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Monroe County urges RPC to require evacuation modelling for Miami‑Dade DRI; commissioners adopt resolution
Summary
After staff briefed the county on a proposed Miami‑Dade DRI of roughly 7,800 housing units, the Monroe County commission approved a resolution asking the South Florida Regional Planning Council to require regional evacuation time‑modeling and to copy Miami‑Dade officials; the board also asked the applicant to provide sheltering for residents if modelling is not provided.
Monroe County commissioners voted to ask the South Florida Regional Planning Council (RPC) to require evacuation modelling for a proposed Development of Regional Impact (DRI) in Miami‑Dade County and to send a copy of the county’s resolution to Miami‑Dade officials.
Staff told the commission the application — sited about 14½ miles north of US‑1 and Card Sound Road near Miami Executive Airport — proposes roughly 7,800 housing units on about 950 acres, which staff estimated would house about 21,000–22,000 new residents. County planning staff said the developer responded to a hurricane preparedness question by reporting that the RPC had indicated the standard “time model is not available for use” and by proposing roughly 1,100 shelter spaces (about 5% of the projected new population) rather than running an evacuation time simulation.
Commissioners and staff raised public‑safety concerns about that approach. County staff briefed the board on outreach to Miami‑Dade emergency management and FDOT and explained the county’s evacuation coordination with Miami‑Dade, noting that additional residents and vehicles on key evacuation corridors (the Turnpike and State Road 27) would increase evacuation time and complexity.
After discussion, staff presented a draft resolution finding the application “does not meet sufficiency requirements based on exclusion of evacuation modeling in response to question 23,” and asking the RPC to require a time‑model run using the consultant contracted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and FDOT. The resolution also asked that, in the absence of an acceptable modelling run, the DRI be required to provide sheltering for 100% of its residents and directed the clerk to send the resolution to the RPC and to Miami‑Dade County (mayor and clerk).
A commissioner moved the resolution, another seconded, and the motion carried with no recorded opposition. Staff said they would transmit the resolution to the RPC and copy Miami‑Dade officials.
Commissioners said the action is intended to protect Monroe County’s evacuation routes and to press Miami‑Dade and the RPC for a fuller analysis of regional impacts before approval.
