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The
Miami Herald
Posted on Mon. Nov 26, 2007
Developers test Dade boundary again
BY CHARLES RABIN
crabin@MiamiHerald.com
Eighteen months after losing a contentious battle to expand
Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary, developers
are back and armed with a new weapon: a water permit they
hope will push their vision forward.
Last time, county commissioners took the advice of the state's
Department of Community Affairs and rejected four applicants'
requests to build outside the boundary. Four others withdrew
their applications before the vote.
The main concerns: The county was unable to secure a water
permit that would serve growth inside the boundary for decades,
and that there was already an abundance of land to build on
inside the so-called UDB.
But two weeks ago, the state granted Miami-Dade County the
elusive water permit -- setting the stage for a series of
key votes Tuesday.
''We've already said no, but they're returning like zombies
out of Night of the Living Dead,'' said Commissioner Katy
Sorenson, who vowed to vote against any growth initiatives
outside the development line.
''If we're starting to get serious about water, climate and
environmental issues, the most important thing we can do is
prevent urban sprawl,'' she said.
Not everyone on the dais shares Sorenson's view. Commissioner
Joe Martinez, whose district could be affected by two of the
renewed applications, said the 20-year water permit will weigh
heavily in his decision-making.
Commissioners will hear from developers pushing plans to build
a mix of commercial and residential projects in territory
that has been mostly off-limits to construction.
The debate will surely pit opponents to further development
in Florida's most populous county against business interests
that say the projects are needed.
One applicant wants to build a Lowe's retail store near Southwest
138th Avenue and Eighth Street; another plans to create office
and industrial space in an area in Doral near Beacon Lakes;
two others aim to convert agricultural patches of land off
Kendall Drive near Southwest 167th Avenue to business and
office space.
Attorney Juan Mayol represents Lowe's, now making its fourth
attempt to build in far West Miami-Dade. If approved, the
home improvement store promises to bring a new charter school
to the neighborhood that will accommodate up to 2,000 students.
Mayol said the company's plan will address key area issues:
``Namely, the lack of retail services and the lack of a high
school.''
The argument has swayed County Commissioner Jose ''Pepe''
Diaz, who said the area where Lowe's wants to build is infected
with nonnative melaleuca. Residents, Diaz said, are ''overwhelmingly''
in favor of it.
In all, commissioners will ponder 17 changes in the county's
Comprehensive Development Master Plan.
The four of greatest concern -- including the Lowe's and a
large low-density housing complex called Kendall Commons --
stand outside the imaginary boundary that is the eastern reaches
of Florida's Everglades.
The county's Department of Planning and Zoning has denied
the four requests.
''The groups have not demonstrated the need to move the boundaries
for those particular applications,'' said Mark Woerner, acting
assistant director for planning. ``Countywide, we won't have
a depletion [in housing] until 2019.''
The commission must decide whether to kill the applications,
or go against the wishes of staff and forward them to the
state Department of Community Affairs. That department would
return its recommendations to commissioners in April for a
final vote.
Members of Hold the Line -- an umbrella group comprising environmental
groups such as the Audubon Society and the National Parks
Conservation Association -- are urging opponents to show up
at County Hall early Tuesday.
Miami Lakes Town Councilman Michael Pizzi, who belongs to
Hold the Line, called it ''nervy'' that developers are back
before the commission so quickly.
''Urban sprawl -- building first and planning for services
later -- has destroyed the quality of life for thousands of
Dade County residents. They want to do this at the expense
of schools, police, fire and gridlock traffic,'' he said.
But Martinez, the county commissioner who oversees a large
portion of Kendall, believes some of the applicants have an
upside. Though the Lowe's would be built just outside his
district, he said the company has promised to build a bridge
over Southwest 139th Avenue that will actually "alleviate
traffic.''
Martinez said he's also likely to vote for the Kendall commercial
office plan, and against the Kendall Commons plan, because
Dade already has an abundance of housing.
County Mayor Carlos Alvarez remains opposed to moving the development line,
spokeswoman Suzy Trutie said, "`but he will evaluate every application
on a case-by-case basis.'' |
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