Surfside commissioners vote to pursue collapse memorial, tighter building inspections
With the loved ones of those who died in the Surfside condo collapse looking on, Surfside commissioners took initial steps Tuesday to honor the victims with a memorial and tighten inspection requirements for older buildings in town.
The commission voted Tuesday to pursue the creation of a memorial where the street immediately north of the Champlain Towers South condo property meets the beach. Commissioners also took a preliminary vote to shorten the county-mandated 40-year recertification process for aging buildings by 10 years.
The recertification item will require a second vote to go into effect.
A smattering of applause broke out in the commission chambers after the memorial plan was approved. A small group of family members, whose loved ones were among the 98 victims of the June 24 collapse, thanked the commissioners for taking action more than six months after part of Champlain Towers South fell — even though their ultimate goal was to get a memorial on the collapse site, an unlikely outcome given the imminent private sale of the property.
“I appreciate all your help,” Pablo Langesfeld, whose daughter Nicole and son-in-law Luis Sadovnic died in the collapse, told commissioners. “Even though this is Plan B, it’s a small step for a big memorial. It’s a nice way to honor our loved ones.”
The memorial proposal would involve the closure of 88th Street east of Collins Avenue to vehicular traffic to create a memorial park and pedestrian plaza. Commissioners contemplated creating a working group composed of victims’ family members to come up with a design for the memorial.
Commissioners voted to direct the town manager to pursue the closure, although the resolution stated that the closure would be “subject to the maintenance of emergency or governmental vehicular access and any access required to reach property north and south of the street-end.”
Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer, who sponsored both initiatives, said the community must memorialize those who died in the collapse — and also what may have caused the collapse.
“We always have to remember what happened here,” she said. “We have to remember the loved ones whose lives were lost.”
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 8:38 AM.
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