Pinecrest Friends

Pinecrest has flourished for 25+ years. Property values are at an all-time high. Our parks, amenities and small-town charm make us one of the most sought-after communities in South Florida. 

But a small group of residents wants to put all that at risk. 

They claim that Pinecrest is broken. They propose dramatic changes to our Village Charter that would make it impossible to get things done. Complete gridlock. 

In fact, there is no basis for this sweeping amendment.

The Village Council unanimously voted to maintain the building height on U.S. 1 to 4 stories.

And the people already have a right to vote on zoning changes if a future council changes that. It’s in our charter, Article 5, Section 5. 2.

Ballots have been mailed requesting your vote on this misguided proposal to require supermajority voter approval for zoning changes. 

Along with all three former Mayors of Pinecrest Evelyn Greer, Gary Matzner and Cindy Lerner, we urge you to vote NO before March 7.

Here are the 7 facts you need to know before voting:

MYTH: This vote is about whether the Village will allow high rises on U.S. 1. 

FACT: That issue has already been debated and put to rest. Our Village Council, including our Mayor, voted unanimously in December to keep building heights on U.S. 1 to four stories. There are no proposals before the Village for anything higher. This vote is about whether Pinecrest should drastically change the way it makes zoning decisions, and disrupt a system that has worked well for 27 years.

MYTH: We are powerless if a future council wants to allow high rises in Pinecrest.

FACT: If a future council did change building heights, we residents already have the right to vote to overturn a zoning change. It’s in our Charter, Article 5 Section 5.2. We can petition for a vote to overturn any Village ordinance we may not like by a simple majority.

The proposed amendment is a solution in search of a problem.

MYTH: The people will decide zoning issues if this passes.

FACT: A minority would decide - not the people. Under this charter amendment, 60% of voters would have to approve any zoning changes - meaning 40% of voters could torpedo an initiative. It’s undemocratic. 

MYTH: The proposed charter amendment would affect only major zoning changes related to overdevelopment.

FACT: The amendment language is so broad that it would require a Village-wide vote on all sorts of routine, uncontroversial changes to our zoning code and land use regulations. We'd be in a constant state of elections, voting 5 - 10 times a year on things like how far apart to place fire hydrants and how to regulate electric vehicle charging stations. Pinecrest Staff released a list of ordinances that would have been affected by this charter amendment. See the full list.

MYTH: Voting yes and adopting this amendment would decrease congestion and traffic.

FACT: This claim has no basis in reality. Pinecrest has maintained the same population, and the same basic number of housing units, for the past decade. The truth is, the neighborhoods and cities south of us are growing. We are contending with that traffic. This amendment can’t change that.

MYTH: A similar provision is working well in Key Biscayne.

FACT: Key Biscayne’s zoning code is frozen in time, with the Village Council unable to make the updates it needs to prevent flooding and stormwater runoff. Their amendment was designed to limit growth, but Key Biscayne’s population has grown 48.7% since its charter amendment passed. Pinecrest’s population stayed the same since 2007. 

Preserve Pinecrest. Vote NO by March 7.

Who are we? We are your friends and neighbors in Pinecrest.  Every mayor who has led this Village opposes this charter change and asks you to vote NO! 

Ask those of us below why we are against this drastic change.