Special Commission Mtg. called
Blue Water issue postponed to Nov. 9
By Diane Emeott
Within the first couple minutes of the start of the Oct. 20 Deerfield Beach City Commission meeting, the two agenda items on Blue Water hotel that several members of the public had come out for were deferred until a future commission meeting – at the request of the applicant.
- Agenda item No. 1 – Second and final reading (plus public hearing) of an ordinance to vacate and abandon a portion of The Cove Shopping Center
- Agenda item No. 2 – Quasi-judicial public hearing of a site plan to construct a 134-room hotel with a four-level parking garage
On Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. a Special Commission meeting on Blue Water VIII, LLC will now be held in commission chambers following the already scheduled Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting that same night and place at 6:30 p.m.
“I think the hotel and its requirements are going to require a very long session when we don’t have other commission business. Let’s schedule this for a Special Meeting. It needs its own meeting,” said Mayor Jean Robb.
Blue Water is seeking nine variances from the Deerfield Beach Land Development Code to allow the height of the hotel to be 101.3 ft. – instead of the allowed 55 ft.
The property is a 1.91-acre parcel described as Lots 1 through 9 at 1755 SE 3 Court.
A 12,575 sq. ft. restaurant with outdoor seating, dock, pavilion and pedestrian boardwalk has already been approved for Blue Water.
Fire Station land-use change
An ordinance to change the land-use designation for the 2.19-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Hillsboro Boulevard and Federal Highway where Fire Station No. 4 [still labeled as No. 1 on building] sits passed unanimously 4-0 on first reading. (Commissioner Rosenzweig was not in attendance.) The land-use designation is currently “Community Facilities.” Change to a “Commercial” designation is being sought to potentially sell the property for an appraised $2.9 million.
BSO District Fire Chief Richard “Rusty” Sievers said the building is very old. It is the fourth oldest fire station in Broward County. The idea is to relocate and build a new fire station on the property behind the BSO law enforcement substation on NE 2 Street/Eller Street.
“This will improve response time. The majority of calls we get are actually west on Hillsboro Boulevard,” he said, adding that traffic often gets congested at Hillsboro and Federal, making it difficult for public safety vehicles to get out.
Sievers added that there would be a requirement to build the new fire station first, before relocating the firehouse and demolishing the old building on the property.
According to Planning & Development Services Director Amanda Martinez, the land-use plan amendment next goes before both Broward County Planning Council and Broward County Commission for two readings before coming back to Deerfield city commission for second reading and adoption. “The soonest would be April [2016],” she said.
Women in Distress proclamation
President and CEO Mary Riedel and Karen Leikert of Women in Distress
(WID) received a proclamation from Mayor Robb recognizing the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Last year, with the help of funds provided by the City of Deerfield Beach, WID provided 436 residents with $145,273 in services, including emergency shelter, advocacy, counseling and transitional assistance.
WID, which expanded and doubled its capacity at its Deerfield facility in 2011, thanked the commission for their support.
Mayor Robb read a second proclamation, Tuesday night, also declaring October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.