Croissant Park Neighborhood Meeting - February 22, 2022 at 7:00 pm

Please plan on attending this important meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22 in the Community Center - 245 West Park Drive, next to the pools.

The city is proposing to give developers incentives to develop workforce housing projects south of Davie between the RR tracks and South Andrews. Some of the incentives they are offering will allow substantial increases in permitted height and the number of units allowed. It will also allow developers to skip the Planning & Zoning Board review and go directly to the Commission for approval of their projects.

We have been “discussing” this with staff and so far have not been impressed by the response. The City made TWO presentations to Poinciana Park Civic Association, one where other folks were invited, one a follow up for their members only that we were not told about, and the city has said they didn’t make a presentation to us because it “doesn’t affect Croissant Park”. They clearly had no intention of talking to us until the CPCA Board demanded it. Even then, after promising that the item would be deferred from the Feb. 16^th P&Z meeting until a presentation could be made to us, staff was silent when we asked for a deferral at that meeting until March. Instead of a deferral staff offered to make the presentation and then let Pat Rathburn (me), CPCA President, as the sole member of the public in attendance make comments.  Are you starting to see the problem?  We disagree with staff’s assessment that we will not be impacted.

The affordable housing project built at 17^th and Andrews has only 1 parking space for each unit – units that allow up to 5 adults. Where are the extra people going to park? Where are their kids going to play? What neighborhood are they going to cut through to avoid major arterials? You guessed it, Croissant Park. We have been saying for years that the city pays attention to neighborhood associations with a lot of vocal members. For too many years, the Board members have been the only people the City hears from in Croissant Park and there are only nine of us, and the City knows it. Why else would they feel they could ignore us with impunity? The P& Z Board instructed staff to make presentations to all of the affected Civic Associations in November. Staff chose to ignore those instructions and Croissant Park. Wouldn’t you like to know why? Wouldn’t you like a say in what is being built on our border?

 Please plan on attending the meeting where the City is finally, weeks before it goes back to P&Z, going to make a presentation.

See you Tuesday,

Patricia Rathburn, CPCA President

p.s. We will also have our FLPD neighborhood officers available for a crime report and answer any questions or comments you may have.

Masks are required inside the Community Center for this meeting.