LTC 547-2019 2019 American Planning Association Gold Coast Section Planning Awards - Town Center Core (TC-C) District MIAMIBEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
Tel: 305-673-7010 , Fax: 305-673-7782
547-2019
NO. LTC # / LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members o the City CI missi•
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: October 11, 2019
SUBJECT: 2019 American Planning Associati n Gold Coast Section Planning Awards —
Town Center Core (TC-C) District.
I am pleased to announce that the Gold Coast Section of the Florida Chapter of the American
Planning Association has selected the Town Center Core (TC-C) District as a 2019 Planning
Award winner in the category of Best Practice. The honor was conveyed at the Gold Coast Section
awards event on October 10, 2019 at the Miami Center for Architecture and Design.
A special thanks to the Planning Department on their collaboration in this project. The nomination
and application for this award included answering questions about the project and providing
supporting documentation for the adopted ordinance.
The TC-C ordinance was sponsored by Commissioner Aleman, vetted through the Land Use and
Development Committee for many months and adopted by the Mayor & Commission on
November 14, 2018. It incorporates the elements of design in the North Beach Master Plan and
in the voter guide from the 2017 ballot measure approving a FAR increase in the town center
area. The TC-C ordinance is a well-balanced approach intended to spur sustainable development
to revitalize North Beach.
The ordinance established a TC-C, Town Center—Central Core zoning district with a FAR of 3.5,
and replaced the TC-1, TC-2, TC-3, and TC-3(c) districts within the boundaries of the area
established by the FAR referendum. The district allows for a more uniform and cohesive town
center area, as well as the seamless distribution of allowable FAR, height, setbacks and uses.
The adopted regulations are consistent with the recommendations of the North Beach Master
Plan and the referenced guidelines in the intensity increase study prepared by Shulman +
Associates in 2014. The Shulman study analyzed the impact of allowing buildings with increased
height and FAR and made recommendations as to setbacks to ensure that views were protected,
sidewalks are sufficiently wide, and that air and light corridors are accommodated between
towers. As a testament to its value there are three development projects being reviewed through
our land use board process. Congratulations to all involved, especially the Planning Department
team!
JLM/SMT/TRM