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RESOLUTION DIRECTING COUNTY MANAGER TO EXPLORE FEASIBILITY OF LEASING VACANT LANDS CURRENTLY OWNED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, INCLUDING LANDS OWNED BY MIAMI-DADE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT, TO CREATIVE CHILDREN THERAPY, INC., A FLORIDA NON PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FACILITY TO PROVIDE PEDIATRIC THERAPY SERVICES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

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WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has a shortage of facilities and programs to provide inclusive quality pediatric therapy services for special-needs children; and
WHEREAS, Creative Children Therapy, Inc., a Florida non profit corporation (�Creative Children Therapy�), was founded by two mothers, all parenting special-needs children, and a group of therapists as a non-profit organization to enhance the quality of life of children with special needs; and
WHEREAS, Creative Children Therapy provides quality pediatric therapy services through a team-oriented approach; and
WHEREAS, Creative Children Therapy treats neuromotor, sensorimotor, strength and muscoskeletal problems in children through traditional physical and occupational therapy and speech and language therapy techniques, as well as non-traditional techniques that include Hippotherapy (horses), pet therapy, gardening, dance, martial arts, meditation and art, aquatic therapy and sports rehabilitation; and
WHEREAS, Creative Children Therapy is currently located in the Kendall area at 12608 SW 88th Street, but needs to build its own facility to adequately serve the needs of the community; and
WHEREAS, there is a shortage of open land in the Kendall and Cutler Ridge areas that is suitable for recreational use; and
WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (�WASD�) has a parcel of land near the east of the Kendall Soccer Park and the Wellfields at 8000 SW 123rd Avenue, which is not currently being used by WASD; and
WHEREAS, this land has little commercial value because of its irregular shape and because it lies interior to a residential neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, Creative Children Therapy has expressed a desire to build a facility that would be keeping in character with the nearby residential neighborhood to house its pediatric therapy programs; and
WHEREAS, this land is located near the community of �Horse Country� and thus would be ideal for a facility that would include uses common to the homes and farms surrounding the area, including horseback riding and a small petting zoo with farm type animals for the children; and
WHEREAS, an appropriate use of this land would be to provide inclusive therapeutic and recreational facilities for special-needs children; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to direct the County Manager to explore the feasibility of leasing vacant lands currently owned by WASD, as well as the feasibility of leasing other tracts of County-owned land that may be more suitable for this project, to Creative Children Therapy for the development of a facility to provide pediatric therapy services for special needs children in Miami-Dade County,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are incorporated in this resolution and are approved.
Section 2. This Board directs the County Manager to explore the feasibility of leasing to Creative Children Therapy, Inc. a portion of the lands currently owned by WASD, as well as the feasibility of leasing other tracts of County-owned land that may be more suitable for this project, through a long term lease for a nominal fee for the development of a facility to provide pediatric therapy services for special-needs children and to report back to this Board within sixty (60) days from the effective date of this resolution. Such feasibility study shall address any issues related to development of such facility above a wellfield.