Who is Hold the Line? Currently over 130 organizations, municipalities, businesses, and homeowner groups opposing expansion of the current Urban Development Boundary (UDB). What is the “UDB”? The Urban Development Boundary is an invisible line that separates land zoned for high urban uses and density from land zoned for low density use or open land designations (e.g. wetlands). The UDB was first established in 1975 and runs along the western and southern edges of the county, creating a buffer between metro Miami and the Everglades.

The Hold the Line Resolution The “Hold the Line” campaign objects to current attempts to move the Urban Development Boundary (UDB), and acknowledges Miami-Dade County residents are best served when their money reinvigorates existing infrastructure, creates housing and job opportunities along mass transportation routes, and protects the drinking water supply.   Development in Miami-Dade County has negatively impacted the quality of life for our residents and families. Local communities, like ours, already feel the impacts of frustrating traffic congestion, over-crowded schools, lack of affordable housing choices, limited employment opportunities, and the loss of fish and wildlife habitat in Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. We recognize the unacceptable costs all residents pay when new infrastructure is built outside the UDB without first addressing the current needs within our existing communities. We urge Miami-Dade County decision-makers to "Hold the Line," the Urban Development Boundary that separates urban areas from environmental and agriculture lands, and fund solutions inside the UDB that improve our quality of life, our communities, and our environment.

Why “Hold” the UDB? Quality of Life Traffic Agriculture Water Supply Everglades Schools Hurricane Evacuation Flood Control Infrastructure Quality of Life

Traffic Polls have shown that Traffic Congestion is now the biggest issue of concern for Miami-Dade County Residents. Polls by “HTL” partner the Urban Environment League and more recently by Channel 4 News confirm this.

Agriculture Agriculture is the third largest industry in Miami-Dade County. A viable agricultural industry requires contiguous acreage but UDB expansion into farmland is growing. Tropical fruits and vegetables that grow no where else in the country are successfully produced in Miami-Dade County

Water Supply Miami-Dade relies on well field areas and open lands to recharge the Biscayne Aquifer, the source for the majority of our drinking water. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and SFWMD is critical of Miami-Dade’s water supply plan, rejecting a request to increase daily withdrawals by 100 million gallons per day.

Everglades Current applications to move the Urban Development Boundary cover over 1,500 acres (1 acre = an entire football field) Broward County does not have a UDB and has developed to the edge of the Everglades.

Schools Developers cover construction but not long term costs for schools and teachers. Miami-Dade schools are experiencing extreme overcrowding in outlying schools near the UDB. This has been pointed out by County Planning Staff and State Growth Management Agencies in recommending against UDB expansion.

Hurricane Evacuation Traffic during hurricane evacuations is already a public safety threat in places like the Keys, where drivers are bottle-necked and often at a standstill for hours. A Development of Regional Impact outside the UDB, near Florida City is near the intersection of US-1 and Card Sound, major evacuation routes.

Flood Control Continuing to pave over lands beyond the UDB removes areas water can absorb easily. Areas like Sweetwater and Kendall already experience major flood problems, moving the UDB will only exacerbate flooding.

Infrastructure Everyone in the County pays for new roads and sewer lines for development at the fringes of our County. This means that existing communities needing resources lose out on support. Roads and Infrastructure are already overburdened. Let’s fix what we have before creating more problems.

“On a Countywide basis, there is no need to expand the Urban Development Boundary” There is enough land area within the UDB to provide countywide development capacity of residential land to accommodate projected development until 2020 (The plan requires a 10 year supply). -Miami–Dade County Planning Department recommendation as approved by the Board of County Commissioners in Oct 2003.

Join Hold the Line! www.udbline.com 305-485-5949