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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Gladys Fuentes-RemarksSAVING MELREESE GOLF COURSE July 12, 2018 Submitted into the public record fir ite ) t wi on `i ! I q City Clerk My name is Gladys Fuentes and my spouse Hugo reside at 945 NW 25th Ave, Miami FL 33125. 1 have lived in Miami FL since 1964. We have seen many changes over the years. We've experienced the "bad deals" made in the past to give away public lands to private institutions at the cost of its residents. It appears that's why we're here today. WE DON'T WANT A SOCCER STADIUM AT MELREESE GOLF COURSE. Our reasons: 1. Public land should not even be a consideration for ANY group to come and be given land for their whims, even if they say it will "create" jobs. It's a matter of ethics that a City governing body would even consider such a proposal. We learned our lessons from the Miami Marlins Park on NW 17th Ave. I believe we're still paying for that facility. 2. International Links-Miami-Melreese Country Club better known as Melreese Golf Course is a state of the art facility. When seen from above it reveals its splendor and artistically designed Golf Course... sitting in the middle of the County. Those coming to and from the airport can see the beautiful and serene quiet site. It sits from NW 37th Ave on 14 St. to NW 42n Ave. as far back as 19th street to the north and adjacent to Grapeland Heights Water Park with 135 acres total. It began in 1942, and in 1996 to 1997 the only City owned golf course underwent an extensive facelift to the tune of $3.9 million dollars. Through the direction of the DeLucca family, this park has blossomed and today is an acclaimed International Golf Course which hosts a world of golfing events, local clubs, golf celebrities and The First Tee Miami fosters and promotes 9 Core Values: 1.Honest, 2. Integrity, 3. Sportsmanship, 4. Respect 5. Confidence 6. Responsibility, 7. Perseverance, 8. Courtesy, 9. Judgment. And 9 Healthy Habits promoting Physical, Emotional and Social development in the youngest of golfers. Because of the love and dedication of the DeLucca family to give back to the community, more than 50 Charitable Organizations come to Melreese Golf Course. Special needs and Special Olympics among them. I can't possibly tell you all that goes on in this Park in the short time I have to present my views... All People and Children have value and where there is a thriving safe and secure place that promotes "character" and "heart" there is no money in the world that can replace that. w �,� U�'n cf\ � u s �z� e � - Submitted into the11�-A a record �Or it m(s) on / City Clerk Removing even a part of this "greens" area from our community would be devastating to all who attend the Golf Course. Please note there are over 140 parks for all kinds of sports and Melreese is the ONLY CITY GOLF COURSE. 3. Because Melreese is centrally located, another Complex in an already hectic area would cause major disruption to the homes around the Golf Course and an increase in noise, traffic, and inconvenience to get around and to the nearby neighborhoods that are already stressed. N.W. 37th Ave and 42"d Ave are major streets that are heavily traveled. The 836 East/West Expressway runs adjacent to the park and we all know how heavily congested it is now. Why do you think there's an expansion in and around the Airport area and its corridors... it can't handle any more traffic ... It is a MAJOR mistake to increase traffic jams at this location. May I point out, on "events" at the Marlins Park, residents can't park their cars outside their homes because they are ticketed by the Police riding by, major injustice to its residents, not to mention the noise level that will interrupt homes in the area. When I visited the MDX- Ae website- there is current construction on the 836 East/West Expressway to alleviate this corridor... by adding a complex at this most heavily affected area would once again cause major congestion and backups ... Has this governing body considered how serious this is to ALL of Dade County ? It's a nightmare to even consider this location for a Complex. There is expansion all over Dade County folks ... please use your common sense... CURRENT CONSTRUCTION MDX SR 836 Modernization from NW 57th Avenue to NW 17th .Avenin Submitted into the p ablic record or i em(s) u . 0 on i City Clerk MDX is making improvements to the most congested segment of SR 836, betweeii NW 57th Avenue and NW 17th Avenue. One lane will be added in each direction to increase capacity and the interchanges will be improved to reduce congestion and backups onto local roads. The intersections at NW 57th Avenue and NW 27th Avenue will be completely reconstructed with an innovative traffic solution called Diverging Diamond Interchange or DDI for short to improve access to the surrounding areas for drivers entering and exiting the expressway. The left lane exits to Miami international Airport at NW 42nd Avenue will be eliminated and replaced with new right lane exits that will improve traffic flow. Lastly, MDX is reinforcing the inside shoulders of the expressway to allow Miami -Bade County express busses to drive on the shoulders when expressway speeds dip below 35 MPH. 4. Miami Dade County has several beautiful stadiums already, the Miami Dolphins now called hard Rock Stadium to the north of the County, the Miami Marlins Park on 17"' Ave and NW 7th Street. May I remind this audience that we later found out the `great deal' we got was that we're still paying for this stadium. Friends, we have gone around this issue of Team Owners coming into town to make DEALS that in the end benefit them and not its residents. That wasn't a smart move for the City nor its residents. There's a 3rd stadium at F.I.U. Finally we have the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami. I want to mention the taste of yet another deal gone bad. A while back I won't mention the players, but a place very close by where a "deal" was struck with a prominent figure and they promised to upgrade a park (which they did) in exchange for the use of the park... sounded good, but what the residents were not told was they couldn't use the park and so the park was closed for months until the issues were resolved. The local community kids suffered and could not use the facilities. Betrayal in the eyes of the residents... How many times do "great deals" have to go wrong before government officials wake up and realize, you're hurting your constituents.. If Game Sports want to come, let them, but don't give or sell public lands. If they want a facility, ease the process, but let them find an appropriate location, purchase the land outright. None of the Sports stadiums are all year round events, and I am sure and many of us feel WE DON'T NEED nor WANT yet ANOTHER STADIUM. Let them try to make agreements with existing Facilities. Governments should not be involved in this process, let them work it out themselves. By the way, the Marlins did play baseball at the Dolphins Stadium. Submitted into the public record ur i m(s) r �� on ~, � / City Clerk The City of Miami alone hosts 140+ parks providing all kinds of activities, it is not in the best interest for the Cities residents to fund ANOTHER stadium and especially where you propose. Mr. Mayor in your State of the City address of Feb. 26, 2018, aside from being a "global city", you stated "But being a global city is not just about being a destination it is about civic engagement, charity and compassion. As our Mayor, and governing body, I believe your first objective is to look out for the best interests of your residents.