Showing posts with label The Duo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Duo. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Good news: 2 Days left to change Hallandale Beach's future; Bad News: Washington & Jefferson still dead, Spock & Jean-Luc Picard not yet born

First, the Good News: there are 2 days left to change Hallandale Beach's future for the better; the Bad News: Washington & Jefferson are still dead, Spock & Jean-Luc Picard are not yet born.

Seek thou which was lost: full-fledged participatory democracy in Hallandale Beach, Florida.


Last weekend, in order to drum-up some interest and make the citizenry aware of the need for a second pro-reform City Commission candidate to apply before the deadline passes on Wednesday afternoon, I made copies of the Public Notice at the top that appeared in the Miami Herald -but NOT on the public notice board at Hallandale Beach City Hall last week. (Surprise!)

I posted them at a number of high-profile places around town, including at what passes for the HB version of the
Algonquin Round Table, the Panera Bread restaurant at 1729 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., in front of The Duo's twin condo towers that overlook the Diplomat Country Club to the north.


But even as you read this, I've known for a while that some pro-reform wheels were already in motion, below the radar.


It's my hope that these efforts will bear some fruit in the near future, since with two commission seats up on November 2nd, and with me and everyone I know in this city planning on voting for proven pro-reform Comm. Keith London, having to decide between the other two candidates already in the race, the Devil-we-know, William Julian, and the Devil-we-don't (well, I do but many of you don't YET) Alexander Lewy, that choice among lessers is no choice at all.


After everything we have witnessed over the past two years, the blatant misrepresentations, the chronic lies, the utter contempt for the state's Sunshine Laws and the numerous attempts to keep important PUBLIC information at City Hall away from the PUBLIC, this city desperately needs a second strong and unwavering voice on the Hallandale Beach City Commission that will fully represent the long-term best interests of the majority of its citizen taxpayers, and NOT just the usual longtime cronies with special interests, who have made out like bandits with the taxpayers dime.

Your dime.

A second strong voice on the city commission that will not only expect but demand increased public accountability, transparency and competency among the hundreds of city employees, many of whom have been isolated, unproductive, rude and unprofessional for years.

Which is to say, practically stealing money from you and your family, with the full expectation that you will pay their pension, to boot.
That has got to end right now.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Unpopular RAC and LAC plans to be discussed Tuesday at P&Z meeting and Comm. Keith London's meeting

Commission Keith S. London
Resident Forum
meeting
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
City of Hallandale Beach Cultural Center,
Room 107

Main topics of discussion:
-City of Hallandale Beach RAC
-Diplomat Properties LP LAC
* There will open discussion on any other
topics of interest as well.

If you can't make it to the important P&Z
meeting Tuesday afternoon, sure to be lively,
be sure to attend Comm. London's meeting
at 6 p.m. to get the post-game analysis and
color commentary from concerned HB
residents who will be there in force.
--------------
These items of concern to residents of both
Hallandale Beach and Hollywood were also
discussed in this space on November 1st:
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/unpopular-rac-proposal-and-diplomat.html


Agenda for Tuesday's afternoon's Hallandale
Beach P&Z meeting at 1:30 p.m. at:
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1302

Related docs at:
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentCenterii.aspx?FID=140

Diplomat Properties L.P.'s
Local Activity Center (LAC)
i.e. m
ultiple 25-30 story properties located on
Atlantic Shores, N.E. 14th Ave., Diplomat
Parkway, and near The Duo:

http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1299

Did the Diplomat's transportation consultant
ever actually say what months of the year
his trip count research was conducted?

I'd hate to think they made the same mistake
the city's Transportation Master Plan
consultants apparently made, doing it in the
summer instead of in January, but then why
wouldn't they if they thought nobody was
paying attention at
HB City Hall?

It's not like the commissioners other than
London would think to ask.

City of Hallandale Beach
Regional Activity Center (RAC) plan:
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1300

This item failed to be passed by the P&Z Board
on October 28, 2009.

On Sunday night, I discovered this color-coded
map of the RAC proposal
prepared by Calvin,
Giordano & Associates, Inc.
, which you
may find of interest.
http://www.cohb.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1294


The first reading and vote of the City of Hallandale
Beach's
RAC plan will be at Wednesday's City
Commission, November 18th, at 1:30 p.m. &
7:00 p.m. in the HB Commission Chambers.


Has City Manager Mike Good ever given
a reasonable, written justification for
fast-tracking these proposals?

Per the LAC, I noticed that at p. 30 of 51,
the city persists in thinking that there's
any public or transit community support
for having an FEC train stop at S.E 3rd
Street, and South 1st Avenue.

Why, because it's close to HB City Hall,
the upcoming Village at Gulfstream
and Gulfstream Park itself, including
the track and the casino?

A separate train station three blocks south
of one at Hallandale Beachj Blvd. is a joke,
and none of the serious people at the many
SFECC meetings I've gone to have EVER
seriously believed that was going to happen.

One near The Mardi Gras is more likely
than a second one on 3rd Street, and that
one may be located on the Hollywood side
of Pembroke Road, not HB's side.

I'm pro-transit and even I'd be against
having one at S.E. 3rd Street.
For the city to think they'd have TWO
stations within three blocks is beyond
absurd.

But that's what passes for logic here.

Below, information regarding the Diplomat
proposal that went buh-bye last year after
getting about zero support in the community.
--------------------

CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH

MEMORANDUM

DATE: January 24, 2008

TO: D. Mike Good, City Manager

FROM: Richard D. Cannone, Director, Development Services

      SUBJECT: Diplomat Properties: Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, Approving a Large Scale Change of Land Use from Commercial Recreation, General Commercial and Low Residential to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) Residential (#34-07-PA) and Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, more specifically, to create new provisions for an Irregular Residential (Dashed Line Areas) land use category and amending the provisions for the Commercial Recreation land use category to permit hotel, motel and similar lodging as an ancillary use (#33-07-TC).


PURPOSE:

To consider on First Reading three separate ordinances pertaining to three land use related applications, requested by the Diplomat Country Club. Those requests include the following applications:

  1. Application #34-07-PA for a Future Land Use Plan Map amendment to change the land use designation from General Commercial, Low (7) Residential and Commercial Recreation to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) (“Dashed-Line Area”).
  2. Application #33-07-TC(A) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow for dashed-line areas.
  3. Application #33-07-TC(B) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation Future Land Use Plan designation.

BACKGROUND:

The applicant, Diplomat Properties, Limited Partnership has filed the aforementioned applications for the 96.26 gross acres of the Diplomat County Club north of Hallandale Beach Boulevard, south of Atlantic Shores Boulevard, east of NE 14th Avenue and west of the De Soto Waterway in order to allow 1,050 residential units to be developed within the golf course. In addition, the applicant seeks to clarify language within the Commercial Recreation Land Use category to permit hotel, motel and similar lodging uses as an ancillary use.

The applicant held a community meeting on November 5, 2007 in accordance with City Policy.

DISCUSSION

Attached is the staff report prepared for the Planning and Zoning Board that includes both the policy and technical analysis.

Based upon Staff’s recommendation, the Planning and Zoning Board at the January 23, 2008 meeting recommended the following:

  1. Denial (Vote: 6-1) of Application #34-07-PA for a Future Land Use Plan Map amendment to change the land use designation from General Commercial, Low (7) Residential and Commercial Recreation to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) (“Dashed-Line Area”).
  2. Denial (Vote: 6-1) of Application #33-07-TC(A) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow for dashed-line areas.
  3. Approval (Vote: 6-1) of Application #33-07-TC(B) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation Future Land Use Plan designation.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends the following:

DENIAL of Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, Approving a Large Scale Change of Land Use from Commercial Recreation, General Commercial and Low Residential to Commercial Recreation and Irregular (11.24 units per net acre) Residential, in order to permit 1,050 residential dwelling units within the existing Diplomat Country Club Property, generally described as a portion of Tract B, Block 1 and a portion of Block 11 and Block 13 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat, according to the Plat Thereof, as Recorded In Plat Book 46 at Page 24, of the Public Records of Broward County, Florida (legal description attached).

DENIAL of Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, more specifically, to create new provisions for an Irregular Residential (Dashed Line Areas) land use category.

DENIAL of Ordinance of the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, amending the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, more specifically, amending the provisions for the Commercial Recreation land use category to permit hotel, motel and similar lodging as an ancillary use. Staff is not in disagreement with this request but would like to further consider as part of our EAR-based amendments. Accordingly, this request is not necessary and should be denied at this time.

------------
HALLANDALE BEACH, FLORIDA

MEMORANDUM

DATE: January 14, 2008

TO: Planning and Zoning Board

FROM: The Mellgren Planning Group, in capacity of consultant for the City

THRU: Richard D. Cannone, Director of Development Services

      SUBJECT: Application #34-07-PA by Diplomat Properties, LLC for a Future Land Use Plan Map Amendment of property within the Diplomat Country Club, and Application #33-07-TC for a Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

APPLICANT:

Diplomat Properties, LLC, Applicant

Debbie Orshefsky Esquire, Agent

OWNERSHIP:

Diplomat Properties, LLC

LOCATION:

For purposes of this report, the subject properties will be referred to as Parcels A, B and C as described below, and as depicted on the location sketch below:

Parcel A: generally described as a portion of Tract B, Block 1 and a portion of Block 11 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat (46-24, BCR) consisting of 5.2393 net acres and 5.5648 gross acres.

Parcel B: Block 13 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat (46-24, BCR), consisting of 1.448 net acres and 2.1344 gross acres

Parcel C: generally described as a portion of Block 11 of the Diplomat Golf Estates Plat (46-24, BCR) consisting of 86.7777 net acres and 88.5610 gross acres.


LOCATION MAP





REQUEST:

The Applicant is requesting both a City and County Future Land Use Plan Map Amendment for 96.26 gross acres of the Diplomat County Club north of Hallandale Beach Boulevard, south of Atlantic Shores Boulevard, east of NE 14th Avenue and west of the De Soto Waterway.

The Applicant is also requesting an amendment to the text of the City Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan.

The applications are as follows:

1. Application #34-07-PA for a Future Land Use Plan Map amendment to change the land use designation of Parcels A, B and C as follows:

a ) Parcel A (5.565 acres): from General Commercial to Dashed Line Area (Irregular 11.24 du/ac).

b) Parcel B (2.134 acres): from Low (7) Residential to Dashed Line Area (Irregular 11.24 du/ac).

c) Parcel C (88.56 acres) from Commercial Recreation to Dashed Line Area (Irregular 11.24 du/ac).

2. Application #33-07-TC(A) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow for dashed-line areas.

3. Application #33-07-TC(B) to amend the text of the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation Future Land Use Plan designation.

PLANNING DISTRICT:

Diplomat/Three Islands

PARCEL SIZE (NET):

Parcel A: 5.239 Acres

Parcel B: 1.448 Acres

Parcel C: 86.777 Acres

Total: 93.464 Acres

EXISTING ZONING:

Parcel A: CR-P, Commercial Recreation (Passive) District

Parcel B: RS-5, Residential Single-Family District

Parcel C: CR-P, Commercial Recreation (Passive) District

EXISTING USE:

Parcel A: southerly extension of Diplomat Golf Course

Parcel B: marina

Parcel C: main portion of Diplomat Golf Course, including the existing country club and a 60-room hotel

PROPOSED USE:

Residential: 1,050 dwelling units

Commercial Recreation: country club and the 349 hotel units.

EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATIONS:

Parcel A Parcel B Parcel C

City: General Commercial Low (7)Residential Commercial Recreation

County: Commercial Low (5) Residential Commercial Recreation


SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USE PLAN DESIGNATION OF APPLICATION SITE:

LAND USE PLAN ZONING

        North: Low-Medium (14) Residential RM-18 District

        Commercial Recreation CR-P District

        South: General Commercial CCB, City Central Business

        Planned Redevelopment Overlay

        East: Low (7) Residential RS-5 District

        Low-Medium (14) Residential RM-18 District

        West: Low-Medium (14) Residential RM-18 District

        SURROUNDING LAND USE OF APPLICATION PARCEL

    North: Low-rise multiple-family residential, single-family detached residential and northern extension of golf course

    South: The Duo high-rise condominium and Diplomat Shopping Center

    East: Low-rise multiple-family residential, De Soto Waterway and single-family detached residential

    West: Low-rise multiple-family residential along NE 14th Avenue





        II. LAND USE HISTORY

        ________________________________________________________________

On August 18, 1998, the City Commission approved Application #50-98-DB by Diplomat Properties for Major Development approval of the redevelopment of the Diplomat Country Club including 60 hotel rooms.

        III. INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW SUMMARY

        ________________________________________________________________

Staff conducted an evaluation of the proposed amendment relative to its impact on City and public facilities. The following is a summary of amendment impact. For a detailed analysis, please refer to Exhibit “A” to this report.

Potable water. No available raw water capacity at this time. Staff, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, is preparing a plan for the City’s future water supply. New wells and treatment facilities will be needed, subject to South Florida Water Management District approval, at an estimated cost of $42 million dollars.

Sanitary sewer. There is sufficient capacity to serve the proposed amendment, with a remaining capacity of .240 mgd (enough to accommodate approximately 686 du) under the City’s Large User Agreement with Hollywood.

Public schools. Student impact to the junior high school and high school will be acceptable. The student impact to Hallandale Elementary, which is already overcrowded at 121 percent of its capacity (111 percent when year-round session is factored in), will be 44 additional students.

Transportation. The amendment will not degrade the for area roads with the exception of NE 14th Avenue, which would be degraded from the current LOS “D” to LOS “F” by 2012, and will be at LOS “F” by 2030 with or without the amendment. Hallandale Beach Boulevard west of Diplomat Parkway is already operating at LOS “F” and will continue to do so.

Parks and recreation. The amendment will generate a need for almost 6 acres of parks and open space, according the City’s adopted LOS Standard of 3 acres per thousand residents. The City has sufficient recreation and open space acreage to accommodate the amendment and the projected population through the short (5 years) and intermediate range (10 years) planning horizons. The City will need to evaluate whether it will be able to meet its adopted Level of Service Standard of 3 acres per 1,000 residents beyond the 10 year horizon, as it is anticipated that the proposed amendment and recently approved developments may increase the projected population in the City beyond what is currently anticipated. Future residents of the proposed amendment site will likely have access to the Diplomat Golf Course, which is a private recreational facility, as well as other on-site facilities possibly shared by the country club, if it is to remain. However, the golf course is not a deed-restricted open space.

Hurricane evacuation LOS and shelter capacity. Broward County Emergency Management Agency has indicated that evacuation Level of Service and shelter capacity will not be diminished below acceptable levels by the amendment.

Affordable housing

The applicant “is prepared to work with the City to provide a financial contribution to the City to be used by the City to construct or have constructed up to 158 (i.e. 15 percent of the proposed 1,050 new residential units) at locations within the City of Hallandale Beach.”

________________________________________________________________

IV. STAFF ANALYSIS OF APPLICATION

________________________________________________________________

    A. Application #33-07-TC(A) would amend the text of the Future Land Use Element to allow “dashed-line areas” on the City’s Future Land Use Plan Map. Dashed line areas are planned unit developments or similar large-scale development sites, such as the proposed Diplomat Golf Course redevelopment, that are circumscribed by a dashed line on the Future Land Use Plan Map. Within the property circumscribed by the dashed line on the map, a maximum residential density is indicated. In the case of the subject amendment, that density is 11.24 du/ac (net). The maximum number of dwelling units allowed within the dashed-line area is obtained by multiplying the total acreage by the maximum density, even though most of it is not intended for residential use.

    The difference between an amendment site circumscribed by a dashed line and one that is not, is that the dashed-line area allows a developer to shift the residential density within the overall amendment site. For example, the 1,050 dwelling units that would be allowed within the Diplomat Golf Course could be allocated in any combination among the four sites designated for residential use and shown on the map in Exhibit “B”, such that maximum number of units within any of the four residential pods proposed for the amendment site is unlimited, as long as the maximum overall density of 11.24 du/ac (1,050 units) is not exceeded.

    Application #33-07-TC(B) would allow hotels, motels and similar lodging in the Commercial Recreation land use plan designation as an ancillary use. This proposed text amendment is consistent with the language in the Commercial Recreation permitted uses section of the Broward County Land Use Plan.

    B. Application #34-07-PA to amend the Future Land Use Plan Map would allow 1,050 dwelling units in a location where residential use is not currently permitted, and which is now part of the Diplomat Golf Course and related facilities. The amendment will not eliminate the golf course, and will have minimal impact on the land area currently devoted to golf course use and also designated Commercial Recreation on the Future Land Use Plan Map.

    The application proposes four distinct and separate areas within the golf course and marina properties where residential use would be permitted. The four areas total approximately 16 acres out of the entire 93.46-acre amendment site. The dashed-line area allows all of the four sites to be proposed as one unified land use plan amendment, and allows the 1,050 dwelling units and hotel use to be distributed among the four sites in any combination that will comply with the development standards of the City’s Zoning and Land Development Code.

______________________________________________________________

        V. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSIDERATIONS

        ________________________________________________________________

Application # 33-07-TC for amendment of the text of the Future Land Use Element is discussed under “Staff Analysis,”

Analysis of Application # 34-07-PA for amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map requires consideration of several comprehensive planning issues, discussed below.

Amount, location and character of growth

Consideration of the proposed map amendment includes a central policy issue: what is the desired amount, location and character of future growth?

By the year 2015, the official Broward County population projections indicate that the Hallandale Beach population will grow by almost 9,400 people and 2,850 dwelling units. By the year 2030, the projections indicate a total growth of almost 19,700 people and 5,400 dwelling units. The City has already approved several residential development projects that will help the City realize approximately 50 percent of the projected growth, assuming all are constructed. Application # 34-07-PA would add 1,050 units to the City, or approximately 37 percent of the projected number of new dwelling units. The subject amendment would, by itself, account for almost 20 percent of the number of residential units projected to be built by the year 2030, and as a result, would likely increase the City’s population in excess of projections, particularly when combined with other major developments recently approved.

The City is currently undertaking development of a Citywide Master Plan. The purpose of the plan is to determine where future growth should occur, how intense it should be, and what kind of form it should take (ex: low-rise, high-rise, mixed-use, transit-oriented, etc.). It is anticipated that a substantial portion of future growth will be directed to areas in need of redevelopment due to slum and blighting conditions in the form of revitalized neighborhoods with neighborhood commercial centers, and to properties fronting principal arterials such as Hallandale Beach Boulevard and US-1 in the form of mixed commercial/ residential development that would likely be more intense than neighborhood redevelopment.

Neighborhood compatibility

The surrounding area is predominantly characterized by low and mid-rise multiple-family residential buildings as well as several single-family detached residences. The rear yards of seven of the single-family residences border the golf course. On the southern periphery of the golf course is a two-tower high-rise development (The Duo) and a commercial shopping center. The immediate neighborhood consists of properties fronting Atlantic Shores Boulevard between NE 14th Avenue and Diplomat Parkway, and properties fronting Diplomat Parkway north of E. Hallandale Beach Boulevard to just north of Atlantic Shores Boulevard. The immediate neighborhood is characterized by low and mid-rise multiple-family residential development and single-family detached residences.

The 1,050 proposed residential units and additional hotel rooms would be concentrated on approximately 16 acres of the 93.46 acre site. The applicant has not identified how many units would be constructed within each of the four proposed residential areas in the amendment site. The applicant also has not provided any details as to height and massing, and such details are not required for plan amendment applications.

Given the intensity of development and site configuration, it can be expected that one or more tall high-rise buildings will be constructed. There is potential, therefore, for the scale of potential buildings to be out of proportion with the immediate neighborhood. Additionally, the country club site as a whole has the potential to grow out of scale with the immediate neighborhood if the country club remains, or if the hotel use expands. Approximately 2,500 parking spaces will be required for the residential and hotel uses, which may comprise approximately one million square feet of structured parking area.

Impact on public facilities and services. Impacts on public facilities and services are analyzed under “Interdepartmental Review Summary.”

________________________________________________________________

VI. APPLICABLE CODES AND ORDINANCES

________________________________________________________________

The golf course is presently designated Commercial Recreation and is zoned CR-P, Commercial Recreation Passive District. The City’s Comprehensive Plan and the City’s Zoning and Land Development Code presently permits golf courses as a principal use and other uses such as hotels as accessory uses. Section 32-163 of the Zoning and Land Development Code further specifies that accessory uses in CR-P District are limited to the following provided they occupy not more than 15 percent of the total site area. The applicant also has requested a text amendment to allow hotels as an accessory use for the purpose of clarifying the permitted uses in the Commercial Recreation category. Sec. 32-163 is excerpted below.

    Sec. 32-163. CR-P commercial recreational (passive) district.

    (a) Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of the CR-P commercial recreational (passive) district is to provide suitable sites for commercial recreational attractions and facilities of a passive nature which require extensive land area and are recognized as being supportive of a tourist-oriented economy in areas consistent with the city's comprehensive land use plan.

    (b) Uses permitted. Uses permitted are as follows:

    (1) Commercial recreation uses, limited to golf courses.

    (2) Accessory uses limited to the following, provided they occupy not more than a cumulative total of 15 percent of total site area:

    a. Golf driving ranges.

    b. Hotels, motels, restaurants, private clubs and cocktail lounges.

    c. Parks, playgrounds and beaches.

    d. Swimming pools.

    e. Tennis, racquetball and handball courts.

    For the purpose of this subsection, a hotel, motel, restaurant, private club, cocktail lounge, golf driving range, swimming pool, tennis, racquetball or handball court, park, playground and beach may be considered an accessory use to the main permitted golf course use, provided that those uses are incidental to and dependent upon the continued existence and operation of the main golf course use, even though uses may be more heavily utilized or realize substantially more income or profit than the main golf course use.

The proposed amendment is consistent with the intent and purpose of the Comprehensive Plan, and would not necessitate a change to Sec. 32-163 of the Zoning and Land Development Code.

COMMUNITY MEETING

The applicant held a community meeting on November 5, 2007 as required by City policy.


VII. REVIEW OF APPLICATION CRITERIA

Article VIII, Section 32-963 specifies the following criteria to be addressed in considering applications for rezoning and land use amendments:

(1) The relationship of the proposed amendment to the purposes and objectives of the City's Comprehensive Land Use Plan, when adopted, with appropriate consideration as to whether or not the proposed changes will further the purpose of this and other codes, regulations, and actions designed to implement said plan.

Not consistent. Staff finds that the proposed land use change is inconsistent with the following Comprehensive Plan policies:

    Future Land Use Element

    Policy 1.3.4. B: High density residential developments should continue to be located with direct access onto major arteries.

    Policy 1.5.3: Maintain a Commercial Recreation Category including Hallandale Beach major commercial recreation facilities, i.e., Gulfstream Race Track, Hollywood Dog Track and Diplomat Golf Course.. …Conversion of these facilities to other uses having increased impacts on public facilities will be contingent upon the new development’s ability to maintain adopted LOS Standards for affected public facilities.

    Policy 1.12.2: The Growth Management Department shall evaluate impacts resulting from new developments to ensure that adequate facilities are either in place or planned so that Level of Service standards are not reduced.

    Transportation Element

    Policy 1.10.1: The City shall maintain its highest intensities of land use along major transportation routes and encourage the clustering of parking area near major routes and transit stops.

(2) The proposed change would or would not be contrary to the established land use pattern.

Not consistent. The average proposed density of the amendment site is 11.24 du/ac. This number is calculated by dividing the number of proposed dwelling units by the acreage of the entire amendment site (93.5 acres). The net density, excluding the golf course parcel to remain, will be approximately 65 du/ac. This number is calculated by dividing the number of proposed dwelling units by the acreage of the four proposed residential pods within the amendment site (approximately 16 acres), as shown on Exhibit “B.” The proposed 65 du/ac net density is substantially higher than both the predominant 18 du/ac land use plan density of adjacent multiple-family properties and 5 du/ac density of adjacent single-family detached residences. The potential height of one or more high-rise buildings would pose a compatibility issue, as the majority of adjacent structures are low-rise in nature.

(3) The proposed change would or would not create an isolated district unrelated to adjacent and nearby districts.

Not consistent. High-rise residential towers are located approximately one-quarter mile to the east across the De Soto Waterway and one-quarter mile to the south. Mid-rise (approximately 6-8 stories) towers are located west of NE 14th Avenue. There is no precedent, however, for high-rise towers and a density of 65 du/ac (excluding golf course) within the core of the Diplomat Planning District east of NE 14th Avenue and west of Three Islands Boulevard. Staff finds that building height, location and massing may be equally relevant considerations as density, but cannot be adequately evaluated without the type of information provided during Major Development Review.

(4) The proposed change would or would not alter the population density pattern and thereby have an adverse impact upon public facilities such as school, utilities, and streets.

Not consistent. Impacts to public facilities and services are evaluated under “Interdepartmental Review Summary” and are of concern due to limitations on elementary school capacity, sanitary sewage treatment capacity, local roadway capacity, allowable Biscayne Aquifer withdrawal, lack of Floridian Aquifer wells, and present inability to treat the necessary quantities of brackish Floridian Aquifer water.

(5) Existing district boundaries are illogically drawn in relation to existing conditions on the property proposed for change.

Not consistent. Existing district boundaries are not illogically drawn in relation to existing conditions on the amendment site.

(6) Changed or changing conditions make the passage of the proposed amendment necessary.

Not consistent. The application states that the proposed amendment is necessary to accommodate the City’s future projected population. South Florida has experienced steady construction of residential units over the last two decades, which is projected to continue. However, the location of residential development has shifted from strictly suburban growth in western areas to renewed interest in infill development and residential and mixed-use redevelopment throughout Broward County. For this reason, the City’s population is expected to grow to more than 53,000 residents by the year 2030, and the City has seen a surge in residential projects.

Due to the county-wide change in the spatial pattern of residential growth, the application is correct in stating that conditions have changed. However, the amendment is not necessary to accommodate the City’s projected population. The City’s 2030 population growth is projected to occur gradually over the next 22 years. The amendment, combined with other recently approved and planned residential projects, would achieve nearly 50 percent of that projected growth in just a few years.

Strategic, coordinated and well-planned redevelopment distributed throughout the City—but not necessarily concentrated in very large projects such as the proposed amendment—will ensure the City can accommodate its projected population. Such redevelopment will occur throughout the City, consistent with sustainable development practices, in areas designated for same upon adoption of the Citywide Master Plan and implementing amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Plan Map. Therefore, at this time, the passing of the proposed amendment is not necessary.

(7) Substantial reasons exist why the property cannot be used in accordance with the adopted land use plan and/or the existing zoning.

Not consistent. The amendment site is a golf course and country club with a hotel and accessory marina. The golf course, spa and country club serve the guests of the Diplomat Hotel on Hollywood Beach, among others. The applicant has not indicated that the land use plan designation impedes the present use of the amendment site, or other permitted passive recreation uses. In fact, the proposed expansion of the hotel on the property from 60 rooms to 349 rooms will be in furtherance of the uses permitted under the current land use plan and zoning classifications.

(8) Whether or not the change is out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood.

Not consistent. The proposed change is substantially out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood.

_______________________________________________________________

VIII. STAFF FINDINGS

_______________________________________________________________

Application #34-07-PA for amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map and Application #33-07-TC was analyzed with due consideration to several germane planning issues, as follows:

    1. Amount, location and character of growth.

      a. The proposed amendment alone would account for nearly 20 percent of the City’s projected 2030 population increase, yet is not consistent with the principles for redevelopment upon which the evolving Citywide Master Plan is premised.

      b. The proposed amendment is inconsistent with Future Land Use Policy 1.3.4, which recommends that high-density residential development be located with direct access to major arterials.

    2. Neighborhood compatibility (see also review criterion 8).

      a. The physical compatibility of the proposed amendment with the immediate neighborhood has not been demonstrated.

      b. The amendment will have a noticeable traffic impact on neighborhood roads, some of which are projected to be overcapacity even without the amendment.

    3. Affordable housing supply.

      a. The applicant has indicated a willingness to enhance the City’s affordable housing supply through construction of, or contribution for, off-site housing.

    4. Impact on public facilities and services (see also review criterion 4). The amendment will have a substantial impact on potable water, sanitary sewer, transportation and public school facilities.

      a. SFWMD has prohibited additional withdrawals from the Biscayne Aquifer, which is the main water supply for all of South Florida. The City must develop new wells to access the Floridian Aquifer in order to supply the potable water needs of new development, and must build capacity for treating the more brackish water of this source. None of the infrastructure is yet in place, and has not been funded, and final water allocation from SFWMD has not been determined as of yet.

      b. The amendment will utilize approximately 34 percent of the remaining sewage treatment capacity allocated to the City via the Large User Agreement with Hollywood, leaving only enough capacity to accommodate approximately 686 additional residential units or an equivalent amount of commercial development. Therefore, future diverse residential and/or commercial development may potentially be precluded due to lack of sanitary sewage treatment capacity.

      c. The amendment is anticipated to cause a failing level of service on NE 14th Avenue by 2012. Hallandale Beach Boulevard (west of Diplomat Parkway) and NE 14th Avenue are projected to operate at LOS F by 2030 with or without the amendment.

      d. The amendment will add 44 students to Hallandale Elementary School, which is already overcrowded.

      e. City has adequate park acreage to accommodate the proposed amendment at this time, but will need to reevaluate in the coming years whether the acreage will be sufficient beyond the 10-year planning horizon. However, the amendment will create a demand for almost 6 acres of additional parks from the City’s inventory.

      f. Adequate solid waste collection and disposal capacity will exist to serve the proposed amendment, and the amendment will have to satisfy the adopted drainage LOS.

      g. Adequate hurricane shelter capacity exists, and the amendment is not anticipated to lower the adopted LOS for evacuation.

    5. Criteria for review of proposed plan amendments. The amendment application does not satisfy the criteria for consideration of plan amendments.

________________________________________________________________

IX. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

________________________________________________________________

Based upon the aforementioned findings of facts, staff recommends the following:

Staff recommends that Application #34-07-PA for amendment of the Future Land Use Plan Map be denied.

Accordingly, staff also recommends denial of Application #33-07-TC(A) for amendment of the text of the Future Land Use Element to create dashed-line areas.

Application #33-07-TC(B) for amendment of the Future Land Use Plan text, to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging as an ancillary use in the Commercial Recreation category, is consistent with the intent and purpose of the Commercial Recreation category, and staff recommends approval.


IX. PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD RECOMMENDATION______________

Suggested Motions:

1. I move to deny application #34-07-PA based upon staff recommendation.

    2. I move to deny application #33-07-TC for amendment to the text of the Future Land Use Element to create dashed-line areas based upon staff recommendation.

    3. I move to approve application #33-07-TC for amendment to the text of the Future Land Use Element to allow hotels, motels and similar lodging ancillary to the primary commercial recreation use based upon staff recommendation.



EXHIBIT “A”

PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES IMPACT ANALYSIS

Parks and Recreation

  • Inventory: 165 acres (58 acres of parkland, 107 acres are waterways)
  • LOS Standard: 3 acres/1,000
  • 2006 LOS (34,622 population): 103.9 acres needed
  • Additional parks demand generated by the proposed amendment: almost 6 acres
  • Projected 2030 LOS (54,321 population): 162.93 acres needed (without the amendment)


Potable Water

  • Average daily demand is 6.54 mgd.
  • SFWMD intends to limit withdrawal to 6.2 from the Biscayne Aquifer.
  • Committed demand for approved but unoccupied projects is approximately .50 mgd.
  • The amendment will create .385 mgd of additional demand, for a total of demand of 1.22 mgd in excess of the amount of water that the City anticipates it will be allowed to withdraw from the Biscayne Aquifer.
  • Treatment capacity: 8.0 mgd, with a 15 mgd expansion planned.

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) determines how much untreated ground water the City can withdraw from its Biscayne Aquifer wells each year. SFWMD does so through issuance of consumptive use permits, which specify maximum withdrawal on an average and peak daily basis. The permit has expired and is currently under review by SFWMD. As such, the City is operating without a valid permit. The situation is similar across South Florida as the SFWMD and local governments grapple with water supply limitations.

SFWMD has prohibited most cities, including Hallandale Beach, from using the Biscayne Aquifer to meet the water needs of future growth. In fact, SFWMD is requiring a reduction in Biscayne Aquifer withdrawal and requiring potable water suppliers to find and fund alternative water supply sources and treatment.

Hallandale Beach is pursuing the development of wells to tap the deeper and more brackish Floridian Aquifer. The Floridian Aquifer is a more expensive source of water because deeper wells have to be drilled to reach it, and because treating brackish water requires different, and more expensive technology than treating fresh waster from the Biscayne Aquifer. Additionally, the technology used to treat brackish water is less efficient, meaning that for each gallon of post-treatment potable water produced from the Floridian Aquifer, more than one gallon of pretreated raw water is required.

The City Engineer has estimated the cost of pursuing Floridian Aquifer wells to be approximately $42 million dollars. Also, it is not known at this time to what extent the Floridian Aquifer can support the region’s future growth.

Sanitary Sewer

  • City of Hollywood treats sanitary sewage from Hallandale Beach.
  • City of Hollywood has a total 48.75 mgd plant capacity and 43.54 mgd flow. No planned expansions at this time.
  • Hallandale Beach is allocated 7.85 mgd average annual daily flow
  • Actual average daily demand from Hallandale Beach: 6.798 mgd
  • Committed flow for approved but unbuilt Hallandale Beach projects: 0.453 mgd
  • Diplomat amendment project demand: 0.359 mgd
  • Remaining Capacity : 0.240 mgd (enough for 686 SFR)


Schools

The amendment would impact the following schools as indicated:

  • Hallandale Elementary School: 44 students (overcrowded at 111% of capacity based upon multi-track year-round calendar)
  • Gulfstream Middle School: 8 students (under capacity)
  • Hallandale High School: 12 students (under capacity)


Transportation

Hallandale Beach, like all of eastern Broward County, is located within a Transit-Oriented Concurrency Area. Within this area, developers make one-time payments to Broward County based upon the traffic they would generate, but the money is used to improve and operate mass transit service.

Nonetheless, transportation impact, particularly on collector and local streets is a valid and important consideration when evaluating proposed plan amendments. Accordingly, the applicant submitted a traffic impact yielding the results on the following page.








2005

LOS

Without Amendment With Amendment
2012

LOS

2030

LOS

2012

LOS

2030

LOS

Diplomat Parkway N. of Amendment C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

S. of Amendment
Atlantic Shores Blvd. E. of Amendment D

D

D

D

C

C

C

C

C

C

W. of Amendment
NE 14th Avenue N. of Atlantic Shores Blvd. C

D

D

D

F

F

F

F

F

F

S. of Atlantic Shores Blvd.
E. Hallandale Beach Blvd. E. of Diplomat Parkway D

F

D

F

D

F

D

F

D

F

West of Diplomat Parkway
W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. (I-95 to US-1) E F F F F

CommercialRecreation

Irregular (11.24du/ac) Residential

Dashed linearea

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Monday, March 31, 2008

HB ignores city website's problems and Gulfstream Park

Thanks for swinging by the Hallandale Beach Blog to take a peek at what's going on around the area and my take on that, good, bad and in-between.

I've been juggling quite a lot of things in the air over the past few weeks, both personal and professional, so apologize to those of you who make a point of giving me some of your time occasionally, to see what's what in this part of Southeast Florida, hard by Gulfstream Park Racetrack and the Atlantic Ocean.

I've still got a lot of HBB posts in frozen storage, waiting for your eventual perusal, that I've already written, and hope to defrost them over the next few days, perhaps even before the next scheduled City Commission meeting on Wednesday April 2nd.

They're waiting, not-so-patiently, for some fact-checking inquiry emails I sent out to some third parties, so I can post them without having any doubts as to their factual accuracy or contentions.
Over the next few days, I'll expect to post some of those for you to compensate for the paucity of posts here lately.

I think you'll see that the wait was worth it, since there are many areas of discussion and debate that I've not commented on since the beginning of the year.

Some of those comments will be about what's transpired -or hasn't- since the beginning of the year, as well as thoughts and reflections on the all-day Special HB City Commission Meeting on February 27th at the HB Cultural Community Center.

That particular public meeting attracted a hardcore group of about 2-3 dozen for most of the day, with others drifting in for periods of time to check out what was going on, especially after lunch.

As it happens, for whatever it's worth, one of those late-arriving people was Comm. Dorothy Ross, who was a no-show until approximately 1:22 p.m.

The day resembled nothing so much as a roller coaster, with moments of real insight and lucidity quickly followed by moments of high camp, bathos and over-reaction to reasonable questions posed to staffers.

The scheduled agenda was a discussion of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Lower East Coast Plan Requirements, the EDAW Citywide Master Plan and the Citywide Traffic Study by HDR Engineering, Inc.

I was present from just before the 10 a.m. kickoff until about 6 p,m., and left only because I'd already heard the EDAW presentation before, right after Christmas, which was about 75% complete by the time I split.

Plus, I'd gotten no sleep the night before and the coffee at the Cultural Center didn't agree with me.
Or maybe I'm just too used to the coffee from Denny's and Dunkin Donuts, and the Folgers I buy that I liberally use French vanilla cream with to get it just right.
Next time I'll know to bring my own.

F.Y.I. - According to some on the dais, there'll be an encore performance of the EDAW presentation some night in the near future, though I didn't hear a specific date mentioned.

I'll try to find out when and where that'll be and share the news with you here.

Some past essays that have heretofore not yet posted are due primarily to the photos I've taken not coming out quite as well as I either wanted or expected.

This is especially the case with a series of photos I've taken over the past few months of
a.) construction activities at Gulfstream Park,
b.) the Broadwalk along Hollywood Beach,
c.) ongoing construction of Trump Hollywood,
d.) the unsightly physical conditions of the beach,
e.) current locations of prospective commuter train stations, as well as various activities at
f.) the Arts Park at Young Circle.

The latter issue in particular is still a subject of great frustration with me, for the City of Hollywood's STILL not coming thru on assurances made to me at City Hall last February concerning public safety issues on the east side of the circle.

Plus, there's that old reliable, the complete absence of a single bus shelter, 15 months after the road construction activities on the Circle concluded, and the old bus stop positions were reinstituted, at the largest transit stop in SE Broward.

I hope to arrange a meeting sometime soon with Mayor Peter Bober's staff to discuss some of these matters, since I've been a vocal supporter of his efforts over the years to change the dynamics of Hollywood, a place that I first saw when I was seven-years old.

It's been very frustrating not be able to post certain of these comments, since I aim to be timely and topical here, but I've noticed over the past few months that my photos, whether taken with my old but always reliable Canon camera, or a Fuji disposable, seem, well, blah to be honest, on my Blogger page.

Certainly more so than many of my friends' photos -with similar cameras- on their own blog pages around the country, especially up in the D.C. area.

I hardly need to say here that good photos really help amplify a particular point or contention, so this inability to post many of the photos I've already taken the past year, has caused me lots of aggravation and gnashing of teeth.

I recently got a new digital camera which should hopefully allow me to post my comments and photos in a much more contemporaneous fashion.

Some other examples of posts not published include my observations on the all-day Hallandale Beach City Commission meeting regarding the approval of the DOMUS project's variance on U.S.-1 and S.E. 8th Street, where the Italian restaurant was formerly located, across from Gulfstream Park.

I wanted to write about my conversations with the Norberg family, the antics of State Rep. Steve Geller, in his role as lobbyist and grand inquisitor on behalf of a client, using every legal trick in the book to prevent a nearby Hallandale Beach property owner from publicly opposing his client's request for the change.

I found his performance truly appalling and hope to post a rough transcript of it here later for your perusal.

Considering how much the face and dynamics of Hallandale Beach and U.S.-1 will be changed forever once this gets built, the Herald deciding not to send a reporter, thereby missing the anger, theatrics and histrionics, really speaks to how uneven the Herald's local coverage is.

Not that their national or state coverage is anything to shout about either, with a few exceptions, as I'm constantly mentioning at my other blog, South Beach Hoosier.

Most of these posts will take the form of taking a serious look at some of the sort of everyday things that make me particularly cringe everytime I see them in Aventura, Hollywood or Hallandale Beach, since they are well within the scope and capability of most cities, just not these apparently.

Obviously, one of the things I'm very behind in commenting upon is the City of Hallandale Beach's proposed Master Plan, which was unveiled for the first time just after Christmas at a community forum at the HB Cultural Center before roughly about 100 or so interested city residents.
http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/DocumentView.asp?DID=437

In the next few days I'll also have some thoughts on the two Resident Forums hosted by Comm. Keith London that I've attended recently, including the first one back on February 19th, the night before what was scheduled to be the next-to-last evening Commission meeting of the six-month 'experiment' the Commission voted for last year.

You'll recall that the debate last year among HB residents who showed up at HB City Hall consisted largely of arguing the self-evident point that evening meetings allow the greatest number of citizen taxpayers to attend.

Each Forum with Comm. London was held in Room 192, a small room adjacent to the City Hall Chambers, and lasted roughly two hours, attracting a very vocal and opinionated group of HB citizens.

I was very pleased to be there even under the cramped conditions, especially to hear some honest and passionate back-and-forth about issues that need to be addressed in the city, even if I didn't always agree with every idea I heard.

To state the obvious, these Forums were an excellent idea, and it's a pretty sad reflection on the past civic practices in Hallandale Beach that nobody ever thought to do it before.
(As of today, at least, nobody has ever told me of a prior practice.)

Frankly, it should've been the actual practice of all city commissioners here all along, sort of like a professor's office hours.

There are always some things you just don't want to say aloud in class -or before a microphone at a City Commission hearing.

These Forums provide that opportunity, esp. for the city's residents who are on the shy side.

Before I forget, I did want to second Comm. Keith London's apt comments at the Feb. 27th meeting about something I could hardly believe, though I saw it for myself.

He spoke with what I thought was the appropriate amount of pique regarding the sheer absurdity of members of the Commission being handed documents by staffers after walking into the Cultural Center for that all-day meeting, and being expected to digest 42 pages -over a cup of coffee and a bagel!

Then being expected to digest it all and ask some probing and relevant questions based on what you've read -as opposed to whatever ones you walked in with.

I though those comments were long overdue, but raise an even bigger question.

Why in the world would anyone think that would produce good results?

And why are SO MANY bad practices within the City of Hallandale Beach allowed to persist?
Personally, I've always thought that there ought to be a LOT MORE information available to HB citizens in advance of those City Commission meetings, as well as the Planning and Zoning Meetings, the only two meetings that the city requires COMCAST to televise.

In that respect, the contrast with the City of Hollywood could hardly be more stark, since I routinely receive an automated email notice from them days in advance of a meeting, complete with an agenda and information or links about the topics.

There's no need to reinvent the wheel!

Honestly, the information has already been gathered and inputted by the staff, and the computer does all the hard work, so what's to argue about?

That would allow citizens to print-out whatever parts of the meeting they're most interested in at home, and either bring that print-out with them to the meetings, or refer to it while watching the telecast from home.

Where's the downside to this?

Compare that to what the City of Hollywood does by making everything available at your fingertips.

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/city_clerks/comm_meeting.htm
City Commission Agendas
Regular Meetings are broadcast live on the internet on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 1:00 PM EST. Meetings are also broadcast live on the City's cable television Channel 78.

City Commission Agendas
City agendas are in Adobe Acrobat format (pdf) through DocDepot, an online searchable repository for the agendas, minutes and results. Click here for information on how to download the free Acrobat Reader.
Please click on the DocDepot link, which will open a new window. You will then be able to search by meeting date or a keyword to find a specific agenda.

Also, I've never mentioned it thus far this year, but there continue to be really nonsensical problems with the city's website, a subject that ought to be a subject for future discussion at Commission meetings, so citizens can highlight their real world problems with the site.

Last year, the website caused such incredulity on my part that I made two separate trips to the City Manager's office, last September and October, in order to find out if I was just the latest in a long line of people complaining -or the first.

Once there, I broke it down very simply and asked the secretary/receptionist there to try to access something on the city's website on her computer that the Mayor and City Manager had claimed at an earlier hearing were, in fact, there.

The secretary/receptionist had no luck accessing the info either.

Reason: because it wasn't there.

Their office also seemed to have no idea in September and October that the most recent "Agendas & Minutes" actually posted on the website were from April, counter to what had been said publicly.

Not that you could actually even find the Minutes, though.

Trust me, the problems remain long after the finger-pointing & buck-passing have faded into bad memory.

For instance, at http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/index.asp?NID=226 , as recently as two weeks ago, it was impossible to access the links for Meeting Agendas prior to May 16th, 2007, nor was there any kind of explanation why or even a link to where they were now located.

If it had been incorporated into the actual Minutes from those hearings, which would make sense, why was there no information stating that, much less, a link taking you to this magical place? Incompetency or laziness?

As it is, if you try to access the first five agendas on that page, i.e pre-May 16th, you will get the following message:



We're sorry, but there is not a web page matching your entry.

You entered: www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/DocumentView.asp?DID=371&referrer=http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/index.asp?NID=226

Because of numerous bad experiences with them since I moved here, I've never been a fan of the City Clerk's office performance to begin with, for reasons I'll tell you about in greater detail in the future, since it's too exasperating to get into any detail here.

But I will tell you that their passive aggressive attitude towards city residents, almost trying to bait them into getting upset, has twice led me to complain to the City Manager's office since last summer alone.

And those are just the two incidents I actually had the time to follow through on, rather than let it pass without comment.

And trust me, I hear similar complaints about that office too often around town for it to be unique to me.

Another disturbing thing is that on the drop-down menu for the City Commission, the word Agendas appears twice, when it's only needed once, and the first time, it's under the category "Agendas & Minutes."

But, of course, as you might surmise, there are NO actual Minutes to actually be found there, and haven't been since I can remember.

Where exactly are the HB City Commission Minutes since June 20, 2007 on the city's website???

And why are COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AGENDAS listed under the City Clerk's office rather than their own CRA drop down menu?

And why is the only item listed from almost eleven (11) months ago, May 4, 2007?

And just to make it better, as if that wasn't embarrassing enough, when the page actually opens up, it says, "We're sorry, but there is not a web page matching your entry."

You entered: www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/DocumentView.asp?DID=373&referrer=http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/index.asp?nid=578

Click here to go to the home page

So what happened to that information exactly?

Did it just disappear?

That's par for the course in the inexplicable and serpentine world of HB's City Hall.

Nobody can explain to me why City Advisory Boards and Committees are listed under both the City Commission and under City Clerk on the drop-down menu, when there's no logical reason that someone would think to look there first.

Here's Aventura's simple method of dealing with this:
http://www.cityofaventura.com/commission/advisory.htm#traffic

Logically, Advisory Boards and Committees should have their own line of drop-downs, along with the info I suggested above, along with a page informing the public what their recent activities have been.

And why is there no list on the city website of members of the various city Advisory Boards, with information about their terms, along with information about whom the particular staff contact is?

Again, the City of Hollywood shows exactly how this should be handled to make it easy for everyone concerned:
http://www.hollywoodfl.org/html/CitizensTransportation.htm

On the HB city website, why is the City Manager's photo on the City Commission page, when his is office is a separate entity that works for them, and has its own separate page already?

And why does the City Manager's office page not list the staff's names and their particular areas of responsibility or expertise, so that when you call, you know whom to direct your inquiry to?




Where's a simple flow chart?

And why is there a Calendar function to the right of the Development Services homepage that lists the City Commission meetings, but NOT one on the City Commission's own home page?

That I suggest is crazy.

When the city's website was finally changed, there was much talk about how it'd make things easier.

Did nobody think to run the sort of routine diagnostic or organizational examination of it prior to it coming online to check for problems?

It sure doesn't seem like it.

Speaking of Development Services as I was a few minutes ago, is there a reason why the online version -the only version?- of Current Development Activity In The City of Hallandale Beach
http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/DocumentView.asp?DID=203 has NOT been updated since last February, to reflect any changes?

It's 14 months later!

Plus, we all know what the deal is with The European Club, so why can't the website be accurate 12 weeks into a new year?

Because I had to leave the February 20th City Commission hearing around 10 p.m., right after the discussion of the Pension Board, I never got the opportunity to hear the Commission discuss the pros and cons of Item 8C, about placing campaign finance reports on the city website, though I did read the staff material available.

I'll hope to gave some info on that soon, so we'll BOTH know.

It's yet another common sense move the city should make towards transparency, but that, once again, may in fact be the kiss of death for it.

Finally, though I still have lots on my mind and stored up in the computer, I'll close with this golden nugget for you readers to ponder -and if you have an answer to it, let me know.

It's a matter that should be of concern to everyone in the city who values history and accuracy, since it shows how blind and oblivious the City of Hallandale Beach usually is.

I've personally wondered about it since the first day the city's website changed, and I mentioned it to almost everyone I met at the time, to see if they had noticed it, too.

When I've been at public city meetings or forums and have seen City Hall folks try to give either me or other citizens the run-around or brush-off, rather than simply answer a question or acknowledge a genuine problem, and try to get it resolved as efficiently and expeditiously as possible, I've thought of this one thing until my head literally hurts.

How is it possible that in the City of Hallandale Beach in the year 2008, when there is one entity above every other that has always received and commanded the Lion's Share of publicity for this town, there are ZERO photographs, especially of an historical or iconic nature, of Gulfstream Park anywhere in City Hall's public areas, or a current or past one on the city's website?

Yes, Gulfstream Park Racetrack, the place right across the street from City Hall that employs all those people and brings in all those visitors who spend money here.

In fact, the word Gulfstream never appears on the city's own website page labeled History of the City http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/index.asp?nid=333

How is that at all remotely possible???

Who was the Hallandale Beach genius who decided that made sense?

To me, that's beyond insane, that's reason enough for junking the City's website and starting over from scratch, but this time, asking for citizen input, even of high school kids, because it's indeed certifiable proof of some very poor management and oversight at City Hall.

It's worse that obliviousness, it's routine!

We all know that people who've relocated here and made the kind of financial investment they have into their expensive homes and condos in Hallandale Beach, like over at The Duo, did not sign up to live in a city that gives every impression of NOT having the faintest clue as to what they're doing, and, in the process, give citizens the worst possible return for their investment and taxes, scoffing at normal transparency.

Citizens here are entitled to so very much better than they've been getting at City Hall for years.
Again, how can a City Hall that ignores Gulfstream Park's longtime economic and social contribution to the city over the years, ever expect to be taken seriously by its residents and the larger South Florida community?

Beats me.

To quote the immortal words of young Hamlet, the Danish Prince: "Aye, there's the rub!"

To see photographs and drawings on old postcards of Gulftream Park Racetrack's glamorous past, complete with its royal-palm lined club house entrance, fantastic cantilever grandstand, et al, see: http://www.cardcow.com/search2.php?substring=gulfstream%20park