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Pinecrest is re-examining its nine-year-old vision plan for the S. Dixie Hwy. commercial corridor coincident with advocacy by Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert to vastly increase residential density within a quarter mile, or perhaps even a half-mile, of Metrorail.
Pinecrest Mayor Joe Corradino has explained that the purpose of our Inspire Pinecrest exercise is to get ahead of the issue. At present, the county is addressing a widespread lack of affordable housing by allowing high-rises with tiny apartments to rise west of S. Dixie Hwy across from Pinecrest.
Meanwhile, an expected shortage of land for single-family homes is creating developer pressure to breech the Urban Development Boundary. Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who heads the county’s infrastructure committee, has suggested county policy changes (exempting Pinecrest and the other municipalities) to make it easier to build multiple houses on single family lots. Before we in Pinecrest say the heck with that, consider this.
Any tension between county commission over-the-top desires and what we in Pinecrest want for ourselves might be lessened by relatively subtle land use changes aimed toward creating more flexibility for multi-generational families to live together on residential lots.
Right now, fully one-quarter of Americans age 18 and over live in multi-generational households compared to just seven percent a decade ago, according to a group called Generations United. Multi-generational households are defined as three or more generations living together.
An earlier Pew Research Center study indicated that Hispanics and Asians are 60 percent more likely to live in multi-generational families than non-Hispanic whites. These groups now represent slightly more than half of Pinecrest residents, according to the most recent census.
Presently in Pinecrest only one single family residence is allowed per lot. An additional accessory unit is allowed for temporary guests, which may include domestic employees. The Village has allowed guest houses to have refrigerators but not kitchen facilities such as ovens or cook-tops. An accessory unit may not be rented.
We might wish to encourage multi-generational living by allowing accessory unit kitchen facilities and permitting permanent residency.
This would enable older residents to age in place and provide a comfortable haven with a measure of privacy for younger family members whose income or circumstances do not permit them to get their own places. Pinecrest homeowners who already have accessory units might be able to retrofit them for permanent residency at modest cost.
What I just described is the low-hanging fruit. Another idea would be to give acre estate owners the option of building a main residence with a backyard cottage if they meet present green space requirements. Out of respect for neighbors concerned about over-development, the footprint and scale of the main house should be reduced by a formula yet to be determined.
My objective is to invite a discussion. You may love these ideas or you may hate them. Please direct any comments to your village councilmembers.
Bob Ross is a former member of the Pinecrest Village Council.
