Riverside ParkNeighborhood News

March/April 2007

March/April 2007

Riverside Park Residents’ Association, Inc. • PO Box 122, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302 • www.riversidepark.org

UPCOMINGEVENTS:______________April 1, 2007

Sunday, 4:00 PMRPRA General Meeting

at the parkBe sure to Attend!______________

RP FLEA MARKETMarch 24 and April 21______________

INSIDE:Swing Bridge Repairs

page 10______________

Sewer Updatepage 4-5

______________

Letter From thePresident of RPRA

page 3______________

JOIN RPRAMembership Form

on page 11VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!______________Free Trees! - page 6

8:30 am till 1:00 pm at the Park

Dear Neighbors:

Please come and joins us on Saturday mornings for our neigh-

borhood Flea/Farmer’s market at the Radford Community

Center, 551 SW 11th Ave.

This event is organized by the City Parks & Recreation

Department. Anyone can participate, buy, sell, walk around…

Get together over a cup of coffee, discuss events, and

browse the different vendors.

If you have stuff you want to sell

( and everyone does!!!) you can

get a table to showcase

your wares just contact Sandra at

the park pavilion.

One more reason to start spring

cleaning… you could even makea few $$$$Nothing too strenuous!!!

At the last market you could find:

clothing, hardware, plants real and

silks, trees, household items, jewelry, accessories even

a pet adoption booth and a very nice and fresh fruits

and vegetables stand.

The weather was fantastic, people were friendly, and everyone

was browsing and talking. So don’t miss out on a real communi-

ty event, join us and make this event a success.

This is just another way of bringing people together and making

this neighborhood a friendlier place to be.

See you there!

What is going on in Riverside Park???Be a Member of the RPRA and find out.

The Riverside Park Residents' Association is instrumental in shapingthe changes that occur around your home. Your participation andmembership affects our ability as a neighborhood to maintain oureclectic and historic community while balancing increasing growththrough redevelopment.

As residents of Riverside Park we are currently facing major changeswith the Waterworks 2011 sewer project and soon the renovation ofStranahan High as well as restoration of the SW 11 Ave swing bridge.If you wonder how these changes will be affecting your personal lifeyou need to become a member of the Riverside Park ResidentsAssociation and become informed. Only information can help you tovote on matters shaping the way our community grows, our safetyand all matters related to your quality of life in Riverside Park.

Participation also matters on how well our community looks andfunctions. Volunteer to donate your most valuable asset, your time.Give five hours of your month to attend a General Meeting for two

hours and sign up for three hours as ageneral volunteer. Our neighborhood isdefinitely worth it!

Annual Membership in the RPRA is only$20 per person or $30 per family. Yourdues not only produce the newsletter andwww.riversidepark.org , they also fundcritical special projects such as theNeighborhood Compatibility Plan.Perhaps most importantly, your dues allowyou to vote for your Board of Directorsthat represent all of us as a community.

Thank you to all past, present and future members. If you have notyet paid your 2007 Membership Fee, please bring it to our GeneralMeeting, or send via mail witha completed copy of our mem-bership form

Informative monthly GeneralMeetings take place the firstSunday of every month at 4PMin Riverside Park at the RadfordCommunity Center, 551 SW11th Ave.

The next general meeting of theRiverside Park ResidentsAssociation is scheduled for

The Riverside Park Resident’s Association hasbeen conducting, in coordination with the Cityof Fort Lauderdale, a neighborhood characterand compatibility study, which will be present-ed in final version at the RPRA General meet-ing April 1. Members will have one month toreview it before it is presented for approval atthe May meeting. The resulting documentpresents many recommendations which willbe implemented by overlay regulations, cityinitiative, ordinance revision, and land useamendment. You can see the full document onour website: www.riversidepark.org.

Beginning here, and continued inside, isa summary of the study’s recommendations:

• Define Sub-areas to recognize thevarious unique neighborhoods with tailoredstandards. Permitted uses would remain as-is,except for a few minor adjustments

• Allow cluster development in RD-15with rear access from a side street (possiblyfrom a front street)• Allow commercial uses to continue inEast Riverside, subject to compliance with aes-thetic and performance standards. Theseparcels should be re-zoned to a NeighborhoodActivity Center.• Planned density increases should beconsidered to facilitate the redevelopment ofRM-15 areas (i.e. the 15th Avenue Corridorand Community Acres) subject to amaster plandemonstrating compliance with certainaesthetic and performance standards. Thestandards should include a maximum recom-mended coverage limit of 60%, limiting vehicleparking to the interior of the lot, as well as bulkregulations that govern the scale and massingof the building envelope and limit the cluster-ing of multi-family units to no more than fourunits per building. (continued inside page 6)

Riverside Park Residents’ Association, Inc. • PO Box 122, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302 • www.riversidepark.org

Your Riverside Park Residents’ AssociationRP Farmer’s MarketMarch 24th and April 21st

April 1, 2007Sunday,4:00 PM

RPRA GeneralMeeting

at the parkBe sure toAttend!

Neighborhood Character Study Reaches Completion

In an ironic turn of events, City workers cutdown a 27” live oak tree in Riverside Park evenas the City prepares to adopt a newer, morestringent landscape ordinance intended topreserve the City’s greenery.

The 27” live oak was the largest in the publicright-of-way at the corner of SW 15th Avenueand Davie Blvd. and provided a spectacular vistato westbound travelers as they crossed over theDavie Blvd. drawbridge spanning the South Forkof the New River. But the tree stood in the wayof construction crews replacing a water main

along Davie Blvd., and in early March cityofficials decided to remove the tree.

The roots of the tree had been damaged by thesame project team in 2006 when they removedmost of the roots on the north side of the treeas they were initially installing the water main.At that time, project teammembers had assuredthe neighborhood that there was no plan toremove the tree, and that the project teamplanned to route the water main around thetree – hence the aggressive root pruning on thenorth side of the tree. (continued on next page)

City to Tree Owners:“Do as I say, not as I do”

Your Neighborhood

2

RiversideParkResidents’Association, Inc.P.O. Box 122, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33302

_______________________________________________

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The Riverside Park Residents’ Association (RPRA) exists to pro-tect and promote the best interests of its residents includingimproving public facilities and services and fostering goodwill,cooperation, community and civic spirit, and friendship amongthe residents We are committed to cooperating with publicofficials and other community groups to encourage and pro-mote the development, redevelopment and improvement ofthe Riverside Park area and to publish information regardingthe development of the Riverside Park area._______________________________________________

CURRENT RIVERSIDE PARK RESIDENTS’ASSOCIATION, INC., BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2006-2007President Dave Marshall (954)761-7164Vice-President Reed MarkeeTreasurer Rich HarperSecretary Winnie Powers (305) 588-0657

DIRECTORS

_______________________________________________ABOUT THE RPRA ORGANIZATION AND NEWSLETTER

The Riverside Park Neighborhood News is a publicationof Riverside Park Residents’ Association, Inc. (RPRA). Itreports on neighborhood events, including the activities ofthe RPRA and the neighborhood’s charitable corporation,Riverside Renaissance, Inc. RPRA’s Annual membership forRiverside Park neighborhood residents is $20.00 perindividual or $30 for a family membership.

Monthly typesetting, editing, and advertising by CharlieRead, www.firewatercreative.net, 954-888-8948. Originalnewsletter design by Joani Mullen.

Visit our website at www.riversidepark.org

Call Rich Harper for more information or to place an ad:(954) 463-4352

ADVERTISING RATES:Size 1Quarter 2Quarters 3Quarters One Year

Bus. Card $ 20 $ 40 $ 55 $ 701/4 Page $ 40 $ 80 $110 $1401/2 Page $ 70 $140 $200 $250Full Page $100 $200 $280 $350_______________________________________________Riverside Park is a neighborhood in southwest Fort Lauderdale,Florida bordered by Broward Boulevard,Davie Boulevard, I-95and the north and south forks of the New River. See below:

Peter BajicMarie BessetteSharon Bogard

Gloria Chlebanowski

Tom CollinsDavid ReitmanTod Sloan

Evidently, plans changed in early 2007, asthe team asked Urban Forester GeneDempsey to inspect the tree and permitthem to cut roots on the west side of thetree as well in order to lower the main,since its initial installation was too high.

OnMarch 5th, Mr. Dempsey reported that,given the goals of the project team and theearlier damage to one-fourth of the rootsystem, removing another one-third of theroots would be unacceptable, as well aspresenting a risk of the tree falling into theconstruction pit. Mr. Dempsey’s reportstated “I see no solution but removal.” andsuggested that Vice-Mayor Hutchinson andthe neighborhood be notified.

Shortly thereafter,Vice MayorHutchinson metwith Assistant CityManager KathleenGunn, Director ofPublic Works AlbertCarbon, and PaulBohlander at thesite.

According to Vice-Mayor Hutchinson, sherequested that the neighborhood associa-tion be contacted. Interviewed on March15th regarding the tree removal, Mr.Carbon stated, “I do not recall [Vice-MayorCindi] Hutchinsonmaking that request, but[Assistant City Manager] Kathleen Gunndoes.” Asked who would be responsiblefor communicating with the neighborhoodon a Waterworks project, Mr. Carbon stat-ed that it was his responsibility.

By Tuesday, March 13, the Waterworksteam was getting anxious. “Paul - we arestill waiting to cut down the tree and it isstarting to impact the contractorsprogress.” wrote project managerNannette Woods in an e-mail to PaulBohlander.

From that point, things moved quickly. OnThursday, March 15th, Urban ForesterGene Dempsey wrote both Paul Bohlanderand Parks & Recreation Director PhilThornburg: “we're taking the oak down atSW 15 [Ave.] & Davie Blvd this morning atthe request of Waterworks. [Vice-Mayor]

Hutchisonwasmade aware of the situationby Paul Bohlander. I will be working withPaul to plant replacements when thewaterworks project is complete in thatarea.”

Unfortunately, despite repeated commentsthat the neighborhood association becontacted, neither City staff nor theWaterworks project team contacted theneighborhood association. According toRiverside Park Residents’ AssociationPresident Dave Marshall, “No one contact-ed our Association before a signature oakwas removed from one of our main neigh-borhood entrances, even though we hadsent Mr. Carbon a letter less than a month

ago requesting better communicationregarding Waterworks activities in ourneighborhood. I’m appalled at the poorplanning and lack of communicationdisplayed by this project team.”

Questions remain about the tree removal:Why was no permit pulled to remove thetree? Why did City workers remove thetree rather than Waterworks contractors?Why did Waterworks planners route theirpipe so that it interfered with the tree–not once, but twice? And what are theCity and the Waterworks contractorproposing to do now to restore a sitewhere a majestic oak once stood?

Editor’s Note:

Mr. Marshall indicated that the RPRA boardwould be discussing an appropriateresponse at their next meeting, and thatthey welcome resident input. Mr. Marshallcan be reached at 954-761-7164 or bye-mail at marshalldave@att.net.

Unfortunately,despite repeated

comments that theneighborhood asso-ciation be contacted,neither Citystaff northeWaterworks proj-ect team contactedthe neighborhood

association.

(continued from page 1)

MEMBERSHIP FORMNNaammee __________________________________________________________________________________SSttrreeeett AAddddrreessss ((NNoo PP..OO.. BBooxxeess))____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PPhhoonnee______________________________________FFaaxx ______________________________________EE--mmaaiill______________________________________OOccccuuppaattiioonn__________________________CCoommppaannyy NNaammee __________________________________________________________________CChheecckk aallll tthhaatt aappppllyy bbeellooww::� New Member � Renewal� Own a home and reside in Riverside Park� Nonresident � Rent in Riverside Park� Youth (under 18)� Non resident Property Owner

MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp:: $$2200 ppeerr yyeeaarr,, ppeerr ppeerrssoonn oorr $$3300 ppeerr ffaammiillyy(Includes monthly Membership Advisory)Additional Contributions: Please consider making anadditional contribution to support neighborhoodimprovement projects, publications, and other activities.� $25 � $50 � $100$__________ other contributionsTTOOTTAALL EENNCCLLOOSSEEDD:: FFOORR MMEEMMBBEERRSSHHIIPP FFEEEE,,AANNDD OOTTHHEERR CCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTIIOONNSS::$______________ TThhaannkk YYoouu!!Please make check payable to:Riverside Park Residents’ AssociationPlease fill out form completely, detach this pageand mail with payment to:Riverside Park Residents’ Association, P.O. Box 122,Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33302Please list any volunteer services or donations you canprovide to RPRA and a representative will contact youfor further arrangements:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Riverside Park Residents’ Association, Inc.

Dear Neighbor:

Please review the members of the RPRA Board(page 2) and contact the Board member ofyour choice to commit some time and energyto a neighborhood issue or project on whichyou’d like to assist, or to inform the Board ofother neighborhood matters you feel need tobe addressed by RPRA. You can also contact uson our website, www.riversidepark.org.

While the RPRA Board works tirelessly on ourbehalf, resident assistance and participation isthe key pulse to a safe and prosperous neigh-borhood. We hope you’ll take a moment toconsider what areas you might be assist theassociation with the donation of time, moneyor resources that help us continue to protectthe safety and integrity of Riverside Park.

In this issue alone, you’ve learned of RPRA’scontinued efforts to inform and prepare theresidents about crucial infrastructure and sewerdevelopment, waterway and bridge protection,tree canopy protection, ecological impact andcivic activities. The overall list is too lengthy listmention here, but the following are areaswhere RPRA most needs individual and groupresident and homeowner participation. Pick one:

Newsletter Stuffing and DistributionPoster Sales and Fund raising EventsNeighborhood Work CrewCity Hall/County Liaisons and ReportersGrant Writers and Grant ManagementMember Recruitment and RelationsEnvironmental and Crime WatchdogsBlock RepresentativesDatabase and Word ProcessingDonation of Needed Goods and Services

RPRA Membership Fees are due for 2007.Please take a quick moment to fill out the formbelow and enclose in a SASE with your checkor money order to the address posted on theMembership Form if you haven’t paid yet!

Thank You,Charlie ReadEditor, Riverside Park Neighborhood News.

11

TreesLive Oak removed by City Contractor without informing Neighborhood Association

310

Swing BridgeRestoration

Q&A

Q

Q

Q

Q

QQ

As a follow-up to our February meeting wherewe discussed the pending renovation of the11th Avenue swing bridge, the Associationsent a letter to the City stating our residents'strong preference NOT to renovate the bridgeuntil the Waterworks 2011 sewer project iscomplete in the area. We also asked severaladditional questions about the renovation;the questions, and the City's answers are presented below.

RPRA Board Members will continue to moni-tor the progress and condition of the uniquebridge that straddles our neighborhood, andprovides many of our residents with directaccess to the Atlantic ocean, and will monitorthe efforts to secure the grants necessary topay for future preservation and maintenance.

Recent events with the Waterworks program in our neigh-borhood have brought home to me how important it is tohave good communications between City government andcitizens. In response to our request for better notification ofupcoming Waterworks construction, the Waterworks teamhas increased the frequency of their communication to ourRPRA Sewer Committee. Unfortunately, that communicationdid not include advance consultation regarding the live oakat the corner of Davie Blvd. and SW 15th Ave., which wassummarily removed.

It would be distressing enough if the lack of communicationregarding the oak tree were an isolated incident. Recently,however, our City government seems to be restricting thecommunication to and from City staff in multiple areas.Long-standing committees such as the Budget committeehave been disbanded. Answers to citizen inquiries (such asour inquiry regarding the swing bridge published in thisnewsletter) only emerge after extensive review by the CityManager’s office I was even told recently that aides to com-missioners are not permitted to query City staff directly, but

are required to route all inquiries through the City Manager’soffice!

President Madison put it well in 1822 when he wrote:A popular Government, without popular information, or the means ofacquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or perhapsboth. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people whomean to be their own governors must arm themselves with thepower which knowledge gives.

Only if our City government is truly committed to being agovernment “of the people” and is willing to provide the nec-essary transparency and openness can City government main-tain the popular support needed to be effective. Without thatpopular support, citizens will not hesitate to leap at the firstbudget-cutting proposal that comes along, or even (gasp!)eliminate a layer of government as was done in Jacksonville.

Here’s hoping our City is committed to remaining a transpar-ent, open government “of the people!”

David Marshall, RPRA President

From The President...A Letter from the President of the Riverside Park Residents’ Association:

New Board Member Dives Into Sewer Project!Tom Collins, newly-elected to RPRA's Board, is our Action Man on the beat. In a few short months serving as a Director,Tom has taken on two major projects: Chair of RPRA's Sewer Committee and renovation of the utilities and landscaping forthe three entrance entrances into Riverside. As to the Sewer Committee, Tom has been on the front-line with the City, consultant and construction company to ensure that the neighborhood's best interests are met His work on the entrancesis immediately visible ... lights and irrigation are operable on 18th Avenue; lights are operable on 15th Avenue with irrigation repairs to follow on both 15th and 11th Avenue to follow.

The neighborhood salutes you, Tom, for your commitment to Riverside and your action which, ofcourse, speaks much louder than these words!

Does the grant funding for the rehabilitation of the bridge expire in the near future?

The $300,000 grant from the State has expired; however,they have advised us that they will extend it for an additional oneyear. Grant extension request will be submitted shortly.

How great is the risk that the bridge becomes inoperable while the sewer project is underway?

This bridge is approximately 80 years old, and as suchrequires constant maintenance. The City crew spend a great dealof time maintaining and repairing this structure, but due to it'sage and the fact that there are no spare parts available for thisbridge,there is a greater than average chance of failure at anygiven time.

How long will the bridge restoration project take?

Approximately 12 months.

Can the parts needed for the restoration be prepared in advance in order to minimize down time for the bridge?

A significant part of the work will be welding, structural metal restoration, concrete restoration, electrical restoration, paint removal and restoration, replacing the walkways for thebridge and new gears. There will also be concrete restoration and roadwork on the landsides of the bridge as well. Pre-orderingparts will probably save some but not a great deal of time.

Can a temporary span replace the existing span while the project is underway?

No right-of-way is available to accomplish this task.

Do the restoration records from the previousrestoration (in the mid-80’s) still exist within the City’s records?

Some of the records are readily available. We are researching the files for the complete repair records performed in the 80's.

4 9

Sewer Update:Waterworks 2001 and Riverside Parkby Tom Collins and David Reitman

We all are really beginning to feel theeffects both good and bad regarding thisproject. Despite being more than $100Mover its initial budget, and having some-what inconsistent scheduling and follow-through on scheduling, we have fortunate-ly had some fairly good experiences withthe project currently going on in northernRiverside Park (specifically, Basin “B” northof Stranahan HS).

In our short careers to date as directorswith the Riverside Park Residents’Association board, we have seen anincrease recently in communication withthe CH2M-Hill project staff, especiallyLaila Haddad, Mario Diaz, and ResidentProject Representative David Jimenez. Thecommunication has helped with some ofthe issues at hand and has created someunderstanding as to which direction weare headed. See the table below for themid-March status of various streets inBasin B.

As for future plans, CommunityLiaison Laila Haddad advises:4th Street to 20 Ave and 20 Ave north to2nd Street will initially have only a 3⁄4 inch asphalt. This route is used for the heavy

equipment. A second 3⁄4 inch layer ofasphalt will be added after construction iscomplete and heavy equipment is nolonger on the road.

The contractor will continue the workalong 4 Street and into 18 Avenue. At thistime the contractor plans on working on18 Ave from 4 St and move towards thesouth. The contractor is working on theMOT [maintenance of traffic, i.e. detour]plan and detour signs will direct trafficaccording to the final approved MOT plan.

Of course there have been some seriousproblems along the way, such as theremoval of the oak tree at the entrance of

SW 15th Ave. These situations that havearisen we are being assured will be takencare of in due time. It is our opinion thatwe all need to understand the enormity of this kind of project and work to get it com-pleted as quickly as possible.

On a personal note, thinking of having mystreet torn up for months of course doesnot please me and along with that we aregoing to incur some significant costs thatsome of us just can’t afford. Those costsinclude the $1000 City hook-up fee and$1000-3000 or more in plumbing contrac-tor costs to disconnect my septic tank andconnect to the sewer line. We are unfortu-nately aware that this is a mandatory hookup so we will have to deal with it some-how.*

As of mid-March, construction in Basin C(the east basin, east of Stranahan HS) isexpected to begin in Q4 2007, and con-struction in Basin A (south and west of SHS)is expected to begin in Q1 2009. Workalong Davie Blvd. (Basin “D”) is essentiallycomplete now.

The RPRA Sewer Committee is meeting ona regular basis. For more information, con-tact Tom Collins at 954-214-9133.

Downtown Fort Lauderdale and theRiverwalk come alive the first Sunday ofevery month as the SunTrust SundayJazz Brunch fills the air with jazz musicperformed on four stages along the his-toric New River. Since 1991, the Jazz Brunchhas been one of the most highly-visible andpopular monthly events in Broward County.Each month, bands perform a wide rangeof jazz from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm.Picnic baskets, blankets, chairs, dogs, chil-dren and people of all age groups blendinto one large Jazz Appreciation Fest. Thereis a dog rest area and it's FREE!

April 1, 2007Esplanade

Rick Harris & the Little Big Horns

Broward Center Peck Courtyard

Harvey Nevins Quintet

Connie Hoffman Gazebo

Davis & Dow’s Hot House Swing

Las Olas Riverfront

Adam Styles Quintet

May 6, 2007Esplanade

Mark Barens Big Band

Broward Center Peck Courtyard

The Amp Band

Connie Hoffman Gazebo

Don Wilner Quintet featuring Beatriz Malnic

Las Olas Riverfront

W.T. Heck & The Jazzberry Patch

*Editor’s note: financial assistance with hook-up costs and contractor costs is available for those who can prove a financial need. Extendedpayment plans for the $1000 connection fee are available to any homesteaded property owner. For more information, contactWaterWorks at 954-522-2604.

Basin A Basin C

Basin B

ROSEN’S Customer AppreciationSSUUPPEERR PPAARRTTYY !!

Saturday, April 14, 2007, Noon to 7PM

600 W. BROWARD BLVD. (ONE MILE E. OF I95)

85

The following letter was sent to Globetec by aRiverside Park resident of SW 5th Court:

Antonio Assenza, Presidentc/o Anthony Guglielmi, Project ManagerGlobeTec Construction4774 North Powerline RoadDeerfield Beach, Florida 33073

Dear Mr. Assenza,Regarding my conversation last week with your Project

Manager, Mr. Guglielmi, for the Riverside ParkWaterworks 2011, Fort Lauderdale, it is my pleasure torecord my observations.

I reside on Southwest 5th Court and this street is cur-rently under construction for sewer installation. On “day1”, I spoke to the crew, who were very respectful andcourteous. With a very tough and dirty job ahead ofthem, I wanted them to feel welcome and connected tothe residents on the street.

One evening in early March, I hosted an event at myhome (which was planned one year prior to then), for 25women, some of whom were elderly and quasi-disabled.

Unfortunately, on the day of my event, the crew made itjust west of our house when they encountered a leakinggas line. Since the road was then blocked completelyfrom that point to my house, approximately 10 cars couldnot get to my drive.

Your crew was exceptional in their concern. Theymoved excavators so that my guests could park in otherdriveways. They turned on headlights so people couldmaneuver the “bumpy” walk and, David (Fernandez, Ibelieve), the road crew manager, actually took the arm ofone lady using a walker to escort her to my home. I amvery grateful to all of them for making this otherwise diffi-cult situation, much less so.

Other than this one incident above, we have beenable to traverse our street. The road crew has kept thestreet clear of debris and as smooth as can be expect-ed under these circumstances. In all respects, they arevery professional.

Although I am writing this accolade letter as an individualhomeowner, I did inform the [RPRA] general membership atour last meeting of the positive experience I have had withGlobeTec. It’s always nice to spread good news.

A Neighbor

On-Site Contractors Uniformly Courteous

Sewer Lateral Specialist!

After making this neighborhood our home foralmost thirty years, we’re pleased to have ourreal estate office in Riverside Park as well!

You can find the Harbour Realty folks rightnext to Bozos Sandwich Shop, on

605 SW 12th Avenue. We’re proud to be a part of RPRA, and

to be residents of this great neighborhood.

Jeff and Patti Moos

save the dates6 7

—Compatible building heights and setbacks;Break up massing and outline of building.—Shade trees/landscaping in ROW swale area.Redevelopment of commercial areas Master planfor commercial corridors:—(Davie and Broward Boulevards) Mixed use onDavie Boulevard.—Mixed use for neighborhood commercial—Re-zone non-conforming parcels in accordancewith strict performance standardsRenovations to Stranahan HS - Negotiate withschool district to achieve: —Improved edge treatment. —Mitigate traffic concerns.—Encourage School/Community shared use areas.

2. Landscape and Tree Preservation—Maximize pervious area Adopt impervious coverlimit of 60%, minimum pervious area 40%.—Enhanced frontage zone landscaping. —Limit car parking as discussed above.—Adopt fencing standards:—No front yard fence or wall in Gill Isles.—Front yard wall limit 3 feet in height.—Front yard solid fence limit 4 feet in height.—Front yard fence with visibility 6 feet in height.—No chain link fences visible to street.—Improve tree cover, preserve existing trees.

3. Swales and Pedestrian Areas—Reduce excessive planting of swales. —Reduce paving in swale areas. —Provide pedestrian linkages. —Add sidewalks along designated streets.—Provide clear swale passage along streets without sidewalks.—General swale enhancement/reclamation -Coordinate with Waterworks 2011 project..

4. Green Building Program—Encourage green building practices: PromoteLEED standards.—Adopt City-wide incentives: Give priority to LEEDqualified permits.

See the complete study at www.riversidepark,org.The RPRA Board is currently reviewing the finaldraft and expects to meet with the consultant andCity officials shortly to request any changes and tomove toward the final approval and implementa-tion at the May General RPRA Meeting.

( summary continued from page 1)• Increase side setbacks in RS-8 areas.• Disposition of parking on site is criticallyimportant for all areas, but particularly the higherdensity areas. Limitation of driveway widths andpaving within the frontage zone should also be reg-ulated.• Design standards are particularly relevantfor all areas between the public right of way and thebuilding frontage. Standards should be establishedfor preferred landscaping and paving materials,fencing, exterior lighting. These standards shouldrespect the unique character areas as discussed inthe Plan, for example, not allowing front yard fenc-ing in Gill Isles, while limiting the height and opaci-ty of front yard fencing in other areas.• The architectural regulations should bestyle neutral, but concentrate on such qualitativeelements as degree of openness, porches, setbackof garages, and quality building materials.Capital Improvements: Many of the improvementswill be privately funded, and will occur as part of theincremental redevelopment process. While privatedevelopment can execute many of these improve-ments, it is also possible to have private develop-ment allocate funds for certain improvements thatwould best not be done on a piecemeal basis.

Cost ItemsAdditionally, several cost items were identified atvarious places in this plan. These are summarizedbelow, and should be considered for future neigh-borhood improvements. No funding is identified. Itcan be identified at a later date.• The construction of approximately 6500linear feet of sidewalk, at an average width of 5feet, within public right-of-ways in order to com-plete the pedestrian plan. The estimated cost alsoincludes street trees to shade the sidewalks.Estimated Cost: $ 500,000• Swale improvements to be completed aspart of Waterworks 2011 should be reviewed for

concurrence with this Plan, and should be adjustedas necessary. The estimated cost includes funds forenhancements above the basic replacement withlike materials. Estimated Cost: $ 300,000.• Traffic Study: Review current and futuretraffic circulation and enhance motor vehicle andpedestrian circulation where appropriate. EstimatedCost: TBD"

1. Architectural/Building Typology: Excessive bulk (mass) of redeveloped or gentrified lots:—Increase side setback in RS-8, 7.5' in Gill Isles,10% of lot width in East Riverside.—Limit impervious coverage to 60% of lot area allresidential areas.—Allow accessory unit (granny flat) in RS-8.—Density increases through single-family to duplexconversion in RD-15.—Allow accessory units in RD-15 with single-family.—No accessory units with duplex units.De-emphasize garage and vehicle parking: —Limit width of driveways in frontage zone: 16' fordouble width driveway, 9' for single width or loopdrive (Pervious paving required for loop drive).—Front-loaded garage must be set back at least 5'from main facade.—Encourage rear or side street access to parking.Redevelopment of RM-15 areas:—Allow density increase up to 25 per/acre in accor-dance with performance standards:—Overall coverage less than 60%; Parking at rearor interior of lot; Limit # of units per building.

Although it has taken longer thanexpected to get a draft report from theCity and its consultant, the Board isnow working hard to ensure that thestudy accurately includes residentinput from our two meetings at thepark and reflects the consensus of theneighborhood regarding future devel-opment, and that the implementationplan ultimately adopted adequatelyprotects the neighborhood from inap-propriate or poorly planned develop-ment. The Association encourages allresidents to take an active role in thedevelopment of the study to ensurethat the final plan is the best it canpossibly be.

As noted in earlier newsletters, thestudy consists of four main parts:

(1) Architectural Style and BuildingTypology,

(2) Landscaping,

(3) Swales and Sidewalks, and

(4) “Green Building.”

The intent was to develop a neighbor-hood consensus regarding the desireddirection of development in the neigh-borhood, and then to develop guide-lines in these areas which will steeranticipated neighborhood develop-ment in that direction. If skillfullyimplemented, the guidelines shouldenhance neighborhood developmentwhile reducing conflict between devel-opers and neighborhood residents.

The four elements of the study:

1. ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND BUILDING TYPOLOGYAs its name implies, this section of thestudy addressed both architectural stylesand building types (including buildingscale & massing, building footprint &height, setbacks, and so on) that con-tribute to Riverside Park’s character.Based on neighborhood and City input,the consultant developed guidelinesregarding building types and patterns tobe preserved, protected, and enhanced.

2. TREE CANOPY AND LANDSCAPE PRESERVATIONThis part of the study surveyed the exist-ing landscape patterns in the neighbor-hood and develop guidelines to preserveand enhance tree canopy on public andprivate land in the neighborhood.

3. SWALE RECLAMATION AND PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATIONSince the Waterworks 2011 program willbe removing and then re-constructingmost of the streets in our neighborhood,the study examined how we want theswales and sidewalks to look after theproject is finished.

4. GREEN BUILDING PRACTICESThis fourth and final section of the neigh-borhood compatibility study establishedguidelines for increased water and energy efficiency, and improved indoorand outdoor air quality.

Choose from a variety of native tree species while supplies last.

Next Tree Giveaway:All giveaways will be from 9 am to 11 am and are for City of Fort LauderdaleResidents only. One tree per adult with proof of City residency.

MARCH 17, 2007 - CROISSANT PARKAPRIL 28, 2007 - GEORGE ENGLISH PARKJUNE 9, 2007 - RIVERLAND PARK

AUGUST 18, 2007 - CARTER PARK

RP Farmer’sMarketMarch 24th and April 21stRADFORD COMMUNITY CENTER, 551 SW 11TH AVE.

8:30 AM TO 1:00 PMFREE TREES!

The Urban Forestry, a division of the City of Fort Lauderdale'sParks and Recreation Department is giving away trees and

information on proper tree choices and care.

For more information, please call 954-828-TREE (8733)Gene Dempsey, Urban Forester

Parks and Recreation DepartmentE-mail: GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Quarterly Tree GiveawaysAs homeowners replace trees, they can refer to the free

Homeowners & Trees Brochure for tips on selecting the righttree, proper placement, and maintenance. Help restore the treecanopy by planting a free tree from the City of Fort Lauderdale.Hurricane Wilma destroyed 30 percent of the City’s tree canopy.Planting trees is more important than ever to replenish the tree

cover and restore the City’s natural beauty. You can help by participating in one of the City’s upcoming tree giveaways.

Character Study Reaches Final Approval Process