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Friday, February 08 2008 @ 05:06 AM Central Standard Time
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A building moratorium now takes effect for the city of Homestead, putting to a halt the development of condos, town houses and cluster-style homes for the next year.
The measure, narrowly approved Monday by the City Council, fulfilled a campaign pledge by Mayor Lynda Bell, who spearheaded the initiative.
The moratorium will also apply to housing projects with more than six units per acre, including single-family homes.
The vote was 4-3. Bell, Vice Mayor Jon Burgess, and council members Judy Waldman and Melvin McCormick voted for the moratorium. Council members Nazy Sierra, Wendy Lobos and the newly-appointed Tim Nelson voted against it.
Commercial development will not be affected by the moratorium.
Sierra and Lobos said they voted against the moratorium because some projects are exempted, not because they were opposed to it.
The exemptions Sierra referred to are several projects already in the pipeline. The projects must still get council approval, but will be allowed to move forward. They are:
• Portobello Estates, a proposed 92-unit townhome project on 9.2 acres on Mowry Drive between 152nd and 162nd avenues.
• Portofino Parc, a 136-unit townhome project on 13.6 acres off Campbell Drive between Southwest 162nd and 167th avenues.
• Keys Lake -- a proposed townhome development by San Remo Homes at Southwest 336th Street and 172nd Avenue -- that was approved by the council on first reading but ultimately denied. The developer has asked the council to reconsider the rezoning, which the board has agreed to do.
• A 133-acre chunk of farmland at the intersection of Lucy Street and Southeast Sixth Avenue that is slated to become a mixed-use project styled like a town center.
Vanessa Arellano Doctor
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