Happy New Year!

 



Standing Water Photos 4

So... this is what it looked like @ 5:33pm

It was a wet and soggy week for sure with HEAVY, HEAVY RAINS during Thursday evening. Like ALL night long rain. Below are pictures captured (during a drizzle) from Friday morning @ 10:30am.  As you will see, unfortunately the after pictures didn’t really photograph well (or at all) due to it being dark @ 5:30ish during this time of year.  Lesson learned for the next session.

So, let’s get to it.

Area 1 (115 St. / 6th Ave.)

 

Area 2 (116 St. / 9th Ave.)

 

 

Area 3 (112St. / 7th Ave.)

 

Area 4 (116 St. / 10th Ave.)

 

 

Area 5 (119 St. / 11th Ave.)

 

 

Area 6 (119 St. / 7th Ave.)

 



Area 7 (112 St. / 10th Ave.)

 

 

Area 8 (113 St. / 10th Ave.)

 

From what I observed, there was more standing water on our streets Friday (Areas 1, 3 and 8) than from any previously documented sampling. I suppose that this was due to ground saturation and the fact that we had no sun or wind present on Friday.

Standing Watch-

Milton Hunter- The Biscayne Parker

miltonhunter@gmail.com

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving All

Standing Water Photos 3

We woke up to rain on Saturday morning. It continued off and on for most of the day with several “gully washers” (according to Rosemary) during the evening hours. In other words, we experienced hard rain with some wind thrown in for good measure.

According to language used by engineers Craig A. Smith and Co. “much of the Village experiences flooding after even minor storm events.”

Now, was what we experienced Saturday night considered a “minor storm event?” I really don’t know. It’s a vague statement. Also a curious assumption coming from a firm that to date has not started its survey and in my opinion lacks any factual data to support such a claim.

Let’s remember that the definition of "Flooding" given by Craig A. Smith themselves is "standing water on Village property for over a period of 12 hours." This we have all heard for ourselves during the workshop meetings.

So let’s now have a look at the results of our standing water on Sunday morning. The time elapsed between these photos was 4 hours. 

Area 1 (115 St. / 6th Ave.)

(click on any photo to enlarge) 

 

 

 

Area 2 (116 St. / 9th Ave.)

 

 

Area 3 (112 St. / 7th Ave.)

 

 

Area 4 (116 St. / 10th Ave.)

 

Area 5 (119 St. / 11th Ave.)

 

Area 6 (119 St. / 7th Ave.)

 

Area 7 (112 St. / 10th Ave.)

 

 

Area 8 (113 St. / 10th Ave.)

 

Areas 4, 5, 6 and 8 were not photographed again due to the insignificant standing water from the first morning pictures.  

Part of the “pitch” from Craig A. Smith is that we must make sure that our roads are accessible for Emergency Vehicles.  And this is both a good and valid point.

My question to our readers is this, based on these pictures; (all so far captured to date) do any of our roads look like they present an access problem for Emergency Vehicles to you?

We now have standing water photos collected from 2 hours, 4 hours and two other examples at approx. 7 hours apart.

So, what have we learned so far?

Based on photographic evidence, natural percolation and evaporation effectively clears the water from our streets in less than 7 hours.

This is not speculation or an opinion, this is fact.

Standing Watch-

Milton Hunter- The Biscayne Parker

P.S. This is a picture of what Storm Water Flooding really looks like:

 



 







 

 

 

 



 

 

Curb Appeal and Property Values

I’ve been thinking a lot about our codes lately. Mostly about visual blight issues. And as I’m sure we all have our own personal code pet peeves, I thought to see how this may relate to our property values.

Using online service Zillow as an illustration, I looked up my homes value compared to the rest of zip code area 33161. Now, this may not be, and probably is not an exact science, but it does provide some noteworthy data. According to their Zestimate (clever play on words in my opinion), my property value dropped $4,126 over the last 30 days - but was 155% higher in value than the surrounding 33161 zip code areas.

My next thought was… why such a big difference?  And how do our codes possibly affect this? To this end I reached out to blog member and resident professional realtor Brad Piper with Keller Williams. Please find below our discussion pertaining to property maintenance and property values.

MH: Brad, first I want to thank you for sharing both your time and expertise in helping our readers better understand the relationship between property maintenance and property values. Question, based on your prospective new buyers, what are you hearing about Biscayne Park in general?

BP:  My pleasure Milton and thank you for creating this informative blog.  My buyers have expressed that Biscayne Park has a unique “sense of community” that they haven’t found in other areas.   Even though we have seen prices increasing in our area, buyers are still seeing value for their money here in Biscayne Park.  They love seeing families strolling in the park, dog walkers, joggers, and the community interacting as a whole.

MH: Can you explain for us how Zillow works and how it arrives at its valuations?

BP:  Zillow is strictly based on data collected from closed sales in your area, and is meant to give a general estimate of value.  Homes and communities are uniquely different, and those differences can have an affect on your property value.  An appraisor will be your best source for an accurate estimate of property value, and will also take into consideration the condition of the home, and the characteristics of the location.

MH: Brad, can you provide some common property maintenance issues that potentially reduce our property values?

BP: Dirty exterior, faded chipped paint, overgrown yards, roofs and fences in need of repair, are just a few examples.   Keeping in mind that the maintenance of your home’s exterior can impact your neighbor’s curb appeal, and collectively, it can have a negative impact on the entire community.

MH: And while on the subject, can you mention some property maintenance and curb appeal tips that could possibly increase our property values?

BP:  General landscaping and updating of roof, windows, shutters as needed.  Consistent maintenance and improvements tend to help support property values, and reflects on the entire neighborhood.  Programs such as www.ygrene.com could be a great resource for homeowners on a budget, who need to make repairs to their homes.

MH: Good to know Brad. Another question, I noticed that Zillow listed my homes value approx. 11% higher than other BP properties. It’s not specific as to the other properties and I was curious as if this is due to location. Have you an explanation for this?

BP: That’s a great question and I would assume it’s due to the sales in your immediate area.  In a marketplace where there is a wide price range of home values, we see the most discrepancies in their pricing.    Zillow’s accuracy has always been in question, and can sometimes be misleading for home owners. 

MH: Lastly, is there anything else that you would like to share with us regarding the relationship between property maintenance and property values?

BP:  We are all in this together, so your lack of exterior maintenance could affect your neighbor’s property value.  Even though we may not be ready to sell today, life events can change that scenario quickly, and being prepared could increase your sales price making the transition, much more pleasant.

Well, that’s all useful information. Thank you again for taking the time to discuss this with our readers. There was one point that really struck home with me from Brad’s comments. “We are all in this together” is so true and vital for fostering a good sense of community.

Last month I had the opportunity to spend some time with our code officer driving through the Village during one of his inspections. This helped me to gain a better understanding of some of our issues and areas where we can improve with our overall property maintenance. I can tell you that I have already seen positive results based on that time spent together. It may not always happen as quickly as we like, but I can attest first hand that code improvements are indeed happening. 

If any members or readers would like to comment on any specific code issues that are on their minds, and would like to see addressed in a future post, please feel free to do so in the comment section below. As Brad says “we are all in this together.”

Milton Hunter- The Biscayne Parker

Standing Water?

Good morning All,

UPDATE: We've had several rainy days lately with rain mostly starting during the late afternoon continuing into the evening. We had such a day yesterday.

With this in mind, I ventured out early this morning, camera in hand ready to gather photos of the overnight water accumulation. Please see below the results. (hint, there are none)

Okay, sorry for the tease. The point is that there was no notable water left in the areas we have designated from before.  However, we will remain diligent and be out again for updates... weather permitting.

Enjoy your weekends-

Milton Hunter
The Biscayne Parker

P.S. I checked in with the Village earlier this week to see how many flood survey forms had been returned. My answer... less than 10. We have 1079 parcels. So, please download or pickup the form, complete and return... even if you have no standing water problems. It only takes a few minutes and will provide much needed information.

 



Standing Water Photos 2

Greetings All,

In our ongoing effort to assist both our Village and Craig A. Smith with the gathering of actual data, please find below updated BP standing water photos. To review, several volunteer Villagers have been observing and photographing standing water areas in our Village after each heavy rainfall. This program coincided with the rainy season and after our existing storm water drains had been cleaned out. This analysis should provide the most realistic examples of our factual standing water issues.

I want you to compare these photos, taken on 9/25/15 to the previous ones posted on 9/12/15 as they illustrate some interesting points. Please take note of areas 1-3 from both days. (located on the Storm Water Workshop repost) Presumably, due to ground saturation after days of rainfall and changes in the water table, you will see more standing water in these three areas. Also, there were new areas found where standing water was detected.

What I found notable is that the natural water diffusion time-frame was essentially the same. The time elapsed between these photos was approx. 6.5 hours. 

Area 1 (115 St. / 6th Ave.)

(click on any photo to enlarge)

 

 

Area 2 (116 St. / 9th Ave.)

 

 

Area 3 (112 St. / 7th Ave.)

 

 

Area 4 (116 St. / 10th Ave. )

 

 

Area 5 (119 St. / 11 Ave. )

 

Area 6 (119 St. / 7th Ave. )

 

 

Area 7 (112 St. / 10th Ave. )

 

 

Area 8 (113 St. / 10th Ave. )

 

 



 It was reported that areas 4-6 were clear of any standing water several hours earlier. Additionally, to further convey the condition, below are photos taken only 2 hours apart. 

 



Area 5 (119 St. / 11th Ave.)

 

 

 

Area 9 (119st. / 12th Ave. )

 

 

 

Area 10 ( 119 St. / 12th Ct.)

 

 



 

Now, I have one favor to ask of you. If there are any standing water areas not yet covered here, please contact me so that those areas, if any, can be included in the next photo session, weather permitting.   

The photos are to simply provide evidence of the actual situation without bias.  

Best,

Milton Hunter- The Biscayne Parker

miltonhunter@gmail.com

The resident email list was sourced from a public records request from the Village. Should anyone not wish to receive future blog post announcements, please send me an email and include opt-out in the subject line. Your email address will be removed from all future notifications. Thank you-