The Monroe County Commission this week received the most up-to-date data and information on making one of the most important issues facing the Florida Keys, accepting more state-issued building allocations.
Commissioners on Wednesday, Oct. 16, received information from Emergency Management Director Shannon Weiner and other county staff about accepting more state-issued building allocations, as Florida Commerce, formerly the Florida Department of Commerce, has proposed giving as many 8,000 new ROGO (Rate of Growth Ordinance)/BPAS (Building Permit Allocation System) units.
By state law, the Keys have to evacuate all residents within 24 hours if a Category 2 or greater storm is forecast to make landfall in the chain of islands. Tourists are evacuated 48 hours before a hurricane and special needs and mobile home park residents are evacuated 36 hours before a storm.
Florida Commerce, acting as Department of Economic Opportunity, granted the Florida Keys roughly 1,200 building allocations for workforce housing that allows those units to be evacuated 48 hours before a hurricane is scheduled to make landfall.
“This is not black and white,” Weiner said. “This is a flexible situation ... depending on the storm.”
The county has been analyzing properties in unincorporated Monroe County and determined that 1,618 properties, down from an estimated 2,200 properties estimated earlier this year, could accommodate residential development. The latest estimate is based on zoning, density restrictions and other land-use regulations. Some of the properties had development rights and/or applied for a permit, but the permit expired or is still in the process, said Emily Schemper, senior director of planning for the county.
The estimate of buildable lots that could be developed for the entire Keys, including the municipalities, is 2,033, Schemper said. Accepting 2,033 building allocations would keep hurricane evacuation time under 26 hours as dictated by the state’s evacuation model, Schemper said.
The county has put out four surveys in the past several months to take public input on how many ROGO/BPAS units to accept from FloridaCommerce.
The survey found that residents thought impacts on the environment was one of the greatest factors the commission should take into consideration when deciding how many units to take and costs of taking cases was one of the least important factors, according to Kimberly Matthews, who organized for the surveys for the county. However, nearly 80% of people thought that takings cases was a “serious” or “very serious” issue, Matthews said.
Roughly 50% of people surveyed stated that cost of living, which includes housing, affects their ability to stay in the Keys, Matthews said. Roughly 30% stated the county should take impacts on the infrastructure or having to upgrade the infrastructure when considering accepting more building allocations.
Representatives of several homeowners associations and environmental groups spoke Wednesday, questioning the number of actual takings lawsuits and the impact on Keys carrying capacity, traffic on U.S. 1, the fragile Keys coral reef and environment, water quality and Keys source of drinking water. Ann Olsen, president of the environmental group Keys Last Stand, cited the issue of water quality in the Keys and how more than 50 smalltooth sawfish died and hundreds were reported spinning and acting strangely in the Keys last winter and spring from toxins in Keys waters.
The group representatives told the commissioners that the Keys are already overdeveloped.
“Can we truly support future development when we can’t maintain what we already have,” asked Dottie Moses, president of the Key Largo Federation of Homeowners.
Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates wants the county to accept the least amount of allocations, given impacts to the environment, traffic and infrastructure. He called for properties that are Tier 1 and Tier 2, which have been determined by the county to be the most environmentally sensitive, being removed from the list of buildable lots.
“I’m in favor of taking the absolute minimum, if not less,” Cates said.
Commissioner David Rice argued for accepting an amount that represents the “middle of the road,” he said.
“ROGO was put in place to slow growth, not stop it,” Rice said.
Commissioner Michelle Lincoln also questioned why including Tier 1 and Tier 2 properties were included.
County Attorney Bob Shillinger responded that Tier 1 and Tier 2 properties should be included because if those lots are prohibited from development, instead of just having a chance, it could open a property owner to challenge the fairness of the ROGO process.
Lincoln also wanted to make sure any new allocations would be for full-time residents, she said.
“We are working on that,” Shillinger responded.
Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein called for finding the “sweet spot” when it comes to accepting any new allocations and called the planning process “mapping the future for development.” The county should balance property rights and the quality of life, she said.
The commissioners will further discuss the ROGO/BPAS issue on Nov. 20 at its Marathon Government Center, and they have invited National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jon Rizzo to speak about rapidly intensifying hurricanes, as a major issue in accepting more building allocations is safely evacuating residents 24 hours before a hurricane is scheduled to make landfall.
The county’s Planning Department will hold town hall meetings about accepting the new allocations on Nov. 4 in Key West, Nov. 6 in Key Largo and Nov. 7 in Marathon, Schemper said. The commission will hold a workshop on Dec. 11 to receive data from an outside firm about how new building allocations will impact Florida Keys infrastructure like power, water and roads and bridges.
Schemper tentatively scheduled a meeting for Dec. 19 for the Board of County Commissioners to make the decision on the number of new allocations to accept.
AFFORDABLE HOUSINGThe Monroe County Commission, acting as the county Land Authority board, approved setting aside roughly $18.8 million for workforce and special needs housing within the City of Key West.
Commissioners agreed to allocate $10 million to the Key West Housing Authority to build 54 units of moderate- and median-income affordable housing at Poinciana Plaza and $6 million for The Lofts affordable housing complex at Truman Waterfront in Bahama Village this fiscal year. They also promised $2.8 million next year for housing for adults with disabilities and special needs in Key West.
The Housing Authority expects to submit plans for its 54-unit project to the city’s Development Review Committee before the end of the year and possibly break ground on the project in late 2025 or early 2026, Sterling said.
Of the $6 million going to The Lofts project, $1.2 million will go to subsidize to help offset the costs of the 28 units will be purchased by residents for homeownership.
The Lofts will be 126 townhome-style units with up to three bedrooms on land donated by the city, known as the 3.2. Of the 126 units, 98 will be used as workforce affordable housing by qualified renters. The 28 remaining units will be eligible for purchase by qualifying buyers making at most 160% of the average mean income in Key West.
AH Monroe/Florida Keys Outreach Coalition has embarked on a project to rebuild and convert 60 units of housing used by various local social service organizations, including the MARC (Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens) House, into 158 units at Poinciana Plaza. The $2.8 million project calls for demolishing and rebuilding 11 buildings at Poinciana Plaza, according to AH Monroe Executive Director Scott Pridgen. AH Monroe and the Florida Keys Outreach Coalition have recently merged.
The new buildings would be constructed in a way where there would be six units in a building and four bedrooms in each unit, Pridgen said. The units would have common spaces with kitchens and living rooms.
The proposal calls for a four-phase approach building plan, with a relocation plan for the current 220 residents while work is being done. There is currently one vacant building, and the building that houses MARC House residents would be the first to undergo construction.
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