Question / Issue #5: Is there really a “public need” for this project?
“Rexmere Village wants to up-zone this area, not due to pent-up demand, but due to a desire to have a contiguous parcel of land with their already established community. Other parcels of land near and around Davie, with the appropriate zoning already in place, could be built out for a mobile home community. The selection of this location is convenience to current property, not a public need.“
RESPONSE: Upzoning is a responsible government action in response to a serious housing crunch. Davie and surrounding areas are in desperate need of accessible housing — not multi-million dollar properties on acreage that few can afford. The press is replete with stories about this “public need”.
Broward County has commissioned numerous studies that have all concluded the desperate need for additional Attainable Housing. They have gone on to create an Attainable Housing “mandate” that states:
“Modern manufactured/modular/prefabricated construction techniques may afford significant savings for housing costs in comparison to traditional techniques used in south Florida, such as concrete block construction. Such housing units may have an appearance and safety features generally no different than units constructed using more common methods.”
And further:
Broward County will not enact regulations or policies inhibiting the placement of safe housing that may afford significant cost savings in comparison to traditional techniques used in south Florida, and encourage municipalities to include such housing within their jurisdictions. https://www.broward.org/PlanningCouncil/Documents/2018AffordableHousingNeeds.pdf
The Rexmere Village & Paradise Village communities have been at 99% occupancy, as have virtually ALL surrounding providers of affordable housing, for years.
According to Redfin, the $500K – $1.8M homes in area between Rexmere Village and W 26th Street took an average of 294 days to sell for an average selling price of $650K. In contrasts, homes in Rexmere Village typically sell (via multiple contracts) in less than 60 days at well under $200K.
