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Planning Ahead
Town Invites Residents to
Plan Future
Arnold said he is expecting a “very visual
presentation” from the Seth Harry team.
The Surfside Charrette Committee, from left, Barry Cohen,
Commissioner Mark Blumstein (commission liaison to the committee),
Charrette Committee Vice Chair Marion Ott, David Steinfeld, Rico
Sogocio and Charrette Committee Chair Ken Arnold
By Evan Berkowitz
The town of Surfside will hold a community charrette from Monday,
Nov. 13, through Saturday, Nov. 18, to discuss the municipality’s
future.
This six-day process will encompass a series of meetings and
workshops designed to bring together residents, business owners,
civic leaders and professional designers to discuss issues facing
the oceanfront municipality and its future. “The Town Commission
needs the input, feedback, suggestions, talent and energy from all
of you,” stated the town of Surfside’s Web site.
On July 31, Surfside’s Charrette Committee unanimously chose the
architectural and planning firm of Seth Harry & Associates to
conduct the process. The firm will be paid approximately $200,000
for this job.
The signing of a final contract with Seth Harry was delayed because
of negotiations regarding the written report or “deliverables” the
firm would eventually present to Surfside. Charrette Committee Chair
Ken Arnold said other municipalities’ books on charrette-planning
sessions are often “an inch thick” and can include lots of
photographs, diagrams and other graphics.
Charrette planners and town officials are stressing the importance
of interested parties attending the first public input session on
Nov. 13 from 7:00 to10:30 p.m. at the town’s community
center second-floor
auditorium (9301 Collins Ave.). Arnold said there will be
approximately 15 roundtables set up, each with a professional
designer or an expert from a discipline, such as traffic engineering
or landscaping architects. Arnold called it the “initial
brainstorming session” that will inform the rest of the process.
“It is critical for the designers to obtain as much public feedback
as possible at the opening event,” stated an official town press
release.
Arnold said he is expecting a “very visual presentation” from the
Seth Harry team. The firm has a philosophy of showing, rather than
telling, regarding design issues, Arnold said. During the July 31
meeting, Charrette Committee members said they were impressed with
the firm’s ability to provide 3-D imaging on documents and other
materials.
During public “pin-up and feedback” sessions, which will be held
Tuesday, Nov. 14, and Thursday, Nov. 16, Seth Harry and Associates
staffers will paste up “preliminary drawings based on residents’
input,” said Commissioner Mark Blumstein, who also serves on the
Charrette Committee. Both “pin-up” sessions will be held from 7:00
to 8:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Commission Chambers at 9293 Harding
Ave. and televised on Cable Channel 77 in Surfside. The chambers
will also be open to the public at various times during the week to
view the progress of the work and provide feedback to the design
team.
One of the main topics for the charrette will be the town’s
community center, soon to be torn down and replaced by a new
building on the same site. Blumstein told the SunPost the
commission was “poised to issue an RFP (request for proposal)” for
the project, which will probably be a larger and taller structure
and may include a library, swimming pool, fitness room, auditorium
and kitchen. The new community center will also include transparency
or glass allowing a view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Another discussion topic will be revitalizing the town’s business
district, which Blumstein would like to see attracting more
customers from outside of Surfside. He notes that his town sits on
A1A just south of the very successful Bal Harbour Shops Mall and
north of trendy South Beach, and sees a great deal of auto traffic
coming from both these areas. Blumstein would like to see the types
of establishments — retail, restaurant, etc. — that could attract
passersby and help create a larger tax base. (Seth Harry’s
experience in economic redevelopment was another reason the
committee and commission chose the firm.)
The use of parks and green spaces may also be discussed during the
week. Blumstein believes the town’s street ends could be a great
opportunity for mini-parks where residents could enjoy the water and
perhaps fish. We can “utilize the surroundings that nature gave us,”
he said. New detailed codes regarding building, design,
architectural and landscape issues are also likely to be on the
agenda
There are 13 general questions for charrette
participants listed on the town’s Web site, www.townofsurfside.gov.
“These are what we want people to think about before the starting
session,” said Arnold. There is no admission fee for these events
and advance registration is not necessary. What planners are calling
the “Final Presentation of the Community’s Vision” will be held on
Saturday, Nov. 18, from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the community center.
“At the end of the day, Surfside has the potential to be a model
community, and the charrette gives all of us the chance to make that
happen,” said Arnold.
Comments? E-mail
letters@miamisunpost.com.
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CHARRETTE SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 13
Tuesday, Nov. 14 & Thursday, Nov. 16
Saturday, Nov. 18
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Design Studio Time
The Design Studio (in commission chambers) will be open to the
public to view the progress of the work and provide feedback to the
design team on:
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Wednesday, Nov. 15 9 a.m.- noon and 4 - 8 p.m.
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Thursday, Nov. 16 and Friday, Nov. 17 9 a.m. -
noon
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