Miami’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board wants the city to reconsider the development regulation known as Special Area Plans allowed for under the Miami 21 code, which have allowed for large scale projects such as Brickell City Centre and Miami Worldcenter to be built.
Under Miami 21, developers who assemble 9 or more acres are entitled to file for a Special Area Plan, which allows for extra dense zoning and higher flexibility in design guidelines.
Special Area Plans that have been submitted include Brickell City Centre, Miami Worldcenter, the Bjarke Ingels-designed Miami Produce Center, and Miami Innovation District. Others are planned at Crescent Height’s 3000 Biscayne, Magic City, Mana Wynwood and Chetrit Group’s Miami River site.
The Special Area Plan provision has been coming under attack lately from a handful of community activists, however.
Last night, Miami’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board voted 7-1 to ask city staff to draft a resolution on the possible removal of the Special Area Plans provision from Miami 21.
The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board board has also been accused of intentionally delaying SAPs by deferring votes rather than approve or deny them.
Developer SPV Realty is suing the city because the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board has deferred a vote on its 5.4 million square feet Eastside Ridge Special Area Plan five times. Deferrals are worse for the developer than a denial, because in case of a denial the project can still appear before the city commission which can overrule the lower board, while a deferral can hold up the project indefinitely.
Anothony Parrish, a member of the Board, wrote in a recent op-ed in the Herald that he is opposed to SAPs because they are gentrifying areas such as Little Haiti.
The Eastside Ridge Special Area Plan that has been delayed by the Planning, Zoning & Appeals Board:
