Brush Pick Up Debacle

History of the Problem:

Since October, 2009, the City's Office of Code Compliance began a stepped up enforcement of City Ord. 50.04 "Collection of Commingled Waste and Recovered Material." This stepped up enforcement saw many Hollywood residents cited for placing their brush and palm fronds in the back of their property next to the alleys for pick up by the new contractor, Waste Pro. Residents were confused as this practice has been very common for as long as anyone can remember. The HLSCA complained to the City and at the HLSCA’s October General Membership meeting on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009, attendees heard Director of Code Enforcement, Clay Milan, review the City’s Commingled Waste ordinance that, according to Mr. Milan, does not permit brush storage during the month on private property. Many of you that received the Notice of Violation and had your brush piles sprayed painted red for placing your brush on your property by the alley as you have done for many years are as confused as we are by this turn of events. Why, after all these years, are we in violation for trimming our trees and shrubs and placing them on our property next to the alley for pick up?

Most importantly, the HLSCA is firmly in support of the City in their efforts to keep the alleys, swales and streets free of brush and hard junk. We are in no way advocating that residents be allowed to block the alleys and streets with brush and junk. That is and should clearly be a violation. However, placing brush, palm fronds and plant trimmings at the rear of your property adjacent to the alley OFF OF THE ALLEY PAVEMENT, should not be a violation. After all, where are residents supposed to store brush? On our pool patios? In our garages? In our living rooms? Or should we just let the palm fronds litter our yards until the last week of the month when the scheduled pick up takes place?

For the City to expect residents to do their yard trimmings and clean up only during the weekend before the scheduled pick up is unrealistic and impractical. Therefore, being able to store brush in a designated area on your property off of the alley pavement as we have done for so many years without penalty is not an unreasonable expectation. Unfortunately, the City interprets the code differently. Why the change of thinking at the City? One reason may be the initial poor service we received from the City’s new sanitation contractor, Waste Pro. We all lived through the first six months of the Waste Pro contract when even small brush piles were not picked up. These small piles grew into large piles that began spilling onto the alley pavement creating a hazard for vehicles that access the alleys. Residents began to complain. Finally, in early September, the City came down hard on Waste Pro and they began picking up every pile, regardless of size. They did a very good job of cleaning up brush and hard junk throughout the City. This created a starting point or base line. Going forward, the City knows that, effective October 1st, the alleys were fairly clean of brush and hard junk. We think that may have instigated the renewed enforcement effort.

At the meeting, various ideas were floated. The HLSCA would like to know your feelings on the following potential solutions to the brush storage/pick up problem:

1) Replace one of the two weekly garbage pick ups with a brush pick up. This would be very easy to do as Waste Pro already uses the same trucks and crews, we are told, for both functions. It is felt that most people could live with just one garbage pick up each week. For those that fill their garbage container up twice a week, a second gray container could be obtained from the City.

2) Keep both weekly garbage pick ups but add a weekly brush pick up – for an additional fee added to your water bill. At this time, we are not sure how much this would cost residents but we feel that it would be nominal. As in #1, this solution would help those residents that do not live on an alley.

3) Amend the existing code to allow for brush storage of 4 cubic yards or less at the rear of your property adjacent to (but not on) the alley pavement. Some residents have a “brush bay” along their fence line. A brush bay is an area along the rear property fence line that is indented or notched and allows for brush or your garbage can to sit neatly without being on the alley pavement.

Below are two photos showing the brush bay concept:

Brush bay off of alley on private property     Brush bay on S. Northlake Drive

As can be seen in the above photo, a brush bay can even be created along the street, off of the pavement, for those residents that live on North or South Lake and do not have an alley. 

But, help may be on the horizon as we have learned that the Code Compliance office heard us loud and clear at January 19^th meeting attended by the HLSCA and the Hollywood Hills Civic Assn. and is proposing changes to the City commingled ordinances. While the City is reviewing the flawed ordinance, the Code Compliance office will not be writing citations for brush piles that are placed out during the month as long as these piles are on private property and NOT touching the alley pavement. Stay tuned for more….

Of course, we welcome other suggestions, too! info@hollywoodlakes.com

Hollywood Blvd. Improvement Project

The HLSCA Board has been following the long process that began in 2003 and 2004 to reconstruct Hollywood Blvd. from the Intracoastal Bridge to downtown Hollywood. The HLSCA Traffic and Safety Committee held numerous meetings in 2004 that were attended by the City of Hollywood engineering staff and the Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT). Many Lakes residents attended these meeting and gave their input on the plan to improve the roadway and make it safer. In early 2005, FDOT made a presentation at an HLSCA General Membership meeting and an article was published showing the preliminary plans for the project in the March Lakes Newsletter. In April, 2008, FDOT held another public meeting to update the public on the project which is finally moving forward. The main thrust of the project is to limit the very dangerous north-south crossing pattern that has developed over the years at each avenue along the Boulevard. Each year, many accidents occur, especially at 14th Ave. In a recent three year period, there were 56 accidents along this stretch of the Boulevard. The City and FDOT were convinced in 2004 that the solution would be a median that prohibits this direct crossing everywhere except at the 13th Ave. traffic signal. There will be u-turn lanes a certain streets that will allow traffic to reverse course. In addition, there will be improved drainage along the sides of the roadway. The project got underway on April 30th, 2009 and is expected to take 325 days to complete. For a detail presentation of the proposed changes and improvements to the Boulevard, click here: Hollywood Blvd FDOT Presentation

For questions, call the FDOT Project Manager, Ido Shimony at 954-920-7759 or email at  ishimony@eismanrusso.com

Update #1: Construction will formally began on April 30th. However, some preliminary electrical work has already been completed. This electrical work involved installing new PVC underground conduit for the street lights.The Contractor will be installing work zone safety signs and placing environmental protection throughout the project in preparation for drainage and widening work to begin around May 10. Also, utility locators will also be seen throughout the area marking existing services. Actual construction for the widening will begin on the south side of the Hollywood Blvd at 14^th Avenue and progress eastbound. 4/30/09

Update #2: Work started on the project April 30. This week the contractor will be placing barrier walls along the center lanes in preparation for the start of the median construction. Starting later this week will be the commencement of the south side widening starting at 14^th working east. Parking and bike paths will be maintained through the corridor with the exception of areas where there will be active work. These areas will not exceed one block at a time.  

Residents have inquired about the sand or rock bags placed on the road drains. The rock bags provide protection to the inlets from contamination as a result of construction activities. The work on the project actually does not start until the entire corridor is protected and inspected by the environmental coordinator for the FDOT, which has been completed on this project. FDOT will insure that the rock bags do not inhibit rainwater drainage. 5/15/09

Update #3: Please be advised of the following anticipated two week work schedule for the FDOT Hollywood Blvd Project:

Drainage work has started at the SW Corner of 15th Avenue in the existing parking lanes and swale. When this is completed, drainage work will move to the SE Corner of 14th Avenue and begin progress eastbound in the swale and parking lane.  At the same time, median curb construction between 14th Avenue and 12th Avenue will take place.

Please be advised of the following anticipated two week work schedule for the FDOT US1 Project:

Pedestrian ramp reconstruction has started on the east side of US1, beginning at Polk and working North to Sheridan Street. Sidewalks will be removed and replaced, along with some pull boxes and fire hydrant relocations in conjunction with the City. 6/2/09

Update #4: Hollywood Blvd:

Drainage work continues to move eastbound between 14th and 13th, approaching 13th by mid week. At that point there will be a two day shutdown of the south side of 13th at Hollywood Blvd for the drainage crossing and utility work. Detours will be set up to accommodate local traffic. Median curb construction is in progress and anticipated to be nearly completed in the next two weeks. The southbound access at 13th Avenue will be closed for two days for drainage and utility work across 13th itself. The closure will begin this morning, Wednesday at 7:00 am and is expected to be open mid to late afternoon on Thursday. A Message Board currently displays this information at 13th Avenue.

Please be advised of the following anticipated two week work schedule for the FDOT US1 Project: