The biggest surprise at the August 21 city commission meeting was not that a developer was rejected (same ole story) from building a senior living center across the street from city hall, but rather that the commission fueled the hopes of the developer’s dream team of lawyers from March until August. They then finally dropped the axe last meeting with a vote of four to one against the project. At the August 7 city commission meeting, Building Director Victor Citarella made it abundantly clear there was no way on earth the approvals required for Metro South Senior Apartments to build on 6101 Sunset Drive could happen in time.
The developers had a deadline for all approvals to be complete by September 15 in order for them to receive 25 million in federal support. “The best case scenario for approval is three to five months,” said Citarella at the August 7 meeting.
Notwithstanding the impossibility of DERM, water, county, fire, and city approvals required for the project happening within a few weeks, the commission led the lawyers on to believe they still had a chance for the senior center and scheduled continued discussion for the August 21 meeting where they were summarily rejected. Time to sue!
HOLE IN THE WALL MOVES ON
Although the proprietors of Hole in the Wall who were hoping to open a second location in South Miami (at the Petco Shopping Center zoned for restaurants) were denied the required special use permit from the commission to open for business, they have decided not to appeal after all. “It’s hard to not fight for what’s right,” said co-owner Craig Erickson. Erickson believes it would have been a losing battle given the priority the commission placed on a few well organized paranoid neighbors who bought their property right next to a strip mall. “It was a difficult process in South Miami at the commission level and we were going to appeal but we decided against it. There are easier municipalities to deal with.”
Congratulations to Hole in the Wall on their subsequent Cutler Bay location and for making Miami New Times’ “Best of Miami 2012 edition.”
LET’S GO GET A DRUG TEST
So far not one of our distinguished elected officials has taken me up on my offer to take a drug test. Come on guys, let’s boogie on down to the local drug testing joint and submit our blood, hair and urine for an analysis. I promise it won’t hurt a bit.
ust to make it abundantly clear (and I ain’t blowing smoke on this one) I have no reason to believe that any of those blessed souls that serve the citizens of the City of Pleasant Living have any connection to any illegal drugs, just the opposite. These guys on the dais are as clean as a whistle. That is why they ought to consider leading the way to show the kids at our local schools it’s cool to be clean.
CITY SETTLEMENT…
CHECK IS IN THE MAIL
Oh yeah, the city settled with former city manager Ogibola Balogun for some $285,000 or so. And from what a little bird told me, the city wants to wait till the new budget passes in October before they pay him.
Golly folks, I wonder what that means… are we not liquid?
And now that one part of the civil case is about over, I WONDER if the state attorney just might investigate the whole smelly thing to see if any laws were broken during his termination process. If I were a betting guy, my money would be on…
ON THE ROAD
And driving around in her reddish miniature vehicle was none other than THE RED HEAD… drumroll please… Ms. Sharon McCain. She loves checking out the neighborhood and trigger finger texting her findings to her buds.
I can just see her now driving around with a caricature of Stoddard on her ride and a bullhorn as she follows the mayor about town like City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado’s “favorite” constituent does.
BOB’S BUDDY
It seems Bob’s Canadian friend is still dealing with his friends at ICE. Richard Warren recently made his initial appearance before Federal Magistrate Judge Patrick A. White at the Adkins Building Courthouse downtown on August 15. Assistant Federal Public Defender Samuel Randall was appointed to the case of the homeless handyman who apparently entered the country illegally after a previous deportation. According to Randall, “we were able to obtain dismissal of the criminal charges.” Warren is currently at Krome Detention Center awaiting immigration proceedings. Immigration attorney Maggie Arias is now handling his case.
Raquel Garcia contributed to this column.
Thought for the Day:
The first rule of hurricane coverage is
that every broadcast must begin
with palm trees bending in the wind.
— Carl Hiassen
Got Tips?
Call 305-669-7030 or email michael@communitynewspapers.com
