[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6517011,"mediaKeyId","5429404-d1434368ee0b301bafd48c4f8be9a413","parentId",5429404,"title","Commission approves multiple Bluenest proposals after lengthy public comment; neighbors raise flooding and farmland concerns","audioSeconds",7200,"startMs",7200000,"endMs",14400000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429404-d1434368ee0b301bafd48c4f8be9a413&start=7200&end=14400","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429404-d1434368ee0b301bafd48c4f8be9a413/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6517011/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Commission-approves-multiple-Bluenest-proposals-after-lengthy-public-comment-neighbors-raise-flooding-and-farmland-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517011-bbdea7df2957512457af2ee0fcaa6796/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095848&Signature=OgfmkGiVaby0a3c9v6rC5oFQQVYKLB6aX7xgKClNdG06fs3QbG4XthUSpg1e4Sn0nrQ~MjxpOnUiUU7aDhOG1Jb2HYaUjHUF0PU11apZHlUtdRwACegiA9zW0owAwEnUXdeFRJIFTPAOGiHWZ~DO8AcdqUzJl1iWczBmNSAYvcdd5korD9uVDvUY483lolQGahYjkIfu0zApNbysT54JVAjtWDSBnyXHIPWKvnKx-gpz6hK4NWlbnYWl2Sxja6W~iE~HAueBdpSP6NCtCqjQ63r6d~el3AH0D0VieOe1Ul-KRluvQG2yaeWtyyZmAnnt2SSBG49X9azIUcurHHVAWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Miami-Dade County","date","2025-07-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners took action on multiple comprehensive-development and zoning applications involving Blue Nest developments in Homestead and the Redland area after extensive public testimony from residents and workers. The applications addressed a mix of CDMP (Comprehensive Development Master Plan) amendments and companion zoning requests for sites in South Dade and Homestead.

What the commission did: For several Blue Nest items the board voted to adopt or transmit the CDMP and companion zoning requests per staff recommendations, with conditions. Conditions discussed and recorded during the hearing included a requirement for legally sufficient covenants and a conceptual master plan to be filed within a short period (county staff used a 10‑day window as a condition for some items). Commissioners also negotiated design commitments for several projects, including perimeter buffers of single‑family homes around higher-density townhome interiors and required landscaping/sidewalk buffers along project edges.

Public comment and concerns: The hearing featured dozens of public speakers. Opponents — many of them longtime Redland residents, growers and nurserymen — urged the commission to protect agricultural land, raised concerns about road capacity, stormwater management and impacts to wetlands and wildlife, and said the area already faces drainage and evacuation challenges. Speakers noted flooding after heavy rains, limited roadway capacity on narrow, two‑lane roads, proximity to Turkey Point and evacuation concerns, and potential loss of agricultural jobs and locally produced food.

Supporters’ remarks: Dozens of speakers, including teachers, police officers, younger workers and advocates for workforce housing, urged approval. They said workforce housing is in short supply, argued that homeownership helps retain local workers and first responders, and called the projects an opportunity for young families and essential workers to live near jobs.

Applicant presentations and staff findings: Applicant teams described project designs, community‑benefit packages and stormwater approaches and said they would work with county staff on required design, environmental and mitigation steps. Staff recommended approval for several of the CDMP/zoning items with the proffered covenants and conceptual plans as conditions. For multiple items, commissioners accepted staff-recommended changes to ensure compatibility and preserve buffers along property edges.

Why it matters: The votes move multiple housing projects forward in areas outside or on the edge of denser corridors; commissioners repeatedly balanced the need for workforce housing against infrastructure and environmental concerns. Several commissioners asked applicants to provide clearer, documented stormwater and traffic-mitigation commitments and to file covenants documenting workforce affordability and design commitments.

Next steps: Applicants were directed to provide legally sufficient covenants, conceptual plans and any required joiners and title opinions within the period set by staff. County departments will review required infrastructure, drainage and environmental mitigation measures through normal permitting and platting steps before site development occurs.

Ending: The hearing highlighted a recurring countywide tension: demand for workforce housing and infrastructure to serve new residents, versus residents’ requests to preserve agricultural land and limit increased traffic and flooding risks. Several projects moved forward with additional conditions intended to address neighbors’ concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Miami-Dade County - Miami-Dade BCC-Comprehensive Development Master Plan & Zoning Hearing - Jul 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Miami‑Dade County Commission approved or transmitted several Blue Nest comprehensive-plan and zoning applications for Homestead and nearby Redland areas after extended public comment, but added conditions to address neighbors’ concerns about flooding, traffic and agricultural loss.","taxTitle","Miami-Dade County, Florida","taxId",2864,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6517016,"Miami-Dade zoning hearing defers Fourteenth Street Miami Investments after applicant raises public benefit offer",389,349000,738000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429404-d1434368ee0b301bafd48c4f8be9a413&start=349&end=738","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429404-d1434368ee0b301bafd48c4f8be9a413/thumbnail_349000.jpg","/articles/6517016/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Miami-Dade-zoning-hearing-defers-Fourteenth-Street-Miami-Investments-after-applicant-raises-public-benefit-offer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517016-430e6102c56216dd31eae3a9438669c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095848&Signature=itQw9EKGpiEuRagLKAbCpMNEfQlQL4ymDbHsUUFmrm5MuPVFrkP0Q4OZKEKtldbFvozWuWl0zz8qbvDMCOka44Mhcb3oQw1IET0bARvZudKz2owEgg3R8WirfFgJjjmIVEn1gEnfcXpvSVZHDlnMFaNCnJ5Bs0LUbybTEPifMU9xVVyXJ8nHN5i1qjxULm9L2bfcK9n5XvBUe590Bk49wY676cj2~kqd4lYPjA00DDWaAb33HCOrQgjMtkd-c7vVwDX0074eRZiuBQ4kQncmuPr-qpHsOjEGHBpMxItHgDAzaPWt3BlrdFLRws3~DXXIYpGV7L3yw8cThb00jiXBew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on a zoning item tied to application Z2024000125 deferred action after the applicant told the board he had raised the project’s public benefit contribution to $600,000. The applicant’s representative, Russell W. Galbitt, said the revised package amounts to roughly $1.97 per square foot and that the amount was “more than three times the average” of recent comparable applications.

The matter concerns a rezoning application that commissioners said has been deferred multiple times. Vice Chair (who moved the deferral) told the board the district commissioner for the area was not present and asked that the item be held for that official’s input. Commissioner Bastien seconded the motion to defer.

Why it matters: Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the need to balance expediting housing and economic development with ensuring adequate public benefits to surrounding neighborhoods. Several commissioners who spoke said they were reluctant to decide on the proffered community benefits without hearing from the district commissioner representing the project’s neighborhood.

Details of the exchange: The applicant’s president, Russell W. Galbitt, told commissioners the team had increased the public benefit proffer to $600,000 from a prior $150,000 and said financing and market timing put pressure on the project to move forward. Commissioners asked whether the district commissioner’s staff had seen and approved the new proffer; county counsel and the zoning director reported the district commissioner had not sent a written memo stating his position.

Board action: The vice chair moved to defer the item to allow the district commissioner to review the revised proffer and discuss it with staff; the motion was seconded and the board agreed to hold the item. The applicant said staff would try to reach the district commissioner during the meeting and, if necessary, that the item could be placed on the board’s September calendar if no resolution was reached at the hearing.

What was not decided: Commissioners did not vote for or against the rezoning today; no change to the zoning code or final approval was made. No final legal or entitlement determinations were recorded during the session.

Context and next steps: The applicant said it has financing and consultants ready and urged action, while several commissioners pressed for local representation and written input from the district commissioner before the board acts. The item will return at a later meeting for possible final action after outreach to the district commissioner and additional information about the public-benefit package.

Ending: The item remains deferred pending further communication with the district commissioner and updated written materials. If the applicant or staff submit revised covenants, commissioners said they expected those documents to be provided to the board in advance of any rescheduled hearing.","The Board of County Commissioners deferred a zoning decision on the Fourteenth Street Miami Investments rezoning after the applicant said it had increased the community benefit to $600,000; commissioners asked for the district commissioner’s input before taking final action.","actionData","errors"]

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Commission approves multiple Bluenest proposals after lengthy public comment; neighbors raise flooding and farmland concerns

Miami-Dade zoning hearing defers Fourteenth Street Miami Investments after applicant raises public benefit offer