For more information, contact us via email at
miamiriver@bellsouth.net

MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Robert King High
1407 NW 7 St.,  Suite D
Miami , FL 33125

  Phone 305-644-0544
Fax 305-642-1136

 

This site
prepared and designed by
Mark Sell Communications, Inc. Public Relations

The Miami River Commission’s (MRC) Greenways Subcommittee (GSC) met as regularly scheduled on the second Wednesday of the month, November 8, 2006, 2:00 PM, 1407 NW 7 ST, New Board Room.  Dr. Ernie Martin chaired the meeting.  The attendance sheet is enclosed.

I. Discussion of Greenway Connectors Needed on County-Owned Property on North Shore Beneath the South Miami Avenue Bridge & Metro-Rail, South Shore Beneath the Metro-Rail & Metro-Mover – Dr. Ernie Martin suggested, in light of Merrill-Stevens recent pledge to construct a publicly accessible on-road Greenway & Riverwalk along both shores from NW 12 AVE to the west side beneath 836, the County’s $7.5 million Miami River Greenway’s $7.5 million line item in the Building Better Communities Bond Program should be considered to fill in greenway “gaps” on county-owned property beneath the South Miami Avenue Bridge & Metro-Rail, along the south shore beneath the Metro-Rail & Metro-Mover, or areas to the west of 836.

Dr. Martin asked Mr. Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, if he had received any updates regarding funding sources for MRC-recommended greenway connectors from Ms. Priscilla Morales and Mr. Mike Riera , Miami Dade County Public Works, following the September GSC meeting.  Mr. Bibeau replied Ms. Morales, indicated the County’s Public Works Department would facilitate design and construction of the MRC-recommended greenway connectors beneath county-owned bridges once funding is made available.  Ms. Morales contacted David Henderson, regarding the potential for FDOT TEP grant funding.  In addition, Mr. Bibeau reported Mr. Herndstadt, Miami-Dade County CIP, indicated the potential for the County to include the greenways line item in an earlier bond series than the currently programmed 2010-2013.

II. Discuss Future Miami River Greenway Governance – Dr. Martin recognized Ms. Diane Waters, City of Miami Public Works , and informed her of previous MRC efforts to address future maintenance and governance of the Miami River Greenway. Dr. Martin mentioned the Downtown Development Authority has offered to include a pilot maintenance program utilizing their “DET Team” for the public sector sections of the riverwalk within the DDA boundary on the north shore from Brickell Bridge to Metro-Mover.

Mr. Bibeau asked Ms. Waters if the City of Miami would consider providing maintenance (i.e. litter removal and street sweeping) of City owned on-road greenway sections recently constructed within the City’s public rights of way, and Ms. Waters suggested contacting Solid Waste and/or NET.  Dr. Martin noted that at last month’s GSC meeting, Mr. Kevin Brown , Consultech, stated Mary Conway , the City of Miami ’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), directed City of Miami Public Works to create a system to maintain the City of Miami ’s sections of the Miami River Greenway.  Dr. Martin asked if Ms. Waters or other representatives from Public Works had met with Ms. Conway recently, and Ms. Waters replied she was unaware of any such meeting.

III. Status of Miami River Greenway Historic Markers – Ms. Ashley Chase, MRC Assistant Managing Director, noted Mr. Bryan Vasser, Baron Sign Manufacturing, had secured permits for the six historic markers earlier that day.  Ms. Chase added she expected to receive revised “life-size” marker proofs by Fed-Ex by November 9. Ms. Chase noted MRC staff would review the final proofs to check for consistency with the final text and specs formerly provided by the GSC.    

IV. Discuss Status of Draft Miami River Greenway Regulatory Design Standards – Dr. Martin noted Mr. Brown had previously stated that the Design Standards and Guidelines do not have to wait for consideration as part of the “Miami 21” ordinance. 

V. Update on Miami River Greenway Development – Mr. Kevin Brown , Consul Tech/City of Miami Capital Improvement, introduced Mr. Douglas Green, Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Mr. Dick Rogers and Mr. Chris Johnson, Curtis & Rogers Design, who presented 65% complete plans for the on-road greenway in Spring Garden along NW North River Drive from the west side of the Humpback Bridge on NW 7^th Street Road (east end) to NW 11^th Place (west end).  Mr. Brown noted he wished to receive input (regarding greenway guideline consistency) from the GSC prior to the Spring Garden Civic Association meeting scheduled for Monday, November 13, 6:30 pm , Robert King High, 1407 NW 7^th Street . The proposed plans consist of:

• Reconstruction of North River Drive while maintaining two lanes of traffic at all times
• A 15-foot publicly accessible on-road greenway on the river’s (south west) side of NW North River Drive , as well as a 5-foot sidewalk and landscaping (on the NW)
• On south side of North River Drive, will preserve existing trees in front of the Bermuda House, therefore there is no on-street parking from 11 PL to 11 Ave
• Parking will be provided on north side of North River Drive
• Would like to increase landscaping on north side, yet still provide sufficient parking
• Pavement will be resurfaced along NW 7^th Street Road; landscaping and decorative lighting upgrades; raise elevation of roadway; existing drainage will be reconstructed in Snug Harbor ; a new outfall will be created in Greensfield Garden Park to address flooding, park will be restored to existing conditions
• Way-finding signage, informational kiosks, benches, historic markers, consistent with the sections A-G will be included.

Comments/Question:

• Mr. Brown requested a comprehensive list of way-finding signage placement and destinations to point out. The GSC agreed to provide him with the requested input on locations and points of interest, including but not limited to Point Park, Greenfield Garden, the Health District, 12 Ave Bridge, Humpback Bridge, etc.
• Mr. Brown agreed to provide the MRC with copies of the draft plans in printed and electronic versions
• Dr. Martin asked if “poop dispensers” could be installed adjacent to trash receptacles along the proposed on-road greenway, and Mr. Brown noted he would have to check with Public Works.
• Mr. Bibeau asked if the plans followed the same model as Greenway Sections A-G, and Mr. Brown replied yes
• Mr. Bibeau asked how many new trees would be planted, and how many existing trees would be removed and or relocated, and Mr. Green agreed to provide the GSC and SGCA with the tree disposition plan
• Mr. Bibeau asked if they had considered utilizing the recently created FPL cost-share for undergrounding utilities, and Mr. Brown noted the option had not been considered since the undergrounding of utilities would also include working with cable companies and Bellsouth
• Mr. Bibeau asked if utilities had already been identified, and Mr. Green replied that subcontractors had already identified 84-85 utilities in an effort to minimize conflict
• Mr. Bibeau asked if the planned Spring Garden on-road greenway would directly connect to the east with the Humpback Bridge , and to the west with the Greenway under construction by FDOT in the NW 12 Ave Bridge replacement project, and Mr. Green replied it would.
• Mr. Bibeau asked if they reached out to the developers of the proposed “ Miami River Place ” residential development, planned on N. River Drive in Spring Garden , and Mr. Brown replied yes
• Mr. Bibeau asked if they planned to incorporate any cross walk treatments, and Mr. Brown replied striping and pedestrian ramps would be incorporated
• Mr. Bibeau asked for the proposed lane widths, and Mr. Green replied 10 feet
• Mr. Bibeau asked if they could make the Greenway icons on the benches tamper-proof, since some have been stolen off the new benches installed in sections A-G and Mr. Green agreed to look into that suggestion
• Mr. Bibeau asked if they could include arm rests on the benches, consistent with sections A-G, although the plans depict benches without arm rests, and Mr. Green agreed.
• Mr. Bibeau asked if the new trees may be more mature than the ones planted in A-G, in order to be more compatible with the large existing trees in Spring Garden, and Mr. Green replied larger new trees have larger root systems, which are less feasible to plant in the limited rights of way.  Mr. Green added some of the new landscaping includes flowering trees.

Mr. Brown added the City is meeting with FDOT on November 8 to discuss executing all remaining LAP agreements, required to utilize the millions of grant dollars awarded by the FDOT to the City of Miami to construct several additional sections of the Miami River Greenway.

 VI. Discuss Status of Miami-Dade County , City of Miami and Federal Bond Funding for the Miami River Greenway – Dr. Martin suggested contacting Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro to discuss expediting the availability of the approved $7.5 million Miami River Greenway bond item, as well as identify any additional potential County funding for the County owned “greenway gaps”.

 Mr. Bibeau noted the $2.3 million in Federal funding earmarked to develop the Miami River Greenway beneath both sides of the new planned NW 5 ST Bridge is being transferred from the City to FDOT, to include in their bridge replacement contract.   

VII. Review of Miami River Greenway Riverwalk Cross Sections – No updates were reported.

 VII. New Business –The GSC addressed the following items:

• MRC staff agreed to continue reaching out to MRC board member Manuel Prieguez regarding Clear Channel Communications potential riverwalk connector opportunity at the NW 5 ST Bridge’s south west side
• Mr. Bibeau noted Mr. Jose Lago , City of Miami Capital Improvement Department, had recently emailed Public Works to discuss the possibility of PW providing occasional litter removal on the city-owned property adjacent to Finnegan’s River (where SW 5^th Street dead-ends into to river). Ms. Waters agreed to relay the message to the appropriate PW staff who would follow-up on the request.

The Greenways subcommittee confirmed their next regularly scheduled second Wednesday of the month 2 pm meeting for December 13, 2006 , 1407 NW 7 Street, New Board Room.

The meeting adjourned.

   HOME   |    CALENDARS    |   ABOUT THE RIVER      |    ABOUT THE COMMISSION     |    DREDGING   |   GREENWAYS    
URBAN INFILL PLANS      |    STORMWATER RETROFITTING     |     MINUTES OF MEETINGS   |    LINKS