Friday, March 06, 2015

Help send a message to the state legislature: support the buyout of FECI properties and create Ludlam Trail the way residents want … by gimleteye

If you have time and interest this weekend, check out efforts by citizens, civic activists and land use planners to create a unique linear park in one of the most under-served areas of the county. Their plan depends on cooperation by one of America's biggest hedge funds, Fortress Capital whose top shareholders will never fume, stuck in rush hour traffic on Bird Road, or Coral Way, or Kendall Drive.

Fortress is the owner of FECI (Florida East Coast Industries, Inc.) with plans to turn long-dormant properties into the same sprawl quagmire that defines the ring suburbs of Miami-Dade.

Note the family picnic this weekend at AD Barnes Park and the Monday, March 9th charrette meeting at South Miami High School at 6PM.

Residents -- taxpayers, too -- are hoping that the state legislature will understand the importance of investing for citizens by buying out the entire Ludlam Trail property. E-N-T-I-R-E. Message to state legislators? Do something good for a change.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gimleteye - yesterday you were stressing acquisition of the EAA for Everglades restoration, today you want the Ludlum Trail acquired. I don't think we will get either from this legislature, but I really don't believe for a minute that we can have both. I hear the Ludlum Trail will cost up to $100 million.

How 'bout we press on our local leaders (read - County Commission & Mayor) to find a way to pay for Ludlum Trail and the Underline Trail, and buying the Richmond Pinelands, and buying the Burger King Hammock, and buying the Treblock property. Let's see, that's probably about $200 million right there. The Mayor always seems to find $ for other less worthy projects (theme parks, giant nail clippers, stadiums, etc.) It's depressing!

Gimleteye said...

Dear Anon, the Amendment 1 funds will generate more than $10 billion over the next two decades. As a secure source of revenue, it should be bondable -- I haven't heard arguments otherwise. As a region with the highest doc stamp revenues, we ought to be able to argue for a significant percentage of that funding. Even if the revenue isn't leveraged, it still means billions of dollars for South Florida. And that's exactly why we need to invest in these important public land acquisition projects now.

Liz said...

People come to South Florida because we have what is so very rare in this country: Sub-Tropical climate. They come to enjoy that climate OUTDOORS, which is why we must preserve as much natural green space as we can. Once it is gobbled up by concrete, the land will not revert back to a park. For our residents and for our tourists, let's spend the money on what REALLY counts, enhancing South Florida's natural beauty(which also happens to be our local industry, tourism)

Anonymous said...

Why bother sending a message to the state legislature? At its March 3 city commission hearing, South Miami's city manager and its city attorney announced that the City of South Miami was going to attempt to purchase the entire trail. The attorney had even gone to the large expense of ordering abstracts of the parcels. One city commissioner has already been involved in negotiations with FECI.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully this will happen. Do you know the name of the city commissioner involved in negotiations?

Anonymous said...

Yes, hopefully it will happen, as well. It will be so convenient for developers to have a rock-solid, spot zoning allegation built into the city's resolution requesting the funding to purchase the re-defined corridor.

Anonymous said...

pick your battle. Do you want the US Sugar land or the Ludlam Trail? If you inundate the legislators with both at the same time, they will become even more tone deaf.