Thankfully, PAB members recognized this application for what it was -- BAD policy! The application was denied and will not be sent to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration. This is a victory for Miami-Dade County and for Hold the Line!

Miami developer Ferro Investment Group LLC has withdrawn its application to expand the UDB at this time. This same parcel has been the focus of three previous identical applications, all of which were also withdrawn before the Board of County Commissioners could cast its final vote. This is a victory for Miami-Dade’s residents, environment, and water supply.

Miami developer Ferro Investment Group LLC has submitted an application to expand the UDB south of SW 104th Street and to re-zone agricultural lands to allow for commercial development.

The application, which seeks to develop 9.9 acres, carries with it all of the typical concerns associated with unwise development, such as impacts to water supply and quality, further stretching our already thin infrastructure and public service dollars, and detrimental impacts on nearby homes, schools and businesses .

However, this application also carries special concerns associated with its specific location and the potential impacts of future development of the area if approved, because it is located directly adjacent to approximately 25 acres of farmland. If surrounded by development on the north, east, and west, this valuable agricultural land will be at extreme risk of commercial development.

The Planning Advisory Board (PAB) is scheduled to vote on this application on March 28, 2012. The application will then move to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on April 18, 2012. These dates are subject to change, so check in with the Department of Planning and Zoning’s website for updated agendas: http://www.miamidade.gov/planzone/.

Miami-Dade county commissioners must 'hold the line' and fund and implement solutions that improve our quality of life, our communities, and our environment.

Click image for a larger photo in pdf format.

ALL COUNTY RESIDENTS SHOULD ATTEND AND VOICE YOUR CONCERNS OVER MOVING THE UDB!!

County Chambers:

111 NW 1st Street
SECOND FLOOR
Miami, FL 33128

Click Here to See a Map of this location:
(LINK to MAPQUEST)
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Hold the Line believes that moving the UDB at any location, whether for a large or small development, will only encourage and lead to truly massive projects (or “Developments of Regional Impact”) that will add thousands of people onto areas that are vital for agriculture, are important for replenishing our drinking water supply, and which help control floods during major hurricanes like Katrina. Stand up for our quality of life and our future! Make sure that our existing communities don’t lose out to the pressures of big developers looking to make big money.

EMAIL: htl@cleanwater.org or call (305) 485-5949 to find out more.

A 6,000 home Development of Regional Impact (DRI) has been submitted to the South Florida Regional Planning Council in a recently annexed area south of Florida City. This DRI, not currently before the County Commission, could load more people (at the intersection of Card Sound Road and US-1) than all of the current UDB applications combined.

It is vital for county commissioners to hear our concerns.

THE MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL Posted on Wed, Jan. 18, 2006 Straight to the point BAD TIMING
Whatever the motive for removing Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson from the South Florida Regional Planning Council, Commission Chairman Joe Martinez's timing was lousy. Ms. Sorenson was one of four county commissioners from Miami-Dade on the council, a regional advisory group on growth management. She has served on the council since 1994 and was slated to become council president next year. That post would have given Ms. Sorenson leverage to press forward on crucial county issues such as mass-transit improvements. The chairman's timing was doubly bad in that his decision to remove Ms. Sorenson came days after the council recommended that the county's Urban Development Boundary not be expanded. Ms. Sorenson, a consistent supporter of sound growth-management practices, voted with the council majority. Since the County Commission is under heavy pressure from developers to expand the UDB, the chairman's abrupt removal of a commissioner opposed to moving the line has been interpreted by some as retribution. That perception could backfire on Mr. Martinez. He would be wise to reappoint Ms. Sorenson to the council.
Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Joe Martinez removed Commissioner Katy Sorenson from the South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC), where she was a resounding voice for TRUE smart growth, Everglades defense, mass-transit support, and a champion for the need to hold the Urban Development Boundary.
Commissioner Sorenson was also the only Commissioner in December to sustain Mayor Alvarez's veto to stop transmittal of the applications to move the UDB.
Katy Sorenson has wholeheartedly embraced the SFRPC's mission: To identify the long-term challenges and opportunities facing Southeast Florida and assist the Region's leaders in developing and implementing creative strategies that result in more prosperous and equitable communities, a healthier and cleaner environment, and a more vibrant economy. Commissioner Sorenson would have been eligible in the near future for the position of Chair for the Planning Council before her removal, under questionable circumstances detailed in the Miami Herald: http://udbline.com/articles/ miami_herald/01_14_06.htm Despite nearly perfect attendance Sorenson was de-appointed, almost immediately after defending the UDB once again at a recent SFRPC meeting where she and others from the Council overwhelmingly found inconsistencies in the proposals to move the UDB. Read more at: http://udbline.com/articles/miami herald/01_10_06.htm Sound Off! Tell Chairman Martinez that he was wrong to remove Commissioner Katy Sorenson from the South Florida Regional Planning Council. We need leaders like Sorenson who, through years of experience with growth issues, understands what sound planning requires; someone who represents County residents' concern that land-use policies are being driven by developers and not by the will of the people. Chairman Joe A. Martinez: E-mail: District11@miamidade.gov Downtown Office 305-375-5511 Fax 305-375-5883 District 11 Office 305-552-1155 Fax 305-552-0577 While you're at it, send a quick thank you to Commissioner Sorenson for her steadfast leadership, past and future, and her willingness to voice the concerns of the majority who oppose moving the UDB. Commissioner Katy Sorenson: E-mail:District8@miamidade.gov
Posted on Mon, Dec. 12, 2005 THE MIAMI HERALD MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION Chairman cuts unusual deal
Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez bought land from one of the county'slargest home developers in a deal that offered the commissioner favorable terms. BY NOAKI SCHWARTZ AND MATTHEW HAGGMAN Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez bought a residential lot in his district this year from one of the county's biggest private home developers in a deal that some real estate analysts called unusual: ...CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Over the last year 10 applications were put forward to move the line or make expansion easier in the future. Of the original 10, 5 were withdrawn before the Commission vote and 4 were denied during the hearing on April 19. The State Department of Community Affairs will decide if the movement of the boundary will go forward for the Hialeah project. Hold the Line retains concerns over this application and is sending an open letter to the State with our objections which will be posted shortly.

There are still 2 developments so large they will have regional impact, affecting three counties: Monroe, Miami Dade and Broward. They are called DRI’s: Developments of Regional Impact. These 2 large scale developments south of Florida City and west of Kendall are cities in themselves, slated for as many as 18,000 people each, and would have far bigger impacts to quality of life. Please stay tuned!

See how the Commissioners voted on the UDB and please acknowledge those commissioners who Held the Line by email or phone with your appreciation, just as you may have already urged them over the year to Hold the Line.