FOLLOW me on my popular Twitter feed. Just click this photo! @hbbtruth - David - Common sense on #Politics #PublicPolicy #Sports #PopCulture in USA, Great Britain, Sweden and France, via my life in #Texas #Memphis #Miami #IU #Chicago #DC #FL ๐Ÿ›ซ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ“บ๐Ÿ“ฝ️๐Ÿˆ. This photo of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 classic "To Catch a Thief" is the large Twitter photo on my @hbbtruth account

Beautiful Strandvรคgen, the grand boulevard in ร–stermalm, in central Stockholm, Sweden, along Nybroviken. In my previous life, I was DEFINITELY born and raised there!

Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, home of the Hoosiers; Fernando Mendoza TD dive on 4th Down leads to IU's first nat'l football title; The Team; The Head Coach, Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers 2026 football schedule

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Hannah Giles, America's new sweetheart undercover super-sleuth is back with more news about ACORN

Yes, Miami's Hannah Giles is back!
Along with James O'Keefe, America's
nerdiest pimp who still keeps it real.

This screenshot I snapped is of Hannah
from the Miami studios of Fox News,
appearing on Sean Hannity's Fox
New
s Channel TV show last night,
Nov. 16th, with some news about the
Andrew Breitbart 'Big Government'
crew's newest series of ACORN
videotapes, from the West Coast.

Video of the appearance:
http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/11/sean-hannity-shows-acorn-undercover.html ---------------
Los Angeles Times

Young conservative activist Hannah Giles speaks in Santa Barbara

The 20-year-old who rocked ACORN with a series of secret videos addresses
college students about guerrilla warfare.
By Kate Linthicum
November 15, 2009

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-young-conservatives15-2009nov15,0,1837509.story

-----------
See also http://biggovernment.com/

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

Your browser may not support display of this image.

Oh, say can you see... Guess which city's flag ignored Fort Hood and Veteran's Day?

For those of you who are new to this
blog or who may occasionally think
I'm too critical of the denizens of
Hallandale Beach City Hall, such as
City Manager Mike Good and his
highly-paid staff, Mayor Joy Cooper,
her dependable Rubber Stamp
Crew
of Commissioners William Julian,
Dotty Ross and Anthony A. Sanders,
plus the grab-bag of Dept. directors,
let me return to a central tenet of this
blog.

It should help connect-the-dots
for you.



In my humble opinion, you earn trust
and respect from the community by
consistently showing sound, reasonable
judgment; of being scrupulously fair
in the performance of your duties;
and of being competent, professional
and efficient in carrying-out those
responsibilities, starting with small
easy to resolve problems.


Then, gradually, like a child shedding
their bike's training wheels, you can
begin handling things more complicated.
Like gravity.


But if you chronically keep screwing-up
the smaller matters that are self-evident,
of being un-necessarily egotistical,
adversarial and hyper-sensitive to
any constructive criticism regarding
the safety and Quality-of-Life of the
citizens of this community, I DON'T
have to trust you.


I DON'T have to respect you or have
faith that you can handle more complex
matters simply because you want me
to believe you can.

I don't.


Why should I or anyone else in this
community when you have utterly
failed, by both words and action,
year-after-year, to earn the trust
of the community?


So, that said, you may've heard last
week about the massacre at Fort Hood
as well as being aware that Veteran's Day
was being celebrated on November 11th.
It was "In the news."




Below, how those two separate events,
which required the appropriate but
easily-understood flag etiquette being
employed, were handled by the City
of Hallandale Beach under the current
Cooper & Good regime.



Above, the American flag at Hallandale Beach
City Hall last Monday, November 9th,
when it was supposed to be at half-mast
per the president's direction, in honor of
the Fort Hood victims.




Video from last Monday night showing this
yet again, with attention once again to the
dark conditions of the public parking lot
outside HB City Hall and the HB Police Dept.
HQ.



The Hallandale Beach Fire/Rescue
station on Three Islands Drive
on Wednesday November 11th,
Veteran's Day.



A closer shot of the flag on the Hallandale
Beach Fire/Rescue flagpole.



Even closer.

Yet another one of Hallandale Beach Fire
Chief Daniel Sullivan's screw-ups to
add to the list.

But don't worry, I'm sure he's "handling it."

That's exactly why I'm concerned.

Yet another Hallandale Beach Keystone Cops
success for Mike Good and Daniel Sullivan.

It's one stupid screw-up after another...

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Calling Sherlock Holmes! Wikipedia entry for Hallandale Beach no longer mentions Gulfstream Park!

September 7, 2009 photo of Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino
sign on U.S.-1 & S.E. 3rd Street entrance by South Beach Hoosier


Calling Sherlock Holmes!


As if things weren't bad enough over at
Magna's
Gulfstream Park Racing
& Casino
as I noted on November 1st,
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/problems-at-magnas-gulfstream-park-are.html
Wikipedia's entry for Hallandale Beach
now doesn't mention Gulfstream Park
at all.

It also ignores the influence of the Mob
and the rampant public corruption here
during the '40 and 50's, or the illegal
casinos (The Colonial Inn, The Plantation),
or the town's early history of tomato
farming.

Instead, as of 8 p.m. on November 14th,
the first sentence of the second paragraph
now reads:
The city is best known as
the home of Mardi Gras Gaming

greyhound racing track, which hosts
the
World Classic.


Really?
"Best known?"
Since when?

The hidden-hand of Steve Geller's
longtime pal and campaign/PAC
contributor at The Mardi Gras,
Dan Adkins
, or his minions?

The same Dan Adkins whose
Mardi Gras gambling operation
continually refused to cooperate
with the City of Hallandale Beach's
Master Plan consultants, EDAW?
(Which only made the whole effort
to plan the city's controlled growth
more
preposterous if they couldn't
get any relevant information
or
input from them!)


I honestly don't know.
Perhaps someone should contact them
and ask them that question.
Or, at very least, check out the "recent
edits" section of the entry.

But I do know that Gulfstream Park
used to be mentioned in the entry,
and now, as if someone performed
surgery, it's not.
Therein lies a mystery.

------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallandale

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My oldest military ancestor: Continental Army spy for Gen. Washington

The oldest military veteran that I've been
able to find in my family thru my up-and-down
genealogy pursuits over the past 25 years,
where I've spent what's seemed like entire
months at both The National Archives
and the Local History and Genealogy
Reading Room of the Library of Congress
is a paternal ancestor who was a spy for
Gen. George Washington in the Continental
Army.

(See http://www.archives.gov/,
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/,
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/,
http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/,

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html ,
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/icuhtml/
)


Over twenty years previously, in 1755,
he'd been an enlisted man under a young
Washington when they marched en masse
from Alexandria to Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh)
with British Gen. Edward Braddock on his
ill-fated expedition to capture that strategic
French fort.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Braddock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braddock_expedition

(One of the Washington, D.C. Metrorail
stations in Old Town Alexandria is actually
called Braddock Road.
http://transit.schuminweb.com/transit/wmata/blue-line.php?station=C12
It's the Metro station that's only a few
hundred feet from the HQ of PBS.
Here in South Florida. as we all know,
they'd name the station after a living politician!)



After the Revolutionary War ended
and my ancestor manged to avoid
being captured and having a British
Army noose wrapped around his neck,
for his efforts, he received some land
way out in the Ohio Territories
,
about an hour from current-day
Pittsburgh, .

Which is why my paternal ancestors
and family have lived continuously
in Jefferson County, Ohio, right off
the Ohio River, since before it
became a state.


And me, I was born at the Lackland
Air Force Base hospital in San Antonio,
where
my mother worked right next door,
directly under the Base Commander at
Kelly AFB, where my father was in the
Flight Surgeon's Office.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/kelly.htm
http://www.mysanantonio.com/military

They each saw President and
Mrs. Kennedy
the day before he was
killed, when Air Force
One flew into
Kelly and went thru the official
receiving
line.

Our family has a photograph
of them
at the base that day that I've never
seen
published anywhere else in the myriad

books and film footage of their time in
Texas.
One day...

Happy Veteran's Day!

U.S. Flag over the Pentagon
United we stand...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Just Broward County being Broward County when facing their own serial incompetence. A sad, familiar refrain... The sorry state of ethics and Good Government in South Florida where government incompetence and corruption are too frequently the norm; Broward County Courthouse Taskforce

Below are some thoughts by some very concerned Broward County citizens on what's going on up at
Andrews Ave. with the Broward County Commission, with my own comments just below them, which are, in large part, excerpts of an email of my own sent to the writers and the much larger community who receives my emails.

The emails are in reverse-chron order with some identifiable email info removed, and some blank spacing eliminated, but otherwise identical to how I received it over the weekend.
The comments are pretty self-explanatory and the official govt. response speak volumes.


---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Charlotte Greenbarg
Date: Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Subject: FW: Another arrest: J. Eggelletion from Mae Smith
To: Charlotte Greenbarg

Read the whole list of emails. Interesting. Go Mae!

Charlotte



From: Warence Mae Smtih
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 5:52 PM
To: 'Dave Reierson'; 'Henry, Bertha'; 'Keechl, Ken'; Commissioner Diane Wasserman-Rubin; Commissioner Ilene Lieberman ; Commissioner John Rodstrom ; Commissioner Ken Keechl; Commissioner Kristen Jacobs; Commissioner Lois Wexler; Commissioner Stacey Ritter; Commissioner Suzanne Gunzburger
Cc: Michael Mayo
Subject: RE: Another arrest: J. Eggelletion

To all who have the authority or power to take responsible action:
Commissioner Eggelletion was removed from office in September it appears on the website as if he still represents the district. Why is it taking so long to remove his name off of the website? This is misleading to the residents of District 9. When School Board Commissioner Beverly Gallagher was removed from office; the school board immediately removed her pictures and name from all business of the school board. The school board felt a need take immediate action. Is there a reason for you to be so slow to remove his name?
Today Ex-Commissioner Eggelletion turned himself into the Broward County Jail. The Feds has him on one corner and the State Attorney’s Office finally has him on the other. I don’t think Governor Crist is stupid and I don’t think you are. What are the chances of the Governor Crist re-instating him to office? All material and websites that advertise his name as Commissioner for District 9 should be removed NOW!!!!
Warence “Mae” Smith
President of St. George Civic Association, Inc.
From: Dave Reierson
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 5:15 PM
To: 'Dave Reierson'; 'Henry, Bertha'; 'Keechl, Ken'
Cc: Mae Smith; Michael Mayo
Subject: Another arrest: J. Eggelletion
Commissioner Keechl and Ms. Henry:
The attached story about another arrest of former Comm. Eggelletion further questions your approach about your unwillingness to update your website. Your official website states that he remains a Broward County Commissioner and that he represents District 9. I seems that you put little value in the content of the website, even the home page and somehow this inaccuracy about who holds an elected office is a small issue to the Commission and to the County Administrator.
Dave Reierson
Oakland Park, FL
From: Dave Reierson
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 11:20 PM
To: 'Henry, Bertha'; 'Keechl, Ken'
Subject: RE: J. Eggelletion
Ms. Henry:
I guess that makes sense to you, but certainly not to me. Updating of the web site is dependent on actions of the Governor? There is a vacant spot on the Broward County Board of Commissioners, but you seem to be not willing to acknowledge it on the web site. Apparently the web site is not expected to be current or accurate, even when it addresses a matter as important as our elected officials. Evidently that is also quite acceptable to the other Commissioners. It also seems to me that this update to the website should be quite manageable and a rather simple task. Certainly that is our expectation in the private sector, but in the public sector our expectations are expected to be much lower? This makes me continue to wonder how well the large tasks are being managed.
Dave Reierson
Oakland Park
From: Henry, Bertha
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 7:07 PM
To: Keechl, Ken; 'Dave Reierson'
Subject: RE: J. Eggelletion
Dear Mr. Reierson,
We expect the Governor to make an appointment any day now. Once done, we will update all at once.

From: Keechl, Ken
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 12:47 PM
To: 'Dave Reierson'
Cc: Henry, Bertha
Subject: RE: J. Eggelletion
Dave:
Under the Broward Co. Charter, this decision is that of Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry. I have cc’d her on this email. Ms. Henry, please respond to Mr. Reierson directly.
Thanks for your continued support, Dave.
Ken
Ken Keechl, District 4 Commissioner
Vice Mayor Broward County
From: Dave Reierson
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 11:59 AM
To: Keechl, Ken
Subject: J. Eggelletion
Commissioner Keechl:
I see that J. Eggelletion is still listed as a Commissioner of the Broward County Board of Commissioners. His website states that he represents District 9. Neither is true. Why hasn’t this been corrected?
Dave Reierson
Oakland Park, FL

----------

November 10th, 2009

Up until now I've always avoided forwarding emails to you for all the obvious reasons, but as you can see below, other concerned citizens in Broward are noticing the very same sorts of 'curious' things that we've been noticing and taking note of for quite some time and also asking why? 

Their emails and questions ring familiar to us and resonate deep inside because they contain the same lyrics from that same old sad song of incompetence and misfeasance sung by Broward County administrators and elected officials, starting with Bertha Henry and her assistants.

To cite one recent example, Broward County administrators DIDN'T properly keep the public information on their website accurate or up-to-date on their so-called Courthouse Taskforce, under Broward Commissioner Ilene Lieberman as Chair.


(When you're looking for fresh objective eyes on a subject, why was a Broward Commissioner on the Taskforce in the first place, thereby effectively giving her two votes on the matter?
Someone who reportedly owned land in the immediate area?
And then made the Chair?

The entire Courthouse Taskforce had self-evident professional and personal conflicts of interests of the sort that, in a well-run county would've never allowed them to pass muster, since there was nobody on it who was even openly agnostic about needing a new facility, much less, critical of the county's self-serving bias with taxpayers dollars.

But with just a few rare exceptions, seemingly everyone in South Florida media just looked the other way, because the Broward County Commission desperately wants a new Courthouse, and doesn't much care what taxpayers say or think, or what sorts of behind-the-scenes moves they have to finesse in order to get their way.

There's a reason why the Broward County Commissioners don't want to have a public referendum on this issue.


If the media is supposed to be 'watchdogs' for the public, why did South Florida's media 

suddenly go deaf, mute and blind on this issue and never ask tough questions about the 
personnel makeup of this Taskforce, and why did the Editorial Boards of the Herald and Sun-Sentinel just sit on the sidelines and take one for the home team, i.e. The Establishment, and never ask?

Do you know what they call a place where the 'watchdog' doesn't bark?
Of course you do, because you live here, too. They call it our reality -South Florida 2009.)


Under Comm. Lieberman's watch, the Taskforce waited until hours AFTER their last scheduled public meeting before finally putting up the agenda and any and all relevant updated info, docs and renderings, as well as the Minutes of the previous meeting, which was supposed to be online for the
public to examine long BEFORE that meeting ever started.

In a well-run community where there is actual punishment and public rebuke of those who don't play by society's norms and laws, and who continually don't do what they're supposed to do, there's a real tangible downside to those who don't place the info on the county's website WEEKS BEFORE, if not days before, as the County kept trying to peddle their sad-luck mold stories to anyone in the media who'd ask, complete with arranging tours of supposed off-limit areas.

But this isn't a well-run county as we all know, so it WASN'T done.
There was no public accountability.

That's why in the days prior to that final public meeting of Broward's Courthouse Taskforce, I emailed Comm. Sue Gunzburger's office to let her know about this failure by the county to properly keep the public FULLY informed.

Her always-helpful staff forwarded my concerns to the top of the county.

Later, I received what I can only describe as a series of pathetic, self-serving excuses from one of County Administrator Bertha Henry's assistants.

These rather silly and unsatisfactory missives were very similar to the ones I received this past Spring when I grilled them about the fact that ONE YEAR after-the-fact, the relevant information and Minutes from the FINAL public meeting of the county's Charter Review Commission in April of 2008, including the actual arguments for and against individual items being proposed for the Nov. 2008 ballot for county voters, as well as the actual procedural and final votes by the individual committee members, were STILL NOT on the county's website.

So, after posting them every few weeks, what, they just forgot to do it BEFORE the actual election?

Call me old-fashioned, but I happen to believe that Broward County's citizen taxpayers, having already paid for all the costs involved, had an absolute right to actually read that information and
see for themselves why some proposals made the cut and others didn't, and know specifically who said what when.

Maybe they'd have noticed as I did from having actually been there in person, the highly anti-democratic comments and votes taken by the Broward city mayors who were appointed to the CRC,
under Chair Lori C. Moseley of Miramar, all of whom, coincidentally, were women.

In my opinion, the worst offender of all was Cooper City mayor Debby Eisinger, whose comments and behavior made me think that what she'd really like to be in another life is a despot.

And not a benevolent dictator, either.

Last year there was a proposal before the CRC to take a resolution to the County Commission to support a process that would lead to a procedure that allowed the public to place legitimate agenda items on the County Commission agenda

With 19 members present, 13 votes were need to pass.
http://www.broward.org/charter/pdf/crc_regular_meetin20040908final.pdf
page 10

It lost 13-5.
Only two women on the CRC voted yes: H.K. "Petey" Kaletta and Burnadette
Norris-Weeks
.
Six voted against: Debby EisingerLori Moseley, Patricia Good, Maggie Davidson, Hazelle Rogers, Jodi Jeffreys-Tanner.

Page 20, On the proposal for the creation of an advisory MTA, which I strongly supported and which passed 15-4, voting against were Debby EisingerLori Moseley and Patricia Good

On the proposal that received the lion's share of media attention last year which would allow Broward County citizens to vote in November for or against a County-wide elected mayor, George A. Morgan,
 Jr. the Exec. Director of The Broward Workshop put it plainly on page 73 in his submitted remarks: "...The voters have a right to decide this important issue... Don't take their right to vote away..."

At page 84, Mr, Morgan speaks in person

On page 127, you can see who voted for and against which led to the motion failing on a 10-9 vote, failing to get the 13 votes.

The women voting to prevent Broward County voters from deciding this issue themselves:
Burnadette Norris-Weeks, Maggie DavidsonHazelle Rogers, Jody Jeffreys-Tanner
and our ol' pal, Debbie Eisinger.


Cooper City mayor Debbie Eisinger voted against all three, earning her the booby prize.


That Eisinger, Joy Cooper and a few other Broward pols recently endorsed Attorney General candidate Dan Gelber, see Gelber rolls out more Broward endorsements

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/10/gelber_rolls_out_more_broward.html


Posted by Anthony Man on October 7, 2009, it caused me to write a post a few weeks ago
that you'll soon see, tentatively titled without exaggeration, Rogue's Gallery of Broward
Officials Endorses Dan Gelber - Includes Joy Cooper, 
Naturally.


All of these important matters about the CRC were seemingly only observed by myself, since the Herald and Sun-Sentinel's coverage of that final public meeting was woefully short of what was needed or required.

So as to your question of what sort of people possess the chutzpah to think they can do nothing,
after-the-fact
, when it suits them, and think they can get away with it, I'd suggest it's the very same

people who don't do what they're required to do, before-the-fact, when it suits them and they think
they can make it stick.

The answer, of course, is the Broward County Commission, though sometimes, it's also the Hallandale Beach City Commission for the same exact inexplicable reasons.


Except when it's not at all inexplicable but patently obvious to both you and me: because they can.


It's the same reason that the Hallandale Beach City Commission last week refused to agree to Comm. Keith London's common sense plan to post the Diplomat Country Club's very unpopular Local Activity Center (LAC) application on the city's feeble website.

Nobody would even second the motion.
Joy Cooper, William Julian, Dotty Ross and Anthony A. Sanders all just sit there like bumps on a log, as the silence echoed throughout the Commission Chambers.

Why?

Because they don't want you to know!



And trust me, in a few weeks, they'll be criticizing HB citizens from the dais just like Mayor Cooper was doing in earnest last Wednesday morning, over the city's very unpopular RAC plan, saying that people in the community were "uneducated" and were spreading lies, etc.
It was typical Joy Cooper theatre-of-the-absurd.


Yet they won't post the important yet very unpopular LAC plan on their own website so that people in the community can actually see what the specific details are.
THAT is what passes for normal in corrupt and poorly-run Hallandale Beach, Florida in the year
2009.

If you're interested, you can see some of my own contemporaneous comments about the myriad actions of both the Broward Charter Review Commission and the Courthouse Taskforce by going here,
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Charter%20Review%20Commission
and here, http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/search?q=courthouse