The Boat Show showdown coming to a head
The Miami-Dade Commission will vote on Tuesday, November 17, on whether to grant the National Marine Manufacturing Assn (NMMA) and the City of Miami a Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) permit for the use of the Virginia Key basin and Miami Marine Stadium are for the upcoming Miami International Boat Show. The meeting is at 9:30 am for those who would like to attend, it's at 111 NW 1st Street.
This permit is a key element in the City of Miami's controversial plan to move the Miami International Boat Show to Virginia Key’s Marine Stadium site. As litigation moves forward between the Village of Key Biscayne and the City of Miami – the Boat Show’s fate on Virginia Key relies on this vote.
Representatives from both the Village and the Boat Show are expected to be at the meeting to voice their concerns.
According to Key Biscayne residents and environmentalists, and basically those against big business bullying neighbors, Virginia Key is not the right venue for the Boat Show for these reasons:
Environmental damage: A recent US Army Corp of Engineers report showed that the Boat Show’s move would cause “substantial” harm to Virginia Key’s ecosystem and lead to serious impacts on marine life.
Blocking year-round access: The Boat Show only takes place over a 5-day period, yet the event’s setup and takedown will require the site and adjacent waterfront to be closed-off for public access for up to 6 months of the year. This would completely eliminate the creation and use of a public park that was outlined in the Virginia Key Master Plan.
Taxpayer burden: The City of Miami’s plan to commercialize the Marine Stadium site will require upwards of $20 million in taxpayer dollars. Alternative sites, including Marlins Park, have been suggested, but Boat Show organizers insist Virginia Key is the only location that ‘suits their logistical needs.’
Traffic nightmare: The Rickenbacker Causeway will be a virtual parking lot during the Boat Show, restricting access for visitors to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne and causing gridlock for emergency vehicles.
If you love Marine Stadium and don't want it turned into a crass commercial mess, on the fragile key, you may want to show up for this meeting.
This permit is a key element in the City of Miami's controversial plan to move the Miami International Boat Show to Virginia Key’s Marine Stadium site. As litigation moves forward between the Village of Key Biscayne and the City of Miami – the Boat Show’s fate on Virginia Key relies on this vote.
Representatives from both the Village and the Boat Show are expected to be at the meeting to voice their concerns.
According to Key Biscayne residents and environmentalists, and basically those against big business bullying neighbors, Virginia Key is not the right venue for the Boat Show for these reasons:
Environmental damage: A recent US Army Corp of Engineers report showed that the Boat Show’s move would cause “substantial” harm to Virginia Key’s ecosystem and lead to serious impacts on marine life.
Blocking year-round access: The Boat Show only takes place over a 5-day period, yet the event’s setup and takedown will require the site and adjacent waterfront to be closed-off for public access for up to 6 months of the year. This would completely eliminate the creation and use of a public park that was outlined in the Virginia Key Master Plan.
Taxpayer burden: The City of Miami’s plan to commercialize the Marine Stadium site will require upwards of $20 million in taxpayer dollars. Alternative sites, including Marlins Park, have been suggested, but Boat Show organizers insist Virginia Key is the only location that ‘suits their logistical needs.’
Traffic nightmare: The Rickenbacker Causeway will be a virtual parking lot during the Boat Show, restricting access for visitors to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne and causing gridlock for emergency vehicles.
If you love Marine Stadium and don't want it turned into a crass commercial mess, on the fragile key, you may want to show up for this meeting.
posted by Tom Falco at 5:00 AM
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7 Comments:
Interesting how there are no complaints or lawsuits from Key Biscayne about the massive sports park being planned for Virginia Key. When completed that park will also create additional traffic on the causeway. But I guess since residence of Key Biscayne will benefit by these soccer fields, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and basketball courts they don’t seem to mind as much. Perhaps there would also be reduced traffic on the causeway if new Key Biscayne McMansions didn’t have 3-4 garages and residence didn’t own 4-6 vehicles. And there are all those new condos and snowbirds that also drive the causeway.
Where is the meeting?
Is there $20 million that can be spared for this project? I don't want to hear about the economic impact that the show will have on the area. We already have the boat show down here so unless they are leaving permanently, we will simply be out those millions of dollars.
Traffic will be awful because unlike where the show is held now, there is only one way to get to the show if you are traveling by land.
As of 10 seconds ago, world population was 7,286,128,394, by now it's increased by 47. Surely, some of those folks will find their way to Key Biscayne for various reasons. I've walked every inch of this shoreline, but I wouldn't swim or dive there due to the existing on going pollution. Yes, every inch of planet earth is precious and the diversity of life everywhere is being threatened. I created helpmotherocean.org to remove toxic waste from the shore lines of the world and I'm doing what I can to help clean our oceans. Having said that, # 1. Clean newly constructed vessels simply won't harm this area and any infrastructure to accommodate the boat show can be accomplished skillfully & intelligently without harming the environment or the types of very hardy marine life in the area. # 2. As for traffic, well it's bad everywhere throughout the planet, so why should anyone expect Key Biscayne to be any different, besides, I don't think this strip of land belongs to the Village of Key Biscayne, which may be why no legal complaint has been initiated. I avoid traffic like some plague, literally, so I avoid it, don't like traffic, avoid it yourself. Try Alabama Jacks and Card Sound Road to the left of Homestead, it's completely deserted and void of human activity! Clean canals with birds, turtles, snakes, flowers, alligators, thousands of Tilapia, good food and foot stomping music. Everyone of you, if your not homeless require the rest of humanity and all the stuff that humans invent to do, to take up time between birth and death. It's just a fact that we all need each other for one reason or another and this boat show is just one event out of millions that take place weekly throughout humanity to keep folks from getting bored to death. Jobie Steppe
I agree with commenter #1. The folks in Miami, particularly the south Brickell area, didn't raise hell over increased vehicle traffic when Key Biscayne started building ugly high density condos all over the east side of Key Biscayne outside of park boundaries. Key Biscayne residents should have no right to limit events anywhere outside of their own city limits. Cry me a river.
Obviously your response is all about you and your own site. We paddle at this venue 3-4 times a week and we see wildlife every time we are there. So you do not know what you are talking about regarding the water. This boat show impacts or kills all paddling sports programs that have been at this venue for years and years. Bottom line. Millions of dollars are lining someone's pocket and that's why no lawsuits have been filed. The rest just doesn't seem to matter to the politicians.
Where did Jobie say there was no wildlife? Where? He said there was "very hardy marine life". He said newly constructed vessels probably wouldn't produce excessive pollution. He said every inch of planet earth was precious. Dragon lady is a gadfly who creates tumult by spreading lies that are nothing but a figment of her imagination that have nothing to do with reality. Dragon lady, drag your tail out of here or speak truths.
Key Biscayne crybabies cry because they will have traffic. Wonder if they thought of that before moving to an island with one road in and out...
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