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Neighbors urge passive, native‑plant design as South Miami shows three Manor Lane park concepts
Summary
City staff presented three conceptual designs for Manor Lane Park — a food‑truck/activations plan, a terraced natural play plan and a splash‑pad option — and neighbors urged a passive, green park emphasizing native planting and permeable surfaces; commissioners directed outreach and further study.
City staff presented three concept plans for Manor Lane Park on Dec. 2, asking the City Commission for direction and more neighborhood outreach. Parks Director Quentin Pugh said the 0.4‑acre site (about 17,500 square feet) could be developed with combinations of play elements, revenue opportunities and gathering spaces, and noted the city’s goal to preserve existing vegetation where feasible.
“Within the park are food trucks with adjacent picnic tables,” Pugh said of Concept 1, which also included a playground and a potential dog park. Concept 2 emphasized an elevated embankment slide, terrace lawns and natural play equipment. Concept 3 centered on a splash pad to provide year‑round water activity but would require fencing and additional maintenance.
Commissioners split over trade‑offs. Several expressed concern that a dog park would sit near the MetroRail and could stress animals; others worried splash‑pad maintenance costs and the potential for unintended use by people experiencing homelessness. Commissioner Kai and others said they preferred a more natural plan that preserves canopy and uses pervious surfaces.
Neighbors who live near Manor Lane spoke during public comment and pushed back on heavily activated schemes. Jason Lopez read neighborhood survey results that favored “passive green space,” “native plants,” and “no concrete,” and urged the commission not to overbuild the site. John Polent recommended a calm, interpretive space highlighting the site’s mango trees and native landscaping.
Commissioners asked staff to take the concepts back to the neighborhood with poster boards, door‑hangers and meetings — the same outreach approach used for prior local park projects — and to tie the final design to the city’s broader park master plan and needs assessment. The commission did not select a final concept; the manager and parks staff were directed to schedule community meetings and return with a refined proposal and cost estimates.
What’s next: staff will conduct community outreach, refine the concepts based on resident feedback and report back to the Commission with a recommended design and budget.
