I don't like the waterfront masterplan
One of the stupidest plans for the waterfront seems to be not renewing the Coconut Grove Sailing Club's lease until the master plan is completed and even then it is in question.
So it seems that parking garages are considered in the master plan but the Sailing Club, which is the very essence of water and the park is not.
Who are these parking garages for? The parks should be for the locals -- for Grove residents -- it's a quality of life thing. Are people going to come to the waterfront, park their cars in a six story garage and then go walk their dog? None of this makes sense.
Kennedy Park is overflowing with people almost every weekend and those hundreds of people manage to find a place to park their cars. Where do all those soccer players park?
And as for people complaining about "boats being piled up on top of each other" and that being just as ugly as a parking garage. I beg to differ.
posted by Tom Falco at 8:59 AM
YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.
16 Comments:
As a CGSC member, I'm not happy about the treatment of the Sailing Club, either. But I've looked at all three proposals, and they all seem to contemplate getting rid of the Convention Center and increasing net green space. The patch of asphalt current occupying the west side of Pan American Drive is the most inefficient waste of space in the Grove, and the Convention Center should be removed, because every time it hosts a "shoe sale" traffic in and out of the Grove becomes impossible, while providing no benefit to the locals (exhibitors could just as well use the now-barely-alive Miami Arena). A tastefully designed parking garage on the northeast corner of Pan American and Bayshore would not be any more aesthetically problematic than what is presently visible at that corner.
I don't understand the argument that the waterfront parks should be for locals only, much as I would like for that to be the case. The City's waterfront space should be something for all City residents to have the chance to enjoy. The problem I see in Kennedy Park is that the Miami P.D. needs to do at least a minimal job of enforcing the rules, such as ticketing litter bugs and dog-owners who let their pets run around outside the fenced-in dog park without their leashes.
City Parks are owned by all the residents of the City of Miami. Everyone contributes to their upkeep. Of course, usually it is local people who use local parks. Dist 2 is blessed with much more park land than any of the other 4 Districts. Everyone benefits from a great park system.
The only way to create more green space is to demolish some of the existing surface parking and as suggested, the Convention Center needs to be demolished as well. We obviously need parking spaces. (I think the consultants counted 5,400+/- at the moment.) Vertical parking is more efficient. And the City of Miami should require that all City employees, all waterfront employees and all long term parkers use the vertical garage. That frees up the remaining surface spaces for residents, visitors and customers. The goal is to have the vertical garage full at all times so there is lots of accessible short term visitor parking. Imagine a mother pulling in for a 30 minute visit with 2 children? And vertical parking allows additional green space closer to the water.
Very sensible comments. A miracle.
Uh, I dont see how that picture of boats stacked on top of each other is more attractive than a parking garage, but maybe its because Im sober?
And swlip, weren't you ranting about how you didnt mind dogs off leash at Scotty's about a month ago? Maybe Im not remembering correctly, but this leashing issue really seems to give you a case of red ass...
No need to be rude Blind Mind.
I find that anything nautical, even a stack of boats, is more attractive than a parking garage of any shape or form.
I would much rather see a discrete parking garage hidden by trees, vines and plants than a stack of sad boats. Stacks of boats are what we expect to see in poorer communities in Broward County or in depressed swamps that feed into the Miami River.
Let's get rid of the concrete and unused "boats" and create more waterfront green space for people.
A six story parking garage is insane. People do need parking, but I don't think we need parking for thousands of cars. Surface parking should suffice.
It works for Kennedy Park now, and that has basically no parking and people make it work, so I am sure any surface parking that is provided for the new area will work. We don't need mega parking structures in a waterfront park but adding "decent" surface parking will work.
I was merely trying to relate that most of the time when I see those boats its after leaving Scotty's, which usually means Im not sober, so I dont mind them. I didnt mean to offend... Seeing them stacked up all over the place reminds me more of an industrial shipyard, not a bayfront community thats all. I dont see what the big deal is with a parking structure. Half of the people taht are complaining probably wouldnt even notice it after a few months...
Let us use common sense. If the new waterfront plan is very successful the waterfront will have many more visitors. Where do you want them to park?
Can we hide cars in a 3-4 story garage designed to look like a green gia plant? Hidden by bamboo? Lined with little shops? Or do we take away precious green space so cars can park closer to the water. Do we plan so car owners have shorter walks? Or do we plan to encourage people to walk? (And boat owners have convenient drop off points).
blind mind:
And swlip, weren't you ranting about how you didnt mind dogs off leash at Scotty's about a month ago?
You've got the wrong person. I was explaining to someone that Scotty's was entitled to set its own policy on dogs, regardless of whether the law allowed them or not.
but this leashing issue really seems to give you a case of red ass...
As Grapevine wrote, there's no need to be rude. But yes, I'll admit that it's a pet peeve of mine, no pun intended. People who let their large dogs run around leash-less are annoying, especially to those of us with small children in the neighborhood. It especially bugs me at Kennedy Park, where there is a designated, fenced-in dog park (which we use) for letting dogs run leash-less. But despite the dog park, and despite numerous signs posted around the park prohibiting leash-less dogs in the rest of the park, people still let their dogs roam.
I dont think that was rude in particular, but sometimes I forget that people in Miami tend to be pretty sensitive so I guess I understand why you would think that. There are also plenty of signs that say a dog owner will be fined if their dog takes a dump and the owner doesnt pick up said dump, but Ive never seen anyone handing out a ticket for that... Just once I would like to walk into the Grove without smelling dog crap or being watchful so I dont step in it...
The stacks of boats may not be pretty but that is what boat marinas are for. They allow those middle-class neighbors, those that cannot afford to keep boats in the water, the ability to access the bay. Marina's belong on the waterfront, not parking garages or parking lots. The idea is to give people more access so residents can use the bay and waterfront. Boating is what the grove is all about and its history.
Did you know that the cement parking lot used for the Monty's restaurant was actually a gift from the State of Florida to the City of Miami with the condition that it be used as a park? How on earth did we loose such a precious park to a parking lot that you now have to pay to park in. We need to reclaim this land for the community. Monty's can find parking across the street.
Marina's belong on the waterfront, not parking garages or parking lots.
None of the Sasaki plans envisions eliminating the dry storage marina.
None of the Sasaki plans envisions placing a parking garage on the waterfront.
Currently, there is a vast and useless parking lot on the waterfront, at the Expo Center. The Sasaki plans envision replacing it with green space.
The point about Monty's is interesting but of only tangential relevance. Indeed, eliminate the Monty's parking lot and the problem is compounded. And where "across the street" will Monty's customers park?
Good post anonymous and I agree its ridiculous that you have to pay to park at Monty's...
Why is it that everyone is so black and white about everything? I was not in town for the Sasaki plan unveiling but I cannot imagine that 3 drawings all hinge on stacked boats vs parking garage.
From my far away perspective, the discussion sounds idiotic! It's a waterfront. That makes it be a place to find boats, stacked and otherwise. Not everyone who comes to the waterfront is lucky enough to be within walking distance-- therefore viable parking needs to happen. Aa stacked garage in an area that is not further blocking the waterfront makes more sense than having the entire waterfront serve as a parking lot, which is kind of what it is right now. There are lots of ways to disguise the parking structure, as a hanger, or similar to the Chia-pet parking structure in South Beach or my personal favorite, as a big grass covered hill-- that allows parking beneat and a great vantage point for park users to look out to the waterfront and watch the sun and moon ris-- I am sure a world class firm such as Sasaki can come up with a formidable design.
As for Kennedy Park, just ask any of the nearby residents-- parking is definitely a problem. People have taken to pulling in and vertical parking along Bayshore Drive, which makes for dangerous conditions given the traffic heavy corridor that Bayshore is. Worse, last year the park was eaten into in order to make more parking areas right in front of the Sailing Center. These go unused and peolple continue to park along Bayshore. It seems that even though they come to the park to enjoy the great ourdoors, people can't be bothered to walk a little ways to get there. That's Miami!
I agree with Lii. People get too spoiled and they too often want to park 10' from their destinations. We should all walk more.
Multi story parking garages can be very efficient. They can be well designed. And they reduce the need for surface parking. The less surface parking we have the more green space opportunities can be created.
Post a Comment
<< Home