LTC 154-2010 Report from North Beach Town Center Zoning Community Workshops May 5m MIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # lsa-2oio LETTER TOZ~~AliwljS~~C~IV~`~
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To: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
DATE: May 18, 2010
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SUBJECT: Report from North Beach Town Center Zoning Community Workshops May 5
The purpose of this LTC is to give you a report from the two community workshops that the
Planning Department held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 on the proposed North Beach Town
Center zoning amendments. The two meetings were held at 4 PM at the Shane Rowing
Center and at 6:30 PM at the North Shore Youth Center. Notices of the workshops were
mailed to all property owners within a 375 feet radius of the Town Center.
A total of approximately 40 people attended the two workshops, including about equal
numbers of business persons and interested residents. The feedback was very positive.
Everyone supported the concept of encouraging redevelopment of a more intense, walkable,
mixed-use Town Center. Several people asked about what incentives the City can offer to
stimulate private investment, such as greater height and FAR. Planning staff responded that
public parking is the primary incentive available at this time; and they described the RFLI for
a public-private joint venture parking garage in North Beach. Staff also highlighted the
important steps the City is taking to support cultural activities in the Town Center by
rehabilitating the North Beach Bandshell and seeking new groups to operate the Byron
Carlyle Theater.
Several people expressed a desire to allow greater flexibility in the types of retail/service
uses proposed for conditional uses the TC-3 Town Center Residential Office district. No one
objected to introducing retail/service uses into these residential blocks; and everyone
supported allowing office uses in TC-3. One person stated that the proposed 11 PM closing
time for a restaurant located on the Indian Creek waterfront would make it financially
infeasible for the restaurant owner. Everyone present agreed that the indoor portion of a
waterfront restaurant could remain open to a later hour without harming the surrounding
residential uses. Several people expressed a desire to make parking requirements more
flexible for new businesses located in the TC-3 district, perhaps by allowing them to pay
parking mitigation fees.
Regarding the TC-1 Town Center Core district, two people expressed concern that the
requirement for retail/restaurant cultural uses on 75% of the ground floor frontage facing 71
Street and Collins Avenue could result in numerous vacancies if there is not a sufficient
market for such uses. One person stated that the North Beach Town Center should not be
subjected to the same restrictions on outdoor dining and entertainment as South Beach
because North Beach is different; and no one expressed any disagreement with the
sentiment.
LTC Report on North Beach Town Center zoning code workshops
May 18, 2010
Page 2 of 2
Background:
The proposed zoning code would create a special district called "Town Center" (TC), with
three sub-districts tailored to replace the current CD-3, CD-2 and RM-1 zoning districts. The
TC district is intended to enhance the built environment with custom-tailored land use, urban
design and parking regulations. The area affected by the proposed TC zoning revision is
bounded on the north by 72 Street, on the east by Collins Avenue, on the south by 69 Street
and on the west by the Indian Creek waterway.
The proposed North Beach Town Center zoning amendments are a direct result of the
Master Plan for the North Beach Town Center, which was developed during numerous
community workshops and adopted by the City Commission in July 2007. The zoning
amendments are scheduled for a public hearing at the Miami Beach Planning Board on May
25, 2010.
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F:\PLAN\$ALLWleyers\Town Center Plan\COMMTY WKSHOP 5.5.10\LTC after report.doc