Miami Beach's Overdevelopment Challenge

Rapid accelerated growth of development in Miami Beach has led to significant traffic congestion and is straining our City's aging infrastructure. I am proposing that Miami Beach adopt a more harmonious and balanced approach to development while investing in resilient infrastructure, essential practices to preserving our City's paradise-like qualities.

Sensible development helps cities upgrade aging buildings. By contrast, overdevelopment erodes the quality of life of its residents. I am observing firsthand and listening to our residents - as evidenced by voter referendum results in the past few years rejecting the Miami Beach Marina, Deauville and Lincoln Road projects - that we must limit building height and density increases. 

Since 1997, the Miami Beach City Charter has required a 5/7 Commission vote plus voter approval for any increase in a property's zoned floor area ratio (FAR). FAR is the method the City uses to regulate the size of a building. From 1997-2015, the City Commission did not propose any FAR increases, meaning an increase in building size. However, from 2015-2022, the City Commission approved 12 (yes 12!) proposed FAR increases for voter referendum.

Making matters worse, a new Florida law as of July 1 preempts voter referendum approval for private property density increases. This means our Commission will be able to approve FAR increases (and potentially significant height and density increases) through a 5/7 Commission vote without voter approval.

To keep development in check I recently proposed legislation that would require a 6/7 Commission approval for building size increases instead of the current 5/7. The Planning Board recently approved my proposed legislation with a 6-1 vote. Stay tuned as our full Commission will be voting on my legislation in the coming months. Read More

County's Baylink Metromover Proposal

Another overdevelopment issue I brought to the forefront earlier this year that continues to concern me relates to the County's Baylink Metromover proposal. Miami-Dade County's Rapid Transit Zones (RTZ) incentivizes development by allowing increased density and FAR within 1/2 mile of transit projects. County RTZ zoning laws preempts Miami Beach zoning law. A real potential exists for County zoning laws to supersede Miami Beach zoning which could potentially allow for significantly higher intensity development near proposed mass transit corridors. 

It is possible but not certain that historic districts would be exempt from the County's zoning laws. But what about non-historic districts within Miami Beach? There has been discussion about extending the Baylink down Alton Road to the Convention Center. As I was recently quoted in Miami Today "if that happens, all of Alton Road is subject to the County's zoning laws and would preempt us from implementing (our less expansive) zoning laws." Read More

To counter this real potential of overdevelopment, I introduced a resolution, passed by our Commission, seeking to exempt Miami Beach from the County's RTZ laws. Read More. Unfortunately, the County so far has not exempted us. I continue to press for this exemption to ensure that Miami Beach controls its zoning laws, not the County. 

I am committed to ensuring responsible development! So should you.

Posted on 25 Aug 2023, 22:48 - Category: 2023