Directors/Alternates Present
Tory Jacobs/Brickell 25
Silvia R. Burgoa/Brickell Park
Bruce Cotten, Bruce Higley/2000 Brickell
Robert Ryder/Brickell Harbour
Linda Baker, Alejandro Gálvez/Brickell Place Phase I
Jay Morton/Bristol Tower
Salvador Zeigenhurt/25 Bay Tower
Mac Seligman/Brickell Town House
Al Maloof/Mark Yacht Club on Brickell Bay
Herbert Bailey/Brickell Forest
Ernesto Cuesta/The Metropolitan
Jorge Iglesias, Ann Rosen/Brickell Mar
Joe E. Diaz, Julie Magaldi/Villa Regina
Harry Turk/The Palace
Nicolas P. Cuenca/Brickell Key II
Luis Gonzalez/St. Louis
Joe Frisz/Brickell East
Ron Smith/Deputy General Counsel
Natalie Brown/BHA Communications Director
Associate Members Present
Daniel Ponce/Brickell Key Master Association
Tibor Hollo, Florida East Coast Realty
Megan Kelly/Brickell Area Association
City of Miami
Haydee Regueyra/Coral Way NET
Eddie Padilla/Downtown NET
Chief John Timoney, Deputy Chief Frank Fernandez, Commander Rudolfo Llanes, Lt. Ken Nelson, Officer Jeffrey Giordano/City of Miami Police
Also Present
Jeannette Dominguez/Bristol Tower
Marilyn Goldaber/Brickell Town House
Yvonne Hochheiser/25 Bay Tower
Robert Geitner, Josie Correa/Downtown Miami Partnership
John Yanopoulos, Joseph Cook/Infinity
Wendy Kallergis/Miami City Club
Reinaldo Borges, AIA/Borges & Associates
The meeting was called to order at 6:20 p.m.
A motion was made and seconded to waive the reading of the February minutes and accept them as published. The motion passed unanimously.
President’s Report
Introductions. The new and returning BHA officers were introduced and each Board member (or alternate) present introduced themselves.
Security Seminar. Mac Seligman is heading up planning with Miami Police for a Security Seminar in May. Everyone was asked to provide input about what topics they’d like to see covered. A brief survey form was distributed.
Police Report
Commander Lt. Ken Nelson, newly assigned to Coral Way, was introduced.
Proposed changes to State Condo Regs
Posted on the BHA Web site and will be featured in an article in the newsletter. While the changes don’t affect BHA, some of the recommendations fly in the face of individual buildings’ condo bylaws. Reps are recommended to take a look in light of their own buildings.
Bikes on Sidewalks
Looking at this issue with the Police and how to make the sidewalks safer for pedestrians, joggers, strollers, etc. City could outlaw bicycles between 15th and 25th Roads on one or both sides of Brickell Avenue, but that forces them onto the road, which isn’t safe. We could get an ordinance…there is one for West Flagler.
Infinity at Brickell Project Overview
This project on Coral Way (next to Turner Construction offices) will consist of 52 stories of residential units and 10 stories of offices plus 52,000 square feet of retail and restaurants. Located one block away from Metromover and Metrorail, this luxury condo will offer a pool and gym on the 10th floor deck. Currently in the MUSP process and hoping to break ground in November. The 433 units (half of which are sold) are going for $350 a square foot for 560- to 1200-square-foot units (studios through 2 bedrooms). Garage will accommodate 585 cars (1st car in household is self parked; second car gets valet).
Special Guest Chief Timoney
Chief Timoney and Deputy Chief Fran Fernandez stopped by to give BHA an update. The outlook for Miami is upbeat, with new people coming all the time, with a crime rate that’s steadily dropped since the 1970s and 1980s and with 15 months without an officer firing a bullet at a suspect.
Question about speeding and traffic safety on Brickell Avenue. What can be done? Traffic signals, cameras at intersections, speed readers (BHA’s is currently deployed on Brickell Avenue).
Commander Rudy Llanes says it needs to be an environmental solution not enforcement. The more summons you write, you keep writing them. He said, “Enforcement is not the solution to the problem. It’s never going to be the solution. We write 50 tickets a month on S. Miami Avenue.”
NET Reports
Eddie Padilla: NET office staff attend the MUSP hearings to be sure the newcomers are good neighbors, adhere to their construction hours, etc. “We want to make sure that we have contact with each of the construction companies doing development so that if a neighbor brings forth an issue we know who to talk to/contact at the developer.”
Question raised about Bayside’s late night parties. The City is looking at their noise ordinance…up for 2nd reading at March 25th meeting and is expected to be deferred. NET office is bound by the laws in place. The current noise ordinance allows certain events through 1 a.m.
Haydee Regueyra reminded all present to report any and all problems so that she and Eddie can represent neighbors’ concerns at the meetings they sit in on at the city.
Tibor Hollo Presenting Villa Magna
This luxury property to be built next to The Jade, will feature 900 to 1,400 square foot one- and two-bedroom apartments in 2 towers, 110 feet apart from each other, each with 500 units. Pedestal parking with small hotel suites around outside to be operated by a flag. Mr. Hollo’s FEC Realty and the Jade are funding street improvements, a baywalk and a promenade that goes from Brickell Bay Drive to the Bay with paving blocks, fountains, new lighting, sculpting and new signage for the area on Brickell Bay Drive and SE 12th Street.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Next Meeting is slated for Wed., April 21, at the Miami Museum of Science, 3280 S. Miami Ave. All are invited to go at 5:00 p.m. for a free visit to the galleries before the meeting.
