This funding, combined with $100,000 in funds already earmarked for the project by the City of Miami, will extend the replacement sod and irrigation system to the entirety of each median rather than at just the ends.

The City of Miami is releasing the Request for Proposals (RFP) this month and expects the work of the landscaping contractors to carry out the restoration and beautification project to begin in May. The work, including installing the new irrigation system, sodding and new plantings is to be completed by August 2001.

In the meantime, a BHA committee has been working with Gerald Marston, principal at the landscape design firm for the project, Wallace Roberts and Todd, to study other potential enhancements desired for Brickell Avenue, especially focusing on the pedestrian portions of the avenue. Visible source lighting on sidewalks, such as acorn-style lamps, is one possibility since it is known that not only does lighting make a dramatic statement, it can greatly enhance safety and serve as an effective element in calming traffic.

The last Brickell median replanting project in 1995 failed largely due to a leaky pipe irrigation system that never worked properly and problems with the initial maintenance contracts, critical for successful new plantings.

The BHA is dedicating funds and volunteer hours to investigate additional measures the home-owners may spearhead to make Brickell Avenue a truly grand roadway that announces one of Miami's most elegant neighborhoods.

Reprinted from BHA News, Summer 2000
Lighting, Other Enhancements Considered for Brickell Medians
While plans for the improvements to the Brickell medians are being developed and word about the outcome of the beautification grant application to the Florida Department of Transportation is awaited, BHA Directors are considering potential extensions to the project. Current plans call for the irrigation system at the median ends to be replaced and the medians replanted.

One possibility to further enhance the roadway and promote the residential atmosphere of Brickell Avenue is to add visible source lighting on sidewalks, such as acorn style lamps. Lighting enhances safety and makes a dramatic statement. Visible source lighting has also proven to be an effective element in calming traffic. Coral Gables has added it to its Miracle Mile medians, and Brickell Key has added it to the bridge serving as the island entrance.

Hopes are high that this median beautification project will significantly enhance the beauty and residential ambiance of the neighborhood. It was only five years ago in 1995 that the medians were replanted and the leaky pipe irrigation system installed, which has never really worked properly.

Then, as in now, BHA representatives actively participated in the planning process and attended numerous meetings with the City and its chosen landscape designers. Yet, the final outcome was disappointing and residents felt that much of their input was not heard. Some questions, like why certain healthy looking, large trees were cut down, could never be answered.

Then, after the landscaping work was complete, delays at City Hall with contracting for regular maintenance meant disaster for the new plantings. Lack of timely trimming and feeding, along with the faulty irrigation system, literally killed the beautification effort.
At their meeting in July, Directors of the BHA agreed to consider additional measures they may take to help in achieving a truly grand roadway that announces one of Miami's most elegant neighborhoods. Sometimes that means private support for those improvements government just can't do.

On Brickell Key, the Master Association installed new lighting fixtures and landscaping to achieve similar enhancements to the bridge that serves as the island's entrance.

Reprinted from BHA News, Winter 2000
For: Brickell Key Bridge Enhancements
BHA directors supported a plan to enhance the Brickell Key Bridge with decorative lighting, planters, landscaping and pavers. The Brickell Key Master Association, which will pay for and maintain the improvements made to the bridge, described their intentions to improve the "appearance and safety of an important City of Miami asset within the Brickell Area." The enhancements will also undoubtedly make sales and rentals even more desirable on the exclusive island, which is now home to six apartment and condo buildings and future home to at least one other condo and the 329-room Mandarin Hotel.

Reprinted from BHA News, Winter 2000
Brickell Medians Get Attention, Funds
The effort to bring Brickell Avenue medians up to snuff to reflect the area's true grandeur and uniqueness continues.

The City identified $50,000 that it can devote to hiring a landscape consultant firm, replacing the failed median irrigation system, and renewing the landscaping. The funds will match a grant application for the same amount that the City has submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation for a State Highway Beautification Grant. The grant is still being reviewed.

Reprinted from BHA News, Fall 1999
Funds Sought for Brickell Median

The City of Miami is applying to the State of Florida for a grant to redo Brickell medians between 15th and 25th Roads. A troubling issue since their replanting only four years ago, the underground irrigation system ­ sometimes called the "leaky pipe" system ­ never worked properly and consequently, the landscaping didn't do so well either. The City has determined an above-ground system is needed.

"I haven't found a municipality that is happy with this kind of system," Jim Kay, the City's director of public works, said.

A national firm specializing in these types of large municipal landscaping projects has been hired to assist with the grant application process. The State requires the applicant to have really thought out and planned the project, so professional plans are needed, Kay explained.

Both he and Commissioner JL Plummer told BHA directors that input from Brickell residents would be actively sought in the next few months as the plans are being made and the application written, which is due in early February.

The grant requirements stipulate that the City of Miami match the State's contribution. The City has not yet determined the amount they will be asking for.

Reprinted from BHA News, Spring 1999
Brickell Median Landscaping Problems Persist

The landscaping and appearance of the medians along Brickell Avenue have been an ongoing concern of residents and business owners in the area.

Ideally, the medians along Brickell should both announce and reflect the beauty of the subtropical, luxury area. Their canopy of shade should provoke a serene, elegant ambiance, providing a calm transition between the highway and the Brickell financial district. Their beauty should be so arresting that traffic can't help but slow down to prolong enjoyment of the grace and elegance in the center of the road.

These were the fond hopes back in 1995 after the medians were finally replanted post-Hurricane Andrew. The August 1992 category 4 hurricane gave the lush medians a beating, downing many of the older trees that formed the dense canopy.

Problems with maintenance and irrigation have persisted ever since the 1995 make-over. One Brickell resident summed it up writing in response to the Residents Speak-Out section in the last BHA News:

"The medians look horrible. Many of the plantings have died, the dirt has washed away, the underground watering is above ground...it's a disgrace. When will something be done about our embarrassing medians? Also, the median at 15th Road is dangerous. If you are going south on Brickell and making a left turn (east) onto 15th Road, you can't tell if there are oncoming cars because the plantings are so overgrown."

When the plantings grow so high that driver visibility is impeded, concerns shift beyond aesthetics to safety.

They Gotta Have Water
The landscaping looks patchy and dying because the irrigation system hasn't ever worked correctly. It's been the crux of the troubles, as reflected in a City of Miami June 9, 1999 interoffice memo.

"The Brickell medians have gone for a long time without proper maintenance; therefore, there are many areas without plants. We will identify the plants to place in these areas. However, it would not be prudent to plant them without the irrigation working properly," Assistant Director of Public Works John H. Jackson wrote.

The leaky pipe irrigation system activated by solar cells was to provide the correct level of water needed by the plants without the waste common in above-ground watering systems. The system never seemed to work quite right in many areas, leaving grass, shrubs and trees to die in times of dry weather.

The City's subcontractors in the past were supposed to maintain the irrigation and inspect it weekly to keep it functioning, as reported in the Summer 1996 BHA News. Whether the subcontractors did their part and the City was just negligent in making the repairs, or whether the system wasn't ever inspected properly and reported to the City, is unknown.

However, the latest news from the City of Miami Public Works Department is that the irrigation system is beyond repair and should be replaced in its entirety.

The Director of Public Works, Jim Kay, expressed concern over the lack of visible progress in the medians and pledged to BHA Directors that he would stay on top of monitoring the situation.

The latest contract for $71,395 annually to maintain the medians was awarded in February 1999 to Florida Lawn Service. They are supposed to replace dead plants and trees, trim and weed out the beds and add mulch.

Reprinted from BHA News, Fall 1999
Brickell Sidewalks Slated for Repair

The Florida Department of Transportation provided the BHA with the following list of sidewalks from their master list for repair over the next several weeks. If you know of a sidewalk that is broken, elevated due to tree roots or in some other state of disrepair and it is not on the list below, please call Ron Stiener at (305) 470-5351.

•  
• East Side of Brickell
• 30' south of SE 25 Road
• 150' north of SE 25 Road
• Brickell Bay Club, 2333, in front
• Brickell Mar Condos, 2201, 25' south of driveway
• Brickell Bay Village, 2101, 50' north of driveway
• 50' south of sign for 1950, just south of tree
• The Palace, 1541, north end of driveway
• Block between SE 14 Road and SE 14 Terrace
• Block between SE 11 and 12 Streets
• West Side of Brickell
• South of driveway to 1882, 84, 86, 88
• 1990, in front
• South of driveway to 2110, 2112 and 2114
• Brickell Villas, 2250, south of driveway
• 2250 Apartments, south
• Pacific National Bank, 1390, 50' north
• 150' south of SE 8 St. in front of Bank

Reprinted from BHA News, Fall 1997
Graffiti Battle Takes Diligence, Cooperation

By Mac Seligman, BHA Board of Directors/Secretary

Graffiti vandals are a plague that seemed to have spread everywhere. The Brickell area is largely an exception, but not by accident. Brickell is virtually graffiti-free because area residents promptly report defacements to area property managers who follow up with swift paintouts.

During the summer months, graffiti appeared on walls of the Bristol Tower, Brickell Park, Brickell Place, Brickell Townhouse and UTD Towers. After only one call to each of the building managers, the defaced areas were painted over.

Along with thanks to fellow residents, credit for the prompt actions is due the building managers: Michael Harned of the Brickell Townhouse; Alice Fernandez of the Brickell Park; Hector Vargas of the Bristol Tower; Arnold Rabin of Brickell Place; and Sylvia Otto of UTD Towers.

Every one of these five professionals merits the thanks of all residents of our area.

Graffiti "taggers" concentrate their efforts where the defacements are allowed to remain. In our area, they often start by defacing trash receptacles, bus benches, telephone equipment, power poles and transformers and traffic control junction boxes. If not promptly painted over or removed, the taggers move on to private property walls.

Reporting graffiti to the proper entities involved often results in prompt cleanup. The taggers invariably move on to more productive turf. n

To Report Graffiti:
(Call according to where you see it.)

County Bus Benches: 305-636-2333
Advertising Bus Benches: 305-375-4049
Marlene Fernandez
Trash Receptacles: 305-859-2701
Coral Way NET Office
BellSouth: 1-888-233-3456
Florida Power & Light: 305-552-2514
Traffic Control Boxes: 305-947-9858

Reprinted from BHA News, Summer 1996
Contract Awarded for Brickell Medians

Residents should be seeing the results of regular work and maintenance in the Brickell medians now that the City of Miami has signed a one-year contract with Recio and Associates, Inc. The new contractor is trying to make up lost time clipping, clearing and spraying the improved medians which have not had a dedicated crew looking after them since they were completed less than a year ago.

"They've started cleaning up, clipping branches and trying to repair the irrigation system," Raul Garcia, Chief of Operations for the City's Public Works Department, said. "Whatever trash is there, they have to pick up right away, including palm fronds, branches, whatever."

The one-year contract with Recio states its scope: "For the furnishing of all labor, materials and equipment to maintain by mowing/cutting, pruning, trimming, weeding, fertilizing, mulching, controlling disease and insects, removing litter and repairing existing irrigation (as necessary) the landscaped rights-of-way medians on Brickell Avenue, in the City of Miami, Florida, for the lump sum of $48,560."

In addition, "the work includes maintenance of irrigation equipment and removal/replacement of dead or diseased plant material, with materials to be supplied by the City, unless otherwise indicated in specific changes to the contract."

Concerned Citizens Watching
Over that past year BHA directors have heard from many residents in the area concerned about whether the improved medians will be properly maintained or left to degrade over time. Sections of the irrigation system are already not working, and sod and trees have died in spots. Some trees are still under warranty by the original contractor who will be required to replace them, Garcia said.

BHA readers are reminded that it was an ad hoc group of BHA residents that were successful in persuading Florida Department of Transportation and City officials that additional work was needed when the initial landscaping did not meet promises or expectations. No one wants all that effort to go to waste.

The contract terms dictate the following items of note:

-Mowing and trimming of lawn areas should take place every 15 days.

-Removal, repair and/or replacement of "any lawn areas that have been damaged, diseased or dead for any reason" should be "made within five days of having ascertained the need of such action."

-The "entire [irrigation] system shall be visually and functionally inspected every two weeks. Heads and valves shall be inspected once a week. Any malfunctions or need for replacement or repair, for any cause, shall be immediately reported to the City. Repairs or Replacements shall be made immediately."

-The contractor is obligated to submit to the City a schedule of times and dates for inspections, at which a City of Miami official is present.

-The contractor is to schedule monthly meetings with a City official on the project.

-Any damage to sidewalks, pavement structures, utilities or plant materials caused by the contractor has to be fixed or paid for by the contractor.

-No more than one lane in one direction of traffic should be blocked at any time during work.

Non-Performance Condition
The contract gives the City the right to deduct fees from the contractor if work is not being properly carried out. The clause states: "Liquidation Damages: It is mutally agreed that time is of the essence in the carrying out of all the tasks required. If the Contractor fails to carry out these tasks within the periods specified, the City at its option may deduct the amount of $200.00 per calendar day elapsing beyond the specified time for completion of the task."

Recio and Associates is a general contractor company that reports being in business for 25 years. Other Recio maintenance projects have included U.S. Hwy. 1 medians in Coral Gables, State Road 836, Sawgrass Expressway and portions of Tamiami Trail. The City of Miami worked with the firm after the hurricane on various projects, Garcia said.

Residents who notice debris, dead foliage or other problems in the median that do not seem to be getting attention are urged to call Garcia's office at 575-5256 to report the problem.

Now that the Brickell Avenue medians are finished with more trees and other additions advocated by the BHA landscaping ad hoc committee, several residents have expressed alarm at the level of maintenance the medians seem to be getting (or not getting). They are worried that all the money and effort spent will go to waste if maintenance does not improve.

"Tremendous amonts of money were spent and now it's going to waste," Giusette Leveroni, a Brickell East resident who also has his office on Brickell, said.

"Maintenance is not difficult if you do it regularly," he said. "But if it gets overrun, it can be too late."

Who is Responsible?

BHA directors investigated who is now responsible for the maintenance. FDOT explained that its landscaping subcontractor has finished the job but guarantees the trees for one year from completion, through Jan. 1997. If any die during that time, the original landscaper is obligated to replace them. FDOT said they have now turned over the maintenance to the City of Miami, per their original agreement. (Previous issues of BHA News discuss the City's committment to maintain the landscaping once completed.)

The City reported they will be subcontracting out landscaping work, however it was unclear after the February BHA directors' meeting if City Public Works crews will be responsible for the mowing, or if the subcontractor will be handling all the landscaping work.

Leveroni said that if BHA cannot trust the City to do the maintenance, Brickell Avenue residents should contract the job out themselves.

Magnets for Trash

Another problem in the medians is the trash they collect from the roadway, especially heavy after weekends. BHA directors looked into the Adopt-a-Highway program as a possible solution for keeping Brickell clean. (Brickell Avenue is officially part of U.S. Highway 1.) The BHA concluded that the program, run by the Florida Department of Transportation, would not be adequate for the heavily traveled Brickell Avenue. A volunteer organization "adopting" a highway section is expected to bring out a cleanup crew only once a quarter. BHA directors see Brickell Avenue cleanup as a weekly job.

Directors also considered each condo association lending its maintenance crew for a few hours a month for a joint effort. Just as this idea was being tossed about, an FDOT representative said that residents can simply call her office for cleanup whenever the roadway looks bad. The person to call is Sandy, and her number is 256-6390. BHA directors said they are certainly willing to try this solution.

Some medians were mowed soon after the BHA February meeting, but directors will remain vigilant on maintaining the median appearance.

BHA Hears from Police

In response to the BHA's request for assistance from the City of Miami Police Department in keeping vehicles off the newly planted Brickell Avenue medians, Chief Donald Warshaw sent out an Official & General Bulletin, Aug. 29, 1995, that stated:

"No Parking On Brickell Avenue Medians: The medians along Brickell Avenue are being renovated and landscaped by the Department of Transportation at a great cost to the taxpayers. The City of Miami will become responsible for the maintenance and care of the medians. Therefore, it is requested that no vehicles (including utility company trucks) park on the medians. Officers are to take enforcement action against any violators to ensure that the medians are not destroyed due to parking."

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.