A rocky situation on A1A

This is in response to the Sun Sentinel news article: “‘They’re ugly:’ Critics not liking rocky medians along A1A in Fort Lauderdale,” by Susannah Bryan.

Fort Lauderdale is trying to beautify the area along A1A by placing rocks in the median. It is disgusting looking, especially when the rocks are not all the same color.

The idea that the rocks would prevent flooding and saltwater intrusion is a joke, especially at intersection of Vistamar and A1A. This intersection does not flood, and saltwater intrusion does not occur when storms hit this area.

It appears to me that city parks superintendent Mark Almy doesn’t know if there has been damage due to climate-related events at this intersection. Yes, sand has been seen at this intersection during and after storms, but no flooding. So there goes that theory for putting rocks in the median to prevent flooding and saltwater intrusion. If you want to know where it floods every time there’s a storm or even a simple downpour, it’s the intersection of Northeast Ninth Street and A1A. Anyone who lives in this area knows this, yet there are no rocks placed near this intersection.

These big rocks are not good for pedestrians, especially kids, who will attempt to climb on them and possibly injure themselves. If that were to happen, there’s a likelihood the city would end up getting sued by the injured party. There are drought-resistant, low-maintenance plants that can be placed in the medians that would not cause harm to pedestrians or cars and would be great for the environment, too.

According to the news article, city commissioners stated they were not informed beforehand about the decision by the city manager and his staff. How many other things were they also not aware of that the city bureaucracy did without their knowledge?

Do they possibly have rocks in their heads? Maybe it’s time for an audit on what City Hall is doing without the commissioners’ knowledge.

Richard Berg, Fort Lauderdale