Local News. Local Matters.
A city advisory committee is exploring tougher penalties for developers who remove large trees, incentives to preserve them and relief for homeowners struggling with costly regulations.
Armed with decades of research, scientists in South Florida have determined that Biscayne Bay’s shallow waters, dotted with seagrass meadows and remnants of old reef, provide an important nursery for 13 species of sharks and rays.
A Spotlight review found that salary increases added $7.6 million to city employees’ annualized pay in just six months. And that snapshot captures only part of the story.
Less than two years after Coconut Grove developer David Martin was cited for irreparably damaging the protected Silver Bluff outside his waterfront mansion, the owner of the property next door is seeking approval for new construction — where archaeologists have uncovered 19th-century artifacts and possible evidence of prehistoric activity.
Commissioners will vote Thursday on shifting $996,000 out of Citywide Tree Planting and into three other projects. The move raises a larger question: How can residents track where Miami’s tree money goes?
Miami-Dade County intends to knock down a small-scale public housing complex with 24 apartments in the West Grove to make way for a new multifamily development with at least 300 units including workforce and affordable housing.
A long-delayed community center at Armbrister Park offers a window into how Miami’s bond-funded projects move from promise to construction — and how difficult the spending can be to track along the way.
Residents raised concerns about recreation and the environment at a community meeting on the $2 million project. City officials now say they are exploring a smaller mooring field.
A Grove resident argues the proposed 877-berth marina — and possibly more — must go before voters, raising new questions about the sweeping redevelopment plan for the iconic waterfront property on Virginia Key.
As city officials debate changes to Miami’s tree-protection laws, they may want to consider the case of an oak tree — by some estimates approaching three centuries old — that was removed without a permit from a property slated for development.
