Hearing on Bight condo complex to continue next month
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA
Citizen Staff
KEY WEST — Attorneys
squared off in a courtroom-type setting Tuesday in the continuing battle
over a 26-unit condominium complex proposed for the Key West Bight.
The city's Historic
Architectural Review Commission approved the Watermark project last
month. Bight residents Bill Barry and Gary Lichtenstein filed separate
appeals with the city, which were heard Tuesday. The appeals claim that
the project is too massive in scale for the surrounding neighborhood of
old, wooden frame houses and that the floor-area ratio and height exceed
HARC guidelines.
The two sides debated the
issue during an all-day hearing at Old City Hall. The hearing ran longer
than expected and was not completed Tuesday. City officials scheduled a
Dec. 13 follow-up hearing.
It is unclear if the city
Special Magistrate Jefferson Overby will rule right after the December
hearing or review the material presented and rule at a later date. The
City Commission is slated to hold a special meeting on Jan. 12, when
they will either approve or send the project back to the drawing board.
Overby sat through hours
of testimony, which was constantly interrupted by objections from both
sides. Overby also sequestered witnesses outside the hearing room, so
their testimony would not be influenced by the testimony of others.
Opponents of the project
say the project violates HARC's guidelines that limit new buildings to
21/2 stories tall. Attorneys called more than a dozen witnesses,
including several local architects and two HARC members who voted
against the project. All said the project violates HARC guidelines.
The developers' attorney,
Jim Hendrick, said the project does not violate HARC height guidelines
and reminded Overby that previously a taller version of the project with
more units was unanimously approved by HARC. The city Planning Board
kept deferring the project and the developers, called the Caroline
Street Partners, reduced the number of units, records show. The revised
project was sent back to HARC, which approved it on a 3-2 vote.
"In light of what I know
now, I made a mistake," said HARC Chair George Born, who initially voted
in favor of the project, but changed his vote when the project went back
to HARC.
Caroline Street Partners
wants to build 26 condominium units on the site of Jabour's Trailer
Court near Elizabeth and Caroline streets.
tohara@keysnews.com |
