Here comes the FAA!

[bobliocatt]

Susan Stabley

Several towers under development in Miami may be dangers to aviation if their proposed heights are not lowered, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Since January 2004, the FAA has preliminarily determined that at least eight proposed developments in Miami's downtown, along the Miami River and near Miami International Airport could be hazards to aircraft if built at their planned heights.

In some cases, developers have reduced projects or negotiated with the FAA for compromise heights. It is uncertain what the outcome will be for Leviev Boymelgreen's Marquis or Fortune Development's application to build a 950-foot office tower.

Full article:

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf.../06/story1.html

[Topher1]

This sucks and hopefully they won't be able to change things too much...

What I'm more interested in is this 950 ft. office tower?!?!?! Where'd this come from?!?!?! I hope they don't kill that project before it even becomes public...

[up+down=midtown]

i feel that this is unfair many cities have airports right next top there downtowns and the faa doesn't say crap(new york). the only good thing i see about this is that we have many different towers trying to get approval from the faa so maybe the faa might loosen up a bit.

as to the 950ft office tower fortune has been planning something for a while they bought this parcel at 1100 brickell more than 2 years ago and my guess is that this would be the site for this office tower

http://gisims2.co.miami-dade.fl.us/myhome/...sColorphoto=YES

[Aessotariq]

Chicago is another example I always use of a city with an airport close to a major downtown.

[depechecureguyorl]

Try living in Orlando and hoping for any tower larger than 500' to get built. The FAA is more strict on this city and Miami than any other in Florida...at least they let Miami build over 700'. Good luck, though...I hope these buildings happen!

[Urban_Legend]

How do some cities have skyscrapers very close to their runways, but some cities like Miami have limitations, even when the airport is further away? What's up with thaaaat?

[Aessotariq]

It seems purely discretionary. I'd love to see some rules or guidelines by which they base their decisions.

[miamistreets]

Height isn't the only issue. The FAA studies a building's impact on radar or other navigational issues. With the current crop of high-rise towers in Miami, the FAA is very busy, looking at each on a case-by-case basis, spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

It did say that.Maybe that has to do with some height restrictions.

[miamistreets]

I find a little ease in this quote.A little hope.

But the FAA cannot prevent the building of potentially hazardous projects.

"Congress mandated that the FAA protect navigable air space," said Ben Doyle of air traffic technical consultants Aviation Management Associates in Alexandria, Va., "But they never gave the FAA the ability to enforce the regulations or the height limits. They have no big stick."

An official with the city of Miami's planning department said a project could receive a major use special permit (MUSP) without a clearance letter from the FAA.

I think the developers probably lower the heights just to be nice.

[up+down=midtown]

well it may also be atributed to the dade county aviation department which does have the power to enforce height restrictions