NEW ARTICLE!! No Money No Problems
Once again, a big thank you to all those who have shown their support and actively participated in this crucial dialogue with us. I know we have been silent for a while but that is due to us being very busy on productive and hopefully inspiring projects. Since our last article we’ve also developed a cutting-edge product named MisterOG and introduced an E-Commerce website along with a local warehouse and showroom.
I can finally and confidently announce that I have completely abandoned the parking garage at the old Yen Yen, no bait and switch here. After careful consideration and recent approvals, we have decided to move forward with a more community-minded project, the Destination Downtown Food & Brew Hall. Our other project called Wave Haven has also recently gotten approvals. We hope to break ground on both projects simultaneously this summer. For those of you who are not familiar with these projects you can scan the QR code below to see the plans and renderings on our website.
We are confident that both projects will make a long-term impact and be part of establishing the direction for future development. They are designed to be tasteful, contemporary, and community oriented, catering to residents, tourists, and to support local businesses. The goal is to create a welcoming environment that attracts people to come and enjoy Cocoa Beach. We support the integration of beautiful architectural designs, which I see as a blend of art and the historical charm of Cocoa Beach.
Recently, there have been issues between our mayor and the county on the financial responsibilities of the city vs county/TDC. While I will refrain from taking sides, I will say I understand why there is a conflict and will keep my opinion and comments for another day. Given that the prementioned issue stems from finances, it does make me question why we aren’t looking for and investing time in other stable sources of revenue. My grandma had a saying… “If a problem can be solved with money, then it’s not a problem, all you need to do is find the source of the money.” One resource available to the city, which is clearly underutilized, is the revenue generated from new construction or redevelopment projects. Developers are responsible for various fees when obtaining building and site permits, review fees, permit fees, impact fees and other related
expenses.
Development = Fees
Fees = More local government money
More local government money = Salaries and
money for things like lifeguards, police, fire utility
and road upgrades etc.…
According to our last survey. 56% of you agree with building four stories or more, and 62% of people who took our poll believe we should have more residential buildings built versus transient buildings. Yet, the development in Cocoa Beach is stagnant.
When Cocoa Beach implemented a 45-ft building height restriction to the tallest occupied floor, I believe their aim was to permit 4-story buildings, as indicated by the survey.
By today’s standards with 10-ft ceilings, four stories are not possible. A quick math lesson… 10-ft ceilings + 2-ft minimum for duct work, electrical lines and fire sprinklers and another 1-ft minimum for the above floor slab = 52 ft minimum not including unoccupied elements. In my opinion, the recent approval of Driftwood where the city allowed transient density for multi-family residential use, signals that the city and its residents recognize the problem. So, I ask you, why would the city approve more residential density through a transient density and special approval process with a conditional short-term rental exclusion? Isn’t it possible to increase density in the code to accommodate more multi-family units instead of solely relying
on case-by-case City Council approval?
It should be noted transient density is not the approval needed for short-term rentals as short-term rentals are allowed throughout the city unless restricted by a HOA. Transient density is typically used for hotel/motel developments. Picture a scenario where developers are incentivized to construct additional condos; in such a situation, they might do so. Consequently, the HOA could potentially impose limitations on short-term rentals, a move that could alleviate the concerns of numerous residents.
If we could work together to define a clearer path of what we do want instead of what we don’t, then maybe we will get more quality development in Cocoa Beach. With this change, the financial responsibility and burden of supporting our city would shift from the community to focus more on developments and their developers. Let’s remember the employment opportunities and tax implications linked to these developments. Our politicians come and go. Our infrastructure and standard of living need to stand the test of time for generations to come. Let’s work together to plan for it accordingly.
~Mosh
