Letter to Key West City Commission Regarding 1900 and 1910 N. Roosevelt Blvd. Development

Dear Mayor and Commissioners:

The board of directors of Last Stand asks that you deny the request for preliminary authorization to  enter into the Development Agreement process and pursue negotiations with the property owner of 1900 and 1910 North Roosevelt Blvd.

We oppose considering a non-habitable height variance from the 30 feet allowed in the Commercial General zone.

We oppose the variances required for maximum impervious surface and minimum open space.

This property needs to be able to manage stormwater runoff to avoid contributing to flooding at one of the busiest intersections in Key West. It is difficult to understand how an effective system to manage stormwater can be implemented when the development requires significant variances for impervious coverage and open space. The staff report indicates the potential for a landscaping variance that will further exacerbate stormwater retention on the property.

The mass and scale of the updated development plans is still out of proportion with the requirements of the Commercial General zone and surrounding properties. Hiding the property behind palm trees will not change this fact.

In our opinion, the proposed development tries to put too much into the space that is available on the property. The need for a unity of title to satisfy the floor area ratio requirements for the new building on 1910 N. Roosevelt illustrates this fact, there is not enough room on the property to build such a massive structure.

Please vote no on the Resolution at your October 6th meeting and encourage the applicant to bring forward a project that does not require height and other variances.

Thanks for considering our comments.

For the Last Stand board,

Mark E. Songer, Treasurer

NOTE:  After these comments were submitted and before the Key West City Commission considered the resolution, the applicant asked to withdraw the resolution before commissioners spoke on the matter.