Hemming Plaza Ad Hoc Committee Meeting today at 10am

[Bridges]

Sooo, it sounds like there were a lot of recommendations for added amenities and programming, and yet, things are still moving forward as they always were?  Am I not reading it right?  Again with a bunch of recommendations, which are ignored? 

Edit:  Thanks for the live updates!  Really enjoyed being able to read them.

[thelakelander]

Lol, there's no places for people to sit if a truck occasionally set up at the park to help draw more use into it?  Are they talking about our Hemming Plaza?  between the ledges, fixed benches, seats and tables, there's plenty of spaces.

[Captain Zissou]

What a waste.  "Thanks everyone for your input, but I'd rather go eat lunch."  I wonder where Denise Lee is going to lunch.  If we had food trucks and patio seating in Hemming park, she could have just eaten there.

[Debbie Thompson]

Sounds like the typical Jacksonville ignore-all-public-input-and-do-what-we-want-anyway kind of a meeting.  Will this all come before the City Council for a vote before it can be finalized? 

[TheCat]

She's eating lunch with her mother . I'm not sure where...

[Bativac]

Maybe I need to buy stock in a bulldozer company and hand business cards out to the city council.

Has anyone tried reverse psychology? "I think we should tear everything out and pave it!" "Whoa now, wait a minute, we can't just blow money tearing out a perfectly good park!" "....Excellent."

[sheclown]

Thanks for the live blog!

[Marley Weinstein]

The City of Jacksonville's Office of Special Events is located at 117 W. Duval Street.  Please tell me, why can't any of these individuals in that office coordinate (monthly, bi-weekly or weekly) programs for a park that's right across the street from their office!!!  I'm not trying to throw any of these people under the bus or food truck but I'd like to know what are we paying them for if not for special events in public spaces.  Seeems like the director of the department would've taken the initiative to program some events seeing the recent renewed interest from many residents to make the park more vibrant.  To me, it seems like such a waste of time to involve elected City Council members (whom maintains busy schedules) on matters that seems so simple and easy to fix???

Only spend money on extensive park programming, maintenence and restrooms. Problem solved!

p.s. Thanks for the live blog!

[JeffreyS]

Lol, there's no places for people to sit if a truck occasionally set up at the park to help draw more use into it?  Are they talking about our Hemming Plaza?  between the ledges, fixed benches, seats and tables, there's plenty of spaces.

I know Denise Lee and Jerry Moran have spent the first months of the Hemminng debate saying the problem was that there was seating so people would hag out too much. Mention food trucks and there is no seating, absurd.

[Tacachale]

^I know, right? Pretty crazy.

[Jimmy]

More and more I'm thinking the people who care about the core need themselves a lobbyist or two.

[vicupstate]

Lol, there's no places for people to sit if a truck occasionally set up at the park to help draw more use into it?  Are they talking about our Hemming Plaza?  between the ledges, fixed benches, seats and tables, there's plenty of spaces.

I know Denise Lee and Jerry Moran have spent the first months of the Hemminng debate saying the problem was that there was seating so people would hag out too much. Mention food trucks and there is no seating, absurd.

Once the seating is removed, then there won't be any seating for the patrons of the truck vendors.  That is what they are trying to accomplish.   

[vicupstate]

More and more I'm thinking the people who care about the core need themselves a lobbyist or two.

I have long advocated MJ branching off into a separate but like-minded political group. Make endorsements, raise and donate campaign contributions and push turnout for candidates that 'get it'.  Politics is  about power FIRST and policy second. 

When you can rightfully claim to be the force that elected somebody, THEN they will listen to you, as oppose to giving lip service around election day.   

[sheclown]

So we will spend twice the amount of money, foreclose the possibility of the surrounding cultural institutions from being able to program the park, raise taxes and create yet another layer of process---only this one would be with a profit motive---all in order to find a legal way to evict rather than outnumber the homeless.

Is the fact that these people (THOSE PEOPLE) are American citizens escaped this city's attention?  (Not to mention the shameful fact that a large number of homeless Americans are veterans).

If (THOSE PEOPLE) are breaking the law, have them arrested.  If not, let (THOSE PEOPLE) enjoy their freedom of assembly in a public park.

[sheclown]

More and more I'm thinking the people who care about the core need themselves a lobbyist or two.

The urban core definitely needs to gather its strength and let its voice be heard.