History
PARKS & RECREATION ~
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TO:
Sergio Rodriguez
City Manager
DATE: February 19, 1999
FROM:
VIA:
SUBJECT:
GENERAL OBLIGATION 1 SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK BONDS
HISTORY
As requested, please find attached a comprehensive chronological history of the City of Miami
Beach's General Obligation / Safe Neighborhood Park Bonds programs. As noted, there have been
no less that fifty seven (57) major milestones, thirty nine (39) of which required Commission action,
during the period of April 20, 1994 and February 19, 1999.
It should also be noted that at the inception of the Parks Bond Program, the projected completion
date for all parks was December 31, 1999. Although every effort has been made to accomplish this
goal, there have been unanticipated circumstances that have impacted this process. Following is a
summary of the significant issues that have influenced the progress of the City of Miami Beach's
General Obligation / Safe Neighborhood Park Bonds programs.
. On July 12, 1995, the Commission approved an agreement with Bermello, Ajamil &
Partners, Inc. to complete the Parks Master Plan. (Referenced in Point No.8). It was
proj ected it would take a total of twenty six (26) weeks to complete the Master Plan. The
starting date was August 23, 1995 and the completion date was February 20, 1996. On June
5, 1996, the City Commission approved an amendment to the agreement with Bermello,
Ajami1 & Partners, Inc. to complete the Parks Master Plan. The basis for the request was the
fact that the original agreement provided for eighteen (18) community meetings, however
at the time of the amendment the architects were still being requested to hold additional
community meetings and had in fact conducted sixteen (16) community meetings, attended
twelve (12) meetings with Board and Committees, thirty eight (38) meetings with the
Administration and four (4) meetings with the Mayor and Commission. The Parks Master
Plan was finally adopted by the City Commission on June 19, 1996, approximately four (4)
months past the estimated time of completion.
. In June of 1996 Miami-Dade County adopted the Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond Ordinance
that recommended funding for the Miami Beach Parks system in the amount of
approximately $7.3 million to be added to the projects already approved for funding under
the $15 million General Obligation Parks Improvement Program. This enabled the City to
construct a new pool at Normandy Isle Park, provided additional funding for the Scott
Rakow Ice Rink, increase the amount of playground equipment purchased for each park and
funded several other improvements recommended in the Master Plan but not funded in the
Bond Program. This increase in funding was a significant addition to the Parks
Improvements Program but required additional community meetings and Commission
approvals before the dollars were ultimately allocated. This extended the project time line
by an estimated 6 - 9 months. Please reference point No. 19 for additional information.
41 Extensive input and time delays were experienced while decisions were made on the Scott
Rakow Ice Rink (reference Point Nos. 19, 23, 25, 34, 37), the North Shore Park Youth
Center (reference Point Nos. 23, 27, 31), North Shore Open Space Park (reference Point Nos.
28,33,35,38,39,41,42) and South Pointe Park (reference Point Nos.24, 30).
. The Design Review/ Historic Preservation Boards process required for the larger projects
such as North Shore Park, Flamingo Park, Normandy Isle Park, North Shore Open Space
Park, Lummus Park and the Scott Rakow Youth Center can and has taken any where from
2 to 6 months or more to complete. Projects requiring DR/HP Boards review can not
proceed without their approval and the time required to gain these authorizations has
impacted the progress of the projects.
In conclusion, it may appear the that the City of Miami Beach's General Obligation / Safe
Neighborhood Park Bonds programs are progressing at a lesser rate than originally projected.
However, the majority ?fthe neighborhood parks will be completed very close to the projected time
and the larger projects have been impacted, many for very positive reasons such as the infusion of
millions of dollars in funding that will enable additional construction. The resolution of the issues
related to the ice rink, North Shore Youth Center and North Shore Open Space Park are now coming
into focus. It is also anticipated the issues related to South Pointe Park will be positively addressed
in the future.
Should you require additional information please advise.
JAG/KS/ eb
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