Dear Neighbors:

As you know, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance has led the fight for over a year to protect our amazing city parks from development that goes against the community's wishes. We've also led a long and difficult fight to prevent the politically influential outdoor advertising industry from completely destroying our public spaces and skyline with LED billboards.

In spite of the fact the community has told Miami City Hall over and over again that parks should be protected and planning should ALWAYS prioritize community input, some city leaders are simply not listening. Using a procedural sleight of hand to push a controversial item on the fast-track, an ordinance change has been proposed that would eliminate the few remaining tools residents can use to protect their public spaces. And fill our public parks with LED billboard advertising, to boot.

The Downtown Neighbors Alliance is asking all Miami residents to tell their elected officials they oppose this takeover of OUR city parks, and demand their wishes be a part of determining the future of our green public spaces.

Sign this petition to join your voice to our cause.

What exactly is happening?

Currently, if the city of Miami wants to add development to park spaces, they must go through a special permit process that mandates community engagement, allows for residents who don't like the plans to legally object, and elevates the future development decision into the public eye.

This is an important protection baked into our City Code. In recent months, the DNA has exposed the abuse that can result from giving individual commissioners a blank check to build whatever they wish to put in a city park without engaging neighbors, as has happened at Maurice Ferré Park. 

In that park, landmark trees have been killed to make way for cement platforms, bars and restaurants set up on temporary shipping containers (as part of a “theater project") have taken away play areas from our children, and plans have been floated to replace much of the green space with a warren of pickleball courts and soccer fields. The community has been able to stop or push back on the abuse only because of the City’s special permit process. If this ordinance passes, that option will be unavailable in the future not just at Maurice Ferré Park, but at any city park. 

What is at stake?

If this bad policy is adopted, city elected officials or bureaucrats would in the future be able to approve new development in city parks without even having to tell the community about it. City politicians could fill passive community parks with golf courses, stadiums, and in theory, even giant bronze statues to themselves. Given the recent history of how city park land has been used in Miami, they could find a way to take land away from waterfront parks to build shops and restaurants, again, without consulting the public.

This is unacceptable. Here is an excellent video explaining what's at stake.

What can I do?

1. Sign this petition.
2. If you wish to express your outrage, come to the next City Hall meeting. It takes place from 9:30 a.m. on November 21 at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive in Miami.
3. Show up at the next commission meeting where this is on the agenda, likely in mid-November. To get more updates from the DNA on this, sign up for our newsletter here.