If the Broward County Commission votes yes on April 25, Margate residents can expect residential development on a former executive golf course.
The Fimiani Development Corporation will present a land use amendment proposal to the Broward County Commission on Thursday. If approved, the amendment will allow the construction of 132 three-bedroom townhomes on the former 21.3-acre Margate Executive Golf Course located at 7870 Margate Boulevard.
The plans include a clubhouse, pool, fitness center, and a one-acre public park. While this development is a change from the current landscape, it will provide much-needed housing, according to Commissioner Antonio Arserio on Friday. He expects the Broward Commission to approve Fimiani’s request due to the housing shortage.
On December 6, 2023, the Margate Commission voted to approve Fimiani’s land use and rezoning plans for the project. This was the first reading on the proposal for Springdale Homes, also known as Nove of Margate.
While some Margate residents and city leaders would prefer the land to remain mostly green space, they realize Fimiani could develop the vacant land for housing and tax revenue for Margate.
According to Vice Mayor Arlene Schwartz, 132 townhomes are the best arrangement the city could have received from Fimiani. The alternative would have been a significant recreational development, including a racetrack. “I wish it could stay green, but this is the best compromise we could get,” she said on Friday, April 17.
Nina Culver, a community activist and candidate for the Margate Commission, said in a statement on Friday, April 19, that the land will be developed because it is worth too much money for the city to purchase and develop it as a park.
Marilyn Kneeland, a leader with Keep Margate Green, noted the grass roots organization has opposed this development and has at least 3,562 signed pétitions.
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- David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.
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