Parks Or More Traffic on Old Cutler
By Carl Rachelson
Great places are endowed with vision.
Great people have a vision.
Great plans require ambitious vision.
Individuality is something else.
Philanthropy must discover parks and space.
In Dallas – yes Dallas Texas – a $30 million plan to construct four major parks is underway. In Houston, a $31 million park and garden renovation has just been completed.
In Miami, the big noise concerns The Underline, a lengthy corridor running beneath the Metrorail, which will provide generations of citizens an opportunity to – how should I, say it – appreciate their existence. This is what good governance can provide, joy and dignity for its people.
Why do we allow our elected officials to praise some fictitious, nonsensical tax base garbage about how developing a strip mall will enrich the lives of residents? How does any more commercial development help us enjoy our lives more? Do we really need more houses, more parking lots, and more congestion?
Cutler Bay now has a chance to address this.
A group called Livablecutler is dedicated to preserving the natural areas and green spaces that make the living good along Old Cutler Road in South Miami-Dade County. Its mission is simple and on point.
How could anyone disagree?
Research shows that in 2002 a long-term plan called the Old Cutler Road Charrette was created to “preserve and protect the historic and community character along the roadway”, and limit commercial development to between the two traffic circles. Now, a group of residents with some history and memory ask this:
Will the Town Council honor or ignore our charrette?
If they ignore it, why?
What would be the benefit for the community?
It’s really what we call – I apologize in advance – a no-brainer for the Town Council unless there is something grand in it for them. This is not personal. Growth is not something which anyone living here enjoys. Growth at this point is not something which has any tangible benefit. Growth is now – simply stated – a problem. Does the community’s wishes matter? Does its health matter? Suddenly, it is clear – the chickens have come home to roost.
Traffic here has gone from bad to intolerable. Everyone complains miserably and suffers routinely. How could we have failed to recognize this, and what will happen if we allow growth to continue? What possibly could be a good reason to build anything more on Old Cutler Road?
This land development issue will be decided at 7pm on March 16th, at the Cutler Bay Town Council Meeting, at 10720 Caribbean Blvd. in Cutler Bay.
What better way would there be to exercise your democratic rights than by attending this meeting and encouraging Cutler Bay’s elected leaders to do the right thing.
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