From home foreclosures to landscaping, Miramar residents shared their concerns at a recent town hall meeting with Vice Mayor Troy Samuels.
Each quarter, Samuels has a meet-and-greet with residents in different parts of the city –- this time at the Vicki Coceano Youth Center. Samuels highlighted several items from the last few months of City Commission meetings, including the $500,000 donation from the Ansin family for naming rights to the ground-floor art gallery at the Miramar Cultural Center, as well as the planned redevelopment of the Eagle Woods Golf Course.
“It’s laid fallow for six years,” he said.
Samuels said the city had in the past considered taking over the golf course to keep it open, but it would have been too expensive. A private developer will redevelop the property.
Samuels also discussed the slow development of the Miramar Town Center. New buildings planned for the site, including condos on the northern side of the property, won’t spring up until the real estate market recovers, he said.
Residents also asked questions and made comments on various issues. One resident pointed out that the city lacks a facility to park boats and RVs. Pembroke Pines maintains a boat and RV parking facility on Pembroke Road, and Samuels said Miramar could use space on FPL easements to create a parking lot.
Resident Mary Raynor, president of the United Neighbors of East Miramar, asked who is responsible for the maintenance and landscaping of foreclosed homes in the city. Samuels said the maintenance is the responsibility of the owner, even if it is just a bank holding the property. Samuels said the City Commission is considering a measure where the city could place a lien on a home after it’s foreclosed to eventually recover any money spent on maintenance.
“We don’t want to move in if we won’t get our money back,” Samuels said.
For more on this, see this Sunday’s (July 5) Community News inside the Sun Sentinel.
