Let's stop this school nonsense on S. Bayshore

This is the property, and house, in question, at the 1621 S. Bayshore Drive location, where the proposed school wants to set up shop. Imagine if you wanted to move your business to a nice neighborhood, picture your widgets factory or car dealership moving to the North or South Grove, in that nice shiny house up on the hill. Well, that is what's being asked here.

A lady, Joan Rodriguez, who owns a school in another area of the county (1414 Coral Way) has decided that she wants to move it to Coconut Grove, which is great, but she has chosen a residential area in the Grove and is bringing her 100 students with her. I don't get the concept of taking a business from a business district and just going house hunting in an elegant neighborhood and deciding that that is where the business/school will go.

Next door to the property in question is a nice large plantation house, which you can see below. What is to stop the school from expanding to the plantation house if they happened to move in next door? Next to that right now, is a law firm that is in another plantation house. And by the way, the property on the other side of the 1621 property is for sale, so what is to stop the school for buying that up, too, and taking over the block?

This school does not belong in this North Grove neighborhood. It is not zoned for it. And there is no need for it. It's all an idea based on selfishness. Some people feel that Grovites are closed-minded and have a NIMBY (not in my back yard) attitude. But the property is NOT zoned for a school or business. That should be the end of discussion. The city needs to stop accepting special zoning requests for stupid reasons. What next, a 7-11 to accommodate the students on the lot off of Micanopy behind the school? 

For those of you who think we are being unkind to the school, perhaps you can email me a list of houses for sale on your block and we can send the school there. Since you think it's such a good thing for the area.

Please make plans to attend the Planning and Zoning hearing on Wednesday, June 6 to stop this nonsense. The meeting is at 6:30 pm at City Hall (3500 Pan American Drive).

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