Item M01
R~vised 2/95
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: 1/19/00
Division: Mayor Freeman
Bulk Item: Yes
No
Department: BOCC-3
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Resolve that the U.S. Air Force consider available options other than the development of a massive
commercial airport for purposes of conveyance of the Homestead Air Base in order to minimize
negative environmental impacts of the project to the Florida Keys.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The. U. S. Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration are accepting public comment on a
recently released environmental impact study on the re-development of Homestead Air Force Base.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
TOTAL COST:
BUDGETED: Yes No
COST CENTER #
COST TO COUNTY:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
No AMOUNT PER MONTH YEAR
APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMB/Purchasing_ Risk Management _
DIVISION DIRECTORAPPROVAL:~~~a.,-
ayor Shir ey Fre an
DOCUMENTATION: Included: y..
To Follow:_ Not Required:
Agenda Item #:
/-/l1/
.
DISPOSITION:
Mayor Shirley Freemen
RESOLUTION NO.
-2000
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES OF THE
HOMESTEAD AIR FORCE BASE OTHER THAN A COMMERCIAL AIRPORT.
WHEREAS, the citizens of Monroe County enjoy an unique community character
and are stewards of an unique and fragile environment.
WHEREAS, the unique character of the Keys, particularly the Upper Keys, can be
substantially affected by land use decisions in southern MIami-Dade County;
WHEREAS. the use and enjoyment of Keys waters depends in large measure on the
tranquillity and peace of those waters and the airspace over those wateB:
WHEREAS. the fIShing industry in the Keys. including guided flats-fishing, requires
tranquil and peaceful waters to maintain its economic viability;
..
WHEREAS, the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base as a
commercial airport would cause a significant increase in the frequency of jet flIghts, and
thus incidents of noise intrusions, over the Upper Keys:
WHEREAS, the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base as a
commercial airport would change land use patterns in south Miami Dade County.
thereby creating adverse pressures on land use and the comprehensive plcn in the
Upper Keys:
WHEREAS. the redevelopment of the fonner Homestead Air Force Base as a
commercial airport has the great potential to increase pollution in Bisccyne Bay;
WHEREAS. Monroe County depends upon the federal government to protect the
interesfs of the Keys in the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base: now,
therefore
BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE
COUNTY, FLORIDA, supports the conveyance of the former Homestead Air Force Base tor
development alternatives other than a commercial airport.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Soard of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the
day of January. 2000.
MayorShirley Freeman
Commissioner Wilhelmina Harvey
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner Mary Kay Reich
Commissioner Nora Williams
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY L.KOLHAGE, Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By
Deputy Clerk
By
Mayor/Chairperson
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cau.se concern ~
in Upper Keys
By HARLEN BROWN
Citizen Upper Keys Bureau
HOMESTEAD - The dawn-
ing of the new ptillennium
could bring a major commer-
cial airport to the former
Homestead Air Force Base,
and place the Upper 'Keys
directly under the corridor of
hundreds of daily cargo and
commuter flights.
Some Florida Keys officials
and environmentalists worry the report is true, its verydis-
that pollution, noise, conges- mting t
appo' . ........
tion and .wUOr~eeI:1_ q~~ j'ar~o, ~id ev~nr. ~~
to the . county's fragile ~ and '~de who fishes 'Biscayne
tem soon could be arriving Bay or Florida Bay should
daily, too. . ., ' attend the public h~arings on
In the just-released en~n- . the report, which are sched-
mental impact study on the uled to begiD the first ~eek of
base's redevelopment, the U.S. February. ,.,'
Air Force and Federal "I believe they are doing it
Aviation f\~stration ~ay quickly.. --to .'tn~mize t~e
that. conv~rtmgthe .(Ild chance of opposition orgamz-
Homeste~d ~ir. ba.se int~ a ing," Farago said. "I feel it is a
commerCIal arrport IS not ~- . big issue to the Keys and plan
ly to cause significant nOlSeto'.make some presentations
and water pollution problems there on the, impact of this
for the adjoining two national study before the hearings. In
parks. . fact we are going to try to get
It recommends a number of the~ to hold hearings in the
measures to help .reduce the Keys as well as Miami and
airport's envlronme~tal Homestead,".
impact, including relocating ; Although the report was pro-
flight corridors away from posed in 1997 to study the
Biscayne and ~verglades impact of a comm~rcial ~ort
national parks, which are to ,on the surrounding. enVIron-
the east and west .of the base.ment, three other redevelop-
I A north-south corndor, howev- ment plans were subsequently
er, could place the Keys along proposed and examined.
the flight path. All three none of which
Alan Farago, chairman of includes ~ airport, would
the Sierra Club M~ami Group, have less impact on the envi-
was not ha~py WIth the 88- ronment, the report found.
page executive summary of One redevelopment proposal
the report made available last was offered by the' Hoover
week. ..., Environmental Group, headed
His group and other enVIron- by Lacey Hoover Chase of
mentalists hav~ protested ~e North Key Largo. Chase's
plans of Miami-Dade ~fficials group presented plans to c~n-
to allow Homestead Air Base vert the base into a eco-tounst
Development IDe. to run a theme park. called WetLands,
commercial airport between which would include a large
two national parks. . aquarium and marine
"[The report] has essen~lally research facilities.
declared war on our national Three major space compa-
parks and we are ready to go nies proposed building a pri-
to wa~," Farago said. "I think vate spaceport on the old base,
this is going to be a knock- from which to conduct one or
down, drag-out battle, and if See AIRPORT, Page 9A
NORA
WlWAMS:
County
commission-
er says
Keys lack
the size and
money to
have the
political clout
needed.
.AIRPORT ".J
. . '" . .'
r.' : .;nr'Frompage)*!
two launches of satellites per
week.
A third proposal came from
the Collier family of Naples,
which offered to relinquish its
mineral rights in the Big
Cypress National Reserve for
the right to build a $17 mil-
lion office park with hotels
and golf courses on the air
base site. .
Roy Cawley, a spokesman
for the Collier family, fears an
airport would require costly
buffers to prevent damage to
the ecosystem.
"It looks like a huge amount
of money will have to be spent
to deal with the environmen-
tal impact," he said;
Indeed, the report offers a
number of, t:'eCOmmendations
for cutting back on the air-
port's impact, including relo-
cating flight corridors away
from the national parks.
That, however, has become a
matter of immediate concern
for Monroe County residents
and conservationists, since
those flights could be diverted
over the Keys and Florida
Bay.
"Doesn't anyone care about
Monroe County?" asked Mary
Barley, an Islamorada resi-
dent and chair of the
Everglades, F-Eundation. "Here
will have an impact on lIE
l"1 'C'-h . ha ' since it will cause more poIlu'
.'~r.-:'ri'.n!rJ!t.. lng t ,t. tiOD, more congestion ane'
. happens. in South' more noise," County MayO!
1:'7 'da has Shirley Freeman said.
r ton' an' Commissioner NorE
impact on the Williams echoed those senti.
ments.
Florida Keys, and "This is of tremendous con
this will have an cern to the people of MolU'()(
County," Williams said. !
impact on us since Williams said many haVE
it will caUSe more long Suspected that flights:
would travel directly over Key
pollunon,. more Largo. i
congestion'dnd "Our problem is we don't'
have the political clout to be .
more noise. " truly considered, and that's:
'n.. . .. not . acceptable, " Williams'
- Shirley Freeman s~d. "What ~ey have to do is :;
ty qwt pretending that we are .
coun mayor..., not a'-'critical part of this r
. equation. We are important. i.'
we are again. We are going to We just la~ the size an~ ~e T.:
get th~ brunt of the noise and money to, ~,ve ,the po"litical r
pollution. pull we need. ,.: ,,~~~, ~
"If they can't. . impact Miami-Dade ... . and '~
Biscayne Bay and the Homeste~d offiCIals are ;.
Everglades, they are going to 'p~eased WIth the plans for the .
fly over us," Barley said. 8lrpOrt. ' . !
"Ocean Reef; Key Largo and Th~ see it as a major eco- 'i
Islamorada are going to be a nomIc boost to the South~'
part of that flight pattern." Dade area, which has suffered "
Monroe County officials considerable financial set- I
have not taken a public stand ,backs, since ,Hurricane ~
on the planned conversion. Andrew struck in 1992. ,
But they say the Florida Keys After the public comment is '
has a significant stake in the received on the s~dy, the Air ,.
matter. Force and FAA will present a i
"Everything that happens in final draft and make a recom- ;
South Florida has an impact mendation by the end of the!
on the Florida Keys, and this year. 1
Mayor Shirley Freemen
RESOLUTION NO. -2000
A RESOWTION SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES Of THE
HQMESTEAD AIR FORCE BASE OTHER THAN A COMMERCIAL AIRPORT.
I WHEREAS, the citizens of Monroe County enjoy an unique community character
and are stewards of an unique and fragile environment
~ WHEREAS, the unique eharacter of the Keys, particularly the Upper Keys, can be
subsfantially affected by land use decisions in southern Miami-Dade County;
,.J WHEREAS. the use and enjoyment of Keys waters depends in large measure on the
tranquillity and peace of those waters and the alBpace over those waters:
Jj WHEREAS. the fishing industry In the Keys. including guided flafs-fishing. requires
tranquil and peaceful waters to maintain its economic viability;
..
\.5 WHEREAS. the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base as a
commercial airport would cause a significant increase in the frequency of jet flfghts, and
thus incidents of noise intrusions, over the Upper Keys:
Co WHEREAS, the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base as a
commercial airport would change land use patterns in south Miami Dade County.
thereby creating adverse pressures on land use and the comprehensive plan in the
Jpper Keys:
7 WHEREAS, the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base as a
::ommercial airport has the great potential to increase pollutIon in Biscayne Bay;
~HEREAS. Monroe County depends upon the federal government to protect the
nterests of the Keys in the redevelopment of the former Homestead Air Force Base: now.
herefore
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BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE
COUNTY, FLORIDA, supports the conveyance of the former Homestead Air Force Base for
development alternatives other than a commercial airport.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County.
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the
day of January. 2000.
MayorShirley Freeman
Commissioner Wilhelmina Harvey
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner Mary Kay Reich
Commissioner Nera Williams
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY LKOLHAGE, Clerk
By
Jre$ilirlClfb
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By
Deputy Clerk
Mayor/Chairperson
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