SERVING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SINCE 1958
Community Newspapers SUN
MAY 18, 2009
S unny I sles B each
VOL. 27, NO. 18
‘Green Acres’
INSIDE THIS
City focused on enhancing parks and recreation ISSUE WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SIB SUN
Page 4
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SCHOOL DEDICATION
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• • • • • • • SUNNY ISLES BEACH DEALS
BY: HOMEXPERTS 305.381.8628
<< FOR SALE
33160 1/1 778sq-ft.
$52,000 51% below value
FOR RENT>> 33160 2/2 1,294sq-ft.
$1,500/mo 19% below value Based on Info from SEFML as of 5-11-09. Details and more undervalued homes at:
www.communitynewspapers.com
BY BARI AUERBACH oms pushing strollers and kids on swings…couples enjoying great concerts…pet owners having fun with their dogs…friends gathering for enriching activities and fitness routines…Today, at the public parks enhancing Sunny Isles Beach, residents of all ages are gathering to enjoy “sun, fun and recreation” helping to make the city one of the most desirable places to live and visit in South Florida. Just recently, the goal to continue acquiring land for parks and green open space was the focus of a special City Commission meeting on April 16 when resolutions were approved to facilitate acquisition of additional land located at 215-255 Sunny Isles Boulevard and 151 Sunny Isles Boulevard via eminent domain. The resolutions passed support the Sunny Isles Beach
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“Open Space and Public Parking Initiative” devised to upgrade city amenities and enhance the Town Center district encompassing Sunny Isles Boulevard to 172nd Street on the west side of Collins Avenue. Urban planner Jack Luft, who helped prepare the Sunny Isles Beach Comprehensive Plan, explained, “In 2001, a study was done to help develop strategies for upgrading the city’s image and providing a ‘higher and better’ use for underdeveloped or blighted properties. “Then, in 2007, the city initiated an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to establish a parks, open space and capital improvements element. Several goals and objectives incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan addressed the need for expanding public open space to meet the needs of a growing population. “A parks and recreation study was done focusing on trying to find locations, costs and benefits of various alternatives for
expanding open space. Based on public purposes established in the Comprehensive Plan, data [regarding] population and projections for growth and many public meetings, it was concluded that the most viable option and optimal location would be additional land purchased on Sunny Isles Boulevard in order to meet goals and objectives for expansion of open space and recreational amenities. “The basic recommendation for acquisition of property for [public] mixed use open space and parking facilities on Sunny Isles Boulevard remains a top priority…it’s a hub and hinge point for the community where things can be connected.” ‘GREEN LIGHT FOR TDR’S’ A successful seed for developing more green space in the city was planted when
––––––––––––––––––––––––– See GREEN, page 2