The Miami Herald

WESTERN MIAMI-DADE DEVELOPMENT

Dade mayor: Don't move development boundary

Activists and elected leaders gathered in Kendall Monday for a last shot at persuading Miami-Dade County commissioners not to expand the Urban Development Boundary.

Posted on Tue, Apr. 22, 2008

BY CHARLES RABIN
crabin@MiamiHerald.com

Days before a crucial vote that could open the development floodgates on Miami-Dade's western edges, the county's mayor gathered with activists in a Kendall park Monday with a message for commissioners: Hold the line.

'It's easy to look at an open parcel of land and say, 'let's just build on it,' '' Mayor Carlos Alvarez said from Indian Hammocks Park. "Open spaces are just as important to a community as skyscrapers.''

On Thursday, commissioners will be asked to endorse three applications west of the Urban Development Boundary between Southwest Eighth and 112th streets. One is for a Lowe's home center, another a commercial and office park, a third a residential community.

The contentious debate began in November, when commissioners voted 8-5 to send the items to the state Department of Community Affairs for review. A week later, Alvarez vetoed the commission vote, saying building outside the UDB would strain the county's already taxed resources.

Two weeks after that, the commission overrode the mayor's veto 9-4, keeping the development issues alive. Siding with Alvarez: Commissioners Katy Sorenson, Carlos Gimenez, Dennis Moss and Rebeca Sosa.

The ping-pong continued into February, when the state returned the three items to commissioners -- recommending denial. The state said the projects could strain water supplies and community services.

HOLD THE LINE

On Monday, Alvarez, with a gaggle of supporters at his side that included Sorenson and Miami Lakes Town Councilman Michael Pizzi, reiterated Community Affairs' recommendation and urged commissioners to heed its advice.

Most of the supporters were from the organization Hold The Line, an anti-development group created to fight building outside the UDB line, which basically runs along Krome Avenue to the south.

''We've seen the error of our ways,'' Sorenson said.

Piped in Pizzi: "You can't say you're green and pave over the Everglades.''

Those pushing approval have offered wild cards to persuade commissioners: Lowe's would build a bridge along Southwest 139th Avenue, and developer David Brown said he'd build a new roadway to help alleviate traffic near Kendall Drive and Southwest 162th Avenue for his proposed commercial and office complex.

Juan Mayol, a land-use attorney representing Lowe's, said his client has resolved all the state's questions, and that the project has community support.

''The only question now is whether approval of the application is the right policy choice,'' said Mayol.

Others are donating money. Developer Mario Ferro -- who is trying to build a 160-acre residential community near Southwest 112th Street and 167th Avenue -- and family members, have donated at least $2,000 to Alvarez, according to the mayor's campaign report. Alvarez is up for reelection in August.

COLLECTED THOUSANDS

Though consistent in his opposition to moving the UDB, Alvarez has nonetheless collected thousands of dollars from developers and lobbyists who want the boundary moved, his most recent report shows.

Even Mayol donated $250 to the mayor.

Monday, asked why he was willing to collect the contributions from development foes, Alvarez was curt.

''Why wouldn't I?'' he asked. "It's called fundraising.''