Council pressing on to secure land

Deck

Two communities are at odds over a proposed park, but the Village Council decided to forge on with plans to acquire the land at issue.

Despite vocal opposition, the Pinecrest Council told a standing-room-only crowd on Tuesday that the village needs more park land and it is eyeing a 4 1/2-acre parcel that is under contract to a luxury-home developer.

Residents who live near the property at 9430 SW 72nd Ave. shook their heads in disapproval. One resident said he preferred a nuclear power plant over a park that would bring noisy kids, glaring lights and “undesirable” people.

Dozens of neighbors urged the council to let Coconut Palms Estates, which already has a $7.1 million contract on the land, build 10 $2 million homes. A small house and grass are on the site now.

“We would be very happy with 10 houses there,” nearby resident Hope Marcus told council members at a meeting.

Juan F. Alban, the developer’s lawyer, said it would like to move forward because plans have been drawn, thousands of dollars spent and the sale is nearly final.

But in the end, the council voted unanimously to seek a land appraisal and attempt negotiations with the developer. If all else fails, it said it will consider taking the property using the government’s powers of eminent domain.

The council also asked village staff to look at ways to pay for the property.

“How are we ever going to develop anything if you as neighbors come up and say, ‘I’m only for it if it’s not in my backyard?’ ” Pinecrest Mayor Gary Matzner asked the crowd of about 150 residents.

One neighbor who sided with the council said the village is running out of land and should jump on the opportunity. Some residents applauded him.

“There are not enough parks in this area,” Steve Silverman said. “This is our last opportunity. We need it. We have to think not just of ourselves, but for the future.”

Some of the most pressing questions residents posed remained unanswered: What will the park be used for? How much will the land cost, and at what cost to the residents?

The council said the village needs to buy the land before uses are defined, though it said there is a need for soccer and lacrosse fields and perhaps a skateboard park.

Matzner struck a nerve with another group of residents when he said he was considering selling a village-owned, two-acre undeveloped property known as Flagler Grove Park, at 7551 SW 104th St., to help offset the costs of buying the controversial 4 1/2-acre property at issue.

But residents who live near Flagler Grove Park, in the Reserve of Pinecrest community, urged the council not to change plans for that facility.

“Ironically enough, when we talked about putting a park there, the owners at Reserve were against it,” Councilman Robert Hingston said.