Support: HB 175/ SB 192
HB 175/SB 192 would establish a 2 mile buffer zone around Everglades National Park and establish heightened review of any proposals to develop in this area. Sponsored by Miami-Dade delegation members Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera and Senator Bryan Avila, this common sense legislation is worthy of bipartisan support, and we urge all members of the Dade delegation to vote for these additional protections.
Send a letter to the members of the Miami-Dade delegation and tell them to support this important bill!
The image depicts the 2 mile buffer that would be put in place through HB 175/ SB 192.
"Agrihood" Application Seeks To Redefine Agriculture
Update: The Agrihoods application has been deferred to no certain date.
Dec. 13, 2022-- At last week's Planning and Advisory Board, members and the public got their first look at the new "Agrihood" application. County staff's analysis, members' comments and the by scrolling down to the Planning Advisory Board stream. If successful, this proposal would alter the definition of Agricultural zoning to allow for 250 acres of clustered development while requiring only 30% of the land to be preserved for agricultural use. It appears there would be no requirement to farm this land retained for agricultural production. Needless to say, a broad redefinition to county text- not a discrete application for specific parcels- threatens to accelerate consumption of ag land and induce urban sprawl under the guise of preservation.
Thankfully, the Planning Advisory Board seemed skeptical of the intent of broad changes, while being interested in the idea. The Board declined to recommend the application, but did vote to transmit to state agencies for further review. 2 days later, the Agricultural Practices Board reviewed the item and passed a resolution opposing the application.
While bad on its own merits, this is another example of lobbyists and developers seeking to make major changes to the Comprehensive Development Master Plan to allow sprawl without moving the Urban Development Boundary. As support for maintaining the UDB grows, they are exploring new tactics to circumvent established practice. We are meeting with Commissioners to explain the significance of these changes and to maintain public knowledge and engagement in land use decisions.
Rare "Wetlands of Regional Significance" threatened by development
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.
Proposed "Special District" paves over farmland and pushes sprawl into the Everglades
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.
What is this project?
- A proposed development for logistics, warehouses, and retail space on
800 acres350 acres in South Dade. - Requires changes to the Urban Development Boundary (UDB), a land use regulation Miami-Dade County uses to prevent urban sprawl and protect sensitive lands.
- Update January 5, 2023- On November 15. 2022 the Miami-Dade County Commissioners passed voted 8-4 in favor of the UDB expansion for the South Dade Logistics & Technology District. A legal challenge has been filed against this decision by long-time South Miami-Dade County resident Dr. Nita Lewis. The Hold The Line Coalition has worked hard for almost two years opposed to this application and stands in support of Dr Lewis’s legal challenge. The Coalition is collecting funds to support this legal challenge, click here to make a donation. To learn more about the legal challenge filed click here.
Sign the Pledge to uphold smart growth principles and to tell our commissioners to not move the Urban Development Boundary and invest our tax dollars to improve services and infrastructure in our existing communities.