To: Ken Russell, Commissioner, Wifredo Gort, Commissioner, Tomas Regalado, Mayor, Daniel Alfonso, City Manager, Ed Santamaria, Public Works Director, Francisco Garcia, Planning and Zoning Director, Quatisha Oguntoyinbo-Rashad, Environmental ...

Keep the Coconut Palm on Miami's Streets!

Please end the ban on planting new coconut palms on Miami’s streets!

The coconut palm has always been part of Miami’s colorful history, Miami’s culture, and Miami’s tropical image.

Any problems with falling coconuts can be avoided by proper placement of the trees or free coconut harvesting services.

Miamians love the coconut palm. Please keep the coconut in Coconut Grove and throughout Miami. Please respect and protect our heritage by ending the coconut palm ban.

Why is this important?

The City of Miami has recently banned the planting of any new Coconut Palms from Miami’s streets!

The beautiful, graceful Coconut Palm has always been part of Miami’s colorful history, Miami’s culture, and Miami’s tropical image.

Why did the City ban the Coconut Palm? They say it was for liability reason, to avoid falling coconuts, but that problem can be easily solved by allowing harvesters to pick the coconuts – which they’ve already been doing for years, for free, so they can then sell them to local restaurants and fruit stands. It’s a win-win situation.

This ban on the coconut palm was done "in house" without public notice, a public hearing or public input.

Please help keep the coconut in Coconut Grove and throughout Miami by signing the petition. It only takes a minute, and then it will be sent to Miami city officials.

Miami Herald article on this:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article71672777.html

Watch the City Commission discuss the issue:
http://miami.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=692
(Scroll halfway down the menu to the second PA.4 item, then click on it.)