Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Virginia Key Advisory Board met on October 27, 2026, to discuss the Rickenbacker Marina referendum, the city's application for 195 mooring balls, and the proposed Miami Seaquarium redevelopment. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, a welcome to new members, and the standard lobbyist-registration and appeal-record notice. The next regular meeting was set for December 22, 2026.
Laura Reynolds (Friends of Biscayne Bay) said the Rickenbacker Marina proposal's own report includes phase-two maintenance dredging to 8-9 feet in a basin that averages about 4 feet deep, with 5 feet the deepest point. She said the largest vessel currently in the marina is 90 feet with a 5.6-foot draft, and the proposal's drawings show new piers extending about 600 feet beyond the current marina to accommodate mega-yachts. She said Virginia Key LLC had claimed there would be no dredging, but the RFP already allows dredging to 8-9 feet; she recommended voters reject the referendum. On the mooring-ball item, Reynolds argued that 198 anchors was too many and proposed 42 day-use moorings in the center of the basin as a compromise to protect seagrass. On the Seaquarium, she said the Aquatic Preserve Act applies regardless of ownership, criticized the lack of public charrettes, and reported that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an October 22 request for additional information recommending no more than 250 total slips.
Roger Bernstein (Miami resident) said Commissioner Pardo held an open meeting on the mooring field and that the city is now considering reducing the number of anchoring points below 195. He said changes in state law gave Miami-Dade County more authority over its waters, and the county may have passed a no-anchoring area on second reading. He reported that enforcement by city Marine Patrol and FWC had cleared the basin of abandoned vessels. He also said funding would come from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), covering about half the cost, roughly $1.2 million, and that the existing Dinner Key mooring field is only half developed, raising questions about demand.
Leah Kennard, a regular user of the basin, said the July 2010 Virginia Key Master Plan contains no mooring-field reference and that the basin has a historic designation separate from the Miami Marine Stadium.
Greg Frankel (Coconut Grove resident) said he and Aaron Stauber filed a citizen enforcement action under Article 7 of the Miami-Dade County Charter to require a countywide vote on the proposed Seaquarium lease and marina. He said he takes no position on the project and seeks no money. He said the county plans add 295 wet slips and 552 dry-stack spaces. Laura Reynolds later said the applicant had proposed 325 wet slips and 552 dry-stack spaces, for 877 total. Frankel argued Article 7's Seaquarium exemption does not cover submerged bay bottom, a new 99-year term, or non-aquarium uses, and cited a 2006 Zoo Miami precedent. He asked the board to recommend that the city commission urge the county to submit the lease to voters and defer November hearings until it has.
Cecile Sanchez (Key Biscayne) said government is not allowing residents a voice and urged the board to help protect the environment. Louisa Conway (Key Biscayne) asked the board to take a symbolic stand, expressed concern about dredging, marinas, and traffic, and said the proposed Key Biscayne Shoreline Project/Viaduct is not a consensus village position.
Rickenbacker Marina RFP and referendum: At the time of the meeting, the Rickenbacker Marina RFP was the subject of a voter referendum on the ballot through the following week. The city attorney advised against discussing the marina site because of pending litigation involving an affiliate of the current tenant. After public testimony, a board member proposed a resolution opposing the marina and asking voters to vote no. The board held the item for legal research; later, the city attorney advised that VCAB, as a city advisory board, could not pass a resolution urging voters to vote one way or another, and that the city itself cannot use city resources to sway the vote.
The board also discussed a possible uniform policy on dredging and vessel size, and later adopted a general resolution on that subject.
Mooring-ball application: No city executive provided an update. Board members discussed whether the original need for the mooring field still exists, enforcement costs, displaced vessels outside the basin, and seagrass protection. A copy of the 2010 master plan was referenced, and Leah Kennard noted it contains no mooring-field reference.
Miami Seaquarium redevelopment: The chair noted the site is county-owned and not part of Virginia Key Park, but is important to access and island-wide planning. The board heard detailed public testimony about the proposed lease, marina, submerged lands, permitting process, and pending Article 7 litigation. The board voted to add two Seaquarium-related resolutions to the agenda and adopted them.
Marine Stadium RFP, events, and administrative items: City staff said the operating agreement for Marine Stadium is being worked on after the referendum and that further updates will be provided. A Village of Key Biscayne representative said traffic on the causeway has been manageable, with only school-related delays. The city commission in June passed a resolution authorizing the city manager to place the VCAB quorum change on a future agenda, and the board is awaiting that action. The chair said a new chair election will be held at the next meeting.
At the outset, a board member moved to hear all public comment before agenda discussion and to set equal speaking times; no second was offered. Later, a board member stated the bylaws allow the chair to determine when public comment occurs and normally limit speakers to two minutes unless extended.
The board did not adopt the proposed resolution opposing the Rickenbacker Marina referendum; the city attorney advised that advisory boards cannot urge voters to vote a particular way.
The board passed a resolution recommending that the city commission establish a uniform policy not to authorize dredging beyond existing depths within Virginia Key, with maintenance dredging limited to current depths and no boats over 120 feet or with a draft over 6 feet, subject to applicable laws. It passed with one dissenting vote.
The board passed a Seaquarium public-process resolution urging the city commission to ask Miami-Dade County to delay further Seaquarium consideration until comprehensive public engagement, including public charrettes and full transparency, is completed, and to use the full long-form CDMP amendment review process rather than the expedited process. The vote was six in favor and one abstention, after the abstaining member declared a conflict of interest.
The board passed a Seaquarium voter-referendum resolution recommending that the city commission urge Miami-Dade County to submit the proposed Seaquarium lease and marina to the voters and defer the November hearings until it has. The motion was amended to remove a legal determination about Article 7 and to require distribution before the next city commission meeting on November 19, 2026.
The board scheduled its next meeting for December 22, 2026, including the election of a new chair. Marine Stadium operating-agreement updates are expected to be on that agenda.
Meeting of October 27th. We're gonna get started in a few minutes with some notes on the requirements for lobbyists, and then we'll move to the Pledge of Allegiance. We have some excellent informative speakers here tonight. So we hope everybody will know more about some of the issues facing Virginia Key Park and Virginia Key. Um can we we'll hear from Raphaela? Uh lobbyist note, Raphaela. I'll I'll take care of that, Chair's the city attorney. No problem. Um should any person desire to appeal any decision of the Miami Virginia Key Advisory Board with respect to any matter to be considered at this meeting, that person will need a record of the proceedings and may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including all testimony and evidence upon which any appeal may be based. Any person who receives compensation, remuner remuneration or expenses for conducting lobbying activities is required to register as a lobbyist with the city clerk prior to engaging in lobbying activities before city staff, boards, committees, or the city commission. A copy of the applicable ordinance is available at the office of the city clerk, Miami City Hall, located at thirty five hundred Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, three three one three three. Thank you. Thank you very much. Here. Okay. Um so we do have an agenda item, some various discussion items for the Virginia Key Advisory Board. Um very nice to welcome our new members. Um the next meeting date will be this year, I believe it'll be December 21st or December 22nd. December 22nd coming up. Um see now the items that are substantive to be discussed today. Um update on the request for proposals for the Rickenbacher Marina site, which is a referendum question that's being voted on by voters now through next week, the end of the election or election season for this year. Um it's is there any comments from city staff on anything happening with the Rickenbacher Marina site? Anything that we're unaware of, anything new? So there's an existing litigation at the moment, so we would recommend that this matter not be discussed. Litigation on Rickenbacker Rickenbacher Marina site. Correct. There's a a litigation regarding the the marina. Oh if if you don't mind who's the who's the plaintiff on that? I'm not sure we I'm aware of that. Rickenbacker, the the existing or an affiliated entity. The current current tenant. Correct, an affiliated entity of the current tenant.