Miami 21 Passes 3 to 1 at City of Miami

Although it has to go for a second vote, the zoning overhaul in the City of Miami, called Miami 21 passed. Commissioner Tomas Regalado was the only NO vote. The next big vote will be the Virginia Key Master Plan. There will be an important meeting September 26th so save the date.

Miami 21 will Be heard again today at the City of Miami

It seems Community Activist, Elvis Cruz, was right when he said on August 7th:

I seriously doubt we have heard the last of Miami 21.

The hearing begins at 10 a.m.

The Urban Environment League Board is divided on support for the zoning overhaul. Some members are in favor of it and some are not, thus, we did not take an official position.

Regarding Virginia Key and Miami 21

Dear Mayor Diaz:

I am writing regarding the Miami 21 zoning atlas as it relates to proposed zoning for Virginia Key.

Specifically, I am concerned that the environmentally significant North Point area of Virginia Key has been zoned T-6 under Miami 21, (Urban Core), one of the highest and most dense uses in the city. In addition, other environmentally significant and fragile areas are zoned CS, which may allow for considerable commercial development, including all the Marine Stadium Basin lands, which are adjacent to the Bill Sadowski Critical Wildlife Area, and the Virginia Key Park Trust lands, which include restored hammocks, dunes and beaches that are sea-turtle nesting areas.

In light of the extraordinary environmental resources of Virginia Key, I would urge you to consider amending the Miami 21 zoning atlas to a T-1 zone for environmental conservation for Virginia Key, including a majority of uplands, restored dunes and hammocks and land capable of being restored to natural states, as well as the North Point and City Landfill, , and all submerged lands, as well as beaches.

Miami 21 defines T-1 as follows:

“A Natural Transect (T1) Zone is a zone for environmental conservation.

a. A T1 Zone is to be left in an essentially natural state. Modification of the natural conditions shall be according to Local, State and Federal guidelines. Public access to T1 areas may be limited if it presents a threat to wildlife and plant life within the areas.

b. In a T1 Zone, improvements shall serve solely to protect natural elements. Any paved, graveled, mulched, boardwalk or otherwise improved surface or any habitable, enclosed or air conditioned space shall be kept to the minimum scale necessary to fulfill its purpose..... Only activities and improvements which reinforce the natural character shall be allowed and upon a finding that there is no negative effect to the environment based on a study of potential environmental impacts to be provided by the applicant.”

The Miami 21 T-1 natural areas zoning appears to be the "true" Public Parks zoning and consistent with your commitment to protect the natural resources of our community and restore the environmental values of Virginia Key while enhancing public access.

Sincerely,

Blanca Mesa
Friends of Virginia Key

An Open Letter on Miami 21. By Ernie Martin

I wrote this to my friends concerned about Miami 21:

Thanks for your focus on our neighborhood and on the many shortcomings of Miami 21. I had a long conversation with Arva Parks yesterday, and we both have numerous concerns about Miami 21. It was an ambitious undertaking and the City took many erratic turns, and, although the City (utilizing our tax dollars) spent a huge amount of resources on what many of us think, or at least thought at the time of the launch many years ago, was a quite noble goal. Everyone, of every political stripe, from greedy developers, to historic preservationists, to neighborhood groups trying to preserve a quality of life, agreed an overhaul was necessary. Cynicism is justified for those that believe no effective overhaul of a city’s zoning can possibly succeed without a moratorium first. The City launched the effort, a noble adventure, but then gave it no urgency by allowing business-as-usual during the deliberations, while the City ran amok in inappropriate overdevelopment. No wonder that no one got serious until the City, under the current inept system, drove itself into financial collapse, making itself a caricature of urban financial idiocy unmatched in the country, except perhaps Las Vegas.

Arva and I agreed that perhaps the best analogy to our current dilemma is the current debate over health care reform. Everyone agrees that the current system is dysfunctional and harmful to all of the stakeholders, except the profiteers. It sucks. Everyone agrees that change is needed. But almost every stakeholder has a little gripe about something or other, and a clamor emerges to do nothing, leaving the current ineptitude in place. Who knows when another opportunity will arise for a better system? In health care’s last attempt at reform, it took 30 years for another stab at the problem.

In the case of Miami 21, almost everyone agrees that it has good elements of neighborhood livability, energy sustainability, low-income mixed use housing opportunities, walk ability and pedestrian/bicycle friendly streetscape, and a myriad of other improvements. Reporter Andres Viglucci reported today on the principles of Miami 21 and their potential for great benefit, similar to what is exhibited on Biscayne Boulevard in Edgewater.

Sitting through dozens of hours in public hearings, Arva and I came to the conclusion that many people (the majority that spoke) wanted to keep the current system because it allows them to make more money; that an articulate minority of actual residents represented by many groups and most effectively by Miami Neighborhoods United, made eloquent arguments that the plan does not go far enough in protecting stable single family neighborhoods such as our own. The Commission will have a tough time choosing between these competing interests: the neighborhood groups are strong because they tend to vote for our elected officials that will protect our neighborhoods, but the developers are also strong because they give the vast bulk of campaign funds to elected officials which assure their development agenda.

The majority of the pressure comes from developers, but neighborhood individuals and groups, although a minority of political influence, will lose a great opportunity to make meaningful change if they don’t support Miami 21. It will take years, probably decades, for it to come back. If it passes, it contains many provisions to fight individual shortcomings in individual neighborhoods for specific projects. If it fails, we will go back to the status quo that everyone hates—but developers are excellent at manipulating. If we fight for individual changes under the current system, we will continue to lose; if we fight for individual changes under Miami 21, we will, at least, be fighting from a platform that supports our policies of neighborhood preservation. All passionate urbanites and neighborhood preservationists abhor compromise—we know what is right, and feel inferior if we don’t go to the wall—but sometimes are goals are easier to achieve from a supportive policy base, although not perfect, than to revert to a failed status quo.

I urge my neighbors to support Miami 21, and then use its improved platform to choose our battles strategically.

City Commissioner Sanchez requests date change for Miami 21

According to the Coconut Grove Grapevine a local Blog:

The public has been quite upset today after finding out that Mayor Manny Diaz called for a Miami 21 meeting early next month. Commission chairman Joe Sanchez issued a statement today urging the mayor to cancel the August 6 Miami 21 meeting party because of the outcry but also because there is a Commissioners workshop on the budget for next year, scheduled the same day.

"It is our mandate from the people to focus 100 percent on the budget crisis," said Comm. Sanchez in a letter to the mayor.

There were two budget workshops scheduled weeks ago by Sanchez's office so, unlike other years, when they go into budget meetings in September the Commissioners will be educated and knowledgeable about the budget issues and will have had a chance to ask hard questions of the administration, and will be able to knowledgably address the financial crisis that the City is in and deal with the out-of-control salaries and pensions. He considers that the highest priority.

In all reality, it was a slimy decision on the mayor's part to have a Miami 21 meeting in the dead of summer when many interested parties are out of town. On the other had, the Commissioners' budget workshops do not involve the public, the public budget meetings are in September when most people are back in town.

"Miami 21" Zoning Ordinance Will Go Before The City of Miami Commission August 6th, 2PM

Just when most of us are on vacation (mentally or physically) there will be a very important City of Miami vote on Miami 21 - the ambitious rezoning of the City of Miami. What is your opinion?

Ours is: Important public hearings should not be held in August.

Read the notices on 16A-17A in the Miami Herald or look at the notices on-line, there is a PDF. Our criticism is that the notices should be in color on-line, as a land-use map not is color, with a color key rendered in B&W, is not useful.