The smoking gun: April 6, 2019, the day the current mayor and the 2019 council voted to change the bike lane plan to shared path by a narrow 3 – 2 vote. Now they are coming for the mature trees

The die was cast on April 6, 2020, when the mayor and 2020 village council voted 3-2 to modify the plan from bike lanes to the MEGA shared path. Council Members David Singer and Marsha Matson were the only members of the village council to vote against this agenda item. CLICK HERE to view the full agenda item so you can read for yourself. 

So seriously, the new excuse of “it’s a county project” just doesn’t hold water. Three letters dispute this latest: J – P – A (Joint Project Agreement). Trees are marked for death, yet this cut and run council tries to claim it is a County project. The trees are marked specifically due to the vote on April 6, 2020, far from in spite of it. I have posted and documented that Miami-Dade County may be the ‘owner’ of SW 136 Street, but it was Palmetto Bay officials who negotiated and paid for the Design Team, and, therefore have full control over the design. The JPA is clear that it is the Village of Palmetto Bay that is providing the design of the Project at its (Palmetto Bay's) sole expense.  

See the prior related post of Sept. 23, 2020, Facts are facts. Here are the facts concerning the SW 136 Street Bike Lanes project: It is a Joint Project(JPA) between Miami-Dade County and Palmetto Bay.  The documents tell the truth as to how current Palmetto Bay officials cannot blame Miami-Dade County for the change from a bike lane to the MEGA (8-10 foot) shared path. The current Mayor and Village Council of Palmetto Bay (2019) had absolute control over the project design. The change could not happen, it would not have occurred without the 3-2 vote taken on April 6, 2020. 

Once again, the original plan: (Prior administration) The Palmetto Bay Village Council adopted Resolution No. 2017-47 approving the Joint Participation Agreement (JPA) with Miami-Dade County to construct a bicycle lane along SW 136 Street from US1 to Old Cutler Road.  This same Resolution, (2017-47) allocated a total of $500,000 in Village funds toward the project. It was the Village of Palmetto Bay that negotiated a contract with RJ Behar as the design team.

Decisions, votes, whether you follow the council, matter, they all have impact and we will begin to see some profound changes shortly. More than a bridge on 87 or more removal of 4 way stops, or more right turn signs (that will be enforced both against the residents as well as the ‘outsiders’) and the MEGA path. The council could have just said No, but it didn’t. So let’s see what the fallout is to the long established shade trees, the mature canopy trees (too soon to be known as formerly beautifying and shading) Palmetto Bay:

Editor's note:

How old are these marked trees? Perhaps we will have the opportunity to gain an accurate final age for the tree by counting the rings when it is felled. Confidence is high that this tree withstood Hurricane Andrew as well as hurricanes Rita, Katrina, Wilma and others.  I doubt that it will be a good day for the other two trees that have been standing along side the Poinciana.