New urbanists in search of successful role

New urbanists in search of successful role models might profit from a look at Dade County’s Summerville development. Though the approval process was described as “an uphill battle” by designer George Rosello of Rosello Balboa Lordi Architecture & Planning, the 48-acre, 347-unit project ran the official gamut in under six months and won a unanimous go-ahead from the Dade County Commission on December 19. Key to the outcome was the endorsement of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, acting as a consultant to local officials. TCRPC urban design coordinator Marcella Camblor told New Urban News that Summerville won the agency’s support because “the design responds to all the elements of traditional neighborhood development”: mixed uses, reasonable density, a range of housing types accessible to various income levels, a grid of narrow, tree-lined streets augmented by mid-block alleys, and civic buildings and abundant parks within a five-minute walk of all residences. Camblor said another factor figured significantly in Summerville’s successful application: public officials who could see the sensibility of the plan and who were willing to support it in the face of controversy. Summerville developer GC Homes anticipates opening sales in March or April.