To the Editor:
As a long-time resident of Coconut Grove, I’ve watched our city change — and not always for the better. I’m writing to express deep concern over the proposed Transit Station Neighborhood Development (TSND) overlay that’s now before the City Commission.
This isn’t thoughtful planning. It’s overreach.
The proposal would allow 12-story towers — potentially more — within a one-mile radius of every Metrorail station in Miami, all under the banner of “transit-oriented development.” That’s nearly half the city subject to dramatic upzoning, with limited public input and minimal notice.
And make no mistake: this isn’t about encouraging development near transit stops. It’s about opening the floodgates to over-density in stable, walkable neighborhoods that never asked for this kind of transformation.
I’ve read the proposal, attended meetings, and spoken to city staff. I’ve also heard my neighbors — some confused, many alarmed, and nearly all left out of the conversation.
The Grove has worked hard to protect its character, canopy, and scale through neighborhood conservation overlays and Miami 21’s height transition rules. This proposal threatens to sweep those aside.
Even with “carve-outs,” the message is clear: large-scale development will come first, and residents will be expected to catch up later.
We need affordable housing. We need smart transit growth. But this ordinance offers neither. What it offers is a blank check for developers, vague promises of affordability, and no plan for infrastructure, school capacity, or displacement protections.
We should be designing Miami for those who live here—not just those looking to profit off it.
I urge our elected leaders to do what’s right: defer this ordinance. Start over. Engage the community. Create a true plan for livable, transit-connected neighborhoods that respect the people who already call them home.
Marlene Erven
Coconut Grove
I agree. I hope this eloquent letter is sent to our elected officials. I hope we all vote for a new leader for our commissioner.. Our current leadership is not taking care of our beautiful village and retaining the community feel we want. Coconut Grove is becoming Brickell. The project on Tigertail also needs to follow current restrictions. The waiver they were given is a sham.
I think Urban Planning was a subject the engineers of Miami 2021 probably studied at the University of Phoenix. Of course Ms. Erven is alarmed, who wouldn’t be? What is continually alarming to me are the postage stamp “Yards” of plastic grass and bathtub swimming pools and gigantic concrete boxes springing up all over Coconut Grove and yet I hear nothing from Damian Pardo or any City Official about the absurdity of this zoning nor do there seem to be any plans to modify it. I am counting the years until I can get the hell of out of here and move to a place where those in charge actually deserve to be in charge and exhibit basic common sense, something Miami has very little of.
Thank you, Marlene Erven, for being a voice of reason.
It would be so nice if the City of Miami cared more about our quality of life than developer’s profits.
Honestly, I think this affordable housing push is a way for developers to get out of impact fees and make Miamians shoulder the burden for infrastructure costs while they profit.
We have an overall vacancy rate of 11 – 14% in Miami. That’s technically a soft market. We have a 0.5% affordable housing vacancy rate. The problem is not inventory. The problem is overdevelopment of luxury properties. They can’t sell their product because they overbuilt. That’s not our problem. Your poor business decisions are yours, dude (I’m looking at Jorge Perez, whose Related Group owns 90,000 units in South Florida). Why don’t you give discounts on your existing inventory before saddling us with yet additional deferred maintenance and skipping town with your billions? Or are you panicking because you can’t figure out how to maintain your billions because it was never sustainable to begin with? Let us help you figure it out. Start listening to residents. I’m sure there’s a solution we can all be happy with. You have a lot of skills, resources and connections. Don’t you want to stop fighting and start having people actually like you (and not just because you have money)?