Commission approves land‑use amendment and rezoning for Carolina Club site after tense hearing; developer records restrictive covenant

The City Commission approved changes to the future‑land‑use map and zoning for the former Carolina Club golf course after an hours‑long quasi‑judicial hearing that featured residents, city staff, and the project's attorney debating density, drainage and environmental safeguards.

Matthew Scott, zoning counsel for the applicant, told the commission the proposal — branded Lakes of Carolina — would top out at roughly 540 residential units, commit about 65 acres to lakes and open space, and be bound by a recorded restrictive covenant that, he said, would prevent future owners from building apartments on the site. "If you deny us, you still absolutely have the right to develop all kinds of housing out there," Scott said, arguing that the covenant was the clearest way to lock in the developer's current commitments in light of the state's new infill/redevelopment law (Senate Bill 1434). Scott also said the property would still have to clear environmental permitting and concurrency checks before any building permits were issued.

City staff recommended denial, saying outstanding Development Review Committee (DRC) comments left unresolved questions about concurrency for water, wastewater and drainage. Senior planner Andrew Penny said the DRC had twice requested additional engineering detail and that, without a development agreement, staff had limited evidence to find concurrency. "DRC could not recommend approval," Penny said, adding that unresolved items included detailed drainage analysis and scope of proposed trails and park facilities.

Residents were sharply divided at the public hearing. Speakers from Fairway Estates and Greens neighborhoods stressed concerns about traffic, loss of open space, and contamination from historic golf‑course chemical use. Alan Kopelman of Carolina Club urged locking a covenant into the record and demanded environmental protections for any earthmoving: "Before any grading, clearing, excavating, moving soil, otherwise disturbing the property, the environmental protections need to be in place," he said. Supporters, including representatives of the Carolina master association, said the course has been deteriorating for years and that the developer had negotiated meaningful concessions, including removing apartments from the plan.

During deliberations commissioners questioned both the sufficiency of the developer's submissions and the practical effect of the restrictive covenant. Commissioner Rosano said he remained unconvinced the community had been guaranteed enough protections; Commissioner Schwartz, while expressing reservations, said she would support the land‑use amendment to lock in the covenant rather than risk an administrative approval under the state law. The land‑use amendment passed 4‑1; the rezoning passed 3‑2.

The ordinance adopted by the commission includes conditions added on the record: a total of $250,000 in pre‑permit contributions ($100,000 toward traffic studies/roadway improvements and $150,000 toward parking improvements at Firefighters Park) and a conveyance to the developer of a drainage‑related parcel the city owns (parcel ID 484123151010) tied to resolving drainage and concurrency issues. The city attorney stated the developer's restrictive covenant would be recorded against the property and remain in place unless the commission later approved a change.

Next steps include finalizing the recorded declaration of restrictive covenants, transmitting the land‑use changes to Broward County and the Florida Department of Commerce for recertification, and completion of the site‑planning and permitting process. City staff reiterated that no grading or building permits will be issued until the outstanding DRC engineering and environmental requirements are satisfied.