_add-on b)Add-on Item b)
Sponsored by: Commissioner Edmond & Vice Mayor Welsh
City Commission Meeting: 5-03-16
Page 1 of 2
RESOLUTION NO. _________________ 1
A Resolution urging the Miami-Dade County Board of County 2
Commission to not change existing zoning of the University Baptist 3
Church property folio 30-4035-052-0010 and opposing the Somerset 4
Academy Charter high school on Sunset and 73rd Court. 5
WHEREAS, on September 9, 2015 Somerset Academy (“Somerset”) filed a 6
variance to a 1997 Miami-Dade County Resolution No. Z-18-97 to build a charter school 7
with 2500 students on Sunset and 73rd Court; and 8
WHEREAS, under the 1997 Resolution a school is prohibited in this area with 9
the exception of a day nursery limited to 96 children; and 10
WHEREAS, under the 1997 Resolution a school can only be operated from 9:00 11
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. but the Somerset proposal would call for school be opened from 7:00 12
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and 13
WHEREAS, the proposed school will be built on the south side of Sunset Drive 14
directly adjacent to one of the last protected rock pinelands in Miami-Dade County - 15
Trinty Pineland County Park; and 16
WHEREAS, the South Miami City Commission has been a strong proponent of 17
protecting threatened rock pinelands and we are concerned that this proposed school may 18
harm the Trinity Pinelands; and 19
WHEREAS, in 2014, after a number of complaints by local residents, South 20
Miami’s City Commission instructed city government officials to investigating why just 21
1% of Somerset Academy South Miami Charter School's students are African-American 22
when 17 % of South Miami residents are African-American; and 23
WHEREAS, the South Miami City Commission is concerned that this new 24
charter school on Sunset will not provide equal opportunity access to all families and 25
students in the community. It is our hope that the admissions process would be open and 26
if this school is approved it would become a community asset; and 27
WHEREAS, due to proposed drastic zoning changes, concerns regarding 28
increased traffic, environmental concerns, and concerns regarding whether this school 29
will have an open access admission policy. We hope the County Commission will give 30
this proposal more scrutiny. 31
NOW, THEREFORE, BE RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY 32
COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA THAT: 33
Section 1. The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commission should reject 34
any zoning changes on University Baptist Church property folio 30-4035-052-0010 or 35
require the school and the church to significantly alter the current proposal to adequately 36
Add-on Item b)
Sponsored by: Commissioner Edmond & Vice Mayor Welsh
City Commission Meeting: 5-03-16
Page 2 of 2
address the problems that will be created by increased traffic and the need to protect the 1
rock pinelands. 2
Section 2. The City Clerk is hereby directed to transmit this resolution to all 3
members of Miami-Dade County Board of County Commission and all members of the 4
Miami-Dade School Board. 5
Section 3. Severability. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this 6
resolution is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent 7
jurisdiction, the holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this 8
resolution. 9
Section 4.
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Effective Date. This resolution shall become effective immediately 10
upon adoption by vote of the City Commission. 11
PASSED AND ADOPTED this ____ day of _____________, 2016. 13
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ATTEST: APPROVED: 15
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_____________________ ______________________ 17
CITY CLERK MAYOR 18
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READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM, COMMISSION VOTE: 20
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND Mayor Stoddard: 21
EXECUTION THEREOF Vice Mayor Welsh: 22
Commissioner Harris: 23
_____________________________ Commissioner Edmond: 24
CITY ATTORNEY Commissioner Liebman: 25
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