Resolution 622-1999
RESOLUTION # 622 -1999
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A RESOLUTION REQUESTING DELETION OF
SECTION 163.3187 (1)(c)1.e., FLORIDA STATUTES
TO ALLOW FOR THE SUBMITTAL OF SMALL AREA
AMENDMENTS TO MONROE COUNTY'S FUTURE
LAND USE MAP MORE THAN TWICE A YEAR TO
HELP FAST TRACK POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE
HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
WHEREAS, Monroe County has been an Area of Critical State Concern for
over 15 years; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is a geographically unique and impacted area that
is dependent on bridges and causeways for connection to the mainland and is subject to
growth restrictions relating to hurricane evacuation requirements; and
WHEREAS, maintaining a minimum hurricane evacuation time for the County is
the foundation for Monroe County's Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) that limits the
number of new residential dwelling units that can be built on an annual basis - currently
only 182 new residential dwelling units may be permitted per year county-wide; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is an environmentally sensitive region that is home
to numerous protected and endangered species of flora and fauna; and
WHEREAS, there are very few areas in Monroe County appropriately zoned to
accommodate moderate to high density housing developments, due to caps on density
imposed by the State; and
WHEREAS, due to Monroe County's vulnerability to hurricane and tropical
storm damage, the County has one of the State's most restrictive building codes, which in
turn greatly increases the cost of building homes in the County; and
WHEREAS, recent affordable housing initiatives, such as those proposed by the
Monroe County Affordable Housing Joint Task Force and the Blue Ribbon Committee on
Affordable Housing warrant changes to State law and policies governing the funding of
affordable housing developments; and
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #5: Small Area Re-zonings
Page 1 of 5
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W~EREAS, the following factors increase the costs and limit the supply of
affqrdable housing in Monroe County:
· Highest Median Housing Cost in Florida;
· Highest Cost of Living Index in Florida, for over 15 years;
· Highest Construction Costs in Florida, due to distance from suppliers, limited
supply of contractors and extensive regulatory requirements;
· Highest land costs in Florida, due to a limited amount of buildable land;
· Lack of existing housing stock, that could be converted to affordable housing;
· Second homes take a significant proportion of available land and building permits
and artificially inflate land values; and
WHEREAS, the following factors increase the demand for affordable housing in
Monroe County:
· Highest cost of living in Florida, for over 15 years Monroe County has ranked as
most expensive area to live in Florida according to the State of Florida Price Level
Index;
· Scarcity of well paying jobs due to a tourist based economy;
· Desirable place to live, so each year there is a large influx of new residents
competing for available housing;
· Demandfor housing is so high, that many people live in crowded conditions, and/or
sub-standard housing, such as dilapidated mobile homes and live-aboard boats; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Year 2010 Comprehensive Plan (2010 Plan)
recognizes affordable housing as an important issue facing Monroe County and its
residents; and
WHEREAS, Goal 601 of the 2010 Plan directs the County to provide programs
and policies that facilitate access by all residents to adequate and affordable housing that
is safe, decent and structurally sound; and
WHEREAS, Policy 101.2.4 of the 2010 Plan directs the County to allocate
twenty percent (20 %) of residential (non-transient) growth to affordable housing units as
part of the residential ROGO allocation system; and
WHEREAS, the ratio of affordable to market rate housing detailed
in Policy 101.2.4 2010 Plan has not been achieved; and
WHEREAS, Objective 601.2 of the 2010 Plan requires Monroe County to
encourage housing of various types, sizes and price ranges to meet the needs of residents;
and
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #5: Small Area Re-zonings
Page 2 of 5
WHEREAS, the high demand for housing in Monroe County and the limited
suppiy of both existing units and building rights for future units make affordable housing
too expensive to build in Monroe County unless adequate State subsidies are received;
and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is designated by the US Department of Housing
and Urban Development as a Difficult to Develop Area; and
WHEREAS, existing State affordable housing funding programs do not
recognize the unique circumstances preventing the development of affordable housing in
Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, changes to State affordable housing funding programs and rules
including those of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation are necessary to ensure that
Monroe County is eligible for its fair share of State affordable housing funding
programs; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County could lose hundreds of affordable housing units
due to the enforcement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)
mandate to remove below base flood enclosures; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County anticipates entering into an agreement with the
Department of Community Affairs, whereby the County will be given ROGO credit for
units lost by the removal of below base flood enclosures; and
WHEREAS, at the November 10, 1999, Board of County Commissioners
(BaCC) meeting in Key Largo, the Board directed staff to proceed with an affordable
housing building strategy for BaCC review and approval so that construction of these
replacement units may be built as quickly as possible; and
WHEREAS, a 1999 study by the Monroe County Planning Department found
only eight vacant sites in unincorporated Monroe County appropriately designated on the
County's Future Land Use Map and zoning map to accommodate moderate to high
density affordable housing developments; and
WHEREAS, in the absence of enough appropriately designated land to
accommodate moderate to high density affordable housing developments, amendments to
the County's Future Land Use and zoning maps are required to provide more affordable
housing opportunities in Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, currently under Florida Statutes 163. 3184(1)(c)1.e., Monroe
County is restricted from submitting more than two sets of proposed amendments to its
Future Land Use Map per year; and
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #5: Small Area Re-zonings
Page 3 of5
WHEREAS, affordable housing re-zonings in Monroe County can take over two
years, since they usually require changes in both the Future Land Use and zoning maps;
and
WHEREAS, high land costs and government extractions prevent most potential
developers of affordable housing from holding parcels for two years as they wait for it to
be rezoned, which greatly impedes the building of affordable housing in Monroe County;
and
WHEREAS, areas that are not designated Areas of Critical State Concern can
submit potential small scale amendments to the Future Land Use Map to the Department
of Community Affairs (DCA) at any time, so they have the advantage of being able to
fast track small scale re-zonings that meet the requirements on their Comprehensive
Plans; and
WHEREAS, deletion of subsection e. of Florida Statutes 163.3184(1) (c) 1.,
would enable Monroe County to submit potential small scale map amendments to the
Department of Community Affairs at any time, thereby enabling the County to also fast
track small scale re-zonings that meet its Comprehensive Plan requirements; and
WHEREAS, this amendment would only apply to small area re-zonings of less
than 10 acres; and
WHEREAS, only those potential small scale re-zonings that meet all of the
requirements of the Monroe County Code and the 2010 Plan, including all applicable
environmental regulations, would be submitted to the DCA;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1.
Monroe County requests that Florida Statutes 163.3 184(1)(c) 1. e., be
deleted as presented below:
Section 2.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or provision of this
Resolution is held invalid, the remainder of this resolution shall not be
affected by such invalidity.
Section 3.
All Resolutions or parts of Ordinances in conflict with this Resolution are
hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict.
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #5: Small Area Re-zonings
Page 4 of5
Section 4.
The Director of Monroe County's Growth Management Division is hereby
directed to forward this Resolution to State Senator Daryl Jones and State
Representative Ken Sorensen so that they may seek legislative action and
State agency (i.e. the Florida Housing Finance Corporation et al.) program
and rule amendments to implement this Resolution.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a meeting ofthe Board held on the ~ day of December , A.D.,
1999.
Mayor Shirley Freeman
Mayor Pro Tern George Neugent
Commissioner Wilhelmina Harvey
Commissioner Mary Kay Reich
Commissioner Nora Williams
Yes
VP,Q
Yes
Yes
Yes
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~: > ':.>;~ANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
Affordable Housing State Changes Resolution #5: Small Area Re-zonings
Page 5 of 5