A 2–acre sliver of endangered pine rockland donated to the Miami-Dade County school district under a controversial deal that cleared the way for a Walmart shopping center next to Zoo Miami a decade ago could be developed into workforce housing for the district.
On Wednesday, district members voted to move forward on an unsolicited proposal by Miami-based Pinnacle to build a 150-unit development.
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That vote now allows the school district to seek other bidders for the project on Southwest 152nd Street northwest of the zoo. But board members said more reviews will address concerns about density and building on pine rockland, a globally imperiled forest found only in South Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba and home to endangered bonneted bats, tiger beetles and other disappearing species.
”Moving this forward is not in any way binding us to any kind of agreement,” said board member Mary Blanco. “Before any final decision is made, we will have a proper appraisal, we will have the environmental review, and that'll all be for board consideration before we truly move forward with anything for this property.”
Environmental groups who fought a decade ago to save the land, part of the last largest tract of surviving pineland outside Everglades National Park, urged district members to reconsider in a letter Tuesday.
“We recognize the importance of providing affordable workforce housing for teachers and school staff. However, the property’s proximity to pine rockland habitat and the potential presence of sensitive habitat and threatened or endangered species on the site warrant careful environmental review before any proposal advances,” Tropical Audubon Society Executive Director Lauren Jonaitis wrote to board members.
In a letter signed by Tropical, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and the Pine Rockland Coalition, the groups pointed out that plans now lack an environmental review.
“Describing the parcel as ‘vacant’ does not establish that it lacks habitat, protected species, or conservation value,” the groups wrote.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Lissette Fernandez, founder of Moms for Libros and legislative chair for the Miami-Dade County Council PTA, told board members teachers need a raise, not workforce housing.
”According to biologists with the county's Environmentally Endangered Lands program, this parcel is federally designated critical habitat for five species,” she said. ”The staff analysis says this project includes adequate safeguards to protect the public, but it never mentions endangered species or critical habitat, not once.”
Pine rockland once covered much of the county's high ridge, providing lumber for early development. Much of that forest is now gone, shrinking habitat for endangered butterflies and once hardy plant life. A decade ago when plans to develop the site included bulldozing forest to make way for the shopping center and apartments, federal wildlife officials warned the developer endangered species would likely die.
Lawsuits followed along with a rush to protect vanishing species. To overcome criticism, developer Peter Cummings carved out public uses on the land, including space for a school on the site's northwest corner. At the time, plans for what kind of school remained unclear. Now, with enrollment dropping and housing costs spiralling, district board members are searching for other uses.
"Due to the current challenges that we're facing, both with enrollment and our fiscal and financial status, we have been entering this new arena of looking into how we can generate revenue and looking at the possibility of land leases," Blanco said.
While the current proposal seeks the highest density under the Live Local Act, which also allows developers to skip zoning hurdles, Raul Perez, the district chief for facilities and construction, said the number of apartments and environmental concerns will be addressed as the project advances.
Once a developer is selected, he said, “ then we will go through all that due diligence upfront. Any environmental considerations that might need to be addressed with the county and other entities, and bring that forward as part of the final agreement.”
WLRN was unable to reach Pinnacle affordable housing executive chief Max Cruz.
