Neighborhood Walk Around August 8,9, 2018

I decided to start walking daily to get fresh sunlight while awaiting my work year to start. As a typical millennial I couldn't help taking pictures of anything that caught my attention. Given my recent strong of posts regarding incorporation I couldn't help fixating on thoughts of what the county doesn't do well that a city might accomplish more efficiently and effectively. I invite you to spy some untypical views of my community, and my thoughts of them. On these two walks (Thursday and Friday) I went south so Skylake Plaza,  and back. 

On Monday I will instead walk east towards the single family neighborhood.

Thursday

I recently met with members of the Sky Lake and Highland Lakes Area Home Owners Association and one of them mentioned a past effort to prevent construction of a communications tower. I told them that one of the buildings on my block does have a communications tower in it. Someone told me they receive substantial compensation for the lease of the space.
As a private condominium details of the contract like do not fall under any kind of public records laws.

As I walked south on 18th Avenue I saw something very familiar, but which now had a different context for me, however first notice a parking space next to this pump station.
In the resolution on Northeast incorporation the county demands retention of four pump stations. It seems the county did not include this one as per the addresses in the resolution included here.

I found this pump station between 191st and Miami Gardens Drive, well south of 19720 NE 18 Avenue.
This circumstance immediately raises the question of why the county wants some pumps and not others.

Many of these NO signs went up several years ago. The Yes campaign only recently got their act together and have a much prettier design. I will feature such an image when I find one.

I have a great interest in mass transit. Seeing a handful of people at a bus stop speaks volumes to me. These people waited in front of Skylake Plaze at 2:05pm on a Thursday. I recall a very hot day. I wonder how much residents, employees, and visitors use mass transit in our neighborhood.

The most recent development in my immediate area.

It looks as though we lost a gas station and gained another bank. I find gas in this area too expensive and did not frequent that station.

More NO signs in front of a condominium. I wonder if the boards of these respective places approved these signs. 

When eastbound traffic at the intersection of Miami Gardens Drive and NE 15th u-turn vehicles regularly drive onto the swale, creating this desert next to a patch of grass.
If I understand correctly Florida Department of Transit has jurisdiction of Miami Gardens Drive, rendering both the county and any potential city unable to directly address the design issues which generate these kinds of problems.

I crossed the street to acquire this photo as it features the largest buildings in the Northeast. Buckley towers in the background has a twin out of view behind it. Both buildings have more than the 8 floors in the much newer Sky Lofts.

I photographed this image to remind myself to learn more about the public works project highlighted in the poster near the center of the photo. Consent Decree (meaning there was no discussion or debate) Project #4.09(2) Furnish and Install 12" DI & 16" HDPE Pipe from Miami Garden (sic) Dr. along NE 14th Avenue to Station No. 0455.
I can't make out the last line in the photo stating the Project #.

I presume they installed that pipe on the east side of 14th Avenue.

The ducks hang out here. I wish people wouldn't feed them. They don't need your food as they have evolved over millions of years to find their own food. Ducks crossing the street to eat food left in the grass regularly die from car collisions.

When I first moved to the area people did not park on the swale to the west side of 14th Avenue. I only found two cars this time, but likely many more after 6pm. 

 Trash along the west side of 14th Ave., a small sampling.

Lack of available parking in the condominium lots also lead to many cars left in the swale on the north side of the bridge on 14th Avenue. 

Another pump station. Also not included in the county's demands for incorporation.

 Friday

Open utility box.

I found this along 14th Avenue. (I went counter clockwise on Friday)
Telecommunications companies use fiber optics to transmit large amounts of data. Homes and buildings equipped with fiber optic wiring can take advantage of this technology for some of the fastest internet speeds available to regular consumers. 

I stopped at the bridge on 14th Avenue to create a panoramic of this water. Under me the water runs east towards the ocean. I don't know the name of this body of water, or if humans made it. I would love to see the border areas which aren't accessible by people converted to some kind of swampy forest to get more plant life and water retention. 

I took no more photos Friday as I saw all the same things. Thank you for sharing my walk!