Townhomes approved by city commission

By Katina Caraganis New Pelican Writer Wilton Manors -

City commissioners again voiced their support for the proposed townhome development known as the Lennar Project located on the old church property at the southeast corner of Northeast 15 Avenue and Northeast 26 Street.

The developer was asking for the adoption of a number of resolutions, including the allocation of 50 flex units, a plat approval, a declaration of restrictive covenants document, and a developer’s agreement with the applicant. The commission approved all the resolutions.

The development consists of 50 two and three-story townhouse units, a private dog park, individual garages attached to all of the units, third floor terraces with outdoor kitchens, third floor play rooms with half bathrooms, and landscaping. Each unit is proposed to have at least three bedrooms, with a minimum of 10 units with an optional fourth bedroom. The square footage ranges from 1,485 square feet to 2,382 square feet.

The developer was before the commission in May requesting thatthe property be rezoned from Community Facilities (CF) and Residential (RS-5) to Planned Unit Development (PUD-R).

The Development Review Committee previously approved the project, as did Planning and Zoning, with the following conditions: Add a sidewalk entry to 15th Avenue, near the water retention pond, add landscaping along the exterior of the wall facing the condominiums, work with staff to improve safety at the intersection of 16 Avenue and 25 Street.

It is anticipated that building permit fees and impact fees will be approximately $420,000.

While the project received approval from the commission, some members of the public also voiced support for the project.

Among them was former mayor John Fiore. “We welcome this development to our neighborhood

After all the other proposals, we feel this is a tremendous asset to our community. The fact that these will be for sale and they’re not going to be cheap, it’s going to bring wealthy people into our community and enhance our tax base. We’re excited and can’t wait for them to break ground.”

Realtor Mike Sansevero also voiced his approval. “As a resident who lives closer to the property and as a realtor with an appreciation for these types of properties in this city and other cities, I’m one hundred percent in support of this. I love the design. I thank the city commission for picking the right development for that site.”