CHICK-FIL-A, FIRST WATCH, & BOLAY ON TRACK

By Nick Sortal

Three more restaurants are in the pipeline at Plantation Pointe, also known as the Motorola property, at University Drive and Sunrise Boulevard. Plans are to add a Chick-fil-A, a First Watch and a Bolay (There are about 15 fast-casual Bolay locations in Florida, serving custom-made “bols.”)

The additions, if approved by the City Council, would be on the west side of the property, not far from Habit Burger. A traffic study will be conducted to mitigate potential traffic back-up for Chick-fil-A.

The city’s Development Review Committee heard preliminary plans for the projects on Jan. 24. The review committee is the first stop for developers and the city staff to exchange thoughts, with the idea of solving preliminary issues before moving on to the Planning and Zoning Board and the City Council. So any new restaurant fare is at least a year away.

A Caution about Artificial Turf

More residents are using artificial turf for their lawns, and believe it or not, that’s of concern to the city.

The fake grass is usually impermeable, meaning that rainwater is not absorbed on the owners’ pieces of property that have artificial turf. That creates a strain on the rest of the stormwater system. Our engineers calculate how much of a neighborhood is rain-absorbent and our drainage systems are built accordingly.

Just so you know, the code in Plantation currently is that no more than 10 percent of a homeowners’ yard can have artificial turf, and none is allowed in the front yard. So, please, understand that there are limits to your uses.

City staff will be reviewing our code soon, with the Planning and Zoning Department likely being the home base for the deepest dive. When that happens, I’ll let you know.

Marjorie Faye Boyles Honored

Councilmember Erik Anderson read a proclamation for Marjorie Faye Boyles, a long-time educator at South Plantation High. She served as a media specialist from 1973-2005 and passed away recently at age 95.

She was also responsible for helping coworkers adopt modern technology, Relay for Life, Operation Shoebox (supplies for soldiers), Hurricane Charlie Relief and gardening-related activities.

Nob Hill Road guardrail coming

The City Council approved $85,210 to build a guard rail on the west side of Nob Hill Road, south of Cleary Boulevard.

One home along that road has been hit by cars three times. This is a project I asked our staff to accelerate soon after I took office. Construction will begin soon.

Ethics for electeds

Broward County requires all elected officials to take a four-hour ethics and open records training annually, and I fulfilled that obligation on Friday. The Broward League of Cities arranged the training, with city attorneys in our county serving as instructors.

Presenters covered many situations, much of which have vital nuances. But here is my one-sentence ethics summary: If you're saying "do you know who I am?" or accept gifts, tickets or privileges above and beyond what the general public gets, then you are violating the ethics code. I'm fortunate that 30 years of newspapering already drilled that into my head.

▸ My newsletter focuses on governing in Plantation as it relates to our residents/customers. You can also get info on parks, police, and other city interests by visiting our website.

▸ To schedule a meeting during my office hours on Fridays, email AskCityHall@Plantation.org or call 954-797-2222.