Brains and Beauty
New School, City Manager & Luxury Spa Coming to SIB
By Bari Auerbach

Thanks to the collaborative “brain power” of the Sunny Isles Beach Commission and Miami-Dade County School Board leaders, the city will soon have its own public school serving a booming population of families with children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Making yet another wise decision, the City Commission appointed Police Chief Fred interim City Manager. Maas will be expanding his service to the city until a permanent replacement is found for former City Manager Christopher Russo, who tendered his resignation citing plans to pursue a career in the private sector.

And now, thanks to the Trump family, the brains behind the success of Williams Island, the beauty of Sunny Isles Beach is about to be enhanced by the internationally renowned ESPA day spa. ESPA will make its U.S. debut this spring at the exclusive Acqualina condo/resort gracing 178th Street and Collins Avenue.

Higher Learning
At the Oct. 11 City Commission meeting, Miami-Dade County School Board member Dr. Martin Karp joined by Enid Weisman, Region 2 District Superintendent, recognized Sunny Isles Beach for contributing $8.5 million toward the acquisition of land for a K-8 public school that will help alleviate the area’s overcrowded classrooms.

“All other municipalities will be looking to see how this works out and [will be taking note of] the generosity, support and confidence Sunny Isles Beach has in our public school system,” Karp said, going on to read the following proclamation:

“The City of Sunny Isles Beach has [proffered] $8.5 million to Miami-Dade County Public Schools towards the district’s proposed acquisition of approximately 2.1 acres of land located at 182nd Drive and Bay Road to build a planned K-8 center to relieve Highland Oaks Middle School, Virginia A. Boone Highland Oaks Elementary and Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor Elementary…The City of Sunny Isles Beach has directed the [Region 2] Superintendent to pursue an inter-local agreement with the City for future construction of this K-8 center by the School Board…

“The City of Sunny Isles Beach will support the use of an adjacent city-owned public park for school recreation under a proposed park/school agreement between the City and the School Board; and beyond this - the City of Sunny Isles Beach has expressed willingness to close and vacate a portion of an intervening street to enhance access to and from the public park.”

Weisman also expressed appreciation to the Commission and members of the city’s Education/Schools Committee, emphasizing, “I expect you to ‘hold our feet to the fire’ - that’s how we get quality education for all of our children.”

Public Benefits
In September of 2004, the Commission adopted a resolution approving the concept to build a K-8 public school in Sunny Isles Beach per recommendation of the Education/Schools Committee of the Mayor’s Advisory Council. The resolution also gave the City Manager authority to initiate an agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

During a Sept. 22, 2004 meeting, Bob Welsh, chair of the Education/Schools Committee, addressed the City Commission, stating, “Thank you for your understanding of the need for Sunny Isles Beach to have a school; and for your response to the plea of the parents for the school.”

According to a packet of information Welsh passed out to the Commission, the Education/Schools Committee considered and compared possibilities including a public school, Sunny Isles Beach charter school, and satellite school of Miami-Dade County. Ultimately, the Committee endorsed the public school option with land that would be purchased by Sunny Isles Beach.

Welsh subsequently pointed out why the Education/Schools Committee recommended a public school over a charter school. “[Charter school] companies do the work that the Miami-Dade County School Board does for you – but they take money for it,” he said. “When you sign up with Dade County, they give you money; and when you sign up with the charter school - you give them money.”

The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission previously approved resolutions to acquire property via negotiations or eminent domain in order to build a school in close proximity to a two-acre active park soon to be developed at North Bay Road and 181st Drive.

“This is a unique agreement in that [the City of Sunny Isles Beach is] providing the land and entering into a joint cooperative effort with [MDCPS] to build the school expeditiously,” former City Manager Christopher Russo explained. “We’ll own the land and lease it to them - hopefully forever…Financial responsibility will always remain with Dade County Public Schools…[They’ll] get the school built to the highest standards.”

Russo also said, “This unique situation will work through their education oversight committee which we’ll have representatives on.” According to a letter Weisman wrote to the city, “Sunny Isles Beach could have up to three members on the school’s Educational Excellence School Advisory Council.”

Regarding enrollment, the letter notes, “All students in the attendance boundaries of the school will have equal access to this school. However given the geography and the demographics of Sunny Isles Beach, it’s highly likely that the school will have only Sunny Isles Beach students. Attendance boundaries are determined a year prior to the school opening.”

Weisman also told the Commission, “The goals outlined for the Sunny Isles Beach school are very much aligned with everything on the national, state and district agenda…You have the ingredients that every community in this country wants to have one of the best schools.”

Another ‘Smart Move’
The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission recently appointed Police Chief Fred Maas interim City Manager following Christopher Russo’s resignation. Chief Maas took on the additional title with a 10 percent salary increase for the duration of the appointment effective Oct. 20; and plans to work in “close partnership” with assistant city manager Jorge Vera.

“Our charter requires we have an interim City Manager so there is no lapse from when Chris [Russo] leaves to when someone is appointed as a permanent City Manger - which I would expect would happen sometime as early as December – but more likely January of next year,” Mayor Norman Edelcup said.

To review applicants for Russo’s permanent replacement, a City Manager search committee was formed chaired by Senator Gwen Margolis, a city resident; and the executive search firm of Colin Baenziger & Associates has been retained.

During the Oct. 11 City Commission meeting, Maas explained he feels serving as interim City Manager would not compromise efficient management of the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department.

“The City Manager has put together a very competent team of department heads who are highly knowledgeable and their work ethic is incomparable,” Maas said, “I would say this additional task [serving as interim City Manager] is about guiding, directing or fostering the work they already do in their respective areas…It will take [more] time – but it’s nothing my personal work ethic won’t allow for…I’ve always had one goal in the six-and-a-half years I’ve been here - and that’s to accept whatever challenge, request or task that has been asked of me for the betterment of residents and the City of Sunny Isles Beach.”

Earlier in the meeting, the City Commission and Sunny Isles Beach Citizens’ Coalition recognized outgoing City Manager Christopher Russo for his five years of “outstanding service” to the city.

“The best part of this job has been the great pleasure of working with the City Commission, staff and citizens,” said Russo, who plans embark on a new career in the private sector.

The Beauty of ESPA
After “brainstorming” to ensure Sunny Isles Beach is expertly managed, the topic of the Oct. 11 Commission meeting turned to enhancing the city’s “beauty” when a request was approved to expand ESPA - a luxurious day spa opening this spring at Acqualina – the opulent condo/resort developed by the Trumps of Williams Island on the ocean at 178th Street and Collins Avenue. ESPA will be bringing its internationally renowned “famous name” associated with ultimate pampering to the United States for the first time at Acqualina.

After the Commission considered city staff approval of the request to expand ESPA, Cliff Schulman, attorney for the developer, reiterated, “This [spa expansion] won’t increase the height, density or intensity of Acqualina [and it will not affect] any view corridors or beach access points.”

While ESPA’s mission is to create “synergy in the spa world,” corporate leaders believe they’ve found the “ideal synergy” for success in Sunny Isles Beach. Creating spas in four, five and six star markets around the world for more than 10 years, ESPA develops projects from conception and design – all the way through to fully operational, progressive facilities.

At the Oct. 11 Commission meeting, spa director Vivianne Blanco spoke on behalf of ESPA, the London-based firm that will be managing the spa at Acqualina.

“ESPA is European company based in the United Kingdom considered one of the best design companies,” Blanco said. “We chose Acqualina to be the first ESPA branded spa in the United States because we think this will be a landmark property…It will shine the spotlight on Sunny Isles Beach and enhance the community…ESPA is not only for the condominium residents and hotel guests - but also for the local people of Sunny Isles Beach.”

In response to a question posed by Commissioner Ros Brezin regarding why the expansion for ESPA was being requested, Blanco explained, “To me - luxury is ‘time and space’…The spa was previously planned without enough space…It’s not going to be the kind of spa to have [clients] coming in for a one hour service…We encourage people to spend the entire day at the spa; and we need more space in order to [accommodate] that.”

ESPA Promises to ‘Really Work’
Susan Harmsworth, CEO and founder of ESPA International (UK) Ltd., is considered one of the leading consultants in the design and build of spas worldwide. She has collaborated on the creation of exceptional lifestyle spas for exclusive projects including Sandy Lane, Barbados; Mandarin Oriental London, Miami, Hawaii; Four Seasons Dublin and Hampshire; and the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles.

Holistic concepts integrated with natural and organic ingredients create ESPA products and treatments with natural and organic ingredients designed to really work…a motto that could also apply to how Acqualina’s ESPA will really work to further enhance the prestige and glamour of Sunny Isles Beach - already appreciated by everyone with “brains and beauty” enjoying the highest quality of “life with a view” in the City of Sun and Sea.

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