Parade of the Elves this Sunday

South Miami will host our 32nd annual Parade of the Elves this Sunday! Come join University of Miami baseball coach Jim Morris, this year's Grand Marshall, for the merriment on Sunset Drive, between Red Road and US1. The parade begins at 2, with a pre-parade show at 1.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the parade should contact Maria Elena Stout-Tate at 305-668-2509.

Ludlam Trail Town Hall Meeting November 12 at South Miami High School

Friends of the Ludlam Trail is hosting a town hall meeting at South Miami High School next Wednesday, November 12, at 7p.m. Come participate in the discussion about how best to balance Flagler-FECI's desire to develop the property with building the world's next great urban linear park.

South Miami High School is at 6856 SW 53 Street.

two more opportunities to speak in support of the Ludlam Trail

South Miami neighbors are invited to come speak out in favor of the Ludlam Trail at two upcoming meetings. On Monday, October 20, the county Planning Advisory Board will discuss the value of transforming the old railway right of way into a six-mile linear park. That meeting begins at 2 p.m.

On November 19, the Board of County Commissioners will take up the subject at their meeting. Both events will be held in the County Commission Chamber at 111 NW 1 Street, Miami.

Come speak up in favor of the Ludlam Trail

Friends of the Ludlam Trail, the grass roots organization working toward turning the old FEC right of way into a beautiful linear park stretching from Dadeland to Miami International Airport, has let us know about an attempt by the railroad's parent company to change the zoning on the right of way to allow for residential development. This would all but eliminate the possibility of creating a new park.

Friends of the Ludlam Trail encourages South Miami residents to attend the three upcoming Community Council hearings to learn more about FECI’s proposal for mixed-use development with a trail component within the Ludlam Trail corridor:

·         Kendall Community Council: (12): Tuesday, September 23, 2014; 6 p.m.Kendall Village Center Civic Pavilion8625 SW 124 Ave.Miami, FL 33183

·         North Central Community Council (8): Monday, September 29, 2014; 6 p.m.MLK Plaza,2525 NW 62 St.Miami, FL 33147

·         Westchester Community Council (10): Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 6 p.m.Ruben Dario Middle School350 NW 97 Ave.Miami, FL 33172

MDC Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) Planning department advertises in the Miami-Herald Neighbors section and also sends out postcards or notice cards in the mail ½ mile from the subject corridor. While the meeting public hearing locations are not close to the Ludlam corridor it is still within Community Council boundaries.   Those residents who would be affected the most near the Ludlam Trail corridor are especially encouraged to attend these hearings.

Comment on the South Miami Intermodal Transportation plan tonight!

George Puig and Stewart Robinson of Kimley-Horn will present an update for the South Miami Intermodal Transportation Plan (encompasses bicycle and pedestrian route plans)  this evening for the Green Taskforce Meeting. Please come by to give your comments if you can. This will likely be one of the last chances for public comment. The meeting is at 6pm at City Hall.

Murray Park Aquatic Center opens August 6!

The Murray Park Aquatic Center opens Wednesday, August 6, with a ribbon cutting celebration at 10am. Come see this wonderful new addition to our community!

Friends of the Ludlam Trail

The Friends of the Ludlam Trail is reaching out to South Miami residents who are interested in environmental conservation and expanding our bicycle and pedestrian networks. A number of South Miami residents serve on the board of the Friends of the Ludlam Trail, and they invite your participation in their efforts. They have a number of ways of getting involved.

As their web site explains, "The Friends of the Ludlam Trail is a non-profit coalition dedicated to the implementation of the Ludlam Trail, a 6.2-mile linear park through the heart of Miami-Dade County within the partially abandoned Florida East Coast railway right-of-way. The park will contain community gardens and a trail that will provide a safe dedicated and direct route for cyclists and pedestrians to schools, parks, work and shopping. The trail will connect more than 34,000 people within a half-mile, walkable service area to five greenways, five schools, four parks and two transit hubs.

"The Friends of the Ludlam Trail represents the thousands of Miami-Dade County residents who want to see the Ludlam trail become an asset for the community as a running, biking, and walking trail. We see the Ludlam Trail project as a way of spurring job creation in our community, realizing immediate value increases for adjacent properties, and achieving a major transportation and recreation connection across the heart of the county. Please join us!"

City aims to build "great streets," invites comments on new plan

The city invites residents to comment on the draft intermodal transportation plan, prepared by planning consultants Kimley-Horn. The plan includes improvements to pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the city, with links to all of our parks and public spaces.

Please take some time to look over the plan and send your thoughts in an email to info@southmiamineighbors.com.

After the jump, the complete text of Kimley-Horn's Vision, Goals and Objectives document, along with drawings of proposed street configurations...

City Commission meeting includes major issues

We encourage you to attend tomorrow (Tuesday) evening's City Commission meeting, which will include several significant agenda items. The commission will consider a series of changes to the city charter - including changing the date of municipal elections - and will discuss utilizing a private contractor to handle trash collection.

South Miami Celebrates Independence Day!

The city is hosting a Fourth of July celebration in Palmer Park, starting a 5pm. Come enjoy live entertainment and fireworks with your neighbors!

Time is running out

Donald Shoup to speak April 21

Donald Shoup, author of The High Cost of Free Parking and distinguished professor of urban planning at UCLA, will give a talk on Monday, April 21 from 8 to 10 AM at AIA's Miami Center for Architecture & Design, 100 NE 1 Ave, Miami, FL 33132.

Shoup is the godfather of the scientific study of parking, and has spoken widely about the benefits of eliminating required parking for mobility and urbanism.  Shoup writes: "This doesn’t mean, however, that developers won’t provide off-street parking. It simply means that urban planners won’t tell developers exactly how many parking spaces they must provide before they can get a building permit. Developers will provide the parking spaces they think buyers demand."

Capacity is limited, RSVP at shoupmiami.eventbrite.com.  Continental breakfast will be served.  Supported by the Knight Foundation, AIA Miami, APA Gold Coast Section, and Townhouse Center.

Thank you, Lorenzo Woodley!

After 21 years of service to our community, Lorenzo Woodley is retiring from the City of South Miami Parks and Recreation Department. Come celebrate his career and the next step in his life with a party at Gibson-Bethel Community Center on Friday, April 4, from 4 to 6pm.

Mayors Bike to Work Day

Join our own South Miami Mayor Phillip Stoddard and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez to promote biking.  This year's event will be held at the South Miami Metrorail Station on Thursday, April 3rd, 7:30AM.  There are 15 municipalities in Miami-Dade who are part of Bike305, so this is a great a chance to see/meet many elected local officials.

Drop by, grab a free cup of coffee, rub shoulders with many elected officials, and let them know how important biking safety is to you.   Oh, and ride a bike to work on Thursday, April 3rd.

For more info on Bike305, see http://www.miamidade.gov/bike305/

Bike-B-Que in Palmer Park this Saturday

Cycle with your family and friends to Palmer Park for a free barbeque, on Saturday, March 22 from 11:00am to 1:00pm!

What's your mode?

Come on over tonight and help us plan

Rene Landa named South Miami Chief of Police

The Miami Herald reports that Acting Chief of Police Rene Landa has been formally named the department's chief by City Manager Steven Alexander.

Feb 22 Native Plant Sale Encore at the Tropical Audubon Society -

The Tropical Audubon Society is dedicated to the conservation, education and enjoyment South Florida's natural environment. 

The Tropical Audubon Society is based at the historic Doc Thomas House, 5530 Sunset Dr. TAS leads birding field trips, hosts environmentally-focused events and advocates for conservation in South Florida.

This Saturday, Feb 22, nursery partners and native plant landscape designers will be on hand to offer advice and answer questions on how to incorporate native plants into your home gardens. Buy native plants, save water and create habitat for resident & migratory wildlife! 

See http://www.tropicalaudubon.org/ for more details

Enjoy Our Great Weather - Visit the South Miami Art Festival February 22/23, 2014

The Rotary Club of South Miami presents its 31^st annual festival during the last weekend of February, February 22-23, 2014.  The festival takes place in the downtown South Miami on Sunset Drive (SW 72nd Street) from US 1 to Red Road (SW 57th Avenue) adjacent to The Shops at Sunset Place. 

There is free admission for patrons with ample nearby parking on-street and in garages. The festival features 153 outstanding  artists, an expanded food court and beer garden.  Listen to jazz onstage.

For online or GPS directions search for 5750 SW 72 St., South Miami, FL 33143. 

What do the Candidates have to say about.....

As the election draws near, we look forward to Thursday night's (Feburary 6th) forum at City Hall where you can hear from the candidates, as well as pose your own questions. The forum will start at 7pm.

Please remember early voting will begin Feburary 8th at City Hall, and election day is Feburary 11th with everyone voting at City Hall.

South Miami Neighbors posed 11 questions to ALL of the candidates, and those answers can be found here :  Candidate Questions and Answers

South Miami Neighbors Candidates Forum at City Hall - February 6th, 7PM

Join us at City Hall, where each of the South Miami candidates will answer important questions posed from both a panel and the audience about their positions.

Save the date, we look forward to seeing you there!

Black History Parade/Festival Saturday, 10 AM February 8, 2014

The City of South Miami, South Miami Community Redevelopment Agency and the Martin Luther King Committee invite you to attend the 2014 Martin Luther King Remembrance Celebrations

The parade starts at 10AM on Sunset Drive and ends at Gibson-Bethel Community Center.

Join the Feb 9th Ride With Heart - to benefit cardiac research at University of Miami

February is Heart Awareness Month and on 2/9/14, PP&E, LLC will host the 3nd ANNUAL Metric Century (62 Miles) and Half Metric (31 Miles) cycling event. The net proceeds will be donated to support the ongoing cardiac research projects within the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

We are fortunate to have access to a renowned cardiovascular clinical and research program in our backyard.

Only $35 - no additional fundraising necessary.   Click here to register.