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Mayo: In Giulianti's city, development towers over values: South Florida =
Sun-Sentinel
Mayo:=20
In Giulianti's city, development towers over values
=20
Michael Mayo
News Columnist
July 10, 2005
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-cmayocol10jul10,0,6522892=
..column?coll=3Dsfla-news-col
After a long talk with Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti on Friday, I =
realized a couple of things.
She talks a lot about vision, but she has lost sight of the error of her =
city's ways.
She talks a lot about how much she cares about her community, but she =
can be pretty insensitive to those who get in her way.
Take the raging case of the Mach family, whose commercial property the =
city wants to take through a forced sale for a 19-story condominium =
project on Young Circle. The city commission, by a 5-2 vote, has chosen =
to go the eminent domain route, spending plenty in taxpayer money, =
because the developer and the family couldn't agree on a sale price.
She downplayed the issues of individual property rights and potential =
government abuse of power. She made much about developer Chip Abele =
being a good guy because he serves on the board of the local Boys and =
Girls Club and criticized the family because she hasn't known them to do =
any charitable community work.
Now there's a reasonable basis for public policy.
Giulianti has been mayor of Hollywood for 18 of the last 20 years, and =
she's showing the signs of someone who's been in office too long: the =
insular certainty that if voters keep electing her, she must not be =
doing anything wrong.
But recent headlines should make people wonder if the city has its =
values right.
With Giulianti at the helm and her connected cronies behind the scenes, =
Hollywood's quaint, down-to-earth past is about to be swallowed by a =
high-rise redevelopment surge subsidized by the city.
Not all redevelopment is bad. But the policies and tactics are cause for =
pause.
The city lavishes favored developers with tens of millions of dollars in =
incentives, but uses hardball nickel-and-dime tactics against a family =
whose land it wants.
Meanwhile, the city has launched an effort to curtail hip-hop nightlife =
and remove certain menacing-looking people, such as Greyhound bus =
riders, from the soon-to-be-condoized Young Circle area.
In Hollywood, people will soon know their place.
Now that the city has helped with the sale of the Greyhound terminal to =
Abele for another high-rise project, Giulianti wasn't concerned where a =
new terminal will go. She said Dixie Highway would be appropriate.
And she said the crackdown on late-night clubs with DJs is not racially =
motivated, even though the commission's contortions to craft the new =
liquor ordinances practically screams, "Everyone but young blacks in =
baggy pants welcome."
Giulianti seemed genuinely hurt when I said outsiders might view the new =
rules as elitist at best, racist at worst. She said city manager Cameron =
Benson, an African-American, helped craft them and that it's better to =
keep out "anti-social hooligans" by rewriting ordinances than dealing =
with them once they're here.
She cited fighting, rowdyism, public urination and bottle-breaking as =
justification for the effort.
Then why not just beef up police presence on weekends to deal with =
criminal behavior?
"That could cost $1 million a year in overtime," she said.
Funny, Giulianti didn't seem to mind giving $25 million in inducements =
to Abele for his two proposed projects.
And she didn't mind giving $11 million in inducements to developer Steve =
Berman for his Radius condominium project that didn't need much help: =
All units were gobbled up with $15,000 deposits in one day, before a =
shovel hit the ground.
Apparently, Hollywood would rather siphon its money into the pockets of =
the private sector than onto its streets.
Especially to developers represented by Alan Koslow, a former city =
attorney and partner at the powerful Becker and Poliakoff firm. Koslow =
helped get the incentive deals for Abele and Berman from the city's =
special Community Redevelopment Agency tax fund.
David Mach said he intends to highlight the curious deals and cozy =
relation****ps should eminent domain proceedings go to court.
"What do these people need incentives for, so they could make $50 =
million instead of $30 million?" Mach said.
"The Radius sold out the first day; they were lined up around the block. =
The city is idiotic for agreeing to some of these things."
Michael Mayo can be reached at mmayo@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or 954-356-4508.
Copyright =A9 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel=20
**************************************
Rceived From: a_toll=20
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Distributed by
Chachi Novellas Bengochea
Delray Beach, Florida, USA
FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP
http://groups.yahoo.com/grop/ForFreedomandJustice/
"Live-Free-or-Die"
"One Nation UNDER GOD" "IN GOD WE TRUST"
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<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Mayo: In Giulianti's city, development towers over =
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#ff0000 size=3D4><STRONG>Mayo: =
</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#ff0000 size=3D4><STRONG>In Giulianti's =
city,=20
development towers over values</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#ff0000 size=3D4><A=20
href=3D"http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfla-s****ts-mayo,0,61=
49311.columnist?coll=3Dsfla-news-col"><IMG=20
alt=3D"Michael Mayo"=20
src=3D"http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/thumbnails/columnist/2001-03/104=
994.jpg"=20
align=3Dmiddle border=3D0></A><FONT face=3DVerdana><FONT=20
size=3D2> </FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#ff0000><FONT color=3D#000080><BIG><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2><STRONG>Michael Mayo<BR>News Columnist</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2><STRONG><FONT face=3DArial>July 10,=20
2005<BR></FONT></STRONG><A=20
href=3D"http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-cmayocol10jul10,0=
,6522892.column?coll=3Dsfla-news-col"><U><FONT=20
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff>http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-cmayocol1=
0jul10,0,6522892.column?coll=3Dsfla-news-col</FONT></U></A><BR><STRONG></=
STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2>After a long talk with =
Hollywood=20
Mayor Mara Giulianti on Friday, I realized a couple of =
things.<BR><BR>She talks=20
a lot about vision, but she has lost sight of the error of her city's=20
ways.<BR><BR>She talks a lot about how much she cares about her =
community, but=20
she can be pretty insensitive to those who get in her way.<BR><BR>Take =
the=20
raging case of the Mach family, whose commercial property the city wants =
to take=20
through a forced sale for a 19-story condominium project on Young =
Circle. The=20
city commission, by a 5-2 vote, has chosen to go the eminent domain =
route,=20
spending plenty in taxpayer money, because the developer and the family =
couldn't=20
agree on a sale price.<BR><BR>She downplayed the issues of individual =
property=20
rights and potential government abuse of power. She made much about =
developer=20
Chip Abele being a good guy because he serves on the board of the local =
Boys and=20
Girls Club and criticized the family because she hasn't known them to do =
any=20
charitable community work.<BR><BR>Now there's a reasonable basis for =
public=20
policy.<BR><BR>Giulianti has been mayor of Hollywood for 18 of the last =
20=20
years, and she's showing the signs of someone who's been in office too =
long: the=20
insular certainty that if voters keep electing her, she must not be =
doing=20
anything wrong.<BR><BR>But recent headlines should make people wonder if =
the=20
city has its values right.<BR><BR>With Giulianti at the helm and her =
connected=20
cronies behind the scenes, Hollywood's quaint, down-to-earth past is =
about to be=20
swallowed by a high-rise redevelopment surge subsidized by the =
city.<BR><BR>Not=20
all redevelopment is bad. But the policies and tactics are cause for=20
pause.<BR><BR>The city lavishes favored developers with tens of millions =
of=20
dollars in incentives, but uses hardball nickel-and-dime tactics against =
a=20
family whose land it wants.<BR><BR>Meanwhile, the city has launched an =
effort to=20
curtail hip-hop nightlife and remove certain menacing-looking people, =
such as=20
Greyhound bus riders, from the soon-to-be-condoized Young Circle =
area.<BR><BR>In=20
Hollywood, people will soon know their place.<BR><BR>Now that the city =
has=20
helped with the sale of the Greyhound terminal to Abele for another =
high-rise=20
project, Giulianti wasn't concerned where a new terminal will go. She =
said Dixie=20
Highway would be appropriate.<BR><BR>And she said the crackdown on =
late-night=20
clubs with DJs is not racially motivated, even though the commission's=20
contortions to craft the new liquor ordinances practically screams, =
"Everyone=20
but young blacks in baggy pants welcome."<BR><BR>Giulianti seemed =
genuinely hurt=20
when I said outsiders might view the new rules as elitist at best, =
racist at=20
worst. She said city manager Cameron Benson, an African-American, helped =
craft=20
them and that it's better to keep out "anti-social hooligans" by =
rewriting=20
ordinances than dealing with them once they're here.<BR><BR>She cited =
fighting,=20
rowdyism, public urination and bottle-breaking as justification for the=20
effort.<BR><BR>Then why not just beef up police presence on weekends to =
deal=20
with criminal behavior?<BR><BR>"That could cost $1 million a year in =
overtime,"=20
she said.<BR><BR>Funny, Giulianti didn't seem to mind giving $25 million =
in=20
inducements to Abele for his two proposed projects.<BR><BR>And she =
didn't mind=20
giving $11 million in inducements to developer Steve Berman for his =
Radius=20
condominium project that didn't need much help: All units were gobbled =
up with=20
$15,000 deposits in one day, before a shovel hit the =
ground.<BR><BR>Apparently,=20
Hollywood would rather siphon its money into the pockets of the private =
sector=20
than onto its streets.<BR><BR>Especially to developers represented by =
Alan=20
Koslow, a former city attorney and partner at the powerful Becker and =
Poliakoff=20
firm. Koslow helped get the incentive deals for Abele and Berman from =
the city's=20
special Community Redevelopment Agency tax fund.<BR><BR>David Mach said =
he=20
intends to highlight the curious deals and cozy relation****ps should =
eminent=20
domain proceedings go to court.<BR><BR>"What do these people need =
incentives=20
for, so they could make $50 million instead of $30 million?" Mach=20
said.<BR><BR>"The Radius sold out the first day; they were lined up =
around the=20
block. The city is idiotic for agreeing to some of these=20
things."<BR><BR></FONT><I><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2><FONT =
face=3DArial>Michael=20
Mayo can be reached at mmayo@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or=20
954-356-4508.</FONT></DIV></FONT></I>
<P><CITE><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><FONT =
color=3D#000000>Copyright =A9=20
2005,</FONT> </FONT></FONT><A =
href=3D"http://www.sun-sentinel.com/"><U><FONT=20
face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>South Florida=20
Sun-Sentinel</FONT></U></A></CITE><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =
</FONT></P>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000=20
size=3D2>**************************************</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV></BIG></FONT></FONT><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D2><FONT=20
color=3D#000000><STRONG>Rceived From:</STRONG> </FONT></FONT></FONT><A=20
title=3Da_toll@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
href=3D"mailto:a_toll@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#000000 size=3D2>a_toll</FONT></A> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2>
<DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
face=3D"Arial Black"=20
color=3D#ff0000=20
size=3D1>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
face=3D"Arial Black"=20
size=3D1>Distributed by</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial Black" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D1>Chachi Novellas Bengochea</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial Black" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D1>Delray Beach, Florida, USA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial Black" =
color=3D#ff0000=20
size=3D1>FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial Black" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D1><A=20
href=3D"http://groups.yahoo.com/grop/ForFreedomandJustice/"><U>http://gro=
ups.yahoo.com/grop/ForFreedomandJustice/</U></A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial Black"=20
color=3D#ff0000>"Live-Free-or-Die"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dstorycredit align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial Black" =
color=3D#ff0000=20
size=3D1>"One Nation UNDER GOD" "IN GOD WE=20
TRUST"</FONT></DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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