Residents Disappointed and Angry Over "Beautification" of Brickell Ave.

When asking residents if they like the work on Brickell Avenue their typical reaction is noncommittal, until they are told that the road repaving is complete and the landscaping only has sod to go. Then they become alarmed at what's been done. . .

It's the old "good news-bad news" clichè. The good news is that the noisy, disruptive trucks and heavy equipment are gone at last from Brickell Avenue. The bad news is, they're not coming back.

Somehow, the Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Miami's view of this beautification project has not come close to matching the vision of Brickell area residents. Both FDOT and the City say they've done exactly what they set out to do, that the results are according to plan and residents should not be displeased.

Many residents, including BHA board members who have met monthly with officials in charge of the job and have made residents' views known all along for more than a year, feel strong action should be taken by Brickell residents now. Accepting this as final is unacceptable, many feel. (See column, next page.)

Residents are disappointed in the landscaping and don't see the canopy effect they were promised. They see small trees, many of which look sick and about to die. They don't see design consistency, or the "...tropical and colorful landscaping [with] trees to fill in the canopy effect and flowering plants to add color" as promised when the project began last summer by Enrique Nunez, the City of Miami's landscape architect on the project.

The Landscaping: Does It Just Need Time?
The BHA formed a Median Committee with landscape architect Richard Rogers, who is in charge of Miami Airport landscaping, as a member. The committee met several times with FDOT Project Director Gus Graupera and provided a list of concerns and recommendations. They reported they could never get a meeting with the key person, Enrique Nunez. They have not heard back on their recommendations which were to have been forwarded to him.

Among the concerns the committee cited, one of the most perplexing had to do with trees that were already planted, pulled out of the ground and then left to die. Prior to the new planting, residents had been upset and dismayed by the removal of large, seemingly healthy trees, particularly one at 15th Road.

The work is still in progress, however, with workers still on the project, Nunez said. Trees will take time to fill in.

Ana Gelabert, a landscape architect and now the City of Miami's Downtown N.E.T. administrator, originally created the median plan. She said the tree sizes were as large as could be transplanted without high risk of failure.

"The trees are a nice size," Gelabert said. "You are comparing them to the [full-grown] trees that are still there."

The subcontractor for the landscaping provided a guarantee to FDOT of one year for the trees and six months on some plants, after which the City of Miami will take over maintenance. The BHA committee cited concerns about some ground cover used that will require frequent trimming for traffic visibility. Will the maintenance be adequate after the guaranties expire?

The leaky pipe irrigation system activated by solar cells will provide the correct level of water for maintenance, Nunez told BHA President Tory Jacobs.

This Part of the Problem Won't Grow Away
While work continues on the landscaping, the roadway is the major sticking point, since FDOT says it is complete. Many residents mistakenly think there is a "top coat" to come. What is there is not a base; it's the new road.

"The patchwork look, the mismatched cement?" residents ask. FDOT says that it's all permanent. And it turns out that the cement will not cure to match in "a year" as residents were once told by the FDOT. Apparently matching the new cement to the old was not a factor that PJ Constructors, FDOT's contractor on the job, was asked to consider when choosing the concrete mix.

Is the FDOT Negligent?
BHA directors are investigating what recourse, if any, they would have against the FDOT. A Florida Statute enacted in 1992 addresses the "uniform minimum standards for design, construction and maintenance" of county road systems. It says that designs for roads shall provide "the appropriate aesthetics based upon scale, color, architectural style, materials used to construct the facilities, and the landscape design and landscape materials around the facilities."

BHA directors have made an inquiry to Jose Abreu, district secretary of FDOT here in Miami, as to what aesthetic standards were considered in the Brickell Avenue job. BHA wrote to Abreu in late July explaining the feelings of the residents:

"Brickell Avenue from the new bridge to Rickenbacker Causeway is one of Miami's prime thoroughfares, traversing the premier high-rise residential community and our world-class international financial district.

"But the street's appearance in no way lives up to the neighborhood. It is an eyesore, with permanent jagged cracks running through the center of the pavement. It looks like a broken chessboard.

"Brickell Avenue must be redone to aesthetic standards consistent with the area it traverses."

BHA is awaiting a response.

President's Column By T. Sinclair (Tory) Jacobs

The Brickell Homeowners Association is made up of 21 condominium associations ranging in size from four units to 552 units. The residences are located on Brickell Key and from 15th to 25th Roads on both sides of Brickell Avenue.

The City of Miami Finance Department records for 1994 show that BHA members represent 5.1% of the residential units in the City, and pay 9.3% of all residential property taxes collected by the City.

These numbers understate the neighborhood's contribution to the City tax rolls because our membership includes only condominium residences. The rental apartments and single-family home in the area also contribute tax income to the City.

New condominium properties under construction in the Brickell enclave, including Tequesta Point, St. Louis and Santa Maria, all of which are committed to BHA membership, will soon add materially to the City's property tax revenues.

Miami is a big city, spread out over many square miles. It is easy to overlook the fact that more than one of every 20 Miami residences are located in one small area, Brickell; and that more than $1 of every $11 in residential property tax revenues emanates from this few-block neighborhood.

We would anticipate that City officials be mindful of Brickell's share of the City's revenues when considering our requests for City services. However, when "push comes to shove" letters, faxes, telephone calls and, most effective, mass presence in the City Commission gallery are the motivators toward favorable action.

In other words, the squeaky wheel still gets the grease.

Residents Applaud Plan for Mini-Publix in the Neighborhood

The reception was enthusiastic for developer Harvey Taylor when he told Brickell Homeowner Association directors and residents about plans for a "mini" Publix supermarket in the area.

Slated to be open in early 1996, the store will be located on a tract bounded by Coral Way on the north, SW 2nd Avenue on the west, 14th Street on the south and the Metrorail right-of-way on the east. Demolition of homes there will begin this fall.

A Publix hasn't come to Brickell sooner due to the high cost of scarcely available land in the area, Taylor said. The mini store is a new concept for Publix, with this Miami store only the third to go up. The first one was built in Tampa. At 27,000 square feet, the new store will be about half the size of a typical Publix, but still about as big as the Hyde Park Market now on Coral Way, Taylor said.

Residents agreed that having a new Publix nearby was good news, since the closest Publix that many use, at 2270 SW 27th Ave., is always crowded and somewhat inconvenient. Taylor confirmed residents' charge that that Publix also has seriously inadequate parking for the size of the store and the number of people it serves.

The new Publix will have 164 parking spaces, 30 more than required by code, Taylor said.

Taylor described the upscale design plans for the store: "We're going to spend extraordinary money for buffering with landscaping" all around the store. It will have a "barrel tile roof and backlit glass block," he said.

The tract will have an additional 6,000 square feet of retail services and include a drugstore.

Overhead Utility Lines: What Price Beauty?
Recently some concerned Brickell residents began discussion about the unsightliness of the telephone poles, utility lines and related hardware that line Brickell Avenue's west side. Petitions were circulated in several condominium buildings with the intent of having Florida Power & Light eliminate the poles and bury the lines for a more aesthetically pleasing Brickell Avenue. Eventually the question had to be asked, "What's the cost for this added beauty?"

In response to this movement led by Rosalind Forrest, a resident of The Palace, BHA directors began investigation of what would need to be done to change the area's overhead utility system to an underground system. The hurdle of achieving 100% consensus, the track record of other communities trying to bury lines, and the unknown, almost unknowable costs involved, nearly killed the notion at the July BHA directors meeting, save for a few hearty advocates of the idea that want to take the effort further.

"It's important that people understand we're talking about a onetime cost," said Forrest, who circulated the petitions and is the leading proponent of switching to underground. After the initial costs are paid and the conversion is done, household electricity use is billed at the same rate as with overhead lines.

It's Not Up to FPL
It turns out that a request, petition or even an act of God like Hurricane Andrew is not sufficient to compel FPL to make the costly switch from overhead to underground. As a public utility, FPL is heavily regulated by the Public Service Commission, and has a detailed tariff outlining the rules and regulations about underground conversions.

The tariff is explicit in who must agree and who must pay: everyone - every owner in the area affected and every other utility that shares poles, such as Southern Bell, cable TV companies and county-controlled traffic signal systems are affected.

Once all those parties agree to go underground, those who would provide the underground space - whether it be owners needing to grant easements or condo buildings needing to allow their driveways and entrances to be cut up - would need to cooperate. Transformers, the big can-like hardware mounted on poles, would need to be relocated onto someone's property. FPL's experience is that people do not readily agree to these steps, Ralph Calleja, major accounts manager for FPL, said.

Assessing Costs
All these agreements would need to be secured, in writing, before FPL would be able to provide a binding estimate. Many residents said, however, they could not get consensus on a plan without a pricetag for each household.

"In established areas, the logistics are extremely difficult...and the costs are very high, Eloy Villasuso, corporate and external affairs manager for FPL, told BHA residents. "You have to deal with each property owner along the way."

Also to be included in the equation are the costs to those property owners that would be required to upgrade their electrical service to meet current code regulations, a customary mandate whenever new work is done in a home meeting old code standards.

Long Term Savings?
In new developments of eight homes or more, the utilities must be built underground. It's considerably less costly and easier to do before anyone lives there and the area is built up.

Many residents may share the belief that underground lines would be preferable to overhead lines in South Florida, given our experience in downed lines after Hurricane Andrew. However, surprisingly, maintenance problems and costs are about equal between the two, Calleja said.

"Wind is the enemy of overhead lines, where water and corrosion are the enemies in underground systems," he said.

Forrest contends that the Federal Emergency Management Agency "recommends they go underground;" however, the magnitude of expense FEMA would say is feasible to make a conversion in an area like Brickell is unknown. Forrest identified 29 poles to be removed between 15th and 25th Roads in her petition to the power company.

The Village of Key Biscayne recently tried to initiate an underground conversion but gave up the effort.

If You're Interested...
A committee of the BHA chaired by Magda Quiros has been formed to look into the matter further and report back to the BHA directors in September.

Around the Neighborhood

Simpson Park
Cheers go to the Miami Roads Neighborhood Civic Association which has taken over management of Simpson Park and has hired a caretaker for the historic site which has suffered from vandalism and other illegal activities in the past.

Fundraiser in the Financial District
Some area residents didn't miss out on July 14th when one-year-old Giacomo's Cafe, 1060 Brickell Ave., hosted a Bastille Day celebration to raise money for the AIDS Relief Fund. Owner Giacomo, who offered tasty samplings from his menu, said he hosted the event to show it is important to be a good neighbor and help where needed. He also wanted to introduce the cafe to the residential neighborhood.

Managers and Owners: Trespassing Policy Changes
A revised policy from the Miami Police Department entitled "Enforcement of Trespass Offenses" states that although a trespassing warning may be posted, it is suggested that the officer called to the scene give the individual an opportunity to leave before making an arrest. Where there is no posting, the officer must witness the manager's or owner's warning at the time in order for a "'Trespass After Warning' arrest to be valid." Once the individual fails to leave, the officer may arrest the individual, listing the owner or manager as a witness.

The police define "posted land" as follows:

"Posted land is defined as land upon which signs are placed not more than 500 feet apart along and at each corner of the boundaries of the land. The signs must display prominently in letters not less than 2 inches in height, the words, "no trespassing", and in addition, the name of the owner, lessee or occupant of said land."

Any questions should be addressed to the Police Legal Unit at 579-6577.

New Rental Residence on the Rise
A 29-story, 297-unit rental residence is planned for 185 SE 14th Terrace, east of Brickell Avenue. BHA directors and residents received the project presentation by Terremark, Inc.'s Ed Jacobsen favorably after hearing details from architect Rai Fernandez of Bemello, Ajamil & Partners, designers of the building.

The building will contain one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 642 to 900 square feet with rental rates between $800 and $1,300 a month. The parking garage will be inside and landscape buffering will surround the structure. It will have a pool and a small office services facility for tenants, Jacobsen reported.

He hopes to break ground before the end of 1995.

Other Area Developments
Progress on other new buildings in the area continues with Swire Properties readying for condominium number two on Claughton Island as they near completion of One Tequesta Point, 888 Brickell Key Drive. Recent reports peg sales for the first condominium at over half of the 288 units. Opening is slated for October 1995.

Residents may have heard when the Santa Maria foundation was poured in a massive effort on July 8th at 1643 Brickell Avenue. The pour reportedly involved more than 100 trucks making 1,200 trips from batch plants for 40 million pounds of concrete.

Odor from the Virginia Key Sewage Treatment Plant: Fisher Island Shares Problem, Leads Battle

Brickell area residents are not the only ones bothered by the unpleasant odor emanating from the Virginia Key Sewage Treatment Plant. Their close proximity to the plant makes odor aided by ocean breezes a regular, sometimes daily problem for residents of luxurious Fisher Island. Their battle for relief from the problem continues...

In recent months odors wafting over from the plant have reached new noxious levels, despite legal steps the Fisher Island developer took to have the situation improved. Prior to January 1995, some improvement was noticed, but in April and May, things got bad again. So bad that Fisher Island is considering another legal bout with the agency in charge, the Metro-Dade Water and Sewer Authority.

Agency Held Accountable
WASA is the same entity under the gun for an outdated sewer system that threatens environmental havoc if not upgraded on an accelerated scale. Readers may recall it was WASA that put in the new cross-bay sewage pipeline entering Biscayne Bay at 15th Road, ahead of schedule but not without some disruption and damage to condos along the way.
WASA has committed to a $57 million program aimed at controlling odors from the Virginia Key plant, having already spent $10 million with the remainder of the plan to be implemented over the next two-and-a-half years, Tony Clemente, director of WASA said.

"We're making a substantial investment in that facility to control odors," Clemente told a group of Fisher Island residents and developers in July. The $57 million investment means that in two-and-a-half years, when the improvement plan is complete, residents will experience "only one or two days of odor a year," Clemente said. "That plant should not be a topic of discussion on Fisher Island or Brickell Avenue."

A little over two years ago the Fisher Island developer, Island Developers LTD, sued WASA over its foul-smelling operation. A settlement agreement holds WASA to correcting the problem.

Unpleasant Surprise
Most new Island residents have been unpleasantly surprised by the odor, never having imagined such unpleasantness could reach the otherwise sparkling clean, perfectly manicured, high security luxury island, Jeff Miller, a manager for the developer, said. Only a couple dozen owners of the 600 completed apartments are full-time residents; for most, the Island is a part-time residence, a place to get away and enjoy golf, tennis and other amenities offered. Another 400 residences are still under development.

Residents are skeptical that the problem can be or ever will be rectified, especially after this recent escalation in odor. They'd like to see the plant permanently relocated. The cost of relocating this one of three plants in Dade County is prohibitive, Clemente said.

Living With Frustration
WASA pointed to several factors that made things bad in recent months at the plant handling 143 million gallons of sewage a day, factors that can be better controlled in the future, Clemente said.

The factors include a stockpile of sludge, problems with a chemical silo, new composting processes and a suspension in the use of hydrogen peroxide which helps control the noxious hydrogen sulfide produced. WASA has pledged correction of each of these factors so that the odor reduction is more reliable.

The Fisher Island developer and residents are so frustrated by the problem, they have hired their own sewage plant consultant, have engaged a toxicology specialist to determine if any harmful elements are getting into the air or groundwater, and have even heard presentations by marketers of a newly patented, mysteriously secret product, "No-Smell," that supposedly eats bacteria at an extremely accelerated rate and kills all traces of odor.

One resident, who with her husband is one of the few full-time residents of the Island, said a few years ago she actively participated on the committee working to rectify the problem, but got too frustrated by the lack of improvement in the situation. "They [WASA] didn't want to hear any suggestions brought to them from other places that were using new technology at their plants," the young woman, who asked not to be named, said.

While the BHA is supportive and sympathetic to Fisher Island with Brickell residents also experiencing the problem when the wind is right (or wrong), the BHA will not join in the legal battle if another suit is filed, citing too many more pressing, potentially costly battles right on its homefront (e.g., the roadway, the commercial encroachment by union members at the UTD Towers, etc.)

The BHA will continue monitoring this problem and its progress and hopes that WASA can live up to its pledge of correcting the odor. (Residents may recall that the issue has been in the BHA News since almost the first newsletter five years ago.)

Clemente, who has been at the helm of WASA for just two years, said he inherited the problem and the settlement agreement with Fisher Island, but that the change in leadership at WASA reflects "a change in attitude" and commitment to solving the problem.

"We're here to run a good water and sewer operation using taxpayers' money," Clemente said.n

Brickell Bridge To Reopen At Last

After being closed for reconstruction for more than two years, FDOT reports that the Brickell Avenue bridge will be open October 6th. Originally slated to be reopened in January 1995, the new bridge has been expanded to six lanes and is 50 percent higher than the previous 63-year-old bridge. The new bridge will enable more vessels to pass underneath without having to open the bridge and stop vehicular traffic, thus improving flow to and from Brickell to Downtown.

The Downtown Development Authority has ceremonies and festivities planned for opening day.

Better Location Sought for Cuban Memorial

At its July 25th meeting the Metro-Dade County Commission voted to rescind its earlier resolution granting county-owned space on 26th Road for a Cuban Memorial. Lack of parking and safe access for people wishing to visit the memorial were major factors in the decision to find a better spot. The Jose Marti Park off SW Eighth Street has been mentioned as a possible location. The BHA had voiced concerns about traffic conjestion and safety in the location originally proposed.

No Neighborhood Immune to Miami's Huge Homeless Problem

"I receive more calls at my office about the homeless than about any other matter," Tory Jacobs, president of the BHA reported. Residents find it difficult to understand why people are allowed to live under bridges, on sidewalks and in other public areas around their neighborhood. BHA directors and residents met with key officials to better understand the situation and the outlook.

Those that have followed Miami's homeless problem in the local press may recall that several years ago a federal judge ruled that until Miami provides adequate facilities for its homeless population, police cannot arrest people for living in public places. Officers can and do arrest people for trespassing, urinating in public and for aggressive panhandling, but they are quickly released back onto the streets, City of Miami Police Major Rojas explained.

The Brickell neighborhood's close proximity to the Dade County Courthouse means that when homeless people from other municipalities are released after being arrested, many remain in the Downtown Miami area, spilling into neighborhoods all around, Rojas said. The city is a "dumping ground" for homeless.

Livia Garcia, City of Miami coordinator for the Homeless Program and Pat Pepper, executive director of the public-private Community Partnership for Homeless, explained what is being done to address the problem. The number of homeless in Miami has been pegged at somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 people.

Garcia said that the City's outreach program employs and trains formerly homeless people to approach homeless people on the streets and tell them about places they can go for shelter and help, such as the Camillus House and the Salvation Army. They do come into the Brickell and Roads area, but as with the police, what the outreach workers can do is limited. They cannot force people to move, they can only offer the services.

New Homeless Assistance Center Offers Hope
A lot of hope lies in the new Homeless Assistance Center which is slated to open in September, located on a 2.6 acre tract near the Omni-Wynwood area. This new facility will enable police to direct people out of neighborhoods and to the Center. And because they now have a place, homeless people will no longer be able to choose to live anywhere they wish, Major Rojas said.

The big hope is that the center is the beginning of a comprehensive plan that eventually eradicates homelessness in Miami and is successful in providing people another chance to become productive members of society.

Many people nationwide are watching the experience here to see if it works. The Partnership's efforts, backed by Alvah Chapman of Knight-Ridder and other corporate giants in Miami, recently won a $12 million federal grant toward the program. A local one percent food and beverage tax was enacted a few years ago which goes toward the homeless effort. Public funds represent about 60 percent and private about 40 percent of the overall funding, Pepper said.

Understanding the Problem
Building the first center has not been easy or without controversy. The Partnership faced many residents and businesses in the area who wanted to see positive action taken to address the homeless problem, but did not want to see the huge center of 350 beds built in their neighborhood. Others, among them professionals in the social services field, feel the large facilities will only "warehouse" people and that smaller, neighborhood-based homes are better.

Pepper said that the Partnership's concept is to provide a "continuum of care" to people so that they do not get just a roof over their heads but medical care, detoxification treatment, job training and placement. By networking with other service providers in Miami, Center staff will refer its patients to the most appropriate agencies for help. The goal is that all this will enable the homeless to eventually move to long term, affordable housing, which is currently lacking.

This array of services is needed if people are to ever move permanently off the streets and into society. Recognizing that substance abuse is a problem for 60 to 70 percent of homeless people and that mental illness affects 30 to 40 percent, the vision of the Community Partnership was designed to include treatment programs.

The Center just north of downtown is one of three large assistance centers planned for Dade County. A plan is being developed for the next one in Homestead.

Column: "Beautification Plan Was a Lie" By Fran Zion, Esq.

Over one year ago as Miami prepared to host the Summit of the Americas and the Superbowl, the City of Miami and the Florida Department of Transportation announced the commencement of a project, "The Beautification of Brickell." The plan included repairing and repaving the street surface of Brickell, adding new trees and foliage, and installing a porous pipe irrigation system down the center median. Brickell was to be restored to its pre-Hurricane Andrew splendor.

The beautification of Brickell was a lie! Why? Because what you see is what you get!

The Street
The street surface is to remain as is. The contractor was not asked or required by FDOT to mix a concrete that, when cured, would match the old concrete. Therefore, we have been left with an ugly patchwork mess. FDOT has said it will not spend the funds to resurface the street or make the surfaces match.

The Median Landscaping
Where is the foliage that was supposed to be the glorious centerpiece of the plan? When asked, FDOT said they had an approved plan that BHA residents saw, and if we are not happy with the small, dead trees and haphazard planting it is our own fault. However, when we ask to review what was approved, those plans are no longer available to us.

A professional landscape architect has reviewed the residential area's trees and ground cover. He has confirmed that the ground cover is the type that requires extensive maintenance. He gave suggestions for a lush, low maintenance ground cover and full trees that will provide a canopy. You ask, the City's response? The City planner and FDOT have said, mind your own business; we're going to do it our way. If no one likes it when it's finished, then let the residents spend their own hard-earned dollars to change it.

The foliage design of Brickell Avenue has been chopped in two. The business section runs from the new bridge to 15th Road. That section has been designed by a privately hired landscape architect. The residential section, from 15th Road to 25th Road has been left to the whim of the FDOT and City planner.

Does this mean the business district should not worry about their foliage? Wrong! While their private architect's plan is impressive, the entire street is to be maintained by the City of Miami. Let me ask you, have you seen how high the grass is lately? Can anyone see over the grass? Where exactly are the City crews? These are the people that are to maintain our neighborhood.

This should not only scare but infuriate you. These guys are spending our tax dollars and destroying our property values. In comparison to the private grounds of the condos that line Brickell Avenue, "The Beautification of Brickell" is only a reminder of the destruction of the beauty that originally brought us to this area.

The residents of Brickell Avenue contribute 9.3 percent of the total residential tax revenue for the City of Miami. The average property value on this street is at least $150,000. If we allow the FDOT to walk away from this project without responsibility to this area, it will send a message to treat the rest of South Florida likewise and eventually we shall be ashamed of it all.

We have the power to send a message to the elected officials and others involved. This is our neighborhood. If we don't care, no one else will.

What Should You Do?
Get mad. Get involved. Lend your voice through sharing your support. If you care, let the FDOT and the City of Miami know before they finish spending your money and leave you with a blighted neighborhood. Call or write to:

Locally:
Jose Abreu, P.E. Phone: 470-5197
District Secretary, District VI
Florida Department of Transportation
1000 NW 111 Ave.
Miami, FL 33172

Jim Kay Phone: 579-6865
City of Miami Public Works Department
275 NW 2nd St.
Miami, FL 33128

More on the Medians: Help from Service Vehicles Requested

While concerns about the median improvement project continue, BHA directors recognize that one thing is certain: If service vehicle drivers continue to park in the median, no matter what trees, shrubbery and groundcover is chosen, the landscaping won't have a chance for survival and eventual beauty. Drivers from Southern Bell, FPL, the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service, Federal Express and many others are currently in the habit of parking on the swales and in medians while conducting their business with those on Brickell Avenue.

Looking optimistically ahead to when the landscaping is finished, BHA directors are taking steps to ensure the median work isn't destroyed by trucks, vans and other vehicles that jump the curbs to park out of the way of Brickell Avenue traffic. With guard gates and less convenient service entrances, it is somewhat understandable how the habit has grown. It also seems like it may be a hard one to break, considering all the different entities involved.

In response to the BHA's request, Southern Bell Regional Director of Corporate and External Affairs Tito Riera-Gomez wrote that the company was directing its field personnel to "avoid parking on swales and medians while working in your neighborhood."

While BHA President Tory Jacobs is certain that the director understands the concern and fully intends to communicate this message to Southern Bell employees, the second part of the job, enforcement, may not be so easy.

"It's a two-part job," Jacobs said. "First, we have to educate drivers about the effort to improve the medians and why their cooperation is important to us who live here. Next, we have to try to enforce the agreements we obtain so the old habits don't come back."

This is where residents can help, he said. Residents are asked to document what they see if they witness vehicles parked in the medians. This could be done, ideally, with a snapshot of the vehicle with the date and time. If a camera isn't handy, residents are asked to write down all pertinent information about the vehicle, along with the date and time. Pictures and notes should be then forwarded to the Brickell Homeowners Association at 195 S.W. 15th Road, Suite 203, Miami, Florida 33129.

This effort will continue with BHA directors meeting with City of Miami Police to discuss how they might help.

Brickell Park in Jeopardy?

The Downtown Bay Forum has invited all Brickell area residents to its monthly luncheon meeting on Aug. 30, 1995, 11:30 a.m., at which Brickell Park will be the subject of the presentation and discussion. The meeting is being called "The Kidnapping of Brickell Park" by the Downtown Bay Forum organizers who ask, "Is the City of Miami selling off its assets to balance the budget? Is Brickell Park next?"

Members of the Downtown Bay Forum and the Brickell Area Association fear the public may lose one of its most important historic, public parks due to some discrepancy between the City of Miami, back taxes and the Brickell family.

Concerned Brickell area residents are urged to attend the meeting at the Sheraton Biscayne Bay Hotel, 495 Brickell Ave. The cost of the lunch is $18 for nonmembers and $15 for members if reserved in advance. At the door the price is $2 more. More information can be obtained and reservations made by calling Annette Eisenberg at 757-3633.

The Downtown Bay Forum is a non-political, non-profit coporation and the Brickell Area Association is comprised of businesses in the Brickell area.