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I.
Planning Studies/Presentations
A.
Presentation
of Historic East Coast Fisheries -
Ms. Ashley Chase,
MRC Assistant Managing Director, reported she had invited Mr.
Peter Schwartz
, developer of the proposed Miami Riverhouse Lofts, to present his new
proposal to the UIWG, but he had yet to reply confirmation of his
attendance. Mr. Bibeau noted
that Mr. Schwartz had retracted his original residential / mixed-use
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, added Mr. Bibeau, may include
some dry-stack boat storage. Mr.
Weinreb, City of
Miami
, stated Mr. Swartz had met with Orlando Toledo, City of
Miami Zoning
, regarding having a dry-stack marina.
Mr. Weinreb stated the Miami-Dade Manatee Protection Plan should
be amended to have different restrictions for wet and dry boat slips.
Mr. Murley stated the County was considering creating a committee
to review the Manatee Protection Plan.
Mr.
Weinreb stated Mr. Schwartz has been fined daily over the past year and
a half for code violations on the East Coast Fisheries site, and the
grand total is approximately $150,000. Mr. Weinreb explained that Mr.
Schwartz’s building plan options are quite limited, considering that
the original look/overall structure of the historically designated East
Coast Fisheries building must be maintained.
Per
the request of Mr. Jim Murley, Ms. Chase agreed to continue encouraging
Mr. Schwartz to attend the publicly-noticed monthly UIWG meeting and
discuss any revised plans.
B.
Status of the “Upper River/MIC Associated Development” Planning
Process – Ms.
Helen Brown
, Miami-Dade County Planning Department, noted she would
follow up with Mr. Subrata Basu, Planning Director, regarding
future workshops, and suggested that the MRC reach out to him as well. Ms.
Brown asked MRC staff to forward Mr. Basu a copy of the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan for his review. Mr. David
Henderson, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), noted that a
freight transportation study will be funded by the MPO. Mr.
Murley suggested that the UIWG monitor the progress of this plan.
C.
Status of the
Miami River
Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Plan –
After conducting an internal review of the plan and incorporating all
MRC recommendations, Mr. Henderson noted the consultants will be ready
to present the final draft Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal
Transportation Plan for
adoption during the next regularly scheduled MRC meeting on June 4,
2007, noon, 1407 NW 7 Street.
Mr.
Bibeau stated Greg Kyle, KHA, agreed to provide MRC a CD with the
revised Plan by May 11. MRC
staff will make copies of the final draft CD, which will be included in
the MRC monthly mail-out on May 23. Per
the request of Mr. Murley, Mr. Bibeau agreed to draft an adoption
resolution for the plan, similar to the resolution adopting the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan. The UIWG thanked Mr. Henderson.
D.
Discussion Regarding the Status of the
James
L. Knight
Center
– MRC
staff provided a copy of the Staubach analysis presented last to the
Miami City Commission, regarding the possible sale/redevelopment of the
riverfront James L. Knight (JLK) Convention Center and Hyatt Regency. The
report concluded if the JLK ceased to exist, audiences could be absorbed
into other city performance venues. Mr.
Bibeau noted the JLK is the only convention center along the Miami River
Greenway, and creating one in a different riverfront location would
probably not be feasible. Mr.
Bibeau noted during the presentation to the City Commission,
Commissioner Spence Jones expressed support for the JLK, while
Commissioner Sarnoff mentioned the DDA plan for the subject area.
Mr. Murley directed MRC staff to seek a presentation from the DDA
regarding their new draft Plan, including the rendition of the JLK
riverfront area, during the UIWG’s June meeting.
Mr. Murley added as Chair of the UIWG he encourages the MRC to
recommend any potential redevelopment of the subject riverfront area be
consistent with the Miami River
Greenway Action Plan and the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan and include a public venue for
performances either the existing JLK or a renovated / reconstructed
venue.
E.
Discussion
of
Miami
City
Commission Ordinance Amending City Code “Flood
Damage Prevention/Development within Special Flood Hazard Areas”-
The
UIWG welcomed Mr. Richard “Dick” Bunnell, Bunnell Foundation, Inc.,
a professional in the field of dock and seawall construction for his
input on a proposed City of Miami amendment to the ordinance regarding seawalls
on waterfront property be constructed above the “official flood
criteria.” Mr. Bibeau noted the ordinance was introduced and deferred
in April, where City of
Miami Chairman Angel Gonzalez
expressed concern for waterfront residents and business owners in his
district. MRC staff
distributed copies of the draft amendment to the sea-wall ordinance.
Mr. Bibeau shared an e-mail from a riverfront property owner
outlining concerns regarding the unintended consequence of the proposed
ordinance, including having to build tall sea walls, which may require
leveling properties and building them up above the flood elevations,
which would negatively impact riverwalk connectivity, etc.
Mr. Bunnell stated the law wouldn’t be effective when
implemented parcel by parcel along the river because the water will go
around the elevated seawall to a lower section.
Mr.
Murley encouraged the MRC to find the proposed ordinance to be
inconsistent with the Miami River
Greenway Action Plan, because of the negative impact it would have
on creating a continuous riverwalk / greenway system.
Ms. Chase agreed to invite a representative of the City of Miami
Public Works Department to the June 4, 2007 MRC board meeting to review
and discuss the ordinance.
II.
New Business – The
following items were addresses/discussed:
- Mr. Murley asked for an update on Lummus Landing, and Mr. Bibeau
replied he planned to address that issue today during a scheduled
meeting with Commissioner Spence-Jones, MRC Greenways Chair
Ernie Martin
, city staff, and
representatives of Garcia’s Seafood. Mr.
Bibeau noted that, in the late 1990s, the City had created a
“Riverside Plan” for Lummus Landing, which endorsed the creation
of a “Fisherman’s Wharf” and was adopted into the City’s
Comprehensive Plan and the Goody Clancy draft Parks Master Plan. Mr.
Bibeau noted Garcia’s Seafood, located adjacent to the City of
Miami Administration Building, has operated on a month-to-month City
of
Miami
agreement for decades. Mr.
Bibeau stated the owners of Garcia’s are currently examining two
options with the City of Miami: a long-term agreement on their
current site or creating a public/private partnership allowing them
to relocate to a portion of Lummus Landing and create a
“Fisherman’s Wharf” at their cost, on the condition that the
city agreed to construct a publicly accessible riverwalk on the site
and grant Garcia’s the use of one of the three parcels to sell
seafood. Mr. Bibeau
noted he had identified a $200,000 FDEP grant “Land & Water
Conservation Fund,” which the City utilize to construct a publicly
accessible greenway along Lummus Landing. Mr.
Bibeau added the deadline for the grant is
June 1, 2007
. Mr.
Murley suggested reaching out to Goody Clancy, the creators of the
City of
Miami Parks Master Plan
, to incorporate a
“Fisherman’s Wharf” at Lummus Landing in their master plan.
- Mr.
Bibeau noted he had spoken to Mr. Steve Gelb, developer of Latitude
on the River, regarding the possibility of connecting the Latitude
riverwalk with the parcel beneath the
NW 2nd Avenue
Bridge, in an effort to create a continuous pedestrian path.
According to Mr. Bibeau, Mr. Gelb indicated that DERM had not
allowed him to apply for a permit to connect the two parcels, since
the property beneath the bridge belongs to
Miami-Dade
County
. Instead, noted Mr. Bibeau, Mr. Gelb had agreed to provide a
construction easement in Latitude’s condo documents, allowing the
county to create a connection from the bridge parcel to the Latitude
riverwalk in the future.
- Ms.
Chase noted she would invite Mr.
Dana Nottingham
, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority, to the
June UIWG meeting to present DDA’s “Downtown Master Plan.”
The UIWG confirmed its next meeting for June 12, 2007, 10 am, New Board
Room, 1407 NW 7 ST. The
meeting adjourned.
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