Special Planning and Development Board Meeting - May 20, 2025

This special meeting of the Hollywood Planning and Development Board addressed quasi-judicial items (hospital expansion, parking screen modification, carport variance) and legislative items (text amendments and land use plan amendments for flexibility units, Regional Activity Center, Transit Oriented Corridor, and an Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay). The board took votes on variances and forwarded multiple recommendations to the City Commission.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1 and 2 (Hillcrest development) were continued from the May 13 meeting and not discussed.
• Item 6 (fence standards text amendment) was continued unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tamika Neely (1927 Pierce Street, Parkside Civic Association) spoke in favor of walkability improvements in the Regional Activity Center and asked whether plans include sidewalk, bike lane, and crosswalk upgrades as new units are added.
• Alejandro Munoz (1108 South 20th Avenue, Parkside Civic Association) supported the Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay and recommended eliminating parking requirements to let the market define parking needs, citing Plantation's recent move.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 – Hospital Expansion (24-DP-38): South Broward Hospital District proposed an 8-story, 119-foot tower adding 150 beds (totaling 1,013). Staff presented conditions for drainage easement vacation and traffic improvements. Board members praised the hospital and design; board member Crawford noted existing traffic congestion on Johnson Street. The design and site plan were approved unanimously.
• Item 4 – Parking Screen Modification (19-DP-57a): Calta Group sought design review to change the parking garage screen from a large forest image to smaller individual artificial greenery panels alternating with exposed concrete, due to structural issues. Board members expressed preference for the new design. Design approval granted unanimously.
• Item 5 – Carport Variance (25-V-41): An existing carport built without permit at 312 Bougainvilla Terrace required three variances: front setback reduction to zero feet, increased width to 25 feet, and aluminum material instead of canvas. Staff noted the carport amendment (passed by board earlier) would not apply as not yet effective. Board debated rewarding non-permitted construction. Votes: Variance 1 (front setback) approved 5-3 (Pitorelli, Stadlin, Glickman opposed); Variance 2 (width) approved 5-3 (same opponents); Variance 3 (material) approved 8-0.
• Items 7-10 – Legislative Items: Staff presented a series of text amendments and comprehensive plan amendments to increase residential capacity and support affordable housing. Key details:
  • Item 7 (25-T-38): Allocate 1,000 flexibility units to the Regional Activity Center (RAC) to address a deficit of 194 units.
  • Item 8 (25-L-50): Add 8,000 mid-rise and high-rise units to RAC, reducing commercial/office square footage to maintain no net traffic/utility impact.
  • Item 9 (25-L-39): Add 4,379 new units to the Transit Oriented Corridor (TOC)/State Road 7 Activity Center, reducing commercial square footage.
  • Item 10 (25-T-37): Establish Section 4.25 – Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay, allowing bonus density for affordable housing developments west of US 1 (except immediate frontage), with urban design standards, open space requirements, and planned development review. Staff emphasized conformity with Broward County policies.

Key Outcomes

• Item 3: Design and site plan approved unanimously, subject to two staff conditions (drainage easement vacation and traffic improvements per TrafTech recommendations).
• Item 4: Design for parking screen modification approved unanimously.
• Item 5: Variance 1 (front setback to zero feet) and Variance 2 (width to 25 feet) each passed 5-3; Variance 3 (aluminum material) passed 8-0.
• Item 7: Board voted unanimously to recommend approval to City Commission for allocating 1,000 flex units to the RAC.
• Item 8: Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the RAC LUPA (8,000 units) to City Commission, with condition that all outstanding correspondence from technical agencies be submitted prior to first reading.
• Item 9: Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the TOC LUPA (4,379 units) to City Commission, subject to the same correspondence condition.
• Item 10: Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay to City Commission, with two added conditions: (1) developers must provide pedestrian crosswalks adjacent to their development and improve nearby bus stops; (2) staff shall explore allowing terrace-level open spaces as an option in lieu of ground-floor civic space.