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The Village of Palmetto Bay conducted a special council meeting on the evening of Sept. 23 to discuss whether to accept or reject an Interlocal Agreement between Miami-Dade County and the Village of Palmetto Bay spelling out concessions from the county resulting from negotiations regarding the bridge to be built on SW 87th Avenue over the C-100 canal.
The meeting was mostly virtual, live-streamed via Facebook and the village’s website, with only the council, staff, attorneys and a few residents in the chamber.
The proposed bridge project had been a controversial issue for years, with residents in the area near the proposed bridge, as well as other residents living along SW 87th Avenue, being concerned with the volume of traffic that would result if 87th Avenue became a major thoroughfare such as S. Dixie Highway and Old Cutler Road.
The issue had been dormant until Miami-Dade Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, who had been appointed to fill the District 8 seat vacated by Daniela Levine Cava when she became county mayor, launched her “Connectivity Plan” to build bridges wherever SW 87th Avenue was interrupted by canals. Her plan, approved by vote of the county commission, was to begin with the bridge in Palmetto Bay. The Town of Cutler Bay, south of the village, had strongly supported the idea to help their own residents commute north.
The Palmetto Bay Council had fought against the plan, but the county approved it on Feb. 2 and the Transp
ortation Planning Organization approved it on Mar. 18, despite testimony by the village council. The village then initiated the Conflict Resolution Process pursuant to Chapter 164 of the Florida Statutes.
The meeting began with the village clerk, Missy Arocha, reading aloud public comment remarks submitted online. There were a total of 14 public comments received.
Some of the comments:
Michele Kirk, 15200 block of SW 87th Avenue, Palmetto Bay: “I oppose the 87th Avenue bridge since it will not resolve the traffic issues in Palmetto Bay. This will increase traffic flow and further cause more gridlock. 87th Avenue is not a through street and does not offer a place for traffic to flow easily. We have many issues with gridlock on 87th Avenue and 152nd, not to mention 87th Avenue and 144th.
David Medina, 14900 block of SW 87th Avenue, Palmetto Bay: “The proposed resolution for the bridge makes no sense. The creation of this bridge attempts to solve traffic congestion by diverting it through our neighborhood and to make matters worse, the mitigation plan is to penalize the homeowners by making it difficult for homeowners in the community to navigate the streets within our own neighborhood. I strongly urge the council to vote no.”
The rest of the public comments were nearly identical in viewpoint, although some residents said they thought the Interlocal Agreement left out key cross streets that also should be including in the wording. Some comments requested more golf cart travel be allowed.
Village manager Nick Marano, as well as village attorney John Dellagloria and co-counsel Gerry Greenberg, explained that the Interlocal Agreement was the result of months of negotiations between the county and the village and that the village had been given several important concessions that allow more village control over traffic calming.
Mayor Karyn Cunningham stressed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Interlocal Agreement because the county had made the bridge a “done deal.” But she was concerned with the issues raised by residents. “How are we moving forward, how are we going to protect the residents?” she said.
Vice Mayor Leanne Tellam proposed further negations with the county to add the wording about streets and related issues residents felt were missing. Councilmember Steve Cody agreed with that idea and the attorneys said it was possible. Councilmember Patrick Fiore expressed concerns about signing the agreement, and Councilmember Marsha Matson argued that the village should walk away and continue to fight the bridge project in court, suggesting that Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins might be replaced in the next election by someone who would be against the bridge.
The decision was finally made to neither approve nor disapprove the Interlocal Agreement, but to try to resume negations with the county regarding its wording. The vote was 3 to 2, with Mayor Cunningham, Vice Mayor Tellam and Steve Cody voting for that course of action, and Councilmembers Matson and Fiore voting against it.
Results of the negotiations are to be announced in the coming weeks.
