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Developers seek parking reduction for 150‑unit affordable senior housing; commissioners press for EV charging and traffic assurances
Summary
A developer requested a reduction from 305 to 168 parking spaces for a 150‑unit, one‑bedroom, age‑restricted affordable housing project; commissioners and staff discussed parking study methodology, electric vehicle charging, transportation options and environmental/permit constraints.
Town planning staff and a developer on Jan. 29 presented a parking‑reduction request tied to a proposed 150‑unit, age‑restricted affordable housing project near County Line Road and 56th Avenue.
Mike Vahnermullen, the town planning consultant, said the site is 1.6 acres and that the applicant seeks to reduce the town code requirement from 305 parking spaces to 168. Planning staff said the applicant used Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) rates and comparables in its analysis; ITE work cited in the presentation indicated a need of about 150–152 spaces, and the applicant proposed 168 spaces to allow some buffer for visitor parking.
Scarlet Perez, representing the developer (McDowell/McDowell Housing Partners), said the project is all one‑bedroom units, senior‑restricted and affordable; she told the commission the design includes provisions to accommodate future electric‑vehicle charging but that chargers are not being installed now because county or state mandates do not require them and adding chargers increases construction and operating costs. Perez said the project has attracted about $20 million in funding commitments and that the pro forma is tight.
Commissioners pressed for more commitments on EV charging. One commissioner said Wawa had originally planned 10 chargers but later permitted only four, and noted the town currently lacks public charging stations; commissioners and the applicant discussed options to pursue third‑party charging providers.
Other topics raised: the presence of burrowing owls on the site (planning staff said about seven were observed and that relocation/permitting steps will be required because the owls are protected), the project’s proximity to bus stops (developer said it is less than half a mile), and restrictive covenants that will be recorded to guarantee the age and affordability restrictions and the parking covenant tied to the approved site plan. Planning staff said Broward County will verify affordable‑housing eligibility and must issue a certificate before building permits can be released.
The planning and zoning board recommended approval subject to conditions, including tying the reduction to the approved site plan and recording the required restrictive covenants. The town’s traffic consultant and the applicant were present to answer commissioner questions about trip generation and traffic impacts.
