MIAMI – A Miami city commissioner and residents gathered Wednesday to discuss a controversial tree ordinance ahead of a planned meeting Thursday.
Several homeowners’ associations in the city have opposed the “Tree Preservation and Protection Ordinance,” saying it puts the city’s trees at risk.
“This is critical infrastructure,” Jackeline Bonilla, executive director of the Urban Paradise Guild, said. “I don’t want to live in a ‘Mad Max’ world where I live with an oxygen tank because there are no trees.”
Members of the community, including Katrina Morris, a Coconut Grove resident, have voiced their concerns.
“The canopy is actually what protects the trees and it actually protects your home and it helps with flooding,” Morris said.
They joined Miami District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo in a news conference Wednesday to express their opposition to the proposed ordinance.
Carollo called the proposal “outrageous.”
Critics worry it will weaken the city’s canopy by taking the teeth out of the existing ordinance.
“‘Regulating’ is crossed out and instead it says and provides guidelines, controls and standards, for the removal, relocation, pruning, and trimming of trees,” Morris said.
The measure is sponsored by District 1 Commissioner Miguel Gabela, who said in December, “All this does is streamline the permitting system that we need to streamline.”
Chris Baraloto, the associate director of the FIU Institute of Environment, said, “But those revisions are going to take some time to discuss and we need to acknowledge how we can address this and still maintain tree preservation.”
Since December, the item has been deferred multiple times.
Luis Herrera, from the Vizcaya Homeowners Association expressed frustration, saying, “Deferred, deferred and they don’t let me speak about the trees.”
Sue Cassidy, a Miami resident, said in January, “Yes, people take time to get here from work, they lose money, they spend their time and the issue doesn’t get discussed and it is very contentious and it is unfair and I am angry about it.”
Herrera urged, “Take this agenda, no more in the city of Miami, bring it up, we have to finish this week, tomorrow.”
Yvonne Bayonne from the Miami Historic East Shenandoah Homeowners Association added, “The trees make a difference, so if everyone can please participate tomorrow in the commission.”
“I will be voting against this if it comes to a vote,” Carollo said. “What I am going to ask for is for it to be withdrawn.”
The group plans to hold another news conference at 8:30 Thursday morning, ahead of the meeting.