Gables green space needs a miracle

Re Miami Herald reporter Rebecca San Juan’s Jan. 20 story, “Coral Gables clears path for religious garden to be replaced by apartments:” Coral Gables founder George Merrick’s intention for the area was to develop affordable, single-family homes and low-rise apartments in a garden district (with much foliage and trees). Historic plans of the area show a distinct green corridor running through East Ponce and corroborate this intention.

Merrick’s plans surely did not include erosion of his garden precept with a 10-story high-rise.

San Juan places the garden in the “parks” category. However, parks and gardens have quite different constituencies and purposes. The garden was created as an intimate sanctuary and meditative space with dedicated fauna, memorials and statues. Calling it a park is like comparing a lake to an ocean.

The garden was not just an appendage of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church. The parcel was acquired specifically for the creation of the Garden of Our Lord and was of national significance from the start. The garden committee hired the best qualified, award-winning architect, Robert Fitch Smith, who was nationally known for his subtropical design integration and ecclesiastical work throughout Florida.

The overwhelming show of support from the community cannot deny the connection between people and places. The Garden of Our Lord is a significant historic resource no matter the vote by the Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board.

This garden is worthy of a miraculous intervention.