First reading of Miami 21 approved
The City Commission approved Miami 21's first reading today with a 4-1 vote.
“I thank the Miami Commission for supporting Miami 21, our blueprint for a sustainable, prosperous Miami,” said Mayor Manny Diaz, who was pushing the plan as his last hurrah.
“I also thank the many residents that participated in the crafting of Miami 21. It was truly inspiring to see our residents participate in this public process.”
The sole hold out was Mayoral Candidate and City Commissioner, Tomás Regalado, who voted no on the controversial plan.
The plan must still go before the Commission for a second reading before becoming effective.
“I thank the Miami Commission for supporting Miami 21, our blueprint for a sustainable, prosperous Miami,” said Mayor Manny Diaz, who was pushing the plan as his last hurrah.
“I also thank the many residents that participated in the crafting of Miami 21. It was truly inspiring to see our residents participate in this public process.”
The sole hold out was Mayoral Candidate and City Commissioner, Tomás Regalado, who voted no on the controversial plan.
The plan must still go before the Commission for a second reading before becoming effective.
posted by Tom Falco at 6:45 PM
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28 Comments:
Good for Regalado.Everything should be in place before it is passed. It shouldn't be passed with all the amendments hanging out. Every time they present this plan they find more and more things wrong with it.
Politics as usual. It's probably gonna take 10 years for anything to actually start to happen, anyway. Better than nothing, that's for sure, in this retrograde Miami City, one of the most lamentable infrastructures amongst so-called "developed" nations, or cities, for pedestrians, runners, bikers and visitors' residents, everyone. But it's a start, and you've got to love living in the Grove, despite the City Hall crap. CI
Re. Miami commissioners approve Miami 21 zoning code
Before the vote Joe Sanchez was trying to make the point about our present zoning code known as 11,000 being at fault for the disaster that our city is in. He used a photo of a very tall condo building inappropriately built next door to a single family house. He somehow forgot to mention that most of the condos built in this way where authorized by himself, Gonzalez and Spence-Jones. The zoning is not at fault for our quilt of mismatched projects and the devastation they have brought on our neighborhoods. The fault is with the Commissioners that allowed this mess to happen with inappropriate overlay districts, variances and special permits. Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Finally. Moving forward.
CLL
Mr. Gottlieb: Please just let it go! Miami 21 has passed! Get over it and get on with your life!
Miami 21 has not "passed" completely. Not yet.
Miami 21 only passed on First Reading. It must pass at Second Reading and there are many steps to take first. Many flaws and defects must be fixed. The big question is how can Miami afford more overhead and expenses as the recession has caused tax revenues to drop? Shouldn't the City figure out how to save $100 million from its budget before it blindly writes more checks to overpaid staff and overpaid consultants?
Obviously raising taxes is not an option. Not in a recession.
Mr. Gottlieb, please forget about the Marlins Stadium, The Mercy Towers, The giant empty condos, The Fire Fee, The past 8 years!
Please Please Please forget and get over everything!
Signed
Politics as Usual
Miami political has regressed to a third world, perhaps fourth world mentality. The Mayor called zoning "hodgepodge", yet on his watch. Just yesterday, code enforcement issued me yet another code violation totaling, I'm not sure of the math, but an additional, on top of yet another $50,000.00, about $10,000.00. These are liens on my home, already placed. And yes, the violations qualify for hodgepodge. My neighbor received violations for not cleaning his property, yet, when we cleaned it on September 01, 2009, I received this new violation for cleaning up my neighbors overgrowth on my property. Go figure--hodgepodge. Over 100 people called me due to the publicity my circumstances engendered who have had liens placed on their properties due to some hodgepodge misunderstanding.
Simply stated, third and fourth world mentalities cannot foster comprehensive fair zoning.
How can residents and taxpayers forget the bailout of the Marlins? We will all be paying for the interest and principle for over 40 years. That is over $3 billion diverted from our taxpayers to a foreign company.
A wise man once said, "If you forget your mistakes, you are doomed to repeat them".
Bad for Regalado! It shows once again that he is just against anything which is good for our city!! except if it benefits him personally...politics as usual
In Brazil, a throughfare translates into a street with no stop signs or red lights for about 10 blocks. On these throughfares, it appeared to me from my limited experience and exposure, that just about every home was also a business. Someone repaired bicycle tires here, repaired alternators there, repaired this or that over there, sold beans on that corner, sold sunglasses or gum or internet services or something and made a few extra pennies here and there. If I read you all correctly, that is what "they" the politicians state in Miami 21, a business here and a house there, nothing above 35 feet------are we a day late and a dollar short?
Trust me, you cannot trust these bastards! The average citizen has no hope from this stupidity/greed.
How is that bad for Regalado, he voted YES on the original Miami Neighborhood United amendments.
Let us start from the bottom up: Miami 21, OK. Developers, special interest, lobbyist; someone please inform us as to how the average human being, i.e., a Miami resident, an illegal person, or a person with a green card or an actual American Citizen can benefit from some new, completely new zoning and code? From historical documents, everytime changes transform human activity the scum back stabbing bastards move in to take advantage at the pig feeding pins while some new transforming activity takes place.
Take healthcare reform for example.
The last American out of Miami, Please take our flag.
Jobie, who ever you are, your ramblings are confusing. Time to move on folks. Let's focus our energies else where.
Miami's current zoning code could have been fixed in one day.
But that would have meant well connected consultants and lobbyists would not have gotten over $3 million in fees.
I stood there slack-jawed when Joe said that 11000 started as Miami 21 and then it was amended to hell to give us the mess we have today.
And those amendments by Miami Neighborhoods United were created to prevent crazy sprawl from 11000.
What the hell Joe are you daft?
Are you just like Manny that likes to manipulate?
One or the other....
Manny and Joe's Miami 21 will give us more high rises on Coral Way, 27th Avenue and 37th Avenue. Oh, and Joe Sanchez wants high rises on Upper Biscayne Blvd.
I live on the other side of US1 on 27th ave. And let me tell you I am deeply upset that the height restriction proposed by Regalado did not go into effect.
Dear Anon 10:17,
Where are the high rises supposed to go if not a main corridor? You would rather we built homes out in the everglades? Face it people there's only one way to go and that's up.
Miami 21 is intended to guide the form of development in the future. Some of these comments imply people think it is going to cost more. The City already paid the consultants for their work. What was being decided was whether to replace the old zoning code with the new one they wrote. Its effect will be to make it possible for there to be walkable communities all around the city, like the Grove, where people can walk from their homes to shop or go out to eat, and hopefully one day walk to public transportation.
What Joe Sanchez said, for those who weren't there to listen, was that the 11000 Code started out with good intentions, but over time so many changes were made to it, and exceptions and special overlays, that it became a problem. He warned that we would have to be careful not to let the same thing happen with Miami 21 over time. It made perfect sense. No matter how good the code or it'd intentions, if we allow it to be chiseled away over time by special interests in the end it's intentions will be defeated.
anon 1:22 Thank you, my exact point----Miami 21 is very confusing, even the Mayor of Miami calls it hodge-podge, makeshift, and confusing. I read some of it and commented, read some more and commented, read still more and commented, quoted the mayor and you're confused. I've been to code enforcement and zoning hearings and they have stated time and time again "I'm confused". In fact code enforcement and zoning have actually placed liens on Miami homes for "exchanging emotions" whats next, breathing? What's not confusing is the amount of money about to be wasted.
A previous posted stated…
“What Joe Sanchez said, for those who weren't there to listen, was that the 11000 Code started out with good intentions, but over time so many changes were made to it, and exceptions and special overlays, that it became a problem. He warned that we would have to be careful not to let the same thing happen with Miami 21 over time. It made perfect sense. No matter how good the code or it'd intentions, if we allow it to be chiseled away over time by special interests in the end it's intentions will be defeated.”
Let’s not forget that the zoning code was never the problem. That the developers, lobbyists and attorneys are just hard working folks trying to do their jobs being good capitalist and trying to maximize their profits.
The blame for the hodge-podge and patchwork quilt of spot zoning throughout our community is the complete responsibility of the Mayor and Commissioners that voted to permit this travesty to happen over and over again.
Let’s not forget the fact the Mayor and three Commissioners voted to authorize the change in zoning for Mercy Hospital to build three unnecessary luxury condominium towers. It was not the failure of the zoning code and it was not the fault of Mercy Hospital or even the developer and his representative that wanted to usurp our zoning codes. The blame goes to the Mayor and those three Commissioners that fought hard to make an exception to our zoning. The excuse was for more jobs and to help financial strapped Mercy Hospital. Thank goodness that this case was taken to court by the Vizcayans and others and that it was justly declared illegal spot zoning.
Unfortunately there have been many illegal spot zoning’s implemented by this Mayor and those three Commissioners. It’s so sad for our community that they where pushed in the first place and that the public could not take each one to court to overrule them. The real shame is that our community has had to battle our own city to help preserve our neighborhoods.
The fault has never been with the zoning code. The fault has always been with the lack of respect of the zoning code by our Mayor and three Commissioners.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Anon 7:07
I agree with you, but lets not have 30 story building next to a one story house.
Secondly the building is EMPTY. Maybe 100 cars are there in the parking lot.
Lets use an efficient building such as a condo, but you use it to its full effect.
Michelle Niemeyer and the Miami 21 consultants are not correct. High rises do not belong on top of single family homes. High rises belong downtown. Joe Sanchez has voted for high rises on top of single family homes many times and Joe Sanchez has stated many times that he wants Miami 21 to allow high rises on top of single family neighborhoods.
Anon 2:54 and Harry:
Did I say high rises belong on top of single family homes? No. Nor did Joe Sanchez. What he said was that the old code allowed for that in some circumstances, and it did.
Let us not forget who is the longest-serving Commissioner (Regalado), and who is the Commissioner of the district where 27th Avenue north of US-1 is located (Regalado), where some of the best examples of bad development in that context occurred.
Anon 3:49
Did Sarnoff vote yes on Mercy Towers? He voted NO, yet it still got approved. Therefore there is only so much the area Commissioner can do. Regalado has been one of the few Commissioners in the History of the City of Miami to openly work with the neighborhood associations and the residents.
Yet I drive by Coral Way in the Roads and there are tons of buildings that are immense. The buildings next to single family homes on 27th that came up in recent years I can count of my hand.
Re. Anon 3:49
Sarnoff and Regalado where the only two commissioners to oppose the rezoning of the Mercy Hospital property so as to accommodate the sale of 9 acres for the purpose of buildings three luxury condos. Sanchez, Spence-Jones and Gonzalez all voted to change the zoning. They claimed it would be of help to Mercy and it would help create jobs. It was a also one of the very fist times in recent memory that commissioners outside of a district went against the wishes of the commissioner within that district (Sarnoff). Fortunately the case was brought to court and a fare minded judge that actually respects our zoning code ruled against the three commissioners that voted to change this illegal spot-zoning. Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Anon 11:52 I didn't know the term was "spot zoning" thanks. The courts are our only option and it cost Miami citizens as I profited $75,000.00. It would be time consuming, but prudent for the average property owner effected by some zoning regulation at the very least to try and grasp this fact:
making a regulation has become an art where the crafters research every word in selected paragraphs forming notions that when argued in some courtroom and subjected to an appeals process years later positions them and their interest at the feeding trough of just about unlimited taxpayers money. It's the same as a casino slot that pays out 19% as in pre-programming and the house can't loose. It is virtually impossible to defend your interest if you do not know how the game is rigged. It's easy to see the trees in the forest and a great feeling to go in and beat them at their own game, but it is time consuming. This change will cost Miami citizens a minimum of $300-million. The firemans fund was a mere $17-million.
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