Port of Virginia Key?

Map of North Point of Virginia Key under review. In the past, the land was used as a deposit site for bay bottom materials produced by channel dredging operations of the Port of Miami.  

The North Point of Virginia Key, where bicyclists want to create a mountain bike trail, and which has been closed to the public for years, was once slated to be a new airport or port facility.  

The City of Miami purchased the land from the State of Florida in 1942. The deed states that “the lands are to be used by the City of Miami for the purposes of harbors and airport constructions and development.” 

It also had this proviso: should the area be used for any purpose other than harbor or airport construction, the state would automatically get the land back. 


Of course, the City is no longer in the business of running airports or ports. In 1945, the City of Miami transferred to Miami Dade County the ownership and operation of the airport; the operation of the seaport was conveyed in 1960. 


Today the North Point is considered an environmental gem, though parts of it must still undergo significant ecological restoration.  Most of the North Point, which is next to the state-designated Bill Sadowski Critical Wildlife Area, is  zoned conservation under Miami 21, the City's new zoning code. 


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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.


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On Facebook: Friends of Virginia Key

Miami 21 "zoning" of Virginia Key allows urban uses

Miami 21 isn’t just about dictating development in the urban grid. Virginia Key, the urban island with the heart of a wilderness, has also been zoned.

Some areas are designated preservation zones (T-1), others have civic zone designations (CI) which may be developed with urban public uses or commercial uses, with urban infrastructure, including parking garages and roadways. Other areas are zoned "urban core," some of the highest urban center designations (T6-8).

A Miami Dade County planning report states that Virginia Key’s “valuable and protected” areas – mangroves, wetlands, dunes, and hammocks and cultural resources, including the historically-designated Miami Marine Stadium – could be threatened if future land uses permitted under Miami 21, the City of Miami’s new land use and zoning code that will take effect May 20, don’t take into account the long-term management requirements of these areas.


County planners analyzed Miami 21’s impact on Virginia Key as part of the biological evaluation prepared by the Dade Environmental Resources Management department for the purpose of identifying areas that could be acquired by the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program. The report stated:

Regardless of whether some Virginia Key properties are ultimately acquired by the EEL program, it is important that any future land uses on Virginia Key be carefully planned and permitted such that they do not impact the sensitive and valuable habitats there. The management of restored and protected land on Virginia Key should be not inhibited by adjacent future land uses. The historic places and structures on the key should be maintained and fully incorporated into all future land use plans.

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Miami 21 took effect May 20, 2010 although City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado has called it a “work in progress” and will give residents, including Miami Neighborhoods United (MNU), commissioners and others, the opportunity to express concerns and possibly amend the code in the future. A special City Commission session on Miami 21 will be held at 9 a.m., Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

Resources: www.miami21.org