HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Mark Burns-Public Comment Letter to Commissionerseft Outlook
Please read for me tomorrow at City Hall meeting
Submitted into the public
record f r ite (s)
00 (al City Clerk
From Barracuda Bar <barracudagrove@gmail.com>
Date Wed 7/8/2026 5:02 PM
To Mark Burns <mark@grovebid.com>
3O? Afl, Sk
Hi!
Lee Kessler. Owner of Barracuda (14+ years), center grove
resident (30+ years) and third generation Miamian. Thank you
for allowing me to be heard even though I could not be present
as I looked forward to speaking about the playhouse property
but would be in the doghouse if I missed this short vacation
with my girlfriend's family :)
Being a talker I'm going to speak in bullet points to keep it
short.
. The playhouse itself. The theater brings jobs, people, foot
traffic, full restaurants and bars, opened retail rather than
dark closed spaces after 6pm and an artistic community that
is part of the very fabric that makes the grove the grove!
Development is inevitable but this is your chance to
preserve part of our identity that has been missing for way
too long. A restored theater would not only improve the
vitality of our neighborhood but also the safety by having
more eyes on the street. Pease do the right thing and
remember our roots. We wouldn't be here today without
them.
. Parking, this is a no brainer and one of, if not the last
location to put a real garage that has enough spaces to
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affect our rapidly increasing parking problem. We should've
built the garage years ago and then incorporated the
rest. By now it probably could have paid to renovate the
playhouse or at least help with a comprehensive
redevelopment in keeping with the area and our vibe. Not
building the garage will only hurt the commercial district
and if you're truly passionate about Coconut Grove you
would want the success it would bring across the board.
• Center Grove, North Grove, South Grove, West Grove. It's all
Coconut Grove! For one reason or another you are all here
because the Grove cares and the passion is
palpable. Embrace it but don't block it for reasons that may
not even hold weight 5 years from now. We are a
community that respects this amazing village that is like
none other in a City as big as Miami. Keeping the
playhouse property vacant serves neither CoconutGrove nor
West Grove. Protect the gems that matter. Help the Grove
grow in a healthy way while still preserving our heritage.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Submitted into, the public
record or ite (s) "�
oh D � ) City Clerk