The Commons Complex Not Fair To Weston
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The Commons, the sprawling shopping and office complex planned for the east side of Interstate 75 and Royal Palm Boulevard in Davie, is back.
The County Commission considers this week changing the land use to allow construction of the 151 acre development.
This vote pits Weston, which doesn’t want The Commons, against Davie, which does.
Loaming in the background is Property Appraiser Lori Parrish, who lives near the proposed project. She has used her considerable political power for almost two years in an attempt to kill it.
In addition to Parrish, Weston hired Ed Pozzuoli as a lobbyist to derail The Commons. Pozzuoli is a downtown Fort Lauderdale lawyer at the Tripp Scott firm with close ties to the governor and others in the Republican administration.
pozzuoli
So far Pozzuoli and Parrish have been successful. The project was defeated 10-5 at the Planning Council in June. The commission can overrule the council.
I was for The Commons, with its promise of upscale shopping and Class A office space. Then I talked to Weston Mayor Eric Hersh, a third notable voice against the project.
Hersh pointed out that the way The Commons was designed, much of the traffic would funnel along Royal Palm Boulevard into already crowded Weston streets.
None of it would go through Davie.
That what Davie’s council demanded when it approved the project. Council members said The Commons couldn’t get built unless developers promised that there be no traffic impact on Davie.
So Davie gets all the taxes from the project, but none of the impact.
Weston gets the impact, but no taxes.
Not fair!
It was because of traffic impact — along with lobbying by Hersh, Parrish and Pozzuoli — that the Planning Council turned the project down.
Herch changed my mind about The Commons. It will be interesting to see if he had an impact on the county commission.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:47 am
This is just silly already. I am a Weston resident who LOVES The Commons; as do my neighbors and local friends. The voice of Weston should really be saying- build this project already!!
November 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Currently, Weston, with a welldeveloped business sector, which borders Davie- dumps lots of traffic into Davie & Southwest Ranches with NO concern for their neighbors. The ONLY real issue with the Commons is the height of the buildings and the total square footage. Build it! Build it now!!
November 10th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Davie want’s it? …… don’t think so – the majority of us living in Western Davie do NOT want this project looming over our properties and many of us don’t believe for one moment that the entrance and exit will only be off of I75. So there is still potential for major traffic issues both sides of I75. The Davie Town Council may want it for the $$$ that are being dangled in front of them but not the local residents.
November 10th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I think the Planning Council rejected the project primarily because there was only one entrance/exit for the entire complex; the impact on Weston’s roads was a secondary consideration.
This is a good project, but just in the wrong location.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:58 am
I know many people who live in Western Broward, who want to see this project happen. I believe there are a few residents who are louder than the rest, who do not want to see this project happen. I think we would all be lucky to have the extra revenue that it will bring, along with the wonderful restaurants and stores. Think about all of the money we will save in gas! Lets approve and build The Commons!
November 12th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Do we really need this new shopping center? There is a new beautiful shopping center at I-75 and Pines Blvd. Why do we need another? I hope Weston Resident likes all the extra cars on the raod because of it. Let’s shop on Pines Blvd. and leave the traffic to them.
November 12th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Buddy: Call me and let me give you a tour of our area. I’ll make the popovers. This monster of a project does not fit with our neighborhood. I can assure your readers the overwhleming majority of our neighbors do not want this project.
Lori
November 12th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Lori (Parrish?) is right. I moved into our little neighborhood of West Davie for quiet and a lifestyle that approaches a rural one. Now The Commons wants to force lights, noise and traffic down our throats. Shame on the Davie council members who voted for this travesty.