Commentary — Amal Solh Kabbani
Enough Is Enough
Ultra must go. No more abusing Bayfront Park and thousands of downtown residents. NO MÁS!
The time has come for downtown residents to reclaim our green space. Our parks should serve as green spaces for the community, not a cash cow for the city, as stated by Commissioner Ken Russell. Private mega-events should be directed to appropriate venues outside high-density residential areas. Please join your neighbors on September 27 at City Hall to demand in unison: Stop private mega-events at Bayfront Park and vote NO on a contract renewal for Ultra!
The contract that will be brought for a City Commission vote on September 27 lacks the limits and protections sought by downtown residents, including shorter park closure and rehab periods, stricter noise limits, minimum distance between stages and residential communities, and other protections the DNA judges necessary.
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These demands are not arbitrary. For downtown residents — tens of thousands, including families with children — nature means parks. But Bayfront Park was closed to residents for five of the first six months in 2018. Mega-events like Ultra not only exile residents, they pose serious public health threats. Noise is so high that hearing can be permanently damaged. Sound levels consistently exceed the World Health Organization’s criteria of 70 dB, which indicates the likelihood that the Ultra noise will produce other negative health effects, related to hypertension and ischemic heart disease. When residents describe the experience as “earthquake-level,” it’s not hyperbole. That’s exactly what it feels like. I know, I live across the street from Bayfront Park.
Unreasonable Demands?
Here are the two pertinent officials on record: Commissioner Russell stated in a Downtown News op-ed: “Our parks are not profit centers — they are amenities for our residents to enjoy.” And Commissioner and BPMT Chairman Joe Carollo stated that he has plans for alternative revenue sources that will replace or exceed the revenue generated by Ultra without causing any of the noise, disruption or park closure associated with it.
United We Stand
Please join us at City Hall on September 27, 9:00 am, and demand with one voice that the City Commissioners vote NO on a contract renewal for Ultra!
Miami City Hall · Address
3500 Pan American Dr, Miami, FL 33133.
Amal Solh Kabbani is the DNA President.
