Another one ready to bite the dust
The book description says, "Coconut Grove is a seaside hideaway filled with modest homes and charming cottages that have been nurtured, preserved, and artfully updated for today. Houses washed with white set amidst abundant gardens recall Eden."
But at the rate the developers are going, this will all end up as white boxy houses. It's got to stop.
There is a meeting at City Hall regarding the new NCD legislation, on Thursday, January 24 at 5 pm. Bodies are needed to show up and speak on the issue. Let our commissioners know how you feel. Right now whatever NCD we have is not being obeyed, we need stricter rules. Zero lot lines need to be dissolved as an option, the size of the home needs to fit the lot, knocking down houses needs to be controlled like it is in other municipalities in the county.
I truly feel our commissioners in the City of Miami don't care, the dollars they get from developers are more important to them. But something needs to be done. our village is being destroyed house by house. It's gotten to be a joke at this point and an insult, the developers don't care, they are picking out houses one by one, destroying the neighborhoods.
Something to note: There is no money for the preservation the Marjory Stoneman Douglas cottage, the Mariah Brown home on Charles Avenue, or the City-owned 1897 Flagler Worker’s House (the last known building in Miami directly associated with Flagler).
posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 AM
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11 Comments:
Demand our commissioner not accept any contributions from developers.
I know this comment can sounds defiant but is there any way of doing a protest in order to save this home? Or another public action -journalists, historians, can be call to participate- where we can express our opposition and determination to this continue war against the nature of a community?
Cristina Fernandez
Your site loaded my last attempt to comment automatically before I was able to finish two sentences. Let me try again.
In the world of current social media and an internet that never forgets, where one can get someones phone number, home and work address with only a name and where doxxing is an actual threat, demanding real names only silences commentary when trying to speak truth to power.
People tend to focus on attacking the messenger instead of their message.
That being said, the street I grew up on thru the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, Coconut Ave, has been so overbuilt I don’t think there’s more than three original houses on it. It’s all multi unit apartment/condos.
The Grove that is being sold to the tourists and hose flippers has been gone for 20yrs. The wiki page’s picture representing the Grove shows the old banyan on La Playa where the road goes around both sides. It should show the traffic on Main Hwy at the construction by the Playhouse around 2pm. That is the current Grove reality.
These articles are always about the developers. I hate that these old homes are being torn down too, but the homeowners dont have to sell to developers. We need an article on things we can actually do to get the laws changed.
I thought we elected Ken Russell to stop rampant development? Seems like all he's done is give away public land for soccer stadiums. Seems like more development now than in the "terrible" Sarnoff days. Hopefully, we'll get someone in office that actually cares about the Grove.
I have been walking around, photographing as many homes worth saving as I possibly can. We NEED to do something about his. We NEED to preserve the character. I'm on board-- so what can we do?
We have been informed at least a dozen times that the only way we are going to save the Grove is to make it a Historic District (according to year built, builder, resident, etc.). There are many other parts of the city, and other cities locally and throughout the country, that have been declared historic and are doing just fine. These experts have also told us that landmark districts do not go down in value. By preserving the culture and nature of a city only makes it more valuable in the long run.
I have pushed for the incorporation of the Grove for years so we can control our destiny and haven’t been able to get any traction. The Grove is equal too if not in a better position to be a city than Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, South Miami, and Key Biscayne to name a few.
Years ago when the City annexed the Village of Coconut Grove they, as promised, in the September 7, 1925 meeting, the city of Miami created a Department of Coconut Grove and placed at its head the former city manager of Coconut Grove, William Sydow (Tequesta Report p-18). Whatever happened to that department? Should we not ask for what they promised?
Miami, south, and north of the river, has developed exponentially over the past several years, and it might be time to consider additional representation (commissioner/s). As an example, district 2’s commissioner is split between two wholly different cultures, high rise development, and community preservation. So why don’t we ask for our own commissioner to represent us and be accountable to the Grove? If we are capable enough to be a city why shouldn’t we have our own representation on the commission?
Remember your vote matters!
Grant Sheehan
Grant’s comments are very sensitive and insightful. Especially like the idea of splitting district 2 along lines Grant suggested. This district is too large and diverse to be ably and/or fairly represented by a single commissioner, just too big of a job. While Ken’s initial interest was quasi environmental, Ken’s current interests seem particularly tuned into developer interests.
Along the coastal ridge is where many of our earliest settlers made their homes, they settled here at times significantly pre-dating , planned communities. Yet, this region does need attention different than the more inland and/or commercial areas. Also seems some realtors’ are missing great opportunities by not focusing more on this market segment. I for one, would have been delighted to have found one of these great vintage “homes” when initially in the market for a house here. Well actually, we did find a rather nice one, took the opportunity to add onto, re-do the house a bit and are very glad we did so.
We are concerned about code’s apparent/possible bias with requirements regarding lots of contemporary high tech lighting & other features which may actually be required by current code, would be helpful if code for work in older neighborhoods would be user friendly enough to do modifications to houses in keeping with existing vintage style of home being re-done.
The greed in Coconut Grove is disgusting. Between the housing developers buying property, and smashing these homes into dust, other developers are over purchasing retail property, forcing out the small “mom and pop” shops with the rent. Stop the greed, and “Make Coconut Grove Great Again”...
Excellent comments, but I again suggest an action. What can we do right now? In front of the house, a sitting, call reporters, signs on hand...Ideas, please. Stop this demolition and other right now!
I would urgently advise against activists reporters. That's the last thing the Grove needs to be know for. By all means, call Channel 7 news and let them show the story. But again, developers only buy what someone sells them. And the price to repair, remodel, update a house is more expensive than starting from scratch. If we all care about the house, and houses like it, then start a fund to buy it and rent it out. I'll be the first investor!
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