MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. –
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Julio Forte is among the residents who are worried about the intentions of a property owner in Miami-Dade County’s Three Lakes neighborhood.
Forte, the president of the Venezia Homeowners Association, said the property is a parcel of land adjacent to a Florida Power & Light property.
Secure Storage of Miami, Inc., the property owner, wants to build a rail-served transfer station near the intersection of Southwest 127 Avenue and 136 Street.
“It is a business that takes in construction, demolition material, and municipal solid waste, puts it on a train, and takes it out of Dade County,” Forte said.
During a Miami-Dade County zoning meeting in February, a company representative described the project as providing “an essential service” to deal with solid waste.
“We have signs posted everywhere,” Forte said about the “Stop The Waste Station” campaign. “All of these communities are petrified of this going on.”
Forte said they were relieved to learn the county unanimously turned it down, but the company isn’t giving up on the vision.
“They have appealed the decision of the community advisory board,” Forte said adding the fear is “stuff is going to be leaking, especially when it rains, will pollute our groundwater. It is a mess!”
Forte said long-time residents in the area did not anticipate having to live next to one of those stations.
“It is terrible for our community,” Forte said.
Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, of District 11, said this drastically affects his district and he was proud of West Kendall residents’ activism.
“Commissioners will be sitting as judges in order to make this decision,” Gonzalez said. “Because of that, the legal team at the county has explained to us we can’t legally opine. If I opine, it will put in jeopardy me speaking at the meeting and my necessary vote for the people.”
In a statement, Miami-Dade Commissioner Kionne McGree, the commission’s vice chairman, said the proposed facility does not align with the resident’s vision of their neighborhoods.
Miami-Dade County has yet to announce when the next meeting will be. The property owner did not respond to requests for comment.
Related link: Stop Waste Station 33186
DOCUMENTS
Petition of appeal
Resolution
Opinion
Letter of intent