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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Judy SandovalSubject: Marine Stadium plan being presented to City Commission on February 28, 2013 TO: Mayor and Members of the Miami City Commission Subject: MIAMI MARINE STADIUM Since saving and restoring the Marine Stadium has become a possibility, I have supported the idea and attended many c harettes and meetings. However, increasing predictions about the inevitable and increasing threats from rising sea water and storms, as well as the inadequate plans for renovation of the sewage treatment plant on Virginia Key, have changed my mind. First, I find it hard tounderstand the plans for the Marine Stadium for review at the City Commission meeting tomorrow. The images are too faint to comprehend, and the features are not identified In the email presentation. Second and most important, it is a foolish waste of money to renovate - except the stadium to stabilize it — and build more structures such as the marine center -- unless changes are made to Virginia Key that will ensure its safety, survival and viability in storms and the changing sea levels, as well as that of the sewage treatment plant. The same should be said about other constructions, existing and future, that would not stand up to the threats as described above In the court document signed by two of the top experts in environmental studies, and the letter from the Mayor of Key Biscayne to County Mayor Carlos Gimenez about the inadequacy of the sewage treatment renovation plans. Instead of constructing more buildings close to our waterfront, induding all museums with taxpayers' money, Miami, Miami -Dade County and the State of Florida should be construction sea walls, fresh water conversion facilities, and giant pumps or other methods of sucking storm water out. Or do you want to risk the ruin of the city and death of perhaps millions of us as has happened in recent hurricanes and tsunamis elsewhere? Please vote No on the Marine Stadium current plan. Thank you. Judith Sandoval 2536 SW 25th Terrace Silver Bluff, Miami 305-857-0397 mimosan@comcast.net 00300- Su brrrc Q l - �v�l SaxIciovcg. Submitted into the public record in connection,�N..i#1 items are" on 43114i3 Todd B. Hannon City Clerk 2/27/2013 Submitted into the public record in connection with items DL5 on 0' 11.0 Todd B. Hannon City Clerk VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE Village Council Franklin H. Caplan, Ma or Mayra P. Lindsay, Vire Algor Michael W. Davey Theodore J. Holloway Michael E. Kelly Ed London James S. Taintor February 15, 2013 The Honorable Carlos. Gimenez Mayor, Miami -Dade County Stephen P. Clark Center 111 NW 1st Street Miami, Florida 33128 mayor@miamidade.gov Re: Miami -Dade Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant at Virginia Key Dear Mayor Gimenez: The Village of Key Biscayne, with consulting support, has been monitoring plans forthe central wastewater treatment plant located on Virginia Key. Key Biscayne, located just south of Virginia Key, is potentially affected directly and distinctly by the Virginia Key facility. We wish to ensure that planning and solutions for that facility are sound and effective for the long-term, with due consideration given to foreseeable risks and special circumstances. We certainly support the impetus toward a new consent decree to address promptly Clean Water Act outflow violations and deteriorated conditions at the Virginia Key facility, and of sewer lines identified as being at risk of rupturing, including the 54 inch under -bay line from Miami Beach to Fisher Island to Virginia. Key. We're informed that the current plans, featuring a new investment of approximately $596 million to improve the Virginia Key facility, do not include adequate consideration of the risk (if not certainty) of sea level rise over time, and do not include contingencies for flood mitigation. Based on input from various consultants and sources, and our own assessment, we're concerned that the current rebuilding plan puts too little emphasis on sea -level rise that's projected to occur during the useful life of the facility, not to mention regular stormsurge implications. Commendably, Miami -Dade County demonstrates forward -thinking and leadership on climate change, as evidenced by the Green Print. Plan and the 4-County Climate Compact, each of which addresses climate -adaptation strategies to protect public infrastructure. With. regard to. 88 West McIntyre Street o Key Biscayne, Florida 33149 ° (305) 365-5506 o Fax (305)365-8914 MISSION STATEMENT: "TO PROVIDE A SAFE, QUALITY COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL ISLANDERS THROUGH RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT." wvw.keybiscayne:ft.gov • VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE February 15, 2013 Page. 2 / Submitted into the public record in connection lev.ith items C1 5 on 0.3114i( l; Todd B. Hannon City Clerk the Virginia Key facility, we see compelling reason to plan with climate impacts in mind, inasmuch as the current facility, requiring very substantial new investment, sits on a. low-lying barrier island inter -connected by bay and ocean to extensive population centers and the encompassing natural resources. We're aware of elevation maps and climate -science projections demonstrating that in the coming years, the Virginia Key facility may be:inundated or at least more exposed to direct wave action by lost shoreline. ThiS suggests that reliance would be misplaced on a substantially and expensively rebuilt Virginia Key facility that's neither raised nor armored to withstand the regular effects of salt spray, wave action and storm surges, putting aside the occasional major storm event. Our concern is heightened in that, as we understand it, the WASD proposal for Virginia Key does not provide funding for flood mitigation. By contrast, we're advised that over $4 million is budgeted for flood mitigation at the North District wastewater treatment plant, which is about a mile inland. Apart from sea level considerations, we're concerned about treatment and disposal options for Virginia Key. We .ask to be included in the planning process for the ocean outfall phase -out plan, which we understand is to be submitted to DEP in July. The risks associated with deep -well injection or ocean outfall plans that go awry are too direct and consequential to take lightly. The thought of a sea -affected sewage treatment plant surely warrants a most thoughtful long-terrn engineering, environmental and 'economic evaluation. With this in mind, we request substantive feedback on the perceived adequacy of planning that does not address how future sea level changes may affect the integrity of the Virginia Key plant. We also request a briefing on the County's cost -benefit thinking about relocating the Virginia Key facility, as well as DEP and EPA thinking about the facility's siting. And especially considering the sewage overflows that have occurred in the past, we ask that the plans ultimately adopted include funding for Mitigation and ongoing water quality monitoring around, Virginia Key and Key Biscayne. Certain elements of infrastructure are especially critical to our community. We have seen this recently with regard to the Rickenbacker Causeway bridges. The Virginia Key wastewater treatment plant is certainly in this category. Thank you. in H. Caplan, Mayor cc: Board of County Commissioners Herschel T. Vinyard, Jr., Secretary, Florida Department of EnvironmentalProtection Gwendolyn Keyes -Fleming, Administrator, Region 4, U.S. EPA MISSION STATEMENT "TO PROVIDE A SAFE. QUALITY COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALt ISLANDERS THROUGH RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT"