Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava vetoes County Commission vote to expand Urban Development Boundary

Today, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava notified the Board of County Commissioners that she is vetoing the board’s vote to approve Ordinance No. 22-148, which would move the county’s Urban Development Boundary (UDB). After four deferrals, the board voted 8-4 to approve the application by Aligned Real Estate Holdings LLC, et al. Mayor Levine Cava will be available to media today, November 10th, starting at 3:30 p.m. at Stephen P. Clark Center, West Entrance, 111 N.W. 1st Street, Miami, Florida 33128. 

Mayor Levine Cava issued the following statement announcing her veto: 

“The future of our community depends on smart, sustainable development that strengthens our economy and protects our precious natural resources. Moving the Urban Development Boundary without the need to do so will have a detrimental impact on residents countywide for generations to come.

“This decision threatens our efforts to build a world-class, better connected, and more resilient community – undermining investments we are already making to expand transit and fortify neighborhoods against flooding and sea level rise. It jeopardizes our efforts to restore the Everglades and Biscayne Bay and protect our clean drinking water supply.  

“It encourages development in areas at risk of storm surge, putting more properties at risk in the future, especially concerning in light of the devastation we just witnessed following Hurricane Ian. We clearly see in northern Biscayne Bay the impact that poorly-planned historic development has had on our ecosystem – threatening our vital tourism economy – as we clean up our third fish kill in as many years. 

“This application prioritizes short-term financial gain – with no guarantee of job creation – at the expense of our shared economic prosperity and our precious natural environment. That’s why the proposal drew clear, bipartisan opposition from the residents and commissioner of district 8, county planning experts, advocates, and federal, state, local, and tribal leaders, including Senator Rubio and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and many others.  

"Instead of looking beyond the UDB, we should be investing in smart development to build density along vibrant, growing corridors like the South Dade Transitway. Miami-Dade is ready for smart planning that looks into the future. I must veto this legislation so that we can continue building a strong, resilient foundation for future economic growth.”