The Tatum Waterway Walkway (“Walkway”), also known as Crab Alley, is a small, asphalt-paved walking and biking route that connects Park View Island to 77th Street and offers beautiful, secluded canal views, and small fishing spots along the entire Walkway.
The Walkway is contained on a portion of the land located outside of the perimeter fence of Biscayne Beach Elementary School (School), which meanders along the western and southern portions of the School property and is bordered on the west side by Tatum Waterway (the “Site”), as more particularly described in the sketch prepared by Longitude Surveyors, a copy of which is attached to the City Commission Memorandum.
In its current state, the Walkway faces challenges such as broken sidewalks and overgrown vegetation (overgrown roots of trees, which are lifting the asphalt) and the City’s Public Works Department would like to include funding to repair the Walkway in the capital budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
The City’s Public Works Department would like to develop the portion of the seawall adjacent to the Site as part of the City’s Living Shoreline Project, which Project will be funded from the capital budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
There is a segment of the Site which is jointly owned by the City and the School Board of Miami-Dade County (the “School Board”). However, a significant portion of the Site is owned solely by the School Board, therefore, the consent of the School Board would be required to develop any portion of the Site.
Discussions between the City Administration and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (“School District”) staff have been ongoing concerning a possible conveyance of the School Board’s interests in the Walkway to the City, with the clear understanding that such a conveyance is subject to the School Board authorizing the transfer of ownership at a regularly scheduled School Board meeting, and the City Administration and School District staff continue to discuss this initiative. If the City Administration and School District staff are able to finalize terms and conditions of the proposed transfer of title, it is anticipated that School District staff will recommend to the School Board, at a future School Board meeting, that it transfer its interest in the Site to the City.
At its January 31, 2024, meeting, the City Commission approved a referral to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“Committee”) to discuss renaming the "Tatum Waterway Walkway" to Tatum Waterway Nature Trail" and consider proposed improvements to revitalize the trail, which matters were discussed during the March 20, 2024, Committee meeting.
At the March 20, 2024, Committee meeting, the City’s Public Works Department also discussed the fact that the City Administration had been involved in ongoing discussions with the School District regarding the possible conveyance of the School Board’s interests in the Walkway to the City, and at that meeting, the Committee recommended in favor of approving all of the matters discussed.
The Administration will be submitting the renaming of the Tatum Waterway Walkway to Tatum Waterway Nature Trail pursuant to a separate City Commission agenda item.