A Miami-Dade County ordinance limiting how long boaters can anchor on Biscayne Bay waterways was withdrawn Tuesday, July 14, and replaced with a substitute version that the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee forwarded to the full Board of County Commissioners on a 3-1 vote.
The move means boaters in Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay waters still face potential new restrictions on how long they can stay anchored in one spot. The issue is not dead.
The original ordinance, sponsored by Commissioner Vicki L. Lopez with co-sponsor Rene Garcia, passed first reading 8-1 at the Board of County Commissioners on June 2. It would have barred vessels from anchoring in the same location for more than 30 days within a six-month period unless docked in a designated mooring field or conducting permitted marine work. The proposal aligned county code with a state law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that applies to counties with populations of 1.5 million or more.
Under that version, a first offense carried a $100 civil citation. Repeat violations could reach $250, and vessels that kept violating the rule could be removed under state law, according to a Miami Herald report ahead of the July 14 hearing.
"The waterways are not intended to be long-term and permanent housing," Lopez said in that report, adding the ordinance targets long-term liveaboards and derelict boats that contribute to water pollution and can damage other vessels when they drift or break free.
What changed on July 14
The committee agenda shows the original ordinance (File No. 260878) was withdrawn and a substitute (File No. 261278) carrying the same title and sponsors was introduced the same day. Municipalities, including Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay, were notified of the substitute on Monday, July 13. The specific changes in the substitute version have not been made public in available records.
What boaters say
Opponents have argued marina alternatives are already full. Crandon Park Marina has an estimated six-year wait for 30-foot slips and seven to 10 years for 45-foot vessels. Matheson Hammock Marina's waiting list tops 482 people for its most in-demand slips, with at least one applicant waiting since 2012.
What comes next
A county fiscal impact and social equity statement was forwarded to the BCC on July 14, signaling the full commission will take up the substitute ordinance at a future meeting. No date for that vote has been announced.
The substitute ordinance can be tracked as File No. 261278 on the Miami-Dade County legislative portal.
