SW 136th Street Project update - Pinecrest Meeting held December 11, 2019. Here is the report I received:

Meeting update. The Pinecrest meeting was held as scheduled. Over 20 people were in attendance, some were Palmetto Bay residents. Pinecrest officials were there. I am told that Palmetto  Bay was represented by District 3 Council Member Marsha Matson, who is advocating for a mega sidewalk for all of Palmetto Bay. [see a PRIOR RELATED POST of October 29, 2019, Foreshadowing - for now, please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3, March18, 2019. Please review the Palmetto Bay Path conceptual Plan proposed by Marsha Matson, Palmetto Bay Council Member, District 3, March 18, 2019. (CLICK HERE) to download and view this 23 page document.]

Will this be the future for the Palmetto Bay side of 136 Street?

The December 11th presentation to Pinecrest confirmed that the promised bike lanes (the original project) has been off the table for some time, replaced by the MEGA sidewalk which will be installed solely on the Palmetto Bay side of SW 136th Street.

Reports were that Council Member Matson was present at this meeting and asked the County representative as to Palmetto Bay's financial contribution to this joint project.  She was advised that Palmetto Bay is contributing $500,000.00 to this project. Pinecrest is contributing $1.3 million ($1 million of which is from a single grant). The County rep did not provide a total for the fiscal participation of Miami-Dade County, but it is safe to assume that the County payment is “the rest”. This is a project that will cost at least $2.0 million.

There is some opposition among Pinecrest Council (at least one member) who is uncomfortable with Pinecrest putting in $1.3 million for a project that will be placed completely across the street, solely on the Palmetto Bay side, but one view is that the money is worth it not to have the Pinecrest right of way taken up by a sidewalk up to 10’ wide. Pinecrest may be putting up $1.3 million, but Palmetto Bay is also participating in the surrender of the public right of way in front of the homes of Palmetto Bay residents in addition to the $500,000.00. There is significant value to the land.

The official meeting for Palmetto Bay residents remains set for Tuesday, January 28th at 7 PM, at the Village Hall, 9705 Hibiscus Street. (Note that I was told that the date for completion of the final design for the MEGA sidewalk project is alleged to be February 14, 2020). See PRIOR RELATED POST of December 4, 2019, SW 136th Street Project update - two meetings separating Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay residents. Palmetto Bay meeting is set less than 3 weeks from final design for more background information relating to the meetings.

I will keep you updated.  Please note that the Palmetto Bay website remains putting out erroneous information. 

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY WARNING: Incredible. Obsolete information continues to be published on the official village website (CLICK HERE) - note the information is as posted on December 13, 2019, 5:00 PM.

136th St. Improvement ProjectThis project is currently under design. Improvements include minor widening of the roadway to add bike lanes on both sides of the road and milling & resurfacing the existing roadway. We are looking to replace the existing 5’ sidewalk on the South side of SW 136TH Street (Village of Palmetto Bay Side) with a new 7’ wide sidewalk. Other improvements will include pavement markings, ADA Compliant pedestrian ramps, and landscape improvements. This is a LAP Project between Miami Dade County and FDOT, and Village of Pinecrest and Village of Palmetto Bay are also stakeholders.

This rendering no longer represents the project as currently proposed

This information is clearly inaccurate and has been inaccurate for several months. Palmetto Bay officials have a duty to keep their information up to date and accurate.

Here are additional links to relevant PRIOR POSTS, including:

I have uploaded (former) Item 10E from the February 4, 2019, agenda setting the scope (details) for this project. Note the differences between what was contained in the Staff Report (remember when those were made available to the public?) and the current MEGA sidewalk. This is a 31 page document relating to this issue I will be discussing at a later date. Please consider this part of your SW 136 Street Improvement 'tool box' for now. (CLICK HERE) to download and view.

The Joint Agreement with Miami-Dade County and Palmetto Bay - specifically resolution 2018-47.  And once again, please note - neither of these documents appear to be available online on the official Village of Palmetto Bay web site, but you can find it here as it is posted to my Googledrive. (CLICK HERE) to view this Miami-Dade County Memorandum of October 23, 2018 (17 pages). This County Memo includes Palmetto Bay Resolution 2017-47 (contained on the last two pages, at pages 17-18 of the 17 page document).

January 13, 2019, Taking a close look. A ten foot multi-use path proposed for around Palmetto Bay by a member of the Village Council - here is how it might look. Actual photos of a similar, if not identical design. Offering some Pros & Cons

January 25, 2017: Update on the 136 improvement meeting held at Howard Drive Elementary& Temporary Traffic Tables coming to Farmers Road during County PilotProgram.

October 30, 2019, Pinecrest Wins, Palmetto Bay loses. Pinecrest Council discusses materialchanges to 136 St Bike Lane. Palmetto Bay may be home to a 10 foot MEGAsidewalk instead of a shared project.