R9 X West Ave. Neighborhood Association R Yx
Granado, Rafael OCT 1 loss CGT x'71 za%s
From: WAvNA - West Avenue Neighborhood Association <wavna305@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 4:10 PM
To: Granado, Rafael
Subject: WAvNA Support of Pedestrian Bridge moving Forward - No delay
Dear Mr. Granado,
Could you please insert this letter from the West Avenue Neighborhood Association (WAvNA) into the agenda
item(s) where the West Avenue Pedestrian Bridge will be discussed.
We are writing to you to state that West Avenue Neighborhood Association (WAvNA) fully supports the
pedestrian bridge across the Collins Canal moving forward at this time with no delays. We were encouraged
reading the City Manager's LTC stating his goal to have this bridge in place for this year's Art Basel event.
As you know,there have been two public meetings to discuss the design and concerns of the pedestrian
bridge. The bridge has also been discussed at many, monthly WAvNA meetings where it received full support.
Meetings were also held at Sunset Harbor where they voted in favor of this pedestrian bridge.
We are aware of some last-minute action from the residents on Lincoln Court who are requesting a delay on the
installation of the bridge while they discuss some streetscape concerns unique to their street. While we feel their
concerns should be addressed, we feel that those concerns can be fully addressed in the street raising project
scheduled for West Avenue. Their concerns of landscaping, harmonization, security fences around parking lots,
sidewalks, etc... are all issues that fall under the scope of work of the West Avenue Streetscape Project when we
raise the streets. These are two different projects. The bridge should not be delayed for these last minute issues
that will be planned out in the Street Raising Project of West Avenue.
Commission Arrolia should be given great credit in his work to get a much better, more iconic design for this
bridge. Recently the DRB made similar comments that Commissioner Arriola was working to
achieve. Unfortunately, you will recall that many residents rejected that design and stated they wanted a more
"simple design." At the second public meeting,three neighborhoods (West Avenue, Belle Island, & Sunset
Harbor) came together and worked with Public Works to vote on the design of the bridge. Many of the people
who are now attempting to delay our much-needed pedestrian bridge did not attend either of these two
meetings.
This pedestrian bridge is going to improve the safety of pedestrians by allowing residents of three great
neighborhoods (West Avenue, Sunset Harbor, and Belle Island) to by diverting around the busy 17th & West
Avenue intersection. This intersection has only 3 crossing points at the intersection, not four. Soon the
intersection will become more congested with Trader Joes Grocery opens in the new building being completed
at this intersection. We need the pedestrian bridge to divert to a safer crossing.
In summary, we feel that the concerns of the Lincoln Court residents should be addressed by the city
departments as the project of the Streetscape Design of Raising the Streets moves forward. That is the venue to
plan Lincoln Court streetscape design. The city has already agreed with Lincoln Court residents to design the
ramp where homeless will not be able to sleep under it. The city has also committed to installing a High
Definition camera to monitor the pedestrian bridge. More issues can be addressed in future streetscape
planning. The pedestrian bridge is a separate project which has received over two years of review and approval
and must move forward to be in place for this season.
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Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Shawn Patrick Bryant
West Avenue Neighborhood Association(WAvNA)
West Avenue Board of Directors:
Gayle Durham -President
Shawn Patrick Bryant-Vice President
Brian Keene-Secretary/Treasurer
Travis Copeland
Corinne Kirkland
Gregg Chislett
Tim Carr
wavna305@a,gmail.corn
facebook/wavna30
twitter/wavna305
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