Boat Show turning into bullies?
The City of Key Biscayne is at war with the Miami International Boat Show. As you know, the city does not believe the move to the Miami Marine Stadium site is a good idea, mostly due to a lot of traffic overtaking the fragile islands of Key Biscayne and Virginia Key.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), which operates the Boat Show is not caving and claims that the boat show, which is planned for February 11-15, 2016, is "risking the loss of $600 million in economic activity and 55,000 middle-class Florida jobs." Sounds a bit elitist.
NMMA says that "most guests will park offsite and take shuttles or water taxis to the site; water taxis alone can serve 25,000 guests daily. Only 3,800 prepaid vehicles will park on Virginia Key."
Key Biscyane says, “The Boat Show and City of Miami have yet to submit a traffic plan, despite repeated public requests from the Village.” They are concerned about having a single entrance and exit into the area.
The Miami Open tennis tournament has 13,000 guests a day and they claim it is a nightmare for the Key for those two weeks. The Boat Show claims that up to 40,000 people a day will attend the boat show.
I always felt the tennis stadium was a scam, taking up valuable land on Key Biscayne (yes, I know it was a dump before that, but it was a quiet, desolate dump). The tennis stadium could have been anywhere in the county and people would attend the events. It didn't need to be in a fragile wetlands spot.
With the Coconut Grove Arts Festival nearby and beach goers (and the Seaquarium), that could be a major concern regarding traffic.
Marlins Park has been suggested as an alternative for the Boat Show.
“If we don’t present the Miami International Boat Show at Marine Stadium, there won’t be a Miami International Boat Show in 2016,” Rick-Joule said. “It would really be a tragedy for blue collar workers throughout the area,” said Cathy Rick-Joule, NMMA Vice President for Boat Shows. She fails to say that there is a 74 year history of the Boat Show being in Miami-Dade County and they surely sell millions of dollars worth of boats and yachts here, so for them to leave the county would be totally foolish on their part.
This reminds me of when the Home Depot pushed their way into Coconut Grove and then threatened to close Milam's out spite. There will be a joint session Tuesday, June 16, at 10 am at the Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus’s Chapman Conference Center as part of a mediation process aimed at reaching a compromise. Commissioner Sarnoff will be present at the meeting, it will be interesting to see his take on this as his claim to fame is the Home Depot issue.
The neighbors on Key Biscayne basically don't want anyone to bother them, they don't like people on the causeway, they don't like the tennis tournament, the beach visitors over the weekends and anyone else who doesn't live there.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), which operates the Boat Show is not caving and claims that the boat show, which is planned for February 11-15, 2016, is "risking the loss of $600 million in economic activity and 55,000 middle-class Florida jobs." Sounds a bit elitist.
NMMA says that "most guests will park offsite and take shuttles or water taxis to the site; water taxis alone can serve 25,000 guests daily. Only 3,800 prepaid vehicles will park on Virginia Key."
Key Biscyane says, “The Boat Show and City of Miami have yet to submit a traffic plan, despite repeated public requests from the Village.” They are concerned about having a single entrance and exit into the area.
The Miami Open tennis tournament has 13,000 guests a day and they claim it is a nightmare for the Key for those two weeks. The Boat Show claims that up to 40,000 people a day will attend the boat show.
I always felt the tennis stadium was a scam, taking up valuable land on Key Biscayne (yes, I know it was a dump before that, but it was a quiet, desolate dump). The tennis stadium could have been anywhere in the county and people would attend the events. It didn't need to be in a fragile wetlands spot.
With the Coconut Grove Arts Festival nearby and beach goers (and the Seaquarium), that could be a major concern regarding traffic.
Marlins Park has been suggested as an alternative for the Boat Show.
“If we don’t present the Miami International Boat Show at Marine Stadium, there won’t be a Miami International Boat Show in 2016,” Rick-Joule said. “It would really be a tragedy for blue collar workers throughout the area,” said Cathy Rick-Joule, NMMA Vice President for Boat Shows. She fails to say that there is a 74 year history of the Boat Show being in Miami-Dade County and they surely sell millions of dollars worth of boats and yachts here, so for them to leave the county would be totally foolish on their part.
This reminds me of when the Home Depot pushed their way into Coconut Grove and then threatened to close Milam's out spite. There will be a joint session Tuesday, June 16, at 10 am at the Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus’s Chapman Conference Center as part of a mediation process aimed at reaching a compromise. Commissioner Sarnoff will be present at the meeting, it will be interesting to see his take on this as his claim to fame is the Home Depot issue.
The neighbors on Key Biscayne basically don't want anyone to bother them, they don't like people on the causeway, they don't like the tennis tournament, the beach visitors over the weekends and anyone else who doesn't live there.
posted by Tom Falco at 5:00 AM
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5 Comments:
As usual, Marc Sarnoff is behind this super sized imposition on the environment. Just like Sarnoff keeping the long failed Watson Island project alive Sarnoff uses staffers Alice Bravo and Francisco Garcia as his pawns. The City of Key Biscayne and the City of Miami Beach are both mounting legal offenses against Sarnoff and his schemes. Knowing there are 3-4 votes to approve the boat show takeover of Virginia Key Sarnoff might make a meaningless no vote.
Are you suggesting that someone is being elitist TOWARD key biscayne and its residents??? because that's worth a laugh. That is an island of elitists who nearly universally believe themselves to be deities.
Also, what right does the city of key biscayne have over Virginia Key? Let's get Hallendale's take on it if we're going to consult Key Biscayne.
In short, loud rich folks continue NIMBY political bullying. News at 11.
I've known Max Milam for many years and never heard anything from him about Home Depot "threatening" him. Their plan included a new building on the southwest corner of the parcel for a great looking grocery store for Max...
My wife is in London and says the traffic and endless people is equal to Miami, or Washington, D.C.. I-95 is backed up daily between Miami & Ft. Lauderdale. The 1st light from Homestead South to Key Largo is backed up every weekend, at times by a mile or two. Try going to S. Beach now that Venician has closed, or on any weekend. The boat show will employ many professional drivers, captains and crew members, sales personnel, etc., and all boats sold will include taxes, lots of taxes, food & trinket tents, rental equipment & more. U can't say Miami is dead!
Wait a minute, the Rickenbacker Causeway is the ONLY road on and off the island to Key Biscayne.
The people of KB aren't being elitist, they are being practical. On Easter weekend, it took some cars up to 7 hours to get off the island due to traffic backup with the beaches, the finals of the Miami Open and Bunnypalooza at the Miami Seaquarium.
How would you like to be the Mother that can't take her child with a broken arm to an emergency room because traffic is impossibly backed up? Or be a vacationing guest in a hotel and miss your flight home?
Also, you need you to realize the Boat Show Docks will have anywhere from 500 to 1,500 pilings driven down for the show and removed, all adjacent to the Bill Sadowski Critical Wildlife Area. Sea grass, manatees and dolphins will be effected- this area has had little traffic up to now, deliberately to preserve the area.
The Boat Show is a wonderful economic force for South Florida, but it doesn't have to be held on a fragile island that creates infrastructure problems for both people and ocean inhabitants.
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