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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
 

The Miami River Commission’s (MRC) Urban Infill Working Group (UIWG) convened on Friday, March 16, 2007, 2 PM, in the Robert King High, New Board Room, 1407 NW 7 ST.  Mr. Jim Murley chaired the meeting.  The attendance sheet is enclosed.

I. Planning Studies/Presentations

A. Presentation of Historic East Coast Fisheries - Mr. Bibeau reported he had been informed that Mr. Peter Schwartz, developer of the proposed Miami Riverhouse Lofts, had retracted his original plans for the site, which the MRC had found to be consistent with the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.  The new proposal for the area may include some dry-stack boat storage, therefore MRC staff invited the property owners to present their new plans to the UIWG, and they were unavailable to attend the meeting, and asked to be placed on the April UIWG Agenda.

B. Status of the “MIC Associated Development” Planning Process – Mr. Bibeau reported the “Upper River Area Plan” summary, which the UIWG revised during their February meeting, was e-mailed to Sabrata Basu, Miami-Dade County Assistant Director of for the Department of Planning and Zoning.  Mr. Murley stated he would follow up with Mr. Basu regarding the MRC’s submitted proposal.

C. Status of the Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan – Mr. Greg Kyle and Ms. Ammie Rogers, Kimley-Horn and Associates (KHA), presented the revised draft Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan.  Mr. Kyle noted KHA and the FDOT’s SIS consultant firm, Cambridge , both believe the Miami River corridor exceeds the State criteria to be included in the Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) plan, therefore making the River Corridor eligible for significant transportation funding.  Mr. Kyle invited Mr. Bibeau and Mr. Murley to attend a meeting with FDOT District 6 representatives on March 29, 1:30 , to discuss the Plan’s findings that the Miami River Corridor exceeds the criteria to be incorporated into the SIS.  Mr. Kyle noted areas not included in the SIS are only eligible for the remaining 20% of the total available State transportation funding, therefore 80% of all ST transportation funding is provided for areas included in the SIS.  Mr. Kyle stated KHA and MPO representatives are scheduled to review the draft River Transportation Plan with the City of Miami’s transportation administrators next week, the MPO TPC on April 9, 2PM, 18 FL, 111 1^St ST, and the County’s Public Works Department on a date to be determined.  Mr. Murley suggested KHA, MPO, and MRC individually brief Chairman Barreiro and staff as well.

Dr. Martin provided a couple revisions to the aerial depicting the Miami River Greenway route.  Mr. Murley suggested the following:

• List all River Bridges on one page, identifying who owns the bridge, and status

• Recommend the River’s I-95 and I-836 exit signage indicate access to the River.

• Estimate number of vehicular trips per day the new developments will create

• Include data from the GMCC’s “Impacts of a Free Cuba” studies          

Mr. Bailey inquired if it would be appropriate for the Merrill-Stevens expansion to be included in the Plan, and the UIWG encouraged Merrill-Stevens to suggest the multi-modal transportation components of their proposed expansion, including construction of a publicly accessible greenway section.

Mr. Bibeau stated MRC member Megan Kelly was unable to attend the meeting, and therefore directed MRC staff to forward her following recommendation:  The Plan should include a recommendation to further explore linking freight transportation from Miami International Airport (MIA), to a secured rail line to bring it a few blocks east to a proposed riverfront state of the art shared customs freight forwarding center.  Vessels would be loaded at their individual international shipping terminals, and then towed to the proposed customs center to pick up the final portion of their load, brought via rail from MIA, before heading out to sea.

Mr. Murley and Dr. Martin stated significant progress has been made on the draft Plan in the one year process of drafting and revising it, and they were extremely pleased with the documents which they described as another MRC classic worthy of additional awards.  Mr. Murley stated due to the volume of the Plan, it would be nice if the April 2 MRC meeting would be a presentation of the final draft, followed by final MRC consideration / action at their subsequent May 7, 2007 meeting, and the KHA representatives agreed.

Mr. Murley noted the County has a new transportation related Assistant Manager, Gisella Yort, and directed MRC staff to invite her on a Miami River boat tour.       

D. Review and Discuss Updated Draft of Miami 21 East Quadrant – Mr. Bibeau cited an-e-mail from Ms. Luciana Gonzalez, City of Miami Planning Department, with the following draft Eastern Quadrant of Miami 21 approval timeline:

• 3/16 – final draft posted at www.miami21.org

• 4/04 – Planning Advisory Board (PAB) Review

• 4/16 – Planning Advisory Board Action

• 5/24 – City Commission first reading

• 6/28 – City Commission second reading

Therefore the UIWG noted the MRC’s final opportunity to create their advisory recommendation on the draft ordinance, which would amend all riverfront zoning on the north shore from the Bay to NW 12 Ave and the South Shore from the Bay to I-95, prior to the PAB taking action, would be during the MRC’s meeting on April 2.  Mr. Murley stated the UIWG recommends the creation of a “Riverside District” to address the specific issues related to riverfront properties, such as increasing the waterfront’s “rear” building setback, requiring publicly accessible riverwalks on new mixed-use and residential developments, creating a waterfront industrial district, which allows marine industrial uses as of right etc.  The UIWG noted this recommendation is consistent with the City of Miami ’s Comprehensive Plan, which requires publicly accessible riverwalks, increased riverfront setbacks, and the preservation of marine industrial uses.

II. New Business – The UIWG confirmed its next meeting for April 11, 2007, 10 am, New Board Room, 1407 NW 7 ST.  The meeting adjourned.

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