Acting on a committee’s recommendation to take over some land that’s part of a golf course, the Miami Lakes Town Council voted to acquire the property and convert it to a passive park, the best chance the city has to own a commodious green space area the city had been seeking since incorporation.
The Miami Lakes Par 3 Committee, which was formed in 2013 to study the pros and cons of the property abutting the golf course at Don Shula’s Golf Club, concluded that the tract should only be used for a nature park.
At the April 14 regular Town Council meeting, lawmakers were expected to accept the land donated by The Graham Companies, which agreed to pay for an environmental assessment, a boundary survey and a provision of grounds maintenance of the property for two years.
Lawmakers were also expected to agree on the terms of the donation, the process of development, the conceptual plan for the park and a tentative timetable or future development.
The Par 3 Committee outlined the rules and regulations for usage of the outdoor facility, which would be open to Miami Lakes residents only for passive recreational activities such as pedestrian, hiking and jogging. The park would also serve as a featured historical, cultural, or archeological attraction; there would be no organized competitive sporting activities; and the land would be maintained in its current topography.
According to the Par 3 Committee, that portion of the golf course was shut down in the 1990's but the golfing area still attracts many residents to purchase their homes and apartments abutting the green space area.
During a series of meetings, the group discussed a wide range of concerns and suggestions with The Graham Companies, Florida Power and Light and former Miami Lakes director of Community and Leisure Services Tony Lopez.
The most significant concern was the overhead power lines covering the Par 3 land.
The transmission lines were significantly lower than Florida’s limits and FPL agreed to replace all wooden poles with concrete posts by this year.
The committee strongly suggested the replacements be finished before the town opens the passive park.
The group also suggested building different paths for walkers/joggers and bikers under the power lines, as the area is solely used for public activities.
The committee also recommended building a parking lot on the northwest portion of the area; the parking lot will be adjacent to N.W. 77 Avenue, add more parking spaces along 77 Avenue; and create more parking spaces near commercial properties.
The Par 3 Committee’s final recommendation urged the council not to vote on the design of the passive park until discussing blueprints with residents during a workshop, including members of the committee.
In other Council news:
• Council members, on first reading, were expected to pass an ordinance to update the town’s comprehensive plan for water supply plan amendments to be sent and reviewed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and other review agencies.
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution to create a special taxing district for Lake Hilda lake maintenance services done by Miami-Dade Public Works and Waste Management.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve a resolution for a zoning application of a conditional use for a sleep testing facility at 16420 N.W. 59th Avenue.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program application for the Loch Andrews Homeowners Association in the amount of $4,511 for a tree beautification project.
• Councilmembers were expected to approve a resolution to formally establish the Veterans Affairs Committee, which was previously an ad-hoc committee since 2008. The committee created the town’s veteran’s memorial outside Town Hall.
• Councilmembers discussed Councilman Tony Lama’s plan for Miami Lakes to host a Realtor Forum, where area real estate agents would be invited to take part and provide their input to the town on what potential buyers are seeking when they visit Miami Lakes.