Miami-Dade denied water hike; big development plans
stalled
BY ANN HENSON
Citizen Staff
Miami-Dade
County's
request for an increase in its water allocation was denied, at least for
now, by the South Florida Water Management District.
Without more water, the
explosive growth pending in the county — including the controversial
6,000-unit Florida City Commons — will be stalled. That project is so
large that it would impact the entire region; Monroe County officials
have expressed opposition to the project.
According to state law,
local governments must determine if there is sufficient infrastructure,
including an adequate water supply, before issuing new building permits.
Keith Smith, spokesman
for the water management district, said the current allocation of 415
million gallons of water per day will remain in place for a year or so
while the county develops alternative sources.
Florida
has five water management districts that regulate water consumption.
South Florida Water Management District has jurisdiction over 16
counties, including Miami-Dade and Monroe.
Miami-Dade officials
requested an additional 35 million gallons per day to accommodate the
growth.
"They have not used that
much; the most used was 347 million gallons per day, so they have some
room to accommodate growth," Smith said. "There's a lot of outstanding
issues regarding impacts to wetlands, developing alternative water
supplies, technical analysis — a whole laundry list of things to do," he
said.
The matter didn't even
make it to the water district's board, Smith said, because staff did not
have enough information to make a recommendation.
The county's director of
water and sewers, William Brant, abruptly resigned in late January after
Miami-Dade county commissioners learned he had not developed plans for
the future of the county's water supply.
"They can't take water
from the Biscayne Aquifer, not from anywhere else in the county" or from
the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, said Mike Collins, water management
district board member.
Miami-Dade had no plan
for the future, he said.
"The fact that Brant
didn't do his job and did not develop future sources of water for the
county, that's why he's not there," Collins said.
County Manager George
Burgess accepted Brant's resignation on Jan. 27 and on the same day,
appointed John Renfrow as the new director of water and sewers.
"I have asked John to
conduct a full top-down management review of the water and sewer
district," Burgess stated. "I trust that John will work cooperatively
and effectively with all partners, including the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the state of Florida, the South Florida Water
Management District and local municipal customers."
The county is working on
the required "laundry list," said Frank Calderon, water and sewers
spokesman.
"We are working on a
Reuse Feasibility Study and alternative water supply investigation since
July 2005, and we anticipate being granted a short-term permit while we
continue to work on an alternative water supply plan," he said. The
first public meeting about Miami-Dade's water and sewer plans will be
held Friday.
Several months ago,
Florida City annexed 1,000 acres south of it, where the planned Florida
City Commons would encompass 4,200 single-family homes, 1,800 condos and
townhomes, 300,000 square feet of retail space, 90,000 square feet of
office space, an 1,800-seat movie theater complex, a hotel and three
schools.
Monroe
County
already has expressed its opposition to the project. But so far,
regulatory agencies requesting information have neither opposed nor
supported it.
Florida City Mayor Otis
Wallace did not return The Citizen's calls for comments by press
deadlines.
ahenson@keysnews.com
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