July 19, 2010

City of Miami planners have markedly scaled back a proposed makeover of ecologically sensitive Virginia Key, winning plaudits from critics who complained previous versions of the plan favored concrete over nature.

But it's still unclear how quickly the cash-strapped city can move to implement key elements of the plan, which is designed to gradually transform the 1,000-acre, publicly owned barrier island in Biscayne Bay into a recreational and environmental showcase.

Still, a new conceptual master plan is now on a fast track to city commission approval. The plan is scheduled for a commission vote Thursday, following a rapid-fire schedule of reviews by three advisory boards.

Unlike previous public hearings at which board members and activists roundly criticized the plan, however, this new version -- developed in consultation with parks activists and environmentalists, and designed in part by University of Miami architecture faculty and students -- has been greeted with relief and outright enthusiasm.

"Awesome plan,'' said Waterfront Advisory Board member Ashley Chase at a hearing last week. The board endorsed the plan 5-1.

One sticking point remains, however: Planners were unable to find a workable location for a public boat ramp and boat-trailer parking on the island because they were tightly circumscribed by environmental concerns, as well as space and traffic issues along the Rickenbacker Causeway, which bisects Virginia Key.

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