one
percent over ten years or a net reduction of six (6) poverty stricken households. Further,
this apparent de minimus reduction is likely attributable to displacement of poverty level
households that occurred when unsafe or uninhabitable structures were demolished. This
persistent state of poverty is an example of the economic distress that the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area has been experiencing over the past two decades (see
Table 10).
Table 10. Households in Expanded Community Redevelopment Area Below Poverty
Level 1990-2000
k3t,,'�
Existing CRA 229 20.9% 299 19.5% 70 30.6%
Expanded CRA 753 23.6% 747 21.5% -6 -.008%
Source: U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
E. Population Size (Community Redevelopment Area compared to City and
County)
The 2008 population of the expanded Community Redevelopment Area is estimated to be
9,415 as compared to 21,480 and 1,820,376 for the City of Dania Beach and Broward
County, respectively. Between the years of 2000 and 2008, the population in the
expanded Community Redevelopment Area has grown by 7.9 percent as compared to the
City of Dania Beach which has grown by 7.1 percent and Broward County which has
grown by 12.2 percent (see Table 11). Most of the population in the expanded
Community Redevelopment Area is housed in the single family neighborhoods
surrounding Federal Highway.
Table 11. Po ulation Comparison, 2000-2008
Existing CRA 3,821 4,203 9.9%
Expanded CRA 8,724 9,415 7.9%
Dania Beach 20,061 21,480 7.1%
Broward County 1,623,018 1,820,376 12.2%
Source.' U.S. Census 2000, Integra Realty
32