Polina Gardens (727 South 13th Street)

[Garrett]

Well that's lame as heck. I hope it isn't too obstructive

[almighty_tuna]

Soooo you have a permanent fence with an entry/exit that doesn't prevent people from doing whatever, or you block the entire thing off and we can view it like a plant zoo.

Is there an insurance employee around here that can shed some light on what this fence is supposed to provide value for or prevent?

[nebport5]

I actually like the idea of a fence provided that it's not the chain link one up now(or something as bad) and something preferably designed by Piet Oudolf. If only from an aesthetic standpoint a little seclusion from the proximity and noise of 13th St I'd image would be ideal.

[enthusiestomaha1433]

Interesting that this park does not allow dogs (outside of service animals). I wonder how strictly that policy will be enforced.

[nebport5]

Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Closed Tuesdays

[almighty_tuna]

Congrats, downtown residents, you get a garden you can't enjoy outside of working hours! Also, enjoy the illuminated sculpture from outside the fence since the garden is closed at night.

I googled Polina Gardens and I see this is an extension of Lauritzen Gardens and it alllll makes sense now. KETV, in an earlier story, called it a "privately funded public park." when in actuality it's a private park that can be rented out to whoever feels like paying Lauritzen Gardens a bunch of money. The public can walk through it when it's not reserved for private use. What a sham.

Who wants to bet they'll have someone on site to "help you", aka extort you for money, if anyone tries to take pictures in this "privately funded public park". They're even attempting to block airspace above the park, lol

The use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is prohibited anywhere above the grounds of Polina Gardens. Any unauthorized use of drones within or above Polina Gardens will result in the operator being asked to leave the grounds.

[Toto]

Congrats, downtown residents, you get a garden you can't enjoy outside of working hours! Also, enjoy the illuminated sculpture from outside the fence since the garden is closed at night.

I googled Polina Gardens and I see this is an extension of Lauritzen Gardens and it alllll makes sense now. KETV, in an earlier story, called it a "privately funded public park." when in actuality it's a private park that can be rented out to whoever feels like paying Lauritzen Gardens a bunch of money. The public can walk through it when it's not reserved for private use. What a sham.

Who wants to bet they'll have someone on site to "help you", aka extort you for money, if anyone tries to take pictures in this "privately funded public park". They're even attempting to block airspace above the park, lol

The use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is prohibited anywhere above the grounds of Polina Gardens. Any unauthorized use of drones within or above Polina Gardens will result in the operator being asked to leave the grounds.

The hours of 9-6 are super dumb!

I don’t own a drone or have a pilot’s license. My understanding is that airspace regulation falls under the FAA, not private property owners. While property owners can restrict takeoff and landing on their land, they generally cannot prohibit lawful overflight at appropriate altitudes. Any attempt to enforce such restrictions against legal airspace operations would likely not be supported in court.

I agree with the restriction on dogs. This is a garden, not a public park, and I assume there may be more sensitive or exotic plant species present. Allowing dogs could risk damage to the plantings, including potential harm from animals marking territory.

Hope they loosen things up soon.

[thenewguy]

how'd they ever approve that with such limitations on use? And closed on Tuesdays? It's gonna look great, sure, but it's also not going to be enjoyed by nearly as many people as it could/should

[Greg S]

how'd they ever approve that with such limitations on use? And closed on Tuesdays? It's gonna look great, sure, but it's also not going to be enjoyed by nearly as many people as it could/should

I wonder if the limited hours were influenced by the continued issues at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront Park?

[Brad]

how'd they ever approve that with such limitations on use? And closed on Tuesdays? It's gonna look great, sure, but it's also not going to be enjoyed by nearly as many people as it could/should

As said above, this is a private garden, not a public park.

Here is the Planning Board Report with all the cities' recommendations:
https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/09.pdf

The city approved the rezone to CBD (Central Business District), which would have happened no matter what was built here. Garden, Apartment, Office, Hotel, Etc.

Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 55-423. - Permitted uses, allows parks in the CBD so once it was re-zoned it really didn't need any other approvals to become a garden. They did get a Conditional User Permit so they could have outdoor entertainment, but they didn't need that approval to build the garden.

[nebport5]

how'd they ever approve that with such limitations on use? And closed on Tuesdays? It's gonna look great, sure, but it's also not going to be enjoyed by nearly as many people as it could/should

I wonder if the limited hours were influenced by the continued issues at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront Park?

I would bet it has more to do with paying people to monitor the park and probably insurance coverage.

[GrowUpFrances]

I wonder if the limited hours were influenced by the continued issues at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront Park?

Just curious, what have the issues been at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront?

[Brad]

I wonder if the limited hours were influenced by the continued issues at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront Park?

Just curious, what have the issues been at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront?

He posted that over here:
viewtopic.php?p=429855#p429855

[Ben]

how'd they ever approve that with such limitations on use? And closed on Tuesdays? It's gonna look great, sure, but it's also not going to be enjoyed by nearly as many people as it could/should

I wonder if the limited hours were influenced by the continued issues at Leahy Mall and the Riverfront Park?

I can't remember what article I read that explained this, but it has something to do with the value of the improvements being insured. Insurance wouldn't allow unmonitored 24/7 access. Fencing for controlled access was added after the fact due to this insurance requirement.

[thenewguy]

how'd they ever approve that with such limitations on use? And closed on Tuesdays? It's gonna look great, sure, but it's also not going to be enjoyed by nearly as many people as it could/should

As said above, this is a private garden, not a public park.

Here is the Planning Board Report with all the cities' recommendations:
https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/09.pdf

The city approved the rezone to CBD (Central Business District), which would have happened no matter what was built here. Garden, Apartment, Office, Hotel, Etc.

Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 55-423. - Permitted uses, allows parks in the CBD so once it was re-zoned it really didn't need any other approvals to become a garden. They did get a Conditional User Permit so they could have outdoor entertainment, but they didn't need that approval to build the garden.

I just mean specifically the shut down time (e.g. no after dinner strolls) and not open on Tuesdays (which seems random). It looks really nice, and I'm glad that there isn't just an empty lot there or something, but they could have worked together to make it more usable in terms of hours of operation.

[Greg S]

When this was first proposed I don't remember it being described as a private park or with such limited access.

It's just incredibly disappointing compared to what I think everyone was led to believe it was going to be. I think if early on it was being referred to as a private part with somewhat limited public access, there'd be less pushback or disappointment now. I remember early on the discussion on Grow Omaha and it just led to different expectations.

[InTheRoom]

If it truly was an insurance issue that led to the changes, then that is extremely disappointing. This had the potential to be a really great public space and the 11th hour changes severely undermine its attractiveness.

[Brad]

Not sure about the other posters, but for me, when I say "Public", I mean its owned by the City. When I say "Private" its not owned by the city. Its still a space that's opened to the public, its just not owned by the City.

[Greg S]

Not sure about the other posters, but for me, when I say "Public", I mean its owned by the City. When I say "Private" its not owned by the city. Its still a space that's opened to the public, its just not owned by the City.

Probably should have referred to it from the start as privately owned park with some or limited public access.

[Garrett]

In planner parlance, this is a POPS (privately owned public space)

[guy4omaha]

It will all work out. Step back. Enjoy.

[windsor]

Anyone still have an OWH subscription? If so, what does the public pulse article say about the Polina Gardens?

[Garrett]

Anyone still have an OWH subscription? If so, what does the public pulse article say about the Polina Gardens?

Basically asking why $11 million in philanthropic dollars was invested in a garden instead of something like vertical/hydroponic farming in Omaha.

[skinzfan23]

People are so dumb. I saw the headline but didn't read further. Its not their money, why do they care?

[Renovator2559]

I took my dog the other day and the maintenance staff told me, no dogs because they want to protect the plants. So not taking my dog there. These are the same plants from the riverfront and no exotic plants.
I just don't see how the wee hours of open times will entice people to come. No evening hours? That's when the weather is perfect. It's a nice park no doubt but with the museum treatment.

[Lillian Bean]

I love this garden and I'm happy to have it. However, the times I have gone, there have been multiple areas that have been inaccessible due to standing water. It's almost like drainage was not a consideration in the design. I'm also very curious how they plan to solve the permanent fence requirement as the design really doesn't accommodate a permanent fence well.

[almighty_tuna]

I just don't see how the wee hours of open times will entice people to come. No evening hours? That's when the weather is perfect. It's a nice park no doubt but with the museum treatment.

That's because it's not a park, it's a private event space/business that can be rented out but also happens to be occasionally accessible to the public.

[skinzfan23]

They definitely aren’t going to allow pets, just like the play areas in the downtown parks don’t. With the amt of money they spent, I am sure they want to protect it.

[Renovator2559]

The park is a nice gift, it's a big improvement over the ugly parking lot. I understand that the insurance company wants to protect the investment, so I will treat it like private park. park.