UEL - Issue19

The Urban ForumNewsletter of The Urban Environment League

October 2006Issue No. 19Website: www.uel.org

Email: [email protected]

Welcome to another new, goodyear for the Urban EnvironmentLeague.

The UEL summer ended after avery productive series of CountyCommission Candidate Forums.UEL committees have finalized a fan-tastic Dinner Series at the MiamiRiver Inn, and a set of Smart GrowthBus Tours, the firston November 17to Delray Beach,and a second onMarch 23 toABACOA in PalmBeach County.

Details of theBus Tour and Din-ners are in thisnewsletter.

Other issues inwhich UEL is en-gaged includemonitoring theproposed develop-ment of Flagstone’sIsland Garden’sproject planned tobe built on publicland on Watson Is-land. UEL con-tinues to opposethe project as anincompatible useof public land. While the project wasapproved by voters in 2001, the de-velopment plan has changed drasti-cally. Since then there has been no

impact study to determine theproject’s effects on recent mega-de-velopments in the adjacent Miamidowntown or Miami Beach, includ-ing the newest concept of HeraldSquare, a mega-development on theMiami Herald property.

Nor, has there been a look at theWatson Island development and

whether it isc o m p a t i b l ewith the Miami21 master planor how the Flag-stone project ef-fects the city’srequirementsfor open spaceand publicparks as out-lined in Miami’scomprehensiveplan.

UEL hasjoined withc o m m u n i t ygroups in Mi-ami Beach tooppose the clos-ing of a devel-oper-requiredpublic bay walkbehind theWaverly Apart-

ment complex. The Apartments con-verted to a condo after the bay walkwas built. Now, the new condo own-ers want to waive the requirement for

the walkway to be public.UEL is involved in this issue since

we believe a waiver would be a breachof the public trust and its regulatoryprocess and would set a dangerousprecedent for reversing developer-re-quirements set by public reviewboards. In addition, one of the ur-ban goals for this organization is tobring to fruition greater public accessto the all waterways in Miami DadeCounty (see Page 5 for article).

As for other issues, we are continu-ing our struggle for public input intomaster planning for BicentennialPark and Virginia Key. We are await-ing a discussion with the new MiamiManager, Pete Hernandez to under-stand the public process for complet-ing these plans and moving forwardwith the Miami 21 Plan.

UEL’s consultant, Fred Balsera hasbeen of enormous assistance with allof these projects and at the Septem-ber 11th board meeting, membersunanimously agreed to extend Fred’scontract if additional grant fundscome forward at the end of October.

Please keep in touch with yoursuggestions and questions.

I hope many UEL Members andnew friends will join us on the BusTour on November 17th, for a deli-cious dinner on November 14th andto see the candidates debate on No-vember 1st (see inside). We plan ourevents to keep the community in-formed. -Nancy Liebman President

Nancy Liebman and Miami-DadeCounty Mayor Carlos Alvarez, UELAward Winner (more Photos inside)

A Message from UEL President Nancy Liebman

The Urban Environment League Dinner ForumsAre held at: The Historic Miami River Inn

118 SW South River Drive6:00 PM – Wine Reception

6:45 PM – Dinner, Followed by Program

Limited Seating, RSVP a must:Miami River Inn:305-325-0045

E-mail: [email protected]

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14Discovering Florida At The Edge: Environmental Restoration, Quality of Life and Sense of Place.Speaker: Herbert L. Hiller, visionary travel writer, tourism expert and author of the book, “Florida at the Edge:Tourism, Development and the Emergence of Florida Downtowns.” (This serves as a prequel to UEL’s SmartGrowth bus tour*).

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16Is There a Water Crisis in Miami-Dade County?Speakers: Roger Carlton, Assistant County Manager and Attorney Jeffrey Bercow, of Bercow and Radell.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20Honoring Black History Month - Overtown: Its Present Challenges And Future Vision.Moderator: Mike Vasquez. Speakers: Denise Perry, Director of Power U Center and Philip Bacon, GeneralManager, Growth Partnership for the Collins Center for Public Policy.

TUESDAY, MARCH 20South Florida: A Regional Vision for our Future.Speaker: Jim Murley, Director of the Catanese Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlan-tic University. (This serves as a prequel to the UEL’s sponsored ABACOA Smart Growth bus tour.*)

TUESDAY, APRIL 17Why Isn’t There A Stronger Constituency for Historic Preservation In Miami? (Dade Heritage Days Event)Speakers: Becky Roper Matkov, Executive Director, Dade Heritage Trust; City of Miami Historic PreservationPlanner Ellen J. Uguccioni and University of Miami School of Architecture Associate Professor Rocco Ceo, Co-Author of “The Historic Landscapes of Florida.”

TUESDAY, MAY 15 Are There Any Solutions To Our Transportation and Traffic Problems?Speakers: Miami Dade County Commissioner Carlos A. Gimenez and Bernardo Benes, one of the foundingmembers of the County’s MOVN (Meeting our Vehicular Needs) Initiative. We have invited a Board Memberof the County’s Citizens Independent Transportation Trust.

*UEL Smart Growth Bus Tour (see Pages 4 and 5) is Friday, November 17 & UEL Livable Communities BusTour to Florida Atlantic University, Abacoa in Jupiter is Tenative: March 23, 2007.

All dinners begin with a wine reception at 6PM and dinner at 6:45 followed by the speakers and a lively discussion.Open to the public, admission is $25 for UEL Members and $30 for non-members. Reservations are required. Alimited number of seats are available at no charge for the 7:30 discussion session only.

Topics and speakers can change without notice.

UEL Sponsored NineCandidate s Forums

In its efforts to increase citizenparticipation in government, theUEL had nine summer forumscountywide, which brought key top-ics of discussion before incumbentMiami-Dade County Commission-ers and their respective opponents.

Since inception, the UEL has dealtwith a wide variety of issues affect-ing South Floridian’s quality of lifeand future development. Its activitieshave included a series of past forums,tours and workshops on issues regard-ing master planning, parks preserva-tion, open space and waterfront ac-cess, among others.

UEL Forums for Our FutureHear the Candidates ForDistrict 2 - City of Miami

November 1st - 6 to 8 pmTrinity Episcopal Cathedral

464 NE 16th Street & North Bayshore Drive

Moderator: Former County Manager/FormerCity of Miami Manager Merritt Steirheim

Free Parking Available (on a first come basis)

Candidates:

Letter to the Urban Environment League

Dear Members:What an honor it was for me to receive one of the coveted Orchid

Awards from the Urban Environment League (UEL) of GreaterMiami. Your organization’s recognition of my efforts to prevent theexpansion of the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) means somuch because UEL’s members understand what unplanned growthcan mean for our quality of life.

We must remain ever-vigilant because the fight to move the linewill not end. As you know, there are several massive proposals still tocome which could negatively impact our environment, the servicesgovernment provides and ultimately, our future. You have mycommitment that I will continue to educate residents about the UDBand what its movement can mean for our community.

I will also be speaking to residents about the proposed ExecutiveMayor form of government. It is designed to place more responsibil-ity and accountability into the hands of a countywide elected official,and at the same time increase efficiency in government. All of us willsoon have the opportunity to vote on this issue. As the election nears,I urge all of you to get the facts. I firmly believe that it is time tochange the way business is done in Miami-Dade County.

Once again, thank you for your organization’s enduring commit-ment and concern for our community.

Sincerely,Carlos Alvarez

Mayor

Frank RollasonMarc SarnoffSeth Sklarey

Editors Note: Since receiving the let-ter to the left from the Mayor, there wasa vote by the County Commission:

Placido DiazMaria Betty Gutierrez

Linda HaskinsMichelet Philome

On Oct.10, Commissionersbacked a suit (which will be heardOctober 23rd) against the strong-mayor vote. The suit was brought byCitizens for Open Government, headedby Daniel Hernandez who has servedas President of the Hialeah Chamberof Commerce.

According to a Herald report, thelawsuit seeks to disqualify more than123,000 petition signatures. Thecommissioners voted 7 to 5 to hire alaw firm (partners bill at $325 perhour) once again using hard-earnedtaxpayer money to argue that the sig-natures were illegal. The lawsuit saysthat petitions included only a 71-word summary of charter changes in-stead of the full 40-page document.

Voting was as follows:YES: Bruno Barreiro, Pepe Diaz,

Audrey Edmonson, Dennis Moss,Dorrin Rolle, Natacha Seijas, JavierSouto NO: Carlos Gimenez, SallyHeyman, Barbara Jordan, KatySorenson, Rebeca Sosa

October 2006

Traveling in part along A1A, the tour explores Florida at the Edge searching for best case examples of infilldevelopment that serve to strengthen our sense of place and quality of life. Highlights of the day will include aspecial luncheon visit with Mayor of the City of Delray Beach, Jeff Pearlman. We will meet with Diane Colonna,Executive Director of the Delray CRA and visit South Florida’s most successful examples of infill developmentand smart growth solutions. We will visit Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale as guests of the Florida Trust forHistoric Preservation. We will look at the dynamic efforts underway in the City of Hollywood and meet withleaders of Hollywood’s CRAs – Neil Fritz and Gil Martinez. Throughout the day our special resource guide willbe Gloria Katz of Smart Growth Broward. With support from the South Florida Regional Resource Center, theyare developing a regional Smart Growth coalition.

We will seek examples and discuss best practice techniques for approaching the work:Mix Land Uses;Take Advantage of Existing Community Assets;Create a Range of Housing Choices;Foster “Walkable,” Close-Knit Neighborhoods;Promote Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place,Including the Rehabilitation and Use of Historic Buildings;Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty, and Criti-cal Environmental Areas;Strengthen Growth in Existing Communities;Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices;Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair andCost-Effective;Encourage Citizen and Stakeholder Participation inDevelopment Decisions.

From “How to Achieve Smart Growth,” Smart Growth America

Urban Environment League of Greater Miami and South Florida

Building a Shared Vision for the Future of our CommunityThe Search for Smart Growth in the Region

Hollywood — Fort Lauderdale — Delray

(Parking available at the Omni garage, right across the street)

Date: Friday, November 17, 2006Time: 8:30 am to 4:00 pmWhere: Leaving From Trinity Cathedral, North Bayshore Drive & NE 15th St.

Cost: $35.00 per person/UEL members $30.00Checks payable to: UEL

Reservations with Pre-Payment Required: Urban Environment League

945 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 100Miami Beach, Florida 33139

AnUrbanEnvironmentLeagueBusTour

Smart Growth America defines smart growth according to its out-comes — outcomes that mirror the basic values of most Americans.

Smart growth is growth that helps to achieve these six goals:

The Urban Environment League regularly hosts bus tours asmobile workshops exploring the regional context of our ur-ban environment. In fall 2005 UEL and South Florida Na-

tional Parks Trust hosted a visit to Shark Valley in Everglades NationalPark. In the Spring 2005 UEL hosted a tour along the Urban Develop-ment Boundary to understand the importance of the HOLD THE LINEcampaign. In the Spring of 2006 UEL conducted the South Dade Agri-cultural Tour to highlight the economic, social, historic and environ-mental aspects of our rural agricultural community – concluding with avisit to Biscayne National Park.

UEL Content Forums have explored important associated subjects,including the Affordable Housing Workshop and the Grow Denser BetterForum at and in collaboration with the University of Miami School ofArchitecture.

Join us at the Prequel — Discovering Florida at the Edge – Environ-mental Restoration, Qualify of Life and Sense of Place at the November14th UEL Dinner (See Page 2), Herbert L. Hiller, the visionary Floridatravel writer, tourism expert and author of Florida at the Edge: Tour-ism, Development and the Emergence of Florida Downtowns. will kickoff our Bus Tour.

Submitted by: Denis Russ, UEL Programs Coordinator

4. Shared Benefits5. Lower Costs, Lower Taxes6. Keeping Open Space Open

1. Neighborhood Livability2. Better Access, Less Traffic3. Thriving Cities, Suburbs and Towns

The City of Miami Beach DesignReview Board upheld a position thatUEL has long fought for: The rightof the general public to access Miami-Dade’s extensive Oceanfront,Bayfront and waterways.

In the case of the Waverly at 14thStreet and West Avenue, the develop-ment was originally a rental propertywherein the City’s Design ReviewBoard allowed the developer to buildmore into the project in exchange foragreeing to build and maintain a pub-licly accessible walkway alongBiscayne Bay, part of a long range planto have a continuous Baywalk allaround the South tip of the City forpedestrians and bikers. However, thedeveloper later built a fence blocking

the public’s access to the Bay, citingsecurity concerns. He then convertedthe building to a condominium withno reference to the earlier pledge inany of the Condominium docu-ments.

Nearly a hundred Waverly resi-dents who bought condos at theWaverly showed up on October 3rdat the Design Review Board to pleadtheir case.

The bulk of the owners said thefence was already installed when theypurchased their condo and no men-tion of public accessibility is in theircondo documents. UEL, the SierraClub, and several Beach residents alsospoke at the hearing—supporting theright of the public to view and have

access to their waterfront. The pub-lic, after all, is the true owner of thesenatural amenities for which GreaterMiami is known. Fortunately, theCity stood by its requirements andordered the fence removed, but notwithout sympathizing with the condobuyers who were led to believe the wa-terfront property belonged to themand them alone.

This story is endemic of a muchlarger problem that UEL has identi-fied, much like an imminent trainwreck. Thousands of new condos areunder construction on the area’sBayfront and along the Miami River,especially in the City of Miami.

Most of the Bayfront andRiverfront condos have voluntarilyfollowed the City’s recommendationsfor a continuous Baywalk andRiverwalk, the latter known as theMiami River Greenway. Most of thedevelopers have submitted planswhich show walkways on the waterin front of their developments. TheCity hopes that these will one day becontinuous all along the 5.5 mileRiver. Where there are existing wa-terfront dependent uses, such as boatrepair terminals or marinas, the Cityhas made plans to skirt around themwith a new landscaped Greenwayconnecting the Riverwalk links.

As the Waverly example shows:there is both good news and bad newsin this latest chapter of public acces-sibility on private property. The goodnews is that these new designs all pro-vide space for the public to enjoy andview the water; the bad news is thatthere is no mechanism in place forthe developer to include public acces-sibility in subsequent condo docu-ments. UEL is working with theMiami River Commission and theTrust for Public Land to draw upmodel condo doc provisions and im-plore local governments to enforcethem. - Ernie Martin

Public Access: Waverly Condo Baywalk

Downzoning is a word that puts agleam in the eye of community ac-tivists, and strikes terror in the heartsof development inclined land specu-lators, and the politicians they own.It means, for example, taking a pieceof land now zoned for “unlimitedheight,” and rezoning it with a 35-foot height limit if it happens to sitnext to a single family home. The Dword is the elephant in the room ofMiami 21, the city’s effort to rewriteits zoning laws – seldom spokenabout, but impossible to ignore. I waspersonally involved in one of very,very few examples of it ever happen-ing in Miami.

In 1975, the developer ofClaughton Island (now known asBrickell Key), in exchange for exten-sive building rights, agreed to build200 units of affordable housing. By1985 none of these units had been

built (sound familiar?). They thenoffered to help fund three affordablehousing projects in the city. Two werecompleted; another was slated for atiny parcel of land across from theVizcaya Metrorail station. The citygenerously “spot zoned” the landfrom duplex to high-rise.

This triggered a huge, six-year le-gal and political battle led by theVizcaya Roads Homeowners Associa-tion and the Miami Roads Neighbor-hood Civic Association that ended upin the State Supreme Court. Theneighbors ultimately prevailed, theproject was killed, and the propertywas downzoned back to duplex.* Aspart of the settlement, the city paidthe property owner almost one mil-lion dollars, in part to compensate forthe loss of property value betweenhigh-rise and duplex.

The existing zoning laws were

written back when the biggest build-ing in town was about 17 stories, andfew dreamed that the term “unlim-ited height” would ever be taken se-riously. To bring these laws up-to-date and to best preserve ourneighborhoods, it’s clear that someform of downzoning is necessary. Aswith all zoning matters, the first ques-tion is, “Is it legal?”

Apparently so. Courts have ruledthat there is no vested right to thecontinuation of current zoning,which can be reduced for valid rea-sons. Property owners are not entitledto the most profitable use of the land,but simply some use that is economi-cally viable.

Being legal doesn’t make it easy.Developers will scream that they arelosing money. Neighbors will howl,among other things, that we don’thave the infrastructure to supportwhat is now allowed. This is the di-lemma faced by the drafters of Mi-ami 21. Maybe that is why it is tak-ing so long.

*In light of the recent furor overaffordable housing one might ask,“Did this project ever get built?” Mymoney says, “No.”

With a current population of 7.3million people, more than 400 newresidents moving into South Floridaeach day, and limited natural re-sources, it is time for elected officialsat all levels and citizens to becomeproactive, conscientious, and creativeabout solutions to our most pressingissues. While the shortage of land isgetting most coverage, I prefer to fo-cus on an issue where each of us canimpact - our demand for water. Upuntil now, Miami-Dade Countianshave been fortunate to have plenti-

Our Demand for WaterBy Maria Ines Castro

The Urban Environment League has scored two major victories in itsquest to monitor the private hotel and marina on public land at WatsonIsland. Senior Vice President Ernie Martin spoke at the September26th Board of County Commissioners’ meeting during a hearingregarding dredging for the mega yacht marina.

UEL has consistently raised a number of questions about this privatefor-profit entity being granted use of the publicly owned waterfront.

The objections fall into two categories (1) the twin tower hotelstarted off as 16 and 20 stories and has now morphed into a twin towerof 26 and 42 stories; and (2) the numerous public amenities and publicaccess to the site, the trade off that the developer offered in exchangefor the private portions, have never been shown to UEL to allow us tomonitor their adequacy or the guarantees of their implementation. TheCommission deferred the item until the developers and the City couldmeet with us.

The City/Developer team showed up again at the October 9thCommission meeting asking to proceed. Commissioner BrunoBarreiro, whose district includes Watson Island, said the time was stillnot enough to let the UEL and other interested parties review all therelevant documents, meet with the developer, and seek resolution. TheCommission again deferred the decision until November 28, 2006.

Watson Island: Deferred Until November 28th

The Downzoning DilemmaBy Joe Wilkins

Many people from across Miami-Dade have taken memorable ridesalong the outer fringes of the county as part of UEL’s farm tours seriesover the past couple of years, seeing first hand agriculture’s contributionto the community while gaining an up-close view of the lands near andbeyond the famed Urban Development Boundary (UDB). Tracing theperimeter of such a diverse county is a revelation, where one can seethe size and scope of the land that makes this place unique.

Experiencing something first-hand is much more enlightening thana written account yet it does take effort to commit to go somewherewhen it is easier, but less fulfilling, to read about it later. Take forinstance local and county government proceedings that affect morelives than the outcome of tonight’s Wheel of Fortune, yet manage toenlist far fewer devotees. Civic participation - what a bummer, right?Well, if you are frustrated with the course of events and decision-making in Miami-Dade you HAVE to do more.

On October 13, there was a meeting of the South Miami-DadeWatershed Committee and a Workshop for the Infrastructure and LandUse Committee of the County Commission. Even though you missedthe meeting, you can still be involved through public comment.

The “Watershed Study” is a barely known, multi-million dollar,multi-agency effort directed by a team of county-hired consultants anda committee of citizen “stake-holders” from a wide spectrum of interestgroups. Their purpose is finding consensus over how to direct growthand conservation over the next 50 years in South Dade, while ensuringthe integrity of Biscayne Bay and the Everglades.

Scenarios and maps thus far produced from the study have shownthat when the Urban Development Boundary is not tampered with andwhen “smart growth” principals are applied, the best outcomes appear.However, some stakeholders at the meetings prefer a different scenario,one more development friendly.

Go online and get informed about what’s been going on and whatyou can do at: www.southmiamidadewatershed.com. There is plentyof good info on this website. There are people to contact if you havequestions.

Consider yourself a stakeholder. Or would you rather see our watersupply and quality of life land on BANKRUPT over the next 50 yearsand beyond? Want to know more: Call me at: 305 485-5949.

ful, safe drinking water, at a rate thatis among the lowest in the nation.

The Biscayne Aquifer, our sourceof water, is recharged during the dryseason by the Everglades regional sys-tem. During winter months, whenwater demands are at their highestand rainfall is at its lowest, this with-drawal of water has a negative effecton the Everglades by making it toodry and harming fish and wildlife.The more demand, the more nega-tive impact on our most prized natu-ral resource.

Locally, the good news is that inthe midst of unprecedented growth,Miami-Dade county has keptpumpage relatively constant duringthe past few years. The really badnews is that only five percent of ourwastewater is recycled, leaving ustrailing other Central and SouthFlorida counties. In fact, we havemissed out on government grants andincentives to implement recyclingmechanisms that would have helpedus reuse the some 280 million gal-lons daily that are currently disposedof. This wasteful cycle of using anddisposing cannot continue withoutfurther dire consequences to our en-vironment.

At present, Miami-Dade Countyuses 350 million gallons of water aday, making it the largest single userof fresh water in the state. It is re-questing an additional 100 milliongallons a day. And given that con-trary to popular opinion, water is notan infinite resource, important andnecessary steps must be taken by lo-cal and state government, as well aseach and every concerned citizen.

In the immediate future we willbegin to see increased treatment anddisposal costs incurred by municipali-ties and passed on to citizens. IrelaBague, vice-chair of the South FloridaWater Management Board of Gover-

nors comments that “ this has been awake-up call for Miami’s elected of-ficials and utilities. We have alreadyidentified possible remedies that theCounty will be responsible for incor-porating into their amended compre-hensive land use plan. In the mean-time, we can all pitch in byconserving water and staying abreast

of this important issue.”In the meantime, each of us can

help by becoming more conscious ofour water use; becoming moreinformed by visiting www.sfwmd.govand the county’s water and sewerdepartment website; and byexpressing your concerns to yourCounty Commissioner.

A Watershed DecisionNathan Geisler, South Florida Community Organizer - Clean Water Fund

Death By A Thousand CutsWith rules, regulations and laws,

people wonder how ecosystems likethe Everglades are driven to the pointof collapse and why bay waters thatonce held all kinds of wildlife dimin-ish gradually until the great outdoorsturn into relic experiences told tograndchildren as stories they willnever experience first-hand.

It is called a death by a thousandcuts, the legacy of allowing baselinesto shift beyond recognition.

People care about legacies. Espe-cially those fortunate and hard-work-ing enough to share their success withthe public.

Legacies matter. Not measured justby signature bricks on sidewalks orplaques on walls of civic institutionsor named buildings themselves, com-memorating large donations to medi-cal centers, hospitals, civic and edu-cational institutions.

What a great legacy it would havebeen if public access to Biscayne Bayhad been preserved in the city of Mi-ami. Or if instead of piling develop-ment in western suburbs, first deci-sion makers had confronted thetransportation infrastructure deficit asit was being incurred.

What a great blessing it would havebeen for our communities if the costsof development had been paid forwhen they were incurred, instead ofshifted to future generations.

Precaution in protecting our qual-ity of life should be a default value ofzoning councils and legislatures. Butprecaution is not the legacy thatcomes to mind.

Rather, it is death by a thousandcuts and a specific example is the planin South Miami Dade county formore than $1 billion in new devel-opment, outside the Urban Develop-ment Boundary.

The plan belongs to Lennar Cor-

poration, one of the nation’s largestproduction home builders and long-time corporate leader in Miami.

For Florida City Commons to bepermitted, it must pass numerousagency reviews and decision thresh-olds that both Lennar and the prop-erty owner, Atlantic Civil Inc., arecarefully weaving through, one at atime, in a slow, deliberate process thatbegan with the Miami Dade countycommission agreeing to allow FloridaCity to annex the property last year.

Currently, the property owner isfilling the low-lying property for “ag-ricultural purposes” while teams oflobbyists, planners, and attorneys arepushing for favorable considerationof its plan by government agency staffwho are highly skeptical of tens ofthousands of new residents in landsthat are environmentally sensitive.

When its permit from the USArmy Corps of Engineers was sus-pended and then re-instated last year,Tropical Audubon Society and Na-tional Parks Conservation Associationfiled suit in federal court—arguingthat the agricultural use was a pretensefor massive development plans thathad widely disseminated through per-mitting agencies and that the Corpshad failed to follow its own rules andprocedures. The federal judge ruledthat the multi-hundred page proposalfor development, now circula t ingthrough permittingand planning agencies,was irrelevant to thepermit reinstatement.

Now there is an-other issue: the exten-sion of the permit thathad expired in August.

Environmentalistsbelieve that FloridaCity Commons will re-sult, in the end, like the8.5 Square Mile Area inWest Dade, where bad

planning decisions allowed homeconstruction in very low lying land,adding to the cost of restoring the EastEverglades by a decade and hundredsof millions of dollars.

The property owner is vehementlyarguing against tight conditions onthe fill permit extension that theCorps considered in light of the realand lasting threats to permitting de-velopment in an area that is funda-mentally important to the $13 billiondollar plan to restore America’s Ever-glades.

The lobbyists and consultants al-ways come well prepared with chartsand maps and statistics, all profession-ally drawn and knit together in fineand expensive detail. It’s not in theirjob description to worry about a thou-sand cuts—just this one.

But for Lennar, there is also thematter of legacy.

It may be that, in the case ofFlorida City Commons, precautionmakes a rare appearance in the plan-ning and zoning and permitting pro-cesses. It could also be that precau-tion gets run over, like the Floridapanther struck by a car last year astone’s throw from proposed develop-ment site.

That is not the way Lennar shouldbe remembered, but it could happentoo. - Alan Farago

Approximate Area ofFlorida City Commons

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Tour Guides:Important to South

Florida TourismBy Kevin Doran

Tourists — They come from allover. They are families from Louis-ville on vacation, women from Swit-zerland in search of the art scene,cruise passengers with a day to kill,conventioneers, partiers and just lastweek, a shy little teacher from Tibetwho was brought here by the StateDepartment to observe Americaneducational practices. They are thevisitors and tourists who come toSouth Florida and drive the economicengine that is tourism.

Along with money, they also bringexpectations and once they’re heretheir impressions determine whetherthey’ll return and what they’ll tellothers about their experience. Wewant them to come back and weshould be very concerned about thequality of their experience whilethey’re here.

Miami is unique. Its spectacularnatural environment does most of theheavy lifting when it comes to tour-ist satisfaction and we have shoppingand entertainment but it is impor-tant to recognize that these days,people are also coming here in everincreasing numbers, for a culturalexperience that includes our multi-ethnicity, distinctive architectural fea-tures and events that identify Miamias different from anywhere else.

The first thing many visitors doto familiarize themselves with the areais to take a tour. For better or forworse, the primary person respon-sible for shaping their first impres-sion is a tour guide. Take a few ofthese tours and you’ll find that manyguided tours in Miami deliver falseor misleading information whilemissing the things that are interest-ing and important. After frequent

complaints about the quality of localtours, a group of concerned individu-als realized that our sophisticatedtourism industry was surprisinglydeficient in qualified tour guides andacted to remedy the situation.

Representatives of the Greater Mi-ami Convention Visitors Bureau,Southern Florida Concierge Associa-tion, Florida Association of Meetingand Events Professionals and individu-als like Arva Parks and NancyLiebman led the effort to certify pro-fessional guides the way other citiesdo. The resulting organization is theProfessional Tour Guide Association ofFlorida, its mission is as follows:

to promote professional standardsfor guides, to provide ongoing train-ing and education; and to enhancethe enjoyment and experience of visi-tors to South Florida.

Certified guides are required totake a thirty-hour training programand pass a test requiring fundamen-tal knowledge of the city’s history,geography, demographics, transpor-tation, cultural attractions, landmarkbuildings, neighborhoods and venuesof interest to visitors - the kind of in-formation given on a three-hour Mi-ami city highlights tour.

Tour guide certification is not re-quired yet. It is anticipated that oncea critical number of guides are certi-fied, legislation will be passed requir-ing that only certified heritage tourguides be permitted to give narratedcity tours of Miami. The legislativeeffort is being headed by Commis-sioner Bruno Barreiro who believesin the importance of professionalguides. Legislation and enforcementof the ordinance will originate fromthe MDC Dept. of Consumer Affairs.

Certification is just a part of thelarger tourism effort, but it is recog-nized as an important part which cancontribute to the success of the city’sbillion-dollar tourism industry by

assuring thousands of tourists, whovisit here each year, that they will begiven high quality tours which en-hance their experience and increasethe likelihood that they will return.

In the case of the teacher from far-away Tibet, I can almost guaranteethat she will never return because ofthe distance and the nature of hertravel, but I’ve learned that she wasoverwhelmed by the beauty of thecity, the warmth of her reception bythe people here and the knowledgeof her tour guide.

In 2002 I asked a prominentwoman why she was supporting anAmendment to the Florida Consti-tution (It was about the GoverningBoard for Universities —whichpassed). She said that it was the onlyway for citizens to have their voicesheard if they don’t agree with theFlorida Legislature.

Referring to Proposition 3, MikeSalinero a reporter at the Tampa Tri-bune said, “Developers are spendinghundreds of thousands of dollars insupport of a ballot measure thatwould make it more difficult for citi-zens to amend the Florida Constitu-tion.” (Big sugar is also a big donor!)

Why are developers pushing Prop.3 now? Perhaps they are afraid of aballot initiative in the works calledFlorida Hometown Democracy.

“The growth machine is terrifiedof Florida Hometown Democracybecause it understands that with thepassage of FHD it’s lock on land usewill be broken” said Lesley Blackner,a leader of the FHD. If passed, itwould put major growth decisions tothe voters instead of the politicians.

Do we want to work against our-selves, increasing the number of sig-natures we need to get citizens ini-tiatives on the ballot? - Nancy Lee

O P I N I O NI Will Vote NO on Prop. 3, Nov. 7th!

Photo Album:UEL Orchid Awards May 22, 2006

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1. Award Winners: Members of the Urban Arts Committee and KathleenKaufmann, Director, City of Miami Historic Preservation.

2. Award Winner Dewey Steele.3. UEL intern Danny Enriques with UEL Board Member Enid Pinkney

and Ms. Kaufmann.4. John and Pat Wade in the Audience and Board Members Greg Bush.5. Award winners Pat and John Wade.6. Architect Sandy Peaceman for Award Winning project: Cite.7. Pat Wade in Audience.8. UEL Board Members Denis Russ and John VanLeer in Audience.

9. Award Winners - accepting on behalf of the Woman’sClub: Kathy Kassner, Jane Capporelli and DollyMcIntyre.

10. Award Winner Commissioner Katy Sorenson.11. Ms. Kaufman and Urban Arts Committee.12. Peter Urlich and friends with UEL Board Member

Kevin Doran.13. Executive Director Robert Datorre with leaders of

the Miami Beach Community DevelopmentCorporation - receiving award from UEL SeniorVice President, Ernie Martin.

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As of the September 5th ElectionI have worked in over 160 local, stateand national campaigns. Septemberelections are always difficult, and thisone — the day after Labor Day whenit rained until late in the afternoon— was a classic example of ElectionDay under siege by circumstances be-yond the control of voters thecandidates.

Low voter turnout isn’tunusual. Lack of mediacoverage, little campaignfunds and short campaignsalso affect the voter turnout.This year’s media coverage,both mainstream and alternative, waslacking. There are many interestingstories in every race if a only the me-dia dedicate the resources.

So much of the process advantagesincumbents that challengers get dis-couraged. But they shouldn’t. Chal-lengers should start earlier and activ-ists should hold elected officialsaccountable for their votes, their be-havior, their statements and their un-reasonable political positions.

Why don’t more exciting candi-dates present themselves for office?Could it be because that citizens can’tbe bothered by public service likethey used to be? We live in a repre-sentative Democracy, don’t we? Ourlocally elected officials seem to rep-resent the interests of financial stake-holders far more than those of thecitizens. And why not, when citizensjust don’t take the time to vote.

There are plenty of ways to im-prove the process. 1) restrict dona-tions in county and local races to$250 per individual; 2) rescind do-nations by corporations, and 3) pub-licly finance campaigns with reason-

able guidelines, i.e. not the onespassed by our County Commission,which practically gutted the intent ofvoters approved public financed cam-paigns. Who will or can donate $100to a worthy candidate? Not many ofus have that much money to spare,but $50 per registered voter donor iswithin reach.

Our commissioners want petition-ers to be held accountable for whatthey say when they collect signatures

yet they don’t require the sameof candidates, including in-cumbents running for of-fice. Why not?

If an incumbent can af-ford to buy $30,000 of air-time on radio to attack an

opponent with little resourcesto reply, it is no wonder bad candi-dates get elected, in some cases re-elected.

Perhaps campaign expendituresshould be audited too. Certainly,history has taught us that not all cam-paign expenses are legitimate ones...just look at the government’s caseagainst former County Commis-sioner Miriam Alonso.

Voters should insist that the rulesgoverning elections are fair. We mustlevel the playing field. We must al-low for fair, even debates by quali-fied candidates. But how can we ex-pect incumbents who make the rulesto be fair? It is just too easy to tipthe advantage to one’s re-election.

I think the question remains, howmuch Democracy can we afford? Justlook at the County’s affordable hous-ing scandal, airport scandal, costoverrun on the Performing Arts Cen-ter, phone gate at the Department ofWater and Sewer and ask yourselfagain: How Much More of This CanWe Take?

Ultimately, we, the citizens andvoters of Miami-Dade County, are all

to blame for the low voter turn out.How many of us make sure that

our family and friends vote? This No-vember 7th take friends and familywith you to vote. Teach your kids tovote and they will always vote. Nexttime recruit better candidates to run.

Each of us can make a difference.Just ask Katy Sorenson. No one ex-pected us to win her race 12 yearsago, but we did because we startedearly, we ran hard, we spent ourmoney wisely (five times less than ouropponent in the run-off, incumbentLarry Hawkins) and we had themovement of a district that justwouldn’t put up with the incumbent’sshenanigans anymore!

It is great to live in this democ-racy, wow, I love this GAME ofPolitics...it can be more exciting thanour world championship NBA Team,it is all a matter of perspective?

Irene Secada, PresidentCommunity Power Builders and

Political Consultants, Inc.

The September 5thCounty Commission Race

in Review

VOTE

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NOTICE:The UEL accepts articles/lettersfrom its members and members ofthe public. These articles/letters donot always reflect the views of theMembers of the UEL, or its Board,or the views of the UEL Advisors.To submit articles/letters, contact:[email protected] editor takes full responsibilityfor botching articles during cuts.

Students: $15

Hear the Candidates ForDistrict 2 - City of Miami

November 1st - 6 to 8 pm

To receive informationon upcoming UEL eventssuch as dinners, forumsand conferences send youemail address to:

[email protected]

Nancy LiebmanErnest MartinKay Hancock ApfelEd BarberioKevin DoranGregory BushColgate DardenJohn DeLeonRobert Flanders

UEL Board of Directors:

Sage HoffmanMaria Ines CastroBruce HamerstromRuth JacobsLeroy JonesJames JudeRichard KormanSantiago LeonSusan LuckDan McCrea

Enid PinkneyGabrielle RedfernAlberto RuderDenis RussMaria SalvadorPaul SchwiepFortuna SmuklerDavid TurnerJohn Van Leer

Join the UEL Bus Tour in search ofSMART GROWTH November 17th8:30 am to 4:00 pm

UEL DinnerNovember 14th