Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Here we go. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us this evening for the Planning and Zoning Board meeting. I would like to ask everyone to please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Flag is here. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I'd like to introduce you to my fellow board members this evening. On my right, we have Mr. Hector de la Torres, Mr. Alexander Spence, Mrs. Jacqueline Scott. On my right, we have Mr. Monty Latwani, Mr. Kevin Buckley, Brian Donaldson, and I'm Patrick McTeague. From city staff, we have our planning and zoning urban design planning manager, Mr. Jim Hensel. From legal staff, we have Mr. Dwayne Spence, the Deputy City Attorney. Mr. Hensel, can you please let us know who else is on your staff this evening?

Sure. To my right, I'll let Dwayne introduce Scott.

To my left, joining us tonight is Scott Stone. He's a new assistant city attorney with the city attorney's office. And he's going to be a part of our land use practice group and will be assisting the board in the future.

Welcome, Mr. Stone. And to continue to my left is Trish Logan, Tyler LaForme, Benjamin Restrepo, and Jonathan DiGiangio from staff.

Very good. Thank you. You're welcome. Do we have any comments or approval of the minutes from our last meeting?

I move to approve the minutes from the last meeting. Second.

Okay. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay. Very good. And then can we do the public swearing, Mr. Spence?

Anyone from the public who wishes to testify or speak tonight, can you please stand and raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm that the testimony that you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Thank you. Thank you very much.

Okay, so... Item number one looks like we have a number of speakers and is something that's going to take a little bit of time. There is a question as to whether we would like to hear case number two first. It's much smaller, less involved. So if it's the pleasure of the board, we can let two go first, then it'll go back to one, and then finish three, four. I GUESS ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING APPLICANT NUMBER TWO TO THE FIRST POSITION, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. SO THEN WE WILL BEGIN TONIGHT'S MEETING WITH CASE NUMBER UDP Z26002 AND DISCLOSURES. MR. DELA TORRES. NONE. MR. SPENCE. NONE. MS. SCOTT. NONE. Mr. Buckley? I say none. Mr. Donaldson? None. And I have none.

I did a site visit.

Very good. Thank you. The floor is yours.

Thank you. Good evening. My name is Hope Calhoun. I'm land use counsel for the applicant. And the item before you tonight is your rezoning of property in anticipation of a project that we're calling Cis Trunk View. So just a very quick development summary of where we are to date. This property was awarded to the developer by the CRA. We've been working very closely with the CRA and the neighborhood to come up with a site plan that everyone would like and love. And we are finalizing our documents with the CRA. and finalize the site plan through the DRC process. And through that DRC process, we determined in connection with city staff that the best thing to do was to have the property have one consistent zoning. As you can see from the documents presented, that the property had to a different zoning district. One half of it was RMM 25 and the other was the northwest rack. So in order to help make the development design easier and really for the whole project to move, just move forward better, we are requesting the rezoning of the RMM 25 portion of the property to be consistent with the balance of the property to rezone to the northwest rack. And so you can see here the portion that we are requesting rezoning from our M25 to the northwest rack. And I won't go through the entire zoning analysis, but staff has reviewed it and has agreed we are consistent with the zoning criteria. We've presented that in our backup. Again, staff has presented you with that same report and the documents you have in your Possession indicate that we do satisfy the rezoning criteria. So Just to go through this quickly because as you said you have a roomful to discuss So we zoning the property will allow for the development of a beautiful project here such drunk view As I said, we are going through the development review process now with staff and we would ask that you would vote favorably on our rezoning request Tonight and I'm happy to answer any questions and mr Greg Bruton is here also to answer questions if you'd like to ask him anything in particular Thank you.

Thank you. Any questions for Council for the applicant? Mr. De La Torres? Do you have something, sir?

No, I left my microphone on by mistake. Oh, did you?

I thought I saw you. Okay. No one at this time? Okay. Thank you. Are there any members of the public wishing to speak on this item? Seeing none, I close the public hearing and bring it back to the Board for discussion and a vote. Or a motion. Mr. Spence?

Actually, I do have a question.

Okay. For the applicant? Yes.

Okay. So in the rezoning narrative for this development, you say that there would be 100 housing rental units alongside commercial space and that there would be a garage for up to 114 cars. Where would this garage be?

You can see here on the diagram there's structured parking underneath the building.

Okay. And so what would be the case for the car traffic or foot traffic and how that would impact the current area? I'm sorry, I didn't hear your question. It asks what the analysis was on any of the new car traffic or foot traffic that would be coming to that area.

Are you asking if we did a traffic study?

Yes, if there was a traffic study done.

So we we presented a traffic statement to the city and there's the amount of traffic is negligible.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you Any other questions, okay, and then do we have a motion or more discussion Like to make a motion to recommend approval I

of case number UDP-Z26002 based on the following findings of fact that the facts in the city staff report and or based on the testimony heard tonight that the board hereby finds that the application meets the applicable criteria of the ULDR cited in staff report and any conditions that may be attached to this is also added to the motion. I second that.

Okay.

Mr. Lewany?

I approve.

Mr. De La Torres?

Yes.

Mr. Spence?

Yes.

Mr. Buckley?

Yes.

Mr. Scott? Yes. Mr. Donaldson?

Yes.

Mr. Mateed?

Yes.

Motion passes.

Very good. Thank you. Okay. Back to case number one. UDP-SR25001. Disclosures, Mr. De La Torres?

Yes, I met with the applicant's attorney and went by the site various times.

Mr. Spence?

Yes, I spoke with the applicant's attorney. Ms. Scott?

spoke with the applicant's attorney, multiple site visits, multiple communications from people in Coley Hammock, business owners up and down Las Olas and Beverly Heights. Mr. Lowany.

Yes, I did speak with the applicant's attorney. I also did a site visit and also had conversations with some local business owners and people in the area.

Mr. Buckley.

A site visit, no other disclosure.

Mr. Donaldson.

I read emails that were shared by staff. I had a conversation with the applicant's attorney. I did multiple site visits and I received multiple phone calls from neighbors and business owners in the area.

Okay, I had multiple emails that came from staff, did a site visit, also spoke with multiple property owners along Los Solos Boulevard, spoke with Ms. Ella Parker, Applicant's Council, Ms. Toothacre, and that's it. Very good. The floor is yours.

Thank you, Chair. Thank you, members of the Planning and Zoning Board. Thank you for allowing us to be here this evening. I'm Stephanie Toothaker. With me this evening is my co-counsel, Dan Daly, and our entire team. We have Architectonica, Flynn Engineering, and Suzanne Danielson with Traffic and Parking, and we're all happy to answer any questions that you have. So before I start a discussion on the site plan, I wanted to talk a little bit about luxury and Fort Lauderdale, because this is something that I think we have needed here. Many of you have heard me say before, I was born here. I was born a Broward General, raised here, raising my son here. I love this community. I love this city so much. And I think we're really at a crossroads. There's been a big discussion since neiman marcus closed at the galleria we lost there was a small gucci store in there there was a small louis vuitton store those are gone neiman marcus is gone sax is gone and there are many people in the community i would say community wide that talk about the total dearth of of shopping options for for you know for for women in particular but for everybody And we, even at the DDA board hearing we had just this past week, we had a big discussion about how do we attract international businesses and national businesses to come to Fort Lauderdale. What can we do as a city to bring that investment here? We're seeing it in Palm Beach with Related Ross. We see it in Miami with a big influx of tech companies moving from California. And Fort Lauderdale is such a wonderful community and we have so much to offer. And we have a lot of residential development, but we have really had a gap in the luxury space and we've really had a gap in the shopping space. And Las Olas is such an important corridor for the city when people get off the cruises or when travelers come here, when visitors come here to this amazing destination, visit a place like Pier 66 or the new Omni or some of the amazing hotels that we have, the Ritz-Carlton. the first thing they ask is where should we shop, right? And the answer is always Las Olas. So we're at a crossroads here. We have an opportunity. We have an actual luxury brand at the table. And I wanted to just kind of share some of the brands that we have to this far have predominantly missed out on. Certainly there were certain opportunities in some small boutiques and whatnot, but not a true Rolex branded store. So Rolex right now is one of the brands that we're bringing. Cartier. Patek Philippe. Audemars Piguet. Richard Millet. Hublot, I think I went too fast, Richard Mille, Chanel, Hublot, and those are just the tip of the iceberg for what will be included in this incredible store. So right now, where do Fort Lauderdale residents go when they want to shop for luxury? And I think this is a really important question, and we have the answer. So right now, all the people that live here, they get in their car and they drive north to Worth Avenue, or they drive south to the Miami Design District. or they go to Bell Harbor shops, or they go to Aventura, or they go to Brickell City Center. And yet, we have one of the best shopping streets in the Tri-County area in Los Olos. And these are just a few quotes from some of the entities that we rely on to really market Fort Lauderdale. The DDA says, Fort Lauderdale's most iconic street, Los Olos Boulevard, is a vibrant hub where dining, shopping, and culture thrive. Jody Tanner, who's the President of Los Olos Capital Arts and Vice President of Los Olos Association says, the new growth brings a younger, more vibrant professional patron to Los Olos Boulevard. Fort Lauderdale, I'm sorry, Visit Lauderdale markets Los Olos on their own website known as the Shopper's Paradise. Where else can you find such a wide variety of quality stores? And the ambience of the boulevard makes shopping even more of a pleasure. And finally, Las Olas Boulevard website says it connects visitors with the best dining, shopping, and more in Fort Lauderdale's most vibrant community. So what makes up Las Olas? And I think this is really important. This was just published. This is the 2025 Las Olas Boulevard Mobility Plan, and it defines Las Olas in three districts. First, you have on the western end, you have the downtown district. And in the center, you have the shopping district. And to the east of that, you have the Cooley Hammock District. This project is in the shopping district. It was specifically chosen because it is specifically in the area that is defined by the Los Olos Mobility Plan as the shopping district. So let's talk about West End Jewelers. So West End Jewelers purchased the property at 1117 East Las Olas Boulevard, which is in the heart of the shopping district of Las Olas Commercial District. Westin Jewelers is in the, and I should have, I'm sorry, I should have introduced my client, Michael Harrison is here, he's the developer and owner, part owner, the other owner, Ed Dykes and the Dykes family, they're actually in Switzerland right now with Rolex, and Rolex has had a seat at the table and is part of this development and has been since day one. So Westin Jewelers is in the top 1% of jewelers in the country, in the country, and is an authorized Rolex dealer. And that's really important. And they have some exclusive jewelry lines such as Cartier, Tudor, Breitling, David Yerman. Those are exclusive to Westin Jewelers. So let me talk a little bit about the context because we're going to talk a lot about that tonight. So the existing use on this site is commercial on the front, and there are five multifamily residential units on the back. And it does sit on the Hammershey Canal, but as I said, it is in the commercial shopping district. And I want to show it to you in the context. We heard a little bit about height. I will say, and I'm going to talk about this a couple times, that we did reduce the height in response to some of the neighbor concerns. But I think that there's a discussion about whether or not it's the appropriate height. So let's talk about height. So Las Olas Regency, which is immediately to the north of us, is four stories. Villaggio Las Olas, which is just on the other side of the canal and immediately to our east, is five stories. The Him or She Landing directly across Las Olas from us that has commercial and office uses in it is also five stories. Northern Trust just around from us is three stories. And finally, and I'm so excited about this project, the Whitfield Hotel, which is just on the next block and was just approved by this board, is 12 stories, 149 feet 2 inches, and was approved on an 8-0, directly almost adjacent to us. So we are asking for a rezoning of a portion of the property. You can see the front portion of the property is future land use commercial. The back half is medium residential. That requires an allocation of flex. We don't have to do a land use plan amendment. The allocation of flex is a very common procedure. It's done all the time. You see that on agendas all the time. So that's how we address the land use. And then as it relates to the zoning, and I thought this was a really important slide to share, the property is zoned B1 on the front. B1 allows heights of 150 feet. So that's what we could do today on this site on the B1 portion of the property. The back half is zoned RM15, and we are asking for a rezoning to the CB zoning district. And if you look at the slide on the right, it shows you that just one block over from us, this board most recently approved the same application for the Whitfield Hotel for a rezoning to the CB zoning district. So it's exactly what was just done. less than a block away. And that is the exact same procedure that that hotel went through for the exact same use. So this project is, as I said, it's five stories. We did reduce the height by 16 feet. It's 74 feet to the top of the roof. We have three levels of retail, which are, it's 20,337 square feet of retail, levels one, three, and five. And then we have 11,816 square feet of office on levels four and five. When we first announced the project and we submitted it to the DRC, we had a lot of neighbors show up from the Coulee Hammock and surrounding districts and Beverly Heights. And what we got from that, and then we had a subsequent in-person meeting, what we got from that and the feedback that we got was really negative. We originally had two restaurants INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT. AND IT REQUIRED A LOT MORE PARKING AND IT WAS A LOT HIGHER AND WE HEARD THE RESIDENTS LOUD AND CLEAR. MR. DYKES AND MR. HARRISON MADE THE DECISION AT GREAT COST TO REMOVE THE RESTAURANTS COMPLETELY. SO THOSE RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PLAN. We have a voluntary condition that we will never ask for the restaurants to be put back into the plan. We couldn't do that anyway without coming back through the process because the process requires a parking reduction, and we have removed that request. It's taken off the table. So the restaurant use we had understood was what the neighbors were very upset about. We listened, we heard, and we shifted, and we said, that's fine. We'll just focus on the core business, and the core business is retail. So we did do that. The requests that are before you this evening, this project meets all the requirements with the exception of we are asking that the building be closer to the water because we're building a platform on the water side with a new dock and we're raising the seawall and what the code says is you have to have 20 feet of landscaping and it just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. when you're right on the water, so we're asking for a waiver of that, and then of course the parking, and I'm gonna talk a little bit about the parking. So these are the requests. The rezoning, similar to what, actually identical to what the hotel did, with an allocation of flex, the yard modification, and the parking reduction. There's also a companion drainage easement relocation, but we're just, we're relocating it, we're not making, we're actually making improvements to what's there. So as it relates to the parking, what your code says, and as I said, Suzanne is here and she can certainly speak to it in much greater detail with her expertise. Your code says that for this use, for a retail use, we need 129 parking spaces, 129. Imagine that. Imagine 129 people in a jewelry store all at one time. It's ridiculous. It's totally unheard of. When you do the shared parking analysis, the code says, okay, you don't need 129. You need 116 total parking spaces at the worst time during the week, during weekday peak time. And during the weekend peak time, you need 114 parking spaces. Still ridiculous. That's still a ridiculous amount of parking for a jewelry store, what is really a jewelry store and a family office. So our request is to provide... No on-site parking. It wouldn't fit any way. You couldn't do a parking garage here. And I think if you think about it from a reasonable standpoint, you wouldn't want a parking garage at your ground level. You want your retail. You want it to be a pedestrian-friendly shopping experience just like the rest of Los Olos. However, we do have two off-site parking agreements, one for six spaces and one for 34 spaces. So we have 40 off-site parking spaces in the direct vicinity, and I'll share with you where those are later on a later slide. So this comes from Suzanne's report which shows how Los Olos operates. Los Olos operates like a true pedestrian shopping walking street. People go, they're not unique visitors for one shop. They don't go and say, I'm gonna go to this store and then I'm just gonna leave. That's not how Los Olos works. It's not how it's meant to work. It's a destination. for a multitude of uses all at the same time. So people would go, they probably are gonna Uber or Lyft because that's the reality and our code hasn't been updated to reflect that, but they're probably gonna Uber or Lyft, they're gonna go to a restaurant and then maybe they'll walk up and down the street, they'll go to Kilwin's, they'll walk into a couple stores. They're not unique visitors. They're not going for one direct, stop, I'm gonna park in front like I'm in Weston and then drive away. That's not how Las Olas was meant to work. It's not the purpose of Las Olas for our most important street. So when we did the study, when Suzanne did the study, she found that there were 207 public parking spaces within 700 feet of the site. and 213 public parking spaces within an expanded quarter mile, which is 13, 1,320 linear feet because you're walking up and down the street. And this was consulted with the city's traffic engineer and I'm sure she, I'm sure we're gonna have questions and I'm sure she can answer them. I want to make it very clear there is a new garage coming to Las Olas. We did not rely on that garage. It's not built. So that's a 209 space garage. That's not part of our study. We did not include that in the study. And we were also asked by one of the neighbors if we were relying on First Presbyterian Church, which also provides public parking, and we are not relying on First Presbyterian Church parking either. These are true public parking lots that people use when they go to Las Olas if they drive, which a lot of people don't anymore. So these are just the study areas. I'm showing you where the various areas are that we studied, where the lots are, which are all in the vicinity. These are all in your packet. You can see on this one we show you where the various zones are that were studied. There was an actual study done for what's available, when it's available, so that we can show that there's ample public parking. And finally, there's a third study area. So the parking reduction findings, Suzanne did a hour by hour comparison, and at the worst time, which was 2 o'clock during the week, it showed there were 160 parking spaces available. And if you, just for the sake of argument, assume that we actually need 116 parking spaces, There's ample public parking and that's including all the other uses that are using all that parking. That's how many are available including all the other shops and restaurants and whatnot that use the parking on the street. And then on the weekend, which the worst time was at noon, and there were 203 parking spaces available versus our 114. So let's talk a little bit about Las Olas and the character of Las Olas. I always spend a lot of time on Las Olas, but in particular in the context of this application, I spent a lot of time on Las Olas and did a study of how many businesses are there on Las Olas that rely on these public parking lots. And I think it's a really important conversation to have. So what I've shown here in red is all various uses up and down Los Olos that rely on those public parking lots because you don't want Los Olos to be lined with parking garages. And who are they? In the first slide I'm showing you, for a total of 46,830 square feet of commercial use, Big City Tavern, Red Door, Asian Bistro and Hibachi, Voodoo Bayou and American Social, no parking spaces provided for any of those uses. They all rely on public parking. Next, for a total of 38,626 square feet of commercial use and no on-site parking, Capital One Cafe, El Camino, Noodles Panini, Palm Room, and soon-to-be Caviar Club. And you can see I'm pointing to where those are on Los Olos. NEXT. 35,351 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL NEXT. 35,351 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL USE WITH ZERO ON-SITE 35,351 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL USE WITH ZERO ON-SITE PARKING. USE WITH ZERO ON-SITE PARKING. VINO'S WINE BAR, ALTERNATIVE PARKING. VINO'S WINE BAR, ALTERNATIVE CAROL'S JEWELERS AND GALLERIA VINO'S WINE BAR, ALTERNATIVE CAROL'S JEWELERS AND GALLERIA REALTY OFFICE. CAROL'S JEWELERS AND GALLERIA REALTY OFFICE. THOSE ARE THE ONES I'M SHOWING REALTY OFFICE. THOSE ARE THE ONES I'M SHOWING YOU HERE. THOSE ARE THE ONES I'M SHOWING YOU HERE. NEXT, FOR 6,880 SQUARE And finally, 34,685 square feet of commercial use with no on-site parking, formerly the Planta Restaurant, Maccabi, Gran Forno Las Olas, and Catan Salon. And with 26,000 square feet of commercial use and zero on-site parking, Jen Korean Barbecue House, Catch and Cut, Bombay Dar Dar, Dar Bar, excuse me. And for 5,755 square feet of commercial use, no parking, the Floridian Restaurant. I think we can all agree that those are all phenomenal uses for Las Olas. They make Las Olas what it is today. And we never said to them, to each one of you, you must have on-site parking to be a part of this shopping district and this eating district. You have to build your own garage. We've never done that because that's not how Las Olas is meant to work. So let me show you, just wanna make sure, yes. I wanna show you where our parking is, where our offsite parking is. So if you look, we are outlined in red at the top of the space. We have a 25-year parking agreement for six parking spaces. for the family. There are four members of the Dykes family, and there is a family office. I'm going to take you floor by floor, but that's more than sufficient for what we need. And then across the street in the building, we have an LOI if the project gets approved. We have an LOI for 34 additional parking spaces. That would be for staff. That would be for guests if they want to park there and that lease obviously would be signed upon approval and we're offering a voluntary condition that we would not seek a certificate of occupancy unless we provide that parking. So these are just a couple of recent applications that came before this board, and I thought it was really relevant to the discussion because, again, I can't imagine Las Olas without Earl's Kitchen and Bar. I love it. It's a great spot. And that just appeared before this board. They received... 151 space parking reduction for an 8,523 square foot restaurant. They provided three spaces where 154 were required. Next, this also was just approved by the Planning and Zoning Board, 904 East Las Olas. It's a new restaurant that's coming. Very excited about it. The PZ approved 100% parking reduction for a 5,723-square-foot restaurant and 4,243 square feet of retail uses, 108 spaces required, zero spaces provided. And finally, the beautiful hotel. PZB originally approved this with an 87 space parking reduction for the commercial uses for the 5,963 square feet of commercial and 138 room hotel. It came back later for an amendment and they are providing parking for the hotel and for the residential, but for the retail space specifically, they were required to show they had 108 parking spaces and none are provided. So when you look at those in the context of each other, you can see that we're right on par with everything that's come to Las Olas, because again, Las Olas is meant to work together. It's meant to be a destination for uses that are compatible with each other. A hotel, a restaurant, a retail shop. You don't say to one, okay, we understand that that there's public parking all around and that you're going to accommodate your, your staff, but you have to provide parking where nobody else has had to do that. So, um, in the case of Western jewelers, we are asking for a hundred percent parking reduction, but we are providing 40 spaces for our, for our staff. Earl's Kitchen provided three spaces. They got a reduction of 154 spaces. That was approved on a 9-0. 904 East Las Olas was required to show 108 spaces. They have zero spaces, 100% reduction. That was approved recently on a 7-0. And the Whitfield Hotel, 138 spaces total for the mix of hotel and retail. And that was approved on an 8-0. As I said, the Heron parking garage was a P3 that was submitted to the city of Fort Lauderdale. We are not relying on that. That is great. That's wonderful for the street. That is also on the back half of the lot, similar to how the Westin Jewelers is a lot that goes, it's the front on Los Olos and the back. This garage is actually on the back lot, similar to how Westin Jewelers is, and if you look at the outline in red, you can see that it's exactly in the same location as far as how far north it sits. So this is the Western Jewelers and we're very excited about this. Designed by Architectonica and also Rolex's designers in Switzerland have also been deeply involved in this. We've all been working on this together to get to the point where we can come to you tonight for this board. It's described as a jewel box. Obviously, you can see why it's it's just absolutely beautifully designed. It's Jay Weaver is here with Moss Construction. Moss Construction has already been engaged to build the to build the site. So you've got a local builder. And of course, Moss is Moss's family office is directly across the street. And we're just showing you some of the elements on the building. This is a very, very expensive build. It's probably one of the most expensive products that I've seen. It is a Rolex branded store. You can see we have a fountain entrance on the Las Olas side. You can see that's Rolex. This is a store within a store. So there are concepts in many malls where you will walk into like a bigger store, like a Saks Fifth Avenue. And inside the Saks Fifth Avenue, you'll have a physical Chanel store or a physical Prada store. So that's the concept that we have here at this location. We are showing you here what's happening on the Hemersheet Canal and why we asked for that yard modification so that we can have this walking area and people have access to the water. And there's just another image of that.

And another image.

One of the things that the neighbors asked us to do is to revise the back of the building so that it didn't feel like a back of house. We thought that was a really good suggestion. So we did that. We worked very hard with the designers to make sure that the back of the building looked like the front of the building. So these are just some images showing you that the back is in fact just as beautiful as the front. So what they're looking at doesn't feel like the back of a restaurant or something along those lines. We are adding sidewalks. We do also have a an Uber lift drop off location on the east side of the building. And you can see we've also got some a few on site parking spots on the on the east side. And I want to start taking you through the store itself. So our entrance is on the Las Olas side. And as you can see, you've got a multitude of stores within the store. You have Rolex is the first thing that you walk into. I took you through some of the other brands. Obviously, some brands are unique to Westin Jewelers, but there's also some national brands that are very important that will be here in Fort Lauderdale for the first time, which is really an incredible opportunity to have a luxury retail opportunity like this on Los Olos. And anyone that's done retail, and I know some of you are experts in this area, retail follows each other. You bring one really high end, they're like lemmings, they all start to follow each other. And and they look to see what is the investment that this entity made. If they're willing to do it, then I'm willing to do it too. They tend to group together. It's what we've seen in the design district. You see it in Bell Harbor. It's very common. Aventura Mall has had a huge influx. So on the second floor... We have some additional retail, but we also have what I describe as a little bit of dead space, and this is one of the reasons that I think that the parking requirement is just so unrelatable to what's actually happening. So in a modern jewelry store, a lot of times what you have is you have a bridal area. So you'll have a potential bride and groom come sit down and say, we want to see some rings. And you can see there's a lounge here where they would sit. And the staff, instead of them walking up to counters and trying on rings up and down, It's actually an experience. You bring them a glass of champagne and you come and you bring them all the various rings that they try on. So it's a very experiential way of shopping for wedding jewelry, basically. And that's a big portion of what's happening on the second floor. On the third floor, we have some more retail, and we do have some, like, pre-owned luxury watches and things like that. That's pretty typical for a jewelry store. And what you see on the back half, which is also dead space, is Rolex repair. So... If you know about Rolex, if you want to keep your warranty on your watch and a lot of other fine watches, you have to have your watch repaired by an authorized Rolex repair. We've not had this in Fort Lauderdale. This is something new. This is in the watch world. I don't pretend to be a watch expert, but I've certainly learned a lot. In the watch world, this is a very big deal to have this here. So this is not a heavy, intense use. You don't have... 116 people sitting here. You have a watch repairman that's an authorized Rolex repairman, and that's not open to the public. That's a place where you would take your watch. So the next floor, and this is the family office. And anyone that understands family offices, they are probably the lowest intensity use that you could possibly have. This is not an office for anyone else. I'm offering a voluntary condition that this will never be rented to some outside entity. They will never be able to use this. This is only for the Dykes family. It's a Dykes family office. The Moss family office is directly across the street. If you're familiar with that, they don't go and sit in an office. That's not how a family office works. It's similar to Northern Trust. They handle a lot of family office organizations, and they're extremely low impact. So this is also not open to the public. This is an office used just for the family office, which tends to be like an investment office. And finally, on the top floor... We do have a small retail space. We have a small we took out all the kitchens, but we do have a refrigerator and a warming microwave and things like that. If there is if there is a launch of like a new watch, they would often have, you know, have a little cocktail party like from five to seven to announce a new watch and they would invite people in. So you have the opportunity to have, you know, champagne and hors d'oeuvres. But that is basically not retail space either. There's an office lounge for the employees. And I put this in here because I thought this was interesting. So these are typical launches when you see. So Chanel just launched a new watch that's actually, I guess, submersible, which they hadn't had before. So this is a cocktail reception that they're throwing in the design district. Again, five to seven champagne hors d'oeuvres, not a party, just a small cocktail reception. Someone that would go to this would typically probably go to dinner at Catch and Cut and then they would stop by here or vice versa. They would go here and then go to dinner at Catch and Cut or Earl's or one of the other incredible restaurants that we have. So I wanted to share what that space would be used for, and that would not be on a regular occasion. That's not something that's going to be happening once a week. That's not how those work. It's an extremely infrequent opportunity to use that space. I mentioned as I was speaking about our voluntary conditions of approval, but I want to make it very clear for the record that we are offering these. We are committing to not requesting to add any restaurant use back into the site plan. It couldn't be added anyway without coming back to you because it would require a parking reduction, a commensurate parking reduction, but we are not requesting that. We also are committing to use the office space only for the family office that would never be rented to any outside user so it could not be rented out as office space. And finally, we are offering that employees will never be permitted to park in any of the public parking that is available. That is for patrons of Las Olas that we would provide the offsite parking through our parking agreements as a voluntary condition. We did have all the required neighborhood meetings and a few others. We did present to Beverly Heights at an in-person meeting. That's where we announced that we were moving the restaurants. We thought that had been very well received. We did do a virtual public participation meeting to Cooley Hammock. We also did a public participation meeting to both of the neighborhoods. And other than this going to Planning and Zoning Board, it also has to go to City Commission for two readings. And that concludes my presentation. As I said, my team is here. We are all happy to answer questions. We thank you for your consideration this evening. We are very excited about this use. We do feel it's compatible and appropriate for Los Olos. And I would just ask you, if it doesn't go on Los Olos, I don't know where this would go. I think we're at that crossroads of do we want to bring luxury brands here? Do we want them to be a part of our most important shopping district? Or do we want to say that we're okay with not having a luxury component and we just have all our residents go to Palm Beach and Miami-Dade County, which is what's happening today? So I thank you again for your consideration, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. Yeah, there any immediate pressing questions. Otherwise we can hear from the public and then come back.

Yeah, I have a question for Stephanie.

Okay, go ahead, please.

I was unclear on the square footage is clear as far as who's occupying it. But when it comes to the workers, what do you think the total amount of workers would be in the five stories that would be there full time? What is that number?

We started to do that calculation this afternoon. May I ask you if I can answer that? Because we started right when we got here, and I didn't get a chance to follow back up with my architect. It's a really good question, and I will have an answer for you in just a few moments.

Okay. Thank you.

just to say something extra on that with all the presentations that you've made, you've been very specific about renting out spaces to other jewelers. So good luck on doing that calculation since you don't know yet who you're going to be renting it to.

They're not rented. They're all owned by Western jewelers.

Right. But you're going to have, okay, that's not, okay. So, so Western jewelers are, Okay, so if I have seven, 10 cubicles with different, nevermind, I think you get the point.

Yes, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. They are all of the space, the entire building is owned by Westin Jewelers. They are an authorized dealer for these brands. And the brands have designed the interior spaces, but they are all Westin Jeweler employees. They're not being rented out to the brands.

OK, I understand that. But you're not going to have one person running into six different cubicles of shopping a different product. You're going to have people in those places. My point is we need that number.

Yeah, so just to be clear, let me make sure I'm clear now. There is no tenants except for the family office?

No tenants.

Except for the family office?

Yes, which is the Dykes family is Weston Jewelers and it's the Dykes family office.

Okay, so that clarifies it. It's all the same. So the Dykes family and the other gentleman are owners of Weston Jewelers. They own Weston Jewelers. And this basically is their home office. That's correct. There's no outside tenants at all.

No outside tenant at all.

So I guess that's why I asked that question is what does that look like in an employee account? And we'll get that in a minute. Thank you.

I just want to be clear on that. I think if I understand the question, so because there are little storefronts inside, that doesn't mean you have one person standing in Chanel and one person standing in Rolex and one person standing in Hublot. It doesn't work like that. You have employees that work the floor.

Right. Now I'm less confused than I was because that was the reason for the question because if it's only one tenant, it's a whole different ballgame than if you have six or seven tenants.

I got it. Thank you. Thank you for the question and the opportunity to clarify because it's not even a tenant. They are the owner of the property, the developer, and the owner of the store. There's no tenancy at all. Got it. Thank you.

Any others? Okay. Very good. Thank you. We'll hear from the public at this time. Up first is Dan McNulty. And on after that would be Anthony Batista. Up here, please Sir, please approach to. Microphone. So after McDonald, Mr McNulty will be Mr Batista.

Mm hmm.

Just to confirm, we did a large swearing-in at the beginning. If you came in after that, please let us know as we need to swear you in before you speak. Good evening, Mr. McNulty. Please let us know your address.

I'm located at 1111 East Las Olas Boulevard, so I look directly across. I'm right across the river. I moved here three years ago, became a resident last year. So it's been kind of a fun experience, I guess. One of the reasons for moving here was the local environment, the local shops, the things that take place. I was a little bit of amazed at the recent public outcry with the trees being removed. because people really wanted downtown to be downtown. That was how they used to always know it. So it just seems like it has that kind of a vibe for me, that people really do care, and they really do want to keep things in check. The one slide that... It has a before or the front and the back of the building. It really, to me, illustrates how out of place this building will be. I would love the opportunity to look at nicer buildings across the river. Those buildings have been there a long time. They attract a lot of unnecessary pigeons and pigeon droppings and things of that nature. So believe me, it would be a welcome sight for me to have a building, a brand new building across the river, just not in the scope of what is being proposed. You know, I realize that the building I'm in is five stories tall and the building across the way is about the same. But when that slide came up, it really did illustrate, if you took a look at it, the difference that was there. And that's the problem for me. I think we're trying to squeeze too much into a postage-sized stamp piece of land that will just look ridiculous. You know, that it's going to, you know, as much as, you know, I say I would enjoy looking at something that is a very beautiful building, so don't get me wrong, but it's just... I think people are just going to walk by and be like, God, I mean, it's like this wide. And it doesn't make any sense for it to sit there. If you go up to the, again, one of those slides and you go back down to the other end of the district, I don't know what it was called. It was the shopping district and something else on the other end. There's tons of high rises down there. There's tons of buildings that this would blend in with. And people would still shop there. People would still, you know, If you're buying a $100,000 or a $500,000 watch, you're going to be able to move your Bentley a little bit further down the road and park somewhere else. You don't have to be in that postage-sized square piece of property. So, I mean, I just, like I said, I want to voice my concern of the size of the building. I understand. I used to own a business. We had a corporate headquarters. I've been through this. But it's just, you know, right place, wrong time, wrong time, right place, one of those types of deals that this just doesn't make any sense. And I understand fully as well that other things have recently been granted approval by this committee, I would believe, you know, that are perhaps taller, like the hotel and things like that. I don't know. I do think that that is a crossings that, as she was indicating, that is going to have to be crossed at some point with the city of Fort Lauderdale, is do you want it to maintain its current vibe? Then I don't think you can do things like this to that current vibe. I think that you need to be careful of that. And I think there's a lot of rebuilding going on that are one- and two-story rebuilds. Mr. McNulty, your time is up. Oh, I know.

I know. I apologize. I neglected individuals. Let me tell you, for all the speakers, individuals have three minutes, presidents of associations all have five minutes. I'll give you just a few seconds. I apologize.

I really do think that it's a beautiful building. I would love for it to be approved at a much smaller scope. That might be a two-story or even a three-story that would allow them to have their offices and things like that in there But I just don't I just don't like the fact that it's gonna be if you take a look at that other slide I think it'll be really there and that's 74 feet.

That's what you're talking about Thank you Mr.. Batista Anthony Up next will be a Herald M. Can't make out the last Please state your name and address and if you haven't been sworn, let us know.

Good evening. My name is Anthony Bautista and I am currently residing at 1111 East Los Olos Boulevard and have been so for the last 23 years. I am currently the president of Villaggio de Los Olos Condominium Association and which is right across from the canal of the proposed project. Under current zoning, the maximum height on this parcel is 35 feet. Setbacks are also required on this property. No property east of the Hemersey Canal has been rezoned by the city to be totally commercial. To do so would be setting bad precedent. Development over time has been within the constraints of the current zoning plan. Several years ago, rezoning for an apartment slash office building on the corner of Southeast 15th Avenue and Los Olos Boulevard was rejected for basically the same reasons we are enunciating this evening. A large 74-foot building back to Second Court jammed into a tiny site, pushing the boundaries with everything from squeezed setbacks to aggressive rezoning to no parking at all is just a bridge too far. Also, a building that size would destroy the character of the neighborhood. We are not objecting to an upscale jewelry store being located at this site. Instead, we welcome them. We just feel that the developers should design a building that fits the contemporaneous zoning. Therefore, we raise objections to the current project as planned and ask that the developers go back to the drawing board and revisit their plans for a more acceptable building. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Questions? Okay. Up next is Harold Mech or M. I'm going to say I can't read the last letter. And Percy Johnson is next.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. With the Rolex, I feel like it would be a good fit for all shopping centers and the brand itself, because like she just stated, it's a big brand, and it would bring tourists and other people to the area. And I understand, like he said, about the structure of the building and the animal droppings and stuff like that, of that nature. But longevity wise, it would be a good fit because I work on 17 Causeway and I do like watches and stuff like that. I like the area and in the area that she is going to put it in. Food wise, you can walk, see the area, meet new people and still have the time to shop and eat. So I think it would be good.

Very good. Thank you. Mr. Percy Johnson and up next, Leslie Jones.

Good evening, everybody. My name is Percy Johnson. I reside at 7412 North Devon Drive, Tamarack. I'm a long resident of Fort Lauderdale. I've been here for over 40 years. I think that the Rolex project is a project that is for Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale is an international destination, and Rolex is an international known brand throughout the world. I think that's the concept that we need to bring back. not only to our Fort Lauderdale area, but definitely to Las Olas. Las Olas is internationally known. You come, you have fun, you shop, you have luxury shopping, you have culture, you have all of the things that have made us a great city. And I think that this project, I know there are questions about the development, but This, Mr. Chairman, your board and yourself needs to think about the future of Los Olos. You need to think about what concepts and what cultural things may need to change in the development of Los Olos today as well as for the future. And in doing so, that will help our economic engine, because Los Olos is not just one of our main engines. It is like the future, besides our luxury beach, which everyone comes to our beach. But Los Olos is shopping, where you bring the kids, where you shop, you go to a boutique, you have nice dinners and whatnot. You know what not, but that's the future of Los Olas and if if you think beyond what it is today and you look at what it can be tomorrow, then we're into some missile. It's an international destination and we need to remain an internationally known city for shopping and culture and I rest on that and thank you.

Thank you. Miss Leslie Jones and next Kristen Lafleur.

Good evening, I'm Leslie Jones and my address is 17 Southeast 10th Avenue in Beverly Heights. As Secretary of the Beverly Heights Association and President of the Hemershey Hammock Homeowners Association, I'm here to express my concerns and the concerns of numerous Beverly Heights residential property owners regarding the proposed Western Jeweler project. Firstly, the anticipation of a newly built upscale retail facility is enticing and a welcome addition to the neighborhood. In fact, a few months ago, we met with the owners and their attorney where some concessions were made, as Stephanie mentioned, to exclude the two restaurants on the top floor. That was a very important item. They also offered a better concealment of garbage and deliveries in the back and And they agreed to make improvements to the building's back wall aesthetics that face the residential properties where one portion of Beverly Heights begins. But with that said, the following issues remain. The arbitrary zoning changes provide a precedent for the neighborhood and would leave an opening for other future developers to use these zoning changes to greatly disturb the character of the current Beverly Heights and Coley Hammock residential vibes. As was mentioned, the residential zoning at this time has a restriction of 35 feet. By changing the zoning from residential to commercial, this would also take the setbacks to virtually zero. But with no restaurant planned on the top floor now, perhaps they should take the top fifth floor off. Maybe that's a compromise. Beverly Heights, although a very small neighborhood, has been experiencing many new projects of late, both commercial and residential. And it's important to just give you a little background here. For example, on Southeast 10th Avenue and along the canal at Southeast 2nd Street, we currently have five new multi-million dollar homes being built. And in addition, there's a newly proposed development of multiple upscale townhouses on the south side of the Himishi Canal. Our neighborhood also borders on Broward Boulevard, where the zoning in many cases is residential office. with height restrictions. Homes and lots designated as residential zoning have been bought by commercial entities hoping for later zoning changes. There is also the risk of using the hardship clause despite the fact that the buyers knew the properties were zoned residential when they obtained them. A precedent now would set the stage for devastating encroachments in our homes and a potential loss in value to our property. We talked about the project and reduced parking. Actually, it's really no parking, but finding leases now where you can have parking spaces.

What happens if somebody- Ms. Jones, three minutes has expired. Okay. If you could wrap up.

All right. I'm just saying between that parking and some traffic issues there, it could cause problems in the area. Thank you.

Thank you. Christina LaFleur, and after that, Mr. Jim Brady.

Good evening. My name is Kristen LaFleur. I'm president of the Beverly Heights Association. I'm here to say, so fortunately, a lot of people have done a lot of my work for me. But let me just touch on a few points. First and foremost, we did meet, as we've said, we did meet with with the owners of Westin Jewelers and their team. They've got an incredible team, and they're bringing a really upscale shopping experience to Las Olas, which we hope, as everyone else does, will be bringing similar ventures to us in the future. And they also have been very good so far about addressing some issues with the building, with the restaurant and such. But I think just to echo a few points on just how really important the zoning change is. As Leslie said and before me, that we are really a small neighborhood and we spend a lot, we border many commercial areas. When you look at the Las Olas Mobility Plan, one of the things that always strikes me is that area, you know, it's like Coley Hammock. And downtown, and it's the shops, but directly behind the shops is Beverly Heights, a really tiny neighborhood. So I think we get often overlooked. And so I just think it would be a shame to see, as we said, that many other developers are trying to come in, build some oversized structures in our neighborhood. People are making investments in residential property there. And it's unfortunate that they have to feel like they're constantly watching for developers and commercial influx into our neighborhood. And also that that end of Las Olas, while it is technically in that piece of the shops, borders Coley Hammock. It's a much more residential feel to that end of Las Olas. So I think there's a higher threshold for some of the changes that might go on there. I'd also like to address the parking issue. As people have said, with this parking reduction, it's a large reduction. It is similar to other to other properties on Las Olas, and that we've granted that before. However, I would add that some of those properties are replacing existing buildings, the buildings where Earl's and the other retail places, there was already a building, there already was something there, a restaurant or something else, And so you've replaced it with a similar use. In this case, you have three very low intensity businesses and a few small residential properties that you're replacing with a larger business venture. So I think in some cases, that that analogy doesn't quite fit to say that it's been granted to other places on Las Olas. In addition, when I reviewed their parking study, some of those parking spaces that they're counting are spaces that are deep into residential areas because they use such a wide, where they went to a quarter mile from the spot. And also that there are at least three, maybe four restaurants under construction on Las Olas right now. So those buildings, obviously, you know, with all of the available spots that they've counted, how do we account for the four other businesses that are right now not using any of those parking spaces? So those are just a few things that I would appreciate if you could keep in mind as we move forward. So thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Brady.

Thank you. My name is Jim Brady and I live at 224 Southeast 17th Avenue. My garage faces Second Court. There's an irony in the applicant's presentation that occurs to me. And I bring this to you with 45 years of municipal attorney experience and the same 45 years of land use experience. I've seen this kind of thing over and over again. If the applicant is correct in terms of the success that Western Jewelers is going to bring to the property, it's going to create a greater need for parking. And as I suggested to you in a letter that you have in your file, The development should bear its own burdens. It should not cast those off on the surrounding property owners. And one thing that when I look back in my years of practice, I've noticed is that When you restrict parking or don't have any parking, people are going to park where they're going to find space, which means they're going to go into the adjacent neighborhoods at the streets to find the space. So if the applicant is not carrying its own burden That burden is going to go to the residential area or the nearby business areas. We can't forget these things. I certainly appreciate the quality of the development that's proposed as reflected by the applicant. But by the same token, you can't say because we want that quality, that luxury coming up from Dade County and Aventura. We don't need to carry the burden of the automobiles. They're going to be there. And we need to take care of that. I think the report said 800 trips a day, 800 net trips a day. That's a lot of traffic. You've got to park that traffic someplace. And I don't think that the available public spaces are going to be able to accommodate that kind of success. As well, some of the conditions that you're asked to look at to support the application are contingent upon future actions or future failures. And if you can't control the future in terms of your regulatory system, then you're looking at potential problems. So I would ask you to really focus in on what this is all about. It isn't about luxury. It's about protecting the community as the community changes. Thank you for your service. You nailed that on the second.

That was pretty good.

All right, Ms. Jennifer Long. And up next is Vincent Thrower. Hello.

Good evening. My name is Jennifer Leong. I live at 1917 Northeast 15th Avenue. And I am currently a boarder director for the Chamber of Commerce. And I also am the chairwoman of the Real Estate and Construction Board for the Chamber of Commerce. With that said, in regards to this development, just to piggyback Mr. Jones, I'm not sure if he's still here, he was stating that this city is a very international city. I deal in real estate, and when I do travel to sell what I sell in real estate, I find that people internationally don't know where Fort Lauderdale is. I always have to say I'm from Miami or... Palm Beach. And when I say Fort Lauderdale, they're like, where is it? What do you mean? With that, we already have approvals with properties like the St. Regis, big names like the Four Seasons. We're not keeping up with that. We're always known internationally to me as the donut hole, the forgotten city. They don't talk about us. They don't know about us. The Galleria Mall. I've lived here for 10 years. My family's been coming here for 30 years. We were very nostalgic about that mall. It lost its zest. We lost Neiman's. We lost people. People are moving out of the city because it didn't keep up. The retail didn't keep up. The restaurants didn't keep up. For a long time, Los Alas didn't carry the restaurants that they have now. Are we going to follow that path because we're worried about parking? Or are we going to keep up and keep our property values up, the appreciation levels up, and keep our city the way it deserves? So I just wanted to share that because that's my opinion and that's what I've experienced in selling real estate all over the world. Thank you for your time.

Chair, I have a question for Jennifer. Thank you. Yes, please go ahead. Jennifer, let me ask you a question. You do a pre-construction condo sales or transactional sales?

I do pre-construction luxury development sales.

Okay, got it. So you're basically selling the invisible to rich people. It doesn't exist.

I do.

So, and the board is entrusted with community enhancement with more than just this property, right? It's about the city and how well the city does. In your opinion, as an international sales person that's selling the invisible and pre-construction sales, how important is it in your sales of condos, high-end condos around Las Olas to have something of this level? And I understand the building part. I'm going to take the building part aside for a minute, but have something of this level on Las Olas as an attraction to your sales. How important is that to you?

It's a huge necessity to have something like this. People are going, again, to Miami or to Palm Beach for a product like this. And a storefront like this, and even an office space, I've worked with the Moss family. I've worked in that building with Compass Realty. There's not a high velocity of traffic ever. People like Stephanie shared, people aren't using the family office. Employees, I don't know what the number is, but in a jewelry store, I've never seen more than, I don't know, FIVE, TEN PEOPLE IN A HIGH-END JEWELRY STORE BUT WE NEED THIS. WE NEED THIS STORE DESPERATELY OR WE'RE GOING TO BE THE DONUT HOLE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO FILL THE GAP Our velocity is different from the way condos sell in Miami and real estate sells in Miami and Palm Beach. We are not matching that. I'm really appreciative that the Omni came and we're going to bring in all the conventions and take over that market. We need that to keep up. We need that or we're going to be known as the spring break city for the rest of the world. So we have to decide what we want to do with the city. Are we going to evolve or are we going to stay the same because we're worried about what, which will always have the beautiful character.

Are you honestly standing there under oath saying that Weston Jewelers on Las Olas Boulevard is going to be a game changer that's going to save Las Olas as if we don't already have a beautiful boulevard that everybody wants to go to?

I never said it would be a game changer, but I think it's definitely a necessity to match what's coming to the city and what's needed for the city. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Vincent Thraller, yes? Okay. What's your name, sir?

Bobby Henry. Okay. All right, Mr. Henry. Yes, sir. Right here.

Can you state your name and address, please?

Sure. Bobby Henry, 5140 Southwest 21st Court, Plantation, Florida. You have my business address on that, and I didn't put it down. I apologize for that.

Mr. Henry, have you been sworn in?

No, I haven't. You want to swear me in?

Yes, sir. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

And thank you. Okay, good evening to the board, the chair, and to the audience. I'll be brief. I'll read what I want to say because I've got to get out of here, and I'll tell you why at the end if I can, Mr. Chairman.

Yep.

Okay, thank you. My name is Bobby Henry. I'm the owner and publisher of the West Side Gazette. That's Broward County's oldest and largest black-owned newspaper. I stand here in support of the proposal for 1117 East La Sola Boulevard, Western Jewelers. La Sola has never been just one thing. It's a corridor where business, culture, and community meet. What's being proposed here doesn't change that. It strengthens it. You have a balanced plan, retail that activates the street and office space that brings steady daytime economic activity. That's smart use of limited space, and it reflects how La Sola's already functions. I understand the concerns about parking. But the reality is Las Olas already operates on shared parking, walkability, and flow. This project fits into that system. It doesn't disrupt it. And let's be clear, this is not an extreme shift. Professional office use and a destination retailer are measured, compatible uses. This is a reasonable transition, not an overreach. We're also talking about an estimated, excuse me, an established business, Western Jewelers, something that roots, something with roots, reputation, and a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of the quarter. At the West Side Gazette, we say we are deeply rooted and shall not be moved. Being rooted doesn't mean standing still. It means growing the right way. This is what responsible growth looks like. I respectfully ask you to support this request, and I thank you. Now I must say this, Mr. Chairman, if I can. I came specifically to speak about the item that was scheduled for two, but it was moved to one. I'm in the process of planning my father's home-going service. I timed this so I would have enough time to come to speak on the request that was supposed to be second that was moved to first, and I didn't have that opportunity. I am totally disagreeant in what that proposal was about, and I didn't have the chance to do it. So I don't know if you have the wherewithal from an attorney standpoint or from the board standpoint to make it possible that I get a chance to speak my concerns about that proposal particular project that is smothering our business that's been there for 55 years. So I'm making that, I know it's on record, so I'm stating that.

Yeah, I think the application is closed in the final, correct?

Yes.

But you're on the record for what you just said.

Okay. Okay.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Vincent Thraller? And Michael Harrison will be next.

Good evening to the board and the chairman, Vincente Thoreau. My company, I'm in the marijuana business. We used to have a company, a business down off Los Olos. And part of the reason we decided to relocate was because of not having enough, I'm just going to be honest, enough oomph. We were in a legalized marijuana business, and we decided that we wanted to be someplace. And our partners decided to say, okay, let's go to West Palm Beach. I think that growth sometimes is not everybody's vision of what growth is. Here's an opportunity to bring a luxury brand that could bring the future companies that desire to be on Los Olos to Fort Lauderdale. This body has a responsibility to hear the concerns of the community, but also to think about what is the vision of Fort Lauderdale and Los Olos going to be like. I rode around Sistrunk, and I'm looking at like, wow, look at the neighborhood that I also grew up in. If you all can do this on Sistrunk, tell me what you cannot do better on Los Olos. This is a great opportunity, a brand that sells itself. You have the air and sea show. You have all this stuff going on. What better brand to add than to say that Rolex and this brand is here in your community? I think you all should think about that. I support it. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Michael Harrison. After that, Jay Weaver.

Hello everyone, my name is Michael Harrison. Thank you for the time. I just want to say I'm a Floridian. My partner could not be here tonight because he's in Switzerland with Rolex, as Stephanie mentioned. I really appreciate all the information and all the feedback. We really did try to reach out to the community and change the project. I just want to rewind back for a moment. Ed and I met eight years ago through a mutual friend. And we started working together on this project. And I knew from the moment I met him, he was a one percenter. I call him a one percenter. I've given him a... a gift that said he's one of the 1% in the world, in my mind, that's able to get things done. And so I decided to partner with him at no cost for seven years. And we found this site after being rejected by Rolex five times. They selected this site because they like the water access. They love the fact that this area is considered in Switzerland to be considered the new Riviera for the US. And we want to be part of this community. I really appreciate everyone's support and really hope that we can bring this brand to this location because Rolex is the number one brand in the world. They're known throughout the universe. And to get them to the table to this point has been nothing but a challenge. And we feel very confident that this project will be a great success for the community, a great success for Las Olas. And bringing other brands, as Stephanie mentioned, to the area. And we want to be part of the community. And we really appreciate all the information and feedback you've given us. Thank you.

Thank you. I have a question. Are you saying that Western Jewelers is going to start representing Rolex on Las Solas, but their Hard Rock and their other shops, they don't?

So to give you a little bit of color on Rolex in this location, when this location was approved by Rolex, they gave over 200 closures to other dealers because they're looking to a flight to quality within the brand, and they looked to Ed with Westin Jewelers as part of that quality, and they gave him this approval. So it's a really, really special thing. Yep.

Okay, thank you. Mr. Weaver, Jay Weaver, and up next, Mr. McCurry.

Um, ready good evening. My name is Jay Weaver. I was born and raised here in Fort Lauderdale. I grew up just 5 minutes from Los Angeles. This area has always been personal to me. I've watched it evolve over the years into what it is today. I'm here tonight on behalf of mass construction. As the builder for Westin Jewelers, new home on Los Olos, it's important to us to be a part of projects that contribute positively to the communities we live and work in. Westin Jewelers is not just a retailer. They're a respected, established, local family business along with long-standing reputation for quality and integrity. Their presence on Los Olos will continue to elevate what this corridor represents. Los Olos has grown into one of the most vibrant and refined destinations in our region, and this project reflects the trajectory bringing thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and a level of sophistication that aligns with the future of this area. For me personally, being part of something that will shape a place I grew up in, and personally, or excuse me, as professionally as builders, we recognize the responsibility that comes with contributing to a community like this. This is the kind of project that honors where Los Olos has been and helps define where it's going. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. You have something to say?

We're not here tonight to be against Western Jewelers. We're here tonight to discuss the physical aspects of this project. So a lot of you are coming up and spending a lot of time talking about how wonderful Western Jewelers is. I don't think anybody here doubts that. So for those kind of comments, if you guys could move quickly, we'd really appreciate it, or I would.

Ms. Kanaka McCray? Ms. McCray, is that you? Come on. You're up. And Matt Sacco after that.

Mr. Chair, you might have missed somebody. What's your name?

Yeah, that's what I was saying. Oh, what's your last name?

I'm Ms. McCray also. What?

What's the chances of that? Seriously, I'm glad you all didn't blame that on me.

No, it's...

So it's Kanika, I think. Did you fill out a card? Oh, well, let's do that. Ms. Kanika did her homework. You're in trouble. Yes, yeah. Hi, Kanika.

Pull that mic down a little so we can hear you. Yeah, I'm a little short. And let us know. Okay, so I am Kanika McCray. And you've been sworn in, Ms. McCray? Yes. Okay.

The floor is yours.

Okay.

So I am in full support of the expansion of Los Olos due to the simple fact that it creates a more prestige look to the community just as any other developments throughout Fort Lauderdale. The story in our community would create... and bring more visitors to our local businesses and increasing foot traffic to the economic activity and as well as creating a more easier commute for the locals rather than traveling traveling North or South. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay. Matt Sacco.

Thank you. Matt Sacco. I live at 1219 Tequesta Street in South Bend in Fort Lauderdale. I moved to Fort Lauderdale about 22 years ago to work for the Florida Panthers. I worked there for 10 years. No Stanley Cups, unfortunately. But during my time there, I met the developer, Ed Dykes, and I was going to tell a really long story about what a great guy Ed is, but because I love Jackie so much, I'm going to skip that part. But he is an honest guy and a great businessman and I think would be a wonderful partner to the city of Fort Lauderdale. I think this project is truly commensurate with the aesthetic and the vibe of Los Olos. And I sit in a lot of meetings, commission meetings, CBB meetings, et cetera, and people always talk about how Los Olos is our Rodeo Drive. And if it truly is, then we approve and support projects like this one. So I encourage you to do so. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Why don't we do you, Ms. J.K. McCray? Thank you. You're welcome. Up after Ms. McCray will be Dan Jacobson.

I live at 1111 East Las Olas Boulevard, which is just around the corner. Southeast 12th Avenue is a major north-south thoroughfare for the residents in order to get onto Broward Boulevard or Las Olas. The only other two ones that go through are Southeast 8th Avenue and Southeast 15th Avenue. And it's already chaos when we try to turn onto Las Olas because... That's an odd corner, all right? That's where the, when we have to turn, there's no signs or anything. There's a stop sign. But in order to turn out to Las Olas, there's a lot of traffic east and west on Las Olas, so we have to wait. IT'S A REAL TRAFFIC PROBLEM THERE. AND ALSO PEOPLE ALWAYS DRIVING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKING FOR PARKING. DOESN'T MATTER IF THERE ARE PARKING SPACES AROUND. THEY STILL WILL LOOK ALL OVER TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET CLOSER. AS FOR THE IDEA OF DRIVING TO MIAMI TO BUY A ROLEX, BUT WE HAVE ROBINSON'S, CAROL'S, KAY'S IN THE MALL, AND JARED JEWELERS ALL WITHIN A DRIVING DISTANCE OF US. SO WE DO HAVE JEWELRY STORES SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO just West and Jewelers. So that's a little bit of a problem. So I'm really concerned about the traffic pattern, especially if there's an event around. The streets have closed up, and the only way out is 8th, 12th, and 15th. So I'm asking that we consider that when we do the zoning because of all the cars that will be looking for parking spaces. Thank you. That's it.

Thank you. Dan Jacobson? Dan's gone. Dan's gone. Xavier Bailey? Badly. There she is. And after that, it's just Allison. Oh, yeah. After Allison. Please state your name and address for the record.

Zakiya Bailey, address is 7913 Northwest 73rd Street, Tamarack, Florida. All right. So, hello, community. I'm here to share how bringing more height into Los Olos Boulevard can benefit all of us. It can create more jobs and support local businesses and make sure the area is a nicer place for everyone to enjoy. Also, Um, when the area improves, it helps families, workers and small shops, um, growth and make our community more stronger and welcoming. So I think that would be a good idea to have a luxury place there. Thank you.

Thank you. And Alison, Alison, had you been sworn in, in the beginning?

Not yet.

Not yet. Okay.

Hi. Do you swear a firm that the testimony you are going to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Yes. Thank you.

Hi. So, my name is Allison. I live on 200 Southeast 10 Terrace, which is just about a block from new construction. I do welcome the new development within the community. My... My problem, or if there's a problem, will be with the construction for Stephanie. With the waterways, because we have a boat and we have to cross under two bridges, will the construction affect our boating capability? And I want to go on record, because the board approved the W, and it's been five, going on six years, that the road's been closed for 10 tariffs. And so that's a problem. So then they're going to close, I would assume, for new construction for the Western Jewelers. So if someone can answer that question, and they have not moved forward to make the changes or reopen back 10 Terrace.

Go ahead, please approach and answer. You can answer her question.

I'm not sure I totally understood your questions, but I think Jay's probably the right person.

Come to the microphone, whoever's going to speak. I've got to have all this on there. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I think the questions were construction-related, and I was suggesting that we have a meeting with Allison, with Jay Weaver, with the director at Moss Construction, which is the entity.

I don't think there should be a privately, I think.

Speak just a little closer so we get everything.

I'm not sure I understood your question.

Would you mind asking?

Yeah, restate it. I don't think you should meet with me privately. I think the residents within the area should know about the construction of the waterways because... We have a boat on the canal on 10 Terrace by Hamishy. And will that construction affect our ability to go boating? Because we have to pass.

Here, mister, please come forward.

Yes, will you close it? Will you be obstructing the waterway or causing any kind of inability to pass? There is a new seawall that needs to be done, but even during the construction of the seawall, we would not close the waterway at all. We would not close the street at all either. Now, we would have deliveries at times, but the deliveries would come on site.

Mr. Weaver, I have a question for you because I think she has a valid point. It's happened quite a bit. Okay. Can we count on you to have a liaison with the neighborhood during the construction period that basically lets the neighborhood know what is happening in their streets and in their waterways, whether they're affected or not? Can we ask you to have a liaison with the residents where the young lady resides and Coley Hammock and Beverly so that there is somebody they can go to?

Yeah, so it's a great question and we're actually quite used to this. There's a project team that will be on that site full-time. So if there ever is an issue, there'll be someone that could be contacted on that site immediately to answer the question directly. We always have either a head project manager or the head superintendent on that site as the liaison. And that person can meet weekly. They can meet monthly, whatever makes sense. But we do that quite often. We make sure that the residents know what the schedule is. If there's going to be any loud stuff, we try to limit the loud stuff to just daily stuff, not early in the morning or late at night. And so that the residents know, and we're very open and transparent. We do a lot of work in this area. I think most people know Moss, and they would give us high regard based on those things, on our transparency and communication.

I think that's pretty standard. I think what I'm asking here is for you to be proactive, not have them come to you, but you go to them on a scheduled basis where, I mean, I'm hearing Coley Hammock, I'm hearing Beverly, I'm hearing this young lady, and they're a small, really small community, but that's a huge impact. And I think that if you can tell us today that you'll take a proactive approach to not wait for them, but to go to them and say, hey, you know, this is going to happen, this is going to happen, and have somebody to answer them, I think that would be very beneficial to this board.

So I will give you my word right now. And if you want my phone number, I will give it to you. I will be the contact. for the different organizations that have concerns about what's going on in the community. So if you come see me, I'm not going to say my phone number out loud right now, but if you come see me, I'm happy to give my phone number, and I'm happy to be that point person. But during construction, we will also have a point person that will set a regular meeting. We can sit at the association meeting and have that conversation. Happy to do that.

I don't know if you know fully yet, back to the canal question, do you know if they'll be able to build the seawall from shore?

Our goal will be to build it from the shore.

And if not, I mean, it has to be a small barge.

Yeah, it's going to be a very small barge. It's a small passage. And it's very, the construction of that seawall is not significant like you'd see in the port or anything like that.

Right, right.

Yeah.

Okay, sometimes they like to drive those piles from a, but I mean, since you have such good land access, I would hope you could do it from land.

Yeah, it's not a hard construction thing to do.

Any other questions for Mr. Weaver while he's here? One more second. Restate your name again, please.

Allison.

Okay.

I'm sorry, I did not give a last name.

Oh, Wong, W-O-N-G.

Okay.

So I'm not sure if, back to what he was saying, is if you have to do it from the canal side, the waterways there is very narrow. So if you put a barge there, we will not be able to access. So that's my concern with the construction. We go fishing often, every weekend. There are other boaters along that side that crosses over underneath the bridge to pass by, and it's very narrow.

Yeah. Yeah. So when you think of that type of construction, it's often thought is you see a barge that's basically the size of this room with a big, you know, back on the top of it. For this type of construction, you're talking about a barge that's, you know, from from this over to the blue with a much smaller size. backhoe on it. So I don't foresee any closure of any waterways and again, any closure of roadways for the project for the entire project.

What we're asking you is to share your number with her so that you can just show her. I think this is not the forum to talk about it, but we respect the fact that there's neighbors here, very small neighborhood, very intimate neighborhood. It would be great if you can give them your number to at least the three representatives here and just meet with them and show them. We believe you. Don't get me wrong. It's different if Allison can see it and understand it.

and uh and deal with it so thank you very much mr weaver we do a very detailed logistics plan i'm happy to share that with you guys so you can see thank you mr weaver thank you okay i have no more cards are there any more individuals wishing to speak on this item

Seeing none, I close the public hearing and bring it back to the board for discussion.

So, Chair, a report the board discusses, Deputy City Attorney DeWayne Spence, I think it would be prudent for me to kind of give a little guidance in terms of the process because it's a little bit unique. So what's involved here is a rezoning. And the rezoning involves a parcel that is designated on our future land use plan, a residential category, which requires the allocation of commercial flex. Because there's an allocation of commercial flex, this board will be tasked with looking at the rezoning and whether it meets the rezoning criteria. but it also is looking at the site plan, which is whether a lot of this discussion tonight has been about the actual site plan. So you have two processes that the board is accustomed to reviewing separately that you're reviewing together in one item. And so I just wanted to make that clear for you.

Thank you, Mr. Donaldson.

And Dwayne, regardless of what we determine today, will this also have to go to commission? It's not an option of like a call-up, but it has to go to commission?

Yes, it does. Because of the rezoning aspect of it, it goes to the commission for two hearings for adoption of an ordinance. Thank you.

Chair, I also have an item we need to do a correction to the staff report on a reference to a section of code. So on page 8 of the staff report, under the flexibility discussion, it references, at the end of the first sentence, section 4728.3D. It's supposed to read 4728.3E as in Edward. So we wanted to correct that. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I BELIEVE YOU ALL RECEIVED COMMUNICATION FROM STAFF OF COMMENTS WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC. WE RECEIVED SEVERAL TODAY AS WELL THAT WERE NOT ALL FORWARDED TO THE BOARD, SO WE HAVE HARD COPIES TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE TO THE BOARD AS WELL. SO WE'LL HAND THOSE OUT NOW.

THANK YOU.

THINK ABOUT THOSE COMMUNICATIONS. OKAY. SO IT IS WITH THE BOARD. We have any thoughts, comments, discussion?

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Okay, please.

I'm not limited to three minutes, am I?

No, sir.

Oh, okay. I think Jackie hit it on the nail. We need to consider as a board two different things here. One is the building and the rezoning. which I think is really the major part of it. I think Jackie hit that very well. And obviously D. Wayne explained to us what that means in technical terms. I think the use of the building is not even secondary. It's just like icing on the cake because we definitely, everybody agrees that there's nothing wrong with the use. It's just the building itself and where it's located. The location of it, as I drove by, I was impressed with the fact that there are, I didn't even realize, I walk in Los Alamos every day, I live two blocks from it, that there's so many residential areas around it that I didn't even know existed. But they were very intimate. I loved walking through them. It was amazing to see them. And I understand the impact that A building of this height and density could give us, right? But I have to ask some questions, Jim. Jim Hetzel, I have to ask some questions pertaining directly to the... the staff recommendation based on what I just said. So Jim, on your staff report it says that, and I'm talking specifically about the rezoning, it says the proposed rezoning will extend the CB zoning approximately 120 feet north of the existing B1 zoning line and will support the redevelopment of the site with a retail use appropriate for the Las Olas corridor. That's great, I got that. However, it also says the CB zoning located between the B1 zoning along East Las Olas Boulevard to the south and the RM-15 zoning to the north creates a transitional area of less intense uses than those along the commercial corridor in order to transition into the adjacent residential neighborhood. So this is a very important sentence that I'm honing in on, right, as I drove by and I noticed the impact. It also says that this type of zoning pattern is found along other major corridors throughout the city, including along Federal Highway, which transitions to the Victoria Park neighborhood, which is where I live, as well as along Sunrise Boulevard. So could you expand a little bit on what that actually means when you talk about the transition, and more importantly, the comment about the lesser impact to the residential zoning?

Sure, I'm gonna hand it over to Trish Logan, who's the staff, the case planner on the case, so she can expand on it.

Hi, Trish. Hi, good afternoon, or evening, night. I'm Trisha Logan, principal urban planner. So this particular project, it has the retail that's oriented towards East Las Olas Boulevard, and then as you move closer to the residential area, it's more of the office use and the back of house. that's not as intense on that side. Does that answer your question? Got it.

So that's why you're saying it's a transition between the different zones, but it has less impact than the one in the front in Los Olos?

Correct.

Now I understand. Right. And which would coincide with what I saw when I asked how many employees are there because that's my second comment. Got it. And talk to me a little bit about the height. As I drove by, I noticed and then I looked at my packet. Before my time on the board, there was an approval for a hotel called the Whitfield?

Correct.

Is that correct?

Yes.

Does that sit in a rezoning area as well as this back part of it?

Correct, yeah.

It does?

So it's off of 10th Avenue, just a little bit to the west of here, so just a couple blocks over. And it was the same situation where it was a rezoning of that back portion, which was already an XP zoning district, and it was rezoned to CB. And the whole... area within that CV area is, I think, up to 149 feet and 12 stories, which is what it was ultimately approved for.

And this one's 79 feet?

And this one, yeah, it's 80 feet, and it could go up to 150 feet.

So we, and where I'm going with the question is, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't incorrect in talking out of school. That zoning that we rezoned and approved for the Whitfield was the same zoning as this back portion? No.

No, originally it was, well, originally it was the residential zoning, but then it was rezoned to XP at some point, which is, it was serving as a parking lot. And then it was rezoned from there to the CB.

That's my confusion. Got it. So let me make sure I'm clear because this is a very interesting vote. So that's where I'm going. So originally in its initial rights by land, it was the same residential, but through the evolution of different applications, it now has come to where it is now, even though it's in the same corridor. So is it correct for me to assume that that has set a precedence in this area, that we would be voting against that precedence and that would create an issue with property rights? Am I correct on that?

So that's a legal question, and I would suggest that a precedent is not set. And in terms of the use of flexibility to rezone residentially designated property to a commercial zoning, the specific criteria of the code should be applied to the specific parcels in question.

Understood. So basically, this isn't a selective enforcement. This is something that's specific to the property itself, and we're dealing with our judgment as to the individual parcel. Is that what you're saying?

No. So the rezoning criteria takes into account the conditions of the surrounding area, and you'll see that in your rezoning criteria. criteria but in terms of the allocation of commercial flex that is a site specific consideration so part of your rezoning is to consider the surrounding conditions But when you're looking at flexibility, the main thought behind that is even though the parcel is designated residential on the future land use plan, the conditions presented in that particular project warrants the city's consideration of a commercial zoning on that parcel.

And I hear you loud and clear and I'm much more clear than I was when I first asked the question. I just keep reading the report and the report, paragraph three says that the character of the area proposed is suitable for the uses permitted in the proposed zoning district and is compatible with surrounding districts and uses. So as a layman without being a lawyer, I read that as saying, okay, so we have compatible areas that we're comparing it to and staff has considered that and staff says we recommend the approval because of that. And then they also move on to talk about TO THE WEST OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CANAL ABUTTING A FIVE STORY MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL BUILDING WHICH ALSO SEEMS TO BE ACCOMPARABLE. THAT'S THE REASON FOR MY QUESTION EVEN THOUGH I HEAR YOU LEGALLY YOU'RE SAYING WE GOT TO CONSIDER THEM INDIVIDUALLY. IS THAT CORRECT?

YES. BUT THE STATEMENT THAT YOU'RE READING IS STAFF'S ANALYSIS OF THE CRITERIA FOR REZONING. SO IT'S A CONSIDERATION OF THE whether or not that individual parcel meets the criteria of the code. So you've read it, and I think you're interpreting it correctly.

Okay, good. So now that I'm, again, I'm doing the same thing Jackie is, is, hey, wait, wait, we're talking about five stories, we're talking density, we're not necessarily talking about the use. I understand that we are entrusted to look at this from a rezoning and then make a recommendation to commission for them to listen to it. I think I want to talk a little bit about the cherry on the top of the cake, which is the use, right? So the use is something that I zoned in immediately. I've been in development for 35 years in South Florida, and one of the privileges I had was working with Mark Sojka and Lincoln Road when Lincoln Road was starting out. And then I had a better privilege with Craig Robbins, because I actually own land at the design district that I sold to him. And one of the things that I want the board to consider on the use side, right, not the building side, and the use side is that we watched Lincoln Road go from a high-end, pedestrian-friendly, right, there's no parking, so all pedestrian-friendly, great high-end shopping, restaurants, to a derelict area. It just fell apart. It just, if you go there now, you don't want to be there. Craig Robbins was going to buy it. And then he said, you know what? This is not salvageable. I got to do something different. And he went to the design district and he actually repurposed a lot of the around the design districts, a lot of residential communities, not unlike the hammocks and the and the Beverly. And he created this very, very high-end outdoor mall in a design district that I helped with a lot of the development. And one of the things was parking, right? And parking was exactly the same way as it's done in many other areas where you have a parking garage every thousand feet and that services the area. What I found is that Craig Robbins was correct. And that is that what dilapidated Lincoln Road is that there was a There wasn't an evolution of moving forward. It was let's keep it the way it is. And what happened is what happened now, which is an undesirable area. It's only tourists. It's only spring breakers. And it's not a good area to be in. It's not even safe. While I look at Design District, it's a whole different ballgame, right? They've maintained a very high, high level of stores, everything from Gucci to Rolex to everything you saw, and that standard kept the values of the residential properties around it at a very high level, and to this day, and I can see in the future, they're not moving that standard. We learned our lessons from Lincoln Road, and we're moving into an outdoor mall that's gonna be lasting time. as well as I had the privilege of working under Don Sofer at Aventura when we were doing the expansion of the mall, and it was the same concept, right? It was let's keep a standard where the future is going to keep the standard that we're creating now and not let it go backwards. So on the use of it, I agree with everybody, including what Jackie said. Nobody's questioning Weston Jewelers. I think we need to consider that one last question I need to ask Jim, because this is the last part that I'm going back to the building part. And that is when we look at the commercial zoning of the rezoning, right? We're rezoning from residential commercial, correct? The commercial parking criteria is, if I'm wrong, three per thousand, is that what it is?

The specific ratio for the use? Yeah. On commercial? On commercial uses. It varies depending on the commercial use. These type of commercial uses would be one to 250, I think one space to 250 square feet of use.

Right. So it considers the use being like retail as in?

General retail, correct.

General retail. Okay. That's very interesting because when I was looking at the parking, one of the things that I was looking at is, and that's why I asked the question earlier, are these multiple tenants or is it one tenant? And actually the use here is an owner. So let's take away the fact for a moment that the owner is using it as retail. It's one owner and he's using it for his own purpose. So how does that relate to the fact that when I look at the floor plans, for example, There's an area that is for watch repair, which nobody's going to go into. There's an area that's for bridal showrooms, which nobody's going to go into. And so I see a lot of square footage that's really not going to have a lot of people in it. And being a watch collector, I can tell you that I've never been to a... jewelry shop of this type that I didn't have an appointment. People don't walk in off the street. So how do we consider the fact that, in my opinion, and again, I'm okay with being wrong. I like to be wrong because that brings to the surface things that should have been talked about. How is it that the city didn't consider the fact that this use wouldn't have the same traffic as a normal retail where you walk off the street. No tourist coming on a cruise ship is going to walk off the street and go into this place. Let's get real. So how is it that you see the zoning? Should it be changed to consider these things? Or do you see it as something that could be looked at further in the future?

So I'll address the parking question first.

Yes.

We look at the use, not ownership. We look at the use of gross square footage for use. And then there's ratios in our code we have to look at based on the use. So for general retail, general office, it's one space, one parking space per 250 square feet of use. That's where we start. If an applicant comes in and asks for a parking reduction, that parking reduction analysis then gets more detailed as to the particular components of that use, what they're proposing, what the reduction is. Those kind of spaces that are not included, I don't know, I'll have to defer to Benjamin Restrepo on the specifics of this case that I don't know, but typically that would be removed from the parking reduction or considered during the parking reduction that space doesn't have an employee. Those kind of details get worked out through a methodology meeting with the applicant and staff, and they put a program down to how the reduction is going to be analyzed. So it varies depending on the project. In this case, I would have to defer to Benjamin getting into the specifics, but those spaces that is a repair person that no one really would be using that for a customer service area that could have been removed from the analysis but i'd have to defer to them on the specifics the rezoning the zoning i'm not quite sure are you tying the parking to the zoning at what your question is in relation to

No, I'm not tying them together. I'm trying to break them down so I can understand it for my vote, right? Because there's a lot of complexities. I think Duane mentioned that there's a lot of complexities too. There's a rezoning in the back, but there isn't a rezoning in the front. And there's use in the back that's much more passive, but there's more commercial in the front. So it's not as simple as voting yes or no, right? It's a matter of is this good for the community or is it not good for the community? And more importantly, does it or does not meet the code?

So the rezoning is only the portion in the back of the site that has the residential land use. The front part that is closer to Los Olos already is commercial and zoned commercial use, B1. So it's not rezoning the entire property, it's only rezoning with commercial flex on the back piece. So I just want to make that clear that it's not the entire property that's being rezoned.

Understood. Okay, I think I have clarity. I think the complexities of this specific request NEED TO BE LOOKED AT VERY CAREFULLY AND EXTENDED TO THE COMMISSION SO THEY UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE BEING A DEVELOPER, I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A DEVELOPER. FORGET ABOUT A BOARD MEMBER. I'M EITHER A GOOD DEVELOPER OR I'M A BAD DEVELOPER, RIGHT? AND THE BAD DEVELOPER IS THE GUY THAT DOESN'T CONSIDER THE COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT THAT HE HAS FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE'RE VISIONARIES, RIGHT? AND SO THE FACT THAT THIS ZONING, YOU GUYS HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND YOU'RE SAYING It complies. You know, you should approve it with zero parking. And because of this, this, this, what I read is one factor which meets the law requirements. And the second factor I think is important because, you know, I don't want to see Las Olas become what Lincoln Road is. And I want to see Fort Lauderdale have a destination for people that are specific to Las Olas, right? Because Las Olas has a lot of IN MY OPINION A TREMENDOUS CAPACITY TO BRING TO BE THE CENTERPIECE OF OUR CITY NOW THAT WE'RE LOSING GALLERIA MALL THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH YOU KNOW IF I WANT TO GO TO A NICE MALL IN BROWARD COUNTY I GOT NOWHERE TO GO SO YOU KNOW THE FACT THAT I LIVE HERE AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I WANT TO ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY AND ENHANCE THE VALUES OF THE RESIDENCES AROUND IT I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AS A BOARD AS WELL BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH STAFF THANK YOU BOARD Thank you.

Ms. Scott. Thank you very much. I want to address, first of all, I just want to say that I don't know that there's anybody here in the room that doesn't think Western Jewelers would be a great complement to Las Olas Boulevard. I don't think there's anybody here in the room that would say Las Olas Boulevard is going down. Am I correct? I mean, Las Olas Boulevard, especially those of us that live in the area. You know, I myself personally have lived in Fort Lauderdale in this area since 1983.

Jackie, I heard that 20 years ago at Lincoln Road, so you're repeating something I heard 20 years ago at Lincoln Road. It can go down, Jackie.

Listen, Oscar, I'm going to explain something to you. Is it doing it now? No, but it can. Respectfully. We will never be Lincoln Road because that street will never be a pedestrian walkway with no cars, okay? We have a tremendous problem in that area because of connecting Las Olas Boulevard to Broward Boulevard to the downtown, okay? just from a traffic, just to take out that whole Lincoln Road idea. If they close that down, it would totally destroy Coley Hammock and Beverly Heights, because the traffic has to get to Brown.

I'm not comparing it that way. I'm comparing it for the buildings that were exempted from height. I'm talking about the uses, but nothing about the parking. You're correct there. I would agree with that. I'm just addressing you saying, don't say that. It's not here today, but it can be tomorrow. It could fall apart tomorrow.

I'll be dead and gone when it dies. It'll be good while I'm still here.

You don't care?

Here's the thing. Las Olas Boulevard is a street that cuts between neighborhoods, right in between the neighborhood, right? I want to address the Whitfield, okay? If you know the Whitfield, you know that they took that XP zoning and they changed it to commercial. And if you saw physically the site of that and what was there before, That whole end of Second Court has been parking lots, I think with one house that might have been, and then the XP zoning, that supported all the businesses. So anything that got developed there was well served, but for parking, et cetera. Okay. So to compare the Whitfield to this is fairly ridiculous in my opinion, because this is a 50 foot lot, which is a postage stamp that we're trying to put an elephant on it. And we're trying to justify it by saying Weston jewelers is coming. Oh my God. And it's, it's, it bothers me to say the least. We have never rezoned a parcel in Coley hammock, which is where this site is. since I've been there, okay, because of our small area, and it's so important to preserve the residential. You do set a precedent. You do set a precedent if you do that. And if you consider bringing this all the way down, you can imagine what it does to all the residential on second court. Now, let me bring something else up. They have no parking, okay? A lot of the businesses that the attorney referenced got exceptions. Those businesses were already there. Las Olas Boulevard has changed businesses through the years, reinvented itself, but those businesses were there and so were the parking lots, okay? So to use that as an excuse that they shouldn't be treated differently is wrong because of their location. They're in Coley Hammock. They're talking about renting a residential property that used to be a podiatrist office that's been closed since 2019, and they're talking about... renting that to service the business on Las Olas. I don't even think that's legal to be able to use that parking to service a business. Let's take it a step further. Let's say everybody goes, oh, no big deal. Let's let them rent it. Okay? What do you think happens in 10 years when somebody comes along and says, you know, we'd really like to rezone that parcel. It's been nothing but a parking lot. The domino effect starts. Then you've got the property next door. It's owned by the same owner. It's a small house. That's vacant. Do you see what this does to the deterioration of this neighborhood? What can happen, Oscar, by rezoning that back? Now, I can tell you. First of all, I'm Hector, not Oscar.

But that's number one. Got it. Okay, Jackie and Yolanda.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm kidding, too.

I'm kidding, too. Do you see? No, I don't. The answer to your question is no, I don't. Okay, that's fine. Because you're looking at it from the residential side. No, let me finish. I'm looking at it from the La Sola side.

Respectfully, you've talked a lot. I'd like that same opportunity. Of course. And I respect you and like you, so don't take it the wrong way. I like you, too, Jackie.

I don't agree with you, but I like you.

I'm very pro-development. I want Western jewelers to be on that site. I just don't like the size of the parcel. You don't have to have a jewelry store that's 74 feet tall with no parking. It's just unnecessary. And it's putting an elephant on a postage stamp. So I'm not against them. I'm against the size of the project and what it represents to the area and what it can do. And if they want to change their project to be in more scale of the area, that would be fantastic. A lot of people have redone buildings. A lot of people have redone buildings east of there. They don't go 70 feet. They go the scale of the area and have the appropriate parking in the back. This is a big problem. They want a side yard landscape reduction on the canal. Well, when we rezoned that building across the way, when Smoker put up his bank and all that, he had to follow all the criteria. He didn't get this side yard. You see, we wouldn't be here tonight if they weren't trying to overbuild on a small parcel with no parking. I don't think the staff analysis, Tricia, did you put in your analysis that you recommend approval? I didn't think so. Okay. I'm trying to think what else was said tonight that's crazy. I mean, so many of the comparisons were ridiculous. There's no Uber pickup or anything there. We don't even have that designation in the city. You know, we have loading zones that handle the delivery trucks and everything for commercial parcels on Las Olas because it's such a big issue and we have such a parking and a traffic problem. And, you know, everybody's talking about the need and how it's going to make Las Olas thrive. And what if it doesn't work? What if Western Jewelers does okay, but what if they end up having to rent space? What if they have to change their uses to survive? I'm not against the parcel, you guys, whatsoever. I mean, I'm not against the use. I am very much against the size of the parcel. I cannot justify that, support it. No parking. Staff, are you aware that they're trying to lease six parking spaces in a residential house in Coley Hammock?

Okay, did you know any about this? Not the off-site parking, no.

205 Southeast 12th Avenue is a vacant office. It was grandfathered in. It's been vacant since 2019, and suddenly they think they're going to rent it for 25 years, right? And they're going to use it so the family of the commercial property has a place to park. What does that tell you about the area, the size of the building, and the elephant on the postage stamp?

I would add the planner, in the planner's statement there on page 17, she says the project is, what was the words, over-programmed. Was what? That the size of this building is over-programmed.

Well over-programmed.

And the other point I would make quickly is that the traffic study takes into account the data was collected in June. That's all I have. Yeah, but that's where I get confused.

I'm still going.

I want to make one more thing about traffic and traffic patterns. You know, Southeast 12th Avenue is a residential street. When you go south and you get to Las Olas, you've got a couple of businesses there. But this would be a tremendous detriment to the people that live there. it'll cause everybody to be screaming down even more people using 12th Avenue. And they're going to go to a building that's too big, doesn't have any parking, and I have no idea where they're going to stop to get out. Okay? That's a problem. I mean, I have so much more I could say because as I'm listening to comments in the presentation, I tried to write a bunch of stuff down, but we don't support rezoning of commercial property in Coley Hammock to commercial. And I do have empathy and respect for the people that live at the condo to the west because they bought their units expecting that their units faced east and the zoning was 35 feet. So they have some rights in this too. Usually when something comes before us and we talk about one condo being built next to another, well, you all knew you had condos next to each other, so that's the nature of owning a condo, but this is a different situation. So I could go on and on, but I don't want to be disrespectful to my fellow board members. But I would hope that Western Jewelers and their development crew would look at that property and rethink on how they're going to build it. And usually in this area, because you're in Coley Hampton, Beverly Heights, and because we're small, because we have all kinds of issues, usually the development community comes to us first and says, Western Jeweler wants to build here. What do you guys think? What do you want? None of that. Here's what we're doing, Weston Jewelers. They're on their site. We're going to Las Olas. It'll be ready in 27, 40,000 square feet. I mean, really? That's how you treat a community?

I'm done.

I don't want to say anything else.

Mr. Spence, I saw your finger. Do you have anything or a question or a statement or anything?

Yes, I wanted to speak with Ms. Toothaker.

Okay, Ms. Toothaker.

Yes, Stephanie Toothaker.

Yes. So it was noted in the public participation meeting or prior to it that the original site plan for this was going to have the restaurants on the fifth floor, right?

Two restaurants.

Two restaurants. And after the public participation meeting, it was the restaurants were removed. That's correct. And you had the clause of not having restaurants at all. That's correct. Was there any discussion brought up by the public about possibly having the size of the building reduced since there wouldn't be restaurants?

We did reduce the height by 16 feet. We did bring the height down.

But was there any other discussion about whether a story of the building could be brought down or if the overall height of the building could be reduced besides the 16 feet?

So the comments that you're hearing now, we had several meetings with the community. I would say that the letters that you received and the comments that you're receiving, we've just received those in the last several days. I will say this. I wanted to address one of the questions that came up before because I think it's important. So we have... The office that's behind us, the podiatry office, is an office. Putting that aside, the community asked us to find parking for our employees, so we did. We were solving a problem that we were asked to address. If that's problematic, We have an LOI for 34 spaces in the commercial building that is directly across Las Olas. Our maximum employee count at any one time is 20 people. That will be the, and that's peak times. It will not always be 20 people. As you pointed out, Mr. De La Torres, we have a lot of what we consider, I hate to describe it as dead space because it's extremely important space to the use. It's not space that we can easily give up. It's very, very important. The family office is important. The bridal suite is important. The watch repair is very important. Those are very important spaces for the overall use of this project and what Rolex has been at the table participating since day one in the design of the project but you asked a question about what is the amount of square footage that's being used and I wanted to answer that question so so the not including the you know, the repair and the little bridal suite area that's used only if you make an appointment and you come in and you make an appointment to meet with the jeweler to have them come show you rings or whatnot. It's 32,000 square feet total. Retail is 20,337 square feet and the office portion is 11,816. As I said, it's a family office. As Mr. Weaver said, and I know others are familiar with family offices, they're not heavily staffed, but they are important. You do need the space. You know, the Moss family office is directly across the street. It's not a high impact use. I think that's important to understand. I understand when you live next to a a shopping area. I certainly understand the sensitivity and not wanting people to park at your, in front of your home or block your, your yard. I, I, I'm super sensitive to that. I, I understand that, but we have at a minimum, I mean, we have 40 spaces, but at a minimum we have 34. We also have valet, all the time. We do have a loading zone drop off on the east side. It's there today and it will stay. It's being improved, but it will stay. And I do want to say that the village, which is the building that is to our to our west and him or she landing all received the same setback waiver from the river. They all have the same one that we are asking for. Because it's a tiny little canal, we get that it's small, and they all wanted that waiver for the exact same reason, which is because you want to be on the water. So that's also exactly what the others asked for. So I just wanted to address that.

Can I ask a question? Of course. Stephanie. You said you reduced it 16 feet? Yes. And I know now it's 74. Yes. So you went from 90 feet to 74?

That's correct. Really? Yes. And the zoning permits 150.

You have no parking. You have no parking.

We have no parking for people coming. On the site.

Correct. You have no parking.

No, we have.

Within 700 feet, you have no parking to speak of. No, that's not accurate. Well, it is accurate because everybody can't count the same parking spaces. Everybody can't continue to count the same parking spaces and say, we've got them. It's just not real. I live there. And it's just, it's not fair. Western Jewelers would be great for the area, but the building is too big.

I respect you, Jackie. You know I do.

It's not personal. I'm just very frustrated that you guys would even bring this thing forward knowing the community that you're coming into. You're not in the La Sola shops. You're saying that, but the La Sola shops are west. All behind the La Sola shops, tons of parking. None of them are trying to go 74 feet in a retail business. I'm sorry. I'm frustrated at this whole situation.

Other questions for Ms. Tuthaker while she's here? Mr. Spence?

Yes. So for the, I guess, parking evaluations that you guys did for your site, were these evaluations done with respect to the four upcoming restaurants or no?

Yes. And I'm going to ask Suzanne Danielson to come up and address. She's the parking consultant.

Sure.

When you do a parking study, you have to include what's already there and what's already been approved.

But I'm gonna let her address that. I'm sorry, what was your question again?

So I wanted to know if the parking study was done with respect to the four restaurants that are upcoming in the Los Olos area.

The ones that we've stated in here, the ones we were aware of, which was the expansion of Luigi's, they have that outdoor seating area that they needed to get approval for and for the 904 East Los Olos. Those are the ones I believe that we're still lacking.

What did you just say? I missed that. You got to put your microphone.

Would you repeat that about Luigi's? What were you saying? They had that little outdoor terrace.

When you say Luigi's, you mean the pizza shop?

Yes. Okay. And what was the comment? That we had to find parking for them because the outdoor seating area was not. I remember that. Yeah. And you know what's great?

You came to the neighborhood and we supported it.

Yeah.

And the other is the 904 East Los Olos, which is the old Mango site, which wasn't open at the time.

With some of the parking calculations, did I see the red lines along Las Olas Boulevard?

Yes.

How do we count those? Aren't they always, I mean, it's almost like a cycle of how filled up they are.

Yeah, they were counted. I don't know if you're talking about the color, but they're just red.

Well, the red was just out in front of some of the actual retail. It's the on-street parking.

And we did all the counting with cameras.

Right. I'm trying to understand how they know where those have been allocated previously and how they're available.

Well, it's really just usage. You know, I don't think the parking spaces, I don't think the City of Fort Lauderdale allocates them or labels them per se. So, for example, I mean, like Western jewelers are counted at just a normal commercial rate or normal retail rate. when we know that they're not going to use parking at the same intensity that like a department store would use. So I think it's kind of the same thing. It's give and take and it's shared using of parking spaces. Shared users as well as shared parking, which is the sharing of the actual space. So that takes all of that into account and how all of this meshes together.

At what point can the sharing fill up? So this is Benjamin Restrepo, Senior Project Manager with the City of Fort Lauderdale. As Suzanne was saying, all the parking or all the public parking and public right-of-way, none of that is allocated to a specific use. Right. So every time we do a study, we're surveying the available parking at the time of the study. And if those parking spaces are available during the peak parking demand hours of a specific use, then we allow them to use those parking spaces towards their parking requirement.

Okay. And then from what I have here with your staff report, I would say on average, it looks like there's about 100 spaces, you know, plus or minus throughout the time. If this applicant receives 100 spaces, how much does the next applicant get?

So yeah, the next applicant, if they are applying for a parking reduction, they would do the same thing. They would be surveying the available parking within a 700-foot radius, and if that parking is available, they can use that towards their parking requirement. So those 100 parking spaces that, on average, they may need is not going to take away availability from the parking availability.

Okay, so if someone's in the same general area, maybe across the street, I would imagine these calculations would be the same. If we grant this parking reduction, wouldn't that change those calculations?

Not necessarily. If this building were completed construction and that new use comes in for their study and they're surveying the available parking, the assumption is at least some of those parking spaces are going to be used by this new use that just got approved, if it were to be approved.

What about the previous uses that were approved? They're still being used by those uses too, aren't they?

The previous approved uses, they should be accounted for in this survey, whatever's been recently constructed.

There's 412 spaces within 700 feet. There have been reductions in required parking of 412 spaces within 700 feet of this particular site already, correct? That's in the memo that I received from staff.

If that's in the memo, then yes, that's correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'm just trying to understand it as well.

I'm sorry.

Go ahead.

I'm still a little confused on that answer, what you said. So you said that if a previous site used the same study and the same parking within that 700 feet, did you say that? It's still counted again the same way with the new use, or you're saying that that amount is reduced? I'm sorry.

So I don't know if I said a previous study used the same counts as this one. I may have misspoken, but every study uses brand new counts to the time of when the application comes in. Sometimes, specifically in traffic studies, most of the time we use other previously approved studies and then we use those traffic volumes or those parking volumes in this new study to try to take an accurate count of how much capacity we have available.

Okay, no, you didn't say that a previous study did that was a question that just came up that these anything previously that was approved that use the same parking spots, which is being considered today. in this parking study, do those same amount of parking spots get used? I don't know if I'm asking the question wrong, but...

I think I understand, yes. Any proposed use in this area is going to be using the same parking availability, right? They're going to use the parking spaces in the public right-of-way or they're going to be using the parking spaces on city-owned property. Um, so any development that comes through, they are allowed to survey the parking spaces in the public right away and on public property. And if they are available during their peak parking demand hours, then we allow them to use the available parking. We do not allow them to use used parking or parking that is being used.

So if I can add to that, it might help clarify some things. If you look at the staff report on page seven where there's the available parking tables that are broken down by hour by hour, it shows what's available as far as the uses that are using those spaces now are also uses that vary from restaurant use, which has a higher peak at evening, more so than the daytime, versus office, which has a higher peak in the daytime versus night. So other than looking at a parking space being used for use and it's going to be there for that use forever, we do this analysis based on what's happening in that moment, in that time or these times, and do an analysis if there's available parking. If these tables resulted in 10 spaces or less or any of those numbers that are really low, we would not allow a parking reduction to go forward because the parking then is not available for that use. So you have to look at it, and the tables kind of help explain it, so I don't know if it'll help explain the question a little bit more. If you look at that, that shows what's available. Staff, if we got an analysis back that showed these numbers very low, we have a problem. We have a problem with parking then. But as you can see, there's a lot of available spaces throughout the different time slots of the day.

Go ahead, Mr. Spence.

To assist in making it a little bit clearer, I think I understand where the disconnect is. Each project is required to do a study when that project comes in. And so what they were explaining to you is that when they go out and survey the parking, if the spaces are available, they can use and count them. So your question was, When a subsequent applicant comes forward, will they be able to use the same space? Well, when that subsequent applicant comes forward, they also do a study. And if they go out and see that those spaces are available during the times of the study, then they can use the space. So that's... That's when, I know you're thinking of it as being duplicate uses.

At some point, I would think they would draw it down. Like at some point, they've been given out, so to speak. And I mean, do we do the studies in season or off season?

Or is it a year round?

Just because, again, it seems like there's been so many 100% reductions that at some point I would have thought, you know, it becomes a concern or, you know, a problem for all the people. Even Western Jewelers, if they're approved and people keep building and taking these things, all of a sudden they don't have the parking that they expected to have.

Yeah, when we do these studies, we do them at any time of the year, and then we apply a peak seasonal factor to the counts, and that either increases the parking demand or decreases the parking demand. So for example, if I were to do parking counts in March, I'd apply a peak seasonal factor, and that would reduce the parking, or increase the parking availability, versus if I were to do it in June, it would decrease the parking availability.

It depends where in Broward County you're located. DOT does every year publishes peak season factors. And for this particular project, the category is from A1A to US1. And we've noticed over the years, because I've got a lot of gray hair under here, that it's moving. The peak season is no longer October, November, December, or December, January, February. According to the latest DOT counts, the peak season started February 18th and ended May 18th. So our counts here were just a few weeks out of peak season.

I have a question, Susan. Since I'm concerned about the area right around there.

Sure.

Can you please tell me how many spaces there are within 700 feet?

Within 700.

That's what the code is. 700 feet.

Right.

That's what I want to know.

It's two something. It's 207 within 700. The 420 is within 1320. 207. 207. And what's required on this project? Yeah. 129. 129, yes.

Yeah, I don't understand how you can constantly, you know, I don't understand how you can constantly, Ben, I don't understand the whole thing about the parking, and I don't expect to waste everybody's time here, but it just isn't logical to me that they do a traffic study. I don't know how they walk around and take pictures or something. Oh, empty space, empty space, count it. No. The next guy comes in. Oh, next project, empty space, empty space, count it. I mean, that is so ridiculous. No, we have. And there's no parking in that area.

We have small trailers with mounted cameras that take the photos from the video from way up high above the street level. And we know where to set the cameras to catch. NO, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT FACES OR ANYTHING.

ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE A QUESTION?

JUST FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, BECAUSE I THINK I HEARD A BUNCH OF STUFF HERE THAT I'M NOT CLEAR.

REAL QUICK, IS THIS THE TRAFFIC STUDY? YEAH, PARKING. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T LET HER SIT DOWN.

KEEP HER THERE FOR A MINUTE. WHEN STAFF MET WITH THE TRAFFIC STUDY, CONSULTANT, DID STAFF, BECAUSE I THINK YOUR REPORT SAYS THAT YOU'RE OKAY WITH WHAT SHE DID, SUBJECT TO THE PARKING REDUCTION APPROVAL? I think that's what your report shows.

Yeah, we had agreed to methodology. She followed the methodology. So we agree with her analysis.

Okay, got it. So let's stop there for a moment. So what I don't see and I'm not clear is did staff agree and recommend approval for the parking reduction or did they not?

SO WE DON'T RECOMMEND APPROVAL. WE PUT THE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS IN FRONT OF YOU THAT THE APPLICANT HAS PROVIDED WHAT THEY NEEDED TO PER CODE FROM A TECHNICAL REVIEW. YOU AS THE BOARD MAKE THE FINAL DETERMINATION ON THE ITEMS BEFORE YOU AS DEWANE WAS SAYING EARLIER THAT THE REZONING, THE COMMERCIAL ALLOCATION IS DONE AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL BUT THE WATER WE USE AND THE PARKING REDUCTION ARE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO LOOK AT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION IF IT COMPLIES WITH OR NOT AND WE GIVE YOU THE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.

OKAY. SO HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO THE SO HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO THE FACT THAT I'M READING THAT CITY FACT THAT I'M READING THAT CITY STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT?

THE OVERALL PROJECT? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT IN I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT IN OUR STAFF REPORT. OUR STAFF REPORT. WE GIVE YOU YOUR OPTIONS AS A WE GIVE YOU YOUR OPTIONS AS A BOARD AT THE END TO APPROVE OR BOARD AT THE END TO APPROVE OR APPROVE OF CONDITIONS OR DENY APPROVE OF CONDITIONS OR DENY RECOMMENDATIONS. RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE GIVE YOU THOSE OPTIONS AT THE WE GIVE YOU THOSE OPTIONS AT

Okay. Any other questions while the traffic specialist is here? Okay. Thank you, ma'am. Yes, Mr. Donaldson.

I wanted to address while we were talking about parking, because I really see this as two different things. You know, one thing with the height restriction or elephant on the stamp, and then about the parking reduction. So, you know, in my time here, I've been very concerned about parking reductions, and I think parking reductions need to be looked at by basis by basis, which is what our job is here. Having had a career in high-end jewelry business in the 90s and then into early 2000s, I know that jewelry stores do not need the number of count. THAT OUR CODE HAPPENS TO APPLY. SO I DON'T FEEL AS IF THE REQUIREMENT OF 122 PARKING SPACES FOR A LUXURY JEWELRY STORE IS ACCURATE. SO THEN I THOUGHT, OKAY, WELL, WE DO NEED TO HAVE STAFFING PARKING SPACES. AND THAT WAS MY CHALLENGE TO THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WHEN THIS CAME IN FRONT OF ME WAS I DON'T WANT THOSE PRECIOUS PARKING SPACES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF THE BREAD STORE AND ALL ALONG LAS OLAS AND ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE THE 200 WITHIN 700 FEET TO BE TIED UP ALL DAY BY, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY, OH, I'M COMING IN AND WORKING MY SHIFT AND THEY PARK THERE. SO MY CHALLENGE WAS AND THAT'S You know, Jackie, we don't need those six extra, but I challenge them to come up with a dedicated space so that we knew that those parking meters were going to be available for actual customers of various businesses, existing businesses along Las Olas and in the vicinity so that the employees were not being detrimental to other businesses' business. And they came up with those in the Maas building. So I feel as if, you know, on the parking reduction, the reality of the building in this particular space, they're also being charged for parking for those outdoor terraces and things that are undulations to the building to make it a more beautiful building. And we're charging them for parking reduction for the plants that are on ledges. So in that respect, I feel as if the parking reduction is legitimate in this particular situation. The other issue is the rezoning of the back park. And so I hear your concern as a good representative of your single family neighborhood, because I would have that same concern out at the beach. But in the front part of this parcel, they can go currently to 150. So is your neighborhood wanting them to go 35 feet for the power and then ramp it up onto Las Olas? No, no, no. In order to do that? Because I thought it was a, well, I was just saying that That currently could be the situation. And they went with a five-story, which is similar to the condominiums that are right across the canal and across to Moss. So in that regard, in my mind, with what we are challenged to do, and knowing that on that back street, which is... Okay, my street's there. Second Corp. Second Corp. Is going that... thoroughfare that east-west is going to have a 12-story just a block away. Are you talking about the Whitfield again? Yeah, but that is 12. But I'm saying that this building going five-story from front to back versus going up and then going down, which they could legally do, That was what I was looking for, but on the parking reduction, I don't feel as if our code is adequate for every instance, and I don't believe that this building would ever require 120 parking spots, because most people going into a luxury jewelry business, into a store, travel in pairs. It's either she with him, because he's going to do whatever she wants, or it's with her girlfriend, it's somebody else. That's just what the business always has been. And I've dealt with those brands as, you know, when I was... VP of jewelry for a lot of stores and you know, that's just what this animal is. So I think parking reduction, they have my support on that and that's just what I wanted to say was that we wanted to make sure that we protect the businesses that are there and not have those meters tied up 24 seven with employees and they found a space to put their employees.

When you live in a neighborhood, you want Las Olas Boulevard to thrive. Okay? Because if Las Olas Boulevard dies, so does the neighborhood. If the neighborhood starts having problem because of what the businesses do, it affects Las Olas. The neighborhood hasn't said we want them to go 50 feet in the front and 20 in the back. It is an elephant on a postage stamp, Brian, with a total parking reduction. Okay? Western Jewelers, Stephanie, the group should be, and let me ask you, are you willing to make any changes to your project? Or is this it? Take it or leave it? We would lose the Rolex commitment. You would? We would lose Rolex. Okay, so Rolex said, Western jewelers, you can have the product as long as you go 90 feet on Lasolas Boulevard. Because every jewelry store in the United States has 40,000 square feet, and we need you to do that.

It's not the height, Jackie.

It's the uses inside the product. It's the... You need 40,000 square feet. What other jewelry store in South Florida is that large? It's 40,000 square feet because they have a... Like the Miami store that has their contract. You're telling me that they have 40,000 square feet and they're that height?

The Miami store doesn't have repair. The Miami store is just Rolex, right? So the difference here is that this is Rolex, Hublot, Patek, Chanel. You have a bridal suite. You have a back of house jewelry repair. You have what you don't have in the Miami design district. You have pre-loved product as well. So you have not, because it's Westin Jewelers with Rolex, You have commitments that are made to Rolex that are required, and then you have certain commitments to other brands that are also required. So yes, it definitely, I'm just going to be honest, it puts the entire thing at risk.

Well, what I read about the Western Jewelers and all the stuff online, the owners and what they've said, oh, they started out wanting to be three or four floors, but now it's grown to X amount. Now you're at 90 feet, you're down to 74. You know, it's a shame. I think you could have made it smaller and still been very successful. The community would have been more embracing of it and happy, and it would be a much better situation. I totally respect what you're saying. I will tell you when we... You're not interested in making any changes.

When we... when we met with the neighborhood, all of the negative comments that we got were related to the restaurants. And the ownership made a really hard decision to remove the restaurants. The discussion that's happening now has just been in the last several days. Everything was centered around they didn't want restaurants and they felt it would be impactful to the neighborhood.

So we made that change. You couldn't have done it with restaurants. You never would have gotten an approval because of the required parking, et cetera, et cetera. I don't know that, you know, I'm hearing much different, but, you know, we haven't had a chance to really get together on this, quite frankly. And I just wanted to see if there was any flexibility or if you guys are saying take it or leave it. That's what you're saying, right?

This is it. I'm not. I'm not. I would never say that. That's disrespectful. But I'm saying this product. I'm just saying this Rolex product with the other brands. It's yes, this is there's not flexibility for this design.

Jackie, you bring up a good point. Let's address you as a neighbor, as a homeowner. Would you accept, I think Brian has a good point, would you accept the 35 foot and then an up size on the front?

Is that something you would accept? Before that question is answered, I need to remind the board of your role. Your role is as a founder of FACT in a quasi-judicial hearing. So the function of, in terms of asking whether or not the member would accept it as a resident is irrelevant to what's before you. All right, so you're a fact finder.

Okay, so you're asking me on a personal level?

Jackie, again, I must caution you against being in the role of the fact finder in these proceedings. You need to evaluate the evidence that's presented to you at this hearing and determine whether or not they met the criteria in order to be granted a rezoning.

Okay, so I don't think this building is... Neighborhood compatible for all the reasons I've already said today. The lack of parking, wanting to put parking in the neighborhood, what that can do. So, you know, I'm opposed to it based on the parking, based on lack of neighborhood compatibility, you know, needing the side yard setbacks, the modifications. So that's the legal part of it. Right, D. Wayne? I said it correctly? Thank you.

I just wanted to just make a statement that some people were saying if the building was smaller, regardless, this building has no parking. So if this project goes from 76 feet high to 50 feet. to 25 feet there's still no parking on site and there would still be no parking on site i'm just i'm just making a general statement because some people are saying well the amount of parking the amount of parking but even if this building shrinks there's still no parking they would still be required or not required but they would they would still need to go find employee parking so as brian said they're not using up that precious metered parking which we all need And so in that standpoint, I have to say that whether the building is 76 or 50, they're still going to always come and ask for 100% parking exemption for this project.

Other thoughts, comments, motion?

Listen, this is a hard one, right? We've got a lot to consider, but I think D. Wayne gave us our marching orders as a quasi-judicial... planning board, which means we got to find facts and nothing but the facts. And unfortunately, as much as I like Jackie, I think it is compatible with the neighborhood because I'm comparing it with other buildings, regardless of use, whether it's residential or commercial, it is compatible. It's equal to or actually better in architecture than anything else there in compatibility, whether it's residential, commercial or otherwise. SO I THINK IT IS COMPATIBLE EVEN THOUGH I RESPECT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE COMPARING IT TO A RESIDENTIAL COMPATIBILITY. SO THERE'S NOBODY ELSE TALKING. I THINK WE MOTION TO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL FOR US TO VOTE ON CASE NUMBER, GIVE ME A SECOND HERE. I LOST IT. UDPSR25001 BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS OF FACT. and the board hereby states that the application meets the applicable criteria of the ULDR cited in the staff report, and the board's recommended approval of the application is subject to all the conditions included in the staff report, whether they're voluntary or obligatory. And that's the motion.

I'll second that.

Mr. Lewany?

Approve. Yes. Approve. Yes. Sorry.

Mr. De La Torres?

Yes.

Mr. Spence?

No.

Mr. Buckley?

No.

Mr. Gannon? I'm sorry. Mr. Donaldson?

Yes.

Chairman Teague?

I have the worst seat.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Scott.

No.

No? And chairman Teague.

Brutal one. I'm this torn over this one. I see both sides. I see both facts. Going to the Commission. Yes.

Motion passes.

Case number three, UDP-2, excuse me, T26002. We don't have disclosures on these, right? I don't believe.

Correct, no disclosure required on this item.

Hi, good evening again. Trisha Logan, principal urban planner. I'm here tonight to give you an overview of the historic preservation H1 zoning district and some proposed amendments that we have. And I'll keep it as brief as possible, because I know we just sat through a longer agenda item. Just to give you a brief overview of this presentation, we'll first go through the proposed amendment, and then I'll talk a little bit about some related initiatives, but won't spend too much time on that. Um, so just to give you a context of what we're talking about, uh, the H one zoning district really only affects two different areas within the city. The first area is the him or she village historic district, which is showing in purple on the left hand side of the screen. And then it also affects the surrounding hand house, which is on the right side of the screen. And they're just separated not too far of a distance between one another. Just to give you a little bit of kind of a context with the Hemershey Village area, it is surrounded by RAC CC zoning and RAC AS, so it's squeezed in the middle of that RAC zoning district area. And then the underlying future land use for these parcels in the Hemershey Village area Their future land use is a regional activity center, so it has that underneath it. As far as the historical significance of this area, it was originally designated in 1976. The history of it really goes back in time to the Tequesta Indian settlements along the New River, but it really transformed in the late 1900s with settlers that came into the area to start building the FEC Railway. And then the first preservation movement that occurred in this area was in the early 1970s when they moved the King Cromartie House from Smoker Park down the New River and into its current location next to the New River Inn. Yeah, so in 1971, when that occurred, they also had a lot of preservation movements with people visiting the New River Inn, the King-Cromartie House, doing educational events surrounding historic preservation, and that ultimately led to the adoption of this ordinance, the H-1 Zoning District, in 1975, and then 1976, the designation of Hemershey Village. Just a brief overview of the proposed updates. We're looking to update the list of districts. We're looking to incorporate a seven-day administrative review process. for minor improvements to historic preservation projects, as well as any improvements that are visible from the right of way that are of that scale in nature. We're also looking to incorporate a new dimensional table into the ordinance and update the use table and update our sign requirements, which are pretty antiquated. So I'll go over briefly of what this includes, the seven-day administrative approval process. We already have that kind of approval process in our Sailboat Bend Historic District. Right now it's a 15-day approval process, but we are able to process requests that are minor in nature that are visible from the right-of-way at a faster pace rather than going to a full public hearing. So this would be a major improvement for the Hemershey Village area and historic landmarks where we can just get those applications moving forward more quickly. For the updates to the permitted uses, it largely stays the same. There's 15 uses that say exactly the same. There are 36 uses that are just updated to be more consistent with the language that we use and the rest of the code. There are four new uses added that are listed here, and I think they're listed in the staff report as well. And seven uses were removed that just really don't fit the area. This includes things like silversmith that we don't really see. If we do, yeah, telegraph office, yeah. And if we do happen to have a use that's proposed that's not exactly listed, the HPV can also consider that as a special application to the board. Kind of the biggest change to this ordinance is the update to the building standards. I'll go into a little bit more depth on this in the next two slides, but basically what we're proposing is to increase the height allowance. Right now the whole district is limited to 25 feet in height, so that's two stories. And what we're proposing is to split it into two different categories, Southwest Second Street, which has a little bit more intensity as far as the commercial use and the avenues that run towards the river that are less intense in nature. And so just to give you kind of an idea of the overall massing of what we're proposing on Southwest Second Street, we're proposing that you can go up to six stories with a required step back after three stories. So it helps to maintain that pedestrian experience on the ground level. And you can apply to go up to a total of nine stories if you meet certain conditions and criteria that would be on top of the normal review. But there's other things that were incorporated as far as the overall setback. taking the measurement from the center line of the street so we can maintain consistency along the street frontage. It's a small area. Obviously, we're looking to maintain the historic properties that are there, but we want to also give some flexibility to the properties that were built later. They're not contributing to the historic nature of the district and could revitalize those particular lots. Along Southwest 2nd Avenue and Southwest 3rd Avenue, there's several historic buildings like the New River Inn, the King Cromartie House, the Historic Society, and the New River Inn is actually already three stories. So we're really just trying to match that surrounding context with this proposal. And the other requirements that are put into the dimensional table in this area don't really change too much from what already exists in the code today. We're just giving that one extra historian height. This gives you a kind of a bird's eye view of what we're proposing. So the buildings that are white, they are the non-contributing buildings that were identified as part of an architectural resource survey. kind of showing the massing of what could be possible in those locations, not really defining the architecture in this at all, but just giving an idea of what it could start to appear like if those parcels were to be redeveloped in the future. And then the grayed out buildings are the contributing buildings within the historic district. As I mentioned, you could go to an additional height first and foremost with any proposal for new construction. In a historic district, we're looking for overall compatibility within the context of which it's placed. So we're gonna look at the immediate context of where the location for the proposed new construction is, but we will use our criteria and design guidelines to evaluate that. We would also have additional criteria as far as making sure all of the building is lined and it's of a higher standard if they're asking for those additional three stories to go up to the total nine stories. And I mentioned we're also updating the commercial sign review standards. Right now every single commercial sign has to go to the Historic Preservation Board for review per the ordinance. We're loosening that up so that staff can review certain things that are in line with our design guidelines for commercial signage and or just the change of copy. We also are removing some language that talks specifically about types of light bulbs that generally are not used for commercial purposes anymore. So just really updating that language in general. Just to give an overview of where we are in the adoption process timeline, we went to the Historic Preservation Board in March. We had a unanimous approval recommendation from them. And then we're here now at the Planning and Zoning Board with the intention of moving forward the City Commission. It's looking like probably June, July, July, August timeline at this point. And that's the end of my presentation. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

I don't have a question, but I just have a comment. You know, when you're traveling to a lot of other historic cities that have a lot more historical still, you're seeing that. You know, you're seeing that they're keeping that building, and then there was these empty parcels or derelict things that, you know, have never been... kept up or whatever, were added in the 70s and 80s and whatever. And then they go up. And so, you know, it's cool that you've got a 5-0, you know, all in favor of the Historic Preservation Board because, you know what, we're talking about historic preservation areas. So, you know, if they're 5-0, then who am I to You know, it's just planning and zoning to be able to question what it is. But I can tell you that from, you know, I spent the entire month of February in four cities in Australia and their buildings and then they have the newer, but it's compatible, but it's on those back roads so that they've really done a great job of keeping the facades and everything. And it really looked amazing. So when you did that with the stair set, it reminded me of that. So good job.

Any other questions?

Are we allowed to have public comment? Yes, please. You have to.

three minutes ahead and sarah the president of a river of civic association so now what i look at those the script street scapes they call them from before it just let everything now just wants to look like flagler village i mean i couldn't tell what part now with this ruling a little earlier now las olas wants to look like flagler village and uh... And, you know, some areas before you knew where you were in Fort Lauderdale because different neighborhoods looked different ways. Right now, you know, you knew you were in Rio Vista. You knew you were in Sailboat Bay. You knew. Now everything is just the same, same, same. You look at all the new buildings being built in the residence, all those big square modern-looking things that are supposed to be so cool. But, you know, it just looks like you now want to turn –

uh hemorrhaging District into Flagler Village and uh that's just sad thanks thank you any other members of the public have anything to say okay back to the board discussion and a motion make a motion if I reopen my thingy here

My iPad isn't opening back up, sorry. Okay. This is UDL amendment, correct? Yes. Okay. I motion to recommend approval of the amendment to the ULDR on case UDP-T26002, and hereby that the board finds that the tax amendments to the ULDR are consistent with the comprehensive plan.

I'll second the motion.

Mr. Lawani.

Approve.

Mr. De La Torres.

Yes.

Mr. Spence.

Yes.

Mr. Buckley. Yes. Mr. Scott. Yes. Mr. Donaldson. Yes. Chairman Teague. Yes. Motion passes.

Case number four, UDP-26004.

GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS TYLER LAFORME. I'M AN URBAN PLANNER HERE AT THE CITY. HERE FOR A REAL TREAT, I HAVE A VERY LONG PRESENTATION FOR YOU TONIGHT. I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND OF THIS TEXT AMENDMENT. YOU GUYS DID A LAND WE BROUGHT FORTH A LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT HERE AND YOU GUYS APPROVED IT NINE TO ZERO AND IT SUBSEQUENTLY WAS APPROVED BY CITY COMMISSION FIRST READING ON DECEMBER 16, 2025. THAT LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT REMOVED THE LANGUAGE THAT RESTRICTED THE LOCATION OF RESIDENTIAL USES IN THE UPTOWN URBAN VILLAGE AREA THE SOUTHEAST. And by the removal of that language in the land use plan, it allows the city to adopt specific restrictions in the zoning code. So that's what the text amendment's for. We're trying to amend the text amendment to align with the land use designation. That's all I have for you.

Any comments, questions? Okay. Someone want to make a motion? Motion.

Okay, I make a motion to recommend approval of case number UDP-T26004 and that the Board hereby finds that the tax amendments to the ULDR are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

Second.

I'll second.

I'm sorry, Mr. Smith?

Yeah, I'll second the motion.

Mr. Lewany?

Yes.

Mr. De La Torres?

Yes.

Mr. Spence?

Yes.

Mr. Buckley?

Yes.

Mr. Scott? Yes. Mr. Donaldson? Yes. Chairman Tee?

Yes.

Motion passes.

Do we have anything for the good of the city?

want to get an update if I could and I want to make a point on that controversial project that we just apparently passed one of the things remember last meeting we talked about notification within 300 feet etc I guarantee all the people live on 12th Avenue they got nothing nothing notifying them so I hope that you guys work quickly Jim to get that expanded to a thousand feet or whatever and

What is the update? That's a good point.

We've been talking about this. Well, we talked about it at the last meeting. I don't want to talk anymore about that.

I'm done. I just bring that up.

Just in necessity, we need to get that done.

DO YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS THAT? I'LL SUMMARIZE IT IN A LOT OF WAYS. THE FLORIDA SENATE BILL 180 IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT BILL IT RESTRICTS THE CITY FROM ADOPTING ANYTHING MORE RESTRICTIVE OR BURDENSOME IN THE PROCESS THAT WE DEAL WITH BASICALLY AS A CITY IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD. That particular request or communication went to the commission and commission directed staff to do research. What we found, we are reporting back to the commission, but it would be a more restrictive requirement than we have today. And therefore, it would be impacted by Senate bill 180. meaning we could not adopt it until the timeframe attached to that Senate bill, which is October of 2027, we cannot act on. This is impacting several of our initiatives, but this is one of the planning and zoning board communication is one of those initiatives that have a more restrictive requirement.

So that means that we're going to continue to make the homeowner association be the vehicle to distribute the information to the residents.

The status quo remains until such time as the prohibition based on that Senate Bill 180 is lifted. We had hopes that there was legislation on On the table for under consideration, but it failed to pass in the state legislature. And so the restriction remains intact.

The city gets ironed out.

The city's hands are tied. We cannot make those changes.

I mean, staff, we conducted the analysis and we're getting ready to report back to the commission, but if we can't act on it, it makes it challenging for us to do a lot of things, actually, that we're trying to do.

Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. All in favor? Aye.