The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners voted 8-3 to pass on second reading Miami-Dade County's
Rapid Transit Zone (RTZ) Ordinance, previously passed on first reading on June 1, 2022. Mayor Karyn Cunningham and Councilmembers Patrick Fiore, Steve Cody, and Marsha Matson, all of whom attended today’s meeting, and Vice Mayor Tellam who could not be present today, previously voted not to support the county’s RTZ zoning code. Although the ordinance has been amended several times to address concerns of Palmetto Bay and similar municipalities, the Village still has two primary concerns:
- Impact fees may not be duplicated with the county, which will fiscally affect the Village
- The significant development that could potentially come to the west side of US-1, which will impact the character of the community and deplete resources due to the anticipated population increase
- Proposed Floor-Area-Ratio (FAR) remains too intense and does not conform to the desires of the Palmetto Bay residents
In a letter presented to the County Commission today, Mayor Cunningham reiterated her opposition to the ordinance, writing “The implementation of the proposed floor area ratios will have a negative impact on the planning vision of the “Village of Parks,” which has a zoning and land use code meant to provide a peaceful, safe living experience.” She thanked the County planning staff for incorporating some suggestions from Palmetto Bay’s Council into the revised ordinance but added “it is still not enough to protect the citizens and home rule rights of our Village and the Charter.”
Those who voted against the ordinance showed solidarity for the Village’s position. Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins expressed concern over the broad scope of the project and said, “If we’re bringing legislation that affects that large of an area, we have to have the buy-in of our municipalities and those it affects.” Commissioner Kionne McGhee also expressed his opposition to the uniformness of the county legislation and the requirements that will be imposed on municipalities. Commissioner Sally Heyman said, “Palmetto Bay is different from Miami Beach, or any of the cities I have out west, or Hialeah, and I think their autonomy needs to be respected more.” She noted that the ordinance’s one-size-fits-all approach would not work for all affected municipalities, adding that it “misses the very identity and makeup that makes some of these cities so great.”
Some lawmakers who voted in favor of the ordinance still recognized the efforts of the Village. Commissioner Raquel Regalado noted that “the City of Miami has not participated fully in the process” while cities like Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and Cutler Bay, “who have such fewer staff and so fewer resources,” attended all meetings and events leading up to the final vote.
Voting in opposition were Commissioner Danielle Cohen-Higgins, Commissioner Kionne McGhee and Commissioner Sally Heyman. Commissioners Joe Martinez and Rene Garcia were not in attendance. The final vote was 8-3 in favor of the ordinance.
