Hallandale Beach approves special assessment for 3 Islands traffic-calming, despite widespread resident opposition

The Hallandale Beach City Commission on June 18 voted to confirm a special-assessment program for the 3 Islands neighborhood and authorized related financing, approving an ordinance and a bond-authorization resolution by 4–1 votes.

The measures fund a package of road, drainage, lighting and landscaping work for the 3 Islands assessment area and authorize issuance of a special-assessment revenue note not to exceed $3,000,700. The commission vote on both the final assessment ordinance and the financing resolution was 4–1, with Commissioner Adams recorded as the lone No.

Finance director Giovanni Nesti told the commission the project budget is roughly $4.6 million, including an estimated $4.0 million in construction costs for new milling and resurfacing, curbs and gutters, crosswalks and speed tables; LED street-light conversions; guardhouse and gate upgrades; speed feedback signs; bioswales and irrigation retrofits; and landscaping and new sidewalks. Nesti said a $1.1 million contribution from the city and about $1.5 million previously accrued in the district’s reserves reduce the amount to be assessed across property owners.

Nesti said the assessment roll will cover about 4,113 parcels in the 3 Islands area, excluding roughly 64 parcels that do not pay property tax and will be treated as exempt for assessment-calculation purposes. He described two payment options for property owners: a prepaid payoff amount and a five-year installment. In the hearing Nesti corrected an earlier figure and stated the net base assessment used for mailed notices was $8,861.86 per parcel (net of contributions), and that a five-year installment option was estimated at about $193.60 per year plus collection charges and an estimated county collection fee, which could raise the annual first-year billed amount to roughly $208.17 when county billing is used.

The commission also approved a bond-authorization resolution to allow the city to validate the assessment and to provide flexibility to borrow if necessary; the resolution authorizes the city to issue a limited-obligation special-assessment revenue note to finance or reimburse the improvements, payable only from the special assessments.

The decision followed a public hearing during which 14 people spoke. Most speakers — many condominium residents and building board members from Olympus, Ocean View Towers and other properties in 3 Islands — urged the commission to table or reject the assessment. Common concerns included the size of the assessment for condominium owners and seniors on fixed incomes, the perception that pass-through traffic (to and from Walmart and neighboring jurisdictions) benefits from the improvements without paying, and criticism of existing guardhouses as ineffective. Several speakers warned of legal challenges and said the assessment would force owners to sell or move.

Residents who opposed the measure included Steve Rosenberg, who identified himself as president of the Towers of Ocean View East and the Ocean View Master Association, and called the assessment “an abysmal admission of the waste of taxpayer money” and urged commissioners to find another funding approach. Bert Gorman and other speakers said many residents are seniors on fixed incomes and cannot afford another assessment. Several speakers also urged alternatives such as tolling cut-through traffic or limiting the scope to basic road repairs.

Not all public comments opposed the plan. Stuart Raven, a 3 Islands resident, said he supports guardhouse enhancements and traffic calming and described the measures as necessary for safety. Dean Frank said vehicle speeds have become “dangerous” in parts of 3 Islands and said he was willing to pay to reduce a safety risk.

City staff said notices required by law were mailed May 29 and the city will send invoices for the first year of the assessment in November 2025; thereafter the remaining installments are planned to appear on the Broward County tax roll. Staff said outside counsel will run a validation proceeding in circuit court and the procurement steps for construction will begin after financing and assessment confirmation.

Commissioners acknowledged the volume of resident concern and several said the district’s advisory board had been discussing improvements for years. Mayor Joy Cooper and others noted the project was part of a long-running plan that predates the pandemic and that the city had deferred some work while completing underground utility and lift-station upgrades. Commissioner Butler and others emphasized the safety aspects of the design: raised LED street lighting, redesigned cross sections with bulb-outs and bioswales, added crosswalks and targeted speed humps, and measures intended to reduce cut-through traffic.

The commission’s two formal actions on the item were recorded as follows: the final assessment ordinance (second-reading confirmation of assessments) passed 4–1; the bond-authorization resolution that enables issuance of the special-assessment note also passed 4–1. Commissioners who voted Yes on both items were Butler, Lazaro, Lee Matau and Mayor Joy Cooper; Commissioner Adams voted No on both.

The commission instructed staff to finalize mailed invoices, pursue validation with outside counsel, begin procurement for construction and coordinate the transition to Broward County tax-collector billing for subsequent years. Staff also said the city intends to use existing district reserves and a $1.1 million city contribution budgeted in FY 2026 to reduce per-parcel assessments.

The 3 Islands assessment and financing now move into administrative steps: finalizing the assessment roll and notices, validation in circuit court, procurement for construction, and billing logistics with Broward County. Residents and property owners who want materials the city used for the hearing were told a project web page and the mailed notices contain the engineer’s plans and assessment breakdowns.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance (Final assessment confirmation, item 10A) — approved, 4–1 (No: Commissioner Adams). Resolution (Authorization of City of Hallandale Beach Special Assessment Revenue Note Series 2025 — 3 Islands Improvements) — approved, 4–1 (No: Commissioner Adams).

Ending: Commissioners and staff said they would continue outreach and that mailed notices and the city website would include more detail on the measurements, the assessment calculations and the timetable for invoices and collections. Staff said they will accept documentation for the record via the city clerk’s office and will publish the engineer’s final plans once procurement work begins.