President’s Message – Winter 2013/2014
By this time our members are reading my message many of our seasonal residents have returned and our year round residents have made it through another hurricane season unscathed.
SICA is actively involved in several different issues affecting island residents. Some of these issues are continued development at the Ocean Mall, a police substation, more and more sober houses, Riviera Beach CRA activities on the island, and last but not least the severe erosion problem on our beaches. I will address the Ocean Mall and the CRA and other board members and Riviera Beach officials will comment on the remaining topics.
There is a new owner of the leasehold improvements at the Ocean Mall. The purchaser of the mall is from Boca Raton and has many years of experience in developing retail sites. Upon visiting the mall one can see that the old 7-11 has moved to a new location at the north end. Plans call for a two story structure where the old 7-11 was located. Construction is to begin tentatively in February. The new owner indicated he is trying to attract at least one more restaurant operator with an upscale motif. Other retail type businesses are also planned.
The Riviera Beach CRA continues to make its presence visible on the island. Their recent acquisition of Max and Eddy’s restaurant site is the first step in trying to change the appearance of retail sites along Beach Court and Blue Heron Blvd. Tony Brown, Executive Director of the RBCRA has had ongoing discussions with property owners on the island. A parking garage is still in the works behind the Grator Gator. There has been talk of putting a small hotel on top of the garage. Island residents have expressed their concerns about the height of such a structure. They have told Mr. Brown that five stories is the maximum height with which they would feel comfortable.
Special Election – Marina Referendum
On March 11, 2014 the City of Riviera Beach will hold a special election. The only item on the ballot will be a referendum allowing private development to take place at the Riviera Beach Marina. A similar referendum was approved by the citizens in March of 2011 which replaced another referendum approved in November of 2010. The 2010 referendum prohibited any private development at the marina. A legal challenge to the 2011 referendum resulted in a local judge ruling that the 2011 language was not clear as to its intent. Because of the judge’s ruling it was necessary for the city to re- draft the language and place it on the ballot in March of 2014. It is very important that all registered voters turn out and vote to support the new referendum. Without approval the only development that would take place would be the construction of a new Newcomb Hall. This would be a publically owned facility which has traditionally been subsidized by the City of Riviera Beach. The Riviera Beach Marina boat slips would be operated by the city. The marina operations have consistently lost money over the past several years. Why is the fate of the marina important to Singer lsland residents? Private development at the marina increases the tax base. This will have a positive effect on the taxes that island residents pay. Without private development the marina has the potential to be a sinkhole for city residents. The last election held in March of 2013 saw only 600 residents on the island vote out of a potential 3,000 registered to vote. SICA along with the other organizations on the island is determined to not let that happen. If residents don’t like getting in their car and driving to Phil Foster Park to vote, they can secure an absentee ballot and drop it in their mailbox.
Beach Update
Ongoing beach erosion continues to be a vexing problem for residents of Palm Beach County and the entire State of Florida. The north end of Singer Island has been one of the most impacted areas in the state. The solution for beach erosion on Singer Island is complicated by environmental issues such as the large number of turtle nests annually and the hard bottom offshore that helps sustain sea life. Over the past several years island residents have lobbied elected county commissioners to approve permanent structures off the coastline of Singer Island. The county commissioners actually voted 5-2 in approving breakwaters off of the island. The breakwaters also had the support of the Army Corp of Engineers. Final approval had to come from four federal agencies such as the Federal Fish and Wildlife Commission. The four agencies nixed the proposed breakwaters due to environmental concerns.
After Hurricane Sandy dealt a severe blow to Singer Island beaches, condominium owners on the beach felt they could no longer wait for the government to protect their beaches and more importantly their homes. With the threat of evacuation from their homes during Sandy, more condominiums applied for seawall permits. The Florida DEP approved their requests and several seawalls will be under construction by the time you read our newsletter. Once again the Federal Fish and Wildlife Commission threatened some condominium associations with potential criminal charges due to environmental concerns pertaining to sea turtle nesting.
In August of 2012 a new beach coalition was formed due to the efforts of Sonny Nardulli, president of Eastpointe One. Sonny reached out to SICA for help in organizing and maintaining the coalition.
Protect our Beaches Coalition has grown from 1400 members on Singer Island to over 20,000 association members from Jupiter to Boca Raton. Annual membership dues started at $80 per resident per year and since have been reduced to $40 for 2014.
The following are many of the accomplishments the coalition has produced since its inception:
- Gained support of several business and professional organizations including the Realtors Association of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Economic Council, the Palm Beach Council of Firefighters and Paramedics, and also the Marriot Resort and SPA on Singer Island.
- Expanded the coalition’s board to include community leaders throughout Palm Beach County.
- Met individually with every county commissioner, State officials, and the entire Palm Beach County Congressional delegation.
- We are pushing for changes to the Federal environmental laws, NEPA, to allow for more permitting latitude so that innovative approaches, technological advancements, and alternative erosion control systems can be evaluated and vetted.
- We are advocating for recurring revenue for beach projects at the federal, state and local levels.
The ultimate goal for the coalition as it pertains to Singer Island is the construction of breakwaters off shore. To accomplish this, the coalition must convince the federal government to allow a test pilot project of 3 to 4 breakwaters to determine the impact on turtle nesting. The best and quickest way is to have our local congressional representatives sponsor a bill allowing the pilot project to move forward. Congressman Patrick Murphy has instructed his staff attorney to contact the coalition’s political lobbyist, Tom DeRita, for the proposed language. Tom will be working with Palm Beach County Environmental Engineer, Dan Bates, for help regarding the wording. For more information regarding the coalition visit their website at wwwbeachescoalition.com.
Summer 2013 Message
With the completion of the construction of AIA and its beautification, SICA and Singer Island residents can turn their attention to two vital issues: beach erosion and the completion of the Ocean Mall. I will discuss the beach issue in more depth under the beaches and dunes section of our newsletter.
Further development at the Ocean Mall was stopped in its tracks by the financial demise of the original developer OMRD Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Catalfumo Development Corporation. When OMR Corp defaulted on its loan with BB&T Bank, an investment fund from New York known as GSF Trust stepped up to the plate and purchased the defaulted note from the bank. The purchase of the note took place in 2012; however, due to litigation issues involving Catalfumo and OMRD Corp, GSF was unable to move forward until May 1 of this year. Under the original lease with the city of Riviera Beach and OMRD Corp, the developer was obligated to pay the city an additional $300,000 should the build out of the mall not be completed by a certain date. GSF honored OMRD’s original obligation and has since paid the city the $300,000. GFS subsequently asked the city for a one year extension to complete the build out until May 31, 2014. The city agreed for an additional payment of $250,000. The remaining Seven Eleven building is to be torn down sometime this summer. GFS is shooting for August; however, this depends somewhat on Seven Eleven’s move to the vacant space at the north end of the mall. Seven Eleven has already started work on the improvements to the vacant space. GFS has also engaged the services of another New York firm who has more expertise in finding tenants for the remaining vacant space. The new agreement between the city and GFS calls for completion of the mall by May 31, 2014. lf this commitment is not met by GFS the leasehold improvements revert back to the city. Once the current Seven Eleven building is razed, GFS will create a green space until a new structure can be erected. Through the efforts of Councilwoman Dawn Pardo and Mary McKinney, head of the Community Development Department at Riviera Beach, a laundry list of housekeeping items was given to GSF to improve the overall appearance of the mall.
Sufficient parking at the Ocean Mall has been an issue especially on weekends. Riviera Beach CRA Executive Director, Tony Brown, has been negotiating with a land holder just behind the Grator Gator convenience market to erect a parking garage to handle the overflow parking from the mall. The current owner is not opposed to the concept; however, he would like to build a low rise hotel on top of the garage. Ongoing discussions with the owner, RBCRA, and island residents are still in progress. The RBCRA and island residents are focused on cleaning up the back properties behind the Grator Gator. This issue has always been complicated by the multiple property owners along Blue Heron and Beach Court.
Off the island construction continues on Broadway and U.S. 1. This is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2014. Planned improvements at the Riviera Beach Marina should begin early 2014.
Operations at the Rybovich Mega Yacht Center on 20th Street should hopefully be in full swing by April or May, 2014.
Winter 2013 Message
By the time you read this message, 2012 will have come and gone and SICA is busy focusing on issues that will have an impact on island residents.
Seasonal residents returned to the completed beautification of the Blue Heron Bridge and North Ocean Drive. Comments from our residents have been very positive. Without SlCA’s efforts the scope of the project would have been substantially reduced. Some residents advocated for just resurfacing AIA to reduce the cost of the project. SICA supported a more comprehensive plan and worked with governmental agencies and elected officials to produce the best possible results.
Some of the comments from residents that needed further attention were the cutting of grass and maintenance of the islands in the center of AIA. Also the north end of the island has fewer sitting benches and trash receptacles. Dawn Pardo, Council Chair Pro-Tem for the City of Riviera Beach informed us that the city will outsource the maintenance to a private third party once the contractor has completed the construction to the city’s satisfaction. Dawn has also asked Mary McKinney, Director of Community Development, to address the bench and receptacle issue.
In February, 2012, the Palm Beach County Commissioners voted 4-3 to not endorse a permanent solution to beach erosion on Singer Island. After that vote Singer Island residents reached out to SICA to help start a “Protect Our Beaches Coalition.” This issue is discussed in more detail in our newsletter by Sonny Nardulli, President of Protect Our Beaches Coalition and SICA committee chair for beaches and dunes. Visit Protect Our Beaches website at www.beachescoalition.com.
Crime and island safety is another area in which SICA has been actively involved. Exciting developments are in the works that will benefit island residents.
SICA has worked very closely with the Riviera Beach Police Department and the Riviera Beach CRA. Please refer to the article by Draga Lindblom on this subject. As a result of the recent deaths of two teenagers at Newcomb Hall, City Manager, Ruth Jones and Police Chief Clarence Williams created the Commission on Social Justice. The focus of the commission is to identify those factors in the Riviera Beach Community that cause such tragic events. The commission is co-chaired by Michael Sloser, president of COASI, and Dr. Tony Drayton, a prominent pastor in the community. Mike and Dr. Drayton are looking for volunteers to serve on one of the five committees. If you have an interest in finding out more about the commission please contact Mike at michaelsloser@gmail.com.
Progress regarding the future development of the Riviera Beach Marina continues to move along. The city’s master developer, Viking Yachts, is scheduled to present their comprehensive plan to the Riviera Beach CRA and City Council on January 30. The council vote to approve will be February 27. Viking has engaged the services of Live, Work, Learn and Play, an international development company from Montreal, Canada and Elkus Manfredi, a national architectural and design firm from Boston, MA who helped the City of West Palm Beach develop CityPlace. The comprehensive plan will detail the development of the marina area and the Broadway corridor. The current road construction on Broadway is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2014.
Lastly, Riviera Beach will have a general election on March 12. There will be races involving two council seats and the mayoral position. SICA will be holding the January 29 meeting at the Palm Beach Shores Town Hall. The format will be a candidate’s forum involving all those running for office. The SICA PAC will be making its endorsements shortly after that meeting so voters receiving their absentee ballots on or around February will know who the SICA PAC supports.
Winter 2012 Message
The holiday season has come and gone and with its passing, SICA hopes everyone had a joyous one and wishes a prosperous New Year to all. SICA would like to welcome all our seasonal residents back and we look forward to seeing many of you at our monthly meetings at the Palm Beach Shores Town Hall.
Since our last newsletter SICA has been actively involved in community affairs and local events. On November 9th SICA co-hosted, with the Town of Palm Beach Shores, a town hall meeting featuring our U.S. Representative Allen West. Colonel West gave a brief summary on the state of affairs in Washington and his vision for the future. The address was followed by a very active question and answer session from the approximately 200 in attendance.
Roadwork on Blue Heron and Ocean Drive continues to move along. The current target date for completion is July 2012 pending any future delays. Original completion was the spring of 2011, however, the City of Riviera Beach experienced delays caused by the underground infrastructure, which was much worse than anticipated.
SICA continues to be actively involved in the progress of the development at the Riviera Beach Marina. Our past concerns centered on what financial obligations the City would be exposed to regarding the development and leasing of retail space at the marina. The Riviera Beach CRA hosted an open workshop on November 15 to update local residents on the progress at the marina. The results of the meeting were very positive. The master developer at the marina, Viking Yachts, introduced their potential joint venture partner, Live Work Learn Play. The Canadian based development company gave residents an overview of past developments they participated in and their potential vision for the marina. The company, which has developed projects internationally and closer to home, developed the marina at Destin, Florida. I would encourage you to visit their website at www.LWLP.com. LWLP looked at the marina five years ago and believed the political climate at the CRA and City was not conducive to ensure success. At the workshop they cited the attitude and cooperation from the current CRA, led by its executive director, Tony Brown, and members of the City Council and our Mayor.
A great concern for island residents is the ongoing issue of beach erosion. SICA continues to address this important issue with the help of Councilwoman Pardo.
At the December 10th COASI meeting, CRA director Tony Brown updated the members on what was transpiring in the CRA districts. He expressed sincere interest in potential future development of CRA property located west of the Ocean Mall and behind the Sands Hotel. In addition he informed members that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was planning improvements for Broadway south of Blue Heron. Some of the improvements would include new sidewalks, lighting and additional plantings. The CRA has also encouraged business owners in the Broadway corridor to update their storefronts by making funds available for the renovations.
Another positive event took place when the City Council approved the partial abandonment of 20th Street. This will allow Rybovich Corporation to proceed with the construction of their mega yacht facility on land they own on both sides of 20th Street. In consideration of the approval their right to lease property at the city marina was withdrawn by Rybovich. The canceling of the intent to lease will greatly facilitate private development at the city marina. Kudos to Councilwoman Dawn Pardo for actively supporting the Rybovich project. The upcoming March 2012 election is just around the corner. Council Persons Judy Davis and Dawn Pardo will be running for re-election. SICA will be hosting a candidate forum at our February meeting.
SICA is not all about politics. Our board members are actively involved in community events that help local residents. We participated in the “Mingle and Jingle” event at Johnny Longboats sponsored by Councilwoman Dawn Pardo. The purpose of the event was to collect toys for children in the Riviera Beach Community. We also distributed toy collection boxes at many of the island condominiums. On Saturday, December 10, we attended a fund-raiser for Youth Build at Two Drunken Goats. This non-profit organization helps our young residents 18-24 complete their education and chart a career path. Two of our local residents who support this organization are Council Chairperson, Judy Davis and Singer Island neighbor Diana DiMeo.
Summer 2011 Update
The latest issue of SICA’s newsletter is to inform members of what has transpired over the summer in the City of Riviera Beach. The progress on the A1A beatification project is moving along quite nicely. The construction on the small bridge east of the Blue Heron bridge has been completed. Final completion of the total A1A improvement is now scheduled for the fall of 2012. The new Publix store, immediately west of the Blue Heron Bridge is scheduled to open in October. Due to the economy, the lease up of the Ocean Mall is moving along slowly. Subway has moved into its new location in the Mall and the New York Style Deli has opened. The Mall and the beach improvements are outstandingand add to the quality of life on the island.
There are several issues confronting the City of Riviera Beach, all of which will have an enormous impact on the residents of the island. They are:
- Beach and dunes restoration
- Proliferation of substance abuse facilities on the island in residential areas
- Reduction of personnel at the Singer Island fire station
- Increased property taxes as values continue to fall
- The proposed development of the Riviera Beach Marina
Various board members will address these issues in this newsletter.
The board has been very active over the summer meeting with city council members to express our position on key issues. We have also had discussions with Tony Brown, the CRA director, about the development of the municipal marina. We have continued to meet with other civic organizations on the island and the mainland. Those organizations are: The Citizens for Responsible Growth, the Community Officers Association of Singer Island (COASI) and the Committee for a Better Riviera Beach (CFBRB). Although members of CFBRB have spoken at our monthly meetings in the past, I would like to inform our members of their mission. Citizens living west of the Blue Heron Bridge started the committee. They share the same visions for Riviera Beach that benefit the residents of Singer Island that SICA supports. Most importantly, they believe in economic development that will provide jobs for our citizens, lower taxes and change the image of Riviera Beach. They supported the Rybovich development at the marina, helped change the l nguage in the city charter allowing for private enterprise on marina property, and backed the same candidates for city council endorsed by SICA in the last election.
Next, I would like to pass out kudos to citizens and elected officials. First, a special thanks to Sonny Nardulli at Eastpointe I and to Don Gaertner at the Corniche for their great effort regarding the beach erosion issue. Although the breakwater project has been shelved temporarily due to disagreements between governmental agencies, the question has not died. Thanks always to Councilwoman Dawn Pardo for her tireless effort in representing the best interest of all Riviera Beach citizens. Even though SICA has not always seen eye-to-eye with our mayor, Bishop Thomas Masters, we would like to express our appreciation for his support regarding substance abuse facilities, the reduction in personnel at the Singer Island Fire Station and his promise to make the city more user friendly to new business applications.
By the time you read this newsletter, Singer Island will have barely averted its second hurricane threat of the season – Hurricane Irene. Cooler temperatures will not be far away and our seasonal residents will be coming back. SICA’s first monthly meeting is October 18th. We will have interesting and informative local, state and national officials addressing our members. The board looks forward to seeing everyone again.
Please note that SICA will make a financial donation to the Town of Palm Beach Shores thanking them for support of our organization and for the use of their town hall for our monthly meetings. The presentation will take place at their September Commission Meeting.
