Originally Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006
There is a battle going on in the skies over Miami that is a perfect example of the symbiotic relationship that must exist in so many aspects of a modern city. The battle is being waged by representatives of the airlines and Miami International Airport versus the developers who are building the new skyline of Miami along Biscayne Bay. The developers want to build as high as possible but the aviators say the higher the building the more complications in take-off and landing.
The complication arises because the runway at Miami International Airport is built in an East-West configuration to take advantage of the prevailing winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Airlines must adhere to FAA regulations that require planes to achieve a minimum height if one engine fails upon takeoff. Curiously though, although the FAA requires this of airlines it was willing to approve the height limits of several new projects that infringe upon the airlines ability to achieve the minimum altitude required, without significantly reducing their fuel and cargo payload.
Meanwhile the developers who are poring millions of dollars into the local economy are being told one thing by the FAA and another by the County and even another by the city. Many developers are reporting receiving three different approvals for the heights of their buildings and then the ire of MIA when they accept the approvals.
The complication arises because the runway at Miami International Airport is built in an East-West configuration to take advantage of the prevailing winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Airlines must adhere to FAA regulations that require planes to achieve a minimum height if one engine fails upon takeoff. Curiously though, although the FAA requires this of airlines it was willing to approve the height limits of several new projects that infringe upon the airlines ability to achieve the minimum altitude required, without significantly reducing their fuel and cargo payload.
Meanwhile the developers who are poring millions of dollars into the local economy are being told one thing by the FAA and another by the County and even another by the city. Many developers are reporting receiving three different approvals for the heights of their buildings and then the ire of MIA when they accept the approvals.
This situation brings to the forefront one of the most important relationships in a modern city: that of the transportation providers with the housing providers. In a geographic area such as Miami, where the Florida Everglades provide a natural western development boundary, vertical housing is essential to the vialbility of the housing market and in turn the success of the region's economy. The task must remain then to our legislators and government representatives to ensure that the proper balance is struck between too high (for MIA) and too low (for the developers). The future of the City of Miami as well as the entire South Florida Tri-county area may be at stake.
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