Miami-Dade: Planning Process NEEDS YOU!! Guest Blog by Cara Capp, Clean Water Action

Even before we receive the highly-anticipated election results on Amendment 4 -“Hometown Democracy”, - Miami-Dade residents have a golden opportunity to take the red pen to the County’s draft amendments to the Comprehensive Development Master Plan. We can’t let the political express of the County Commission pass us by or we will lose the flicker of hope for workable transit, preservation of our agricultural lands, and placement of economically-viable commercial development. Already there are red flags that will require our attention. The draft EAR document (which will be finalized and approved at an upcoming Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners meeting, date TBD - they keep switching it) includes yet another attempt to move the Urban Development Boundary without a demonstrated need for additional commercial growth!

The County's Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) cycle, which will amend the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP), occurs once every seven years and will create land use amendments that directly influence the development of essential infrastructure in the years to come.

Those of us who have been longing for more meaningful public input into the future of Miami-Dade’s landscape should not let this prospect of involvement pass us by. The EAR cycle is a window of opportunity in which diverse stakeholders are not only allowed but encouraged to participate in meaningful dialogue that will shape the look and feel of Miami-Dade over the next 15 years. All issues are on the table: Every long-term decision that the County will make in the next seven years is up for discussion right now: residential development patterns, adaptation to sea level rise, funding for public schools and hospitals, developing a workable transit system, preservation of wetlands and agricultural lands. It’s all on the line.

The draft document fails to identify any aggressive strategies for combating sea level rise in our lowest lying neighborhoods, find creative ways to fund workable public transit, or ensure that our communities maximize available space with enforceable targeted density requirements at designated urban infill areas.

Now is OUR chance! Let’s stand up to political business-as-usual and instead bring innovative ideas to the table. Let’s use our voice - not lose it - before bad decisions are set in stone.

We know the risks of remaining silent. Our climate is changing, but so are our communities. Residents are asking for more sustainable solutions, both in word and in action. Swelling numbers of events are taking place every day that unite people working together toward a healthier tomorrow. Now is the time to move forward and bring to fruition the sustainable initiatives whose tenants have been preached for years.

Stand Up. Speak Out. Choose a sustainable Miami-Dade that future generations will be proud to call home.