Idyllic Lifestyle Disrupted

A stroll through Miami Shores Village reveals tree-lined streets of single-family homes, mostly built in the 1950s, and occupied by residents who have lived there for generations.

The modest bedroom community is a great source of pride for a sizable portion of its nearly 12,000 inhabitants. Sitting quietly along Biscayne Bay, it is flush with park space, a leafy canopy and bike paths for all to enjoy.

Located just short of eight miles from downtown, Miami Shores has largely evaded the boom and bustle of business and development that have transformed some of its coastal counterparts – and surely, village old-timers are thankful.

But their luck could soon run out.

As previously reported in the Biscayne Times, residents have waged a battle against further development in the village for the better half of 2022. But in December, councilmembers gave preliminary approval to a new comprehensive development plan that would allow for increased density in three key areas throughout the village. They include its downtown area along NE Second Avenue; on barren land adjacent to and owned by Barry University; and on an empty parcel located at NE 105th Street and Biscayne Boulevard.

Change is inevitable, if not necessary, say some. Vice Mayor Daniel Marinberg, the council’s leading proponent for the new plan since its inception, has attempted time and again to pacify residents by insisting that the new guidelines would actually maintain or even decrease height limits on the properties in question.

But expressed concerns extend far beyond the age-old worry over high-rises thieving residents of their beloved sunshine. What villagers fear is losing the character of their quaint community to an onslaught of traffic and congestion caused by an influx of newcomers.

The Plan for Barry U.

In November, Barry University organized two public meetings to reveal plans between itself and Lennar, a home construction company that is poised to develop the land just west of the school.

The partnership between Barry and Lennar, previously a source of confusion and distrust among residents who feared that plan was already in the bag, has since become a preview of what’s to come should the comprehensive plan receive final approval.

Barry and Lennar hope to build a total of 600 units over 23.5 acres of land – 130 townhomes of two or three stories, as well as 470 rental apartment units of three to five stories.

The primary benefits are to provide Barry students and staff with an affordable and walkable place to live, so say Karon Coleman, a 12-year resident of Miami Shores and the university's associate general counsel, and Carter McDowell, a land use and planning attorney with Bilzin Sumberg.

The result, plan proponents say, would be a more inclusive community and land use efficiency in the wake of a devastating housing shortage.

Residents call that wishful thinking, if not outright deception.

To be clear, none of the units will be subsidized, leaving each priced at market rate. The advantage, according to McDowell, is that townhomes and apartment rentals are naturally less expensive in the short-term than ownership mortgages, to which many of those working at and attending a university are not in the position to commit.

Affordability aside, residents spoke up one-by-one at a Nov. 10 public forum to express their disapproval. Their worries consisted of, but were not limited to, the arrangement of homes, geotechnical studies and public-school capacity for an increased population – all matters that would be addressed in a subsequent zoning process. Ultimately, the biggest concern is traffic.

“I don’t care whether some expert tells me it’s quicker to go north to get on I-95 if the reality on the ground is that the infrastructure of Miami-Dade has been outdated for decades, and all we keep doing is overdeveloping,” said Maria McGuiness, an attorney and a leading voice against the proposed changes. “At some point, we have to recognize we are oversaturated.”

A Haul of Dissent

Even with dozens expressing support for the changes at Barry University and a new “Vote Yes” petition propping up near the doors of the village’s recreation center, where last month's vote took place, opponents still dominated two hours of a public meeting on Dec. 14.

Alice Burch was the only village councilmember who stood firmly with opponents. At the meeting, she tried and failed to once more amend the comprehensive plan to address concerns about the commercialization of land at 10500 Biscayne Boulevard adjacent to a canal.

The parcel in question is the former potential site of a proposed gas station that ignited the need for a comprehensive plan amendment to begin with. As reported in the February 2022 Biscayne Times cover issue, one protest led to another when the consideration of a Murphy’s Express along the Biscayne Canal revealed deeper inconsistencies within the village’s guiding plans for zoning and development.

As such, the debate has continued about whether to make what some view as wholesale changes in the village as a guise for fixing those inconsistencies.

Earlier last month, Sarah McSherry, another attorney who has led a petition against the proposed changes with more than 1,000 signatures, sought the help of Charles Gauthier, an expert in growth management and land use planning.

After an in-depth review of the proposed plan, Gauthier sent a letter to the village council wherein he objected to changes that “badly conflict with community character.”

“The revised future land use designations would substantially increase residential density and adversely affect established neighborhoods without adequate consideration of land use compatibility or impacts on public facilities and services,” the letter read. “Additionally, there is no demonstration of need for the additional dwelling unit potential.”

The neighboring Village of Biscayne Park has additionally taken it upon itself to reach out to Miami Shores, asking the council to consider how its new comprehensive plan may affect traffic and quality of life for the greater area.

An Unclear Path Ahead

The comprehensive plan amendments now move to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review. The council must then abide by any changes advised by the DEO and bring the plan back for final approval.

In the meantime, two key players in the battle have changed.

With a mere handful of months left in their terms, former councilwomen Katia Saint Fleur and Crystal Wagar filed their resignations in December, citing a new Florida statute provision that prohibits paid lobbyists from holding public office. That law took effect on Dec. 31.

Saint Fleur, a professional consultant in government and community relations, said she had received legal counsel advising her resignation. She heeded that advice officially on Dec. 15.

Wagar, on the other hand, didn't resign until Dec. 29, when Miami U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom denied a lawsuit that she and four other Florida politicians had filed against the new law. Wagar had only recently on Dec. 9 accepted a job with the Southern Group, the village's lobbying firm.

At a special meeting Dec. 28, councilmembers voted unaminously to appoint Tim Crutchfield to replace Saint Fleur until a regularly scheduled April 11 election. Crutchfield is a 27-year resident, attorney and former planning and zoning board member.

The village has not yet appointed someone to fill Wagar's vacated seat.

No matter who is sitting at the table once that plan reaches the desks of councilmembers once more, it will be months before the effects of these votes will be felt. McDowell predicts a new zoning code won't be completed until at least December, after which Lennar and other prospective developers will take months to prepare necessary site plans.

In the meantime, residents are watching.

This story was updated from the printed version on January 3, 2023 to reflect the resignation of Crystal Wager, which was unknown as press time.