Does Michael Jordan really live in Kendall? by gimleteye

It caught my attention over the weekend that Michael Jordan's new spouse, Yvette Prieto, lives in Miami. But do the newly weds really live in Kendall, as Fox News Latino reports?  I think it can't be true. Don't all the rich, former pro stars live in gated communities in Weston or Coconut Grove? Until now, Kendall's most famous former pro athlete was O.J. Simpson. Once-- about fifteen years ago-- I was in my car dropping a child off at school in South Miami and watched O.J. blow through in quick succession, first, a stop sign held by a school crossing guard and then a stop light on Red Road. He was in a hurry to his destination. I haven't seen Michael Jordan on the road, or at Publix, or at the Container Store measuring the size of trays to fit in drawers. But, West Dade? Could it be that the man who soared over the NBA gets stuck in Kendall traffic just like the rest of us?

A new twist on agriculture land use - Forgo beans for buried bodies. By Youbetcha'

Only in Miami Dade County can there be a zoning request for agricultural zoning in order to plant a crop of people in caskets.

Apparently, if the developers can’t build houses on Ag land, they will still get the homeowners any way they can: Dead or Alive.

Coming up on October 4 is the fourth attempt at rezoning a large parcel of land from GU to AG out in the far west side of the Kendall area. Setting aside the obvious misuse of the Ag zoning, the issue with a proposed cemetery inside the UDB is generating some grassroots concerns in West Kendall. While researching the issue, I noticed the puzzling finding that Patricia "Shannen" Davis has never filed her final campaign report, even though the election results were certified in August 2010. That's more than a year ago.

A review of Shannen’s campaign donations reveals that it is loaded with land use attorneys (see report left) and it appears she gave some of the money back and then took money back again in one case. She clearly had expenses as she passed out palm cards during early voting. Those familiar with county campaigns suggested her palm cards showed a strong similarity to those used in other 2010 campaigns in which Jose Luis Castillo was involved. Additionally, people familiar with the last election say Castillo acted as her "campaign manager." He worked on Lynda Bell's campaign and is a Natacha Seijas confidant. I note that campaign managers are trusted advisers to their candidates and it is worth tracking what candidate uses which campaign manager. Castillo reportedly has a role in the agricultural cemetery application. Also having roles in this application are Jeffrey Bercow sidekicks, EAS Engineering's Ed Swakon and bushy-haired Transportation woman, Kathy Sweetapple. All three participated in support of the Parkland mega-large DRI application. Again, I was told that Castillo was involved in Parkland as well.

Some onlookers began questioning the Castillo-Davis relationship during the long drawn-out Walmart expansion application. Castillo was present at some of those council meetings and handled council person Jay Reichbaum's failed Council run in 2008. It may be scary to some to have a lobbyist like Castillo lurking in the Community Council 11 chambers. It is worth noting that while this community council has been dysfunctional and full of questionable players from its origin, there are some very principled people who are associated with it. As I have watched many community councils over the years, I can say that this board never has struck me as anti-development. So in retrospect, the lobbyists and ‘community people’ with pro-development agendas hanging out at the meetings is no surprise. I think in all quasi-judicial proceedings with government officials it is what may be going on behind the curtain (which we don’t see) that is truly the part that matters. Back to that missing report. How could an experienced elected official forget to file her reports? Could it be that she didn't file a campaign report because it was going to raise questions with the community activists regarding connections to Castillo and his work with land use attorneys on Krome Gold and other active applications? We will never know if she doesn’t file her close-out report.

That being said, observers may have a valid point when they claim this campaign filing issue doesn't pass the smell test and that former candidate Shannon Davis should be hit with fines for the missing report. The Department of Elections is asleep at the switch again, allowing for questions to arise where none should be. They say we, the public, have to report the problems, they don't go looking for them. The link to the back-story.

Sergio Pino is Still Turning a Profit in a Bad Market. By Geniusofdespair

According the Herald:
Vacant Land Sells for $6M in West Kendall
Location: 15300 SW 88th St.
Seller: Alexandra Property Holdings, represented by Sergio Pino, managing member.
Buyer: Garden Village Shopping Center, represented by Martin Pico, manager.

Price: $6 million or $29.04 per square foot based on 206,642 square feet of building area. A prior sale reported was in March 2006 for $2.6 million.

So In two years the property appreciated by $3.4 million(it is approximately 4.7 acres so it sold for over a million per acre). Well, it actually might be more! Pino's people still retain about an acre, that little square (41,650 sq. ft.) cut-out (see above) which appears to have been a part of the 2006 sale. So I would suppose, if I am correct, you can add at least another million to the profit.

West Kendall David: Welcome to the world of grassroots activism. By Geniusofdespair

I got the email below from a reader who tried, with his dad, to create a park around a lake in West Kendall — the cesspool of dirty politics (do you remember arrested Roberto Curbelo Jr., real estate investor, and former head of your Council?). David and his dad trying to do a good got a dose of reality. Look who he was up against (talk about a David and Goliath): The powerful Adrian Builders. David, please keep active and organize your neighbors and the community. The Kendall Federation is NOT enough. You live in nimby land by the way. I have been to meetings out there. Hundred of people showed up to stop an office building but left when the movement of the urban development boundary came up.

My advice to you: Download the Hometown Democracy Petition and get it signed. Developers are afraid of it (the link is on the right). It won’t just help your community, it will help the whole State. Aside from that, keep reading our blog and don’t ever lose hope that you can make a difference! That is what motivates us to blog.

Dear Genius:
My father and I put up a decent fight. In the end a number of people "CHANGED THEIR MINDS" after talking with the developer. Imagine what transpired...

Please put a link up and ask people to check out the comments as they are pretty revealing. Too bad all those people didn't show up. Hidden Lake development approved
Thanks, David
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WEST KENDALL COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Hidden Lake development approved
Posted on Wed, Oct. 03, 2007 By YUDY PINEIRO
ypineiro@MiamiHerald.com

After months of controversy, a developer's zoning request to allow warehouses, offices and shops on land at Hidden Lake in West Kendall was approved Tuesday after some of the parcel's neighbors turned out to support the development.

It was a surprise twist to a months long saga, because many of those neighbors had previously opposed the request. New faces at the West Kendall Community Council meeting Tuesday also gave the thumbs up to the project at Southwest 128th Street and 127th Avenue. (Hit read more)

Hearing the newfound support, the council approved developer Adrian Builders' request by a 6-1 margin. Lone dissenter Beatriz Suarez sided with staff's recommendation, which recommended denial of the 270,000 square-foot project's 31,000 square-foot retail component. The land had been zoned for industrial and office use.

In an attempt to appease neighbors, the developer agreed to enhancements, including planting native trees, constructing a lighted pathway for public use around the lake and adding gazebos for picnickers.

Adrian Builders also agreed not to fill the lake for at least five years -- about the time the project will take to build -- or until such plans are discussed with neighbors.

Those concessions appeased all but one staunch opponent of the proposed development, who for months fought alongside a few others to preserve the land as a park but was faced with several hurdles, the biggest of which was the lack of money to buy it from the developer.

Richard Freer felt the land, which is surrounded by a water-filled rock pit, was better fit for a park because for decades it been used as one -- albeit illegally.

West Kendall families and teenage friends picnicked, boated and hung out at the site, which in later years attracted illegal dumpers, criminals and drug-users

Hit on the link above to read the comments David spoke about (If the Herald link is working, they are messing with the links).