Four new cities, including two each in West Kendall and South Dade, will be studied by newly formed Municipal Advisory Committees (MAC) once expected approvals are given by the Miami-Dade Commission.
The West Kendall study areas lie north and south of Kendall Drive, west of Florida’s Turnpike to Krome Avenue, excepting for a portion of District 10 that includes Horse Country and adjoining territory east of SW 147th Avenue.
Farther south, two MACs include a broad study area along the west side of S. Dixie Highway (US1) from SW 120th Street to SW 232th Street, adjoining the west city limits of Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.
A second MAC in south Miami-Dade will analyze an area east of Homestead and Florida City, east of US1 between SW 256th and SW 320th streets.
Creation of all four MACs is set for action by county commissioners when they return from August vacations to face a lengthy agenda on Sept. 3-4.
Originally, Commissioner Juan C. Zapata proposed three West Kendall studies but dropped about one-third of the north area lying between S.W 147th Avenue and Florida’s Turnpike when Commissioner Javier Souto asked for more input from District 10 residents before he could approve the action.
That area north of Kendall Drive has an estimated population of 286,000 and includes Winston Park, Lago Mar and the Lakes of the Meadow. The southern MAC area in West Kendall is estimated at 194,000 population and includes Country Walk, The Hammocks, Forest Lakes, Calusa, Garden Hills and Tamiami-Kendall Executive Airport.
Altogether, the two West Kendall areas comprise nearly a half million residents classified as more than 50 percent Hispanic by the 2010 U.S. Census.
While Zapata vigorously has pursued public support for defining new city boundaries for West Kendall, the new MACs proposed by Commissioner Moss have not had the attendant publicity or aroused special interest since they were proposed.
South Dade Area A is located generally west of Florida’s Turnpike between SW 152nd and SW 184th streets, with one section between the turnpike and SW 137th Avenue extending north to SW 120th Street. South of SW 184th Street, the study also takes in Quail Roost Drive areas between SW 127th Avenue and the turnpike.
Area B is bordered by US1 (on west) east to near Biscayne Bay, with its northern border south of SW 248th Street in a jagged line east and west of the turnpike, and would include the Homestead Air Reserve Base, about six miles northeast of Homestead.
MAC committees are composed of five or seven citizens who have 24 months to recommend action before termination or extension of their term.
The two West Kendall MACs succeed a single West Kendall MAC that undertook a study between 1996 and 2000 before being disbanded by then Commissioner Joe Martinez for lack of community interest in pursuing incorporation.
