Whose waterfront is it?

I’m a big booster of Coconut Grove. I love this place. I moved here in 2013, and I don’t “remember it when.” I have always liked it the way it is. But I’m concerned about what it might become.

The closing of the waterfront between City Hall and the dry storage marina north of it is a bad sign. Everything about it has been handled badly. The indications are that no one in a position of authority over the waterfront cares about those of us who use the waterfront on a daily basis and treasure it as one of the best things about Coconut Grove.

For me, this realization started on one of my frequent bike rides along the waterfront when I encountered a fence across the Baywalk just north of City Hall. At the time there was no indication on the fence of who had closed the Baywalk, why it was closed, or when it would open. Since that time, a sign has been placed on the fence telling people who want to go to the former Scottie’s to use Pan American Drive because the Baywalk has been closed for construction—nothing about who did it or how long the closure will last.

The closing of the waterfront has been a gesture of unbelievable arrogance and indifference to the public’s right to have access to this iconic and beloved public space. As a member of the Coconut Grove Village Council, I wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. My first call was to Commissioner Ken Russell’s office—specifically, to Cynthia Seymour, the hard-working staff person responsible for Coconut Grove issues. Without going into all the gory details, suffice it to say that Cynthia told me there have been “communication issues” with the various City of Miami departments that might resolve the problem or provide good answers.

So I took it upon myself to write directly to the City Manager with several questions about how the closure of the waterfront came about, who was responsible, and what could be done to prevent such occurrences in the future. I serve on a nine-member elected body that represents the approximately 20,000 residents of Coconut Grove. Presumably, that might merit a response—though even if I did not hold a publicly elected position, a response would be in order. To date I have received no response. I’ve placed the issue on the agenda of the Village Council meeting of Monday, March 11 (6:30 p.m. at Miami City Hall). Cynthia assures me someone from the City of Miami staff will be there to answer questions. I still haven’t heard one word from the City Manager’s office.

And now we have the final slap in the face in this whole ugly incident: Instead of someone from the company that’s developing the closed section of the waterfront, we have a smug message from the company’s public relations firm (published in the Grapevine on March 9) saying the closure is related to “two active permits.” The implication is because they have permits, closing the waterfront is absolutely okay. Who gave those permits? Under what circumstances? And why was the company not required to provide continued access to the waterfront throughout the construction project, just as developers and roadway builders are required to provide an MOT plan (Maintenance of Traffic) when changes or repairs are being made to public roadways?

Does the developer care at all about our community? Instead of coming down from his high place to address the people of Coconut Grove directly, he has assigned his PR firm to do the job. We don’t deserve to be in direct communication with anyone who has that much money and power. We’re the little people of Coconut Grove.

For the first time, amid all the controversy about development in Coconut Grove, I’m truly afraid of what “they” may do to us. What makes me most afraid is that our City staff are letting it happen. (“We have two active permits.”)

Hank Sanchez-Resnik
Director, Transportation and Mobility Committee
Coconut Grove Village Council