All That Jasco: Interesting, Informative, But Sort of Wrong
To the Editor:
Although your article explaining the “Jasco fiasco” [RE: “Beach Mayor Casts Deciding Vote to Continue Negotiating with Controversial Firehouse Contractor for Water
Tank Renovation,” published last week in the Beach edition] was interesting and informative. You described the commission as voting 3 to 3 on voice vote with “Smith, Garcia and Steinberg
voting to sever, while Cruz, Garcia and Bower”… voted not to sever. Unless Luis Garcia voted twice, once in each direction, you made a mistake. My husband, Commissioner Saul Gross was the
third vote to sever.
Sincerely,
Jane Gross
[Editor’s Note: Commissioner Saul Gross did indeed vote in favor of following the city manager’s recommendation to place the Fire Station No. 2 at-risk construction
manager contract out to bid while Luis Garcia voted against it. In addition, Mayor David Dermer’s “decisive vote” was actually against immediately placing the contract out for bid – which
then led to a 5 to 2 vote (Gross and Jose Smith dissenting) asking the administration to re-negotiate a tougher contract with Jasco. Finally, the contract was discussed during the
Wednesday, February 5th meeting.]
The A.C.-SunPost Editorial Department Noise Summit. Hosted By Morris Sunshine
Dear Editor:
Recently, the SunPost argued (Editorial, “And the SoBe Noise War Continues,” published February 6) that excessive noise was the inevitable price
that one has to pay to live the city of Miami Beach. The SP said that uncontrollable processes of urban growth had mixed residential and entertainment venues so that no means could ever be
found to reconcile residential with commercial interests. Hence, advocating a kind of Grecian stoicism, the SP urged that we residents try harder to adjust to unbearable noise and all the
collateral damage that goes with an entertainment industry that is just plain out of control.
Say, did anyone in the Editorial Department read A.C. Weinstein's January 23, 2003 piece? In case you didn't, among other things he said:
"As new residential buildings rise with more and more indoor and outdoor music venues overlapping their neighborhoods, it was only a matter of
time before the clash of tourist business and resident quality of life would reach to the boiling point. That time is now at a slow simmer and moving rapidly toward a rolling boil.
“Well, at least where some clubs and bars have been thriving too close to residential neighborhoods. Some of those venues may even be right
inside those neighborhoods. And so the noise, traffic, trash, broken bottles, street fights and all of those negative spillovers from the entertainment venues are literally destroying the
quality of life within and around adjacent residential neighborhoods.
“Residents living south of 5th Street have now organized to complain about the pounding music and hordes of people spilling out from
a club that’s just too close to their homes. Further north in South Beach, residential neighborhoods just west of the Ocean Drive-Washington Avenue entertainment corridor also are
struggling with the negative impacts of similar spillovers: Street noise, traffic, drunks urinating on stoops and in doorways, fights, broken bottles, etc.
“Every Saturday and Sunday morning residents living in the neighborhoods just west of that entertainment epicenter have to remove the trash,
bottles and some rather indescribable objects from their front yards, hedges and doorways. Folks in the tourist business who depend on large numbers of people to fill their venues will say
that’s what Miami Beach is all about. Some residents are now expressing a different point of view."
Don't you think that the time has come for the editorial staff to have a serious talk with A.C.? I offer to mediate.
Light Rail Bay Link: It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time, But Not Anymore
To the Editor:
The initial spin on the $510 million “Bay Link” project was that it would relieve South Beach traffic and parking congestion. The official study now shows that
automobile commuter traffic will not be reduced and congestion will not be relieved. In fact, the public is now learning that traffic congestion could actually be made worse. Dedicated
left turn lanes on Washington Avenue and Alton Road, which now permit through traffic to pass cars waiting to turn left, will disappear to make way for rail tracks. It will be more
difficult to make turns from side streets. Curbside parking spaces will be lost. How trucks making deliveries will be handled hasn’t been answered yet.
It was hoped that a light rail system on South Beach would not only be faster than bus trips to and from Miami, but also serve a much larger ridership for trips within
visitors and residents alike. It is apparent now, however, that Washington Avenue is infeasible for light rail tracks, and that if there is to be a system on the Beach it would run on the
west side only, using Alton Road over to the Convention Center. Electrowave or county circulator buses would still be necessary.
The Northeast Corridor route along Biscayne Boulevard is an alternative to BayLink. Instead of brining rails over MacArthur Causeway, bus routes would connect South,
Mid and North Beach to stations located on the Miami side of the MacArthur, Tuttle and Kennedy Causeways. Those buses could also serve as circulators within each of these geographic
areas. Park & Ride facilities at the transit stations would give drivers an alternative to commutes along coastal roads. These Bay “Links” would benefit all sections of Miami Beach.
Frank Del Vecchio
Chairman, Citizens Techincial Subcommittee on the Bay Link Study
Light Rail Bay Link and One-Way Streets: A Solution For Traffic Problems…. And Beer Trucks
Dear Mayor Dermer and City Commissioners:
The 21st Century began in South Beach. Few imagined how successful the revitalization of the historic district would be. Now it seems that everyone wants to live here,
work here, visit here, party here! And they’re coming, whether we’re prepared or not!
Good mass transit is a necessity for the 21st Century, for every modern city, large and small. Bay Link is no longer just an option. If we do not rise to the challenge
of making it work in our unique community, taking the funds now available for it, it will pass us by, to our detriment.
Bay Link won’t just serve the tourism industry. South Beach has a growing population of young urban professionals who will take the train, if it’s dependable and
convenient. They do not take buses. Without good mass transit, traffic and parking problems will only increase.
How to make Bay Link work: One Way Streets!
Make most streets in South Beach one way (north-south, as well as east-west), with logical exceptions (Alton Road, 5th Street, 16th Street, cul-de-sacs, etc.), and the
traffic flow problems created by left turns into on-coming traffic, exacerbated by a train, all but disappear. Traffic flows. The proverbial “beer truck” no longer stops traffic dead.
Circling a block to get to your destination is no big deal, if you don’t have to wait for clearance from on-coming traffic to make a turn. And side streets with two lanes going in the same
direction aren’t as easily clogged.
One way streets are safer for everyone, especially pedestrians.
If we choose Bay Link, we can have a charming streetcar to get us around South Beach and to and from the developing neighborhoods across the bay. And we won’t have to
drive.
Best Regards,
Lawrence & Marilyn Kramer
Cubby: Making PR’s Freeze Their Tushies Off… And Enjoy It
Cubby
I just wanted to thank you so much for coming to the SkyBar Opening and for making it a part of your highly coveted column. [RE: Nightlife, published January 30.] I
was so happy I was still outside (freezing my tushy off) when arrived! Hope to get together soon.
Erika Koopman
Harrison & Shriftman
Screaming About Transit-Systems and Urbanism Instead of Watchin’ the Reality Shows
Dear SunPost Editor,
There are few times in our lives when the decisions that we make as citizens can have a profound impact on future generations. The issue
placed upon the City of Miami Beach's feet is such an issue that requires the leaders to proactively think beyond their normal political lives. And although there has been some limited
vocal opposition from the same tired voices that populate the city hall audience, their voice is but a squeak of who actually resides within the municipality. It can be argued that my
contemporaries who in all honesty would rather sit at home and watch re-runs of sitcoms or mindless virtual-reality shows have screeched their approval of a county-wide mass transit system
that works. Close to seventy percent of the residing voting precincts in South Miami Beach, Central Miami Beach and North Beach have voiced their support of the people's mass transit
plan.
How many times in the political process have we witnessed such a resounding endorsement of this issue? This is an issue that will not go away and will only get worse
in time. The Miami Beach Planning board has unanimously recommended a link to the city of Miami and some members have expressed interest in extending a mass transit project to North
Beach.
Solutions have been proposed. Miami-Dade Commissioner Barreiro has suggested that we extend an elevated outdated metro-mover system to the Beach. How might I add
would an elevated, bulky system function in a city that prides itself on design, style, and historical prominence? Miami Beach citizens do not want a Chicago style elevated transit system
roaring down Washington Avenue. Loud polluting busses are quickly becoming filled to capacity during crossings over the causeway and their lack of right-away will add to street congestion
and headway time. The only alternative that seems to make economic, historical, and practical sense has been the Baylink system. The light rail system would be operated on quiet
electricity. Light rail was in Miami Beach during the 1920's until a hurricane took out the system. Restoration of this transit system would
restore it to its proper historical
significance. Most importantly Miami Beach has the opportunity to receive priority to competitive federal funding if the city approves that they desire a Baylink project. That is
correct... The City of Miami and Miami Beach has the opportunity to receive a capital improvement paid for in cooperation with the federal government thanks to the voters in their wisdom
supporting a local funding source to
one of our regions most pressing community needs TRANSPORTATION.
The decision is yours Mayor Dermer and City Commissioners. Let us show the world that Miami and Miami Beach have embraced the visionary architectural vision produced
by the University of Miami School of Architecture's New Urbanism movement. Please put a green-light on this red light issue. Vote to fund the next study so that specific answers to
concrete problems can be answered by engineering data. Attach the multitude of conditions necessary to ensure that Miami Beach has control of the project. Don't be blinded by short-term
construction or economic concerns that can be mitigated if
properly identified during this next phase.
Let us use the results of this next study to initiate a community driven dialogue to address the needs of all Miami Beach citizens, business owners, and visitors.
Sincerely,
Michael Robinson
