Board Recommends Purchase of Lots for Key Biscayne’s First ‘Resilient’ Park

Image showing the elevation around 571 and 599 Harbor Drive. (Village of Key Biscayne via Key News). The Parks and Open Spaces board is advising a $4 million purchase of two properties to convert into a park.

As last week’s king tides ebbed from the streets of Key Biscayne, floodwater and mitigation were top of mind for the Parks and Open Spaces Board. 

At their Oct. 2 meeting the advisory body heard from Key resident and environmental lawyer Julie Dick that parks are “the least expensive mitigation for floods and water management,” according to chair Patricia Woodson. 

“We learned that the more green and permeable spaces we have, the better the drainage,”  said Woodson.

No surprise, then, that the group voted “overwhelmingly” to recommend that the Village Council should approve a $4 million purchase of 571 and 599 Harbor Drive at second reading Oct. 15.

The money would come out of the $7.7 million Land Acquisition Trust fund, with respect to which the board researches land acquisition opportunities. The dedicated trust fund cannot be used for any other purpose. 

Low-lying fruit

The land in question is also some of the lowest-lying on the Key. According to groundwater and elevation maps provided by Director of Parks and Recreation Todd Hofferberth, the area around the two lots is in parts as low as 0.7 feet above flood plain. The majority of both lots is between 2.5-6.5 feet above the flood plain. 

“It is one of the very lowest places in the village,” said Woodson. 

One of the ideas for the site is a stormwater pump, to redirect floodwater to the bay. The low elevation – along with the lots’ proximity to the bay – optimizes this flood mitigation device, according to comments by Director of Public Works Jake Ozyman during Council discussions Aug. 27. “So this is very on target,” said Woodson. 

The board drew comparisons with North Miami where the city purchased a low-lying home and turned it into a park that also serves as a catchment for flooding and drainage.

Counting the cost

The latest figure for the purchase is $4 million, though this could shift before the Oct. 15 Council meeting. “The combined cost of these properties is very, very close to the appraised value,” said Woodson. 

Hofferberth has also identified grants that could potentially cover 25-75% of the cost of the purchase, including for flood mitigation infrastructure.

“We’ve had success with this in the past,” said Woodson, referring to Hampton Park, which the Village purchased for $2,090,000 in 2016. Hofferberth succeeded in securing a grant of $828,000 for the park, reducing the Village’s expenditure by 40 percent.  

Residents concerned about property values should also take note, according to Woodson. “Values are increased by the percentage of parks in a community,” she said, “and we are very far from concurrency of green space to population.”

So what kind of park will it be? Woodson said those discussions come after second reading, if it passes.

“It is premature to talk about anything other than resiliency yet,” said Woodson, because “input from the neighbors has to happen first.”

Neighbors will have 32,525 square feet of park to debate – including  12,300 square feet of Village-owned swale. 

Next steps

Other considerations for the board included the Safe Routes to Schools initiative, which is due to pass through the site on Harbor Drive. In the elevation images, the low land across McIntyre suggests children could frequently be walking through floodwater without the Harbor Drive park to help with drainage. 

Councilmember Ed London voted against the purchase on first reading Sept. 10 because he disagreed with both property appraisals. “It’s a gross overpayment,” he said. 

London’s opposition  may find favor with some members of the public Oct. 15. Louisa Lincoln Conway, a six-year Key resident and administrator of a chat that advocates for lower taxes, plans to speak against the ordinance. 

“The Village should not be in the business of engaging in real estate speculation with taxpayer dollars,” said Conway Sunday. 

Also up for second reading on Oct. 15 is  the long-pending530 Crandon Park. The $1.2 million construction plans will be presented for approval, with Councilmember Luis Lauredo indicating in previous meetings that he will vote no.