“Are you ready for 99 years of protests?”  Crucial County committee defers Seaquairum after resident backlash

Community opposition to an ambitious $100 million plan to remake the Miami Seaquarium site led a County committee to hold off — at least temporarily — on the next round of approvals. Developer David Martin is planning a 295-slip new marina at the former tourist attraction that sits on County land. It would have a new 99-year-lease. Martin insists the project will not include dredging, and will focus on seagrass management, oyster wetlands, sponge docks and marine research. But the County Commission’s Recreation, Tourism and Resiliency Committee deferred the contentious development following public comment from residents. The committee has set no date when they will reconvene. Martin’s Terra Group faces a Dec. 30 deadline from bankruptcy court. Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who represents Key Biscayne, voted against deferring.  Regalado joined Martin on a webinar to outline the project’s commitments and participated in a community feedback discussion with him at the Rusty