You may want to attend a special LPA meeting Tuesday at 9AM at the town hall trailers. During that meeting LPA members will try to prioritize what public benefits a developer would bring to the table in order for the town to consider requests they are making above and beyond the town Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code.
In other words, what does a developer need to bring to the table to get a higher building? The LPA will turn their recommendations over to the Town Council for consideration.
Take our Public Benefit survey HERE. Results will be released in our newsletter Tuesday.
LPA member Jim Dunlap has created a 3-page paper outlining his thoughts on public benefit that the LPA may use as a starting point.
If you would like to see Dunlap’s outline please send an e-mail to edryan@beachtalkradio.com and I will forward it to you.
I agree with the person that wants more restaurants on the south end, specifically beachfront, but at this point, anywhere on the south end would be great! What this full-time resident would love to see from all of these developers is more thought into keeping cars OFF the island instead of providing more parking. Offer discounts for ride shares to/from the airport, work with the county on turning the middle lane from Pine Ridge (to utilize the Trolley Beach Park & Ride) to the south end into a “Trolley/Turn Only” lane. Traffic is already bad and all of the south end condos aren’t even back up yet.
Public benefits can and should be required by government not a tool to hand out a lot of variances making the ldc and comp plan meaningless.
Of course, that takes councils willing to stick to those hard won visions for their towns.
Margaritaville’s fourth floor wasn’t bothersome but deals for 10,12 and 18 story towers should be on an island residents have envisioned for decades.
Variances can build an entire Miami Beach in the hands of the wrong public servants.
They’re fine for folks wanting to add a porch to their home. Not so much for towers the current gang of developers want to make deals for.
Does the town not think that by not following their own regulations that they won’t end up in court? You can’t pick and choose what is a public benefit. What’s a benefit to one, is not to someone else. The only ones who are going to make out in all this, like always, will be the lawyers.
Once you grant a deviation to either EBIC or Seagate, common sense says, Margaritaville will be coming back along with any development the town denied. Litigation, Litigation and more Litigation is sure to follow…
Stick to the damn regulations or tear them up!!!
Totally agree! Except don’t tear them up, that’s why FMB became its own town.
All that Margaritaville provided as public benefits gave them ONE extra story. So how much would a development have to provide to get an additional 12 stories?
Good point!
Why, if someone follows the rules and regulations of FMB should there have to be any public benefit? If you buy a piece of property it is a private investment and business
However it can’t be a detriment to the public interest.
As a citizen of FMB I think companies like London Bay should rebuild “Outriggers” to suit their business plan but it has to follow the rules. We all knew the rules before Ian. We all know them now.
A beach access or being allowed to drink at the bar of a new hotel is not a benefit we, the public, don’t already have.
We are wasting time arguing about non issues. Margaritaville set the bar. Follow the rules. We all will be surprised by the unique, one of a kind developments that emerge from the white sands of FMB by following the rules.
Trust me the people on the south end would 100 hundred percent think a public/restaurant on the beach side is a public benefit! We lost the Outrigger and the Wyndham garden for this…. Of course if a hamburger is 25 bucks that’s another story….
You cannot have enough
Public beach access on an island at the sunrise of more development along the shore.
Also gave property to the Town and only 3 stories above parking
A public benefit is not something that creates a revenue stream for the developer. Margaritaville is a great example. They gave up property, provided public restrooms, opened up their amenities to the public and gave the residents a 25% discount. That should be a minimum for any new development.
👏👏👏👏👏
Agreed. M’ville set the bar. A great addition to the beach. I was totally against M’ville but glad I was proven wrong.