Aventura Uproar: Founders Park South Changes Have Many Residents Upset

July 18, 2023

The City of of Aventura Was Excited to share the first renderings of the plans for Founders Park South. Many residents took to social media to voice their opinions on the upcoming changes. "Placing a tennis court – which inherently creates noise, requires bright lighting, and demands hard surfaces – adjacent to the community gardens disrupts the essence of what these gardens represent: TRANQUILITY, relaxation, and a place to connect with nature. The city is already packed with tennis courts and it's only one community garden as such!" Angie Ross

"This is a terrible idea, and it’s one of the reasons that Aventura property values are sub-par compared to places like Coral Gables, where the city government is marginally more concerned with the benefits of quiet, green spaces (rather than building on every available open area and packing as many activities as possible into a finite space). Aventura is going down the toilet, mainly because a few special interests have managed to sleaze their way to get their way." Aaron de Aventura

"This is NOT an improvement - the neighborhood is DEVASTATED with the addition of unnecessary tennis courts which already exist across the street and sit empty most days. For every pickleball player there's 100 who are against this awful change. Please listen to your residents!" Jessica Ben Nun

"Founders Park South was the gem of our city, a quite, calm green paradise that residents of all ages loved. How and why this peaceful water front pocket park with the most beautiful community garden was picked as the location for pickleball and tennis courts remains a mystery. Human beings need places like Founders Park South, human beings need nature and to slow down. Not every inch of land has to be paved over, manicured and monetized from. As you can see, and we tried to tell for over a year, residents are not happy. Many residents and the nearby communities will be deeply affected by this project but I am curious, has anyone thought about the impact on the kids in school at ACES? Pickleball is infamously noisy..and noise travels through water" Alice Bonvicini

"How residents can enjoy gardening if all they can hear the noise from pickleball courts?? People go to the park to enjoy greenery and peace, not to hear constant noise. What about the residents that live around the park, how this is going to effect the quality of their lives?? What about the children at school?? Did the city conducted a noise study?? Why no one is thinking about children right across from the school? Respectfully, I do not see this as improvement." Olga Shabat

"It’s a no for me. Unnecessary. That park was perfect the way it was. Agree with the commenters below." Fan Ni

"Where did the money come from? If it was COVID-19 Funds that you have to spend before the deadline, I'm sure that was not what it was intended for, ruining a peaceful place." Lynne Smith

"Keep our parks green!! This is a ridiculous waste of space!!" Esti Bonnardel

"Any thoughts to the agreement to keep this land a passive park that is on public record? What about all the news stories about pickleball lawsuits and injunctions all over the country where these are being placed near residences?? And all the injuries associated?" Ariel Penzer Milgroom

"We used to have a little oasis of serenity, a beautiful quiet place to enjoy nature, meditate, recharge. You destroyed the park and replaced it with noise pollution, it's traffic jam in a place that lacks infrastructure for added courts, mpopulation and cars." Madalina Gecui

"Enid Weisman thank you for your continued dedication to making our city wonderful. Please help the very many Aventura residents who feel blindsided and ignored by the literal bulldozing. We live here for the trees our kids can climb (they’re taking them down), barefoot afternoons in the grass (that they’re replacing with turf), and the quiet of the green space (that they’re destroying with a loud sport). We are a small city and we should be talking to each other, more than 3 minutes at a time at a commission meeting. A drastic change like this should have publicized through the very many platforms the city has to communicate with its residents, or held for a municipal vote, if it even cleared legal muster with the agreement with Hidden Bay and Aventura Marina. It’s clear there is more opposition to pickleball courts than there are pickleball players in our city, but the pickleball players are in an actual position of power." Jessica Ben Nun

These are just some of the comments on the City's Facebook page from residents: www.facebook.com/cityofaventura

The City of Aventura states the changes for Aventura Founders Park South include: the community garden is growing from 48 to 52 planters, allowing more of Aventura’s resident gardeners to access space to grow flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables. The new community garden will shift to the waterfront in the park. The city is working with a landscape architect and has consulted a horticulturist to help us select vegetation that will attract butterflies.

On the City's social media page they state, "We know that tennis is as popular as ever and pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country. When the renovations of Founders Park South are complete, three tennis courts and five pickleball courts will be ready for Aventura’s residents to play. With mother nature’s help, we expect the park to reopen in early 2024."

To voice your opinion about the upcoming changes you can visit the The official City of Aventura Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cityofaventura or via Twitter and Instagram @cityofaventura

You can also download the citizen engagement App, My Aventura. The app offers a user-friendly experience to submit requests for city services and contact City officials about concerns.