Question / Issue #1: Current Zoning
“This land was zoned as Agricultural and Low Density in order to maintain the integrity of the community. Davie is known as “Cowboy Town.” Davie’s Mission, as called out in the Strategic Plan is: “The Town of Davie strives to [be] the preeminent community in South Florida to live, work, learn and play while treasuring our preserved natural setting.” (https://www.davie-fl.gov/176/Strategic-Plan%20) Allowing high density growth through a change in land use and up-zoning is an affront to “treasuring our preserved natural setting”. These lands were designated to be agricultural. The change in land use and zoning will also impact community noise levels and displace wildlife, while creating an environment that is not conducive to livestock. The proposed wall that will be built will be unsightly, not fitting with the character of the community.
RESPONSE:
In practice, what has been built in recent years in Davie, a stepchild of rapidly growing Fort Lauderdale, on 1 Acre zoned areas are not new farms, but large expensive luxury homes. As such, practically speaking, the option is not “tangled forest” or “Rexmere Reserve”. A more accurate comparison are the high end multi-million dollar single family 5,000 SF homes (with lawns, pools, concrete driveways, and accessory structures like garages and pool houses) versus Rexmere Reserve–a more affordable option for most Davie residents including school teachers, fire-fighters and first responders. Multi-million-dollar homes most definitely displace wildlife and livestock. Moreover, the Town of Davie code requires that a wildlife assessment and relocation study be completed prior to any proposed development being approved.
Here are some examples of current 1 Acre zoning homes for sales in Davie.
This 6BD home near the project has a swimming pool, extensive paving and impervious surfaces including a private basketball court. This is not “agricultural” or “country.
Zonings tend to “transition” within towns, and the proposed project does just that. The proposed project will be lower density and more upscale than the existing Rexmere Village. In addition, directly across Hiatus from the proposed project is “Harmony Lakes”, a higher density community.
The Rexmere Reserve will contain natural buffers that preserve the character for surrounding developments — a feature allowed through the clustering of dwelling units as shown in the Rexmere Reserve site plan. Conversely, it more difficult to cohesively plan and preserve landscape buffers when dwelling units are spaced out one from the other.
Regarding the “Wall is Unsightly” comment, the wall was added in response to early input from adjoining neighbors who were invited to provide early input in the project. The current rendering shows only a generic wall. Colors and textures will be part of the final design. Of course, we are willing to further discuss enhancements and landscaping along our property boundaries.