Reality is starting to sink-in for The Related Group. #HollywoodFL residents and stakeholders really DO hate their absurd plan to build a 30-story luxury condo tower for multi-millionaires on PUBLIC land at Hollywood Beach. An energized public is prepared to make life miserable for any Hollywood elected official or city employee who tries to change the ambiance of that quiet, natural area of the beach.

October 19, 2021 photo of Hollywood Beach via Catherine "Cat" Uden https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOYElvvMLa/

In a few moments, you'll have the chance to read for yourself the 4 complete media accounts of what took place at last Wednesday's Hollywood City Commission regarding The Related Group's ridiculous plan, and some things for all of us to remember in advance of the next meeting on this subject, on Wednesday March 16th, the day before St. Patrick's Day.

That'll necessarily include many smart, dumb, inarticulate, curious and incurious comments from our local elected officials, including two truly great "money" quotes, which make it seem like at least some of them were living in two completely separate worlds, no?

 

In one world, a cold-hearted look at the facts-on-the-ground where logic meets reason, the other, a kind of fantasy story that depends upon unicorns, dragons and a collective sense of amnesia among the citizens of this community, wherein, for the benefit of the developer, we all forget everything we have personally seen and witnessed first-hand with real estate development on Hollywood Beach the past 15-20 years.

"Do we sell our soul for just money?" Shuham asked. "Once we sign it, we're stuck. We don't get to walk away from this. This contract is not a good deal."

Commissioner Traci Callari, stating she had planned to vote yes on the deal, blasted Shuham for making the city "look like a fool" by airing her concerns at the 11th hour, in public.

Hmmm.. could it be because Comm. Shuham could NOT legally talk about it with her or any other commissioners if Shuham wanted to stay on the right side of Florida's  Sunshine Laws, so often ignored in South Florida city halls, and a subject that I've written about dozens of times over the past 14 years here on my blog, Hallandale Beach/Hollywood Blog?

Yes. Something that Callari should know something about given that she was recently the President of the Broward League of Cities, the Broward politico lobbying group that over the years has received hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from Broward citizens to employ attorneys and consultants to further their power grab in Tallahassee and continue to put citizens, taxpayers and Small Business owners at a further disadvantage, while trying to carve out more power and privileges for politicos.

I also wanted to single out those of you who have been telling me for years that I made a real mistake a few years ago when I decided to be more open-minded to what Comm. Callari said, and that I would judge her in the future by her words AND actions, and not just her often hostile or antagonistic attitude towards citizens or common sense or both.

You all are looking more and more correct right now, given what Comm. Callari said in front of everyone at the public meeting.

There's really no need to impugn her, since all we have to do is take her at her word that she REALLY believes the nonsense she spouted last Wednesday.

Yes, my days of giving her the benefit of the doubt are.. Gone With The Wind.

And for the record, Comm. Callari caring whether the Hollywood City Commission looked "like fools" at that meeting is hardly a reasonable measurement barometer on this specific issue, given the fact that neither Mayor Josh Levy or Commissioner Callari or any of the other 5 members of the City Commission ever did the right thing over 19 very long months, and publicly chide The Related Group and their execs for Related's repeated, abject failure to meet with the community at an in-person meeting as required by the city's very own rules.

That's a very low bar to surpass, and yet...

Yes, a public meeting where the actual neighbors of such a prospective building could speak, much less, the rest of the Hollywood community -and the South Florida news media- that genuinely loves that quiet and natural ambiance, and who'll fight to ensure it stays that way, could look Related Group execs, attorneys, architect, and transportation consultants in the eye and ask them to defend what they claim, and then point out its many self-evident holes and flaws in logic. 

Though a plan so devoid of logic and common sense, and which fails to properly judge both public sentiment and human behavior, will not suddenly transform in one month.

Just because the Hollywood City Commission itself, collectively, was not showing proper diligence -or any curiosity!- in their thinking and judgment, and instead chose to act more like cheerleaders for the plan, via their softball questions publicly for two years -save Comm. Shuham- doesn't mean that we could not throw fastballs at a public in-person meeting when we got the chance to let them know that this deal was NOT a fait accompli.

Or, as I said in my last blog post before last Wednesday's meeting, here:

https://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/today-at-500-pm-hollywoodfl-residents.html

By the way, again, for the record, the Miami Herald has said nothing about this preposterous, incompatible Related Group plan since they first sent word of their unsolicited bid to City Hall 19 months ago, and the city, in their failed decision-making process, decided that it was both a love letter and a promi$$ory note.

Nor has the Herald EVER mentioned Caryl Shuham by name since the day after she was elected on Nov. 6th, 2018. Really.

I checked and then double-checked their archives before I posted this.

--------------

Bisnow South Florida

Vote Delayed On Related Group's Controversial Condo Project

Deirdra Funcheon, Bisnow South Florida
February 3, 2022
 

At the end of a meeting that lasted from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday, city commissioners in Hollywood, Florida, delayed a vote on whether to allow Florida's most prominent condo developer to build a 30-story condominium on part of a taxpayer-owned, beachfront site that now includes a public park.

Commissioners are now scheduled to vote on March 16 whether to authorize city officials to execute a comprehensive agreement, a ground lease and easements between the city and PRH 1301 S Ocean Drive LLC, a subsidiary of The Related Group.

Read the rest of the article at:
https://www.bisnow.com/south-florida/news/commercial-real-estate/hollywood-florida-related-group-condo-111743

-----

South Florida Sun Sentinel
Hollywood delays vote on condo deal - Vice mayor skewers plan as too risky in marathon meeting
Susannah Bryan, South Florida Sun Sentinel
February 4, 2022

HOLLYWOOD - Go big or go home.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, the folks who want a private 30-story condo built on a prized piece of taxpayer-owned beach in Hollywood went home without a deal.

But the proposal, skewered around the midnight hour by Vice Mayor Caryl Shuham, is not dead.

The commission agreed to resume discussions on March 16 to give city staff and The Related Group time to come up with a revised deal. The 5-2 vote came just before 3 a.m. Thursday, ending a marathon - and sometimes snippy - debate that began Wednesday afternoon.

The 10-hour meeting, compared by some to a filibuster, began with a two-hour presentation by city staff hyping the deal as a boon for Hollywood that could bring the city an estimated $1.4 billion over the course of a 99-year lease.

Read the rest of the article at:
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/hollywood/fl-ne-condo-tower-hollywood-beach-vote-20220203-iiikon4pkjb27a4u6swijk7fq4-story.html

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South Florida Sun Sentinel
Editorial
Hollywood puts off vote on condo on public land, but problems remain
February 4, 2022

Residents speak during a meeting at Hollywood City Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 to vote on the building of a condo tower on a section of taxpayer-owned beachfront land. John McCall/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/TNS

Hollywood is trying to make better a deal that the city can’t make good.

We have 10 hours of new evidence. That’s how long it took Wednesday night and Thursday morning for the city commission to discuss and hear comments on the proposed lease of oceanfront property to Related Group of Florida.

The company would build a 190-unit, 30-story condo on roughly one acre of the four-acre site. In return, Related would pay for a new, upgraded Harry Berry Park, a larger community center, a plaza and a sculpture garden. Hollywood officials say the project also would bring the city money from rent and increased property tax revenue.

After that marathon debate, the commission voted 5-2 to continue the discussion on March 16. Given the level of opposition, we’re doubtful that the city and Related can refashion the deal enough to gain more support.

Read the rest of the editorial at:

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/editorials/fl-op-edit-hollywood-high-rise-beach-condo-20220203-an3wjb4b6bhbbcjipugz4d6rii-story.html

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South Florida Sun Sentinel
Editorial
Hollywood gets reality check on Related condo deal
By Randy Schultz
February 9, 2022

Caryl Shuham is not a prosecutor. But shortly before midnight last Wednesday, the Hollywood city commissioner delivered a forceful indictment.

For roughly 45 minutes, Shuham - a construction lawyer - picked apart the proposed deal under which Related Group of Florida would build a 30-story condo on a public oceanfront site in return for building a park and community center. Supporters call it a great example of public-private partnerships, known as P3s.

Such partnerships, however, must strike the proper balance between public and private. Shuham argued that the deal would have been very unfair to Hollywood. "It began on Related's terms" after the company approached the city, Shuham told me, and stayed there.

Shuham called the projected revenue to the city "speculative" because Related based it on inflated sales prices. The contract, she said, "guarantees nothing" to Hollywood. After Related sold the 190 units, the city would be dealing with a condo association. Nothing prevented the project from becoming rental.

Read the rest of the editorial at:
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-col-schultz-hollywood-commissioner-beach-high-rise-related-20220208-w3p5mfkub5hoxfwf3qdaojl36e-story.html

Dave 

Hallandale Beach/Hollywood Blog: http://www.hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/ 

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The negative changes in Hollywood keep happening, regardless of whether you are paying attention or not...

The negative changes in Hollywood keep happening, regardless of whether you are paying attention or not. 

Unfortunately, all too often, with the current Hollywood Police Dept., if it wasn't for the bad attitude, there'd be no attitude at all. And that seems to extend to their former police officers, too.

At this point, I don't think I need to remind most of you who know me and my background even fairly well that the continuing unsatisfactory performance of the Hollywood Police Dept. -STILL the largest PD in South Florida WITHOUT body cameras in 2021- has been something of a recurring concern to me personally, and is something that I have written many emails, blog posts, and tweets about, after having personally been eyewitness to their handiwork,
Or lack of work.
Or, complete lack of effort.

Including after I was a victim of a crime just 3 blocks from HPD HQ.

When your neighbor is a hostile ex-cop, don’t count on your city for help

By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org
https://www.floridabulldog.org/.../when-your-neighbor.../

Today's Florida Bulldog article regarding a rogue ex-HPD officer who seemingly has free rein to harass a neighbor in our community with nothing being done by anyone in authority at Hollywood City Hall or elsewhere, and actually worse, elected officials lying to a victim about being willing to help resolve the situation, should cause those of you who are still open-minded that the days of your simply trusting Hollywood's elected officials, of assuming because a current city elected official or top-tier administrator can remember your name in the hallway or at a meeting -back when there were public meetings at the now-closed City Hall- doesn't mean that they are your friend.
They are not your friend.
They never were.

And really, after everything else that has happened in this community the past 18 months that has been uniformly bad for residents, taxpayers and an informed citizenry, the last thing that City Attorney and functionary Doug Gonzalez needs, is a more unflattering yet-true public portrayal of him coming before the public, given how low the opinion of him is, almost universally.

This article depicts him as a disconnected, imperious, and seemingly petty little man who fails to grasp the seriousness of what continues to take place everyday with the blessing of the mayor, city commission and the administration.

In a 60 Minutes version of this story, there are a lot of people in Hollywood currently walking around town with some degree of power and influence whose reputations would be close to ruined once the program aired.
For good cause.
They are exactly what they look like.

Hallandale Beach/Hollywood Blog: http://www.hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/ 

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Hollywood City Commission makes great points about relative failings of independent consultant's report on placement of Broward's 911 radio antenna in Hollywood, but to what end exactly? Sadly, perhaps none. And in the end, the South Florida news media does not seem keen on giving the issue the impartial overview it always deserved; video

Hollywood City Commission makes great points about relative failings of independent consultant's report on placement of Broward's 911 radio antenna in Hollywood, but to what end exactly? Sadly, perhaps none. And in the end, the South Florida news media does not seem keen on giving the issue the impartial overview it always deserved; video

Today's blog post is a follow up to my August 19th post, 
So THAT just happened... for the worst. Broward County's 325-foot 911 Services radio tower at West Lake Park in #HollywoodFL just got the green light from an independent consultant. So now what? Don't hold your breath, Hollywood!
https://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2019/08/so-that-just-happened-for-worst-broward.html

Which followed this post of mine:
May 6th, 2019, The West Lake Park Radio Tower issue is rubbing #HollywoodFL residents the wrong way, esp. people who don't see 325-foot tall radio antennas, even for 911 services, being compatible for a nature park. Especially when there's a better answer available. @SAVEWESTLAKE

https://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-west-lake-park-radio-tower-issue-is.html

So, in the week since we last discussed it, I hope you didn't choose to disregard my sound advice and choose to hold your breath, perhaps believing that by doing so, somehow, common sense would suddenly prevail in the long-running battle between the City of Hollywood (and a majority of its citizens) versus Broward County and their insistence that the eventual placement of a 325-foot high 911 emergency services radio tower antenna in  West Lake Park , a very popular county park in northern Hollywood, off of Sheridan Street, was the best possible choice to be made.

Photo from @SAVEWESTLAKE

Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/mM7qZd1Hz6aBHqx2A

That unpopular plan has been almost universally opposed by Hollywood residents and elected officials on many different grounds, usually, on environmental and financial grounds, though there are clearly many Hollywood citizens who were opposed to the radio tower being located there, near the Anne Kolb Nature Center, a county-run facility named after a former Broward commissioner and environmentalist who represented the southeast part of the county, where Hollywood is located.
idistr, for reasons involving health fears and simple aesthetics.

And to quote myself last week: 

This all taking place despite the fact that it's clear to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention that the 911 radio tower antenna tower, no matter where it was located in the greater Hollywood area to cover SE Broward, would NOT be complete until... NEXT YEAR.

Not that you would know any of this from the vast majority of the South Florida news media's coverage of this issue the past few months, but it's true. It will be finished NEXT YEAR.
So, why don't the press say that in their stories and newscasts?
Good question.

 but the radio antenna tower was needed to greatly improve First Responder communications via their 911 emergency services system, NOT to improve a citizen's efforts in reaching 911 and requesting help, as several Miami TV newscasts the past few months have allowed people to state on the air without anyone there knowing any better.
I know what you're thinking. Nonsense getting aired on South Florida TV stations?
Yes, continuing a longstanding tradition.

So, no, holding your breath until only common sense reigned in Hollywood and Broward would be Mission Impossible, and the reasons why were on full display late Wednesday afternoon at Hollywood City Hall at the first Hollywood City Commission meeting since July 4th, following Ciizen Comments around 5 p.m.

So, in short, on June 19th, the Broward County Commission and the City of Hollywood City Commission agreed to hire an independent consultant to evaluate two proposed locations for a new radio tower in east Hollywood. The expert's report recommended the West Lake Park location just off of Sheridan Road -west of the West Lake Commons retail area on U.S.-1 that occupies the spot that was once home to the Hollywood Pontiac car dealership- and not the CIRC Hotel location that the city was urging. 
Per the terms of the agreement between the City and County, the independent expert’s decision is binding on both parties. 

And so it was that a little bit after five o'clock on Wednesday, the consultant, Gary Monetti, came into the Lions Den at Hollywood City Hall and tried his best to defend his report, beat back the lions, and emerge largely unscathed.

http://www.broward.org/CommunicationsTechnology/Reports/Documents/Westlake%20Park%20Tower%20Site.pdf  

Watch this debate here from the August 28th, 2019 City of Hollywood City Commission meeting


So here is how I saw the discussion it from my seat in the chambers.... and what I thought.

Considering all the attention that the issue has received going back to last year -shocker!- there were no members of the South Florida press at the meeting, just yours truly.

.@JoshLevyHlwd &
Comm. Shuham making great points re consultant's report - having it @ #WestLakePark- provides MORE DUPLICATIVE coverage of @FLLFlyer, but leaves GAPS in #HollywoodFL & HB. Point was to cover all of Broward -it doesn't! @caitielee0917 @Susannah_Bryan @SoFlaOpinion

— HallandaleBeach/HollywoodBlog (@hbbtruth) August 28, 2019

Dave 

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BREAKING: #HollywoodFL - Contentious City Comm meeting: City Manager Ishmael directed to negotiate a separation agreement for City Atty. Jeffrey Sheffel

Developing story...

The Hollywood City Commission was set to reconvene at 4:30 today after contentious 1:00 PM City Commission meeting results in call by Comm. Richard Blattner -supported by Commissioners Traci Callari and Peter Hernandez-  for Hollywood City Manager Wazir Ishmael to enter into negotiations with City Attorney Jeff Sheffel for the purposes of creating a separation agreement for Sheffel, following months of drama and reports of chronic complaints in his office.

These reports included unhappiness with turnover within City Attorney's office due to existing culture there -i.e. Sheffel himself- Sheffel's arrest in March for DUI,  and 
more recently, as was discussed at length today, an email from the Assistant City Manager to Sheffel alleging that the City Attorney's Office was behind in paying legal bills to outside counsel defending the city, and also was exceeding his spending authorization in settlements.

Much debate on what true facts were and whether facts were subject to interpretation. 

No seemed to be the consensus - the facts are black and white.

City Attorney Sheffel later said he was short-staffed and that was part of the cause for some of the highlighted problems but Comm. Traci Callari quickly shot back that the reason that he and his office were short-staffed was directly because of his own actions and behavior at the manager.

In his motion, later rescinded after Sheffel agreed to meet with Dr. Ishmael, Blattner was supported by longtime Sheffel opponents Callari and Peter Hernandez, who called for Sheffel to resign at the first City Comm. meeting following his March arrest. 

Publicly supporting Sheffel at the meeting were Mayor Josh Levy and Comm. Debra Case,

while Commissioners Kevin Biederman & Linda Sherwood seemed more on the fence but not at all happy at the various reports.

Update: Before the end of the second half of the 4:30 PM session, Hollywood City Manager Wazir Ishmael announced that he and the City Attorney Sheffel have reached a meeting of the minds regarding a Separation Agreement.

Commissioner Traci Callari made clear following this bit of news that she would like to discuss this development in more depth at the next City Commission meeting, on June 7th.

May 31st, 2017 Update
I will be updating this story tonight with some insight and quotes from from some of the parties involved, including their public comments during the early afternoon meeting, where I was the only person from the media(!) present.
CBS-4 News came by for the continuation after I sent them an email.

I had the opportunity to talk to Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy for a bit following the recent Young Circle Roadway Study at the Lippman Multi-Purpose Center, and naturally, the situation with the City Attorney was one of the subjects we discussed. 
Also in attendance Thursday night at the event were Hollywood Commissioners Debra Case and Richard Blattner.

From the City of Hollywood:

UPDATED: Meetings of the City Commission
Tuesday, June 6, 2017

A Special City Commission Meeting and a City Commission Workshop have been planned for Tuesday, June 6th at City Hall in Room 215. The meeting is at 3:00 p.m. regarding a separation agreement with the City Attorney and the workshop is at 4:00 p.m. regarding the proposed Safety Enhancement District in Emerald Hills. City Commission meetings and workshops are broadcast on the City’s Government Access Channel, Comcast Channel 78, AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 and streamed online on the City’s website at 
http://www.hollywoodfl.org/146/Watch-Commission-Meetings [http://www.hollywoodfl.org/146/Watch-Commission-Meetings