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Residents urge council to keep 4 Freedoms Park public as Bimini East plan advances
Summary
During public comment several residents warned that the Bimini East proposal appears to convey 4 Freedoms Park to the developer; staff and developer said the park will remain public and deed restrictions will require it to be maintained as '4 Freedoms Park.'
Residents at the July 29 Committee of the Whole meeting pressed city leaders to protect 4 Freedoms Park after seeing the Bimini East term sheet. Marie Kavanaugh opened public comment saying the city was 'giving away' the historic park, warning of tree removal, loss of green space and a surge in traffic if redevelopment reaches the scheme’s upper unit estimate.
Jay Higgins and other commenters also raised the park conveyance and an item in the term sheet about downstream utility obligations. In response the assistant city manager and developer said the playground equipment will be replicated in the development, the city has modeled downstream utility demand and concluded no additional downstream infrastructure is required for the proposal, and the city attorney stated any conveyance will carry a surviving restriction that requires the parcel to remain open to the public as '4 Freedoms Park.'
Council members repeatedly asked staff to spell out the terms in the developer's agreement to ensure the park's use and maintenance are preserved, and asked staff to report back with legal language and monitoring provisions before the council considers a final agreement.
