CREATING A PEOPLE'S PARK

         Miami needs more parks. One way to make this happen is to turn existing parcels of public land into park space.
     There is a great opportunity to do this on four adjoining lots in the South Grove. They meet at the corner of Palmetto Ave. and Plaza Street, two blocks west of Plymouth Church.  The Miami Herald wrote about this park possibility last month: 
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coconut-grove/article169901057.html


     One of the four lots is mini-forest, thick with trees and vegetation.  We call it "Charlie's Woods" as the late theater legend, Charlie Cinnamon, lived next to it for fifty years. 
    I met with city officials six months ago to ask them to designate this land as a public park.
Even though it seems simple (the city already maintains it), they told me this proposed transition would be very difficult and expensive. 
    I then asked them of we -the neighbors- could turn it into a park ourselves by cleaning it up and adding a few benches and a picnic table.  They told me it would probably be acceptable.

     Neighbors recently spent Saturday mornings cleaning "the woods" up. 
   
   We collected mounds of hurricane debris and began the beautification process. Now it has lovely path and a meditation garden. 

      This forgotten public land is becoming what every Miami resident should have, a functioning park a short walk from their house. It is where we can gather and it'll create a greater sense of community.
     This land is your land. Stop by and see the progress we're making on Charlie's Woods and the rest of our new people's park.
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