New bill could help ease Broward’s housing crisis. How Miramar might lead the way
Broward County’s once-contaminated properties could become residential housing under new legislation. With one such project completed over a decade ago, could Miramar be ahead of the curve?
The Infill Redevelopment Act, a new bill sponsored by State Rep. David Borrero (R-Doral) and Sen. Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami), nullifies local restrictions on residential construction on these sites, allowing developers to build housing “up to the average density allowed in any adjacent residential zoning district within the same jurisdiction.”
Design and architectural standards will remain in place.
“The legislation essentially allows for redevelopment of brownfield sites that are in more urban areas specifically to address the housing shortage,” Dr. E. Christian Wells, a professor and director of the Center for Brownfields Research and Redevelopment at the University of South Florida, told the Miramar News on Wednesday, March 11.
“It really facilitates housing construction and development, particularly in urban areas, and that’s a good thing, because most brownfield sites in urban areas tend to be in underserved communities, and so this could be a real, tremendous benefit.”
He added that despite the benefits, the policy could also lead to gentrification as new, higher-quality housing is added. This can be offset by a community benefits agreement, which residents can use to ensure that developers create affordable housing, use local labor or contribute funds for various projects.
Wells is also a member and former president of the Florida Brownfields Association, which works to gather and spread information about reuse of former industrial sites. One of the group’s major projects was building the Florida Brownfield Redevelopment Atlas, which tracks local, state and federal cleanup sites.
The act currently only applies to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Properties eligible for the new policy must fit the following criteria:
- Contain at least five acres
- Are adjacent to a residential zoning district
- Are environmentally impacted — defined as containing an detectable level of pollution above applicable cleanup levels, subject to cleanup or rehabilitation requirements, or located in a designated brownfield area
It excludes agricultural land and public parks, properties recently owned by a utility company, and those outside of urban growth boundaries or within a quarter-mile of a military installation.
Two parcels in Miramar appear to fit the bill, having been treated for presence of industrial chemicals and byproducts in the past two decades. A third, located just across the county line in Miami Gardens, also could qualify.
The ZF Brownfield Site, located at 8991 SW 41st St., is a 15-acre property that tested positive for high levels of arsenic contamination in 2007, public records show. It has since been redeveloped into the Sorrento Rental Community, with construction completed in 2013.
The 6.8-acre site of the City of Miramar’s decommissioned wastewater treatment plant was designated as a brownfield area in February 2000. No cleanup details were available via the Florida Department of Environmental Protection database, but reports indicate that elected officials chose the designation because of “perceived,” rather than proven, contamination.
This allowed the city to access government funding for building demolition, sludge hauling and redevelopment. The property is now home to the Vernon E. Hargray Youth Enrichment Center.
The Carol City Brownfield Area, located just south of Miramar, spans nearly 4,000 acres. A portion has been identified for redevelopment, and has largely been converted into a casino and warehousing. Satellite imagery indicates that more construction is underway.
The source of contamination is only listed as “solid waste.”
As for the safety of the potential new developments, Wells said that Florida’s current policies protect residents from exposure to known chemical leaks.
“There are a lot of really great statewide laws and regulations in place to do a really good job of taking care of public health and safety. When it comes to brownfield redevelopment, there’s really good regulatory oversight to make sure that soil and ground water and and just the environment in general don’t become further or the contamination doesn’t spread further,” he said.
The bill has passed votes in the Florida House and Senate. If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs it, the Infill Redevelopment Act will become law.
