The future of the Las Olas “fence” is in your hands!
The future of the Las Olas “fence” is in your hands!
For those of you wondering about the debacle on Las Olas Boulevard with the installation of the metal “barrier-type” fence, I have news for you. Florida Department of Transportation called me today and gave me the “scoop” on the fence and what the next steps are. If you don’t like what you see out there, this is one mess you can do something about.
First the background:
1. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been working with the City since 2007 on planned safety and pavement upgrades (including a new fence) along Las Olas Boulevard, with construction to start in June (this month).
2. Our City Engineer (in March this year) had concerns about the appearance of the FDOT fence.
3. FDOT suggested that the City come up with their own design for a fence that was more aesthetically pleasing. As long as it met FDOT’s safety parameters, and the City was willing to pay for the design and maintenance, the City could do something different, as long as the decision was made before June.
4. At that point (around April), the issue was booted up to the City Manager’s office to decide what to do.
5. The City Manager did nothing. He sat on the issue, not telling the Commission of the impending construction, the fence, or the options the City could select from in lieu of the ugly metal barrier-type fence.
6. Because FDOT heard nothing from Fort Lauderdale, they started construction.
7. When construction began last week and people began to ask “What’s going on?”, the Mayor and Commission all assumed that FDOT started without notifying the City. They had no idea that the City Manager had actually with-held the information about the project.
But he had. (Apparently, he’s been too busy looking for his next job to keep the Commission informed.)
So now we have an ugly fence along the most beautiful roadway in Fort Lauderdale. What are our options now?
Michael E. Bienvenu, (FDOT’s Director of Transportation Operations) called me today and gave me an update on the available options and the safety issue. Our Commission has scheduled a discussion of these options at their Commission meeting on July 7th. Here is what Michael told me:
Mr. Rynerson,
As a follow up to our conversation earlier this afternoon, below are the Department’s offers currently on the table for the City of Ft. Lauderdale:
* The Department offered to powder coat the handrail black at the Department’s expense if the City of Fort Lauderdale is willing to sign a maintenance agreement to maintain the handrail after completion of the project. The maintenance agreement is the same requirement for all local agencies wishing to upgrade our standard designs within their respective jurisdictions. The difference here is that the Department normally requires the local agency to fund the powder coat upgrade but in this circumstance the Department will cover that cost within the existing project.
* The city will notify the Department by end of business on July 8 if it chooses to accept the Department’s offer to powder coat the handrail to allow for the next scheduled city commission meeting on July 7.
* Should the city decide to go forward with the powder coating, then the existing handrail will be removed and replaced with temporary railing and then re-installed with the powder coating prior to completion of the project.
* The sight distance issues were addressed last week and our construction staff will review the design and construction to assure that all safety considerations are met.
* The City of Ft. Lauderdale may upgrade to decorative handrail through the Department’s permitting process at the city’s expense as long as the design and construction meet the Department’s minimum safety requirements and specifications. In addition, the city will have to agree to maintain the decorative handrail following installation.
Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding this or any other FDOT projects.
Respectfully yours,
Michael E. Bienvenu, PhD, PE
Director of Transportation Operations
3400 W. Commercial Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
michael.bienvenu@dot.state.fl.us
954/777-4106
Apparently, Albert Carbon (Fort Lauderdale’s Head of Public Works) is taking the lead on this matter now (since City Manager Gretsas screwed it up). Carbon has already obtained the design parameters from FDOT to see what flexibility we have to put something attractive along Las Olas, and will report to the Commission on July 7th. The Commission will have to make a decision that night on what option to select. FDOT has given them till the end of business the following day.
If the City selects the upgrade option by then and agrees to pay for the difference in maintenance & design cost, FDOT will give us as much time as we need to “do it right” and come up with something that adds value to the roadway. THAT’s the solution we should go with. Given our bloated budget and millions being wasted every year on frivolous purchases, this is something that we should spend money on! It will benefit all of us!
So there you have it. Because the Commission works for you, you need to tell them what to do. If you don’t like that fence, send an email to Mayor Seiler (jack.seiler@fortlauderdale.gov ) , and to District Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom (crodstrom@fortlauderdale.gov), and tell them what you think they should do. (ie: “Design and install a truly beautiful fence that could be seen as artwork for Las Olas!”) Let me know if they tell you anything interesting and I’ll post it for others to see. With your active involvement here, we might just be able to turn this mess around.
Earl Rynerson
Reader Comments
Is no one listening? WE DO NOT NEED A FENCE. That stretch of Las Olas gets about 6 joggers and 4 pedestrians a day. Cars have not been careening off the road into canals… they have not for 80 years and will not in the future. I am not so much concerned about the collasal waste of money as I am FURIOUS over the visual destruction of what is arguably THE Most historic section of our city.
If we let the FDOT do this, what’s next? Giant chain link fencing along A1A to keep people from falling into the street. WE DO NOT ALL NEED NURSE-MAIDING!
TAKE THEM DOWN. There is NO way to put lipstick on this pig.
John- I agree with you, but the State apparently has safety, “child-proofing” and ADA requirements they have to follow whenever they do upgrades to their property anywhere in the State (and this road resurfacing project, the sidewalks and the exisiting railings are on their property). Unbelieveably, Las Olas Boulevard is not City Property, it is State property! I would prefer that nothing be done, (to just leave it alone), but that horse has already left the barn. Given all the reasonable options that are available now (and doing nothing is no longer an option), I think it makes sense to do do something artistic that adds new beauty to an already beautiful area. Other cities have done it; we could too, if our “do-nothing” Mayor took some initiative for a change… Earl
GREAT JOB, EARL! I wish we could get half as much information from the City when other issues arise like this that affect our quality of life- Keep up the good work!
I agree with Mr.O’Connor, we do not need a fence.
Stop wasting tax payers money.
Agree with Earl as well, BUT THEY WON’T LISTEN, THEY’LL GO HOME AT NIGHT AND KEEP WASTING OUT LARGE TAX DOLLARS. THEY ARE COMPLETE IDIOT!!!!
JUST SAY NO TO THE FENCE AND THE SPENDING!
ALWAYS THEIR ANSWER, WELL WE SCREWED UP, LET’S SCREW UP SOME MORE AND SPEND MORE MONEY!! H_ _L, NO WE DO NOT WANT TO MAINTAIN A FENCE WE DIDN’T WANT TO START WITH !!!!
Apology for the typos, so MAD I could not type fast enough! Of course out = our and IDIOT = IDIOTS, which is mild to what I want to call them…
Earl thanks for keeping us informed as ususal. It is too bad our city does not care as much as you do when it comes to our budget and the wasted dollar that will now need to be spent. As a realtor on the east side of Fort Lauderdale for the past 12 years I can tell you that our city needs to be concerned with the aesthetics even more today if they wish to attract the tourists and new buyers to the area. Our large obnoxious signs that they still allow any business to have is bad enough and now this in our downtown area that is the heart of Fort Lauderdale. Please add my support for the upgrade to be done. Thanks Again!
Oh for Heven sakes! As I said before, the railing is necessary and it should have been done years ago. Yes, it’s too bad that it isn’t more “Los Olas” looking, but it really isn’t an eyesore. It’s up, it’s done and thats that! Let’s not waist anymore of the tax payers dollars on this issue when there are far more important things that need to be addressed in our city!
Earl – Thanks for bringing this to our attention and staying on top of it. But reading the State’s letter to you, “Design and install a truly beautiful fence that could be seen as artwork for Las Olas!” is not an option. The only options are painting the handrail, or the city “may upgrade to decorative handrail.” That’s not a new fence as I read it. We’re still stuck with a metal fence with a Black handrail or mahogany/teak or something else as handrail. Am I missing something?
When I spoke to FDOT, they indicated that it could be any design we wanted, as long as it met FDOT’s safety standards,and as long as we picked up the tab. If we have to have a fence there, we ought to be able to come up with something that adds, not detracts from the beauty of the street.
Earl
It never ceases to amaze me how incompetant government officilas are. In our world you have the A stream students going out and making the economy and things happen.You then get taxed to hell by the B strem students who can’t make it on main street so they go and work for the government !!Wonder why we are in this recession ? This is once again typical of government. And now they are gonna run our health care ?! Whatever was wrong with the original Las Olas anyway ?!! Stop the spending as we are already bankrupt like the rest of the country.
Kevin: You are the one person who has made the only sensible comment. It is a utilitarian rail and it serves a purpose. Let’s not waste any more money glorifying a simple rail with over embelishment. Let it be!!!
Who really cares about the fence fix the_______ROAD!!!!_______
Maybe no one cares about the people getting hit on Las Olas because they don’t know them personally. But if they want to spend money on Las Olas it would be better spent on protecting the people walking,biking,ect..No cars have gone into the canals, but we have had people hit by cars on Las Olas. Take the ugly rails away and lower the speed limits and a little more police presence would be nice. God knows we pay enough taxes to live here.
And we are the last to get anything as far as improvements to our roads, sidewalks and sewers.
Am I the only one who sees this?
Take the fence down. It is not necessary. It would not prevent a car from driving into the water. It is ugly, plain and simple.
On Isle of Palms,it is still necessary to pull out into the bike lane to check for traffic on Las Olas.
Well, this is the first time I’ve seen reaction in multitude that actually worked. Good going people. We need to keep uniting. Right now it may appear like a compromise but in the future (as things have a way of wedging or working themselves in) we will be able to have a say prior to the spending of our bloated (hard earned) tax dollars.
Hopefully, in time,we will be getting rid of all the unnecessary’s. That includes people as well as jobs as well as city vehicles not working 24/7 which will bring down our budget to that of a normal city.
I would have to agree with Kevin I’m sure the DOT would not have put it up if it did not serve a purpose I think you just have to get used to it. Is the look of the rail going to keep people from coming to Las Olas? Lets take the time to focus on more important matters.
Earl I am surprised you don’t have a Gretsas coutdown clock on this sight. You need one.
Good idea, Lamont! Let me see what I can do-
Earl
what’s wrong with a little citizen activism–why not just take it down as fast as they can put it up?
The ADA and “child proofing” comment is a bunch of dung. This is a prime example of scumbag lawyers and the weak soft Americans we have become. With these “improvements” a child will still get around and drown somewhere on Las Olas unfortunately. We need to be responsible for ourselves and our actions. Let us do the dance with the State, the artsy fartsy design improvements, install an asthetic fence, and watch someone come by with a four dollar rachet wrench, a truck and some good old American gumption. PROBLEM SOLVED.
Las Olas had a DOT fencing and height exemption when it was resurfaced about 10 years ago. The lower fence and lower wall was put in all along the north side.
On the north side the rail above the wall was specifically designed to be as low as possible, maintain a view of the canals, and to be unobtrusive as possible. This was to maintain the view.
The new fence does every thing wrong. It blocks the view just a little less than a wall. It could have been designed with a few stout posts and simple rails but was not.
Other than take it out and replace it with something less visually dense, something like the rail it replaced, the only other option is to PAINT IT BLACK.
Why are there also obnoxious signs telling people not to trespass on the PUBLIC canal behind the fence? The road near by is a PUBLIC road not a private road, no matter what the residents might presume. The canal is a PUBLIC canal and the residents have a right to access it or fish if they wish.
According to city law the only time you are not allowed to fish in a public canal from a public road is on certain bridges, when the city has issued an order banning fishing from that bridge, otherwise all other public canals are open to the public.
Pretending the rip rap rock seawall at the side of the road is a “preserve” is ludicrous. Who put the signs up?
I suspect it was the same people who put the NO TRESPASSING sign on the PUBLIC road.
darn…I thought you were going to address the mess of that fenced construction sight on the western part of Las Olas. Why arent construction projects held to a start/completion date and when they don’t start at all why arent the developers required to restore the sight to an esthetic and useful purpose. I live by another one of these messes across the River at Smokers Park and have been looking at these messes for years now…what gives? Ban ALL the fences and clean up the mess!!!!