Surf and Turf

Luther Campbell bumper stickers flooding Dade County roads. Uncle Luke is a candidate for our times because sadly Blow-Fly is too old to run for Mayor of Miami. The county has already lost its shirt, now is the time to roll with Luke's Luck, we have nothing to loosen but our pants.

For many longtime residents, South Florida living has always percolated along irrespective of the slurry of political news from downtown and from afar on teevee or the grapevine. Folks are like that all over the world but Miami is #1 for pervasive oblivious apathy.

The Town of Surfside was incorporated 75 years ago. Soon after the town Social Center was established. No doubt it catered to a "select crowd" of whites only.

Some years later, the town Social Center moved and changes its name to the Community Center. As decades unfolded, an new policy of accommodation and inclusion fostered understanding among residents, their guests and visiting tourists eager to enjoy our beautiful sun and surf. We had our very own Library. Children took swim classes . National holidays were celebrated. At election time, we voted there. Grilled cheese sandwiches were $1.50.

Several years ago, a decision was made by devious politicians to demolish the building before funding was secured for new construction. The ill conceived blunder not only destroyed the classic modern architecture but also tore apart the fragile symbiotic social fabric of our community. Sadly without a central meeting place, I have no idea who our neighbors are today.

As the wheels of progress grind slow with the drag of bureaucratic sludge, three years have passed. Two administrations later, the town is poised with pride for the much anticipated grand opening of our paired down new state of the art social center.

Hispanic workers that built this ultra-fancy structure must have wondered what on earth the architects were thinking when they designed this parabolic pagoda of glass and concrete. I think at least one senior at the firm is a big star-trek freak... and that's a good thing.

Here is a sneak peek of the of the aquatic features formerly known as pools. The basins are wedges that taper from a tarmac as if to mimic the oceans shore. Trouble is, they put the pool on the south end of the site where it will be in the shade of the neighboring condo tower for most of the winter months.

The facility is essentially a giant table about the size of a soccer field with a "blow-away" glass underside. The old place had something of a rooftop deck. Perhaps the new place will make use of the increased square footage for Trump to land his helicopter.

All smart new construction must have a round thing and plucked palms.

Surfside is a well kept secret. We tolerate the multitudes of mainlander beach crowds that trash North Shore Park and Haulover Beach, we begrudgingly accept the overdevelopment of Sunny Isles, the snobbery of Bal Harbour Mall and Aventura, we flick a finger at the thievery of North Bay Village and their red-light cameras. It has become increasingly difficult to maintain the level of tranquility and quality of life that made this place our blessing. But Surfside is primed to usher in a new chapter in its quiet history. We welcome you with SPF 75.

Trouble is, every time something gets build, there is more concrete and less green.

The swamp has been paved over and over.

Pleasing to look at and offering shade, a palm is not a tree. Palms are part of the grass family.

Site of the old Surfside Six Motel where a new proposed hotel issue is in the final throws of a controversial confrontation between developer and 600 residents. This you can read about in the local news.

The Miami Herald

The article, "Surfside approved controversial hotel project" by Angel L. Doval, in the Sunday, May 15 Neighbors section omitted critically important information and a very compelling presentation made by attorney Tucker Gibbs and zoning expert Mark Alvarez, given at the behest of the Surfside Residents Association (SRA), and therefore only told half the story. Documents and a PowerPoint presentation allege that the Town of Surfside 2004 Charter Amendment 4, that passed with a 92 percent voter approval and which limits a development’s height, density and intensity was “broken”, thus calling for a “vote of the people” via referendum.

To my great disappointment, the most controversial item to appear in front of this commission to date had two absent members; Mayor Dietch and Commissioner Karukin. Mr. Dietch, a strong supporter of this project, was the town’s planning and zoning chairman for four years and not only missed the opportunity to cast his vote, but also the liberty to challenge the presentation as well.

The vote taken on a matter of such importance, with only three members of the commission present, represents a sad day for Surfside governance.

Joseph “Joe” Graubart

Vice mayor, Surfside

The business end of Surfside. Perfect everyday.

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Harvest Moonshine

Tis the Season of Decay

With the end of summer now official, it is time to appreciate autumn in the swamp. The cooler nights are a welcome relief from the record breaking global warmthing. The anticipation of a bountiful tourist season prods us onward.  Yet all is not well in this seaside oasis.  Life in South Florida looks a drab austere when colored with the rusty palette of fall... and the predictable regressive groupthink.

Scamera Wars

Miami Beach is going headstrong with their embrace of Red-light Scameras. The blasted gizmos are being installed one at a time.  One a day that is.  These insidious eyes-in-the-sky are a blight on our quality of life and harbingers of Orwellian things here today.  Wake up people and smell the extortion. 

Severe Beach Erosion

"If your voice is not heard, if you do not take the time to listen and learn what is going on and get engaged, you may see our fine Town decline into chaos."   surfside mayor Dietch  9/13/2010

As with Florida Hometown Democracy and Amendment 4 on the November Ballot, the Town of Surfside is once again a microcosm of the bigger blunder.

How We Doing?

Construction of our Community Center – we will be swimming next spring

Modern parking meter pay stations – contracts are executed and work will be completed this calendar year

Fixing the long neglected water and sewer infrastructure – these projects will be completed over the next five years

Document management equipment that will allow us to properly maintain public records – this will reduce costs and allow the Town to be fully compliant with state statutes

Purchasing a new telephone system – this will replace the functionally obsolete system

Procuring new architectural and engineering consultants – this will ensure that we always receive the best value for needed services.

And don't forget to throw some money grubbing' red-light cameras into the strained budgetary.

Developer Missed the Bus 

The site of the old Surfside 6 Motel on Collins and 92 street sits empty for 3 years and counting.

"The first thing is, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if Mr. Deitch hadn’t given special zoning accommodations to the proposed hotel across from the houses on Harding and reduced development requirements elsewhere."  Charles Burcket Previous Mayor of Surfside

Little Amendment That Could 

Letter to current Mayor from a resident community organizer.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

Daniel Deitch, Mayor

Daniel;

I read your latest note and I respectfully disagree.

We did not elect you and the other commissioners to continue to spend on over-paid engineers and/or department heads. We hoped you would be fiscally aware and cut expenses. Yet each of the items in your "good news" entails spending more of our limited resources. Nowhere do you propose any cuts-only further expenses. This will not restore Surfside as a great community.

Following is my personal list of misplaced activities:

Hiring a new Town Manager without an advertised search is dictatorial!

Nearly 50% of the town budget goes to the police department!

The historical deficiencies you refer to are really the overly bloated and unnecessary expenses being sucked out by administrative salaries, perks and pensions!

It is better to show fiscal responsibility than to accuse concerned residents of devising.

We are desperately trying to make you aware of the true needs of our Town.

A PETITION IS THE AMERICAN WAY OF PROTEST!

DO NOT PUT US DOWN! We knew enough to rid the town of the former commission and we also know enough to VOTE on issues of importance. We are not a small group - we are more than 610 registered Surfside voters who signed petitions in only 10 days rather than the 20 days to which we were entitled.

While I have the floor, I must digress to address Marta: You of all people, who left your homeland of Cuba and the life you had because of the loss of rights - Marta, how could you not vote to let us vote? I will never understand.

Thank you.  DORIE LURIE

 

Shady Isles

Through decades and numerous administrations, Surfside has managed to resist persistent requests by developers to build taller and taller condos. It would be an embarrassment to have our current town attorney (who is partly responsible for the uber-development of Sunny Isles into a condo canyon) to do an encore performance on Surfside's building code.

Down the Drain... 

And for the latest twist of this bizarre tale of sleepy town:

The five Surfside residents who sponsored the "Right to Vote" petition received knocks on their door this afternoon fromSurfside police officers. The police officers handed them a letter stating that the whole petition drive had been disqualified.

Alas with the fall comes the realization that we should not cry over spoiled swamps, we should learn from Forest Gumps, keep an eye on the chumps.

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