State orders removal of Fort Lauderdale street-art display that’s long gone. Why the mix-up?

FORT LAUDERDALE — One of the designs that made the state’s crosswalk hit list no longer exists, prompting one city commissioner to question how the state is coming up with its running tally of forbidden street art.

In a widening crackdown on Fort Lauderdale, the state last week identified 11 locations with street art that it wants removed. The original list had just four locations, including one with LGBTQ-themed rainbow art on Sebastian Street near the beach.

The intersection at Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast Third Avenue, painted in 2014 with bright colors that faded over time, was paved over months ago as part of a street-improvement project announced last year by Broward County.

“I would like to know who’s putting these lists together,” Commissioner Steve Glassman said. “Who are these street art police? And where are they getting their information? They’re citing street art that no longer exists or has even been recognized for improving pedestrian safety.”

It was unclear how that particular intersection wound up on the state’s list.

A local state Department of Transportation spokesman referred questions to Hannah Shellabarger, the agency’s deputy communications director in Tallahassee.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel emailed Shellabarger a list of questions on Tuesday and had not received a response as of Wednesday.

State officials have argued the street art designs are a safety hazard because they can distract drivers and cause accidents.

Fort Lauderdale officials argue the street art has slowed down traffic and helped reduce accidents.

During an emergency meeting last week, the commission agreed to fight the state’s order to remove street art even if it means a long and pricey court battle.

Two days later, the state sent an updated list to City Hall with another seven sites. The letter also gave Fort Lauderdale a hearing date of Sept. 15 to make its case for keeping the street art, but warned there will be no change of heart.

The state had already identified four street art locations in Fort Lauderdale it wants removed in a letter dated Aug. 21: Sebastian Street near AIA, the location of the pride flag street art; Breakers Avenue and Riomar Street; Breakers Avenue and Terramar Street; East Las Olas Boulevard and Almond Avenue.

In addition to intersection at Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast Third Avenue, the latest letter also adds the following six sites to the list:

— Northeast Fourth Avenue and North Flagler Drive.
— Southeast 15th Street and Miami Road.
— SE 15th Street and SE 10th Avenue.
— NE 15th Avenue and NE 11th Street.
— NE 15th Avenue and NE 12th Street.
— NE 15th Avenue and NE 13th Street.

Sister Robin Haines Merrill, the artist who painted the wave designs at two intersections on Breakers Avenue, told commissioners last week she objects to her art being altered, damaged or removed.

The intersection at Breakers Avenue and Riomar Street has a large blue wave pattern. The crosswalks are decorated with blue, pink and orange polka dots. The intersection at Breakers Avenue and Terramar Street sports a wave pattern in the center, with the crosswalks painted in squares of color.

Merrill held what she called a spiritual water ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.

“Water retains memory,” she said before the ceremony. “Water carries vibrations. After praying with the water and ringing a bell to reverberate with it, the water will be poured into the painted aquifer (street art) to symbolically merge the waters. The concept of the Aquifer Intersections is to show people that water connects us all.”

Sun Sentinel photographers snapped images of all 11 sites this week.

One photograph taken on Tuesday shows a worker paving over a section of the street art at Southeast 15th Street and Southeast 10th Avenue.

The work has nothing to do with the state order to remove the street art, Glassman said.

Fort Lauderdale is working with Lanzo Construction Co. to make improvements to the city’s sewer system along Southeast 10th Avenue between SE 15th Street and SE 18th Court in the Harbordale neighborhood.

Construction began on Aug. 25 and is expected to be completed by late December. The project includes the restoration of the roadway, sidewalks and landscaping as needed.

Another site on Las Olas near the city’s oceanside park also made the list.

Fort Lauderdale officials were not sure whether the state objected to the green sparkly treatment on both sides of Las Olas or the giant zigzag marks that stretch across the boulevard, said city spokeswoman Ashley Doussard.

A city official called the Department of Transportation for clarification and was told the zigzags were a problem, Doussard said.

The zigzag street art was part of the design for the Las Olas Oceanside Park. The project, completed in October 2019, converted what used to be an oceanfront parking lot into the Las Olas Oceanside Park at A1A and Las Olas.

Some people might mistake the green sparkly design on either side of Las Olas as bike lanes, but they are not, Glassman said.

“That is street art,” he said. “It was part of a streetscape project done in conjunction with Las Olas Oceanside Park. Those are not bike lanes.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan