One of Miami’s Community Newspapers
Phone: 305-669-7355
ENDALL GAZETT K E www.communitynewspapers.com
JUNE 23 - 29, 2009
Walmart gets ‘super’ response from CC11 News from home follows A couple on visit to St. Lucia BY RICHARD YAGER
n application to expand the existing Walmart in West Kendall into a “superstore” won Community Council 11 approval by a 3-2 vote on June 16 following a nearly two-hour public hearing attended by a crowd of more than 50 residents. The final council action saw Vice Chair Jeff Wander, Joseph E. Delaney and Ileana Vazquez provide a three-vote majority approving the expansion with chair Patricia “Shannen” Davis and Beatrice Suarez opposed. Nelson Diaz left the meeting prior to voting, and a seventh seat on the council currently is vacant. “My primary objection was the footprint of the new building being too big for the site,” said Davis, who “sided with the many residents that felt a retail outlet of this size was simply incompatible for nearby neighborhoods.” The measure that attracted scattered support and opposition from neighbors also saw high-profile community spokespersons
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WALLMART, page 4
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Miami-Dade gets awards from National Association of Counties
BY MARIE BERTOT
iami-Dade County has received 20 awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The 2009 Achievement Awards recognize innovative county government programs that better serve residents. NACo took notice of improvements to public safety including the Mayor’s Mortgage Fraud Task Force, which was recently adopted by Congress as a role model for the federal government’s task force. The Gun Bounty Program also received accolades for significantly helping to solve crimes. In its first two years, Gun Bounty has recovered 315 firearms and made 188 arrests. “I am proud to say, the success of our programs surpassed all expectations,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez. “I’m very grateful to the dedicated team of professionals who have made it more difficult to commit mortgage fraud and have gotten firearms and criminals off of our streets.” The Port of Miami was recognized for its state-of-the-art Cargo Gate Vehicle Processing System which improves security, as well as innovative seaport berth planning, which is expected to accommodate additional customers and improve customer service.
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Rhonda and Steve Freeman, residents of Horse Country in West Kendall, display a copy of the “Kendall Gazette” they took with them while vacationing at Sandals Resort in St. Lucia.
Proposed Greenery Mall ‘grocery’ spawns protest BY RICHARD YAGER
eplacement of two Greenery Mall anchor tenants with a supermarket-styled retailer has drawn a petition protest by nearby residents prior to a scheduled public hearing by the East Kendall Community Council 12 on July 1. The anchor stores’ closings led to the ownership’s request for a modification of an existing covenant covering the nearly 90,000-square-foot property to permit a new use for the now-shut-
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tered Circuit City’s 47,000 square feet as well as the space formerly occupied by the Barnes & Noble book store. According to a letter filed on behalf of the owners: “To mitigate the effects of losing those longstanding anchor tenants, the applicant has been diligently seeking new tenancies that will serve to complement the existing services…unfortunately, the availability of viable tenants…like neighborhood supermarkets are prohibited pursuant –––––––––––––––––––– See
PROTEST, page 4
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AWARDS, page 4