Hollywood residents say zoning changes threaten beach's character
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Residents fear Hollywood Beach will lose its charm. Photo: Naomi Feinstein
Hollywood residents are expected to pack City Hall on Tuesday night to oppose three proposals that could reshape Hollywood Beach.
Why it matters: The city's planning board could pave the way for more high-rise development, potentially changing the barrier island's longtime character.
Driving the news: The board will consider loosening height restrictions on parts of the beach, creating a bonus density program that would allow eligible properties to add hotel rooms and approving the development standards for the controversial 1301 Project.
- The city would create six precincts with different height limits under a five-year beach overlay district.
- In the Hollywood Beach Resort precinct, projects could reach 340 feet and add an additional 150 feet under a historic rehabilitation incentive.
Zoom in: Related Group's 1301 Project, now a Live Local development, would be 30 stories and 375 feet tall with 126 condos and 84 workforce rental units.
- City staff says the requested height is appropriate with the neighboring high-rises.
Catch up quick: The planning board was set to vote on the height and density proposals last month, but the vote was postponed over insufficient notice.
- Residents were still allowed to speak and all opposed the changes.
What they're saying: Clive Taylor, former president of the Hollywood Historical Society, tells Axios that the city commission is slowly undoing the restrictions put in place decades ago to prevent overdevelopment.
- He says he understands that some of the older buildings need to be updated, but that doesn't mean they need to be replaced by skyscrapers for the ultra-wealthy.
- "We have a cute historic beachfront. It's the last one left. We're the last man standing," he says, pointing to Sunny Isles and Hallandale Beach.
- Beyond their historical significance, he notes that the older hotels offer affordable prices for working-class families.
Historic preservationist and artist Sierra Manno says what's being proposed will erode public access and the beach's low-rise character and put further strain on the "environmentally sensitive" barrier island.
- She's concerned the now-shuttered historic Hollywood Beach Resort, which Related Group and BH Group are in talks to redevelop, could be demolished.
- "If the Hollywood Beach hotel, especially with Live Local, gets taller, that's it for the entirety of Hollywood Beach because it's right in the middle," Manno, who runs the Friends of the Hollywood Beach Hotel Instagram account, tells Axios.
- She argues the proposals are being rushed through before the November election.
Yes but: City staff says the changes align with the city's goal to preserve the beach's character while fostering modernization and redevelopment.
What's next: Regardless of Tuesday's vote, the items will go before the City Commission.