Miami denies appeal, Marine Stadium boat ramp on fast track

The city is proceeding with plans to construct a new boat ramp at Miami Marine Stadium as it denied an appeal last week that listed more than 20 reasons why it shouldn’t.

On Feb. 23, city commissioners heard an appeal by the Dade Heritage Trust urging they reverse the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board (PZAB) decision recommending an exception to the Miami 21 code allowing for a new 90-foot boat ramp at the marine stadium. The commission unanimously denied the trust’s appeal and argued the city needs more public boat launches.

On Dec. 21, 2022, PZAB approved an exception, by a vote of 7-1, to allow demolition of an existing boat ramp for the construction of a dock that will extend 90 feet into the marine stadium basin.

Since the stadium has a historical designation, the proposal must go before the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB).

The Miami Marine Stadium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The facility was built in 1963 and designed by architect Hilario Candela. The land was donated to the city by the Matheson family and is the first stadium purpose-built for powerboat racing in the nation.

The Dade Heritage Trust’s appeal argued that the master plan for Virginia Key, where the marine stadium is located, doesn’t provide for a boat ramp at the location recommended by PZAB. The trust’s position is that the plans should be deferred until a full review of the potential impact on the site has been conducted by the HEPB.

“The Virginia Key masterplan includes as its core issue is preserving the marine stadium for future development. Whatever it is ultimately going to be would be gravely impacted by this because the area to allow the boat trailers to come in takes up two and a half acres and the overall parking field would take up 15 acres. It impacts the view planes to the historic stadium and the potential to use it as a marine stadium in the future,” said Scott Silver, pro-bono counsel for the trust.

A HEPB member present at the meeting also requested commissioners to wait to vote on the appeal until the board has had time to review the financial feasibility report that prompted the city to move forward with this endeavor. In August 2022, the city contracted the services of Steve Wolff of AMS Consulting to conduct the fiscal analysis.

“We understand there is a financial feasibility study out there right now to determine what actions the city might take regarding the marine stadium. So, in our thinking we believe that approving a boat ramp that is adjacent to the stadium and could potentially impact the operation of the stadium is premature,” said Christine Rupp, executive director of the Dade Heritage Trust.

Amanda Hand, attorney for the city, said the administration is ready to move ahead and that denial of the appeal will not preclude the HEPB from making a decision and amending plans later.

“You have individuals that feel they’re part of the Mount Olympus crowd, the elitists, and Virginia Key is for everyone to enjoy, not just a few, just like the boat ramp,” said Commissioner Joe Carollo. “If we don’t have ramps, then how is the average person with a small boat supposed to go out and enjoy the bay?”

Mr. Carollo asserted that most Miamians can’t afford a slip at a private dock and that the city needs more public boat ramps so the average, blue-collar boater can access the water. Fellow commissioners Manolo Reyes and Christine King agreed. Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla was absent.

Spencer Crowley, Miami-Dade County commissioner for the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), supported Mr. Carollo’s statements. “Miami-Dade County has a huge shortage of public access to the water. There are about 55,000 boats that need access to trailer slips and we have less than 1,000 of those slips here in the county,” Mr. Crowley said.

The appeal listed 28 reasons the city should abandon plans for a boat ramp at the historic marine stadium. Among them was the assertion that the project was being driven by a $1.25 million FIND grant.

“This action is letting a potential $1.25 million FIND grant be the tail wagging the $1 billion dog, based upon the market value of this incredible site,” the appeal reads.

The FIND grant stipulates necessary facilities to support the ramp must be built, including parking. This is the root of the controversy, as the appeal argues that the “inherently inefficient parking layout for vehicles and trailers uses approximately 10 acres of land and permanently monopolizes nearly 25% of the site.”

The trust is calling for studies to fully assess how the ramp will impact future development of the historic venue and how the increased traffic will affect the surrounding streets and wildlife.

On Jan. 10, the related certificate of appropriateness for the ramp was heard by the HEPB. The board voted unanimously to continue the item to March 7 as it reviews the financial feasibility study.