ADVISORY/Lauderhill Residents to Chart New Course for the State Road 7 Corridor as Part of a Larger State Road 7/ US 441 Collaborative Effort.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...March 6-12 (Saturday-Friday)

HOLLYWOOD, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2004

On Saturday, March 6th, residents, property owners, business leaders, and the elected leadership of the City of Lauderhill will meet with regional planners and urban design professionals and begin charting a new future for the portion of the State Road 7 / US 441 corridor that runs through their city.

Regional planners and design professionals from the South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council's (TCRPC) Urban Design Studio will be in the City of Lauderhill throughout the week of March 6 - 12th. During this week, they will be working side by side with the Lauderhill community to translate the community's input into an ambitious yet realistic vision for future development along and adjacent to the State Road 7 / US 441 corridor. The community's "vision" will be documented and developed during this "urban design charrette." It will then be incorporated, along with the plans of the other corridor communities, into the State Road 7 / US 441 Strategic Master Plan that will guide redevelopment activities along the length of the corridor.

Formalized in 2001, the State Road 7 / US 441 Collaborative ("Collaborative") is comprised of 14 local governments that abut the 25.6 mile State Road 7 corridor in Broward County. Partners include the South Florida Regional Planning Council, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Broward County Planning Council, and the Florida Department of Community Affairs.

In October 2003 the Collaborative began work on the development of a Strategic Master Plan for the entire corridor. The development of the Strategic Master Plan is made possible in large part due to the efforts of United States Congressman Alcee Hastings who secured $ 1.9 million in funding for the project with support of the South Florida Congressional Delegation. "This is a great example of how communities working together can position themselves and the region to access federal funding for important initiatives. We believe that the Collaborative is an important national model that illustrates how to achieve success while undertaking and implementing a consensus-based, economic development and community revitalization initiative," said Carolyn A. Dekle, Executive Director of the South Florida Regional Planning Council.

The corridor has been divided into nine planning segments. A public design charrette will be held for each segment between May 2003 and November 2005. A map of the corridor with its corresponding planning segments can be viewed at: http://www.sfrpc.com/sr7/graphics/Charrette%20segments.pdf

For additional information about the history of the State Road 7 / US 441 Collaborative, its accomplishments and activities to date: http://www.sfrpc.com/sr7/sr7quarterly.pdf

When asked to comment on the upcoming City of Lauderhill charrette and the work of the State Road 7 / U.S. 441 Collaborative, Ilene Lieberman, Broward County Mayor and Vice-Chair of the South Florida Regional Planning Council, said: "The upcoming charrette provides a great opportunity for Lauderhill city residents and their elected leaders to create a better future for the community. I hope that residents will make every effort to participate in the charrette. The State Road 7 / U.S. 441 Collaborative is a great success story in Broward County and the region. It is a shining example of how much can be accomplished when cities work with each other and the county in an atmosphere of trust, partnership and collaboration to bring about positive and lasting change."

The City of Lauderhill charrette is sponsored by the City of Lauderhill and The State Road 7 / US 441 Collaborative. It is the third of nine charrettes that will be held along State Road 7 in the development of a Strategic Master Plan for the corridor.

                  City of Lauderhill Charrette Events

Saturday, March 6th - Opening Event
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Citizens will hear an overview of the
charrette process and begin design work.
Location:  Sadkin Center; 1176 NW 42nd Way; Lauderhill
Tel:  [phone]

Sunday, March 7th - Friday, March 12th
Time:  9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. daily, except Friday; Friday:
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: City of Lauderhill Golf Course Clubhouse; 4141 NW 16th
Street, Lauderhill


Friday, March 12th - Closing Event - "Unveiling of the Citizen's
Vision"
Citizens get an opportunity to critique the charrette plan before it
is finalized for incorporation into the Strategic Master Plan.
Time:  7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location:  Sadkin Center; 1176 NW 42nd Way; Lauderhill
Telephone:  [phone]


             State Road 7 / US 441 Collaborative Contacts

Collaborative Chair and Members
Leanna "Lee" Mirsky, Deputy Vice Mayor, City of Lauderhill
Chair, State Road 7 / US 441 Collaborative
[phone]

For a complete membership list:
http://www.sfrpc.com/sr7/scmembers.pdf

Broward County
Mayor Ilene Lieberman, [phone]
Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, Jr.,  [phone]

Congressman Alcee Hastings [phone]

South Florida Regional Planning Council: [phone]

City of Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Carlton Moore, Chair SFRPC
[phone]
Carolyn A. Dekle, Executive Director
David Dahlstrom, Senior Planner & SR 7 Project Manager(a)

Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council: [phone]
Mike Busha, Executive Director
Marcela Camblor, Urban Design Coordinator

City of Lauderhill Contacts:
Richard Kaplan, Mayor
City Hall [phone]; Office [phone]
Heather Cunniff, City Planner, [phone]

About the South Florida Regional Planning Council:

Created pursuant to Chapter 186, F.S., the South Florida Regional Planning Council is a regional agency serving 3 counties - Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Broward - their 69 municipalities and almost 4 million residents. The Council is governed by a 19-member board. Two-thirds of our board is comprised of elected officials from the counties and municipalities; one-third are gubernatorial appointees. Representatives from the South Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Transportation, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection serve as ex-officio members.

The Council supports the region's local governments and other partners through technical assistance and expertise in a number of fields including transportation, economic development, geographic information services, human services, affordable housing, emergency preparedness, land use and natural resources planning. The Council also provides increased access to federal funding and business capital as a result of its work with the Eastward Ho! Brownfields Partnership, Gold Coast Clean Cities Coalition, and Federal Economic Development Administration. For more information about the South Florida Regional Planning Council and its activities, please contact Isabel Cosio Carballo at [phone].