Flamingo Neighborhood Meeting Notes -- Monday, May 7th

Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association

Monday, May 7, 2012, 5:30 pm
at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Ave

MEETING NOTES

Plans for Memorial Day Weekend

Asst City Manager Hilda Fernandez, Chief Raymond Martinez, Deputy Chief M. Overton, Capt Mark Causey, Other Members of the Police Department and Max Sklar presented the City’s plans for Memorial Day Weekend. The Police Department and the administration have put together a special plan to deal with the crowds of people and traffic that come into Miami Beach during this weekend to help mitigate the impact on neighborhood residents.  A number of observations and questions were raised by member of FPNA and City and MBPD personnel responded to those observations and questions.


Commissioner Deede Weithorn will be holding an informative community meeting regarding Memorial Day weekend. This will be another opportunity to get the most up to date information and ask questions. The meeting will take place on Friday, May 11th at 8:30 am at Smith & Wollensky.


Flamingo Neighborhood Capital Improvement Projects


Flamingo Park Tennis Center – Construction Groundbreaking Beginning Wednesday, May 9


Construction activities commence on the north half of the courts at the Flamingo Park Holtz Tennis Center Facility Project. Work includes demolishing and replacing the existing tennis courts, installing new lighting and drainage.  The north courts will be closed through fall 2012. The south courts will remain open during construction of the north courts.  The work and the contractor's staging area will be contained and fenced off on the courts being reconstructed. Safe pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the area.  Please note that this schedule may change due to extreme weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances. For more information, please contact Alicia Cuervo, E.I., at 954.797.0410 or via email at Alicia@Pirtleconstruction.com.


Sixth Street Corridor – Improvement Project


We briefly discussed the Sixth Street Corridor Improvement Project. Jack made the observation that it would be important for the project scope to include from seventh to sixth streets.


It was M/S/P that FPNA recommend and advocate that the scope of the Sixth Street Corridor Improvement Project include Meridian, Euclid and Pennsylvania from Seventh to Sixth Streets.


Sixteenth Street Corridor – Improvement Project


Residents from Sixteenth Street called for the following considerations:

Preserve green space; do not widen the sidewalk toward residences:
Reduce Commercial Traffic in this residential neighborhood;
Address Noise issues at Four-Way Stops
No Bumpouts as it provides additional space for noisy crowd gathering;
No commercial outdoor uses on 16th St & intersections, ie, sidewalk cafes

It is expected that the Neighborhood Workshop will be able to address these issues and other issues involving final designs on the project.


Alton Road, 6th to 8th Streets -- Design Competition


Gabrielle Redfern reported on the most recent design workshop session regarding the project. It is anticipated that next steps include selection of the architectural design team, further development of plans & designs, consultation with FDOT, continued community input and a further evolution of the project.  Gabrielle will continue to keep us informed.


Other Matters


Parking Enforcement / Towing in Neighborhood Enforcement Zones


A discussion ensued concerning the lack of effective enforcement on prohibited parking in South Beach Neighborhood Restricted Parking Zones. It has been observed that there has been a great increase in illegally parked cars, towing has been replaced by ticketing, and an even greater negative impact upon residents has resulted.  A Parking Department Memo from the Parking Director to Parking Enforcement Personnel of March 26, 2012 appears to excessively burden towing enforcement with layers of supervisory bureaucratic procedures.


Upon substantial discussion and consideration


It was M/S/P to forward to the Parking Department, City Manager, Mayor and Commission the substantial concern of Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association with the recent excessive procedural steps that are being required to remove illegally parked vehicles from Resident Restricted Parking Zones and request corrective action. Parking enforcement officers should be authorized to enforce parking regulations, including towing cars illegally parked in Resident Restricted Parking Zones.


In a separate action


It was M/S/P to recommend to the Parking Department, City Manager, Mayor and Commission that consideration be given to updating the restricted parking provisions to make them more helpful to area residents, including possibilities of increased ticket fines, preservation of on street parking spaces, strictly limiting resident permits to those without dedicated private building parking spaces, and similar matters that would further improve the resident parking restriction program.