Monday, March 11, 2013

Don't we have enough concrete? Do we need more in our County Parks? By Geniusofdespair

Portion of The Dan Paul Amendment - In Our County Home Rule Charter
In the Miami Herald today it says the County Commission is considering approving putting YMCA's in 7 county parks.  Can't find the article on line as the Herald site is useless for finding things.  I tried a few search words finally found it.

I believe they would be up to 40,000 SF, 2-story buildings.  Are they kidding? The Dan Paul Amendment mentions 1,500 square foot buildings.

Our park space is at a premium.  You have to think long term.  Kids don't need another building to occupy. Kids are inside all day at school and then at home. They need open space to get outside. They need to run around in fresh air. This Y IDEA is a bad one.  Let the Y build their facilities on excess land, like the $1 million piece they were going to give to the Nigerian Community Foundation. Or let some rich dude donate the land. Or here is an even more novel idea: Let the Y buy the land.

The Dan Paul Amendment was added to the charter to protect our parkland from just such an assault. Remember, the fee would be at the lowest, $50 a month for a family to join the Y. That is $600 a year. The use of park space would be virtually free for a family with maybe a $5 or $6 fee for parking.  Have you been to a park lately? They are being used by families for parties, picnics, games, and fun. They don't need to be gummed up with a colossal building. Jack Karadys says this is done all over the country. Well they don't have the Dan Paul Amendment or a Home Rule Charter.  Think to the future Jack, when everything is paved over. The Y is a discount health club, it is not free.  Most families can't afford the fee.

Kendall Indian Hammocks Park vs. Y Facility. Which do you want in your park?
Here is the same park view. In one I inserted a 40,000 square foot office building. NICE???

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

One by one, we lose everything. A million cuts in the name of "GOOD."

Anonymous said...

People who don't use parks have no idea how important open space is. We are going to have to fight to keep what little open space we have.

Anonymous said...

We are raising a generation of bubble kids. Why don't we just roll them around in a plastic bubble from one hermatically sealed building to another?

Anonymous said...

Is VNS lobbying on this?

Grillo said...

I live across the street from Indian Hammocks and would like to know just where in Indian Hammocks Park are they going to put up that huge building. Terra High School (supposedly the biggest high school in the county) is already there and it's not full yet. Then you have all the little "cabins" housing a bunch of county offices and a few non-profits plus a juvenile detention facility with the barbed wire and all the trimmings.

This is a residential neighborhood and SW 84 Street is a two lane road. What are they going to do with all the traffic that the school and the Y will generate?

Anonymous said...

Why would the BCC consider reducing open space in parks for large buildings, it is defeating the whole idea of why there are public parks? This is a bad idea and bad precedent. There must be both privately owned government owned parcels around the county that can be leased to the YMCA to accomplish their expansion goals. Public parks should remain as building free as possible. There already seem to be too many buildings in the park system.

Gimleteye said...

Pouring concrete, and every step in beyween, generates campaign money. If the Great Destroyers could make a buck paving over every square foot of Florida they would do it. Cement to them is crack cocaine.

Anonymous said...

VNS is the Vice President for Community Relations of the YMCA. I also wondered if her handprint is all over this issue. Also, the photo seems to be of the north side of the park which is supposed to be a preservation area.

Grayland said...

What Gimlete said!

Anonymous said...

Each commissioner should go to the park at least one morning, or afternoon a week, or better still in the middle of the day as it is quieter and one can be more reflective and can think through things. It should be a mandatory part of being a commissioner. If they actually use parks, they would NEVER even consider paving them over. People come to parks for many different reasons. For many, it is the only place they can actually experience open space, and the open space is therapeutic. While many people operate in continual chaos, with many daily problems and issues, noise and drama, and everything imaginable, the park is the one place they can go to relax and have peace. It brings order and cohesion to their lives. For some, parks are a mental health issue. While for many it a place for physical exercise, for others, it is the fresh air, the vegetation, the lakes and canals, the ducks, squirrels, other wild life, the peaceful environment provided by nature, and much more . . . To think of paving over them is criminial. The county has plenty of land to put buildings on, but not parks.

Geniusofdespair said...

Attach YMCA's to Library's not Parks. Library's don't need big parking lots anymore.

Anonymous said...

I pay $75 a month for a Y family membership. It is cheaper at the health club. I never use it, too crowded. If they start this trend with YMCA, schools, senior centers and parking for all that-- what do we need those pesky trees for? They will just get in the way of all our grandiose buildings. How stupid are we? Paving over paradise.

Barbie said...

A 1,500 SF building or senior center is one thing but a 40,000 square foot building is quite another. This idea is dumb.

Geniusofdespair said...

Lets take parrot jungle in Pinecrest and put a dog park, middle school, YMCA, library and high school in it. Of course they all need their own parking lots. Make it real ugly like our county parks. What do you need vistas for? You don't. Jamb up the vista with a billboard and with buildings. That's the ticket!

Once they start, you never get them to stop. Learn people or you might one day see a Walmart in what is left of your park.

Anonymous said...

It seems to be one crazy idea after the other coming from the commission these days. No one seems to be screening, reviewing, or filtering these ideas and cleaning them out before they get to the commission. Is there any departmental review, legal review, management review, common sense review, logical review?

Anonymous said...

County parks are for all county residents not just a NEIGHBORHOOD. Stay out of my Greynolds parks with your f--king YMCA.

Anonymous said...

Mentioning Walmart, have you seen the Walmart being built in Cutler Ridge? It has a huge footprint, is way too big for the property it is being built on, has a multi-story parking garage, will change the whole character of the area, and be a traffic mess. It already looks like a downtown ghetto while under construction. How in the world did the planning dept, building department, zoning board, and commission permit this?

Anonymous said...

YMCA rents out their facilities to private sports leagues so what happens? the YMCA Member has no access to the facilities and their membership fee is useless.

Anonymous said...

Want to see what happens when mdc jimmy morales, mdc carlos gimenez, mdc xavier suarez and the young mens christian association of greater miami alfred sanchez, mdc natacha seijas milan all conspire to sell out and abandon a mdc neighborhood in favor of a private public partnership??
see for yourself inside the fenced off piece of property in MDC now owned by the city of south miami back in 2005
MDC GOB BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES FRAUD
4300 S. W. 58 AVE. miami fl 33155
no more basketball courts, no more softball fields, no more handball courts, no more playground, no more fitness center, no more water fountains, no more bathrooms, no more shelter, no more tennis court, no more skate hockey, no more natural areas, no more swimming lessons in a pool for the children in this forsaken mdc neighborhood for 8 years now....

Anonymous said...

Re
MDC GOB BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES FRAUD
Isn't the City of South Miami the Originator of this MDC GOB Fraud?
Who was the Mayor of the City of South Miami at that time? items 13 and 14
http://www.southmiamifl.gov/clientuploads/Archive/CSM_Comm_AfterActionSum/CSM_Comm_AfterAct_05-17-05.pdf

The Advisory Committee shall have the following duties, responsibilities, and functions. (1) To review and monitor performance and program achievements related to the Bond Program.
(2) To periodically advise the Mayor, the County Commission and County Manager, and assist in informing the community regarding the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program’s accomplishments on projects as approved by the electorate on November 2, 2004.
(3) To assist in the preparation of quarterly reports to the Mayor and the County Commission, and annual written report to the community describing the progress of the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program. The Advisory Committee may also periodically provide advice, by either a written resolution or oral presentation, as may be requested by the County Commission, at regularly scheduled Commission meetings in accordance with the terms of this Ordinance.
Who sits on the MDC GOB advisory committee?
http://www.miamidade.gov/managementandbudget/citizens-advisory-committee.asp

Non other than the Chamber South CEO and President
http://inkandescentnetworking.com/index.php?id=587

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of the alive and well off-
Miami Dade County Youth Soccer hooligans

http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2012/05/revenge-of-soccer-moms-again-by.html

Anonymous said...

he YMCA of Greater Miami was started in 1916 in downtown Miami. At that time, there were just a few pioneers with the dream of offering programs that would build a strong community. The first YMCA building was dedicated by 300 members in 1918. The original building reach capacity in 1925, and the Miami Y began to build branches in communities of Miami-Dade County.
Today, the YMCA of Greater Miami has 4 family centers, and programs in 3 preschools, and over 60 elementary and middle schools, and park locations throughout Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.
4 family centers in 97 years??
Really? there is a demand for the YMCA!?! come on alfred!
Looks like no one is donating to the YMCA of Lesser Miami.
YMCA of lesser Miami is Looking for a private Corporate Handout, Looking for a Private corporate Bailout.
Y will Kickback voters and even absentee ballots for those that vote in favor?

Anonymous said...

What happens when the Y fails to perform??
MDC TAXPAYERS WILL PAY ALL THE ATTORNEY FEES FOR HAVING TO SUE THE Y TO COMPLY.

Public Private Y partnership FAIL

http://features.rr.com/article/0adQ5e89QY5J5

http://www.southmiamifl.gov/clientuploads/Archive/CSM_Comm_Agendas_2011/02.01.11/3.pdf

Anonymous said...

The two museums in bicentennial park took 1/3 the park. When they get around to building a restaurant all that will be left will be a plaza, not a park.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to politicians and complacent citizens Miami is already a forest of condos and zero lot houses. At this point the only solution is Bonzai parks.

Anonymous said...

The two fake and VERY broke museums being built in Bicentennial Park will cost the taxpayers over $1 BILLION. The land is work $200+ Million and the interest on the bonds used to pay for the broke museums will exceed $800 MILLION. AND they take up almost 50% of the waterfront park with concrete and fancy offices.

Anonymous said...

NOT UP TO 40,000+ sq.ft. but.......

In 2005, PROS commissioned Lambert Advisory to perform a Recreation Market Assessment and make recommendations regarding the development of large regional recreation centers (40,000+ sq.ft.) within Ives Estates, West Kendall District, Amelia Earhart and Homestead Air Reserve Base Parks. The market study provided demographic analysis, recommended the appropriate mix of recreation uses, profiled best practices and benchmarked against similar community centers throughout North America for construction costs, operating expenses and revenue potential. Based on this study, PROS determined that the limited amount of BBC-GOB monies warranted establishing programming partnerships to accomplish the objective of building these types of facilities.
http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?matter=122455&file=true&yearFolder=Y2012

Falls Resident said...

The neighbors next to the Falls facility, constantly fights people blocking their streets and driveways. There is constant noise and traffic on their once quiet neighborhood streets. I see the Y as a bully non-profit that has a huge turnover in employees.

The building is only wonderful to the CEO and board of the Y, not the community.

Anonymous said...

Young Mens Christian Association Bullies

For the Y and Natacha Seijas Milan the Miami Dade County Comprehensive Development Master Plan policies do not apply.....

The Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP)  Objective LU-4 
Miami-Dade County shall, by the year 2015, reduce the number of land uses, which are inconsistent with the uses designated on the LUP map and interpretive text, or with the character of the surrounding community. 
Policies 
LU-4A. When evaluating compatibility among proximate land uses, the County shall consider such factors as noise, lighting, shadows, glare, vibration, odor, runoff, access, traffic, parking, height, bulk, scale of architectural elements, landscaping, hours of operation, buffering, and safety, as applicable. 

LU-4B. Uses designated on the LUP map and interpretive text, which generate or cause to generate significant noise, dust, odor, vibration, or truck or rail traffic shall be protected from damaging encroachment by future approval of new incompatible uses such as residential uses. 

LU-4C. Residential neighborhoods shall be protected from intrusion by uses that would disrupt or degrade the health, safety, tranquility, character, and overall welfare of the neighborhood by creating such impacts as excessive density, noise, light, glare, odor, vibration, dust or traffic. 

LU-4D. Uses which are supportive but potentially incompatible shall be permitted on sites within functional neighborhoods, communities or districts only where proper design solutions can and will be used to integrate the compatible and complementary elements and buffer any potentially incompatible elements. 

LU-4E. Zoning shall be examined to determine consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, and if deemed necessary to remedy an inconsistency, rezoning action shall be initiated. Examination could occur through a special zoning study, area-planning activity, or through a study of related issues. 

Anonymous said...

Is the Comprehensive Plan enforceable in court? With state government? Exactly how can citizens enforce implementation of the plan? Maybe we can save the parks . . .

Anonymous said...

Disgraced ex-mayor Manny Diaz loved to cover green park land with concrete. His nickname was Concrete Manny.

Anonymous said...

Enforceable in court?
Land Use Attorneys are not that great in Miami Dade County when representing the residential taxpayer.
But are excellent when representing absentee ballot management entities ie commercial developers.

Anonymous said...

Components of the CDMP which are adopted (by ordinance 99-156) as County Policy by the Board of County Commissioners are contained in the "Adopted Components - Comprehensive Development Master Plan" book. The ordinances are codified at Chapter 2-114 of the Miami-Dade County Code.

http://www.miamidade.gov/business/CDMP-about.asp