Residents and Activists at the Beach proved last night that they do not oppose all building at the beach.
At last night’s City Commission meeting, former Beach President Steve Glassman spoke in favor of the Tiffany House/Escape Hotel project, located at Birch Road and Riomar Street. The development will save and restore the historic building, built in 1949 ( with the beaches’ first swimming pool), and add a twelve story condo beside it.
Though the Central Beach Alliance spoke in favor, District Commissioner Dean Trantalis had some heartburn about the project, but ultimately voted for it. Word has it that his appointment to the Beach Redevelopment Board, Mel Rubenstein, who lives in a high-rise building adjacent to the project, was fiercely opposed. The development was approved 5-0.
Some controversial seat shuffling took place on the Citys’ newest CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) Advisory Board, when City Commissioner Trantalis proposed that the Commission reappoint all the members except member Laura Croscenco.
Croscenco presided for a rocky year as President of the Middle River Terrace neighborhood, which has a part of the new CRA in its’ boundaries. Croscenco was almost removed as President of MRT, half way through her term by the neighborhood membership, after a 29 to 20 vote didn’t quite meet the two-thirds requirement for removal in the neighborhoods’ by-laws.
Croscenco fought hard to keep her seat on the CRA Board, but was replaced on the Advisory Board by Middle River Terraces’ new President Domingo “El” Cid.
In the “just cause I can” category, a reminder that the coolest thrift store in town, Oddballs Nifty Thrift, located at 530 NE 13th Street and run by 23 year – old Tim ( formerly Timmy) Smith, is offering at least a 10% discount on top of their already ridiculously low prices if you come in and say – “the old man suggested I come give you a look”
