Community – Page 5 – Utopia Homeowners Security Association

July 2015 Crime Watch Report

Hello Fellow Utopians:

The dog days of summer are upon us and July’s All Grove Crime Watch meeting was sparsely attended with very little new information to report. It is when things are going well that we become complacent and now more than ever we need to remain vigilant and involved in our community. Many of us go on vacation during these months so it’s important to file a watch order with the Utopia police patrol and look out for your neighbor’s home while they’re away.

Police Report
Commander Morales advised that the police were able to arrest several individuals responsible for setting off large fireworks throughout the Grove that had resulted in numerous complaints of loud cannon-like explosions. Since the arrests there have been no additional complaints of this nature.

SAO Report and Court Watch
As usual, a State Attorney’s Office representative was present and gave a very detailed report highlighting the cases of nine habitual offenders arrested for committing crimes in Coconut Grove. This segued into a presentation by Tom Cobitz of the Court Watch program where regular Grovites can speak to the presiding judges on behalf of the community in matters concerning defendants appearing before them.

Business Improvement District Report
A representative from the Business Improvement District BID gave a report of the BID Ambassador Program which provides hospitality and assistance to Grovites, visitors and business owners in the Grove’s downtown area. In May of this year, the Ambassador Program responded to 6900 calls for assistance, including safety escorts, graffiti removal and general hospitality inquiries.

The BID representative announced the following businesses have, or are scheduled to open soon:

Smoochie’s Candy
T Surf Shop
Maria’s Greek Restaurant (next to 24 Hour Fitness)
U Fit (in Cocowalk)
Spillover by Lokal (in the Promenade)
Lasso the Moon (in the Promenade)
French Bakery will be coming to the former Menchie’s Yogurt location
Farinelli’s Italian Restaurant by the owner of Strada

Youth Empowerment Program
The final order of business was a donation by the Crime Watch Committee to the Youth Empowerment Program. If you’d like to donate or for more information please visit http://empoweredyouthusa.org/.

Main Highway Construction Project

This information has been excerpted from a news letter by Commissioner Marc Sarnoff dated March 22, 2015.

The project is slated to begin in June of 2015 and will retrofit the existing drainage system that has failed due to age and been compromised by tree root intrusion. The project stretches from Royal Road to MacFarlane Road and will take 7 months to complete. With a project of this magnitude, there are bound to be many community concerns. The first is obviously traffic. Undeniably, this will narrow one of the most used streets in this community, especially for drop off and pick up during the school year. Traffic will be one-way, heading North, and southbound traffic will be rerouted down Grand Avenue to Douglas Road.

Another concern for the community has been the removal of trees along this signature corridor in Coconut Grove. NO trees will be removed during this project. This project only addresses the stormwater drainage system underneath the street. Additionally, the City has requested that a bike lane be striped on the side of the street, removing the Commodore Trail from the sidewalk.

If you have questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to Alejandro Barrios, or Francisco Gonzalez at the Stormwater Drainage Design Section of Miami-Dade County, and they will help you. Please call 305-375-4772.

Utopia Home Owners Security Association Elects New Board

The South Grove’s oldest community, Utopia, has been a leader in neighborhood organization and security since the 1920s. They recently had board elections at their general meeting held at The Kampong.

During the meeting, the 2015 Board of Directors of UHSA was proposed, voted on and ratified. Members of the Board of Directors are: Gale Patron, President; Jo-Ann Forster, Vice President; Ron Morgan, Secretary; Hardy Katz, Treasurer; Castor Fernandez, Police Liaison; Sam Dobrow, Digital Manager; Lucas Azar, Membership; Cheryl Andrews, Communications; Sean Reichert, Corinne Collins and Camella Rhone Members at Large. All board members are volunteers.

In the photo above, from left, seated: Sean Reichert and Maureen Pelham, Members at Large; Lucas Azar, Membership; Camela Rhone, Member at Large; Sam Dobrow, Digital Manager. Standing, from left: Cheryl Andrews, Communications; Corinne Collins, Member at Large; Ron Morgan, Secretary; Gale Patron, President; Castor Fernandez, Police Liaison; Jo-Ann Forster, Vice President; Vicki Katz; Hardy Katz, Treasurer

The boundaries of Utopia include the areas between Poinciana Avenue to the north, Bonita Avenue to the south, LeJeune Road to the west and Douglas Avenue to the east. The UHSA, formed over 25 years ago, has as its mission to preserve safety and security for member homeowners.

The Utopia Homeowners Security Association, in addition to helping ensure safety and security in the neighborhood, organizes and hosts social events during the year including free movies in the park, neighborhood garage sales and progressive dinners. Homeowners and residents living within the boundaries are encouraged to join and may contact Azar at Lucasazar@aol.com.

Road Improvements Scheduled for Utopia

It appears that the road and drainage issues reported to Commissioner Sarnoff by the Utopia Board have made it through the capital appropriations process and is scheduled to begin immediately per his newsletter today.

South Grove Phase I Roadway & Drainage Improvements are Underway!

As we all know, the majority of Coconut Grove is enduring a major facelift as our roads, sidewalks and drainage systems are improving. We appreciate your patience during this much needed process.

Currently, the South Grove Phase I Roadway Improvements have just begun. Work is slated to be completed January 18, 2015. The scope of the work includes minor storm sewer improvements and asphalt/pavement restoration and reconstruction between the following construction limits:

1. Poinciana Avenue East of Kent Court
2. Poinciana Avenue & Solana Road
3. Ensenada Avenue North of La Playa Boulevard
4. Ventura Avenue East of Le Jeune Road
5. Utopia Court South of El Prado Boulevard
6. El Prado Boulevard from Utopia Court to Midway Street

The hours of operation for this project will be 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. The schedule could change due to bad weather. Some lane closures may be necessary, but accessibility to local traffic and pedestrians will be maintained at all times. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the City’s Public Information Section at (305) 416-1280, or email Wendy Jaramillo or Alicia C. Alvarez at wjaramillo@miamigov.com or alialvarez@miamigov.com.