The UEL Dinner March 17th.

At the UEL Dinner the question was asked: “Have Women Been the Major Visionaries for Historic Preservation in South Florida?’’ The speakers gave men their due, but it was clear that Miami-Dade women have been a major force in historic preservation. Moderator Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, in such dynamic company, lost control of the microphone early-on.



Sally Jude, Frances "Dolly MacIntyre, Arva Moore Parks



Enid Pinkney and Kathleen Kauffman



Nancy Liebman


Sallye Jude, Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick (Moderator)

The Miami Herald: "Legislators deserve a reckoning for their reckless pursuit of paving over more and more of Florida."

The vision of the UEL for Miami-Dade County begins with:

"A safe, clean, vibrant, sustainable community guided by the public's interest and governed by a Master Plan..."

Editorial for the Miami Herald:

GROWTH LAWS GET A BREAK

In a rare mood of candor, legislative leaders have admitted that they're forgoing their usual assaults on Florida's growth management laws this session because it's an election year. They're worried that voters will retaliate against how they've managed growth (badly).

Yet knowing that the majority of Florida's residents hate sprawl and support sound growth management principles never stops them from weakening these laws in off-election years.

Consider 2009: The Legislature approved a bill that lets developers off the hook for paying for roads for new subdivisions. Lawmakers used the recession as an excuse, arguing that it would jump-start construction.

It was a false premise then, and it still is. Construction is at a standstill. In the midst of the foreclosure crisis the state has more vacant housing stock than ever.

Lawmakers are also worried about a 2010 ballot question -- called Hometown Democracy -- that would let voters decide land-use decisions. They're being careful not to bad-mouth it, fearing voter backlash.

Remember this cynical double-dealing come November. Legislators deserve a reckoning for their reckless pursuit of paving over more and more of Florida.
The Miami Herald

Miami Museum of Art Funding in Jeopardy

Miami New Times: Terrance Riley says he resigned when he realized the building on the bay would take longer than he had originally anticipated.

"Under ideal circumstances I would have stayed and seen the project through, but from any objective perspective, it's more complex politically than virtually any other project I'm aware of."

What made the circumstances "not ideal"? Here's part of what the story finds out: For starters, there's the money. The county manager reported two weeks ago that only $30 million have been raised for the construction of the new building, not $45 million like the museum had said before. Half of that is in pledges that may not materialize.

In other cities, trustees might have come to Riley's aid. But, some trustees were dubious of his reputation from the beginning.

Nine trustees left the MAM board in two years.

Enid Pinkney Speaking at UEL Dinner

The picture quality is poor, but her talk on Overtown historical preservation can be heard pretty clearly. She talks about Athalie Range, Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields and gets some laughs at the end.

One thing was clear at the dinner, all of these panelists were swamped with historic candidates for saving.

UEL Dinner Tonight!

We are taking reservations till noon today!! Email us at uelinfo@bellsouth.net

Federal Judge Impatient on Everglades Cleanup

Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno, according to the Miami Herald, "made it clear Tuesday that his patience was nearing an end -- both with delays in the controversial land deal and the glacial pace of the cleanup."

And Judge Moreno said:

"When is it ever going to end? I guess `When is it ever going to begin?' is the better question.''
The judge said he would issue rulings later on pending motions, some of which he had put on hold while the South Florida Water Management District pursued a land deal with the U.S. Sugar Corp.

The Urban Environment League is a member of the Everglades Coalition, "an alliance of 53 local, state and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the greater Everglades ecosystem, from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes into Lake Okeechobee, through the "River of Grass", out to Florida Bay and the Keys. Through consensus the Everglades Coalition is dedicated to:

* Advocating for the restoration, protection and enhancement of the greater Everglades ecosystem;
* Supporting and providing education and public understanding regarding all aspects of the Everglades ecosystem;
* Supporting and sponsoring research in the protection, restoration and enhancement of the Everglades ecosystem;
* Facilitating the coordination of information resources, strategies and efforts among Everglades Coalition members."

Andres Viglucci On UEL St. Patrick's Day Dinner

"Here’s something that had not occurred to me" Andre Viglucci said on his blog Uranista, The Urban Environment League, in the theme for its latest dinner forum, posits this intriguing question: “Have Women Been the Major Visionaries for Historic Preservation in South Florida?’’

"The panelists include: Sallye Jude, Kathleen Kauffman, Nancy Liebman, Dolly MacIntyre, Arva Moore Parks and Enid Pinkney.

Asked and answered, I would say, given that list."

Andres Viglucci writes about Mayor Regalado Appearance at UEL Dinner

02/18/2010
Regalado to UEL: Expect no grand plans, but thy will be done – like Miami Marine Stadium restoration

First, the news: Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado told an Urban Environment League forum Wednesday evening to expect an announcement soon about $3 million in seed money for Miami Marine Stadium restoration. Details in three weeks.

Among mostly friends, Regalado was chatty and relaxed, reiterating positions that must have sounded like sweet music to the audience.

I.E,: He still doesn’t think the port tunnel is a good idea; he’s “skeptical’’ the Miami Art Museum and Miami Science Museum have the fundraising muscle to meet their financial commitments towards new homes in Museum Park; the Miami River should be preserved as a working waterway; and he intends to amend the Miami 21 zoning code, approved by the previous commission but frozen by the new administration, to incorporate a laundry list of rejected amendments that had been proposed by neighborhood activists (interesting to see how that comes out since some appeared to be unworkable).

Still no overarching vision and little evidence of an appetite for one, other than a promise for greater transparency and public participation in government decisions and operations – to, as he put it, “reclaim the city for the residents.’’

But what started to emerge, perhaps, was hints of a strategy, if that’s what it is: A piecemeal approach that eschews the sweeping plans and multi-generational vision of his predecessor, Manny Diaz, for building blocks that can set in place in short order. Perhaps the right thing for parlous times and, as Regalado put it, widespread “government fatigue’’ on the part of voters?

That’s what struck me when he was asked if he favored forming a trust to guide master planning and restoration of Virginia Key. Why? he responded. Instead, he said, focus on something achievable – like renovating the landmark Marine Stadium.

“I’m not going to promise the people we are going to have the greatest thing ever on Virginia Key. I don’t know that,’’ he said, in what was perhaps a dig at Diaz, who came in for his share of them during the talk.

“But I know we can do Marine Stadium. This should be our immediate goal. If we do Marine Stadium, then people will believe Virginia Key can be done.’’

Other tidbits:

* The city will drop appeals of court decisions that struck down certain condo projects on the river as incompatible with the city’s comprehensive development plan. The comp plan will be re-amended to restore protections for marine-oriented businesses.

* He and new City Commissioner Richard Dunn will “do something’’ about severe underuse at the new $20 million Little Haiti Cultural Center (see below).

* He will seek to foster economic development in the city through expansion of the city’s film industry and revitalization of industrial zones in Allapattah, Little Haiti and Wynwood.

Posted by Andres Viglucci at 01:23 PM

Reminder: UEL Dinner is March 17th, RSVP Today!

No on the green beer but yes on corned beef. There will also be salmon with an Irish cream sauce.

Virginia Key Planning Meeting on March 27

Several classes from the University of Miami (UM) are developing plans for Virginia Key and the Marine Stadium Basin with the full cooperation of the City of Miami Administration. The City hopes to incorporate the results of the student work in its final recommendations for the Master Plan for Virginia Key, scheduled to be presented to the City Commission in June or July.

Students from UM's School of Architecture, taught by UM Professor and Friends of Marine Stadium Co-Founder Jorge Hernandez, and Hilario Candela, architect of the Stadium, will be presenting their work (in draft form) followed by public input on Saturday, March 27 at the Rusty Pelican, 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key from 9:00 AM-11:00 PM. The event is free and there will be free breakfast munchies and coffee. Call 305-358-9572.

Don't miss this important opportunity to participate.

Homestead Row-Farmer CEO Speaks Out

The UEL supports our Agriculture industry and preserving what little contiguous farmland we have left in Miami Dade County.

Our County farmers have lost $286 Million due to the cold snap. "Miami Today" conducted an interview with tomato grower, Georgetown Educated, Paul DiMare - CEO of DiMare Fresh. DiMare says that fields dedicated tomato growing has shrunk from 50,000 acres to 2,500 acres today in Miami Dade County. He blames NAFTA for the decline of farming in Florida. He said NAFTA sent 500,000 jobs out the door. He said we had a $5 billion dollar trade surplus. Within a couple of years we are left with a $25 billion trade deficit. DiMare says the main population for pickers is of Mexican heritage. He proposes an immigation policy like other countries have, for workforce people. He says wages for field workers are about $12.50 to $13 per hour but he can't find U.S. residents who want to do that work.

Here is last week's video interview with Mr. DiMare.

Mayor Carlos Alvarez and City of Miami Manager Carlos Migoya talk to Helen Ferre

See the March 5th Helen Ferre interview with Mayor Carlos Alvarez. He talks about union negotiations, public safety, the Urban Development Boundary, budget cuts, etc. We think it is an excellent interview, worth the view.

Also see the interview with new City of Miami Manager Carlos Migoya which aired March 5th. He talks about the pension problems in the City, i.e. life expectancy has made pensions unsustainable. He also sees salary raises as a problem.

Virginia Key Guiding Principles.

Does Virginia Key Need Guiding Principles? From viewfromvirginiakey.com:

Alternatives to the 2009 proposed master plan for Virginia Key are now being mulled over by community groups, public officials, editorial writers and even University of Miami Architecture School students in a special design workshop on Virginia Key. The City of Miami Commission is set to reconsider the Virginia Key Master Plan in May 2010.

What will guide decisions about what, where and how the island should be used? Should public land be redeveloped using the same principles as private property? Do private sector rules of highest and best use apply? Does public access trump revenue generation by a cash-strapped city? Should short term goals override sound, long-term planning? Is the fragile environment of Virginia Key going to survive?

Perhaps a lesson from the recent past can help. In 1999, the City of Miami was in the throes of a financial crisis, much like today, and Virginia Key public land was seen as an opportunity to increase revenues, much like today. Sensing a need for some kind of order amid the chaos of competing interests, University of Miami Professor Greg Bush, then president of the Urban Environment League, came up with these guiding “Principles for the Future of Virginia Key.” Here is Here are the principles:

-Free and clear public access to the beach and all public property should be maintained.

-Public participation should be insured throughout the process of re-designing the use of public land with due public notice given in major newspapers. The need for public charrettes, paid for by the city and other sources of funds is paramount. All city and county reports should be completed on schedule and issued in writing.

-Those Virginia Key Advisory Board or Waterfront Board members with personal interest of their own, or by members of their family or close personal friends in future economic benefit from the and in question should consider that this might constitute a conflict of interest and should consider removing themselves from their respective Committees.

-Public bathroom facilities should be made available to all and adequate security should be maintained in all public parks.
-Public access to public land should not be inhibited by parking restrictions or inadequate public transportation.

-Public parkland should be used to enhance the appreciation of nature through walking trails, public campgrounds. It should also provide places of contemplation and relaxation as well as be redesigned for active recreational uses and as entertainment venues. There is a paramount value to keep all activity small scale.

-Public parkland on Virginia Key should be used to memorialize the civil rights struggle of African Americans. A memorial structure should be constructed modeled after the FDR memorial in Washington D.D. that will be a place of contemplation and tell the history of the struggle. It should be developed in cooperation with the Black Archives. The site should be a non-commercial service to the community, act as a tourist destination. All proceeds should benefit underprivileged youth.

-A suitable memorial should be created for all those from Cuba and Haiti who arrived on the shores of Virginia Key in their flight from oppression.

-Commercial eating facilities should be strictly limited to small scale operations.

-Educational programs for youth should be a major objective in redesigning the public parkland - done in conjunction with the Biscayne Nature Center.

-This Committee should be retained during the entire process of the planning for Virginia Key not merely to help with Specification for RFP’s so that there be continuity of knowledge.

-A Wilderness Campground should be created for inner city children, children at risk, and others, similar to the youth camp at Biscayne National Park.

-Any designs should be completed only after full and active consultation with local experts in the fields of environmental science and local history and with due deference to the ecological and historical nature of this island.

Dade Heritage Trust Events on Virginia Key

Dade Heritage Days every year, celebrates all Miami has to offer and they have planned events featuring Virginia Key.

Dolphin Stadium Improvement Funding Off the Table for Now

The Miami Dolphins are not pursuing funding to renovate Dolphin Stadium. The team owners have decided that with the myriad of economic problems facing Miami Dade County, that this would not be a good time to seek $200 million in tax-backed funds. It is about time they came to this conclusion.

It looks like we have heard the end of the Rodney Barreto pitch for money for the Stadium. The UEL didn't know there was actually a bill set to be filed in Tallahassee that would have set the Miami-Dade hotel taxes "tourist tax" cap 1% higher. We would like to know which legislators were preparing this bill.

The UEL is pleased that this issue is off the table. The priorities of the County and State of Florida should be on more pressing issues.

Most Credible Climate Skeptic Not So Credible After All

From Mother Jones By Kate Sheppard - Feb. 26

Patrick Michaels has more credibility than your average climate skeptic. Unlike some of the kookier characters that populate the small world of climate denialists—like Lord Christopher Monckton, a sometime adviser to Margaret Thatcher who claims that "We are a carbon-starved planet," or H. Leighton Steward, a retired oil executive and author of a best-selling diet book who argues that carbon dioxide is "green"—Michaels is actually a bona fide climate scientist. As such, he's often quoted by reporters as a reasonable expert who argues that global warming has been overhyped. But what Michaels doesn't mention in his frequent media appearances is his history of receiving money from big polluters.

For example:

As it turned out, Michaels' attempt to keep his client list secret wasn't entirely successful. The court documents reveal that lawyers for the defense saw records revealing that Michaels had received money from at least one very large energy company.

In addition, Greenpeace recently obtained an older copy of Michaels' curriculum vitae via a Freedom of Information Act request that shows that the Western Fuels Association, a coal and fuel-transportation business group, gave him a $63,000 grant in the early 1990s for "research on global climatic change." He also received $25,000 from the Edison Electric Institute, an association of electric utilities, from 1992-95 for "literature review of climate change and updates." And a 2006 leaked industry memo revealed that he received $100,000 in funding from the Intermountain Rural Electric Association to fund climate denial campaigning around the time of the release of An Inconvenient Truth. Reporter Ross Gelbspan wrote in his 1998 book The Heat is On, one of the earliest works documenting industry funding for climate change skepticism, that Michaels also received $49,000 came from the German Coal Mining Association and $40,000 from the western mining company Cyprus Minerals.