THE
GAZETTE VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 18, 2021
Wilton Manors & Oakland Park FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE COMMUNITY
OAKLAND PARK
A New Vision for Oakland Park’s Downtown City solicits feedback from residents; 71% OK with wider sidewalks, less lanes By Christiana Lilly
The city of Oakland Park hosted a community meeting to get more feedback and share plans for OP3D, or the Oakland Park Design Development District. The Thursday evening meeting was hosted through Zoom and the city’s website, with interactive polling options for participants to share their opinions. During the presentation, the team proposed new standards for building heights, green space, walkability, density, and other zoning and coding laws for the city’s future. This included capping building heights at five stories in some parts of town, which would help with buffering neighboring residential areas. They emphasized that this would not impact any current buildings, but only future development. “The new downtown code as they’re being adopted, they’re basically prospective; they’re for future development,” said Pete Schwarz, the city’s assistant director of Community and Economic Development. “All existing properties within the downtown would
continue to exist and operate as they have been.” The city hired the Miami-based Zyscovich Architects in 2018 to study Oakland Park’s current downtown area, then known as the Downtown Mixed-Use District, and provide feedback on what could be done for expansion. For the last two years, they have also hosted community forums and conducted surveys with city boards, community groups, and other stakeholders for OP3D. “All the feedback we’ve received in the last two years, that’s going to be evaluated,” said Suria Yaffar, a partner at Zyscovich. Green space is a priority with the plan, and Grace Perdomo of Zyscovich noted that the city’s current code does not have any requirements for open space, other than for water flow. Zyscovich is proposing the city to require that any new buildings must have a percentage of the property be green space. During the presentation, participants were encouraged to answer a series of polling
During the presentation, the team proposed new standards for building heights, green space, walkability, density, and other zoning and coding laws for the city’s future.
During the community meeting, a presentation was given by (clockwise from left) Suria Yaffar, a partner at Zyscovich; Jennifer Frastai, assistant city manager; Grace Perdomo of Zyscovich; and Pete Schwarz, assistant director of Community and Economic Development.
questions through slido.com, such as what they felt would add more value to downtown (housing, retail or access to transit), what public enhancements should be used as an incentive, and if they were willing to give up a travel lane for wider sidewalks (71% said yes). The next step in planning for Oakland
www.WMGAZETTE.com
Park’s downtown is for further discussion at an upcoming Planning & Zoning meeting. “It is a lengthy process,” assistant city manager Jennifer Frastai said of the downtown planning. “We’re looking at least — if all of the stars align — 10 to 12 more months of this process.”
2 .18 . 20 21 •
19
COMMUNITY
WILTON MANORS
Ink Addiction in Wilton Manors Raises Funds for Mental Health By John Hayden
THE
GAZETTE February 18, 2021 • Volume 8 • Issue 4 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943
Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Webmaster • Kimberly Swan webmaster@sfgn.com
Editorial
Art Director • Brendon Lies artwork@sfgn.com Oakland Park Editor • Christiana Lilly Wilton Manors Editor • John McDonald
Correspondents
Christiana Lilly• Sal Torre • James Oaksun
Staff Photographers
J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires
Sales & Marketing For ad placement in the Wilton Manors Gazette, contact 954-530-4970
Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. MEMBER
An example of work at Ink Addiction II. Photo courtesy of Ink Addiction II.
An intricate design with lots of colors. their personal victories over mental health A simple symbol. A name that only means issues. “Many of my clients get something to the bearer. Every tattoos at a meaningful point piece of body art has a story in their lives, whether good behind it. For one day at Ink or bad. I’m fortunate to play Addiction II in Wilton Manors, a small part in that process,” the works of art will come with Valentin said. “I have a few an extra meaning. younger clients that have On Sunday, Feb. 21, they’re gotten the semi-colon because donating 10% of all proceeds of their own personal fight from tattoos and body with suicide! As well as some piercings to benefit mental interesting cover-up tattoos health and suicide prevention. hiding scars from some of my The shop is working with clients that were cutters!” Breaking-taboo.org, which Breaking Taboo says one-infocuses on breaking the four people have some form silence around mental health of mental health concern, problems. Manager Miguel - Miguel Valentin with many struggling with Valentin says the goal is “to Manager at Ink Addiction II depression. The group wants break the taboo with tattoos.” people to learn how to talk Valentin has seen people get ink for many reasons, including to celebrate freely about their problems. The default for too
“If it wasn’t for the 12step program I wouldn’t be in this position, so what better way to give back and do some service?”
many people is to suffer in silence, ashamed or afraid to open up. Sunday’s goal to raise awareness as well as money is noble, but the date was chosen by Valentin for a very personal reason. “I agreed to volunteer for this project and picked the date because it’s my five-year anniversary of sobriety,” Valentin said. “If it wasn’t for the 12-step program I wouldn’t be in this position, so what better way to give back and do some service?” Valentin says this is their first fundraiser and doesn’t know what to expect, but hopes to raise at least $500. “As a person in recovery, I thought what a great marriage of ideas it would be to team up with BreakingTaboo.org and to Break the Taboo with Tattoos,” Valentin said. “My hope is that at least one person will receive this message and know that it’s OK to talk about mental health and suicide prevention.”
www.WMGAZETTE.com 20
• 2 .18.2021
2 •
FEBRUARY 18, 2021
MEMBER
Associated Press MEMBER
MEMBER
Copyright © 2021 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
A pelican on the water. Photo via PxHere.
Seniors Eligible For COVID Vaccine in Wilton Manors Staff Report A limited number of COVID-19 vaccines are being administered by the City of Wilton Manors. Vaccinations are available to seniors ages 65 and older. To schedule a vaccination, call 954390-2101. The phone line opens at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18. Since the start of the pandemic 834 Wilton Manors residents have tested positive for the virus, said City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson. In Broward County, 189,612 people have been vaccinated for COVID-19.
P
y
NEWS
WILTON MANORS
To schedule a vaccination, calloffering now 954-390-2101. now offering The phone line opens at 11 a.m. Photo via Adobe. on Thursday, Feb. 18.
now offering
SAME DAY PrEP SAME DAY PrEP SAME DAY PrEP
At Midway Specialty Care Center we are At to Midway Specialty Care Center we day are start almost everyone on same Atable Midway Specialty Care Center we are able tothose start almost on same day now now offering offering now offering PrEP, with andeveryone without insurance. PrEP, those witheveryone and without able to start almost on insurance. same day
SAME SAME DAY SAME DAY PrEP DAY PrEP PrEP PrEP, those with and without insurance.
At Midway At Midway Specialty Care Specialty Center At Midway weCare are Specialty Center Carewe Center are we are ableable to startto almost start everyone almost able on same everyone to start dayalmoston everyone same on day same day PrEP,PrEP, those with those and without with insurance. and PrEP, those without with and insurance. without insurance.
now offering
SAME DAY PrEP At Midway Specialty Care Center we are able to start almost everyone on same day HOWARD JOSEPH HOWARD A. with and without insurance. JOSEPH PrEP,A. those
GROSSMAN, GROSSMAN,MD MD
TOJAR, TOJAR,PA-C PA-C
HOWARD HOWARD A. A. JOSEPH HOWARD A. JOSEPH JOSEPH GROSSMAN, GROSSMAN, MD MD GROSSMAN, MD TOJAR, PA-C TOJAR, PA-C TOJAR, PA-C CALL TODAY!
CALL TODAY!
CALL TODAY! CALL TODAY! CALL TODAY! 954-530-8357 954-530-8357 HOWARD A. JOSEPH
954-530-8357 954-530-8357 954-530-8357
Walk-inHIV HIVtesting testingavailable. available. Walk-in
GROSSMAN, MD Walk-in TOJAR, PA-C Walk-in Walk-in HIV testing HIV available. testing HIV testing available. available.
2608 NE 16th Ave. Wilton Manors, FL33334 33334 2608 NE 16th Ave. Wilton Manors, FL 33334 2608 2608 NE 16th NE Ave.16th | Wilton Ave. Manors, 2608 || |Wilton NE FL16th 33334 Ave. Manors, | Wilton Manors, FL FL 33334
CALL TODAY!
954-530-8357 HOWARD A.
JOSEPH
5 •
FEBRUARY 18, 2021
2 .18 . 20 21 •
21