The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners on an otherwise routine agenda voted unanimously to approve several amendments and transmittals relating to the county's Comprehensive Development Master Plan and to approve a zoning application that allows continued automotive use for up to eight years while the developer installs interim landscaping.

The board approved a small-scale CDMP application (CDMP 20250001) for a property at the southwest corner of Northeast 149th Street and Northeast Sixth Avenue, adopted by final action after a brief presentation by the applicant's attorney. The board also voted to transmit department-filed and out-of-cycle CDMP amendments (CDMP 20240020 and CDMP 20250002) to the state land planning agency for review. Separately, the board approved zoning application Z2024000214 (Valence Investments) to allow an interim automotive sales use with conditions. Several items including agenda items numbered 81, 82 and 83 and development item 8C2 were deferred to the Nov. 20 meeting for further work.

The votes were unanimous on the adopted items. No public speakers were signed up on these items, and the county attorney and department staff confirmed the items had been legally advertised and that records for each application were available to the board and the public.

Cesar Mestre, the applicant's attorney, described the small-scale CDMP application (CDMP 20250001) as a redesignation "from low density residential to business office" to allow a proposed 5,200-square-foot retail/office building on a corner lot that has been vacant for more than 25 years. He said the applicant was proposing a footprint much smaller than the maximum allowed by code and that the proposal would "generate local employment, support economic growth" and would not violate adopted level-of-service standards for public facilities. Jerry Bell, planning director in the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, told the board the department's recommendation was "to adopt with acceptance of the proper declaration of restrictions." The ordinance and companion resolution for that application were adopted by roll call.

On the county-initiated items, the board opened and closed public hearings with no speakers and voted to transmit amendments to the future natural resources section of the land use element and to policy CM1A of the coastal management element for state review. In each case the director characterized the filings as department or mayor's-office items submitted in response to earlier board direction and staff recommended transmittal and further review.

On zoning application Z2024000214 (Valence Investments), the commissioner representing District 2 described a local priority to revitalize the district with mixed-use and retail options and asked staff to confirm the length of an MCS designation referenced in the file. Staff confirmed the MCS designation would permit the current automotive use for eight years and that, after that period, the property owner "would be required to change the use of that property." Developer representative Maritza Harrow addressed the board, saying the owner would "install landscaping along Northwest 20 Seventh Avenue" and take interim aesthetic steps while sewers are extended closer to the property; she said sewer availability is not currently feasible at the site and that connection is expected in the county's schedule around 2028 or later.

Commissioners moved the department recommendations by voice and then approved each item by roll call. The transcript records affirmative roll-call responses from commissioners present and a final announcement that the motions "pass[ed] unanimously." The clerk recorded the approvals in the meeting minutes.

Not all items on the published agenda were resolved. The board deferred items numbered 81, 82 and 83 to the Nov. 20 meeting by motion; item 8C2 was also deferred after a commissioner said they needed additional meetings with the developer on screening for a parking garage and on further community benefits. The commissioner who moved the 8C2 deferral said they had "some questions" and wanted to negotiate additional details with the applicant before final action; the motion to defer carried without recorded opposition.

The meeting opened with the clerk's roll call, prayer and pledge, and the board confirmed there were seven members present and a quorum before taking the land-use and zoning actions described above. No public commenters addressed the items covered in this article during the public-hearing portions of those agenda matters.

Votes at a glance

- CDMP 20250001 (small-scale application at SW corner of NE 149th St & NE 6th Ave): Motion to adopt ordinance and companion resolution; moved by Commissioner Bastian; seconded by Vice Chairman McGee; vote: unanimous (all present commissioners recorded "yes"). Outcome: approved.

- CDMP 20240020 (county-initiated/out-of-cycle amendment to future natural resources and CM1A): Motion to transmit to state land planning agency and reserve final action; moved by Vice Chairman McGee; seconded by Commissioner Bermudez; vote: unanimous. Outcome: transmitted for review.

- CDMP 20250002 (Atlantic Civil Inc., January 2025 cycle; Florida City area): Motion to transmit and adopt transmittal resolution/first-reading ordinance; moved by Vice Chairman McGee; seconded by Commissioner Orbis; vote: unanimous. Outcome: transmitted for review.

- Z2024000214 (Valence Investments): Motion to approve with staff recommendation allowing interim automotive use for eight years and requiring improvements; moved by the District 2 commissioner (recorded in the transcript as Commissioner Bastian); seconded by Vice Chairman McGee; vote: unanimous. Outcome: approved with recorded interim landscaping and condition tied to sewer availability.

Deferred items

- Agenda items 81, 82, and 83: Deferred to Nov. 20 by motion; clerk recorded deferral.

- Item 8C2 (developer project with parking garage screening/community benefits): Deferred to Nov. 20 to allow additional negotiation between the commissioner and the applicant on garage screening and community benefits.

Background/context

The CDMP (Comprehensive Development Master Plan) is Miami-Dade County's long-range land-use policy document; proposed changes to the CDMP are typically transmitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (state land planning agency) for review before the board takes final action. Several items on today's agenda were department-filed transmittal requests tied to county policy work and a BCC directive. The zoning approval for Valence Investments authorizes continued automotive sales for a fixed interim period while sewer infrastructure and redevelopment planning proceed.

What's next

Deferred items are scheduled to return to the board on Nov. 20 for further consideration. Items transmitted to the state will undergo the statutory review process before the board may take final action on those county-initiated plan amendments.