Water quality advisory posted for Crandon Park North
Plus what the November 3 ballot is shaping up to hold.
Here's what changed in Key Biscayne and what to watch this week, starting with a water advisory at Crandon Park North.
The Florida Department of Health issued a water advisory on Saturday, August 29. It applies to Crandon Park North.
The advisory stops at the north part of the county park. It does not cover every beach on Key Biscayne. The alert was still active Saturday.
Anyone choosing a beach this week should keep this health alert in view. We'll update when the state lifts or changes the advisory.
Record sargassum is landing on local beaches
A record sargassum surge is reaching Key Biscayne and beaches across Miami. The problem is not limited to one park or one strip of shore.
Seaweed can build up along the waterline. It can change how the sand looks from one stretch to the next. As the piles dry, they can also bring a strong smell.
By August 26, the current arrival had reached record levels. Beach conditions are now one more local item to watch this week.
Four Village roads are getting repaved and re-drained
Road work is underway on Buttonwood Drive, Hampton Lane, and Ridgewood Road. Crews are also at the entrance to Mashta Island.
The job pairs new pavement with better drainage. The Village says both parts will improve conditions at all four sites.
Crews will try to limit traffic and access problems while the work goes on. No end date has been set. The work remains active for now.
Council returned to Galen Drive and $520K in resilience work
The Village Council returned on August 25 with two large items. One was a plan at 303 Galen Drive. The other was more than $520,000 in storm and beach work.
The Galen Drive site can hold high-density housing. No vote was set. The item was only a discussion, and the full plan was not yet public.
The first contract is $284,858. It pays for camera checks of the stormwater system and new asset data. A second $235,559.25 contract pays for design and permits for 2027 beach work. FIU would also track water below ground. No price was listed for that deal.
The same agenda carried a $2.4 million Harbor Drive rebuild.
Five candidates are competing for three council seats
Five candidates are running for three Village Council seats on November 3. The field has two incumbents, a former councilman, and two newcomers.
Vice Mayor Oscar Sardiñas lists schools, stormwater, advisory boards, and tax pressure as top issues. Councilman Fernando Vazquez is focused on water quality and discharges into Biscayne Bay.
Former councilman Luis “Lucho” de la Cruz is back after eight years away. Newcomer Claire Amerena London wants utilities put underground. Silvia Tarafa is a longtime teacher and school leader. She is the only candidate with no past council link. Her full platform was not yet public.
Mayor-elect Brett Moss ran with no opponent. He will take office with the three winners in November.
A stormwater question is heading to the same ballot
The November 3 ballot also has a Village charter question on stormwater and flood work.
The rule would require a public vote when such projects are set to cost more than $50 million over three budget years. A yes vote would add that rule to the charter.
A citizen petition put the measure in motion under Section 6.02 of the charter. The council called the vote on July 7. It will run with the general election and council race.