CPCA Meeting

Croissant Park Civic Association Meeting

February 24, 2015

Hi Neighbors,

The February meeting started at 7:05 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.  All CPCA Board members were present: Pat Rathburn, Rhonda Kramer, Joe Russell, Michelle DiMaria, Heather Cunniff, Beth Falkenhagen and Virginia Dill Russell.  Joe greeted people as they arrived and was happy to report that we had 10 new and renewed memberships tonight.  It’s never too late to become a first time member or to renew your membership to the Association.  Membership runs from January 1 to December 31 each year.

Officer Tisch

Chief Hoecherl

Our first speaker was Officer Tisch from FLPD who reported one very recent burglary on SW 16th Street in Croissant Park. The suspects, a male and female, entered the home through a doggy door and were later apprehended.  Their “safe house” was discovered in Coral Springs, full of loot from many burglaries.  The residents of the home on 16th Street were interviewed and all the local TV stations broadcast the interview on the evening news. BSO is responsible for the surveillance and arrest of the burglars.  Nice work BSO!

Chris Wren

Our next speakers were Chris Wren from the Downtown Development Authority and Diana Alarcon from the City of Fort Lauderdale.  Also in attendance were Fire Chief Robert Hoecherl and Debbie Griner from the City.  Chris Wren is one of the main architects of the WAVE streetcar project, an environmentally-friendly streetcar system that will service Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding neighborhoods, including Croissant Park.  The goals of the WAVE are to provide transit, encourage economic growth in the city, provide quality of life, safety and vitality, and offer a ‘green’ approach to transportation by rendering us less dependent on cars.  There are 14 proposed stops for the WAVE and the routes will be expanded in the future to include 17th Street Causeway, Port Everglades and the airport.  The WAVE vehicle maintenance and storage facility was originally set for the property downtown that housed the “one stop shop” permit offices, but in a complicated land swap that the City has made, the new site for the maintenance facility will be located at 1801 SW 1st Ave, directly across the tracks from the Croissant Park Community Center recreation field. Fire Chief Hoecherl informed us of the need for a new fire station to service the area east of the tracks, which will be built adjacent to the WAVE maintenance facility. The powers that be promise that these developments will vitalize the area with the new buildings, lighting and landscaping, thereby lighting areas that are currently dark and unsafe.  A vigorous Q and A followed.  If you would like more information about the WAVE you can visit www.wavestreetcar.com 

Train horns--are they louder lately?  Do they appear to last longer?  Diana Alarcon from the City responded to these questions by saying that the City will apply for “quiet zone infrastructure upgrades” that would be done by All Aboard Florida (AAF).  Diana does not represent AAF.  We hope to have a representative from AAF at a future meeting.  For any complaints about the train horns Diana suggested going to sunsentinel.com which has a place for such complaints.  It will ask for specifics: time/day/which track/reason for complaint.

The 50/50 raffle was won by Paul Stickl in the yellow shirt.

The next Croissant Park meeting will be on May 26th.  See you there!

Minutes by Virginia-Sec’y