WCOM NEWS

6-09-04

Miramar landscaping and signage projects lose out in bids for grants

MIRAMAR--Two grant applications likely will not be awarded money this year despite city approval for matching funds, said Christine Heshmati, senior planner for the Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Miramar's applications were for grants of $295,000 for Town Center signage and $345,000 for landscaping projects on Flamingo Road and Miramar Boulevard. The city in April approved matching funds of $400,000 and $195,000, respectively

"Generally there is far more interest in this program than there are dollars. So it's not unusual that a city would have to reapply the following year," Heshmati said.

She said the program is extremely popular, making competition high. According to Heshmati, projects are scored by how well they meet a 100-point scale criteria.

The project to place signs throughout the new Town Center placed 18th out of 19 applications, she said, but the Flamingo Road landscaping application fared slightly better, placing 16th out of 19.

Though unlikely, the Flamingo Road project is not completely out of the running for a referral to the Florida Department of Transportation, where it would undergo further evaluation, Heshmati said.

"At this point in time, there's a fair amount of points for projects that would benefit mass transit users and safety. [These Miramar grant applications] might not lend themselves to that as much as other projects that came in, but the prioritization is still preliminary," she said.

Additionally, she said, there are almost $7 million in requests, but less than $3 million is anticipated from FDOT.

Aware of the poor chance for success in obtaining the funds, the city's economic development manager, Gus Zambrano, said Miramar would try to find money from other sources and likely reapply next year.

"These two projects are significant contributions and enhancements in and around the Town Center. They're important pieces to the larger project of the Town Center. This is to fill in the blanks where the developers aren't obligated… to fill in the blanks, connecting other developments to each other. That's what makes a city," Zambrano said.

Miramar senior planner Fred Hagy said Miramar has received funds through this program for the past four years. But the Town Center signage project was rejected last year as well, he said.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization is expected to make its final priority determinations in September, after which FDOT programs the top projects, Heshmati said.

(source) Sun Sentinel (Laura Burdick-Sherman) 6-09-04