Bonnie's Blog: Hollywood News and Market Info.

FEBRUARY 13, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

A “Message” from Hollywood Oaks Board of Director, Dr. Peter Livingston, Secretary &

Committee Chairperson: Master Association, Communications

The following is a review as well as an update concerning the development of Arden Park.

As you may remember, we all watched the trailer park on both sides of 35th Ave. being demolished and site work performed in anticipation of developing the property. We all hoped for a residential development that would enhance our neighborhood and the value of our community. That site development included a significant amount of landfill and removal of trees. The landfill included the filling in of both lakes. We then learned that the property might have commercial development. This alarmed not only Hollywood Oaks but all of the surrounding communities on both sides of Stirling Rd. Representatives of Hollywood Oaks and Arapahoe Farms attended the Hollywood City Commission meeting that granted a plat approval for the land. We were further alarmed that the attorneys representing the developer would not indicate what was planned in the Arden Park development. The plat approved by Hollywood was a "perimeter plat". The perimeter plat defined only the outline of the property without any indication of internal site plans. The developer's note with the plat indicated that they were going to develop up to 173 detached homes with no more than five homes per acre which was consistent with the land use plan of Broward County and the State of Florida. Since we could get no commitment from the developer or the attorney as to what they truly planned, an ad hoc committee representing all the surrounding communities was formed to represent the interest of the local residents. That committee hired legal counsel to do research on the rules and regulations concerning development going forward and to represent us at the Broward County Commission and eventually back at the Hollywood City Commission for the zoning process. It will be at the zoning process that the actual site development plans will be revealed.

At the first Broward County Commission meeting over 70 of your neighbors attended the meeting and we were ably represented by our attorney Steven Helfman. We welcomed and supported the purported development of low density detached homes. However, we asked for a commitment on the part of the developer not to do any commercial development and to develop only detached homes. The attorney and developer representative would not respond to those assurances. The Broward County commissioners all understood the equivocation by the developer. They have all seen plats approved for one development only to be replaced by a totally different concept. With the leadership of our local Broward Commissioner Rodstrom the plat approval which is usually automatic was delayed for 30 days.

At the next Broward County Commission meeting we were again represented by counsel with over 50 of your neighbors in attendance. Our attorney's research indicated that the maximum commercial development within Arden Park under the present plat request was only 2/10ths of an acre. The developer's attorney committed that there would not be any kind of commercial development on the property. However, there was no commitment to low density detached home development. Unfortunately for the developer, the plat request was technically lacking. The Broward County commissioners again tabled the plat for further regulatory work.

Since then, all work at the Arden Park site has ceased. The plat has not been resubmitted for approval to the Broward County Commission. We have had an election. We have a new mayor and the makeup of the Hollywood City Commission has changed. We do not know what the developer plans to do. There is an unconfirmed rumor that the property is up for sale. We do not know whether or not the developer will submit the present plat to the Broward County Commission or will abandon the plat and return to the City of Hollywood for a new zoning or plat approval. For certain the developer or any future developer knows full well that they must deal with an organized, highly motivated, and highly interested neighborhood.

Since the future is uncertain we must remain vigilant and prepared to defend the interests of our community which are similar to those of the surrounding communities. We will continue to monitor developments. We thank all those who attended the Broward County Commission meetings. There may well be a need for you and your neighbors to attend future commission meetings both at Broward County and in Hollywood. This process has not been without cost and will require more cost in the future to pay attorney fees. The surrounding communities in this process are committed to pay their fair share. We must also. There will be additional information in this regard in the future.