A broad collection of South Florida leaders from an array of political parties, municipalities and industries came together today to oppose a Florida bill that would make it easier for to develop near environmentally sensitive Everglades land outside Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary (UDB).
A press conference called by Miami-Dade County Commissioner and former Republican State Senator René Garcia brought together the mayors of Homestead and Palmetto Bay, a Miami Beach Commissioner and leaders from the Everglades Foundation, Miami Waterkeeper and the Florida Farm Bureau.
The coalition called for Florida Senators to vote down House Bill 399 and its Senate companion Bill 208, or for Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto the legislation should it pass.
The pair of bills would loosen local regulations on development and lower the bar needed to move the UDB — an invisible line that marks how far urban development can occur in Miami-Dade County.
" The UDB was created to protect our Everglades. It was created to protect our farmlands, to make sure that we had responsible growth," Garcia said while standing outside Everglades National Park Monday morning. "But now what we see the legislature doing is that they're trying to erode the actual laws that protect the environment and protect our sensitive ecosystem that we have here today."
The UDB was created in the 1980s by county commissioners looking to keep urban sprawl in check and ensure the safety of Miami-Dade's agriculture and environment. Commissioners can opt to move the line in specific areas, often when requested by a developer looking to build past the boundary. A supermajority of the 13 member commission must vote together to approve a change to the UDB.
Under HB 399, the more expansive version of the legislation, the state would preempt Miami-Dade County law so only a simple majority of the commission members present at a meeting could vote to shift the line. That means as few as four out of 13 commissioners could vote to allow development closer to the county's protected wetlands and agricultural fields.
The Florida House passed HB 399 last week, with all House Democrats and six Republicans voting against it. The Bill must now get Senate approval and then be signed by Gov. DeSantis to become law.
Republican Rep. David Borrero of Hialeah sponsored HB 399. He argues the measure will lead to more affordable housing as developers will be able to build more density cheaper without stringent regulation by local governments.
South Florida Senate Republicans Alexis Calatayud, Ana Maria Rodriguez and Ileana Garcia joined Democrat State Senator Shevrin Jones in issuing a statement opposing the legislation and vowing to vote against it.
" The UDB is not just a planning tool, it's a promise to protect our drinking water, reduce flooding risk, prevent, preserve, farmlands, and safeguard the Everglades that define South Florida. That is why we stand united in opposition to House Bill 399 and any attempts to lower the threshold required to expand the boundary," they said in a written statement.
Homestead Mayor Steve Losner, a Republican, called for smart development within the county's existing borders to maintain the state's important resources.
His city has seen a glut of development in recent years as Miami-Dade's population continues to grow and people seek cheaper housing costs by heading south. Many areas in Homestead that were once empty farmland now have large-scale town home developments.
" I don't wanna sound like Chicken Little, but this is really a 'the sky is falling' moment. These measures, if passed and approved, will fundamentally change our way of life and the look of deep South Dade and, and the entire South Florida region," Losner said.
Miami Beach Commissioner David Fernandez, a registered Democrat, also spoke out against the pair of bills, arguing they would loosen restrictions on development in historic areas of the beach and allow for large projects like the Fontainebleau hotel water slide to pass without local government scrutiny.
Garcia, who was appointed by DeSantis to the Everglades Restoration Task Force, asked that the Governor use his authority to kill the bill should it reach his desk.
