by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Uncategorized
Video: Bay News 9 Tampa
Clearwater’s new Coachman Park opened to the public June 28.
“‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said Mayor Brian Aungst, Sr. ‘It’s phenomenal, and I really do think people are going to gravitate here.’
‘It’s a game changer. It’s a catalytic project that’s going to spur more activity downtown, which we need and we’re already seeing,’ said Aungst.
Catherine Corcoran started with the City of Clearwater 10 years ago as in intern. She’s now overseeing the project as the Senior Landscape Architect.
The new concert venue called The Sound can seat 4,000 guests under the canopy, and up to 5,000 more on the lawn…
The Sound will be host to more than concerts.
‘The chairs are removable, specifically so we can have flexible use of this space,’ said Corcoran. ‘We can do things like yoga on the lawn or an art show when there’s not an event happening here.’
A space providing something for everyone, with or without a concert ticket. Family fun can be found at the playground, splash pad and picnic pavilions.
Creatives can admire pieces from local artists celebrating art and diversity.
The new Coachman Park opened June 28.”
— Melissa Eichman, Bay News 9 Tampa
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Much more about this waterfront project here
by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Codes, Environmental, Planting, Trees
Photo: Juan Castro Olivera
“Key Biscayne residents will have it made in the shade soon, with 59 trees to be planted from a Miami-Dade County Neat Streets grant, and a 60th tree which was recently planted at Lake Park with the help of young students from the K-8 School.
That 10-foot bald cypress will be symbolic of the Village’s latest award, being named Tree City USA for 2022 by the National Arbor Foundation for its, well, tree-mendous efforts on beautification, adding oxygen into the atmosphere and extending the precious canopy to keep the environment cooler.
Olga Garcia, Zoning Plans Reviewer and Planner with the Village, was presented with the official certificate from the National Arbor Day Foundation during the last Village Council meeting by Mayor Joe Rasco for her efforts in getting Key Biscayne designated as a Tree City USA community. village council meeting
‘It’s a very nice thing to get; Olga handled most of the application,’ said Jeremy Calleros Gauger, director of the Building, Zoning and Planning department. ‘I think the symbolic portion of it is how much tree canopy Key Biscayne had added over 30 years, even 10 years.’
He said the island’s 26% coverage is more than most other Miami-Dade municipalities, but ‘there’s still room for improvement.’
Key Biscayne becomes the 165th Tree City USA in Florida and one of 3,653 recognized cities across the country, ‘a relatively small number when you think how many cities there are,’ Calleros Gauger said.”
— Hillard Grossman, Islander News
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Environmental, Historic, Nature, Trees
Photo: Patricia Moynihan / WFSU Public Media
“Paul Russell Road is one of several that bisects the English property forest
A plan to save part of the English Forest in Tallahassee from development has moved a step closer. The Acquisition and Restoration Council of Florida Forever unanimously voted to approve the English Forest Preserve Project. Support from the Tallahassee City Commission, and other local entities helped secure the vote.
The Council expressed concern about the preservation plan—noting that it only covers part of the property and not all of the original 600 acres that was rezoned for mixed-use development last year. Despite those reservations, the council decided the environmental and archaeological importance of the property was enough to approve the plan for further evaluation.
‘We have evidence that there’s a good pattern of occupation,’ said Mary Glowacki of the Panhandle Archaeological Society. She says the area was occupied by Paleo-Indian peoples.
‘And the fact Mr. English himself collected a lot of lithic material that dates to that time period, there should be something out there.’
Glowacki said the potential for an archaeological discovery is likely, but not without the financial backing of Florida Forever.
‘It would be unfortunate the way the development could proceed if the property didn’t get brought under ARC,’ she said. ‘The city and the county don’t have a rigorous review program for cultural resources ahead of development, so we might jeopardize finding out more about cultural resources if that’s the case…’
The acquisition of the land by Florida Forever is not a done deal. The property must now undergo further evaluation, and a second vote is set for later this year to determine if the project will earn a spot on Florida Forever’s 2024 priority list.”
— Alexis Rejouis, WFSU
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Environmental, Nature
Photo: Butterfly Orchid, David Lotker
“Deering Estate is proud to be part of Miami-Dade County’s efforts to support our native pollinators. Pollinators are essential to our lives, 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s crops rely on pollinators. What that means is a lot of the food found in your local supermarket needed a pollinator. Now more than ever we all need to play an active role in supporting our pollinators as they are facing significant threats. A 2017 report by the Center of Biological Diversity found that 25% of native bee species are imperiled in the United States and worldwide more than 50% of native bee species are in decline.
That is why Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces and Deering Estate are leading the effort to increase native pollinator habitat in urban green spaces and educate the public that they can do the same at home…
Current and future projects
In 2023 as parts of the Parks for Pollinators initiative we have commenced our Propagation Station and Native Pollinator Nursery Area inside of the estate. This will serve as both as an exhibit on native pollinator plants, an educational area to conduct botanical workshops and field trips, and as an outdoor laboratory to experiment techniques on propagation and growth with our research interns. We hope to grow over 40 species of native pollinator plants with a focus on the plants historically found in our natural areas.
Deering Estate is hosting and participating in programs and events for our community to learn and experience the magic of native pollinators. 22, August 26 and September 23…
Park and Recreation Month is celebrated in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks. This year’s theme “Where Community Grows” celebrates the vital role park and recreation professionals play in bringing people together, providing essential services and fostering the growth of our communities.
Make sure to check out our ‘Plant an Orchid, Save a Bee’ event on Saturday, July 15th where we will have Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden botanists and UF/IFAS Extension Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program agents teaching you how to plant and care of native orchids and how to build your own pollinator hotel to take home! For more information, please visit the website. ”
— Ana Alexandra Rojas, MS Conservation and Research Specialist
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by TRC_Admin | Jun 5, 2023 | Uncategorized
Photo: Douglas R. Clifford
“The first phone call last November confused real estate agent Jason Papi. Why, the angry stranger wanted to know, did Papi submit a code complaint against his home?
The second call, weeks later, was jarring. Papi’s team leader with Keller Williams Realty asked if he had maliciously squashed a colleague’s sale by submitting the same type of complaint to the city of Tampa.
Days later, there was a third call. Another stranger spewed profanity.
‘I didn’t know what they were talking about,’ Papi said. He went looking for answers and describes what he discovered as alarming.
Someone, Papi alleges, has been fraudulently filing complaints under his name through the city of Tampa’s website.
City records show that from Oct. 5 through March 27, “Jason Papi” made at least 50 complaints against 48 homes owned by 44 different property owners. Each had enough information for the city to investigate the claims.
‘I did not make a single one of those,’ said Papi…
Each code complaint was reported to the city through its online portal. They were typically for work done without permits, prompting investigations of the homes by the construction services department that oversees such violations.
The properties span Port Tampa to the Busch Gardens neighborhood — and most of the homes turned out to have legitimate violations.
Twenty-seven of the investigations have been closed and, of those, at least 18 concluded that there was a problem. At least three had violations for work completed years earlier by a previous owner.
At least 44 of the properties were for sale or rent — or recently sold or rented — at the time of the complaint. At least 28 are owned by investment property companies…
How to stop complaints?
On Feb. 7, Papi sent a letter to the city maintaining that he was not behind the slew of complaints. In November, according to the letter, he called the Code Enforcement Department and asked that it stop taking complaints in his name. The letter reiterated the request.
‘I fear that a disgruntled individual will show up to my home one day to harm myself, my wife, or our dog,’Papi wrote. “We would like to live our lives in peace and work on starting our own family once we feel safe in our own home again.
City spokesperson Adam Smith said that since the letter was received any code complaints bearing Papi’s name would have to be made via notarized letter. But city records show that one for a dilapidated fence was submitted via the code enforcement website on March 27. It prompted an investigation without a notarized letter.
Smith said that 12 complaints made in Papi’s name since Feb. 7 have been dismissed without an investigation because they were submitted online.
Looking through Tampa code enforcement records from the last year, the Tampa Bay Times identified two possible fraudulent names.
From Sept. 12 through Oct. 6, ‘Isaac Booth’ made at least 25 complaints via email spanning the city and mostly against investment properties. When the Times sent a message to the email address listed on the complaints, it bounced back. And, according to the property manager of his listed residence, no one by that name has ever lived there.
From April 12 through May 15, ‘Louis Hernandez; made at least 13 similar complaints through a mix of email and the city’s website. But the home address listed was for rent during that period, according to its property manager’s website. The property manager did not respond to a Times call. There was no reply to a message sent to the listed email…
According to Magill, it looks like someone is combing through online real estate listings, comparing current photos to those from past listings and looking for changes, then checking to see if permits were pulled for that work — public information available through the city’s website.
‘How else would they know what work was done inside the house?’ Magill said.
Of the complaints made in Papi’s name, at least 21 include interior work and some of those reference a Zillow listing. Whoever is behind them, Magill said, she estimates it took the complainant 15 minutes to acquire the information.
‘It’s pretty easy,” she said. ‘All it takes is a computer and some time…'”
— Paul Guzzo, Tampa Bay Times”
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Related article on Panama City’s code department experience with new law
