MIAMI, FL — The Hold the Line Coalition will hold a press conference on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. regarding the implications for the Urban Development Boundary (UDB), housing supply and the future we want for Miami Dade County and Biscayne Bay. The press conference will be held at the Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners, Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 NW First Street Miami, Florida 33128, first floor.

The “single family housing mandate” and the controversial logistics center in South Dade are returning once more to the Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners. Proponents are trying to push through approval before a new Commission is seated in November. Amendments to the county’s land supply formula would require enough land for 35,000 single family housing units to be maintained on a permanent basis, prioritizing open land needed for farming and flood attenuation. This NEW requirement would require moving the Urban Development Boundary. After reaching a June compromise with the Cava administration that emphasized infill and alternative methods to provide housing, Chairman Diaz introduced a surprise floor amendment that triggered disagreement with the Mayor and a request for a staff presentation clarifying available land at the meeting on the 18th.

“It’s the policy of this county as it governs our growth to prioritize infill, redevelopment and affordable housing in a balanced way for all of the residents. As of today, there has been no demonstrated need to move the Urban Development Boundary as we have sufficient areas within the UDB that need redevelopment and investment that should be prioritized first over development of farmland and wetlands.” Laura Reynolds, Hold the Line Coalition Lead.

Despite a heavily modified proposal with the South Dade Logistics Center cutting its original project footprint by 52%, original flaws remain, including risks to an ongoing Everglades restoration project and requiring a rewrite of Miami-Dade’s regulations of development on vulnerable and flood-prone low-lying areas. County staff’s review recommended denial and opponents assert this project contradicts the county’s smart growth principles and undercuts progress made to protect and restore Biscayne Bay. Long-time Coalition members know we have opposed this unnecessary expansion for more than a year due to a lack of demonstrated need, failure to comply with CDMP requirements, and the availability of existing industrial land inside the UDB.

“The people of South Dade deserve economic mobility and affordable housing. Changing boundaries and shifting rules accomplishes neither of these. The County Commission needs to work to find solutions that don’t put the Southern end of the county at undo risk for environmental disaster,’’ said Senior Political Advisor for Florida Rising and NAACP Senator Dwight Bullard.

Other invited speakers include the Coalition’s Leader Laura Reynolds; Senior Political Advisor for Florida Rising and NAACP Senator Dwight Bullard; Miccosukee Tribe; Rachel Silverstein, Executive Director Miamiwaterkeeper; District 8 Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins; District 5 Commissioner Eileen Higgins; Artist in Residence Xavier Cortada; Claudia Sebastiani and Mayor Danielle Levine Cava. During this press conference, the Xavier Cortada Foundation will present HELLO, a participatory art project aimed at reframing the we see one another and our collective vulnerability.

The Urban Development Boundary (UDB) separates farmland and wetlands near the Everglades from most residential and commercial construction in Miami-Dade. Building the project requires Miami-Dade commissioners to expand the UDB for the first time since 2013.

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About the Hold the Line Coalition
Founded in 2004, The Hold the Line Coalition’s mission is to stop urban sprawl in Miami-Dade County and advocate for allocating public resources toward smart growth, agriculture, transit connectivity, blue-green infrastructure, affordable housing and clean air and water. www.holdthelinecoalition.org/