City faces backlash over affordable housing development changes

In a recent government meeting, officials discussed a significant modification to a minor development plan originally approved in 2018 for eight dwelling units, comprising four market rate and four affordable units. The new proposal seeks to replace one of the affordable units with a market rate unit, resulting in a revised distribution of three affordable and five market rate units.

This development is linked to a separate major project at 638 United Street, which received city commission approval last March for four market rate residential units. City planning and legal departments have emphasized that the project at 3228 Flagler must maintain a minimum of four affordable units to comply with the city’s 30% affordable housing requirement, which is crucial for the linkage to the United Street project.

The current request to alter the unit mix is deemed inconsistent with both previous and pending applications for the property, which originally stipulated an equal split of four affordable and four market rate units. The city commission's approval of the linkage project at 638 United included a condition that the planning board must ensure compliance with the affordable housing requirement for 3228 Flagler.

The proposed development includes a two-story structure with off-street parking behind an existing gas station. The design features a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units, with vehicular access from Riviera Street. While the development meets some zoning requirements, it falls short in areas such as impervious surface ratio and parking space allocation, particularly for the market rate units.

Staff noted that if the project is approved with the required four affordable units, it would comply with parking requirements by utilizing the city’s accessory unit infill provisions. However, the proposed shift to five market rate and three affordable units would breach the minimum parking space requirement for market rate units.

Additionally, the landscape plan focuses on enhancing the visual appeal along Riviera Drive, with discussions ongoing between planning staff and the applicant to improve landscaping around the existing gas station, which currently lacks greenery. The outcome of this proposal remains to be seen as it moves through the approval process.