You may think that as a village, we are sheltered in some fashion from the mercenary, lobbyist directed chaos which has symbolized the long history of Miami-Dade County zoning decisions. By incorporating, we hoped to create an island of sensible, zoning standards, free of the corrupting, anti-democratic power plays and influences of high-powered lawyers, consultants and their lobbyists.

Pinecrest has largely achieved this goal. Council members usually make decisions based on the needs of the village and they can relate to how a particular decision affects their own families because it is often in their own backyard. Attorneys, brokers, contractors and others press their cases to the mayor and to council members, but such efforts are substantially blunted by the high degree of accountability that council members have to their neighbors in a relatively small community. In virtually uniform fashion, the mayor and members of the council have consistently maintained a distinct zoning policy which avoids encroachment of commercial development into residential areas. Our most common controversy is whether someone’s house or pool should be allowed to be a few feet into a set back.

Sadly, these relatively ideal conditions for building and zoning decisions do not stand alone. We are part of a grander scheme known as Miami-Dade County. Last week, this grand scheme gave us a solid whack in our municipal head when the county commission approved the "Dadeland Junction" project. This is a massive towering inferno of a project across the street from Dadeland, on the Williamson Cadillac property. This 7.5 acre site will have nearly 1.8 million square feet of mixed use retail, office, residential, and parking — built out to the very edges of the site. Astoundingly, it will contain a 389.5 ft. skyscraper which will tower 130 feet over the 240 ft. height of the Marriott and Datran. The zoning code allows for a 300 ft. tower, but that was not enough to satisfy the developer. There will be a 10-story parking garage for 4,500 cars, 22 movie theaters (over 4,000 seats), 240 apartments/condominiums, and who knows how many stores and restaurants. The village was neither consulted nor given notice of the pending project. Some residents received meaningless notices.

Pinecrest residents in the north end of town happen to have the closest proximity to this massive project of any residential areas. Unincorporated areas, including Continental Park, are also deeply affected and over 100 residents appeared at the county commission meeting on Apr. 15 to object to the project. I attended the meeting the entire day from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Mayor Greer and Council Member Blanck were present most of the day to assert the village’s objections to the project.

Residents had to sit in frustration in the face of the crude power play which was presented to the commission. This was an atmosphere where lobbying money talks and everyone else walks. The halls and chambers of the county commission were slick with the oil of these influences. The developers’ attorneys pulled out all of the stops for this unprecedented project (they appear quite regularly before village council when it suits their other clients’ purposes and we always hear from them then). The attorneys even tried to cut the legs out from Special Village Attorney Anthony O’Donnell who was hired to present the village’s objections. He will also handle the inevitable appeal of the county commission’s decision, for the village.

The Dadeland Junction developers were riding the coattails of the county planning mandate which seeks to infill commercial areas to avoid more urban sprawl. No one contests this admirable planning goal (necessitated by years of uncontrolled growth, which the county permitted to begin with), but why did the developer have to be so overreaching? Do you realize that a 389.5 ft. skyscraper with a massive project like this will set the precedent for additional projects? The Dadeland area can become a high rise Aventura or Miami Beach concrete canyon without the ocean front views which mitigate the effects of such astounding height. Forget privacy in your backyard and get used to blinking red lights on Dadeland Junction roof antennas.

Is this the hand of county government which has approved the equivalent of a man made 389.5-foot middle finger raised to the sky as a symbol of its attitude towards its citizens?

Commissioner Katy Sorensen was a shining light of reason at the commission and she tried her best to moderate the height of this structure to soften the impact on neighboring residents. She was the lone vote against the project. Commissioner Reboredo was willing to provide his vote when he extracted additional palm trees from the developer. Commissioner Margolis expressed that she likes shining lights and tall buildings at night. She requested and received, for the county, a water truck from the developer because a drought is affecting the county’s trees. Now there is quid pro quo. One vote for one water truck. I kid you not.

Chairperson Milian was extremely capable in handling this eight hour zoning hearing. She also showed distaste for the existence of Pinecrest and it was apparent from her comments that she resents our existence. Well, she showed us. Unfortunately, she and all of the other commissioners, except for Katy Sorensen, showed their own constituents why the incorporation of Pinecrest was so critical. The job now needs to be completed so that other areas such as Continental Park, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, and nearby areas can avoid the mercenary power play politics which the Dadeland Junction stands for.

My phone number is 305-381-7979, ext. 309; fax 305-371-6816; E-Mail address, Blaxberg@cofs.com

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