Good evening, everybody.

At this point, I would like to make the following announcement.

The executive closed door session of the city commission is now terminated and the public meeting is now reopened.

At this point, I'm reopening the conference meeting from this afternoon, but I will now call it in recess so that we can begin our regular evening meeting.

So with that in mind, I would uh like to ask uh Ranila Abrams, first grade student from Gateway Christian Academy and Oswald Park Play Program to join me at the podium.

Ask you all to please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Okay, okay.

Hi there, come on.

How are you?

You're in Nyla?

You're gonna say the Pledge of Allegiance tonight?

Okay.

Come over here, put your hand, your right hand on your heart, and speak into the microphone.

All right.

Don't be shy.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Renila Averant.

I'm in first grade.

I attend Gateway Christian Academy in Oswald Park.

Very nice.

So why don't you begin with the Pledge of Allegiance?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic School Registrance, one nation under God, in a visible liberty and justice for all.

Very nice.

Take your hand down.

Is your mom here or any of your family?

Dad and mom.

Can Dad and Mom come up here so we can take a picture together?

Is it your sister?

Mom's here.

One, two, three.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have a little bit for you.

Thank you for coming tonight.

All right.

Thank you.

Okay, great.

Thank you so much.

At this point, we'd like to invite you all to share a moment of silence with the Commission.

Thank you.

Before we begin our regular meeting, I want to first take a moment and uh recognize two retirements from our city staff.

These are long-term employees.

And then I'd like to also recognize James Hughes, who's been in public works as a maintenance service supervisor.

He's been with us for 28 years.

So thank you so much, James.

Mr.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Vice Mayor Herbst.

Commissioner Glossman.

Here.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Here.

Commissioner Swordson?

Here.

Mayor Trentals.

Here.

Have a couple of agenda announcements.

There's going to be a walk-on presentation that I and Commissioner Glassman will present.

And then M3 will be removed from the agenda.

Also CR1, pages 13 to 15 of the CAM were revised.

You should have that in front of you.

So I need a motion to approve the minutes and the agenda as amended.

So moved.

Moved and seconded.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Glossman.

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And the uh minutes and the agenda as amended are now approved.

So for those of you who are here for the first time, we welcome you and uh want to thank you all for being here.

I guess the standing room only.

We have a lot of exciting things to talk about tonight.

And uh but we begin our meetings with uh presentations.

Uh presentations are normally an opportunity for the city to recognize individuals, organizations, or events that uh will take place or about to take place here in our city.

And uh so we begin and by first of all, our first presentation, I'd like to invite uh Susan Leon, our chief education officer uh to recognize Fort Lauderdale's uh School Teachers of the Year, their recipients.

We had a special program before the meeting, and we recognize over three dozen uh uh teachers and administrators in our school system.

And uh Susan, the floor is yours.

Thank you, and good evening.

We are so excited on behalf of this city commission and the city manager's office to celebrate the teachers of the year from the schools in the city of Fort Lauderdale.

So, as the mayor said, we held a reception earlier and um got to individually meet and take a picture with each one, and we are so pleased and excited and happy for you.

Congratulations, and we'd like to ask you all to come up for a group photo at the time.

Come up here to the uh dais so we can take a group photo.

Class of 2025.

And again, I want to thank the teachers for their outstanding performance and administrators for their outstanding work, and we appreciate all the great things you do to help educate the children here in our city.

Okay, uh, our next presentation, I'd like to invite Commissioner Pamela Beasley Pittman, who's gonna present a proclamation regarding Black History Month here in the City of Fort Lauderdale.

Commissioner.

And I'd also like to invite Emmanuel George from the Old Dillard Museum, as well as uh David Paulo and Amani Warren from Sistrunk then and now.

Please join the Commissioner up at the podium if you are here.

Like each week, is Emmanuel or David or Amani here?

Each week this space gets smaller.

Come this way, please join me at the podium.

Good evening, everyone.

Good evening.

I'm truly excited tonight to be able to present this proclamation from the office of the mayor.

This proclamation is in recognition of National Black History Month.

Oh, this is great.

I enjoyed this.

In recognition of Black History Month, whereas February is recognized as natural National Black History Month, a time to celebrate the culture, heritage, and contributions of the African diaspora.

The City of Fort Lauderdale proudly honors the strength, the resilience, the achievements of black individuals whose leadership and innovation continues to inspire generations.

And whereas, during the month-long observation, we pay tribute to the legacy of black pioneers whose prespervision and sacrifice helped shape our nation's history and progress, and whose contributions continue to influence our communities today.

And whereas the City of Fort Lauderdale recognize the importance of preserving and sharing black history through education, cultural institutions, and community storytelling that connect past generations with those of today and tomorrow.

Whereas in Fort Lauderdale, this commitment is reflected in the preservation of historic Dorsey, excuse me, historic Dillard High School.

Efforts that began in 1976 when Mary Smith, a Dillard High School alumni and a former Broward County School Board employee, founded the Black Historical Society to protect significant African American landmarks and history from being lost.

And whereas this preservation efforts led to the establishment of the old Dillett Museum in 1990.

Its designation on the United States National Registry of Historic Places on February 20th, 1991.

And in recent centennial communorations marking 100 years since the building's construction in 1924, still standing today as a lasting symbol of educational excellence, cultural heritage, and historical preservation.

And whereas Fort Lauderdale retains and commits to honoring its histories, strengthening communities, connections, and fostering respect and opportunities for all its residents, while acknowledging the historical experiences and contributions of black Americans.

Now, therefore, as the city of Fort that's the city commissioners of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we do hereby proclaim February 2026 as National Black History Month in the City of Fort Lauderdale.

Dated this day, the third day of February 2026, signed by Mayor Dean Trantellus.

And at this time, I would like to present this to Emmanuel, and if you all would like to share, please do so.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Good evening, everybody.

How y'all doing?

All right, all right.

All right.

Uh I just wanted to, you know, it ain't even about me.

This is, you know, about the team and those that's here with me.

We all made this happen.

You know, it couldn't be anything.

This would not be a reality if it wasn't for for us as a team.

And we got so much more underway.

And I'm a man of few words, so I'm just gonna say stay tuned.

Well, good evening, history lovers.

Uh thank you all so much for giving us this proclamation.

We are deeply honored.

Um, and as the new curator of Old Diller Museum, it is everybody's responsibility in everybody's history.

So that is what we do, and that is why we do it.

And our exhibition is now located in Terminal 4 in Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

So if you're flying by, please, please, please check us out.

Thank you.

I'll just say I'm sorry.

Uh so I I got a f a couple more to add.

So uh stay tuned.

I mean, I even say stay tuned.

If you're traveling and you're at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport at Terminal 4 between Gates G7 and G8, the Sis Drunk Den and Now exhibition is there.

You know, it is photos of Sistrong's past and contemporary photos taken by David Paolo.

Most of y'all may know him as shot by leather.

And y'all just stay tuned.

All right.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Oh, you want us to stay?

Okay, John.

John.

So I just want to take this moment and point out something.

Uh this was a wonderful opportunity for the city of Fort Lauderdale to recognize the um the uh African American history, um, the black community that exists in Fort Lauderdale and has existed in Fort Lauderdale for many generations.

But in Tallahassee, as we speak, there is a bill pending where governments will no longer be allowed to recognize events such as this, not be allowed to sponsor the parade or participate in the sponsorship in festivals, whether it be whether it be regarding African American, whether it be regarding any ethnic group, LGBT group, and the penalties for doing that is removal from office, where any one of us, even if any one of us even speaks of promoting or uh recognizing any of these events or any of these cultural uh cultural um opportunities, this law will now prevent us from doing that.

So I encourage you to all speak with our uh state legislator, Chip Lamarca, give him a call, and tell him how offended you are by something like that, and how important it is that every group within our city has the support of its city government and the validation that its government gives to your festivals, to your community, to the museums, to anything that recognizes your special history and your special uh uh uh cultural uh contributions to the city of Fort Lauderdale.

If there's anything that we pride ourselves on in this city is our diversity, and this will be taken from us.

This government will no longer be allowed to participate or contribute or even mention the words that we have spoken tonight.

So I bring that to your attention, and it will actually also affect the next presentation that we're going to give.

So keep that in mind.

Chip Lamarca, he's our he's our uh state representative, please give his office a call and tell them that you wish he would vote against that bill when it comes before him.

Okay?

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Our last presentation, uh, it's not on the agenda, it's a walk on presentation, which myself and Commissioner Glassman will be presenting a proclamation recognizing February 2nd, 2026 as Tu Beshevat in the city of Fort Lauderdale.

And is uh Ms.

Black, the Deputy Council, uh uh Council General of Israel, uh, please join us at the podium and help us in this presentation.

Oh, he's got the he forgot his bag.

He forgot the bag.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

It's a pleasure to have you with us again, Council General's Office of Israel.

Thank you.

This is a proclamation from the Office of the Mayor, City of Fort Lauderdale in recognition of Tubishavat.

Whereas Tubishavat, also known as the New Year of the Trees, is a Jewish holiday observed on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shabbat, typically falling in February, and has been celebrated for centuries as a time to honor the natural world and humanity's enduring relationship with it.

And whereas Tubishavat is rooted in ancient Jewish tradition and is first referenced in the Mishnah, where it marked the beginning of the agricultural year for fruit-bearing trees, and established a framework for environmental care and agricultural responsibility.

And whereas the holiday occurs at the onset of spring in the land of Israel, when winter rains subside and almond trees begin to blossom, symbolizing rebirth, hope, and the awakening of the natural world.

And whereas Tubishavat is traditionally observed through a Seder or ritual meal featuring fruits and nuts native to the land of Israel, including barley, dates, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives, and wheat, fostering gratitude for the earth's abundance and reflection on sustainable living.

And whereas Jewish teachings have long emphasized the sacred obligation to protect and preserve trees and the environment, recognizing trees as symbols of life, wisdom, and continuity, and guiding future generations to safeguard natural resources for the common good.

And whereas in modern times, Tubishvat has come to be widely recognized as a festival of environmental awareness, inspiring tree planting and conservation efforts rooted in respect for creation.

And whereas Tubishavat serves as a reminder of our responsibility to care for the earth and the life it sustains.

Now therefore, we, as city commissioners of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, do hereby recognize February 2nd, 2026 as Tubeshavat Day in the City of Fort Lauderdale, and encourage all neighbors to recognize this meaningful observance by reflecting on our shared responsibility to care for this earth, honor the natural world, and celebrate the renewal of life and the hope it represents.

Dated this third day of February, 2026, and signed by our mayor, the Honorable Dean J.

Trentalis.

Mayor, Commissioners, the wonderful people of Fort Lauderdale.

It's such an honor to be here for a second time, which is really a mark of the wonderful cooperation that Israel and Fort Lauderdale share for the betterment of both of our both of our peoples.

It's a moment of faith that the trees will regrow.

And after very difficult times, this holiday is so closely related to the fact that we have finally released our last hostage in Israel that's uh been released for for burial.

And and may it mark that we have the opportunity to continue to grow and and for our relationship to continue to be fruitful and to grow in strength for the betterment of the United States, the wonderful city of Fort Lauderdale and Israel.

Thank you so much.

Wait, why don't we move?

This podium is getting always annoyingly.

Thank you for coming.

And uh I just wanted to point out we've had a long time uh sister city relationship with the city of Haifa in Israel, and I had the opportunity to visit it uh several years ago and to meet the mayor, and uh it's great that we keep our relationships going with our with our friend in Israel.

So thank you for being here tonight.

Um, so that concludes our presentations.

And tonight we will continue with our regular meeting.

And what happens at this time is that the city commission will be asked to vote on our consent agenda items.

So in the in the uh agenda, you'll see a number of consent items.

Um, and I will ask if the commission has an interest in pulling any of the items to vote on them and discuss them separately.

And um I will start with our vice mayor, Vice Mayor, do you have any items you wish to pull?

I do not.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

None.

Commissioner Glassman?

None.

And Commissioner Sorensen.

None.

Okay, now if none since no item has been asked to be pulled by a member of the Commission, I do see that um that uh one person is signed up to speak with regard to one of those items.

So before we get to that, I would ask for a motion to approve all the consent agenda items except CR5, which is the one that's being uh sought to be uh spoken spoken about.

So except for CM5 excuse me, CR5, sorry, CR5.

Do I hear a motion to approve the consent agenda items except CR5?

Moved.

Second.

Be moved and seconded.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And all those consent agenda items are now approved.

You're all welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting.

Or since your items now approved, uh we want to thank you for your uh being here tonight.

Moving on to CR five, that's a resolution supporting the submission of a grant application to the United States Department of Transportation for better utilizing investments to leverage development.

That's a build program for the Las Olas Boulevard Mobility Western Corridor and Andrews Avenue to Southeast 17th Avenue Plan.

Chris Nelson, you've signed up to speak.

Can't hear you.

Can you turn up the volume?

I'm not talking about Chris Nelson's, I'm talking about mine.

Good evening.

All right, good evening, Commissioners.

Chris Nelson.

And I stand here to oppose this request for funding for the Los Oulas Mobility Project.

As you are governing against the will of the people by destroying this beloved median and these very healthy vibrant olive trees.

And if we are going to be celebrating two bed Shabbat, and which would mean the restoration and the preservation of our environment, and I think she did say something about trees, that those trees should remain there.

And that by ripping those trees out, you guys would be, as Jesus said, hypocrites for not doing what you say you're gonna do, and you praise, you say big things, but then you turn around and you do things different.

And since we're celebrating that holiday, let's uh remember what God said to Moses in Exodus 23:8.

And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

So if we're not gonna be hypocrites, let's listen to what the Lord did say to Moses.

So I uh this is a reminder that you guys don't have the money to tear up those trees or plant new trees that none of us want, except for the downtown development authority and Charlie Ladd, of course, they want that.

But the rest of us don't want that.

And you have to go find funding for uh for this project.

Well, I hate to say it, but I hope that actually, no, I love to say it.

I hope that this uh request gets turned down because you're governing against the will of the people.

Um you're doing a construction that is going to not cause things to be good for businesses.

You say all we're doing it for the sake of the businesses, so you can park your Bentleys along the road when you go up to eat at the restaurants down there.

You know, but it's going to not help the businesses at all, in fact.

In fact, all that construction down there and digging up is going to cause detrimental things to the b businesses.

Now I know all the wealthy people sitting on the downtown development authority, they're not waiters and waitresses in those at uh El Camino or at uh or at any of the other places down there at Louis Bassi, but they think that this is gonna be good, it's not gonna be good because that whole median there, that whole area is gonna be shut down, it's gonna be detrimental to businesses.

And I ask you, Commissioners, what do you want to be remembered for?

And I want to remind Mayor Dean of what he said in the Sun Sentinel uh just last year.

Just last year.

We have to make changes in baby steps, Trantales told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

We can't lurch in a changing lot solace, what the people have enjoyed all these years.

The community took a second look and said, wait a minute, we really love these trees.

I started walking up and down the street and realized the idea of spanning the sidewalks was more important in the north side and then the south side because the south side already had wider sidewalks.

I thought it would be a reasonable compromise.

What happened between now and then, Mayor Dean?

Thanks.

Thank you.

So there's no misunderstanding.

The Las Oulas Mobility Project includes the area from Andrews Avenue all the way to 17th Avenue.

The area that's being that was uh discussed by Mr.

Nelson is a small segment of that, and there's still money needed for the median that we want to install between Andrews and US 1 and the median we want to install between Southeast 12th Avenue and Southeast 17th Avenue.

So while you may have a disagreement with uh opinions that have been expressed on this dais with regard to the shops area, keep in mind that this grant is not just for the shops, it's for the entire corridor.

Anyway, so uh that having been said, um would someone like to introduce the resolution of CR5?

Introduced, introduced, please call the roll.

A resolution of City Commissioner of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida delegating authority to the city manager to submit a grant application, the amount of up to $15,400,040 to the United States Department of Transportation for the better utilizing investments to leverage development grant program for the construction phase funding for the Los Alas Mobility Western Quarter, delegating authority to the city manager to execute any and all documents necessary incidental to the grant application providing for an effective date.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Hearst?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and that item is now approved.

Moving on to motions.

M1 motion approving the increase to the annual construction of the general stormwater infrastructure continuing contract with various contractors.

Someone like to move the item.

Moved.

Second.

It's been moved and seconded.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Glassman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbs.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and M1 is now approved.

M2 motion approving agreements for request for qualifications, bridges bridge design, and miscellaneous structural engineering services, continuing services contract with various contractors.

Someone like to move the item.

Moved.

Move and seconded.

Please call the roll.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

I'm sorry, I had a question.

Oh, I'm sorry, go ahead.

Sorry.

In regards to the maintenance for the bridge, the background on the bridge.

Or someone could give me a definition on that, please.

So the three bridges identified in the backup have reached their useful life and no longer makes fiscal sense for us to continue to try to maintain these bridges.

So we are planning to replace them.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Commissioner Sorensen.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and M2 is now approved.

M3, motion approving a first amendment to the microtransit Pilot Services Agreement with Circuit Transit to add service areas and transportation services.

That one's removed from the agenda.

Oh, I'm sorry.

That was removed.

Okay.

Moving on to M4, motion for discussion, an appeal after the fact the certificate of appropriate appropriateness for major alterations for the installation of an artificial turf within the front outdoor seating area of the designated historic landmark located at 101 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard.

I have several people sign up to speak.

Anyone have any questions before we uh open public comment?

Okay.

So we have a few people sign up to speak.

So basically, this is to put uh artificial turf in the outdoor dining area in front of um uh what's I forgot the name of the restaurant now.

Cafe Del Mar.

Cafe Del Mar.

Used to be H2O, right.

Um so I'll call your names in threes.

So did you want to say something?

Okay.

You may be asked questions.

So I'll call the names in threes so people can be prepared to step up to the uh um microphone.

Vincento Padula, Estelle Brennan, followed by William Brown.

Uh is Vincenso Padula here.

You're here to speak for him.

Well, okay.

Um did you did you but okay?

All right, why don't you come on up because you've signed up as well.

Courtney Crush.

Yes, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners.

Courtney Crush, um, on behalf of Cafe Delmar.

Um Cafe Del Mar filed this appeal from the historic preservation board's denial of a certificate of appropriateness to uh install artificial turf adjacent to the historic facade that is a part of the Los Olas Beach Club condominium.

Um I know many of you are familiar with the property and its location uh and certainly with its history.

Um the Lauderdale Beach Hotel was primarily redeveloped.

Um the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation at the time, helmed by then Citizen Glassman, um, ended up uh obtaining an agreement, a settlement agreement with the related group who was developing the property to designate the facade historic, which the city commission ultimately did at the time, and convey to the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation a facade easement over the facade on the east and small portions of the north and south.

The property the area that we're talking about today, and this is a copy of the approved related site plan, is the paved area outside the what the former H2O now Cafe Del Mar restaurant.

It was not part of the historic facade.

What is also approved outside the front of the Las Olas Beach Club is outdoor dining awings and that shade structure that you see.

Noting that it was adjacent to the facade, did not touch the facade, and it is constructed.

Recently, Cafe Del Mar installed turf, you know, which is removable.

It is on top of pavers, and that was presented to the Historic Preservation Board.

I believe that the board in its review improperly applied the criteria in our code and had some facts that are were needed needed enhancement or are not accurate.

First and foremost, it was noted, and you may see in the minutes in the board's discussion, that um several of the board members noted that it looked good, um, but there was no evidence that the there had been grass outside there before.

Doing a brief review on Google, both of an old postcard of the Lauderdale Beach Hotel from I think it's 1942, um, and also some other archives, it appears that in fact what is under those palm trees running there is a grassy area.

So the board commenting it looks great, but it wasn't that way before, uh, would seem to be factually challenging.

Where did you dig up this picture?

Google.

I need to learn to use AI actually.

So, what's the purpose of wanting to put the artificial grass as cut to the chase?

What is the advantage of doing it and why should we approve that?

Well, I may ask Vincenzo to come up, but um, in terms of the aesthetically, it's pleasing, it's softer to walk on.

They're just hard pavers and they're not particularly attractive, nor are they old.

Okay, all right.

Um, also want to note that the in the staff report presented to the um HPB on January 5th, it was noted on the first page, and I know that you have it in your backup, that a preservation easement was granted to the Broward Trust.

The purpose of the easement was to assist in preserving and maintaining the facade structure as stated in the easement.

Quote repairs of a material nature, restoration and alterations are subject to the prior approval of Broward Trust for Historic Preservation.

The trust testified it had not been contacted.

Um the trust would need to be contacted and consent to anything touching the facade.

As I stated previously, this is um a rug, it's artificial turf that is adjacent to the facade.

It is actually lower than the facade structure, and does not seem to visually impact um or interfere with what is occurring between the facade and the street.

Um in the staff recommendations, unlike some of the conclusions in 2020 on the awning structure.

Um, for example, it was noted um that the um all building structures and sites shall be recognized as products in their own alterations which have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance should be discouraged.

Okay, noted that was also noted when the awning structure was put up.

Staff's response was this does not have a historic basis.

Well, the criteria doesn't require that it have their historic basis.

Um the final item I wanted to mention if you read the minutes, and I think one board member commented affirmately, I watched the video, is it was really noted by the public by the staff report that this is an after-the-fact request for the certificate of appropriateness.

Um, and that had a lot of discussion.

Now there is a code enforcement case, which um the tenant has the appropriate discussion regarding whether someone should have gone to the historic trust and asked for permission, should have consulted with the city, should have known that's a code enforcement board special magistrate discussion.

I think what the board was charged with doing was applying the criteria and treating this as a major alteration that had visual that produces visual conflict when it is adjacent to a facade that it appears with some more research may um actually bring the character back to what it was in 1942 was an error and based on facts that may not be accurate.

Therefore, we would request that this city commission consider strongly and approve a de novo hearing so that these criteria and the requests for the certificate can come to the city commission at a future hearing.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Um Estelle Brennan followed by uh Bill Brown.

Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners.

Um it's been a while since I've been up here, so bear with me.

Um I actually um am fairly neutral on the item in particular.

Are you on the historic preservation board?

I'm not.

Oh, okay.

No.

Uh however, I highly recommend everybody watch last night's meeting because it was really disturbing.

Um their denial of a historic designation.

But don't worry, there's a communication coming to y'all about enforcing uh metal detectors on the beach.

You can check that on the minute.

Um so mine is more of a call to action for you all about artificial turf, which we should just start calling it plastic.

Um this is obviously, you know, something with historic history, um, it's private business.

I just want you guys to look at it more as a whole as a city, because um, we had artificial plastic grass um put in a playground in our neighborhood, and it is fire during the day.

It's filthy when the kids are on it.

Um unlike regular dirt, it sticks on them like soot.

It creates um static electricity in certain instances.

And um, from my understanding, if we're looking towards the future, we're uh installing, it's not planting, we're installing a bunch of plastic that when you're done with it, where is it gonna go?

From my understanding, it's not very biodegradable.

And uh this is just a call to action for you all to look at our ordinances and um uh and look at studies done about carcinogens and different things included in these plastics and what we're subjecting the citizens to.

That's all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

May Mayor, before we before we get any further with that, um, I I'd like to, because this has been an ongoing issue, and so I'd like the city attorney to address a little bit about what's going on at the state level with respect to artificial turf, because there has been some state legislation, preemption, all kinds of stuff.

So if you would kind of address that.

Uh thank you, uh Vice Mayor.

Um the state is acting in in many ways to limit um what we call home rule, and this may be yet another where they will preempt efforts by any city to either uh prohibit um or make any other laws relating to, among other things, TERF.

So if that is the answer to your question, um I don't know that tonight is the night that there would be discussion or any decision about a policy about TERF, but that is certainly something that should wait until after the esteemed legislature has spoken.

I have more to say about your process once you finish hearing from other speakers.

So it's a pending it's a pending bill.

There is some discussion about um regulating or preempting regulation.

Regarding the the installing of artificial terms, I yes, uh I'd have to look it up specifically, but I have heard that.

Mayor, I can I can I can answer that question for you, Vice Mayor.

Yeah.

So last year the state of Florida passed a bill directing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to create rules that would um preempt local governments from enforcing or having a different permitting program for the installation of artificial turf on single family residential properties of one acre or less.

So FDEP is in the process of rulemaking.

They've gone through several iterations of providing that rule to the public for public comment, and we expect that they'll release that rule at some point.

Once that rule is released, that would be the manner by which anybody with one of those properties, which is a single family residential property of one acre or less could have a path forward to install turf on that property.

The biggest question is that we have in other cities had is does this apply to the right-of-way so swale areas?

It's unclear.

It looks like the legislature may keep that authority with local governments, but leave the private property that's outside of our stormwater system to the homeowner to install that under the new state rules.

Got it.

Any questions of Chris?

Okay, thank you.

Mr.

Brown.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of the commission, Bill Brown, President of the Central Beach Alliance.

I come before you on behalf of the board of the CBA in support of hearing moving forward in a positive vote tonight to uh have a Novo hearing.

Uh the board uh we discussed that we didn't have time to take it to the membership because of our meeting schedules, but we feel that it's most appropriate.

Uh the aesthetic value is is very nice.

It does not in any way uh alter the historical integrity of that prop project.

When the awning, as uh the attorney mentioned Courtney Crush in 2020, the the CBA felt the same way.

It was not a part of the historical structure, nor does this turf uh affects that in any way.

So with that in mind, we would like to ask for your support of the commission to move forward and give the opportunity to uh to reverse what was done at the IHP or not IHPC Preservation Board.

Yeah, yeah, HV from where I came from originally was Indianapolis Historical Preservation, so I apologize for that.

But uh in due respect uh of your time tonight, I think you'll you'll find that uh we we we're showing that businesses and the community can work together, and we recognize the fact that the hotels and the businesses down the beach is is one of the major economic engines of this community overall, and that's why we try to work together and we see no problem with the turf.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Um City Attorney.

Did they uh I'm hearing that the original designation of the building ended at the where the building ended.

Um and the Historic Preservation Board seems to have expanded its scope of jurisdiction and is now opining on this grassy area or the you know the artificial turf area.

Uh do you know do you have the facts with regard to the boundaries of the historic district, and did it actually go past the front door of the building?

Do we know enough yet?

Um I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, but I do believe it was the facade that was at issue.

It was the facade the facade issue, um not ground cover.

Uh so did it even have jurisdiction to even give a uh a recommendation to the city commission?

Uh part of their analysis was whether it was uh a visual that impacted the facade.

So I think that would be the issue.

That's the claim of jurisdiction.

Mayor, if I could ask Anthony Fajardo and the development services team to come forward and provide any additional clarity.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor.

Uh City Commission Anthony Fajardo, Director of Development Services.

So there are two things that are on this property.

There's the easement that was granted in favor of the Broward Trust for Restore Preservation, and then there's the designation of the property, which we have the resolution of.

The property itself is designated through our process.

The easement has a different boundary.

So I think that's where the confusion often lies in terms of where there was a line that was drawn by one of the elected officials when the designation process occurred that kind of like so where is that line.

That's the whole problem.

So in the resolution says, I didn't know it in the lots of what it's which it says.

Okay.

Unfortunately, I don't have a way of projecting it up on the screen, but I can pass this to you.

You can see that there's a hatched area that kind of goes from A1A west on the property, and the resolution calls out the lots that are involved in that designation, but it's the entire facade of that building and those lots that face A1A.

So from the from the edge of the building on the east side of the building to A1A is part of the historic designation?

That's all part of it.

Okay.

So even the sidewalk, the public side up to the edge of the public sidewalk.

The designation is only on the property of the building.

So the so the area in question where the outer artificial turf has been placed is inclusive of the historic designated area.

Yes.

Okay.

That answers that question.

Thank you.

You are welcome.

Okay.

This is in District 2.

Commissioner Glassman, what is your pleasure?

Oh, by the way, I have signed no one else signed up to speak.

Does anyone wish to speak on this?

Okay.

Go ahead.

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

It is in District 2.

And I full transparency, I will tell you that about 25 years ago I actually filed the designation for historic designation on this hotel.

This is the old Lauderdale Beach Hotel built in 1936 by Roy France.

And this was the largest Art Deco resort and actually was the birth of the resort and tourist industry on the Barrier Island.

As you saw from those photos, there was nothing else around it.

It actually went from A1A all the way to the intercoastal.

It was it was quite a quite a thing in the day.

If you saw the menus and you saw the advertisements, you would be amazed.

But we did achieve something out of that.

We achieved what many people are familiar with in South Beach.

When you see the facade of a historic structure maintained, sometime even more, and then to the west of it, behind it, you'll see something rise.

In this case, it's the Las Olas Beach Club that has risen as a condominium behind this historic structure.

It works well.

We were able to preserve the facade on all three sides, not even just the side that faces A1A.

That being said, I will tell you, um I do consider myself a historical preservationist, but perhaps not as pure as some people consider themselves a historic preservationist.

I think that you sometimes have to give a little to deal with modern times.

I think that this discussion about that, which is really a rug over non-historic pavers, is a bit of a reach.

It's a bit of a reach because of the fact that this turf it's an installation that's temporary.

It's not attached even to the papers.

It's not, you know, it's not screwed down, stapled down, um, it's non-invasive, uh, it's fully reversible, removable.

Um, and the pavers have nothing to do with the history um of the building.

Um there is there's no alteration to the historic structure, there's no alteration to the public right of way, um, and and there is no, there is absolutely no alteration um to the historic resource, meaning the structure um itself.

Uh I I will tell you that if you looked at those photos, you will see that in the original structure from 1936, there was actually a very enclosed area in the front, the easternmost portion of this building, uh, it was all enclosed.

That's no longer the case anymore.

So that's probably why also those shade structures were given a certificate of appropriateness and they were constructed.

It doesn't make sense that you would give a certificate of appropriateness for all of those shade structures with all of that signage, all of those awnings, but then you're going to get bent out of shape over uh 8 by 12 piece of turf.

It it does it just doesn't compute.

It doesn't, it doesn't make any sense.

It's it's not practical, it's not realistic.

Um I really believe that we should set a de novo hearing.

I I wish we had it within our ability to just end it tonight so we didn't have to take more staff time and everybody else, but um I really think that it is um just a little bit of a reach against and it's also I think harmful to the business.

Um if you look at those photos that we saw in the very beginning, you can only see the turf from the street at the very opening, at the center of the length of the property, because all around the property on the border of the sidewalk is uh planters.

So you don't even see, you don't see the turf unless you're just entering into the outside area um and you're getting seated.

Uh it it does make for a cosier area, um, not as cold as it was before.

Um it just seems more comfortable.

Um and I and I believe because there is no impact at all on the historic structure, and that would be to me the main the main case is it is it impacting the historic resource?

And it's absolutely not.

So I I'm all in favor of setting a de novo hearing, and hopefully uh we will be able to reverse uh the ruling of the historic preservation board uh and grant uh that certificate of appropriateness.

I will tell you that in speaking to the owners of the restaurant, um, before they did put this turf down, they actually asked the city if a permit was required, they were told no.

So um, you know, that I think also has to be factored in.

Uh and I would ask, I would make a motion um that we set a noble hearing uh to hear this case from the beginning.

Mayor?

Yes.

May interject there's uh uh a process to get to that point.

Um if you'd like to know now, I can tell you unless you wanted to discuss that those particulars further, but I'd like to have you understand the process to get to this year.

Well, he made a motion to set it for de novo.

I think you're probably gonna ask me why, and I would say there's not competent or substantial evidence to prove the case.

Thank you, Commissioner.

And let me be clear.

So if there was uh a finding that there was either uh uh transgression from law or that there was insufficient evidence to support the decision made by the board, if you made that finding and you all agreed on that, then you could move forward and moving forward would be to have a de novo hearing.

Okay, so the motion has been made based on their uh based on the finding that there was no competent substantial evidence to support the advisory opinion of the historic preservation board.

Do I hear a second?

Second moves and seconded.

Trish, can you come up to the podium for a second?

At the time of the meeting, did you give in it uh were you asked for your opinion as to whether or not this interfered with the contributing asset that has been previously designated as a historic structure, Trisha Logan, Principal Urban Planned?

Um I'm sure there was discussion.

There was the staff report that gave an overview of the Did you give an opinion?

We give an overview of whether or not the request meets the criteria outlined in the code.

And within the summary, it does state that the criteria is not met for all of the criteria, except one where it partially meets it.

So you're saying the the majority of the criteria were not met by the was not met by the applicant.

Okay.

And this is consistent with how the staff reviewed the pergolas as well.

Um just placement of material and items that are inconsistent with the history and architectural style of the building are discouraged as part of our design guidelines.

Okay.

And this is these are placement of materials that are not consistently spread across the frontage of this building as well.

I mean, would it would are you saying that the only material that could be placed on the ground would be something that was only available in the 1940s when the building was first built?

In general, artificial turf is not supported by historic preservation ordinances and guidelines throughout the country.

It's something that's highly discouraged because it is not a traditional material that's found.

If you did place um a natural grass across the frontage to kind of create a more traditional and aesthetic appearance that's consistent along the entire facade and frontage of that facade, then that would be more appropriate than only placing an artificial turf in front of a segment of this building.

Well, I mean, what what's the practicality of that?

I mean, it rains, it gets muddy, you have tables and chairs, people trying to get in and out.

Does that make sense in this day and age?

I don't think there's artificial turf back in the 1930s or 40s when this building was built.

So do we not adjust to changing conditions and technologies in order to accommodate the um the um I don't know, the needs of today?

In general, there are certain things that can be taken into consideration.

Um I would just say that the artificial turf aspect is typically considered something that is not appropriate in historic preservation.

There's other things that can be considered.

There could also be kind of a minimization of the appearance of the artificial turf, which would potentially help.

And um in that so the artificial turf the way that it's placed right now is spread across the entire area, including where the entranceways are.

There are areas where there is seating placed on either side of the entrance, and by removing a portion of the artificial turf, it could lead to a better um appearance from the street.

Particularly at the entranceways.

So I mean it's on the floor.

Where else could it go?

Uh well, there it's currently under both seating areas and both entranceways.

Right.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Actually, could I follow up on that?

Because Mayor, you raised an interesting question.

Something I've wondered about before.

Um with respect to materials.

So we've got a more modern material, right?

So artificial turf is a substitute for natural turf.

And I'm sort of thinking about that in terms of like aluminum windows, or do we require people to only use wood windows because that's what would have been used in the 1940s?

So do we require people to use wood mullion windows, or are they allowed to use aluminum windows that look like wood?

Can we have artificial turf that looks like turf?

The preference is to if you're replacing any windows to utilize the original material that the windows are made out of.

But there are exceptions.

In general, we do allow impact rated windows here as part of the environment that we're in.

Right, because I couldn't get like a wood window that's hurricane rated, right?

Um there's wood clad windows that are impact rated.

Right.

Yes.

And they come with that like same double pane gas and you know sort of thing.

And you can also retrofit your existing windows with impact rated glass.

Okay.

So that's generally then what we ask people to do is use historically accurate materials and things like that.

What we're looking for is to maintain the appearance of the historic building.

And that is part of the analysis as well.

So a lot of times the aluminum windows, the impact-rated ones can still mimic the appearance of the original windows, even though the material is not uh the same as it was.

There's different levels of analysis that go into um analyzing a historic preservation request.

And oftentimes we're using one that is related to the rehabilitation of the structure, not necessarily strict preservation.

So there's different things that could be taken into consideration.

But a lot of times we're working with the applicant to find a solution that's most appropriate for that particular building.

So you use an interesting word there that I want to kind of focus on.

You said mimic, right?

So mimic kind of like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So how do we determine what's an acceptable mimic?

We have criteria and design guidelines that we follow to analyze any requests.

Okay.

So there's like some promulgated standard that somebody somewhere has developed of what constitutes an acceptable mimicking.

There's an analysis that staff does and provides to the board in this case.

Um a lot of times we're trying to work with an applicant to find what uh appropriate solution could be.

Sometimes staff can approve that at staff level, and sometimes that requires the historic preservation board.

And even if it's not a hundred percent um you know what we would want, it's still going in a good direction and preserving the structure, preserving that site.

I I guess my only problem with this, and the reason I'm I'm sort of you know kind of focusing on it is I I I really like objectivity.

Subjectivity is always a challenge for me.

It it strikes me as being very arbitrary and capricious when we leave it up to individual judgment as to well, I like this and I don't like that.

I I like I like objective standards that everybody can look at this and say, okay, that meets this, this meets that, and if it doesn't, it's the it's the auditor in me.

You know, we all look at something and we could all come away that one plus one equals two, and I know that, and you know it's objectively evaluated, and this doesn't seem to have that sort of level of objectivity where we could all look at it and come away with the same conclusion.

So I'm just trying to kind of narrow down on that.

So thank you.

I appreciate it.

Excuse me.

Any further questions of Trish or Anthony?

Okay, very good.

Thank you so much.

Um any further questions or comments from the commission?

There being none.

Please call the roll.

This is for uh if you vote for, you're voting to um vote for a de novo hearing.

If you vote against, you're voting against the de novo hearing.

Do we have to set a date?

So the uh we passed out for a resolution that actually has the date in it on March 3rd.

This is the resolution you'll be passing if you're supporting this.

Yeah, so it has the date in it within 60 days, it's set for March March 3rd at 6 p.m.

So we're doing 30 days, roughly.

Okay.

Is there a reason that we chose 30 days?

Well, still an after the fact that is already in 60 and it's within that.

Okay, I was just wondering why not sooner, but that's uh I'm okay.

Okay.

So this is a resolution, not a motion, correct?

That's correct.

The code is a little quirky.

Yeah.

It calls for you to pass a resolution once you have made that determination to set the de novo hearing.

So really this item is a resolution.

So you are moving a resolution.

Right.

So the so Commissioner Glassman made a motion, but he really wants to introduce a resolution.

That would be correct, Mayor.

Okay.

Introduced.

So the resolution has been introduced.

Okay, please call the roll.

A resolution of the City Commission of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, setting a de novo hearing on March 3rd, 2026, for the City Commission to consider an appeal of the denial of an after-the-fact certificate of appropriateness for major alterations for the installation of artificial turf within the front outdoor seating area of a designated historic landmark located at 101 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, case number UDP-HP 25021, and provide for an effective date.

Commissioner Glassman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And that resolution is approved.

And there will be a de novo hearing on March 3rd, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Moving on to R1.

It's an appointment of board and committee members.

Mr.

Clerk, could you please read the names into the record?

Thank you, Mayor.

For the uh February 17th resolution, Central City Redevelopment Advisory Board, Chantel Girom, nominated by Vice Mayor Herbst.

Uh Citizens Committee of Recognition, Gina Ellis, nominated by Commissioner Sorensen.

Bobby DeBose, nominated by Commissioner Sorensen, New Since Abatement Board, Cornell uh Nichols, and that will be a uh nominated by Mayor Trentals for a full position.

And for tonight's resolution, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Aaron LeKayer, nominated by Mayor Trentalis, Cemetery System Board of Trustees, Tracy Bartholomew, nominated by Mayor Trentals, Alfonso Canales, nominated by Vice Mayor Hearst, Education Advisory Board, Pamela Vance, nominated by Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Infrastructure Task Force Advisory Committee, Lisa Sharkey, nominated by Mayor Trentales.

Marine Advisory Board, Tyler Burnell, nominated by Vice Mayor Herbs, New Cincinnati Bateman Board, Lauren Debault, nominated by Mayor Trentales, Sustainability Advisory Board, Fabiana Ahumada, nominated by Mayor Trentals, and David Blatner nominated by Vice Mayor Herbst, and that rounds it out.

Okay.

Any uh modifications or additions to those that were read into the record?

There being none.

Someone would like to introduce the resolution.

Introduced.

Resolution has been introduced.

Please call the roll.

A resolution city commission of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, appointing or nominating if applicable boarding committee members as set forth in the exhibit attached here too and made a part hereof.

Commissioner Glassman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and those uh folks are now approved, and we want to thank them for their commitment and their volunteerism in support of the betterment of our city.

Thank you so much.

R2 resolution delegating to the city manager the authority to execute a project agreement with the Florida Inland Navigation District for a grant up to 1,032,636 for the replacement and construction of the Riverwalk North Seawall.

No one has signed up to speak.

Would someone like to introduce the resolution?

Yeah.

Introduce Mayor, and I would like to comment.

Please go ahead.

Thank you.

So uh City Manager would like to thank the team for their work on this.

Like to thank Find and uh Genio with Riverwalk for all the collaborative work.

Uh City Mayor, I'd like this to be a living seawall.

So as we look at procurement analysis, um I I'd like to prioritize that for this solution.

So that is incorporated as a project element.

So there will be living seawall components as part of this project, yes.

Fantastic.

Thank you very much.

And just as a reminder, the um ordinance allowing full rebate for permit fees for a living seawall.

Um we continue to progress forward with that.

Is that your understanding?

Yes, that is something that we are working to come back to the Commission with.

We had a conference meeting and there was support for that.

So staff is working on bringing that back.

Great.

Do we have a sense of timing when that would come back to us?

April.

Yes.

Fantastic.

And we would be the first city, I think, in the state that has a full rebate for permit fees for living seawalls.

Right, hopefully not.

And taking the lead on that, but I think we are ahead of the game.

Great.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mayor.

Okay.

No one has signed up to speak.

And the resolution has been introduced.

Please call the roll.

A resolution of the city commissioner of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, authorizing the city manager to execute a project agreement with Florida Inland Navigation District Waterway Assistance Program for grant funding up to 1 million 3,636 or 50 percent of eligible project costs, whichever is less to design and permit boat ramp renovations at the Lauderdale Landing.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman?

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes, and that our resolution is now approved.

Is Peter Partington here?

Peter?

Yeah.

Um you're the only person who signed up to speak on an item after R 3.

So I'm going to take up that item now so you don't it's we have a lot of people sign up to speak on R 3.

So I'd like to take your item up first and then we'll go back to R 3.

So I'd like to jump to OFR 1.

This is an ordinance of first reading, amending uh Division 8, Article 7, Chapter 2 to establish an infrastructure advisory board.

Mr.

Partington, would you like to come up to speak?

Just push the button at the bottom of the speaker.

There you go.

Mayor Commissioners Peter Pottington, uh currently chair until February the 18th of the infrastructure sauce force.

I'm really only here for any questions.

And I'm here just to uh if you have any questions.

I think the commission requested this, and so this is yeah.

It indeed.

All right.

So Mayor?

Yes.

Uh the advisory board did provide some feedback to staff.

They met just yesterday, I believe, and O'Neill Rodriguez, our assistant director of public works, can share some of the feedback they provided.

We drafted this legislation based on the recent discussion by the commission, but the board had some uh additional edits and we are in support of those edits if the commission would also agree.

We could update that between first and second reading for your consideration.

I'd like to call O'Neil to share what those edits are.

Are those the underlined portions of the ordinance?

Are those the So there are underlying portions, but there are also some additional uh narrative or verbiage that's being added based on the recommendation of the board?

And it just adds bridges and clarifies that it's existing and proposed city infrastructure as well as maintenance and improvement programs associated with stormwater infrastructure, water and wastewater sewer distribution, collection and treatment systems, seawalls, roads, and sidewalks.

So the major addition is uh bridges, and to clarify that there would be a look at existing as well as proposed infrastructure.

Got it.

Any questions with regard to that?

Okay.

Would someone like to uh introduce the ordinance?

Introduced.

The ordinance is introduced.

Please call the roll.

Oh, Mayor, I'm sorry, you know I missed my timing sometime.

But uh I have a question about um the term that's being suggested.

One year.

One year.

Um is that truly um impactful?

Being that um this is a board that will be um looking at some important conversations that we we um in a sense assign to them.

Um if someone could remind me, what is the max term for this these four members?

Um what do we usually it's usually three years?

It varies.

It varies.

But I she uh Commissioner Beasley Pittman has a good point.

I noticed that myself.

I mean, for a person that served their one year, you know, they're just getting their feet wet within the first few months.

And and if they're involved in a long-term project, it would be good to have them stay on as opposed to um they're thinking that it's just gonna be a one-year stint.

You want to expand it to two years?

Um longer.

Longer if I if I could someone could identify how long is how long is the term?

Sorry.

So the it the max would be six terms.

Okay.

So it could be six consecutive terms, six years in a row, just have to be reappointed each year, or you could do two.

Three terms of two years.

Yeah.

What do we do recently for the Central City?

Didn't we change that to three two-year terms to give people some continuity?

Did we do that for six a total of six?

What do you recommend?

I like the three for two.

So there's a um the Commissioner Beasley Pittman would like to amend the ordin uh ordinance recommendation to two three-year terms.

Uh we okay with that.

Okay.

We would like to amend the ordinance.

So the ordin who introduced the ordinance to the I did you did.

Would you agree to an amendment amending your uh ordinance as two three-year terms or three two-year terms?

Which one?

Commissioner You like three, two?

I I agree.

Uh I yes, I am happy to.

No, she wants three two-year no.

Three.

Two year.

Two years.

Oh, two year terms.

Thank you.

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman and I are on the same page, Mayor.

We understand each other.

It's uh yes, it's three two-year terms.

Uh uh amended.

So I just want to make sure that the amendment also includes what was shared earlier in terms of the um board reviewing existing and proposed city infrastructure maintenance and improvement programs, including stormwater infrastructure, water, and wastewater sewer distribution, collection and treatment systems, seawalls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks.

You are going to exhaust them.

Yes, that's very exciting topics.

Yes.

I'm fine with that.

Okay.

Thank you.

So the ordinance has been introduced as amended.

Um please call the role.

So just I'm sorry, I just want to clarify we want to pass the ordinances as is with the understanding these will be changed between readings to preserve.

So it's going to be just introduced and then these will be incorporated in the second reading.

So no need to amend.

Just introduce the resolution and you'll amend it in the second reading.

That sounds fine.

Very good.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

And ordinance of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida amending Division 8 of Article 7 of Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinance of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to establish an infrastructure advisory board providing for membership qualifications, length of term, and the purpose and duties of the board providing for correction of scriveners' errors and providing for several repeal of conflicting order's provisions and an effective date.

Commissioner Glossman?

Yes.

Commissioner Beasley Pittman.

Yes.

Commissioner Sorensen?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Herbst?

Yes.

Mayor Trentals.

Yes.

And so OFR 1 is approved on first reading.

So jumping back to R 3.

So resolution approving the conceptual design for downtown retail shops without the median and colley hammock segments and directing the city manager to advance the Las Olas Mobility Western Corridor design concept from Andrews Avenue to seven Southeast 17th Avenue to 60 percent design plans.

We have a number of people who signed up to speak.

It's been separated between citizens and consultants.

So I have your consultant card, so I don't think we need a presentation.

This is just you just signed up in case in case we need to speak with them to clarify any of the details that we don't understand.

Okay.

So let me begin then.

Mayor I'm sorry, I'm sorry to interrupt.

But I was interested, we asked for some changes from the last time.

So are we able to hear about that or how that was incorporated?

I think the Commission did request some changes from the presentation we had last time.

Correct me, would you like to would you like to can we just hear that and not a full-fledged presentation, but at least address what we requested as a commission?

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Good evening, Milo Schmidtari is director for cities transportation and mobility department.

So uh last time we were we were here on January 20th, um uh provided uh update on Los Holders mobility.

Uh there was a long discussion and uh major comments that we were to go back and address were were related to a tree canopy and tree coverage.

Um there were areas of uh particularly shop segment where sidewalk um could have had more trees.

So we went back um did address that and uh just to give you a highlight.

So for the downtown uh we increased approximately uh four times uh tree canopy uh coverage previously that coverage was about three times for the retail shops uh we increased from about two times to about four times, and for Coley Hammock, we increased uh from nine times tree canopy coverage to about uh twelve times.

Thank you.

You have any further questions?

Okay.

All right.

So um so the uh the resolution that we are about to consider tonight uh comes from a discussion that we had at a previous meeting in which the uh the commission was uh asked to respond to various uh proposals that were put forth in connection with the redesign of Los Olas Boulevard, starting from Andrews Avenue and going to uh Southeast 17th Avenue.

It was done in segments.

Um and uh and tonight we're going to make a decision with regard to those segments, and those segments uh are as follows.

There are four that will be um included in the resolution.

One is called the downtown, which um goes from Andrews Avenue to I believe the tunnel, and then the retail shops is another segment.

Coley hammock segments uh begin, I believe, at 12th Avenue.

And uh uh and though okay, those are three three of these segments, not four.

So there's the downtown, the retail shops, and the colley hammock segments.

So those will be discussed tonight.

Um and so when we talk about the Las Solas uh mobility plan, please keep in mind that there are three different segments and different designs for each area.

So I'm gonna call your names uh three at a time so you can be prepared to come up uh after the previous speaker has concluded, and I'll each give you two minutes to speak.

Mayor Mayor, sorry.

Before we do that, can I just have Milo add a couple uh questions?

So I think I'll help frame things.

Thanks, Milo.

Um just as we uh hear and talk about options, um.

If the median is kept, um well let's start this way.

Um if the sidewalk is widened, if the sidewalk is if the sidewalk in Las Olas is widened in the shops that center shops area, um, what impact does that have on the existing trees in the median?

So the only way for us to widen the sidewalk along shop segment is for us to also uh take space away from somewhere else.

Um so the the vision plan that was adopted a couple of years ago and the direction that we received from the City Commission on January 20th was to uh basically keep one travel lane in each direction plus the parking lane for the shop segment.

Um also was to remove the median.

So by removing the median, uh we are able to to gain that additional space in order to expand the sidewalk or widen the sidewalk.

If we were to keep the median and to keep the one travel lane per direction and parking, um our ability to expand the sidewalk would be very limited to a point of interest or feet of uh very limited in other words.

Right.

So if we expand the sidewalk, and let's say keep the median or let's say keep the median, expand the sidewalk and keep the median.

What impact does that expansion of the sidewalk have on the trees existing in the median right now?

Okay, so anything that we would do at this point of time in terms of reconstruction along uh the shop segment of the Las Solas corridor would affect the stability of the trees.

Uh just because of the critical root zone of the trees, which is the area around the tree that provides stability to the tree and also provides unnecessary nutrients to the tree.

Um just uh so wide uh and extends from the median all the way to outside outside travel lanes uh pretty much.

So um it would ultimately be impossible for us to do any construction activity without affecting that critical root zone.

Without negative ultimately that is correct.

So even if we are to proceed with the project um and even if we were to retain the median, we would not be able to retain the trees most likely because of what I have explained.

Okay.

So that's a good that's a good question.

So even if we kept the medians, even if we kept the trees in the medium, we could not expand the sidewalks because it would compromise the root system of those trees.

Is that what you are telling us about?

We would not be able to keep the trees, the existing trees.

Right, because the it would it would compromise the root system of these trees.

That is correct.

Correct.

Okay.

And uh uh that's why I asked that mayor to understand the the um kind of understand the trees health.

And then please.

Milo, um if we expanded the sidewalk and kept the median, expanded the sidewalk and kept the median, what you're saying is the trees would be compromised, the existing trees would be significantly compromised, they couldn't sustain there.

Right, that is correct.

My understanding is we're limited due to city code as to what type of trees can re be replaced in the median.

In other words, if uh understanding city code right, it it has to be a small, relatively small caliper tree because of the limited space in the median and sight lines and so forth.

Can you screw?

And uh also uh when it comes to placement of the trees and the size of the trees also and tree canopy, what we're trying to do is maximize the shade where people are, put the shade where people are, which is along the sidewalk.

So if we were to place larger canopy trees along the sidewalk, we would have to select the smaller uh trees to place along the median along the sidewood points that you have said line of sight.

And not only we won't have a choice, right?

I mean, you have to have the smaller trees in the median.

Is that right?

I think there's a limitation.

From the standpoint of space, available space as well.

And it's my understanding and spending a lot of time with Arboreth recently uh that the trees that we could replace in the median that we could put in the median are not large canopy trees.

Is that correct?

What we are what we would propose under the median option would be a smaller canopy trees in the median, yes.

Yeah, okay.

Okay.

Uh thank you.

That helps kind of understand the options.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mayor.

Okay.

Okay.

Um, we'll start out with Danella Williams.

It's followed by Ted and Sarah, followed by Sally All's House.

Try to limit your comments to two minutes because we have a lot of people here.

All right.

Hello.

Good evening, uh, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners.

I'm Danella Williams, and uh I wrote my thoughts down because I don't want to miss anything because I'm on my Air of Smith error.

Um I want to start by saying that I know your jobs are difficult, and it's not easy to be up there day in and day out making difficult decisions for the city.

So I do thank you for the work that you do.

Um a part of that work is innovation.

You've shown that innovative solutions can improve accessibility while preserving the character of our city.

And the circuit is a great example of that.

Just recently I was at DC Alexander Park over at the beach and with my daughters and my brother who has epilepsy, uh, needed to head home early to catch a football game.

Instead of having to leave to take him, we held a circuit, which dropped him near his home in Victoria Park in time for kickoff.

And our girls got to keep and join the park, so they send their thanks.

Now to the issue before us tonight.

This commission has decided to entertain a plan that would eliminate the olive trees in a Los Oulas median, destroy the median, and extend the sidewalks.

To be clear, this stretch of road is the defining feature of Fort Lauderdale.

So much so that a review of the city's master.

A review of the city's master plan shows that the drafters envisioned more tree line medians downtown, not fewer.

I think we should be keeping the median, extending the sidewalks, and eliminating or reducing parking as is necessary.

Now, I understand there are a few concerns with this approach, and I've listened to those concerns, thanks to the brave souls who expressed them.

And as a problem solver that I am, I've I seek to bridge the gap between those who oppose keeping the median and those who support it.

The two main concerns I've heard are these.

First, that the olive trees are dying anyway, so we need to get rid of them.

Your time is up.

That was two minutes.

Well, okay.

I'll give you another, I'll give you another excuse me, please.

I'll give you another 30 seconds.

Okay.

Because you had a long introduction.

Okay.

Hey, I was crazy.

Let me take my praises back.

Can I get that 30 seconds back and reclaim that?

No.

Um, give it a minute.

Go ahead.

The existing olive trees are already dying, and so I agree that they should be replaced if they are dying, and there's nothing we can do about that.

Um, but in replacement of those trees, we should be replacing them with uh like or similar trees, make a mixed species approach that can utilize native Florida trees, tropical hardwood hammocks, and that such.

Um and sources like Plant Ant, Plant Finder, Fan.org show that these trees cost about uh $1,500 per tree.

Second concern is that businesses need more parking, particularly for customers who are less mobile, who want to quickly pop in and out, which makes extra parking necessary.

But if the goal is to support businesses, provide real access for those, then what we should be doing is creating innovative approaches to this.

We could put uh pick up or delivery zones in the city lots right behind Las Solas so that the businesses could take their their wares, whether it be Hollywood donuts or whatever, and take it to those vehicles in those lots.

And those are some of the kind of solutions that we should be thinking about to address the fact that your constituents don't want the media to go.

And we want to keep it.

So if we want to keep it, everybody really wants the sidewalks to get bigger.

So let's look look at eliminating the parking and then getting something super innovative and dare I say iconic to replace it.

Okay.

Is he here?

Thank you.

Okay, Ted and Sarah, followed by Sally Alzhaus, followed by uh Nick Ciani.

Hello, my name is Ted and Sarah.

Front thing uh thank you, uh commissioners, thank you, Mayor, and thank you to our well-respected, esteemed, very intelligent city manager Raquel Williams.

Um what I would like to say, I'm in favor of two-thirds of the uh of this plan.

Downtown, Cooley Hammock, no problem.

What my problem is with the uh the shops.

I think we uh Milos, if I need speed bumps, I'm gonna call you, but if I need tree advice, I'm not gonna call the transportation and mobility guy, so I'm sorry.

The um but I still think we have not explored options about how to revitalize these trees.

It can be done in with with new boxes, with without it it can be done.

You never hear anything about this.

I have not heard a real arborist outside of hired by the city opinion on what can be done.

Um I ate, I actually had a date, and I had dinner at Noodles Panini uh a couple weeks ago.

City outside, yeah.

Sitting outside on the on the patio part.

The worst part was somebody was stopped waiting for somebody trying to pull out parallel parking, backed up the traffic, person finally got out.

This person, back wheel on the curb, back down, going back and forth, cars honking behind them, ruin the whole ambience of the dinner out there, all because nobody knows how to parallel.

No second date.

No second days.

She said, you know.

But but it's it's very city simple.

Let me tell you those this those trees down the media strip are part of Fort Lauderdale's DNA.

That is what made us what we are.

You if you look, you look at the classic iconic pictures of Fort Lauderdale, and it's the beautiful A1A Beach, and it's those trees on Los Solas decorated, it's magical, and it's beautiful.

We need to keep those because that is just part of our uh of our city.

Okay, eliminate on-street parking, widen the sidewalk, everybody's happy, the median strip stays, and uh, and like I said, those trees are far from the never have anything else to complain about.

Nothing to complain about.

You all those trees are dying is the old developer trick from way back.

That's when when in doubt, say they're disease, and then they can get them out without any trouble whatsoever.

All right, thank you.

Sally, followed by Nick, followed by Juliana Yonan.

Yes, good evening, good evening, commissioners.

Um, I'd just like to start out by saying, as stated in the Miami Herald last week, and to quote Mayor Tran Talis at his last state of the city address, homelessness remains one of our greatest challenges facing our community.

So here we sit debating trees, the fate of trees, while an ongoing and decades-long issue has not been offered a meaningful and permanent helping hand.

But I'm not here to discuss or debate homelessness today.

As a lifetime member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, an organization that is proud to support historic preservation, I feel that this resolution will permanently change the character of Los Solas Boulevard by removing trees that have stood for generations.

These are mature trees that have withstood countless hurricanes and other weather events.

These trees were planted in the 1920s to honor World War One veterans.

Removing the trees will demonstrate a sign of disrespect for those who came before us to protect our way of life.

In addition, in addition, in addition, after reviewing the conceptual design, the tree plantings will take five to eight years to mature to the canopy depicted in the plans.

I have lived in Fort Lauderdale over 50 years, and my husband is a Florida native.

We enjoy and wish to enjoy, continue enjoying, excuse me, the historic and elegant trees currently on Las Olas Boulevard.

What would our cities look like if we prioritized compassion over capitalism and addressing homelessness?

How could reimagining our approach transform not just lives but communities as a whole?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

All right, thank you.

I I I just need some clarity on that before we go any further.

It's my understanding the black olive trees were planted in around 1970.

Can somebody please confirm that for me?

These are not a hundred-year-old trees.

In honor of, okay.

They they weren't right.

They they weren't planted in in honor of okay.

They were planted in the 70s.

All right, I just want to make sure.

They're not that old.

Okay.

Good evening, commissioners.

Um I wanted to just maybe raise a concern about uh I'm sure there's a lot of people who talk about the plans themselves.

I do oppose it, um, but I wanted to raise a concern about how you all execute these projects that you pass, and we have to look no further than the uh Kinney Plaza uh on top of the tunnel there, um which it cost us 13 million dollars.

You essentially lit that on fire.

Um I drove by it tonight, it's full of scaffolding, and it is an objective failure.

I know the gentleman on the end likes objectivity.

That is a complete and total failure of a project, and you guys keep passing these projects that we all don't want, and you are wasting our money, and we have serious concerns about how you implement them.

So, what assurances can you give all these people that you're gonna take seven and a half million dollars now?

It's probably gonna end up being more than that, and you're actually gonna execute properly, and it's gonna actually add benefit to our lives because the project that we see right next to the uh location that you want to rip out all these trees is um it's an embarrassment, and I would be ashamed if I were any of you.

Thank you.

Juliana followed by uh Evelyn uh Chuck Chioko, followed by uh Doug Herbst.

Hi, my name is Juliana Yonan, and I just feel that those trees are iconic, and there is a way to leave them.

That median strip is only three feet wide or whatever.

There is a way to I I absolutely don't believe for a second that you can't widen the sidewalk a little bit, and by the way, we gave away a lot of the sidewalk to the shop owners.

We need to any developer that's gonna do this needs to take into consideration that those trees are amazing and beautiful and already giving us shade.

If you can't figure out how to incorporate those trees and still do what you're doing, then I think you're using the wrong developer.

And I think that if I think that it's incumbent upon you guys to do what what the constituents want and get somebody that will incorporate both.

You can have the growth and you can keep the trees.

You should be able to do that.

Talented people can do that, and that's what I think we should be doing here.

And I don't believe the the trees have a lot more life in them.

There they can live well past a hundred years, a hundred and twenty years.

Yes, some some, but these are different ones.

But but anyway, thank you very much for your time, and I think that that's what I wish you guys would consider.

Thank you.

Evelyn, followed by Evelyn, come on up, followed by Doug Herbs, followed by um uh Peyton DeLong.

Good evening, Evelyn.

Good evening, good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, and interested residents of Fort Lauderdale.

My name is Evelyn, and I am not a tourist.

I am a resident, and I walk along Los Alas Boulevard frequently.

I stop for a drink, a cup of coffee, I have lunch there, I have dinner there, and it is a lovely, lovely boulevard.

I am opposed to the removal of the trees because I have one question.

How does the removal of these majestic green trees enrich the environment?

How does it enrich our Los Alas Boulevard?

The medial streets, the bit excuse me, the medial strips provide greenery, and they soften the city's cityscape.

They are a pleasure to look at.

So that it and there have been many suggestions tonight as to what can be done to preserve the trees and still keep the project moving.

And that is what I request that commissioners and citizens support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Doug Herbst.

And Mayor, I'm gonna I'm gonna go back to this.

So I just want to clarify for everybody.

The la the black olive trees were not planted as memorials to veterans.

If you're talking about the ones that were planted as a memorial, that is the ones on the eastern end of the corridor.

Those are those giant palms that we have that are put down there.

Residential area.

Right.

The ones in the residential area.

So we we we gotta be clear about this.

The ones that were planted for the veterans are not the black olives.

However, I will say the black olives did win an award in 1971 for national beautification.

So if you want to point to something, point to that.

But they were not planted to honor veterans.

Just so we're clear.

Okay.

Hey, can I well before you begin, Doug?

Um, is there a slide that we can put on here to show what it is that uh is being recommended for uh for the replacement of the the median is I think it's a slide, right?

Yes, we have that available, Mayor.

Can we put that up on the screen?

It's gonna take a few moments, Mayor to get it.

Okay, we'll take a few moments.

Because the uh Evelyn who just spoke, uh, you know, she said that we're taking away the trees and it takes away from the experience, and you know, I think there's uh misunderstanding as to what the whole project is about I'm waiting for the slide to come up on the do you have the artist rendering?

This this doesn't tell me anything.

We do.

Okay.

Okay, Mr.

Herbst.

Um, please, Mr.

Herbst has the floor.

Okay, so so to make a point, uh in a rendering.

Yeah, let's make this as beautiful as we can make a look with trees on both sides.

It's not that's not is what's going to happen.

Right now, the olive trees in the center of the street, when you look at buildings on either side, you see the buildings.

When you have all these shade trees, all these trees are just gonna be the the canopy is gonna be against all the buildings.

It totally changes the look of it.

This is absolutely iconic.

The the look of it.

This this looks more like a planned shopping plaza.

This looks more like like uh uh uh uh uh uh uh whatever village.

I don't see the problems that people see.

I I see I see um by by whoever just said we're gonna put we're gonna put we're gonna put five times more trees for shade.

I live on the street.

I've lived here 22 years.

I opened a business on the street, I walk down the street all the time.

I've never walked down saying I'm sweating, I'm hot, I don't get shade, depending on which way the winds, which which way the sun is, what side of the street I walk on.

Shade is not a is is is uh not an issue.

Parking to me is not an issue.

People like to pop in and pop out of places.

People like to drive down the street, see who's doing what.

Hey, let me go into there.

I could pull over here and park.

Walking, I was on the street last night.

Uh it was a little bit cold.

Uh outside Cafe Europa.

There were on on both sides of the street.

There were two people on one side of the street, two people on the other on on a long block.

You know, if if we build a city for when it's busy for four hours on a Friday, Saturday night in February, March, and April, it's supposed to be crowded, the sidewalks.

You know, I'm a fast walker.

I just I just I I walk a little slower when I get to the points where the sidewalk gets a little wider, I walk around slow people.

Okay.

But if if if there's a uh uh a car that takes five minutes to parallel park, who cares?

Like that like these are all city things that make the city dynamic.

It's stuff to look at, you know.

It's it's it's please conclude your remarks.

Uh it's crazy.

It's absolutely crazy to take something so iconic and and decimate it.

Thank you.

Peyton follow Fate Peyton DeLong, followed by Brucey Cummings, followed by uh Thomas Morse.

Uh Commissioners, I have a few hand out just for reference for part of the speech.

Hand it to our clerk, please.

Two minutes.

Please proceed.

You're using up your time.

All right.

My name is Peyton DeLong.

I'm a member of the Downtown Civic Association.

Thank you very much for holding the meeting night, guys.

Our leadership's had a conflicting view on city planning.

Commissioner Glassman has a vision of the iconic boulevard.

Commissioner Sorensen would retain the on-street parking.

Vice Mayor Herbst and Commissioner Beasley Pittman pondered media and removal.

Los Olas Boulevard, do not mistake this is historic.

It's not yet iconic.

We as a city are focusing on the wrong aspects of the redesign.

If you look at the most recognizable, the most grand boulevards in the world, Champs Lyze in Paris, world class cuisine, Arc de Triumph, zero parking.

La Rambla in Barcelona, world class experience.

Hollywood boardwalk, a jab in our backyard.

Neither of those has any parking, no cars.

Keeping minimal parking on Los shouldn't be the goal.

Study after study from Portland to New York shows pedestrian comfort and pedestrian safety drive higher store revenue, tax revenue, and time spent in the area, which is exactly what both tourists and locals want.

I think we all agree on that.

Studies across the European Canada also show that business owners estimate three times more parking than they assume that they need.

That drives up need for perceived need for parking.

Commissioner Sorensen, we talked a little bit about this last night.

Over the last four or five days, I did a little bit of my own research, observation, um empirical from multiple spots on Los Olas.

I don't have any issue with the downtown and the Kohley hammock at all.

For me, it's the shops.

So the specific one that Commissioner Sorensen mentioned in our meeting was Hollywood Donuts.

Right there, great spot.

Bobby owns it, delicious.

Loved it.

I sat down this morning from about 8 to 9 a.m.

and watched what um you know what was coming in and out.

Three cars, one of which was Bobby's, parked right there.

39 pedestrians came in, spent about 15, 20, 30 minutes there, spending money, spending time.

Uh that was also reflected at Kilwins on Friday afternoon on Floridian Friday afternoon, and Starbucks, uh just after I left um Hollywood Donuts.

So if we're looking at over 90% of the pedestrian traffic, you gotta change your diet, donuts and ice creams.

Yeah, look, look, you know, we all we all can use lose a little bit of weight.

Um basically what I'm just saying is like look, we don't need to remove the median.

Replacing the trees, I totally get.

I'm fine with that.

Keep the median, the median will make it iconic.

The redesign with the median would make it iconic, but the truly defining feature of driving money and making a vision, get rid of the on-street parking, maybe some cutouts, some things for drop-offs pickups.

No one wants it, and it's not used.

Okay, thank you.

All right, maybe I can hang on, I gotta hold hold on.

Hold on, we've got to bring it back.

It does have parking.

It does have a lot of things.

Well, no, it's got two driving lanes.

So you're walking down the Rambla, right?

So you've got the main thoroughfare, you've got trees where the pedestrians walk.

1.1 miles of or sorry, kilometers of La Rambla is pedestrian only.

Right, it's pedestrian only with trees.

Right.

And but it's not pedestrian only, because you've got two lanes of traffic on each side.

There's literally just pedestrian only.

No, no, it's it's absolutely not.

I I call it.

I called an Uber and stood there and got into an Uber.

I know very well that I got picked up along the Rambler.

Okay.

Well, then there's still no parking, there's just transit.

Either way, my point is.

So the question is how do we get how do we get from where we are?

Are you suggesting that we take Los Oulas and make it completely pedestrian?

No, no, I mean, hey, if I if I could, yeah, absolutely.

But I realize that's not feasible.

So for now, I just want to understand because you're bringing a pedestrian thoroughfare.

I mean, a a lot of folks have talked about things like Lincoln Road and Remla and you know Espanyola way down in down south.

I mean, so if we're gonna talk about these things, I want to know how we integrate that into what we're looking at.

Oh, yeah, so minimal parking.

Um, I mean honestly, once or twice a month we have the art fair that completely completely blocks Las Olas.

I'm sorry, I'm trying to listen to him.

We we this is not audience participation hour, folks.

So, you know, at least once or twice a month, we totally block off the shops for the art fair for other things.

Right.

So clearly transit is can be redirected.

That's that's not an issue.

Um I the traffic on Los Solas, the parking, like everyone's mentioned, you back up, you know, ruin Ted's date.

I feel bad for that, and that sucks.

Um honestly the parking is completely full after about 11:30 or 12 anyway.

So there's really no argument for people being able to drive up and grab stuff a lot of the times.

I walk down Los Alas two or three times a day with my dog, like the entire length of it.

Uh the the parking's taken, yeah, but it's not changing over.

People are staying there, parking's not really enforced, to be completely honest.

So there's there's no churn, there's no replacement, and the revenue that the city makes, which uh pencil math where napkin math was under a million dollars a year.

I think it was 12,000 max of spot.

It doesn't make sense to keep um stuff like cutouts where you can drop people off, pick people up, um, have accessible parking if needed, right?

Because that's always a consideration.

That would be my recommendation, my hope.

Let me ask you one of the ideas that I floated years ago, and unfortunately, like a lot of my ideas, they never went anywhere.

But I I thought the idea of blocking the street off from like Friday night to Sunday night and making it pedestrian only, just put up you know plastic bollards, not permanent, and truly making it pedestrian only would have been a great idea.

I what do you think about that?

I that sounds like a leading question, and it sucks because I totally agree.

Um when I lived in Chicago, um during COVID, they started doing that.

They would block off the downtown river north area and other parks, and they do the same thing pedestrian only for the weekends, and they're doing it in Times Square now.

I mean you're closing off bunch of Times Square.

Yeah.

All right, sorry, thank you guys for your time.

Oh, thanks, I appreciate it.

Brucey.

Brucey, followed by Charlie Ladd, followed by um uh Thomas Morse, I think that says Morse.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners, thank you for having us.

I'm speaking in behalf of the Tarpon River Civic Association, and we would like to oppose removing the median and the trees.

And yeah, that would be from the Cheesecake Factory East.

And I wondered how many of you have stood at the tunnel and looked at the trees and Los Solas.

It's inviting.

Those trees to me um asked to come and explore the area, see what we have to offer.

If you will remove those trees in the median, you get another street.

We got plenty of streets.

There's nothing there.

And I just wanted to ask you, have you asked the restaurants to move off the sidewalks?

I mean, they're peaching them sidewalks continually.

Couldn't they move off and add us a little bit more room?

And uh personally, I don't want to eat where the traffic is flying by, and we've gotten I mean that to me is just kind of a bit of a turn off, but that's just me.

Um and we've lost a lot of things in this city.

You don't like inhaling exhaust.

I don't.

I don't want to smell the exhaust and hearing radios blasting and cars screaming.

You've got it.

And I love the idea of closing it down from Thursday to Sunday or Friday to Sunday.

You know, let us have a little bit of space.

We don't need all the traffic all the time.

I know you've heard that.

We've lost a lot.

We've lost a downtown or we've lost the cabana.

We've lost so many things on the beach that us residents love.

I mean, we're getting to the point where we're like, what's the reason for being here anymore?

We're taxpayers.

Thank you for your time.

Good evening, Commissioners and Mayor.

Obviously, the uh group that's been assembled here.

I'm not one of the popular members, but I guess that's the way it goes.

I'd just like to make a few points.

Uh first of all, um, I'm a big supporter of trees.

I've installed several hundred uh probably a couple hundred trees for streetscape along Federal Highway between Broward and Sunrise.

We've installed about 25 trees of uh canopy trees of frontage along Las in front of Planta, Lululemon, Warby Parker, and I'm a big believer in trees.

And nobody wants to take those trees out of the media.

It's a Hobson's choice.

But the choices other than that are worse.

So for all these people with this passion, number one, you got to realize the three blocks east of the block from the tunnel, the eighth, is very sparse for trees.

So we all focus on that one high profile block in the riverside's in.

But the rest of it's pretty tough.

And when we talk about parallels, the gentleman up here before me talked about these iconic streets.

Well, he left out Fifth Avenue in Naples.

Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.

Uh in Chicago, where he's from Oak Drive, Rodale Drive.

Rodeo Drive.

Those streets have parallel spaces.

And no trees.

The reason those and no spaces trees because they couldn't fit them in.

But those parallel spaces, one person talked about how it slows traffic down.

That's why they're there.

They're there as a traffic calming device, and it's a protection from the pedestrians from the traffic.

And if you let cars go by there or semis at 30 miles an hour, and you're sitting on that sidewalk at the river walk or at the riverside, you can see it doesn't work.

And it we didn't used to have the parallels until O'Hara's got them put in.

And that's when Las Oles went through a rebirth.

And some people may have been here and seen that and lived through it.

Newer people may not have.

But nobody wants to take those trees out.

And I'll just close by saying I don't want to sit there as a property owner that's invested millions of millions of dollars on this street and have no trees.

And if those trees die, and by code you can't put trees back in there, then what?

Then we're all going to be mad at the commission that we didn't do a damn thing about it.

So it ain't an easy choice.

All right, before you before Charlie, Charlie, before you leave, can I ask you a couple of questions?

Sure.

So today I walked the street.

And um and it seems that from Ninth Avenue East, um a lot of the a lot of the buildings have been rebuilt and there is already a wide sidewalk.

True.

Okay.

So I'm not understanding the imperative to expand the sidewalks even more, because the new construction already incorporated pushing this the buildings back, and we already have a wide sidewalk.

So what I'm so I'm I'm concerned that this one size fits all approach to redeveloping Las Olas doesn't make any sense.

When when there are sections of of large sections of the shops area that already have wide sidewalks.

To me, the only areas that we that seem to be most impacted are the first two blocks from the from the tunnel.

Those are the ones that have the most trees in the median.

Those are the ones that have the most trees in the median, but they also have they also have the narrowest sidewalks, uh partly because they expanded the seating area in front of the Riverside Hotel, and also uh uh big city tavern on the other side.

So um so but the point is that uh uh you know I'm concerned that a one-size-fits-all approach to redeveloping the this particular sector, this particular part of Las Oles is maybe not the solution.

When we've already addressed the width of sidewalks in the whole section, and partly because of you and your and your partners who thought ahead and who who set back your new construction, planted wonderful mature trees, and they're very, very important parts of the street, but they don't have a median in front of them.

And you've created a pedestrian zone that is very accommodating and very and very uh inviting.

But so we as a commission have to decide, you know, how are we going to go forward to address um you know honestly?

I don't think Los Oulos is broken.

I I'm I think that it's thriving, and I don't know why we're gonna do things that would I I hope we don't kill it by trying to make it better.

I'm not doing anything, the city is doing it.

Yeah, I know.

But I'm just saying it's but it's you and others that are encouraging the city to make changes, and I you know nothing's broken on Las Oles.

Oh, there's uh I I would disagree with you.

You know, these passionate 30, these passionate 30 people that have networked to be here agree with you, but I think we need to understand that there are portions of Las Solas that the buildings are not gonna pull back.

The Riverside Hotel is not an area that was added.

Well, it's historically don't don't define the whole street by one block.

I'm not defining it.

No, no, I'm not saying one cannot define the str the entire street by one block or one section of one block.

And if I could answer you, yeah, okay.

With a nuanced answer.

Sure.

That's some people here aren't gonna like.

The consultant group that we've hired isn't sophisticated enough to differentiate between those blocks.

There are there are people that are talented enough to differentiate.

Right.

And the things that you cite can be addressed.

Okay, okay.

So maybe that's what we should be.

And I think they should be.

Okay, so maybe that's what we should be doing, trying to address it on a block by block basis.

Because I'm looking at this picture, and uh I know, for example, in front of Carol's jewelers, there's a very wide sidewalk.

They don't need any more, they don't need any more sidewalk.

And I know that that whole that whole uh uh north side of Los Solas uh normally has very wide sidewalks.

So why are we widening something that's Carol's jeweler section doesn't have any trees in the median either?

Just for the record.

Okay.

That's not my it has a medium, but there's very few trees there.

If you go down there, East of Carroll's, I think there are two trees.

Okay, okay, just for the rest of the let's let's stick to the point, though.

The point is that you know we need a more nuanced approach because uh again, I've lived here a lot of years, and I've never seen Las more successful than it is today.

And it's that's that and that excuse me, excuse me.

That Los is as successful as it is.

They do number one to the investment that's been made by Las Oulas Company and others like ourselves, Steve Hudson and I building new product.

I I agree the building the new folks, if you folks speak, okay?

The building the new product is one of the things that we have to do.

No, but just if I could finish push back to the same thing.

If I could finish, Mayor.

Yeah.

He's asking me to stop.

So I'm talking about additions like Louis Bossey, Earls, etc.

So that's that's part of it.

The other part is the density that's made and added downtown.

There's been 25 or 30,000 people, residents, permanent residents added downtown in the last 15 or 20 years.

And I think that's part of Los Oulas's power as well.

Right.

But at the same time, it has uh it has accommodated that growth.

And I don't see anybody saying, oh, I'm not going to Las Solas because it is too crowded.

You know, it's like that old Yogi Bear uh saying, you know, no one goes there anymore because it's too crowded.

No, and again, I we go back to the same problem.

What happens when the black olives die?

Well, we'll get to that.

But we'll get to that point.

But I'm just saying, and to say they're not going to die.

There's already been three or four lost in the last four or five years.

And to sit there and say it's not going to happen is putting your head in the hole.

All right.

Okay.

All right.

I have no more questions.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

All right.

Thomas Morris.

Tom, are you here?

You want to talk?

You're up next.

Do you look who 420 Coconut Isle?

Okay.

Ann Hilmer, followed by uh Chris Nelson, followed by Robert Lockery.

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Ann Hilmer.

I live at 621 Idlewild Drive.

I am speaking on behalf of the Idlewild Improvement Association.

So Dean, I I expect that I get three minutes rather than two minutes.

It's interesting.

Welcome to the new year of the trees.

This is uh from the Idle Wild Improvement Association, which was established in 1926.

Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners.

In 1916, as the Los Oulas Causeway and Bridge were being built, the developers of Idlewild met to discuss an idea.

Within a few years, Hort die and still well began construction on our neighborhood.

They built homes for the families and live there.

Just as we depend on Las Oulas Boulevard for mobility today, so did they a hundred years ago.

Today, a hundred years later, we still love our community.

Around 2013, the rel the representatives from Idlewild began meeting with representatives from other Las Olas neighborhoods to discuss growing issues of mobility.

We joined the Las Olas Mobility Group in 2018 and continued to work with our neighbors.

Over the years, we have proposed many ideas, some of which were originally met with skepticism, such as the dedicated right-hand turn on westbound Las Olas at the intersection with 15th Avenue.

And the dual left turn on the southbound 15th at Las Olas.

Both of which are now in effect.

On January 15th, 2026, at our monthly meeting of the Idol Wild Improvement Association, we reviewed the plan brought forward for your consideration.

This is I I gave you this information at the last meeting, and I'm repeating myself.

Our primary concern, as has been true for the past thirteen years, indeed for the past 100 years, is safety and mobility.

To that end, the board voted unanimously on two on six subjects.

Number one, oppose curbing bump outs pinch points, which will permanently narrow the road, preventing any flexibility as well as hampering emergency response and evacuation efforts.

Number two, oppose on-street parking.

Number three, support a parking study to determine the availability of parking in the area, particularly in light of the proposed parking garage on second second court.

Number four, oppose the median, particularly until further studies have determined the impact on infrastructure underneath.

Number five, update the traffic study, which was completed seven years ago.

Number six, oppose the designation of Southeast 15th Avenue rather than the Las Olas Boulevard as the evacuation route for the Isles Beach and other Las Olas neighborhoods.

Southeast 15th Avenue is a two-lane road in a residential neighborhood, which is backed up on a regular basis, causing frequent backups on Las Olas and Broward Boulevard.

The Commission decided in 2021 against any widening of this road.

We would request that the Commission complete the parking study and update the traffic study prior to moving forward on this plan before you.

Thank you so much.

Hold on, hold on.

And question.

A quick question for you.

I want to thank you for not interrupting me as I was speaking tonight.

Last time I spoke, you interrupted me, and I thought that was rude.

A question for you, Ann.

So as I'm reading through your list here, one of the things that I see, I I understand that you don't like the bump outs because it creates a pinch point.

I get that.

But help me understand why you oppose the on-street parking.

Because you know, obviously right now we've got parking at certain points during the day.

So we've got unimpeded access, you know, during rush hour, for example, and then parking at off hour.

So what's the objection to on street parking?

Because I would think for an evacuation from the barrier island and from your neighborhood perspective, as long as you have access to the roads and we can clear them, that it wouldn't be an issue.

So that's the assumption that you can clear the roads.

But if there's on-street parking and the people aren't available, then you can't clear the roads.

Right, but I'm not sure.

We want to get rid of the on-street parking so there's free traffic flow in both directions, two lanes both.

Right.

But where it becomes an issue for you is hurricane, right?

I mean, that's really what we're talking about.

No, we're talking about emergency response times, too.

The Los Oulas Isles have one of the w worst emergency response times in the city, almost twice what what is expected.

Okay.

So if you've ever been on Las Oulas enjoying the I've been on Las Olympus a lot.

Please don't interrupt.

No, I'm not.

I'm I'm just saying I've been on Las Oulas.

So I'm I'm trying to understand I'm trying to finish my statement.

Go ahead.

I'm sorry.

If you've been on Los Olas when there's an emergency response vehicle trying to get through and there's parking on the street, it's almost impossible.

Cars don't move and and there's nowhere for them to move because they're all stuck in one lane of traffic.

When there's if there's on-street parking in the shops section, how does that impact emergency response in Idlewild?

That's what I'm trying to get to.

I understand I I again, like I said, I've been there when there's been emergency response.

I I've been in the fire truck when there's been an emergency response.

So what I'm trying to understand is how does parking in front of big city tavern impact emergency response in Idlewild?

Emergency response is one of the concerns.

And evacuation is another one.

But I I we just think that the on-street parking should go.

There's uh there's parking behind those buildings, and there is a uh um private parking garage that's planned.

One of the problems if you eliminate on-street parking is that people are going to drive faster down Las Olas.

On-street parking slows traffic down and it makes it safer for pedestrians.

So do the crosswalks.

No, people get run over in crosswalks.

All right.

Well, then figure it out.

But but but keeping keeping on-street parking isn't the answer.

No, the the re the reason I say this is because in our vision zero plan to reduce or eliminate fatalities, one of the things we look at is parking.

Parking is considered to be a barrier for for pedestrians, and it blocks them from getting killed by people speeding up and down the street.

So I'm trying to balance out these two things.

So if we're having a hurricane, we don't let people park on the street.

So you don't have an evacuation issue in the case of a hurricane.

We clear the streets.

We've done that.

We've done that for the decades that I've lived here.

That hasn't been a problem.

So I'm trying to understand how we balance out the competing issues of keeping pedestrians safe on the street from people speeding and having we have no shoulder over there, right?

So the street and the curb are right there.

People can jump up on the curb.

It's very dangerous.

And we can have Milo speak to this, but you know, I can tell you from a vision zero perspective that you want to slow down traffic.

You want to have a barrier, a physical barrier between traffic lanes and pedestrians on a sidewalk.

And the best physical barrier is a 2,000-pound car.

You could also put both bollards in.

Well, okay, we could put bollards in there, but doesn't that create the problem you just said you didn't want the pinch points?

No, you put them in right on the edge of the sidewalk.

Okay.

I'm not suggesting you put them in a parking lane.

Okay.

Keep the two lanes in both directions.

That's what that's the recommendation and uh from the idlewald board.

But then you don't want to widen the sidewalks either, then.

You want to keep the sidewalks narrow.

I I think I think that's something that's got to be worked out.

But obviously, it's not at one one plan fits all because the there is a a difference in widths and sidewalks on each one of those blocks.

And there certainly is a difference in the in the each one of those blocks in terms of how many restaurants have taken up a large portion of the sidewalks that the city has given away.

So why why do we have to pay for widening the sidewalks or taking out trees or whatever because the city has given away land that belongs to us for eating in restaurants?

So that's that's a so that so that's a great question.

And I guess it's one that we really need to ask ourselves is because you know there was a conversation a little bit earlier about the Champs Aliers.

You know, one of the things that make that makes these streets in Paris so delightful is the cafes and the on street, you know, dining.

So I think one of the things that makes Los Olas sort of special for people is the ability to sit out there and you know have a cup of coffee or or have uh have a have a drink.

So I I don't know, it's a good question.

You make you raise a very interesting point.

Do we want cafe tables or do we want to eliminate cafe tables so we can create a better pedestrian experience?

I think we need to keep in mind too that this is Fort Lauderdale.

This isn't the Champs Elysee.

This isn't in Pa we're not Palm Beach.

We're not any of these areas.

We have our own definition and our own personality, and we don't have to keep up with the others.

Thank you.

Mayor All right, thank you.

Mayor, yeah.

Can we have uh I'd like to have Chris Cooper come up with us right to talk about the cafes?

Sure.

Sorry.

Chris, Chris Cuckoo Cooper hiding behind the curtain over there.

Come on.

Chris, can you talk to us about um tables, cafe?

What what allowance are you allowed to have tables?

How what's that uh permitting process?

Yeah, sure.

So uh Commissioner uh Mayor, Commission, Chris Cooper, deputy city manager.

So there's two types of outdoor seating areas.

One is an outdoor cafe, one is a sidewalk cafe.

A sidewalk cafe is the one that's typically part of the public sidewalk.

So there's a permitting process for that whereby staff will look at the configuration of it, and that includes to ensure that there's enough distance left in the sidewalk to allow for pedestrian flow and and traffic on the sidewalk.

Um it's also looked at to make sure that it's not totally in encircled so that there's still some openness to it, so it feels like it's part of the public realm in the sidewalk.

Um then there's some technical aspects like insurance and things like that, but a lot of the main considerations are whether or not it's open seating, it feels like part of that public realm, and there's still space to maneuver on the sidewalk as a pedestrian.

Great.

So is it accurate to say the outdoor sidewalk is on the public right-of-way?

Sidewalk cafe is on private property.

Sidewalk cafe is on public and outdoor cafe would be more on on private property.

Outdoors more on private.

Okay.

So sidewalk cafes.

So how many do you know about how many sidewalk cafes are in the shops or permitted in the shops?

District.

I I don't have that number for you tonight.

I know um, you know, there's several.

Um El Camino is one.

Um I think part of the Cheesecake Factory, which is a little farther towards the end, is one.

Um, but I don't have an accurate number for you.

Riverside, yeah, that's probably another one.

Riverside.

Um there are a number of there are a number of outdoor seatings, but you're saying the outdoor seating is within the private property and the and the pedestrian pathways in the public realm.

So a sidewalk cafe would be in the sidewalk area, but again, the the key part to that is there's still enough space to use the sidewalk as a pedestrian and not not only be used for that cafe.

Right.

Right.

Okay.

That helps.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Thanks, Mayor.

Any further questions?

You're good to do that.

No, that's good.

Thanks.

All right.

Uh Chris Nelson.

Chris Nelson, followed by Robert Lockery.

Hello again, Mayor Commissioners.

Um First of all, I saw a hit piece in Florida politics against your uh city manager Raquel Williams and uh anonymous sources.

Uh you need to find out who's talking to that dirt bag, Peter Schorz, and stick up for your uh city manager there.

All right.

So Mayor Dean, it was uh great to just hear you uh that interaction you just had.

That that was great.

That was the mayor dean I remember.

Um, you know, I read this article in Sun Sentinel uh back in uh April of uh of uh 2024, and it it had this great quote in it.

Um wait a minute, we really love these trees.

I started walking up and down the street and realized that the idea of expanding the sidewalks was more important on the north side than the south side because the south side already has wider sidewalks.

I thought it would be a reasonable compromise.

And when the black olive trees reach the end of their lifespan, the commission would decide to replant the trees in the median or remove the median and play at the trees in the south side of the street.

Trantal is sad.

And I I could that that's you, Mayor.

That's you in an article called uh Fort Lauderdale Mayor wants to save the trees on Los Alas.

So hey, I couldn't agree with that more.

I have a book of poetry you can recite too.

Would you like that too?

Yeah, sure.

Why not?

How about Mayor Dean is gonna keep the trees and uh it's really going to be a breeze?

So no.

Not Dr.

Seuss.

Six year day job.

So these uh these olive trees, it's telling me here that they can live the 300 to 600 years with some ancient specimens in Mediterranean exceeding 2,000 to 5,000 years.

Those aren't the same olive trees.

So I mean they're the ones that Jesus prayed by, right?

No, those those trees are not the same as the ones on Los.

Okay, if you say so.

So anyway, you got five you're done.

I had people call I had a bunch of people clapping, so I took away from some of my time.

Well, that's your problem that you're saying.

Those trees are gross, it's more than just trees.

You see the um Tampa Bay Times has picked this up, even that Fort Lauderdale that you were signaling that you wanted to get rid of them because they see this looks like their place.

This looks like uh Del Ray Beach.

That looks like any other place.

But people are like, no, that area of Los Solas where those trees are that provide wonderful shade to us that are a home to beautiful parrots, and that we all love, that is something that is a picture, it's iconic, like what Ted said.

Just that little area.

The rest of your um your redesign actually looks all right, I think.

But it but just that one area that has those olive trees.

Do what you said you were going to do in this article and just keep that area as it is, because that's what, as we see all these buildings going up everywhere, that's what defines Fort Lauderdale.

And be remembered as the commission and the mayor that said, in the midst of all this sprawl and these these condos going up everywhere.

We decided to take a stand with with that little area and make that what's unique to Fort Lauderdale and preserve that.

And uh, you guys can really be heroes tonight and uh decide to keep those trees.

All right, thank you.

Thanks for giving me some extra time, Air Dean.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Robert, I want to be a hero, so we are gonna do it.

You can be.

Can you hear me now?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners.

Robert Lockery on behalf of the McTeague family, um, as well as other property owners, Coombs family and maybe my own family.

Um, as you all know, the McTeague family has worked, has lived in his own property on Los Sules Boulevard for well over a hundred years.

Um, and when this plan first started to come about in 2018, they got very involved and was concerned about it.

Um, I think the thing that comes out of this play, and the reason that they're encouraging you to prove it tonight is the expanded sidewalks, which are so important.

Anyone who really does spend a lot of time on Los Sulas, it's obvious.

Um, additional trees, which is what we clearly get out of this plan, and looking ahead for the next hundred years, not just what has come before.

But most importantly, I want to send my specific time is the on-street parking.

This is where I said you can be a mayor.

One of the comments that keeps coming back is the signature nature, the historic nature of this street.

And I want to make it very clear.

From the time the street was first developed with the first retail shops in 1917 through the 20s, through the 30s, through the 40s, through the 50s, and through the 60s, there was always on-street parking on Las Ouls Boulevard.

The city made a mistake when it took the on-street parking off about the same time that the median went in.

And as a result of that, Los failed.

And it's not hard, you don't have to take my word for it.

Those of us who are here knows what it was like in the 80s.

Um, when Kitty Ryan went and started a bought and opened O'Hare's, her comment to the paper was Las Oulas is a ghost town.

And that's why she and other civic leaders, people like Emmett McTeague, frankly, folks like my dad who didn't own any property on the street but used it every day to get to work, petitioned city government, petitioned city commission to bring back on-street parking, which started in 93.

And we've had a renaissance on Los Solas with that on-street parking.

It is true.

You look at cities as was mentioned, or I mean other streets like Rodeo Drive, like uh Like Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Newberry Street in Boston.

Those are smaller streets.

They're not Chanza Lizay, which is eight lanes wide, that has 20 feet of sidewalk on either side with landscaping on either side.

There's smaller neighborhood streets.

And again, you don't have to take my word for it.

You can take the word of the shop owners, the residents of the city, when this first came back into place and when the city corrected the mistake and kept the on-street parking, which is so signature to the street.

For example, an article in the Sun Sentinel in two.

I'm gonna read these real quickly in 1994.

The customers love it, Kitty Ryan said.

It makes the street more like a hometown.

The traffic isn't as fast as it was.

It's safer, everyone can find parking, and it's safer because it provides a buffer for between the sidewalk cafes and the street.

Another uh resident.

It's creating an atmosphere that's important.

The on-street, and by the way, the trees are already there by that time.

The on-street parking is what's making this special.

It has a European feel.

One other three or four others, but I'll just do one.

Um 50 miles an hour anymore as they drive by.

It's turning, they can cars have to slow down, and that's the whole point.

They're here to smell the roses, and that's the point of the on-street parking.

It provides that mechanism.

We do not need to turn Las Oulas back into a thoroughfare that just gets someone from A to B.

And I know as someone who had the fire department come to my house this two Saturdays for a fire.

Um, we did the fire trucks, did not use the shops area of Las Ouls to get to the Las Alsa Isles.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh John Roth.

John, are you still here?

Yeah.

John, followed by uh Hugh Johnson, followed by Estelle Brennan.

Shh.

Got some fiery constituents.

Mr.

Johnson, maybe you want to come up while Mr.

Roth is uh working with uh clerk whoops, careful treacherous.

Hi, I'm Hugh Johnson, uh resided at 1119 North Victoria Park Road.

Um I was the principal at AAL in Port Lauderdale for 35 years and uh recently retired.

Um I practice uh landscape architecture here in 45 years for 45 years in Fort Lauderdale.

Um seeing a lot of change, um, been a been a little involved in a lot of um a lot of high profile projects you know in the in the city.

Um very proud to have made my career here and very proud of the way that the city's developed.

Um as a professional, I I agree with um the consultants that the ability to continue with the betterment of Los Alas Boulevard to widen the sidewalks, which is the main objective of the project.

It would be very difficult to keep the trees in place and have a successful widening and and to find the space to do what's needed to create a world-class project here.

Priorities of all streetscape projects are to widen pedestrian sidewalks, to provide shade to sidewalks, to calm traffic flow, to prioritize enhancement of the pedestrian experience to create a space, you have to improve the pedestrian area.

That is what creates the space.

It's what creates the textures of the sidewalks, the seating, the outdoor cafes, the the experience of what people remember.

Um I I appreciate the olives.

I do.

I've lived here, I've lived in Fort Lauderdale for over 40 years.

But as a design professional, in order to see this project progress and to see the city progress in the direction that it that it has been for the last 20 years, I have to support removing the trees.

All right, does that conclude your does that conclude your remarks?

That does it remark.

Okay, great.

Thank you so much, sir.

John Roth, followed by Estelle Brennan, uh followed by Mike Weymouth.

Good evening.

Okay.

Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners, Commissioner Sorensen, especially, because you spent so much time with us the other last Sunday and your Saturday on your meeting.

Anyway, um I have prepared for you a handout uh which I want you to hope you would read.

But I can I have been on this project for at least 15 years.

I think Stevie Steven and Ben, you've been working on this thing for 10 10 years at least, and I've been to almost every meeting, including the con various waves of consultants we've had.

So I've heard every aspect to redesigning this space.

And I happen to know an awful lot about trees.

Why?

Because when I was a young man, I started a firewood business in the woods of Pennsylvania.

And I've cut hundreds of trees.

I love trees.

There's all kinds of birds and everything in it.

But I learned to respect the trees when I bumped my tractor against one of them.

And a widowmaker, as they call it, a limb, six inches in diameter, came down and went within nine inches of my head, and I wouldn't be here.

So dead trees are bad trees.

Live trees are good trees.

And we tend to put everything into boxes.

Everything all alike.

On this side of the street, it's one way.

On that side of the streets another way.

We're going to make all the trees to the same breed and type.

Well, tree nurseries will tell you that's not a good idea.

You get monoculture that way.

So I don't really care, but I do care about how much money we spend and the intelligence we use executing these kinds of projects.

And just the last four things on the rec final recommendation.

I said maintain the roadway layout, similar, not exactly the same, to the existing conditions.

Two travel lanes, two auxiliary lanes.

Retain the central median.

Didn't say exactly.

Fully investigate and price substitute subsurface risks before final design selection.

I know a whole lot about taking out a tree.

You don't just get down like they did down in front of Louis Bossy's and cut off the tree and then put it in a truck and haul it away and plant a new one.

Because when you drive a replace that with asphalt, when you place something over top of it, then that area will not corrode.

It will turn into powder and cave in and make a sinkhole.

That is why the city or sorry, the state government has in their road construction manual, you must remove every piece of organic material out of the soil where you take out the tree.

That is a main job to do when it's six feet deep and you're underwater.

Second thing is conclude your remarks.

Okay.

You've exceeded the so you need to fully investigate this and price the subsurface risks before the final selection.

To take out the stumps and clean all that out.

You're going to use a heavy machine, and I guarantee, guarantee.

That's hard word for me to say, but I would guarantee you'll break every single pipe, old pipe that's in the subsurface of us all, and you'll dig it up, and those those people will be out of business for at least two years while they redesign and rebuild everything.

All right.

Thank you.

And we have evidence of that happening.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Estelle.

Uh followed by Mike Waymith, followed by um Christine Denaro.

Okay.

Do I press something?

Um I am here opposed to R three.

I understand opposition is to all three items, which you have made clear.

There are three kind of items in here.

I ask the commission to please stop proposing packed all or nothing resolutions that come across as intended for desired outcomes.

It is very clear that everybody here today is opposed to one-third of this prong.

It should be handled separately.

And each of you up there, should you vote on this as a collective package, understand that you are going against the majority of your residents.

Speaking about keeping the median, I ask you to please not remove the median.

By removing the median, you will continue to turn Les Olas into a basic strip mall.

We already have national chains scattered about the eastern section that does not have the median.

It's just a matter of time before Senior Frogs ends up at Candeland.

Um next will come the busloads of cruise ship passengers with their suitcases to shop at these stores with these widened sidewalks.

We are going to be getting rid of charm and history, completely making Las Olas devoid of character and heart.

One of you earlier mentioned we must sometimes give for modern times.

I'm asking you guys and say that we must future proof.

We must future proof against changing mobility patterns, micro mobility, bicyclists, Ubers.

Many kids today are choosing to delay getting their licenses.

They are not purchasing vehicles.

They are choosing to live closer to urban corridors where they can walk.

They can get their Uber Eats.

That's the future.

We are you guys often talk about us being on a global scale.

We need to compete at that global scale with urban mobility.

There are plenty of examples out there which you can search yourselves.

Okay, thank you.

Mike Wayman.

Good evening, Mike.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, Mike Weymouth, I'm the president of the Las Olas Company.

Las Oulas Company is in its current celebration of 90 years of continuous business on Las Oulas as a family-run business.

So I just want to share that with you because I think we've got some institutional knowledge out here.

So a lot of this started a little over ten years ago when we really started getting serious about when there were a couple of people that were killed on Las Oulas.

You may remember that, they were darting across and they got hit.

So we started talking about how to make it more pedestrian friendly.

So let me start with Mayor, you asked earlier, and I can't remember you asked Charlie or who, but the city owns the first five feet from the curb towards the buildings.

Beyond that, it's all private property.

There isn't a single cafe that's in the sidewalk.

They're all on private property, all licensed.

So we were talking about how to make it more pedestrian friendly, just like she said.

There's a lot of people moving downtown.

There's a lot more people walking around.

And so widening the sidewalks was very important.

By widening the sidewalks, you choke or narrow down the distance between the two sidewalks from one side of the street to the other from 40 feet, where people have to dodge across four lanes to 20 feet if we were to take out the median.

I was up here January 20th, and I shared with you guys two things.

First was the Arbor's report that identified 18 trees, but since that report was written to it since died, so now it's down to 16 trees.

Of those 16 trees, eight of those trees were in fair condition at best.

And the other air four, I'm sorry, the other eight were in poor or very poor condition.

And that is a public document if anybody in this room wants to go look at it.

The other thing I share with you is part of what I do for the company is I visit high street markets like this, and you've heard some people talk about like Fifth Avenue in Naples.

Every single one of those that's identified as a high street neighborhood looks just like that.

Two lanes, parking on each side, trees down the side.

I I suggest to people who think that the center trees are the best thing.

Next time you're on Las Olas, stand between the curb and the building and look up, and I can promise you you're gonna see sky.

If we get these trees in there, and the trees are gonna be 75 to 80 percent uh aged, so they don't have but eight or ten years to get to be mature.

Um it will probably be uh absolutely iconic.

So that's I think that's all I've got.

All right, thank you so much.

But Mike, could I ask a question?

Because I heard you say something that was different from what we heard before.

So I just want clarity on this.

As I understand what you just said, all of your tables are actually on private property.

Every single restaurant on Las Olas outside is on private property.

And and for the record, as part of the reason why we built some of these buildings the way we did is to increase the sidewalk area where people could have outdoor cafes.

So when you say, Oh, there's plenty of sidewalk space in some areas there is because there aren't restaurants, you will never say, hey, there's a ton of space out here, and it's a restaurant.

That doesn't exist in one spot.

So we can't take away any of those tables and create more pedestrian walkway because that's your private property.

Correct.

Okay.

Good, thank you.

Just want to be clear about that.

Um except the north side.

The north side has restaurants and wider sidewalks.

No, sir.

Well, I I know that.

I'm not going to dispute the facts, but I walk it all.

The private property becomes a sidewalk if that's what you mean, yes.

But you don't have big city with 10 feet of sidewalk.

No, I didn't say you don't have voodoo by you with 10 feet of sidewalk.

No, you don't.

You don't have American Social with five, ten feet of sidewalk.

They're all five foot.

Right, but they're not the but that's the first block.

And that's the that's every block.

So here's here's the fundamental difference, Mayor.

You were asking kind of what the fundamental difference is to the west of the shops area and to the east of the shop area.

Those are all 60-foot rideways.

The shops area is a 50-foot ride away.

So we're working with 10 feet less to carry the same traffic.

That's the challenge.

That's the challenge here.

It's not a challenge.

Well, okay.

All right.

But but just so I'm clear about it.

So all those areas like you said where big city is and like noodles panini and all those where we have those are all.

That's all on private property.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Christine, followed by Carlos Lang, followed by um Mary Furtick.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

I am upset, I guess I want to say that you want to remove the trees from the medium.

I moved here 30 years ago, and a big reason we decided to buy property at the time, both in Harbor Beach and Harberdale, was because of Los Solas and because of all the trees on Los Solas.

The gentleman that just spoke before me, Mike brought up a point and he said the trees are sick and some of them are dying.

Well, are they dying in 30 years?

I are they dying in 60 years?

It's a lot cheaper to replace one tree than to rip up the whole yard.

How many times has Los Oulas been ripped up lately for changes in the roadways and things of that nature?

The other thing is when you plant trees on the sidewalk, and I can't.

Actually, we actually we just uh re-resurfaced it.

We didn't rip it up, we resurfaced it, something that has been due for a very, very long time, and everyone thanked us for doing that.

All right.

I will say it is much better because I go to Los Alas daily.

I also keep a mailbox on 15th, and I know that the traffic down there in the parking has often changed.

Anyway, when you plant trees on a sidewalk, they have limited growth because they're encased around cement.

So the trees can only get so big, and that's something that nobody has brought up here.

The trees we have now in the medium are huge and they have a beautiful canopy.

I'd still like to be alive to see a canopy.

And if we get rid of those trees, half this room will be dead before we have big trees back on Los Solas.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Mayor, can Mayor, can I ask a question?

Thanks.

Um thanks for your comment.

And uh I think the tree question is a good one.

Um Laura, would you mind Raquel?

I'd like to bring up Laura.

Absolutely.

If you can Laura, if you want.

This is our city arborist.

Yeah.

Can you give us your you know feedback on tree um longevity?

The longevity and um kind of growth potential when we think about trees uh along the sidewalk.

What does that look like?

What are the limitations?

What kind of trees would work there?

If you could uh how how big can they grow?

You didn't hit that again.

Uh sorry, Laura.

Yep, thanks.

Okay.

Um Laura Thule, good evening, commissioners.

Uh mayor, vice mayor.

You're asking specifically about trees on these on the sides of the road.

Exactly, on the on the sidewalk uh area.

Um current building practices provide infrastructure under the sidewalks to allow for uh better root growth and volume than what we currently have in the median.

And what if so what types of trees so we're all on the same page?

What types of trees does this plan contemplate on the sidewalk?

Um then yeah, go ahead.

Okay.

Oak trees are one of the um recommended trees.

There's a variety called high-rise oak uh that tends to be more upright.

Um if you look on federal highway near the tunnel, there's some that were planted that were 18 to 20 feet tall.

Um so you don't have as much encroachment into the building, but you can also it will spread out over the roadways.

Thanks.

And I think the one idea contemplates, I think it's 75 percent maturity, the trees being put in at 75 percent maturity or something along those lines.

Is that when okay, so oak trees in particular, when they grow to um 16 feet, 14, 16 feet, they're fairly fast growing to that point, and then they slow down and start putting on caliper and getting to be fatter, more mature trees.

So when you're talking about a tree that is 18 to 20 feet tall, you've got a much larger can uh caliper and the trunk is larger, but it does start slowing down.

So it's reaching maturity.

It's um when does a child reach maturity is you know 18, but we know that you know that doesn't mean that they're fully grown adults.

I mean legally, yes, but you know, there's a lot of growing that goes on after that.

Um, you know, if you would, you know, so an 18 to 20 foot tree would easily be considered um close to maturity.

Um if thanks.

And so that's that would be your expectations of the trees, tree height on the sidewalk 20 feet, which is what almost two stories, I guess, ish.

Yeah, close to that.

Okay.

And just to give um some context with that.

Um these, I'm just looking at this pictorial representation.

So you're looking at covering the second story and above uh those uh shops.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thanks, Mark.

Well, I'm sorry, while you're there, I did I do have a question.

Why and correct me if I'm wrong, but why are black olive trees not permitted by code to be planted in the city now?

That is that is a little footnote in the code that has been there as long as I I've been with the city almost 10 years.

That's always been there.

Um because they do become problematic.

When they were originally planted, when they were originally brought into the country, the the term black olive was a misnomer.

It's not related to the olive tree of the Middle East.

Um, but also when I when I first got into the industry, they were considered native by people, and then when people started digging in and doing research, they said, wait a minute, it's not native.

You know, it doesn't belong in South Florida.

And you know, so that's how um you know they became very popular because they are fast growing.

The ones we have there now, their size has been they are not going to add to our canopy in the future because they're just not growing.

They're staying right what they are, where they are growth wise, and in fact, some of them are showing evidence of severe decay.

Um that I I when I did my report uh that was referenced earlier two years ago, um has gone downhill considerably, and we need to consider one of those for removal.

If if they all did you know die as you're projecting, what could they be replaced with if we kept the median?

Well, and and that's part of the issue with these trees is that the median is only six feet wide, and they're planted in six foot by six foot boxes, and you have a a three, you know, a three-foot thirty-inch trunk filling that up.

There's really no room for those trees to grow.

So correct me if I'm wrong, but does City Code address the fact that you really cannot plant a canopy tree in an island that's six feet from one curb of the island to the other?

It's not recommended, especially i in this situation where you're gonna have traffic that close.

When you say it's not recommended, is that the code or is that not the code?

There is a setback requirement that is it you know it takes into account the mature size of the tree, and so it would be small and mature maturing trees recommended there at best a medium-sized tree, but that would be questionable.

Like what could you plant in there that would have the root ball that would be able to pass code on an island that's only median island, whatever?

I think the code calls it islands from six feet to the other side, curb to curb.

But what could you plant with that kind of a root ball?

What kind of what kind of tree other than a small palm or a like crepe myrtles are often planted, uh Lugustrum trees, um, you know, as things that are just not going to provide really provide much shade.

Thank you.

Laura, one other question.

What's the radial distance from trunk to drip line?

Well, with the high-rise oaks, they their their structure is a little different because they they tend to grow up and not out as far.

They don't get that really broad, uh, which is desirable in a tight space.

Um but going in, I would expect them to have 20 feet, probably a 10-foot spread from tip to tip.

Commissioner, you find if I may.

So Laura Tully is our urban arborist, and she's here to support us with respect to any existing trees.

We also I just want to recognize that we also have our engineering record in here.

We have uh um urban arbories from the consultant side, and we also have uh landscape architect who can talk about any or respond to any questions related to the proposed trees.

You can't be I'd just like to hear yeah, the canopy length or width of trees on the sidewalk.

What's the radius?

Yeah, so um Could you please identify yourself?

Hi, uh Walter Meyer, licensed landscape architect, state of Florida.

Florida native, I'm from Homestead, Florida, grew up as a tree farmer, and ended up in landscape architecture.

So University of Florida grad.

Okay, you're qualified.

Thank you.

Um specific to your question, she nailed it.

There's it within the oak tree variety, you can go wide, you can go narrow.

There's a lot of varieties.

Uh in the case with with urban environment like this where the space horizontally is tight, you want to get more of a columnar shape.

And so, you know, that variety, nothing's exact with these trees, but you're it's about right.

You're getting 20 feet high and about 20 feet wide.

Um as much as 35 depends on the environment, right?

So the blue the end of the block might have more wind and affect the tree differently than the center of the block, right?

Um there's a lot of factors that come into it.

Are you saying 20 foot radius or 20 foot diameter or 20 20 foot yeah diameter?

Yeah, if you were the the spread, the spread, which is uh diameter, yeah.

The diameter, yeah.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I have to point out, you know, landscape architecture looks at mostly the future, but we to depend on science-led decision making through the arborist to identify the conditions of today.

Uh so you know it's important to talk about what we have today versus the future, and we're mostly this exercise is about the next generation of Las Olas.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mayor.

Okay, thank you.

Carlos.

Followed by Mary Fertig.

Uh good evening, mayors, commissioners, city staff, and our wonderful city manager.

Uh my name is Carlos Slang.

Um I'm just here to talk about the parking.

Um I'm indifferent about the trees and and the plan, and I'll get to that if I have time at the end.

Um, but I just want to say, as someone who doesn't live downtown, the street parking is very important to me.

Um I'm on Los Solas two to three times a week, multiple times a day.

In fact, I was there to say for lunch.

I was able to hop in, grab lunch, hop out, and so make it in time for the one o'clock meeting.

Um it's convenient and it's easy for me, and it it's I think it's easy for a lot of people who do not live downtown.

Um in fact, um I'm there so much.

I'm a great contributor to your meters.

Um I think that there should be one named after me.

Um I even give out bonuses.

Uh I miss a meter by 10 minutes and got a parking ticket.

So if anybody wants to take care of this, I really appreciate it.

Um so and I just want to remind everyone, yes, you know, it would be nice to have uh the the parking gone, but however uh just reminder downtown does not just belong to the residents, it belongs to everybody here in Fort Lauderdale.

If you take away the parking, you're taking away people that would take advantage and visit uh that area.

It's a great uh revenue uh generator, um, and I highly recommend keeping it.

Um the last thing I want to say just about the trees and what whether this plan goes, um you uh not to put uh the fire chief, the fire uh uh or the police chief on the spot, but no one likes change, even though it's it's for the better.

Um it's hard, and then if it is for the better, it takes time, and over time people will realize other divisions.

So I thank you for your time.

Okay, thank you.

Mary Fertig, followed by um uh Michael Schneider, followed by Jenny Moorehome.

Dean, before I start, and you've already started me, so can you just I I assumed you were going to give us our normal three minutes and I have timed this, and as you know, I've been working on this for 14 years, dating back to when you were our commissioner and joined our meetings.

So I would just ask you to extend us the courtesy.

And I I've been timing other speakers too.

I know you know I would do that.

So I'm just going to try to be very quick with this.

But I am giving some exhibits.

You don't have to be very quick.

Just quick.

I'll give you the time.

Just quick, but not very much.

I'll give you the time you need.

And I'm going to leave with uh David a copy of what I'm saying as well as the emergency response times.

I know.

Thank you.

Good evening.

For many of us, there is a realization that the plan before you is a done deal.

That fact was our takeaway in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

But for the sake of the record, I thought it important to document a few issues.

The plan before you was never voted on by the Los Olas Mobility Working Group.

The consultant presented a plan to the Commission, a vision to the Commission June 1st and June 15, 2021, and the Commission voted to move, quote, the vision forward.

It's interesting to note that the total cost of the Western section, which is what we're talking about tonight in 2021, was almost almost 42.5 million dollars after removing the bridges from the project.

And 2022, Stantec issued a report increasing the amount by 20 percent to cover the estimated 2025 construction costs, that's when you thought it would start, to almost 51 million dollars, which represents about 15 percent at that time, 15 percent of the city's operating budget.

Amazingly, in 2026, the project cost is 19.3 million in an era of unprecedented inflation, the estimated price presented by tonight's consultants is less than half of what was projected five and one half years ago, which should raise some serious questions with you.

Um five years ago, the consultants noted the need to address the Hammersheet Canal Bridge and this built in 1930 and the Cicero Sispero Bridge built in 1950, but the bridges were removed from the plan due to cost.

What else has been excluded from the proposal to bring down the cost?

EMS times for some of the neighborhoods along Los Oler, such as Coley Hammock and the Isles are among the worst in the city, um, approaching 11 minutes.

Many of us believe traffic congestion is the top reason for this.

Those of us who have worried about evacuations and responses to emergencies have been ridiculed and told that it will never happen, in spite of the data, documenting response times that are nearly double the goal.

You can build a new AMS station further east, but if first responders can't get through the traffic, response times will be too slow.

The traffic study for this project was completed in 2019.

It's almost it is seven years old, it needs to be updated.

And even though on-street parking seems to be a driving force of this plan, you refuse to do a parking study.

Is that because you know it will show plenty of parking in the vicinity without the need for on-street parking?

When asked if stormwater issues would be addressed, we were told no.

Sea level rise is a top concern for our community.

Mayor Trantalis, when you voted in 2021, you stated that the I the items would be used as a guidepost, and related traffic studies would be made.

Where are those related traffic studies?

Commissioner Glassman, you stated the Commission was accepting a vision of the plan, not adopting the plan.

Yet when my conversations with staff and with the consultants, I have repeatedly been told that they are doing just, they are just doing what the commission told them to do.

The decision you make tonight appears to be about the wants of a few over the needs of a community.

Yet it will be the community who funds this.

Needs are safe bridges, needs our good infrastructure, needs are safe roads for first responders to respond timely and for all of us to reach our destination.

We have many needs in this community, and I would ask you to listen to the people of this community and maybe maybe just take a step back tonight and think about before you go and commit to another 20 million dollars.

Get a real idea of what this is gonna cost, because if it was 50 million in 2022, do you really believe it's 19 million today?

Because I don't.

I would ask you to do your due diligence.

I know you have spent a lot of time on this, but I would say take a step back, get a better idea of the cost.

See where you can try to form some compromises between what you have heard tonight and bring us together as a community so we can move forward on this historic street that we've heard so much about into the future of Fort Lauderdale.

Thank you.

Mary, could Mary Mary, Mary, Mary, would you mind going back?

I just want to uh uh talk to you a little bit about some about some of the comments you made.

Yes.

So uh for a very long time, uh Los Olas Boulevard did not have on-street parking, and people felt that it became a a raceway.

And I believe that was one of the uh incentives to try to put on-street parking on the street in order to slow traffic down.

Now the people that live in the aisles uh did not appreciate that because they thought it interrupted uh the ability for emergency services to um drive to the hospital in case of an emergency.

That being said, that's why the city has contracted with the private developer to put an EMS station on Los Solas.

Um I have learned through uh the our fire department that today's vehicles are equipped to handle emergency situations where where in the old days you only could you secure the necessary services at a hospital.

But today the vehicle themselves actually has the facility to revive patients and to revive um uh individuals that are suffering trauma in it in those situations.

So I do believe that the City Commission has understood the need for the folks that live on the aisles and are trying to move forward to accommodate not just those that believe that Las Oulas had become a thoroughfare and a raceway, but also to accommodate the need for the emergency medical services for the folks that live on the aisles.

Can I respond to that real quickly?

Thank you.

Thank you for bringing some of that up.

So let me just say this.

Um in the aisles, I have the maps here, and Cole Hymock is even worse than the Isles.

If you cannot get to our home, if the traffic is so bad, if you have put all of the traffic in a few lanes, and this isn't about parking or no parking, this is about the general area.

If the traffic is so bad that the ambulance can't get there, this is what the American Heart Association says.

The brain can begin to experience irreversible damage approximately six minutes after cardiac arrest.

The response time in our neighborhood is, and this is through no fault of our first responders.

So you can put that thing that the EMS station, and I applaud Charlie for doing it.

You can put it at 8th and 2nd.

But if they can't get through the streets to get to us, I don't care how sophisticated it is.

Los is not the only street.

I oh, I know this.

I do know this.

As you know, I have I'm a lifelong resident in this area, so yes, I do know it.

If you go on 15th, how many of you have tried to get to the beach on a normal time and can't get down 15th, can't get down Briar Boulevard, cannot get down Las Olas.

How many of you have experience?

All right, so those were the issues that we came to you, Dean Trantalas, our commissioner about, and you actually had some great ideas.

I won't remind you publicly because one of them is really unpopular, but not necessarily with all of us.

But what I'm saying is I there think there are compromises here.

I think, but I think, and I sat on this group for a long time, and to anybody who says we didn't try to make compromises, I would say to you we did.

And I would say those were rejected soundly.

I would ask you before you spend one more cent on this to try to get more committee consensus on it.

And our issue is not just about EMS.

We have stormwater issues.

The only intersection where stormwater is being handled is 15th and um Los Olas, which is traditionally just underwater, period, if there's any rain at all.

Okay.

There are other sections, happy to bring you a picture at another time of some of the other areas that are underwater.

I think in an area with in with sea level rise like we have today, that is irresponsible.

We should be addressing those issues.

So that's a separate issue.

That's a separate issue.

That's a that's a another issue into this plan because it's not being funded, it's not being addressed.

Okay, but that's a separate issue than what we're dealing with tonight.

Okay.

What about the bridges, Dean?

A 1930 bridge, almost a hundred years old that your consultant has told you needs to be addressed.

But it became too expensive, so it fell out of the plan.

I'm just saying, I know there's a lot of focus on the median, but there are some other major problems here.

And you all, before you spend any more money, which we don't have, any more money, you need to get a handle on what exactly the cost of this is going to be and whether you can afford it.

You passed a grant for 15.6 million maybe tonight.

But what if it's 50 million like this says?

What are you where are you getting that money?

And I know what happens.

Once you get into these projects, then it takes on a life of its own, and it's change order, change order, change order.

So I would just ask, all I'm asking you tonight is to defer this until you have more information and to see if some compromises can be worked out.

So that's what I that's my ass.

I understand what you understand that.

But you are aware, and I know you are aware because you participated in them.

There was a study group.

Oh, I was.

I was a part of it.

And how many years?

How many years and how many meetings did you attend?

A lot.

A lot.

But there was not a vote.

You know what happened?

Because you couldn't achieve consensus.

And now you're saying let's go back to the table and try to achieve consensus.

I sat here in those meetings and no one agreed to be able to do that.

Well you go back to the minutes.

I'm happy to provide them, of course, of June 2021, and you see how many of our neighborhoods came out and raised serious concerns about what's happening.

And then a year later, we were told, oh, you get this great project and you can pay for it yourselves, and we'll not charge the rest of the city.

Dean, there's so much on this.

You and I, we could stand here and debate this forever.

But the reality is you got some real money questions on finances.

You've got some questions on how you're going to bring all of us together.

Is it possible?

I believe it is.

It may not have happened yet, and I would give it a few more meetings.

Well, let me ask you this.

Yes.

Do you agree I I identified three sections to the study, right?

There's the downtown section, the shops, and Coley Hammock.

Yeah.

Are you in agreement with uh the downtown section and the Coley Hammock section?

I am not in agreement with Kohley Hammock.

I'm not agreement with any hard narrowing of a street anywhere.

I think when we have seen what happens when we narrow our streets with no flexibility.

Are there solutions?

Yes.

Can you use temporary bollards?

Can you use all kinds of other things to achieve what you want to?

Yes.

Let me go back to the parking.

The parking originally was at night on weekends, going back to Commissioner Herb's, should we do something different for weekends?

Then it became starting at 11 o'clock, which is what it is today.

So there have been different types of different strategies on parking on the street.

Revisit it.

But you've hired a consultant, and what the consultant says every time we say anything to them is we're doing what the commissioner voted the commission voted to do in 2021 at those meetings in June.

And I think the final was June 15th, if you need to look up the minutes.

So do you agree with the downtown version?

The downtown version?

I agree with the downtown Civic Association on the letter they sent you.

Um I think they protested on street parking, if I remember correctly.

I don't have it in front of me, apologize.

But like I said, there are three sections.

So I agree with the downtown Civic Association's letter.

Okay.

That's fine.

Okay.

Okay, do you want me to tell you what my main concern is on Las Olas of on 15th and Coley Hammock?

You are taking a two-lane residential road that you as a commission voted not to widen, and you are making that the new evacuation route.

You're in current conversations to do that.

That road on a regular day, I can go at 11 o'clock in the morning, and it's backed up all the way around Las Oulas or all the way around Broward.

You need to have options.

And you should, and anything you plan in the future, plan an option.

That's option one.

Option two is Las Olas.

And Las Olas can still be what it is today because right now, believe it or not, it is the evacuation route.

And I think we heard testimony that it was unparalleled in its success today, that we are seeing a success like we never have before.

So flexibility is the key here to me.

And bringing people together to find some common consensus around some points.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Actually, Mary, can you because I I want to I want to kind of I want to kind of explore that a little bit more.

So some of the questions I was asking Ann, and I just want to kind of run through them with you.

So again, just talking about the parking, mostly in the shops area.

Um again, if we if we if we keep those lanes for parking, right?

We don't do the bulbs out, the bulb outs.

So they're available for parking.

They're available for evacuation as needed.

Is that a compromise that makes sense?

So that we can again, like I said, to me personally, that is the beginning of a comp that is the beginning, but it has to start.

Right.

It has to start and fit 15th where you're talking about pinch points.

Yes.

It has to go the whole street.

It has to include what the downtown civic association is asking for.

Yeah.

That's the beginning.

That's the beginning of a conversation point.

Now let me ask you other questions on the other side.

And John, I think I know I know you know this, so I'm just going to jump in here and say, because I know there are temporary solutions for marking off streets, such as they have all kinds of, and I don't mean those ugly orange things.

Sure.

I'm talking other kinds of strategies that are.

Not planters.

We haven't heard any of any conversation about any of that.

So could there be some solutions?

Yes, there could.

So let me ask you another question, because we were talking a little about emergency response, right?

Yeah.

So if you're if you're thinking about emergency evacuation, right?

If if we have if we have to get an ambulance out to Idlewild, right?

It's going to come out of our new fire station.

They're going to get over there, whether they go down Las Olas or whether they cut through Coley Hammock and then get down there through 12th Avenue or something else.

It doesn't have to be 15th Avenue.

There's a lot of ways to get down there.

I can tell you I'm a big shortcut person.

So me too.

Again, I lived in Vic Park.

I know every street through there, and I I know how to get to there from there and through the 7 Eleven parking lot and everything else.

But with I get it.

Yeah.

Go ahead.

Right.

So the question is on the evacuation side.

How how do you see that happening?

So are they evacuating, going all the way down Las Olas, getting to Third Avenue, then going over the bridge and heading down to Brower General.

So if they're evacuating from Idlewild, how are they getting down to Brower General?

Well, I just want to backtrack a minute and tell you we're in Idle Wild.

We have a fire we have a fire station across the water from us, literally.

Well they could be coming from either side, right?

And that's what I'm saying.

They still can't get to us.

We still have one of the and why?

Because of traffic.

So you have to figure out ways that you're going to be able to move those vehicles.

We have no shortage of pictures, happy to share of ambulances caught in the traffic, unable to move.

So I think that the flexibility of the streets is a solution for that.

And by that I mean if you can move the cars, you can hopefully take care of some of those.

So just forget hurricane and this and that.

Just assume you had a fire in a building.

Right.

Okay.

So you can address some of those, but when you pinch point these streets, when you put those things in, you're not going to be able to do any of that.

So that was one of the concerns that was expressed by Chief Golan when we had our last meeting is that the medium in the middle of the block actually block the ability of fire renters to go around stuff.

Well, have we thought about that?

I mean that's well, I want to look at this picture.

This is a perfect example.

I'm so glad you put this up here so I could show it to you.

There's no median in this, is there?

Right.

Yeah.

But see, the fire truck still is going to have a hard time because I don't think so.

If they come blasting down that street with their no people pull over.

So if you're coming down the street with an engine blaring, what are you going to do about this concrete?

What are you doing about this concrete here?

No, you got um I'm no if you so if if you don't have the bull belts, I'm going back to the bull belts, maybe being maybe being an issue.

If people are able to pull over the side and create room for a fire truck to get down the center of the lane or to go around somebody when they're blocked, the median blocks any ability for a fire truck to go around anybody.

And I think and I think the point that people are making to you is because that's because of parking.

That's the point.

I I listened to the chief, that's what I took.

Okay.

Okay.

So uh do are you gonna have to come up with some ways to address some of that?

I think you are.

Okay.

This one is a permanent, no fire trucks getting past these people when there's a car in each lane, because that concrete's there, and there's no you can move a car, you can move a bollard, but you cannot move that concrete once you do it.

So I I don't know what you've accomplished in the end.

So you get rid of the median and you put concrete in, and maybe a tree lives, and I don't know.

Well, I'm just thinking, you know, so I I've watched fire trucks go around into the opposite lane of traffic and get around stuff.

They do it all.

I have watched that too.

And so I know that when you've got pictures of when you don't have a median in trees in the way, they can go around stuff.

So it it creates more optionality for for for them to go around things and people pull over to the side and they can do that.

Uh again, I don't drive a fire.

And this is the this is the plan in front of you.

Right.

And it's a perfect example of how that road will never be wider than that.

Okay.

And I think all of them, everybody in America has learned what happens when you narrow roads like that.

Right now you have four lanes in each direction.

Yep.

You choose how to use those lanes.

Two lanes.

I'm sorry, thank you.

Thank you, Dean.

Two lanes in each direction, his math is better.

Um so you have some options.

When you do this, you're not gonna have any options.

Okay.

So thank you, Mary.

Thank you, John.

Thank you.

Bonsoir.

Followed by Jenny Moorehone, followed by Jennifer Peters.

Yeah, it's Sean Zenizay.

Um because I have a place in Paris, that's what she is alluding to.

Um so first of all, Mary um reviewed what I was gonna say, and she stole all my ideas.

All right, okay.

So it's pretty hard to follow all these people because you know, so much of what I wanted to say has been stated, but I still want to add my um support of it.

Um so I'll try to kind of um skim this instead of reading it all.

Um so yeah, I I do think it's a non-negotiable concern as far as removing two lanes.

Um and and I I'm focused on that in a big way for the future.

In other words, we don't know what we're gonna need in the future.

Things keep changing, we keep getting denser and denser, and you're taking away flexibility.

So it's all about flexibility.

So it's uh flexibility as far as the emergency response times like she's talking about, which aren't just to get the to get the patients, but it is to get them to the hospital as well.

And um if it's hard for the residents to get around, of course it's gonna be hard for the the EMS and uh to get around.

But um also um oh, also I want to say that these are just my personal opinions.

It's not connected to any board that I serve on.

So um also I just wanted to say that um uh you know it's about um adaptability since it's a um it's considered a festival street, right?

Uh um that events are happening on.

Um so you want to keep it as flexible as possible, um, not just for the future, but also for uh maintenance trucks and response trucks and emergency evacuations and you know, a plethora of reasons.

And I I think to take two lanes away um it would just be the biggest mistake.

So while there's a lot of people that are here supporting the trees, I'm here to support the four lanes, whatever that means.

And um, in other words, um I know something has to give or nothing has to give if you just leave it how it is.

But um at any rate, um I do uh suggest that um there needs to be future um there needs to be more time before um uh committing to this because otherwise we're wasting design dollars uh on uh a project that really isn't it really isn't figured out yet.

Um is that please conclude your remarks?

Okay.

Um, you know, again, an environmental study, a business impact study, a f a flood mitigation analysis, uh, you know, these are other things um and a true um a consideration of the cost and the hidden cost.

The hidden cost to us as um as residents, the hidden cost to the um businesses in the area.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Jenny Moorhorn, followed by Jennifer Peters, Steve Hudson after that.

Good evening, Mayor Commissioners.

Um if I'm not mistaken, yesterday it was groundhog day, and it certainly feels that way.

Um I think what Mary said was exactly on point in that in June of 2021, you all went to consensus to adopt the vision that now, fast forward four years, we have an opportunity to vote on tonight in advance.

So let's not keep groundhog day going.

Um another gentleman said change is hard.

And that's definitely true, and I think that's why there's a lot of emotional response to attention grabbing headlines like Save the Trees.

Um but the fact is, you know, if I were sick and my family might not want to see me change, I'm gonna listen to my doctor no matter how well intended uh my family and friends are.

And I think the doctors here are professionals who have studied and built streets around the country, engineers, landscape architects, urban planners, um, myself included, for the years I worked at the city, we've discussed the basics of how to improve a narrow commercial street, a narrow meaning not the unlimited right-of-way where you can have highways and four lanes of traffic, but actually wide sidewalks, permanent on-street parking with bulbouts at the cross sections, two lanes of traffic, one in each direction, facing each other, so cars inherently slow down, and that is the plan before you tonight.

The downtown section needs to be advanced, these other two sections need to be advanced.

We still have 70 percent plans to create to get this project to fruition.

Tonight's the night to pass this resolution to move forward the consensus that you all built two weeks ago, four years ago, and that is the natural and professional and responsible approach for how to design an iconic street in Fort Lauderdale, and frankly, anywhere in great cities that are thriving.

So I hope tonight that you make that decision, you move this forward so we can keep moving progress forward.

Um change is hard, but it's necessary in Fort Lauderdale's success today is because of big decisions that you all have made and predecessors before you to take on big and sometimes controversial initiatives for the greater good and the future.

Well, it's funny, uh Jenny, to your point, you know, there was a lot of controversy when we made the decision to uh redevelop the Heisinger Park.

And a lot of people who thought we were going to destroy it, and we were taking away the urban experience by taking away the people's park.

And um a testament to your foresight and to your uh persistence when we unveiled the new Heisinger Park, it became one of the most successful parks I think any city has ever witnessed.

The day after we we cut the ribbon, it was populated with hundreds of people, children, families, and uh and um it was a it was uh um it was uh uh a very controversial decision that the city made to participate with uh with you and with the other uh partners that uh help contribute to it.

But in the end, like you say, you know, sometimes it's hard to see the end until you know until it happens, and and I think if that alone is an example of the kinds of things that can be created and that are positive, then I think it's a very good example of you know what the city can do if it uh once it listens to the people and listens to the consultants and tries to learn from the examples of others and come up with a successful conclusion.

So I just want to say thank you for all the work you did in that.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um if I could.

I think it's very important to recognize that two individuals who are here tonight on the DDA board who made major personal investments of their time and their money into the park, along with all of our board members, have repeatedly been brought up by name as being greedy developers, rich developers on the DDA, just pushing for profits, and Charlie Ladd and Steve Hudson, namely sitting here today, without their foresight, housing a park, and our other board members, but those two individually have brought that project to fruition with our team and with the city support and others.

So I think it's very important to give those credit that have stake in the game, but also push forward for the greater good, not just for their own personal return.

So thank you for coming up.

Uh Jennifer Peters, followed by Steve Hudson, followed by uh Joy Triglia.

Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Commissioners.

My name is Jennifer Peters.

I'm from District 2.

I live in Victoria Park.

I'm at Los Alas all the time.

I'm going to keep this short because I'm a woman of few words, as was said earlier today.

Please try and keep the nostalgia of the shops and help soften the blow of the tunnel top plaza.

We need more plants, more trees.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Uh my name is Steve Hudson, and I was born and raised here in Fort Lauderdale.

Uh and I'm also a property owner of Los, and as Jenny said, uh a member of the DDA, uh, as well as many other organizations uh throughout the city and the county.

Um I did also sit on that working uh task force um with Commissioner Sorensen and Commissioner Glassman.

Uh it was two years and 40 meetings.

Um not that anyone's counting.

Listen, everyone agrees uh that the canopy on Los Oles is special.

It's one of the reasons people are drawn to the street, and we all value it.

However, I would bet that very few, and I can actually point them out, uh, of the people here today are professional arborists.

That said, the consultants' professional arborists and the city's arborists reports are consistent and clear.

The existing black olive trees in the median are poor to failing condition and have a limited remaining lifespan.

At the last meeting, I'm speaking, thank you.

At the last meeting, the Arborist told us that these trees live for a maximum of 30 years.

All right.

The canopy we are trying to protect today is at the end of its life cycle.

Those 15 trees by taking out the median will be replaced by 90 oaks in the sidewalks.

It's also important to understand the regulatory reality.

I didn't really get a answer to your uh question, Commissioner Glassman, but I believe City Code does not allow canopy trees to be planted in that six-foot island.

So what's going to be there?

Those were not trees that the Arborist was mentioning, those are bushes.

You will not get a canopy over the median.

The question before us is not whether we value trees, we do.

The question is whether we design this street in a way that is code compliant, pedestrian focused, and sustainable for the long term.

In addition to wider sidewalks, in addition, side wider sidewalks are fundamentally important for Las Oulas to function as a pedestrian-oriented street.

Without additional sidewalk with pedestrian condition remains, and accessibility is limited.

Further, and as Commissioner Herbst uh pointed out, the outdoor dining per city code cannot be expanded into the newly widened sidewalk only on private property.

Lastly, the parking on Los Oulas must remain.

Parallel parking naturally slows vehicles and well placed crosswalks reduce speeds by interrupting traffic flow and prioritizing pedestrian safety.

The goal here is a healthy, more vibrant Los Olas for the future.

That means planting canopy trees in a sidewalk where they can actually thrive, providing adequate sidewalk space for pedestrians and maintaining the parallel parking, which serves as an effective traffic calming buffer between vehicles and people.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you, Steve.

Mayor question.

Yes.

Steve Mr.

Hudson, could you please come back to the podium?

Question for you.

Thanks.

Ballbout versus non ballbout.

If you could you give us your thoughts there.

Thanks.

I absolutely agree with Ballbouts.

I think it creates a phenomenal look, as you see up on the TV screen here.

The comments that have been made about traffic flow that is needed for a hurricane.

I mean, we please we have we have a weather channel.

We know a full week in advance.

The emergency vehicles, uh we can ask you know the fire chief, but I would assume that they would uh get away from Los Oles at all costs possible.

They're not using Las Oles to uh respond to emergencies in Idaho.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Um uh I'd like to ask the fire chief.

Chief Golem, can you come up here, please?

You knew this night would not be over without our having to ask you exactly.

Thank you for staying.

Yeah, thanks, fire chief.

Um give us your uh feedback guidance, emergency response, lanes of traffic, bulb out, non-bulb out, median, no median.

What what can you kind of give us as you hear this and what what what matters or doesn't matter in your from a response time?

So I I think a majority of the statements that were made tonight are are dead on track.

Uh we've spent a tremendous amount of time with Tam and Melissa's team going over what is the best interest of public safety for the community.

Um there are factual statements in regards to the response times on Los Solas, but there are plans in place that we're working towards implementing to resolve those response times.

Uh the facts in regards to or the statements in regards to seeking alternative routes at all all cost, we don't want to be on Los Boulevard.

Uh we don't want to interrupt the tourism that's down there, the people trying to enjoy their dinners, as well as the traffic that's already there.

Um so we try to seek alternative routes whenever possible.

Uh when we're looking at the new station going in there, uh we would be utilizing Southeast Second Court and going down to 12th or 13th and cutting over to Los Oles.

Um and then also even on our transport off of the aisles, uh, we also go over and get on to Broward Boulevard and then normally go into the tunnel so that we're not stopped by a bridge.

Uh we try to get over to Broward Boulevard, get to Federal Highway, and that gives us that direct access.

When it is coming to uh evacuation zones and things like that, you know, clearly I think any of us that have lived in Florida for an extended period of time have experienced what exactly evacuation of a barrier island or even the southern part of the state looks like.

And at that point, we take all traffic and we point it in one direction, getting everyone out of harm's way.

The same thought process would take place in this scenario where we would take all lanes of traffic and get them out of the city of Fort Lauderdale 295, where all lanes of traffic would be going northbound and taking everyone to safe refuge uh when possible.

Um, during the our meetings with TAM and looking over the various proposals that were presented, this was the one that we found most favorable.

Uh right now, sorry, which one?

The one that is currently up with no median.

Uh and it is so that we have the ability to navigate into the other lane of traffic.

I I believe uh earlier it was brought up in regards to uh us going against traffic at time or going around, and that's exactly we're going to take whatever path we can to get to the emergency in the quickest amount of time possible.

Um you put barriers uh before us, that that creates challenges.

Uh I've had many discussions on speed humps and traffic calming devices and things like that that slow us down.

This provides that openness where we're able to navigate around the vehicles and get there.

And should we have the unfortunate circumstance where we're responding to an emergency on Los Boulevard, and we have to stop mid-block with one of our apparatus, this would allow the other vehicles to then navigate around us while we're stopped there treating that patient.

Great, thank you.

That helps.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Chief.

Thanks, Mark.

Any other comments or questions?

All right.

Uh Joy, sorry to keep you waiting.

Followed by uh Chris Stakowski, followed by uh Francois Chidiac.

Good evening, Commissioners and Mayor.

Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.

I also am born and raised in this city and on the east side of town.

So I am a local native resident my entire life, and I'm actually fourth generation here and in real estate here.

So I'm gonna read a little statement that I wrote.

Las Olas Boulevard is not simply a roadway, it's our city's front porch.

For more than a century, Las Olas has been the cultural, commercial, and historic spine connecting downtown to the ocean.

It's internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful and iconic streets in America, not because of the buildings alone, but because of what lives between them.

The mature trees lining the Los Solas median, particularly the black olive trees, are irreplaceable.

These trees are not ornamental, they are historical assets.

Many were planted decades ago, intentionally chosen for their longevity, their resilience, and their cathedral like canopy that they provide.

They soften the urban environment, reducing heat, improving air quality, and create a sense of arrival that cannot be replicated with new plantings or modern substitutes.

Once removed, this legacy cannot be restored within our lifetimes.

Las Oulas works because it balances progress with restraint.

Its charm, its walkability, and its economic vitality come from thoughtful scale, not over intensification.

When infrastructure, traffic and utilities, and construction outpace careful planning, we don't just strain roads and sewers, we erode identity.

Cities around the world that lose their historic corridors, spend generations trying to recreate what was lost.

We're fortunate to still have ours.

I respectfully ask this commission to pause to protect these iconic trees, to slow the excessive construction, to invest first in the foundations of our streets, plumbing, and infrastructure before allowing irreversible change.

Progress doesn't require erasure.

True leadership preserves what makes the city unforgettable.

And if you were to plant, if you had to replace those trees in the median, actually, high-rise oaks actually work.

They're meant for medians.

They do create everything you need for shade, and they will grow.

And they will grow to 25 feet tall.

Also, when you're talking about traffic, you're talking to a realtor who drives around this city every day.

You're talking to a parent who has two children with heart conditions, that when this city had traffic issues, I had to pick my children up to get them over the bridge on 17th Street to get them to the hospital.

Have you considered all the new construction from the nine towers on Sunrise Boulevard?

Have you considered the projects that are going with St.

Regis with Pier 66?

That traffic, have you considered the new traffic, not just the current traffic?

Because that is a serious consideration.

I live on the barrier island.

I go on and off it a hundred times a day.

When it takes me 45 minutes to get over the bridge or three and a half hours to get home from the grocery store and throw all my food out as I did two weeks ago, as I had to go around to Los Solas and back to 17th Street.

We shouldn't have to do that.

Okay, thank you.

We need to consider our residents and beautifying our city at the same time.

Thank you so much.

Chris, followed by Francois, followed by uh Rich Radis.

Hello, Chris Dehusky, multi-generational Fort Lauderdale resident.

Family going back to 1923.

Uh first thing is is man, you know, the city just keeps on rushing all this stuff to death.

The amount of meetings I can go to a week, and they're all important meetings about what's going on is insane.

I went to three meetings in one day, and I still didn't get to the last one.

I know the DDA is like we need to move forward, we need to do this, we need slow down a few minutes.

Would you please?

Las Olas, these trees, this different areas.

Look, I love the palm trees on Los Solas by the aisles.

My grandfather was around when they were installed.

Same thing with like trees on Las Solas in the shop section.

The boxes, the planters that the trees are in, were not there first.

They came afterwards.

I went and took a look around at some of the trees, and the only tree that I saw that was really damaged was where it was hit by a car, which probably saved somebody's life.

So I I I kind of think that you need to rethink a little bit more of this stuff than what you're doing right now.

Get rid of the street parking, is a definite traffic study should definitely be done.

The last one is too old.

The parking uh study should be redone.

If you don't do this and you decide to plant these 90 trees, you're gonna run into a lot of problems.

First off, you gotta dig pretty deep to dig it to plant a tree.

There could be some a few, just a few, maybe.

Gas pipes, water pipes, sewage lines.

We don't have a great infrastructure to begin with.

Now we're gonna piddle around with that.

Let's say you did plant all the trees.

You're gonna plant all these trees into cement.

Okay, well, they're 75% done.

You walk out down any sidewalk here in Fort Lauderdale where there's been oak trees planted years ago, the sidewalk is cracked.

It's cracked because the roots have broken the sidewalks.

You're gonna have the same problem here on Los Solas.

Another issue that you're gonna have is uh liability.

Who's tripping over all this stuff that we're putting in the sidewalks?

We just had at Hammershead Village a discussion about getting rid of the street parking to enhance the pedestrian experience.

Do the same thing.

Ben, you're concerned about a buffer?

Great.

Put in a wall about knee high on there.

Get rid of all the street parking.

I'm sorry, the gentleman in the in the in the uh in in the the first sports coat mentioned that during the 70s, the the retail business was it was in the toilet.

Well, pretty much everything was in the toilet during the 70s, unless you were on some drugs.

I wasn't around back then.

All right, but there was some.

Anyhow, I only have one last thing to say.

Uh this other gentleman that spoke over here.

Uh you know what?

I'll just conclude with this.

All right.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Francois, followed by Rich Raddis, and then Tom Morris.

Anyone else wish to speak?

You have to sign up, please.

At the clerk outside.

Please proceed.

I'm Francois Chidiac.

Um I uh want to say I've I'm uh I'm a physician in the area, so hearing about the emergency services, I can understand that.

Um I'm also somebody that's just a fun person.

I like to enjoy fun times, fun areas, and uh have respect for the architecture of a fun social dynamic area.

I've lived many places, I live between here and Miami.

I have property here right down the street.

I'm a homeowner here, and um one thing is uh I could be a Miami all the time.

I come to Fort Lauderdale because Fort Lauderdale is great, and I just want to say thank you, everybody, for your input tonight, because uh we all love this city, and the city is awesome.

That being said, I'd say, you know what, don't change a thing.

All right.

Now, you know, Los Holas is awesome, it has that classic charm, has that classic charm.

You you see this, this is nice, you know.

You see it, it's nice, you know that it's like you know, it's looks looks rich, looks rich, but it doesn't have that classic luxe feel that Los Olas has.

I think those medians they help.

They help because what I think is well, how am I gonna direct myself through this?

With this, I don't want to go from one side to the other.

There's two lanes I have to cross.

When I'm crossing to the median, I just cross from one side, get to the median, I look around, I get to enjoy the space, and then afterward, I can go to the other side.

So we get to enjoy both sides of the road with the median.

That's one that's that's the biggest dynamic thing I would say.

Now, come into this meeting.

We did bring uh, you know, that we did bring some uh concerns about the ambulances and emergency services, and that I would agree this would be a better um one for an ambulance to get through.

But one thing before we you know tear up the whole road and do a full face lift on this whole place.

Um have we considered maybe just a freestanding ER on the east end?

If you just put a freestanding ER on the east end of that block, then you know, 90% of your emergency services uh traffic would uh you know you wouldn't even have to bring them.

You could just bring them straight to that east, uh the freestanding ER.

That would be anything on the Los Olas Isles, anything from the beach there, anything there, you could have it right there.

Only out of out of that actually, that is being planned right now.

Yeah, so then there's then there's no reason that's it's cheaper to just build a freestanding ER than to rip up the whole city.

Please conclude your remarks.

Okay, um besides that, just uh something I wrote down a couple things here.

Yeah, but your time is your time is up so I know.

Um I like the side parking.

I always like pulling up to the businesses right there.

It makes me feel awesome just to pull up there.

Come on.

It makes you you know it makes you feel good.

You're awesome, don't we?

Rich Radis, are you here?

He's not here.

Uh Tom Morris.

He left again.

Okay.

And Mr.

Kimball, Robert Kimball, you just signed up.

Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners, Staff Members, Robert Kimball, a long-term resident, Fort Lauderdale, 55 years.

We've always enjoyed Los Solas and the ambience of the trees.

Mr.

Mayor, you were at our Civic Association meeting a few weeks ago.

The trees are gonna stay.

True.

Continue to talk.

Was it true?

I said, in my opinion, they should stay.

Well, but I have five people up here who will vote.

So now we're uh plagued with this, and uh the sidewalks.

How did the sidewalks end up being restaurant tables?