'Golden opportunities' for park expansion
By Bari Auerbach

The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission recently heard a presentation regarding plans to expand the Golden Shores park pending the receipt of a Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grant and additional land acquisitions.

"The city recently purchased a lot to the west of the Golden Shores park," explained City Manager Christopher Russo. "That lot qualified for a little over $93,000 in grant money to help pay for it through the state of Florida. One of the requirements is that we have an informal town meeting [regarding] this purchase.In addition, we're still pursuing two additional lots to the east side of the Golden Shores park - the little triangular piece and the one right next to it."

Russo noted that although the city does not yet have a conclusive site plan for the park, landscape architect Bill O'Leary will be working on the project and "interim ideas" have already been conceived.

"We've taken suggestions from the neighborhood over the past six months or so and tried to implement them," Russo said. "The city is open to conforming the park to the needs of the community.We've proposed replacing [an existing] volleyball net with a small climbing structure we think might get some more activity."

Russo emphasized, "This meeting is a requirement with regard to the acquisition of land - the lot we bought and the lots we may buy. The layout is more or less tentative and it's not anything that is set in stone."

Guada Woodring Lueck, proposal manager for the consulting firm of Calvin, Giordano & Associates, was present at the meeting to discuss elements of the Golden Shores park project.

"We currently have the existing park area, which is developed, has a little landscaping, benches, pavilions and a playground," Lueck said. "The area to the west is next to a home and just has a volleyball net on it. There are additional parcels to the east that may be acquired.We're well aware one of the things of interest to the neighborhood is to have a better play area for children and to get them off the streets.

"The park site [already] developed contains the tot lot for small children, benches, a canopy and palm trees. It's currently accessible by pedestrians and bicyclists but there is no parking for cars - so that leaves it definitely a neighborhood park.

"The undeveloped park site just has the volleyball net - but if you look at the conceptual drawing, one of the ideas is to create a barrier that will keep the noise and people away from the residents next door.This site is going to receive an 'Infinity Climber' which is more for children up to age 12, whereas the tot lot is for smaller children.The east parcels that are just sitting there right now - if acquired by the city - would be about one quarter of an acre and would double the size of the current park as well as allow for additional items like the basketball court to be added.

"The 'big picture' for the park is to provide a safe play area.In the finished park, the landscaping will be developed. One way to look at this park, aside from being a place for children to play and people to meet, is that it can also potentially increase the value of the neighborhood because it will be developed, attractive and maintained.

"The 'Tallahassee definition' is once the park is completed to the east, it will - by their definition - be adjacent to the beach.so it will be a nice thing to be able to say you live next to a park that's adjacent to the beach."

Lueck reiterated that the meeting regarding the Golden Shores park was held in order to fulfill a requirement necessary as part of the process for the city to be reimbursed by the FRDAP grant for the $93,000 expended to purchase the west parcel. "We're also looking at other potential grants to either help pay for additional acquisition of land or to help develop the land," she said. "There is no direct cost [that will be incurred by residents] for developing parks.The costs are part of the city's capital improvement budget; and impact fees being paid by some area developers are also helping to pay for some of the parks and green areas [in the city]."

Going over reasons for why the Commission is in favor of expanding Golden Shores park, Lueck noted, "Per the Comprehensive Plan, the city is committed to having 2.7 acres [of green space] for every 1,000 residents.Creating this park and all others under development or being planned for the future helps achieve this goal. Golden Shores residents also have expressed the need to have a safe place for their children to play and the [Golden Shores park] would fulfill that need. Being that this is a very developed, high rise area, any green space is desirable and improves quality of life."

Discussing other benefits. Lueck emphasized, "The park beautifies the area; potentially increases property values; it's a low cost recreation area you can go to anytime that the city maintains and ensures is safe and pretty. The park also brings the city closer to attaining open space element goals in the Comprehensive Plan.this park is part of the proposed five year plan the city has for developing green area. In addition, building parks helps the city maintain a favorable position with state granting organizations like FRDAP, the Florida Community Trust and Florida Department of Community Affairs - other good sources of grant funding."

More benefits associated with the park that Lueck listed included "creating a prettier and greener Sunny Isles Beach as well as an area for social interaction where families can meet, have picnics and be able to maintain a sense of community in a city experiencing rapid development."
 

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