{"id":444396,"date":"2026-11-01T16:54:07","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T16:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/444396\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T16:54:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T16:54:07","slug":"ecologist-warns-of-virginia-key-projects-combined-impact-key-biscayne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/444396\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecologist warns of Virginia Key projects\u2019 combined impact | Key Biscayne"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laura Reynolds has been an ecologist-turned environmentalist for the past 25 years, working with the Hold the Line Coalition<\/a> and the Audubon Society, “trying to influence policy,” especially when it came to protecting the Everglades.<\/p>\n

Now, as Special Advisor to the Friends of Biscayne Bay<\/a>, as well as Program Coordinator for Florida International University’s Institute of Environment, she is among the area leaders when it comes to advocating for Biscayne Bay’s preservation, monitoring the three major development proposals facing Virginia Key and that area’s underwater environment.<\/p>\n

\"laura_reynolds.webp\"<\/p>\n

Laura Reynolds.<\/p>\n

(Photo courtesy: Hold the Line Coalition)<\/p>\n

Last Friday morning, at The Rotary Club of Key Biscayne’s weekly breakfast gathering, Reynolds addressed a curious audience on how developers and officials are planning to circumvent age-old environmental protective regulations to make vast improvements for monetary gain when it comes to the Seaquarium Marina, the proposed Mooring Field in the Marine Stadium Basin, and the Rickenbacker Marina, all practically at the same time.<\/p>\n

“Biscayne Bay is at a tipping point,” she said, showing maps of how critical seagrass has virtually disappeared since 1983. “We can reverse that with smart, forward-thinking planning and preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

How important is that? Biscayne Bay’s economic impact<\/a> has been listed at $64 billion.<\/p>\n

Friends of Biscayne Bay is the official citizen support organization for Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves, which actually includes 64,607 submerged acres.<\/p>\n

The issues at stake<\/p>\n

Commissioner Raquel Regalado hosted a virtual Seaquarium Informative Webinar with David Martin, the developer of the Seaquarium site on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n

Reynolds listened intently, and showed the audience Friday morning some half-truths, if you will, and other ways the $100 million Fisherman’s Village entertainment complex and accompanying marina would likely damage the submerged part of that land.<\/p>\n

\"virginia-key-development-proposals\"<\/p>\n

The three Virginia Key Development Proposals: Seaquarium Marina, Proposed Mooring Field, and Rickenbacker Marina.<\/p>\n

(Screenshot \/ Laura Reynolds \/ Friends of Biscayne Bay)<\/p>\n

Seaquarium: The 36 acres of land is in addition to 57 acres of submerged land, mostly owned by the State.<\/p>\n

“The 99-year lease is basically ownership,” said Reynolds, who was curious as to why the County (which owns the parcel of land) just wants 5% of the profits.<\/p>\n

She said she had met with Martin and Terra Group officials hoping to pause a “very fast” pace for this application to make room for some public workshops, but they denied her request.<\/p>\n

Reynolds said that under Article 7 of the Virginia Key Charter, it notes that any development needs to go through a process requiring two Commission hearings, but that the use of the word “Seaquarium” doesn’t exist.<\/p>\n

“Now it’s 93 acres, so it’s not (just) the Seaquarium,” she said. “So this is the bay bottom being leased.”<\/p>\n

On Oct. 20, the issue went to the County Board of Commission to advance the plan, which was only at the 30% design mark, Reynolds said.<\/p>\n

“We are still trying to slow it down but not getting anywhere,” she said.<\/p>\n

There was even a lawsuit filed<\/a> last Wednesday, arguing that the voters have a right to vote on this proposal, based on Charter language, and Reynolds showed that to her audience Friday.<\/p>\n

“I agree the Seaquarium needs to be beautiful, the upland project sounds amazing, a lot of it sounds good,” she said. “The concern is the impact to Biscayne Bay.”<\/p>\n

In Martin’s revised illustrations, there would be 841 total boat slips, 295 wet and 546 dry, designed to accommodate vessels up to 200 feet, although 85% of the fleet would be under the 60-foot size.<\/p>\n

\"key-biscayne-development\"<\/p>\n

A slide showing the concerns Reynolds has about the developments, as she presented to the group: “A Small Island Under Growing Pressure.”<\/p>\n

(Screenshot \/ Laura Reynolds \/ Friends of Biscayne Bay)<\/p>\n

“So, he reduced the number of wet slips but increased the dry docks, so there are more boats than before,” Reynolds said. In his presentation, Martin said no vessel, or “mega-yacht,” would be 300 feet in length, as some in the public have mentioned.<\/p>\n

“The largest vessel at Rickenbacker Marina right now is 90 feet and it sits way out,” said Reynolds, who noted that a boat that large has a draft of some 6 feet, churning up the silt behind it.<\/p>\n

She joked that by Martin saying “300 feet,” that maybe a 250-foot boat would be allowed into those shallow waters.<\/p>\n

Well, not before dredging, anyway, although Martin made it clear during the Regalado meeting, that “no dredging” would take place. Reynolds countered that Friday to say that the term “maintenance dredging” would be used to circumvent that part of the regulations.<\/p>\n

“In the plan, they’re dredging the entire area,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"florida-seagrass-decline\"<\/p>\n

A map of Florida’s east coast showing the “clear evidence of sears declines through Biscayne Bay.”<\/p>\n

(Screenshot \/ Laura Reynolds \/ Friends of Biscayne Bay)<\/p>\n

With the wet slips stretching well out into the bay, “they’re essentially blocking the channel (for other small vessels) to move back and forth,” Reynolds said.<\/p>\n

Another concern with Martin is that, “He said the project is not in the Manatee Zone. Yes it is,” she said, showing a 1995 map that offers the protection for manatees, turtles and sharks, for example.<\/p>\n

Marine Stadium Basin Mooring Field: No longer is the original plan of 198 mooring balls in place after some 15 groups and 1,000 residents signed a letter to Mayor Levine Cava.<\/p>\n

“Advocacy works!” Reynolds said. “The original plan (would have been) a parking lot (of boats).”<\/p>\n

The “acceptable community design” is now set at 42 mooring balls (for day docking), taking into consideration what will happen at the revitalized Miami Marine Stadium where activities and events certainly will expand.<\/p>\n

Rickenbacker Marina proposed facilities: There’s a 440-page report and Reynolds and members of the Friends of Biscayne Bay read every page, she said.<\/p>\n

The proposal includes 19,000 square feet by two commercial buildings for retail or restaurant areas, makes room for 750 dry slips and expands the wet slips by just two vessels (to 202, so 952 boats total), but the area is greatly expanded to house, presumably, what’s being called “mega-yachts,” Reynolds said. There are two boat launches in the plan, the addition of 13,000 square feet of commercial space, and 630 parking spaces.<\/p>\n

“The average depth in the Basin is only 4 feet. But, the marina “maintenance dredging” allows 8-9 feet, so it doubles what is there now, Reynolds said, again pointing to another developer who claims “no dredging” initially.<\/p>\n

“I’m sorry, but is it worth it?\u201d she said. “Do we want to be beholden to a company that’s lying to us?”<\/p>\n

Miami voters will get to vote on this Referendum 3 issue on Nov. 3.<\/p>\n

The bottom line to all three projects?<\/p>\n

Cumulative impacts to Biscayne Bay and Virginia Key include:<\/p>\n

\u2022 More boats and vessel traffic;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Impacts to wetlands and seagrasses;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Greater pressure on Biscayne Bay;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Dredging & in-water construction;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Increasing development intensity;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Traffic on a single access corridor;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Competition for public waters & waterfront;<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Increased pollution sources.<\/p>\n

What citizens can do?<\/p>\n

Attend upcoming meetings:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Nov. 12: Community Council<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0TBD: Commissioner Regalado and Martin meet with Key Biscayne community<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Nov. 16: PAB hearing<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Nov. 17: Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners (tentative consideration of the proposed Second Amended and Restated Seaquarium Lease Agreement)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Nov. 19: Tentative date for the CDMP hearing<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0TBD: Zoning meeting<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Dec. 27: Virginia Key Advisory Board meeting (Martin plans to attend)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Contact Commissioner Regalado: email district7@miamidade.gov<\/a> or Phone: (305) 375-5680<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Contact Mayor Daniella Levine Cava: email: mayor@miamidade.gov<\/a> or Phone: (305) 375-5071<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Contact Laura Reynolds: email lreynolds@conservationconceptsllc.prg<\/a> or Phone: 786-543-1926<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Laura Reynolds has been an ecologist-turned environmentalist for the past 25 years, working with the Hold the Line…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444397,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[53039,48946,24812,59017,3879,173131,126,173132,123,125,124,44361,33801,173130,153587,173129],"class_list":["post-444396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-ecologist","tag-environmental-policy","tag-environmental-protection","tag-environmentalist","tag-everglades","tag-hold-the-line-coalition","tag-key-biscayne","tag-laura-reynolds","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-midterm-elections","tag-virginia-key","tag-virginia-key-advisory-board","tag-virginia-key-beach","tag-virginia-key-project"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=444396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/444397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=444396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=444396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=444396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}