HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-12-09 - City Commission Regular Meeting MinutesCity of Tamarac
Regular City Commission Meeting - Minutes
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020
Call to Order: Mayor Michelle J. Gomez called the Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, regular City
Commission Meeting, held in Commission Chamber to order at 7:01 p.m.
Roll Call: Commissioner Debra Placko, Commissioner Elvin Villalobos and Mayor Michelle J.
Gomez were in attendance physically. Commissioner Mike Gelin and Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton
arrived at 7:03 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance: Vice Mayor Bolton led the Pledge of Allegiance.
1. Procedures for Virtual Meetings
City Attorney, Sam Goren, summarized the procedures for meeting in person as well as
continuing to offer public access through multiple avenues. This includes being contacted by
phone, sending an email, and posting comments on Facebook.
2. Proclamations and Presentations
a. Proclamation — World Aids Day
Requested by Vice Mayor Bolton
Mayor Gomez summarized the proclamation for the record.
Commissioner Placko asked if Commission reports could be moved to the end.
3. City Commission Reports
a. Commissioner Bolton
Commissioner Bolton stated that he was going to address the BSO issue, but would
wait as Woodmont is waiting. Bolton provided comments about City Attorney Goren,
and stated he was unhappy with handling of the item tonight, and would want to
entertain another attorney representing the city in the future.
b. Commissioner Gelin
Commissioner Gelin provided input on recent negative articles in the Sun Sentinel
regarding the Broward Sheriff's Office. He added the gentlemen was arrested in a
peaceful manner, and that Tamarac is a safe city and BSO is doing their job. The call
that was played on the news and Sun Sentinel is only part of the story.
c. Commissioner Villalobos
Commissioner Villalobos passed on providing a report.
d. Commissioner Placko
Commissioner Placko passed on providing a report.
e. Mayor Gomez
Mayor Gomez passed on providing a report.
4. City Attorney Report
a. TO2446 — Emergency Ordinance Authorizing a Virtual Quorum
An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, authorizing the
City Commission to arrange for public meetings by use of Communications Media
Technology and for attendance by use of such technology by elected and appointed
officials during a declared public health emergency; providing for codification; providing
for conflicts, providing for severability; providing for an effective date.
Vice Mayor Bolton motioned to approve. Commissioner Placko seconded.
City Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion to approve carried 4-1 with
Commissioner Villalobos dissenting.
City Attorney Goren provided an update, not requiring specific action by the
Commission, with regard to the sale of the vacant land located at Rock Island Road and
Commercial Blvd. Goren stated, Michael Burke, who is special counsel for the City is
also on the call this evening to answer questions as necessary. Goren then provided an
update, stating the transaction is about to close in accordance with the contract, which
the City Commission approved. Goren stated, there is no physical action, legal action
required of the Commission, if the pieces come together, we will ask the Mayor to
execute documents under the Charter and we will close the transaction.
Discussion by the Commission ensued.
Vice Mayor Bolton made a motion to halt signing the settlement agreement pending
hiring of outside counsel to review. Commissioner Villalobos seconded.
Discussion by the Commission continued.
Mayor Gomez recessed the meeting at 7A1 p.m. for technical difficulties, and
reconvened at 7:55 p.m.
Mayor Gomez opened for public comment.
Clerk Johnson read, by email from Robyn Levine Marshman, Can you please remind
Bolton that there are a number of Woodmont residents outside freezing. My 80-year-old
is one of them. We request Woodmont be discussed.
Mayor Gomez closed public comment.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion failed 3-2. Commissioner
Placko, Commissioner Villalobos and Mayor Gomez voted no. Vice Mayor Bolton and
Commissioner Gelin voted yes.
Discussion by the Commission ensued.
Commissioner Villalobos, being on the prevailing side, motioned to reconsider.
Commissioner Bolton seconded.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion to reconsider carried 3-2, with
Commissioner Placko and Mayor Gomez dissenting.
Commissioner Bolton motioned to hire an attorney, at the city's expense outside counsel
to look over the documents pertaining to the lawsuit, so that I can make an informed
decision for my residents, and that outside counsel should give me an answer with 15
days of the this vote. Commissioner Villalobos seconded.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion carried 4-1, with Mayor Gomez
dissenting.
5. City Manager Report
The City Manager did not provide a report.
Mayor Gomez read instructions for public participation.
a) Andrew Dewar, of 4835 NW 48th Terrace, Tamarac, stated he is a new resident of
Tamarac in Hidden Trails. Dewar expressed his concern for increased taxes to the
homeowners. He feels it wasn't the right time for increasing fees, and asked if there
was a way to decrease the burden. Mayor Gomez asked that the Finance Director
reach out to the homeowner regarding the increased taxes.
b) Ron Wasserman, of Tamarac, expressed his concern for people receiving
colonoscopy's. He stated colon cancer is the devil working on this earth. Wasserman
went on to commend Tamarac Fire Department on the work they do. Finally,
Wasserman stated this city is run by special interests, builders and attorneys who
are pushing things we don't want.
The following comments were from Facebook.
c) Danisha Davis, Where are the taxes going?
d) Adam Reynolds, He is too interested in hearing himself talk.
e) Danisha Davis, Why are they so high on in new community?
f) Libera Magliocco, Cdd fee. Thats not answering the question, Give a number who
we prob won't have anyone pick up
g) Robyn Levine Marshman, What in the world is going on? Why is cancer being
discussed??
h) Libera Magliocco, residents of Hidden Trails do not feel safe. We have our cars
being robbed between 12 am and 4 am. There are up to six males trying to break in
to our cars way too often. We need BSO to patrol at these times.
i) Janelle Denzon [phonetic], Hidden Trails is a new community with 214 newly built
homes. WE are located in the Mainlands by Mainlands Park. Over the past yearand
a half, we've experienced numerous car break-ins and ongoing car theft. The
homeowners are requesting and demanding BSO to consistently patrol during late
hours between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. We are calling for action on this matter.
This needs to be on the BSO nightly schedule and a priority. The community would
like to be updated on any progress being made on this matter. We feel we are being
targeted due to our location. WE had a huge influx of car thefts this past weekend.
As homeowners paying the highest taxes in Tamarac, we shouldn't feel unsafe.
Thank you for your time.
7. Consent Agenda
a. Approval of the Nov. 10, 2020 City Commission Meeting Minutes
b. TR13528 — WTP Plant Filter Replacement
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approving Task
Authorization No. 21-03D and authorizing the appropriate City Officials to execute Task
Authorization No. 21-03D with Eckler Engineering, Inc., to provide professional services
for the Design of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Filter Replacement Project in the
amount of $486,885; including specifications followed by bidding assistance and
engineering services during construction, in accordance with the City's Consulting
Engineering Agreement as authorized by Resolution No. R-2016-80, for an amount not
to exceed $486,885; authorizing the appropriate City Officials to administer the contract;
providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date.
C. TR13532 — CST ONESolution Aareement Amendment 2
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approving and
authorizing the appropriate City officials to execute the amendment 2 to the Software
License and Services Agreement with Central Square Technologies to make minor
contract language corrections; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and
providing for an effective date.
d. TR13533 — CST ONESolution Aareement Amendment 3
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approving and
authorizing the appropriate City officials to execute amendment 3 to the software
License and Services Agreement with Central Square Technologies providing for
"Central Square Payments" payment processing services; authorizing execution of
associated contract documents; authorizing budget amendments for proper accounting
purposes; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective
date.
e. TR13534 — Citywide Security Systems Uparade (Phase 1) Chanae Order 3
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approvidng Change
Order 3 to the contract with Johnson Control Security Solutions, LLC, for the Citywide
Security systems Upgrade (Phase 1), to add additional design changes and security
enhancements/needs to the contract, at a cost not to exceed $151,198.59, increasing
the contract from a total of $833,814.52 to a total of $985,013.11, plus the previously
approved contingency of $83,282.00, and a new total project budget $1,068,395.11;
authorizing an additional appropriation in the amount not to exceed $151,198.59 to be
included in a future budget amendment pursuant to F.S. 166.241(2), authorizing the City
Manager or his designee to make changes and issue change orders in accordance with
the thresholds and provisions delineated in Section 6-1470)(2) of the Tamarac
Procurement Code, providing for conflicts, providing for severability; and providing for an
effective date.
f. TR13535 — Appointina James Haves Jr. as Resident Trustee on the Fire
Pension Board
Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, appointing on
Resident Trustee to the Firefighters Pension Board of Trustees to serve a four-year term
of office ending December 9, 2024, or until a new appointment is made; providing for
conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date.
g. TR13536 — Resolution supporting the Broward MPO to urae the FDOT to
fully fund projects administered under the LAP and other grant programs
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, supporting the
Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to urge the Florida Department of
Transportation to maintain the full project funding for design, construction engineering &
inspection for projects administered under the local agency program and other grant
funded programs; directing the City Clerk to forward a copy of this Resolution to
designated parties; and providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing
for an effective date.
h. TR13537 — Uraina Federal Government to Extend the Deadline for CARES
funds
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, urging the United
States Congress and the President to extend the deadline for the expenditure of the
CARES Act Funds; directing the City Clerk to share a copy of this Resolution with the
appropriate parties; providing for conflicts, providing for severability; and providing for an
effective date.
i. TR13539 — Decorative Fence at Waters Edge Park Playground Contract
Award to Phase 4 Construction LLC in an amount not to exceed $78.547.50
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, awarding Bid No.
20-17B to Phase 4 Construction LLC and approving the execution of an agreement
between the City of Tamarac and Phase 4 Construction LLC; attached hereto as Exhibit
"A" and incorporated herein, to provide an artistic decorative fence at Water's Edge Park
located at 7508 NW 61 Street, Tamarac, in the amount of $78,547.50; authorizing the
inclusion of a city controlled contingency in the project budget in the amount of
$7,854.75; providing for conflicts; providing for severability, and providing for an effective
date.
k. TR13541 — Authorization for Specification Writing Services for Emergency
Assistance Repairs Proaram
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approving the
agreement with TSC Associates Inc. for the Emergency Assistance Repairs Program,
funded with Coronovirus Relief Funds received through the state of Florida, in
accordance with the City's Code of Ordinances, Section 6-148 entitled "Exclusions and
Exceptions to Bid and Proposal Requirements"; specifically 6-148(I) "Waiver of
Procurement Procedures" for an amount not to exceed $85,000; providing for conflicts,
providing for severability; and providing for an effective date.
I. TR13542 — Amending Charitable Entities
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, amending
Resolution R-2019-90 by specifically adding to the list of charitable entities with whom
the City of Tamarac recognizes a formally approved relationship; providing for an
amended Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein, as may be amended
from time to time for the expressed purpose of compliance with Section 1-19(C)(5)(A)(4)
of the Broward County Code of Ordinances; providing for conflicts; providing for
severability and providing for an effective date.
Mayor Gomez pulled Item J: "TR13540 Commissioner District 3 Board Appointments" for
discussion.
Commissioner Gelin motioned to approve the consent agenda. Commissioner Placko
seconded.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote and the motion to approve the consent agenda
carried unanimously (5-0).
j. TR13540 — Commissioner District 3 Board Appointments
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, appointing
members to the Parks and Recreation Board, Planning Board and Public Art Committee
to serve a term concurrent with the appointing Commission member, or until such time
new appointments are made; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and
providing for an effective date.
City Attorney, Sam Goren, read the title for the record.
Commissioner Gelin motioned to approve. Vice Mayor Villalobos seconded.
Discussion by the Commission ensued.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion to approve carried 4-1, with
Mayor Gomez dissenting.
8. REGULAR AGENDA
a. TR 13531 — Selection of the Vice Mayor
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, electing a Vice
Mayor to serve a term beginning December 9, 2020, and ending November 2020, with no
succession; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective
date.
City Attorney, Sam Goren, read the title for the record.
A verbatim transcript of items 12.a. and 12.b. have been submitted, and are attached, as
part of the minutes.
12. QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING(S)
a. TBO39 — Woodmont Hotel — Special Exception
Special Exception approval for Woodmont Hotel, to allow for the operation of a hotel
as an ancillary use to a private country club in the S-1 (recreation ) Zoning District
pursuant to the Tamarac Code of Ordinances.
b. TR13380 — Woodmont Hotel — Maior Revised Site Plan
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, granting Major
Revised Site Plan approval (with conditions) to allow for the hotel parcel approval of
Phase 1 of the Woodmont Country Club Master Development Plan to allow for the
development of a new four (4) story hotel containing one hundred and twenty-two
(122) unites; for the subject property located at 7801 NW 80 Avenue, Tamarac,
Florida (Parcel A of the Woodmont Recreation complex, according to the plate
thereof, as recorded in No. 1-SP-19); providing for conflicts; providing for severability;
and providing for an effective date.
There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Gomez adjourned the meeting Thursday,
Dec. 10, 2020, at 1:38 a.m.
Minutes transcribed and submitted by City Clerk Jennifer Johnson.
nifer Johnso , CMC
ES
Michelle J. Gomez, Mayor
Note to the reader: The above signature is the City Clerk, of the City of Tamarac,
Florida. If the minutes you have received are not signed, or completed as
indicated above, they are not the official minutes of the Tamarac City
Commission Meeting held Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020.
Pursuant to Chapter 286.0105, Florida Statutes, if a person decides to appeal any
decision made by the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at such
meeting or hearing, he may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is
made which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is
based.
Commission Bolton made a motion to select Commissioner Villalobos as the Vice Mayor.
Commissioner Gelin seconded.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion to select Commissioner
Villalobos as the Vice Mayor carried unanimously (5-0).
Mayor Gomez recessed the meeting at &48 p.m. and reconvened at 9 p.m.
b. Overview of Mayor and Commissioner responsibilities as outlined in the
Charter and the Code of Ordinances
This item was not discussed.
c. TR13538 — Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER
FY2019-2020)
A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approving the
consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER FY2019-2020) which is
attached hereto as Exhibit "A° for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD's) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs for
HUD's fiscal year 2019-2020; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and
providing for an effective date.
City Attorney, Sam Goren, read the title for the record.
Commissioner Placko motioned to approve. Vice Mayor Villalobos seconded.
There was no discussion by the Commission.
Clerk Johnson conducted a roll call vote, and the motion to approved carried
unanimously (5-0).
9. ORDINANCE(S) (FIRST READING)
a. T02445 — Creation and Codification of Diversity. Eauity and Inclusion Advisory
Board
An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, amending
Chapter 2, "Administration," Article III, "Boards, Committees, Commissions," of the
City of Tamarac Code of Ordinances, by creating Division 4, "Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Advisory Board"; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; providing
for codification; and providing for an effective date.
This item was not discussed.
10. PUBLIC HEARING — NONE
11. ORDINANCE(S) (SECOND READING)
The City of Tamarac complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
If you are a disabled person requiring any accommodations or assistance, please notify
the City Clerk's Office at (954) 597-3505 of such need at least 48 hours (2 days) in
advance. Additionally, if you are hearing or speech impaired and need assistance, you
may contact the Florida Relay Service at either of the following numbers: 1-800-955-
8770 or 1-800-955-8771.
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Atkinson -Baker, a Veritext Company
www.depo.com
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION OF
CITY OF TAMARAC
COMMISSION MEETING
DECEMBER 9, 2020
ATKINSON-BAKER, INC.
(800) 288-3376
www.depo.com
TRANSCRIBED BY: MARY HARLOW
FILE NO. AF015FD
age
Transcription
December 09, 2020
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A P P E A R A N C E S
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKERS
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ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
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MICHELLE J. GOMEZ
RUSSEL BARAKAT
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MAYOR / COMMISSION CHAIR
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AFFECTED PARTY
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SAM GOREN
CHRISTIE SABINS (PHONETIC)
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CITY ATTORNEY
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AFFECTED PARTY
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MAXINE CALLOWAY
MARILYN BROWN
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CITY DIRECTOR
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AFFECTED PARTY
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKERS
CINA CUBIE
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AFFECTED PARTY
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KARIM ISHMAEL (PHONETIC)
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DEVELOPER
MELINDA BERNSTEIN (VIA LETTER READ INTO THE RECORD)
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AFFECTED PARTY
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DAVID BERNARD (PHONETIC)
DEVELOPER'S ARCHITECT
RUTH NOLDS
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PUBBLLICCSPEAKER
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JOHN LANCET (PHONETIC)
CONSULTANT ON BEHALF OF DEVELOPER
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W LLIN
PUUBLICC SPEAKER
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CITY CLERK
HOWARD ROSEN
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
ELVIN VILLALOBOS
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VICE MAYOR
JUAN MANUELTORRES
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
DEBRA PLACKO
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COMMISSIONER
GEORGE MONTEIRO
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
MIKE GELIN
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COMMISSIONER
RON WASSERMAN
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
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ALAN STODDARD
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EVELYN WANDER (PHONETIC)
PUBLIC SPEAKER
PUBLIC SPEAKER
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CATHERINE JOHNSON(PHONETIC)
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MARLON D. BOLTON
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
COMMISSIONER
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GISLA PRINZ STODDARD (PHONETIC)
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RICHARD GAINER (PHONETIC)
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
PUBLIC SPEAKER
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ROBIN MARSHMAN(PHONETIC)
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JENNIFER THOMAS
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
PUBLIC SPEAKER
DOMINIC RIVERA(PHONETIC)
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
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BOB THUMUDO
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
LISA HAYDEN (PHONETIC) - VIA PHONE
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
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EDDIE RAMIREZ (PHONETIC)
PUBLIC SPEAKERS VIA EMAILS READ INTO THE RECORD:
PUBLIC SPEAKER
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ROBERT FORTIER (PHONETIC)
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AIDA PHARTON (PHONETIC)
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
ARAM REYNOLDS
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DAVID ROSAS (PHONETIC)
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IAN HERNANDEZ (PHONETIC)
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
MICHAEL MARTINEZ
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JAY COUCHER (PHONETIC)
DAVID MONTFORD(PHONETIC)
PUBLIC SPEAKER
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ELISSA BROWN
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DINO CORNICK (PHONETIC) - VIA VIDEO
ANDY BEDFORD
PUBLIC SPEAKER
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CINDY BIEBER LAZAR
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ANNA ROSEN
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RYAN JOHNSON (PHONETIC)
PUBLIC SPEAKER
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IMRAN LAUGI (PHONETIC)
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SUZETTE MONTEIRO
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
SHERRY EEKER(PHONETIC)
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SCOTT OBE (PHONETIC)
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Transcription
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BETTY ANN WALTER-EVERSOL (PHONETIC)
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MICHAEL EVER (PHONETIC)
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MARIA BELLOW (PHONETIC)
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LAURA MAY HARRIS SAPERSTENE (PHONETIC)
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MICHAEL MARTINEZ - VIA PHONE
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PUBLIC SPEAKER
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MICHAEL CERNECH
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CITY MANAGER
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1 Woodmont Hotel Special Exception. It's a Special 1
2 Exception approval for the Woodmont Hotel to allow for 2
3 the operation of a hotel as an ancillary use to a 3
4 private country club in the S-1(Recreational) Zoning 4
5 District pursuant to the Tamarac Code of Ordinances. 5
6 It would result in an order, which is attached to and 6
7 made a part of your agendas this evening. 7
8 Item 12b is a Resolution which relates to the 8
9 Major Revised Site Plan - that's TR13380. Both are 9
10 being read to put them on the public record. It's a 10
11 Resolution of the City Commission of the City of 11
12 Tamarac, Florida, granting Major Revised Site Plan 12
13 approval - that's with conditions - to allow for the 13
14 hotel parcel approval of Phase 1 of the Woodmont 14
15 Country Club Master Development Plan to allow for the 15
16 development of anew four-story hotel containing122 16
17 units for the subject property located a 7801 NW 80th 17
18 Avenue in the city of Tamarac, Florida, references 18
19 ParcelAof Woodmont Recreation complex, according to 19
20 the plat thereof, as recorded in Plat Book 91, of page 20
21 49, of the Broward County public records, case number 21
22 being Case No. 1-SP-19, providing for conflicts; 22
23 severability; and providing for an effective date. 23
24 Both items, Madam Mayor and Commission, are 24
25 being read for the record, and to be placed on the 25
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION OF
CITY OF TAMARAC
COMMISSION MEETING
DECEMBER 9,2020
MAYOR GOMEZ: And now for the moment most of
you have been waiting for. We're going to go to 12,
Quasi -Judicial Hearings. And we are to ATBO39,
Woodmont Hotel, a Special Exception. City Attorney,
do you want this read into the record simultaneously,
and then voted on separately?
CITY ATTORNEY: Thank you, Mayor. If I may,
I'd, I would suggest that 12a and b are both separate,
however, they're joined legally in the context of the
applicant's presentation. If you'd allow me to read
12a and b into the record, I'd be happy to do that,
and then give you the rules of the road under this -
under the ordinance, and the procedures governing
quasi-judicial, so it will allow the Commission to
consider the testimony and the evidence that'll be
presented before you on the applications of the, the
developer.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Sounds good. Thank you very
much. Please read both ATBO39 and TR13380.
CITY ATTORNEY: Thank you, Mayor and
Commission. Item 12a is - references TB039 - it's the
record on the floor for consideration by the
Commission. If you will, Mayor and Commission, I'll
be happy to walk you through the quasi-judicial
proceedings, as to how they will be conducted this
evening.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes, please.
CITY ATTORNEY: Thank you. The proceedings
this evening are controlled by an ordinance in the
City - it's 2-367, which is the Quasi -Judicial
Proceeding Matter. For most members of the
Commission, it's a familiar approach. You've been
down the road before regarding sworn testimony and
evidence, and the presentation by both staff,
applicants, and the public. It is the intent of 2-367
and following, for the City to provide an equitable
and efficient manner for the City to hear matters
which are considered what's called quasi-judicial in
nature, and to the extent possible, to follow those
procedures in connection with this Board.
The rules of the road essentially are as
follows. The applicant and the - has filed papers
with the City, as you know. The Planning Board has
reviewed the matter, and has discussed the issue, and
has made a recommendation to the City Commission.
The purpose of tonight's discussion - the rules
Transcription
December09, 2020 6..9
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of quasi-judicial would apply. The, the staff
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essentially will present their testimony and evidence
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to the Mayor and Commission. There'll be a
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presentation by Maxine Calloway, and any other
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professional staff person or outside consultant
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engaged by the City for that particular purpose.
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The applicant who has filed for the hotel site,
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will also have an opportunity to be heard. In each
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instance, the witnesses will be sworn. The City Clerk
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will swear in the witnesses who will be testifying
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before the Commission this evening, who are obligated
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under the City Code to present both substantial and
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competent evidence for the purposes of your
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consideration.
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This City Commission has provided notice of
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this meeting, both to provide fundamental and
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procedural due process, so that the staff will go
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first in the context of their presentation. The
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applicant will have an opportunity to also present
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their presentation with regard to the applications
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pending before the Commission. The Commission will
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then turn to the public for public hearing, as the
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case may be, and also affected parties. And affected
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parties are those people under the Code of Ordinances
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that are affected because they live within a certain
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1 All documents, records, and materials that were
2 otherwise provided to the Planning Board are also
3 before you, which means any documents that you - they
4 considered, you know, on their side, essentially are
5 being - are being before you, as well. And to the
6 extent possible, you will be listening to the evidence
7 and testimony, and making a decision based upon what'
8 called competent and substantial evidence to support
9 the applications. Maxine Calloway's prepared a Maker
10 presentation, and to that extent, I'm assuming that
11 the applicant is present. And I would like, for the
12 record, Madam Clerk, if we can now know who from the
13 staff will be testifying before the Commission. 1
14 assume Maxine Calloway only - or is there others?
15 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Well —
16 MALE SPEAKER: Well —
17 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Well - if it's appropriate
18 for me to speak, it's Maxine Calloway from staff,
19 Franklin Ziegler (phonetic), of necessary, and Carl
20 Peterson (phonetic), who is also here, who is our Peer
21 Reviewer, and our Traffic Consultant.
22 CITY ATTORNEY: Okay. Thank you. And thank
23 you, Maxine. For the purpose of record, is the, is
24 the applicant present this evening? I know that
25 they're not in the jurisdiction, they're on the
Page 11
number of feet of the subject property, and they've
otherwise been individually notified by the City under
the proceedings of this ordinance.
So for the consequence of conversation, once
the public has been given a right to be heard, being
given sworn testimony, they'll - public comments are
limited to three minutes. Comments, as you know, from
affectedparties are limited to the reasonableness of
the time it takes to present their cases before the
Commission, and then subject themselves to cross
examination by the parties.
To the extent also that are any ex parte
communications that have been conducted before you
begin, you'll all, all have to make disclosures with
regard to any contacts you might have had with the
applicant, the applicant's consultants, or any other
party who may have lobbied you in the context of this
proceeding under - also under the City Code of
Ordinances.
To the extent possible, once the public has
given - been given a chance to be heard, and the
applicant has been given a chance to be heard, and the
affected parties will be given a chance to be heard,
and the City has any closing statement, it may make
them for the purposes of presentation to you.
1 virtual platform. Are they currently be - able tobe
2 heard and seen, and who are they, for the record, if
3 you will.
4 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes.
5 MR. ISHMAEL (phonetic): Yes, it's —
6 MAXINE CALLOWAY: I'm sorry.
7 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes. My name is Karim Ishmael.
8 1 will be leading the presentation. And with me are -
9 and I'll ask them to introduce themselves. David, we
10 can't —
11 MAYOR GOMEZ: The mute, please.
12 MR. ISHMAEL: — hear you.
13 CITY ATTORNEY: Sir, you're muted.
14 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes.
15 DAVID BERNARD (phonetic): Yes. Sorryabout
16 that. My name's David Bernard. I'm with Sappos
17 (phonetic) Architects. We're the architects forthe
18 job.
19 CITY ATTORNEY: Any other —
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: Is there anyone else?
21 CITY ATTORNEY: Any other speakers on behalf
22 the applicant? Mr. Ishmael - anybody else?
23 JOHN LANCET: Yes. And this is John Lancet
24 (phonetic). I'm with HVS, Hotel Consulting and
25 Evaluation. We're a firm that specializes in hotel
Transcription
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feasibility and appraisals.
CITY ATTORNEY: Okay. And no other - no other
speaker on behalf of the applicant?
MR. ISHMAEL: No, that's it. Thank you.
CITY ATTORNEY: Okay. Madam Clerk, are there
any public speakers, affected parties who intend to
present testimony and evidence this evening? If so,
identify them so they can be swom. We'll, we'll
swear, swear everybody at the same time, which will
make it a lot easier in time. Affected parties would
be whom, and if they are present, please identify
them.
CITY CLERK: Sure. We have three that are
present, Mr. City Attorney. We have Russel Barakat,
Christy Sabins (phonetic), and Marilyn Brown
(phonetic) who are here in person, as affected
parties.
CITY ATTORNEY: And if there are any members of
the public who have come out this evening to speak for
or against the project, they'll be sworn, as well. So
what I would suggest that you do is this - we're in a
virtual world. So would all staff members who will be
otherwise testifying this evening, and the applicant's
group, also identified on the record by name on the
screen, the affected parties, and any member of the
Page 15
1 public who intends to be heard this evening, would you
2 please and stand and raise your right hand, to be
3 sworn by the Clerk.
4 MAYOR GOMEZ: One second before you do. Is
5 there anybody still outside? If, if - for the moment,
6 let them come in, please, so they can be sworn at one
7 time. (unintelligible) Okay. Thank you. If you
8 would, please raise your hand. Then, City Clerk,
9 please proceed.
10 CITY CLERK: Thank you. As a notary of the
11 State of Florida - do you solemnly swear to tell the
12 truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
13 (Chorus of Yes and 'I do')
14 CITY CLERK: Thank you.
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you, everybody. Thank you.
16 CITY ATTORNEY: Madam Mayor, if you will, under
17 the provisions of the quasi-judicial ordinance, which
18 in this situation would be Section Three - 2-37, a
19 couple of things in the record, just to - for
20 housekeeping purposes, if I may. The City, again,
21 shall present any staff, or Board reports, or any
22 other matters, as well as any comments. The report
23 shall include, but not be limited to a description of
24 the request of the petitioner, an analysis which
25 includes the consistency with the City's Comprehensive
rage lb
Plan, if applicable, and whether the petition does or
1
does not meet the requirements of the City's Code,
2
while listing also the exhibits to be presented, a
3
listing of potential witnesses, which are now sworn
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under the terms of the Code, summary of the issues,
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and staff and Board's recommendations. Thesereports
6
shall include, etc., the specific findings in support
7
ofjustifying a recommendation for approval ordenial
8
of the, of the petition.
9
The petitioner or his or her representative -
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and there are folks who've been sworn for thatperson
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- may also make a presentation. If the petition,
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petitioner chooses to make a presentation, it should
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include a description of the nature of the petition,
14
if there is additional information that has not been
15
previously provided to or by the City. Inaddition,
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the petitioner shall also introduce any otherexhibits
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in the context of their presentation affecting the
18
application, and their petition.
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There will also be parties who will be in
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support, parties who will be in opposition, and then
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those, of course, the affected parties, as well. Once
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the public hearing is closed, the Mayor and Commission
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will be able to deliberate, based upon the competent
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and substantial evidence which it has adduced during
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the course of the, the presentation. To the extent
that there's a final - a motion will be effected on -
separately on both items, one of which is the Board
Order, the Commission's Order with regard to the
Special Exception, and the site plan, as well.
Happy to answer any questions as you proceed,
but now you have joined the parties. Ms. Calloway is
available to begin the presentation, offer up a
PowerPoint, and, and to support through substantial
and competent evidence, the staffs position and
recommendation before the City Commission, and under
the Code, and the Comprehensive Plan. Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. I'm going to just go
through the outline one more time, to make sure it's
clear. We will do disclosures --
CITY ATTORNEY First.
MAYOR GOMEZ: --first.
CITY ATTORNEY. Um-hmm.
MAYOR GOMEZ We will then have staff do its
presentation, applicant its presentation. We will
then open it up for public comments. In the public
comments, we will go for affected parties first. I
believe all people who were outside are now inside,
which is good, because it's a little bit warmer
inside. We will then go through emails and phone
Transcription
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1 logs, and then we will go to the Commission for
2 discussion, and then it will be put for a motion, or
3 not, correct?
4 CITY ATTORNEY: Correct.
5 MAYOR GOMEZ: The motion shall be last.
6 CITY ATTORNEY: And to the extent that the
7 public hearing is closed, and all the evidence has
8 been adduced, then the Commission, by motion, must
9 make appropriate points of reference to make a
10 discussion and decision based upon both items. It
11 must make findings with regards to the basis for your
12 consideration, and, and your consideration and review
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Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. One more housekeeping
item. As I mentioned earlier, there will be things
that people will be excited about. They will be
happy. They will not be happy. I'm going to ask that
we try to keep our comments to ourselves. If you
really have to cheer, please, snap. We will try to
move this along as quickly as possible. Then: will be
people who will be called, and d is my understanding
that you may just want to say In Support or Not in
Support. And this way, you could just state your name
for the record, and this way we can mark you off that
you were here, and that you'd been swom in.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Vice Mayor, you wish to speak? 1
VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: Are we to disclose when 2
we meet with residents?
MAYOR GOMEZ: You can if you wish. I believe
it's technically for lobbyists, and —
VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: That's what I thought.
Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: But at this point in time, the
definition is - as is. As for myself, I did have a
video conference with Karim Ishmael, and forgive me, I
am blanking right now - with his partner. I don't
know if it's in the same line, but several months ago,
regarding a different matter, there was a meeting with
Mark Schmidt - excuse me. It was on a different
matter. The topic of the hotel came up, and so
therefore, I disclose that. And yes, there have been
residents who have reached out, but they do not - are
not defined as a lobbyist. That being said, we shall
now move on to our staff presentation. Director
Calloway?
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Thank you Madam Mayor,
members of the Commission, and good evening to you
all. My name is Maxine Calloway, and I'm the Director
of Community Through Development. This evening, I
will be presenting both items, the Special Exception,
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If you wish to speak, you will come down to the
podium over here. Everyone will have three minutes.
We cannot - I can't give my three minutes to somebody
else. You all have - everybody has their own three
minutes. Yes, we have a thirty minute timeline on
this, however, we will do everything possible to make
sure everybody is heard. Okay? So hopefully - we
also do have a closing time at 11:30, but the
Commission can discuss whether or not we will extend.
We may or may not need all that time, anyway.
That being said, I will now go down the line.
Vice Mayor, do you have any disclosures?
VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: No disclosures. I do
not meet with lobbyists.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Commissioner Plac ko?
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: No, I do not.
MAYOR GOMEZ: And my apologies, actually, Vice
Mayor Villalobos.
VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: No, I do not.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Commissioner Gelin?
COMMISSIONER GELIN: Yes. I had a telephone or
video conference with Karim Ishmael. I also watched
the video that was sent to me by one of the Woodmont
residents, and I watched the news, WSVN-7 coverage of
this, on yesterday.
as well as the Major Revised Site Plan for the
Woodmont proposed hotel. Next slide.
As mentioned as a part of the titles, tonight's
request is a Special Exception and Major Revised Site
Plan for the Woodmont Country Club property. What's
being proposed is a new four-story hotel comprised of
122 units, for a future land use designation of
Commercial, and a zoning classification, current
zoning classification of RC, although the Development
Agreement has a Property Zone S-1, and Commission
District Four, which is the Vice - I'm sorry,
Commissioner Debra Placko's district. Thank you.
Next slide.
The subject property is located on the
northwest comer of Northwest 80th Avenue and Northwest
75th Street, at 7801 NW 80th Avenue. The proposed hotel
will be addressed as 7771 NW 80th Avenue, should it be
approved. The property is 13.47 net acres in size.
It has a current City of Tamarac Future Land Use
Designation of Commercial Recreation, and a zoning
classification, a current zoning classification of RC.
Next slide, please.
Just some background and information as to how
we have gotten here. We have been discussing this
property, or this project since 2014. Just some
Transcription
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Page 2:
1 events that has occurred, series of actions that has
2 led us to tonight.
3 In June 25th, 2014, we approved the Land Use
4 Amendment that allowed us to change six parcels from
5 Commercial Recreation to Low Residential, and then we
6 changed the Land Use Designation on one parcel from
7 Commercial Recreation to Commercial. In additionto
8 that, on June 25th, we did a rezoning, as well. We
9 approved six parcels from the S-1, which is a
10 Recreational Zoning District, to a Single Family
11 District, which is your R-1 district, and we also
12 rezoned that one Commercial Land Use parcel from S-1
13 to B-2, which is your Planned Community District.
14 In 2014, July, we approved a Consolidated,
15 Amended and Restated Covenant, which for the most part
16 held the remaining golf course property under a
17 covenant for the next 50 years for the Woodland
18 Country Club. And then following that, on November
19 10th, 2015, we went ahead and approved the Major
20 Revised Site Plan for the development of the Country
21 Club facility, as well as a cart barn, along with the
22 associated parking and landscaping for that project.
23 And January 2017, that's when Pulte came on the
24 scene, and they were added as a party to the
25 Development Agreement, and so the City Commission
1 so that's the provision that would apply to this site
2 plan, and this Special Exemption. Under the old code,
3 as well as the new code, a hotel is a Special
4 Exception use, which is ancillary or incidental to
5 public or private country club, through a Special
6 Exception approval (unintelligible). And so that's
7 why we're here before you tonight, for this Special
8 Exception approval, and then for the Major Revised
9 Site Plan. Next slide.
10 As mentioned before, the hotel is apermitted
11 use in the, in the S-1 zoning district, which isthe
12 district under which a Development Agreement approved
13 the Master Plan Project, and it's permitted as an
14 incidental use to a public or private country club
15 through a Special Exception approval by the City
16 Commission.
17 And just some information on what a Special
18 Exemption is. It's really a permitted use that is
19 permitted in that respective zoning district, that
20 requires individualized review due to the potential
21 individual or cumulative impacts that they may have on
22 a surrounding area or neighborhood. The use permitted
23 by Special Exception shall not adversely affectthe
24 public health, safety, and general welfare of the
25 city. And the review process allows the imposition of
1 adopted an Amended and Restated Development Agreement.
2 That Agreement became a tri-party agreement between
3 Pulte, the City, and Woodmont Country Club, forthe
4 approval of the property within the Woodmont Plat.
5 And then shortly that, in February 2017, we
6 went ahead and approved the site plan for the new golf
7 course, as well, and the aqua range, and thedriving
8 range, as well as the associated landscape, andthen
9 parking. But we also approved the maintenance
10 building as a part of that meeting. And then on April
11 26, 2017, that's when we approved a Plat and
12 Residential Development for 152 single family homes,
13 and the associated plat for that project. So I just
14 wanted to give you some background. Next slide.
15 So this project is a part of a Development
16 Agreement, and that development agree is subjectto
17 Florida Statutes 163-3220 to 163-3243, which
18 essentially means that the development itself is
19 subject to the regulations at the time the Development
20 Agreement was approved. So our current Land
21 Development Code is not applicable forthese
22 proceedings to night, or for this proposed
23 development.
24 What is applicable is the old code, which is
25 Chapter 24, which was repealed with the new code, and
1 conditions to mitigate identified concerns, or to deny
2 the use if the concerns cannot be resolved. Next
3 slide.
4 So there were six standards that wereapplied
5 to this application for Special Exception. As
6 mentioned, those standards came from Chapter 24, which
7 is our old code, and we also applied the new
8 standards, as well, because they are a lot similar to
9 the old standard, and based on the memorandum that's
10 included in your backup, staff has found, based on
11 our, our analysis, that the technical standardsfor
12 these six criteria were met by the applicant, and were
13 met by the application that was submitted to the City.
14 Next slide, please.
15 So moving on to the Site Plan, in addition to
16 the Special Exception application that's beforeyou,
17 the applicant has also requested a Major Revised Site
18 Plan to facilitate the construction of a Home2 Suites
19 by Hilton Hotel. And this is an all -suite extended
20 stay hotel, which is featuring contemporary
21 accommodations, and customizable guest room design.
22 Next slide.
23 So I just want to share this with you real
24 quick, because this brings us back to 2016, just as a
25 reminder that in May 11, 2016, the City wanted to
Transcription
December 09, 2020 22..25
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1
ensure that we adopted stringent regulations that
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would control the performance and the design of hotel
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buildings in the S-1 zoning district, as well as the
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RC, the current RC zoning district. And so back in
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2016, the adopted and established significant design
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and performance standards for new hotels in the city -
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and these hotels must be incidental to a public or
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private country club, property or use. And so those
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2016 regulations were carried over, and further
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enhanced as a part of the 2018 Code rewrite that we
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did, and they're now placed in the RC Zoning District.
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Next slide.
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Some of those stringent standards include - and
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this was just to make sure that we were adopting
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provisions that would give us high quality product,
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that would not be converted into a condominium, or
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into a motel type of use. And so these are some of
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the standards that we incorporated in 2016, and
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carried over into 2018 - that all guest rooms shall be
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accessed from the interior of the structure. We
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wanted to make sure that guest rooms within the hotel
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would not be under separate ownership, and would not
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be assigned by lease agreement or similar instrument.
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And this is to avoid the conversion into a condominium
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type use.
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amenities be provided by that clubhouse. So the
2
clubhouse will support the hotel with outdoor pool
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area, with a restaurant and bar, banquet, meeting
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room, and conference room, as well as a full service
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restaurant, and a gift shop. Next slide.
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In terms of the circulation and parking, the
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red shows, at the very bottom where you see NW 80th
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Avenue, and the red arrow that's showing the access,
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which will be provided by shared, two lane ingress and
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egress from NW 80th Avenue. That access will be
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divided by a median with sufficient landscaping.
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As the access also allows for full turning
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movement onto NW 80th Avenue, so when you're leaving
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you can have full turning movement, whether you're
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going left, or you're right. A porte-cochere is
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provided in the front of the hotel to providefor
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protection from the elements. And sidewalks, which
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are the green arrows that you see from NW 80th Avenue,
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with one leading directly to the hotel, is also
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provided. So those are the green arrows that you see
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on the site plan. Next slide.
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Relative to parking, existing parking areas
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will be improved around the new clubhouse, plus
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parking spaces will be added to support the hotel, 122
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additional spaces. A total of 331 parking spaces are
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We also wanted to make sure that the hotel
would have, at a minimum, central switchboard, provide
daily room cleaning service, have a regular staff
concierge service, a porter service, and valet
parking. That the structure would have a elevator,
and not just be all, like a stairwell. We also wanted
to make sure that it was accessory, and located within
the structure of a primary use bar, full service, and
this is the clubhouse facility that needed to have all
of these amenities. And so all of these additional
amenities were carried over in this application, and
as you will see during the presentation, has been
provided by the applicant as a part of this proposed
hotel. Next slide.
In addition to the high quality design, the
proposed hotel will also contain a large gathering
area adjacent to the hotel lobby. So this is the
floor plan that shows that the large gathering area,
which you will see in yellow, towards the bottom of
your screen. It would also have a fitness room, a
breakfast area, a comer market, a patio lounge, an
indoor pool, and then a full patio area. Next slide.
In addition to that, and consistent with the
Code requirements the Code requires that this be
incidental to a clubhouse facility, and that certain
being proposed, where a total of 331 parking spaces
are being required by Code, and these total spaces
will support the hotel, the clubhouse, and golf
course. In addition to that, there are five electric
vehicle parking spaces that will be provided as a part
of this development. Next slide.
Consistent with every major site plan that we
bring before you, we do ask the applicant to prepare a
traffic report, or a traffic study, which was done by
the applicant, and prepared by DC Engineers, Inc.
That report was also reviewed by the City's consultant
and peer reviewer, who is also here tonight if you
have any questions for him. And based on that traffic
analysis, it was found that the proposed hotel will
generate 441 vehicle trips per day, which is 35 trips
A.M. peak hour, which is 19 inbound and 16 outbound,
43 trips P.M. peak hour, which is 21 inbound and 22
outbound, and 49 trips Saturday peak hour. All in
all, the intersections that were studied showed that
the hotel would operate within an acceptable parameter
today and into the future, with or without the
construction of one hotel. Next slide
Our peer reviewer reviewed the study and found
that the parameters were acceptable and consistent
with the approved traffic impact study methodology,
Transcription
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Page 30
and found two comments or observations, which are
listed on this slide. That each of the signalized
intersections within the project study area are
projected to operate at an acceptable Level of Service
in the buildout year of 2021, and that each of the
unsignalized intersections and the project driveway
are projected to operate at an acceptable Level of
Service in the buildout year of 2021. Next slide.
And relevant to landscape, the project will be
significantly landscaped, with 112 trees, consisting
of 69 shade trees, 11 palm trees, 32 smaller trees,
will also be added to the country club development in
the area around the hotel. In addition to that, a
total of 408 trees will, will be provided throughout
the overall development of the project. In addition
to that there will be 1900 shrubs in the area around
the hotel. And some of the trees that are being
proposed, as you can see on this slide, are your Royal
Poinciana, your Queen Tree, your Mastic and West
Indies Mahogany, and a series of palms, including your
Royal, and cabbage palms. Next slide.
So the next few slides talk about the
architectural design, and the elevations. And we
wanted to make sure that what was being proposed was
consistent with the residential look and feel of the
Page 32
achieved through the provision of some gabled roof
elements that you will see on this elevation, some
overhangs with decorative brackets, ground level
trellis structure along the outside patio area. We
incorporated some stone veneer, which was applied to
the facade. All the roof mechanic equipment are, are
going to be screened, of course, and the hotel height
was reduced to four floors, 56 feet, and one and one-
half inch, which is measured to the mid -point of the
gabled roof, and 60 feet in height, the top of the
gabled roof, where a maximum of 60 feet is allowed in
the S-1 zoning district. So the applicant is not
asking or a variance. The proposed height is
consistent with the Code, and we felt that we were
getting somewhere with this new design, and the
compatibility with the built and existing environment.
Next slide.
This is the last submission we received, and in
this submission we believe that it sufficiently hides
this illuminated, transparent, branded glass roof
feature, which is a signature of the Home-2 Suites
Hotel brand. This is typically placed on top of their
building, but in this design, we had it placed under
the gabled roof to conceal this feature, and to
incorporate a more residential design. Next slide.
Page 31
1 area. And so there were seven different architectural
2 elevations that were proposed by the applicant
3 throughout the entire review of this hotel development
4 - three of which we reviewed by - were reviewed by the
5 City's architectural consultants, CPZ Architects. So
6 this is the first submission. We didn't think that it
7 had a feel, it was compatible with the residential
8 feel of the area, and so we asked the applicant to
9 enhance, and resubmit. Let's go to the next slide.
10 So, great lengths were taken in the review
11 process to create a building design that is highly
12 sensitive to the surrounding residential development.
13 We wanted to make sure that the - this hotel was
14 compatible with the built environment, and so this is
15 the second iteration that was submitted to staff, and
16 we didn't think that this, this was compatible with
17 the built environment. And so if we can go to the
18 next slide.
19 We - after this submittal, we still didn't
20 think that it met what we were looking for, was not as
21 compatible as we were hoping to achieve, and we wanted
22 to obtain a more residential feel. Let's go to the
23 next slide.
24 So with this submittal, we thought we were
25 almost there, with this fourth submittal. This was
1 So this is the illuminated transparent branding
2 glass that I mentioned in the previous slide, thatwe
3 wanted to make sure - we, we thought that if itstuck
4 out this way, that it was not consistent with - of a -
5 with a residential feel. So we had them tuck it under
6 the, the gabled roof, just to conceal that, and to
7 afford for a more residential design. Next slide.
8 So this is the final design that staff has, and
9 that was submitted by the applicant. And as I said,
10 we went through some iterations to get to this design
11 that we believe is consistent with the built
12 environment, and compatible with the residential feel
13 of the, of the area. Next slide.
14 So, some information on what staff has received
15 to date, relative to this project. We had the
16 applicant notice the entire Woodmont Community. What
17 is typically required is notice from the property to
18 400 feet away from the property. But because this is
19 a Master Plan project, we had the applicant notice the
20 entire Woodmont Community, which comprised of2,769
21 properties.
22 In addition to that, we received the updated
23 from this City Clerk's Office - 118 signatures from,
24 we received from Russell Barakat, who is also an
25 affected party tonight. We also received an
Transcription
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1 additional 70 signatures of opposition from Woodmont 1 1
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residents, and another 44 signatures, which is
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Petition Two, opposing the project, from some
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additional Woodmont residents.
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We also received petitions, 80 signatures, from
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Mark Schmidt. Those signatures are in favor of the
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project. And we received an additional 71 emails
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opposing the project, and an additional eight emails
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in favor of the project. Next slide, please.
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We also, at the Planning Board meeting, there
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was some discussion relative to crime in the area.
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And so we asked BSO to provide some statistics for us,
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and they sent this over, which we're including in the
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presentation tonight, which speaks to the crime
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analysis that was done over the last three years,
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which shows a reduction in crime in the area. And so
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we just wanted to share that with you tonight, which
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we expect to be maintained, should the hotel be
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approved. Next slide.
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So, it's staff recommendation that this project
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is consistent with the City's strategic goals,
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particularly Goal #4, which speaks to Tamarac being a
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vibrant community. It is staffs opinion that the
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redeveloped country club, with an active, healthy, and
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fun lifestyle, and featuring new amenities, it's a
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
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CITY ATTORNEY: Madam Mayor, to the extent that
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the staff has made a presentation with a PowerPoint,
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I'm sure that Ms. Calloway is offering that up as part
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of the staffs exhibit for the consideration by the
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Mayor and Commission. Correct, Ms. Calloway?
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: That is correct, Sam.
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CITY ATTORNEY: Thank you. That should be
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exhibited and tagged by the Clerk for that purpose.
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Thank you.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. At this time, we will
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ask the applicant to make his presentation.
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MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you. Can you see me all
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right, and hear me?
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes, we can. Thank you.
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MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you. Thank you, Maxine,
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for that presentation. Again, my name Karim Ishmael.
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1 am the Co -Manager of the proposed hotel development.
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Thank you for the opportunity to share this exciting
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project.
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At a time when the hospitality industry has
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faced, or is facing a tsunami in the form ofCOVID-19,
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the fact that we are keen to move ahead is indicative
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of our belief that this project will be highly benefit
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to the Woodmont Community and Tamarac, but also having
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good enhancement for that area and for the community,
and is consistent with Policy 1.4 of the City's
Comprehensive Plan, and also meets the standards and
criteria, technical standards and criteria as
established by the Code. And so staff is recommending
approval of both the Special Exception, as well as the
site plan. Next slide.
The item was heard by the Planning Board at
their November4th meeting, and the Planning Board also
submitted a recommendation of approval for the Major
Revised Site Plan, at a vote of 3 to 2, and the
Special Exception at a vote of 4 to 1. Next slide.
So once again, staff is recommending approval
of the Special Exception, subject to these three
conditions that is incorporated in your memorandum,
and listed on this slide next slide - and recommending
a - recommendation of approval for the Major Revised
Site Plan for a new, four-story hotel containing 122
units, subject to the eight conditions of approval, as
listed in your memorandum, and seen on this slide
tonight that we'd like to also enter into evidence.
That concludes my presentation. The applicant
also has a presentation for you tonight, and staff is
available after the applicant's presentation, to take
any questions you might have.
the confidence that the project will be financially
viable.
I'm particularly grateful I can present
remotely, given COVID-19 and restrictions, and pleased
that David Bernard, principle architect on this
project, and John Lancet, with HVS, is able to join
us, as well We appreciate the support we've received
from staff, who have recommended approval of the
Special Exception, as well as the Major Site approval.
And finally, we have worked very hard with staff, not
to have any variances that we're requesting, so we're
not requesting any variances
We have 79 petitions received, or 80 -wonder
whether those are already entered into the record, or
whether I need to make a request to enter them into
the record.
MAYOR GOMEZ: If I may, City Attorney, please
confirm that that was part of Ms. Calloway, Director
Calloway's presentation, and therefore does not need -
CITY ATTORNEY If, if I may --
MAYOR GOMEZ: -- to be entered again.
CITY ATTORNEY: -- Madam Mayor, on condition
that they were attached to her presentation, the
answer is they're part of the presentation, and part
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1 of the public record, as well.
2 MR. ISHMAEL: Okay. Thank you.
3 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
4 MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you. I'd like to address,
5 firstly, the Major Revised Site Plan application
6 briefly, and then focus on - focus on the Special
7 Exception justification, and show we meet, and, and
8 frankly, exceed the six requirements we are required
9 to meet. I will also, along the way, address some of
10 the concerns already expressed to us by our immediate
11 neighbors, and some of the changes we've made to
12 accommodate the City and the community's wishes, so
13 that we are a good neighbor from the get -go. And
14 finally, I'll end with just outlining the benefits we
15 see to the Woodmont Community and Tamarac for this
16 project. And happy to answer questions, of course.
17 Okay. Okay. Just let me line up the --
18 MAYOR GOMEZ: Take your time.
19 MR. ISHMAEL: Yeah - and thank you. So, just
20 two points I'd like to make - that this is the final
21 improvement of the Phase One, already approved country
22 club project. The country club is already
23 constructed, and - as is the associated cart barn,
24 parking lot, and landscaping, and that the hotel is a
25 permitted use - is permitted as an ancillary use to a
1 area, a typical lobby. The hotel provides expanded
2 community space, call the Oasis, that provides common
3 areas for social gathering, as well as for communal,
4 and individual work and meeting zones. This is, you
5 know, another view, another type of Oasis. And then
6 within the Oasis, there is a Home2 Market, primarily
7 used - primarily used for breakfast. Lunch and
8 dinner, we have access to the clubhouse, so - and a
9 restaurant there, so we can - our guests can access
10 that.
11 This is an example of a typical room. Hilton
12 has a significant focus on sustainability - whether
13 it's recycled materials, or reusables, or landscaping
14 that uses indigenous plants only, and which - which
15 reduces very little - which uses - very little water
16 usage. And we will also be constructing the building
17 to a high level of energy efficient - efficiency. We
18 think that's just the right thing to do, given climate
19 change, you know, and doing our part there. So again,
20 just another view of what the hotel room could look
21 like. It will have all of the amenities. I won't go
22 over them again, because Maxine has done that - but
23 all of the amenities that are required, like a
24 switchboard, daily clean - cleaning, valet, etc.
25 Guests will have access both to an indoor pool - so
1 public or private country club - and - given that we
2 also have to have Special Exception approval, which
3 I'll be talking about.
4 So this is a four-story, 122-room hotel. It
5 actually was 127 rooms, but we reduced the height
6 down, to have less of an impact on the community. And
7 this is Hilton's most successful brand ever, in their
8 history, with 400 hotels, primarily in, in the US over
9 the last 10 years, and another 300 in the pipeline.
10 So we chose this brand, and this particularly flag
11 very carefully. And that's just a view from, from the
12 street, a view of the latest design. I had actually,
13 quite frankly, forgotten about some of the iterations
14 we went through. But Maxine, thank you for reminding
15 me - we did go through many iterations, so that we
16 came up with something that fit in with the
17 neighborhood, fit in with the country club. And 1
18 cannot begin to tell you how difficult it was to
19 convince Hilton to shift away from what they normally
20 expect. But they did, you know, listen to what we had
21 to say, and made many - made many concessions they
22 normally don't make.
23 So just very quickly, to give you a feel for
24 the project, because we'll all be - I know there are
25 emotions about it. But this is typically an outdoor
1 that's available year-round, as well as access to a
2 shared pool with the clubhouse, and of course, access
3 to the clubhouse amenities, reduced access to golf
4 courts, and tennis courts.
5 The clubhouse provides a lot of amenities that
6 again, Maxine has gone over. But all - and I'll just
7 summarize to say all of the amenities thatthe
8 legislation requires to have are either in the hotel,
9 or in - they're in clubhouse. We've avoided
10 duplication, because it doesn't make sensefor
11 duplication, and the placement of the hotel is next to
12 the clubhouse so that there is easy access.
13 I'm going to ask John Lancet - John, if you'll
14 speak about the Hilton brand, and the Home2 Suites,
15 that - we really appreciate that.
16 JOHN LANCET: Sure. Sure. I, 1 just wanted to
17 state that, you know, Hilton is one of the leading
18 hotel companies in the world. It's a, it's avery
19 strong hotel company, and has a, a, a solid loyalty
20 member base of about 110 million people as part of
21 their Hilton Honors program, so that, that benefits
22 hotel projects throughout the nation, and, and would
23 benefit this hotel.
24 Hilton's got a variety of award -winning brands
25 that serve guests from virtually every - any lodging
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need that they may have. This particular brand, the
Home2 Suites, is an all -suite and extended stay brand.
It falls under the umbrella, a similar umbrella of, of
- to give you a feel of the other all -suite Hilton
brands that are out there - it falls in the same
family as like, Embassy Suites, or their Homewood
Suites property. But the, the Home2 Suites is an all -
suite, which gives it a, a, a great product
differentiation, and allows it to perform well, and it
also attracts the extended stay market, which
typically stays five nights or more. Thank you.
MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you. So the, the Home2
Suites has been a multiple award winner, and as I
indicated, it has been the fastest growing in the
hotel segment.
So, switching now to the six Special Exception
conditions - and again, I'm not going to, you know,
the first part, I will skip reading. But I'll, I'll
address the, the first part, and then ask, in a
minute, David Bernard to speak about the landscaping
and architecture. But really, there are five ways we
meet this condition - from being on the same property,
to the, to the landscape, to the architecture, which
you've heard a bit about already, the synergy between
the uses, and enhancing the sustainability of the
1 tennis courts and golf course. So - the second one.
2 Okay. So the hotel is on the same property, so just
3 to situate - the parking lot for the - and can you see
4 my, my mouse, my cursor?
5 MALE SPEAKER: I - we can.
6 MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes, we can.
7 MR. ISHMAEL: Okay. So the hotel is - parking
8 lot is here. That's 80th Street. This is the parking
9 lot for the clubhouse, which we can share, as well -
10 the clubhouse, the hotel here, the tennis courts.
11 There are some tennis courts that we will be getting
12 rid of. And you have there, the golf course located
13 right there. And there are homes - the old clubhouse
14 was here. New Pulte homes eventually will go here.
15 These are the homes in the forefront, at Bonaire, and
16 then other homes on the side here, and other homes
17 across the way, and we'll take a look at some of
18 those- And I'm going to ask David Bernard if he'll
19 start - talk about the landscape and the architecture,
20 please. And just guide me as you want me to move
21 ahead with the slides.
22 DAVID BERNARD: Okay. So here is an image from
23 the shared accessway into the site. As you can see,
24 it's a, it's a gateway into the site, which is heavily
25 landscaped on either side of the main driveway, plus
Page 44
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with a landscaped island. There is a buffer and berm
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on both sides of the lot, which shields the parking
2
and behind. If you could go to the previous slide,
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which shows the overall.
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MR. ISHMAEL: Sure.
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DAVID BERNARD: So in this image for the hotel
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specifically, the one benefit to the way we've laid
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out the parking lot on this is that we havethree
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tiers of landscaping that shield the - from ground
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level, that shield the hotel. So we have thefirst
10
level at the street, then we have the next level of -
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in the parking lot, and then we have another row of
12
parking that also has landscaping in it. Then we also
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have the base planting against the building. So
14
there's actually four levels of planting that hide the
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hotel. Go on to the next one after that.
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MR. ISHMAEL: Okay.
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DAVID BERNARD: So this is a, an image from the
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opposite side. This is from the residential side,
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where the, the golf course is. This is actually an
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image that we took, and when we superimposed our - the
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hotel in there, so to give it some reality ofwhat
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this would look like from the backyards. You can see
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that it's not really - because it's a, it's afour-
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story building, which is almost in keeping with the
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adjacent clubhouse. The clubhouse is closer, so
therefore, we're a little further away. We're almost
the, the same height. We're going to be additionally
adding lots of landscaping in here - again, screening
the hotel so that it doesn't have views into anybody's
yards, and also that's just to enhance our, our
experience at the hotel. Next slide.
This is from 75th Ave. - I think it's Northwest
75th Street. You can see in - on the righthand side,
we - you can see the hotel, just barely. There's a
lot of distance between the street and the, the hotel.
It is - it is taller, but it's almost the same height
as the fences, on an angle when you're standing there.
And that's - for the landscaping, that's all I have.
As for the architecture, this building has
changed a lot. This is a, a, a branded hotel. It's
typically a horizontal - a lot of horizontal lines on
this hotel - it's made of stucco and aluminum,
basically. Our first iteration, we, we did try to do
six stories to condense the footprint, which is a
little bit more economical. But this was very quickly
rejected by the City, because it really didn't meet
the requirements. It was a, a bit loud with the red
in there, and it really didn't fit into a, a
residential area. Can you go to the next slide?
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So in this one, we, we took the - some of the
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suggestions, and we toned down the colors, made it a
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little bit more earth tone, but again, it wasn't
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really a residential feel. So we kept - took another
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kick at the can. Could you go to the next slide? And
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basically, this is where we've gotten to last.
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There's a lot of reiterations in between here. But
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the, the purpose of this, the way, the look - building
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looks like this is that it's supposed to represent,
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like - because it's a long building - represent
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multiple homes. So homes are not the same when you
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look one, next to the next. So the, the idea is like,
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this would represent one home, the next one would be
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another home. We introduced multiple materials. We
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have stone, stucco, multiple colors, to break up the
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elevation.
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The other thing is, we took off the - we took
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off the horizontal banding. We added shutters. We
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screened the mechanical screening with the - a
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decorative screen. We concealed the beacon at the
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top, the light beacon that was showing before - so now
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that it's underneath this cap, so that it's - it looks
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more residential. We added a, a residential roof
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feature to our, our peak roofs, to specific spots on
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the, on the building that made sense. That's —
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1 spoken with the hospital that's a mile away, and they 1 1
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certainly welcome the extra space for hospital
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meetings and all kinds of other functions. So we
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expect them to be a major client.
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There are opportunities now that will open up
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for, you know, whether it's tennis camps, or golf,
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whether it's for children, or adults, whether it's for
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championship or otherwise, that weren't there before,
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because we can now offer, for example, a tennis - a
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week-long tennis package, or a week-long golf, golf
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package, and people are right there. They're not
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wandering around all the city, all over the city,
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going to hotel, and then, you know, coming over here.
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So frankly, less traffic, as well. And certainly, the
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opportunity, there will be community tennis
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memberships, as well, so the community is welcome to
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use the tennis courts, you know, to play tennis.
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The - one of the concerns that's been - so
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that's a favorite on the hotel. One of the concerns
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that's been raised is having a hotel on a golf course,
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in a community setting. And I'm going to ask John
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again if he'll, if he might speak to, to a couple of
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examples that we have.
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JOHN LANCET: Sure. I, 1 wanted to make
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mention - there's another hotel that is part of a golf
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MR. ISHMAEL: Okay
DAVID BERNARD: -- all I have.
MR. ISHMAEL: Thank - thank you. Thank you,
David. And to add to that, there is a limit, and we
could have gone to the limit of 60 feet, and we did,
initially. And then we had discussions with the
neighbors, and felt, you know, we should bring it
down. So we're at, on average for about 70% of the
building, we're at about 46 feet. That is costly,
because not only did we lose five rooms, but we have
to spread the footprint of the building further. And
between that, the extra, almost double the landscaping
you'd normally have, the facade that you see here in
stone, and other changes, it's probably, you know,
roughly, it'll be about a million dollars in extra
costs. But we wanted to make sure that this building
fit in, so we've taken the time and trouble, you know,
to go ahead and do that.
The building will be a place to hold key life
events - weddings, etc. And, you know, guests will of
course have amenities to the clubhouse, but -
amenities of - to the, to the amenities in the
clubhouse, sorry. And there is also the opportunity
to have special community events, like Sunday brunch,
Mother's Day, etc., that anybody can attend. We've
community in Broward County. It's called the Grand
Ponds Hotel. And it's in Pembrooke Pines. It's a
rather mature hotel, that's currently up for
consideration for redevelopment. But I just wantedto
share this particular example, because this particular
hotel, the, the residents, the area residents, have
benefitted from having the services and amenities
available at this particular hotel in Pembrooke Pines.
And I think it's - really has been, become
cornerstone of this particular community by hosting a
variety of events there at the meeting facilities at
that particular hotel. And it could have asimilar
situation here for this particular development, given
the fact that the, the hotel and the clubhouse would
have expansive meeting facilities. Could you skipto
the next slide there for me?
And there is one example I, I, I, we, we worked
with the representatives from Hilton. But I did want
to share with you an example of a, another Home2
Suites. This one happens to be out in the West Coast,
out in, in California. But this also a, a, a
specifically a Home2 development, a Home2 Suites hotel
development that was built adjacent to a golf course.
And in this particular situation, there was actually
two Hilton products that were developed. There was a
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Home2, with a Hilton Garden Inn that was built
adjacent to it. And they have been able to complement
the community, these hotel developments. So I just
wanted to share those example with you. Thank you.
MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you, John. So, moving on
now to Special Condition Number Two. And again, there
are some concems I will bring up that have been
raised with us. So - but the, you know, visitors can
stay on the site. They are near lifestyle amenities,
and certainly, you know, there will be opportunity for
Woodmont Community residents to join WoodmontCountry
Club, or to join, let's say the, you know, tennis
opportunity, etc.
The - one of the questions that has come up, or
concerns, is what kind of hotel guests will frequent
the hotel. And hotel guests today use a hotel for
business, or for leisure. Guests will be paying a
room rate in - at peak times of $250 a night, at other
times, it will be less. And the typical, you know,
business traveler's stay, the profile is, you know,
listed right here. But in 2014, a typical business
traveler was spending $147 per room night. So, you
know, that's only increased since then.
The other concern that was expressed to us - is
extended stay appropriate for the comment - sorry, for
(unintelligible comments from audience)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Ladies and gentlemen, please.
Please.
(unintelligible comments from audience)
MR. ISHMAEL: Look - let's, let's agree that --
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
MR. ISHMAEL: — you don't heckle me, and I
don't heckle you. So let me speak. And when you're
speaking, I will be quiet. I think that's fair.
Thank you, Mayor Gomez.
MALE SPEAKER: Can I make a comment on that,
Mayor?
MAYOR GOMEZ: No - thank you. At this time, we
are going to let the applicants finish speaking, and
then we will go to our other --
MALE SPEAKER: Yeah.
MAYOR GOMEZ: -- comments.
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
MR. ISHMAEL: And I just want to point outthat
some of these same points were raised before this
Commission when there was, you know, a motion ora
proposal to approve the Pulte homes, and when there
was a - you know, a motion for the club house. And
so, we're getting the same comments over and over
again, but they're not born out by reality. We have
1 the community. And the comment that has been made to
2 us is at two ends of the spectrum. Number one, that
3 the hotel will become, you know, will be used for-
4 how shall I put it - for likely - used for tricks -so
5 an hour-long stay. And the other comment has that
6 people on welfare will move in, and stay here for 30 -
7 with, you know, 10 other members will move in and stay
8 here for 30 days at a time. And I'm going - at $200a
9 night, I don't think so. But the reality is that
10 average hotel stay is 2.4 nights in the U.S., extended
11 stay at Hilton is 3.8. And as John pointed out, given
12 golf course, and the clubhouse, and the tenniscourts,
13 we expect this to be about, you know, a five night
14 average stay. So that's the reality.
15 The other question is who would use the hotel.
16 So here's an example of guests who are attending the
17 wedding - maybe this is the father and mother of the
18 bride, I don't know. But they're obviously here for
19 an event. And they will be paying their room, which
20 is, at the clubhouse, and they will be paying aroom
21 rate of $150 to $250 a night. So that's who will be
22 staying there.
23 The other concern is, you know, how will crime
24 be affected? And there is no correlation between a
25 Hilton Hotel going in, and crime.
1 Pulte homes going up. We have the clubhouse going up,
2 and none of what was, you know, feared has
3 materialized.
4 The last concern I want to - I believe it's the
5 last one - but the last concern I want to raise is
6 that this is near schools, and our kids are at risk.
7 Well, this is an example, from Chandler, Arizona,
8 where - in Phoenix - where there is a four -minute
9 walk, and here's the path, to a Montessori School, the
10 Casa De Nino Bilingual Montessori School. There has
11 never been an issue.
12 Here is another example, in Buckeye, Arizona, a
13 two -minute drive - that's the Home2 Suite, and atwo-
14 minute drive to an elementary school, the Sundance
15 Elementary School, and there has been no impact at
16 all. And so you know, I think those are concerns that
17 really have not materialized.
18 Moving on to Special Exception Number Three-
19 to minimize adverse effects, and - you know, on, on
20 the community. So, we have extensive setbacks,
21 buffers, landscaping on the site. We greatly, greatly
22 exceed the requirements that you would normally have
23 or the City expected. One of the issues that came up
24 from a meeting, and this is from a resident from
25 across the golf course - was, you know, she was
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Page 54
concerned about light levels from windows. Let me
explain the concern. If we had every window lit, and
every guest, and you know, chose at that time to keep
their lights on, then what would be the impact on,
well, you know, her property, where she looked out?
And we thought about that, and we decided from
that comment, to tint the windows on both sides, so
that if - we, we're not going to have the situation,
realistically, where every window is lit up - but even
if that were the case, all of the windows will be
tinted, at our cost, so that we minimize light impact
there. The light impact on the building, and the
light impact on the parking lot are minimal. They
meet City Code standards, but - and they meet safety
standards, but they're kept minimal to, you know,
minimize any impact on the community. And the site is
void of any preexisting code conditions. David, do
you want to take this? You want me to talk about
th is?
DAVID BERNARD: Go ahead first, and I'll --
MR. ISHMAEL: Okay.
DAVID BERNARD: I'll add on.
MR. ISHMAEL: Okay. So the site is within a
zoning district that borders residential and
commercial uses. Obviously, single family homes here,
and you know, loading, circulation, etc. And David,
if you want to speak to that.
DAVID BERNARD: Sure. On -site parking -we
require, for the hotel alone, we require 122 parking
spaces, which we are providing. On the Woodmont
property, they require - 209, 1 apologize - which they
now will be providing on their remaining parcels.
There is reciprocal parking. The hotel demand is at
nights, and the, the golf course, our demand isduring
the day. So there is a, a reciprocal relationship
between the two of them, that there should never be a
parking issue between them. They've got, combined,
331 parking spaces.
MR. ISHMAEL: Okay. And did you want to talk
about fire exits, and —
DAVID BERNARD: Well, obviously - well, wehave
this road. It's a little - it's a little - drawn a
little thicker here, but there's a, a golf cart path
here. But it is actually a, a, a fire route, as well,
for this building that's in the back. It's the -what
is this - the - not the clubhouse. It's the cart
bam. But there's a fire road access there, to the
back, which it - also provides us fire safety access,
so for sprinklers, and stuff like that.
MR. ISHMAEL: Okay. And we'll, we'll skip
1 other homes here at Bonaire, and new homes to come up
2 there. We have placed the building as far away as we
3 could from the street, so that, you know, we, we
4 vastly exceed any buffer requirements that, you know,
5 one would have. And again, as David mentioned, enough
6 landscaping in the front, and berming, etc., to
7 minimize, to minimize from the back, to minimize from
8 the side. So we've gone to great lengths to try and
9 reduce the impact. Besides reducing the height down
10 to 46 feet on average for most of the building, we've
11 gone to great lengths to minimize any impact on the
12 community. David, if you want to weigh in on the
13 signage, please.
14 DAVID BERNARD: Well, there's not too much to
15 say about, about signage. But the, the signage
16 typically is a lot higher on a building. In this
17 case, we've, we've positioned it at the - below the
18 highest point of the building. It is, it is backlit,
19 but it, it's - because we're so far away from the
20 site, you're - it's, it's not that visible, to be
21 seen.
22 MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you. And again, lastly,
23 just the street impact - you know, we've triedto
24 minimize that.
25 The next condition is adequate parking areas,
1 parking because I think we've, we have, you know,
2 spoken a lot about parking. Traffic movement is the
3 fifth condition that we need to meet. There is
4 already a pedestrian walkway at the street. And as
5 Maxine pointed out, there is pedestrian access from
6 the street, through the parking lot, to thebuilding,
7 and another pedestrian access along the driveway, as
8 well, inside.
9 Very briefly - we had a traffic methodology
10 designed by the City. I, 1 have to point outthat
11 this is the most comprehensive traffic study we've
12 ever been required to provide. But we said, 'Fine.
13 Let's make sure there isn't a traffic problem.' It
14 was carried out by an independent traffic consultant.
15 We got recommendations - nobody we knew-
16 recommendations, you know, objectively, andthen
17 reviewed and approved by the City's traffic
18 consultant, once the study came in.
19 And the bottom line, and I won't go over what
20 Maxine already has - but the bottom, the bottom line
21 is that the hotel's traffic impact will beextremely
22 minimal, and there is more than sufficient capacity
23 now and in the future, to handle any traffic, you
24 know, that comes up from, from the project.
25 And then lastly, we're, we're - we need to meet
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a requirement that the land area be sufficient,
appropriate, and adequate for the land use. So the
land is just over 13 acres. Ancillary use is
permitted, and there are, you know, it's a sizeable
parcel that has already been approved - sorry - has
already had approvals for recreational uses. And so
the use we are proposing is complementary to the - to
the principle recreational use.
Furthermore, we have worked diligently with the
City to make sure there's sufficient area for the
building, and that it complies with all of the
development standards that we have, and there's, of
course, adequate circulation, landscaping, etc.
Now, one of the questions - and I'll end
shortly - is what's in it for the Woodmont Community?
And I stress Woodmont Community because the Woodmont
Community is larger than the immediate neighbors. I
should know, because we mailed notification to over
2700 homes. So it certainly is a significant
community.
The first is that - and there's five points I
want to make here - that there will certainly be
increased tax revenues, which can help keep
neighborhood taxes down. I will let John speak in a
minute about home values, which is a concern that's
Page 60
and I think there are some - several examples of, of
value enhancement as a, as a result of readily
available services and amenities. Thank you.
MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you, John. And I, 1 just
would, you know, Pulte Homes - again, there was
concern when approval was being given, or being
requested, for, you know, Pulte Homes to come in, and
they've now been building some of the homes, that this
will, you know, have a detrimental effect on property
values. That has not been the case. So quality
developments like Pulte, Hilton, etc., a new
clubhouse, can only serve to increase property values,
and again, you know, this is a place, in terms of
what's in it for Woodmont, to hold key life events -
life events that we all have, whether it's an 80-year
birthday, whether it's a wedding, whether it's a
kid's, you know, significant birthday, etc. Florida
gets the weather that we know it does. And we have,
you know, agreed to have backup generators for both
the clubhouse and the hotel, so that in the case of a
disaster, they can serve as a, as emergency shelter,
and certainly happy to look at preferred room rates
for the entire Woodmont Community.
Maxine pointed out that this meets Goal Four.
We think it also meets Goal Three, because when you
1 also been expressed. A place to hold life events, a
2 disaster lifeline, and preferred room rates.
3 So, our estimate is that over 50 years,
4 including inflation, there would be a tax impact in
5 total of about a hundred million. That is about 30
6 million in extra property taxes from the hotel, and
7 about 70 million or so in accommodation and other
8 taxes.
9 And I'm going to ask John if, if he'll address
10 the issue of, you know, new developments in a
11 community, and quality developments, and what they do,
12 what that does for property values.
13 JOHN LANCET. Thank you. Yeah, no, I just, 1
14 just wanted to share. I, I'm, I am a hotel
15 consultant, but I, I'm also a, a, a, a certified
16 general real estate appraiser in the state of Florida,
17 and also a member of the Appraisal Institute. And
18 just given the, the services, the, the amenities and
19 the services that will be available at the hotel, 1
20 think that the community should see that as avalue
21 enhance thing, as opposed to a detriment. I think
22 that, that it, it, it's important - when, when
23 communities have amenities and, and services readily
24 available, this tends to increase values, as opposed
25 to decreasing them. So that's my - that's my opinion,
1 have mixed use, and you're business friendly, then you
2 bring in more tax revenue, and more tax revenue - to
3 speak to the gentleman who impromptu spoke up about
4 his concern about taxes - that should be a concern for
5 the entire Woodmont Community. And having a hotel of
6 this quality here will bring additional, you know,
7 jobs, taxes, and benefits.
8 So, to conclude, then. Number one, we've met
9 all of the requirements for the Major Revised Site
10 Plan, and the Special Exception requirements through
11 working closely with staff over two years - it's two
12 and a half years. We have communicated our plans, and
13 sought input from neighbors, and we have incorporated
14 significant changes that will cost us over a million
15 dollars. Unfortunately, I can't just increase room
16 rates by - that's about 5% of the cost - I can't just
17 increase room rates by 5% - to be competitive, we have
18 to absorb that. We're willing to do that.
19 We've communicated broadly to the Woodland
20 Community. And the wider community has had no issues.
21 In fact, we have petitions of support. The project
22 will bring jobs, taxes, and other benefits to
23 Woodmont. And it's the final piece of the Master Plan
24 that will help ensure viable recreational facilities,
25 and a viable golf course. And this Commission is well
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aware of other golf courses having to be torn down, in
essence, and converted over to development. That
would be a shame to happen here. But by having enough
other commercial activity on the golf course,
associated with the clubhouse, with the tennis courts,
and with the golf course, we keep the golf course, and
the views, etc., viable for decades.
So with that, I would ask - happy to answer
questions. But we would ask for the Commission's
approval for, for our proposal. Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much for your
presentation. At this time, we are going to open
public hearing. And I am going to ask anybody who is
going to make comments via Facebook, please use the
opportunity to put your comments into Facebook at this
time. And after we close the public comments in here
in person, Facebook comments and email comments will
also close at the same time, and then the Facebook
comments and email comments that pertain tothis
matter will be read into the record.
So, that being said, let's get ready to have
some fun. We have our affected parties that will go
first. And please, affected parties, pleaseremember
that you are subject to cross examination by the
applicant, or if - by the City, depending on who has
and villas. Bonaire was built in the mid-80s. We
still have residents that are original owners, that
are extremely concerned now, more than even the people
that have moved in. We have submitted a petition of
114 names, probably could have done a lotmore.
However, our manager had the COVI D virus for the last
six weeks, and passed away yesterday morning. So,
it's - was tough to, to go through all of this at this
time.
10 1 would like all of you to at least consider
11 four things. Would you want to live directly across
12 the street from a four-story hotel? I believe your
13 answer would probably be no. Would you want to live
14 across the street from a building that had a neon sign
15 on the top floor, and one right on the curb? I don't
16 think you would want that, either. Would you want
17 parking lot the size of a Publix all lit up? We
18 already have a parking lot for the country club, it's
19 all lit up, and you're gonna add another parking lot,
20 all lit up, directly across the street.
21 So please consider that as this was your home,
22 because this is our home. Bonaire is a very active
23 community. We have a number of people that volunteer
24 for the City, for the hospital, for Meals on Wheels.
25 Our community is roughly 40% senior citizen, and 60%
1 the questions for you. And then we will go to the
2 other participants in the audience.
3 CITY ATTORNEY: Madam Mayor, for the record, as
4 you begin, the presentation by Mr. Ishmael would also
5 be made part of the record. I'm sure he's going to
6 move it into the record as an exhibit, whatever backup
7 may other, otherwise attended to. And so that would
8 be part of the petitioner's backup, and documentation
9 in, in evidence, as well. Thank you
10 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much for that. So
11 1 have first on my list for affected parties, as
12 signed in - Russ Barakat. As you've already been
13 sworn in - actually, City Attorney, I'm just going to
14 clarify - do we need them to state their name and
15 address --
16 CITY ATTORNEY: You do.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- for the record? Please, for
18 this, we do need your name and address —
19 RUSSELL BARAKAT: Yeah.
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: --for the record.
21 RUSSELL BARAKAT: Thank you, Mayor.
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
23 RUSSELL BARAKAT: My name is Russell Barakat.
24 1 live in Bonaire. Bonaire is a community of 344
25 units, consisting of 202 condominiums, 144 townhouses,
1 young, working people, a number of which are veterans,
2 many of which, the names are on the board at the
3 Veterans Park. We are very concerned.
4 We've had a number of meetings. The first
5 meeting we had was at the Community Center. In a room
6 that holds 75 people, we had over 200 people there
7 from the Woodmont area. There were people standing
8 outside the room. Not one person spoke in favor of
9 the hotel. These were Woodmont residents. We, at
10 Bonaire, had two meetings with the developers. And my
11 manager and I had one, and I had one myself, for about
12 two hours on a Sunday afternoon, where we drove around
13 the community.
14 We have a school zone on 80th Avenue and 75th,
15 the school bus stops right there, also. We have
16 another school problem on 78th Street, elementary
17 school coming in off University. So we have a little
18 traffic problem. We had another meeting, which was
19 not supposed to be regarding the hotel, but it was a
20 District meeting, and it was the biggest District
21 meeting that we had last year. And it - the subject
22 came up, it was not on the agenda. And then toward
23 the end, our Commissioner asked us to meet with them.
24 We met with them at the old country club. We had
25 about 60 to 65 people that were there. Some of them
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1
didn't stay for the meeting. They were all flea-
1
with the 209 spaces there, we could make do, between
2
bitten, because no one had in the hotel for - I mean,
2
the hotel and the clubhouse. But the City requires
3
the country club for a long time. No one there spoke
3
that we have the parking spaces we have. Secondly -
4
in favor of it.
4
and the City can comment on this - but the light
5
So without trying to prolong this thing, you're
5
levels are as low as we can get them while still
6
going to hear a lot of things tonight - I justwanted
6
serving the purpose of having safety, which everybody,
7
to give you a little history. But I can tell you
7
I'm sure would want to have safety. And thirdly, in
8
right offhand, the people of Bonaire do not feel that
8
terms of light, the signs that the gentleman talked
9
this hotel is in the right place. It could be on
9
about are neon signs. They're as muted as we can make
10
University, on McNab, or anywhere else, on a main
10
them, and we have reduced the signage, and what would
11
street, where it belongs. And I rest my peace, and
11
otherwise be much more visible signage, as much as we
12
I'll be glad to answer any questions.
12
possibly can. If we remove them anymore, it won't be
13
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. First, we will go to
13
a Hilton. So --
14
City staff. Do you have any questions for the - for
14
MALE SPEAKER. Yeah. (unintelligible)
15
the affected party? I don't think that we do.
15
MAYOR GOMEZ: Mr. Barakat, if you, you have a
16
MAXINE CALLOWAY: No questions, Madam Mayor-
16
comment.
17
I'm sorry.
17
RUSSELL BARAKAT: (unintelligible)
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MAYOR GOMEZ: That's okay. Thank you. It's,
18
MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay.
19
it's just a little hard to deal with some of the-
19
RUSSELL BARAKAT: I missed in saying, by the
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we're working through some of the technology.
20
way, when - when - at nighttime, when cars are coming
21
Applicant, do you have any questions for the affected
21
out to the street, the lights are shining directly
22
party who spoke, Mr. Barakat?
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into a number of our bedrooms, the living rooms,
23
MR. ISHMAEL: Yeah, I have - yeah, I have some
23
whether it's Condo Two, Three, or Four, thepeople
24
- well, comments, actually. Firstly, the parking
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that are on a end are going to see the lights of the
25
requirement is a City requirement. If we had ourway,
25
street, of the cars leaving that area.
Page 68
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. And I'm just going to
1
have two people left for affected parties - Christie
2
say to the Commission, we will be able to ask
2
Sabins (phonetic) - apologize if I am not reading the
3
questions of the affected parties at the time when it
3
hand - this, this right. So, please forgive me. Your
4
comes before Commission. At this time, it is for
4
name, and address, and confirm that you have been
5
public comment to be made before we are heard, and we
5
sworn in.
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are - we speak. So, going now to --
6
CHRISTIE SABINS: My name is Christie Sabins.
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: And that was --
7
I'm a resident of Bonaire. Do you need the full
8
MAYOR GOMEZ: — Christie --
8
address?
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: --suggestion?
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MAYOR GOMEZ: At this time, please, yes.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Sorry --
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CHRISTIE SABINS: 7515 Northwest 79th Avenue,
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: If you don't mind -so
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Number 314, in Tamarac.
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that we can hear from as many people as possible, can
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. And you've
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we just hear from as many people that want to speak,
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been sworn in.
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and then have the staff and the developer question, or
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CHRISTIE SABINS: Yes.
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respond once everyone speaks, because we're--
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Commissioner Gelin --
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CHRISTIE SABINS: Okay. My husband and I have
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: -- limited on time.
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been in Bonaire since 1999. What first attracted us
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MAYOR GOMEZ: — I appreciate --
18
to this area were the beautiful old trees that lined
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: Just a suggestion.
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both 78th and 80th, and the cozy residential feel of the
20
MAYOR GOMEZ: I, I, 1 appreciate. Just to let
20
community, even though we were surrounded by cities.
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you know that the only time when there's backand
21
Sadly, over the years that have passed, those trees
22
forth are for the affected parties, and we have two
22
have slowly disappeared due to age, hurricanes, and
23
more affected parties. And that is procedure, since
23
most recently, the development of new homes, and the
24
it's quasi-judicial. I understand, we do want to get
24
reconstruction of the golf course, where we saw tree
25 everybody to speak, and the time is running. Sowe � 25 after tree bulldozed down along 80th Avenue
Transcription
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Now we're being asked to accept the development
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of a hotel right across the street from my buildings.
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We don't want the traffic. We don't want the lights
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from both the hotel, and the vehicles coming and going
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from there, or the noise from any events that maybe
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held there. This isn't the first time that the City
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has tried to push through a hotel in this location.
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Why do you keep doing this, when you know the
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surrounding communities don't want it? Under no
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circumstances will my husband and I ever want a hotel
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smack in the middle of our residential neighborhood.
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traffic. I don't care that the engineers say the
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roads can handle the increase. We can't. We've
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already seen an increase as it is. People blow
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through the three-way stop sign at the intersection of
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70th and 80th on a regular basis. And at night, we have
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gunning their engines as they fly by.
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There's a school zone right on the comer of
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80th and 75th Street. We need to protect ourchildren,
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not only from increased traffic, but from transient
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people using this hotel, who will be strangers to us
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all. Kids walk by themselves along those sidewalks
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all the time, not only on the school days when there's
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MR. ISHMAEL: — couple of comments, yes. We
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are not proposing taking down trees. We're proposing
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putting in hundreds of trees. I can't - I don't know
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what happened previously in terms of, you know, some
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of the trees that were taken down. But as we've - our
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plan, as David, you know, spoke, we are putting in a
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lot of trees there. And secondly, as far as lights
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are concerned, guests who come to a hotel generally
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end up staying at the hotel overnight - that's why
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they're there. And you know, well, the Bonaire
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residents have the opportunity, they've had the
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opportunity to plant adequate trees on their side
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They haven't. And so, you know, between - we are
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doing what we need to, and what we can, to shield the
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hotel from the residents. I don't know what more we
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can do. So we've done everything we can to try and
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shield the residents there, from —
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MALE SPEAKER: Don't —
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MR. ISHMAEL: — the hotel.
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MALE SPEAKER: Don't build it.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Please. Thank you for your
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comments. Now we will turn to Marilyn Brown
22
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(phonetic), our last affected party who has signed up.
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Forgive me, we have two more affected parties that 1
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don't have on my list, but we will get to that. Go
25
a crossing guard to watch over them and keep them
safe.
Lastly, the City has a hotel just over a mile
down the road, on Pine Island, by a golf course.
can't really imagine the City needs anotherone
offering similar services, in our backyard, a
residential neighborhood. I understand this may
somehow be tied to the survival of the golf course,
and additional tax dollars for the City. But knowing
we didn't want a hotel in the past should have been
taken into consideration, and respected. So here we
are again, asking that you, our City Commissioners,
vote against allowing a hotel to be built here now, or
in the future. In doing so, you'll be supportingthe
preservation of our city's residential neighborhoods
that have made Tamarac a draw to so many in past
years, and for years to come. Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. And I will
ask City staff, do you have any questions ofthis
affected party?
MAXI NE CALLOWAY: No, I do not, Madam Mayor.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Applicant, do you
have any questions of this affected party?
MR. ISHMAEL. I have just a --
MAYOR GOMEZ: (unintelligible)
ahead.
MARILYN BROWN: Good evening, Mayor Gomez,
Commissioners Bolton, Placko, Gelin, and Villalobos.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.
And to our presenters this evening, and thedeveloper
MAYOR GOMEZ: Excuse me.
MARILYN BROWN: -- I want to say I really
appreciate all the changes and accommodations you've
made to the design of the hotel that you are proposing
for our area. What you just don't seem to understand,
though, is that we don't want the hotel. And we have
been fighting this hotel notion since 2006 - not 2014,
which is the first date on the slides that Ms.
Calloway presented, but 2006. When the country club
was sold in 2006 to Mark Schmidt, he promised to
maintain the golf course, and bring it back to a
profitable establishment. I actually have a copy of
the newsletter from 2006, with his great design.
Unfortunately, that's not what happened. In
fact, just the opposite happened. No money was
invested in the country club. No money was invested
in the greens. No money was invested in the
clubhouse, and in fact, he let the entire area
deteriorate, to the point that he hoped, I believe,
Transcription
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that the residents would get fed up and finally let
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him do one of his great plans, which have included
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strip malls, hotels, condos, townhomes, and private
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homes. We've gone back and forth with him over the
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years, until we finally approved the Pulte deal, which
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1 think at that point, we said no to a hotel, also.
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for the residents of Woodmont, but wants us to approve
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the plan for a hotel that benefits him. It will
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increase traffic, noise, and bring more non-residents
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into our community.
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Now, I have to say, I'm a Hiltons Honor member.
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a Home2 Suites, and they're great for business. But 1
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don't see business people staying in our community.
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be close to stores, and shopping malls, and
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restaurants - and that's not Woodmont. When I hear
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the numbers being put out, $150 to $250 a night-
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right now we have a number of properties, new hotels
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that have been built in Tamarac, and their current
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room rate is $52 to $75 a night. So then I looked at
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the Home2 Suites in Ft. Lauderdale by the airport,
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where we had business travelers, and the rooms are 89
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to $105 a night. Now, I'm sure some of these numbers
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Woodmont, and I implore you and beg you to please turn
down this proposal, not just tonight, but for the
future. It does not belong in our residential area.
And the overhead pictures that were shown, while they
looked terrific from the sky - those of us who walk
that area every single day know just how tight the
quarters are, and how close this hotel will be to our
homes. Thank you for yourtime.
MALE SPEAKER: Yeah.
(applause)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Ladies and gentlemen, please.
Come on.
MALE SPEAKER: Yeah.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Please.
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: I know you're happy.
MALE SPEAKER: Listen.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Great. Please.
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
MALE SPEAKER: Listen.
MAYOR GOMEZ: No. I, I'm trying - you need to
show respect to the Commission, please.
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: And so, everybody - I know you -
she spoke very well. Ms. Brown, you spoke very well.
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Page 75
are depressed based on the fact that we have COVID and
nobody's traveling. But I'm not sure that we'll ever
get to a $250 a night at the Woodmont Country Club
Hotel, Home2 Suites Hilton franchise.
What's interesting to me is that the hotel will
be indirect competition to the new Fairfield Inn and
Suites by Marriott that is being built at Colony West,
by the City of Tamarac, and has been marketed as the
crown jewel of Tamarac. It's right here in the
Tamagram. Why are we even considering another hotel
within two miles of a hotel that the City's going to
be owning, that would be direct competition? [just
don't understand that.
This is the - not the first time that the City
- and the residents of Woodmont have come together to
fight a hotel. In fact, again, we've been sayingno
since 2006. The fact - the, the idea that it is being
reconsidered once again shows to me a lack of - total
disrespect and disregard for the residents of
Woodmont. And it's disrespect and disregard from the
owner of the country club, from the developer, and
quite honestly, from my City Commissioners and Mayor,
who have again allowed this to be a topicof
conversation.
I am with the rest of the residents of
rage t t
I need to ask you for our name and address for the
record --
MARILYN BROWN Oh, I'm sorry.
MAYOR GOMEZ. And to confirm that you've been
sworn in, please.
MARILYN BROWN: Yes, I have been sworn in.
Name is Marilyn Brown, 8542 NW 80th Street, Tamarac.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Please hold
tight in case there's any questions. And again, it's
not that hard. This (snaps fingers) please.
MALE SPEAKER: It doesn't (unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes, it does. It works very
well. There you go. You got it. So, City staff, do
you have any questions for Ms. Brown?
MAXINE CALLOWAY: None for us, Madam Mayor,
16 thank you.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Applicant, do you
18 have any questions?
19 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes. I'm going to ask John -
20 John, you're still with us - to speak to the issue of
21 rates, and need for hotel.
22 JOHN LANCET Yes. Can you hear me okay?
23 MR. ISHMAEL: Yeah.
24 JOHN LANCET So the, the hotel, I, 1 think
25 that the comments that were made, and I think the
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price points that were obtained are, are post-COVID.
When we did the feasibility study for this
development, it was clear that there is a, a need,
there was sufficient demand to support the hotel. And
the average rate levels, although it is a seasonal
market, the average rate levels that were stated
earlier, I think are well supported in the, in the
marketplace, and the research that we conducted in, in
the feasibility analysis.
MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. At this time, City
Clerk, will you please let me know who the other
affected parties are.
CITY CLERK: Yes. It's Cina Cubie (phonetic).
She's - Lavent (phonetic) is going to give her a call.
We also have Diane Dickman (phonetic), and we have a
letter from Rabbi Bernstein, she would like read into
the record.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. And so the other --
CITY CLERK: And that's it.
MAYOR GOMEZ: — three - so - okay, virtual.
CITY CLERK: Um-hmm.
CINA CUBIE: Hello.
FEMALE SPEAKER: One --
MAYOR GOMEZ: Ms. - City Clerk, would you
CINA CUBIE: Okay. My name is Cina Cubie. I
live in Bonaire, in Tamarac, Florida, at Woodmont.
I've been here - I'm the original owner. I'm here 37
years. In 1983, we heard about Woodmont. We came
here. We fell in love with the serenity, peaceful,
and the trees. We loved it, and we moved into
Bonaire. I have been happy here for 37 year.
I have an end apartment that faces 80th Avenue.
And up until about 10 or 12 years ago, it was very
quiet. And then as things built up around Tamarac,
80th Avenue became a very busy thoroughfare. And we
at rush hour in the morning and evening, I hear a lot
of cars, and sometimes the lights come into my living
room or bedroom. So I fear if a hotel came in, and I
have an end apartment, even now that I'm hearing the
cars in the morning and in the evening, it would be
much worse having a hotel, where the cars would be
coming and going, and the lights would be coming in my
bedroom and living room. So I love Bonaire, I love
Woodmont, and I love Tamarac. And I just would like
to see it peaceful. And it should be a residential
area, in my opinion. So thank you, and everybody have
a healthy, happy holiday.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. And --
CINA CUBIE: Have a(unintelligible)
Page 79
1 please proceed, and ask - to swear her in.
2 CITY CLERK: Yes. Ms. Cubie? As a notary
3 vested --
4 CINA CUBIE: Yes.
5 CITY CLERK: -- in the state of Florida, do you
6 swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
7 but the truth?
8 CINA CUBIE: Yes.
9 CITY CLERK: Thank you, Ma'am.
10 MAYOR GOMEZ. Thank you. It's good to hear
11 your voice. Would you please state your name and
12 address for the record?
13 CINA CUBIE: Cina Cubie, 7579 NW 79th Avenue,
14 Tamarac, Florida, 33321.
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Excellent. Thank you. Please
16 proceed.
17 CINA CUBIE: Is this the meeting about the
18 hotel? I'm not sure who's calling me.
19 MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes. Sorry. It is the meeting
20 about the hotel. Hi, it's - it's your Mayor, Michelle
21 J. Gomez, and the Commission is present, and --
22 CINA CUBIE: Hello.
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- so are your, some of your
24 neighbors. So we are ready to hear what you would
25 like to share with us.
1 MAYOR GOMEZ: Ms. Cubie, if you'd just stay on
2 the line just for a moment, please. Ms. Galloway --
3 CINA CUBIE: (unintelligible)
4 MAYOR GOMEZ. -- do you have any questionson
5 behalf of the City?
6 MAXINE CALLOWAY: No, I do not, Madam Mayor.
7 Thank you
8 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. Applicant, do you?
9 MR. ISHMAEL: No, I don't. Thank you.
10 MAYOR GOMEZ. Okay. Thank you very much.
11 Happy holidays to you, as well.
12 CINA CUBIE: Thank you. Stay well.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: Bye, bye. Thanks. We will now
14 turn to the next caller.
15 CITY CLERK: Is Diane Dickman here in person?
16 She didn't ask to be called. So --
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: She did not ask to be --
18 CITY CLERK: Yes.
19 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- called? Okay.
20 CITY CLERK: And then --
21 MAYOR GOMEZ. Ms. Dickman is not here. And 1
22 believe you have an email from the last affected
23 party.
24 CITY CLERK: Correct. This is from Rabbi
25 Melinda Bernstein, and in lieu of being here in
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Page 82
Page 83
1
person, she asked me to read this. 'I stand here with
1 can only change for the better when it supports the
2
Jennifer, our City Clerk, regarding my stance-
2 community. Furthermore, a hotel doesn't supportthe
3
opposed to the change proposed tonight. In the past
3 wildlife in the preserve here to protect them. A
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five years I've lived in Woodmont with my Mom. She
4 small, family friendly park with trees for shade would
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has lived in Woodmont since the early 1980s. My
5 be a wise and welcome choice to support our values of
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parents moved here because they saw a sign that read
6 a casual, simple, tranquil, and safe community. Thank
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'Golf Course' while visiting a relative nearby.
7 you. Rabbi Melinda Bernstein.'
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Change is inevitable, and also important. We
8 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. At this
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don't need change that leads to increased crime,
9 time, I believe we have all affected applicants-
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decreased property values, burdening traffic, noise
10 affected parties have spoken?
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from unnecessary guests, and/or vehicle lights
11 CITY CLERK: Correct.
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flashing into the privacy of our condos and homes at
12 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. Great. And if I can
13
all hours of the night.
13 confirm to our Assistant City Clerk that there is
14
1 speak on behalf of my many neighbors who will
14 nobody else sitting outside.
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always value our casual, simple, tranquil, andsafe
15 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
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community. This would be greatly diminished by the
16 MAYOR GOMEZ Excellent. So everybody is in
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addition of a hotel. Tamarac already has two hotels
17 house. Excellent. So then I will now go according to
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off of the (unintelligible) and Commercial Boulevard.
18 the list I have here. If I read your name and you do
19
There is one at the new Colony West, and two between
19 not wish to say anything other than No Hotel, Yes
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Pine Island and University Drive, off of Commercial
20 Hotel - because I'm just looking at your signs -if
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Boulevard. Commercial Boulevard is an areawhere
21 that's how you wish to speak - because I've been
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wider roads and commercial uses exist. In our
22 advised not everybody wishes to speak, but theyjust
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noncommercial development, we have a golf course, and
23 want it for the record - I will ask that you still
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a country clubhouse for the golfers. This was the
24 come down here. I do need you to state your name and
25
original vision of the area. The vision of the area
25 address for the record, to make sure you're sworn in,
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because this is quasi-judicial, state what you'd like
to state, and - and we'll go from there. So I have
Ruth Reynolds. Please -definitely. Thank you.
RUTH REYNOLDS: Thank you.
CITY ATTORNEY: Madam Mayor, to the extentt
there may have been some members of the public that
have already been sworn, if you can inquire - have you
been sworn, Ma'am?
RUTH REYNOLD& Okay. Yes, I've been sworn
My name is Ruth Reynolds. I live at WoodmontTract
70, La Reserve, at 7410 NW 83rd Avenue. We've lived
here for just a little over three years, and we're
proud to call Tamarac our home. Some of my friends
even questioned, 'Why Tamarac?' as they know it's
known as a retirement city. But we truly do love the
community, the quiet, the view of the golf course from
our backyard. Many middle aged professionals are
starting to move to this area, just for those reasons.
Having a hotel in a residential area is absolutely
ridiculous, and in - a desperate for Woodmont Country
Club to generate revenue.
I've worked in the hospitality industry for30-
plus years, and have done consulting andproject
management work. The new country club is beautiful
with the plush landscaping, and a close option for
1 lunch. But that's just it. If they really wanted to
2 excel and generate revenue, here are some ideas.
3 Maybe open Friday night for a fish fry. Saturday
4 night, maybe have dining, with a band and some prime
5 rib. Sunday, brunch. Wednesday, Ladies Day.
6 Thursday, Men's Day. Do promotions for them. Have a
7 lower priced social membership, but actuallyhave
8 activities happening there, such as poolaerobics,
9 bingo, bridge, weight lifting, bocci ball, tennis.
10 Who knows? No one's playing tennis right now.
11 There's nothing going on there.
12 They think this hotel will attract key life
13 events. I have worked over 400 weddings in my career.
14 1 have to tell you, the brides are the pickiest people
15 you've ever worked with. We had a meeting there
16 little over a year ago, with La Reserve. Placko was
17 there - thank you, Debra. And I have to tell you, the
18 details there are horrible. I don't know who did the
19 layout and design of that country club. The chairs
20 are plastic. You can see the screws where they put
21 them together. The full food and beverage menu needs
22 an overhaul. The chandeliers are not proportionate
23 within the building. They tried to lock down the wall
24 so that we could hear each other talk and not listen
25 to the bar patrons. Do you think life events will
Transcription
December 09, 2020 82..85
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want to rent that space, when they realize what a
1
RUTH REYNOLD& Okay. Fair enough. I think
2
fault architectural layout that location is? The
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you guys --
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country club did so many things wrong. Our - letme
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MAYOR GOMEZ. But --
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see here. I'm sorry. They need to get their house in
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RUTH REYNOLDS: -- get the gist. But --
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order, prime to adding on additional services and
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
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amenities. There's so much opportunity within the
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RUTH REYNOLD& -- Schmidt has a lot of workto
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Woodmont Country Club, as it relates to food and
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do, and the hotel's not the, the correct solution for
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beverage.
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this.
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Why do I bring this up? A hotel cannot fix
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
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this. This is not a PGA - PGA course, or a
10
RUTH REYNOLDS: Thank you.
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destination. This is what I'm sharing. These are the
11
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. We're now to Willie
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balls that I've caught in less than a year, in my
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Johnson. Willie Johnson, are you here? Thank you
13
backyard. These are not professional golfers. I'm
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very much. Your name, address for the record, confirm
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sorry. The country club has the opportunity towin
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you've been sworn in, and three minutes, please.
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the residents over to become customers. How nice
15
Thank you.
16
would it be that we could walk to a local place to
16
WILLIE JOHNSON: Good evening, Mayor, Vice
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have a few drinks and dinner? In November, therewas
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Mayor, Commissioners. My name is Willie Johnson, and
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a meeting, developed - the developers brought up room
18
I'm the Homeowners Association President for La
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rates. It proposed tax revenue is that of $250.
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Reserve, with (unintelligible) Track 70. 1 sent a
20
MAYOR GOMEZ: Ms. Reynolds --
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petition to you, each and every one, with the
21
RUTH REYNOLD& I'm also kind of impacted. My
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signatures of all the residents of basically mostof
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backyard's going to look at the, at the property. I'm
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the residents, and the community who are opposedto
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almost done.
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having a hotel built within our community - formost
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MAYOR GOMEZ: I'm - we have plenty of people
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of the reasons you've already heard - I havebasically
25
here this evening - I'm sorry.
25
the same reasons why we do not wish to have a hotel
Page 88
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built at the golf course. The increased traffic,
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Woodmont has over 2700 homes, or people that
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noise pollution, the hotel four stories tall is going
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reside in that area, who are all opposed to this.
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to be an eyesore for most of the community. We don't
3
They said it got 331 parking spaces. That's just too
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want it. What's going to be next? A Burger King?
4
many more cars in our little community. We don't want
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McDonald's? Or a Wendy's drive -through. If you allow
5 'em.
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the hotel, what are you going to bring in next?
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Another thing, they compared Tamarac to
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There was a covenant - I noticed it on the
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Arizona. There is no comparison. Tamarac is not
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Board. I guess you overruled the covenant. But there
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Arizona. We are close to Miami, and Ft. Lauderdale.
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was a 50-year covenant. What happened to it? There
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We already have enough traffic. We have crime and
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are - as everyone has already discussed, there are two
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criminals. It's nowhere near like Arizona. Arizona's
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hotels at the end of Commercial. Plus, you havethis
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way down in the boondocks. It's not the same. You
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hotel that was just built, Colony West. Why didn't
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can't compare Tamarac and Arizona. There was tennis
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they build the hotel on McNab, at the old Winn -Dixie
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courts - tennis courts. No one uses them now. Now,
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building? Plenty of room. Why didn't they build one
14
who's going to use them in the future? Thank you for
15
there? Why come into a residential community tobuild
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your time.
16 a hotel?
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
17
They say the hotel offers great deals, and
17
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
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affordable rates. What rates are those that are going
18
MAYOR GOMEZ: Howard Rosen? Thank you, Cecile.
19
to be so affordable during the COVID. They say COVID-
19
MALE SPEAKER: Very good.
20
19 is a post - no, it's not. It's here for the long
20
MAYOR GOMEZ: Name, address. Pleaseconfirm
21
run. We don't have a vaccine yet that's proven to
21
you have been sworn in.
22
resolve this issue. So COVID is not going away any
22
HOWARD ROSEN: Good evening. My name's Howard
23
time soon. The rates are not gonna be $250. So 1
23
Rosen. I'm the President of the Villas at Woodmont, a
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wish they would not say what - that's not gonna
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community of 70 villas.
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happen.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Address, and you've been sworn
Transcription
December 09, 2020 86..89
Atkinson -Baker, a Veritext Company
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1 in?
2 HOWARD ROSEN: 8044 --
3 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
4 HOWARD ROSEN: -- Princess Palm Circle,
5 Tamarac, 33321. 1 have resided at precisely in the
6 Villas of Woodmont community for over 20 years - a
7 quiet, beautiful, and safe place. This community is
8 trusting you will honor your responsibility as a
9 public servant, which is to ensure the securityand
10 wellbeing of your constituents, and to do what is best
11 for them, and their families.
12 Just to get off for a moment - thegentleman,
13 the applicant, tried to tell Bonaire recently that why
14 didn't they build, or plant plants, so they don't see
15 the hotel. I find that to be absurd that he would say
16 that.
17 Moving along - there is absolutely no need for
18 the hotel to move forward. This project will -will
19 not provide good paying, long term jobs forthe
20 residents of Tamarac, but will bring in a transient
21 population, based on the type of hotel being planned.
22 That will be a detriment to our overall wellbeing.
23 Tamarac is a city of approximately 67,000 people,
24 already has seven hotels, and one in the final phase.
25 All of these hotels have - are - have been builton
1 Juan Manuel Torres, 8040 Buttonwood Circle, Tamarac,
2 Florida, 33321. And I am firmly in opposition to the
3 building of this hotel. Marlon, thank you for your
4 fierce support of your citizens - of your citizens. 1
5 really admire that. Debra, thank you for responding
6 to my emails. Michelle, thank you for talking to me
7 today. Mike, I already told you, from the beginning
8 you've been listening to me. And Elvin, I will thank
9 you for meeting (unintelligible).
10 Second, at the Planning Commission, Mr. Karim
11 said that my concerns about my child were inflammatory
12 and incendiary. And I didn't have a chance to respond
13 to him, because he commented after I spoke. But I've
14 gotta tell you, Sir, you don't have the right to
15 discount my concerns about my own child. How dare
16 you? And it seems like you are doing that again
17 today, by discounting everything that the citizens of
18 Tamarac and Woodmont are presenting as valid concerns
19 You do not have the right to discount what anybody
20 else says, says here. And I'm sure he's going to
21 counter that.
22 But anyway, everybody has said wonderful things
23 about the opposition to this, to this hotel. And I'm
24 going to focus on one - children. I don't care that
25 statistics show that it hasn't happened anywhere.
Page 91
1 main thoroughfares that transgress the city. None are
2 in the middle of a residential community, where
3 children walk or ride their bicycles to school.
4 Actually, this may be the first hotel in Broward
5 County to be built in a well -established residential
6 community. I can't really think of - the, the
7 gentleman mentioned one in Pembrooke Pines, but I have
8 a feeling that was built - the city - the houseswere
9 built around the hotel.
10 My next thing is - what, why is this hotel even
11 being contemplated? Well, I know the reason. It's
12 because an individual thinks Tamarac is going to
13 become a golf mecca, so he can gain a windfallfrom
14 selling some - off some of the piece of the golf
15 course, something he's been trying to do since he
16 first bought the course.
17 Please do the right thing. Vote No on this
18 proposal. Tamarac City Commissions have a
19 longstanding history of being on the wrong side of
20 issues between developers and citizenry. This time,
21 be sure you're on the right side. And again, I ask
22 you to vote No. Thank you.
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Now wewill
24 go to Juan Manuel Torres, please.
25 JUAN MANUEL TORRE& Good evening. My name is
1 Right now, today, there's zero change that somebody
2 from the third or fourth floor of a hotel - I'm a
3 child. You are in the third or fourth floor, and you
4 are looking at me, walking to my school You are
5 looking at me walking to school, waiting for my bus,
6 or being dropped off. You're taking a situation where
7 there's, where there is zero risk for a child being
8 either abducted, molested, or drawn into a situation
9 that he or she shouldn't be, to a possibility. And I
10 hope that our lawyer, Sam, Sam Goren, I hope that you
11 have conducted a risk assessment of what litigation
12 would cost if something happens to one of our
13 children I hope you're advising the City on that.
14 And that's all I have to say. Thank you so much.
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. And --
16 CITY ATTORNEY He's - were you sworn, by the
17 way? You were sworn, yes?
18 JUAN MANUEL TORRE& Yes.
19 MAYOR GOMEZ Yes.
20 CITY ATTORNEYYes, thank you.
21 JUAN MANUEL TORRES I was sworn.
22 CITY ATTORNEY Just - thank you again.
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you for stating for the
24 record. And we will now to go to George Monteiro.
25 CITY CLERK: Madam Mayor? George also has
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submitted a video.
GEORGE MONTEIRO: Yes. My testimony is
much the video. So I'll be glad to answer any
questions about it, but if they want to roll the
video.
MAYOR GOMEZ: One thing about not being an
affected party, you don't have to have - youdon't
have to worry about having anybody ask you questions,
and stuff like that.
GEORGE MONTEIRO: Oh, okay.
MAYOR GOMEZ: You just have to speak. So, is
the video of three minutes? Okay. Great. Thankyou
very much. And you were sworn in, for the record?
GEORGE MONTEIRO: Yes, I was sworn in.
MAYOR GOMEZ: And this will be submitted into
evidence, as your —
GEORGE MONTEIRO: Thank you.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. We're good to go.
GEORGE MONTEIRO: (unintelligible) Okay.
(VIDEO): George Monteiro: For the past 20
years, I've lived on Black Olive Avenue, in Woodmont,
directly across the ninth fairway from the Woodmont
Country Club. I love my neighborhood. It's quiet,
and secluded, and the safe place my neighbors and I
chose to raise our kids, and build our families. But
on the comer of 75th Street, and Lago de Campo, near
the school bus stop, right on the edge of the bike
path and sidewalk, where kids from all the Woodmont
neighborhoods walk, and ride their bikes to school.
Now, they'll be passing right in front of an
everchanging group of transient strangers, who's only
restriction will be the cost of a room. Can this
Board or this City guarantee me or any of my neighbors
that not one of our children will be lured into one of
those 120 rooms on their way to or from school? Of
course you can't. But it's yourjob to ensure that
such hazards aren't permitted to invade our little
community.
This beautiful, secure little neighborhood that
I and my neighbors have invested our lives and savings
in should not be allowed to be depreciated by greedy
developers who seek to profit from our loss. Nor
should the City govemment be allowed to toss its
citizens under the bus for the few extra tax dollars a
building like this may or may not generate.
I implore the City Commission not to corrupt
the nature of this quiet family neighborhood with a
multi -story extended stay hotel, the likes of which
can only be found at the end of the turnpike in
Florida City, across from the Days Inn. Woodmont is
1 I'm afraid that will all change if the proposed multi-
2 story, budget hotel is stabbed in the heart of our
3 quiet little residential neighborhood. This is the
4 beautiful view my neighbors and I have off our
5 backyards. This is what it will look like, should the
6 Woodmont Hotel be approved Would you want an eyesore
7 like that in your backyard?
8 And to make matters worse, the upper floors
9 will have an unobstructed view - not just of our kids
10 playing in the backyard, but into our living rooms,
11 our family rooms, and yes, even our bedrooms. And the
12 other surrounding communities will be equally exposed.
13 If hotel guests feel so inclined, they can walk from
14 the pool area across a fairway, and be in my backyard
15 in less than a minute - or any of the other backyards
16 on the golf course.
17 And it's not just visible from my neighborhood.
18 How much do you think our property values will decline
19 as a result? We didn't invest our life savings in
20 Woodmont to have it stolen by greedy developers who
21 don't have to live in the neighborhoods they're
22 destroying.
23 But this is not just about our view, and our
24 privacy. It's also about the security and safety of
25 our families, and our kids. The hotel will be located
1 better than that. And my neighbors and I beg the City
2 Commission to keep it that way." (End of Video)
3 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. We - and
4 thank you very much. We will now turn to David - 1
5 apologize - Corland Cortez (phonetic)? Am I reading -
6 is there a David here who wishes to speak, that I'm
7 butchering the last name?
8 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
9 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. Going next to Ron
10 Wasserman. Name, address, and confirm you've been
11 sworn in, please.
12 RON WASSERMAN: I have been sworn in. My name
13 is Ronald J. Wasserman- I live at 8577 Jay Drive,
14 Tamarac, 33321. There is a lot going on here. For
15 those who don't know, we've been living in our home
16 for 22 years. In 2006, Woodmont Country Club was
17 sold. From 2006 to 2011, Woodmont Country Club was
18 pushed into the ground, and lots of different things
19 were proposed - oh, townhouses, a Wawa, a couple of
20 other things. I'm a victim of the Pulte build -out. A
21 lot of you got your grass cut behind your house, but
22 we took part of the Pulte build. What I found, and a
23 lot of you will realize, is if this gets approved -
24 the pre -problems with this buildout. The developer
25 said a year and a half. Colony West is being built
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for three years now. They will get - believe me when
I say this - the City knows it because I've complained
about it pretty consistently. They will break Code,
start at 7 a.m., leave at 8. They will cut block.
They will let toxic substances go. They will
trespass. And believe me, law enforcement will tell
you - if someone's in our neighborhood - I've had a
problem. They trespass. I live off of Pines Five.
And we've had trespassing back there left and right.
And by the way, for those of you who think that it's a
- that it's a dog walking park or anything else, it's
not - it's private property back there. We realized
that from Mr. Schmidt. He's done nothing to help our
community. He will not help our community. And
Commissioners, I think every one of you realizes that.
I've spoken to every one of you, except Elvin
Vllalobos - but he's been very nice to me.
So guys, turn this down if you can. I ask you
to. I live so far away from this development, but I
am concerned for Tamarac. Tamarac - a lot of you see
the course with these temporary cart paths. Oh, what
a mess that is. That's Schmidt, and he wants to blame
it on everybody else. He will not cooperate with
anybody. He's suing our City right now. Do you folks
know that? I hope you do. This guy is a real
comments, if —
ALAN STODDARD: Okay.
MAYOR GOMEZ: — that's your --
ALAN STODDARD: That's my comment.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Okay.
ALAN STODDARD: And I'm, and I'm - at, at this
point, because it's gone this long, and you have
allowed it to go this long - I already know your
answer, obviously - just because I, 1 know thatyou've
been very vocal about your residents in yourdistrict
- you need to vote for the residents of other
districts. You are our district. The others, you
have your own residents. You need to support us, and
we'll support you. That's it.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you for your comments. I'm
going to take a moment before we go to - one, two,
three, four, five, six more people that I have in the
audience that are signed up, and then Facebook and all
that other stuff. Since we have an ordinance that
says that we end our meetings at 11:30, 1 do notwant
to butt up against that. And so I am asking my
colleagues to extend this meeting to at least 12:30 to
allow ample time for the finish -up of this matter, so
we do not have to roll those over to another day. Is
there anyone who will support that motion, and put it
1 character.
2 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. We will now
3 turn to Alan Stoddard. Name, address, and confirm
4 you've been sworn in, please. Three minutes.
5 ALAN STODDARD Yes, I've been sworn in My
6 name is Alan Stoddard I'm - my address is 8617 NW
7 82nd Street. Each one of you has been elected by the
8 residents. Each one of you are elected to represent
9 the residents It's very, very obvious - we all say
10 no. So if you are our representatives, then you
11 should say no. And in fact, I would ask that one of
12 you, any one of you, right now, would put a motion to
13 say, 'No hotel - ever.' Will you do that?
14 MAYOR GOMEZ: We, we can't do that at this
15 time. And this is a quasi-judicial --
16 ALAN STODDARD: Okay.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- hearing, so we need you to --
18 ALAN STODDARD: Well --
19 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- please --
20 ALAN STODDARD: -- when will it be done? When
21 will you, when will you - when will any of you --
22 MALE SPEAKER: Yeah.
23 ALAN STODDARD: -- say no, period?
24 MAYOR GOMEZ: This is - this is not a back and
25 forth at this time This is for you to have your
1 forth? And I need a second, if they will.
2 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: I will.
3 MAYOR GOMEZ Is there a second?
4 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Madam Mayor, I, 1 would
5 like to modify that motion to - I'd like to modify
6 that motion to wrap up this item whenever it finishes,
7 even if it finishes at 5 a.m. I don't think that the
8 residents of Woodmont should be held captive to 12:30,
9 and I don't think that we should go back and forth,
10 when 12:30 comes, 1:30 comes. I, 1 just think we
11 should extend it until we reach a resolution.
12 MAYOR GOMEZ: I have --
13 COMMISSIONER PLACKO I will second that.
14 MAYOR GOMEZ: I would ask if the - well, I
15 asked for a - so you modify your motion.
16 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: I will modify my motion -
17 and thank you
18 MAYOR GOMEZ: And I need a second, please.
19 MALE SPEAKER: I'll second that.
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: I don't think that there is a
21 need for discussion. Is there a need for discussion?
22 Okay. And I am quite content with that, as well. So
23 if you would, City Clerk, please call the roll.
24 CITY CLERK: Commissioner Bolton?
25 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Yes.
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CITY CLERK: Commissioner Placko?
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Yes.
CITY CLERK: Commissioner Gelin?
COMMISSIONER GELIN: Yes.
CITY CLERK: Vice Mayor Villalobos?
VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: Yes.
CITY CLERK: And Mayor Gomez.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes.
CITY CLERK: The motion passes unanimously.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you - which will also allow
for anybody who needs a restroom break, after public
comments. So we will now proceed on to our next
speaker, Richard Gainer (phonetic)? Richard Gainer?
RICHARD GAINER: (unintelligible) I've been
well represented, I believe, by, by those people who
have spoken so well (unintelligible).
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. I'm just going to
repeat, so, for the record, that Mr. Richard Gainer,
7729 Banyan Way, who has been sworn in, has stated
that he has nothing else to share, that he's been well
represented by other people who have spoken here, and
he is not in support of the hotel. Is that correct?
RICHARD GAINER: Yes.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Now going
to Jennifer Thomas. Name, address, and - we know you
I would not even be able to enjoy the view out of my
own backyard. Why should hotel guests enjoy a more
comfortable weekend every weekend than the residents
who live here?
In addition to what some may call these trivial
complaints, the crime rate is also guaranteed to go
up. The hotel is not going to be an upscale
destination resort. It will be a typical middle -of -
the -pack hotel. Business travelers in general will
not seek out this hotel as their destination, buried
as it is within a residential community, far from
restaurants, and any type of nightlife. I know that
for a fact, as I am also a seasoned business traveler,
and I would be horrified if that was where I was put
up to stay by my company. Also, how many vacationers
do you really think are dying to find a hotel buried
deep inside of Woodmont, especially considering that
there is already going to be another hotel on the
Colony West Golf Course?
To attempt to have two new competing hotels in
such close proximity is asinine. Do you really expect
that they will both be filled to capacity on a regular
basis? I think not. What it will bring is the lower
class of people who will have complete disregard of
what Woodmont is. There will be increased speeding,
1 were sworn in - we saw it.
2 JENNIFER THOMAS: Yeah. My name is Jennifer
3 Thomas, 7524 Black Olive Ave. Major fear of public
4 speaking, so please just bear with me.
5 MAYOR GOMEZ: Give it one second. While you do
6 that, we're going to have the clock reset for the
7 three minutes, please. Thank you. Go ahead.
8 JENNIFER THOMAS: All right. I think, as a
9 resident of Woodmont who will be directly impacted by
10 the proposed hotel, that it is important that I make
11 my opposition known. On top of being a general
12 eyesore, the hotel will negatively impact my family's
13 quality of life, as well as the quality of life for
14 all those who live, live near it in the Woodmont
15 Community. As my house sits directly opposite the
16 golf course at the proposed site, I will be subjected
17 to light pollution at night, as the hotel will be lit
18 up constantly, noise pollution during the day from all
19 the people outdoors using the proposed amenities, or
20 attending outdoor events such as weekend barbecue
21 parties out by the pool, and my privacy and serene
22 view will be completely destroyed.
23 1 would live - and for people being able to see
24 into my bedroom and living room, regardless of it
25 being day or night, unless I have my blinds drawn, and
1 which is already an ongoing concern, especially
2 considering the fact that it is a school zone on the
3 corner. It will bring more crime to the area as the
4 cars in the parking lot will be easy targets for
5 thieves, who will also then begin to try their luck at
6 breaking into the houses in the surrounding areas. As
7 in any hotel, the possibility of prostitution cannot
8 be ignored.
9 The ordinances were put in place for a reason,
10 and to disregard those reasons is to disregard what
11 makes Woodmont such a special community. A hotel
12 belongs on a main road. It has no business being in
13 the epicenter of a residential community, especially
14 when there is zero benefit to any of those that
15 already live there.
16 1 can't begin to imagine what it'll do to the
17 resale value of my house, and I know I never would
18 have bought my house if I knew there would be a hotel
19 going in there. I guarantee the same can be said -
20 thank you.
21 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. We are now
22 - R.E. Thumondo? Is R.E. Thumondo here?
23 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
24 MAYOR GOMEZ: Huh? I'm not used to him going
25 by R.E. Sorry - sorry, Bob. I'm used to Bob.
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Page 106
1 BOB THUMUDO: Yeah, it's actually Bob Thumudo.
2 There's no N in that name.
3 MAYOR GOMEZ: I apologize.
4 BOB THUMUDO: I was sworn in. I live at8772
5 NW 75th Court, Tamarac, 33321. I have a couple
6 questions for the Commissioners before you vote. Does
7 anybody on the Planning Board that recommended this to
8 you, live in Woodmont?
9 MAYOR GOMEZ: We'll allow you to ask the
10 questions. We can't —
11 BOB THUMUDO: I'm just saying --
12 MAYOR GOMEZ: — respond back to you on this.
13 BOB THUMUDO: I'm - these are things I want you
14 to think about. Okay? Before I came here, I got in
15 my car, and I drove from 75th and 80th Avenue, over to
16 the hotel at Colony West. It's exactly 1.2 miles.
17 Why do we need another hotel, just over, over a mile?
18 Why do we need something like that? These are things
19 1 want you to think about. Would you want this in
20 your backyard? And I, 1 - you know, it, it's -we,
21 we've been going around with, with Schmidt for, what,
22 10, 15 years now? Everything he promises, he lies
23 about.
24 MALE SPEAKER: Really.
25 BOB THUMUDO: He doesn't he doesn't live up to
1 EDDIE RAMIREZ: So - yes, I have been sworn in
2 My name is Eddie Ramirez. I live at 8725 NW 75th
3 Place, in Woodmont, of course. So my question is to
4 the applicants - do you know why you guys are going
5 through all that - five rows of trees, and why you're
6 going through all that dim lights? Because it doesn't
7 belong there. That doesn't belong there. There's,
8 there is an undeniable adverse effect, building a
9 commercial building in a residential area.
10 So, I mean, I don't - I don't think it's fair
11 to the residents - I didn't even realize they've been
12 fighting that long about it. Ah, excuse me. Phew,
13 phew, phew. I didn't even realize that this has been
14 going on since 2006. 1 just moved back into the
15 community in 2010. And it, it, it - it would just be
16 out of place. Four stories in that little space? It
17 looks real nice in the graphics. But if you go stand
18 in George's backyard, that - it almost looks the size
19 of the picture that's in his video. So, I mean, there
20 are undeniable adverse effects, building that building
21 in that place. Excuse me. Phew.
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: It's okay.
23 EDDIE RAMIREZ: I'm nervous with public
24 speaking.
25 MAYOR GOMEZ: Don't worry about it. We don't
Page 107
1 anything he's ever told us he's gonna do - ever.
2 MALE SPEAKER: Never
3 BOB THUMUDO: And I, 1 - I —
4 MAYOR GOMEZ: Please.
5 BOB THUMUDO: I think we - we need to take that
6 into consideration before we consider this. And the
7 traffic on 80th Avenue, and on 78th Street, and on 75th
8 Street, is going to be horrendous. And what about all
9 the construction vehicles that are going to come in
10 when they want to build this hotel? Has anybody ever
11 gone over to the extended stay on Commercial
12 Boulevard, and look at their parking lot in the
13 evening, or in the afternoon, at all the commercial
14 vehicles, and the boats. That's what we're gonna have
15 over here. Do we really want this? I don't, and 1
16 don't think anybody here does. Thank you.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Eden
18 Ramirez?
19 EDDIE RAMIREZ Eddie Ramirez (phonetic)
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: Oh, I apologize.
21 FEMALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: I think I might have to ask fora
23 better light up here - or new glasses - contacts. 1
24 think I may need new contacts. Three minutes. Name,
25 address, please, and confirm you've been --
Hage 1U9
1 bite, believe it or not.
2 EDDIE RAMIREZ: But yeah, so - really, I mean,
3 1 think you guys all know what the right thing to do
4 is here. No to the Woodmont Hotel. Happy holidays,
5 everybody.
6 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you - and to you Thank
7 you. Adia Pharton (phonetic)?
8 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
9 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. So - I, I'm - I gotthat
10 the two of you are together, but I didn't hear part of
11 what you said. So --
12 AIDA PHARTON (phonetic). (unintelligible)
13 MALE SPEAKERThe, the, the - the lady cannot
14 speak from the --
15 MAYOR GOMEZ. Let me - I need you, I need you-
16-
17 AIDA PHARTON. (unintelligible)
18 MAYOR GOMEZ: I need you to come tothe
19 microphone, please.
20 CITY ATTORNEY. Sorry, Madam Mayor, for the
21 public record, the speaker does need to come forward,
22 identify herself for the record, please.
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: She's on her way. And --
24 CITY ATTORNEY: Yeah.
25 COMMISSIONER GELIN. To the Chair -City
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Attorney, can you explain to the audience why they
can't ask those questions, the procedures of the
quasi-judicial meeting?
AIDA PHARTON: I understand, you don'twant
questions.
COMMISSIONER GELIN: All right.
AIDA PHARTON: The only way that --
MAYOR GOMEZ: Name, name, please.
AIDA PHARTON: -- (unintelligible) Ah --
MAYOR GOMEZ: Name, address, please.
AIDA PHARTON:: My name is Aida Pharton, I
living in 7780 NW 79th Avenue.
MAYOR GOMEZ: And you've sworn in --
AIDA PHARTON: Bonaire --
MAYOR GOMEZ: And you have been sworn in?
You've been sworn in? You, you're sworn - thank you.
AIDA PHARTON: Yes.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
AIDA PHARTON: The only thing that I - the only
way that you say yes to the hotel is - move it to
another city. Is no choice, because I move in Tamarac
because I love Tamarac. I love the trees. I love
the, the, the persons. I love the neighborhoods. But
if you say yes to the hotel, doesn't mean anythings to
live in, in Tamarac - anythings. The only way is sell
make public comments. That's the premise in the City
Code that governs quasi-judicial proceedings. That's
how it works.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
CITY ATTORNEY: It's not that you're being
offensive, by the way, Commissioners, just that the,
the Code disallows that, that situation.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much for the
response.
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Does, and, and doesthe
Code —
MAYOR GOMEZ: You're --
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Excuse me - through the
Chair - does the Code make any comments, orcover
anything regarding applause in a Commission meeting?
CITY ATTORNEY: No, but the - this - the City
has a rich history of maintaining decorum and civility
during the course of public comment, which -something
which is controlled by all of you in the context of
the proceedings. So, you're correct.
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: If the, if the Commission
wanted to allow an applause, then we can vote on that?
CITY ATTORNEY: You could change the code, if
you want to, you know, do that, but at the end ofthe
day, again, the Commission has had a rich history of
1 my house, and I moving to my son's, because my son
2 need me security, need - in (unintelligible). Sorry
3 for my English --
4 MAYOR GOMEZ: You're doing great.
5 AIDA PHARTON: But I think it - no otherway.
6 MAYOR GOMEZ: You were very clear. Thank you
7 so very much. Ian Hernandez?
8 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: I believe Commissioner
9 Gelin had a question, Madam Mayor, and I'd like the
10 answer, as well.
11 COMMISSIONER GELIN: Yes, please.
12 CITY ATTORNEY: Want an answer, Mr. Gelin, and
13 Commissioners?
14 MAYOR GOMEZ: I will. I'm just going to let
15 Mr. Hernandez know, that if you give us one second,
16 there's a question that is being posed to our City
17 Attorney. City Attorney, please do explain the
18 process.
19 CITY ATTORNEY: Oh -certainly. Public
20 speakers have the right to be heard as public
21 speakers. The affected parties have a different role
22 to play. They're affected under the terms of the Code
23 because of their proximity to the project, and they're
24 able under the Code to ask questions, or have
25 questions asked of them. Public speakers can only
rage .i .i a
1 being able to be civil, and others being civil back in
2 the (unintelligible) --
3 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Thank you.
4 CITY ATTORNEY: (unintelligible)
5 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: And, and to add to --
6 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
7 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: -- that, through the
8 Chair - the --
9 MAYOR GOMEZ: Well, then let the Chair say --
10 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: -- revising - revising
11 the code is on the agenda tonight, so we'll discuss
12 that at the appropriate time.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: It, it's not on the agenda
14 tonight. The only thing left on the agenda --
15 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: It is actually on the
16 agenda.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- tonight - the extension was to
18 hear Woodmont. Everything else will be rolled over to
19 the January meeting. It's, it's --
20 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Absolutely not.
21 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- currently --
22 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Absolutely --
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: Currently - Mr. Hernandez,
24 please, state your name, address.
25 IAN HERNANDEZ: Thank you.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Confirm you've been sworn in.
IAN HERNANDEZ: Ian Hernandez. I've been sworn
in. 7780 NW 79th Avenue, same as my Mom, Ina
(phonetic). For me specifically, considering the fact
that I actually attended Tamarac Elementary from
fourth to fifth grade, I really understand the
importance of that school to this community, and to
this city as a whole, for Tamarac residents, and
homeowners such as my parents. And with this being
considered, I would like to draw attention to the fact
that when they gave their presentation, they mentioned
two examples from Arizona, with no over -arcing
evidence from either of the schools impacted,
especially from the perspective of nearby residents.
Now, to sum that up, what they're essentially
saying is that, 'We've done it before, so you
shouldn't have a problem with us doing it again -
building a, a hotel so close to an elementary school.'
You know, furthermore, I myself, of course, made the
walking commute to and from the school and Bonaire,
and frankly, the nature of that commute is what made
Bonaire, and Woodmont so appealing to my parents - a
community with slow traffic, and a preservation area
right down 80th, full of natural foliage, and not
landscaped trees. A hotel opens the Woodmont
(unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
JAY COUCHER: Again, good evening. Jay
Coucher, 8173 Royal Palm Court, Tamarac. Yes, I am
sworn in.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
JAY COUCHER: First of all, thank you for all
that you do for the community. Next, everyone
preceding me has done an excellent job of telling you
how your constituents feel. There's only one thing
that I could possibly add to what everybody else has
done. And this was not intentional, but
(unintelligible) please (unintelligible). What it
says for those of you who —
MAYOR GOMEZ: Microphone, please.
JAY COUCHER: — cannot see it, is -'Are you
(unintelligible)' No, I hope you are not
(unintelligible). I hope that you do, at this
meeting, decide that we really don't need another
major eyesore coming into the community,
realistically. Thank you. And I hope it'll be a
great outcome. Have a good night.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Now I
believe we have that video - if you can please
introduce it, and - Director Sajilla (phonetic).
1 Community up to the development that is entirely
2 unwanted by the constituents of District Four. As
3 reelection approaches in 2022 for all of you, I ask of
4 you to consider your constituents in this room, who
5 clearly, unanimously don't approve of this
6 construction. Thank you.
7 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. At this
8 time, is there anybody in the audience who has not
9 signed up, who wishes to speak? Is - the - so just --
10 CITY CLERK There's one more person that
11 signed up - Jay Coucher (phonetic). And we also have
12 one last video to play.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay Thank you. Mr. Coucher?
14 JAY COUCHER: With the --
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Please come to the microphone.
16 JAY COUCHER: -- permission --
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: Please come to the microphone.
18 JAY COUCHER: Would it be permissible for me to
19 speak from back here?
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: Unfortunately --
21 JAY COUCHER: (unintelligible)
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- we are taping, and we have
23 people that are virtual, so we do need you to come to
24 the microphone.
25 JAY COUCHER: Sure. Let me get my mask
1 DINO CORNICK (phonetic). (VIA VIDEO) Hi. My
2 name is Dino Cornick. I live in the city of Tamarac,
3 and I formally support the Hotel Woodmont.
4 MAYOR GOMEZ: Well, that was short. Okay.
5 Thank you very much. No one else in the audience?
6 Okay. Then at this time, public comments are closed
7 in the audience. Public comments are now closed
8 online, Facebook, emails. City Clerk, will you please
9 read into the record that which you have to read in.
10 MALE SPEAKER: Mayor Gomez, the
11 (unintelligible) there's still (unintelligible) that
12 didn't speak, there's still - there are
13 (unintelligible) you shouldn't be able to
14 (unintelligible)
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: My apologies, but I thought you
16 said everybody signed up, and that's why they were
17 going to do this --
18 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
19 MAYOR GOMEZ. I just need to ask a procedural
20 question, because as we've stated, this is quasi-
21 judicial. So, City Attorney, if they wish to stand
22 and say their opposition or in support, do I need to
23 still have them sign in with address, and be sworn in?
24 CITY ATTORNEY This is not a plebiscite. This
25 is not in ancient Rome. They would have to identify
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themselves and indicate whether they support or
oppose, and that's what the - what the Code section
would allow them to do.
MALE SPEAKER: We know it's not ancient Rome.
CITY ATTORNEY: Yeah --
MAYOR GOMEZ: Just - no, no, no. Please.
MALE SPEAKER: Don't (unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Please.
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Please. Ladies and gentleman, by
a quick show of hands, how many people in the audience
wish to do a Yes or No - the - those who have not
already spoken? Let's keep it to those who have not
already spoken. One, two, three - you, you've spoken
- four, five. Okay. I'm trying to figure out how to
procedurally do this so we can - because you need to
be sworn in. You're going to be testifying with your
Yes or No.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Why don't you just ask if
anyone is in favor. That could limit it.
MAYOR GOMEZ: I still need --
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: And they could be sworn
in, rather than —
24 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. I got what you're saying.
25 So-
1 Circle, Tamarac, Florida - No.
2 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. And we're - we, we
3 have to allow for cleaning, so - we want to keep
4 everybody safe and healthy.
5 SUZETTE MONTEIRO: Suzette Monteiro, 7554 Black
6 Olive Avenue - no.
7 MAYOR GOMEZ: I know she wore her mask, but
8 still. Thank you.
9 EVELYN WANDER (phonetic): Evelyn Wander, 8026
10 Buttonwood Circle, Tamarac. And I have been sworn in.
11 May I say something in addition to No?
12 MAYOR GOMEZ: You sure can. You just have
13 three —
14 EVELYN WANDER: Okay.
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: — minutes to do so.
16 EVELYN WANDER: My husband and I bought our
17 house in 2005, in a beautiful residential community,
18 very quiet. We paid almost a half a million dollars
19 for our home, and we pay a lot in taxes every year-
20 not to live beside a hotel. And my division is right
21 bumped up to where the country club and the hotel will
22 be. No. We do not want this - ever.
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
24 CATHERINE JOHNSON (phonetic): Hi. Catherine
25 Johnson, 7352 NW 83rd Way, Tamarac. I do not want a
1 MALE SPEAKER. But you want (unintelligible) on
2 the (unintelligible)
3 MAYOR GOMEZ. That's why I'm going to just -
4 I'm, I'm going to need to ask you to come to the
5 podium, state your name and address, say 'I support',
6 '1 don't sup--' be sworn in, say a, 'Support' and
7 'Don't support'. So for those people who've just
8 raised their hands, if you would, please stand. Let's
9 get sworn in quickly. And then we'll get you to the
10 podium. So everybody who's going to do this, please
11 just stand for a moment, and let's raise your hand,
12 and the City Clerk will swear you in.
13 CITY CLERK: As a notary of the State of
14 Florida, do you swear to tell this - truth, the whole
15 truth, and nothing but the truth?
16 ANNA ROSEN: I do.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
18 MALE SPEAKER. Yes.
19 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
20 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
21 ANNA ROSEN: I --
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: If you would, please, name and
23 address, and obviously, you've all been sworn in, and
24 just say Yes or No.
25 ANNE ROSEN: Anna Rosen, 8044 Princess Palm
1 hotel in my neighborhood. I didn't pay a lot of money
2 for retirement, to get out and see all those cars when
3 I'm trying to walk. And the kids, I'm concerned about
4 because several times I've had to tell all these young
5 kids to move back off the corner because of the way
6 the cars are driving. And that's just a little bit of
7 cars now, compared to what it would be. No, I do not
8 want that hotel in my neighborhood. Thank you.
9 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
10 CATHERINE JOHNSON: And I have been sworn in.
11 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
12 GISLA PRINZ STODDARD (phonetic): My name is
13 Gisla Prinz Stoddard- I live at 8617 NW 82nd Street,
14 and I have been sworn in. And please vote No for the
15 hotel.
16 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
17 ROBIN MARSHMAN (phonetic): Yes, I have been
18 sworn in. Robin Marshman, 8030 Buttonwood Circle,
19 Tamarac, Florida. I'm, I was telling one of my
20 neighbors earlier, I've had a few friends recently say
21 to me, 'Can you find me a house in your neighborhood?
22 1 love your area.' They will not move there if I tell
23 them there's a hotel coming. In fact, I think all of
24 my neighbors would probably move out. And the house
25 values are going to go down drastically. Thank you.
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1 And I vote No.
2 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
3 DOMINIC RIVERA: I've been sworn in. Dominic
4 Rivera, 8009 Buttonwood Circle. I vote no.
5 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Now has
6 everybody in the audience had their position
7 registered, and spoken, who's wanted to speak?
8 Excellent. Public comments are now officially closed
9 again. And we will now just read into the record,
10 Facebook, email, and the like.
11 CITY CLERK: We also have phone calls. So --
12 MAYOR GOMEZ: Oh.
13 CITY CLERK: Do you want to do the phone calls
14 before the reading —
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Let's do the phone calls --
16 CITY CLERK: — into the record? So the first
17 person on the list for phone calls would be Lisa
18 Hayden.
19 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. We're doing phone calls.
20 So we would call Lisa Hayden. Did she not answer?
21 FEMALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
22 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
23 FEMALE SPEAKER: Yes, hello, this is
24 (unintelligible)
25 MALE SPEAKER: Madam Clerk, you said Lisa
1 then I don't know about this one. So - and Leon
2 (unintelligible). Okay.
3 CITY CLERK: I have quite a fewcomments
4 tonight that have come in via email, and by Facebook.
5 So bear with me.
6 MAYOR GOMEZ: We - we were not able to hear
7 you.
8 CITY CLERK: I have quite a few comments this
9 evening, that came in through email, and came in
10 through Facebook. So bear with me. This one comes
11 from Robert Fortier (phonetic). This is -'Dear Mrs.
12 Johnson. I would like this read, and be read on the
13 record for the Commission meeting on December the 9th -
14 9th. My name is Robert Fortier. I live at 777 NW79th
15 Street, Tamarac. I have two articles I would like to
16 discuss for the Commissioners and Mayor. One, I am
17 the President of my Community, Avalon Estates. In a
18 recent survey of the 46 homes here, 45 voted against a
19 hotel down the street from us - all with the same
20 thought - the value of our homes.
21 And number two - some time ago, I attended a
22 meeting at the Community Center to an overflowed room.
23 In attendance was the developer of the hotel, and at
24 least 300 Woodmont residents who were carrying signs,
25 expressing No Hotels, and were shouting out to these
Page 123
1 Hayden, right?
2 CITY CLERK: Yes, please.
3 MALE SPEAKER: Okay.
4 CITY CLERK: She's - thank you.
5 LISA HAYDEN: Hello This is Lisa Hayden.
6 MAYOR GOMEZ: Good evening. This is Michelle
7 Gomez, your Mayor, along with the City Commission, and
8 we have you on the phone in chambers regarding the
9 Woodmont Hotel. Okay. Shall we go to the next
10 caller?
11 CITY CLERK: The next caller would be Vanessa
12 Williams.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: Madam Clerk, I have a thought.
14 CITY CLERK: Um-hmm.
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Maybe we can ask our Assistant
16 City Clerk if she can call those people that remain --
17 AUTOMATED VOICEMAIL. 545040579.
18 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- and, and be able to--
19 CITY CLERK: And we can read the comments in,
20 while she calls?
21 MAYOR GOMEZ: And we'll read the comments in,
22 in, in the interim.
23 FEMALE SPEAKER: All right. And then there's
24 two more on the list here. Did Jim send it toyou?
25 He's definitely - he definitely is ready to talk, and
1 developers their disgust with Schmidt, and what he was
2 trying to do with this beautiful section of town
3 called Woodmont. I, like hundreds of my neighbors,
4 cannot express enough how adamantly opposed I am to
5 this building. Thank you.'
6 This one comes from - this is a set of
7 petitions that comes from the Woodmont Community,
8 through Marilyn Brown, which says -'Deny any and all
9 requests for a hotel to be built anywhere within our
10 Woodmont Community. There is currently a proposed -
11 proposal underway, submitted by developer Justin
12 Schmidt to build a four-story, 122 room, Home2 Suites
13 franchise, under the Hilton brand This will be an
14 extended stay hotel chain, adjacent to the Woodmont
15 Country Club at 7801 NW 80th Avenue. We, the residents
16 of Le Jardines, and Palm Ridge, do not want a hotel
17 built within our quiet residential community. The
18 hotel will provide no benefit to our residents, but
19 will increase traffic with patrons, waste pickup and
20 commercial deliveries into the hotel, in addition,
21 increase noise around the area of the hotel, lights in
22 the parking lot, etc.'
23 This one comes from Adam Reynolds 'Good
24 evening. My name is Adam Reynolds. I live in La
25 Reserve, with Montrack (phonetic) 70, just a couple
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1 hundred yards from the proposed hotel. I have lived
2 in Tamarac for over three years, and my wife, Ruth and
3 1 chose our home due to the quiet residential setting.
4 Never in our wildest dreams did we expect a hotel to
5 be built in the middle of our residential community.
6 The City of Tamarac and Broward County is naturally
7 interested in revenue generation from the hotel.
8 During the last meeting, the developer mentioned that
9 the room rate is $250 per night, and I believe 80%
10 capacity is anticipated. Ladies and gentlemen of the
11 Commission, this is definitely not an overstatement,
12 or alternative facts, if you will. $250 a night would
13 get you a great room at the Hard Rock Casino, or
14 Margaritaville in Ft. Lauderdale. I do not think a
15 Home2 Suites will generate that sort of revenue. If,
16 in fact, the Woodmont Country Club cannot survive
17 without the partnership of a, of a hotel on site, that
18 is a matter that the Commission should not be involved
19 in. Rather, the City of Tamarac should be looking to
20 the future to purchase the Woodmont Country Club as
21 green space. The recent City of Tamarac development
22 of Colony West - it is an entirely business model, on
23 a major artery, Pine Island Road. 80th Avenue is not a
24 major artery. I urge the City Commission to steer the
25 developers to a more suitable property that is zoned
1 commercial, that does not need these variants to exit,
2 and eliminate the zoning variance that allowed this
3 project to even be considered. In a closing thought,
4 if there are any members of the Commission that
5 received a campaign contribution from the developers
6 of the Woodmont Country Club, please consider the
7 ethics of this contribution, and respectfully consider
8 recusing yourself from a vote on the matter.
9 Respectfully, Adam Reynolds.'
10 This one is from David Rosas (phonetic). 'Good
11 evening, City of - Community of Tamarac. Please read
12 at the meeting. Note: My email sent to the Planning
13 Board (unintelligible) was not read. Although we
14 except the club's right for development on this
15 property, we do not feel it is meeting the health,
16 safety, comfort, and welfare concerns of the Woodmont
17 Community. The adverse effects need to be addressed
18 in a more precise manner than what is noted in built -
19 Bullet Note Four of Document, Case Number 2-Z19, Temp
20 Board Order Number 39, November 25th, 2020, page four.
21 For this reason, with more details as noted below, the
22 Board cannot accept the development. A healthy
23 community has several essential needs available to
24 them - in this case, namely public parks and trails.
25 With the exception of Woodmont Natural Area, we are in
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a recreational void for anyone that doesn't play golf.
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Without this contribution and community concern about
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safety and comfort, the community will be adversely
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affected. A safe community has mitigated future
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traffic concems. A site in the middle of a
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residential neighborhood, that will increase traffic,
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is dangerous to our families. Wider protected
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sidewalks, and traffic calming devices such as traffic
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circles, are necessary. We express concern that the
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study needs to incorporate special events, and address
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modern day ride -sharing traffic. During weddings,
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tournaments, how much traffic will come from attendees
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staying in local Airbnbs? Without this concern
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addressed, the community is adversely affected.
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Lastly, the welfare of the community has not
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been addressed. What social offering can the site
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provide? Are there cultural offerings? Can community
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beautification, or donation of artwork be included,
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with the intention of increasing our land value?
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Without this concern addressed, the community is
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adversely affected. When these factors of the Special
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Provisions are met, the development can be reviewed.
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Thank you for your time and consideration.'
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Finally, this is from the Woodmont Estates HOA
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President, Michael Martinez, on behalf of the entire
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community. 'Good afternoon. My name is Michael
Martinez, the President of the Woodmont Estates HOA.
This email serves to inform you that as a resident,
and also on behalf of our Board of Directors, and
Community of Woodmont Estates HOA, that we do not
support the efforts to have a hotel built in this
residential neighborhood. Having spoken with many of
our neighbors, no one here wants to see that built in
this area. It has no aesthetic appeal to a
residential neighborhood, and is a conduit to allow
illegal activity, such as human trafficking,
prostitution and drugs, and most especially, long term
residents of the hotel that may potentially be sex
offenders, which may go unchecked.
As I am sure most of you are well aware, there
are several hotels already in the area, none of which
with the - which are - that are at capacity. And now
with yet another being built on Colony West, there is
no need to further a project that will have ill
effects on the values of our homes and quality of life
for our families. This proposed hotel is not in a
commercial corridor. It is being proposed in the
middle of the - and heart of a residential
neighborhood. It does not reflect the essence of what
this neighborhood is. On behalf of our neighborhood,
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1 and Woodmont Estates HOA, we ask respectfully that the
2 Commission vote No on this project.'
3 This is from David Montford (unintelligible).
4 1 would like to go on record as voting againstthe
5 hotel. My residence is at 7820 Banyan Terrace inthe
6 Estates. I'm on the 17th green, and this will have
7 direct impact on the view from my property, which is
8 unacceptable, and it will also detract from the home
9 value. As one of the highest taxpayers in Tamarac,
10 I'm appalled at the following - tonight's meeting, and
11 Bolton consuming two hours of the meeting with a non-
12 agenda item was absolutely ridiculous. Maxine's
13 running of the meeting to approve this being brought
14 to the Commission. The meeting was run very poorly.
15 Woodmont Country Club is not a premiere golf
16 destination. I have traveled 250 days a year for 15
17 years, and a Hilton Diamond Member. I have never
18 stayed at a hotel located in any golf course in a
19 residential area. There are more than enough hotels
20 within Tamarac. Use Imbarary (phonetic) as an example
21 of ultimate fail. Hilton put in a hotel there, and it
22 failed, and it will fail in Woodmont, as well. The
23 City's tagline of The City for your life' is ajoke,
24 with the vision that this city is moving. My comments
25 are to be considered for the record, and myfeelings
1 this hotel.'
2 Imran Laugi (phonetic): 'This development will
3 create jobs, increase tax revenue, and increase the
4 value of residential properties. Don't use personal
5 issues with Schmidt as a reason to block the Woodmont
6 Hotel.'
7 Ryan Johnson: 'Who puts a hotel smack in the
8 middle of a nice and quiet residential community? The
9 people who will be forced to live next to thing don't
10 want it. Common sense should prevail here'
11 Andy Bedford: 'Create low paying jobs, will
12 not be a tax generating hotel if you cannot get people
13 to stay at $250 a night, and a hotel never causes home
14 prices to rise.'
15 Andy Bedford: 'Even if the rates are $150 a
16 night, can justify higher rates because of golf course
17 - who is going to stay there except golfers? And golf
18 is a dying sport.'
19 Sherry Eeker (phonetic): 'I am vehemently
20 opposed to the construction of this hotel. I bought
21 that I live in for the prime reason that the area is
22 totally residential. It is quiet, minimal traffic,
23 well maintained, and fairly safe. I'm also angered by
24 the fact that the Tamarac City Commission meeting
25 allowed more than 45 minutes of this meeting to be
1 as a homeowner that will be directly affected by this
2 hotel request. Regards, David W. Montford.'
3 From Facebook, we have a list Elissa Brown:
4 'Anyone who paid for a membership at Woodmont Country
5 Club since it opened December of 2019 knows Schmidt is
6 a con man. They delivered nothing that was promised.
7 The hotel project will be no different.'
8 Andy Bedford: 'The clubhouse still is not
9 complete since it, since its opening in April. I
10 guess that they can justify, with no attendance, why
11 they feel a hotel will justify finishing the dining
12 areas and pool area.'
13 Cindy Bieber Lazar: 'Mark Schmidt and Pulte
14 didn't want new homeowners to know a hotel was
15 coming.'
16 Elissa Brown: 'The Sales Office told me they
17 knew nothing about any hotel plans.'
18 Ryan Johnson: 'I want to know how many
19 independent experts that the hotel has used previously
20 to do these independent studies, have come out with
21 results of a study that were detrimental to the
22 hotel's agenda; and of those, who did reveal a
23 detrimental study? How many of them were ever used
24 again by the hotel? Fact is, you can pay someone to
25 say whatever you want. The community does not want
1 allowed as a commercial for the developers and for
2 Hilton. The meeting began at 7 p.m., and Woodmont
3 residents had to wait all this time to finally speak
4 (unintelligible) to, to Tamarac City Commission'
5 Andy Bedford: 'I live in a Pulte home on golf
6 course. Three neighbors don't play the cross -
7 course, even though HOA makes us pay for it. Do not
8 like the course.'
9 Scott Obe (phonetic): 'Don't build it.'
10 Cindy Bieber Lazar: 'Don't build it if you
11 want to shield the residents.'
12 Ryan Johnson: 'Those who vote for this hotel
13 need to be voted out of office.'
14 Sherry Eeker: 'There is a woman speaking right
15 now who is speaking the truth. Original plans from
16 2006 never materialized.'
17 Betty Ann Walter-Eversol (phonetic): 'Keep in
18 mind, we have the ability to vote out any of the
19 elected officials that vote for the hotel. They need
20 to be reminded of that.'
21 Ryan Johnson 'And those who vote against this
22 hotel need to cultivate a candidate in those
23 respective districts, to replace those who do vote for
24 it.'
25 Betty Ann Walter-Eversol 'Keep in mind, we
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have the ability to vote out any of the elected
officials that vote for the hotel. They need to be
reminded of that.'
I think I have one more.
Michael Ever (phonetic): 'Can the financial
feasibility data be shared? Curious on the occupancy
rates and room rates, weekends, weekdays, and in
season/out of season.'
Maria Bellow (phonetic): 'How about the
petitions, emails, and sent to our Commissioner?'
Elissa Brown: 'She's correct. Absolutely
nothing was promised, was delivered, and her
assessment of this base is spot, spot one. The venue
is lousy and overpriced.'
Sherry Eeker: 'I remember what the former
country club was like, and how elegant itlooked.'
Scott Obe: 'No, just Woodmont is opposed to
it. I live across University. I have been herejust
over 20 years. I have seen around the country club be
negatively impacted since the new homes have gone up.'
Cindy Bieber Lazar: 'No on Marchmont, noon
the hotel.'
Scott Obe: 'The applicant is an arrogant
builder who wants what he wants - all, all others be
damned.'
Andy Bedford: 'Recently had to complain to
City to go after the country club to landscape and
trim trees along Southgate. Trees made the sidewalk
nearly impassable. They did clean up, barely. The
country club is gaining revenue but fails to worry
about the property limit issues.'
MALE SPEAKER: Yes.
CITY CLERK: And that is it.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Now, do we
know if the people who were going to be called are
available?
CITY CLERK: If we can - Lisa Hayden is ready
to speak - Lavent?
LISA HAYDEN: Hi, this is Lisa Hayden.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Hi, Ms. Hayden, it's Michelle
Gomez, and your Commission. We have you on speaker
for you to be heard at the chambers regarding the
Woodmont Hotel. If you would, please state your name
and address for the record, and then the City Clerk is
going to swear you in, and then you will have three
minutes.
LISA HAYDEN: Thank you so much, Mayor Gomez.
My name is —
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
LISA HAYDEN: — Lisa Hayden of 8410 NW 59th
1 And Andy Bedford: 'I wish I were there also to
2 tell the Council how Pulte never disclosed the hotel,
3 so not to discourage home sales.'
4 One more. Sorry - they keep coming in.
5 Laura May Harris Saperstene (phonetic): 'I
6 vote No to the hotel. Schmidt is just looking for
7 another way to make money that only benefits himself,
8 and not the community. He needs to work on the CC -
9 the building, furnishings and activities, to improve
10 profits.'
11 Excuse me.
12 Sherry Eeker 'My parents bought the house in
13 1986. 1 have it now. It's amazing that in all these
14 years, up 'til now anyway, the area has remained a -
15 as lovely, quiet, and residential as it was 34 years
16 ago. The degradation began when this new developer
17 brought in. I remember going to some planning
18 meetings about 15 years ago, voicing my dissent about
19 the proposed housing units going up.'
20 Laura May Harris Saperstene: 'Is the
21 landscaping going to be enhanced, replaced by the golf
22 club along 80th and 81st? It is a disgrace. Also, the
23 landscape will protect cars and pedestrian from golf
24 balls. I have personally seen two golf balls cross
25 all four lanes of 81st.'
1 Court in Tamarac.
2 MAYOR GOMEZ: Excellent. The City Clerkwill
3 now swear you in.
4 LISA HAYDEN Okay. Thank you.
5 CITY CLERK: As a notary of the State of
6 Florida - as a notary of the State of Florida, do you
7 swear to tell the whole truth, the truth, the whole
8 truth, and nothing but the truth?
9 LISA HAYDEN: Yes, I do.
10 CITY CLERK: Thank you.
11 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. You have three
12 minutes. Please proceed.
13 LISA HAYDEN: Thank you so much. Thank you so
14 much, Mayor Gomez, and a special thanks to
15 Commissioner Placko for using all her technical powers
16 to assure that I can be heard tonight. My husband,
17 Raymond Hayden, and I are opposed to the Woodmont
18 Hotel. In 2014, the people of Woodmont were told that
19 in order to save the Woodmont Country Club and golf
20 course, the existing 99-year covenant would have to be
21 broken, but it would be rewritten with the expressed
22 assurances that no further concessions concerning the
23 property would be granted without the consent of 75%
24 of the people who live within 150 feet of the new golf
25 course boundaries.
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1 The idea that a four-story hotel is incidental
2 or ancillary to the country club is an excruciating
3 stretch of the imagination. I am certain that if the
4 word 'hotel' had been included in the 2014covenant,
5 there would have been fierce resistance from the
6 people of Woodmont; and I also presume resistance from
7 the City Commission itself.
8 In 2014, most of us were concerned that
9 breaking the 99-year covenant would open a Pandora's
10 Box. And unsurprisingly, we find ourselves here
11 today, fighting to keep what was agreed to only afew
12 short years ago. Given the many battles that the
13 residents of Woodmont have had to endure for the past
14 14 years, and the assurances that were made when the
15 original covenant was abandoned, it is my hopethat
16 the Commission will send a clear message that these
17 incessant requests for additional concessions will no
18 longer be entertained. The Commission has within its
19 power, the ability to do this tonight, by unanimously
20 voting against the building of this hotel on Woodmont
21 property. We are pleading with you to takethis
22 important step, here and now. Thank you very much for
23 your time, consideration, and working through the
24 technical glitches.
25 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
1 MALE SPEAKER. Thank you, Lisa.
2 MAYOR GOMEZ: Do we have anothercaller?
3 CITY CLERK: We do - if Lavent could call
4 Michael Martinez?
5 MAYOR GOMEZ. Thank you.
6 CITY CLERK. Michael Martinez? He should
7 actually be on Jim's list.
8 ASSISTANT CITY CLERK. Let me forward itto
9 you.
10 MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Hello.
11 MAYOR GOMEZ: Hi. Is this Michael Martinez?
12 MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Yes, this is.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: This is Michelle Gomez, your
14 Mayor. And your City Commission is here, and we are -
15 we have you on speaker in the chambers. We are
16 calling you --
17 MICHAEL MARTINEZ. Yes.
18 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- regarding the Woodmont item.
19 Thank you very much. So --
20 MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Yes.
21 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- we're going to ask youto
22 state your name, address, and then the City Clerk will
23 swear you in, and then you will have three minutes.
24 Welcome to the meeting.
25 MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Okay. Thank you. Michael
Page 140
Page 141
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Martinez, 7615 Banyan Way, in Woodmont Estates. I am
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sidewalk all the time. There's bus stops there. You
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the Woodmont Estates President, HOA.
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know, we, we have - you know - there's just no way to,
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CITY CLERK: Mr. Martinez, as a notary vested
3
to, to know who's coming in, who's not. And let's
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in the State of Florida, do you swear to tell the
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face it - you know, just down the road in Commercial,
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truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
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at that, at that extended stay, they have even had
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MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Yes.
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someone that's been murdered at that, at that place.
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CITY CLERK: Thank you.
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So - we don't need that here. I, I, 1 don't know how
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Please proceed.
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more emphatically, you know, we can put thatacross.
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MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Okay. On behalf of Woodmont
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Nobody here in the Estates wants that. Nobody has
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Estates, the HOA, the Board of Directors, and all of
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expressed support to any of us on the Board, for the
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our residents in Woodmont Estates - we are
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hotel. So we are emphatically against it. And that's
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emphatically against this hotel. It does not bring,
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all I've got.
13
or draw to our neighborhood, and I don't know how more
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MALE SPEAKER: Yeah.
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it could be stated that we don't want it here. And
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much. Have a good
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especially with the, the fact that you're, you're
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night.
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bringing in unvetted people into this neighborhood.
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MICHAEL MARTINEZ: Thank you.
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You know, are there going to be registered sex
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Do we have anybody else on--
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offenders showing up? I mean, do we have any way to,
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CITY CLERK: That is it. We want to confirm
19
to say who's coming into this hotel? We have kids
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one more, but that should be it.
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here. This is a family neighborhood. It is
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MAYOR GOMEZ: That is it.
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residential. It is not a commercial neighborhood. It
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CITY CLERK: Yeah.
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is not on a commercial thoroughfare. And we - nobody
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay Ladies and gentlemen, it
23
here wants to see that here. You - we don't want to
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is currently 11:57. We are going to take a break
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have unvetted people, you know, potential predators in
24
until 12.10. So, good morning. And we will see you
25
our neighborhood, where kids are walking down that
25
back here. We are in recess until 1Z10. Thank you.
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1 (RECESS IS TAKEN)
2 MAYOR GOMEZ: Ladies and gentlemen, we're going
3 to resume the meeting. It is 12:10. At this time, we
4 are going to have a discussion by the City Commission.
5 And we will start with Commissioner Placko.
6 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Thank you very much. Mr
7 Goren, can you tell me, is there currently any
8 litigation pending between Woodmont Country Club and
9 the City?
10 CITY ATTORNEY: May I respond, Madam Mayor - to
11 the Commissioner through the Chair, the answer is yes,
12 there is a - there's a current lawsuit pending. It
13 was filed by the Woodmont Country Club against the
14 City several months ago. As you remember, theCity
15 Commission was reviewing the, the annual report that's
16 required by the agreement req, regarding performance
17 of the - by the developer, and the developerfiled
18 suit against the City, claiming it breached that
19 agreement with the City, and the City has countersued,
20 as well. So there's a pending lawsuit in the Broward
21 Circuit Court.
22 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Thank you very much. Dc
23 we have the applicant on the line? Closer?
24 MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes, please.
25 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes. Yes, you do.
1 42 fulltime equivalent positions created by the hotel.
2 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: What staff will be there
3 2417?
4 MR. ISHMAEL: Reception, management, you know -
5 the normal staff you would have in a, in a hotel -
6 maintenance, etc.
7 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay, so there will be a
8 staff member at the desk 24/7.
9 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes.
10 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. You know, we
11 currently have five hotels within five miles. That's
12 553 other rooms available. They are either off the
13 highway, or on main roads. Travelers are going to see
14 a hotel from the highway. They're going to stop,
15 they're going to spend the night, they're going to get
16 back on the road. Business people are going to stay
17 at a hotel on a main drag, where they can walk to a
18 restaurant, they can walk to shops, or anything like
19 that. So, who's your market? Who are you - who do
20 you think you're drawing here?
21 MR. ISHMAEL: Yeah. So, the market will be a
22 mix of both business and, and leisure travelers. So
23 on the leisure side, they could be people who are
24 attending a wedding or an event. They could be
25 people, you know, who are, who are golfers, let's say
Page 143
1 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. Thank you. I have
2 a few questions for you.
3 MR. ISHMAEL: Sure.
4 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: First of all, when this
5 originally started, it was a five -story hotel with 127
6 rooms. It is now a four-story with a 122 rooms. So
7 we've lost a story, and five rooms. What have you
8 done to compensate for that? Are the rooms smaller?
9 MR. ISHMAEL: No, the rooms are the same size.
10 The rooms are dictated by Hilton, so we don't have the
11 option to reduce that. We simply will absorb the, you
12 know, extra cost involved. The extra cost involved
13 is, when you go taller, you have less of a footprint
14 and foundation, so we have to go wider, and we have
15 five less rooms, and we will have revenue from five
16 less rooms.
17 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. But you did go
18 wider, instead of going higher.
19 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes. We had to fit in 120. We
20 had a whole story to account for, so we had to fit
21 that into the site.
22 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. Can you tell me
23 what staff you'll have on site?
24 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes. We will have reception
25 staff, cleaning staff, a manager, etc. There is about
Page 145
1 with a week-long golfing package, people attending a
2 tennis camp or tennis courts, etc. So that will be
3 part of the market that we would draw.
4 The other part would be business travelers.
5 And as John had mentioned, Hilton has over 110 million
6 Honors members. So if you have Hilton - if you're a
7 Hilton Honors member, for example, there may be a
8 Marriott on a, on a main street, agreed. But you will
9 tend to go and stay where a Hilton is, for all - a
10 whole bunch of reasons - points, loyalty, this - etc.
11 So we did an - you know, before we went ahead and
12 invested what we've already invested, we went and did
13 an extensive study to look at the market, the growth
14 in the market, and the absorption. We have been
15 involved with 47 hotel projects, all successful. If
16 we didn't feel there was demand here, we wouldn't have
17 put the hotel here. So.
18 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Thank you.
19 MR. ISHMAEL: Or we wouldn't have --
20 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: How will the --
21 MR. ISHMAEL: -- yeah, proposed - sorry. We
22 wouldn't have proposed --
23 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: How --
24 MR. ISHMAEL: -- the hotel here. Um-hmm.
25 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: How will the guests
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access the hotel? Are all areas of the hotel locked,
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site.
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and only accessible with your key card?
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. Do you - your
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MR. ISHMAEL: Yeah. I think that's right.
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guests will have access to the pool at the country
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. What about
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club, correct?
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cameras?
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MR. ISHMAEL: Yes.
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MR. ISHMAEL: Well, a hotel, like any other
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: What is the capacity
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commercial building, usually has security cameras in
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limit at the country club pool?
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case there are ever any incidents, then you know, they
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MR ISHMAEL I am not sure, to be quite
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can record that.
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honest, but it is sufficient because they also have,
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. So usually -what
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typically - so let me put it the other way.
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exactly does that mean?
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Typically, the pool that they have within the hotel is
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MR. ISHMAEL: Well, it's - what I meant to say
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sufficient, which I showed - is sufficient for 122
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is it's normal. So the hotel, too, would have
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rooms. Hilton reviewed that, approved that, etc. The
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security cameras. That would be --
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pool becomes an added amenity for people who want to
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: But these --
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be outside when the weather is good etc., that they
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MR. ISHMAEL: — a requirement from Hilton.
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can use in addition to the pool that they have within
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Is - is someone
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the hotel.
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monitoring them?
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Ms. Calloway, do you know
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MR. ISHMAEL: Yes.
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what the capacity is at the country club pool?
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: 24/7? 1 don't mean
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Unmute.
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playing it back after an incident has happened.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: You're, you're on mute.
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MR. ISHMAEL: Yes, they would be monitored by
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: You're muted, Maxine.
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security service company.
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: Thank you. Thank you, Mayor.
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Is that someone on site?
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No, Commissioner, we do not know, but we can certainly
25
MR. ISHMAEL: No, typically, it would be off
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find that out.
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: I'd like to know. My
1
Club. We had a community meeting out at City of
2
concern is, you have 122 rooms. I'm going to give him
2
Tamarac, in the room that was available to us. Those
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- and say that they're renting half of them. So
3
were two key meetings that, you know, we had with the
4
that's 60 rooms. Even if there's only one person in
4
residents. And then we had informal meetings with the
5
each room, and it's a beautiful Florida day, you're
5
HOA President and - at Bonaire.
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going to go sit out by the pool to get some sun. So
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. And what was the
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you have 60 guests out at this pool with whatever the
7
mood of the residents at your meetings?
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capacity may be. Our residents in the Pulte homes are
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MR. ISHMAEL: The mood at the - at both
9
paying $200 a month for a social membership, which
9
meetings was that the residents had concerns, which
10
entitles them to use the pool. If their capacity has
10
they've expressed today, as well, about you know,
11
been met, then our residents will not have access for
11
crime, and you know, property values, and etc. -
12
something that they're paying for. So this is taking
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similar views.
13
away from our bene-- from our residents, for hotel
13
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. We had a letter
14
guests.
14
read here tonight from a resident that said he was at
15
MR. ISHMAEL: So, is there a - is there a
15
a meeting at - I believe he said the Community Center,
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question there of me?
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and the residents were not in favor of this. Ms
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: No. I asked you, and
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Calloway, do you remember our City Town Hall meeting
18
then I went to Maxine. But don't go away. I'm coming
18
on May 29th of 2019, at the Community Center?
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right back to you.
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes, I do.
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MR. ISHMAEL: I'm right here.
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COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. Can you tell me
21
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. Can you tell me
21
the feel of the residents at that meeting?
22 when, where, and how many community meetings you had 122 MAXINE CALLOWAY It's pretty consistent, with
23 with residents of Woodmont? 23 some of the comments, most of the comments thatwe've
24 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes. We had a community meeting 24 heard tonight.
25 - one at the Country Club. We had - the old Country 25 COMMISSIONER PLACKO Okay. Do you recall at
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that meeting, a resident stood up and said, 'Whoever
is in this room who currently is against the hotel,
please stand up'?
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes, I do recall that.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: And do you recall who
stood up?
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Practically the entire room.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Thank you. Okay. I'd
like to talk to the petitioner about this petition
that you all had. And correct me if I'm wrong. I
believe this was located at the Country Club, so
people coming in could sign it. Am I correct, or not?
MR. ISHMAEL: You're correct.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. And that's where
we heard tonight that there were 80 people who were in
favor of the hotel?
MR. ISHMAEL: Yes - 79 Tamarac residents, yes.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: They are not all Tamarac
residents. I have gone through each and every one.
Number one, I don't - I don't care. Whoever comes
into the Country Club comes into the Country Club, and
they're certainly welcome there. They were Corral
Springs residents, they were Ft. Lauderdale - it
doesn't matter. That's not my point. My point is,
I'd like you to explain to me, what is meant by number
revenue that, you know, would be available. That's a
choice that the Commission, or a future Commission
needs to make, you know, down the road.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Exactly. The Commission
sets the City, City budget, along with the tax rate.
MR. ISHMAEL: Um-hmm.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO. The City Manager hires
police, fire, paramedics, with the City Commission
approving that, through the budget process. Do you
find this statement to be misleading?
MR. ISHMAEL: No.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: I do. I find it to be
terribly misleading, that by signing this and
supporting this, they are going to have lower taxes,
and they're going to have more police officers, and
more paramedics, and more firefighters. I really find
that to be terribly misleading to the public. Asfar
as the benefits to our residents, I've heard tonight
that they can have events there. I've heardyou'll
have generators there, and I've heard that you'll have
special rates to Woodmont residents. Can you give me
anything other than that?
MR. ISHMAEL: Yes, and increased tax revenues.
You heard that, too.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. But we - let's
1 four. 'I support 100 million in new tax revenues. 1
2 support to keep our taxes from increasing. I support
3 to implore - employ more police officers, paramedics,
4 and firefighters.' Can you explain that to me,
5 please?
6 MR. ISHMAEL: Sure. The point I made earlier
7 was that over a 50 year time period, which would be
8 the useful life of a hotel like this, with renovations
9 that have to happen every few years, that they would
10 be our - by our estimate, there would be increased
11 revenue. And so we made the point to, to whoever was
12 signing the petition, that that is what they were
13 supporting. And increased tax revenues helps decrease
14 other people's tax revenues, and increased tax
15 revenues, if the City so chose, could be used to, you
16 know, employ policemen, paramedics, etc. That's a
17 choice that the Commission makes, obviously.
18 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: All right. So by telling
19 residents who signed this, 'I support to keep our
20 taxes from increasing. I support employing more
21 police offices, paramedics, and firefighters,' isthat
22 insinuating, with your hotel being built, that we need
23 more police officers, paramedics, and firefighters?
24 MR. ISHMAEL: No, not necessarily. But if you
25 happen to need more, then there would be additional
1 keep in mind, that tax revenue doesn't go specifically
2 to Woodmont. That's City. So that's not a benefit to
3 Woodmont. I want to know benefit to Woodmont,
4 specifically.
5 MR. ISHMAEL: Well, Woodmont's part of the
6 city, is it not?
7 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: I - is - it is, but 1
8 want to know specifically what you consider to be a
9 benefit specifically to Woodmont.
10 MR. ISHMAEL: Well, I, 1 outlined that in the
11 presentation. So at the risk of repeating myself,
12 there is opportunity for events to be held there, and
13 for people to participate. There is opportunity for
14 people to, let's say, have a tennis membership. There
15 is opportunity for people, when visitors come, to have
16 them stay nearby. There is opportunity for - part of
17 the tax revenue would go to Woodmont; the rest may go
18 to the rest of the city. So are some, some key
19 benefits that I pointed out.
20 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. I, 1 don't see a
21 lot of benefit in that, but - okay. You made a
22 comment earlier about the hospital, and the hospital
23 would use this for events. And I am hoping that
24 University Hospital will use the Country Club for
25 events. I sit on the Board of University Hospital.
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1 However, I don't understand how that plays intothe
2 hospital. They're not going to be staying at the
3 hospital. They don't have enough out of town
4 customers coming in who would be staying at the
5 hospital. So I just wanted to, to kind of clear that
6 up with you, that I don't quite understand that.
7 MR. ISHMAEL: Sure.
8 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: That just --
9 MR. ISHMAEL: Well --
10 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay?
11 MR. ISHMAEL: Fair enough. If I can respond to
12 that. So we met with the hospital --
13 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Of course.
14 MR. ISHMAEL: — senior hospital executives.
15 And what they indicated is that they were actually
16 looking to expand their program that allows for more
17 out of town people to come in, and that having a
18 hospital where people could stay the night before
19 their surgery, or when they're discharged, or the
20 families staying there would be very helpful, in
21 addition to using the Country Club for, you know,
22 events, etc.
23 COMMISSIONER PLACKO. But I - I would really
24 would really like that idea, that people aretraveling
25 into Tamarac to go to University Hospital and be
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This is a residential community. We do not have 1 1
commercial buildings within Woodmont. It is strictly 12
all residential.
3
The one that I really, really don't understand,
4
'The complementary nature of the clubhouse, and the
5
proposed hotel will help ensure the continued
6
sustainability of the golf course and tennis courts.'
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It is not the responsibility of the communitiesto
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sustain the golf course and the tennis courts. That
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is strictly the responsibility of WoodmontCountry
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Club, and Mr. Schmidt. So I do not understand how
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this standard of number one was met atall.
12
As far as number two, 'The proposed use is
13
deemed desirable for public convenience, and not
j 14
injurious or otherwise detrimental to the public
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health, safety, comfort, and welfare.' Well, I truly
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believe that the health, safety, comfort, and welfare
17
is definitely going to be an issue for allthe
18
residents of Woodmont. Let's talk about health for a
19
minute. I see the signs here about, you know, protect
20
our kids. I can only imagine the anxiety a parent
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would go through, worrying about their child, their
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child walking to the bus stop, their child going up
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the street to ride a bike, having a hotel inthe
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midst, with transients coming and goingthrough.
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Page 1
operated on I think that's a fabulous idea. So -
I'm going to give you a break for a minute, and I'm
going to talk to Ms. Calloway, okay. But don't go
away.
MR. ISHMAEL: Okay.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. Ms. Calloway -
have in front of me the Special Exception, and I'd
like to read a couple things here. It says,'The
purpose of a Special Exception is to provide for
certain uses which cannot be well adjusted to their
environment - cannot be well adjusted to their
environment - offering full protection to surrounding
properties, and possible impact on neighboring
properties. Special Exceptions are permitted uses in
respective zoning districts that require
individualized review, due to the potential individual
impacts that they may have on surrounding area or
neighborhood. Uses permitted by Special Exception
shall not adversely affect the public health, safety,
and general welfare.' I've just read that from the
memo that you sent out.
I would like now to go over each of the six
Special Exemption approval standards. The first one
is, 'The proposed use is compatible with the existing
natural environment.' I don't understand that at all.
People staying at a hotel have absolutely no vetted
interest in the community. They come, they go. We
don't know who they are. So, as far as safety, as far
as a health issue of anxiety - every single parent in
the community would be concerned about that. And
protecting our children is imperative.
As far as the comfort and welfare -residents
have an opportunity of losing their amenities, and I
can listen from now'til next Thursday about property
values not decreasing. You cannot tell me, if you're
looking out at a four-story hotel, that yourproperty
values are not going to decrease. You can tell me
from now'til tomorrow. I'm not buying that. You
have a four-story hotel in your backyard. Woodmont
has always been known for its open space, its
beautiful golf courses, and its waterways. Living in
that environment has always been it - the residents of
Woodmont have made sacrifices, when we built the 152
Pulte homes, because some of them did you use their -
lose their views - but that was in the best interests
of the community. This definitely is not in the best
interests of the community.
Okay, number three. Okay 'Shall minimize
adverse effects, including noise, light, and dust, to
the greatest extent possible.' First of all, what
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1 exactly does that mean - to the greatest extent
2 possible? Who's going to be monitoring this? How is
3 it going to be judged? And, and how is it going to be
4 fixed? Can you tell me that?
5 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes. So, Commissioner, the
6 entire sentence has to do with the design of the
7 proposed use shall minimize - and so as a part of the
8 site plan review, we extensively review the
9 orientation, the location of the property, the
10 setback, which is no less than over 300 feet from the
11 closest residential properties. So all that was
12 reviewed as a part of the DRC process. And so we
13 believe, ultimately, with the seven iterations that
14 the design went through, that it met this standard,
15 relative to the design as it relates to light, dust,
16 and potential nuisances. In addition to that, we have
17 a code, as it relates to commercial, non-residential,
18 as well as residential properties, with violations, as
19 it relates to dust, noise, and nuisance. And so the
20 City, through the Code Enforcement Office, as we've
21 always done, would be responsible for monitoring, as
22 well as responding to any violations of the code.
23 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. I have to believe
24 the noise level, whether it's during construction, or
25 after construction, would definitely be a detriment to
1 does that mean?
2 MAXINE CALLOWAY: So the land that's in
3 question tonight, or the subject property, is the
4 Woodmont Country Club site, which comprised of 13.4
5 acres. So that's the property on which the hotel is
6 being proposed. On that property, it's uses that's
7 consistent with the S-1, which is now the RC zoning
8 designation. So it's a hotel that's incidental to the
9 Country Club. It does not include any type of
10 commercial uses, including a Burger King. So, no,
11 that would not be something that would be --
12 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: But --
13 MAXINE CALLOWAY: -- would be proposed on that
14 13.4 acres of property, which is the Country Club
15 parcel, which is the subject property tonight.
16 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. What could be
17 anticipated expansion? What would the possibilities
18 be?
19 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Well, the S-1 Zoning
20 District, which I'm looking now at the RC, which
21 correlates with the RC Zoning District under our new
22 code, which would allow a few uses, including uses
23 that are existing currently, such as the Country Club,
24 which is built by a Special Exception, club or lodge,
25 private -which, that's similar to that. Butsome
1 the community. Let's face it. You're staying in a
2 hotel. If you're there for an event, you're there to
3 party, and you're not going to stop partying at 10
4 o'clock. So the noise that the residents would have
5 around them would definitely be a detriment to the
6 community. So, there again, the lights from the hotel
7 - we've heard that several times tonight. You're
8 going to have lights on 24/7. The residents are going
9 to have to deal with that, as well. This is a
10 detriment to the community. It absolutely is.
11 And number four is a site plan issue. I'm not
12 going to discuss that. Number five is the traffic
13 study. I will challenge this traffic study because it
14 has not been projected over the five-year period that
15 Pulte is due to be building here. The one thing we
16 have all seen is that families are growing. Many
17 generations are living together now. Over a five-year
18 period, we're going to have many, many more residents
19 than the 2021 that this traffic study was projected
20 through. So I definitely challenge that.
21 And on number six - whoops. Number six says,
22 'That the land is sufficient for any reasonably
23 anticipated expansion.' What exactly does that mean.
24 Are we going to have more retail space there? Or as
25 somebody says tonight, a Burger King? What exactly
Page 161
1 other uses by Special Exception includes, for example,
2 an arena. But those would need to come before you.
3 Municipal facilities, library, art gallery, ormuseum.
4 So those are some of the uses that are listed on the
5 RC, which is comparable to the S-1 zoning designation
6 in the current code.
7 COMMISSIONER PLACKO. Okay. Well, that gives
8 us a, a general idea there. This Special Exception is
9 transferable - from a Hilton to a Motel 6? How is it
10 transferrable?
11 MAXINE CALLOWAY: We are - Special Exception
12 approval is specific to the use, to the brand, to the
13 conditions that's attached to that approval. So it's
14 transferable as a package. Any conditions thatare
15 changing would require the Special Exception tobe
16 reheard. And so, no, it could not transfer to a
17 motel. It could not transfer to a condominium typeof
18 setting. In the beginning of my presentation, Ispoke
19 about certain standards that you adopted in 2016, to
20 avoid a lower level quality product in the S-1 Zoning
21 District. And those standards or criteria are very
22 substantial as it relates to how the use itself should
23 perform. And so I don't see where this could transfer
24 to a motel, or to a condominium, or any use other than
25 what's approved, if it, if it's approved, in addition
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to the conditions that are attached to this approval.
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. I'm going to try
and move along here tonight. I know everybody's
anxious to hear what everybody has to say, and getto
go home, so —
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
COMMISSIONER PLACKO: First of all, I'd liketo
thank the residents of Woodmont who are here, those
who have called in, those who have written in. I have
always said the residents of Woodmont are always
vocal. And it's much appreciated. I like to know
what you're thinking, and what you have to say, and
you have never been shy about it. And I think that's
one of the best qualities. So thank you all very
much. You have portrayed yourself in a professional,
calm matter. You've said what you had to say, and we
have heard you.
This proposed hotel has several issues forme.
The sustainability - I just do not believe that the
residents should be held accountable for the
sustainability. I don't know how it doessustain
itself - sustain itself, with 553 other hotel rooms
within a five mile radius. There's plenty of safety
issues. I don't have to sit here and go through them
all with you again. There's safety for our children.
1 for those of you that don't know, I do, in fact, live
2 in Woodmont. I have heard your thoughts overmany,
3 many months, and I have heard all your thoughts here
4 tonight. There is no way I can support this project.
5 It is in the - it is not in the best interests ofthe
6 community, and I will not support it. Thank you very
7 much.
8 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Thank you, ladies and
9 gentlemen. Next on deck is Commissioner Bolton.
10 COMMISSIONER BOLTON. Thank you, Madam Chair
11 All right. To the development - to the developerfor
12 Woodmont. Something stuck out to me during your
13 presentation. You said that hotel rooms are sold for
14 $147 per night. But you took that data from 2014.
15 I'm curious why you did not take data from a more
16 recent year.
17 MR. ISHMAEL: Sure. That was the data that had
18 a lot of other profile data. When we did the HVS
19 survey and submitted it to the City, at theCity's
20 request, the rates were at $150 a night. And I just
21 want to clarify one thing, since we're talking about
22 rates. My comments on rates was misconstrued. The
23 average rate would be $150 a night. And what Isaid
24 is that peak rates would be $250, not average rates.
25 There's a huge difference between peak rates and
1 There's safety for our residents. It goes on and on.
2 The traffic. The compatibility - it is not
3 compatible. This is a residential area. It always
4 has been. It is not a commercial area. And the
5 benefit to the community is absolutely nothing, in my
6 opinion.
7 Okay. Woodmont is, in fact, a premiere
8 residential community. It absolutely is I think
9 it's stellar. However, it is not a destination. It
10 is not Pebble Beach. People are not coming to
11 Woodmont to play golf, and spend a week. So that's
12 just the reality As great as it is, it is not To
13 have a hotel in the middle of this residential area,
14 with five hotels within five miles - it's just not a
15 good idea. Safety of our residents is a priority to
16 me. Transients - not gonna happen. Neighbors are
17 definitely going to be impacted by a hotel in their
18 backyard. We're going to have noise, we're going to
19 have lights, with no benefit whatsoever. The
20 standards for this Special Exception tonight have not
21 been met. They were clearly not met with the
22 intention of what is best for the community, which is
23 how it should be evaluated.
24 1 was elected by my constituents to represent
25 them, to protect them and their best interests. And
1 average rates. So, you know, rates - if they were 147
2 in 2014, then they would only have gone up by thetime
3 we open in 2022. But we were working from a 2019 HVS
4 study, which showed rates of $150 a night, pre-COVID.
5 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Okay. Okay. There are a
6 couple of residents who made some comments that -that
7 1 liked, and, and that I did not like. So I want to
8 address some of those, as comments to you and, and,
9 and staff. I heard 'not in Tamarac'. And, and I hear
10 that often. And, and that bothers me a little bit,
11 because if we have a vision in the City to change the
12 outlook of the city from a retirement community, to a
13 more urban community, let's say in a metropolitan
14 area, reading verbiage from the Economic Development
15 Director's portfolio - then we can't continue to
16 accept phrases like 'not in Tamarac because it -this
17 city cannot, is not built for that,' or, 'Why do we
18 need this hotel, or this restaurant,' and that sort of
19 stuff. The future, if we're going to attract the
20 right businesses, and the right restaurants, and that
21 sort of stuff - we, we have to stop making comments
22 like that. 1, 1 think that is disparaging to the City
23 that we're trying to, to build in, in a better way. 1
24 don't think that Tamarac should remain a retirement
25 community where people just sleep. I think thatwe
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should attract more restaurants, and more business,
businesses, and that sort of stuff, and we have to
start somewhere.
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: So, to thedeveloper's
point, I, 1 think that Tamarac needs to start looking
at more commercial developments, such as these, or
otherwise.
Also, comments were made, like develop - like -
as if developers do not have rights, too. Just like
residents have rights, and you are troopers for, for
coming out, and staying late - developers have rights,
too. And we have to listen to their applications.
Developers may want to start a, a bar somewhere down
the street, on Banyan Lane. We can't stop somebody
from filing an application, but we have to hear it.
So, so I'm not too, too pleased with those comments.
Comments like, you know, 'We'll vote them out,'
and - and those disparaging comments, as well. Being
a Commissioner is not an easy job. You have toweigh
the rights of the developer, and you also have to
weigh the rights of the City Commissioners - ofthe
residents. So there are some times developers have
entitlements, and you just can't say no to a certain
subject. Fighting for other districts, and, and, and,
Planning Board that voted in the way that they did? I
see a four to one vote, and I also see a three to two
vote. Can you tell me who dissented?
MAXINE CALLOWAY: I can.
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: In each? Thank you so
much.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Actually, if you'd give us the
full composition of the people that were --
MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: I apologize, Mayor. What is
the additional question, please?
MAYOR GOMEZ: Basically, if you would, please
give us the full complement of who the five members
were.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Okay.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Can you give me a moment? I
need to find that email. Let me just find that email.
If the Commissioner has a follow-up question, I can
address that now while I search for the email that
includes the, the list. We know that we provided that
information to Commissioner Placko, so we do have
that.
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Okay. I'll, I'll, I'll
Page167
1 and not us. Again, I've, I've long fought hard for
2 projects in other districts, while some of my
3 colleagues didn't care. We had the storage facility
4 in my, my district, yeah, that brought similarissues.
5 They all voted Yes. The Woodlands came before us.
6 There were many residents, just like you, you all,
7 that were here, begged and pleaded to this same
8 Commission or a fraction thereof, and the majority
9 voted Yes. So, the Woodlands is not in my district,
10 and I fought for that community, too.
11 And then the last comment that irked me a
12 little bit was 'lower class people'. We're all one,
13 and we're all equal. I never want people to think
14 that a Yes or No vote is based on somebody saying
15 that, 'We don't want lower class people in our
16 community.'
17 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
18 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Woodmont is notsi
19 to any other community in our city. We need to stop
20 making comments about, 'We pay very high taxes.'
21 Whether you pay a dollar, or you pay $10,000 - you
22 have a right to come here, and lobby this Commission.
23 So I, I, I'm, I'm tired of those comments, and 1
24 wanted to speak out on those.
25 Ms. Calloway, who are the members ofthe
Page 169
1 come back to you. Mr. Developer, how do - how will
2 you, your hotel advertise? What is your marketing
3 plan to gain the customers that, that you will need to
4 remain viable?
5 MR ISHMAEL: Sure. Great question. Hotels
6 that are part of, let's say Hilton, Marriott, etc.,
7 gain about 60 to 65% of their visitors from loyalty
8 members. So the Hilton Honors program, forexample,
9 in the case of Hilton, 67% of average hotels - meaning
10 the average number of hotels - 67% of them are filled
11 with Hilton Honors members. So a Hilton Honors ember
12 is in the area, wants to be in the area, wants to stay
13 in a Hilton, picks up the phone, or goes online, and
14 looks for a Hilton Honors, and then - a, a Hilton
15 Hotel, and you know, books the hotel.
16 The comment was made about, you know, people
17 passing by a main road, and stopping, and, and seeing
18 a hotel with a bright neon sign, and going in. Sure,
19 that's --
20 COMMISSIONER BOLTON Mr., Mr. Developer, I, I,
21 1 think you don't know who I am yet, and, and, and how
22 1 like to conduct my questions when I'm on the floor.
23 MR. ISHMAEL: Uh-huh.
24 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: But when I ask a
25 question, I just want that question to be answered,
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Page 170
1 and nothing more.
2 MR. ISHMAEL: Okay. I was trying to, but fine.
3 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: All right. Thank you --
4 MR. ISHMAEL: So --
5 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: -- so much.
6 MR. ISHMAEL: (unintelligible)
7 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Your, your answer was,
8 was enough.
9 MR. ISHMAEL: Okay.
10 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Will there be, or can
11 there be background checks for guests before they
12 check in to your hotel?
13 MR. ISHMAEL: I don't know of any hotel,
14 anywhere in the US that does background checks on
15 their guests. So, I doubt it.
16 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: If, if you cannot
17 guarantee who your customers are, and have limited
18 ability to choose who stays there, how will you
19 guarantee the safety of the residents around the
20 hotel?
21 MR. ISHMAEL: There is - there is no hotel -
22 you're asking for an impossibility. There is no hotel
23 in North America that is going to do background
24 checks, and guarantee that somebody within an urban,
25 an urban setting, or where they're in a community, you
1 not a question about caring. It's about a - it's a
2 question about the rights of the person coming to the
3 hotel. There is, there is no hotel - this is an
4 interesting question - but there is no hotel in the US
5 that does a police report, and a credit check, and all
6 kinds of other checks, and whether they're on a sex
7 offender database, etc., before somebody comes to a
8 hotel. You know that.
9 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: (unintelligible)
10 MR. ISHMAEL: So I'm not sure where their
11 coming —
12 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: I --
13 MR. ISHMAEL: — question is coming from.
14 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: I, I, 1 know very well
15 And you - that - thank you for that answer. The -
16 since you are not - since you have to be fair to
17 everybody —
18 MR. ISHMAEL: Um-hmm.
19 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: -- that checks into your
20 hotel —
21 MR. ISHMAEL: Um-hmm.
22 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: I, I'll bring your
23 attention to an article in the Sun Sentinel, June 23rd,
24 2017. The author of this is Lisa Heurish (phonetic),
25 that actually lives in District Four, close to the
Page171
1 know, has passed whatever test we want them to pass,
2 in terms of being suitable for staying in a hotel. It
3 just doesn't happen. So --
4 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: So - so if I wanted to
5 stay at the hotel - it's about one o'clock in the
6 morning.
7 MR. ISHMAEL. Um-hmm.
8 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: And I go onto Hilton.com,
9 or whatever app there is, and I —
10 MR. ISHMAEL. Um-hmm.
11 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: — see that your hotel is
12 available, and it is - the rate is $147 per night.
13 MR. ISHMAEL: Um-hmm.
14 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: And I feel like that is
15 affordable to me, and I want to book the hotel, and I
16 get a reservation number, and I show up to the hotel
17 with a credit card, maybe, and a debit - or a debit
18 card and my ID, and you check me in.
19 MR. ISHMAEL. Yes- That's what happens
20 thousands of times every night across the US.
21 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: So it could be somebody
22 human trafficking a child, or somebody who is a
23 predator - you don't really care. You just check them
24 in.
25 MR. ISHMAEL. It's not a question about - it's
1 Woodmont area. And the article's headline says,
2 'Homeless Families to Get Free Hotel Space for Up to
3 21 Days in New Program'. Here's what the first two
4 paragraphs say. 'A new taxpayer funded programwill
5 give the homeless free hotel space for up to 21 days,
6 beginning next month. One thousand rooms will be set
7 aside over a three month period, at two Extended Stay
8 America locations in Ft. Lauderdale, and Tamarac.'
9 Mr. Developer, you are very fair to anybody who checks
10 into your hotel. So if these 1,000 homeless families
11 want to book hotel rooms for 21 days, at $147 per
12 night, you would allow them, wouldn't you?
13 MR ISHMAEL. Well, let's step back a little
14 bit. You don't (unintelligible) --
15 COMMISSIONER BOLTON. I - no, no, I don't wa
16 to step back at all I just want you to answermy
17 question.
18 MR. ISHMAEL: Oh, I'm happy to answerthe
19 question. You pointed out, your own words, thatthis
20 was a government program, very specifically setting
21 aside- So whoever those hotels were, decided to go
22 ahead and participate in the government program. We
23 don't have to do that Our guests are - to, to go
24 back to your first, one of your first questions, are
25 Hilton Honors members, and you didn't let me finish
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Page 174
there - golfers are coming there, people attending
events who may not be - may or may not be Hilton
Honors members, people attending tennis camps that
we're, you know, looking to have there. So I don't
see why, or what a program that you're referring to
has anything to do with us.
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: So, if the City of Ft.
Lauderdale would lose their (unintelligible) card to
book a homeless family into the hotel without bringing
it through some program, then you would have to allow
that, that family, because you are amenable to giving
lodging to anybody that comes to your hotel, yes?
MR. ISHMAEL: It's the same as anybody -you
know, a homeless person going into a public facility.
You're not going to be able to differentiate before
they walk into a public facility, whether they're
homeless, or they live on the right side of the tracks
- are you? So —
COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Okay, Okay. Fair
enough. Mr. Developer, I, I, 1 don't mean to sound
like I'm attacking the homeless population. And I'll
tell you why. Many people don't know my story, but I
will divulge you into just a part of it, for a little
bit. Before I moved to Ft. Lauderdale, I was homeless
for three days in Miami Beach, sleeping under a
Okay. So you would, you would care for them staying
at the hotel, to give you $147 per night, but you
wouldn't take a, a portion of your profits to clean up
our homeless issue. I heard you loud and clear.
Ms. Calloway, tell me the, the people who voted
Yes or No on the Planning Board.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Sure, Commissioner. First,
let me just begin with the composition, since that
question was also asked. So for the meeting, we had
five people present - Cesar Caster (phonetic), Sala
Elroni (phonetic), Albert Guttentag (phonetic), Nicole
Clear (phonetic), and Eric Naggi (phonetic). So, for
the Major Revised Site Plan, the vote was a three to
two. Ceser Castro, in favor. Albert Guttentag, in
favor, and Eric Naggi, also in favor. And two No
votes, one from Sala Elroni, and I know that his No
was really attributed to his request to have the
developer construct a wall. The developer did not
agree, so he entered a No vote on the Site Plan, but a
Yes vote on the Special Exception, but I'll get to
that in a moment. And then Nicole Clear, who chaired
the meeting, voted No on the Major Revised Site Plan.
On the Special Exception that passed with a
vote of four to one, a Yes from Cesar - Cesar Castre
(phonetic), a Yes from Sala Elroni, a Yes from Albert
1 bridge, Fifth Street Bridge, for three nights without
2 food, on a cardboard box. So I understand the
3 homeless population, and I understand how someone
4 would need a hotel room for $147, at least for three
5 nights. And I would appreciate it that a hotel room
6 were in Woodmont Community, because I needed the, the
7 warmth at the time.
8 So since you are so fair, and you, you seem to
9 be a, a nice guy, and I'm sure, Mr. Schmidt is a, is a
10 nice guy, as well - some would opine that he's not -
11 but could one of the benefits of this hotel being in
12 Woodmont, that you make a, a, a very large
13 contribution to a homeless charity, to take - to find
14 housing for all those homeless families that are now
15 moving into Tamarac along Commercial Boulevard, and
16 along McNab, and, and so on?
17 MR. ISHMAEL: Sorry, you're asking if we --
18 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: I'm--
19 MR. ISHMAEL: -- as a hotelier should be making
20 a donation to solve the city's homeless problem? The
21 answer is --
22 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Yes.
23 MR. ISHMAEL: -- no. We're - no. The answer
24 is no.
25 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: The, the answer is no.
1 Guttentag, and a Yes from Eric Naggi, and a Nofrom
2 Nicole Clear.
3 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Okay. Just, just as a
4 follow-up question, Ms., Ms. Calloway, I'm, I'm sorry
5 to give you a headache at one o'clock in the morning -
6 what, what district does Cesar Sastre (phonetic) live,
7 live in? Or, or whose appointment is Cesar Sastre -
8 maybe that's a question for my colleagues, ifyou
9 don't have the information readily available.
10 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Cesar Sastre lives in
11 District Two. I believe he's the Mayor's appointee.
12 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: So Cesar's for the Mayor.
13 Who's for Albert Guttentag?
14 MAXINE CALLOWAY. Albert Guttentag is District
15 Three, former Commissioner Julie Fishman (phonetic).
16 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: And who's Eric?
17 MAXINE CALLOWAY. Eric Naggi is an alternate,
18 so he's an at -large appointment.
19 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: And, and, and the at-
20 large appointment is also appointed by the Mayor?
21 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes, with the support ofall
22 of you.
23 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Okay. And who's Sala-
24 where - that's District Four, I'm, I'm assuming.
25 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes, that's correct.
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COMMISSIONER BOLTON: And then, Nicole Clear is
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my appointment on the Planning Board. That's
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(unintelligible)
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: That is correct.
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COMMISSIONER BOLTON. (unintelligible)
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: That is correct,
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Commissioner.
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COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Okay. So if the
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Commission looked like the Planning Board, Cesar voted
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Yes, appointed by the Mayor. Albert Guttentag voted
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Yes, appointed by Commissioner Julie Fishman, former
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Commissioner Julie Fishman. And then Eric - whose
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last name escapes me —
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: Naggi --
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COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Naggi, also a reflection
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of the Mayor. And Nicole Clear voted on - voted No on
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two occasions, a reflection of, of my seat. Enter
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that information into our record, Madam Clerk, who's
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paying lots of attention. Thank you so much. Those
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are my questions for now.
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MAYOR GOMEZ: Commissioner Gelin.
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: Good evening, everyone. 1
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know it's a long night, and an early morning. It is
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good to see so many residents here at our Commission
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meeting tonight. You know, we meet usually twice a
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assistant general manager. The majority of the
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employees will be low paid employees. They're going
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to be your cleaning crew. They're going to be your
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wait staff. They're going to be, you know, hourly
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wage employees who usually can't afford their own
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transportation, so they've got to take the bus. So
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that comes with its own thing.
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What else do I have? For the applicant, you,
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you've built, or at some point owned 47 hotels
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throughout your career. What post -hotel studies have
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you done to demonstrate increased tax revenues,
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increased home values - all the benefits that you say
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a community will gain. So if you've had all these
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hotels overtime, have you done a study that said,
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'You know, we built the hotel 20 years ago. This was
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the financial impact or benefit for the city.' 1
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think that's an important question to answer.
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For staff, how many hotels do we have in the
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city of Tamarac? For the traffic study, the mode of
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transportation is changing now. I know when we travel
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on behalf of the City, most of us don't rent cars
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anymore. We take Uber, we take Lyft, we take taxis,
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sometimes we take the, the bus from the airport to the
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hotel. Did the traffic study include new traffic
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month, and we vote on a lot of issues, and we vote to
spend a lot of money to keep the operations of the
City, and to keep the City going. It, it's, you know,
items like these that really bring the community out
when it, when it impacts you so clearly. So all the
decisions that we make does have an impact on you, but
you may not feel it or see it directly. So when, when
something like this comes up, it's really good to see
the people, but it also puts pressure on us to make
sure that we make the right decision. And you guys
have expressed your opinion very clearly.
So I have a few questions that I'm just going
to roll quickly, instead of just waiting, and I trust
that the staff and applicant will just keep track and,
and be able to answer the questions, and then I'll
make a comment, and express my opinion.
So one, how is the need for a hotel determined?
Two, what were the rates during the feasibility study,
and I think Marlon covered that at 147. What areas of
the county, or the city, or South Florida were
considered when this feasibility study was done,
because Tamarac is a very different city than Sunrise,
or Corral Springs, or Lauderdale, or Plantation. What
jobs will be created with the construction of a hotel?
Normally, a hotel will have a general manager, an
patterns that people are taking? So people are no
longer renting cars. They are taking Uber, and Lyft,
and taking multiple trips to and from the hotel to
wherever they're going, in a day.
For the developer, will the building be green
certified? And what level of, of green status will,
will the building have?
In terms of the children's, the golf
tournaments, tennis packages, and community tennis
memberships - do you have those pricings available?
How many hotels are in a five -mile radius? I think
that was already covered And then, there was some
mention about a, a hotel around a community in
Pembrooke Pines. So that was referenced, but what,
what studies were done to demonstrate the benefit to
that community?
There was a mention earlier about hotel
accommodation taxes. What portion of hotel
accommodation taxes goes to the City?
And for the developer, does the, does the -
does the H2 or whatever that hotel designation, that
Hilton hotel designation - how does that compare or
compete with Tamarac's crown jewel, Fairfield Marriott
Hotel, which I think cost us taxpayers $11 million to
build. And for the City Manager, what, what is the
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total cost for that?
And also for the developer, you know, so a lot
of things are changing right before our very eyes. So
today, Door Dash, which is a food delivery service,
made their initial public offering, going from a
private company to a public company. And they started
out at $42, they finished at $189 per share. So a
delivery service is now worth $60 billion. Airbnb,
which is a competitor to the hotel industry, is going
to go public tomorrow. Initially, they were going to
come out at $44 to $50 per share, now it's looking at
$68 per share. So a few months ago, they were valued
at $18 billion, and they're expected to be totally
valued at $47 billion. And it's changing the dynamic
of, you know, how people are visiting and staying in
cities. And so are hotels, even viable going forward
in, in the future, when someone can live in a nice
home for a temporary, short stay, versus a hotel,
where you have to give tips, and, and do different
things.
So those are all my questions. I just figured
I'd get it all out at once. And I'll, I'll wait for
the responses, and I'll make my comments.
MAYOR GOMEZ: We'll go our City's Director -
Maxine.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yeah. And we've had a few
inquiries, some calls. A formal application has not
been filed with this office. But once one is filed,
yes, it would be a Special Exception application that
would require review by the Planning Board.
COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. So, potentially, a
ninth hotel going up - or, or being —
MAXINE CALLOWAY: I wouldn't say - but it --
COMMISSIONER GELIN: --proposed.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yeah, a formal application is
not filed with this office. We have had an inquiry.
I think the call that we responded to might have been
several months ago. So I don't know --
COMMISSIONER GELIN: That's (unintelligible)
MAXINE CALLOWAY: -- how recent your
conversation was, but —
COMMISSIONER GELIN: Yeah, it--
MAXINE CALLOWAY: -- we just had an --
COMMISSIONER GELIN: That was, that was a - it
was a few months ago, you're correct.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER GELIN: All right. Thankyou.
MAXINE CALLOWAY: Sure.
MAYOR GOMEZ: Applicant, if you would please
respond.
1 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yeah, I think the majority of
2 the questions would have been directed to the
3 applicant. But I can respond to the number of hotels
4 that are in the city. There are seven existing hotels
5 in the city, eight including the Colony West Hotel
6 that is currently under construction. And that's, of
7 course, the closest hotel to this subject property,
8 which is about .73 miles, or 3,875 feet from the
9 proposed hotel, that's Colony West.
10 And then relative to studies, and other data,
11 and financial information, I'll leave that to the
12 applicant to respond.
13 MR. ISHMAEL: Thank you. That's --
14 COMMISSIONER GELIN: Another question, Maxine.
15 1 met with the - another hotel developer via
16 teleconference a few months ago that wanted to develop
17 a hotel in the east of Tamarac, very similar to the
18 hotel at the end of 1-75. Is that going to before the
19 Planning Board, or is that still in development?
20 MAXINE CALLOWAY: It's probably still in
21 development, Commissioner. We have not had a formal
22 application filed. We have had a few inquiries. You
23 probably are speaking about the, the --
24 COMMISSIONER GELIN It's a (unintelligible)
25 hotel.
1 MR. ISHMAEL: Sure. There's a number of
2 questions here, so I'll try, just try and take them in
3 the order that they were, you know, provided - that
4 they were raised. The first was the hotel rate. So,
5 the hotel rate we have used is, as of 2019 is $150 a
6 night, with a 75 to 80% occupancy. A question you
7 raised as well, Commissioner Gelin, is - how does one
8 arrive at whether there is a need for a hotel. When a
9 hotel, when the surrounding hotels, and there are Star
10 Reports that one can access, but when the surrounding
11 hotels - sorry - surrounding hotels hit a 75 to 80%
12 occupancy, then there is room for another hotel to
13 come in. That's just a rule of thumb in the industry
14 - it works all the time.
15 The issue of construction - so had we not had,
16 just to finish on that - had we not had a favorable
17 projection of what room rates and occupancy would be,
18 we would not have decided to move ahead with this
19 project. There's nothing else that, you know, tells
20 us we should move with the project - it first has to
21 make financial sense.
22 Secondly, the construction jobs, you know,
23 would, would be jobs that amount to about 15, 14 to
24 $15 million, that's the cost of construction, plus
25 consultants, designers, you talked to an architect
Transcription
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1 today; plus furniture purchases of about $2 million.
2 It generally tends to be local. The staffing would
3 tend to be, I mentioned earlier, about 40 to 42
4 fulltime staff. There would be a manager, and
5 remember, there's three shifts, so a manager, an
6 assistant manager - a number of the jobs would
7 obviously be cleaning staff. This is not a full
8 service, service hotel. But there'd be reception
9 position, maintenance positions, etc.
10 You asked about impact post study. Generally
11 there is not the kind of post study impact on the
12 community that you outlined that is done by a
13 hotelier. There may be other bodies that, that, you
14 know, do it.
15 You asked about traffic study, and newtraffic
16 patterns. The traffic study incorporated some of the
17 new traffic patterns, obviously, depends on the rate
18 and pace of change, and that's hard to predict how
19 that'll be. Will we have driverless cars tomorrow, or
20 not? We don't know. It may take a while, probably.
21 So it did incorporate some of the new traffic
22 patterns, etc., and didn't allow for just peoplewho
23 have rented a car, or have a car coming to the
24 facility.
25 We are planning to be certified at the Silver
1 level, so the equivalent of LEED Silver for the
2 project.
3 1 can't remember what - I, 1 made some notes,
4 but - we, we tabled the entire HVS study, even though
5 generally, we would consider it proprietary, but we
6 tabled that with the City. Keep in mind that the City
7 has its own hotel.
8 You asked about the comparison with other
9 hotels nearby. So, the Home2 Suites would be above a
10 (unintelligible) Inn, slightly. The taxes are both
11 property taxes, and there is, I believe at the moment,
12 a 12% in total accommodation tax. And is the hotel
13 viable? So, you know, we, we would not be investing,
14 and make the investment so far, and (unintelligible)
15 additional costs if we did not feel the hotel was
16 viable. That's all I can say.
17 COMMISSIONER GELIN: And then, you talkedabout
18 the Hilton Honors program.
19 MR. ISHMAEL: Um-hmm.
20 COMMISSIONER GELIN: But that - that's not the
21 only place you get hotel guests, right? I mean,
22 there's Travelocity, there's all the online websites.
23 MR. ISHMAEL: Yes, of course.
24 COMMISSIONER GELIN So everyone is not -okay.
25 So what is the, what's the average, or what's the
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member profile of a, of a Hilton Honors member?
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MR. ISHMAEL: The profile would be generally
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somebody who is, you know, working, who travels, who
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wants to, you know, participate in the program, who is
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going to use the program, etc. It's not like a credit
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card where you have to have a certain income cutoff
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because they'll let you become a Hilton Honors member.
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: Yeah, no - I understand
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that. I have a Honors Member, and the Marriott
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membership. Just wanted to know if you had some
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demographics, in terms —
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MR. ISHMAEL: (unintelligible)
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: -- of average age, income
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level, things of that nature.
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MR. ISHMAEL: No (unintelligible) and Hilton
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protects that fairly tightly.
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. And then, so the
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last comment. I know there, there were some comments
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from the audience about a, a potential criminal
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element. And sometimes when we think of criminals,
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we, we, we have a certain image of what a criminal
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looks like in our mind. But I remember, I, 1 used to
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watch a show that used to come on MSNBC, called, 'To
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Catch a Predator - where they would set up these
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people, and, and you know, you're often surprised to
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see that these are doctors, and lawyers, and all kind
of professionals, and, and, you know, a lot of the
action does take place at a hotel. From the
developer's perspective, I, 1 do, I do understand
where, where they're coming from, why they would look
at this - well, first of all, how many hotels - soyou
said you've developed about 47 or so hotels? How many
hotels have you developed in a residential
neighborhood?
MR. ISHMAEL: Two.
COMMISSIONER GELIN: Two. And what city or
state was that in?
MR. ISHMAEL: Both in Canada.
COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. And is, is the
Hilton pivoting towards moving away from commercial,
and moving towards residential, for future hotel
development?
MR. ISHMAEL: I think residential will always
tend to be a small portion of the overall subset. But
before we got approval from Hilton - and they go
through a pretty detailed vetting process. Somebody
from - senior from Hilton came down, looked atthe
proposed site, which was on a golf course, in a
community, residential neighborhood, looked at all the
other hotels that are around, and provided, you know,
Transcription
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their approval to go ahead with it because theyfelt
1
country club. And it can only be built as - to support
2
this would be - and we talked about where it would be
2
that country club, and visa -versa.
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placed, where we would, we would place the hotel, and
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And so while we do have residential properties
4
what it would be next to, etc., and providedtheir
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that are within close proximity, the closest being
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approval for a hotel being in a residential area. It
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over 360 feet away, it's being proposed on an S-1, or
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is a small portion of the hotels that they approve.
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an RC zoning designation, which is 13.4 acres in size.
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This one made sense, so they approved it.
7
And so when we talk about compatibility, and what's
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: Maxine, this is your
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consistent with the code, we're taking into
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industry - planning development, community
9
consideration the zoning of the property, the
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development. You go to conferences and, and you know
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ordinance that allows it, and the fact that it's going
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about the latest trends. Is this an, a, a future
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to be incidental to an existing clubhouse.
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trend of, of hotels - maybe some remaining commercial,
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: Yeah. Can you define —
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then - but others moving towards residential
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: So I just wanted to make that
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communities?
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- yeah, I just - so I just wanted to make that
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: And, just want to clarify
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distinction. So the property's not zoned residential.
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that while the proposed hotel, or the hotel is being
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We understand to access it, you are coming through a
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proposed - what we would say in a residential area,
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residential neighborhood. But it's a recreation zoned
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it's not being proposed on a residentially zoned
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property that's suitable. And so talking from a trend
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property. It's being proposed on a S-1, now RC
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perspective, yes, you are seeing that. You are seeing
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parcel. And so this type of use is consistentwith
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hotels that are supporting clubhouse properties - yes.
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that. You're seeing hotels that are built adjacentto
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: And so, but just for
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country clubs, and that's why the ordinancewas
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clarification - so RC represents Recreation?
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drafted the way it was - to be an ancillary use, or an
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MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yes, that's —
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incidental use to a country club. That's the onlyway
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COMMISSIONER GELIN: And what are - can you
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it could be built. So you'd first have to have a
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define S-1?
1 MAXINE CALLOWAY: So, I keep saying S-1 only
2 because I want to make the distinction that because
3 this is subject to a Development Agreement, the
4 Development Agreement requires that our review be
5 consistent with the code that was in place at the time
6 we approved the Development Agreement. So at the time
7 we approved the Agreement in 2014, this property was
8 zoned S-1. Since then, we adopted a new Land
9 Development Code, a new Zoning Map, a new Land Use
10 Map, and changed that designation to RC. So they're
11 somewhat similar, but under the Development Agreement,
12 the property is zoned S-1. Our review is consistent
13 with that —
14 MAYOR GOMEZ: Maxine, we lost you for a second.
15 You were muted. Please try, try again.
16 MAXINE CALLOWAY: I apologize.
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: Not your fault.
18 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Yeah. I'm not sure what
19 happened. Yeah, so what I was saying is I wanted to
20 make the distinction, Commissioner. At the time we
21 approved this Development Agreement in 2014, the
22 property is zoned S-1. And consistent with Florida
23 statute, all Development Agreements, a benefit of the
24 Development Agreement allows for the development at
25 the time it's approved, to continue to expand under
Page 193
1 the, the code at the time it was approved.
2 And so S-1 designation was the zoning
3 classification for the property, under the Development
4 Agreement, back in 2014. Since then, we have adopted
5 a new code. 2018, we adopted a new Zoning Map. We
6 adopted a new Land Use Map, and changed that
7 classification to RC, which is Recreation. They
8 function, in a lot of ways, the same - the same uses
9 were carried over for the S-1 to the RC, but we just
10 always want to make sure it's on the record that the
11 appropriate zoning designation under the Development
12 Agreement, is S-1. And so that's why I keep going
13 back to the S-1.
14 COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. Thank you. Are you
15 aware of any other communities in Broward County where
16 a hotel is being developed, or is currently developed,
17 1 guess, reflecting that same designation, RC, S-1,
18 but in a residential community similar to the
19 Woodmont?
20 MAXINE CALLOWAY: Well, the designation is
21 somewhat different in different municipalities. I am
22 aware, of course, we have Colony West, which is a
23 country club that is just - where we have a hotel
24 that's been approved. And of course, the site that
25 the applicant spoke to on the golf course. I think
Transcription
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1 there's also one in Corral Springs, a third, third one
2 that might have kind of like the same, the same setup,
3 where you have a golf course, as well as a country
4 club, and a hotel.
5 COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. Thank you.
6 MAXINE CALLOWAY: It's --
7 COMMISSIONER GELIN: And--
8 MAXINE CALLOWAY: And - and (unintelligible),
9 and Frank just tells me in Inbrarary (phonetic), as
10 well.
11 COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. City Manager,
12 through the Chair, how much has the City invested or
13 spent for the Colony West hotel?
14 CITY MANAGER: Thank you. Madam Mayor?
15 MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes, please.
16 CITY MANAGER: Just to clear up some, I, I,
17 I'll call it ongoing, or continued confusion regarding
18 the hotel at Colony West —
19 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
20 CITY MANAGER: The - the - I'm sorry?
21 MAYOR GOMEZ: If you can move the mic closer to
22 you, that'd be great.
23 CITY MANAGER: Just to - just to clear up some
24 ongoing or continued confusion regarding the hotel at
25 Colony West, the, the City does not own that hotel,
1 this point.
2 COMMISSIONER GELIN: All right. And doesthe
3 City support the hotel, and believe that the hotel
4 being there benefits the golf course?
5 CITY MANAGER: We, we believe it does, yes.
6 COMMISSIONER GELIN: Okay. So, so I guess fi
7 the benefit of the audience and, and those watching -
8 so we all have different parties, and perspectives
9 here. So, you know, staffs role is to evaluate
10 applicants and determine whether or not the applicant
11 meets certain codes and standards, and as long as they
12 meet those codes and standards, then they can make
13 their recommendation for approval, based on the
14 applicant checking all the boxes. So staff is
15 supposed to be an independent party, or independent
16 role. About 100% of the leadership staff that works
17 for the City of Tamarac are non-residents of the City
18 of Tamarac, so whatever happens doesn't necessarily
19 impact them, except as they come to and from work
20 every day.
21 Developers, applicants, you know, these are
22 for -profit businesses, and their role is to, you know,
23 find a good opportunity, and make a profit. And from
24 a developer perspective, everything is perfectfor
25 them. The golf course is there, the tennis courts are
Page
1 nor are we constructing that hotel. That hotel is
2 owned by a Marriott franchisee, being constructed by
3 that Marriott franchisee. Our role in thedevelopment
4 of that hotel was to sell them approximately an acre
5 and a half of property in the parking lot atColony
6 West, for $1.5 million. So we're not involved inthe
7 construction, ownership, operation of that hotel,
8 other than to have sold them the property in
9 conjunction with the redevelopment of the Colony West
10 Golf Courses
11 COMMISSIONER GELIN: How much have we inve:
12 in that property? I guess it was the - so we own, we
13 own the, the - clubhouse?
14 CITY MANAGER. We own - yeah, we - if I might,
15 Commissioner Gelin. We own the clubhouse, cart barn,
16 golf courses. We own all the golf amenities there.
17 The Marriott franchisee owns the hotel.
18 COMMISSIONER GELIN: And how much have we
19 invested in the clubhouse, and the cart barn?
20 CITY MANAGER. All, all told, we have - we, we
21 paid $3 million for the golf course. We sold the land
22 to Marriott for 1.5. We've put, I'm going to say
23 approximately $9 million into the current renovations
24 that are going on over there. So, you know, we've
25 probably got about $12 million into that, all told at
1 there, the beautiful clubhouse is there - perfect
2 place for a hotel to offer all these amenities that
3 they don't have to pay for, and try to generate some
4 traffic.
5 And so, our role as the Commissioners, and the
6 Mayor is to represent you, the residents. You know,
7 you guys are the folks that say, you know, 'We're
8 voting for you,' or, 'We're voting against you.' And
9 we are accountable to you. So staff is accountable to
10 their bosses. The developers are accountable to their
11 shareholders. And we're accountable to you. So we
12 need to know where you stand, and what you want. And,
13 and our votes should reflect your views, and your
14 opinion. And that's where my vote is going to be.
15 So, thank you.
16 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Vice Mayor, I did see
17 that you had - no, we - we go one around, make sure
18 everybody gets a chance to speak.
19 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: All right. Thank you,
20 Mayor.
21 MAYOR GOMEZ: Um-hmm.
22 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: I have no questions. 1
23 have just three comments - one for staff, one for the
24 applicant, and one for our residents. First and
25 foremost, thank you, City staff for making this
Transcription
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project go as far as it did, making sure all the Ts
are crossed, all the I's are dotted. And once it went
through a Planning meeting, through Planning Board, it
is here before us. A lot of the time, financial
resources, and energy that goes into these proposed
projects - sometimes they die, or they live. And I
just want to thank Mr. Cemech for the - his staff,
making this - it, it takes a lot of resources, in all
aspects, and they do a good job, in my opinion.
I want to thank the applicants, for wanting to
come into Tamarac again, and want to see a project
flourishing. But it has to be projects that the
residents desire, and want.
My third part is to the residents. It's a
little bit longer. I'm speaking a little bit more on
this, because I got hundreds and hundreds of
responses, based on my polls that I did on Nextdoor,
on Facebook. And not only did it affect Woodmont, but
it got to my district. I heard it from District One,
and I heard it from District Two, Three, and Four.
When we vote, we vote for everyone in our city. We
don't have no districts. We vote for everyone. So
when we vote, I ask that we vote as a city, and not
individually. I want to wish everyone a Merry
Christmas. I want to wish those that are celebrating
1 reach out tome to - for my support, you know my
2 email, and you know my cell phone number. I'm the
3 People's Commissioner, even in District Four. 954-
4 275-3850.
5 I'm inclined to vote No, and I hope that my
6 colleagues would, would oblige and do the same. Thank
7 you so much.
8 MAYOR GOMEZ: Commissioner Placko.
9 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: I just wanted to thankmy
10 colleagues for their time and attention to this, their
11 courtesy and their patience through it all. So -
12 that's all. Thank you very much. I appreciate your
13 attention to this.
14 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. So I'll wrap it up
15 with my comments or questions, and then we will call
16 the roll. I think by now, everybody in the audience,
17 1 hope you have heard, and those watching - the City
18 doesn't bring applications forward. This is not City
19 property. We do not bring these items forward. We do
20 have to respect everybody's rights - as residents, or
21 business owners, to do what they are able to do under
22 our ordinances, to have their voices heard.
23 1 would like it on the record that according to
24 Article 5B2C - little i - A - membership and
25 appointment to boards for a land, for a land use code
1 Hanukkah this evening, and I hope that 2021 would be a
2 lot better, as they're promising us on TV. So with
3 that, quite honestly, Mayor, we're ready to vote. So
4 these folks need to get home
5 MAYOR GOMEZ: Respectfully, I appreciatethat,
6 but --
7 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: And I yield my time.
8 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. I, 1 still have the
9 floor to be able to say my comments. I am going to
10 ask this Commission, is there anyone who wishes to
11 speak about this matter before I say final comments?
12 I'm - and I will repeat. I am asking this Commission,
13 is there anyone else who wishes to make final comments
14 before I make my comments and call the vote?
15 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: Yes.
16 MAYOR GOMEZ: Commissioner Bolton.
17 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: The residents ofthis
18 city should know that when they come to City Hall,
19 they always have a friend in me. When you ask me to
20 vote your way, history proves that I vote with the
21 people. That has always been the case. So I can
22 safely say tonight that, at least on my end, you have
23 not wasted your time to come here. You, you came, and
24 you sat, and you listened. You came, and you
25 conquered, so to speak. And any time you wantto
1 - it does state, two alternate, alternate members
2 appointed by a majority vote of the Mayor and
3 Commissions - what happens is we get a piece of -a
4 book, a piece of paper, we write one, two, three, four
5 - the City Clerk collates it. That's how the at -large
6 members are selected. And as for the record, I do
7 not, and did not talk to my appointee and tell him how
8 to vote. I believe that everybody who is appointed to
9 the Board has their own capability of making their own
10 decisions.
11 Everything has been said that I believe needs
12 to be said. I think my vote is my voice. I will ask
13 you to call the roll.
14 CITY ATTORNEY: Madam Mayor, just to be clear -
15-
16 MAYOR GOMEZ: Oh.
17 CITY ATTORNEY: -- for the record - for each of
18 you, the answer is you have two items before you. One
19 is the Special Exception, and also the Site Plan.
20 They had been taken up separately, and by separate
21 vote.
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: Actually, we do need a motion and
23 a second.
24 CITY ATTORNEY: Yes.
25 MAYOR GOMEZ: And if I recall correctly, we do
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1 - it's in the positive to vote negative, or the
2 negative to vote positive? Or is that dependent on
3 whomever puts the motion of the floor?
4 CITY ATTORNEY: Depends upon the maker of the
5 motion, Madam Mayor.
6 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay. I am seeking a motion for
7 --
8 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: So moved.
9 MAYOR GOMEZ: On which one? Well, do you want
10 it in the negative, or in the positive?
11 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: A No means No, Yes, means
12 Yes.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: If we put the motion to approve -
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15 MALE SPEAKER: Well, you can just do a motion
16 to approve, and then people will —
17 MAYOR GOMEZ: And then we can vote as
18 (unintelligible).
19 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Motion to approve.
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: (unintelligible) Thank you.
21 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Okay. A motion b
22 approve.
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: But I promise you I'm not that
24 sleepy.
25 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: A motion to approve the
1 CITY ATTORNEY: Madam Mayor, if you will, for
2 the record, the denial, based upon the five to zero
3 vote, is based upon the findings and conclusions
4 reached by each individual Commissioner publicly at
5 the meeting, which would be incorporated within an
6 order which denies the request of the petitioner.
7 MAYOR GOMEZ: Yes. And with that as the case,
8 is there a need to even bother with --
9 CITY ATTORNEY: Yes —
10 MAYOR GOMEZ: -- 12b?
11 CITY ATTORNEY: — there is. Yes.
12 MAYOR GOMEZ: Okay.
13 CITY ATTORNEY: Yes.
14 MAYOR GOMEZ: So I need a motion and second for
15 TR13380, Woodmont Hotel, Major Revised Site Plan.
16 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: Motion to approve Revised
17 Site Plan.
18 MAYOR GOMEZ: May I get a second, please.
19 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: Second.
20 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. Please call the roll.
21 CITY CLERK: Commissioner Placko?
22 COMMISSIONER PLACKO: No.
23 CITY CLERK: Commissioner Bolton?
24 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: No.
25 CITY CLERK: Vice Mayor Villalobos?
1 Special Exception
2 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: Second.
3 MAYOR GOMEZ Now, please call the roll.
4 CITY CLERK: For clarity, that was Commissioner
5 Gelin on the second?
6 MAYOR GOMEZ No, it was the --
7 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: That was me.
8 MAYOR GOMEZ -- Vice Mayor.
9 CITY CLERK: Vice Mayor Villalobos. Thank you.
10 Commissioner Placko?
11 COMMISSIONER PLACKO No.
12 CITY CLERK: Commissioner Gelin?
13 COMMISSIONER GELIN: No.
14 CITY CLERK: Vice - Commissioner Bolton?
15 COMMISSIONER BOLTON: No.
16 CITY CLERK: Vice Mayor Villalobos?
17 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: No.
18 CITY CLERK: And Mayor Gomez?
19 MAYOR GOMEZ. No.
20 CITY CLERK: The motion to approve is denied
21 unanimously, five to zero.
22 CITY ATTORNEY: And for the record --
23 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you. And --
24 CITY ATTORNEY: For the record --
25 (Chorus of Ayes and applause from audience)
1 VICE MAYOR VILLALOBOS: No.
2 CITY CLERK. Commissioner Gelin?
3 COMMISSIONER GELIN: No.
4 CITY CLERK: And Mayor Gomez?
5 MAYOR GOMEZ. No.
6 CITY CLERK: The motion to approve isdenied
7 unanimously, five to zero.
8 MAYOR GOMEZ: Ladies and gentlemen, thank yot
9 very much for being here. If you wish to clap now,
10 you are more than welcome to.
11 (Chorus of applause and Yays fromaudience)
12 MALE SPEAKER: Yay. Thank you, all.
13 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you.
14 MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible) Thank you.
15 FEMALE SPEAKER: Thank you.
16 MAYOR GOMEZ: Pease get home safely. Happy
17 Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza.
18 MALE SPEAKER (unintelligible)
19 FEMALE SPEAKER. (unintelligible)
20 COMMISSIONER PLACKO. You all don't be
21 strangers, though. Come back and see us sometime.
22 MAYOR GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
23 VARIOUS: (unintelligible)
24 MALE SPEAKER. Let's go home.
25 MAYOR GOMEZ. 1:38, our meeting is adjourned.
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Goodnight, everybody. Get home safely.
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TRANSCRIBERS CERTIFICATE
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MALE SPEAKER: (unintelligible)
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(END OF RECORDING)
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I, MARY HARLOW, attest that the foregoing proceedings
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provided to me via video were transcribed by me to the
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best of my ability.
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I further attest that I am not a relative or employee
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to any attorney or party nor financially interested in
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this action.
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I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of
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the state of Florida that the foregoing is true and
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correct.
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Dated this 8th day of March, 2021.
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is
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-- -74��-------
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MARY HARLOW
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