River of Grass Greenway Community Workshops and Interactive Project Website Launch
The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department in partnership with the National Park Service (Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program), the Naples Pathways Coalition and multiple cities and agencies across south Florida are seeking public input to create a feasibility study and master plan for the River of Grass Greenway (ROGG)-a proposed 75-mile multi-use, non-motorized, paved pathway across the Florida Everglades, between Miami and Naples. The Greenway will provide a recreational and alternative transportation corridor for cycling, walking, wildlife viewing and experiencing the natural beauty of the Everglades like never before. A series of three five-day regional community workshops, geographically distributed at locations along the corridor, are being held to allow for broad-based citizen participation.
ROGG West
(From 6 L's Road to S.R. 29)
January 29 - February 2
Edison State College Collier Campus
Building J - Conference Room J-103 /J-104
7007 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples, FL 34113
ROGG Central
(From S.R. 29 to Miami-Dade County Line)
February 26 - March 2
Everglades City Hall
102 Broadway E., Everglades City, FL 34139
ROGG East
(From Collier County Line to Krome Avenue)
March 12 - March 16
Miami-Dade County-location TBA
Each five-day workshop will include a public kick-off and briefing on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m., open working sessions Wednesday and Thursday from 1-4 p.m., a closed work session for the consultant team on Friday and an open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be multiple opportunities for stakeholder interviews and discussions with Consultant Team and Project Team, mapping exercises and information gathering, and plan presentations.
In addition to these series of community workshops, a comprehensive community engagement website for the project, developed by MindMixer, is now available for public interaction and feedback at: www.RiverofGrassGreenway.org. The ROGG project website invites contributors to learn more about the project, share new ideas, upload photos, expand upon existing ideas, and give feedback on initiatives, working with the Project Team on a variety of topics related to the project online anytime, anywhere. Feedback from this website will be used by the project sponsors, first to review research done ahead of the project, and to generate feedback on plans. Contribute today and help create a better community!
This project is funded through a Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks grant to the National Park Service (NPS) and is managed by Miami-Dade County Parks through a cooperative agreement with NPS.
About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,848 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.
Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors. Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities. For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.parksfoundationofmiami-dade.com.
To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-755-7848.