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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting November 20.2014 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida <br /> no variances, the hotel on its own merits is something of an economic add to the City for the <br /> tourism, etc. If the Newport is any indication as a local competitive hotel which is packed <br /> solid and booked year round, this is going to be a similar experience of traffic, occupation of <br /> hotel rooms, etc. When he ran for office he gave an analogy of what we really want for the <br /> City, he gave an example ofTaromina,our Sister City,who are very happy without having an <br /> infrastructure community social life, and tax dollars being applied to parks and schools. We <br /> decided here to build an infrastructure of a social community and it came back to bite us. <br /> While Commissioner Scholl said everything correctly that everything is in line, and freedom <br /> of property rights and rights to build,etc., he thinks that the interest of the public in large has <br /> to be looked a. To that end, even if the project in his view is in line with everything that the <br /> City requires, it will create an impact to the City's traffic. He is against this project. <br /> Commissioner Gatto said she thinks this project surprised a lot of people because the feelings <br /> that we had knocked down hotels on the east side and built beautiful buildings but it never <br /> occurred to us that the west side would be up for grabs for hotels. This is her district and so <br /> she is really sensitive about this issue, the west side is where we navigate the City, take our <br /> kids to school, go shopping,and she thinks that anything that impacts the use of our streets as <br /> an alternative to Collins should really be looked at and scrutinized because we don't have that <br /> much to work with in terms of getting around the City. We can't drive around on the east <br /> side, you can drive around on the west side now and that is our livelihood and she spent a lot <br /> of time in this district going to Walgreens,and trying to get to Publix around the school hours, <br /> etc. She knows that this is in compliance, she knows that the developer has every right to <br /> build it, he is not asking for variances but she is really nervous about the impact that this is <br /> going to have in the area for not only the traffic but she is also concerned about noise and she <br /> knows there are going to be two pools. The mere fact of a hotel brings an entirely different <br /> dynamic to the area,and she thinks that is the reality of it. She thinks that is what Vice Mayor <br /> Aelion was trying to say, instead of perception we took reality. With that said, she is not <br /> going to support this project. <br /> Commissioner Scholl said the fact is, again, we have a balancing act here. It is very easy for <br /> him to sit up here and agree with his colleagues, that emotionally this is a bad thing. But the <br /> fact is that you also have a responsibility as a judiciary in the City, and as ajudiciary in the <br /> City we set ourselves up for exposure on these types of things when folks come in and follow <br /> the rules that we have. If we don't like the rules, then we need to change them because <br /> ultimately, and Miami just went through this and they did a whole revamping of their zoning <br /> code, the fact is, maybe that is something we should look at,because ultimately folks come in <br /> and make substantial investments and they make those investments with the presumption of <br /> rights that the City provides. We have an audience filled with zoning attorneys who are <br /> shaking their heads with me, and again my political reality would be to vote no because it is <br /> what everybody wants to hear. But we have a responsibility to both sides and we have a <br /> responsibility to protect the City as well. <br /> Mayor Edelcup said that he is on the same page as Commissioner Scholl who said it very <br /> eloquently that this is a as of right project, and the City can be sued. Emotionally you can feel <br /> otherwise but when you are elected to be a public official you can't let your emotions <br /> necessarily rule the difference of what is right and what is wrong. If we would have passed a <br /> different Comprehensive Plan or different Land Development Regulations perhaps there <br /> would be an argument but this is a case where the Land Development Regulations have been <br /> i <br />