Letters submitted by Alan Zimmet
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Statement of Fred Ludwin From Video On www.mvsandkey.com
Thank you for letting me speak this way. My name is Fred Ludwin. I live at
1600 Gulf Boulevard, number 215 in Dan's Island.
Several years ago I was involved in an accident in Toledo, Ohio where I
suffered a broken neck at the C- four C- five level, which is just about in the
middle of my neck. But more serious than the broken neck, was the fact that my
spinal cord was damaged. From a medical term basis, I am called an "incomplete
quadriplegic."
My daily routine now is sitting in an easy chair, reading the paper, watching
T.V. and looking out my living room window which faces to the west, north-
northwest and northwest. From my chair, I can see the Gulf of Mexico and I watch
the large fishing boats go in and out, I can see the para-sails, the Pirate boat, the
Sea Screamer, and I can also see the activity on the beach and I enjoy seeing the
beach walkers because I had been able to do that. I also enjoy the fishermen and
all the beach activity. The things that happen on the beach I kind of live
vicariously through.
If Legg Mason is allowed to build the edifice that they are talking about,
their first floor restaurant building, the roof of that building will extend to the
bottom of our fifth floor. If they are allowed to build it all the way out to the
seawall, I will have absolutely no view to the north - northwest and north and it
would just take away a big part of my daily life that I enjoy.
In addition to that, it would have a sever impact on the value of my unit.
If you were to ask me in one word the requested variances - I would have to
say that they are obscene. There is no reason that they should be allowed to vary
the codes to the degree that they want them to. If their proposed building extends
much past the existing building, my view will be just taken away from me.
Thank you very much for allowing me to speak.
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To: The City of Clearwater Community Development
Board
From: Rosemary Keller
Re: Legg Mason's Cabana Club Boutique Hotel Plans
Date: September 16,2008
My name is Rosemary Keller and I am a resident and owner of
a condominium at the Cabana Club Condominium complex
next door to the proposed Cabana Club Boutique Hotel. I am
also president of the Cabana Club Condominium Board. I am
speaking as an individual owner and not as a representative of
the Board.
I would like to speak to you about the issue regarding the
Cabana Club Owners vote to approve or oppose the hotel
project, which comes from personal knowledge and experience
as a long standing board member. Last January Legg Mason
invited the Cabana Club Board members to a meeting at the
Belleview Biltmore Hotel to present their plans for the
Boutique Hotel on the site of the Cabana Club Restaurant
adjacent to our property.
Based on the information presented, George Mitrovich, the
Board President at the time, put together and mailed a
package of information about the project to all owners. In the
package, was a letter asking residents to vote to support or
oppose the proposed hotel project and a voting form. The
survey results indicated that out of 90 unit owners, 46 voted in
favor of the proposed Cabana Club Hotel, 16 voted in
opposition of the project and 28 did not vote at all.
In my opinion, the results and the process of the survey are not
accurate for the following reasons:
1. The letter written by Mr. Mitrovitch was later found to
be in favor of the project for the following stated reasons:
a. Mr. Mitrovich said that he would resign if we voted to
oppose the project.
b. He said that Legg Mason was putting $100M into the project
and would fight us with lawyers, engineers, former planning
committee members and politicians if we did oppose it.
c. He also said that Legg Mason has the money, desire, skills
and people to fight a very strong battle for as long as it takes,
years if necessary.
d. Mr. Mitrovich added that whatever money and board time
we contributed to this fight would detract from the very
important capital projects to the condo building that had to be
done in 2008 (we have over $600K in improvements for which
there is no reserve and the owners would be assessed).
e. Mr. Mitrovich said that the decision was to fight or accept
the inevitable.
2. The vote was based upon incomplete information. It was
not until July that Legg Mason's plans were considered
complete and sufficient by the City of Clearwater, but the
vote of Cabana Club residents was based on information
presented in February or earlier. In fact, here is a
drawing dated February 1, 2008 that showed the cabanas
elevated and off the beach. (Offer copies to the CDB
members) At that February presentation, we were told by
Legg Mason that there were no other options for
developing the property even after several residents
offered suggestions to make it more suitable for our
neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was a "take it or leave
it" attitude.
I was one of the residents who voted in favor of the project.
However, I would have voted against the project if I had
known at the time of the number of deviations that would be
required, deviations that include making the building almost
ten stories high from the ground to the top of the roofline, a
building that is too big for the size of this lot, inadequate
parking and putting cabanas, pavers and grass where today
there is a renourished beach and sea oats.
After I realized how this development would impact me and
my neighbors, the entire island by setting precedent for
future deviation requests and that we did have the support
of the neighborhood and those folks on the entire island, I
knew I had to oppose this project.
I, also, want to share with you that this has caused a lot of
turmoil among our owners and our Board of Directors and
Mr. Mitrovitch resigned in April. Please do not assume this
vote is an accurate reflection of the Cabana Club residents'
opinion of this project today. Do not take it at face value and
allow it to serve to diminish the value of our condominiums
and permanently change our residential neighborhood.
I am asking you to please not allow this project to go
forward as currently planned. I would very much like to see
the property redeveloped and ask you to invite Legg Mason
to consider a plan more inline with the City Building Code
and without the need for deviations.
Thank you for your consideration.