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Home My WebLink AboutItem #38 - Discussion Item® CITY OF HOM AD, FLORIDA 790 N. HOMESTEAD BOULEVARD • HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA 33030 TELEPHONE: (305) 247-1801 e FAX. -(305)246-3241 • E -Mail: http://ci.homestead.fl.us STEVE (SIMIER, MBVor COUNCIL MEMBER Euz.1 D. PEoo) RObCOE WA.QPEN, VICc-Mayor EDDIE BEPDONES JEM2E1' D. PORTED CUIM,5 K. Ivy, JR., Actiq City Managcr SEt\N L. FLETCHM NICHOLAS R. Si\Cc`s January 27, 2000 Honorable Joe Carollo The City of Miami 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL' 33133 Dear Mayor Carollo: Enclosed is a copy of Resolution R2000-01-05 passed by the City Council of the City of Homestead on Tuesday, January 25, 2000. The City of Florida City has also passed a Resolution in support of redevelopment of Homestead Air Reserve Base as Homestead Regional Airport. It is clear that Miami -Dade County and the entire South Florida region is in need of additional airport capacity. It is also clear, as the SEIS indicates, that commercial air activity at the Homestead facility will not have "any significant impact on our national parks and/or their surroundings." The study also indicated that no other existing aviation facility can accommodate the anticipated growth. I have written to Vice President Albert. Gore, Jr., asking him to consider a compromise that would address the long term planning needs of air traffic capacity by insisting that the former Homestead Air Force Base be developed as a limited use commercial facility. Please assist us in our endeavors to restore growth to this area. We have been waiting for almost eight years for our economy to be revitalized and many promises have been made that Homestead would be redeveloped and that badly needed jobs would be restored quickly. We are still waiting! I would appreciate it if you could have a similar resolution passed in your city and also send your comments to Washington. Looking forward to seeing you at the hearings. ncere!y, Stev Shiver Mayor Enclosures C% �, Z:c.+3X CITY OF HOkl�EMES4 FLORIDA 790 N. HOMESTEAD BOULEVARD STEAD, FLORIDA 33030 TELEPHONE: (305) 247-1801 - FAX. -(305)246-324i - E -Mail: http: //Ci. homestead. f . STEVE SmvER, Meyor COUNCIL MEMBER& EU7,� D. PEQQ) R08COE WARREN, Vice -,'favor EDDIE 5ERI20NES JETFQn- D. P0272 CURTIS K. Ivy, JR., Actin¢ City Manager SE.1N L. FGETCHEQ hICt101 15 SISI :�� January 18, 2000 The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr. Office of the Vice President of the United States Old Executive Office Building 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20501 Re: Redevelopment of Homestead Air Force Base Dear Mr. Vice President: At the insistence of your Administration and various environmental organizations; the people of Homestead and South Miami -Dade County were forced to set aside all expectations of new jobs and economic recovery while both a Sensitivity Analysis (whose conclusions were the same as the FEIS) and a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) were completed. We agreed and what ensued has been the longest study process of any Department of Defense transfer in our Nation's history. Nonetheless, we trusted your Administration would look upon this process fairly and ensure a swift decision. I was extremely surprised and disappointed to hear the comments of Secretary Babbitt and Administrator Browner regarding the recently completed draft SEIS about the development of an airport on the former Homestead Air Force Base site. I would have expected that the Secretary and the Administrator would seek important community input before arriving at any position on the future airport. The public comment period has not concluded. Therefore, the continents of Secretary Babbitt and Administrator Browner are ill-timed, ill-informed and bring into question the integrity of the entire federal process. The people of Homestead and South Miami -Dade County aFe deeply about our environment. This is where we live and work. We farm the land. We boat and fish in the Bay. We also'enjoy. the natural resources of the Everglades. As the SEIS stated, a commercial airport in South Miami -Dade will not negatively affect our environment. The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr. Page January 18, 2000 It is clear that Miami -Dade County and the entire South Florida region is in need of additional airport capacity. It is also clear, as the SEIS indicates, that commercial air activity at the Homestead facility will not have "any significant impact on our national parks and/or their surroundings." The study also indicated that no other existing aviation facility can accommodate the anticipated growth. Unfortunately, it also appears to be very clear that some environmental organizations are not pleased with the outcome of the study they insisted upon. In fact a young man who was extremely vocal in convincing the Council on Environmental Quality to complete the SEIS, was recently quoted to say, "this study declares war on our national parks." What kind of message does this send to communities across our country about general trust and good faith between parties involved in the NEPA process? To continually threaten legal action and to use our legal system to manipulate the outcome of the process is simply wrong. The people of South Miami -Dade County have suffered too much and have waited too long to be shortchanged by an Administration who, it appears, will not even follow its own process. It is regrettable that there is no end to the devastation of Hurricane Andrew as well as the apparent broken promises and dashed expectations that have followed. I for one still trust in you and would compel you to hear the heartfelt pleas of my community. Put aside the environmental politics and consider the facts; the facts of the SEIS your Administration insisted upon. The same study that indicates a commercial airport facility can coexist in our environment alleviating the long term planning problems of air capacity for Miami -Dade. County; but, more importantly, fulfilling a promise your Administration made many years ago, to revitalize our economy. I respectfully ask that you consider a compromise that would address the long term planning needs of air traffic capacity by insisting that the former Homestead Air Force Base be developed as a limited use commercial facility. At the same time, I feel this can be done with the strongest attention to its surroundings making this conversion an example of how your Administration can facilitate a compromise between an environmental constituency and a community just trying to survive. You may recall, at the end of last year, Mayor Alex. Penelas of Miami Dade County, Mayor Otis Wallace of the City of Florida City and I were schedi led"to meet with you regarding this issue. Unfortunately, a threat by another hurricane forced us to cancel our trip. I would like to extend an invitation on behalf of Homestead and Florida -City and the entire community of South Miami -Dade for you to visit and see first hand not only the Homestead CITY OF HOMESTEADS FLORIDA The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr. Page 3 January 18, 2000 Air Base facility but also the community that will be forever changed by your administration's decision. . Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Respectfully, r Steve Shiver, Mayor cc: The Honorable Mayor Alex Penelas The Honorable Mayor Otis Wallace South Florida Congressional Delegation Miami -Dade County Commission CITY OF HOMESTEAD FLORIDA W CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO : The Honorable Members of the Cam FROM: Wifre o (Willy) orf Commissioner DaTE i February 16, 2000 SUBJECT: Pocket Item REFERENCES: ENCLOSURES: FiLE As per Mayor Joe Carollo's request I am presenting the following resolutions as pocket items on the February 17, 2000, Commission meeting. Attached are the resolutions Mayor Carollo provided my office. Thank you for your cooperation. WG/kk AGENDA ITEMS/MAYOR CAROLLO-PI 2-17 cc: The Honorable Mayor Joe Carollo Donald Warshaw, City Manager Alejandro Vilareilo, City Attorney Walter Foeman, City Clerk