My position on parking:
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea continues to be the destination in Broward County that everyone enjoys. Over the past 6 years, businesses have come into Town and opened their doors. Over 15 businesses were able to open thanks to the parking exemption program that I led the creation of while on the Planning and Zoning Committee. I worked with Town staff and lobbied the commission to pass the program that has been a great success. We also implemented the ordinance that allowed for paid private parking at locations such as the SunTrust building.
Last year, an expert parking consultant provided the Commission with a study on our parking situation. The result of the study was that
- There is no parking problem
- A parking garage would be a bad financial investment
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea does not have a parking problem; we have momentary parking congestion during peak times. We also have plenty of unused additional parking locations that can be utilized.
I will vote against the purchase of an apartment building for $3million just to tear it down. This property has a 25+ payback and a terrible waste of taxpayer money. My opponent wants to buy this property and said nothing is off the table regarding a parking garage. This could lead to debt and/or higher taxes. The commission is one vote away from buying the apartment building, don’t let the Commission waste $3million dollars.