Milly

I am a resident of the city of Hialeah who cares deeply about our community. I am hoping this web page will create greater public awareness and urge more people to get involved.

Still racing to save Hialeah Park . . .

We are still racing to save Hialeah Park. To learn more, visit Alex at www.myspace.com/savehialeahpark

Click on "Crumbling Hialeah" below to read a great article on Hialeah Park and view photos from December 2006 posted on Cindy Pierson Dulay's Horse-Races.Net.

Washington, D.C., June 14, 2007 - The National Trust for Historic Preservation has nominated Hialeah Park as one of the nation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Of 55 applications submitted in 2007, 11 were chosen and Hialeah came in #4. Although this does not yet save our beloved park, it is an extraordinary and significant victory!

Please visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website, read about Hialeah Park's nomination and sign the Petition to applaud this.

Click Here "Hialeah Park is nominated as one of the nation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places."

Let's make Hialeah a more beautiful city and better place to live. We can start by keeping our homes and business centers clean and not throwing trash on the streets. We fight for the preservation of single-family homes and oppose incompatible or wrongfully placed businesses and buildings that infringe upon our neighborhoods and quality of life, want proper landscaping and buffering for already affected residents, demand historic designation and preservation and support responsible redevelopment. We need more conscious-minded developers, sensitive to history and aesthetics, and who care about quality of life issues!

The city should amend the way its redoing our residential streets to afford us all adequate street parking, lower, dimmer, more attractive street lights, and narrower streets to reduce accidents.

We love our cultural Fridays (Art on Palm) and feel these are good cultural events for residents and visitors. We want to thank Chili's, Fuddruckers and Starbucks for coming to town, while continuing to support our neighborhood businesses and restaurants. The news is that Applebees' will soon be opening, too, and we invite others to join them and come to the "City of Progress." We would also love to see our very own Barnes & Noble! Just keep in mind -- responsible redevelopment!

MOST IMPORTANT - HIALEAH PARK: Please Help us save Hialeah Park. ---- To learn more, visit Alex at www.myspace.com/savehialeahpark

***Following is sampling of things that should interest us all.***

A meeting with Mayor Julio Robaina in mid November (2007) did not go so well. The mayor had demonstrated an interest in reviewing the ordinance that had passed in February 2007 and a small group of 9 of us met with him on November 15. We left uncertain if the mayor will propose changes to the ordinance.

Council meetings are every other Tuesday at the Hialeah City Hall on 501 Palm Avenue, 3rd Floor. All meetings are Public and open to anyone and everyone. Visit www.hialeahfl.gov and click on council for meeting dates.

Here are a few examples of zoning changes we feel will negatively impact the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Residents of West Hialeah lost their battle in May 2007 when 5 of 7 members of the council again voted "YES" to permit a parking lot for large vehicles just 25 feet from their homes.

An ordinance that affects five large areas of Hialeah was approved by 5 of the 7 members of our city council on February 13, 2007 (Councilman Luis Gonzalez was absent and former councilwoman Cindy Miel voted against it). Why did the Mayor support this and 5 councilmen vote in favor of it? Let's educate ourselves and not be fooled. This ordinance is not about progress or responsible development! So. are special interests at work here? Maybe.

The approved ordinance allows for zoning changes in five extended areas of Hialeah, offers incentives mostly for rich investors and big developers, allowing them to purchase up to entire blocks or more and building 5 to 9-story mixed used buildings next to residential homes and directly across from historic Hialeah Park. It reduces current property owners' rights and offers zero incentives for preservation, improvements or beautification efforts. It has the potential to displace hundreds of residents and small business owners who rent or lease, change the character of the neighborhoods, create future ghettos, and subjects all of Hialeah to it because it sets precedent. It also threatens our historic Hialeah Park, since these buildings will now be allowed directly across the street from it.

Please feel free to contact me if you want information about this ordinance or need to know if you, or someone you know, are affected by it. (Please note that affected residents and business owners may also be entitled to compensation under the Bert Harris Act or the "Bert J. Harris, Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act.")

"Click here to access the Bert Harris Act"

Question asked: What are the five areas in Hialeah affected by the new ordinance?

Answer: The five areas are: (1)Palm Avenue from 21 to 49 Street; (2)East 4th Avenue from 21 to 49 Street; (3)East 9 Street from 4th Ave to LeJeune Road; (4)SE Hialeah from 112 Expressway to East 4th Ave and from SE 8 Street to Okeechobee Road; (5)West 16 Street to West 15 Street from West 32 Street to Okeechobee Road.

Someone else asked: What are those big orange posters I see on some houses around the city?

Answer: Those big, orange posters are mandatory and alert us that the owner is either making adjustments to the property or is requesting a zoning change. You can get close and read the sign to learn what it is about. An application is always filed with the Planning & Zoning Board and is public record, which mean you can request a copy of it. Go to City Hall at 501 Palm Avenue, 2nd Floor and ask."

Question asked: When are the next council elections, how many council members are there and who are they?

Answer: The next council elections will be in November 2009 and 3 seats will be up for re-election. There are seven (7) council members. As of November 2007, the 7 council members are: Esteban Bovo Jr. (council president), Carlos Hernandez (council vice president), Vivian Casals-Muñoz, Jose F. Caragol, Isis Garcia-Martinez, Luis Gonzalez and Jose "Pepe" Yedra. If you go to the city of Hialeah website, you can learn more: www.hialeahfl.gov

Tune in weekly to "La Poderosa," 670 AM from 8:00PM to 10:00PM M-F, where "El Coronel Matias Farias" invites guests to speak about and debate South Florida's heated topics, including elected officials, political experts, lawyers and community activists who often speak on Hialeah issues and tell it as they see it. Hialeah Park Race Track and the following issues have been among the HOTTEST topics on Matias Farias' radio program.

Tune in every Thursday to "Cadena Azul," 1550 AM from 8:00PM to 9:00PM where Millie Herrera (from Kendall) and guests tackle local and other issues of interest to our community.

Tune in every Sunday night to "La Poderosa," 670 AM from 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM where Henry Pollack and Millie Herrera talk about hot issues of international and local interest. Henry is extremely vocal and passionate about the issues he speaks about - Hialeah included!