Farmers Push Expansion Of Development Boundary

"In 1983, county officials drew the boundary, a jagged line around Homestead and neighboring cities like Princeton and Florida City. Outside the line, development was limited to one dwelling per five-acre lot; the goal was to keep the land from being built on. Inside the boundary, which hugs Route 1 and Florida's Turnpike, by contrast, construction was encouraged."

"On one side are farmers who would like to be able to maximize the value of their land, which means allowing the boundary to shift. Katie Edwards, executive director of the Dade County Farm Bureau, which represents Mr. Alger and other farmers, believes market forces should determine where development occurs in Miami-Dade County."

"On the other side are environmentalists, who consider the boundary sacrosanct. Miami-Dade is nearly 40 miles wide at Homestead. To the east is Biscayne National Park, which includes much of Biscayne Bay, fed by water that runs above and below Miami-Dade."

"These days, land outside the boundary is worth about $60,000 an acre, depending on soil and topography, said Rick Swentek, a veteran real estate broker in the area. Inside the line, it is worth significantly more. One farmer is offering one 30-acre plot, where he now grows corn, for just under $800,000 an acre, or around $24 million for the entire parcel."