Hollywood CRA Board Meeting – September 3, 2025
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Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency Board Meeting – September 3, 2025
The Hollywood CRA Board met on September 3, 2025, to consider consent agenda items, hear public comments on pedestrian safety, approve several project agreements, receive a capital improvement overview, and discuss ongoing issues with wayfinding signage. The meeting included unanimous approvals for routine items and several capital projects, as well as direction to staff on crosswalk studies and signage contract resolution.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from the regular CRA meetings of April 5, May 7, and June 4, 2025, unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bob Glickman and Richard Chapesian, Hollywood Beach residents, requested the Board postpone the Carolina Street traffic signal and instead pursue mid-block crosswalks with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). They cited changed FDOT guidelines, lower cost (approximately $100,000 per crossing vs. $700,000 for a signal), and safety benefits. They asked to be included in design meetings with FDOT.
Discussion Items
- Hollywood Boulevard Security Bollards Project (Item 8): Francisco Diaz presented a Phase II construction agreement with Llorens Contracting for $399,963 (construction) plus up to $20,000 in permit fees. The project will install 99 bollards in four phases starting November, with coordination with downtown businesses. Approved unanimously.
- South 20th Avenue Improvements Funding Agreement (Item 9): The Board approved up to $391,240 (not to exceed) with VB Hollywood Holdings LLC for streetscape work between Harrison Street and the alleyway. The developer is already improving adjacent sidewalks; this fills a remaining gap. Discussion clarified that a $90,000 electrical contingency may or may not be needed. Approved unanimously.
- Ocean Rescue Alliance Artificial Reef Project (Items 10/11 withdrawn; Walk-on Resolution R-CRA-2025-36): The Board approved a 180-day contract extension for Ocean Rescue Alliance. Discussion revealed a June 2025 DEP letter flagging possible placement issues with some reef modules. Staff is awaiting further details from DEP within 30 days; the Board directed that final payments be held until state inspection is passed. The extension resolution passed unanimously.
- Capital Improvement Project Overview (Item 12): Deputy Director Susan Goldberg presented updates on downtown and beach CIPs. Downtown projects include Harrison Street streetscape (starting October), bollard installation, neighborhood FPL lighting, Tyler Street C-slip project (funded 2028), and North Alleyway drainage. Beach projects include Phase IV of A1A improvements (under construction), Keating Park (substantial completion October), near-shore artificial reef, and signage. Discussion focused on obligating remaining downtown TIFF dollars before fiscal year-end; potential uses include directional traffic/parking changes on 19th and 20th Avenues.
- Wayfinding and Monument Signage: Board members expressed frustration over multi-year delays. The contract sign company was recently purchased by another firm; City legal is reviewing the assignment's legality. The Board requested a written status update from the contractor within seven days and a memo on options if the contract cannot proceed.
- Crosswalk Discussion (continued from public comments): The Board discussed the Carolina Street traffic signal versus mid-block crosswalks. Staff confirmed the signal has an approved permit, components purchased, and installation pending FPL overhead line relocation (expected December). Rick Meidinger (City Executive Director) indicated FDOT now permits RRFBs with raised medians where justified. The Board reached consensus to proceed with both the Carolina Street signal and to study mid-block crossings via Kimley Horn, with an update before signal installation.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent agenda (items 5–7) unanimously.
- Approved item 8 (bollards) unanimously.
- Approved item 9 (S. 20th Ave funding) unanimously.
- Approved walk-on resolution (extension for Ocean Rescue Alliance) unanimously.
- Directed staff to engage Kimley Horn to study mid-block crosswalks on A1A and report back before the Carolina Street signal is installed; no formal vote was taken but consensus was recorded.
- Directed staff to provide options for obligating remaining downtown TIFF dollars, including a study of directional traffic and angled parking on 19th and 20th Avenues.
- Requested a written update from the wayfinding signage contractor within seven days and a staff memo on legal and procurement options if the contract is affected by the company acquisition.
- Staff to email the Board a summary of active downtown development projects (Rev, Walgreens, La Piazza, etc.) with anticipated timelines.
Meeting Transcript
As soon as we see that on airlight, turn on, there we go. Top of the morning, everybody. Welcome to City Hall here in the city of Hollywood. Today is September third, 2025. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance. Thank you. Roll call, please. Or to Member Hernandez. Here. Or to member Kalari. Here. Like Shark and Tanner. Here. Or it's Member Biedeman. Here. Or to member Gruber. Here. Chair Levy. Here. All right. Any conflict disclosures today? Hearing none, let's go on to nine a.m. citizens' comments. Bob Glickman, followed by Richard Chapesian. So Bob, is it Robert full name, or is it always been Bob? It's Robert, but I've been called a lot of other things as well. Roberto. Robbie. Hey, good morning. Good morning, Bob Glickman, Hollywood Beach. Okay, so we're here to talk about uh myself and Rich Chapezia, and we're here to talk about mid-block crosswalks. We've been trying to get people from FDOT to come down to the uh beach to do an on-site visit visit along A1A, which they finally were able to do. And once they did that, they kind of sort of agreed as long as the moon and the sun and the planets all aligned that we can get mid-block crosswalks. And this is what we're looking for. It was thanks to Chris O'Brien, who was able to set the meetings up for us and to get them and CRA staff and city staff down there so we can discuss it. Okay, this is something that we've been fighting for for our neighborhood. So we're requesting your help in that. There has been no consideration taken into account on the impact residents affected. The required FD intersection control evaluation study was not done. And there was also no bridge study done. These are massive arms, and they are eyesores when we are trying to beautify the area. So we would like to remove those. RFB crosswalks are also known to slow traffic. Most importantly, nobody is crossing at this location, the location at Carolina Street. A lot across the street from the Marriott is used only once a year on the 4th of July. The Bacon Lot North has no plans to be developed in the near future. New proposed skipper's dockside marina entrance is two and a half blocks south of where the proposed traffic light is at Carolina Street. Again, we would not do something that is wrong just because it was previously approved, especially when things have changed. Again, we request two things the postponement of the Carolina Street.
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