Lauderdale Isles Civic Improvement Association, Inc.
The Lauderdale Isles Civic Improvement Association, Inc., (LICIA) was
formed in 1959 to promote and protect the interests of the residents who live in
705 homes in the Lauderdale
Isles subdivision. The association is made up of four officers and
trustees who represent each of the lanes in the subdivision. We are fortunate to have
enjoyed energetic, capable, and dedicated leadership down through the years and managed to
keep association dues at a minimum through high levels of volunteerism and "sweat
equity." LICIA actively encourages all Lauderdale Isles residents to join and become
dues-paying members; membership is not mandatory. Meetings
are held regularly and committees and subcommittees are hard at
work throughout the year.
WHERE IS LAUDERDALE ISLES?
Lauderdale Isles is in the south-central part of greater Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County,
Florida, about six miles from the ocean as the crow flies,
yet within unincorporated Broward County. This waterfront subdivision was originally
a citrus grove owned by Jack Humphries (a former political figure). In 1954, Gill Construction
Company began dredging deep-water canals that
connect with the North Fork of the New River. We are located in a
rectangle roughly formed by SW 31st Avenue to the East, the South New River to the South,
State Road 7 (US441) to the West, and Riverland Road (SW 24th St.) to the North. The
Florida Turnpike is less than a mile to the west of us and I-95 a little over a mile to
the east. It's a quick 10-minute ride to the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International
Airport via I-595. Here are some maps of our neighborhood.
WHAT SORT OF A PLACE IS LAUDERDALE ISLES? We
naturally think our little community is one of the finest in the area, and we may very
well be right! The monthly periodical Waterfront News
also seems to think so. Almost all the 700-plus homes are located on fully navigable 50- to 60-foot
wide canals that connect directly to the South New River. The river in turn flows into the
intracoastal waterway just north of Port Everglades, where there is a wide, safe opening
to the Atlantic Ocean. What makes our hurricane-safe community so desirable to boaters,
sail and power alike, is that there are no fixed bridges lower than 55 feet in the
deep-water path between us and the ocean. Residents may join the
Lauderdale Isles Yacht and
Tennis Club, nestled along the river. The club has boat docks, tennis courts, Olympic sized
swimming pool, clubhouse and bar, large decked area with gas grill and gazebos,
ample grounds and parking, playground equipment, huge shade trees, and friendly
people. Naturally, many residents
within a waterfront community are out-door and/or boating enthusiasts.
As such, environmental issues and water quality are important concerns
that foster a sense of civic responsibility and activism.
There are thirteen lanes, each running south from Riverland Road (SW 24th St.) to the
South New River. Each was named after a favorite fishing venue by the developer back in
the mid 1950's when the homes were built. They are Andros, Bimini, Cat Cay, Flamingo,
Gulfstream, Key Largo, Marathon, Nassau, Okeechobee, Sugarloaf, Tortugas, and Whale
Harbor. The canals between the lanes are named in
a similar fashion after local fish;
Albacore, Barracuda, Cobia, etc. While not officially part of the original Lauderdale Isles
subdivision, the residents of SW 34th Ave. voted to change the name of their street to
Duck Key in 1997. In addition, residents along the south side of Riverland Road are
included in the original subdivision. We also have a trustee for residents on the North
side of Riverland Road.
WHAT HAS LICIA DONE TO IMPROVE THE ISLES?
The list of battles, wars, pleadings, etc., undertaken on behalf of our residents is quite
long. Some have been successful, some not so. They range from defeating an industrial
development just across the river from our homes; installing shrubbery along the I595 exit
ramp; the county incinerator, about a mile south and directly upwind of Lauderdale Isles
(not too successful on this one); the abandoned shopping center at the intersection of SR7
and Riverland transformed into a passive greenway (we lost the greenway battle, but wound
up with a relatively attractive passive business instead of a derelict shopping center); a boat ramp with
parking facilities (approved in March 1999); planting of trees along Riverland Road;
cooperation with the local airport to minimize aircraft-operation noise; the installation
of custom-made entryway signs for each lane complete with plantings furnished by Broward
County; and many others. We were able to intervene with Broward County on the design of an
intrusive rainwater-drainage project proposed as 1997 came to a close. The result was that
the county put their original design on the shelf and, with LICIA and the county DNRP
office working in concert, are redesigning the system to be more environmentally friendly.
If you'd like more information about LICIA, or if you have some ideas for a project you think would benefit our neighborhood, please contact us.
Page last updated on 3/22/08