URGENT ISSUES: Action Required

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• Wrong Place- The proposed site contains scarce agricultural land supporting nearly 200 jobs, and is under consideration for Everglades and Biscayne Bay restoration plans.
• No Demonstrated Need-  Independent expert analysis and Miami-Dade county’s professional staff have concluded there is sufficient land near existing infrastructure to build this project.
• Inflated Jobs Numbers- Independent experts and county staff have determined the job creation numbers promised by the developer are greatly exaggerated and based on outdated jobs models.
• Wasted Taxpayer Money- Thursday 9/22 will be the 4th hearing in front of the BCC. Citizens receive one minute, why do developers get unlimited time at taxpayer expense for incomplete applications? 

Enough is enough!

• No Demonstrated Need- County staffs’ analysis found ample land located inside the UDB available that could be used for truck parking.
• Drinking Water Quality- This site is above our Western Wellfields that supply drinking water to county residents. As our population grows, we must protect our water supply.
• Unique Wetlands- This location is designated  “Wetlands of Regional Significance” and supports Everglades and Biscayne Bay restoration and health.

Oppose 836 Extension (AKA the Kendall Parkway):

• The Hold The Line Coalition mounted a campaign in 2014 against the proposed 836 extension resulting in a legal challenge to the highway. We raised funds and found a legal team to work pro bono on the case to ensure it moved forward and was challenged in 2019. 
• We succeeded in obtaining a recommended order from Judge Suzanne Van Wyk in our favor. On June 15, 2021, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted 3-1 to approve changes to the Miami-Dade Comprehensive Plan allowing for the development of a six-lane tollway outside the UDB and disregarding Judge Van Wyk’s order that the 836 extension is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the County's Comprehensive Development Master Plan and with state law. That official order was passed on September 21, 2021, and the clock to appeal is ticking.
• HTL will continue to assist the plaintiffs, Michelle Garcia and the Tropical Audubon Society, in the appeal. We will also work to deny the 404 permit and the Environmental Resource Program permits by organizing experts, the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Restoration plan (BBSEER) and advocating for the acquisition of areas critical to restoration in the Bird Drive Basin. 

Related News Coverage: CBS 4 Miami Coverage, Miami Herald Editorial, Miami Herald Post-Vote Article, WLRN Article 

Hold The Line in District 11 - Green City.  

Basis for Opposition:

This application would eliminate 316 acres of agricultural land at the edge of the Everglades. The development of this land would increase the chances of more  development and even more urban sprawl. 

Where We Stand - Status of Application and Need for Action:

• A CDMP application to expand the Urban Development Boundary in District 11 to create a "Special District," Green City. The application is for ~316 acres in an Urban Expansion Area (“UEA”). Proposed uses include a commerce center and residential housing. An architectural rendering shows it as the northern part of the larger proposed "Green City Miami." There are several issues with this application. Rezoning the land for Industrial use would further shrink Miami Dade’s disappearing agricultural lands and reduce the buffer zone between the Everglades and urban Miami. There is sufficient unused industrial land within the UDB to support the project. 
• The application claims that no endangered species live in the area and that “environmentally friendly designs” are being incorporated into planning the development, there is no documentation or evidence to support either claim.

Prevent Approval of Application to move UDB in District 12 (MIA West Logistics Park):

Basis for Opposition:

In addition to promoting urban sprawl, this scarce and productive agricultural area contains wetlands previously identified as habitat that should not be inside the UDB.

Where We Stand - Status of Application and Need for Action:

• A CDMP application by Terra137, et al., to expand the UDB in District 12. The ~41 acres for MIA West Logistics Park (the “Special District” or “MIA West”) would be used for distribution and logistics centers, warehouses, ancillary offices, light manufacturing, wholesale showrooms and similar uses. 
• The application has the same problems with agricultural land as the District 11  application. The entire proposed development resides in Miami-Dade County’s “Wetlands of Regional Significance,” an area specifically identified in the 2021 Urban Expansion Area Report prepared by the County’s Department of  Regulatory and Economic Resources as an area off limits to development.

Prevent Approval of Item 2A (Proposed CDMP Policies by Miami-Dade County Commission): 

Basis for Opposition:

Item 2A (Sponsored by Chairman Diaz) - The resolution circumvents normal planning rules to create a deficit in single-family housing, placing 4,000 acres of farmland in immediate danger. The county currently has more than 85% single-family homes and only 6% multi-family homes, putting pressure on household budgets and on our natural spaces. Since multifamily housing costs 40-50% less and is typically closer to transit, we should focus on expanding multifamily housing and protecting greenspace outside of the UDB. If we are to defeat the Green City application and others like it for residential supply, then we must not allow this item to pass. The item was deferred until no date certain, though it will likely return for a vote soon now that Commissioner Regalado and Chairman Diaz have met to discuss it.