The Miami Herald

Posted on Wed, Jan. 25, 2006

MIAMI-DADE

Bid to contain development limits fails

A county commissioner was thwarted in his attempt to get a written promise that Florida City won't lobby to expand the Urban Development Boundary to include its recently annexed land.

BY NOAKI SCHWARTZ AND CURTIS MORGAN
nschwartz@MiamiHerald.com

A bid to prevent Florida City, which last year annexed 1,700 acres of land outside the Urban Development Boundary, from lobbying for changes to the boundary failed Tuesday.

County commissioners last year approved the annexation of county land -- all of it outside the development boundary -- despite critics' objections that it laid the groundwork for denser development.

Home-builder Lennar has floated plans for a mega-development that could bring as many as 6,000 new homes to the Florida City land.

Commissioner Carlos Gimenez said Tuesday he wanted a written city agreement with the county that formalizes the annexation to include language that would ban Florida City leaders from lobbying for boundary changes.

Three other commissioners -- including Chairman Joe Martinez -- supported the request. But the rest of the commission voted it down, arguing it placed unusual restrictions on Florida City not common to other county annexation agreements.
During last year's debate over the annexation, Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace insisted that his municipality was not involved in the proposed Atlantic Civil project backed by Lennar.

Monroe County opposes the plan, citing concerns it could hinder hurricane evacuation from the Keys and harm water quality.

The project is one of the largest in a spate of efforts to expand the boundary and has fueled a pitched battle between developers and hold-the-line activists. The County Commission has the authority to change the boundary.

Lennar has contracted to purchase the land, but any project would have several hurdles to clear before coming back to the commission for a vote.

Wallace has said Florida City's attempt to boost its tax rolls has been unfairly entangled in the development boundary debate. He also has said he hoped new homeowners would be willing to buy the five-acre ''ranchettes'' currently allowed outside the boundary.

Gimenez's proposal could have prevented Wallace from throwing his political weight behind the Atlantic Civil project. Lobbyist Miguel DeGrandy, who represents Florida City, said Wallace was conveying his ''personal intentions'' and "cannot speak for council members.''

Other commissioners balked at having a legal document restrict city policy decisions, including Commissioner Barbara Jordan, whose brother is the Florida City mayor and whose sister, Sandy Walker, is a registered lobbyist for Atlantic Civil and Lennar.

''I think there has to be equity and fair play in how we do things,'' said Jordan, noting that the commission did not require a similar promise when approving annexations by Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens outside the urban boundary.

Commissioners Katy Sorenson and Rebeca Sosa said it was unfair to compare annexations of industrial and relatively small-scale annexations to the scope of the Florida City land.

Said Sorenson: "Every annexation is different. This seems like a simple clause to add.''