We honor two incredibly special groups of people this month: our mothers and our fallen veterans.
On Sunday, May 8th, please tell your mother how much you love and appreciate her (even if she is not physically here). On Monday, May 30th, pay tribute and remembrance to military personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice, while also thanking those who are still with us.
NEWS FOR THIS MONTH
In this issue, we have the honor of recognizing military veterans who live in our community. Although Memorial Day is a day to remember those we have lost, we feel it important to thank those who are still with us. Time is precious, as are these fine individuals. Thank you for your service…thank you for being our neighbors.
Recent town events have been going extremely well: The annual Sikh Diversity Run netted $10,000 which will go towards the Town of SWR Scholarship Fund; the weekly Farmers’ Market has been an immense success and attraction; the ROCA Easter Egg Hunt put a smile on many families’ faces and gave their children a beautiful morning; our Party in the Park Part II was an enormous success! Thank you SRHOA board members…you made this happen…you are amazing, giving individuals whom I appreciate immensely.
THANK YOU TO ERIC KAPLAN FOR HIS NEW MEMBERSHIP AND DONATION TO THE SRHOA
THANK YOU TO DR. ANTHONY CORBO FOR HIS GENEROUS DONATION TO THE SRHOA
THANK YOU TO THE GISSINS FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION TO THE SRHOA
THANK YOU TO SENATOR LAUREN BOOK FOR HER GENEROUS DONATION TO THE SRHOA
Laura Warren has completed her six panels on the wall at Founder’s Trailside Park (behind CVS). Congratulations Laura on a job well done!
The Pioneer Plaques have been installed on both entryways into Sunshine Ranches. Thank you to Jason and Wendi Halberg for managing the installation process. It all looks amazing.
Per your requests, we will continue our monthly SRHOA meetings (last Wednesday of the month) via Zoom. This is a safe and convenient way for residents to participate and share ideas/concerns.
REMINDERS
Support Southwest Ranches’ Certified Community Habitat status by certifying your own backyard through the National Wildlife Federation’s backyard habitat program…it is easy, plus you may purchase and proudly display a certification sign. Go to nwf.org/certifiedwildlifehabitat today to certify.
Mayor Breitkreuz’s next “Q & A with Mayor Steve Breitkreuz” will be on May 11th. Please join Steve’s Zoom meeting to enjoy a relaxed and collegial discussion concerning events and needs of the Southwest Ranches community.
Remember, the Council meets face-to-face at Town Hall on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Occasionally, dates may change. Please check the Southwest Rancher and/or www.southwestranches.org for meeting dates, times, and agendas. YouTube viewing is also an option.
Please stay connected…join our SRHOA Gmail (sunshinerancheshoa@gmail.com), visit our website (www.sunshineranches.org), or view our posts at facebook.com/SunshineRanches.
As always be safe, be happy, and be loved.
Chris
The SRHOA Board wishes you and your families a wonderful Passover and Easter. We honor Earth on the 22nd…consider planting a native tree or flowers, or perhaps donating to a wildlife organization.
NEWS FOR THIS MONTH
Notes from the Mayor’s March zoom meeting: Mayor Breitkreuz is excited to announce the start of the SWR Farmers’ Market on Saturday, March 19th. He shared his appreciation of George
Morris for preparing the grounds. There is much
consensus on the trash issues (focus on costs and tailoring to what’s needed). We may see extra police patrols as were present pre-pandemic. There will be ongoing discussions per the RR+ designation. We have a new vendor for road repairs. The Charter Amendment group did a great job…Steve will bring forth language pertaining to the replacement of a council member in between elections. One of our residents on SW 188th lost all of his goods to a scammer... DO NOT GIVE YOUR ADDRESS TO ANYONE ONLINE! The Town is receiving money from the Fed…Council will prioritize needed expenditures. Finally, the mayor is super-pleased to have renewed the Monarch Pledge…our new friends, the Beekeepers Association, are supporting us 100%.
We hope you have read the Facebook posts: Hancock Road guardrail installation will begin soon. Please refer to this for alternate routes of travel during the construction phase.
Thank you, Councilman Kuczenski, for your motion to support Ukraine. Folks, get your mailbox adornments to show your support as well (blue & yellow fabric with sunflower centers).
We have an Earth Day event scheduled for April 22nd and it will involve one of our scout troops. We would love to have you. Please contact December at Town Hall for more details (954.434.0008).
4/9 Sikh Diversity Run at ROCA; 4/10 Party in the Park at Equestrian Park-wear your SRHOA t-shirts!!!
ENVIRONMENT
A few neighbors have brought to our attention the possibility of poisoned wildlife. Per Florida Statute 828.08 Penalty for exposing poison, “Whoever leaves or deposits any poison or any substance containing poison, in any common street, alley, lane, or thoroughfare of any kind, or in any yard or enclosure other than the yard or enclosure occupied or owned by such person, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.”
Please remember, we are a Certified Community Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation, so actions such as this go against the grain. Should you have wildlife concerns, please go to the following sites: https://www.broward.org/Animal/Resources/Pages/NuisanceWildlife.aspx and https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/. You will find kind and humane help for your wildlife concerns.
Florida's wildlife and human populations encounter each other more than ever before, and the circumstances which create conflicts with wildlife are as varied as the environment of Florida itself. As people develop more open space and wildlife habitat is reduced and fragmented, conditions are often created which attract wildlife. Such contacts between people and wildlife often result in conflicts. Most wildlife conflicts can be resolved by making simple changes such as removing attractants. Understanding wildlife behavior can help you appreciate and coexist while reducing negative impacts. Wildlife conflicts may result in the perception that all wildlife is a nuisance without recognition of beneficial values. An unpleasant experience may cause such a perception, particularly among people who have few encounters with wildlife. Remember that removing one animal may serve to open up territory for others to move in. Consider making simple accommodations to avoid wildlife conflicts so you can enjoy the wildlife in your backyard.
REMINDERS
Support Southwest Ranches’ Certified Community Habitat status by certifying your own backyard through the National Wildlife Federation’s backyard habitat program…it’s easy, plus you may purchase and proudly display a certification sign. Go to nwf.org/certifiedwildlifehabitat today to certify.
Mayor Breitkreuz’s next “Q & A with Mayor Steve Breitkreuz” will be on April 13th. Please join Steve’s Zoom meeting to enjoy a relaxed and collegial discussion concerning events and needs of the Southwest Ranches community.
Remember, the Council meets face-to-face at Town Hall on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Occasionally, dates may change. Please check the Southwest Rancher and/or www.southwestranches.org for meeting dates, times, and agendas. YouTube viewing is also an option.
Please stay connected…join our SRHOA Gmail (sunshinerancheshoa@gmail.com), visit our website (www.sunshineranches.org), or view our posts at facebook.com/SunshineRanches.
As always be safe, be happy, and be loved.
Chris
Chris asked all participants in the Zoom call to sign in to the chat room and to advise if they are HOA members. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM by President Christina Brownlow. Carlos Martinez led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Chris welcomed everyone and asked all participants to mute when not speaking, given the large group. Chris welcomed the mayor, council members, and board members, as well as friends from neighboring communities who were in attendance, as well as the Davie Police officers.
Davie Police/Crime Report: Detective Hobales advised that there was a hiccup with the report, so he couldn’t provide all the statistics. In Southwest Ranches, there was 1 burglary to a residence. The subject was arrested by Davie’s undercover unit. There were also 2 car burglaries, both to unlocked vehicles, and 1 motor vehicle theft due to a key fob left in the vehicle. A total of 58 citations, and crime was down in January. Also, Officer Kristi is back on duty after her broken toe healed. Debbie Green shared that the Education Advisory Board is actively doing the “Flamingo Flocking” fundraiser again, so if you see pink flamingos in your yard or your neighbor’s, don’t call the police! It is a fun way to support the college fundraiser. She also advised Detective Hobales that one flamingo and a sign went missing from someone’s yard.
Town Council Member Comments: Mayor Steve Breitkreuz: We are continuing to work on the Farmer’s market and plan to have it running this spring; will confirm the date soon. We are glad to offer this to the residents! Regarding the current TSDOR project, we are receiving input from the residents about the swales and are looking at improvements to the grading, which typically requires more involvement from engineering, so the full engineering funding will be considered. We are also looking at potential options with the sod. We are using Bahia sod now due to the weather and lack of rain and are also considering using St. Augustine.
Vice Mayor Gary Jablonski gave an update on upcoming events. Waste Workshop on Garbage Bulk on February 26; Barn Dance for Education Advisory Board on March 12, 5K run for Education at the Barn on April 9; Egg Hunt on April 2 at 11 am at the Barn. Memorial for Aster Knight’s wife (they have been married for 62 years) on March 5 at 11 am. Chris tagged on that we will be having the SRHOA elections on March 30 and having our second Party at the Park on April 10.
Councilman Bob Hartmann discussed the Waste issue and that the recycling market has changed a lot recently. He asked for feedback from the residents on this very important matter. Broward County is looking to raise fees at the dump. Mayor Steve asked for residents to also copy him on any email input, as he wants to track what is important to us.
Marianne Allen asked if the Council is considering Agenda 30 from the United Nations “Sustainable Development” which many states have adopted. The mayor answered that he is not familiar with it, and she provided some of the highlights, which include that people will need to do their own recycling and composting, as well as a Clean Waters Act through which people will need to recycle wastewater for drinking water.
Councilmember David Kuczenski spoke about the TSDOR program and provided the roads that are being resurfaced. He asked to be contacted directly if there are any drainage issues on these roads. Additionally, he talked about an equestrian path at the C-11 canal in Southwest Ranches by Bonaventure Blvd in Weston.
Councilmember Jim Allbritton advised that the drainage project in Green Meadows is almost completed. Also, the Broward County League of Cities is working to help our town get as much access to government funding and Jim is representing us.
New Business: Jason Halberg, VP SHROA introduced Mr. Carlos Martinez and Jeff Katims, our Town Planner. Carlos is purchasing the lot on Griffin and Hancock which is owned by New Testament Church with the intention of developing it for residential homes. He has shared that he wishes to rezone the property from Community Facilities (CF) (which is a non-residential/non-commercial zoning category) to Rural Ranches (RR) to build approximately 16 homes. This zoning change would have to go in front of the town council and receive a 5-0 vote. Carlos Martinez is a town resident and HOA member, and he has purchased the land to develop homes. He has presented to the Council to build Rural Ranches on the property.
His plan is to build homes that are in keeping with our town culture, including to restrict the size of the homes and rooflines, minimize lighting, put an easement on East Palomino, build a horse trail around the full perimeter of the property and to landscape the property in keeping with our rural flavor.
We had various residents ask questions and provide input to Carlos on the proposed plan. In summary, the consensus of the community was in support of what was presented based on the 2 net acre lots.
Jason then introduced another agenda item which is a proposed change to the residential land zoning called Rural Ranches Plus (RR+). This new proposed category would be a new land zoning category in addition to Rural Ranches (RR) that would potentially redefine the term “net acre” from 2 acres as currently defined within “Rural Ranches” to 2.5 acres in efforts to protect our open space and keep us rural. He mentioned that it could be helpful for the town council to get feedback (via a motion) from our members regarding both the proposed development as described by Carlos as well as the new proposed RR+ zoning category.
Michele McBride made a motion in support of this project by Developer Carlos Martinez to rezone the property RR to include the deed restrictions discussed this evening, including the equestrian trails. Chris Brownlow seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
A second motion was attempted relating to the new RR+ proposed land use category but was withdrawn and taken off the table.
Next order of business: April 10 “Party at the Park” from 1-3 pm. David Kuczenski made a motion for budget of $1500. Katina Soy seconded. Motion carried.
Mr. David Kuczenski motioned to reorder T-shirts with budget of $1200 for the Scholarship Fund, seconded by DaNell D’Alfonso. Motion carried.
Other business: We are looking for help with Communications department.
Treasurer’s report: Balance of $28,777.02 as of January 31, 2022.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:40 PM.