LTC 034-2012 Collins Canal Seawall m MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
2012 FE -6 : 5
NO. LTC # 034 -201 LETTF,�R �c4� SION
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TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manage
DATE: February 3, 2012
SUBJECT: Collins Canal Seawall Repair /Dade Boulevard Bike Path
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to provide you with information on the proposed repair
of the Collins Canal seawall and the construction of a bike path adjacent to Dade Boulevard
(Attachment A).
Funding
Approximately 3,100 feet of seawall on the north side of the Collins Canal, between West Avenue
and Convention Center Drive, is in poor condition and requires replacement. The City received a
grant for this work in the amount of $1,383,885. The City is also constructing approximately 5,000
feet of bike path along this corridor from 17 Street to Park Avenue with a grant in the amount of
$2,873,896. Both grants will expire on July 31, 2012. These grants were extended once, and the
City must continue to show progress by submitting construction invoices in order not to place them
in jeopardy.
Status
The project is fully permitted and has been approved by the Historic Preservation Board. It has also
been endorsed by the Transportation and Parking Committee, the Disability Access Committee, the
Bikeways Committee, the Belle Isle Residents Association, the Miami Beach Convention Center, the
Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, and the Miami Beach Senior High PTSA.
The contractor, Harbour Construction (The firm recognized for its work at the Botanical Garden.), is
presently on schedule to complete the work in early July. Presently, it is constructing the seawall on
the block between 17 Street and Alton Road. It will demobilize for the Boat Show and then
remobilize after the Boat Show to the block between Meridian Avenue and Convention Center Drive.
At the request of the City, the contractor is leaping the block that contains a 650 -foot section that is
too narrow to plant trees, returning to it at the end of the project. While continuing the work, the City
is pursuing two designs in parallel that could provide for trees in that area:
• Planting mangroves in the canal
• Shifting the Dade Boulevard curb to the north to provide a planting area
Planting Mangroves
The City met with the regulatory agencies about planting mangroves in Collins Canal during the
permitting process. At that time, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) had
LTC - Dade Boulevard Bike Path
February 3, 2012
Page 2 of 2
indicated that it would not be allowed due to concerns over sea grass habitat and the reduction in
the navigable width of the canal.
Since that time, certain residents have put staff in contact with the County Coastal Habitat
Restoration Coordinator. After numerous meetings, he indicated that he would assist in an attempt
to obtain approval from FDEP and the Army Corps of Engineers. As a result, the City is putting
together a conceptual plan of the proposed planting for further discussions with these agencies. It
should be noted that this effort will have a long permitting process that will last six months to one
year.
Shifting Dade Boulevard
The City has recently completed traffic counts that will be needed to prepare a report in support of
moving the Dade Blvd curb north. Preliminary results indicate that a left turn lane into Publix, which
is adjacent to the western end of the 650 -foot non - landscaped area. is lightly used. The City will
submit this report to the County requesting permission to remove the left turn lane, shift the travel
lanes, and move the curb at Dade Boulevard.
Should the County approve the removal of the turn lane and approve the shift, it is estimated that
the cost of this work would be $2,000,000 to $2,500,000. At this time, the project is currently
$1,200,000 million under budget. Therefore, the City would need to provide an additional $800,000
to $1,300,000 to modify the roadway to allow for the planting area.
Attachment:
A. Aerial photo of proposed Dade Boulevard Bike Path
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