South Dade Updates
South Dade Updates. My best method for keeping everyone up to date on important matters affecting our community.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
More facts - documented facts - speaking loudly regarding the Palmetto Bay Village Center. The real hoax is being perpetuated by keyboard warriors who incite fear through misinformation. Back to my opinion on how did this council get to a recommendation in favor of the 480. Did you know? There once was a procedure to ‘undo’ the 480, but the present mayor dropped that effort, allowing staff to recommend 480.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Letting the facts speak for themselves - documenting who voted for the creation of the VMU in 2008 (This may surprise you, but it shouldn't)
Shelly Stanczyk's actions: Did she object? No. She voted for the VMU! Don’t let anyone tell you
otherwise. CLICK HERE to view the VMU ordinance as approved in 2008.
Facts are facts. What
that saying about people who live in glass houses?
PS – Stanczyk had 4 years as mayor to rescind the VMU, but she never
seemed to be interested.
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Final vote on VMU - Ordinance No. 08-09 |
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Page 9 of 9, line 44 - recorded vote of Council Member (at time of vote) Stanczyk |
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Property Appraiser released the Estimated Taxable Values by Taxing Authority (June 1, 2025)
ESTIMATED PROPERTY TAX ROLL RELEASED
I am posting the June 1 preliminary tax roll numbers for Palmetto Bay as well as some of our comparable municipalities. Palmetto Bay Council members may feel free to review my numbers and provide their own assessments or advisement.Source: MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, PROPERTY APPRAISER
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
The 22 acres at the Palmetto Bay Village Center - An important environmental post worth repeating a third time: What’s So Special about a 22 Acre Forest on Old Cutler Road, by Eduardo Varona, Guest Post (originally published October 18, 2018, first repost January 26, 2022)
It bears repeating - maybe the third time will be the charm:
Is the environmental spirit dead with current elected officials? Why are they willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the future to "beautify" the median running within US1 (costs that they gladly assumed from FDOT), but not protect environmentally sensitive land?
Various plans have been proposed. I proposed working with the Miami-Dade Environmentally Endangered Lands Program (EEL) several times. In fact, I worked to get these 22 acres placed on the "B" List for acquisition, but it requires that Palmetto Bay participate. That would remove any threat of development both on that land or any transferrable rights being applied to adjoining land. This land has been used as a political football for far too long and I am anxious to see a realistic plan to save this precious land.
I rely upon experts. The 22 acres of the Palmetto Bay Village Center should be saved. Please see this guest post from 10/18/2018: What’s so special about a 22 acre forest on Old Cutler Rd?
This forest is very special indeed. It is one of the last remaining remnants of the tropical rockland forest ecosystem that covered Miami-Dade County before we bulldozed 98% of it. Yes there is roughly only 2% left of this forest ecosystem left in all of South Florida. Most of this ecosystem existed almost exclusively in South Miami-Dade. And day by day we lose additional acreage to development and neglect.
Specifically, the 22 acres of the PBVC is a tropical rockland forest composed of rockland hammock and pine rockland. These two forest communities exist on the oolitic limestone ground in a fluid equilibrium with each other as the land can transition back and forth between the two distinct plant communities in a natural and controlled process influenced by fire, hydrology, and by man. The species diversity both plant and animal that this 22 acre forest harbors cannot be measured in dollars. It should not ever be measured in dollars. In fact some years ago, the 22 acres was nominated for inclusion into the County's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) acquisition program. County biologists assessed the site in response and documented the important habitat values. As a result, the Board of County Commissioners added this site to the list of lands that EEL should purchase for management and protection. The land has remained on the list ever since awaiting funding for purchase.
Here is the complete guest post, originally published on October 18, 2018:
Thursday, October 18, 2018
What’s So Special about a 22 Acre Forest on Old Cutler Road, by Eduardo Varona, Guest Post
In the last four years there has been a serious push to finally give steadfast lasting protections to this forest through a deal between the Village of Palmetto Bay and the private owner, the Palmetto Bay Village Center (PBVC). This agreement would involve a transfer of developmental rights from the 22 acres east to the parcels surrounding the PBVC. And Palmetto Bay would receive the 22 acre forest as the newest passive park in the “Village of Parks”.
So this begs the question, do the 22 acres of forest need protection? Is this privately owned forest currently protected from development now and in the future?
Friday, May 16, 2025
Currently in bloom in our backyard oasis - our Callicarpa Americana, commonly called the American Beautyberry
We are often asked how we have come to enjoy so many native songbirds in our Palmetto Bay yard - the answer is proper planting.
What’s blooming today: our Callicarpa Americana, commonly called the American Beautyberry. Per Wikipedia- this is an open-habitat, native shrub of the Southern United States which is often grown as an ornamental in gardens and yards. American beautyberries produce large clusters of purple berries, which birds and deer eat, thus distributing the seeds.
I’m planning to take cuttings from this plant to add additional plants throughout our yard.
Monday, May 5, 2025
Remembering Bailey - as kids and their friends said about her: "The Goodest Dog!" She was a great pet that deserves some recognition.
Baily was another of our family pets that deserves her due. A very loyal pup who was a great family member. She was much needed her in Palmetto Bay - I headed President Harry S. Truman’s advice, “If you want a friend in this world, get a dog.” Politics in Palmetto Bay is often dog-eat-dog.
She passed away Friday May 2, 2025, quite unexpectedly and lived less than 11 years - far less than I would have expected or hoped. She passed away an hour before her veterinary appointment I made earlier in the morning and while I was preparing to take her - again - with no signs of any urgency. I figured we'd have her for at least another two, maybe even three years. No warning.
I am posting some family photos - pets are great. We have been bless with various pets, mostly rescues over the years.
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
― Mark Twain
We are going to miss Bailey.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Family Bike Ride - Bike Coconut Grove - this Saturday, April 26 - 10:00 AM
I am forwarding information relating to a family friend bike ride - This event is a cooperative effort of Bike Coconut Grove, Friends of the Commodore Trail, the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District, and the City of Miami Police Department Coconut Grove Team.
The family-friendly bike rides with a special City of Miami police escort originally scheduled for April 16 and May 21 (both on Wednesday at 5 p.m.) have been rescheduled. Instead, there will be one ride on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m.
Meet at the Coconut Grove Playhouse parking lot on Main Highway and get ready to pedal Coconut Grove's streets with the City of Miami local law enforcement bicycling team.
The ride will begin at 10 a.m. and will take approximately 90 minutes. It’s free to all. To join, register here.
It's a great opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones while enjoying a safe and organized bike ride. Don't miss out on this exciting event - bring your bikes, helmets, and smiles!
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
HAPPY EARTH DAY 2025
I may not be "cool" under current administrations, but it is more important than ever. And it is a simple matter as well. The late Paul Neidhart once remarked that LEED certified construction is simply quality construction that will save money in operating costs (high efficiency = cost operating savings). So stop making it so political! Now where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?
Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2019 is just the 49th Earth Day celebration. ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl.I am proud to have led Palmetto Bay and created more than a simple Earth Day Celebration, but set Palmetto Bay to be committed to Earth Day 24/7/365. We don’t just recognize a day, we are now in big, in such a big way, that we take a full week to celebrate. Green activities, all free to the public, have been going this past week. We continue to involve our youth in partnership with the local schools as they are going to inherit what we leave behind.
Palmetto Bay history: I was pleased to announce way back on Friday, July 20, 2018, that Palmetto Bay was certified by the FGBC as a Green City. This started the path to eventual Gold Certification so long as the subsequent councils continue to subscribe to the green footprints cast before them.
Participating in a python hunt to remove an invasive species |
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
(Lack of) Leadership 101 - allowing the community to be ravaged by infighting rather than bringing people together
“Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.”– Robert Louis Stevenson.
Mayor Cunningham's ally, Councilman Steve Cody, didn't like your answer. So he filed a lawsuit claiming Mark wasn't properly sworn in. Our Village Attorney has said many times that Mark's oath was completely valid. The village even paid over $6,000 of your tax money to hire another expert who said the same thing.
Our Village Attorney didn't mince words. He warned that "Steve will be lucky to stay out of jail when this is over" because of his "toxic vitriol" and "fabrications." The Village Attorney has been a lawyer since 1979. He knows what he's talking about. Meanwhile, Mr. Cody is a suspended attorney by the Florida Bar and is ineligible to practice law.
Don't be fooled. The oath story is just a smokescreen. Mayor Cunningham and Cody want to erase your vote.
They're not really fighting Mark. They're fighting you. They hate that you chose someone Mayor Cunningham didn't pick. They hate that you wanted change. They think they know better than you about who should lead our village.
Cody's legal filing, which he’s trying to get a ruling on, claims Leanne Tellam is still Vice Mayor. Tellam was Mayor Cunningham's preferred candidate and lost the election.
Lets see where this leads us and how much in will cost, both in tax dollars as well as further aggravation to our community.
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Thank you readers! Reader submission provides Palmetto Bay Council portraits. Triggers.
I know this will egg some on, but I love the response received to the Cardinal photos.