By Chip Ross
City Commissioner
Traffic is about to get much worse on South 14th Street.
If the city commission votes at its next meeting to annex 3.47 acres of commercially zoned land just south of Nectarine Street between South 14th Street and South 15th Street, the developer could build up to 130 apartments. If the property remains in the county, only approximately 34 apartments could be built.
The difference results from a law recently enacted by the Florida Legislature: the Live Local Act. Previously, apartments were not allowed to be built on commercial or industrial-zoned land in the city or county. The law now allows a developer to build apartments on any commercial or industrial-zoned land with certain restrictions.
At least 40% of the units must be “affordable.” The rest of the apartments could be rented at market rate. The “affordable” units in both the city and county could be rented for approximately $2,500 per month, which would include taxes, insurance, and utilities.
The law requires that the density allowed must be up to the highest allowable residential density. In the city, the highest density is 34 units per acre (allowed in the Central Business District). In the county, the highest density is only 10 units per acre.
The developer has not revealed what it intends to do with the parcel.
At the Planning Advisory Board meeting and initial presentation to the city commission, the city planning staff failed to provide any analysis of the impact that 130 apartments would have on the surrounding community. Yet the Planning Advisory Board (5-0 vote) and the city commission (4-1 vote) voted to preliminarily approve the annexation.
If you want more traffic on South 14th Street and South 15th Street, do nothing. Don’t attend the city commission meeting on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. and voice your opposition to the annexation. Don’t send an email to the city commissioners voicing your opposition to the annexation.
But if you don’t do anything, do not complain when you are stuck in traffic.
We certainly do not need more traffic on the island, but we definitely need affordable housing. We can’t let our privileged status blind us to the fact that many people that work on the island must travel an hour or more to get here every day. That is time away from their families, more money spent on gas, more pollution in the air, etc. Our elected leaders, mostly Republicans, have no vision for affordable housing, public transportation, or anything that helps the average working person. This possible development, if done well, could help the people who work here and need to live here, too. I am willing to share our island with these folks.
“The developer has not revealed what it intends to do with the parcel.”
If the developer has not stated what they intend to do, you are making wild accusations that could drastically impact what a private property owner can do on their property.
I must be way out of the loop here. I can’t imagine that $2400 is considered ‘affordable’. Isn’t that actually about the going rate for an apartment?
The “affordable” units could be rented for about $2,500/month. A minimum wage worker (currently $12/hour), even working full time, could not afford an “affordable” unit. Further, only 40% of the potentially 130 units (ie, 52 units) would be “affordable.” The remaining 72 units could be rented at market price. Annexing the acreage into the City would allow the developer to very much increase the building density and accompanying traffic along a busy thoroughfare without really helping low wage workers live closer to their jobs.
We definitely need more apartments on the island! A lot of the “affordable” rents are split with two or more people, usually young adults that work on the island. This also alleviates some of the bridge traffic coming from Yulee and beyond. The same arguments were made against developing the apartments now on 14th and Lime and those turned that parcel from a dumping ground to a nice complex. As far as traffic on 14th goes it’s not even going to be noticed….I drop kids at Emma Love then Southside 5 days a week and it’s manageable. Let’s worry more about the intersection at 8th, Sadler and 14th with traffic coming on and off the island.
Affordable needs to be better defined. 28% of monthly income for rent for a minimum wage ($12/hr?) worker (per mortgage standards) would be around $580. Inject some realism into these rent numbers or you’re just faking the intent of calling units affordable. $2,500 is market rate and NOT affordable. Don’t lie to the taxpayers again.
I’m not a landlord or developer. How does this benefit me as a resident? Yeah, it will increase the tax base, but that will be eroded by the need for expanded services. And if this one gets approved, I guess we’ve set the stage to put dense housing on the adjacent tracts between 14th and 15th. Again, please tell me how this is good for residents.