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Council approves lease amendment for West Dixie property, draws objections from neighbors
Summary
The council authorized a long-term lease amendment with Zenith 79 LLC for a mixed-use parcel on West Dixie Highway, adding conditions that the developer deliver a plan within 180 days and pull permits within a year after public pushback over parking and a proposed 99-year term.
The North Miami City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to a lease for city-owned property along West Dixie Highway with Zenith 79 LLC, authorizing staff to negotiate and execute a first amendment that would permit redevelopment of a municipal parcel with mixed-use housing and retail uses.
The item drew extensive public comment. Longtime adjacent landowners raised concerns that a proposed 99-year term and the redevelopment plan could remove municipal parking they currently rely on and hinder operations of small businesses that have used the lot for decades. Attorney Michael Pizzi, representing neighbor Barbara Dabney, said adjacent property owners use roughly 15 municipal parking spaces and asked the council to solicit competing proposals rather than grant an effectively no-bid long-term lease. The applicant, who spoke during the hearing, said he has accommodated neighbors and has pursued a negotiated solution.
Councilwoman Mary Esmey Irvin, who moved the resolution, said the amendment authorizes the city to negotiate a long-term redevelopment deal but also includes new, council-directed conditions: the developer must present a viable development plan within 180 days and must pull building permits within one year; the lease will include a nonassignment clause and provisions to rescind the long-term rights if the milestones are not met. The council also required that staff include protections for adjacent businesses and consider parking solutions during negotiations.
Council members emphasized speed and transparency in follow-up steps while acknowledging the community’s concerns. The council voted 4-0 to approve the motion to authorize the city manager and city attorney to negotiate and execute the amendment. The council directed that staff return with the negotiated lease reflecting the 180-day plan submittal and one-year permitting milestones and that the final agreement come back to council for approval if requested.
The vote authorizes staff to proceed under the negotiated terms; the final development plan and any sale or lease assignment are still subject to the conditions negotiated with the city attorney and subsequent approvals.
