Not very pretty for our winter visitors
A friend sent these photos from over the weekend with the note: "We pay the highest taxes in the County and this is the best they can do with our streets? Thousands of peoples are flocking to Coconut Grove this weekend for the Arts Festival. Many are tourists in from the Northeast. This is embarrassing. Our Village should be looking its best: clean and neat like a kid attending his first day of school."
She's right. I think the problem is that the sidewalks that were redone (Commodore, Florida Avenue) were city streets and Main Highway is a County Street, so while the BID and City took care of the locally owned streets, the county's solution is to dump tar into the cracks. These photos were taken on Main Highway near Panther Coffee. It's even worse across the street where the big tree takes up so much of the sidewalk near the taco place and near Florentine Plaza, in front of a few of the stores. Same thing - large tree trunks with tar thrown in to fix something or other.
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15 Comments:
I think we need to remove those trees growing all over the sidewalk like that..
The sidewalks on both sides of Main Highway are not in ideal condition. They are narrow and present a hazard for pedestrians because of the roots and loose pavers. Then again I'm no expert but I assume that any repair/redesign would involve eliminating those trees which would also be a shame. Yes, new trees can be planted but it would take quite a bit of time for them to reach the size and provide the shade that currently exists.
It would be a shame to remove any tree when the sidewalk can be maintained.
narrow the street. Bigger boxes for trees. Solved, easily, the end.
Let's have some perspective. Many streets throughout the city are neglected far worse. Grovites live in 'the ideal world'. I am one of them. The investment is needed elsewhere first.
Easy fix: cut down those trees, fix the sidewalks, and plant smaller trees. But then people would complain about cutting down trees. This is a lose-lose situation.
We, the Grove, are nothing more than an ATM machine for the city. We, the Grove, have a larger tax base than South Miami, Pinecrest and Key Biscayne and they are their own cities and control their own destiny! Why not the Grove?????
THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE TREES.THE PROBLEM IS THE LAZY PEOPLE WHO CANT JUST SIMPLY WALK AROUND THEM WITHOUT COMPLAINING
Perhaps something like simple low impact recycled wood tree benches would solve several problems: preserve the tree canopy we love, protect the tree roots, avoid tripping hazards, and provide more places for people to sit. They wouldn't need to be elaborate, permanent, or huge. Here's a possible example: https://rhicgreen.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/img_0503.jpg
Anonymous at 6:08, where are you supposed to walk around it when the sidewalks are crowded, as they were this weekend.
And it isn't the trees as much as it is the bricks. They are very uneven.
This is a prime tourist area and deserves to be in better shape as most tourists would think that it is representative of the whole SE FL area. And it is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
( on another note, we tried the new taco place. very underwhelming in both taste and size but overwhelming on price. )
anon at 1:46 has it right, though given our car-centric nature I don't see a lot of chance that it would be implemented. Leave the trees where they are, but widen the sidewalk on Main Highway. It's easy enough if you can conceive that you don't need two turn lanes onto Main Highway, which immediately narrows down to one lane anyway.
What if we put concrete benches around the trees? Safe, beautiful and Eco-concious.
What plans does Mr. Russell have to repair the Grove sidewalks and potholes?
Please inquire at Ken Russell (krussell@miamigov.com).
should we be concerned or call the police to report a missing person? Ken Russel hasn't been heard from since ... November-ish.
How strange.
I'm sure Ken Russell is being kept busy by the backlog of problems that were pre existing prior to his becoming commissioner. We should have some patience. There will be plenty of time to complain. I know he is working on those things now
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