Palm Bay road projects and a major development dominated a contentious Council meeting, resulting in the Lotis mega-project's 120-day pause due to concurrency and public safety concerns.
The key fact is that Palm Bay’s impact fees are set at the highest level permitted under Florida law.
The city is not holding back or giving developers an easy ride. Instead, Palm Bay is charging the maximum fees allowed and is following the state’s strict schedules for any increases. Local governments in Florida have no authority to go beyond these limits, and every adjustment to impact fees, including how they are spent, is tightly regulated.
This means Palm Bay is doing everything possible, within the law, to ensure developers pay their share related to new growth and infrastructure needs.
Great summary. Thanks. At least it's logical that some residents blame growth for traffic impediments, crowded schools and other alleged growing pains. (Although I'd assert that the City has mismanaged growth and hasn't followed former Councilman Baily's admonitions to make growth pay for it self. Instead it looks like the City bureaucracy has used it as a excuse for even more construction (city utility expansion to legacy areas, and new Fire Stations for starters) . What doesn't follow logic IMO is how everybody is a expert on "Storage Units". The usual Bayside Lakes suspects trot out the same old talking points against them. Some examples: 'We don't need more storage units' This wreaks of I have access to a storage unit so everyone else be damned. How do they know what the demand is for storage? I can tell you from experience in a non HOA neighborhood, the City has a onerous code of ordinances restricting the size of detached buildings on your property, as well as limiting parking in your own driveway. If cars have to occupy the garage, and there's no additional storage on your property for the additional stuff your entourage brought down from up North, you NEED a solution. Obviously the regs are even MORE onerous in a HOA like Bayside Lakes. Where are the residents putting all of their stuff? Are the entities that develop these storage units stupid and are simply building excess storage capacity with their $$ that nobody needs? (I doubt it) . 'They lower our property values'. I call BS on that one, I'm not aware of anyone's prop value declining since the great recession of ~2010. (even most condemned property is worth more). I just was in Bayside Lakes last week and saw 2 storage units. They were away from the road, somewhat camouflaged you wouldn't know what they were unless you looked very closely. I saw nobody driving in or out while I was in the area (which counters the 'we don't want the xtra traffic' argument.) I'm surprised none of those wimps on the Council didn't use this as a "teaching moment" for their constituents. Someday, they are going to PO the wrong housewife that's tired of tripping over her Mother-in-Law's stuff and they'll get a embarrassing ear full. I got no problem forcing a Construction halt on Sunday (this is nothing new, it was done decades ago up north under "Blue Laws"). Lets just remember that may be clipping somebody's overtime . It also wasn't clear to me what the parameters are, I get that would prohibit breaking ground for a home addition, would it also prevent me from replacing my kitchen floor on Sunday? Only Mr Langevin denoted a religious connotation (with his comment about Church attendance). I guess everyone else thought it was for a new quiet period.
Yay!! Good stop the building, we don’t need anymore houses apartments businesses etc they already ruined this city. Knocking down trees and developing free spaces is not good!!
So, it seems to me IMO impact fees then are nowhere near the amount they need to be if the city cannot provide the infrastructure, it has now and needs to update ], Let alone keep adding development after development ad nauseam and leaving the costs associated with more infrastructure (police, Fire, Roads, water, sewer , traffic etc.} on the backs of the taxpayers just to benefit a few developers, between all the scatter lots being built on and developing it is too much too fast and seemingly without forethought,
EXACTY!! We need more commercial/industrial to ease the pain of the homeowners!! But, no! The residential developers take precedent. Easier. And our taxes go up and up and up... not to mention the insurance crisis! Plus, more and more multi-family, which draws less per family than single dwellings and stresses our already maxed out resources! However, the People of Palm Bay voted for it!! Instead of change, they voted incumbent and name recognition (those who had the funds to plaster their faces everywhere, connected to development!!) DO YOUR RESEARCH, PEOPLE!! FOLLOW THE MONEY!!
The key fact is that Palm Bay’s impact fees are set at the highest level permitted under Florida law.
The city is not holding back or giving developers an easy ride. Instead, Palm Bay is charging the maximum fees allowed and is following the state’s strict schedules for any increases. Local governments in Florida have no authority to go beyond these limits, and every adjustment to impact fees, including how they are spent, is tightly regulated.
This means Palm Bay is doing everything possible, within the law, to ensure developers pay their share related to new growth and infrastructure needs.
Ty for that explanation. However, too little too late! From my understanding, Palm Bay neglected to collect these for years and here we are!! I don't understand the focus on residential when we need a tax base other than homeowners!!! Focus needs to shift to industrial/commercial to ease the burden on homeowners and create a more sustainable city. Residential is easy and quick money. That's not what we need!!
So the developer requested a pause to address internal issues then a council member jumps up and dresses down the developer making it seem like our council has demanded and received a continuation on this project for the safety of us. That’s rich. I’m sure council cares about our safety. That’s a fact, but it appears they care more about that $15,000 a home they get that is built here in Palm Bay. Saying hey, you got five minutes to stop that only means they have five more minutes to do that. It’s not just here. It’s national,regional and local. All politics are just kind of messed up right now and they were with the last guy too, so let’s not kid ourselves. There’s my two cents.
The key fact is that Palm Bay’s impact fees are set at the highest level permitted under Florida law.
The city is not holding back or giving developers an easy ride. Instead, Palm Bay is charging the maximum fees allowed and is following the state’s strict schedules for any increases. Local governments in Florida have no authority to go beyond these limits, and every adjustment to impact fees, including how they are spent, is tightly regulated.
This means Palm Bay is doing everything possible, within the law, to ensure developers pay their share related to new growth and infrastructure needs.
BTW, what ever happened to the DOGE Boys??
Great summary. Thanks. At least it's logical that some residents blame growth for traffic impediments, crowded schools and other alleged growing pains. (Although I'd assert that the City has mismanaged growth and hasn't followed former Councilman Baily's admonitions to make growth pay for it self. Instead it looks like the City bureaucracy has used it as a excuse for even more construction (city utility expansion to legacy areas, and new Fire Stations for starters) . What doesn't follow logic IMO is how everybody is a expert on "Storage Units". The usual Bayside Lakes suspects trot out the same old talking points against them. Some examples: 'We don't need more storage units' This wreaks of I have access to a storage unit so everyone else be damned. How do they know what the demand is for storage? I can tell you from experience in a non HOA neighborhood, the City has a onerous code of ordinances restricting the size of detached buildings on your property, as well as limiting parking in your own driveway. If cars have to occupy the garage, and there's no additional storage on your property for the additional stuff your entourage brought down from up North, you NEED a solution. Obviously the regs are even MORE onerous in a HOA like Bayside Lakes. Where are the residents putting all of their stuff? Are the entities that develop these storage units stupid and are simply building excess storage capacity with their $$ that nobody needs? (I doubt it) . 'They lower our property values'. I call BS on that one, I'm not aware of anyone's prop value declining since the great recession of ~2010. (even most condemned property is worth more). I just was in Bayside Lakes last week and saw 2 storage units. They were away from the road, somewhat camouflaged you wouldn't know what they were unless you looked very closely. I saw nobody driving in or out while I was in the area (which counters the 'we don't want the xtra traffic' argument.) I'm surprised none of those wimps on the Council didn't use this as a "teaching moment" for their constituents. Someday, they are going to PO the wrong housewife that's tired of tripping over her Mother-in-Law's stuff and they'll get a embarrassing ear full. I got no problem forcing a Construction halt on Sunday (this is nothing new, it was done decades ago up north under "Blue Laws"). Lets just remember that may be clipping somebody's overtime . It also wasn't clear to me what the parameters are, I get that would prohibit breaking ground for a home addition, would it also prevent me from replacing my kitchen floor on Sunday? Only Mr Langevin denoted a religious connotation (with his comment about Church attendance). I guess everyone else thought it was for a new quiet period.
Yay!! Good stop the building, we don’t need anymore houses apartments businesses etc they already ruined this city. Knocking down trees and developing free spaces is not good!!
So, it seems to me IMO impact fees then are nowhere near the amount they need to be if the city cannot provide the infrastructure, it has now and needs to update ], Let alone keep adding development after development ad nauseam and leaving the costs associated with more infrastructure (police, Fire, Roads, water, sewer , traffic etc.} on the backs of the taxpayers just to benefit a few developers, between all the scatter lots being built on and developing it is too much too fast and seemingly without forethought,
EXACTY!! We need more commercial/industrial to ease the pain of the homeowners!! But, no! The residential developers take precedent. Easier. And our taxes go up and up and up... not to mention the insurance crisis! Plus, more and more multi-family, which draws less per family than single dwellings and stresses our already maxed out resources! However, the People of Palm Bay voted for it!! Instead of change, they voted incumbent and name recognition (those who had the funds to plaster their faces everywhere, connected to development!!) DO YOUR RESEARCH, PEOPLE!! FOLLOW THE MONEY!!
The key fact is that Palm Bay’s impact fees are set at the highest level permitted under Florida law.
The city is not holding back or giving developers an easy ride. Instead, Palm Bay is charging the maximum fees allowed and is following the state’s strict schedules for any increases. Local governments in Florida have no authority to go beyond these limits, and every adjustment to impact fees, including how they are spent, is tightly regulated.
This means Palm Bay is doing everything possible, within the law, to ensure developers pay their share related to new growth and infrastructure needs.
Ty for that explanation. However, too little too late! From my understanding, Palm Bay neglected to collect these for years and here we are!! I don't understand the focus on residential when we need a tax base other than homeowners!!! Focus needs to shift to industrial/commercial to ease the burden on homeowners and create a more sustainable city. Residential is easy and quick money. That's not what we need!!
So the developer requested a pause to address internal issues then a council member jumps up and dresses down the developer making it seem like our council has demanded and received a continuation on this project for the safety of us. That’s rich. I’m sure council cares about our safety. That’s a fact, but it appears they care more about that $15,000 a home they get that is built here in Palm Bay. Saying hey, you got five minutes to stop that only means they have five more minutes to do that. It’s not just here. It’s national,regional and local. All politics are just kind of messed up right now and they were with the last guy too, so let’s not kid ourselves. There’s my two cents.