Lauderdale may consider one-year ban on big projects east of Federal Highway

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler

The Fort Lauderdale City Commission apparently will consider a citizen petition for a one-year moratorium on large-scale construction projects east of Federal Highway.

Commissioners also may consider a second petition  limiting the use of public land on the city’s barrier island to such public services as restaurants and hotels.

Brenda Snipes, Broward County’s supervisor of elections, certified last month that at least 1,000 registered voters in Fort Lauderdale signed the petitions.

That is the minimum number in the city charter’s initiative petition process to require the city commission to consider the petitions.

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The city’s charter also requires the city attorney to help write ordinances addressing the petition issues and presenting the ordinances for a vote by the  commission.

Mayor Jack Seiler told the Sun-Sentinel the city commission is sensitive to issues related to real estate development, but “I just think a moratorium is pretty drastic action to take.”

If the city commission rejects the petition-based proposals, petition-drive organizers would need more than 16,000 valid signatures from voters to force commissioners to reconsider the proposals. [Sun-Sentinel] — Mike Seemuth