The West Berlin wall erected in Southwest Ranches!

Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
                                                                                      -- President Ronald Reagan

As the Town of Southwest Ranches erects their wall on ITS border it shares with Pembroke Pines, we are sadly reminded of what this represents.  When neighbors are separated... this can't be a good thing.  Residents in the surrounding area have called it the Berlin Wall of Southwest Ranches!

This wall between the two municipalities creates a larger problem for the residents.  One that the Council doesn't see nor do they care to address.  Southwest Ranches residents can't travel south to Pembroke Pines to shop at the closest Publix nor take the most convenient route to take their children to the schools they have been re-districted to since they are now going to Pembroke Pines schools. In addition, their Pembroke Pines neighbors can't travel north to the Town to pick up their child's friend to go to an after school activity without going all the way around to HWY 27.  Buses do not pick the kids up in these neighborhoods because the children live within 2 miles of the school. So the burden to drop off and pick up their children lies on the parents.  When August 20th hits, families will really feel this in their their fuel bill as all this traveling around to HWY 27 or through 185th will become a real issue for their pocketbook in these hard economic times.

These gates are clearly a stop gap because the State separated the community into two different municipalities when the Town was incorporated in 2000 as a way to stop the traffic flow which has grown over the years. It makes as much sense as the prison parcel they decided to incorporate into the Town that was non-contiguous.  What was the State of Florida thinking?  We don't think they were thinking...AT ALL.  Mostly to blame for the traffic are the big trucks traveling down 199th to and from the businesses in Pembroke Pines such as the Mobile-Mini or the Car Auction that have brought down power lines in the area when they have gotten lost.  They just haven't gotten the memo that this is a residential street... which is now creating this headache for the electorate.  Also, don't order your pizzas people because I don't think they will be willing to deliver to the Ranches...
 
Instead of fixing potholes on 210th and 188th, they went on a spending spree.  They purchased these heavy duty gates for $88,000 and voted to have Davie for the Fire/EMS contract with ramp up fees of $120,000. They borrowed $90,000 to fix the road and drainage on 210th Terrace where only a handful of people live, $43,000 was also spent on guard rails from SW 195th Terrace to SW 198th Terrace -- ALL ON A LINE OF CREDIT.   Since May of this year, the Town Council has approved $343,000 in expenditures! NONE of this was budgeted!  Isn't it borrowing too much money one of the reasons that got us into this economic depression we are currently living through?  Though not purely indicative of taxation without representation, it does question the fiscal responsibility of the Town Council members.  (**Numbers taken from 5/10/2012, 5/24/2012 Council Meeting Agendas, Fire/EMS Contract with Davie)

As these gates cost the Town approximately $88,000 for the three gates on 199th, 202nd and 205th; these gates aren't going away any time soon.  Made of steel beams and cemented into the ground... no car would dare attempt to crash through these things!  You can view the images of the wall on 199th below. Did the Town of Southwest Ranches consider the MAINTENANCE COST of these new gates?

Where they once had said they would allow golf carts to pass freely, they must have decided against that with this type of horse/pedestrian/bicycle throughway. It was former Town Mayor, Mecca Fink, who was the advocate for licensed golf cart use in the Ranches and even went so far as to get the speed limits lowered to allow for them.

What direction is our Town heading?? Backwards you say?  Where we barricade ourselves from our neighbors instead of coming to a peaceful resolution with the neighboring municipality because they disagree with the Town's prison plans that NO ONE wants.  They claim that the roadway blockade is a "public safety" issue because of all the traffic, but where was this concern for the public when it came to putting a prison so close to our schools and homes??  Again, what direction is the Town heading?  Who benefits from all this controversy?  Fleece Me, Please discusses who really benefits in the Town and it AIN'T the Taxpayers!

Who do you have to thank for this reckless spending??  Again, Follow the money.  The Town Council did publicly vote for it though.  They approved this gate installation and the money to pay for it.  If you wish to express your displeasure, I would suggest you attend the Town Council meeting and let them know your feelings.  The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 26th at 7pm.  If you cannot attend you can always email them and let them know what you're thinking.  Voice your opinion and let them also know in the next election they will pay dearly for not coming to a compromise.  You may want to ask them where the money is to fill in your potholes while you're at it since they seem to be in a money spending mood...