Visioning the Future of Pinecrest

Well before our 1996 incorporation, people have loved living in the area we now call Pinecrest. During the 1900s, Miami pioneer and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler used the property at US-1 and SW 102nd Street, first as a citrus grove and later as a staging area during the construction of the Overseas Railroad to the Florida Keys. In 1936, the area at Red Road and SW 111th Street became one of Miami’s first tourist attractions, when Parrot Jungle opened. The Miami Serpentarium, another tourist attraction, was located on US-1 for many decades. And, during the 50s and 60s, the area flourished with the construction of many ranch-style houses on lushly landscaped 1-acre lots. In short, Pinecrest has a rich history. Much of it is no longer physically here, but still contributing to what makes Pinecrest Pinecrest.

 Our affluent Village continues to change. The small homes on large lots have been replaced by much larger abodes. It’s just the way things have gone for the past 30 years or so. In fact, this residential redevelopment is near complete, as it is hard to find an original 1950s or 1960s home remaining. Along the way, Pinecrest’s codes had to adapt and evolve to allow us to realize the prosperity we have today.

Now the US-1 Corridor is beginning redevelopment. This will have a profound effect on the communities it touches, including Pinecrest. In 2012, Pinecrest went through a visioning process to see how to be compatible with the ever-changing landscape of Miami-Dade County. Among the successes of that visioning was the opening of the Baptist Health Building which opened in February 2017 at 13101 South Dixie Highway. Once a controversial building, it has turned into a successful and valuable resource in our community that functions seamlessly with the neighborhood.

 As the Village starts its 2022 visioning process, it hopes to once again stay ahead of changes so that they benefit Pinecrest’s overall character and quality of life. At the forefront is the huge population growth expected in Miami-Dade County and the rapid transit plans to handle that population. In 2021, we had 2.7m residents.  By 2035, it will be 3.3m, an approximate 20% growth. Most of these people are moving to South Dade.  Right now, South Dade has 50% of the land, 25% of the population and 12% of the jobs. The logical future is to see most of the growth south and west of Pinecrest and along the US-1 corridor as per long standing county policy. Therein lies the opportunity and the potential problem. 

 One of life’s constants is change. And, as we know, there is always a group that will resist change. At a January 27th Village Council Meeting, Mayor Joe Corradino took a good deal of heat from residents. They voiced their concern about his work life conflicting with his role as Pinecrest’s Mayor. For clarity, Corradino is an urban planner and, as this author sees it, it actually helps the Village to have that level of experience guiding the visioning process. Nevertheless, there were enough emotions in the room to warrant upgraded police monitoring on his street.

Mayor Corradino was a guest on my February 17th edition of The MiamiHal Real Estate Show. He spoke about the Council’s efforts to work in concert with the County and the neighboring communities to benefit from the coming changes in population, transportation and technology.

Key to proper visioning, is understanding that in 2017 Miami-Dade County approved an update to its RTZ ordinance that said all areas within 1/2 mile of the US-1 Corridor would, by zoning, allow 125-250 dwelling units per acre around the stations, and 16-25 stories of height in those areas. Between the stations, 36 to 60 dwelling units per acre at 6 or more stories would be allowed. This would be completely against the fiber and character of Pinecrest. So, as part of the Miami-Dade League of Cities, Mayor Corradino was instrumental in working to modify this proposal. At last update, the proposal would allow incorporated cities (like Pinecrest) to maintain control of the process if they came up with a plan to support rapid transit.

Pinecrest’s Council is working to craft a cohesive message and seeks resident input to support the following visioning concepts:

• Potential diversification of our housing stock, so that we provide housing options and enable people who no longer want to care for a large lot to remain in the community.

• Protecting the single-family character of the community by confining commercial growth to the current corridor and not push into the residential zones.

• Providing increased options for a better shopping, dining and entertainment experience. The Village’s analysis shows that many Pinecrest residents go elsewhere to do those things and the US-1 Corridor commercial area is focused on the drivers on US-1 and not the neighborhoods abutting it.

• Creating a physical place more in concert with the character of the rest of Pinecrest. The form of the existing shopping area is based on an old 1970s style zoning code and is not as welcoming in appearance as the remainder of the community.

• To support the rapid transit to the extent that fits the character of Pinecrest.

• To limit the county’s ability to implement their Rapid Transit Zone Ordinance (RTZ) in Pinecrest unilaterally.

Understanding the above will help all parties to work constructively to create a future Pinecrest. Mayor Corradino adds, “The most important thing in Pinecrest is to do things right. This process has no time frame placed on it.”