Letters to the Editor

Posted on 28 April 2011 by LeslieM

Hillsboro Boulevard TREES

Dear Editor:

I see that they are going to cut down 121 trees on Hillsboro Boulevard. BUT, the city has the $$ to plant new ones! Isn’t that nice … How about some trees for Hillsboro from Dixie to Federal? How about throwing something our way (those of us who live in the area)? Give us a little something to ease the pain of the eyesore that is the Dixie Flyover! Hillsboro from Dixie to Federal is like a runway.

Donna Lavoie

Deerfield Beach

 

Dear Editor:

Deerfield Beach is known for its beautiful Hillsboro Boulevard median trees. The canopy is one of the most mentioned features of Deerfield, second only to the beach.

121 trees in the median of Hillsboro (the ones marked with yellow tape) are slated to be CUT DOWN. The mahogany and oak trees took decades to mature to their beautiful, tall, full-canopied form.

The city’s rationale for this chainsaw massacre is that the trees obstruct the visibility of tractor-trailer trucks along Hillsboro Boulevard.

Deerfield Beach wants to cut down 71 percent of the live oaks, 59 percent of the mahoganies, and 100 percent of the geiger trees. Of the 121 trees the City of Deerfield Beach wants to remove, at least 56 or 46 percent are recommended “Wind Resistant Trees,” according to the very publication the city cites as an authority. And all of the “Wind Resistant Trees” that the city wants to remove are also native species.

Yet of the 126 trees the city wants to use as replacements, only 52 percent are on the “Wind Resistant Tree” list — only if you consider Royal Palms as trees.

In summary, the City is planning to cut down 121 trees, and replace them with 126 trees (including palms), for a 6 percent net increase in “Wind Resistant Trees.”

The question of sight distance is not relevant because virtually all of the trees have canopies 5 feet or more above the sight line datum — consistent with DOT standards. Nor do the branches touch the trucks going by.

What is odd about this is the city says they applied specific criteria to determine which trees to cut and which trees not to cut, but the facts do not support their reasons.

Given this, how, in a county that is built out from the ocean to the everglades, can anyone justify allowing these majestic beauties to fall to the chainsaw?

Bett Willett

Deerfield Beach

 

Re: District 2 Special Election

Dear Editor:

My name is David Cody and I am a concerned, qualified elector and citizen of District 2 in the city of Deerfield Beach.  I have previously e-mailed you a copy of my blog post regarding the Special Election that will occur in Deerfield Beach between May 29, 2011 and June 28, 2011, if we follow the City’s Charter.

I wanted you to know that the consensus of most District 2 residents is that we want, no demand, that the Special Election take place as soon as statutorily possible.  We do not want to drag this out nor let the city drag this matter out.  We are ready to move forward positively toward a goal of District redevelopment and growth, and for that we need an elected representative in our city government.

We are hoping to resolve this matter as soon as possible, and, hopefully, no later than the 50th day or the following Tuesday, if it must be on a Tuesday.

In an attempt to have a good voter turnout, will you please consider having the election on a Saturday, when the majority of District 2 residents are not working.  If the goal of our democracy is to allow the people to vote for their representatives, then scheduling that vote on a day when the majority of qualified electors are available would be the most sensical thing to do.  However, I have no illusions that the electoral process is usually absent of common sense, due to statutory constraints.

Deerfield Beach seems to be the capital of Special Elections lately. And District 2 has not escaped that fate. With the removal of Sylvia Poitier on April 14, 2011, Deerfield Beach’s City Charter states that if no regular city election is scheduled within nine (9) months, the commission shall schedule a special election to fill the unexpired term of mayor or a commissioner held not sooner than forty-five (45) days (May 29, 2011), nor more than seventy-five (75) days  (June 28, 2011) following the occurrence of the vacancy or vacancies.

They may choose to appoint someone from District 2 to fill her position and we will, as a community of concerned individuals, attend every commission meeting to ensure that that individual is doing what is in the best interest of all his/her constituents. We know that 45-75 days is a long time and anything can happen if we are not vigilant and mindful. If the past couple of years has taught us nothing, then I hope it has taught us that.

David Cody

Deerfield Beach

 

Editor’s note: According to City Attorney Andy Maurodis (April 21 Observer), “there is no provision for an interim appointment in these types of cases.” Scheduling of a Special Election is up to the office of the Supervisor of Elections, when they can do it per advertising requirements.

 

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