Last entry

The end of 2010 also marks the end of this year-long project to raise awareness about the unique, beautiful, and environmentally fragile island of Virginia Key, the 1,000-acre barrier island off the coast of the City of Miami.

This is the last entry in View from Virginia Key.

But this is not the last chapter in the history of the island. There are many more stories to be told, old and new. There is a wilderness within,  growing and evolving. There are many new places yet to be discovered and enjoyed.

Vigilance is still in order if the island is to continue to be ecologically restored and preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Even with a master plan approved by the City of Miami earlier this year, there is much uncertainty about the island’s future development or preservation.

Its wild spaces, scenic vistas and quiet places for reflection distinguish the island.  It is a place apart. And should remain so, free of the commercial clutter and cacophony of the bustling metropolis across Biscayne Bay.

And for those considering future "improvements,"  the eighteenth-century English poet Alexander Pope has this advice: “Consult the genius of the place in all.” The genius is in the water, the sky, the open spaces and that magic that happens among them.

Enjoy. 

(C) Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.
For information on upcoming events and news about Virginia Key, join “Friends of Virginia Key” on Facebook.

Getting the Island Park You Deserve

Do the residents of Miami have the parks they deserve?

Given the low parks to people ratio, the answer is no.

One way to begin remedying this inequity is speaking up at the upcoming City of Miami planning meetings regarding the state-mandated Evaluation and Appraisal Report 2012.

City officials want to learn what major issues are facing neighborhoods, which clearly include the need for more and better parks.

“It may be worthwhile to create a city-wide parks committee,” said Steve Hagan, a long-time public parks advocate and activist with Miami Neighborhoods United, a civic group.

Hagan is calling on the City to increase the number of park acres - from the current 1.3 per thousand residents to 3.1 acres and adjusting impact fees for parks to accommodate the purchase of new park land and improve existing parks with trees, landscaping and playing fields.

These meetings are a great opportunity to speak up for Virginia Key.

Ask the City to get going on the biking and hiking trails that should interlace the island, the boat rental facilities where the general public can rent canoes and kayaks, the waterfront walkways with park benches and a host of other things that bring public uses back to the public lands.

The meetings start this week. For Virginia Key, in particular, make sure to attend the Oct. 25 meeting concerning needs in District 2 (Commissioner Marc Sarnoff), which is the district that includes Virginia Key.

Here’s the list of all the meetings throughout the City of Miami:
October 18
District 5 - Commissioner Richard P. Dunn II
Charles Hadley Park
1350 N.W. 50th Street
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Related Documents

October 19
District 3 - Commissioner Frank Carollo
José Marti Park
434 S.W. 3rd Avenue
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

October 21
District 4 - Commissioner Francis Suarez
Our Lady of Lebanon
2055 Coral Way
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

October 25
District 2 - Commissioner Marc D. Sarnoff
Miami City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

October 26
District 1 - Commissioner Willy Gort
Allapattah Community Action Center
2257 NW North River Drive
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.


Can’t attend or public hearings aren’t your thing? You can leave comments via the planning department's website.


@2010 All Rights Reserved

Good for lovers, fishermen: Miami 21 guidelines for city’s waterfront.

When it comes to planning codes, it turns out the City of Miami has created the very model that all Florida communities should follow, according to the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, which just awarded Miami 21 the Award of Excellence in the Best Practices category.

Consider it a kind of "Design Bill of Rights" for the public, which should come in handy when the City puts together plans for reviving the Marine Stadium basin waterfront on Virginia Key.

For example, the best practices that should be followed for public waterfronts, according to Miami 21, ( “Appendix B: Waterfront Design Guidelines”) state that public access waterfront walkways shall:

Feel public: No one should feel as he or she are intruding on private property...
Be usable: Young and old, handicapped and joggers, lovers, fisherman, business and men and women, everyone should find the waterfront usable...
Provide visual access. The attraction is the water...enhance maximum visibility to the water.
Enhance visual quality. Parking and service areas must be completely screened...Materials, color and forms should complement the natural shoreline environment.
Connect to other public areas.
Take advantage of waterfront setting. Where practical, boating and fishing activities should be incorporated into waterfront designs.... Boat access from the water to the land is encouraged.

The guidelines go on to talk about meandering shorelines paths, natural shorelines and borders of native plants. In this idyllic landscape, even the public benches are required to have backs.

Best of all is the recommended signage: “All public access waterfront walks shall be marked with the standard “Public Shore” sign.

Miami 21 represents the “Miami of the 21st Century," according to the City of Miami Planning Department website, which states: "The Miami 21 Zoning Code is a Form-Based Code guided by tenets of New Urbanism and Smart Growth principles. For more info: www.miami21.org.


@All Rights Reserved 2010

On Facebook: Friends of Virginia Key

Q & A on Virginia Key: What it is, why it matters and what you can do about it.

Why do locals care so much about the future of Virginia Key? Why is this place significant?

Virginia Key is a 1,000 acre barrier island that at its heart is a wilderness, just steps from downtown Miami. People care about it because it is the last great green space in an urban area that is short on public spaces and urban wilderness, and spectacular waterfront parks, in particular.

Have local organizations and residents been working together to help plan the future of this area? What has happened so far?

Most recently the City of Miami Commission approved a new masterplan for Virginia Key in July 2010 that is much “greener” and less commercial than previous versions proposed. It also envisions the restoration of the historically designated Miami Marine Stadium.

Local organizations and residents have been working to help shape the future of Virginia Key for several generations but efforts heated up again about five years ago with the City of Miami began a master plan process, hiring a consultant to develop a new master plan.

Which organizations have been involved?

Miami Neighborhoods United (MNU), Sierra Club  Miami Group, Tropical Audubon Society, Urban Paradise Guild, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, Urban Environment League, Surfriders, ECOMB (Miami Beach),, Miami Rowing Club, Izaak Walton League, Dade Heritage Trust, Friends of Virginia Key, Windsurfers of Virginia Key, Citizens for a Better South Florida and many more groups and individuals. 


If someone wants to get involved now, what can they do?

They can contact any of the groups above or work on their own by contacting city and county officials, the mayor of Miami Tomas Regalado. Or they can start their own group, Facebook page, write letters to the editor of local newspapers, start a petition, design a poster, create a flyer, post photos, whatever they are inspired to do to raise awareness. Anyone can make a difference. 

How can they start the process?

Visiting the island is the first thing anyone should do. Often people just drive by the island entrances off the Rickenbacker and assume there’s not much beyond the Marine Stadium area. In fact, there are natural sandy beaches, tropical hammocks, estuaries and marshes, underwater archaeological sites, hiking and biking trails, mangrove islands and the surrounding waters of the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve teeming with life. 

Beyond that there are websites, Facebook sites and blogs and the City of Miami planning site. 

Which Websites/blogs have more information?

Friends of Virginia Key, Historic Virginia Key Beach, Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium on Facebook.

www.viewfromvirginiakey.com is a blog with articles on history, events and opinion pieces

www.virginiakeymasterplan.com is the website developed by the City of Miami’s planning consultant, EDSA. There you can see various versions of the plan developed over more than five years at different public meetings.

http://ci.miami.fl.us/planning/pages/master_plans/VKey.asp is the City of Miami’s Planning Department website.

Each of the groups that have been working on the issue have their own websites, Facebook sites with more information.

What else should you know?
There is a movement to have Virginia Key become a part of the National Park system, as an extension of Biscayne National Park, whose waterway boundaries are just outside the island where they meet with Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve.

Or, perhaps include Virginia Key and Key Biscayne corridor as part of a National Recreation Area.  Biscayne National Park has been seeking a site to build a northern visitor center on Virginia Key for many years and has identified several sites on Virginia Key, including Miami Dade County land leased to the Miami Seaquarium. Another site suggested is the  area around the Miami Marine Stadium. Tour boats could dock in the adjacent marina.  

City of Miami Public Meetings on Virginia Key Master Plan

The City of Miami will begin a series of public meetings to present a new proposed Virginia Key Master Plan beginning Tuesday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. with the City of Miami Waterfront Advisory Board.

For a full schedule and to see the planning department's proposal (which apparently after much public clamoring, was posted today: http://www.miamigov.com/planning/pages/master_plans/VKey.asp

Apparently, there will also be a separate presentation of proposals prepared by students from the University of Miami. This plan, which the Urban Environment League (UEL) has dubbed the community plan, varies from the city planning department's plan in some ways.

What's YOUR plan?


The meetings are open to the public. If you care about Virginia Key's future, attend the meeting and learn more about what various groups are proposing and why. Then stroll up to microphone and have your say.

As the saying goes - more or less - one person can make a difference, and everyone should try.

Virginia Key Master Plan Public Meetings in July

A new (and hopefully improved) Virginia Key Master Plan is scheduled to make the rounds of City advisory boards beginning July 13 and culminating with the Miami City Commission July 22, 2010, according to Luciana Gonzalez at the City’s planning department.

One caveat: it’s only a “tentative” schedule:
 
•     July 13, 2010- Waterfront Advisory Board
•     July 15, 2010- Parks Advisory Board
•     July 21, 2010- Planning Zoning and Appeals Board
•     July 22, 2010- City Commission
  

No telling what the new proposed Virginia Key Master Plan looks like just yet - nothing has been posted on any website and there have been no public hearings, workshops or information meetings since the City of Miami Commission deferred approval of the last plan in October 2009.

At the time, the City Commission said they wanted to defer approval of the plan to give more time for public input.

Hopefully, the new proposal will be posted on the City's website before it gets to the Waterfront Advisory Board to give the public - which, after all, owns Virginia Key, - a chance to see it and the time to prepare constructive comments.

Here's what the City of Miami Planning Department has posted on its Virginia Key site to date:

The City of Miami is seeking to implement a master planning process that studies Virginia Key in its entirety. It is the Master Plan’s intent to develop meaningful waterfront and public open space areas; offer policies for the use, development, and management of land; the protection and enhancement of natural resources while providing the necessary infrastructure and traffic flow to serve future improvements to the island.

The City’s population growth, coupled with current urban development trends and demands for waterfront access and recreation has created the need for a comprehensive master plan study. The proposed Virginia Key Master Plan will emphasize the opportunities for mixed-use waterfront development, integrate and preserve the historic Virginia Key Beach Park, as well as make recommendations for future island wide improvements and protection of remaining public beaches, parks, and conservation areas.

The City is directing all questions -- (WHAT IS THE PLAN? comes to mind) -- to the Planning Department, email: planning@ci.miami.fl.us or Fax (305) 416-2156 or P.O. Box 330708, Miami, FL 331233.



Resources:
http://ci.miami.fl.us/planning/pages/master_plans/VKey.asp
http://www.virginiakeymasterplan.com/ (website created by EDSA, the City of Miami’s consultant on Virginia Key)

Does Virginia Key Need Guiding Principles?

Alternatives to the 2009 proposed master plan for Virginia Key are now being mulled over by community groups, public officials, editorial writers and even University of Miami Architecture School students in a special design workshop on Virginia Key. The City of Miami Commission is set to reconsider the Virginia Key Master Plan in May 2010.

What will guide decisions about what, where and how the island should be used? Should public land be redeveloped using the same principles as private property? Do private sector rules of highest and best use apply? Does public access trump revenue generation by a cash-strapped city? Should short term goals override sound, long-term planning? Is the fragile environment of Virginia Key going to survive?

Perhaps a lesson from the recent past can help. In 1999, the City of Miami was in the throes of a financial crisis, much like today, and Virginia Key public land was seen as an opportunity to increase revenues, much like today. Sensing a need for some kind of order amid the chaos of competing interests, University of Miami Professor Greg Bush, then president of the Urban Environment League, came up with these guiding “Principles for the Future of Virginia Key.” Here is his memo in its entirety:

Memorandum
From: Gregory Bush, President, Urban Environment League
To: Virginia Key Advisory Group
Date: February 3, 1999

Subject: Principles for the Future of Virginia Key

-Open all public parkland for use by the public within three months in order to folly insure the rights of all residents.
All existing deed restrictions should be adhered to in order to avoid further erosion of the public’s historic right to their park land.

-Free and clear public access to the beach and all public property should be maintained.

-Public participation should be insured throughout the process of re-designing the use of public land with due public notice given in major newspapers. The need for public charrettes, paid for by the city and other sources of funds is paramount. All city and county reports should be completed on schedule and issued in writing.

-Those Virginia Key Advisory Board or Waterfront Board members with personal interest of their own, or by members of their family or close personal friends in future economic benefit from the and in question should consider that this might constitute a conflict of interest and should consider removing themselves from their respective Committees.

-Public bathroom facilities should be made available to all and adequate security should be maintained in all public parks.
-Public access to public land should not be inhibited by parking restrictions or inadequate public transportation.

-Public parkland should be used to enhance the appreciation of nature through walking trails, public campgrounds. It should also provide places of contemplation and relaxation as well as be redesigned for active recreational uses and as entertainment venues. There is a paramount value to keep all activity small scale.

-Public parkland on Virginia Key should be used to memorialize the civil rights struggle of African Americans. A memorial structure should be constructed modeled after the FDR memorial in Washington D.D. that will be a place of contemplation and tell the history of the struggle. It should be developed in cooperation with the Black Archives. The site should be a non-commercial service to the community, act as a tourist destination. All proceeds should benefit underprivileged youth.

-A suitable memorial should be created for all those from Cuba and Haiti who arrived on the shores of Virginia Key in their flight from oppression.

-Commercial eating facilities should be strictly limited to small scale operations.

-Educational programs for youth should be a major objective in redesigning the public parkland - done in conjunction with the Biscayne Nature Center.

-This Committee should be retained during the entire process of the planning for Virginia Key not merely to help with Specification for RFP’s so that there be continuity of knowledge.

-A Wilderness Campground should be created for inner city children, children at risk, and others, similar to the youth camp at Biscayne National Park.

-Any designs should be completed only after full and active consultation with local experts in the fields of environmental science and local history and with due deference to the ecological and historical nature of this island.

To see the proposed October 2009 Virginia Key Master Plan that was deferred by the City of Miami Commission, as well as earlier presentations created by the consultant, go to http://www.virginiakeymasterplan.com/

Illustration: EDSA, Rendering of proposed master plan for Marine Stadium Basin properties, Oct. 2009.

@All Rights Reserved
on Facebook: Friends of Virginia Key

Biodiversity of Island Depends on Volunteers

The amazing variety of ecosystems on Virginia Key - from seagrass beds offshore to mangrove forests and hammock - make it one of our communities most significant resources for environmental education and recreation.

But protecting the ecology and native biodiversity of this unique barrier island off the coast of a major, metropolitan area is a constant challenge. Volunteers, whether on the ground - planting natives or removing exotics - or in the commission meetings - advocating before public officials - can make a difference. And often, have been the only thing that has.

Citizens for a Better South Florida, one of several groups bringing students and volunteers to the island for workdays and environmental education speaks frankly of what’s at stake and what to do about it:

“...(N)atural coastal areas, with their beautiful vistas, sea breezes, and access to the ocean, are severely threatened by development across the globe. Virginia Key is no exception. On several occasions, various groups have attempted to develop large tracts of Virginia Key for private projects. Fortunately the project was halted by citizens concerned that public land was being misappropriated for private projects, as much of Virginia Key is designated as public park land....
Across south Florida's coastline, public access to coastal areas has been severely restricted by private development. Already, much of Biscayne Bay is off limits to the public. Any citizen concerned with their ability to access, enjoy, and preserve our remaining beautiful coastline found at Virginia Key should voice their concerns and participate....”

Volunteering in the native plant nursery on Virginia Key is one important way to contribute to protecting the biodiversity of the island. Volunteers work with naturalists and the City of Miami staff to propagate native plants, remove exotics, clean the coastline and plant natives in the coastal hammock and dunes.

Information on volunteer opportunities and Virginia Key can be found on the Citizens for a Better South Florida website: http://www.abettersouthflorida.org/VirginiaKey.html


Photo: Reclamation project, Xavier Cortada works with volunteers to replant mangroves on Virginia Key and Key Biscayne

@All Rights Reserved
On Facebook: Friends of Virginia Key

Seed Money for Miami Marine Stadium Restoration

This week at a community dinner meeting at the Rusty Pelican restaurant on Virginia Key, City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said there would be “good news” regarding the Miami Marine Stadium.

“There will be an announcement soon that we will have access to $3 million to be used as seed money to start restoration,” Regaldo told the audience of about 75 people. The meeting was sponsored by the Urban Environment League (www.uel.org).

Regalado’s announcement was part of a free-wheeling oral history interview conducted by the UEL’s Gregory Bush, a University of Miami history professor and longtime public parks advocate.

The interview traced Regalado’s roots to Havana and arrival as a teenager in Miami during the Pedro Pan children’s airlift in the early 1960’s. Regalado also recounted his time as a journalist covering the Haitian and Cuban migrations. The interview was recorded and will be posted to the UEL website, the group announced.

During the interview Regalado floated the idea of having a “public trust” manage the stadium and hiring promotional companies to book events and concerts, much like the Bayfront Trust manages events at Bayfront Park.

“No condos or shopping centers,” Regalado said regarding uses outside the stadium, where empty parking lots now sit. “Well, maybe a cafeteria,” he added.

Illustration: courtesy University of Miami, College of Architecture Design Studio. Rendering of a restored Miami Marine Stadium.

Welcome to View from Virginia Key

Virginia Key

Welcome to your island.  Virginia Key is a 1,000 acre barrier island off the coast of Miami, Florida. It is publicly owned and largely undeveloped. 

The island’s history is rich with development schemes: A Port. A blimp base. A mining operation. A resort. A sports stadium. Most dreadful proposals haven’t succeeded. Some have, including placement of the County’s Sewer Treatment Facility. Another: turning a lake in the island’s interior into an unlined waste dump, the Virginia Key Landfill site. 

What will be the island’s future? That may depend on how vocal, how organized and how caring the community is going forward. Always it has been the public's passion for protecting Virginia Key that has saved it.

In October, 2009, the City of Miami Commission voted to defer approval of a proposed Virginia Key Master Plan which had met with disapproval from various civic, preservation and environmental organizations and two city advisory boards, as well as hundreds of interested citizens. Many of those who spoke out against various versions of the proposed plan objected to what they perceived to be intense commercial and recreational development of an environmentally fragile island. There were also concerns about the City’s commitment to restoring the iconic Miami Marine Stadium. 

The City of Miami Commission is scheduled to reconsider the Virginia Key Master Plan in May 2010. In essence, the island has received a reprieve. 

In the interim, this blog will serve to celebrate, educate and illuminate all things Virginia Key: past, present and future. And, hopefully, it will also serve as a community forum to discuss proposals and generate ideas. 

Please consider following this blog and joining it as we go forward together to a better future for Virginia Key.