The Issue
The original proposal for the development of a mooring field consisted of 49 vessels up to 60 feet in an attempt to regulate the anchoring in the basin. This was withdrawn in 2018 due to the efforts of the Virginia Key Alliance. Now it's back and bigger than ever with 97 big boats stretching across the entire basin - even bigger than the plan shown below. The Virginia Key Alliance believes all members of the public should be able to enjoy low-impact and responsible access to Virginia Key and the Marine Stadium Basin. In addition to numerous public safety and environmental concerns, a huge mooring field in the basin would ultimately prevent the enjoyment of this area for recreational purposes and would effectively limit public access to this beautiful waterway.
MOORING FIELD UPDATE
MAY 2021
The Coronavirus Pandemic has changed everything. Due to the public's desire to get outside and free from the restrictions of quarantine, the Marine Stadium Basin has been discovered by more boaters who wish to anchor free of charge and boaters who wish to recreate at high speeds. Due to pandemic restrictions, the basin was empty of the usual regular users: paddlers and rowers. Now that restrictions are being lifted and regular users have returned to the basin, safe management of the basin waters has become an urgent issue. There have already been three deaths in the last ten months. The Virginia Key Alliance believes in collaboration and has been working diligently to find a solution suitable to all stakeholders.
MOORING FIELD ACTION HISTORY
FEBUARY 1, 2018: The City of Miami challenged attendees at the January Virginia Key Advisory Board meeting to come to a workshop with ideas for alternate solutions for the mooring field. The workshop was held February 1st. A visual presentation was given by Leah Kinnaird, showing how the Marine Stadium Basin is used currently and what the potential use could be. Roger Bernstein introduced three legal solutions and invited the City to meet with Attorney Byron Flagg to discuss these alternatives. The Virginia Key Alliance was officially formed to lead this initiative as well as future ones.
MARCH 8, 2018: The Resolution to proceed with funding for Phase 2, which would start construction on the mooring field, was withdrawn by the City of Miami Commission. Thank you, Commissioner Ken Russell for the withdrawal. While this meant that the resolution is not "continued" nor "deferred," we were not sure how a withdrawal would affect future plans.
MARCH 14, 2018: The VKA meeting with Ken Russell and Daniel Rotenberg, Director of Real Estate Asset Management, was cancelled. No date was rescheduled. Mr. Rotenberg's department would over-see mooring field development.
MARCH 2018: During this month the Virginia Key Alliance worked on alternate plans to solve the problem of illegal anchoring in the basin, derelict boats and to ensure continued safe access to the basin by current users. Byron Flagg, VKA's legal representation, presented our findings and solutions. After consultations with the proper officials and organizations, we worked in collaboration with the City, to create a plan for a boating restricted areas in the basin to be presented to the Virginia Key Advisory Board.
OUR SUCCESSFUL ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE ORIGINAL 49 BALL MOORING FIELD PLAN
Even more important now that a 97 ball mooring field has been designed by the City
NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed construction of a mooring field in this location raises many concerns about the environmental impact of such development activities, long term effects of increased vessel operations in the area, significant implications to the surrounding environment and natural wildlife (dolphins, manatees, stingrays many fish types, nesting and diving birds), in addition directly interferring with numerous non-consumptive uses of the area.
RESTRICTION OF PUBLIC ACCESS
Virginia Key in downtown Miami has been a natural habitat and haven for over 40 years, for rowers, paddlers, and a variety of non-motorized sports. All members of the public should be able to enjoy low-impact and responsible access to the basin water. Currently over 700 non-motorized water sport enthusiasts and athletes, including approximately 150-200 high school rowers, use the basin on a regular basis. A huge mooring field will limit, and in some cases restrict, enjoyment of the basin for recreation and training.
AGAINST THE VIRGINIA KEY MASTER PLAN
The City of Miami has systematically tried to develop the area as income producing real-estate, not in keeping with the Virginia Key Master Plan. This plan would allow the city to construct a mooring field for 50-60 foot vessels directly in the middle of the basin, which would interfere (and prevent) current activity for youth and adults.
THE VIRGINIA KEY ALLIANCE POSITION
While a mooring field of any size is against the Virginia Key Master Plan, we recognize that the establishment of a small mooring field would allow the City to regulate the anchorage of vessels in the basin, potentially reduce seagrass damage from dragging anchors and grounded boats, and potentially regulate and prevent the illegal discharge of sewage by providing a pump-out facility on land. And while we would prefer no mooring field at all, the VKA is willing to work towards a compromise with the City so that all stakeholders can safely use the basin.
MOORING FIELD UPDATE
MAY 2021
The Coronavirus Pandemic has changed everything. Due to the public's desire to get outside and free from the restrictions of quarantine, the Marine Stadium Basin has been discovered by more boaters who wish to anchor free of charge and boaters who wish to recreate at high speeds. Due to pandemic restrictions, the basin was empty of the usual regular users: paddlers and rowers. Now that restrictions are being lifted and regular users have returned to the basin, safe management of the basin waters has become an urgent issue. There have already been three deaths in the last ten months. The Virginia Key Alliance believes in collaboration and has been working diligently to find a solution suitable to all stakeholders.
- We have met with the City of Miami to discuss mooring field solutions and have presented our design for a workable mooring field. The City was proposing a mooring field stretching across the entire basin, rendering it unusable for the regular users.
- Our mooring field design will contain moored boats in a manageable, small area instead of the spread-out and constantly changing scenario that is currently experienced in the basin.
- The City will enforce the mooring field and discourage "squatters."
- Regular users of the basin under oar and paddle will be safer, knowing where the boats are anchored but still having sufficent room to navigate for recreation and training.
- District 2 City Commissioner, Ken Russell, has introduced a Resolution in support for our smaller mooring field for which we are most grateful. The Resolution must be voted on by the entire City Commission, hopefully at the June Commission meeting.
MOORING FIELD ACTION HISTORY
FEBUARY 1, 2018: The City of Miami challenged attendees at the January Virginia Key Advisory Board meeting to come to a workshop with ideas for alternate solutions for the mooring field. The workshop was held February 1st. A visual presentation was given by Leah Kinnaird, showing how the Marine Stadium Basin is used currently and what the potential use could be. Roger Bernstein introduced three legal solutions and invited the City to meet with Attorney Byron Flagg to discuss these alternatives. The Virginia Key Alliance was officially formed to lead this initiative as well as future ones.
MARCH 8, 2018: The Resolution to proceed with funding for Phase 2, which would start construction on the mooring field, was withdrawn by the City of Miami Commission. Thank you, Commissioner Ken Russell for the withdrawal. While this meant that the resolution is not "continued" nor "deferred," we were not sure how a withdrawal would affect future plans.
MARCH 14, 2018: The VKA meeting with Ken Russell and Daniel Rotenberg, Director of Real Estate Asset Management, was cancelled. No date was rescheduled. Mr. Rotenberg's department would over-see mooring field development.
MARCH 2018: During this month the Virginia Key Alliance worked on alternate plans to solve the problem of illegal anchoring in the basin, derelict boats and to ensure continued safe access to the basin by current users. Byron Flagg, VKA's legal representation, presented our findings and solutions. After consultations with the proper officials and organizations, we worked in collaboration with the City, to create a plan for a boating restricted areas in the basin to be presented to the Virginia Key Advisory Board.
OUR SUCCESSFUL ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE ORIGINAL 49 BALL MOORING FIELD PLAN
Even more important now that a 97 ball mooring field has been designed by the City
NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed construction of a mooring field in this location raises many concerns about the environmental impact of such development activities, long term effects of increased vessel operations in the area, significant implications to the surrounding environment and natural wildlife (dolphins, manatees, stingrays many fish types, nesting and diving birds), in addition directly interferring with numerous non-consumptive uses of the area.
RESTRICTION OF PUBLIC ACCESS
Virginia Key in downtown Miami has been a natural habitat and haven for over 40 years, for rowers, paddlers, and a variety of non-motorized sports. All members of the public should be able to enjoy low-impact and responsible access to the basin water. Currently over 700 non-motorized water sport enthusiasts and athletes, including approximately 150-200 high school rowers, use the basin on a regular basis. A huge mooring field will limit, and in some cases restrict, enjoyment of the basin for recreation and training.
AGAINST THE VIRGINIA KEY MASTER PLAN
The City of Miami has systematically tried to develop the area as income producing real-estate, not in keeping with the Virginia Key Master Plan. This plan would allow the city to construct a mooring field for 50-60 foot vessels directly in the middle of the basin, which would interfere (and prevent) current activity for youth and adults.
THE VIRGINIA KEY ALLIANCE POSITION
While a mooring field of any size is against the Virginia Key Master Plan, we recognize that the establishment of a small mooring field would allow the City to regulate the anchorage of vessels in the basin, potentially reduce seagrass damage from dragging anchors and grounded boats, and potentially regulate and prevent the illegal discharge of sewage by providing a pump-out facility on land. And while we would prefer no mooring field at all, the VKA is willing to work towards a compromise with the City so that all stakeholders can safely use the basin.
This is how the basin currently looks......
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BUT it could look like this! This is a potential mooring field plan.
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MORE TO WATCH
Other development activities proposed for the marine stadium park such as the installation of motorboat ramps, several docks protruding into the basin and parking spaces for trailers, which would expand the current scope of motorized vessel operations, are also incompatible with the current park use by non-motorized vessels and suggest continued encroachment and restrictions on non-consumptive recreational activities. Your access to the water could depend on it!
get Involved
Attend public meetings of the Miami City Commission and the Virginia Key Advisory Board. You'll learn how you can work side by side with our network of VKA members and volunteers to protect the environment and Virginia Key.
Make your voice heard
Pick up the phone and call, or email, your local representatives. Let them know that your access to this area, environmental welfare, clean water, public health and safety are important to you. Contact information may be found below:
Elected officials - city of miami
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Appointed Members - Virginia Key Advisory Board (VKAB)
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Esther Alonso-Luft
Board Member (Dist. 2) [email protected] Peter Ehrlich Board Member (Urban Environmental League) [email protected] Guy Forchion Board Member (Virginia Key Beach Park Trust) [email protected] Barbara Hernandez Board Member (Director of Parks) [email protected] Suzanne Hollander Board Member (Director of DREAM) Lynn Lewis Board Member (Nat'l Trust for Historic Pres.) [email protected] |
Steven Leidner
Board Member (Sierra Club) [email protected] Gary Milano Board Member (Tropical Audubon) [email protected] Lamell McMorris Board Member (Mayoral Appointee) Joe Rasco Board Member (MDC Commissioner Dist. 7) [email protected] Vinson Richter Board Member (Dade Heritage Trust) [email protected] Monty Trainer Board Member At Large Robert Vernon Board Member (Village of Key Biscayne) [email protected] |
