As school lets out and everyone gets ready for vacation, some of the most important work of the year is happing at the Village of Pinecrest.
The primary objective of our administration is to maintain our character and enhance our quality of life. The most important tool we have for doing this is our budget. Each year we begin this process in March and present a draft budget to the Council in August, so we are ready for public input through a variety of workshops after school starts, aiming for September public hearings and approval.
There is always interesting debate about what to include, but it all must fit into our existing tax structure. Since January, the Village Staff and Council have been meeting to discuss our priorities, by considering what we want, what we need, and evaluating our Strategic Plan.
One of our long standing priorities has been the potable water project. The water system is owned and operated by the county, and they require homeowners to install new water lines if desired. We have been working hard in Tallahassee and were finally put on the funding list for $500,000. This is the first time in many years we have even made the list. Unfortunately, this funding did not survive the governor’s veto. In Tallahassee we also worked hard to protect our public schools and preserve our right of self-governance.
Closer to home, we have begun examining our land development code, by identifying sections that could be revised to maintain the village standards, while streaming the processes for our citizens.
The tennis center at Coral Pine Park has been completed, dedicated and is ready for summer, and very soon so too will be Cypress Hall, one of our most historic assets. This was the café at Parrot Jungle, which has been idle since it was damaged by a hurricane in 2005. It is now being transformed into a beautiful exhibition space that will include a coffee counter, spaces for art classes, and much needed space for other programming.
One of our business neighbors, Lexus of Kendall, located on US-1 between 106th street and 110th Street is seeking to expand. Its multiple development applications should be ready to begin the public hearing process during the summer.
We are working on a Cyclovia, for the fall. This will be a festival where we encourage adults and children to become active and ride their bikes.
In partnership with our neighboring governments of Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Homestead, Florida City, and Miami Dade County we are watching the SMART Plan, which is an analysis of future rapid transit alternatives for the Busway. We believe that in order to stabilize the traffic congestion which floods through Pinecrest from the south each morning South Dade needs an effective, affordable, rapid transit solution that can be implemented in the near term. Public input for this should be ready for the fall.
Finally, I’d like to thank two of our longest standing employees for a job well done. Deputy Police Chief Peter Skumanich and Parks Director Loren Mathews have both announced their retirements. Both have given their all to us since the beginning of our Village.
As summer starts and we all start to relax, the village is hard at work getting ready for fall. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me, the Council, or Manager at any time. Have fun and stay safe!
Joseph M. Corradino, AICP
Mayor
Village of Pinecrest
306-606-2364
Jcorradino@Pinecrest-fl.com
