GALT OCEAN VILLAGE SHOPPES NEIGHBORHOOD

Attempting to find a formula that would bring stability to the neighborhood�s ephemeral identity, the Galt Mile Community Association, the City and the Galt Merchants Association persisted in a decades-long search for the elements required to nourish a successful renaissance. The area desperately needed some substantial enterprises to serve as anchors for the artsy establishments. The Galt Merchants Association used a $15,000 capital improvement program grant received from the City of Fort Lauderdale to create a viable and exciting Master Plan designed to morph the Galt Ocean Village Shoppes into a sustainable tourist magnet. Establishing a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly area with the appropriate infrastructure enhancements and amenities, traffic flow and parking considerations, and the accompanying visual enrichment afforded by decorative sidewalks, brick paver inserts, special lighting, and new landscaping would transform this area into a �destination� place for residents and visitors.

32nd STREET ALLEY FINALLY FIXED

Unfortunately, the neighborhood was plagued with a critical infrastructure defect that threatened to undermine any prospect of success. The alley separating the shops on the north side of Oakland Park Boulevard from the shops on the south side of NE 32^nd Street between A1A (North Ocean Boulevard) and NE 33^rd Avenue had long been a repository for turgid standing water and backwash resulting from inadequate drainage and merchant abuse. Not only had this problematic alley historically been a thorn in the side of the merchants whose establishments abut it's persistently polluted ponding water, the surrounding neighborhood was permeated with malevolent odors and faced a deteriorating health hazard. In 1996 the sludgefest actually precipitated a collapse between numbers 31 through 37 in the alley. Since this environmental enigma was hidden from view behind several popular establishments whose entrances were clean and attractive, the public was sheltered from (and ignorant of) the alley�s problems.

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER CHRISTINE TEEL

District 1 City Commissioner Christine Teel organized a series of meetings aimed at curing the dilemma in April and May, 2003. Karl V. Shallenberger from the Office of Environmental Services and Code Compliance Officer Frank Stockinger met with Commissioner Christine Teel, Ron Ryan (Archie�s Place), Ralph Hamaker, (Coral Ridge Towers South), Margaret Weizel, (Coral Ridge Towers South), Henry Ling, (Ling Kee Restaurant), Alex Leeds, (Galt Merchants Association), Bob Rozema, (Galt Mile Community Association), Gloria Wetherington, (Tony Lemos Realty) and Steve Bolinski (Rella Properties). The participants agreed that if the merchants would cease dumping grease and biological waste in the alley, the City would finance repairs to the sinkhole and maintain it thereafter. In particular, the businesses had to stop pressure washing equipment and materials in the alley, creating a toxic runoff into storm drains that ultimately fed the Intracoastal Waterway. As an interim show of good faith, the participants verbally agreed to exercise special attention to keeping the alley clean.

GALT OCEAN VILLAGE SHOPPES MERCHANT STREET ENTRANCES

On October 29, 2003, GMCA asked Commissioner Christine Teel�s office for an update about the status of the 32^nd Street Alley. On November 5^th, City Commission Administrative Assistant Pam Brown explained that an adversarial condition existed between the involved merchants and the City. She described the Commissioner's perspective as follows:

�The code violation issues in the 32^nd Street alley have been going on for too long. Commissioner Teel has made a strenuous attempt to bring the 32^nd Street alley businesses to the table so that they might voluntarily comply with city codes. To this date there has been a disappointing lack of response. The City has now moved to enforcement mode. Code violations have been issued and the businesses will be given 30 days to comply. Failure to comply will result in appearances before the Special Master and the potential imposition of fines and of liens being placed on the properties for noncompliance. This is the beginning of a long process to enforce compliance. The City is committed to seeing this process through and bringing these issues to closure � with the goal being a more sanitary, environmentally friendly and healthy condition in the 32^nd Street Alley for the betterment of the Galt Ocean Community.�

DISPERSION THROUGH PERFORATED PIPES

The �long process to enforce compliance� continued for three years. In 2006, the City of Fort Lauderdale�s Construction Management Division agreed to supervise the construction and installation of a new drainage system to address flooding and environmental concerns in the heavily polluted Galt alleyways. Public Works Director Albert J. Carbon III, P. E. described project details and credited Elkin Diaz, Karim Rahmankhah, Alison Canizares and Wayne Darby with designing the corrective measures that cured the problem.

POST-BAFFLE RUNOFF FILTERS INTO SOIL

Designed to meet both City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County drainage flooding criteria, the drainage system features new drainage basins in each alleyway. According to Carbon, �These catch basins are connected by underground piping that is perforated to allow water to pass through its walls and into a surrounding layer of drainage rock.� Instead of collecting in stagnant, contaminated pools, �water now drains into the catch basins, down through the pipes, into the layers of rock, and finally, percolates into the ground.� Director Carbon also indicated that Dane Esdelle, Sayd Hussain, Frank Nieto and Scott Vanlew of the City were responsible for project construction.

CATCH BASIN BAFFLE SCREENS LITTER AND DEBRIS

The improvement project included implementation of an environmental solution to the foul odor and unsightly appearance of the area, largely from garbage runoff and the accumulation of debris from adjacent restaurants and businesses. Carbon explained, �The City designed and installed pollution retardant baffles in each catch basin that function as screens to filter litter and debris from the storm water before it enters the drainage system.� In addition to cleaning and channeling the storm water runoff into the ground, the new system facilitates the collection of refuse and debris directly from the catch basins. The Public Works Director continued, �Regularly scheduled cleaning and removal of debris from the catch basins by the City�s Public Works Department will ensure that the system continues to operate efficiently.�

Responding to an agenda supported by the Galt Mile Community Association and the Galt Merchants Association, Commissioner Teel�s unrelenting efforts actualized an effective � and permanent � resolution to this redevelopment stumbling block. Neighborhood improvement advocates can again concentrate their efforts on attracting some productive development along the intracoastal and pursuing Master Plan enhancements. Now that the dump and the stink have passed into history, the 32^nd Street Alley no longer represents an obstacle to local community rehabilitation. Unlike the majority of municipal good intentions that die on the drawing board, it�s encouraging to witness one brought to fruition.

As of May 2006...