We all agree that Harbour Inlet is a very special place to call home. Its friendly residents, location near the beach and natural beauty all make it a unique neighborhood. And the Harbour Inlet Association (HIA) continues to make Harbour Inlet even more beautiful. Several large projects were undertaken in 2018 to make our gatehouse entrance area much more attractive for residents, potential residents and visitors alike.
Dolphins Statue
As most of you will be aware, in February our dolphin statue in the entrance roundabout was severely damaged by a large truck during the night. Unfortunately, we could not trace the driver or the truck so it was left to HIA to fund and manage the necessary repairs. Thanks to the hard work of a few board members the statue was repaired and back in place in under one month, once again welcoming all to our neighborhood. The palm tree that was damaged was replaced by the city and in addition, they agreed to replace the one that was missing from the roundabout.
Gatehouse and Median Landscaping
The gatehouse and landscaping on the median certainly add to the beauty of the entrance to our neighborhood. The original work was done in 2001 and it was definitely time to replace and upgrade the landscaping and to paint the gatehouse and sign.
The gatehouse and original landscaping before upgrade
The board of HIA has been putting funds in reserve for several years in anticipation of replacing the landscaping and painting the gatehouse. The original landscaping was installed and maintained by the city as part of a neighborhood improvement project. However, the city no longer funds such projects due to budget cuts so again it was left to HIA to fund the improvements.
One of our members, Luke Facarazzo, who owns a commercial landscaping business worked with the Landscaping Committee of HIA to develop plans for an attractive, low maintenance look within our budget.
Luke’s Landscaping Team hard at work
This spring the landscaping was installed and the gatehouse and sign were painted, giving our entrance a fresh new look.
New landscaping and newly painted gatehouse and sign
Luke and his team did a great job on the new landscaping and we have received many compliments on the new look. HIA sincerely thanks Luke for his contributions to our new look.
Members of the Landscaping Committee toasting to the new look with Luke and Madelyn Facarazzo
One disadvantage of the new landscaping is that the city will no longer be responsible for maintenance as they were in the past. The ongoing maintenance and all new plants and flowers are now the responsibility of HIA. The first round of weeding and clean up was done by a group of volunteers and we would like to thank all who donated their time that warm morning. However, we have agreed that this is not the best solution on a permanent basis and that we need to hire someone to do the maintenance on a regular basis. This will become an additional ongoing expense to HIA, paid out of annual dues.
Gate Arms
While the gate arms do not necessarily add to the beauty of the entrance, they certainly do add to the security of our neighborhood. The Fort Lauderdale police have told us many times that the gate arms serve as deterrents for criminals looking for quick hits. This year we were experiencing many problems with the gate arms and HIA had a major servicing done on them. The gate arms are now working better and are continuing to keep our community safer.
We hope that you are enjoying all of the improvements that have been undertaken throughout the year. As more funds become available we are planning to upgrade the roundabouts and other common areas of Harbour Inlet.