Dear friends,
On December 14th, there will be a public hearing at the county's Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB), in which Cutler Properties LC will ask for an environmental variance which will allow over 30 acres of previosly disturbed wetlands to be filled and up to 341 more homes to be built in Cutler Bay. This development will add to traffic congestion, overcrowding, and may damage surrounding pristine wetland areas.
We ask you to copy and paste ONE of the the messages below or write your own message. All emails or letters must give environmental reasons to oppose the variance. Please email your message to the following:
EspinC@miamidade.gov Carlos Espinosa, Director of DERM (Department of Environmental Resources Management)Email
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EQCB board members,
At your January 11th meeting, you will be asked to approve a variance by Cutler Properties LC allowing them to fill 30 acres of low quality wetlands in order to develop the property. It is my belief that these wetlands, which were damaged by a previous owner, can and should be restored. Past development in our wetland areas have already seriously compromised our environment,our community, and our quality of life.
The mangroves that line our coast, are our first line of defense against tidal surges and winds in case of a hurricane. The destruction of our wetlands increases the risk of salt water intrusion, threatening our water supply.
Our wetlands provide a breeding ground for marine life. One needs only to look to the south of Cutler Bay and the blooms that are negatively effecting Biscayne Bay, to know that we must protect our shorelines.
This land was purchased only 3 years ago with the knowledge that only 9 acres were build-able without a variance. This developer has taken a gamble that you will allow this to go through. Please do not gamble with the environmental health of our coast line for the enrichment of a few individuals.
For these reasons as well as many quality of life issues a new development would create within our community, I respectfully request that you vote NO to granting this variance.
Thank you,
(your name and address)
EQCB members,
On January 11th, you will be asked to grant an environmental variance for Cutler Properties LC. This variance, if granted, will allow over 30 acres of wetlands to be filled for a housing development in Cutler Bay.
These wetlands, although previously damaged by man, are in the footprint of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project, Phase 2 component of CERP and are targeted for wetlands restoration. Filling in wetlands that can and should be restored is environmentally irresponsible. Section 24-48.4 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida requires that potential adverse environmental impacts for a proposed project be avoided and/or minimized.
Wetlands are our first line of defense against tidal surges and hurricanes, and their destruction increases the chance of salt water intrusion threatening our water supply. Wetland areas also act as a filter for water runoff into the adjacent Biscayne National Park, one of our national treasures already at risk from overbuilding, as noted in the October 2006 National Geographic article, "Our National Parks in Peril".
This land is a sanctuary to many animals and birds, and is the only undeveloped tract in Cutler Bay with unrestricted access from Old Cutler Rd to Biscayne Bay. This land would be better utilized as a park or preserve to benefit future generations.
For these and numerous quality of life issues, I ask that you vote No and do not grant this variance.
Sincerely,
(your name and address)
Members of the EQCB,
I ask that you vote NO to the variance requested by Cutler Properties LC at the January 11th hearing.
I realize that the 30 acres of wetlands that the developer wants to fill is not in pristine condition due to the interference of man. But if man destroyed it then it is up to us to intervene and restore this land to its former state.
I understand that the developer is offering to donate 100 acres of wetlands to the county if this variance goes through. One hundred acres that he could never build on. One hundred acres that will remain unspoiled no matter who technically owns them. Unspoiled that is, unless the act of filling in 30 acres of uplands acts as a catalyst to their destruction. The water runoff that will be lost due to development can potentially starve adjacent wetland areas.
This land is a sanctuary to many animals and birds, and is the only undeveloped tract in Cutler Bay with unrestricted access from Old Cutler Rd to Biscayne Bay. Just a few years ago, land crabs were plentiful throughout our community, their populations now diminished. Since 2003, it has become illegal to catch land crabs during their active season, from July through November. This land is one of the few areas near Cutler Bay where land crabs still thrive. Please, do not displace them.
We must learn from the mistakes of the past. Hurricanes have become a fact of life and the buffer provided by these wetlands must be protected.
Many parts of our state are suffering from water shortages. Developing this land may increase the risk of salt water intrusion on our water supply.
More and more of our land is being developed, endangering our environment, our water supply, and the quality of our air. We need to step back and realize we are endangering our future.
This property was purchased just 3 short years ago. Purchased with the knowledge that only 9 acres of this property was suitable for building unless granted a variance. You are an environmental board, and are duty bound to protect our land. Please vote NO.
Thank you,
(your name & address)
Dear EQCB board members,
When voting for the incorporation of Cutler Bay, many of us believed that we would now have the opportunity to decide for ourselves the future of our new Town. That future, we hoped, would be one of limited growth and the preservation of what little open space still exists within Dade county.
What once was a community of beautiful mangroves, roaming peacocks, and wandering crabs is turning into an over-developed nightmare.
We do not need additional housing in our community. We need trees. We need the clean air that they provide. As a boating community we need unspoiled coastline, and the knowledge that there are still some areas within our boundaries that are a sanctuary for the many birds and wild animals that once populated this community.
You are in a position to make decisions about our future. We need you to hear our collective voices and vote for what is in the best interest of the community that has to live with the consequences of those decisions.
As a Board entrusted with protecting our environment from damage, I implore you to do just that. Please vote NO to granting Cutler Properties LC a variance at your January 11th meeting.
Thank you,
(your name and address)