ADVOCATING FOR RESILIENCE!
Dear City Manager Williams and Fort Lauderdale Commission,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share some concerns regarding the proposed use of funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for upgrades to Carter Park.
While I appreciate the City’s efforts to secure outside funding to improve our public spaces, I am concerned that the current scope of the proposed upgrades does not appear to meaningfully address several critical and interrelated issues facing Fort Lauderdale — particularly flood mitigation, extreme heat, and long-term public health considerations.
As we continue to experience more frequent and severe rainfall events, parks like Carter Park represent an important opportunity to function not only as recreational assets, but also as active flood-management infrastructure. At this time, I see little mention of retrofitting the park to temporarily hold or manage stormwater through nature-based strategies such as absorbent landscapes, bioswales, cisterns or underground storage systems for temporary water retention, or other green infrastructure approaches that can help reduce neighborhood flooding while improving water quality.
Additionally, I respectfully request that the most recent and updated flood data, rainfall projections, and sea-level rise information be used when evaluating and designing improvements at Carter Park, so that decisions reflect current and future conditions rather than outdated assumptions.
I am also concerned by the apparent continued expansion of artificial turf—“plastic grass”— within park upgrades. In addition to contributing to urban heat island effects, synthetic turf has been associated with elevated surface temperatures that can pose safety risks to park users. There are also growing concerns regarding microplastic shedding, chemical exposure, and long-term health impacts, particularly in public parks heavily used by children. Importantly, artificial turf does not provide the stormwater infiltration, cooling, or ecological benefits that natural grass and living landscapes offer.
Given that LWCF funds are intended to support conservation, recreation, and the sustainable use of land, I respectfully question whether the inclusion of additional synthetic turf — without complementary flood-storage, cooling, or mitigation features — aligns with the long-term intent of this funding source.
Carter Park presents a valuable opportunity to serve as a model for resilient park design, demonstrating how recreation, flood mitigation, heat reduction, and environmental stewardship can work together to benefit surrounding neighborhoods.
I respectfully urge the City to reconsider the project scope and explore opportunities to:
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Integrate stormwater retention and temporary storage features, including cisterns, into park design
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Reduce urban heat impacts through shade, tree canopy, and living ground cover
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Prioritize natural grass and nature-based solutions over synthetic materials
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Ensure LWCF investments support long-term resilience, public health, and conservation goals
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns further and to explore constructive alternatives that better serve our residents and our environment.
Warm regards,
Suzee
Suzee Bailey
Founder/CEO Residents for Resilience
https://cleanwater.org/2024/09/16/turf-artificial-harm-very-real
https://mountsinaiexposomics.org/artificial-turf/
https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/synthetic-turf
Las Olas Mobility Project:
R4R Raises Questions About Trees, Stormwater, and Community Impact
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Many in our community are disappointed to learn that the Las Olas Mobility Project will move forward with the removal of the iconic black olive trees and the center median. These beautiful, heavy-canopied trees have long been part of the character and shade of this area, and it is always difficult to see mature, healthy trees removed before the end of their natural lifespan—especially given the years residents and visitors may experience reduced shade, increased heat-island effects, and the loss of the cooling benefits that only mature tree canopy can provide. There are also lingering questions about potential impacts to underlying infrastructure once these medians are disturbed, as well as how long nearby businesses may be disrupted during construction and what measures will be taken to minimize those impacts.
Throughout this process, Residents for Resilience has remained non-political and focused on the issues central to our mission—public health, flood mitigation, stormwater management, and long-term community resilience. While I was unfortunately unable to attend the meeting held this past Tuesday, I have been closely following the discussions and materials presented. One concern we continue to hear from residents is the lack of clarity around flood mitigation and stormwater management improvements associated with this project. According to the City’s presentation, the project meets the MINIMUM Citywide Stormwater Level of Service (a 10-year, 24-hour storm event), however it also states that “additional stormwater capacity is not proposed.”
Given Fort Lauderdale’s increasing flood risk, many residents are asking whether meeting the minimum standard—without adding capacity—will be sufficient as rainfall intensity, sea level, and groundwater pressures continue to rise. Clear communication about how the most current flood data is being used, and whether opportunities exist to enhance stormwater performance, would be greatly appreciated. We have also heard concerns about the long-term economic impacts of flooding, including effects on property values, insurance costs, and future buyer confidence in flood-prone areas. These are real issues that deserve careful and transparent consideration.
With the planned reduction in shade canopy and the continued use of artificial turf in nearby areas, we hope that nature-based solutions—such as increased tree canopy, green infrastructure, water-absorbing landscapes, and other resilience features—can still be incorporated wherever possible. These approaches help manage stormwater, reduce heat, and improve overall quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
We also hope that taxpayer concerns related to traffic flow, emergency response times, and public safety continue to be carefully evaluated as the project moves forward. Public health and safety remain at the heart of the Residents for Resilience mission.
Our hope is that, even as decisions are made, all involved will continue working together to ensure community voices are heard and that long-term resilience—not just minimum compliance—remains a priority for Fort Lauderdale.
Suzee Bailey,
Founder, Residents for Resilience
🌳 Urban Forestry Master Plan:
Speaking Up for Trees as Resilience Infrastructure
This month, I spoke before the Fort Lauderdale City Commission regarding the Urban Forestry Master Plan. I thanked City staff for the significant time, expertise, and commitment reflected in this important document.
Speaking as the Founder of Residents for Resilience — and on behalf of many residents concerned about the ongoing loss of green space — I expressed strong support for the Plan while offering several recommendations grounded in both the Plan itself and lived community experience.
The Plan rightly recognizes that mature tree canopy is critical resilience infrastructure, not merely an aesthetic feature. Trees mitigate extreme heat, improve public health, buffer storms, and reduce stormwater runoff. In fact, the Plan documents that existing canopy has already helped avoid tens of millions of gallons of stormwater runoff.
I also raised concerns about enforcement, noting that penalties for illegal tree removal are often too small to deter high-profit development. R4R encouraged stronger enforcement tools, including penalties tied to the appraised value of mature trees and stop-work orders for repeat violations.
Residents also seek greater transparency regarding the Tree Canopy Trust Fund, with a preference for replacing removed trees within the same neighborhood or watershed whenever possible.
As a long-time advocate for nature-based solutions, I expressed appreciation for the Plan’s inclusion of mangroves as living infrastructure and encouraged the City to lead by example through a pilot mangrove planter project along City-owned seawalls.
Finally, I encouraged thoughtful evaluation of artificial turf (“plastic grass”) in light of the Plan’s goals related to heat mitigation, water quality, and public health — and suggested a phased transition back to natural grass in City-owned parks.
Preservation matters as much as replacement, and enforcement, transparency, funding, and long-term maintenance are all essential to protecting our urban forest.
Port Everglades Master/Vision Plan –
Environmental Concerns and Coral Mitigation -
Let’s make sure progress does not come at the cost of our reefs, our wildlife, our health, or
our coastal resilience.
Residents for Resilience (R4R) appreciated being included in the recent public meeting on the Port Everglades Master/Vision Plan, which outlined the port’s proposed 5-, 10-, and 20-year development projects. While the discussion focused on growth and modernization, R4R and Miami Waterkeeper were among the few raising concerns about the potential environmental and public health impacts of this project. Thousands of corals could be removed or destroyed—corals that play a crucial role in reducing wave energy, storm surge, and shoreline erosion, providing natural coastal protection for nearby communities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has proposed a mitigation plan that includes: • Relocating about 11,500 existing corals • Planting 103,000 nursery-propagated corals on existing and artificial reefs • Restoring seagrass and mangroves in nearby West Lake Park However, environmental groups have raised strong concerns that the plan is still insufficient, warning that millions of corals remain at risk of dying from sedimentation—just as they did during the PortMiami expansion, where restoration never fully succeeded.
In addition, there is significant concern for the queen conch, officially listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2024. One of the last known breeding populations in the U.S. is located directly adjacent to the Port Everglades channel, placing it at immediate risk. Queen conchs are highly sensitive to sedimentation and turbidity, and
relocation efforts are rarely successful.
Scientists have also warned that the project lacks a clear mitigation strategy to protect this species from harm. R4R is also deeply concerned about sediment disturbance, which could release harmful pollutants into nearby waterways—posing health risks to marine life as well as to residents and visitors who live, work, and recreate in these waters. We have requested water-quality monitoring be conducted, with publicly accessible results and
clear signage to ensure transparency and safety.
📅 The final Broward County Commission meeting to review the plan will be held on November 13, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
https://stopthedredge.com/ https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/scientists-survey-threatened-queen-conch-in-port-everglades/ residentsforresilience.org
Dive in and explore a reef in Palm Beach County. Stretching over 350 miles from the Dry Tortugas to the St. Lucie Inlet, Florida’s Coral Reef is a delicately balanced and interconnected community. It’s the only barrier coral reef system in the continental United States and is home to over forty species of reef-building corals that provide shelter, food and breeding sites for millions of plants and animals. On this dive, you will encounter large barrel sponges and soft corals such as sea fans. These organisms provide shelter for the numerous species of fish you’ll see, including grunts, a large school of Atlantic spadefish and even a Caribbean reef shark and a nurse shark!
Good morning Commissioner Caryl, Julia, and Team,
Thank you so much for the update and for including the November Broward County report — we appreciate you sharing that background and helping to coordinate the next steps. Please also extend our thanks to Jill for assisting with scheduling a future meeting or call, and to the Public Utilities team for being included in the conversation.
We’ve reviewed the County’s findings and understand the conclusion that no non-stormwater discharges were identified, as well as the explanation regarding potential natural causes such as temperature-related pond turnover and low dissolved oxygen levels. That context is helpful.
At the same time, given the recurring concerns raised by residents and the sensitivity of these canal systems, we believe it will be valuable to use the upcoming meeting to better understand the data, discuss any ongoing or future monitoring efforts, and explore whether there are opportunities for proactive communication or preventative strategies moving forward.
We also appreciate the clarification regarding canal ownership. While the canals are privately owned by adjacent homeowners, the broader water quality, ecological health, and public awareness implications remain important to the surrounding community, and we’re grateful for the City and County’s willingness to engage in dialogue on this issue.
Looking forward to connecting soon and continuing this collaborative conversation.
Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy 2026 as well!
Warm regards,
Suzee
Suzee Bailey
Founder/CEO Residents for Resilience
