Miami-Dade delays decision on Miami boat show permit

Miami-Dade County commissioners have delayed a vote on a key permit for the Miami International Boat Show until December 15, the Miami Herald reported.

The show is requesting a permit for an 830-slip dock system for waterfront displays. The permit would also allow for the show ‘s plan to use shuttle buses and water taxis to deliver attendees to the show site. The  county’s environmental arm has recommended that the commission approve it.

The vote was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

The show, scheduled for Feb. 11-16, 2016, is moving to Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin because of renovations at its traditional home at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The city of Miami is supporting the move, but the neighboring village of Key Biscayne has voiced concerns about increased traffic and other issues. The village has also filed lawsuits against both the city of Miami and the National Marine Manufacturers Association attempting to block the show.
In a statement to Boating Industry,  NMMA President Thom Dammrich said that show organizers remain confident about receiving the permit. He added that even if the permit is not granted, the show will go on.
“We trust the environmental agencies to do their job, as they always do and always have in working with the Miami International Boat Show for decades. The Boat Show is committed to protecting the environment and our track record and efforts to date in our planning the 2016 show prove our commitment. In fact, the Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources recommended our permit for approval to the County Commission. We understand that the Board of County Commissioners would like additional time to review the Administration’s favorable recommendation to approve our Class I special event permit application, and we stand ready to assist with any questions the Board members may have.

“The permit is solely for the in-water portion of the boat-show. If we don’t receive the permit for some reason, and we don’t believe that’s likely, the show would go on and we would find an in-water solution. The Miami International Boat Show being disrupted in any way would be an economic disaster for the State, County and City, removing more than $30 million in tax revenue, jeopardizing 55,000 jobs and the industry’s $2.3 billion in annual new product sales in Florida. We don’t believe the County Commission would put this at risk.”

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2 Comments

  1. You have to understand the mindset of the people who live on Key Biscayne. If you take down a dead tree they picket your house. They want nuts when the City of Miami cleaned out some unsightly mangroves (that were not there 10 years ago). They don’t want anything that could spoil there million dollar homes. Want a Condo – decent ones start at a Million and then go through the roof like Chuck Yager did when he broke the sound barrier. Homes, 3 Mill and up. Bottom Line: They don’t want the ‘peons’ on their turf. And best believe they have the bucks to keep this in court till the next ice age.

    1. Understanding the mindset of the people who live on Key Biscayne has nothing to do with the City of Miami illegally cutting down “unsightly” mangroves. These trees are a critical part of the bay’s and the ocean’s ecosystem. I like the boatshow as much as the next guy, but I also like fishing. I like eating sea food. I like having a healthy bay. I hope that someone is still investigating what happened with the mangroves on the site.

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