Critics say Miami’s new transit zoning ordinance = loophole for developers

“TSND” may as well mean “This Sh*t’s Not Democratic”
Miami’s controversial Transit Station Neighborhood Development (TSND) ordinance is barreling toward a final vote this week, and city commissioners are treating it like a routine zoning tweak instead of what it really is: a citywide land-use loophole wrapped in bureaucratic buzzwords and tied with a big shiny ribbon for one lucky developer in District 5.
While the ordinance eases development up to one mile from “existing or approved” fixed rail stations and rapid transit corridors, critics fear that means nearly 50% of Miami could be rezoned with higher density and building heights. Las malas lenguas say the motivation may be a particular group of properties in the Little River area, but there are citywide implications. Preservationists are particularly worried about the potential impact of a “one-size-fits-all framework” to historic neighborhoods.
And did anyone bother to ask the neighbors being rezoned what they thought? ¡Claro que no! This isn’t just undemocratic, it’s an insult to every resident who spent years crafting Miami 21, which is supposed to protect neighborhoods from this exact kind of Wild West development fiesta. TSND bulldozes over the basic protections in Miami 21 — like height transitions and setbacks.
Basically, according to the latest version of the ever-changing legislation, a one story single family home could suddenly be neighbors with a 12-story tower. And, certainly, its property value will go by way of the available sunlight.
“This is something that is going to kill our neighborhoods,” Andy Parrish, a Grove resident who has served on the planning and zoning advisory board for eight years, said at a commission meeting in June. “High-rises belong downtown and that’s the way our zoning code is set up. If you start letting intrude into residential neighborhoods that are low-rise… there’s going to be no eyes on the street, no families with dogs.”
And you know how Special Area Plans (SAPs) require things like traffic studies, community meetings, and transparency? Que cute. TSND sidesteps all that by letting parcels under nine acres skip the process entirely, giving big developers a red carpet straight to overdevelopment without so much as a peep from the public. Worse than spot zoning, this is ambush zoning.
Metrics? Nope. Accountability? Nah. Public benefit requirements? Unenforceable. Infrastructure planning? What’s that?
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Love it or hate it, Miami 21 was established after years of debate, neighborhood meetings and community input. This legislation has bypassed all that messy public engagement in favor of what looks like a vague, shifting draft that’s been written in a corporate boardroom — with PR-approved buzzwords like traffic calming, crosswalks, “pedestrian and mobility enhancements” and, of course, workforce housing –and is still being edited days before the final vote. The city is trying to ram TSND through just 36 days after it was first presented to the planning and zoning appeals board on June 18.
And the final vote is Thursday. The city is trying to ram this through in just 36 days.
A rushed process = a rotten process.
Mel Meinhardt, a Grove activist who spoke before the PZAB, urged that the city use caution with what he said was a “well intentioned” ordinance. “But there are significant unintended consequences,” especially in neighborhoods that abut the T3 and T4 urban and suburban districts, he said.
How can the public meaningfully contribute to the conversation if the language keeps changing? Even city commissioners have admitted they don’t fully understand it. And they’re supposed to vote on it on Thursday? It’s like a runaway train wreck.
Speaking of which, the idea is that this is a custom made ordinance tied to the promise of a new TriRail station near 79th Street and Northwest 2nd Avenue, which reportedly is already funded. And the transit oriented development that would come with it.
At least 37 independent parcels near St. Mary’s Cathedral, the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami at 7525 NW 2nd Ave have been snatched up since August of 2021 for a total of more than $82 million — way above the market rate — by the same entity, Chicago-based LRMF Owner LLC. They include vacant lots, industrial warehouses, multifamily buildings and at least one single family home which, together, totals more than 24 acres.
LRMF is an affiliate of Nashville, Tennessee-based Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, and most of the properties were paid for in two deeds — one for $19.1 million and one for $56.3 million. The seller was Miami-based commercial real estate firm MVW Partners, through dozens of LLCs managed by co-founder Matthew Vander Werff.
Las malas lenguas say that developers are going to present at least one, but possibly two affordable housing projects on those aggregated properties. The AJ Capital website calls the Miami project “Little River.”

“Situated north of Wynwood and the Design District neighborhoods, Little River is establishing itself as the foremost epicenter for culture, cuisine, and the arts,” the website states. “Through a thoughtful approach centered on championing local talent, the area has become home to an ever-expanding roster of creative businesses and acclaimed food and beverage concepts, including Sunny’s Steakhouse, a popular restaurant by Will Thompson and Carey Hynes of Jaguar Sun; La Natural, a two-time Michelin-approved sourdough pizzeria and natural wine haven; and Rosie’s, a James Beard semi-finalist and Michelin-approved restaurant serving up soul food from the memories and culture of Chef Akino West.
“With aligned values, MVW Partners and AJ Capital Partners will continue to evolve, elevate, and enhance the historic neighborhood, while retaining the vibrant charm and character that has defined it in years past.”
Right now, Little River is the only area in the city that has Transit Oriented Development designation, paving the way for a massive TSND project. But residents worry that what’s happening there will happen in other neighborhoods near Metro Rail stations.
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The TSND ordinance is being pitched as a tool for affordable housing. But it only requires 10% of units to be affordable at 100% AMI. That’s $86,800 a year for a single person, meaning “affordable” could still mean $2,200 a month for a studio. Which, for the record, is market rate in large swaths of the city. That’s what they mean by “affordable housing.”
Meinhardt said the city should require the affordable housing to be 40% or 50% of the project. Because 10% is a joke, a slap in the face.
There’s also no plan to mitigate permanent displacement. There’s no mention of tenant protections or relocation assistance and this will more likely impact working-class families and seniors living in lower to middle income areas near the Metrorail. So while developers toast with champagne, longtime residents face eviction notices and rising rents.
Put simply, it’s just too much of a change too fast without enough answers to clearly legitimate questions or mitigation of pressing concerns. This could be the single most significant rezoning since Miami 21 and it’s time to pump the brakes on this train. Many residents and community activists have asked the commissioners to defer this vote.
The One Grove Alliance group sent an email this week that says the ordinance “threatens the integrity, livability, and democratic planning framework of our city. Both the process and content demand a full reset.”
Grove activists say the pace is reckless and deeply undermines public trust. But they are not alone.
“This proposal will greatly harm the character and scale of Miami’s neighborhoods,” said Morningside activist Elvis Cruz, who also says that, at the very least, historic districts should be excluded “What is being proposed is far too intense and dense.”
He said that the “intent” section of Miami 21 includes “preserve neighborhoods” in the language. “But this won’t preserve neighborhoods. This will completely disrupt neighborhood character and scale,” Cruz said. “This is one big gift to the developers.”
Cruz was among about 40 participants in a Zoom meeting on Tuesday last week that started late and lasted a little more than 45 minutes. Participants described it as a lecture more than a community meeting. No questions were allowed.
“It was one-way communication, like watching TV,” Cruz said. “They set it up so the participants could not see who else was on the Zoom, could not chat amongst themselves, and could not ask questions.” He also said that an email address to submit questions, provided by the city, kept bouncing his emails back for two days.
This is how they’ll say they didn’t get that many questions. There’s not that much interest in this, right? Wrong.
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Cruz is also concerned that Commission Chair Cristine King has offered an amendment to exclude historic neighborhoods, but it seems that the historic district exemption amendment did not make it to the draft that was being circulate last week. It seem that Neighborhood Conservation Districts are off limits, but aren’t historic districts supposed to receive greater protection than NCDs?
And is that enough? Especially when this seems to be a zoning favor for one particular developer?
The train leaves the station at Miami City Hall about 9:30 a.m. Thursday. The meeting can also be viewed live via city’s website.
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