Saturday, May 23, 2020
REQUEST FOR INPUT: 6th Ave. Development
For those who aren't aware, I'm one of the five elected commissioners in Biscayne Park, and we hold a public meeting the first Tuesday of every month (sometimes more often depending on the work load and if the commissioners are willing to put in extra time). At the June 2 meeting, FDOT (FL Dept of Transportation) will attend to present its plans for the redevelopment of 6th Ave. where is passes through our village. Everyone is welcome to attend to see the presentation and to voice opinions on the project. FDOT's plan will be posted on the village website along with the rest of the agenda on Friday, May 29.
In addition to making sure you all know that you're invited, I'd like to hear from you directly about the project: what you want to have included, what should be omitted, your concerns, ideas, criticisms and thoughts as general or as specific as you'd like to share. You can chat among yourselves here, but I won't be able to reply or engage due to state Sunshine Laws knowing that other electeds will see your posts. You may also engage with me directly on my village cell (305.213.5139) or by using my village email (mkennedy@biscayneparkfl.gov).
I look forward to your thoughts, whether you're a resident of 6th Ave. itself or you live elsewhere in the village.
Happy long weekend, all!
Mac.
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Mac,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up. Three things:
1) "For those [of us] who aren't aware...?" We are all very much more than aware. And grateful. It didn't need to be said.
2) What you've said is that FDOT wants to redevelop 6th Avenue, and you'd like to know what we would like to see as part of the redevelopment. It would help, if you've been given any clues, to know what FDOT is already planning. If they've decided they want to redevelop this street, they must have some articulatable reason, and some idea what outcome they're looking for.
3) "Sunshine." You can say whatever you want, to anyone you want, in any place or situation where you encounter people. They can even be your Commission colleagues. As a technicality, the "Sunshine" violation occurs not when you express something, but when a Commission colleague responds to you (that response defines the proscribed conversation), if the response occurs not in an accepted meeting, and if the topic is or is reasonably anticipated to become a voting issue. I don't have much of a way to know who reads this blog, except when there are comments. I strongly suspect Rox does. Dan might, or he might not. I feel reasonably sure Ginny and Will don't. But none of that matters unless any of them responds to you, here (which is not an accepted meeting), and if the matter under discussion is or can reasonably be anticipated to become a voting issue. What is generally said is that "best practice" is for electeds not to communicate about anything to do with the place being represented, unless it's at a proper meeting. The extension of that would be that you shouldn't, technically, even post what you did. But you did, and you probably posted a version of the same thing on ND, and it's aimed at your constituents. Your Commission colleagues know that. They're not going to respond to you. Feel free to say whatever you want.
Fred
I never assume anyone knows who I am or that I'm an elected official ... or that they care. Since being elected, I've met as many constituents who were unaware as aware that I represent them. I remember seeing JFKJr. interviewed once. Certainly, he was about as recognizable a person as one could imagine before his untimely death. He commented that every time he met anyone anywhere, he always introduced himself by first and last name because he never assumed people knew (or cared) who he was. While I wish I were one of those Kennedys (actually, I don't, although one village resident assumed I was! LOL!!), I think it's only proper to introduce yourself every time you greet someone until they greet you by name unprompted. A rule I live by ... and insist that my sales staff also lives by in their work lives. (Did I use too many words to say that?)
ReplyDeleteHow humble of JFK. He was very recognizable, and as much as I would generally say that everyone who crossed his path knew who he was, it is most certain that everyone who was in a position to cross his path after he became president knew who he was. (I remember a letter written to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine back in the 1980s, and it addressed the common practice of showing the face of a real patient, for the purpose of demonstrating some pathological finding or something. The practice was to black out the eyes of the patient with a redaction bar. The point of the letter-writer was to say how useless it was to do this. And to prove this point, the writer included a photograph of then president Ronald Reagan, with his eyes obscured. But it was flagrantly obvious it was Reagan. Anyone who knew the patient would recognize him or her without the eyes being obscured, and anyone who didn't wouldn't.)
DeleteSo, if you were to say that you meet in person people who have not seen you before, and/or don't care about BP and its politics, I would agree with you that if you gave your name, it would mean nothing to some of them, or they would say "oh, YOU'RE Mac Kennedy." But there is no reader of this blog, or anyone who looks at the BP section of ND, who doesn't know who Mac Kennedy is.
FYI, when I was out meeting people, or calling them, or whatever, after I was on the Commission, I would introduce myself by name, and say I was one of their neighbors and one of their Commissioners. But that was only if I was contacting strangers cold about something.
JFK Jr.
DeleteI have been shown only prelim plans, so I can't say for certain what's included until the agenda and backups are released on Friday. I understand we will see: sidewalks on both sides, crosswalks across 6th with lights and unlit crosswalks on the streets, sod along both sides, drains in the medians, new lights (I think the bright parking lot lights are specified). Not certain, but I believe some existing hedges and gardens in front of residences will need to be removed. Lots to learn this week. Speed limit will not change.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's it exactly. That's what I was suggesting you let us know, before we try to formulate what our own extra wishes might be.
DeleteMac, now that I again look over the list of what you think you remember will be the proposed changes, I don't think I favor any of them. I don't favor reducing the caliber of the road from four lanes to two, I don't think side walks have a role here, I might be on the fence about crosswalks, but not if they involve other traffic interruption (stop lights) in such a small distance, we don't have a 6th Avenue drainage problem, and I'm not sure I understand why we need lighting better than what we already have.
DeleteI'm glad the state upgraded the median installations a few years ago, and I encourage them to keep a higher level of development there. But that's really it for 6th Avenue, at least in my opinion.
But do let us know after you get more specifics on Friday.
Fred
I am not in favor of sidewalk installations unless we reduce the roadway to one lane in each direction, then there would be room for sidewalks, possibly a bike path, and it should slow down traffic.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing, David seems to have been involved with the DOT project since he has been working in BP and for some reason it has not been discussed in public to my knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tracked 6th Avenue, but my guess is that it's the caliber of state road that could not be two lanes (one in each direction). I agree that adding a sidewalk, or two sidewalks, would encroach unfairly on homeowners in our stretch of 6th Avenue. Plus, I don't think anyone walks that stretch.
DeleteSo David is the new Tracy? Great.
Yes, Fred, David is the new Tracy (in a way). As you may remember, I live on 6th avenue and have been following this project for a couple of years. I had shared my feelings to anyone that I could contact a couple of years ago when I figured out what was up. Do you know how I figured it out? I saw people out on my street for several days in a row surveying. I called Village Hall and I was told that nobody could tell me about it. I then went to the people in the street surveying and asked them what was up. Yes, that is how I found out about this project that would affect me very, very personally. I then contacted Krishan, who of course was very nice but not very helpful. I let it slide for a while and when Krishan was ousted, I contacted David Hernandez who was really, really not helpful. I am very steamed about this project and the fact that Biscayne Park officials decided to keep it a secret. I feel like they are selling out the people of 6th avenue to get what they think they want. Everyone I know is advising me to be more public about this, but I am not comfortable in the public arena.
DeleteOh, and I don't think it is beside the point that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Are things not stressful and dangerous enough?
Well, BrambleWitch, either we need some new Commissioners and a new manager, or we need to drop "Transparency" from out Village motto.
DeletePlease take a deep breath, and find a way to speak publicly. Reporting this kind of story here is great, but you need a wider and more official audience.
I like Chucks thoughts on 2 lane and it should be something we inquire about at the meeting along with a statute or study that supports the response. This would slow down the speed and yes it will increase congestion but that’s already happening at peak times for us. Crosswalk lights we should look into options. Not the LED flashing obnoxious ones. Perhaps something a bit more subtle?
ReplyDeleteI wish Mac had more specifics to tell us about, so we'd know whatever FDOT has at least made public, even if they don't stick with it.
DeleteIf HoGo is who I think it is, then this affects you very directly. Is speed on 6th Avenue a problem to you? I know it's the street where most speeding occurs, and most tickets get written, but I don't know if it's experienced as a problem, or a danger, or a cause for anxiety. The limit on 6th Avenue is 30, and although there are drivers who drive fast enough to get tickets, I don't think there are people driving 45 or more. But maybe there are.
But in any case, I know that 6th Avenue north of us is four lane to the end, at 186th St, and it's four lane to the southern end, which is the connection with Biscayne Boulevard, which itself is four lane. I just can't imagine the state would plan, or agree, to make this tiny, few block piece two lane. I don't think it's the kind of thing they do.
Fred, there are many people driving 45 or more regularly. We had our first accident in a while on the first day that the county was opened. Hit and run across the street from us. Luckily they only hit and run my neighbor's car.
Delete