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Hundreds attend meeting about affordable housing
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK, Times Staff Writer
The crowd was much larger than expected, forcing close to half of the audience to stand or sit on the floor and tables. The gatehouse guard turned back several cars because the parking lot had overfilled. After more than two hours of presentations and conversation, much of it heated, few minds had changed about the complexes proposed to rise outside Seven Hills, Silverthorn and Regency Oaks. "Take it to court!" one man shouted from among the audience as County Attorney Garth Coller attempted to speak about zoning issues. "Keep it tied up in court!" When Coller asked the developer's lawyer to explain the developer's stance on property rights, the response came loudly from the group: "We don't care!" Rather, they challenged the developer and government officials to answer questions about water supply, traffic, impact fees and crime rates. Any time the speakers paused to confer with one another, the crowd chided them with laughter and comments that they were making up answers. "Put it in your back yard!" one woman yelled. Many people left early, after hearing developer Todd Fabbri of the Richman Group of Florida talk about the 176-unit complex his company wants to build adjacent to Seven Hills. Fabbri showed pictures of well-maintained and landscaped stucco affordable apartment complexes it runs in Miami, Naples, Panama City and other cities. He said the firm runs credit and criminal background checks on all applicants before allowing them to move into the apartments. He also pledged to build a property that Seven Hills residents find acceptable. "We are here to be part of the community," Fabbri said, noting his firm does not sell the apartments it constructs. "It behooves us to take great pride and build a quality project." Those who left early shared mixed feelings about the apartments. They would have preferred to have been told about the proposal early by the developer, rather than learning about it through news and government reports. Some grumbled that "it's a done deal" because the multifamily zoning was set years ago. They worried that they had no recourse. Phyllis Mahany of Seven Hills blamed poor zoning laws for allowing what she considered incompatible adjoining property uses. "You're going to have an upscale house and you're going to have trash going next door to you," she said. Her father, Leo Mahany, said he could not blame the developer for taking advantage of the situation. "They're getting the best they can out of it," he said. Tony DeMarzo of Wellington said he's still worried about the people who will live in the apartments, because the Richman Group conducts only statewide background checks, which he considers "useless." He generally approved of the planned look, which he said appeared "upscale," and did not challenge the affordable apartment aspect. "Hey, people have got to live," DeMarzo said. Bill Atterson of Seven Hills agreed the apartments might look nice, but retained concerns about water use, noting he had recently replaced his lawn because of drought. He wondered why the county would allow more development if it has water problems. "There's something wrong here," Atterson said. Development director Grant Tolbert told the crowd that his department will look into such issues as sufficient water and traffic congestion, reminding them that the developer will not get a permit until all issues are answered satisfactorily. Commission Chairwoman Nancy Robinson, sitting quietly in the audience, said she expected a report today during the commission meeting. Future action, if any, would come at that time, she said.
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From today's Hernando Times |
