This item furthers County Commission Value G: Offering sustainable, compatible, innovative housing options for all income-levels, including integrated, permanent supportive housing, Goal 2, by increasing the availability of affordable housing of all types, countywide, in every community using effective, uniform criteria, policies and strategies.
On August 14, 2018, the Office of the County Attorney was directed to draft an ordinance amending Chapter 39 of the Broward County Code of Ordinances ("Zoning Code"), Sections 39-635 and 39-636, to eliminate the requirement that new single-family and duplex residential dwelling units in the BMSD be constructed with barrel or s-tile roofing. The purpose of the amendment was to reduce housing construction costs by allowing for similarly high quality and aesthetically appealing alternative roofing materials to be used.
Subsequent to the direction from the Board of County Commissioners, staff from the Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department requested that Section 39-637 of the Zoning Code, which addresses assisted living facilities ("ALFs") within the Roosevelt Gardens neighborhood, be similarly amended to remove the requirement for barrel or s-tile roofing materials. Staff's rationale is that ALFs may qualify for Low Income Housing Tax Credits and can be run as public housing. In such cases, the material costs would impact project costs in a similar way as on a duplex unit. Further, if the proposed amendment were enacted without this additional change, ALFs would be the only residential use within Roosevelt Gardens that would be required to have barrel or s-tile roofing materials.
The Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department, as the local planning agency for the elements of the Broward County Comprehensive Plan for the unincorporated area, held its public hearing on November 1, 2018, and made a recommended finding that the Ordinance is consistent with the adopted Broward County Comprehensive Plan.
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