Sunrise Developers Ready To Build Next To Everglades
The bulldozers are already warming up.
Mayor Wishner votes against the Everglades
Last night’s vote at the Sunrise City Commission to allow a massive project at the edge of the Everglades was a mere show.
Browardbeat.com has learned that developers were so sure of that they had the votes on the commission they had already prepared applications for development.
They have drawn up the building plans. They have secured the financing.
They are ready to go.
What has Sunrise Mayor Roger Wishner and his puppets given Broward County?
Around 634,000 square feet of new office space, just what we need. Anybody look around at all the empty offices?
There is a 350-room hotel being built in the worse market for hospitality in decades. And 30,000 square feet of commercial space in a recession.
All of this wedged between the Sawgrass Expressway and the Everglades.
Wishner and Commissioners Don Rosen, Larry Sofield and Joey Scuotto thumbed their noses at environmentalists. The environmentalists warned a project that close to the Everglades was a threat to our water supply.
Commissioner Sheila Alu fought a losing battle to block the office park.
Wishner is a personal disappointment. I admired him a decade ago as a maverick on the Sunrise Commission.
The maverick has become a sell outand not a very skillful one.
He used 15 minutes of badly twisted logic and spin on Tuesday to justify voting for the development.
The vote changed the zoning, allowing developers more flexibility in building.
Without Tuesday change in landscaping and setback requirements, developers would have been hard pressed to economically squeeze all the density they wanted onto the 22 acres.
Alu called the vote the most important in Sunrise in years.
“This fight is just beginning, she said.
Here is how that fight could continue, Sheila:
Marriott is suppose to build the hotel, but I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be known internationally as a despoiler of the Everglades. A little pressure on them could do wonders.
The project needs the state Department of Transportation permission to change the intersection at the expressway and Sunrise Boulevard. Lobbying against that change could also do wonders.
Me, I’m hoping for a stiff wind from the west blowing unto the property.
Because the wind will blow smoke from the Everglades fires all over those Marriott guests.
And the wind will bring other visitors into the Marriott which will ruin vacations:
Swarms of Everglades mosquitoes hungry for the blood of tourists.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:33 am
I am very disappointed with the entire Commission, including Alu. Nothing is different in Sunrise, its always the same. Even if one votes differently it’s just for show, they are interconnected. On top of that, a change in the City Manager has made absolutely no change.
I am most disappointed in “Acting” Mayor Wishner who I thought would bring some changes. While he says he is different than Feren, he is exactly the same.
I wish he could be more like the Mayors of his surrounding cities, Plantation, Tamarac, Lauderhill and Weston. They are leaders, he isn’t. I miss Mayor Dan Pearl. Now there is a Mayor.
PS I am not so sure that there would be any difference if any of the other Commissioners were the Mayor instead. I sure hope none of them have any desire to serve outside of Sunrise. It is clear they would try to import Sunrise politics into it. Even Wishner who tried at the State level and failed.
April 29th, 2009 at 5:06 am
This is often the dilemma facing elected officials.
For instance, a developer has a pre-exisistng right to build on a particular piece of property. The developer comes in with plans that show a better project, but that would require some zoning change.
Now, as a city commissioner do you say “no, build the inferior product”?
In spite of the view that elected officials are only motivated by lobbyists’ cash, they usually want what’s best for the municipality. So if the change means a more viable project or one that is more environmentally and aesthetically pleasing, then why not?
Some projects should not be built, but if a project is going to be built anyway, then it should be a quality effort. Otherwise no one wins.
April 29th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Roger Wishner=John Lomelo
April 29th, 2009 at 7:17 am
For the reason behind this, look no farther than Wishner’s campaign contributions. He is so transparent.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Sorry, but it’s simply arbitrary to argue that a structure like the one contemplated is any more offensive facing the Everglades than it would be facing the Atlantic. So long as neither pose an environmental risk, and so long as local residents are OK with it, if it violates no laws, then I see no problem with it. Market considerations like, will it sell and so forth, those are none of government’s business. That’s an owner’s problem.
April 29th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Somewhere, sometime we will have to draw the line in the sand and say no more development west of this line. Otherwise, no water to drink. It is as simple as that.
April 29th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
That’s the problem. Being built where it is potentially it is an environmental risk to our drinking water.
I hope that our government is true to form, and between the county, state and/or federal EPA departments, they have to go through and resolve these risks. I don’t see why the Commission couldn’t have tabled this until such environmental issues were reviewed and approved.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:40 am
The State DCA and EPA do draw the line on where development near the Everglades can occur. Those lines very clearly exist and this project does not cross the line. There is absolutely no indication that the Everglades water supply is at jeopardy as a result of this project. That comment is conjecture on your part. And no vote for the project could possibly have occurred without all the necessary environmental green lights being in place. So please, let’s argue on the basis of facts not stuff you made up. If you just don’t like the project, say so. But let’s not make up facts because that’s no different than the corruption you blame officials for being involved in, also without any facts.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:02 am
much ado about nothing.an insignificant site containing virtually no native vegetation east of the dike.maybe they will have a rooftop restaurant for those who do not actually go into the everglades to have a look.i know if the food was good it would be a good place to take out of town visitors.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Just look at Sunrise. What a dump! Endless strip malls next to shody, cheap condos and dying neighborhoods filled with two, three and four families to the house. Two huge towers that are empty and out of place. The wonderful mayor Wishner has voted on most of this mess.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Again, the City of Sunrise proves itself an embarassment. In an era of “green” and environmental issues, you would think that the City would have voted to stop this development. A development that is not needed, a development that will sit vacant for years to come just like the towers and a development that could threaten our water supply that is already dwindling down as it is. Congrats to the Sunrise politicians for making fools of themselves once again.
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:22 pm
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