Last Stand’s letter to BOCC on Third Floor in Residential Structures

RE: Agenda Item U6: An Ordinance to Increase the Maximum Height and Number of Stories for Residential Structures

Dear Mayor Lincoln and County Commissioners:

This note contains Last Stand's comments on agenda item U6 for the July 15 BOCC meeting which proposes amendments to the Land Development Code to increase the maximum height for residential structures and to allow more than two floors for all residential structures.

Last Stand opposes allowing more than two floors for residential structures other than deed-restricted multifamily affordable workforce housing.

We are concerned that allowing a third floor for market-rate housing will result in the development of houses with much greater square footage that will be used for vacation rentals, destination venues, and vacation homes. This means houses with more bedrooms and more bathrooms. The result will be more strain on our electricity, water, and wastewater infrastructure and more vehicles on the Overseas Highway. As it is, we are seeing the development throughout the county of enclaves of large houses that take advantage of the gated community exception to short-term vacation rental restrictions and are being marketed for investment due to their potential use as vacation rental or destination venue properties. Under the proposed Land Development Code amendment, these types of developments will be able to accommodate even more people.

We have drafted language for the proposed Land Development Code amendment that County staff has agreed will not run afoul of SB 180's prohibition of amendments that are "more restrictive or burdensome." That language is attached. What it does is prohibit more than two floors for residential structures except for deed-restricted multifamily affordable workforce housing and structures for which more than two floors are permitted under the LDC as currently written.

Please vote to include our language that limits residential structures to two floors unless they are deed-restricted for affordable workforce housing.

Respectfully submitted:

Keys Last Stand