Committees
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.