CBS4 and The Miami Herald
Feb 10, 2008 9:10 am US/Eastern

Water Managers Reject County's Expansion Plan

MIAMI (CBS4) In the movie "Field of Dreams," the main character Ray Kinsella is told "If you build it, they will come."

The South Florida Water Management District has informed Miami Dade County if they build it, people will come, but they may not have water when they turn on the tap.

The SFWMD has asked state regulators to reject a trio of projects proposed by the county that would be built beyond the Urban Development Boundary; the imaginary line that limits westward sprawl.

The proposed projects include an office business complex, a new Lowe's store at Southwest 138th Avenue and 8th Street and an office-residential complex in west Kendall.

Three months ago, according the CBS4's news partners at the Miami Herald, the SFWMD granted the county a permit for improvement plans to meet the water needs over the next two decades. Water managers say they were never informed about the development projects that would extend beyond the UDB. Miami Dade's plans more than a billion dollars to overhaul the county's water supply system. Under the terms of the permit, the county will be allowed to pump an additional 60 million gallons of water a day by 2027, but most of that water must come from "alternative" sources, and not the Biscayne Aquifer.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who is supporting one of the projects beyond the western boundary, counters that the 20-year permit they received from the SFWMD doesn't limit where new growth can occur.

The SFWMD is not the only group opposed to extending beyond the UDB. The county's planning department, citing the impact of roads, water supply and schools, recommended against going beyond the boundary. The state's Department of Transportation has also objected to the proposals citing increased traffic concerns.

The Florida Department of Community Affairs, which will review the county's proposal for compliance with state growth management laws, will issue its recommendations by the end of the month. County commissioners are expected to take a final vote on the matter in April.

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