From BHA News Vol. XXIV No. 1, Winter/Spring 2014

Transcription

VOL. XXIV
NO. 1
inside
President’s Column:
Keep Moving Forward
3
Public Record
6 BHA
Comments for FDOT
12
The Great Miami
Hammock
14
Board Rep Profile:
Blanche Back
Property Manager Spotlight:
Deirdre Ashe
15
Welcome to BHA New
17 Members
Legislative & Advocacy
21 Agenda for 2014
22
Condo College Coming
to Brickell
BRICKELL
HOMEOWNERS
ASSOCIATION is comprised of
Condominium
Association
members and Associate members representing over 25,000
residential units along the
Brickell corridor and on Brickell
Key from the Miami River to
Rickenbacker Causeway and
from Biscayne Bay to SW 3
Ave. Founded in 1990, the
purpose of BHA is to communicate common interests more
effectively and mobilize support
on important issues relating to
quality of life in the Brickell
community.
www.brickellhomeowners.com
NEWSLETTER OF THE BRICKELL HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Winter/Spring 2014
STALLED
Two major Brickell projects
suffer delays
T
wo major Brickell initiatives stalled for
months might finally be moving forward… hopefully...
Transfer of Control of Brickell Avenue
The first matter — the transfer of control of Brickell Avenue from the State’s
FDOT to local authorities — was approved
by FDOT and the City of Miami Commission in June. Thank you to those residents
who answered BHA’s call to let authorities
know we favor this transfer of jurisdiction
where the “highway” passes through our
neighborhood.
The change would encompass Brickell
Avenue from Southeast Eighth Street to I95 (although we would prefer that the few
“Don’t we all want a better Brickell Avenue?” neighbors ask.
blocks of Brickell from the Miami River, Southeast Fourth to Southeast Eighth Street be included).
City of Miami officials and Miami Police have supported the neighborhood’s outcry to lower the speed
limit of Brickell Avenue and agree that it’s a first-step
to making Brickell safer for pedestrians. Over many
years FDOT has refused multiple appeals from BHA to
make Brickell Avenue 30 mph all the way to Southeast
26 Road. It’s 30 mph on Brickell north of Southeast
15th Road, and on the vast majority of neighborhood
streets 30 mph is the norm.
Even though neighbors want to see changes, and
the City of Miami approved the plan that Commissioner Marc Sarnoff and Senator Miguel Diaz de la
Portilla negotiated with FDOT chiefs, the transfer has
Continued on page 6
Safeguarding quality of life for the Brickell community
Details on page 16
Making a Difference.
Every Day.
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communities that residents are proud to call home. We put the
right teams in place – local property experts who deliver our bestin-class solutions, along with genuinely helpful service, to enhance
the property values and lifestyles of those we serve.
FirstService Residential considers it a great privilege to serve
Brickell communities and we thank you for the opportunity to
prove ourselves each and every day.
Contact Bill Worrall today at [email protected] or
954.378.1048 to make a difference in your community.
www.fsresidential.com
From the President Ernesto Cuesta
Stay the Course and Move Forward
A
lthough I will not be too far
away, this column marks my
final message to you as president. I am pleased to be turning over
the BHA reigns to Gail Feldman, who
has been an advocate and leader for
our neighborhood for several years. I
know BHA is in excellent hands.
She will be aided by an outstanding Executive Committee elected at
our annual meeting February 19.
Many of them, and certainly Gail,
have not been afraid to speak up,
vocally and often, as it seems it takes
many attempts, ongoing vigilance and
persistence to see issues get resolved
and completed.
In fact, it often seems like the
proverbial two steps forward and one
back. Major issues covered in the last
BHA News are examples, as
described in the lead article of this
issue.
The first concerned shifting authority for Brickell Avenue to local authorities instead of the State highway folks,
FDOT. The neighbors were heard,
Commissioner Sarnoff and Senator
Miguel Diaz de la Portilla crafted a
deal accepted by FDOT last summer
and the switch was to be made.
Victory was short-lived however.
Senator Gwen Margolis has delayed
the plan, citing no problems on Brickell and being quoted as saying there’s
no way to slow down the traffic on
Brickell. She disagreed with what
those of us living here on Brickell
Ernesto Cuesta
thought and advocated for, and
stalled the State agency on finalizing
the deal. At the public hearing in January, nearly everyone filling the First
Presbyterian Church Hall was in favor
of turning authority over to the City of
Miami, and many spoke on record to
take Brickell Avenue out of the hands
Continued on next page
BHA Board of Directors
BHA EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT Gail Feldman
Brian S. Campbell
Reed Khan
ASIA
500 BRICKELL (EAST BLDG.)
Jose Maria Carneiro da Cunha
Susan King
BRISTOL TOWER
SANTA MARIA
BRICKELL WOODS
VICE PRESIDENT William Fitch
Jorge Davila
Gunter Kuhn
ASSOCIATE
MEMBERS
Randy Olen
Eddie Alorda
MERCY HOSPITAL
Fernando Perez
BRICKELL ON THE RIVER
BRICKELL 25
BRICKELL TOWNHOUSE
THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR
AMERICAS
TREASURER David Lucterhand
Neil De Leon
Paola Lopez
Pastor Christopher Atwood
THE ATLANTIS ON BRICKELL
BRICKELL FOUNTAINS
ONE BROADWAY
SECRETARY Adriana Dominguez-Tio
Fred Drasner
Joaquin Mayoral-Parracia
BRICKELL HARBOUR
FOUR SEASONS RESIDENCES
THE METROPOLITAN
MEMBER AT LARGE Juan Cordoba
Sean Esteves, LCAM
Pamela Olmo
500 BRICKELL
TWO TEQUESTA POINT
COURTS BRICKELL KEY
MEMBER AT LARGE Patricia Gomez
Rosita Federico
Stephen Owens
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Joe Bru
HOTEL URBANO ON BRICKELL
Joseph L. Combs
BRICKELL AREA ASSOCIATION
Alicia Ortiz
BRICKELL MAIN STREET, LLLP
(MARY BRICKELL VILLAGE)
Alberto J. Poggio
FLORIDA COMMERCIAL
SECURITY SERVICES (FCSS)
Eric Riel
IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
Helio De La Torre, Esq.
Jeff Samas
BRICKELL TERRACE
VILLA REGINA
THREE TEQUESTA POINT
PAST PRESIDENT Ernesto Cuesta
Lourdes Figueroa
Juan Carlos Pulido
SIEGFRIED RIVERA LERNER
DE LA TORRE & SOBEL, P.A.
WELLS FARGO INSURANCE
SERVICES OF FLORIDA
THE METROPOLITAN
THE IMPERIAL AT BRICKELL
500 BRICKELL (WEST BLDG.)
Tibor Hollo
GENERAL COUNSEL
Rosa M.delaCamara
Sergio Garcia-Granados
Robert Qureshi
FLORIDA EAST COAST REALTY
BRICKELL EAST
CARBONELL
Monte Kane
FIRSTSERVICE RESIDENTIAL
__________________
BECKER & POLIAKOFF
Patricia Gomez
DIRECTORS
Federico Arocena
1110 BRICKELL
Blanche P. Back
BRICKELL BISCAYNE
Judy Burton
25 BAY TOWER
Gloria Blasini
BRICKELL PARK
Daniel Burdak
FOUR AMBASSADORS
WINTER/SPRING 2014
Bill Worrall
Gary Rosen
KANE & COMPANY
Natalie Brown
BRICKELL TERRACE
SKYLINE ON BRICKELL
Joseph Knapp
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Steve Greenberg
Frank Saks
BROWN & BROWN OF FLORIDA
Josie Gulliksen
BRICKELL HARBOUR
ST. LOUIS
Rabbi Chaim Lipskar
ASST. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Ivette Hernandez
Judy Santos
UTD TOWERS
THE EMERALD AT BRICKELL
THE SHUL OF DOWNTOWN/
THE SHUL OF BRICKELL
Richard Hoffman
Jose R. Sosa
Regan Marock
ONE TEQUESTA POINT
SOLARIS AT BRICKELL
KW PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Larry Imber
John Toohey
Sam Miranda
THE PALACE
1060 BRICKELL
CROSSBRIDGE CHURCH
Christine Karas
Yvonne Yeomanson
Arthur Murphy
BRICKELL FOREST
HOUSES OF BRICKELL
CMC MANAGEMENT
3
President’s Column continued from previous page
of FDOT. The public commentary
period ended in mid-February, so we
await the slow-turning wheels of government to finalize this important
change.
The Brickell Avenue Beautification
Plan has been stalled since September, I’m sorry to report, after an illfated start with tree cutting in some
medians sparked a public outcry.
We’re still hoping the City can move
forward, replant the medians that
were started and continue with the
addition of some 200 trees and thousands of plants. Equally important, the
City’s plan includes a much-needed
sidewalk overhaul, making the sidewalk wider, safer and improved for all
who traverse Brickell Avenue every day.
We know Commissioner Sarnoff
has been trying to satisfy all concerned and find compromises, and we
support his efforts. We hope together
we can achieve a beautiful and functional Brickell Avenue.
On the positive side, another big
topic discussed in our last issue—that
of increasing the police force in the
City of Miami—finally saw victory
with the City finding funding in the
budget to add 95 more uniformed officers by April. Hat’s off to Mayor
Regalado, Chief Orosa and Commissioner Sarnoff.
My thanks to many of you who
responded and signed the petition
urging the addition of officers on the
street. Most accounts tribute the public
outcry as key to this victory.
As I have said many times before,
“Let’s move forward.” Let’s create a
more beautiful and safer Brickell
Avenue. That’s the goal.
Finally, I want to thank all the BHA
Board members for their work and
support in moving forward our Legislative Agenda while growing our organization to represent the many, varied
needs of our community.
It’s been a privilege to serve this
organization. Thank you for the
progress we have seen, and the promise of more good things to come to us
in the future. •
Gail Feldman takes reigns as BHA president
T
hank you to all who submitted
straw ballots to assist in the nominating process for the 20142016 BHA Board term. At the BHA
Annual Meeting on Feb. 19, 2014,
the slate of officers presented to the
Board by Nominating Chair Blanche
Back was unanimously approved.
The Board thanked Larry Imber,
who has served on the Executive Committee since 2008, for his advocacy
and commitment to Brickell.
The Board also commended outgoing President Ernesto Cuesta for his
tenacity in leading BHA in this new
era. Mr. Cuesta served as Treasurer
for several years, recruited by his
neighbor and BHA founder Tory
Jacobs. Ernesto was elected president
of the Board in 2010.
He had warned the Executive
Committee about his planned retirement last year: “I like to see new
blood, and some of the younger folks
getting involved.” He did vow to stay
close at hand as Immediate Past President and continue to grow BHA.
Thank you, Ernesto, for your time,
dedication and vision for Brickell.
•
President: Gail Feldman, Bristol
•
•
•
•
Tower
Vice President:
Bill
Fitch, Brickell on the
River North
Treasurer:
David Lucterhand, The
Atlantis
Secretary:
Gail Feldman
Adriana
DominguezTio, Brickell Harbour
Member-at-Large: Juan Cordoba,
500 Brickell
• Member-at-Large:
Patricia Gomez,
Brickell Terrace
• Immediate
PastPresident: Ernesto
Cuesta
Hat’s off to the
leadership team! •
Ernesto Cuesta, Rosa de la Camara
Bill Fitch and wife Ann-Rhea
Patricia Gomez
David Lucterhand
BHA News is published by the Brickell Homeowners Association to keep neighbors, public officials and others in the community
informed of the activities and concerns of its residents. Advertising is accepted on a space-available basis, and BHA reserves the right
to accept or reject all advertising. For advertising information or other details, reserve your space at the BHA website, www.brickellhomeowners.com or send an email message to Natalie Brown at [email protected] suggestions are welcome for consideration.Editor: Natalie Brown; Assistant Editor: Josie Gulliksen; BHA’s mailing address: P.O. Box 45-2403 • Miami, FL 33245-2403
4
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WINTER/SPRING 2014
5
Stalled Projects Restarting
continued from front page
been delayed, sparked by Senator
Gwen Margolis.
As best as we can determine, the
Senator does not want the State to
lose its authority for this stretch of the
road, and doesn’t trust the City to
manage it. While differences of opinion are to be expected, BHA officers
were disappointed to see that the Senator has not been concerned with the
safety desires of residents and
opposed the plan supported by BHA
without dialog. Perhaps the Senator
isn’t aware of the transformation of the
community and many users of the
roadway who are not in vehicles.
The Miami Herald quoted the Senator in January as saying, “The street is
fine; there’s nothing lacking. There’s no
way to slow down traffic on Brickell.”
This was puzzling because several
months prior when the Senator unexpectedly attended the May 2013 BHA
Board meeting to lambast the agenda
item, she said that “as chair of the
State’s Transportation Committee,”
she could get the speed limit lowered.
“It’s a no-brainer,” she said, and further, “if you need something, it’s me.”
After that meeting her appeals to
FDOT and Secretary Gus Pego, fell on
the same deaf ears as BHA’s appeals
have for the past two decades.
FDOT held a Public Hearing in
January, at the Senator’s request,
where the vast majority of people
spoke in favor of the change to local
authority. Only a couple of people
among the 100 or so neighbors there
did not speak in favor of the change,
but they really had more unanswered
questions than objections. (See BHA
public record comments delivered by
Board members.)
In the meantime, needed improvements on Brickell Avenue have
remained in limbo with FDOT doing
nothing as they anticipate handing it
over. We’re waiting on left turn arrows
at Southeast 15th Road and Brickell
Message from BHA for FDOT Public Record
As presented by Gail Feldman, January 21, 2014
For nearly the entire two decades of Brickell Homeowners Association, residents have asked for improvements to Brickell Avenue for safety
and quality of life. They have asked for a lower, consistent speed limit for
all of Brickell Avenue—30 mph—like all other neighborhoods. They
have asked for improved signalization and more crosswalks for the
safety of all using the roadway. They have asked for better sidewalks,
and maintenance befitting this important avenue of the city.
But the Florida Department of Transportation, which controls Brickell
Avenue as part of U.S. Highway 1, has resisted our requests.
...Despite the dramatic changes and Brickell’s transformation to an
urban neighborhood.
...Despite the many pedestrians—including children—throughout the
area.
...Despite the fatality of a resident crossing the street in front of her
building.
...Despite our pleas for improved safety measures.
While we know the City of Miami is not without its challenges and
shortcomings, its administrators and elected officials HAVE been responsive to the Brickell community’s needs in the past several years.
We know they share our interest in promoting a vibrant, active urban
core where people walk to amenities, activities and restaurants. This is
distinct from FDOT’s mission which is to move traffic through corridors
quickly.
But Brickell Avenue is no longer a highway. Highways don’t have
people jogging, walking, pushing strollers, walking dogs or children.
Our neighborhood road should not either.
We want to see, and we believe the City and County will work with
us to see:
•
Lower speed limit for all of Brickell, a uniform 30 mph all the way
from SE 26th Road to the River.
•
Change in the hybrid, malfunctioning traffic beacon in front of 1814
Brickell Park to a standard pedestrian-activated signal that is universally recognized, understood and obeyed.
•
More signals and crosswalks to allow for safe pedestrian crossing.
•
Left turn arrows at SE 15th and Brickell Avenue intersection.
Avenue. We’re waiting for the unpredictable, driver-confusing traffic signal
in front of 1814 Brickell Park to be
changed for a regular, pedestrian-activated traffic signal that people understand and that cars will stop for.
We’re waiting for reasonable crosswalks. We’re waiting for folks to slow
down.
Beautification & Sidewalk
Plan to Restart
Delayed after a brief startup in
September, the comprehensive, longawaited plan for Brickell Avenue
includes median beautification, a new
irrigation system and new, wider sidewalks.
Continued on page 8
6
Message from BHA for FDOT Public Record
Brickell Avenue is a neighborhood road, not a highway. Thousands of residents live on this street and tens of
thousands work on this street.
One was the “elderly woman” mentioned in the Herald article about the Hearing on Jan. 21st. She wasn’t just
a nameless victim. She was Rosa Encalada. She was our neighbor here on Brickell for nearly 30 years. She lived
at Brickell Bay Club. She was the mother of 8, grandmother to 25 and great-grandmother to 6. Rosa walked daily
in the neighborhood, to the grocery store, to church. She caught the bus.
She was a trailblazer for this modern urban neighborhood that was her home. She was a model resident for
Brickell, not relying on an automobile. Her walking kept her healthy, her family told us. “We anticipated having
her be with us for another 20 years,” they said. She was struck down by a taxicab on the avenue in front of her
home.
Brickell Avenue has many pedestrians walking along it and crossing it at all times of the day. Yet, it is operated
under the authority of the highway department of the state, which is not concerned with pedestrians.
Residents have asked for lower speed limits. Most neighborhood roads are 30 mph. That’s what Brickell wants.
FDOT has repeatedly turned down this request.
Consider these figures:
According to New York City's transportation department: "If a pedestrian is hit by a car traveling 40 mph or
faster, there's a 70 percent chance that pedestrian will be killed; at 30 mph, there's an 80 percent chance that the
pedestrian will live."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has long said that "5% of pedestrians would die when
struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph, about 40% for vehicles traveling 30 mph, about 80% for vehicles traveling
40 mph, and nearly 100% for speeds over 50 mph."
The speed limit at the time Rosa Encalada was killed on Brickell Avenue was 40 mph. It is unknown what speed
the taxicab was traveling on the night it struck her down.
We want a safer street. We want local control.
WINTER/SPRING 2014
7
Stalled Projects Restarting
continued from page 6
Beautification and maintenance of
Brickell Avenue have been BHA
agenda items for years. This project
became a reality and took formation
when Commissioner Sarnoff responded
to our requests for an avenue befitting
Miami’s main entryway.
Initially, 70 trees were to be
removed and replaced with 230-some
mature trees and palms. The trees
slated for removal included deceased
trees as well as others growing too
close together or too close to the road.
Several trees considered hazardous
due to weak structures and heavy
branches at risk for breakage, such as
Royal Poincianas, were also in the first
round of trees to be removed. These
trees, of course, are among the most
beautiful trees in South Florida, and
residents were particularly opposed to
any of them being removed.
When the project got underway
and 36 trees were cut, residents who
were unaware of the project voiced
strong concerns about the City’s plans.
Questions arose as to what the overall
vision was for the avenue. Work was
curtailed to hear from those concerned.
A Necessary Pause
Commissioner Sarnoff explained,
“Once the citizens of Brickell brought
their concerns to our office, I had a
responsibility to halt the project and
reevaluate its objectives. I have tried,
to the best of my ability, to hear and
implement ideas from both sides of the
spectrum on this issue. As much as
some residents would like, we have no
way to travel back in time and start
the project from the beginning. All we
can do is move forward with a modified plan that addresses as many of
the concerns of residents and fellow
travelers as possible.”
The Commissioner said they restudied and re-evaluated the median
plan based on feedback from neighbors and with the aim to balance a
high canopy together with plants
8
From the plans, the photos above show two of the trees that will go: Tree #22, a Pigeon Plum, has a hollow trunk and
the base is significantly smaller in relation to the rest of the tree, causing an unnecessary risk in storms.
Live Oak (#24) has sustained structural damage presenting potential hazard to residents and travelers.
intended to grow below the canopy so
that the median’s arbor will appear
full at its highest, as well as its medium
height. The new plan will add 180
trees, strategically selected to create
the two-tiered canopy.
Eighty-one are new high canopy
trees measuring at least 25 feet in
height and include:
•
25 Live Oaks
•
20 Gumbo Limbos
•
26 Pink Tabebuias
•
4 Black Olives
•
5 Royal Poincianas
• 1 Mahogany
Ninety-nine are smaller trees and
palms and include the following:
•
34 Jatropha trees
•
15 Pitch Apple trees
•
36 Simpson Stopper trees
• 14 palms of different species
“Additionally, 14,000 shrubs will
be added on certain medians where
trees are not allowed to be placed
because of Florida Department of
Transportation regulations,” Commissioner Sarnoff explained in a comprehensive update issued in January.
BHA believes the plan strikes a
good compromise and the Board
urged the City to continue to move forward.
The work was slated to re-start
February 28, simultaneously with the
sidewalk reconstruction, with an early
summer completion anticipated.
For a more detailed look at the
plans and the Commissioner’s newsletter, see the BHA website, www.brickellhomeowners.com. •
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WINTER/SPRING 2014
9
Around Brickell..
Baptist presents Brickell Center
T
hank you to Jessica Berrin and the administration of
Baptist Health South Florida for sponsoring the BHA
Board Meeting in January at the Brickell-based Baptist
Health Medical Plaza. Following an update from Miami
City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, District 2, neighbors
got a behind-the-scenes tour of the state-of-the-art
Diagnostic and Urgent Care Center located at 2660
Brickell Avenue. •
From Baptist Health South Florida Jessi Berrin, Manager, Government and Community Relations; Jose Romano, Assistant Vice President, Business Relations and Community Affairs; Joseph Casares, Supervisor, Baptist Health Brickell Medical Plaza; with
BHA President Ernesto Cuesta
WE PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH:
Bill Fitch, BHA Vice President and Board President of Brickell on the River; Alicia Ortiz of
Mercy Hospital; Rosa de la Camara, BHA General Counsel
Maria Campos, Brickell Townhouse Board Member; Michael Basanta, Isola Condominium
Property Manager; Judy Santos, Emerald on Brickell Board President; Gunter Kuhn, Brickell
Townhouse Board President
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Bernardo Fort-Brescia, principal of Arquitectonica and designers of One Brickell CityCentre, presented the plans
City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado; Stephen Lee Owens, President of Swire Properties;
and Ernesto Cuesta, BHA Board President
Swire presents One Brickell CityCentre
wire Properties presented their plans to the BHA Board
Sfor One Brickell City Centre, an 80-story, mixed-use
tower at 700 Brickell Avenue, which will be more than
1,000 feet tall. This signature building will encompass
three levels of retail, offices, apartments, a boutique hotel
and a top-floor restaurant. The building will be oriented
and built with a plaza to create a gateway at Brickell and
Southeast Eighth Street.
Swire Properties’ Steve Owens said, “The transformation of Brickell, Miami’s urbanization, is underway. Not
just in development, but the community is changing. We
have something special happening here.”
The BHA Board supported the One Brickell CityCentre
project with a formal resolution in support.
Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff presented the
Grove Waterfront Plan at the same meeting, and encouraged all to vote Nov. 5. The plan opens up currently inaccessible waterfront where the Coconut Grove Convention
Center sat and where boat hangers line the bayside. It features a public pier, dining experiences, walkways and a
large grassy area. Voters approved the plan in November.
Special thanks to Property Manager Sualy Sardinas and
the 1060 Condo Board for hosting the October meeting. •
Back: Steve Greenberg of Brickell Harbour and friends at Rosa Mexicana
Jenny Garcia-Junco of Brickell Place II and Mary Faraldo
Benton Launerts of Parksman Parking LLC; Katia Ettus, community
association manager at Carbonell; and friends at Rosa Mexicana.
Ernesto Cuesta, Yariel Diaz, Barbara Simmons and Joe Pino from Mercy Hospital.
WINTER/SPRING 2014
Florida Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, District 112,
updates BHA on matters in Tallahassee
11
The Great
Miami
Hammock
From HistoryMiami
B
efore Brickell, there was the forest. The Miami Hammock, or
Brickell Hammock, as it was
also called, stretched south from the
Miami River to north Coconut Grove
and inland about half a mile. It was
one of the largest and most biologically diverse coastal hardwood hammocks
in South Florida. Miami tourists and residents of the 1900s and 1910s walked
and drove through the picturesque woodland on their way to and from Coconut
Grove. These postcards and views provide a glimpse of what they saw.
It was a fleeting glimpse, for the hammock soon gave way to a growing city.
By 1920, naturalist Charles Torrey Simpson mourned [Brickell Hammock’s] passing: “On account of the
encroachment of this flourishing settlement [Miami]
much of it has been
destroyed and only a remnant of its former beauty
and stateliness remains.”
A century later, Brickell residents and visitors
can see and admire remnants of the great Miami
Hammock at Simpson
Park, Alice Wainwright
Park, and Vizcaya. In
fact, 60 Brickell neighbors did just that on the
first Brickell Area EcoTour featuring Simpson
Park, Alice Wainwright
Park and Virginia Key
Park in November. •
TOP: Drive to Coconut Grove, circa 1904. J. N.
Chamberlain, photographer. HistoryMiami,
x-2897-1
ABOVE: Brickell Hammock, 1896. J. N Chamberlain, photographer. HistoryMiami, 1962024-64.
LEFT: Jungle Road to Cocoanut Grove. Detroit
Publishing Company, circa 1915. History
Miami, 1982-110-2.
Special thanks to HistoryMiami for this contribution and use of
these photographic images. To order a copy of these or other historic Miami images, contact Archives Manager Dawn Hugh at
305-375-1623. For exhibits and special programs, visit www.
historymiami.org.
Brickell neighbors take Eco-Tour of what remains
of Simpson’s beloved Hammock...see story pg. 18.
12
WINTER/SPRING 2014
13
Board Member Profile
Brickell treasure Blanche Back dedicated to hard
work and her community
EDITOR’S NOTE: In each issue of BHA News we like to feature a
“Board Member Profile” and a “Property Manager Spotlight” as a way
for us all to learn more about the people behind BHA and the tremendous Brickell community. Unplanned when we chose this issue’s sub-
B
lanche Back’s path to Miami is a
familiar one: Havana native,
New Yorker and now, Miami is
home. With more than three decades
here, she’s practically a Miami native.
Since making Brickell Biscayne Condo
her home in 1987, she’s been a Brickell neighborhood advocate and has
served on the BHA Board since soon
after its founding in 1990. She has
seen the neighborhood’s evolution
while taking an active role in the community.
Blanche originally came to the
United States after marrying in 1955.
She enjoyed life in Rhinebeck—now
the Hamptons—in New York State,
and was involved in community matters there through the Junior League,
the Parent Teacher Association and
the Rhinebeck Library Board. She also
ran her husband’s firm, J.B. Back &
Company, until they sold it off to
another firm.
Blanche then attended Dutchess
Community College where she
obtained her Laboratory Technologist
degree. That led to an eight-year stint
at Northern Dutchess Hospital where
she was certified to work in levels of
the lab. She had close contact with the
physicians and their work, “I even
assisted the pathologist with autopsy
lab procedures.”
After 28 years in New York,
Blanche was drawn to Miami in 1983
to help and be close to her mother
who lived in the nearby Roads neighborhood.
It was one of the first issues of BHA
News that inspired her to become
involved with BHA.
“When I saw the BHA News I
14
jects, the two women profiled in this issue by Josie Gulliksen each
became condominium property managers after accomplished careers
in other fields. Both Blanche Back and Didi Ashe took interesting, circuitous paths to Brickell, and we’re fortunate to have each of them.
thought it would be great to attend the
meetings and keep informed on the
issues of the area I had chosen to live
in,” Blanche said. Over the years
since then, she has been the BHA representative for Brickell Biscayne serving on the BHA Board of Directors as
representative or alternate. She’s been
a staunch advocate on neighborhood
issues for BHA, gently and persistently
reminding officials of problems unresolved and promises not kept.
Blanche is aptly suited to the
Board role for BHA. As a licensed
Community Association Manager with
experience managing several condominiums, she understands the issues of
condo living from the inside-out. She
got into property management work
simply to help out at Brickell Biscayne
when the full-time manager was overwhelmed. A few hours a day lending
a hand led to yet another career as
she was offered a position at the Carriage House. Soon enough, she
obtained her CAM license and
replaced that building’s in-house
manager where she remained for
eight years.
Blanche next worked as a roving manager for another property
management company, overseeing
four of its properties, one in West
Kendall
and
three
in
the
Aventura/North Miami Beach area.
Demanding and hectic work, she welcomed retirement last year. However, her management years
continue to come in handy for Brickell Biscayne Condo.
“I think my management
knowledge has been a great contribution to the present manager
Blanche Back
who had never managed an association before and is now in his ninth
year here,” she said.
Her Brickell Biscayne board days
are also over, she has completely
retired from that role and is happy to
remains the association’s rep to BHA.
Recently she completed leading the
BHA 2014 nominating effort, tapped
by the President to serve as Nominating Chair.
Blanche is extremely positive
about the changes in Brickell since she
first arrived. “I bought when the area
was in big trouble and no construction
was going on,” she said. “I have witnessed the rising of a huge metropolis
all around me.”
As the mother of two grown children and four grandchildren, Blanche
enjoys the simple things good movies,
good books and daily exercise. And of
course, eating out at a good
restaurant from time to
time. Although her
busy career days
are now behind
her, advocacy
for
her
beloved Brickell area is something she’ll
never
give
up.
•
Property Manager Spotlight
Deirdre Ashe finds her Palace
in Paradise
C
olombian-born Deirdre (“Didi”)
Ashe’s globe-trotting childhood
prepared her well for Miami’s
cultural diversity. Born to an English
father and German mother, she recalls
traveling extensively as a youngster
including visits to Key Biscayne. During her primary and secondary school
years she studied in Italy and France
and then moved to New York to study
at Columbia University. She married
an American from Boston and when
they divorced, found herself in Miami.
“I never imagined I would end up
in Miami, but at the end of my
divorce, I moved into my mother’s
apartment at The Sands in Key Biscayne as she only used the apartment
a few weeks of the year,” she said.
Key Biscayne was the perfect
place for her to settle, as she had fond
memories of visiting the island often
with her parents as a child. They used
to stay at the Key Biscayne Hotel on
Ocean Drive, a spot now occupied by
the Ocean Club.
The Key Biscayne of Didi’s childhood was a quiet, remote paradise.
The only access was a drawbridge,
which she says often got stuck. Traffic
consisted of a few cars leaving in the
morning and returning at night. The
island was so isolated and safe, she
was allowed a lot of freedom as a kid.
“I remember bicycling around the
island with friends, stopping at Vernon’s drugstore to have lunch at the
counter, visiting the homeless camp in
the middle of the coconut plantation
now developed into Key Biscayne
Park,” she said.
Her parents would take her and
her friends to dine at the English Pub
or the Jamaica Inn. They would go to
the old Crandon Park Zoo with the
child-sized railroad and ride around.
“However, even with all these
great memories, I never imagined livWINTER/SPRING 2014
“Brickell is electric! It is
alive. It has become a
multi-national, dynamic hub
with a mixture of residents
from many countries and
varied ages.”
Deirdre Ashe
Managers need to be able to communicate in a variety of languages and
be sensitive to cultural differences of
residents while appreciating the richness of that diversity. But these challenges do not dissuade Didi who has
high praise for her new hometown
and neighborhood.
“Brickell is electric! It is alive. It
has become a multi-national, dynamic
hub with a mixture of residents from
many countries and varied ages. I
remember this area when there were
only a few large family homes along
the bay. The land where The Palace is
located was a catholic school where
the parents of some of my friends had
attended,” she said.
With all the new buildings sprouting up toward the heavens “one of the
truly powerful tools we have in the
Brickell area is BHA. It not only pro-
ing in Key Biscayne permanently nor
much less managing buildings in the
area,” she said.
Afterall, she had studied political
science and modern European history
and had lectured at several prominent
universities, as well as having helped
open and run an advertising agency
in New York with her former husband.
It was the Board president at the
Island Breakers, Miriam Consuegra,
who encouraged Didi to study and
take the test to become certified in
property management.
She ended up managing Island
Breakers and then Casa del Mar Condominium in Key Biscayne before
becoming manager at the Palace Condominium in 2007.
Managing the physical buildings
as well as the residents within is chalContinued on next page
lenging work. At
The Palace, residents range in age
from retired to
young professionals
to those starting
new families, meaning managers must
be able to diplomatically
mediate
between the varying needs of those
age sets. Like most
of Brickell and
Miami, Palace residents are ethnically
and
culturally
The Crandon Park kiddie train fondly recalled from Didi’s youth, 1969, courtesy of
diverse as well.
the Junior League of Miami.
15
Didi Ashe continued from previous page
vides a venue for exchange of ideas and information,
which is a great tool for building management, but also
gives area residents immense political power to push issues
of local concern,” she said.
To balance the daily demands of building management, Didi is a sculptor and painter who enjoys the cultural
side of any city, and particularly loves Miami’s. She’s
watched its growth and emergence as a cultural force.
“During my lifetime Miami has grown from a sleepy
oceanfront resort town into a vibrant international city. It is
marvelous to see the richness of culture and cuisine that are
all around us. The construction of the Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts has provided us with a wonderful venue
which has enhanced our lives,” she said.
The only complication in her life is trying to see her family who are spread out around the United States, Central
America and Europe. One silver living though: “I have
been blessed by having my adult son Gordon move to
Miami a couple of years ago.”
This, and the excitement of Brickell...she is happy. •
Join BHA
neighbors
and friends
for this fun
evening to
kick off
Spring Break
at our 1814
Brickell Park.
Bring the
kids and a
blanket.
We’ll pop the
popcorn!
Important Community Contacts
The City of Miami NET office is generally residents’ first line of contact in
resolving neighborhood concerns.
The NET office will contact the appropriate City department on your
behalf, if it is a City of Miami matter,
or direct you to the right resource to
resolve your issue.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner
Florida Senate
District 7: Xavier Suarez
(305) 375-5680
[email protected]
Commission Aide Janelle Jay
(305) 375-5680
[email protected]
District 39:
Senator Dwight Bullard
Tallahassee (850) 487-5039
Miami (305) 234-2208
[email protected]
Neighborhood
Enhancement Team-NET
District 5: Bruno Barreiro
(305) 643-8525
[email protected]
Marlene Avalo
(305) 643-8525
[email protected]
Administrator Brandyss Howard
(305) 372-4550
[email protected]
City of Miami Police
Officer Daniel Rodriguez
(786) 286-2024
[email protected]
Commander Jose Fernandez
[email protected]
City of Miami Commissioner
District 2: Marc Sarnoff
(305) 250-5333
[email protected]
Chief of Staff Ron Nelson
(305) 250-5334
[email protected]
16
Miami-Dade County Commissioner
Miami-Dade Public Schools
School Board Dist. 3: Dr. Martin Karp
(305) 995-1334
[email protected]
Florida House of Representatives
District 107:
Rep. José Javier Rodriguez
Miami (305) 854-0365
[email protected]
District Aide Geena Batista
[email protected]
District 35:
Senator Gwen Margolis
Miami (305) 571-5777
[email protected]
District Aide David Lancz
[email protected]
U.S. House of Representatives
District 18:
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
D.C. (202) 225-3931
Miami (305) 688-2285
U.S. Senate
Senator Bill Nelson
D.C. (202) 224-5274
Coral Gables (305) 536-5999
Senator Marco Rubio
D.C. (202) 224-3041
Miami: (305) 418-8553
Welcome New Members
P
lease join Brickell Homeowners Association in warmly welcoming several new condominium and community members who have joined in the
past several months.
Mercy Hospital
B
HA welcomes Mercy Hospital as an
Associate Member of BHA. Mercy
Hospital is a 473-bed, acute care hospital located just south of the Brickell neighborhood at 3663 South Miami Avenue. It is
our county’s only Catholic hospital and is a recipient of the MAGNET award
for nursing excellence. At their beautiful bayfront location they offer a comprehensive list of services including diagnostic services, rehabilitation, behavioral health, cardiac and vascular care, cancer care, emergency care,
hyperbaric and wound care, among many others. Community Outreach Specialist Alicia Ortiz will represent the hospital on the BHA Board.
Courts Brickell Key
C
ourts Condo Brickell Key, built in 2002, is
a luxury, 34-story condominium with 319
units located on Brickell Key, one of
Miami's most prestigious properties. The building
features its own private amenities including
concierge, valet parking, swimming pool, gym,
Jacuzzi, party room and 24-hour security. Residents also enjoy nearby access to walking and
jogging paths, dry cleaners, restaurants and the
five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Courts President Pamela Olmo will represent her association on the BHA Board of Directors and Community Association Manager Monica Velasco will serve as alternate.
Florida Commercial Security Services (FCSS)
B
HA welcomes new Associate Member
Florida Commercial Security Services
(FCSS), a Florida-based asset protection
security firm founded by four corporate officers
with backgrounds in law enforcement. This
gives FCSS its unique advantage as they have
the training, discipline and experience for superior selection and training of
their staff of guards, supervisors and support personnel in the highest standards of security and protection of customers, employees and property.
Alberto J. Poggio, director of marketing, will represent the company on the
BHA Board. •
For details about joining BHA, please visit
www.brickellhomeowners.com
WINTER/SPRING 2014
How BHA Works
F
ounded in 1990,
Brickell Homeowners Association Membership is
open to condominium
associations and businesses in the Brickell
community. A representative from
each of the member condominium
associations sits on the BHA Board
of Directors which meets monthly.
BHA organizes its Board meetings with speakers of immediate
interest to the Brickell community.
These forums help to inform and
direct the work of BHA, which is
accomplished through a committee
structure and through BHA representation on important governmental and community groups.
The advocacy work of BHA is
carried out by volunteers, therefore
participation of residents is important and desired in BHA activities
and programs. Residents interested
in attending a meeting or becoming
involved in other ways are urged to
be in contact with their condominium rep.
To directly communicate with
residents, timely topics are covered
in this newsletter, which is distributed to each household in BHA.
This issue is the 63rd edition of BHA
News. Information of importance to
Brickell neighbors is also covered
on the BHA website, www.brickellhomeowners.com, which contains
a comprehensive tracking of topics
over time. This serves to help hold
public officials accountable for
timetables and promises, and
serves an important watchdog function.
Contact BHA Communications
Director
Natalie
Brown
at
[email protected]
to learn more.•
17
Brickell Eco-Tour
S
ixty-five intrepid BHA neighbors
and friends braved cloudy skies
for an insider’s tour of nature’s
extraordinary ecological jewels surrounding the Brickell community at the
first-ever Brickell Eco-Tour in November.
The day began at Simpson Park
with a continental breakfast and walking tour of the hammock of Simpson
Park. This 7.8-acre park was once
Simpson Park
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Complete Move Outs
Restoration Vendor for Insurance
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305-643-0710
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Fire & Water - Cleanup & RestorationTM
Like it never even happened.®
18
Alice Wainwright Park
part of an extensive
coastal hammock system or tropical jungle,
known as Brickell
Hammock,
that
extended along Biscayne Bay from north
of Miami River to
Coconut Grove. Simpson Park is the only
hardwood hammock
restored to its native
ecological state, and
the forest contains 15
endangered species and nine threatened plant species.
Alice Wainwright Park, the second stop on the trolley tour, was also
part of the original Brickell Hammock
and offers recreational areas on the
edge of Biscayne Bay. Its Hammock is
in need of restoration and recapture
from the homeless. The third stop was
Virginia Key, where residents walked
through the deep forest areas to the
Native Plant Nursery and learned
about restoration work going on to
ensure rare species’ survival.
THE
OCAMPO GROUP
“The Choice of Excellence in Real Estate” ®
ANGELA P. OCAMPO, P.A.
BROKER-ASSOCIATE
GILBERTO E. OCAMPO, P.A.
REALTOR-ASSOCIATE
Ranked Among the Top 1/2% Realtors Nationwide
EWM Chairman’s Club Diamond Level 2007-2011
Esslinger •
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644 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne, FL 33149
Tel: 305-365-3676
[email protected]
www.ocampogroup.com
The group enjoyed the air-conditioned comfort of Miami’s popular
trolleys, courtesy of the City of Miami
and Mayor Regalado, continental
breakfast, a delicious Joanna’s Market lunch at the end, and cold beverages along the way. And the clouds
only opened up once, for a brief
downpour
The guides were extremely knowledgeable. Miami’s Senior Naturalist
Juan Fernandez has been leading the
conservation at Simpson Park and on
Virginia Key. With the help of volun-
teer groups, a small dedicated
crew and grant funds, he has
restored approximately 46 acres
of coastal Hammock to a more
indigenous state. He also created the Native Plant Nursery at
Virginia Key, completed the
restoration of the nature trail at
Simpson Park. He has implemented educational projects and
oversees ongoing conservation
of plant species that are endan- Salute to our sponsors: Ronn Hornsby, Elcon Electric; Kathleen
Lowe, Best Roofing; and Benton Launerts, Parksman Parking.
gered and highly threatened.
Frank Schena, Urban Naturalist and owner of Royal Palm Tours, was
the other guide who is a wealth
of knowledge and enthusiasm for
the nature of Miami. Both were
highly engaging naturalists with
unparalleled expertise on our
area’s rare species of flora and
fauna, and we thank them for giving of their time. •
Special thanks to Juan Fernandez, Adriana Tio-Dominguez at
Simpson Park for their leadership
in making this event happen.
More photos at
brickellhomeowners.com
Ernesto Cuesta, Frank Schena, Adiana Tio-Dominguez, Juan Fernandez,
John Toohey-Morales
Urban Naturalist Frank Schena (center) of Royal Palm Tours talking
about Virginia Key
Virginia Key
19
Brickell Social
B
HA hosted the Second Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration
with an estimated 300 neighbors at 1814 Brickell Park in early
December, thanks to the partnership of the City of Miami and Commissioner Sarnoff. Thank you to our generous sponsors who underwrote
the festive evening: FirstService Residential, ThyssenKrupp and Wells
Fargo Insurance. Also in December, thank you to Associate Member
Salvador and Lina Ziegenhurt of 25 Bay Tower, with Vanessa Quiroz
Hotel Urbano for hosting the Board’s Holiday Happy Hour. •
and Maritza Gonzalez of Brickell on the River
Miami Firefighters brought Santa to the Tree Lighting party
Officer Daniel Rodriguez and Commander Jose
Fernandez with Ernesto Cuesta
At Hotel Urbano: Ernesto Cuesta, Jerome Hollo, Gail Feldman, Tibor Hollo, Bill Worrall
The Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church Choir made the night especially festive
More photos, including shots with
Santa at brickellhomeowners.com
FirstService Residential’s Hector Vargas, Bill Worrall and Tim O’Keefe with Gail Feldman, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff,
Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez and Ernesto Cuesta
20
Brickell and KB Moms treated kids to holiday cookie decorating
Special Thank Yous
Tree Lighting Sponsors
Special thanks also to Miami Firefighters for giving Santa a grand
entrance on the firetruck • Saints
Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Choir for the music • Brickell and
KB Moms for the cookie decorating activity • Immanuel Lutheran
Church for use of the parking lot.
BHA Legislative & Advocacy Agenda – 2014
Traffic & Pedestrian Safety
School for Brickell Community
•
Lower the speed limit to 30 mph
for all of Brickell Avenue from SE
26th Road north to Miami River.
•
•
Add a left-turn arrow at the SE
15th Road and Brickell Avenue
intersection traffic signal.
•
Address the eastbound left turn
lane on 26th Road going north
onto Brickell Avenue where the
lane configuration needs to be
changed to discourage illegal
left turns from the second lane or
striped area.
•
Improve sidewalks and crosswalks throughout the district for
pedestrian safety.
•
Reduce
traffic
disruptions
caused by illegal blockages by
delivery, utility and other vehicles.
Impact Fees
•
•
Provide improved median and
swale landscaping, fix and
widen sidewalks, remove impediments, and improve the utility
hardware on Brickell Avenue.
•
Improve the system of utility
markings that leaves our sidewalks, streets and public spaces
littered with spray creating
unsightly
sidewalk
graffiti
throughout the community.
Parks and Green space
WINTER/SPRING 2014
•
Continue to seek additional
green space and support for the
existing ecological resources in
the community.
•
Garner support for events and
improved oversight of 1814
Brickell Park.
Ensure the proper and legal use
of fees to be invested in infrastructure that will mitigate
impacts in the area affected by
development, and not to be
diverted to the general fund.
Garbage & Waste Hauling
•
Landscaping & Beautification
Brickell Eco-Tour Sponsors
Revisit the Mater Academy Proposal for a Charter School in the
Brickell area and/or other
opportunity, as the need for a
school remains acute and is critical for the area’s success as an
urban
neighborhood
that
accommodates people of all
ages, including families.
Provide condominium owners
refunds or garbage service.
Condo homeowners have historically been assessed in property
taxes for garbage collection but
don’t get the service; high-rise
buildings —whether commercial
or residential—must pay a private waste hauler for service.
Police Coverage in Brickell area
•
A dedicated patrol unit is sought
for the Brickell Avenue neighborhood.
Other Issues
•
Study possible extension of the
DDA catchment area to include
Point View and
SE 15th Road to
SE 26 Road
21
Condo College Coming to Brickell
MDC to offer Non-Credit classes at Condominiums
throughout Brickell
I
magine finishing breakfast, lunch or
dinner and hopping into the elevator
and going to take a college class.
Perhaps a new language class or just
to improve your English, maybe learn
how to really use your digital camera
or develop photo-editing skills.
Maybe you want to pick up the latest
dance steps, exercise routines, or
learn to play the guitar - all without
leaving your property! No worries
about traveling to campus and dealing with traffic and parking.
The Miami Dade College School
of Continuing Education and Professional Development on the Wolfson
Campus will soon be offering this
unique opportunity to selected Brickell
area condos. If you live in a development that has suitable “classroom”
space and have enough neighbors
that share your educational interests,
you may soon have the opportunity to
sign up for classes that will be offered
exclusively to you and your neighbors
right in your own building.
The Continuing Education and Professional Development School offers
classes to more than 80,000 students
throughout Miami-Dade County in a
variety of subject areas including, but
not limited to:
•
Foreign Languages and English as
a Second Language (ESL), Business Writing
•
The Arts &... Music, Painting,
Dance, Floral Design, Sewing,
Interior Design...
•
Technology (computer skills or certifications, accounting, digital marketing, web page design,
Photoshop, etc.)
•
Dance, Health and Fitness
•
Professional Workforce training
and certifications
•
And more
22
Here’s how it works
If you are interested in getting this
started, contact David Lotker, Chairperson of Continuing Education and
Professional Development on the Wolfson campus at (305) 237-3962 or
[email protected]. •
If your building has the facilities
and the support of your Condo Association to allow the use of this space,
then the School will work with your
association to survey the specific educational interests within
your building (including
class subjects, times and
schedule).
If there is
enough interest within
your community for specific classes (usually 12
or more people willing to
sign up and pay for a
particular class (priced
just like the on-campus
offerings)
then
the
classes will be created
and you can register
with Miami Dade College (either online or on
the phone).
Let the learning (and
fun) begin! New classes
will be offered on an ongoing basis depending
on the interest of the At January BHA Board meeting Lillybeth Guilfucci and David Lotker of MDC
Condo College shown here with Joaquin Mayoral-Parracia of The Metropolitan
community.
Condominium (front) introduced the Condo College concept to Members.
WINTER/SPRING 2014
23