Publix revisited. As you may recall, just a few months back in January, the Cutler Bay Town Council rejected those plans for a shopping center on Old Cutler Road, the property popularly known as “the potato field.” It was a three to two vote. The complex, called the Shoppes of Cutler Bay, was to include, among a number of other retail stores and restaurants, a large Publix supermarket to anchor the center. There were divided opinions on it, on the council and in the neighborhoods affected by it, and the town officials said that it did not meet the zoning master plan and other requirements. Well, the developer brought an improved version of the proposed center’s design to a special zoning workshop on Monday April 8th to present to the public during the first half hour and to the council afterwards. About 35 people attended the meeting at Town Hall, which isn’t a bad number although quite a few of them were the developer’s team.
There were some changes to the site plan in an effort to accommodate earlier concerns of the council, including more foliage, a trellised walkway, natural storm water runoff areas, removal of drive-thru lanes in the front buildings, turf block parking areas, and some landscaping between the rows of parking. It’s reportedly still not built to LEED standards, which the “green” oriented Town of Cutler Bay would no doubt prefer, but it seems to be a step in the right direction. It was just a workshop, so a vote on the matter will come up later at a regular council meeting. The new site plans can be found via a link on the <www.cutlerbay. net> website.
Music, music… The Greater Miami Youth Symphony season finale concerts will be held at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday May 5th at the South Miami- Dade Cultural Arts Center, which is located at 10950 SW 211th Street. The Young Sousas Band, Young Mozarts Orchestra, Concert/Jazz Band, and Concert Orchestra Orchestra with Concerto Competition Winner Sophia Molina will perform at 3 p.m. Sophia Molina is a 10 year old Miami native who started violin at the age of 4 with Professor Andres Trujillo. You’ll also want to hear the String Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra with Concerto Competition winner, Jason Arevalo will perform at 6 p.m. Jason Arevalo has been playing violin since the age of 9. He’s currently a 10th Grade student at New World School of the Arts, and studies privately under Daniel Andai and Rafael Rodriguez. The price of admission is $11-21 and can be purchased over the phone (786-573- 5300) or online at <www.smdcac.org>.
Are you ready? We hate to mention it, but hurricane season is just around the corner again, starting on June 1st, and the experts are predicting that the 2013 season will be “above average” for the number and intensity of storms, with a nearly 50 percent chance of a major storm hitting the U.S. this year. That got us to remembering those Hurricane Preparedness events that used to be hosted by the mayors of the Village of Palmetto Bay, the Town of Cutler Bay and County Commissioner Katy Sorenson where everybody could get together and gather info and even hear some speakers from the National Hurricane Center and other places. That was a pretty useful event for South Florida residents, and they were pretty well attended.Thought of the Day:
Thought of the Day:
The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts.
— Edmund Burke
Gary Alan Ruse contributed to this column.
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com
