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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-JB Diederich-Letter to CommissionersSubmitted into the public record=bl _ 5 . q on City Clerk Good morning. My name is JB Diederich, I am Haitian and I have lived in Florida since 1981. I thought I was participating in the American Dream when I purchased 3758 Frow Ave. & 3475 Hibiscus St. Because of your actions, those of the Historic Preservation Staff & the HEP Board, I am now living the American Nightmare. Im Facing government run amok, and the loss of my investment NEST EGG. Forcing upon me what will be a retirement of poverty and simply scrapping by, after years and years of hard work, and the provision of affordable housing in the historic Negro District. Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, and Mayor Suarez, I would like to offer you all, my most sincere gratitude for considering and adopting Commissioner Reyes' resolution, that would eliminate the appeal fee and costs for the City's experiment in Multiple Property Thematic Designation. My wife, Myself & a group of others, are filing 16 appeals, and many of us face duplicate fees and mailing costs, as YOU, the Historic Preservation Staff, and the HEP Board have determined that a duplex with one folio number, and one property tax bill, is actually two structures for Multiple Property Thematic Designation. Yes, I must pay the $525 filing fee for each %2 of my duplex and pay $3.50 TWICE for two sets of the same mailing labels—one each, for each %2 of my duplexes. Thousands of dollars. Submitted into the public record r it (s) —AL-L— on _717M. City Clerk And, on September 27 when you hear our 16 appeals, each is a paid for as a separate agenda item—each half of my two duplexes. And DUE PROCESS will require that you hear presentations and discuss and vote on each % of my two duplexes. For the past four -months I have gone to City Organized meetings and for the last 4 months, like a broken record, ALL I've heard is that with Historical Thematic Designation all our problems would be solved. "We're going to get you money to fix your property if it is Designated" "You don't have to do anything to your property if it is Designated" "We will provide major incentives if you are Designated" "You will be able to sell valuable TDRs, and TDDs if you are Designated." "your property value will go up if you are Designated." "I have Two -Million Dollars right now for Designated properties" "The West Grove will be just like, Key West, Miami Beach, the MIMO District, and Morningside if all of the Thematic properties are designated." And, don't worry ... they said, and said again and again, if you don't want to be Designated... you can always appeal. Really? Then why, only one week after designation, AM 1 THE ONE writing a BIG FAT CHECK? Submitted into the public record f r item(s) on / City Clerk Where are the bleeding-heart pseudo -historians that were so eager and eloquent in their efforts to take away my property rights? Are they writing checks for us? This entire concept was ill-conceived, and what began as an effort at a Historic District and a focus on saving 20 Shotgun Homes, is now a evolved from a Historic District to the "WOOD FRAME VERNACULAR RESIDENCES OF COCONUT GROVE WILLAGE WEST MULTIPLE PROPERTY DESIGNATION, taking in old wooden duplexes built in the late 1930s and 1940s. And, the jerry-rigged amendments to the Historic Preservation Code, and the vague and UNEQUALLY APPLIED standards and criteria is likely something you could only get away with in the NCD -2, the historic Negro District. Why did I have to hire a lawyer? and give up so much of my time these past 4 months listening to, and pleading with people whose ill-conceived agenda was impossible to escape? Commissioners, Mr. Mayor. I am asking you to please approve the Reyes Chapter 23 amendment to waive fees and costs for any property owner bringing an Appeal for the WOOD FRAME VERNACULAR RESIDENCES OF COCONUT GROVE VILLAGE WEST MULTIPLE PROPERTY DESIGNATION. Submitted into the public record fQ r iteYN (s) on --'I City Clerk Finally, for the record, I would like to submit an e-mail between our Attorney and Miami Herald Reporter Andres Viglucci that clearly outlines the concerns over the affirmative maintenance requirements and other forced obligations if a property is designated historic. (GIVE THE 11 COPIES TO THE CLERK.) Thank you.