Urban Environment League » Virginia Key

Announcing Nature Links at Virginia Key Beach to Start Fall 2011

Greg Bush — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:37:59 +0000

Nature Links for Life long Learning announces an exciting new partnership with the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. Beginning with introductory sessions to begin by early November, NL seeks to address the needs of young adults over 22 years old with disabilities by providing unique opportunities for regular programming focused on continuing education, health and exercise, job training and social activities for a population so often overlooked in South Florida.

Reconnecting young people with natural world in ways that combine fun and fellowship with learning and the potential for productive careers is the central goal. “The facilities at Virginia Key Trust are ideal for this program. We believe there can be great synergy in all of this,” said Gene Tinnie of HVKBT. Program elements includes organic gardening, habitat restoration, animal rescue, learning about weather, sea life, healthy bodies, and using the existing concession stand to learn cooking and marketing of produce. Community Dinners are planned in the future.

Building on the successful Project Bridge program begun in 2007, aimed at high school age students, located at Shake a Leg Miami and funded and run by the Miami Dade County Public School, NL now seeks to expand and add another location by addressing the needs of those over 22 years of age.

By providing opportunities for both young adults with special needs and integrating their learning and social lives with college age students and other volunteers, NL seeks to provide a holistic relationship with many facets of the natural world. In recent years, a host of new organizations have been formed around the world to reconnect people to the natural world, including the writings of Richard Louv and his Children & Nature Network. In South Florida, Earth Learning and other organizations have sought to expand local interest in organic food.

Nature Links seeks to create a curriculum and protocols for a variety of business and non-profit partnerships to assist in educating, training and enhancing the lives of those with disabilities – and others- in the coming years. “Forging models of behavior that foster more consciousness of healthy habits and the benefits of the natural world will assist all residents,” said Nature Links founder and UM professor Gregory Bush.

For further information about becoming part of the Nature Links movement – as a donor, volunteer educator, organizational partner, professional or participant, contact us.

Contact: Gregory Bush, Director, 305-926-5001; publicbush@gmail.com

Or Jennifer Balfe, Assoc Director, 305-965-0817; jenna.balfe@gmail.com

Virginia Key Coalition Masterplan Meeting

Tony Garcia — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:23:20 +0000

The Urban Environment League will convene a morning discussion with Virginia Key Coalition stakeholders to discuss the ongoing implementation of the Masterplan and next steps. Speakers will discuss the recent completion of the North Point Bike Trails, planned improvements to the Rickenbacker Causeway, ongoing Marine Stadium preservation efforts, and the still unfulfilled mandate for a Virginia Key Oversight Board.
Saturday, September 24, from 10 am – 12 pm
@ the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
come back soon for more details

Virginia Key: Dredge Fill A Bad Idea For Virginia Key

Tony Garcia — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:44:00 +0000

In an editorial Saturday, the Miami Herald weighed in on putting dredge fill from the port tunnel on Virginia Key:

In January, the city of Miami signed an agreement with Miami Access Tunnel, the company in charge of the massive project, allowing it to deposit up to 55,000 cubic yards of material displaced from the drilling preparation and drilling itself on Virginia Key’s northwest coast. In exchange, the company promised to use the fill to build a berm around the unsightly — and odoriferous — Virginia Key sewage plant. And:

Virginia Key should not become a casualty of the Big Dig. It is one of the few waterfront locations for family recreation in the city, and must be protected — even as a deeper port propels Miami forward.

The Miami Herald suggests that environmentalists should offer alternatives for the deposit of dredge fill. Is that not the job of the agencies involved, to find a suitable place, that does no harm, when they sign off on a project?

Virginia Key: Bike Trails and More. by Sam Van Leer

Tony Garcia — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:49:00 +0000

In response the the Miami Hearld article: “Bike-trail project a lot tougher than expected” Sept. 12, 2010.

The Virginia Key Master Plan approved by the City of Miami in July 2010 is based largely on the Consensus reached at the Virginia Key Coalition’s Charrette of September 2009. On Northpoint it protects the unique Nature Preserves and re-creates lost habitats inland, creating new opportunities for recreation within conservation. The very modest monetary investments are wise considering the stench that sometimes comes from the Sewage Treatment facility next door, and seasonal Mosquito and No-See-Um conditions.

A Public Beach is shared by people during the day, and nesting sea turtles at night. Multi-use paths may be enjoyed by all. North Ridge is planted with native vegetation selected to preserve the stunning views of the Bill Sadowski Wildlife Area, Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve and the City of Miami beyond. A large area is reserved for Mountain Biking. Picnic areas are along the Beach and the North Ridge. Walking paths allow people to explore the different Native Habitats found in coastal and inland areas. The campground is on high ground, with exposure to cooling and bug-abating breezes. Services are near the already-developed Sewage Treatment area.

Buffers between major human uses are absolutely essential to provide visitors with more personal experiences. Quiet nature hikers and wildlife won’t be startled by fast bikers. Campers can enjoy peace without intrusion. Mountain bikers can ride challenging paths free of walking explorers. Mountain Bikers were well represented at the Charrette’s Northpoint planning sessions, and were part of the consensus. The City Planning Department assures me that 30 yard buffers will be in all final plans.

Oleta River State Park is frequently mentioned as an example of great mountain bike trails, and it is true that they are fun to ride. What is less understood is that bikers built trails under Australian Pines, and expect that the big trees that shade their riding will be preserved. These Destructive Exotic trees actually kill Native Habitats, and the wildlife that depend on them. In addition, Oleta trails often wind so tightly that there is very little room for Native Habitat. The land use is so intense that it is a form of development, and is not an example to follow for Virginia Key. Fortunately, there are environmentally sensitive layouts that allow for shared use between bikers and nature.

The 2009 Charrette Plan should be followed, and Northpoint should never be used as a dumping ground again. How many public meetings must we attend to defend it? Listen to the will of the public, and please get on with it!

Sincerely,

Sam Van Leer
Executive Director & Founder -Urban Paradise Guild
sam@urban-paradise.org

Virginia Key Master Plan gets a favorable unanimous vote from the City of Miami Commission. By Jennifer Garcia

Nancy Lee — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Yesterday was a very special day for Virginia Key. More than 10 civic and environmental groups created one realistic and environmentally conscious master plan over a span of only eight months and was presented to the City of Miami‘s Commissioners, where it was unanimously approved.

How we all were able to work together and form one coalition is incredible! It truly shows how one common interest is enough to set aside all of our personal issues and just work as one.

When I first began to get involved with the issues of Virginia Key I was very optimistic, I thought EDSA was going to listen to us and incorporate our ideas into their master plan. I was a junior in high school; I was not familiar with public planning, master plans, civic groups and politics. I am blessed they actually did not listen and I was able to learn throughout these four years more than I ever expected and would ever learn at school. The main reason I am even an environmental studies major today always begins with my passion for Virginia Key. I am so grateful for the hard work that everyone has put in, especially Professor Jorge Hernandez, Architect Hilario Candela, University of Miami School Of Architecture Students, and fellow UEL Board Member Dr. Gregory Bush.

We are one step closer my friends and I hope we continue to work together for that one common goal.

The Virginia Key Plan Makes the Rounds of City Boards

Nancy Lee — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:24:00 +0000

George Hernandez, of the University of Miami, presenting the Virginia Key Plan to the City of Miami Zoning Board Wednesday.

Virginia Key Planning meeting Saturday a Success

Tony Garcia — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:08:00 +0000

About 75 people gathered at the Rusty Pelican Saturday morning to see University of Miami Architecture students’ presentations for Virginia Key. Dr. Gregory Bush first set the stage with a powerpoint presentation. There was a lively question and answer period that followed the student presentations. After the initial meeting the group moved on to the Virginia Key Trust to do some drawing of their own. Plans for Virginia Key are now getting public participation and fresh ideas. Anthony Garcia, Architect in attendance said:

“I was impressed with the solutions the students presented for the basin area. They correctly identified access to the waterfront as a major programmatic theme – a challenge that has never been adequately addressed, until now. “

Whether or not you attended this weekend’s Virginia Key Design Workshop please feel free to write your feedback on the follow questions provided below. We would love your public input! You can send the answers to uelinfo@bellsouth.net or leave them here as comments.

Questions
1. Are you satisfied with the 4 general vision for the North Point areas of the VK plan as presented?

2. Do you have any suggestions about further integration of the island’s assets-including the role of the Historic Virginia Key Park Trust or such elements as signage, transportation?

3. Are you in favor of a National Park Service presence on Virginia Key for Biscayne National Park?

4. Do you believe a multi-jurisdictional authority over VK should exist with clear principles to preserve the public interest on the island?

5. There has been a proposal for Miami Atlantic Marine Park- with a 50,000 to 150,000 square foot building located next to the Marine Stadium. Included elements might include: green marine demonstration, boat museum, marine exhibition, cultural emporium of the Atlantic world (including eatery and crafts from the Atlantic world), and a welcome center for the island. Your comments on this notion? Other related concepts to add the would adhere to the deed restrictions? How big/small should it be?

Virginia Key Planning NEEDS PUBLIC INPUT!

Tony Garcia — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:48:00 +0000

Saturday, March 27
Planning for Virginia Key

Rusty Pelican, 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key
from 9:00 AM-11:00 PM
The event is free and there will be free breakfast munchies and coffee.

email UELinfo@bellsouth.net for further Info.

The Urban Environment League invites interested members of the public to the Rusty Pelican for an update on planning for Virginia Key. In addition to efforts undertaken by a coalition of organizations interested in Virginia Key, the group will be joined by students from the University of Miami (UM) who are developing plans for Virginia Key and the Marine Stadium Basin in cooperation with the City of Miami Administration. The Coalition hopes to incorporate the results of the student work in its final recommendations for the Master Plan for Virginia Key, scheduled to be presented to the City Commission in June or July.

Andres Viglucci writes about Mayor Regalado Appearance at UEL Dinner

Tony Garcia — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:06:00 +0000

02/18/2010
Regalado to UEL: Expect no grand plans, but thy will be done – like Miami Marine Stadium restoration

First, the news: Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado told an Urban Environment League forum Wednesday evening to expect an announcement soon about $3 million in seed money for Miami Marine Stadium restoration. Details in three weeks.

Among mostly friends, Regalado was chatty and relaxed, reiterating positions that must have sounded like sweet music to the audience.

I.E,: He still doesn’t think the port tunnel is a good idea; he’s “skeptical’’ the Miami Art Museum and Miami Science Museum have the fundraising muscle to meet their financial commitments towards new homes in Museum Park; the Miami River should be preserved as a working waterway; and he intends to amend the Miami 21 zoning code, approved by the previous commission but frozen by the new administration, to incorporate a laundry list of rejected amendments that had been proposed by neighborhood activists (interesting to see how that comes out since some appeared to be unworkable).

Still no overarching vision and little evidence of an appetite for one, other than a promise for greater transparency and public participation in government decisions and operations – to, as he put it, “reclaim the city for the residents.’’

But what started to emerge, perhaps, was hints of a strategy, if that’s what it is: A piecemeal approach that eschews the sweeping plans and multi-generational vision of his predecessor, Manny Diaz, for building blocks that can set in place in short order. Perhaps the right thing for parlous times and, as Regalado put it, widespread “government fatigue’’ on the part of voters?

That’s what struck me when he was asked if he favored forming a trust to guide master planning and restoration of Virginia Key. Why? he responded. Instead, he said, focus on something achievable – like renovating the landmark Marine Stadium.

“I’m not going to promise the people we are going to have the greatest thing ever on Virginia Key. I don’t know that,’’ he said, in what was perhaps a dig at Diaz, who came in for his share of them during the talk.

“But I know we can do Marine Stadium. This should be our immediate goal. If we do Marine Stadium, then people will believe Virginia Key can be done.’’

Other tidbits:

* The city will drop appeals of court decisions that struck down certain condo projects on the river as incompatible with the city’s comprehensive development plan. The comp plan will be re-amended to restore protections for marine-oriented businesses.

* He and new City Commissioner Richard Dunn will “do something’’ about severe underuse at the new $20 million Little Haiti Cultural Center (see below).

* He will seek to foster economic development in the city through expansion of the city’s film industry and revitalization of industrial zones in Allapattah, Little Haiti and Wynwood.

Posted by Andres Viglucci at 01:23 PM

Virginia Key Guiding Principles.

Tony Garcia — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:18:00 +0000

Does Virginia Key Need Guiding Principles? From viewfromvirginiakey.com:

Alternatives to the 2009 proposed master plan for Virginia Key are now being mulled over by community groups, public officials, editorial writers and even University of Miami Architecture School students in a special design workshop on Virginia Key. The City of Miami Commission is set to reconsider the Virginia Key Master Plan in May 2010.

What will guide decisions about what, where and how the island should be used? Should public land be redeveloped using the same principles as private property? Do private sector rules of highest and best use apply? Does public access trump revenue generation by a cash-strapped city? Should short term goals override sound, long-term planning? Is the fragile environment of Virginia Key going to survive?

Perhaps a lesson from the recent past can help. In 1999, the City of Miami was in the throes of a financial crisis, much like today, and Virginia Key public land was seen as an opportunity to increase revenues, much like today. Sensing a need for some kind of order amid the chaos of competing interests, University of Miami Professor Greg Bush, then president of the Urban Environment League, came up with these guiding “Principles for the Future of Virginia Key.” Here is Here are the principles:

-Free and clear public access to the beach and all public property should be maintained.

-Public participation should be insured throughout the process of re-designing the use of public land with due public notice given in major newspapers. The need for public charrettes, paid for by the city and other sources of funds is paramount. All city and county reports should be completed on schedule and issued in writing.

-Those Virginia Key Advisory Board or Waterfront Board members with personal interest of their own, or by members of their family or close personal friends in future economic benefit from the and in question should consider that this might constitute a conflict of interest and should consider removing themselves from their respective Committees.

-Public bathroom facilities should be made available to all and adequate security should be maintained in all public parks.
-Public access to public land should not be inhibited by parking restrictions or inadequate public transportation.

-Public parkland should be used to enhance the appreciation of nature through walking trails, public campgrounds. It should also provide places of contemplation and relaxation as well as be redesigned for active recreational uses and as entertainment venues. There is a paramount value to keep all activity small scale.

-Public parkland on Virginia Key should be used to memorialize the civil rights struggle of African Americans. A memorial structure should be constructed modeled after the FDR memorial in Washington D.D. that will be a place of contemplation and tell the history of the struggle. It should be developed in cooperation with the Black Archives. The site should be a non-commercial service to the community, act as a tourist destination. All proceeds should benefit underprivileged youth.

-A suitable memorial should be created for all those from Cuba and Haiti who arrived on the shores of Virginia Key in their flight from oppression.

-Commercial eating facilities should be strictly limited to small scale operations.

-Educational programs for youth should be a major objective in redesigning the public parkland – done in conjunction with the Biscayne Nature Center.

-This Committee should be retained during the entire process of the planning for Virginia Key not merely to help with Specification for RFP’s so that there be continuity of knowledge.

-A Wilderness Campground should be created for inner city children, children at risk, and others, similar to the youth camp at Biscayne National Park.

-Any designs should be completed only after full and active consultation with local experts in the fields of environmental science and local history and with due deference to the ecological and historical nature of this island.