Series on Multi Paths - looking at Cutler Bay's shared path project. How it compares to the Palmetto Bay designed 136th Street project.

This video is part of a series examining multi use paths in our area. I plan in comparing the Old Cutler Trail, the Cutler Bay Shared use path, the Pinecrest Red Road Lineal Park Path, all with the current Palmetto Bay designed Shared Path now under construction on SW 136th Street. 

Part 1. Please look at this shared use path that Cutler Bay worked on with Miami-Dade County and compare it with the JPA shared path that Palmetto Bay designed for SW 136th Street.

Take note of the following for this Cutler Bay designed shared path:

• The appearance of park amenity including numerous park type benches. The uniformity of the path.
• The quality of the construction.
• There are minimal areas of conflict with cars - in fact, there are no conflicts in the first 1 minute, 46 seconds of this video. The distance is .4 of a mile or 2,116 feet (measured via Google Earth) where there is a path uninterrupted by any conflict from motor vehicles crossing the path. 
• There are a total of 17 areas of potential conflict (after the .4 mile area mentioned above). There are few streets; most are business driveways all located in close proximity to the Franjo Road business district.
• At no time does this path narrow from its uniform width, nor does it take any sharp turns or curves. 

Contrast this with the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Note that there will be as many as 70 separate areas of conflict with roadways and the numerous driveways that will cross the Palmetto Bay designed shared path along SW 136th Street. And note, I have previously identified that safety is compromised at each point where motorized vehicles cross shared paths. 

Above and below, photos depicting the construction status of the Palmetto Bay designed shared path on SW 136th Street. Some landscaping will eventually be restored, but the widths will not change. The first photo shows a full 10 foot section that reduces to an 8 foot wide section. The other photo above shows a section where 8 feet is suddenly reduced to a mere 5 feet (standard sidewalk width). The photo below documents a section "separated" by mere feet and no curbing from SW 136th Street.

Please also note that there was no public input on the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Not a single public meeting. The re-design was developed in private by a few people with special influence and who enjoy special access to the current mayor.

Reference materials. See prior related posts of:

June 24, 2020, Yet another car v bike conflict along the Old Cutler Trail – a multi-use path, not a dedicated bike lane.

July 2, 2020, How Many Cyclists Have to Die Before We Get Serious About Bike Lanes?

MASTER LINK TO RELEVANT PAST POSTS - BACKGROUND MATERIALS (CLICK HERE)

And yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a cyclist and I am quite disappointed that this Palmetto Bay designed shared path will not get the cyclists off the road - that would require designation bike lanes - once designed for this SW 136th Street. See: June 22, 2021, Palmetto Bay can change the project, but municipal officials cannot change State Law which determines where bicyclists may ride. 

In other words, drivers will still be required to share SW 136th Street with cyclists. Please don't yell at the cyclists to move off the road. The fault is that of the current Palmetto Bay mayor and council who changed the plans from dedicated bike lanes to a shared path.

The State of the Village Leadership – governments such as Palmetto Bay should set the example, not flaunt the CDC and County recommendations by hosting a potential local super spreader event

Just as the rules should apply to everyone, so too should the recommendations. Governments should lead by example. 

Example: The CDC is asking people not to travel during the Thanksgiving Holiday. The CDC is asking people to take precautions and limit contacts. 

Miami- Dade County's official messaging discourages celebrations beyond the immediate household. A county-produced video campaign on Thanksgiving encourages viewers to “share a virtual dinner with family and friends.”

Miami Herald: Skipping a big Thanksgiving during COVID-19? Here are some other ways to celebrate, 11/23/2020, by Simone Jasper

Actions speak louder than words, so then why is the Palmetto Bay Mayor planning what could be a 'super spreader' event for December 3, 2020? I am specifically referring to a "live" 2020 State of the Village Address. Enjoy an evening of fun at Ludovici Park, Thursday, December 3rd, 7 pm. Complimentary valet parking.

Food and drink - well it is apparently safe to remove masks to eat and drink, at least in Palmetto Bay. 

Valet Parking? So strangers will be getting in and out of different cars. Sharing contact between vehicles.

I just don't understand why this event should not be held virtually. Is this a case of overinflated egos, an overdeveloped sense of immunity, reckless disregard for the safety of community or an underdeveloped sense of self-control, to do things in the same manner and for the same regard for fellow residents?  Cutler Bay recently held its State of the Town through virtual presentation, but then again this Palmetto Bay is no Cutler Bay.

Perhaps the current Palmetto Bay mayor, council members, administration and staff are getting impatient for the vaccine that may be out in early spring and are instead pushing for the herd immunity to take root here in Palmetto Bay. 

The CDC has posted recommendations for those who insist on Attending a gathering this Thanksgiving, but one again, I don't think they are referring to government holding an event for hundreds of people. per the CDC:

Celebrating virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice this Thanksgiving.

If you choose to attend a gathering, make your celebration safer. In addition to following the steps that everyone can take to make Thanksgiving safer, take these additional steps if attending a Thanksgiving gathering:

• Bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups, and utensils.
• Wear a mask and safely store your mask while eating and drinking.
• Avoid going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen.
• Use single-use options, like salad dressing and condiment packets, and disposable items like food containers, plates, and utensils.
  

Many students have gone to home schooling. Football teams are rescheduling games due to positive COVID tests, some colleges and universities are shifting back to online learning. 

We are not going to be successful in beating COVID unless we are all pushing in one direction, that we all follow the same rules and recommendations.

It takes a village, but this village appears to believe that it is an island. Recommendations, ha! Palmetto Bay is hosting a live party! Covid-19 be damned.

Back pedaling. Palmetto Bay - has relinquished its honorable mention as a bicycle friendly community.

I have blogged on this topic several times. Now the Miami Herald as taken notice, see: Bike lanes to nowhere: Miami lags behind other cities during coronavirus bicycling boom, by Linda Robertson, 6/18/2020, noting that:

A bicycling boom has swept the world, propelled by the coronavirus pandemic. Cities have reacted to plummeting traffic by creating new bike lanes and connecting old ones for workers needing an alternative to subways and buses, for stir-crazy families and for people running errands, seeking exercise or visiting friends.

  ***   ***   ***Just when bike infrastructure is in high demand, nothing is happening in a metropolis consistently ranked as one of the deadliest places in the country for cyclists, an audit by Transit Alliance Miami found. A 10-block stretch of Ocean Drive in South Beach is the only street in greater Miami that’s been completely closed to cars in response to the pandemic, mainly to relieve crowding in Lummus Park and enable socially distanced dining.

As reported in the Herald, South Florida leaders have not designated new bike lanes and continue to let old bike master plans that map out a cycling network languish on the shelf. So let’s take a look at what has happened since the change in administrations here in Palmetto Bay:

Why have long term strategic plans if elected officials are going to ignore them? We all realize that new mayors, new councils, bring with them new policies and priorities. Sometimes change is good and sometimes it is shortsighted. Regardless, there should be room for bike/motorist safety with this current mayor and Council. The mixed messages delivered during the election are being sorted out through ongoing actions (and in-action).  Please see my prior post of November 21, 2018, relating to the $1,000,000 TAP grant obtained for bike lane safety improvements on SW 82nd Avenue. It is decision time: Bike lanes or not, safe streets or not.  Follow through with the Palmetto Bay Traffic Master Plan and Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan or not? Do you know what has happened since that time? Nothing. Nothing at all.

Bike lanes are important, both for the safety of the cyclists as well as providing additional lane space for motorists.

38 PLACES RECOGNIZED WITH A BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY AWARD
BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA
BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
by Amelia Neptune

As more Americans turn to biking during the pandemic, the League of American Bicyclists honors the communities across the country making biking better for everyone 

The League of American Bicyclists honored 38 places with a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award in its Spring 2020 round of awards. There were eight first-time applicants earning Honorable Mentions. The 38 first-time communities join 482 total BFC awardees in the movement to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.  I will spoil the anticipation – Palmetto Bay is off the list. (CLICK HERE to view the list of 482 exclusive communities)

 “Undeniably, during the pandemic more Americans are biking to get around and to experience the joy that comes with being on a bike ,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “The League is proud to recognize  these Bicycle Friendly Communities where leaders, both in government and advocacy, have committed to building better places for people to ride, whether they are new or seasoned. Bringing the joy of biking to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds is at the core of the mission of the League, and these Bicycle Friendly Communities are doing just that.”

All those families riding Palmetto Bay – and yet their efforts are not supported by our local mayor and village council. Sad. And out of touch.

We were once on our way to completing the Palmetto Bay Bicycle and Pedestrian master plan - a professional strategic plan for roadway safety. That is now off track and the talk among some professionals is whether Palmetto Bay is going to turn back $1 Million in current awarded grants as well as forgoing future roadway grants. Go back to the Palmetto Bay Strategic Plan (approved February 2019 - under this current mayor and council) and search "bicycle" - look how many times it is mentioned. Compare talk versus action. Promises versus delivery. 

The League of American Bicyclists had once listed Palmetto Bay as an "honorable mention" for re-starting efforts to address the need of bicyclists in our community. 

Communities that earn an Honorable Mention are recognized for a year. These communities are recognized for starting efforts to address the need of bicyclists in their community. They often have popular shared use paths, community-wide bicycling events, or recent bicycle planning processes. Over 100 communities that originally earned an Honorable Mention have gone on to be awarded a Bronze designation or better.

Please see my prior post of December 5, 2017, Palmetto Bay earned an honorable mention as a bicycle friendly community.

Now it appears that we are no longer a listed community. Good work squandered.

And, by the way, Miami-Dade County is listed as a Bronze community.  Palmetto Bay has officially sunk below Miami-Dade County on this issue!  Who remained and moved up on the list? City of Miami, Village of Key Biscayne, Doral, Miami-Dade County, South Miami, Miami Beach and Miami Shores are all communities that have moved up to Bronze or Silver certification. We, Palmetto Bay, was once with or even ahead of these communities.

This while the City of Miami was recently Awarded Bronze as a Bicycle Friendly Community, recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as having made significant progress since last year's recognition as a Honorable Mention as a Bicycle Friendly Community. The City of Miami will continue to expand its bicycle network and work to create a safer more bicycle friendly atmosphere.  Meanwhile, what is Palmetto Bay's next steps toward updating its traffic infrastructure and promoting alternative and healthier methods of travel within our Village. I will be covering this matter throughout my blogs. We have bike safety issues throughout the village. Palmetto Bay was working through issues on 82nd Avenue, SW 136th Street, SW 168th Street as well as Old Cutler Road.

Palmetto Bay families enjoy bicycling. Its family time.  See just one example: A great start - the inaugural "Bike By The Bay" - Saturday, October 17, 2015

Will Palmetto Bay relinquish its title to #TheBikeDistrict?  Bicycling Palmetto Bay has been a large part of our character and has been integrated into many of our events such as our Earth Week celebrations:


CLICK HERE to view my prior posts relating to bicycling in our Palmetto Bay community.

CLICK HERE to see the entire list posted online by the League of American Bicyclists. 

Ominous clouds of development – Southland mall in foreclosure and therefore in play. What will be and will it be for better or for worse? It could be spectacular or spectacularly bad.

Southland Mall – the expect demise is not making many happy. Cutler Ridge / Southland Mall has been home to dinner / movie night for many of us, but this mall has not been thriving for quite some time. Sorry to see this mall go in the present form, as it has some good restaurants and a great, convenient movie theater. Who remembers Lord & Taylor, Dillard’s? What anchors remain there are ghosts of prior selves: Sears and JC Penny’s. Other current large anchor tenants include TJ Maxx, Regal Cinemas and LA Fitness.

Southland Mall, formerly known as Cutler Ridge Mall, opened in 1960. It was renovated in 2005. It was originally hammered by Hurricane Andrew. The Coronavirus pandemic merely hastened this current sad situation where the mall has now gone into foreclosure – see “The Real Deal” online south Florida real estate news: Wells Fargo seeks to foreclose on Southland Mall in Cutler Bay, TRD MIAMI / June 09, 2020, by Keith Larsen

Also see Miami Herald online: Investors foreclose on Southland Mall in Cutler Bay for defaulting on payment, by Rene Rodriguez and Rebecca San Juan, June 10, 2020.

The lawsuit alleges the mall owner, Investcorp, defaulted on its debt payments in April. 

Something is going to happen at the Southland Mall site. The question is what and how much.

The Word On The Street: “Major players” are circling looking at obtaining it to tear down and build to the standards set up in Cutler Bay planning code.

Existing Property rights: For this site is 20 story max – 5,500 unit density (or Palmetto Bay’s entire DUV on a single site in Cutler Bay). Plus commercial. I also note that this Southland site is contained within a unified parcel. The above does not include the Macy’s and Sears parcels which have their own density, which I believe is up to 250 units per acre in what Cutler Bay code considers to be the core area.

Fair Questions? I wonder if the former unsolicited bid group – the $72 Million entertainment district group will appear at Southland?

IMPACT: (discussed below – overall, for Cutler Bay and for Palmetto Bay)

Overall: This will impact the bus lanes – the councils of Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay should join together and renew a push for the metrorail extension, rather than continue to acquiesce on the shinier, better bus (BRT). This is why metrorail should be extended at least down to 211^th (adjacent to the Southland property). This could be a true Transit Oriented Development (TOD). AN opportunity missed and another example as to how there is little vision paid to the real future needs for transit in South Miami-Dade.

For Cutler Bay: A potential entertainment district destination for their town, their residents. Road impact fees and an increase in ad valorum taxes that can be used to enhance their town and address traffic issues. The Town Council could possibly extract assistance from any applicant to address traffic issues that impact Cutler Bay.

For Palmetto Bay:  US1 is at a standstill which will be made worse. The promise of the BRT may have all the same impact as the general promise of the ½ cent transportation sales tax – in other words – not much. The reality may end up being further traffic diversion off US1 east to 87 Avenue and Old Cutler Road. Bridge? No doubt. The Character of ‘old’  87 avenue transforming from neighborhood roads to a 4 lane surface highway as we have in Doral south through to Westchester. There will be no road impact fees or increase in village ad valorum taxes that can be used to enhance Palmetto Bay or to address any new traffic issues.

What properties are included in this foreclosure and which will be involved in any redevelopment? I reviewed the property records posted online with Miami-Dade County. These appear to be the relevant properties:

CUTLER RIDGE MALL SUB SEC 1 - 36-6007-020-0020 - 671,239 Sq.Ft.

Listed owner: SOUTHLAND MALL PROPERTIES LLC

CUTLER RIDGE MALL SUB SEC 2 - 36-6007-020-0030 -  85,973 Sq.Ft.

Listed owner: SOUTHLAND MALL PROPERTIES LLC

CUTLER RIDGE MALL SUB SEC 3 - 36-6007-020-0040 -  81,415 Sq.Ft.

Listed owner: SOUTHLAND MALL PROPERTIES LLC

CUTLER RIDGE MALL SUB SEC 4 - 36-6007-020-0010 - 146,658 Sq.Ft.

Listed owner: ALL STORES REALTY CORP

CUTLER RIDGE MALL Unplatted - 36-6007-000-0546 - 193,422 Sq.Ft

Listed owner: SERITAGE SRC FINANCE LLC

CLICK HERE to access the folder where I have posted .PDF print outs of the above property records.

Note that this list appears not to include the outparcels along US1 (including the Arby's and Olive Garden restaurants)  Nor does it include the Mercedes dealership or the two office buildings (the former Town Hall site).

The bottom line: Get a head of this before it has an opportunity to overwhelm us. Are the current officials up to the challenges? Believe me, this site, done properly or not, clearly has the potential to profoundly change both Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay. The question is will it be for better or worse?

The irony - the Southland carousel (pictured above).  Many years of good fun for kids, but now Southland is going to get South Dade started on the next go-round relating to density. Hop on.

WEEKENDER – Sat. May 30, FLORIDA HEALTH Coronavirus update released. The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area: Palmetto Bay now at 35 (or is it 37?), Pinecrest jumps to 18, and Cutler Bay remains at 12 confirmed cases. Link provided to full report.

The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area: Palmetto Bay now at 35 (or is it 37?), Pinecrest jumps to 18, and Cutler Bay remains at 12 confirmed cases. Link provided to full report.

Source - official Florida Health Report for Saturday, May 30, 2020:

Cases          Area

17,826*        Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

       12            Cutler Bay                         Page   10
       35            Palmetto Bay                     Page     8
         2            Village of Palmetto Bay     Page   13 
       18            Pinecrest                           Page     9

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of Saturday, May 30, 2020, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 5/30/2020 (975 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 16)

COVID-19 update released Monday, May 25, 2020, by FLORIDA HEALTH– Palmetto Bay reaches 34 (plus another mysterious listing of “Village of Palmetto Bay” with “1”), Pinecrest remains at 10 and Cutler Bay reaches 12. Link provided to full daily report.

Monday - 5/25/2020 State of Florida Update:

Source - official Florida Health Report for Thursday, May 14, 2020:


Cases          Area

17,041*        Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

       12            Cutler Bay                      See pages  12
      34            Palmetto Bay                 See page     8  & 14 
      10            Pinecrest                         See page    10

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of Monday, May 25, 2020, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 5/25/2020 (913 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 16)

COVID-19 update released Thursday, May 14, 2020, by FLORIDA HEALTH– Palmetto Bay reaches 30, Pinecrest now at 10 and Cutler Bay reaches 3. Link provided to full daily report.

The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area: Palmetto Bay now at 30, Pinecrest 10, and Cutler Bay has reached 3 confirmed cases. Link provided to full report.

Source - official Florida Health Report for Thursday, May 14, 2020:

Cases          Area

14,742*        Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

        3            Cutler Bay                      See page   12 of report
      30            Palmetto Bay                See page     8 
      10            Pinecrest                        See page   10

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of Thursday, May 14, 2020, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 5/14/2020 (764 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 15)

COVID-19 Weekender update Saturday, May 9, 2020, by FLORIDA HEALTH– Palmetto Bay reaches 27, Pinecrest now at 9 and Cutler Bay remains at 2. Link provided to full daily report.

Source - official Florida Health Report for Saturday, May 9, 2020:

Cases          Area

13,841*        Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

       2            Cutler Bay                      See page    12 (out of 710 total pages)

     27            Palmetto Bay                 See page     8

       9            Pinecrest                        See page    10

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of Saturday, May 9, 2020, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 5/09/2020 (710 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 15)

WEEKENDER – Sat. April 25, FLORIDA HEALTH Coronavirus update released: Palmetto Bay now at 20, Pinecrest 7, and Cutler Bay has reached 2 confirmed cases. Link provided to full report.

The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area: Palmetto Bay now at 20, Pinecrest 7, and Cutler Bay has reached 2 confirmed cases. Link provided to full report.

Source - official Florida Health Report for April 25, 2020:

# Cases        Area

11,005*       Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

       2            Cutler Bay                      See page  12 (out of 549 total pages)
     20            Palmetto Bay                 See page     8
       7            Pinecrest                        See page   10

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of April 25, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 4/25/2020 (549 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 14)

COVID-19 update released Tuesday, April 21, 2020, by FLORIDA HEALTH– Palmetto Bay reaches 19, Pinecrest remains at 7 and Cutler Bay 1. Link provided to full report.

The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area: Palmetto Bay now at 19, Pinecrest 7, and somehow, Cutler Bay remains at a single reported case (1).

 

Source - official Florida Health Report for April 21, 2020 (now at 491 pages - CLICK HERE to download and view):

Cases          Area

9,840        Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

        1            Cutler Bay                      See page  14 (out of 491)

     19            Palmetto Bay,                See page    8

       7            Pinecrest,                       See page   10

FLORIDA HEALTH update released for Thursday, April 16, 2020 – Palmetto Bay now at 16 cases, Pinecrest remains at 6, Cutler Bay at 1.

The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area . FLORIDA HEALTH update released for Thursday, April 16, 2020 – Palmetto Bay now at 16, Pinecrest remains at 6, Cutler Bay at 1.

Source - official Florida Health Report for April 16, 2020:

Cases          Area

8,057          Miami-Dade (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities below) 

       1            Cutler Bay                       See page   13

     16            Palmetto Bay, Dade      See page     8

       6            Pinecrest, Dade             See page   10

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of April 16, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 4/16/2020 (412 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 14)

WEEKENDER – Sat. April 11 FLORIDA HEALTH Coronavirus update – Palmetto Bay at 14, Pinecrest remains at 6 and Cutler Bay 1. Link provided to full report.

The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade area . FLORIDA HEALTH update released for Saturday, April 11, 2020 – Palmetto Bay now at 14, Pinecrest remains at 6, Cutler Bay at 1.

Source - official Florida Health Report for April 11, 2020:

Cases          Area

6,487          Miami-Dade (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities below) 

       1            Cutler Bay                       See page  12

     14            Palmetto Bay, Dade      See page    8

       6            Pinecrest, Dade             See page    9

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of April 11, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 4/11/2020 (299 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 14)

Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez's Executive Order 20-20 requiring mask. Palmetto Bay once again relying upon leadership from the County. Time to listen to Council Member Singer as well as follow the lead of Cutler Bay. 13 versus 1 is telling.

Thank you Mayor Gimenez for taking action that applies to Palmetto Bay.

Palmetto Bay continues to meet minimum standards. Grade wise, that is generally given the letter grade of “C-.” And while I was pleased to see our Village Policing Unit at the local grocery store this morning (4/10/2020) enforcing rules of social distancing and use of masks, my pleasure was tempered by the knowledge that these rules were actually put in place by Miami-Dade County, not Palmetto Bay; that it took leadership from outside our Village to make this happen. The store employees were also wearing masks. I had mine as did 99% of other shoppers.  This could have happened much earlier, but as I started off this post, once again, thank you Mayor Gimenez for taking action that applies to Palmetto Bay.

Palmetto Bay has been doing NOTHING other than following behind the county dictates. Cutler Bay and Pinecrest have both been aggressive. The stats to date show results that are favorable to the health of the Cutler Bay and Pinecrest residents.  However, let's assess honestly: of Palmetto Bay officials, only Council Member David Singer has shown any concern for bringing local ordinances to protect residents during this coronavirus pandemic. A review of the village agendas would show what has really been going on.  Also see: April 9, 2020, Photo of the Day - action, partial action and all others (all others are those not listed). And Thank you David Singer for protecting essential employees (Agenda item 10 C). Palmetto Bay did not join the Masked Club, it was dragged into it by Miami-Dade County Order.  Most of Palmetto Bay is located within the 33157 zip code - one of the biggest COVIC-19 hot spots in Miami-Dade County. Cutler Bay has been very aggressive in protecting its residents; perhaps that is why the current count for Cutler Bay is a single case (1) while Palmetto Bay is in the teens (13) as of April 9, 2020. See: April 9, 2020, COVID - 19 FLORIDA HEALTH update for Thursday, April 9, 2020. The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade – Palmetto Bay is presently at 13, Pinecrest at 6, Cutler Bay at 1.  

Most everyone else appear to realize that these are serious times - with profound impact, long and short term, for our residents and the Village as a whole, as to our personal and financial health. The time has passed for Mayor Cunningham (and others on the Council) to take the advice attributed to American Patriot Thomas Paine: “Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Palmetto Bay is far behind Cutler Bay - and Pinecrest in protecting its residents. Mayor Cunningham needs to get out of the way and listen and act on the advice and leadership, both of neighboring Cutler Bay, as well as one of Palmetto Bay's own: Council Member David Singer.

Now on to Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez's Executive Order 20-20 requiring masks:

Strict social distancing of at least six feet between people is still required, even when masks are in use MIAMI ( April 09, 2020 ) — Today Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez signed Executive Order 20-20 requiring the use of facial coverings by people working in or visiting grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, construction sites, public transit vehicles, vehicles for hire, and locations where social distancing measures are not possible. This order goes into effect as of 11:59 p.m. on April 9, 2020:
Following guidelines set by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, this Order requires the use of any facial covering that snugly covers the face and mouth, whether store-bought or homemade, and is secured with ties or ear loops. Examples of compliant home-made masks may be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html People should not use N95-rated masks, since these are critical supplies for health care workers, police, fire, emergency management, or other people engaged in life/safety activities. Everyone wearing masks should review the CDC and Florida Department of Health guidelines regarding safe application, removal and cleaning of masks. Masks are not be required for children younger than two years old or anyone who has trouble breathing due to a chronic pre-existing condition. “I want to remind everyone that while wearing masks can help for close encounters, you must continue to practice social distancing,” Mayor Gimenez said. “We do not want anyone to have a false sense of security by solely wearing a mask. “Even people who feel perfectly healthy and are wearing masks can transmit COVID-19, so everyone, keep your distance of at least six feet and, please, do everything within your power to stay ‘Safer at Home’!” The provisions of EO 20-20 are the minimum standards required by the County. Municipalities may impose more stringent standards within their jurisdictions, as permitted by law. For the County’s most recent COVID-19 updates, go to miamidade.gov/coronavirus. # # # To request materials in accessible format, sign language interpreters, and/or any accommodation to participate in any County-sponsored program or meeting, please call Office of Communications, 305-375-1545 or email, comminfo@miamidade.gov, five days in advance to initiate your request. TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service). Office of the Mayor 111 NW 1st Street, Suite 2910 Miami, FL 33128

COVID - 19 FLORIDA HEALTH update for Thursday, April 9, 2020. The short update for the Old Cutler Tri-City area of South Miami-Dade – Palmetto Bay is presently at 13, Pinecrest at 6, Cutler Bay at 1.

Source - official Florida Health Report for April 9, 2020:

# Cases         Area

5,745            Miami-Dade County (Countywide) (inclusive of the municipalities listed below)

       1            Cutler Bay                      See page  12 of report (link below)
     13            Palmetto Bay, Dade       See page    8 of report (link below)
       6            Pinecrest, Dade             See page    9 of report (link below)

FLORIDA HEALTH report - Coronavirus: summary of persons being monitored, persons under investigation, and cases - verified as of April 9, 10:00 AM. Data in this report are provisional and subject to change. An area is only listed if there is a confirmed report of the COVID-19 virus for that specific municipality.

The increases may be more an indication of the testing than an actual increase in occurrences.

CLICK HERE to view the official update for 4/9/2020 (299 pages - municipalities listed can be found beginning page 6 – 13)

Opening Sunday – 4-5-2020 - Miami-Dade County is opening a new drive-through coronavirus testing site at the South Dade Government Center for anyone over 18 years old who shows symptoms or meet other federal guidelines for testing for COVID-19. Miami Herald reports.

As reported in the Miami Herald (4/4/2020):

Miami-Dade County is opening a new drive-through coronavirus testing site at the South Dade Government Center for anyone over 18 years old who shows symptoms or meet other federal guidelines for testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The center, at 10710 SW 211 St, in Cutler Bay, will offer 300 appointments per day beginning Sunday. Those who wish to be tested must make an appointment by calling 305-499-8767, the same number used for the county’s Hard Rock Stadium testing center.

Link to Miami Herald article - For full information, see: With number of confirmed cases, deaths spiraling, Miami-Dade adds another testing site, by Martin Vassolo and Daniel Chang, April 4, 2020, posted 2:33 pm (stories will be updated).

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