What do you want to see on 55 acres of state land in the heart of our Doral Community?

The seventy-acre tract of state land on the East Side of NW 97 Avenue at NW 33 Street has three applications for the use, sale, or lease of this site.

The State Cabinet Officers will decide how to dispose of this land, acting as the Board of Trustees for state lands. Florida law requires that state land first be offered to state agencies.

As a result, the Juvenile Justice Department (JJD) as applied for 55 acres for a Juvenile Detention Center (JDC). This would result in a jail being located in the heart of Doral.

The Miami-Dade Fire & Rescue Department (M-DFRD) has applied for 55 acres for a Regional Training Facility. This facility will train M-DFRD personnel in fighting fires using LP gas in buildings, plane fuselages, large ground areas, towers, as well as an underwater rescue area in a lake.

We have been told by the M-DFRD that there will be no smoke or odors but some flames may be visible from the street.

Fire trucks and personnel from Miami-Dade County as well as other areas will be coming and going to and from this facility.

Some residents have raised the issue of noise from the diesel engine fire trucks when they practice spraying water. A demonstration of the diesel engines pumping water took place for the community to observe on Saturday, April 29 at 1 PM. behind the new Miami-Dade Fire & Rescue building on NW 41 Street. The public was invited to attend.

Others have concerns about the increase in taxes to all Miami-Dade taxpayers to cover the cost of this facility.

The third application is for 55 acres to build low-cost housing for Southcom personnel.

We have not been shown a site plan for this since the private developer does not want to produce one until the application is approved, but we have been told that they would plan to include a school and a base market (PX) as well as townhouses.

Our concerns regarding this application range from the lack of a site plan to show exactly what will be included, to the bottom line of how it will affect our community, to whether Southcom be better off located at Homestead Airforce Base.

On April 11, 2000, these three applications were put on hold until June 7, 2000, while 15 acres was awarded to Southcom for a security buffer zone.

The remaining 55 acres will be up for grabs on June 7 before the Cabinet Aides and finally on June 14 before the Governor and the Cabinet.

There, you have it! Three applications for 55 acres of state land in Doral, all of which will have an impact on our community.

What is your opinion? Write to the WDFHA at 9737 NW 41Street, Suite 303, Miami, FL 33178. Do it now. This is your community!

The WDFHA has had a town meeting to discuss these three applications.

If you missed last month's Doral Tribune story on this, the WDFHA has gone on record as opposing the Juvenile Detention Center. The county has been encouraged to find another suitable site for this facility and we have the support of Commissioner Miriam Alonso, Mayor Alex Penelas, State Senator Mario Diaz Balart, State Representative Alex Villalobos, and U.S. Senator Lincoln Diaz Balart.

However, there are still divided opinions on the two remaining applications: A Regional Fire Training Center or a Southcom housing development by a private developer?

WDFHA reverses previous police policy

In an attempt get the incorporation issue moving forward, Let's Incorporate Now Coalition (LINC) offered a solution to some commissioners' concerns regarding the destruction of the Metro Police Department.
The proposal they put forward is for newly incorporated municipalities to accept the Metro-Police Department for two years after their incorporation with an option to form their own police department at the end of that period if they weren't satisfied with their service.

This would provide a transition period for the Metro Police Department to adjust the orderly incorporation process.

Within the last year, the WDFHA has passed a resolution to never take the Metro Police Department as a condition of incorporation. However, in order for the Doral incorporation process to move forward, I asked for a resolution to rescind that previous resolution and to enable Doral to accept the Metro Police Department for a two-year period after Doral's incorporation. The motion carried with only one vote against it.

LINC has assigned teams of three people to meet with all 13 commissioners to explain this issue as well as the LINC proposal to give up FPL franchise fees for a three-year period.

We are asking the commissioners for a solution to the incorporation impasse before the November election.

WDFHA MUST REMAIN STRONG
A question was raised at the last WDFHA monthly meeting on April 20: "If Doral is incorporated, will the WDFHA still be needed?"

My response was that the WDFHA must continue to be strong and continue to advocate a good quality of life for the residents of Doral.

We can't know who will be in control of Doral in the future, although it is hoped that there will be an incentive for more active participation in a local government that is close to the people.

It will be up to the people of Doral to know who is best to serve them and then it will be up to the people of Doral to get to the polls and vote for them.

The WDFHA, as a non-profit federation, must remain the watchdog of the Doral area--community-minded Doral residents are urged to become more active in the WDFHA.

Call 305 591 2222 today to find out how you can be involved.