Tuesday's Daily Pulse

› Crews Cut Down Historic Miami Beach Trees in the Name of Science [Miami Herald]
With chainsaws and cherry pickers, landscapers chopped down a small piece of Miami Beach history Monday on Pine Tree Drive. A crew hired by the county dismantled five of the 300 Australian Pines that make up the last remnants of pioneer John Collins' fruit plantations, whittling the stately trees down to their stumps. Whether they return to snare what remains of the windbreak planted more than 100 years ago to protect Collins' mangos and avocados depends on just how sick the trees really are. "We're trying to see inside the tree, to see if maybe they're in better shape than we thought," said Chris Latt, Miami Beach's urban forester. The roots of the trees, which are planted in pairs down the median of the street, have been ripping up the asphalt on Pine Tree Drive. At least one toppled over a few months ago, prompting safety concerns about health of the trees, which soar above most rooftops in the neighborhood.

› Lockheed Orlando Unit Included in Bidding on $1.35B Sea-Warfare Program [Orlando Sentinel]
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando high-tech-training division has made it into the finals for a series of naval-warfare deals potentially worth more than $1.37 billion, the company said Monday. Lockheed Martin Global Training & Logistics was one of four military contractors selected by the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command to bid on a three-year program that would develop warfare, communications and intelligence technologies for warships and naval stations worldwide. The program is worth as much as $831 million through three years and up to $1.375 billion overall with a pair of one-year options, the company said.

› Shifting Ground May Be Partly Responsible for Rise in Sinkhole Claims [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
When some Florida home insurers make the case for higher premiums, they give one key reason: Homeowners are claiming sinkhole damage at unprecedented rates, often to make a fast buck. There may be another factor for the rise in sinkhole claims, according to a Sun Sentinel analysis of claims and interviews with geologists. The ground in Florida has shifted more quickly in the past few decades as development accommodated the state's growing population. That has triggered damage in homes across the state, including South Florida. In 2009, there were six times more claims for sinkhole damage in South Florida than in 2006. South Florida accounts for a tiny fraction of such claims statewide, though it has a quarter of the state's residential insurance policies. "You moved people into an area, change it drastically...and you will increase the whole occurrence [of sinkholes]. We've shown that," said Ann Tihansky, a physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

› A Genuine Chance to Revive BayWalk Gets Squandered [St. Petersburg Times]
The latest of many white flags of surrender was just raised in St. Petersburg's downtown at the BayWalk retail property. A local developer with high hopes of investing in what was once the white-hot retail center says he's giving up on attempts to buy all or a piece of BayWalk. He wanted to devote his turnaround skills to reinventing the mostly vacant development at Second Avenue N between Second Street and First Street. "It takes two to tango," says Joel Cantor, an out-of-the-box developer whose Signature Place is the downtown's most striking tower. He says he made cash offers for BayWalk — ranging from $2.5 million to $5 million, depending on terms of the deal and whether it was a joint venture. But they all fell on deaf ears at CW Capital Asset Management. That's the big, out-of-state company managing dozens of "distressed" real estate assets like BayWalk across the country. "They treated people with a smug attitude, like you were a bum," says a frustrated Cantor.

› Cape Coral Cuts Impact Fees to Attract Businesses [Fort Myers News-Press]
A waiver allowing some businesses to dodge a road impact fee when they move into an existing building was approved Monday by Cape Coral City Council. The vote allows the city to waive the difference in transportation impact fees when the business use of a building changes and will increase traffic. The purpose is to spur economic development by helping businesses expand or relocate and to fill empty commercial space in Cape Coral. "This is only for existing structures when a more intense use comes in," said former Mayor Joe Mazurkiewicz, who urged passage of the ordinance. "We have many properties right now that are begging for tenants," said Councilman Kevin McGrail. For example, a medical office moving into a 3,000-square-foot building previously occupied by a professional office would save approximately $18,000 - the difference between the road impact fee paid by the professional office ($6,000) and what would be charged to the higher-impact medical office ($24,000) Last year, the city collected $90,000 to $100,000 from impact fees triggered by the change of use for a building, according to a memo from Assistant City Manager Carl Schwing.

› Trader Used Customer Funds for Hotels, Cars Regulators Say [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Federal authorities on Monday announced an enforcement action against David L. Ortiz of Vero Beach and two of his companies, charging them with operating a "fraudulent off-exchange foreign currency scheme." Authorities charged that Ortiz and his companies, Goyep International, Inc., of Vero Beach and Royal Returns, Inc., of Hollywood, misappropriated at least $232,000 of customer funds for their own benefit. They allegedly used the funds for personal purposes including shopping, hotels and car payments. They also allegedly sent some of the funds to Loredana Ortiz of Vero Beach and Natural Health Matters of Pembroke Pines, who were named "relief defendants" for not being entitled to that customer money, according to a civil complaint filed Feb. 23 in U.S. District Court in Fort Pierce.