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As one of the 10 most populous counites in the United States, Miami-Dade needs to keep a keen eye on any opportunity to set aside any remaining land for public use as parks or recreational open spaces.
Well, look no farther than a 70-acre waterfront parcel in South Dade that’s ripe for the picking to be transformed into an outstanding public park along the shores of Biscayne Bay.
It doesn’t get any better than this!
But first, a little history…
For decades, there was a busy power plant just south of Old Cutler Road and 67th Avenue. Barges filled with heavy oil, little more than tar-like crude, were brought in and the contents burned to create energy. A lot of the oil accidentally spilled on the ground and the thick black smoke from the boilers fell back on the area surrounding the plant.
This was back at a time when there were very few environmental regulations, but that didn’t seem to matter because with more than 70 acres surrounding the plant, any toxic fallout was pretty much contained right there, onsite. Several years later, the plant switched over to natural gas and continued producing electricity. But what was already in the ground from the old oil-burning days stayed in the ground.
As time went on, a nuclear power plant was built at Turkey Point. As a result, the older power plant was deemed inefficient and obsolete, and subsequently demolished, putting the 70-acre parcel up for sale for $66 million.
But there was one problem…
Because the burning of thick, gooey oil had left behind a layer of pollution in the soil and the limestone below, fixing the land was going to take tens of millions of dollars. So, the sale price was cut in half and a developer bought the property.
The Village of Palmetto Bay had rezoned the area, setting the former plant site and surrounding land at E-1, allowing for one house per acre. However, the developer wants to put 110 houses on the property on one-fifth acre lots plus a system of canals through the contaminated limestone rock. The result has been years of litigation between the village and the developer.
So here’s the “worst kept secret” part…
Now, it turns out that Miami-Dade County has an interest in buying the property and turning it into a park. What a phenomenal idea this is! A 70-plus-acre parcel fronting Biscayne Bay would be the last such open bayfront land of this size. A park offering passive and active amenities could be developed in a way that would bury the contamination under several feel of new rock fill and soil, keeping it from leeching into the bay.
And let’s face it, a regional park of this magnitude would be a boon to Palmetto Bay. It would provide needed recreational space to the growing population of South Dade. A bayfront park also could include a new – and much needed – boat ramp between the ones at Matheson Hammock and Black Point.
And it would end what promises to be a decade of costly litigation for both the Village of Palmetto Bay and the developer.
Now it’s time to play ball…
So, Miami-Dade County, let’s play ball – by acquiring the land from the developer via a negotiated sale. The sting of the sales price could be lessened by getting conservation grants for keeping the site as green space, as well as EPA Superfund money for the cleanup.
But if the developer’s demands are too great, the county should put an end to this quandary by taking the parcel via eminent domain for the ultimate public purpose – a magnificent park. A court would set the price. Given the present level of contamination, the developer might recoup his purchase price, but probably not much else.
Let’s make this a top priority…
However the county accomplishes it, it needs to buy the old generator site. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the county commission should do what’s right by making this their top priority for the residents of South Dade and generations to come.
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