AMENDMENT REQUEST TO THE LAND USE PLAN MAP

MAY 2023 AMENDMENT CYCLE

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN

1. APPLICANT

Miami SOAR 111 Land Trust

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

Miami SOAR 575 Land Trust

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

8001 Home Land Trust

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

8011 Home Land Trust

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

8265 Home Land Trust

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

Miami SOAR Mobile Corporation

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

Miami SOAR Park Land Trust

151 NW 79 Street
Miami, FL 33150
Tomgrinberg89@gmail.com
(954) 997-7279

Page 1 of 11
2. APPLICANT’S REPRESENTATIVES

Michael J. Marrero, Esq.

Graham Penn, Esq.
Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes, PLLC
200 S. Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 300
Miami, Florida 33131
(305) 374-5300
mmarrero@brzoninglaw.com
gpenn@brzoninglaw.com

By: Date: June 9, 2023

Michael J. Marrero, Esq.

By: Date: June 9, 2023

Graham Penn, Esq.

3. DESCRIPTION OF REQUESTED CHANGES

A. The Applicant respectfully requests the following changes:

1. Standard Amendment to the Comprehensive Development Master Plan

(“CDMP”) Future Land Use Map (“FLUM”) designation (item A.1 in the
fee schedule).

Current Land Use Designation: Low-Medium Density Residential

Proposed Land Use Designation: Special District

2. Text revisions to the CDMP Land Use Element text (Item A.2 in the fee
schedule).

The proposed changes would together create the “SOAR Mixed-Use

Housing Special District” along the 79 Street Corridor east of I-95, bringing
a new activity center to an underserved portion of the County. The Applicant
believes that this area of the County deserves a high-quality activity center,
to help spur renewal and rehabilitation both within and surrounding the
District.

B. Description of the Subject Property

2
 The Application Area is approximately 22 gross acres (18.4 net acres) The
Application Area is bordered by NW 83 Street on the north, NW 1 Place on
the west, NW Miami Court on the east, and the municipal boundary of the
City of Miami on the south.

C. Gross and Net Acreage

Application Area: Approximately 22 gross acres (18.4 net

acres)

Acreage Owned by Applicant: The Applicant owns 17.29 net acres

D. Requested Change

1. The Applicant requests that the Application Area be re-designated on

the FLUM from “Low-Medium Density Residential” to “SOAR Mixed-Use
Housing Special District.”

2. The Applicant requests that this Application be processed as a Standard

Amendment.

3. The Applicant requests the acceptance of the proffered covenant.

4. The Applicant requests an amendment to the “Special District”

interpretive text in of the CDMP Land Use Element to add the “SOAR
Mixed-Use Housing Special District,” reading as follows:

SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District

The SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District applies to an

approximately 22 gross acre area bordered by NW 83 Street on the
north, NW 1 Place on the west, NW Miami Court on the east, and the
municipal boundary of the City of Miami on the south. The purpose of
the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing District is to provide for mixed-use infill
redevelopment.

The SOAR Mixed-Use Housing District permits horizontal and vertical

mixed-use development in a high-quality pedestrian-oriented
environment. The District should include business, employment, civic,
and high-density residential uses. The design of development shall
encourage pedestrian activity, safety, and comfort. Zoning regulations
implementing mixed-use development in major corridors, mixed-use
corridors, or Rapid-Transit Activity Corridors will be applicable to
development in the District. Single-use residential buildings shall be
permitted only north of NW 82 Street as part of a unified plan of
development that includes a mix of uses within the District. Residential

3
 uses must be at least 20 percent of the total floor area but no more than
85 percent of the total floor area within the District. At least one (1) acre
of the District shall be set aside as publicly accessible park or civic uses.
Maximum Intensity. The maximum overall Floor Area Ratio permitted in
the District may not exceed 6.0. The maximum development within the
District may not exceed 3,990 multifamily units, 250,000 square feet of
retail, 107,800 square feet of office, a 312-room hotel (subject to
Development Equivalency).

4. REASONS FOR AMENDMENT

The Application Area is a portion of the land bordered by NW 83 Street on

the north, NW 1 Place on the west, NW Miami Court on the east, and the municipal
boundary of the City of Miami on the south in unincorporated Miami-Dade County
(the “County”). The Application Area is designated for “Low-Medium Density
Residential” use. The Application Area is located in Community Development
Block Group 12086, is within an established Brownfield zone, and is within a

4
 Qualified Opportunity Zone. The portion of the Application Area south of NW 82
Street is also located in a County Enterprise zone.

Most of the Application Area consists of the SOAR mobile home park, which
is owned by the Applicant. As described in the submitted Mobile Home Housing
Study, the Applicant has committed to a relocation plan for existing mobile home
tenants to be implemented at the time of zoning, with the initial phase of
development resulting in all tenants north of NW 82 Street being relocated to the
portion of the park south of NW 82 Street. That area of the mobile home park has
sufficient room to accommodate all of the existing trailers in the north portion of the
park. Prior to the approval of a zoning application for the land south of NW 82
Street, the Applicant will prepare an updated analysis and plan for the relocation
of mobile home residents from that portion of the Application Area.

The proposed SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District is directly

supportive of the first Objective of the CDMP Land Use Element, which provides
that:

…the location and configuration of Miami-Dade County’s urban growth

through the year 2030 shall emphasize concentration and intensification of
development around centers of activity, development of well designed
communities containing a variety of uses, housing types and public
services….

The SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District has been planned to serve
as the center of activity for the 79 Street Corridor east of I-95, providing within its
22 gross acres a variety of uses, residential uses1, and public services. The core
of the North Central Urban Area District, which has been planned to serve as a
center of activity along NW 79 Street, is over 2.5 miles away and the County has
no current planned activity centers east of I-95 in this area of the County. The
SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District presents an opportunity to create a
“center” for an area that lacks walkable mixed-use development.

Policy LU-8E of the CDMP indicates that applications requesting

amendments to the CDMP FLUM must be evaluated to consider consistency with
the Goals, Objectives and Policies of all Elements, other timely issues, and in
particular the extent to which the proposal, if approved, would:

i) Satisfy a deficiency in the Plan map to accommodate projected

population or economic growth of the County;
ii) Enhance or impede provision of services at or above adopted Level of
Service (“LOS”) Standards;

1
For purposes of analysis of the application, the Applicant has assumed that the
residential units will be used as permanent homes and not subject to age restrictions.

5
 iii) Be compatible with abutting and nearby land uses and protect the
character of established neighborhoods; and
iv) Enhance or degrade environmental or historical resources, features or
systems of County significance; and
v) If located in a planned Urban Center, or within 1/4 mile of an existing or
planned transit station, exclusive busway stop, transit center, or
standard or express bus stop served by peak period headways of 20 or
fewer minutes, would be a use that promotes transit ridership and
pedestrianism as indicated in the policies under Objective LU-7, herein.

As discussed below, the proposed amendment to the FLUM would fully

satisfy every applicable factor in the Policy LU-8E review criteria.

Plan Map Deficiency. The Application proposes to amend the FLUM in order
to infill idle, vacant land within the UDB. The Property is located in Minor Statistical
Area (“MSA”) 4.1. The County has projected that by 2022 single-family residential
land capacity in MSA 4.1 will be completely depleted. The creation of new
residential uses in the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District will help relieve
the pressure on the area housing supply and create new attractive housing
opportunities for existing residents that are simply not currently available in this
area of the County.

Infrastructure. Approval of this Application will not result in a deficiency in

the LOS standards. Redevelopment within the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special
District will promote efficient use of existing infrastructure along a major roadway
and the Application Area is served by a grid of existing streets. The Applicant has
prepared a detailed traffic impact analysis, which has been submitted as part of
the application package.

Historical and Environmental Resources. There are no historically or

archeologically significant resources located within the Application Area. We are
unaware of any environmental resources present in the area, which has been
developed with urban uses for decades.

Transit Ridership/Pedestrianism. The proposed additional density will

support ridership of nearby transit services. The County operates several bus lines
that run near the Property. Route 202, the Little Haiti Connector, runs along the
north side of the Property. NW 79 Street is served by the 79 Street MAX and the
local 112 bus route. Of equal importance, the Application Area is within
comfortable walking distance of the Northeast Corridor commuter rail service,
which is set to being service in 2023. The proposed mixed-use redevelopment
under the SOAR Mixed-Use District, with its urban development program, would
encourage transit ridership and pedestrianism as indicated in the policies under
Objective LU-7.

6
 The SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District presents a major
opportunity for this area of the County, bringing a true activity center to the 79
Street Corridor east of I-95.

Consistency with CDMP Objectives and Policies. The Application will further
several goals, objectives, policies, concepts and guidelines of the CDMP. Approval
of this Application promotes or is consistent with the following Objectives and
Policies of the CDMP Land Use Element:

• Objective LU-1. The location and configuration of Miami-Dade County’s urban

growth through the year 2030 shall emphasize concentration and intensification
of development around centers of activity, development of well-designed
communities containing a variety of uses, housing types and public services,
renewal and rehabilitation of blighted areas, and contiguous urban expansion
when warranted, rather than sprawl.

The SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District has been planned to serve the
center of activity for the 79 Street Corridor east of I-95, providing a variety of
uses, residential uses, and public amenities. The core of the North Central
Urban Area District, which has been zoned by the County to serve as a center
of activity along NW 79 Street, is over 2.5 miles away and the County has no
current planned activity centers east of I-95 in this area of the County. The
SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District presents an opportunity to create a
“center” for an area that lacks walkable mixed-use development. Moreover, the
Application Area is located in Community Development Block Group 12086, is
within an established Brownfield zone, and is within a Qualified Opportunity
Zone. The portion of the Application Area south of NW 82 Street is also located
in a County Enterprise zone. This area of the County deserves a high-quality
activity center, to help spur renewal and rehabilitation both within and
surrounding the District.

• Policy LU-1C. Miami-Dade County shall give priority to infill development on

vacant sites in currently urbanized areas, and redevelopment of substandard
or underdeveloped environmentally suitable urban areas contiguous to existing
urban development where all necessary urban services and facilities are
projected to have capacity to accommodate additional demand.

Approval of this Application would permit the development of an infill site that
is well-served by existing infrastructure and is located within an established
mixed-use transportation corridor where urban services and public-private
investments abound.

• Policy LU-1F. To promote housing diversity and to avoid creation of

monotonous developments, Miami-Dade County shall vigorously promote the
inclusion of a variety of housing types in all residential communities through its
area planning, zoning, subdivision, site planning and housing finance activities,

7
 among others. In particular, Miami-Dade County shall review its zoning and
subdivision practices and regulations and shall amend them, as practical, to
promote this policy.

The proposed Amendment will permit the development of a variety of housing

types. The additional units will promote housing diversity and availability in the
area. The creation of residential uses in the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special
District that are not common in this area of the County will help relieve the
pressure on the area housing supply and create new attractive housing
opportunities for existing residents.

• Policy LU-8A. Miami-Dade County shall strive to accommodate residential

development in suitable locations and densities which reflect such factors as
recent trends in location and design of residential units; a variety of affordable
housing options; projected availability of service and infrastructure capacity;
proximity and accessibility to employment, commercial, cultural, community,
and senior centers; character of existing adjacent or surrounding
neighborhoods; avoidance of natural resource degradation; maintenance of
quality of life and creation of amenities. Density patterns should reflect the
Guidelines for Urban Form contained in this Element.

Approval of the Application will allow for a residential development that

supports the recent trends in the shaping of the community in accordance with
the Guidelines for Urban Form. The Application Area is served by adequate
mass transit and the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District text will require
future development to encourage pedestrian activity, safety, and comfort. The
zoning that will implement the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District text
will be similar to that currently required by the County for mixed-use
development in major corridors, mixed-use corridors, or Rapid-Transit Activity
Corridors. The road system surrounding the Property is a continuous,
uninterrupted, network that serves as a physical link between neighborhoods
and provides multiple points of access for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Approval of this application promotes or is consistent with the following Objectives

of the CDMP Transportation Element:

• Policy TE-1A. As provided in this section and the Mass Transit Subelement,
the County shall promote mass transit alternatives to the personal automobile,
such as rapid transit (i.e., heavy rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit, premium
transit (enhanced and/or express bus)), local route bus and paratransit service.

The 79 Street Corridor is currently well served by transit.

• Policy TC-1l. The County will continue to investigate, develop and implement
parking management strategies to promote the land use and transportation
objectives of the CDMP to reduce the use of Single Occupant Vehicles (SOVs)

8
 and highway congestion and encourage the use of transit and ridesharing.
Additionally, parking requirements in the County’s zoning regulations will be
reviewed to encourage shared and possible on-street parking in planned Urban
Centers, and to moderate parking requirements where transit service exists,
and where developments contain complementary use mixes.

The SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District has been designed to

encourage the development of an mixed-use activity center that will encourage
pedestrianism and ridership of the existing public transit system.

Approval of this Application promotes or is consistent with the following Objectives

of the CDMP Housing Element:

• Objective HO-7E. Any official action that requires a public hearing to develop
or redevelop mobile home park sites to residential or non-residential uses shall,
at a minimum, require the following:

1. Demonstration that the proposed development action would not cause the
displacement of mobile home owners or that there is suitable affordable
housing available for all affected mobile home owners. Housing affordability
shall be determined using the definition of affordability and income limit
categories described in the Housing Element of the CDMP and updated
annually by HUD.
2. Description of actions that will be taken to assist mobile home owners in
finding suitable housing for relocation, including referrals to public and
private affordable housing resources.
3. Actions that will be taken to minimize the hardship related to relocation.

As reflected in the submitted Mobile Home Housing Study, the Applicant has
committed to a relocation plan for existing mobile home residents within the
SOAR park that will ensure that all willing residents will be relocated to the area
of the park south of NW 82 Street prior to the first phase of the SOAR Mixed-
Use Housing Special District development, which will occur on the portion of
the Application Area north of NW 82 Street. The relocation plan for subsequent
phases of the development will be prepared prior to the necessary zoning
approvals for those portions of the District. This requirement is reflected in the
submitted draft Declaration of Restrictions.

• Objective HO-8. Bring about housing design and development alternatives that
are aesthetically pleasing, encourage energy efficiency and enhance the
overall health, safety and general welfare of County residents.

The proposed Amendment will permit the development of a variety of housing

types. The dense urban-style development pattern contemplated by the SOAR
Mixed-Use Housing Special District will bring residents closer to jobs, reducing
commute times.

9
 Approval of this Application promotes or is consistent with the following Objective
of the CDMP Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Element:

• Objective WS-1. In order to serve those areas where growth is encouraged and
to discourage urban sprawl, the County shall plan and provide for potable water
supply, and sanitary sewage disposal on the countywide basis in concert and
in conformance with the future land use element of the comprehensive plan.

The Property is located within one of the oldest developed portions of the
County. The proposed amendment therefore does not encourage urban
sprawl. The development of the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District that
will allow for the modernization of the water and sewer infrastructure within the
Application Area.

Approval of this Application promotes or is consistent with the following Objective

of the CDMP Recreational and Open Space Element:

• Objective ROS-2. Require the availability of adequate local recreation open

space as a condition for the approval of residential development orders, and
maintain an adequate inventory of recreational areas and facilities through
2017.

As essential element of the SOAR Mixed-Use Housing Special District will be

the re-imagining of the County park within the Application Area. The park land
is owned by the Applicants and other private parties subject to a County lease.
As part of the development of the Special District, the Applicant has proposed
to improve and dedicate a new park site to the County that is better designed
to serve local residents.

5. LOCATION MAP FOR APPLICATION

See attached Exhibit B, Location Map.

6. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED

1) See attached Exhibit C, Survey of the Property

2) See attached Exhibit D, Traffic Impact Study.
3) See attached Exhibit E, Mobile Home Housing Study
4) See attached Exhibit G, Mobile Home Relocation Phasing by Gensler
(2023)
5) See attached Exhibit H, “Re-Imagining SOAR Park” by Gensler (2023)
6) See attached Exhibit I, Draft Declaration of Restrictive Covenants
7) See attached Exhibit J, Signed Title Commitment
8) See attached Exhibit K, Trust and Corporate Documents (detailing
signatories)

10
7. LEGAL DESCRIPTION

See attached Exhibit A, Legal Description.

8. COMPLETE DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST FORM

See attached Exhibit F, Disclosure of Interest.

11