Multifamily housing OK'd for Okeechobee

The Okeechobee City Council Tuesday gave approval to part of the Southern Trace development.

Bill Brisson, city planner, had previously recommended denial of rezoning for the development at the Planning Board/Board of Adjustments and Appeals stage. At the July 3 meeting, the city planner recommended approval of the multifamily development submitted by Steve Dobbs, of Rudd Jones, P.E. and Associates, P.A., on behalf of the applicant InSite Development, LLC.

Mr. Brisson said the traffic issues have been resolved. While this application has been before the council several times, this part of the process called for the rezoning of 11.29 acres along the west side of Northwest Seventh Avenue and between Northwest 11th and Northwest 13th Streets from residential single family to multifamily.The applicant had previously received the future land use approval change from residential single family to multifamily for this entire development. The entire development encompasses approximately 26 acres located on three blocks from Northwest 11th Street to Northwest 14th Street within Northwest Fifth Avenue and Northwest Third Avenue and on two blocks located between Northwest 11th Street and Northwest 13th Street and Northwest Seventh Avenue and Northwest Fifth Avenue. The site will hold 230 units, as well as required open spaces such as parks and other recreational areas. The project will be developed in two phases consisting of 114 units in the first phase and 116 in the second.

At a previous meeting the developer stated that they "have developed a model in Oconee County, Ga., and another will be opening in Palm Beach County. What it does is provide attainable housing for RNs, medical professionals and teachers." Mary Hinton, a representative for InSite Development, LLC went on to say, "When I called the Okeechobee County School Board their number-one priority was housing that their teachers could afford." "Our hope is to be able to give teachers, nurses, firefighters - whoever needs attainable housing - first shot at them and try to get them in with a rent they can afford with an option to buy if they choose to stay," she added.

This project will now go before the Technical Review Committee for site plan approval.

Posted by Donald Urschalitz P.A. at July 5, 2007 11:19 AM