CPCA General Meeting January 2023
—Our meeting began at 7:10 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance. Board members Pat, Michelle, Rhonda, Heather, Jodi, Joe and Virginia were in attendance. Many neighbors attended and signed up for their 2023 CPCA membership.
—Our first speaker was FLPD Officer Jackson with two of her new crew members. The crime report for this period in Croissant Park included one vehicle burglary that involved a backpack being stolen from an unlocked car with windows open. Two auto thefts occurred; one from a driveway that resulted in no arrest made. The other auto theft was recovered in Hollywood.
Ofc. Jackson invited us to take part in a new program called “Walk and Talk”. We can stroll through our neighborhood with an FLPD officer in the evening. Email Sergeant Graves for an appointment ngraves@fortlauderdale.gov.
On Monday, January 30th there was an epic traffic jam during the morning rush hour. It seems all the railroad gates were closed for many blocks, causing a complicated grid lock. Ofc. Jackson was asked where were all the police units? Apparently there is not enough personnel to cover that size of situation.
Transients and convicted sex offenders are required to have an address, which turns out to be a hotel in the 1500 block of SE 17th Street, as described by Ofc. Jackson.
—The ever-popular Neighborhood Support Night will be held on Thursday, February 16th from 5:30-8pm in the City Hall parking lot at 100 N. Andrews Ave. It is a fun event where you can meet City officials, firefighters and police officers, learn about City career opportunities, play fun games with your kids. There is a tree giveaway among many other free items. Check it out…its a fun night for the whole family.
—Vice Mayor and District 4 Commissioner, Warren Sturman, came to speak about City matters and to hear our concerns in Croissant Park. He covered various projects like the proposed tunnel to the beach (unpopular by hand vote at this meeting), the park being built downtown, the failing Five Ash water treatment facility and its proposed replacement. There is a proposal to move the trees on the median on La Olas Blvd. to the sidewalks in order to improve traffic.
There was discussion of the approved project to build pickleball courts and a restaurant in Snyder Park. This is a hot button issue that will affect us, and especially our neighbors to the south in Edgwood, who border on the Snyder Park property.
Discussion about the “affordable housing” incentive to build taller buildings being built near, but not in Croissant Park, will still affect CP because of our proximity. We are a traffic cut-through community, which brings more traffic and more speeders into our neighborhood, affecting our property values. A neighbor on 18th Court is extremely angry about speeders on his street. One speeder hit and killed a dog on his street.
Board member Michelle expressed dismay at various issues that we have raised many times in the past that have been ignored. One glaring example is the lack of sidewalks on SE 15th Street, between 4th Avenue and the railroad tracks. It is extremely dangerous to walk or ride a bike due to cars at the businesses parked in the curve of the street. Vice Mayor Sturman said he would look into it. For Neighborhood Support contact the Vice Mayor’s aide Ryan Thomas at
rthomas@fortlauderdale.gov or 954 828-5059.
The meeting ended on that note due to the late hour.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 28th at 7pm. Hope to see you r there.
Minutes by Virginia-CPCA Secretary.
Pictures by Rhonda, CPCA Director
