Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

Notice of Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Meeting City Hall, Council Chambers 400 NW 73rd Ave Plantation, Florida 33317 August 7, 2025 – 4:30 PM CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chair Michael Dutko Jr. at 4:32 p.m. Roll call was conducted by the Clerk. A quorum was present. Present: Jon Auerbach, Carl Buehler, Toshia R. Drummond (arrived late), Chair Michael Dutko Jr., Mitchell Rosenstein, Mayor Sortal, and Vice Chair Maggie Zalamea Absent: Robbi Auerbach, Edwin Cordova Also Present: Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development (PZED) Assistant Director Michael Alpert; City Attorney Paul Hernandez APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES July 10, 2025 Meeting Minutes Mitchell Rosenstein moved to approve the July 10, 2025, minutes as presented, seconded by Carl Buehler. Motion passed: 6-0. NEW BUSINESS 1. Agustina Sklar /League of Women Voters (Present) Agustina Sklar, a board member of the League of Women Voters, announced an upcoming workshop on affordable housing and homelessness to be held on September 6th from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the West Regional Library. She explained that the workshop would include presentations and breakout sessions addressing affordable housing and homelessness issues on a regional scale, covering Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. Ms. Sklar emphasized the importance of discussing affordable housing and homelessness in tandem, as the issues are closely connected. She noted that the crisis is worsening and recent HUD funding cuts at the Federal level are expected to exacerbate the situation. She mentioned that County Commissioner Nan Rich would be attending, along with representatives from Broward County, and officials from Miami- Dade County.

Ms. Sklar distributed flyers for the event and requested support from the Board in promoting the workshop within their networks. The registration fee is $20 per person, with a potential discount for group registrations. Mayor Sortal offered to cover registration fees for Board members wishing to attend and instructed interested members to contact him or Michael Alpert by the registration deadline of August 15th. AHAC members inquired whether certain organizations would be represented at the workshop, including Broward Partnership with the Homeless and law enforcement. Ms. Sklar welcomed these connections and invited Board members to share contact information for these organizations. 2. Green Mills Senior Housing Project/County Density Bonus Mitchell Rosenstein provided an update on the Green Mills Senior Housing Project. The company has acquired a 0.8-acre property on US-441 adjacent to O'Reilly's Auto Shop and is working with City Staff from both Planning and CRA Departments to develop affordable senior housing. The project will include 90 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units for seniors, with all units capped at 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). Mr. Rosenstein presented a site plan showing a narrowly configured building with two points of ingress/egress from US-441 and access from a side street between the property and O'Reilly's. The development will include a two-story parking garage with residential units stacked above, reaching the 75-foot height limit. Mr. Rosenstein explained that most units will be priced at 60% AMI ($1,296 per month for a one- bedroom), with some units at 80% AMI ($1,729 per month) and approximately 15% of units at 30% AMI for extremely low-income seniors. He emphasized that affordable housing is defined as housing that costs no more than 30% of a household's gross income, including utilities. The project is targeting seniors aged 62 and older, though the team is still considering whether to use the 55+ or 62+ age threshold as defined by Florida Statutes. Mr. Rosenstein explained that the development achieved its density through two pathways: the City's Gateway CRA corridor provisions (which allow for parking reductions and greater height) and Broward County's bonus density program for affordable housing. Mr. Rosenstein noted that the parking ratio would be approximately 0.65 spaces per unit (about 60 spaces), which is based on experience showing that senior affordable housing typically requires between 0.5 and 0.75 spaces per unit. He indicated that with the pending approval of the City's new parking and zoning ordinance, the project would not require waivers. Michael Alpert clarified that the parking and zoning ordinance has passed First Reading at the City Council and will go to second reading on August 27th. The new ordinance eliminates parking minimums for the Gateway District, but requires parking studies to justify proposed parking ratios. Board members discussed the project's efficient stacking design and the potential for prefabricated construction in future developments. Mr. Rosenstein agreed that prefab methods could help address rising construction costs but noted that industry resistance to new technologies remains a challenge.

3. Sarasota Housing Action Plan Summary Please review the action plan for discussion in September. Michael Alpert briefly mentioned that the Sarasota Housing Action Plan was included in the meeting backup materials for Board Members to review. He noted that the Florida Housing Coalition had provided the plan as an example, as Sarasota County and City are considered progressive in their housing policies. Mr. Alpert suggested that Board members review the document for further discussion at the September meeting, which perhaps may provide us with ideas on how to better implement construction and educate the public. OTHER BUSINESS/DISCUSSIONS\ The Chair asked for an update on the initiative to preapprove architects for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Michael Alpert agreed to provide a comprehensive update at the September meeting, noting that a proposal had been received from an architect who had previously presented to the Board, but a fair procurement process would need to be followed. Mr. Alpert reported that while there is interest in ADUs among residents, fewer than ten projects are currently in motion. He mentioned that the City's zoning ordinance has been modified to reduce rear setback requirements for ADUs from 15-25 feet (depending on the district), creating more usable space for potential ADU development. Board members discussed the potential for creating a map to identify residential parcels suitable for ADU development, as well as strategies to reduce costs associated with ADU development, including engineering reports and permit fees. Mr. Alpert committed to addressing these topics at the next meeting. Board member Carl Buehler expressed concern about the City's policy of cutting down trees, which he believes impacts affordable housing by increasing temperatures and insurance rates. He noted that Plantation has historically had lower temperatures due to its tree canopy and removing trees could have negative environmental and economic effects. PUBLIC COMMENTS Cathy Bowers from Plantation Club Condos expressed support for the affordable senior housing project and emphasized the importance of educating residents about financial planning to meet qualification requirements for such housing. Vice Chair Maggie Zalamea mentioned an upcoming town hall meeting on November 6th focused on affordable housing and its intersection with transportation and healthcare, particularly for seniors.

Michael Alpert indicated that more information would be provided at the September AHAC meeting once the guest speakers are confirmed. Plantation resident Maude King-Bruce suggested the Committee should engage with all condominium communities in Plantation, not just Plantation Club, mentioning Kings Point and Lauderdale West as examples of communities with significant voting power. Discussion followed about methods for communicating with these communities, including obtaining contact information for HOA board members and property managers, and using the City's Everbridge notification system. Lourdes Guzman, who works for RATE (a Chicago-based company), requested information about affordable housing programs available in Plantation. She explained that her company is trying to understand what programs exist in various cities to help families who cannot afford housing despite having two incomes. Board members suggested she connect with Michael Alpert, who would introduce her to appropriate Staff members, and recommended she consider joining the Broward Affordable Housing Task Force (BAHTF). ADJOURNMENT 5:34 PM