Matheson Hammock Park is a urban park in metropolitan Miami on 9610 Old Cutler Road, just south of Coral Gables, Florida. The park surrounds the north and western ends of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
History Matheson Hammock opened in 1930 as the first county park of Dade County, a gift of 80 acres to the county from William J. Matheson. Originally administered by the county's first director of public parks, A. D. Barnes, and designed by the landscape architect William Lyman Phillips,Miami-Dade EcoAdventures today it is owned and managed by Miami-Dade County.
Matheson wanted the land to be used as a park "to preserve the wild and natural beauty." It grew with further donations by the Matheson heirs, purchases by county commissioner Charles Crandon, and other donations to its current 630 acres.Jackson 1997. p. 158. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) crews were assigned to Matheson Hammock in 1936 and began to develop the Bayfront park area. Coral stone buildings rose and the picnic area had a coral stone shelter.
Without the use of the inexpensive and skilled labor force under the state and federal assistance programs, it would have been impossible to build the miles of carefully hewn coral stone walls and native stone buildings. The quality of the CCC's work was verified in 1945 when a hurricane resulted in 12-foot waves rolling over Matheson Hammock, causing immense damage to equipment and furnishings, and depositing layers of mud and trash in the park, but the basic CCC structures stood firm and the park recovered.American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration
Facilities Matheson Hammock Park is a scenic park featuring a man-made atoll pool, which is flooded naturally with the tidal action of adjacent Biscayne Bay. The beach sea breeze is popular with families. The park operates a snack bar and a restaurant built in a historic coral stone building. There are also picnic pavilions and nature trails.Miami-Dade Park and Recreation - Matheson Hammock Park - retrieved 1 April 2011
In conjunction with the park, the county runs an on-site marina accommodating vessels of up to . Other facilities include a fishing tackle shop, boat launch ramps, gas and diesel fuel, and wetslips.Miami-Dade Park and Recreation - Matheson Hammock Marina - retrieved 1 April 2011
Controversy over development
Seeking to improve access to Biscayne Bay for boaters, the County contracted with Aqua Marine Partners on July 7, 2011, to construct and operate a five-story, $18-million warehouse to store an additional 360 boats in the marina, provide ample facility parking and preserve the parking for the marina's existing wet slips, relocate the existing trailer-storage capacity, and obtain environmental permits to create a new boat launch. The contract was the subject of discussion at two public hearings conducted at the Miami-Dade County Commission chambers. The project awaits final approval from the City of Coral Gables.
Critics note that a similar proposal was rejected by the City of Coral Gables in 2008, and claim that the current project's promoters are trying to "sneak [it] through" the public approval process.HuffingtonPost 01/24/12 Richard J. Heisenbottle, one of its main promoters, resigned as chairman of the Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board on 19 January 2012 amid accusations that he had been lobbying Coral Gables officials for the project without a permit, and without telling them that he was the Board chairman.cggazette.com 01/24/12
The Matheson family have stated that they are against the project.Miami New Times 01/27/12 The homeowner associations of nearby Gables by the Sea and Pinecrest by the Sea have voted to formally oppose it.Coral Gables Gazette, 24 January 2012 The City of South MiamiCity of South Miami Commission Meeting 02/07/12 and the Village of Pinecrest are also opposed the project. Concerns include visibility of the building, preservation of the historic character of Matheson Hammock's facilities, traffic impact on Old Cutler Road, dredging, loss of green space (including mangroves), environmental damage, noise pollution and an adverse effect on property values.Coral Gables Gazette, 24 January 2012
A grassroots organization called Save Our Matheson Hammock Park has collected over 6,000 signatures for a petition to block the project.Save Our Matheson Hammock Park
References Notes
Bibliography
Jackson, Faith Reyher. Pioneer of Tropical Landscape Architecture. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1997. .