2009-1217 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting December 17, 2009 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Mr. Vera said the next thing to do is for Commissioner Brezin to set up a meeting with the Board of Directors at the Arlen House, and Commissioner Brezin said yes, she was just waiting for the Commission to review the renderings, and at this point she has already discussed it with them and she is waiting to hear from the President of their Board of Directors, and they seem to be enthusiastic about it. Mayor Edelcup said City Manager Conner, Assistant City Manager Vera, and City Attorney Ottinot along with Commissioner Brezin should be at the Board meeting to address this. Mayor Edelcup said these are wonderful conceptual ideas and as we move forward we will have future meetings on this and at some point as we get more definitive we will have a public discussion concerning the development of the parks. As a timetable we don't anticipate starting until late next year and probably it will not be completed until the end of 2011 or the early part of 2012. It is a two -year project to get this series of parks on the west side of Collins Avenue at the south end of the City, and these will be the first major parks at that end of the City. Vice Mayor Thaler noted that we also have to wait until the leases run out in some of the stores. 12B. Presentation/Discussion regarding the Heritage Park General Layout Plan. Action: [City Clerk's Note: Renderings of the Heritage Park General Layout Plan were distributed prior to the Meeting. See action under Item 4A.1 City Manager Conner presented three concepts for the amenities within Heritage Park for the Commission's direction in order to continue to work with the Consultants [Spillis Candella] and move forward. The first one included a basketball court, and the oval shaded area is the same square footage of open area as in Samson Oceanfront Park. The second concept did not have a basketball court which allowed more green space, there is a covered area for the tot lots on the south side, and there is room for another covered area in the north side. The covering would be the same type of coverings as are in the Town Center Park and Samson Oceanfront Park. Mayor Edelcup said we need to look into the type of covering as it was blown off at Town Center Park. City Manager Conner presented a third alternative moving the basketball court to the parking area under the Lehman Causeway. Mayor Edelcup said not to waste the great lawn otherwise we are back to a park no larger than Samson Oceanfront Park which is not big enough for development of a Jazz Festival, the basketball court has to be somewhere else and not within the great lawn area. Vice Mayor Thaler asked that a covering go up wherever possible. City Manager Conner said he has had several conversations with a FDOT rep and she was very supportive of the idea. It was the consensus of the Commission to go forward with the third Concept moving the basketball court to the parking area under the Lehman Causeway. Public Speakers: Lila Kauffman; Jeffrey Bercow, Esq. Lila Kauffman asked about various items throughout the City, including City parks, landscaping, new garages, etc., and where is the money coming from. Mayor Edelcup suggested that she make an appointment with the City Manager to explain the capital improvement projects that have been scheduled in this area for the past five or six years, and he noted that most of the money has been obtained through the TDRs. Attorney Jeffrey Bercow, representing Oceanview A & B Condominium Associations, noted 7