HOUSING IS A CONCERTED EFFORT

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I had heard that the Crossings in Stuart was losing its affordability status. That would have been a serious blow to families in the city.

 

Stuart City Manager David Dyess forwarded to me an email he received from the county’s Housing Program Coordinator clarifying that this was not true. The complex will continue having rent limits based on the adjusted AMI (Adjusted Median Income) until 2044. As the AMI changes so too will the rents. Even with a rising AMI, there are rent caps for tenants.

 

While this is much better than the apartments going to market, using the AMI may still place rents out of the reach of many people. When HUD was active in providing funding for different housing programs, the rent people paid was more tailored to the individual. That of course has all changed with the shrinking of those programs, which has resulted in the crises we see today.

 

Using solely the AMI to determine affordability will leave many renters not able to afford their apartments. The government needs to greatly expand the number of families that would be eligible for HUD’s Section 8 program.

 

Section 8 is a voucher program that allows those eligible to find their own apartment in which to live. The tenant then pays the landlord a pre-determined amount based on their income, and the government sends the landlord/owner the remainder of the rent.

 

This program worked extremely well in the 1980s and 1990s. All properties are eligible to participate. There were gross rent caps on the funding depending on family size. The Section 8 program was instituted at a time when public housing was failing to provide safe housing. The program became the perfect public-private partnership.

The federal government has all but given up on housing for people who need help. Homelessness for families is one of the outcomes of greatly reducing this type of aid. Can we really expect a few private owners, even using other government-backed programs, to build all the housing needed? The answer is obvious.

 

There are many problems in Martin County when it comes to affordable, workforce, or attainable housing. Some of the housing shortages for more affluent people can be solved by just building. The more product on the market, the cheaper prices are.

 

Years ago in big cities, unions and manufacturers constructed housing for their members and employees. This was an attempt to provide “wholesome” homes instead of tenement apartments. It was very successful in combatting social as well as economic problems and contributed to a stable workforce.

 

I don’t quite understand why the school board and Cleveland Clinic do not investigate doing something like that. Employees just starting out in their careers could be offered this type of housing first since their earnings are the lowest. More and more employers throughout the country are coming to this realization such as the “Teachers Village” in Newark N.J. and “Sea Pines” in Hilton Head S.C. Employers who want to attract good personnel can also provide rent subsidies as a perc.

 

Progressive has come to mean socialist in our political era. It wasn’t always so…just remember Theodore Roosevelt. Nothing beats the free market for sorting winners and losers. The government needs to be ruthless in not protecting industries or individual companies and enforcing anti-trust laws. However, when it comes to individuals, government has an obligation to provide basic needs…one of which is housing.

 

The question is will we? The answer would require a national effort. It is not anything we can do on the local level alone.

 

STUART PD

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The death of anyone is not something to be ignored. When the deceased is a young person, it is even more tragic.

 

I have heard that a patrol cop’s days can go by in tedium and boredom, but that boredom could become dangerous and life changing in a second. Police see the worst moments of a person’s life and only occasionally the best. They are thrown into situations that the rest of us do everything to avoid. When things go wrong, cops must respond.

 

That is what happened the other night on East 10th Street in East Stuart. An officer responded in about a minute to a call of a shooting. What the cop found was a teenager bleeding profusely from gunshot wounds. As other officers and Stuart Fire/Rescue raced to the scene, there was apparently some in the crowd who were hostile to the responders. Dealing with that is part of their jobs.

 

An officer applied a tourniquet and was trying to stop the kid from bleeding out. The victim was rushed to Guy Davis field where he was then taken by helicopter to a trauma center. The victim, Devone Delancy, died.

 

Some would call these cops and emergency services personnel heroes. I wouldn’t because they were just doing their jobs. They were doing those jobs under very stressful circumstances, but those were jobs they chose to take and perform knowing full well that they could be thrown into this type of situation at any moment.

 

While I was in a nice restaurant with my wife eating dinner, these guys were tending to a victim of violence laying in the street. Some in the crowd were trying to provoke trouble, but they failed. There were probably some in the crowd who witnessed the incident but won’t say a word to the police trying to find justice for the police and his family while, at the same time, cursing them for instances like this occurring.

 

As a resident of Stuart, I have interacted with the officers. When I was a city commissioner, I did so more often. In my experience, they want to do their jobs and make it through their shifts. Some go far beyond their duty and are active in the community. The men and women of Stuart PD are not heroes. Yet at times they perform heroically. Last Wednesday night was one of those times.

AFFORDABLE, ATTAINABLE, WORKFORCE HOUSING

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The most significant item of the day wasn’t even on the agenda.

 

During commissioner comments, Ed Ciampi brought up how much the county needs affordable or attainable or workforce housing. That was precipitated by the comments made by advocates for such housing during public comment which Ciampi probably knew were going to be made. Ciampi wanted to keep the ball rolling from the joint meeting last month.

 

As usual with such a spur of the moment discussion, there were many ideas floated. Doug Smith would like to see focus groups headed by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Ciampi wants to use staff and existing groups and others to move it along.

 

Heard made it quite clear that taxpayers don’t want to grant any subsidies for such housing nor have it in their backyards. Then she began saying density is not the solution. Too much traffic on the roads and zoning incompatibility were also bywords.

 

Hetherington wants the private sector involved and, perhaps, the school board. She has constituent families that have had their rents raised. But she believes too much housing is already being built. And non-profits should collaborate.

 

Jenkins does want an item to come back. He is working with Banner Lake on a community land trust to foster home ownership. Ciampi made a motion to bring back an agenda item that Jenkins seconded. It passed 5-0

 

At the present, the members of all these committees who are pushing for an answer to the affordable, attainable, and workforce housing shortage have no real experience with operating, building, or maintaining such housing. I have worked with and managed this type of housing using the Section 8 program and other such federal and state programs, and it is daunting. One thing those programs did do was allow the private sector to make money. Alas most of those programs are now history.

 

On a national level, that is one of the reasons that fewer and fewer units are available at affordable rents. This isn’t the only reason. But This problem will never ever be solved without an infusion of massive federal money. Even states can’t do it, and it is certainly prohibitive for local government to do so.

 

Sybil was a book in the early 1970s that dealt with a woman that had 29 multiple personalities. Martin County may have that many or more when it comes to its affordable, attainable or workforce housing goals. It can be seen by the commissioners’ comments.

 

It is not that they are not serious about the task, but it is beyond county or municipal government capabilities. To encourage private sector response, you will need to encourage building of more housing not less. Real estate is where supply and demand make the market. As a glut happens then prices fall, and this is very true of the rental market. Right now, we have nowhere near the number of units needed.

 

The county can eliminate impact and other fees for those who will commit to a specific number of apartments with rental rates based on an AMI derived formula. They could give a density bonus in their CRAs if the extra apartments had cheaper rents using an AMI derived formula. The more apartments that came under the formula, the more they would be allowed to build up to 30 units per acre.

 

Every single-family home, regardless of where it is located even within HOAs, could have an accessible dwelling unit that, if rented, would not be subject to increased real estate taxes. The community land trust idea is a good one, but like Habitat for Humanity, it can only build so many homes.

 

In fact, all these suggestions would eventually lead to more housing options. However, these are stop gap measures without a commitment by the feds to release billions in housing dollars. And that is not likely.

 

Heard and Smith and, now to a lesser extent, Hetherington are not interested in more housing being built. The City of Stuart did approve more housing for the last few years but has now gone back into its shell and is not likely to come back out for a decade or more. Politicians cannot blame greedy developers and property owners when the reason existing prices are so high is a lack of product.

 

Government adds about 25% to the cost to build and that doesn’t consider the increased building prices due to more stringent construction codes. The private sector’s motive is profit. Local government can incentivize to some extent, but it cannot do so unless it gets behind a continuous effort to produce these units. They cannot retreat every time people complain about a new project being built.

 

So, form any committee you want. I would be glad to lend my expertise. Commissioners, just realize you can’t complain about the lack of housing and then do everything in your power to prevent new housing. And if you think by allowing more single-family homes to be developed you are going to solve the existing problem, you are not. That is what will contribute to sprawl.

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Sewall’s Point Manager Candidate Finalists

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SEWALL’S POINT MANAGER CANDIDATES:

 

Sewall’s Point has been looking for a manager for about six months now.

 

This is now the second round of candidates after the first group was either eliminated by the commission or they found other jobs in the interim. Will these erstwhile managers be the next town’s number one? Only time will tell.

 

Take a peak and see what you think. The winner is slated to be chosen on July 21st.

 

Finalists’ packages are here

What Is The Rush

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The land development approval process has fairly rigid timelines that are set by Florida State Statute.

 

What made me do some research on the subject was a column written by Blake Fontenay in TC Palm regarding Atlantic Fields also known as Discovery. Depending on the type of proceeding that is before the commission, there are definite time frames that must be followed under statute. The county just can’t let things go on indefinitely. In my research I spoke to both the county attorney and the City of Stuart attorney beside reading the statutes cited.

 

How many of us have been involved in a civil lawsuit? The continuances and postponements are legendary. Sometimes, years go by before a court rules or, more likely, a settlement between the parties is reached. It may not be swift justice, but it is due process.

 

I believe that the project in question is a good one. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the Atlantic Fields developers decided they needed a new land use in the comp plan instead of the development plan that was explained to me. Originally, they were going to come in and ask for approval of their PUD as an exception. If that had occurred, two of the commissioners who now oppose the introduction of the “rural lifestyle” use would have probably approved the development.

 

Once the very favorable project became the subject of a new land use introduction, everything changes. Such a change requires more scrutiny and public outreach and education. The new land use would apply to more than just the one project.

 

On the first hearing date in the spring, almost everyone who spoke wanted to receive more information. There were some that were not in favor. At that point most of us wanted to have our questions answered in more detail. It didn’t help that the presentations given by the staff were not meant for civilians that need more basic knowledge and delivered with more enthusiasm.

 

Now the entire thing has been hanging around for far too long. Positions begin to harden. In my experience, the longer it takes to obtain an approval, the more opposition will develop. This is what has happened with Discovery.

 

The agenda for June 21st had three different public hearings regarding this project. The first one asked for approval to create a new future land use designation of rural lifestyle in the comp plan. If that were approved, then the second hearing would allow the Discovery property to be assigned the future land use of rural lifestyle. And then the third hearing would have been to have a PUD agreement and site plan for the property. Each hearing could only happen if, at the hearing before, the commission approved the action.

 

The first postponement was initiated by the BOCC and was tabled to a date uncertain. The second was requested by the applicant to table the three hearings to a date uncertain that the commission voted to approve. There is a 180-day time frame under FS 125.022 for quasi-judicial public hearings which would apply to a hearing for a PUD agreement. It can be extended by mutual agreement.

Comp plan amendments must be approved by the state. Under FS 163.3184, there is a 180-day clock from the time the state comments are received. Martin County received the comments on March 31, 2022. While there can be postponements, the 180-day time frame is not stopped. The clock ticks down to zero on September 27, 2022. The only way the time can be extended is by mutual consent of all affected parties including those who provided comments.

 

Would the commissioners like to have only non-controversial land use changes come before them? Sure, they would. But that isn’t what they signed up for. In my experience, the commissioners are genuinely concerned with what the public is saying. They may even agree with the prevailing view and do not like a project, but they just can’t vote no. They have a responsibility to vote yes if state statute and local ordinances dictate that the developer’s request is within the scope of the statute or ordinance.

 

If at some point this ends up in court, the county will have to prove that it did follow state statute and gave every opportunity to the applicant to be able to make their case. The price of that is sometimes having adjournments or postponements. Property rights are taken very seriously in Florida and a government violates them at some peril.

 

Deliberative consultation with as many residents as possible should be the goal. The notion that things such as this should be rushed ultimately benefits no one. In my opinion, at this point not enough is known about the classification of rural lifestyle to make a good decision.

 

Those that are in favor of the classification would probably find very little development that they would not support. And those who are adamantly opposed are no-growth adherents. Most of us just want more information and outreach. I think Martin County deserves it.

 

That educational responsibility clearly falls on the party that is proposing the change. Until the developer is ready to hire a third-party facilitator that is neutral to go out into various communities and hold informational meetings, this land use change should not move forward.

 

Public comment is important, but even more important is that the public comment be given by a fully informed public. When the public speaks their opinions should be based on facts not supposition. A reasoned argument is more important than a rushed one. Commissioners are more apt to listen.

AUTOCRACY OR DEMOCRACY

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It looks like almost every local seat on any local board drew a challenger for the upcoming election in Martin County.

 

However, in the Florida legislature, there were many incumbents who drew no opposition and have therefore been automatically re-elected. On the Treasure Coast, both Erin Grall and Gayle Harrell drew no opposition for election to the Florida Senate. Three other senate seats in the rest of the state had none either. In the Florida House, 25 seats will have no opposition. What gives?

 

While there are a couple of Democrats for those unopposed Florida House and Senate districts, Republicans are the ones that have benefited the most from having one party predominate. Republicans hold a slight majority in voter registration. But because of gerrymandering, there are just more and more districts that have or will turn red.

 

For all intents and purposes, the Democratic Party is consigned to be in the minority for at least the next decade in the state. The fewer Democrats there are in office, the more the party becomes even less effective. This is not good for democracy.

Our system unfortunately depends on both political parties being robust. When one party becomes so dominant as to have seat after seat unopposed, then we no longer have democratic elections. This is bad for Florida and the nation. Just ask those who oppose the government in China or Russia.

 

In economics, free markets are a good thing. The same kind of freedom applies to ideas and political thought. When only one party dominates and monopolizes, then the marketplace for thought is compromised. Just look at the spate of recent laws that have legislated what people can openly espouse.

 

It doesn’t matter if the party is Republican or Democrat. If it dominates a city or state, ultimately, we don’t have a democracy but an autocracy. That is not good for the nation or its democratic traditions.

 

Past Parking Rules Are Hurting Our Future

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Have you ever noticed the difference between a driver that lives in a city and one that comes from the suburbs or a small town?

 

One way is how close to where they are going, they expect to find a parking space. A city driver thinks nothing of walking 5 blocks or more from the parking space to the destination. They may park a block or more farther than is necessary so that after the show or event, the car is facing in the right direction and there is no need to go around the block and become caught in traffic on one-way streets. It is all about efficiency.

 

A suburban driver or one from a small town expects to find a space in front of the theater or restaurant. They may circle the same two blocks many times until a space opens. Or they may just go somewhere else and complain about no parking. It is all about perception.

 

I have often heard that Stuart has a parking problem. In no way is that true! What Stuart has is a perception problem. The emphasis that is enshrined in our codes about parking requirements is outdated and harmful to a well-run city.

The San Francisco Bay area devotes 20% of its land to parking. Los Angeles County, likewise, has 200 square miles of roads and parking. The abundance of cars is choking California and not doing a bad job here of doing the same. To alleviate the problem, California is about to set aside most minimum parking requirements near public transit stops. Another bill would allow new development to do away with even more required parking rules.

 

The typical apartment in Los Angeles costs $36,000 more than necessary because of parking requirements. How will we ever build affordable housing if America would rather build cities and towns for cars than people. The excess parking requirements for our offices and stores encourage sprawl. Go to any mall and see the hundreds of spaces available.

 

On Federal Highway, none of the parking lots are full. Shoppers and office visitors often park in the spaces nearest the entrance of their destinations leaving most other spaces empty. This use of land for this is not sustainable.

 

Stuart is ideal for a mass transit system. It is small (about 7 sq. miles) and compact. All we need is the will to implement it. And we will never do so if first we don’t get a handle on parking requirements. This isn’t rocket science.

 

As a first step would be to expand the downtown parking exemption area from Ocean Blvd north to the river and east to High School Avenue. That would expand our downtown area. Most of Ocean has many underutilized one-story structures. Parking requirements are another obstacle to preventing revitalization. If this area had more density, a transit system would be possible.

 

For those who keep harping about a parking garage, the lessening of the parking requirement will incentivize construction of one. The reason that most garages in cities like Stuart fail is because a need is perceived by some, but the number of cars using it and making it viable is lacking. Like transit, public garages are based on density. Stuart is far from that.

 

Stuart, Martin County, and most of America have blinders on. They are still planning future development as if the last 60 years have taught us nothing. It is about time we embrace the urban planning codes like so many other places have. Stuart deserves better.

Martin County’s Own “Hole in the Wall”

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The legislature passed a bill that the governor signed into law which increases the penalties for those convicted of committing a burglary outside their home county. It was sponsored by our own Representative John Snyder in reaction to criminals coming to Martin County from down south. The famous “pillowcase” bandits.

 

I don’t know if it will stop the thefts, but if they are caught by Sheriff Snyder (John’s dad) and his deputies and convicted, then they will stay behind bars a little longer. It probably will be beneficial for us, so I am for it. And if there is one thing the sheriff has been, it is insistent that those coming from Miami/Dade or Broward pay the price of invading Martin County and committing mayhem even of the non-violent kind.

 

The sheriff even has what is known as the “Tact Team” to arrest those from other places accused of crimes here. Again, I believe a good use of taxpayer dollars to protect the citizens of Martin County. That is why we spend millions of dollars on law enforcement each year so that we can feel safe.

 

Now imagine out-of-county criminals breaking the law in another way. They come to Martin County every week from down south. Instead of breaking into someone’s home and burglarizing it, they threaten residents by indiscriminately shooting thousands of rounds which penetrate people’s fields, yards, barns, and homes. So far, no wounds or deaths but it is only a matter of time. This is what the homeowners of Trailside must deal with.

 

Trailside is an old equestrian community just north of Martin County’s very own “hole in the wall,” known as Pal-Mar. The original “hole in the wall” is in northern Johnson County in Wyoming. During the late 19th and early 20th century it was where Butch Cassidy and his gang and other criminals held up between hold ups. Lawmen seldom ventured through the pass much as Martin County deputies seldom venture to catch the lawbreakers of Pal-Mar.

 

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The sheriff’s department response to the residents of Trailside is that they cannot do anything about this mayhem. They cite a lack of a statute to stop this craziness. Local governments have been pre-empted from any regulation of firearms.

 

Whoever thought that supposedly law-abiding Martin County would have its own lawless enclave filled with Dade and Broward residents able to do anything they want with impunity. The “bandits” destroy the homeowners of Trailside’s peace and their ability to be safe in their homes. Pal-Mar with thousand of acres of biological and ecological sensitive lands has become the home to destruction. Martin County supposedly the home of staunch environmentalist is ignoring the destruction of Florida wetlands.

 

The department has told the Trailside residents that they can’t know who is firing the indiscriminate shots. The perpetrators of this free-for-all are people that have decided not only to disregard common sense gun safety but also destroy the wetlands of Pal-Mar with their vehicles and four wheelers. They are building cabins on their ¼ acre tracts without permits (no permits are permitted under zoning) and moving dirt even though that isn’t allowed.

 

The sheriff is a very religious man. He often talks about his faith and even when he presented to the commission about allocating funds for body cameras, he spoke about how he prayed before making his decision. Perhaps he should pray about his decision to do nothing for his constituents at Trailside. If the indiscriminate shooting continues by those from out of county, Snyder may be praying at a resident’s funeral.

 

Indiantown Contemplating Debt For A New Vilage Complex

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COUNCIL MEETING MAY 26, 2022

 

A public comment delivered in the form of an email was read. In it, the writer stated that the village has moved away from the government lite approach that was promised by the incorporators. There is no doubt about that.

 

The elected council is in the big government camp. It has been the same five council members since incorporation. Together, they hired someone as their village manager that is carrying out the big government vision of the council. Everything points to a continuation, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see another doubling of the village’s employees to 70 or more in the next three years.

 

The ones who were elected to the council were not those who were instrumental in incorporating the village. The incorporators ceased to matter when the voters chose the current council. Susan Gibbs-Thomas could have been a government lite member, but she is constantly a lone voice in that direction.

 

That belief in small government has been left for dead. The only question is whether, at some point, the village goes whole hog and has its own police and fire departments. For most other village departments, bigger is better. Big government also means big flash and subsidization of costs by their fairy godmother, FPL. Which brings us to the new village complex.

 

Conceptional plans were rolled out at the meeting. The administration building, along with the community building, will be over 39,000 square feet. A water park is also being considered located between the two buildings, but no price was given for it. Also contemplated is a fire/rescue station, police station, and aquatics center in the future.

 

There could be a third floor for the administration building for future growth adding an additional 10,000 square feet. The cost of the two buildings currently planned would be $15.3 to $18.7 million and if the third floor is added, $3.8 million more. While building costs now range from $300 to $475 per square foot, the architect consultant believes it will be brought in at $375 per square foot. It takes 33 months from council approval to completion using the consultant’s timeline.

 

This is not government lite. I would suspect that the council will approve the plan and add a considerable amount of debt to the village. There will be some talk about grants paying for some of it.

 

Is this project necessary? Depending on who you ask, village government is growing at a speedy pace. Is this what was intended when people voted to incorporate? Is it time to have a vote to see whether the citizens want to go into further debt? There was some rationale for the water and sewer plant. The numbers that were given to repair the facility were proven incorrect. To bring the waterworks up to speed will cost many millions. Now many more millions are being thought about for a new city hall and gym.

 

This should go to the voters to decide. They can overwhelmingly support this or reject it. It is too big to entrust to the council. Let’s see if there is a mandate to appropriate this money and continue with big government or look at government medium as an alternative. Lite is past coming back.

 

You can see the presentation here https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:94dcd5fd-53ab-3bc8-b5da-9bdd74978094

The Four Hundred of Martin County

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TC Palm had a column recently that stated the BOCC had received emails from celebrities writing about Atlantic Ridge/Discovery. Those emails were in favor of the project. No surprise there since they would be the ones buying multi-million-dollar homes in the proposed development.

 

The entire controversy was never about that project but rather introducing an entire new land use category. Martin County residents care about these things. And most of what I heard was not that people were against the land use as much as they didn’t understand it.

 

It appears that the county commissioners and the administration thought that a public meeting or two would suffice. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Kiplinger took years of explaining to groups of residents what was special about his project. Why that project deserved its own classification. I guess, in this instance, no one wanted to do the work necessary.

 

Another “community group” wrote a series of emails outlining why the “rural lifestyle” should be adopted. Some of the reasoning made sense and was spot on. What didn’t was writing how those who are not in favor are just wrong. That is just the opposite of the Kiplinger approach.

 

I was at the annual Martin County/Stuart Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dinner this past week. I am a graduate of the program and I volunteer to help put it on throughout the year. Many of the graduates and students are government employees. Most others are those that are very involved in Martin County non-profits and the life of the county. The attendees were a connected group.

 

                Mrs. Astor & The Four Hundred (Pinterest)

In 1892 The New York Times published a list purported to be based on Mrs. Caroline Astor’s “The Four Hundred.” She was the doyenne of High Society. Anyone who was anyone in New York Society was listed. Martin County also has a group of people who similarly are very influential. It has been my experience that there are locally influential people in every place I have ever lived.

 

Sometimes just normal work-a-day individuals become involved in what their government is proposing. This is what happened with the rural lifestyle amendment. A few of the “no growthers,” who believe in freezing development entirely, instigated, and made people aware of the amendment and described it negatively. Though the majority of those that came out were just looking for information.

 

Unfortunately, the longer that the rural lifestyle classification remains clouded in suspicion, the greater the likelihood that the support of some individuals will be lost who would have seen the benefit. And yes, there will be some that no matter how much outreach is done will take the facts and bend them to their own pre-conceptions. That should not stop this issue being thoroughly and publicly vetted.

 

Like Kiplinger, Atlantic Ridge/Discovery wanted to introduce a new land use. Unlike Kiplinger they didn’t want to spend years getting Martin County residents to buy-in. The entire concept was staff and consultant driven. When and if that project comes back for approval, if it is done as an exception then it would pass 4-1or perhaps 5-0.

 

Should the rural lifestyle amendment be ditched? No, it has some great benefits. What needs to happen is the county needs to hire an organization like the Planning Council to take further public comment and to run community meetings. This is not complicated, but it takes time. But, without investing the time, this will be one more debacle for the Martin County Four Hundred.