MIAMI HERALD
February 4, 2005

Please help kill plan to annex wetland area
By Jim Defede

In a move that will endanger Everglades restoration, Florida City is trying to annex 4,284 acres of environmentally sensitive land for development.

Miami-Dade County staff as well as the county's Planning Advisory Board oppose the annexation on numerous grounds. The 6.7-square-mile parcel is southeast of Card Sound Road and entirely outside the county's Urban Development Boundary line, the UDB.

The UDB was created to keep the county from being made into one giant overdeveloped slab of concrete and asphalt by protecting the environment and maintaining the county's rural and agricultural history.

Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace argues that the city merely wants to annex the land so that it can offer its residents the opportunity to build ranch-style homes on five-acre lots. He said he is not looking to change the zoning of the land and that even today -- before the annexation -- anyone can go to County Hall and pull the permits to build such homes.

And he's right.

But he is also being disingenuous. While it is true that anyone can try to build rural-style homes in that area today, no one at the county is promoting such development. Florida City will not only encourage it, the city will make it easier by providing the infrastructure, such as roads and utilities. That will undermine the expenditure of millions of dollars by the state and federal government to restore the area's natural water flow.

Furthermore, the idea that Florida City wants to annex this land simply to offer five-acre lots is not believable. The ultimate goal -- whether Wallace admits it or not -- is to move the UDB and allow more development.

In an interview, Wallace said he believed the UDB should be reconsidered. ''I do not believe the UDB was set by God,'' he said. ``As far as I know, they drew a line in the sand one day. But the city is not asking for the county to move the UDB as part of this application.''

Well, yes and no.

In its application, the city states that it will add the annexed land to its ''future land use map.'' According to the Planning Advisory Board, the PAB, creating that map ultimately requires moving the UDB.

Indeed, the planning board noted, there is already one private company planning for more intensive development in the annexed land.

But even if you don't care about the environment, or the threatened species that would be endangered, such as the Florida panther and the Indigo snake, you should care about this proposal because it's going to cost you money -- even if you live in the north end of the county in Commissioner Barbara Jordan's district.

''Over three quarters of the proposed annexation area has been designated for acquisition by either the county . . . the [South Florida Water Management District] or both, in recognition of the significance of these wetlands to the continued health of the regional ecosystem,'' the planning board noted.

By giving the land to Florida City, the county in a few years may have to buy back portions of the land it gave away. Does that make sense?

County, state and federal agencies are also in the midst of a comprehensive watershed study. Approving this annexation while that study is pending is ''premature,'' according to the PAB, and could ``increase the costs of management and restoration of remaining sensitive lands.''

''The problem is perspective,'' said Jamie Furgang, of Florida Audubon. ``We can either focus on the short-term benefits to Florida City or the long-term costs. This annexation is going to end up effecting our water supply, the Bay, and our quality of life.''

And don't forget our wallets.

This Tuesday, the County Commission's Infrastructure and Land Use Committee will vote on the annexation. The committee members are: Natacha Seijas (305-375-4831); Jose ''Pepe'' Diaz (305-375-4343); Barbara Carey-Shuler (305-375-5393 ), Carlos Jimenez (305-375-5680), Dorrin Rolle (305-375-4833) and Barbara Jordan (305-375-5694).

Call them Monday and urge them to kill this proposal.