Resolution 2019-31053 RESOLUTION: 2019-31053
RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO INSTALL AND/OR
REPLACE EXISTING INLAID STONE MEDALLION STREET MARKERS IN
COMMERCIAL AREAS WITHIN NORTH BEACH, FROM 63RD STREET TO 75TH STREET,
UTILIZING THE DESIGN PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR STREET MARKERS IN THE
NORTH BEACH TOWN CENTER AREA, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY ANY
APPLICABLE CITY LAND USE BOARD; FURTHER, PROVIDING THAT THE
INSTALLATION OR REPLACEMENT OF STREET MARKERS SHALL BE COMPLETED
GRADUALLY OVER TIME, AS NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS ARE
IMPLEMENTED.
WHEREAS, in December 2014, the City Commission conceptually approved a project proposed in
the North Beach Revitalization Strategies plan, for the installation of iconic City entrance signs at Harding
Avenue and 71St Street in North Beach; and
WHEREAS, at that time,the City Commission also conceptually approved aesthetic enhancements
to the 71st Street bridge, which connects the Town Center neighborhood with Normandy Isles; and
WHEREAS, an additional neighborhood enhancement included the installation of inlaid stone
medallion street markers along commercial areas within the 71st Street block and the North Beach MXE
district; and
WHEREAS, the inlaid stone medallion markers have a unique historic appeal that adds to the
charm of the North Beach Commercial area; and
WHEREAS, following their installation and use over the years, some street markers have been
damaged and need replacement; and
WHEREAS, the Administration is looking to replace existing damaged street markers and expand
the installation of these street markers along the North Beach Town Center, throughout all commercial
areas in North Beach, from 63rd Street to 75th Street; and
WHEREAS, the installation or replacement of street markers shall be completed gradually over
time as new neighborhood projects are implemented.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby authorize the
Administration to install and/or replace existing inlaid stone medallion street markers in commercial areas
within North Beach,from 63rd Street to 75th Street, utilizing the design previously approved for street markers
in the North Beach Town Center area, unless otherwise specified by any applicable City land use board;
further, providing that the installation or replacement of street markers shall be completed gradually over
time, as new neighborhood projects are implemented.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 16th day of October, 2019.
ATTEST:
wq Dan Gelber, Mayor
I U tq 1l� f .c?-......... f ......0 4. APPROVED AS TO
Rafae/7:if
ranado, C y Clerk C \ ' .r�-' FORM &LANGUAGE
&FOR EXECUTION
INCORP ORATED. d
1 0, ' ' • cip49
).'„,9„,...........::., A, . City Attomey kg. Date
rr,' -d H 2.b_. -
Resolutions - R7 I
MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: October 16, 2019
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO
INSTALL AND/OR REPLACE EXISTING INLAID STONE MEDALLION
STREET MARKERS IN COMMERCIAL AREAS WITHIN NORTH BEACH,
FROM 63RD STREET TO 75TH STREET, UTILIZING THE DESIGN
PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR STREET MARKERS IN THE NORTH
BEACH TOWN CENTER AREA, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY
ANYAPPLICABLE CITY LAND USE BOARD; FURTHER, PROVIDING THAT
THE INSTALLATION OR REPLACEMENT OF STREET MARKERS SHALL
BE COMPLETED GRADUALLY OVER TIME, AS NEW NEIGHBORHOOD
PROJECTS ARE IMPLEMENTED.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
In December 2014, the City Commission conceptually approved a project proposed in the
North Beach Revitalization Plan for the installation of iconic City Entrance signs at the Harding
Avenue and the 71st Street entrances in North Beach.
ANALYSIS
At that time, the City Commission also conceptually approved aesthetic enhancements to the
71st Street bridge, which connects the Town Center neighborhood with Normandy Isles. An
additional neighborhood enhancement included the installation of inlaid stone medallion street
markers along the commercial areas within the 71st Street block and the North Beach MXE
district. The inlaid stone medallion markers have a unique historic appeal that will add to the
charm of the North Beach Commercial area.
Following their installation and use over the years, some street markers have been damaged
and need replacement. The Administration is looking to replace existing damaged street
markers consistent with the North Beach Revitalization Plan. Additionally the Administration is
looking to expand the installation of these street markers along the North Beach Town Center,
and throughout all commercial areas from 63rd Street to 75th Street. Such effort shall be
completed gradually over time as new neighborhood projects are implemented.
CONCLUSION
Page 2288 of 2557
The Administration recommends approving the Resolution.
Applicable Area
North Beach
Is this a Resident Right to Does this item utilize G.O.
Know item? Bond Funds?
Yes No
Legislative Tracking
Public Works
Spgns9r
Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
o Resolution
❑ street marker sample
❑ Resolution 2019-30832
❑ 2014-28879 Reso adopting 2014 North Beach Revitalization plan
Page 2289 of 2557
, .„,,..4 .
. .
., .. .
_ . . ,. .. _.,_,, _ ,, .... ...: . ;.....s......4 . -..:::"*• 71.- • ..-i. j.,. -.
41
Aillikk
7.
`C� , f T G.46,...r'.c rte•„
s
wi•-•••41":..4•01-. ,4' ;,.. . , . .....7 -!- -.
•
.t �' -ler-
ice,
i 7� h
.... le } .,.' d �S9tri'.. '' ;' i „
. .._.
_,..,..
s�"r F, v ...
i.,_.._
�:r,; _rte. � 74th �
f
RESOLUTION NO. 2019-30832
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE
REVISED CONCEPTS AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGY FOR
(1) THE INSTALLATION OF NEW ENTRANCE SIGNS AT THE
HARDING AVENUE AND 71ST STREET ENTRANCES TO THE
CITY, IN NORTH BEACH; AND (2) ENHANCEMENTS TO THE
71ST STREET BRIDGE.
WHEREAS, in December 2014, the City Commission conceptually approved a project
proposed in the North Beach Revitalization Strategies plan for the installation of iconic City
entrance signs at the Harding Avenue and the 715' Street entrances in North Beach; and
WHEREAS, at that time, the City Commission also conceptually approved aesthetic
enhancements to the 715` Street Bridge, which connects the Town Center neighborhood with
Normandy Isles; and
WHEREAS, the North Beach entrance signs and the 715t Street Bridge enhancement
projects were both endorsed by the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on North Beach; and
WHEREAS, the City contracted with Shulman and Associates to develop design concepts
for the North Beach entrance signs and the 715' Street Bridge enhancements projects; and
WHEREAS, City staff met with representatives of the Florida Department of
Transportation ("FDOT") to present the final proposed concepts for the North Beach entrance
signs and the 715' Street Bridge, given that both 71St Street and Harding Avenue are state roads
under FDOT jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, FDOT did not approve the North Beach entrance sign concept plans
developed by Shulman and Associates due to concerns associated with suspending the proposed
sign structures over the roadway; and
WHEREAS, FDOT also expressed concern with the Shulman and Associates concept
plan for the 715' Street Bridge, due to additional weight loadQ on the bridge; and
WHEREAS, following the Administration's review of various parameters, such as
outstanding FDOT concerns with the Shulman concept plans, the ease of implementation, and
funding availability for both the North Beach entrance signs and the 71" Street Bridge
enhancement projects, the Administration recommends proceeding with the following strategy,
which shall be contingent upon the allocation by the City Commission of additional funds
requested through the Fiscal Year("FY")2019/2020 capital budget process:
North Beach Entrance Signs
1. Proceed with the design, permitting, and construction of the proposed "Canopy" Entrance
Sign at 71 StreetNVest Bay Drive,
Page 2292 of 2557
2. Pursue the acquisition of property located at the southeast corner of Harding Avenue and
87 Street, which property is currently owned by the Archdiocese of Miami, and which has
an appraised value of$24,080 and, concurrently, proceed with the design, permitting, and
construction of the "Canopy" Entrance Sign at Harding Avenue and 87 Street.
71st Street Bridge Enhancements
1. Short-term: Proceed with the short-term improvements for the bridge and the bridge
approaches as proposed by City staff, and conduct the required lane elimination study
and structural analysis, which shall be contingent upon the allocation by the City
Commission of additional funds ($560,000) being requested through the FY 2019/2020
capital budget process.
2. Long-term: Depending upon the outcome of the structural analysis, the City will either
request future funding for construction costs based on the concept plans proposed by
Shulman (with no bridge rehabilitation); or collaborate with FDOT to include the
improvements proposed in the Shulman concept design as part of a future FDOT 71st
Street Bridge rehabilitation project; and
WHEREAS, the "Canopy" concept consists of a concrete structure with a number of
structural/decorative vertical elements and a canopy holding the "Miami Beach" name.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby approve the revised concepts and recommended strategy, as set forth in this
Resolution, for (1) the installation of new entrance signs at the Harding Avenue and 71st Street
entrances to the City, in North Beach; and (2) enhancements to the 71st Street Bridge.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 8th day of May, 2019
ATTEST: /4 ;T22 —
Dan Gelber, Mayor
-11, (91zet-i
Rafa I E. Granado, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO
.C' FORM & LANGUAGE
..y, FO E CUTIOIN
sIMEORP OIUTED` !� t 3
Doti
Hti; Vf '01 r= 1,4
Page 2293 of 2557
proposed entrance sign at this location, thus, $26,000 is being requested as part of the 2019/2020
cap'tal budge process for this land acquisition. I n.:bjsive of this land purchase, the total amount jf
additional funds being requested for the North Beach Entrance Signs is $449,000.
The proposed entrance sign at 71 Street and West Bay Drive is located on FOOT right-of-way and would
require that the City secure an FDOT permit for installation of the sign and a maintenance memorandum
of agreement between the City and FOOT.
FOOT has a specific process for Gateway Signs and Monument Signs proposed to be located on state
roads. The process is outlined in the Manual of Uniform Minimum Standards for Design, Construction,
and Maintenance for Streets and Highways (Florida Green Book). For the proposed North Beach
entrance signs on Harding Avenue and on 71 Street, the process requires that the City submit a package
to FDOT District Six consisting of the selected design concept for each location, a City Commission
Resolution, and an application for review. Once the FDOT District Six Design Engineer completes his/her
review and approves the design concept, the package is forwarded to FDOT Central Office in Tallahassee
for further review.The initial review at the District and Central Office level is anticipated to take
approximately three (3) months. Following approval from FDOT Central Office, FDOT will send a letter
to the City to proceed to the final design phase. At that point, the City will need to complete construction
drawings including all structural calculations for the proposed signs. Once construction plans have been
developed, they will need to be submitted to FDOT District Six Office and FDOT Central Office for final
review and approval.The final review phase is anticipated to take approximately three(3) months. Thus,
the entire process from submission of the application to FDOT District Six to final approval of
construction drawings by FOOT Central Office is estimated to take 12 months.
71 Street Bridge Enhancements
Based on FDOT concerns with the structural capacity of the bridge, City staff performed a high-level cost
estimate for the structural analysis, design, and modifications to the bridge structure for the initial
design concept proposed by Shulman. Staff's estimate is based on various bridge rehabilitation projects
in the region. Considering the need for final design drawings as well as potential structural rehabilitation
work on the bridge to carry the additional load, the cost to implement the Shulman design concept would
be approximately $5.8 Million. This cost includes $300,000 for final design drawings, and approximately
$3.5 Million for bridge rehabilitation in addition to the estimated $2 Million for the construction cost of
the aesthetic enhancements proposed by Shulman. Given the$1.14 Million currently allocated to the 71
Street Bridge Enhancement Project (Project No. 64160), the City would need to budget an additional
$4.66 Million to implement the Shulman concept, if a structural analysis concludes that bridge
rehabilitation would be required and if the cost of the rehabilitation project is fully funded by the City
(i.e. no FOOT contribution).
Given the current funding status for this project, staff developed an alternative deign concept with
higher ease of implementation and cost-effectiveness which focuses on eliminating or reducing the need
for any structural work on the bridge. Similar to the Shulman concept, the City's concept includes
elimination of one (1) eastbound lane through the bridge; however, the landscape installations are
limited to the bridge approaches only in order to avoid structural work on the bridge. In addition, the
City's concept includes restriping of the bridge to include buffered/protected bicycle l=nes and artistic
patterns painted on the bridge walls and sidewalks. The City's concept includes decorative lighting on
both the approaches and the bridge. The improvements will need to be approved by F DOT. Attachment
D depicts the revised 71 Street Bridge enhancement concept design developed by City staff.
The preliminary cost for the lane elimination study is estimated to be $160,000 and the cost for the
structural analysis is estimated to be$300,000. Design and construction of the City's concept developed
for the bridge approaches is estimated at $882,000.The cost for design and construction of the City's
concept developed for the bridge is estimated at $315,000.The total cost for the design and
construction of the enhancements proposed by staff was estimated to be$1.4 Million plus the$300,000
for the structural analysis needed to determine the viability of the proposed Shulman concepts (for a
total of $1.7 Million). Given the $1.14 Million currently available in this project, and in order to move
forward with the short-term improvements to the bridge and the bridge approaches and conduct the
structural analysis, funding in the amount of approximately$560,000 would need to be allocated as part
of the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 capital budget process to fill the funding gap in the existing capital project.
KEYINTENDED OLETCOMES SUPPORTED
Revitalize Key Neighborhoods, Starting With North Beach Md Ocean Drive
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As part of the ongoing capital budget process, the following requests are being submitted for
Fiscal Year 2019/2020 funds for the below existing capital projects:
• ENTRANCE SIGNS TO NORTH BEACH (Project Number. 64190) - an additional
$449,000 is being requested comprised of $26,000 for acquisition of the parcel at
Harding Avenue and 87 Street currently owned by the Archdiocese of Miami and
$423,000 for design and construction of the "Folly" and "Canopy" entrance signs at the
two (2)selected entrance locations.
• PAINTING & LIGHTING OF BRIDGES (Project Number. 64160) - an additional
$560,000 is being requested comprised of $300,000 for a structural analysis of the 71
Street Bridge and $260,000 to fully fund the proposed short-term bridge enhancements.
Legislative Tracking
Transportation
ATTACHMENTS
Description
o Attachment A- Original Preferred Shulman Concepts for Entrance Signs
o Attachment B - Original Preferred Shulman Concept for 71 Street Bridge Enhancements
o Attachment C - Revised Shulman Concepts for Entrance Signs
o Attachment D - City Concepts for 71 Street Bridge Enhancements - Short Term Options
$ Pto t47
RESOLUTION NO. 2014-28879
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE 2014 NORTH
BEACH REVITALIZATION PLAN.
WHEREAS, the North Beach area, defined as that portion of the City of Miami
Beach north of 63rd Street, excluding those portions on Allison and La Gorce islands, is in
need of redevelopment and revitalization; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to enhance North Beach to enhance its appeal to
residents, property owners, business owners, and visitors to the City of Miami Beach; and
WHEREAS, the City has actively engaged the North Beach community, including
residents, property owners, and business owners, in a process of public input to determine
the needs of the North Beach area; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on North Beach Revitalization has
investigated and made recommendations for methods to improve North Beach through a
series of twenty-two public meetings; and
WHEREAS, the City Administration has utilized the public input gathered and the
recommendations of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on North Beach Revitalization to
prepare the attached North Beach Revitalization Plan containing projects and programs
that can be undertaken by the City that would positively impact livability in North Beach and
the area's micro-economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, hereby adopt the attached 2014 North
Beach Revitalization Plan and authorize the Administration to pursue and expedite the
implementation of the Plan's recommended projects and programs.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 17th day of December, 2014.
ATTEST: 01.. BF` r
/j/ef'
' Levi -�j-n�: or
• :I�NCORP ,ORATED: j,
.;• ./
Rafael . Granado, City Clerk '%, H 26"
APPROVED AS TO
FORM &LANGUAGE
&FOF EXEC UTION
JLM/KGB/MAS
T 4AGENDA\20151December\TCEDNB Revitalization Plan Reso.doc
City Attorney Date
Page 2298 of 2557
COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution Of The Mayor And City Commission Of The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Adopting The
2014 North Beach Revitalization Plan.
Key Intended Outcome Supported:
• Enhance Beauty And Vibrancy Of Urban And Residential Neighborhoods; Focusing On Cleanliness,
Historic Assets, In Select Neighborhoods And Redevelopment Areas
• Revitalize Key Neighborhoods, Starting With North Beach And Ocean Drive
Supporting Data (Surveys,Environmental Scan, etc.):
,Attached Draft North Beach Revitalization Plan
item Summary/Recommendation:
In early 2014 Economic Development Staff initiated an effort to prepare a North Beach Revitalization Plan.
This plan included public input gathered at four public input workshops in North Beach,a Facebook Page
dedicated to the project,and a dedicated North Beach email address. In addition,the Mayor created the
Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on North Beach to meet, investigate, and make recommendations to the City
Commission on methods to revitalized North Beach. A draft plan has now been created and vetted
through the public. The Blue Ribbon Panel has endorsed the Plan.
The Plan contains recommendations for action by the City to enhance appearances and functionality in
North Beach. Specifically it contains recommendations for infrastructure improvements,improvements to
public property, and recommendations for desired activity on private property and methods to encourage
or incentivize this activity.
The Mayor and Commission held a workshop meeting on November 20, 2014 to view a presentation on
the Plan, discuss its contents, and hear briefly from the public in attendance. At the conclusion of the
workshop meeting,the Commission requested the Plan be brought forth for adoption at the next available
Commission meeting.
The Administration recommends the City Commission adopt the North Beach Revitalization Plan as
presented.
Advisory Board Recommendation:
The North Beach Revitalization Plan was presented to the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on North Beach at
their regular meeting on September 18, 2014 with additional elements presented and discussed at the
Panel's October 2, 2014 regular meeting. The Panel has endorsed the Plan and its contents and
Lrecommends approval by the City Commission.
Financial Information:
Source of Amount Account Approved
Funds: 1
2
3
4
OBPI j Total
Financial Impact Summary: There is no financial impact to this item, but the plan does include
numerous action items that may require funding which will be considered during the annual budget process
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
Jeff Oris, Economic Development Division Director
Sign-Offs:
D pa • nt Director Assistan ity Manager I City Manager
•
(A/ Y 1 1BEACH Page 2299 of 2557 AGENDA ITEM R� E
low MDATE 12-11-1y
ea MIAMIBEACH
City of Miami Beach, 700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach,Florida 33139, www.miomibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members of he City Com ssion
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE December 17, 2014
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR ND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE 2014 NORTH BEACH
REVITALIZATION PLAN.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt North Beach Revitalization Plan.
BACKGROUND
The North Beach Revitalization Plan
In January 2014, the City Administration began efforts to develop a North Beach Revitalization Plan.
The purpose of this effort was to create a document that provided key recommendations as to project
and programs that would promote revitalization in North Beach and promote private sector investment
in the area. The ultimate goal of this Plan is to bring vitality to North Beach through enhanced
residential, recreational, entertainment, and business opportunities for residents, property owners,
business owners, and visitors, as well as generating new economic opportunities for all.
The initial steps of the plan focused on gathering public input to serve as the foundation. Four general
public input workshops were held.Approximately 130 persons attended the first two workshops which
were geared toward the general public,40 persons attended the third workshop which was open to the
public but geared towards commercial property and business owners issues, and approximately 40
people attended the final workshop were top issues were determined. In addition to the public
workshops, a "North Beach Revitalization" Facebook page and a dedicated email address,
NorthBeach@miamibeachfl.gov, were created as additional avenues for the public to share their
thoughts, ideas, and suggestions regarding North Beach. Input from these methods was incorporated
with that gathered from the public meetings.
A final avenue for public input was initiated when Mayor Lcvine created the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel
on North Beach Revitalization and appointed three (3) members to the Panel in March of 2013. The
Blue Ribbon Panel has met 21 times to date. These meetings have been both a forum for Panel
members to discuss items of general concern, but have also been an opportunity for all members of the
North Beach community to join the discussion, raise any issue of concern and express their thoughts
on all items relevant to North Beach.
Formal Panel agenda topics initially included short term items and were instrumental in initiating the
rehabilitation of the Normandy Fountain, creation of a North Beach brand(which was incorporated into
the North Beach Trolley design), the inclusion of key locations for kayak launches in the soon-to-be-
completed City of Miami Beach Blueways Plan, activation of the North Shore Bandshell, and the
creation of a dedicated grant program by Visitor and Convention Authority for North Beach events.
Page 2300 of 2557
North Beach Revitalization Plan
City Commission Meeting
Dece nber 17, 2014
Page 2 of 3
Longer term items discussed by the Panel included a review and endorsement of the draft North Beach
Revitalization Plan.
Utilizing all of the input collected through public workshops and investigations, staff prepared a North
Beach Revitalization Plan to address the issues raised and provide recommended projects and
programs the City could undertake to enhance livability and improve economic conditions in North
Beach. Also taken into consideration during the authoring of the Plan was the Blue Ribbon Panel's
continued desire to engage a master planner to address a number of the more complex issues in North
Beach such as land use, use of the West Lots and transportation connectivity. The staff authored plan
does not address many issues that would be included in a master plan. The Plan focuses its review of
and recommendations for beneficial projects and programs on three major functional categories and
their subcategories:
1) Infrastructure needs of the area.
a. Roadways
b. Sidewalks and Crosswalks
c. Bridges
d. Streetsca ping
e. Parking
f. Drainage
g. Water and Sewer
h. Lighting
2) Improvements and needs of public property.
a. Parks
b. Street Ends
c. Parking Lots
d. Various City-owned Properties
3) Private property and activities thereon that the City should seek to encourage.
a. Subcategories vary based on needs of each individual district.
In addition to general recommendations that apply to all of North Beach,the Plan divides North Beach
into six districts that have some commonality of needs and provides more specific recommendations for
each district within the categories and subcategories outlined above. These districts are not based on
generally known and established neighborhoods but are instead created through the grouping of
adjacent areas with similar and/or interconnected needs. These areas are:
1) Lower North Shore —63rd Street to 69th Street.
2) Town Center/71st Corridor—69th Street to 72nd Street on the barrier island (not on. Normandy).
3) Upper North Shore—72nd Street to the northern City limits at 87th Terrace and Parkview Island.
4) Biscayne Point—the neighborhoods of Biscayne Point, Stillwater Drive, and Biscayne Beach.
5) Normandy Fountain—from the Indian Creek west to Rue Notre Dame between 71stStreet and
Normandy Drive including all properties fronting on these roads.
6) Normandy Isles and Normandy Shores — all of the Normandy area except the Normandy
Fountain area.
The Plan as recommended contains two distinct parts,the main body and an appendix. The appendix
to the Plan contains all of the elements of the main body, but expands on current physical conditions,
market data, and justifications for recommended actions.
Page 2301 of 2557
North Beach Revitalization Plan
City Commission Meeting
December 17, 2014
Page 3 of 3
A presentation was made to the City Commission at a workshop meeting on November 20, 2014
describing in greater detail the contents of the North Beach Revitalization Plan including current
conditions and recommended actions. The Commission discussed the plan,heard comments from the
public in attendance and suggested the Plan be brought forth to the Commission for formal
endorsement and approval at the next regular Commission meeting (December 17, 2014).
CONCLUSION
The Administration requests the Mayor and City Commission adopt the North Beach Revitalization Plan
as presented to further promote redevelopment of the area and to enable staff to prioritize and bring
forth projects and programs contained within the Plan for budget allocations and Commission approval.
JLM/K /MAS/JO
T:WGENDA120141DecembenTCEDWorth Beach Revitalization Plan adopton memo.doc
Page 2302 of 2557
NORTH BEACH
REVITALIZATION
STRATEGIES
City of Miami Beach
Tourism, Culture and
Economic Development Department
Economic Development Division
December 17, 2014
Page 2303 of 2557
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this revitalization strategy document is to guide the City of Miami Beach and the
residents, property owners, and business owners of North Beach in the types of projects and
programs that will begin a transformation of North Beach. North Beach is generally defined as
that area of the City of Miami Beach lying north of 63rd Street and south of the City limits
(generally located at 87th Terrace)except for any parts of Allison and La Gorce Islands.
This strategy document is not intended to be a major re-design of North Beach with expansive
alterations to zoning in the hopes that the private sector will redevelop the area with different
building types or to act as a long term plan. It is intended to be the initial plan of efforts to
initiate long term revitalization by outlining projects to be undertaken in the short run to
eliminate the area's "tired and run down" feel and appearance while simultaneously adding
activity to the area. This document outlines projects and programs, the majority of which would
be initiated and undertaken by the City of Miami Beach on property it owns and/or controls, that
should lead to a North Beach that will become more livable and vibrant with an increasing
number of shopping, dining, entertainment and recreational opportunities for residents and
visitors. The document also contains recommendations for longer term efforts, some of which
are more conceptual in nature, that will require additional study and planning and much longer
timeframes for implementation including a North Beach master plan which should be designed
to address zoning, park planning, transportation connections, and other long term planning
issues.
Implementation of the projects, programs and recommendations of this strategy plan should also
lead to a "handoff' of redevelopment efforts to the private sector. What is meant by this
"handoff' is that the City will have invested and will be properly maintaining infrastructure,both
capital and human, that will attract significant private investment in private properties. This
private investment will result in more commercial activity, upgraded residential properties, and a
safer more attractive overall North Beach.
L1 Organization
This document does not follow a standard strategy or plan format, instead, it is designed for ease
of use by the reader. The Plan itself will consist of short synopses of each area, issue, or needs to
be followed by a listing of significant informational points and action items. The plan is then
appended with significant and in-depth description of the various components of the Plan as well
as justifications for the action items. Again, this format is designed so that the reader is
immediately exposed to the actions that need to be taken without the need to wade through
significant discussion, though the discussion and all justifying information is a part of the overall
plan for those that wish to understand the Plan's recommended actions.
Page 2 of 54
Page 2304 of 2557
1.2 Districts
For ease of use, this document shall separate the North Beach area into six (6) distinct districts
with similar needs and/or characteristics:
1) Lower North Shore—the area from 63rd Street to 69`h Street
2) Town Center/71st Street Corridor— the area from 69th Street to 72nd Street on the barrier
island(not on Normandy)
3) Upper North Shore—the area from 72nd Street to the northern city limits at approximately
87` Terrace on the barrier island and all of Parkview Island.
4) Biscayne Point — that area that includes the two finger extensions of the Biscayne Point
and Stillwater Drive neighborhoods along with the Crespi Boulevard area (Biscayne
Beach)
5) Normandy Fountain Area—the area bounded on the east by the Indian Creek, on the west
by Rue Notre Dame, on the north, the northern property line of properties with frontage
along Normandy Drive from Rue Notre Dame to Rue Versailles and then a line along
Marseille Drive to Bay Drive and the property with frontage on 71s` Street from Bay
Drive east to the Indian Creek, on the south, the southern property line of all of the
properties with frontage on 71'Street from Rue Notre Dame the Indian Creek.
6) Normandy Isles and Normandy Shores - all of the Normandy area except the Normandy
Fountain area as described in#5.
The use of these districts will be of great importance in the discussion on existing conditions and
in the sections containing action items.
Page 3 of 54
Page 2305 of 2557
••P- - r • it ..•,.. t: • r,J•1 T!,., ;- .
a,. '♦4t
•
of Jr'
///
:4 c^ rt
� .
i
�' • :rt.: moi. ', .:,./
4iH
.i i . ' +ti►j
•
. '>r
t•1..• - '••:'C'•... 5'.r'S.'.1` . •�/'1. r 7. -• ,;.K 0 • a 1 t
M . . • .r.- •-'—,—.0 tr
c� ,
}' -•Stitt' ,• •,r .,:'!1141' ' ? - _ r- t r
:g , •
" ? �eo"o,fooffikerr•UA'4tnteetodNpttl1V `h , fir,-.r++;a t4� •:
'•, U. ,A, r• 1,. !'1) _. - . w r fin'•49 r -•• `r
r �♦ �4- r ate. r 00 r r• • 1
it:
WI i
t •A1. , w`*• —an•i .' ..,,,...ft--‘0:„...,....I .r•l, ,.,.............10,•!,-111.1.17 . 'tool
�.�.• 1 t! iq" 4 �I'...'� �. w .A[ll ;+ _ / \Ar *••• .Xj..
•
•
' %Iyaa,,4p47 �', '-: t,r,*':...:.**r LA GORCE ISLAND c1 6
/7"."` „ :- tr' , i,�t` P °'.4 ter. +�
•' .•+i{' �' /Y' .�.••'�i-i�4, '''jr 7, r :4�'.;-mak'`
.,,A,. ...., ,.. ,tiw-iihe9171in".%
,1:1
La
' .,.,.. ■
el 1
3 F+S•ii r' '
„ .: 4. • r. _ .r'1 I
P.n.MASC•04GISPmr•ch„4 iiortnB..chlr._OwricbwctiwwwnBsch_Oeb,d,nud
Legend I
� .�c;:-.-.... o vo MO 1110 :aa
-�— City of Miami Beach 4 —a-
bNorth Bt ekteApistricts .,
al
=1.-
2_0 DOCUMENT REVIEW
One of the key objectives of this strategy plan was incorporate findings and recommendations of
previous plans and studies that were done for North Beach or for which North Beach was part of
the study or implementation area. This section is designed to identify some of those plans along
with their current and/or future relevance to North Beach.
A number of previous studies were reviewed. For a more in-depth review of these plans and
studies than what follows,please see the corresponding section of the appendix to this document.
2.1 Coastal Communities Transportation Master Plan 1Au ust 2007)
The Coastal Communities Transportation Master Plan (CCTMP) was prepared as a joint effort
between the costal barrier island communities of Miami Beach, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach,
Bal Harbour Village, Surfside, and North Bay Village. The purpose of the plan was to "produce
short, mid, and long term multi-modal solutions to transportation issues on a sub-regional basis."
The plan includes a lengthy list of recommended actions broken down into four categories: 1)
Alternative Mode; 2)Corridor Enhancements; 3) Capacity Projects; and 4) Policy Projects.
As this plan is almost seven (7) years old at this point in time, a number of the projects outlined
have already been accomplished. After a review of the Plan, the City's Transportation
Department identified the projects that should remain in North Beach's work plan for the future.
These projects include (with corresponding project number from the CCTMP:
l) Enhanced bus amenities (A-3)
2) Water Taxis(A-6)
3) Pedestrian Circulation and Safety Study(A-12)
4) Enhance bicycle/pedestrian/transit linkages(A-13)
5) Causeway and east/west flow enhancements(CA-1)
6) Intersection Level of Service improvements(CA-5)
7) 63`d Street travel patterns(CA-9)
8) Advanced parking management systems(CA-11)
While not specifically mentioned in the titles listed, many of the components of these projects
are discussed in Section 6 - Infrastructure Strategies of this document.
Current relevance to North Beach: MINIMAL - MODERATE
2.2 The Coastal Communities Transit Master Plan
The Coastal Communities Transportation Master Plan was prepared for Miami Dade Transit and
the City of Miami Beach with participation from the neighboring communities of Aventura,
Sunny Isles Beach, Bal Harbour Village, Surfside and North Bay Village. The purpose of the
Page 5 of 54
Page 2307 of 2557
plan was to analyze "existing transit services in the Coastal Communities, assess current and
future needs, and determine if and how existing bus transit services can be streamlined to provide
the same or improved service levels with fewer routes along the A 1 A Corridor". The plan
includes a list of recommendation and an implementation plan.
Much as like the Coastal Communities Transportation Plan, this plan is seven (7) years old.
Significant shifts in the way Miami Dade Transportation is currently operating the local bus
systems as well as changes already made including the soon-to-be launched North Beach
circulator trolley system, have limited the current viability of this plan. The City's
Transportation Department identified the concepts and strategies that should remain in North
Beach's workplan for the future. These projects have been integrated into Section 6 —
Infrastructure Strategies.
Current relevance to North Beach: MINIMAL
2.3 Miami Beach Municipal Mobility Plan
Much like the previous plans, the mobility plan is outdated and is currently being updated. It is
believed the existing mobility plan is outdated and thus not relevant at this time. The new
mobility planning effort coupled with separate efforts that are underway by the City's
Transportation Department to create a bicycle master plan, a new mobility master plan will have
modernized projects and programs for North Beach that will enhance mobility through all modes
of transportation including: automotive, mass transit, pedestrian, bicycle and other alternative
methods. These plans are anticipated to be completed in or about August 2015.
Current Relevance to North Beach of existing Mobility Plan—MINIMAL
Relevance of completed Mobility Plan Update—HIGH
Relevance of to-be-completed Bicycle Master Plan- HIGH
2.4 Miami Beach Stormwater Management Master Plan
The City's Stormwater Management Master Plan presented in 2012 outlines a number of project
types to be undertaken throughout the City to reduce flooding throughout the City due to rainfall
and tidal flooding due to sea-level-rise. The plan identified stormwater improvements to be
undertaken in North Beach in the 20 years after the report date(now 18 years).
Due to new drainage criteria and sea level rise data, the Public Works Department will be
updating these projects to conform to new conditions. It is critical to North Beach that any
remaining projects outlined in the Stormwater Master Plan and projects on any list updated due
to new standards (as adjusted from time-to-time) are undertaken to protect the area from
Page 6 of 54
Page 2308 of 2557
flooding. Consideration for stormwater projects should be considered when any other capital
projects are undertaken in North Beach and every effort should be made to incorporate
stormwater components into these projects.
Current relevance to North Beach: HIGH
Relevance of updated project list to North Beach: HIGH
2.5 CMB Capital Improvements Plan
The City's Capital Improvements Plan is of great importance to North Beach as it is the list of
projects the City desires to undertake. There are a significant amount of projects outlined for the
North Beach area. These projects, ranging from stormwater to seawalls to installation of new
playground equipment and improvements at the bandshell, should be undertaken, however, these
projects are not an exhaustive list of necessary projects for the area. It is hoped that the City will
see fit to include projects outlined in later sections of this plan in future updates of the CIP.
The single most important project for North Beach in the CIP at the time of the authoring of this
plan is the North Shore Neighborhood Improvement Program. This project, designed to
undertake infrastructure improvements on the main barrier island from 63`1 Street north to the
City limits at 87th Terrace (the project excludes Normandy Isle and the Biscayne Point
Neighborhood area and areas south of 715` Street and on Parkview Island have already been
substantially completed).
2.6 Infrastructure Improvement Program — North Shore Neighborhood Basis of Design
report(BODR)
The current Basis of Design Report (BODR) for this project area was completed over 11 years .
ago. Few of the individuals involved in the preparation of this document (both staff and
members of the public), are still active with the City or in North Beach. There is a cuncern that
the designs in this document are no longer current and/or what the residents are seeking and that
implementation of the project according to these BODR's will raise issues from the public. The
Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on North Beach Revitalization has asked that the BODR be utilized
only as a guideline and that all aspects of the North Shore project be redesigned.
Current relevance to North Beach: HIGH
Relevance of new/updated designs: HIGH
2.7 CMB Parking Demand and Utilization Study
Page 7 of 54
Page 2309 of 2557
The current Parking Demand and Utilization Study is another document in the City's library that
is aged and is currently being updated in two phases. Phase 1 of the study includes the area from
63`d Street to 73`d Street and Phase 2 will include all of the remainder of North Beach. At the
time of this document, data for both studies have been collected and were under analysis with
delivery of final reports anticipated in late 2014.
As new studies are underway, the existing studies are outdated and irrelevant to the discussion in
this plan. Once completed, however, the new parking studies will be important tools to begin
discussions to assess the size and location of future parking and will assist the City in preparing
for this future need.
Current relevance to North Beach: MINIMAL
Relevance of new/updated Study: HIGH
2.8 Miami Beach 2013-2017 Consolidated Plan
The City's Consolidated Plan (CP) assesses community needs for affordable housing, economic
opportunity, and other community services for low-to-moderate income individuals and families.
Additionally, the CP provides a justification and outline for the expenditure of Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement funds distributed through the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Consolidated Plans are prepared for a five year
timeframe.
The City's current CP was adopted for the period of 2013-2017 and it identifies North Beach as a
target area for funding due to the high concentrations of low to moderate income persons within
the areas census tracts. The CP further indicates some of the key needs for North Beach which
includes:
1) Youth Program^
2) General public services
3) Senior services
4) Code enforcement
5) Economic Development
6) Homeless outreach
It is important for North Beach to insure that the areas of North Beach with high concentrations
of low to moderate income persons remain a target area and that certain high-priority services
remain eligible for CDBG funding in future incarnations of the City's Consolidated Plans.
Current relevance to North Beach: HIGH
Relevance of future Consolidated Plans: HIGH
Page 8 of 54
Page 2310 of 2557
2.9 North Beach Oceanfront Parks Concept Revitalization Plan (2006)
With the exception of the potential for a sculpture garden at Altos Del Mar Park, no portion of
the Oceanfront Parks Concept Revitalization Plan was brought up by the public during input
meetings for this document. This leads one to believe that it has been forgotten by the public
since its creation in 2006.
At the time of this document's creation, efforts by Terra Group to rehabilitate and construct
condominium units at the former Deezerland Hotel site at the northernmost parcel in the City
along the beach may also render this plan moot. The Terra Group has engaged the West 8 design
consulting firm to design upgrades to their site as well as for North Shore Open Space Park. The
City has also finalizing a master design plan for Altos Del Mar Park and preparing to implement
the final phase of capital improvements to Bandshell Park.
All of the new development ideas, individual plans and completed and contemplated
improvements along the beachfront have rendered the Oceanfront Parks Plan irrelevant. Its
concepts are strong, however, and while its current relevance is minimal, it should remain as a
source document for future projects should the current Terra Group efforts for North Shore Open
Space Park cease prematurely and in the event the City does not implement the Altos Del Mar
master plan.
Current relevance to North Beach: MINIMAL
2.10 Town Center Plan(2007)
The Town Center Plan, authored by City staff and adopted in 2007, is well known among the
residents, business owners and property owners in North Beach. A number of the key concepts
contained within this plan were repeated often in the recent public input workshops and the lack
of implementation of these concepts was often the source of resident frustration.
The Plan will require some "tweaking". The transformation of office space to retail/residential
may not be in the area's best interest as one of the most limiting factors to North Beach is the
lack of daytime restaurant and consumer activity. Additionally the existing, mostly single, or
two story development can be significantly augmented by properties being developed to
maximize current floor area ratio(FAR)available to them.
Two other concepts outlined in the plan may also be in need of review. The reuse of the existing
Byron-Carlyle Theater in its current building configuration is not ideal as this site can act as a
very strong anchor for a high-traffic cultural or retail use while also maintaining potential for
other civic uses if redeveloped.
Page 9 of 54
Page 2311 of 2557
The other concept that needs review is subterranean parking under a grassy park at what is now
the 72nd Street parking lot. This area should be reviewed for commercial liner along Collins to
connect the 71' Street business district and the businesses south of 71'on Collins Avenue to the
businesses north of 72nd Street. Additionally due to sea level rise and the high cost of
subterranean parking, it is unlikely that this type of structure would provide an appropriate cost-
benefit.
Other projects promoted and contemplated by the Town Center Plan continue to be desirable and
need to be included as part of this revitalization plan including:
1) Relocation of the library to a more central location
2) Inclusion of more mixed use projects, particularly at highly visible locations
3) The potential for public plaza's within the fabric of newly designed buildings on 715`
Street.
4) Complete streets that would promote pedestrian and bicycle improvements making the
area more attractive for non-motorized transportation.
5) The inclusion of cultural amenities that would serve to drive restaurant and retail
patronage.
Overall, most of the components of the Town Center Plan remain viable and will be included in
the revitalization strategies contained in this document.
Current relevance to North Beach: VERY HIGH
Page 10 of 54
Page 2312 of 2557
3_0 EXISTING CONDITIONS
It is important for the reader of this document to understand the conditions as they existed at the
time the document was authored (summer of 2014) as base knowledge to justify action items
contained within this plan. However, the detailed description of these conditions is not key to
the presentation of action item, as is the stated purpose of this plan. Therefore, in-depth,
detailed descriptions of conditions as they existed as of the authoring of this report have been
included only as Section III of the Appendix to this document.
Page 11 of 54
Page 2313 of 2557
4_0 PUBLIC INPUT
The Economic Development Division of the City's Tourism, Culture and Economic
Development Department (TCED) reached out to the public for input on the needs of North
Beach through a variety of methods. The Division staff made every effort to gather the widest
scope of thoughts, suggestions, concerns and issues from the public. Methods utilized included:
informal conversations, a dedicated project email address, a project page on Facebook, open
public workshops, a public workshop specifically directed at commercial property and business
owners, and input obtained through publicly noticed meetings of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel
on North Beach Revitalization. Additionally, staff held informal discussions when meeting with
or visiting North Beach community members to gather information to be used as background
information by staff in preparation for public sessions and as a continuous source of topics for
discussion at public workshops.
The City held four public outreach meetings in the early months of 2014. While all of the
meetings were open to anyone wishing to attend, the first two meetings were designed towards a
general audience and the third meeting was geared towards commercial property owners.
Meetings were held in 2014 on January 29th, February 13th, March 22nd, and April 22nd
NOTE: A full listing of compiled comments from the public input methods (open public
meetings, information conversations, etc.) is included in Section IV of the Appendix to this
document.
4.1 Other Input Methods
It should be noted the other input methods: the dedicated email address, Facebook page, informal
discussions, telephone contacts, and input at meetings of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on
North Beach Revitalization, were not numerous enough to be distinguished. Nonetheless, some
input was received through these methods and included in the discussions during the open public
workshops so that it was made a part of the overall list of issues and thus was part of the final
ranking of issues at the last meeting.
Page 12 of 54
Page 2314 of 2557
5.0 DEMOGRAPHIC AND MARKET OVERVIEW
When preparing plans for redevelopment, scenarios are created for revitalization that typically
includes new and more vibrant uses than currently exist within the area to be revitalized. The
public is often consulted as to their desired uses and those uses which will bring about the
greatest perceived turnaround in the local economy are often considered. This may insure a clear
vision for the area but if the redevelopers do not understand the area's demographics, market and
the demand for goods and services, the potential exists that redevelopment efforts will stall and
not come to fruition.
The analysis of demand is essential for the location of any potential use in North Beach as this
evaluation determines the type of business that has the best chance of success. A detailed
analysis of market characteristics and demand can be found in Section V of the Appendix.
5.1 Summary
Based on the data collected, there is demand at the time of the publication of this document for
retail establishments of various types in North Beach. The demand for square footage for each
various retail types is not great for a number of the retail sub-categories. It is however important
that the demand spans almost all of the retail sub-categories. Data shows the potential for
between 487,929 and 609,910 additional square feet of retail space can be added during this time
of economic recovery. It is most likely that this demand will grow as the national and worldwide
economies continue to recover from the recent recession and as North Beach becomes a more
reliable regional and tourist draw and as residents gain more disposable income.
Page 13 of 54
Page 2315 of 2557
6.0 INFRASTRUCTURE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
The purpose of this Study is to provide for project and programs to enhance the economics,
appearance, and overall livability of North Beach. In order to meet the goals previously outlined
and to transform the North Beach of 2014 into the North Beach envisioned by community
members during the public input meetings conducted for this study, a clear implementation
strategy must be put forth.
The two most important issues that came to light from on-site investigations, public input
workshops, emails, and other feedback from the residents, property owners and business owners
were the following:
1) Commercial areas need more vibrancy and a better mix of office, retail and
restaurants.
2) North Beach is "tired" looking and needs attention to the detail of appearance.
This is not to say there are no other issues in North Beach, but these two items are umbrella
statements under which 90% of all concerns are covered. While the projects and programs of
this section will affect the first item, they will be more directly related to the second.
6.1 The Area
As previously mentioned and utilized, North Beach is a sizeable area so for discussion purposes,
it will be separated into its six (6) distinct neighborhood districts as described earlier in this
document. The discussion will further break these areas into sub-districts to better describe areas
with similar conditions and concerns.
6.2 General North Beach Infrastructure Action Items
This sub-section will provide a recommended action item list with which the City of Miami
Beach can address items of concern in North Beach related to infrastructure and rights-of-way.
A more detailed justification and description of these items can be found in Section VI of the
Appendix to this document.
Overall Area Infrastructure and Right-of-way Action Items:
1) City should devise and implement a Pavement Management System to appropriately
maintain roadways and to have a basis for scheduling of future roadway improvements
and maintenance programs.
2) Work with FDOT to insure pavement surfaces and pavement markings are maintained
within the North Beach area
3) Seek to reduce the impact of sidewalk wear on appearance by replacing sections of
sidewalk rather than repairing a small area or a single block of sidewalk when required.
Page 14 of 54
Page 2316 of 2557
4) Continue to monitor materials technology to seek ways to better maintain coloring of the
Miami Beach Red sidewalks.
5) City needs to create more comprehensive and consistent palate of crosswalk designs to
serve all levels of crosswalks.
6) City should undertake a sidewalk conditions survey to identify minor issues such as
broken in-sidewalk utility box covers as well as other potential safety issues.
7) Plantings in North Beach should be reviewed for their impact on the quality of sidewalk
appearance and replaced where appropriate.
8) All plantings and landscaped areas in the public realm should have adequate irrigation
systems.
9) A conceptual design for bridge lighting and beautification should be prepared for all
bridges in North Beach with the North Beach branding a consideration.
10)Waterways should receive a one-time cleaning that is more extensive than the removal of
debris for which the City current has a contract.
11)The City should seek to create a reserve account and begin allocating funding for future
dredging efforts of all the waterways in North Beach.
12)A master streetscape design should be created to devise a slate of themed streetscape
elements and a theme for right-of-way landscape plantings.
13)Entrance features should be designed and installed at the three identified entrances to
North Beach.
14)A wayfinding system based on current City wayfinding, but slightly altered to be North
Beach specific should be designed and installed to direct the public to key area points of
interest.
15)Seek opportunities to site public parking structures in or adjacent to commercial districts.
16)Regularly review the need to implement a residential parking permit system and
implement one when beneficial.
17)Plan for and seek opportunities to obtain land and construct residential surface lots and
residential parking structures if necessary.
18)When any public improvement is undertaken in North Beach, the City should follow
design guidelines outlined in the adopted Stormwater Master Plan in place at the time of
project design or with guidelines exceeding such Plan and City should encourage all
other entities undertaking such projects(i.e. FDOT)to do the same.
19)The City should implement all projects in North Beach outlined in the City's Stormwater
Master Plan as amended from time to time
20)The City should undertake a comprehensive review of all water and sewer facilities in the
North Beach area and plan for upgrading and/or replacement facilities in conjunction
with any other anticipated above ground improvements.
21)The City should undertake a complete review of lighting in North Beach and add lighting
in areas that currently have too little or no lighting keeping in mind modern CPTED
principles.
Page 15 of 54
Page 2317 of 2557
22)The City should investigate various modern lighting technologies to find street,
pedestrian, and parking lot lighting fixtures that reduce glare, direct light downward to
the street, sidewalk,or parking lot surface.
23)The City should endeavor to find more suitable coastal lighting that will provide lighting
that maintains safety and perception of security for humans that is not detrimental to
turtle hatchlings or other area wildlife.
6.3 Lower North Shore Infrastructure Action Items
This area is the southernmost portion of North Beach. The barrier island in this area is somewhat
narrow and dominated by the north-south roadways of Indian Creek Drive and Collins Avenue.
6.3.1 Roadways
1) Both the city-owned streets of 67th and 69th Streets should include more plantable islands
and medians. Both of these inclusions would allow for more landscaped areas and will
bring the areas into a more human scale, adding a more intimate atmosphere.
6.3.2 Sidewalks and Crosswalks
1) Create a better design for crosswalks on Indian Creek Drive South of 7ls` that are
complicated by the convergence of angled roadways.
2) Create clear identifiable crosswalk locations on Collins Avenue to prevent unsafe
pedestrian crossings outside of marked crosswalk areas.
3) Sidewalks should be replaced where necessary in roadways areas that may be rebuilt
according to the BODR's(current or future designs).
6.3.3 Bridges
1) While technically not within North Beach, the 63`d Street Bridge from Allison Island to
the barrier beach should be considered for beautification with a North Beach theme.
6.3.4 Waterways
1) Indian Creek should receive a one-time deep cleaning along its banks.
6.3.5 Streetscaping
1) An effort should be undertaken to locate street trees, preferably shade trees, in areas that
are plantable.
2) Locations that may be identified for the installation of islands should include plantings
and irrigation.
3) Street ends at the west side of both 65`h and 69th streets should be made more park-like
with green space,benches, trash receptacles and appropriate lighting.
Page 16 of 54
Page 2318 of 2557
4) Standard spacing and additional opportunities for street tree plantings along Indian Creek
Drive should be reviewed.
5) Similar trees as those utilized along the roadway should be included along the frontage of
the City's Brittany Bay Park at the lower end of Indian Creek Drive.
6) Collins Avenue should be reviewed for the opportunity for a more comprehensive
streetscape program that would include public benches, bicycle racks, and additional
landscaping. Areas where sufficient space exists outside of the roadway should include
additional landscaped areas.
7) Lighting on Collins Avenue should include fixtures that both light the roadway and those
that are at a more pedestrian level to insure safety for pedestrians at night.
8) The 63rd Street/Indian Creek Intersection should also be reviewed for the appropriate
location for a themed, bold, iconic,North Beach entrance sign/feature.
9) Once the sign is installed, appropriate lighting, landscaping and possibly public art or
other design element(s), should be designed and installed around the sign to create a full
entrance feature.
10)The central portion of area, the City-owned streets north of 67th Street could have more of
an intimate neighborhood feel with addition landscaping within plantable islands and
medians which are recommended by the BODR for 67th and 69th Streets.
6.3.6 Parking
1) A potential exists for the City to participate in a public-private venture to include a
parking structure in the southeast corner area of 65th Street and Indian Creek Drive to
incentivize to have a density of residential and provide more parking for customers of
Collins Avenue businesses.
6.3.7 Water and Sewer
1) In absence of an updated Water/Sewer Master Plan, replacement should be made as
outlined in the BODR if not already comp' ted.
6.4 71"Street/Town Center Corridor Infrastructure Action Items
This corridor includes the business core of North Beach and it is the most visible sub-area. The
71" Street/Town Center district has the area's most urban design and is essentially the "front
porch"of North Beach, thus improvements in this area should be of the high priority for the City.
6.4.1 Roadways
1) Portions of Byron and Carlyle Avenues near 72nd Street are beginning to deteriorate and
need repair.
Page 17 of 54
Page 2319 of 2557
2) 72"d Avenue is in poor condition with spots of significant deterioration and is in need of
repair.
3) 72"d Street is outlined for improvements in the North Shore BODR that includes a
reduction in travel land width to include angled parking in the middle of the roadway.
This right-of-way should be considered for a redesign to include a landscaped median
with the northern parallel parking considered for alteration to angled parking.
6.4.2 Sidewalks and Crosswalks
1) The sidewalks on 71" Street are distinct through this sub-area as they are not Miami
Beach Red concrete but instead, are of colored concrete. The design of the sidewalk on
71st Street, a mix of colored cement pavers and colored cement, while unusual for the
area, does not make much of as much of a visual impact as it should and should be
redesigned. This redesign should draw more attention to the area and take into account
extreme variations in sidewalk width through the corridor.
2) Sidewalks along Byron and Carlyle Avenues near 71' Street that are now either level
with the street surface or only slightly above causing impassible conditions in periods of
rain should be raised.
3) A pedestrian crosswalk is needed at the "T" intersection of Byron Avenue and 72"
Street. While it is not a signalized intersection,this area sees significant pedestrian traffic
from children traveling to and from the North Shore Park and Youth Center.
6.4.3 Bridges
1) FDOT's bridge on 71' Street currently has no design features and it is poorly lit. This
bridge should be of a signature design in conformance with the North Beach Branding
effort and should invite pedestrians to cross from the 71st Street Corridor sub-area to
Normandy by adding interesting and attractive elements.
6.4.4 Streetscaping
1) An appropriate streetscape plan should be developed for 71" to replace the existing
elements which are of poor quality and design and not of a common theme.
2) As the "front porch" to North Beach, this corridor should have a streetscape and
landscape design that makes a statement that one has arrived in North Beach and it
should highlight the North Beach branding elements and concepts.
3) The area of this Corridor that is along Collins Avenue should be part of any streetscape
design for the remainder of Collins to the South of this area for consistency.
4) 72"d Street should be considered for landscaped medians and other streetscape elements
that would be appropriate in this location such as bus shelters, benches, trash receptacles
due to the nature of the street with a large area park and the North Shore Youth Center.
5) Street ends at northern ends of Bonita and Indian Creek Drives should be reviewed for
potential improvements.
Page 18 of 54
Page 2320 of 2557
6) The street end on Indian Creek Drive includes a grassy area that could be made into a
small pocket park with a bench, landscaping,and waterway views.
6.43 Parking
1) It is critical for the City to seek opportunities to construct significant parking structures in
this area.
2) The best opportunities for such construction of parking will be for the City to partner
with property owners adjacent to existing City parking lots which would provide
sufficient space for parking structures allowing for retail or other activation of the ground
floor.
3) The City should continue to upgrade its public parking lots to include resurfacing and
restriping as well as inclusion of landscaping where possible to soften lot appearance and
have a cooling effect on what is otherwise, a very hot asphalt surface.
6.4.6 Drainage
I) Drainage issues exist on Byron Avenue as the sidewalks at street level and stormwater
seeks to flow to the private property flooding the sidewalks. Sufficient drainage facilities
exist on the block but sidewalks would need to be raised with curbing that would direct
water to the existing drainage structures.
2) On Carlyle Avenue, the Post Office has complained that due to the crown of the road and
the lower curb elevation, heavy rains cause stormwater to top the sidewalk and flow into
their parking and loading dock area.
6.5 Upper North Shore Infrastructure Action Items
This area includes all of the area on the barrier island north of 72nd Street as well as Parkview
Island. It contains a significant amount of multi-family properties, the oceanfront, and a number
of parks. This area includes the largest area in which the neighborhood infrastructure
improvement program has not been implemented to date and thus it has some very significant
infrastructure needs.
6.5.1 Roadways
1) Most of the City owned roadways through the area are generally in very poor shape with
cracks and wear quite obvious and are in need of the neighborhood infrastructure
improvements that have been on hold for over a decade.
2) A number of areas are in need of landscaped islands to improve safety and bring some
areas into a more human-scaled environment due to street widths, though parking needs
should be considered.
Page 19 of 54
Page 2321 of 2557
3) The majority of the streets in need of landscaping are located in the center of the North
Shore between Harding and Dickens Avenues (the intersections already include bulb-outs
with landscaping).
4) Many existing bulb-outs are detached with an uncovered gutter between the bulb-out and
curb, grate coverings may not be feasible due to the width of the gutter, however,
wherever possible, grates should be placed on existing bulb-outs and included in any new
installations.
5) All locations with wide gutters should be evaluated for future drainage redesign,
enhancement, and/or re-construction that would eliminate or reduce the size of the large
gaps between bulb-outs and curbs for both aesthetic and safety concerns.
6) It is recommended that the City review the potential for landscaped islands in appropriate
locations to be designed as natural drainage areas much like a traditional non-curbed
swale with landscaping that would be water tolerant and able to withstand dry periods.
7) The Byron Avenue right-of-way between 73'd and 75`" Streets includes sufficient width to
add a landscaped median in this area with significant shade trees.
8) Carlyle Avenue between 74rd and 75`1 Street should be reviewed for the potential to add
width to the sidewalk area for street trees, or the potential to replace several parking
spaces with mid-block, landscaped islands.
9) The east-west corridors of 73rd, 74`s and 75th Streets also appear to have sufficient width
to reduce open roadway space and include plantable medians (part of 73rd Street already
includes landscaped medians which are in need of rehabilitation between Dickens and
Harding Avenues. If sufficient widths do not exist or is not desired, these corridors
should be evaluated for the inclusion of angled parking.
10)It is also important that all of the alleyways in this area including Harding Court, Collins
Court, Byron Court, are evaluated and repaved if necessary.
6.5.2 Sidewalks and Crosswalks
1) The 86t Street needs to be redesigned to include sidewalks though the City should have a
plan for the West Lots before moving forward with installing them between Harding and
Collins Avenue.
2) The appearance of sidewalks in this area is quite poor as most have been worn to the
aggregate or are broken, cracked, or otherwise damaged sidewalks and should be
replaced.
3) Sidewalks along Harding Avenue that were damaged when utility poles and signs were
relocated and the holes left were filled in with asphalt instead of concrete need to be
repaired.
4) Many water utility boxes in the sidewalks on Harding have also been damaged or
depressed and need to be repaired as they present dangerous conditions for pedestrians.
Page 20 of 54
Page 2322 of 2557
5) Crosswalks through the residential center of the neighborhood, intersections between but
not including Harding and Dickens Avenue, either don't exist or have worn to a point of
no longer being noticeable and need to be installed or replaced.
6) Many of the crosswalks along Harding and Collins Avenues are worn to an underlying
base asphalt roadway surface and are in need of replacement.
7) The City needs to work with FDOT to increase the number of crosswalks on Harding and
Collins Avenues north of 76th Street where there is significant traffic and few intersection
crossings for pedestrians heading to North Shore Open Space Park.
8) The walkway behind Biscayne Elementary School, which leads from the end of 75th
Street to Lehrman Drive/77`h Street should be shored up as erosion has led to some
degradation, and consideration should be given to replacing this asphalt path with
concrete sidewalk due to the amount of use it receives.
6.5.3 Bridges
1) The appearances of both sides the vehicular bridge to Parkview Island on 73'd Street and
the pedestrian bridge to Parkview should be enhanced according to a to-be-created bridge
beautification and lighting plan for North Beach.
2) The pedestrian bridge to Parkview Island should be evaluated for security and aesthetics
as the chain link fencing placed on and around this bridge is unsightly; a better long-term
design for security can be designed and implemented.
3) One side of three other bridges; the 77th Street and 85'h Street vehicular bridges to
Biscayne Beach/Biscayne Point and the pedestrian bridge across the Tatum walkway
should all be enhanced to the appearance and lighting design that will be set through the
bridge beautification and lighting plan.
6.5.4 Streetscaping
1) Collins Avenue in Upper North Shore should be designed in a manner consistent with the
remainder of Collins Avenue through other areas of North Beach including greater use of
street furniture in the commercial area between 72nd and 76th Streets.
2) Light poles that are similar in design to those located in the commercial district of this
area should be placed north of 76th Street to provide for a continuous, but not identical,
appearance along the road.
3) An appropriate slatc of tree and plant species should be utilized through the entire Collins
Corridor and should be incorporated into the edges of North Shore Open Space Park, the
West Lots, Bandshell Park and the parking lot at 72nd Street and Collins Avenue.
4) All elements of the Streetscape should be consistent with the North Beach branding
concept.
5) Similar streetscaping elements should be utilized on Harding Avenue as well to provide
for a consistent look along this half of the Collins Avenue/Harding one-way, paired
streets.
Page 21 of 54
Page 2323 of 2557
6) The City entrance sign previously located at 87th Street should be replaced with a sign
and feature designed to be consistent with the North Beach branding concept as well as
the entrance sign to be placed at 71St Street and the North Beach entrance sign to be
placed in the 63`d Street/Indian Creek Drive area.
7) Area identification/wayfinding signage needs to be installed to identify key North Beach
attractions including signage directing the public to Ocean Terrace, the beach, and Altos
del Mar Park.
8) Signage identifying the North Shore National Register District would assist in giving this
historic district an identity to visitors and those driving through the area.
9) Streetscape elements for this area should be of consistent design utilizing the North
Beach branding.
10)Landscaping should be placed in the public rights-of-way wherever there is sufficient
space and it should conform to the North Beach palate, maximize shade, and enhance
area wide appearance.
6.5.5 Parking
1) The City must continuously review the need for residential permit parking in the area as
the need for additional residential lots and parking structures both in the commercial
areas and residential areas.
2) All potential locations to expand the number of on-street parking through the use of
angled parking over parallel parking should be further explored.
3) Green spaces between angled parking should be maintained to provide a more
aesthetically pleasing appearance in the neighborhoods.
4) Off-street, public parking currently includes ten (10) public parking lots in Upper North
Shore, almost all of which are in need of refurbishment and addition of landscaping
elements for beautification however lots that are part of the West Lots should not be
rehabilitated before a master plan for these lots is completed.
5) When preparing a plan for the West Lots, appropriate Iots should be retained and
designed to include a parking structure(s) to accommodate parking needs for North Shore
Open Space Park including additional parking spaces that may be desired and necessary
to support future area uses and increased use of the Park.
6) P106, the beachfront lot at the library, should be considered for the location of a parking
structure as a long-term option.
7) P92 should be considered location for a parking structure due to its size and location.
8) Landscaping at P92 should be redesigned as it has grown woody and a bit unsightly and
provides a security risk due to the limited view areas they provide and the existing wall
adds to the limited view area leading to this lot having a high rate of vehicle break-ins.
9) The four lots that compose the CVS parking lot at the northeast corner of Harding
Avenue and 74th Street should be pursued as a location for a parking structure through a
partnership between the City and the lots' owners.
Page 22 of 54
Page 2324 of 2557
6.6 Biscayne Point/Stillwater DriveBiscavne Beach Infrastructure Action Items
This area includes the Biscayne Point, Stillwater Drive and Biscayne Beach/Crespi
neighborhoods. This area includes single family, mostly waterfront homes in Biscayne Point and
on Stillwater Drive and mostly multi-family units in the Biscayne Beach/Crespi area. All of
these areas have received major infrastructure improvements in recent years so there are few
infrastructure needs in this sub-area.
6.6.1 Roadways
All of the roadways in this area have been repaired in recent years and no major improvements
are required.
1) The City should review the extensive use of bulb-outs in the Biscayne Beach/Crespi area
to determine if there are any that can be removed or reduced in size to accommodate
additional on-street parking.
6.6.2 Sidewalks and Crosswalks
1) Sidewalks in the Biscayne Beach/Crespi area are very uneven in color as replaced
sidewalk is interspersed with sections that were not replaced and are worn to an extent
that large rocks in the aggregate are visible, The City needs to find a way to address this
issue.
2) Installation of sidewalks on the east side of Bayside Lane south of Lehrman Drive/77t
Street would present a more appealing look to this small stretch of roadway.
3) The interior bridge located on Hendon Avenue in Biscayne Point should be redesigned
and reconstructed to include accessible sidewalks.
6.6.3 Bridges
1) All of the bridges in this area should be part of the design plan for North Beach bridges,
however, the bridges interior to Biscayne Point should be of the lowest priority for
appearance upgrades as they are used and seen by a very limited number of people.
2) Due to their proximately to single family homes, potential lighting on the bridges in this
area should be subject to safety needs and the desires of adjacent residents and should not
seek to make the bridges stand out as they might be designed in other locations of heavier
traffic.
3) The entrance bridge to Biscayne Point can be designed to a higher standard, although
should still meet the desires of the homeowner's association for Biscayne Point.
6.6.4 Streetscaping
1) Additional landscaping would be desirable in the Biscayne Beach area.
Page 23 of 54
Page 2325 of 2557
2) Bus shelters and benches may be required in certain limited areas at bus stops on
Hawthorne Drive.
3) The City should keep watch to insure that landscaping planted along Stillwater Drive
survives over time and that trees planted are healthy and provide the maximum shade
possible as this area is currently quite open and contains little if any shade.
6.6.5 Parking
1) Bulb-outs in the Biscayne Beach/Crespi area should be reviewed for the potential to be
reduced in size or removed for additional parking.
2) The City should look for two or three strategically located locations that have the
potential to be centrally located residential parking lots in the Biscayne Beach/Crespi
area.
6.7 Normandy Fountain Area Infrastructure Action Items
This area is essentially the commercial district located around the Normandy Fountain on
Normandy Island. This area is treated separately from the residential area due to its unique
needs and relative segregation from the larger residential area.
6.7.1 Roadways
1) The edge of pavement on Mai Monides Street should be monitored to determine if
deficiencies in the pavement are damaging to the roadway.
2) The City should work to establish a consistent ROW width along Mai Monides Street
even if it requires conveying area to the adjacent property owner.
3) The City should seek to close Rue Vendome between Normandy Drive and 7151 Street to
extend plaza at the Normandy Fountain to the adjacent storefronts and create an area fully
open for use by the public.
4) If Rue Vendome canr^t be closed permanently, the City should seek methods to block it
off,at least for weekends, to be used a public gathering/outdoor dining location.
6.7.2 Sidewalks and Crosswalks
1) The sidewalks on 715` Street and Normandy Drive through the areas that are commercial
are composed of the same materials with the same look as those on 715` Street through the
Town Center district and thus should be redesigned as recommended for 7151 Street
through Town Center.
2) No sidewalks exist along the eastern half of Mai Monides Street between Vichy Drive
and Versilles Court, if the City were to be able to get more consistent ROW width in the
area, it should evaluate the potential to extend the sidewalks that exist along the street to
the west.
Page 24 of 54
Page 2326 of 2557
3) While there are sufficient crosswalks throughout this relatively small area, there needs to
be a common design for these crosswalks to assist pedestrians in understanding the type
of roadway they are crossing.
6.7.3 Bridges
1) The 715`Street Bridge should be enhanced as described in subsection 6.4.3 of this section.
6.7.4 Streetscaping
1) 7155 Street and Normandy Drive need a more comprehensive streetscape program than
what currently exists in the area and it should be similar to those that will be in the Town
Center area but yet have subtle differences that will give the area a distinct appearance.
2) There is sufficient sidewalk width to add landscaping in the area and to add appropriate
street furniture such as decorative bike racks, trash receptacles and other items designed
within the North Beach branding theme.
3) The City should make every effort to insure appropriate street furnishings exist in
locations of bus stops or of stops for the North Beach Circulator Trolley to service the
needs of riders.
4) The City should insure light poles in the area match a desired streetscape scheme as well
as making sure the poles are sufficient to support decorative banners.
5) The sidewalk landscape areas on the south side of 7l5` Street and the north side of
Normandy Drive in front of residential properties should have a consistent landscape
design to include shade trees with landscape material between the trees.
6) The Deco Bike rack located on Rue Notre Dame is in the roadway and should be
redesigned to be protected from motor vehicular traffic and with trash receptacles and
other elements in the immediate area.
7) Streetscape elements should be highlighted at a newly renovated Vendome/Fountain
plaza, as they will be particularly visible in this area, and they should flow from the plaza
through the remainder of the area.
6.7.5 Parking
1) On-street parking is well utilized in this area and parking overall is in demand. There do
not appear to be any real options to increase on-street parking in the area. In fact, the
proposal to close Rue Vendome for a public plaza will eliminate nine (9) parking spaces.
This means off-street,public parking will be crucial for the area in the future.
2) Adjacent to the west side of P88 is a drive-thru banking facility associated with the Chase
Bank located at the northwest corner of 7151 Street and Rue Vendome to the east side of
lot P88 that presents an opportunity for a joint public-private project to build a parking
structure constructed with drive-thru facilities for the bank incorporated into its design.
Page 25 of 54
Page 2327 of 2557
3) An opportunity for another parking structure exists just adjacent to this sub-area at the
site of a private surface lot currently exists one block off Normandy Drive at southwest
corner of the intersection of Rue Versailles and Marseille Drive.
4) If the lot described in item 3 above can be developed with sufficient spaces, lot P89
should be abandoned and developed with a commercial building to provide a continuous
building frontage on the sidewalk.
5) All potential locations to expand the number of on-street parking through the use of
angled parking over parallel parking should be further explored.
6.8 Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores Infrastructure Action Items
This area includes the area on the Normandy Islands that are not a part of the Normandy
Fountain area. This includes almost all the residential (single-family and multi-family) areas as
well as the relatively small commercial district located at the western side of the area around the
convergence of 7151 Street and Normandy Drive prior to the JFK Causeway Bridge.
6.8.1 Roadways
1) The City should discuss with adjacent residential owners Everglades Court, an unpaved
alleyway west of Mai Monides Street to explore the positives and negatives of paving of
the alley and determine the long-term future of the alley.
2) The City should level and re-compact Everglades Court and should monitor this alley to
insure the surface remains even so as to make sure that vehicles can comfortably traverse
the area and that the alley does not become a magnet for illegal dumping.
3) The City should work with FDOT to determine if landscapable islands can be placed
along Normandy Drive and 71' Street at intersections that are within safety and sight
triangles. These areas are currently hashed with paint indicating that there is no parking
in these areas, landscaped islands would to add to area aesthetics and provide traffic
calming.
4) Driveway aprons should be installed in ROW in the single family residential areas south
of 71' Street to insure a clean appearance of the neighborhood and prevent muddy
patches without green space during the rainy season.
5) The City should review the potential to re!esign the area of the intersection of Biarritz
Drive, and Brest Esplanade to make the area function more efficiently for public use.
6.8.2 Sidewalks and Crosswalks
1) The City should review locations where sidewalks do not exist in this area for potential
inclusion of such to complete a pedestrian network.
2) There are some corners (sidewalks off the roadway surface) along both Normandy Drive
and 7151 Street that include large areas of concrete pavement that should include green
Page 26 of 54
Page 2328 of 2557
space cut-outs to reduce the harshness of the environment and improve area aesthetics if
appropriate.
3) Crosswalks in this area are a mix of different designs that should be standardized for the
area with a more decorative crosswalk that includes a different color for the pedestrian
area than the roadway.
4) The City should review pedestrian activity in the two multi-family areas south of 71'
Street to insure that pedestrians are not crossing streets at mid-block and should install
crosswalks at locations where warranted.
5) The City should continue to work with FDOT to place crosswalks that traverse
Normandy Drive and 71" Street,particularly at Rue Granville.
6.8.3 Bridges
I) The two city bridges that cross the Normandy Waterway at either end of Normandy
should be enhanced according to the bridge painting and lighting plan to be designed.
2) While not necessarily contemplated by the North Beach branding for bridge painting and
lighting, the City should open a dialogue with FDOT about enhancing the appearance of
the eastern landing of the JFK Causeway bridge in an effort to upgrade this landing to
include a treatment consistent with the appearance theme and lighting schemes that will
be designed and ultimately implemented for all other bridges in North Beach.
6.8.4 Streetscaping
1) The City should work with FDOT to continue streetscaping in the Town Center and
Normandy Fountain areas through the 71"Street and Normandy Drive in this area.
2) On Normandy Drive and 71st Street, a program of evenly spaced trees should be
implemented with an appropriate species that will add shade to the area but which are
suited to this environment of limited planting space and vehicular traffic.
3) It is not recommended that decorative sidewalk pavers or designs be continued through
the blocks between Rue Notre Dame and Rue Granville, though there may be benefit in
repeating the sidewalk design of the commercial districts of 71st Street on the 71St Street
and Normandy Drive areas from the JFK Causeway bridge to Rue Granville to announce
entry to the City.
4) The existing City entrance feature and sign located at the eastern foot of the JFK
Causeway Bridge should be replaced with a sign and feature designed to be consistent
with the North Beach branding concept as well as other recommended entrance signs at
87th Street/Harding Avenue and in the 63`'Street/Indian Creek Drive area.
5) Within the multifamily area on the West of Normandy Island south of 71" Street, the City
needs to fmd a way to add additional trees to this area and some pedestrian-scale lighting.
6) Landscaped islands interspersed within parking along most of the streets north of
Normandy Drive are an excellent compromise between the provision of parking and
Page 27 of 54
Page 2329 of 2557
appropriate street landscaping and should be used as an example of this type of design for
other areas of North Beach and of the City in its entirety.
7) The City should also review the potential to better design Brest Esplanade into a true
esplanade as the ROW in this area is much wider than the roadway itself. It may be
possible to redesign the area to add a small median and/or street trees that would give this
short, one-block stretch in the middle of this multi-family area, a very unique look.
6.8.5 Parking
1) The City needs to make certain that single family properties in this area that have paved
swales have received appropriate approvals from the City.
2) It is further recommended that paving of swales and the replacement of grassy swales
with stone or other landscape materials be forbidden as it negatively impacts the
neighborhood aesthetics and leads to erosion at the edge of pavement.
3) The City should continue to explore opportunities to acquire lots for surface lots within
the multifamily zones of this area as well as consider residential parking structures to
meet long-term needs.
4) This area includes parking lot P87 that is in need of improvements including a
resurfacing and design to include landscaping to soften the appearance of the lot.
There are several lots along South Shore Drive owned by the Housing Authority of the City
of Miami Beach. The City should work with the Housing Authority to determine if the
Authority needs all of the lots and/or the potential for a joint project that would meet the
needs of the Authority's affordable housing mission and the City's need to provide additional
parking in the area.
Page 28 of 54
Page 2330 of 2557
7_0 PUBLIC PROPERTY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
This section will explore recommendations for the use of public properties in the various sub-
areas of North Beach. The purpose of this section is to provide recommendations that will
maximize the use of public properties to facilitate use by the public and the stimulating of other
desired activities by the public and private entities. Recommendations will focus on parks as
well as other properties owned by the City. Initially presented will be needs of the entire North
Beach area which will be followed by recommendations for the six (6) sub-areas utilized
throughout this document.
7.1 North Beach Areawide Public Property Needs
There are several overall needs/possibilities the City must address for the entire of the North
Beach Area. These needs will be outlined below. Needs and possibilities of individual sites
within the sub-areas will be addressed by sub-area later in this section.
1) The City should engage an experienced and reputable master planning firm to prepare
long range plans to include zoning and land use modifications as well as long range
targets for transportation,park, and other related North Beach issues.
7.1.2 Parks
1) It is recommended that the City cause to be prepared a Master North Beach Parks Plan to
investigate recreational needs of the North Beach public and visitors and plan how these
needs will be met given the existing parks in North Beach.
2) The Master North Beach Parks Plan should also address the physical needs of each park
both for use and beautification. Parks should be programmed to include appropriate
activity spaces and facilities (courts, fields, play areas, a skateboarding area, teen center),
along with appropriate landscaping,hardscape and other needs.
7.1.3 Street Ends
1) Where possible, street ends should be landscaped in a manner that creates a park-like
setting which may simply mean a defined termination of street pavement and inclusion of
grass and trees to an area.
2) Street ends on waterways should be considered as locations for kayak/canoe/paddleboard
launches or stops where appropriate given adjacent property use, whether parking would
be required and the amount of space available for public use.
7.1.4 Streets and Rights-of-Way
Page 29 of 54
Page 2331 of 2557
For purposes of this document, improvements to streets and other rights-of-way including ideas
for streetscaping, have been included in the previous section on infrastructure strategies and will
not be discussed in this section.
7.13 Parking Lots
Parking lots and the need for parking structures is covered in the previous section on
infrastructure strategies and will not be discussed in detail in this section. It is important to
suggest in this section however, the potential for public-private partnerships to facilitate the
construction of parking structures in North Beach.
1) In any location where the City owns a parking lot or other land where a parking lot or
structure is desired, it should seek out partnerships with the adjacent land owner to create
additional parking and value.
2) The highest likelihood for a partnership would be in the Town Center/71S` Street Corridor
area as City National Bank owns and is seeking to sell a number of
developable/redevelopable lots in this area, many of which are adjacent to existing city
surface parking lots.
3) While Town Center/71st Street presents the greatest potential for these collaborations,
opportunities to partner with private entities are available in all of the areas of North
Beach.
7.2 Lower North Shore Public Property Needs
The City owns several parcels in this area, at this time however, all of these parcels have distinct
uses and are not available for other use. Recommendations for each property will be outlined
below
7.2.1 Brittany Bay Park
1) The seawall along the entire of the park is in a poor state of nvair and in need of
replacement.
2) The seawall project should be designed to include a kayak launch.
3) Landscaping should be maintained and upgraded including: missing trees should be
replaced, irrigation pipes are visible due to floating or breaks should be replaced and/or
reburied, and lower level groundcover/shrubbery with color should be added.
4) Some Iighting was not installed or removed with at least once concrete base with
extruding bolts and wiring conduit exposed that should be used for its intended purpose
or removed.
5) A dumpster at the site should be placed in an enclosure and the paved surface around it
should be better delineated from the open area to prevent unauthorized vehicles intruding
into the park.
Page 30 of 54
Page 2332 of 2557
6) The existing pump station at the site should be landscaped if possible to blend into the
natural landscape of the park.
7) The small parking lot at the north end of the park is in need of resurfacing and the City
should review the potential to expand the lot slightly (less than eight (8) spaces) to
accommodate addition vehicles should the kayak launch be included at the site.
7.2.2 65`n Street
1) The 65th Street roadway between Indian Creek Drive and Collins Avenue does not apear
to be a dedicated right-of-way. If there is no unusual circumstance of title or deed, this
roadway and adjacent sidewalks should be dedicated to the public and included as public
right-of-way to insure the area traffic pattern remains as is and the potential for access
problems to future projects in the area will be nullified.
7.2.3 The Ronald W. Shane Watersport Center
1) The City should work with the tenant on site, the Miami Beach Rowing Club, as well as
the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority to find ways to attract more northern
college crew teams to the site particularly during spring break.
2) The City can produce an attraction brochure and work with the Club and its membership
to make recruitment calls to other schools and potential rowing club users to fill the
calendar.
3) All the parties should work together to explore if new events around rowing or kayaking
that will bring in additional consumers of food, beverage and room nights would be
desirable at the site.
7.2.4 Police Department's North End Sub Station(NESS)
1) Should a satellite City Hall be located in North Beach in the future, and city facilities
located in North Beach, the Police Department should consider relocation of the sub-
station to the new site to insure all municipal facilities will be in a centralized location.
2) If the NESS were to be relocated, its current site would need to be evaluated for its future
use as a waterfront park open to the public.
3) Whatever happens on the site, it remains a good location for a launch site for kayaks,
canoes, and paddleboards if installation of such is appropriate with the Police
Department's continued use of the site.
7.3 Town Center/71"Street Corridor Public Property Needs
This area contains eight (8) properties, six (6) of which are parking lots. These properties
include:
Page 31 of 54
Page 2333 of 2557
7.3.1 Parking Lots
Lots in the area include the following:
Parking lot P-80 (southeast corner of Byron Avenue and 715` Street)
Parking lot P-83 (approximately 6941 Harding Avenue)
Parking lot P-84(approximately 6970 Harding Avenue)
Parking lot P-85 (approximately 6981 Carlyle Avenue)
Parking lot P-86 (two side-by-side properties: approximately 6980 Indian Creek Drive and
6981 Bonita Drive)
Parking lot P-90 (northeast corner of Bonita Drive and 7151 Street)
1) All of the parking lots in this area are potential public-private partnership lots. If adjacent
property owners desired to build additional square footage or to replace existing
buildings, the City should discuss a partnership with the property owner to include
parking structures or the reconfiguration of the public lot to expand public parking
capacity while addressing parking needs of potential tenants.
7.3.2 Property at the Blue North Beach Condominium
This property ownership is limited to the area on which a bus shelter is placed at the northeast
portion of the property on Abbot Avenue. Other than redevelop the bus shelter, there is nothing
that can be done at this site.
1) The City should insure that the bus shelter is in conformance with any adopted
streetscape theme or plan.
7.3.3 The Byron Carlyle Theater
1) If the city-owned parking lot behind the theater site were to be included in a new
development, the site could potentially include several floors of parking in addition to
retail, office, or other such space. Given this development potential, this property should
be considered for the City to place a needed anchor use in the Town Center/7151 Street
Corridor.
2) An anchor use that would draw people to Town Center that will not only visit the user on
the site, but will visit other businesses in the area should be attracted to the site. This
may be a user that draws based on employment (an office user), the placement of a
destination retailer (i.e. a department store or unique, high traffic store), attraction of
educational facilities (an institution of higher education with significant on-site
enrollment), or entertainment/creative activities (theater, music hall, art gallery).
3) The best use of the site might be entertainment uses such as theater and/or creative space.
Revitalization in many areas around the country has been anchored by strategies that
included art and the creative class and such uses will generally require a generous
Page 32 of 54
Page 2334 of 2557
partnership (so would be unlikely to inhabit privately owned space) but such investment
can have large return on investment.
4) The Byron Carlyle Theater site is a key piece of the revitalization of North Beach and the
City needs to think past the existing use and building and prepare a vision for the site that
would include an anchor user for a building that would maximize the development
potential of the site and draw people to the area.
7.4 Upper North Shore Public Property Needs
This area contains the largest number of public properties in all of North Beach.
The number of parcels will not be outlined as most of the city owned properties contain
numerous parcels of many different current uses. The properties will instead be group as they
are known: These properties the following:
7.4.1 Parking Lots
Several of the parking lots in this area are excellent locations to do more than have surface
parking. Several will be explored in greater depth to describe other opportunities that exist with
or adjacent to them.
7.4.1.1 Parking Lot P-91
This lot is part of the North Shore Park and Youth Center. It is not in need of improvement at
this time.
7.4.1.2 Parking Lot P-92
1) There are several possible uses for this site other than a surface-only parking lot
mentioned in the public input workshops:
a. The site could be used as a green space, with a soccer or other type of field, atop
subterranean parking as envisioned by the Town Center Plan though it could be
somewhat costly to provide subterranean parking at this site due to its low
elevation and there would probably be a reduction in the overall number of
parking spaces that could be provided due to the need for structural elements for
the roof.
b. The site for a mixed use center; brought up by a majority of those commenting on
the site. A voter referendum would be required to transfer ownership or to have a
long term lease for a mixed use center however.
2) A combination of both of the previous options provides a third and preferable third
option; utilization of the eastern half of the property for a multi-story parking structure
with ground floor retail uses on Collins Avenue and an open green space suitable for
active field on the western half fronting on Harding Avenue. This would both increase
Page 33 of 54
Page 2335 of 2557
the number of parking spaces and provide a continuous commercial frontage on Collins
Avenue providing a needed connection between commercial districts on Collins Avenue.
3) Whatever the use of the site, the effect any use of the site would have on noise emanating
from the North Shore Bandshell during any use utilizing sound amplifying equipment
needs to be considered.
7.4.1.3 Parking Lot P-110
I) Should any lots adjacent to P-110 be marketed for sale, the City should immediately
evaluate the potential for construction of a residential parking structure on an expanded
lot and react accordingly.
7.4.1.4 Parking Lot P-1 I2
1) The City should continue negotiations with developers seeking to redevelop the Howard
Johnson's Hotel located at 8701 Collins Avenue for the transfer of this lot so that the
developer could build a parking structure on the block.
2) Should this project not come to fruition, the City should rebuild this parking lot and
expand it to include space on the western side of the city's lot (currently vacant) so that
sufficient landscaping can be incorporated into the lot
7.4.2 Parks
There are a number of parks in the North Beach. Where improvements are recommended they
are listed below.
7.4.2.1 North Shore Bandshell Park/Unidad Senior Center
1) The bandshell is in need of more diverse and more frequent programming as requested
during public input workshops. The public indicated that the bandshell is a special and
unique attraction in North Beach and it sh.,uld be a prominent feature utilized to provide
entertainment to the residents of the area and to attract visitors to the area.
2) The City should procure an individual or firm to manage the bandshell and be responsible
for programming of the venue including performers that will provide a diversity of
entertainment and musical genres and this entity can assist in providing more control of
performances to insure they do not extend beyond the allowed time or exceed allowable
noise limits.
3) The City should maintain more control over bandshell sound through the installation and
maintenance of a house sound system at the bandshell and a review of other measures
that would direct sound away from neighboring properties or absorb the sound before
reaching these properties.
4) It is critical that Unidad and the selected bandshell management work together to prevent
conflicting events between the Senior Center and the bandshell.
Page 34 of 54
Page 2336 of 2557
7.4.2.2 Altos Del Mar Park
1) The master plan approved for this site in 2014 should be fully implemented in an
expeditious manner to include all elements outlined in the plan.
7.4.2.3 North Shore Open Space Park
1) The park is in need of upgrading to make it more attractive and to add more amenities
that would attract users,provide more recreational opportunities within the park, and curb
the occurrence of undesirable activity.
2) The City should take the conceptual plan for the park, as has been prepared by West 8, a
design consultant engaged by a developer seeking to redevelop the Howard Johnson
Hotel site, and hire a design consultant to convert it into an implementable plan with
community input.
3) Designs for the Park should include additional areas of activity, safety and security
measures that will provide for visitors to the Park and will prevent the site from
remaining an opportunity for the homeless to encamp.
4) As part of the overall redesign of the park, the City should consider a name change that is
descriptive of the site and/or is it a name that is easily marketed.
5) Proceeds from the sale of 87th Terrace to the developers of the Howard Johnsons site, or a
portion thereof, have the potential to, and should be used to fund significant
improvements to North Shore Open Space Park.
7.4.2.4 Tatum Park
1) There remains space for additional activities in the park, however, what, if anything,
should be included in the park should be a subject for a North Beach parks master plan as
previously recommended in the Area Wide Needs subsection.
7.4.2.5 Parkview Island Park
1) This small park space on Parkview Island is an underutilized site that could be improved
with a playground, more seating, and more inviting landscaping. Specific future
amenities should be programmed as part of the afore recommended North Beach parks
master plan.
7.4.2.6 Biscayne Elementary Park
1) This park, a field and playgrounds adjacent to Biscayne Elementary School, should be
considered for a partnership between the City and the School Board to enhance the park
to better serve both the school during school hours while striving to open the park to the
public in the evenings and weekends.
2) The pathway along the waterway on this site should be improved and shoreline of the
waterway secured to prevent collapse of the pathway. Particulars of improvements and
Page 35 of 54
Page 2337 of 2557
potential programming for the public outside of regular school hours should be a part of
the aforementioned North Beach parks master planning effort.
7.4.2.7 North Shore Park and Youth Center
1) Any additional improvements or changes to this park should be explored as part of the
area wide parks master planning effort.
7.4.3 Roadway Parcels
1) Several city-owned parcels in this area are actually utilized as rights of way. These
parcels should be dedicated to the public made rights-of-way rather than individually
owned parcels to insure no future issues with these roadways. This includes:
a. 85th Street from the Tatum Waterway to Byron Avenue(8480 Byron Avenue)
b. 77th Street from Dickens Avenue across the Tatum Waterway
c. Eastern Portion of Ocean Terrace (Ocean Terrace between 73"d and 75th Streets)
7.4.4 Mixed Projects
Properties described below include sites that are of multiple uses such as a parking lot and the
library site or parking lot and vacant,undesignated land.
7.4.4.1 81"Street Pedestrian Bridge Approach(8060 Tatum Waterway Drive)
1) Upgrades to this site were discussed in the Infrastructure Section of this document and
included landscaping upgrades, other minor site improvements, and inclusion in the
bridge painting and lighting program.
7.4.4.2 Water Tank Farm/North Beach Community Gardens and Park/Parking Lot P-93
This area includes the water tanks and all of the land west of Dickens to the Tatum Waterway
including that land south of 73rd Street to 72nd Street.
1) The southern portion south of 73rd Street includes the P-93 parking lot which is in need of
complete rehabilitation to include Trash receptacles and landscaping installed at the
parking lot perimeter to act as a trash barrier to catch trash that might otherwise blow into
the mangroves or the waterway.
2) that part of the southern portion of this area as well as the portion of the land north of
73" street that is not enclosed by the fencing around the water tanks should be considered
as park space in a North Beach Master Parks Plan and planned accordingly.
3) The existing community garden as well as the potential to site a kayak launch in this area
should be included as part of this master plan as should a funded, but not yet
implemented,project to install a pedestrian path around the water tanks that would link to
the path along Biscayne Elementary Park and linking to the Parkview Island pedestrian
bridge.
Page 36 of 54
Page 2338 of 2557
4) The area around the water tanks needs to be better secured with the gates closed and
locked to prevent the public from wandering the area around this facility.
5) The tanks are in need of pressure washing/painting on a regular basis and the dumpster in
the enclosure built into the chain link fencing on 74th Street needs to be better policed as
trash is regularly overflowing this dumpster.
6) Additional landscaping should be installed along the Dickens and 75th Street to better
shield the tanks from the public view and present a more park-like view of the property.
7.4.4.3 The North Shore Branch of the Miami Dade Library and Parking Lot P-106
1) It would be best if the library was relocated to the Town Center area or perhaps as one of
the ground floor uses in a parking structure elsewhere in North Beach and the existing
building removed from the beachside site.
2) Once unburdened by the library building, the City should review three options for the
site;
a. The existing P-106 lot could be expanded onto the old library site
b. A new building that lined the frontage, but was not of significant depth could be
constructed to provide a building to screen the parking from general view
c. A parking structure with some minimal ground floor retail could be constructed
on the site.
7.4.4.4 The West Lots
The 31 parcels on the west side of Collins Avenue east of Collins Court from 79th Street to 87th
Street are collectively referred to as "the West Lots". These lots are ail city-owned, though they
have different uses. This area includes parking lots P-107, P-108, P109, and P111, the site of the
Log Cabin, and several vacant lots. In addition, the City's Ocean Rescue Division is currently
occupying a portion of P-107 with the City's sign shop to occupy the site temporarily in the near
future. The West Lots are the last major development site in North Beach and the only vacant
developable land currently owned by the City.
1) Due to the importance of this area and the reluctance of the public in the open workshops
to discuss these lots, it is recommended the City engage a professional planner to prepare
a master plan for the West Lots.
2) A hired master planner for the West Lots should consider public sentiment on all
potential uses and should explore developments of differing types and sizes, whether
additional floor area ratio (FAR) would be appropriate and desired for these lots and
should create basic graphic representations of each potential use and/or development
option to insure the public understands each option and the potential impact each would
have on the area.
3) The master plan should also include the amount of public parking necessary to
accommodate visitors to North Shore Open Space Park at the time of the plan and into
Page 37 of 54
Page 2339 of 2557
the foreseeable future, as well as the type, amount and location of this needed parking
and any other parking that may be required for the various proposed uses.
7.5 Biscayne Point/Stillwater Drive/Biscayne Beach
There are only four city-owned properties within this sub-area. These properties include:
7.5.1 Crespi Park and Stillwater Park
1) Potential future improvements to these parks should be considered as part of the North
Beach parks master planning effort.
7.5.2 81st Street Pedestrian Bridge Access Lot
1) This site should be treated not only as access to the pedestrian bridge, but as a pocket
park with appropriate landscaping and any neighborhood desired amenities. Upgrades,
be they landscaping,benches,or other equipment should be subject to the aforementioned
North Beach parks master planning effort.
7.5.3 Pump Station Site at North Biscayne Point Road and Hawthorne Avenue
1) The City needs to better landscape the southern frontage of the parcel along North
Biscayne Point Road. On this side, the public can see into the site and see all the stored
materials.
2) The City should evaluate the need for the vacant portion of the lot and if it is not expected
to be required for an expansion of the pump station use or any other such use,
consideration of the site as a surface parking lot or pocket park is in order.
7.6 Normandy Fountain Area
There are four city-owned lots in this sub-area. These lots include:
7.6.1 Parking Lots P-88 and P-89
1) Potential scenarios for use of both the P-88 and P-89 parking lots were examined in detail
in the Infrastructure Strategies Section. Please see that section for recommendations for
future potential for these lots.
7.6.2 Roadway Parcels
1) The two remaining parcels in this area are both utilized for part of the Vichy Drive
roadway. Efforts should be made to dedicate these parcels to the public and include them
as rights-of-way. This will insure continuity of the roadway in perpetuity.
Page 38 of 54
Page 2340 of 2557
7.6.3 Vendome Plaza
1) The City should seek to close Rue Vendome between 71' Street and Normandy Drive,
reclaim this area into the plaza and reduce the entirety of the plaza (minus the pump
station and perimeter knee walls) down to grade level. The plaza should then be
reconstructed to function as a public plaza including outdoor dining areas.
2) Reconstruction would include a grade level, designed surface that would include tables
and chairs for the public to use in relaxing and/or having meals at the Fountain.
3) The pump station should remain cordoned off and should be the subject of an art
intervention through the City's Art in Public Places program.
4) With the inclusion of the small portion of Rue Vendome into the plaza, there would be
space to include a performance area as well as outdoor seating for the adjacent
storefronts.
5) Outdoor dining would promote the location of additional restaurants and could assist in
attracting uses such as craft brew pubs and wine bars that would be complimentary to a
cultural anchor at the Byron Carlyle site.
6) It is recommended that all necessary steps be immediately initiated to undertake the
previous five recommendations for this area to include discussions with the Florida
Department of Transportation regarding the bridge beautification and the closure of Rue
Vendome, as well as how to undertake the project while insuring overall pedestrian and
vehicular safety in the area.
7.7 Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores
This area is mostly residential in nature and thus there are few parcels of public land. These
parcels include:
7.7.1 Parking Lot P-87
1) This lot is in need of rehabilitation and the inclusion of landscaping.
2) The City should monitor the availability of the adjacent multi-family property. Should
the property become available, the City should evaluate the potential to expand the
parking lot and include a parking structure on an expanded space.
7.7.2 Normandy Isle Park and Pool
1) The City should alter entrances on the southern side of the park, particularly the main
southern entrance mid-block on 71' Street between Rue Granville and Trouville
Esplanade, in order to orient entrances in such a way to encourage neighborhood
pedestrians coming from and going to the park to cross 71" Street and Normandy Drive
at locations where pedestrian crosswalks exist.
7.7.3 Normandy Shores Golf Course and Normandy Park
Page 39 of 54
Page 2341 of 2557
Normandy Shores Golf Course has seen some significant rehabilitation in previous years and
is not in any need of any alteration at this time. The site, like any other park in North Beach
should be included in any North Beach park master planning effort.
1) At the time of the creation of this document, additional improvements that should be
continued are underway at the site.
2) This park could include in the future a kayak launch area as it is located directly on
Biscayne Bay. Future improvements to the site however, should be subject to a North
Beach Park Master Plan.
7.7.3 Fairway Park
1) This park has also seen significant investment in recent years and any potential future
improvements or changes to programming should be included as part of a North Beach
park master plan.
Page 40 of 54
Page 2342 of 2557
8_O PRIVATE ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
This section will explore recommendations to promote activity or changes that must be
undertaken by private owners, businesses, or individuals to enhance the North Beach area. More
specific recommendations for the direction of private activity, as well as the ways the City can
promote such activity should come through a more detailed and long term, North Beach master
plan.
8.1 General North Beach Areawide Needs
1) The City should engage an experienced and reputable master planning firm to prepare
long range plans to include zoning and land use modifications as well as long range
targets for transportation, park, and other related North Beach issues.
8.1.1 Increased Aesthetic Standards and Code Compliance
1) Better area aesthetics — this includes general property upkeep and maintenance.
Standards for North Beach should be higher. Community expectations need to be raised
to a level commensurate with the rest of the City.
2) To raise the standard to meet expectations of other areas, the City should update its
property maintenance and other aesthetics-related city codes where needed.
3) The City's Building Department needs to remain vigilant over property owners that allow
their properties to fall into disrepair including continuation of its aggressive campaign to
utilize the Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures Board and demolish unsafe buildings.
4) The City needs to insure there is sufficient means to communicate to the public
information about city codes and any amendments to them through the use of social
media, flyers to affected property-types, distribution of an updated guide to city codes,
and other such methods.
5) Additional enforcement resources from all regulatory departments need to be dedicated to
North Beach to fully implement new and existing codes.
6) Additional Code Compliance officers and personnel dedicated solely to North Beach
would assist the department be able to spend more time being proactive with enforcement
rather than more reactive.
8.1.2 historic Preservation
1) As part of a more comprehensive North Beach Master Plan, historic preservation should
be explored in more depth with a full review of existing and potential historic districts. A
full program to promote the area through historic preservation should be a key part of this
master plan.
2) The City needs to find a way to promote visitation to the area's five historic districts.
Page 41 of 54
Page 2343 of 2557
3) The City should highlight North Beach's MiMo architecture in a comprehensive manner
to provide visitation.
4) The City should review all options to encourage private property owners to maintain
MiMo and other historic structures and their original elements in the North Beach area
this could include the following:
a. The City should further promote existing tax relief programs of Miami-Dade
County and the Federal Government.
b. The City could create a tax relief program similar to Miami-Dade County's
(though this might not be financially feasible for the City).
c. Fee and Cost Elimination: The City could reduce the cost of various fees for
services provided to historic properties such as those associated with planning
services, are locally authorized and could be reduced by the City Commission for
historic properties.
d. A method to fund and standards for a grant that could pay certain impact or other
fees on behalf of the property owner could be devised where such fees could not
be legally waived.
e. Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program: The City has been exploring
the potential of a program to transfer unused development rights on properties
containing contributing historic properties in certain areas of North Beach.
8.1.3 Attraction of High Tech Industry
North Beach has a lot of the basic building blocks to attract high tech start-up businesses. The
community has a relaxed, beach lifestyle, relatively affordable housing, access to the burgeoning
local high-tech community, potential investors, and a diverse, creative area talent base. What
does not exist in North Beach are the creative facilities and cohesive programs to bring
everything together.
1) The City should host a one-day high tech workshop to gather local high tech leaders for a
discussion on elements that would be needed in North Beach to make it more attractive to
the industry.
2) The City should seek to attract a private or non-profit, high-tech,business accelerator that
would cater to small start-up businesses by providing them space and access to mentors,
financing, and intellectual networks. Attraction of such a facility may require the City to
provide a building or portion of a building for the accelerator's work space at no or
reduced cost.
8.1.4 Inducements for Desired Activity
1) The City should consider various inducement methods to encourage the attraction of
desired development and business types. Allowances for additional developable space or
Page 42 of 54
Page 2344 of 2557
the abatement or elimination of various fees, costs, or other expenses would reduce costs
for desired activity,
8_2 LOWER NORTH SHORE
8.2.1 Between Collins Avenue and Indian Creek Drive South of 67th Street
1) There are several vacant buildings within this area that are prime sites for redevelopment.
Specifically in the area between Collins Avenue and Indian Creek Drive south of 67th
Street, these properties are smaller, older, multi-family buildings. New construction
around them has been of more modern and taller condominiums which should set the
pace for new construction in this area.
2) The City should be open to partnering with an area developer to construct a public
parking structure in conjunction with area development to facilitate redevelopment and
assist businesses located on Collins Avenue north of 65th Street.
8.2.2 Commercial District Collins Avenue between 65th and 69th Streets
1) The promotion of a change in the area to include more mixed use facilities with upper
level residential or office uses within the confines of existing development regulations
may be appropriate.
2) Again, the City should make it known it is willing to enter into mutually beneficial
partnerships with property owners and developers to provide public parking structures
that could eliminate area parking constraints.
8.2.3 Beach-Side Properties on Collins Avenue
1) Beach-side properties along Collins Avenue in this area that are redeveloped or
developed should be encouraged to have hotel uses rather than residential condominiums
to increase daytime and retail spending.
8.2.4 AT&T Facility
I) The City should monitor the AT&T facility at 6780 Harding Avenue to make sure that it
is alerted should the company look to sell the property for any reason. If the property
comes to the n,aiket for sale, the City should be prepared to work with any new owner to
redevelop the site into a more compatible use.
8.3 Town Center/71st Street Corridor
8.3.1 71st Street
Page 43 of 54
Page 2345 of 2557
1) In order to provide for a more vibrant economy, the City should encourage a denser
commercial district in the Town Center area including the development of taller buildings
with a more diverse goal of attracting larger retail users and office users.
8.3.2 City National Bank Properties
1) It is also important for the City to work closely with whomever ultimately gains control
of the lots owned (at the time of the creation of this document) by City National Bank
within the Town Center area to insure development of these lots in a manner that is in the
best interest of the City and the North Beach community.
2) The City should encourage the development of retail and/or office space along the 71st
Street frontage of these properties. This would allow for a high-intensity employment
zone contemplated by the 2007 Town Center Plan and the Town Center (TC) land use
and zoning districts created by the City to facilitate the recommendations of that plan.
3) The City should seek to partner with any developer of these sites utilizing several City-
owned, surface parking lots in the immediate vicinity of the Banks's lots.
8.3.3 The Post Office
1) A multi-story development with a larger footprint at this site would provide a more
pedestrian-friendly street front, additional employment opportunities, and could
compliment the future uses on the Byron Carlyle Theater site and the City National sites.
2) The City should work to relocate the Post Office to a more suitable site within North
Beach.
3) The City would need to work with and potentially provide some assistance to the existing
property owners to facilitate redevelopment of the site into a site that better contributes to
Town Center and North Beach overall.
8.3.4 Development and Business Attraction
1) The City should work with the commercial property owners to devise appropriate
inducement programs to attract the desired types of retail and office space and users
(large retailers and offices providing more than 10 jobs paying at least 120% of the area
median office wage)to this area.
2) The City, again, should work with area developers to increase the amount of available
parking in the area as an inducement to attract new users.
8.3.5 Beautification
1) Code compliance and aesthetic concerns are also key for this area to insure existing
properties in the area are regularly cleaned or painted and residential properties maintain
balconies and other exterior spaces free from unsightly clutter.
Page 44 of 54
Page 2346 of 2557
2) To enhance appearances, the City must include a mix of regulatory efforts (refinement of
the City's property maintenance codes), inducements (awards for the best maintained
property, waiver of code compliance fines), and merely communicating the vision for the
appearance of North Beach to residents and property owners (meetings, flyers,
newsletters,direct communications).
8.4 Upper North Shore Needs
This area is covered by several historic districts including the North Shore National Register
District and the Altos Del Mar and Harding Township Historic Districts. All of these areas are
unique in their own way and require vigilant review by the City to maintain their historic natures.
8.4.1 Multifamily Areas
1) The City should work with the owners of historic properties to promote their restoration,
prevent significant alterations that cause them to lose their historic character, and prevent
their complete demolition.
2) The City needs to seek ways to assist these property owners in upgrading the appearance
of their properties. Particularly address if there is any way the City can encourage these
owners to enhance landscaping on their sites.
3) The City should work to develop a partnership between the property owners, the City,
and the Florida International University Landscape Architecture program to provide
landscape design assistance to property owners.
4) The City could create a master contract with a nursery or other landscape contractor to
provide low cost landscape materials and/or installation of these materials to area
residents/property owners to reduce potential costs.
8.4.2 Ocean Terrace and Collins Commercial District (Harding Township Historic
District)
1) In order to effectuate the desired redevelopment of both streets, the City should be open
minded to new projects in the area, particularly on Ocean Terrace though historic
guidelines should be followed so that the historic character is not compromised.
2) The historic nature of the area should also be a consideration in current efforts by the City
to review allowable floor area ratio for development.
3) Any changes to FAR should be allowed only to an extent that will promote development
that will integrate new development and redevelopment into the existing character of the
area and not in such a way that would change the way the area interacts with its
surrounding neighborhood.
4) Changes to FAR or other development regulations may be appropriate however any such
alterations should promote hotel uses along Collins Avenue and not permanent or part-
time residential units.
Page 45 of 54
Page 2347 of 2557
5) Ocean Terrace is a prime location for the addition of small boutique hotels and
restaurants of the like found along Ocean Drive in South Beach (albeit on a much smaller
scale).
6) Changes to FAR or other development regulations should promote building massing that
would not be intrusive into the existing ground level character of the area.
7) The City's Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) facade improvement program
should continue to provide inducements to private building owners to upgrade storefronts
with new windows, wall repairs and painting, awnings, and new signage.
8) Vigilant code compliance efforts should be maintained to insure the level of appearance
in the area is not only improved but that it is maintained moving into the future.
9) If any assemblage or redevelopment of a single site is proposed that is welcome by the
community and of design that will promote a better beach experience for both residents
and visitors that would include the addition of hotel rooms, restaurant, entertainment
facilities, beach-related retail, and additional parking, the City should consider potential
inducements or partnerships to assist in making the project a reality.
8.4.3 Harding Avenue Hotel District
1) The City should actively market to developers and property owners the ability to convert
multifamily properties on Harding Avenue from the 87th Street City limit to 73'd Street to
provide the economic return owners would need to fully renovate a property and to
enhance additional consumer spending in the area.
2) The City needs to work with property owners to find a more streamlined method for these
conversions from multi-family to hotel.
3) The City should convene a workshop of city officials and property owners to discuss
these issues and develop a program to facilitate these conversions and to develop a
potential slate of inducements to further encourage them such as zoning bonuses, parking
reductions,delayed fee and permit payments and the like.
8.5 Biscayne Point/Stillwater Drive/Biscayne Beach
1) The residential properties on the eastern side of Crespi Boulevard along the Tatum
Waterway are part of the North Shore National Register Historic District and any historic
preservation incentives or inducements should be available to the owners of these
properties.
2) Programs to assist property owners to upgrade multi-family projects, or to promote such
upgrades and/or maintenance, should be made available to this area.
8.6 Normandy Fountain Area
I) While there is opportunity to add additional developable space to the commercial area of
this area, the City should not make any effort in the early years after this plan is adopted
to induce such development as existing lower level of development is consistent with the
Page 46 of 54
Page 2348 of 2557
surrounding area and at this time there is no great demand for additional space of any
kind.
2) Redevelopment should be encouraged for the senior day care center site at Rue Notre
Dame and 7151 Street as it occupies a building that is a suburban-styled convenience store
design not compatible with any other building in the area.
3) The drive thru for the Chase Bank at Versailles Court and 7151 Street is not compatible
with the vision outlined for this area either. The City could work with the bank to
relocate the entire facility to a more desirable location or, as outlined previously in this
document, the City could partner with the bank to develop a parking structure at this
location that could incorporate the drive-thru in a way that was not as intrusive to the
continuity of the pedestrian and street experience.
4) The City should undertake improvements and alterations to the plaza and general area
around the Normandy Fountain as contemplated in the Public Spaces Strategies section of
this and then seek to attract appropriate users to the commercial spaces around the plaza
such as restaurants/small entertainment venues.
8.77 Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores
8.7.1 General Statements on the area
1) The City, as in other residential areas, should be vigilant with code compliance in the
single family neighborhoods.
2) The City needs to review situations that have led to homes in the Normandy Sud area to
have significant portions of their front yards designed for parking of vehicles including
paving over a large portion of the front yard, or a stabilized stone or earthen base to park
on and determine if such conditions are appropriate in light of aesthetics and drainage
needs of the area.
3) The multi-family areas of Normandy are in need of code compliance.
4) The eastern side of the Island in Normandy Isles is in need of conservation of the historic
multi-family properties as mz.i;y of the structures in the Normandy Isles National Register
District are constructed quite close together and many are in need of updating and repair.
5) Much like the Upper North Shore area and as mentioned in the general statements about
historic properties, the City should work with the owners of the historic properties to
promote their restoration, prevent significant alterations that cause them to lose their
historic character, and prevent their complete demolition.
6) The City should seek opportunities for residential area public parking in the multi-family
areas if additional parking is found to be warranted due to existing residential need, or
future creep into the residential area from a revitalized Normandy Fountain area.
8.7.2 The Entry Area to Normandy From the JFK Causeway.
Page 47 of 54
Page 2349 of 2557
1) The International Inn has a vacant portion its lot against the edge of the bridge that needs
to be landscaped or otherwise improved aesthetically. The lot is not landscaped or
maintained appropriately.
2) The convenience store location is a detriment to the area and the City should initiate
discussions with the property owner to ascertain their interest in redeveloping the site. If
desired by the owner, the City could assist in some manner to upgrade the site or
construct a more appropriate building on the site through the use of various development
inducements or assistance in finding an investor or buyer for the site.
3) The multi-family property located at 71" Street and Biarritz Drive is a former motel site
that is poorly designed for use as multifamily, rental facility. The best option for this site
is to remove the existing structures and redevelop the site in its entirety into a modern
residential facility. To this end, the City could assist in this through various development
inducements such as including the site as a receiving area in a future TDR program or in
any future effort to do a straight FAR increase in North Beach.
4) The strip of commercial buildings east of the Walgreens along 71' Street is relegated to
neighborhood businesses or businesses that do not require visibility which has led to the
storefronts on these buildings have been redesigned so that most of them are walls and
not windows. The City should seek to provide façade assistance to these property owners
to restore the storefronts.
The Atlantic Broadband facility found in this area is not only an industrial looking
facility, it is much more of more of an industrial-style use that is not compatible with the
surrounding uses, efforts should be made to find a more appropriate location for this
facility and redevelop this site into another allowable business or residential use that is
more compatible with the surrounding uses.
Page 48 of 54
Page 2350 of 2557
990 REVITALIZATION INDUCEMENTS
Various types of inducements can reduce an owner's, investor's and/or lender's risk or cost in
undertaking various projects and activities. As the private capital market utilizes measurements
of the existing marketplace as well as performance of existing projects in their determination of
whether to finance a new project, it is often challenging for the owners or developers of potential
projects to obtain financing due to the overall costs. Thus, the provision of inducements that
reduce cost and/or risk makes it more likely that private market will participate in desired
projects increasing the chance that the project will have a sufficient return on investment to
justify its undertaking.
If inducements are considered for any recommended private redevelopment project, the project
should be reviewed by the City in terms of the value of the project to the area. This critical
review should include all benefits such as increase in tax base, number of jobs created, levels of
pay of jobs created, potential spin-off effects and other governmental revenues generated by the
project. The review should also include the need to provide additional incentives beyond what
may already be available and whether these incentives should be in a monetary form or some
other form.
This discussion is not intended to be an exhaustive list of inducements that can be utilized. The
purpose of these inducements is to lower the cost to the developer/property owner/business
owner so the city-desired project is more financially feasible. The City should be creative and
determine where it may be able to lower the costs in a desirable project to make sure the project
can be built. Any cost to the developer that can be mitigated, delayed or covered by the City
could be the difference between a project moving forward and the owner/developer walking
away. It is important to be responsible in the offering of City funds to private projects however.
Care should be taken to offer the most cost-effective methods which serve as an investment with
a clear return in activity and additional future revenue to the City.
9.1 Development Inducements
A number of inducements will be listed. It is important for the reader to review the expanded
explanations of each in Section IX of the Appendix to this document in order to better
understand the positive and negative aspects of each.
1) Direct Cash - a direct monetary amount to a business or developer to be paid at one time
or over a period of time. The payment is not necessarily associated with any aspect of the
construction or a business, but is merely a payment for building or locating in the City.
2) Loan Guarantees - The City could guarantee a portion of loans or all or a portion of the
interest on loans by developers or businesses from banking and other financial
institutions. A guarantee by the City to pay a portion of a loan or its interest would
Page 49 of 54
Page 2351 of 2557
reduce the risk to the lender and thus bring down the interest rate or other fees/costs
associated with the loan.
3) Land Assembly - If the City desires to promote the future use of the study areas as
illustrated, it can begin to purchase land appropriate for the assembly with the intent of
selling it to a developer at a later time.
4) Land Assembly Coordination (Self Assembly) - The City may also coordinate the efforts
of one or more land owners in assembling parcels or getting the parcels developed by a
third party in a manner consistent with the suggested development. This is done by
getting one or more land owners to agree to a sales price or other terms and then the City
releasing a Developer Request for Proposals (RFP).
5) Funding/Undertaking of Roadway or Other Infrastructure Improvements - The City could
undertake improvements to infrastructure such as roadways, water, sewer, or stormwater
projects and work with its Utility Fund or other impact fee fund to create a pool of credits
based on value of the improvements or increased capacity to the infrastructure system.
6) Payment of Impact, Permit, or Plan Review Fees -Payment of these types of fees are
usually done by reimbursement of fees paid and is a method to measure a potential grant
to write down costs. The payment of impact or service fees can be advantageous when
trying to attract certain users that have a high impact on infrastructure.
7) Zoning Bonuses - The City could devise zoning incentives or create overlays or zoning
districts specific to North Beach or some portion thereof, to promote desired
development/redevelopment in targeted areas. This zoning or overly would allow
regulatory relief (setback reductions, unit size reductions, parking reductions) or other
benefits through the code if City-desired elements, such as public spaces, or certain other
design features or business users are included in the project.
8) Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program - A program could be devised that
would allow the transfer of square footage from lots where the allowable FAR has not
been realized and such realization is undesired to areas where additional FAR over what
exists would be appropriate and desirable.
1
9.2 Staff Development and Marketing Assistance
Other inducements are available through the provision of City services to the development. The
following explains some of these inducement concepts:
1) City Development Liaison - The provision of a staff person from the City acting as the
liaison or "point" person for projects to insure that City reviews or permits were moving
as quickly as possible through the approval process and would communicate
informational needs to the developer/business and their representatives. This type of
program has a greater effect on the bottom line than most any cash inducement and can
be done with existing city staff.
Page 50 of 54
Page 2352 of 2557
2) Marketing Assistance - City staff can also be instrumental in assisting a property owner
in signing tenants through a united front with the property owner when pitching to a
prospective tenant. If the City can offer development liaison services in North Beach and
be available for any questions a prospective tenant might have; this can often be the
difference between a tenant deciding to locate in North Beach rather than elsewhere.
9.3 Aesthetic Improvement Inducements
1) Property Improvement Grants - Programs to assist existing businesses or residential
property owners in upgrading the appearance of their property, such as the City's existing
North Beach CDBG Commercial Facade Improvement Program, are a staple program of
revitalization programs across the country.
2) Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) and State Housing Initiatives Partnership
(SHIP) Programs -These programs can be utilized to assist low and moderate income
homeowners to rehabilitate their homes. Grants for home repair can be made to either
single-family home owners or condominium owners. Repairs must be made to meet
Federal housing standards, comply with local building codes and local zoning code
requirements.
3) Landscape Design and Planting Assistance Program- A program can be designed to
utilize the services of Landscape Architecture students from Florida International
University (F1U), or another local institution, to help property owners design a
landscaping program for their property that would utilize plant species that would have
the best chance of survival on the barrier island and within the space available on the
property, while providing maximum aesthetic properties with minimum maintenance
needs.
4) Master Landscape Purchasing Contract - The City can prepare an RFP or other
negotiation for a local nursery or landscape provider/installer to provide landscape
materials and installation at a fixed rate that would be beneficial to the property owner.
Material cost lists can be bid or negotiated based on a pre-determined palate of plants and
materials all designs will utilize.
9.4 Business Attraction and Expansion Inducements
1) Enterprise Zones - Certain census tracts in the North Beach Area(most of the commercial
districts)are part of a Miami Dade County administered Enterprise Zone. Businesses that
create new jobs within this area are eligible for certain tax credits and refunds.
2) EcoZones - The City also administers an Environmental Enterprise Zone or EcoZone
within the boundaries of the entire City (and thus all of North Beach). This EcoZone
Page 51 of 54
Page 2353 of 2557
extends the same benefits as an Enterprise Zone to environmentally friendly businesses
that expand or locate to the area creating new jobs.
3) The State's Qualified Targeted Industry Tax Refund program - allows for the refunding
of certain state-collected taxes for businesses that provide high-wage jobs in certain
industries. Tax refunds are based on the number of jobs created and the salary of the jobs
over the average wage of the area. Potential incentives for job creation can also double in
North Beach due the existence of the Enterprise Zone.
9.5 Inducement Program Summary
There are a number of different methods for the City to provide inducements to get the desired
development and business users. These methods include land assembly, lease of city-owned
land, credits for infrastructure improvements made by the City, reimbursement for development
fees, cost of public amenities on private property and assistance with the permitting and project
review process. Most inducements should be granted on a reimbursement basis so no funds are
expended by the City until they are collected in enhanced property tax revenues first. No matter
the form of the inducement, it is important for the City to have clear program guidelines as to
what is expected in the projects and what the City is willing to expend for inducements. Any
recipient of inducements should sign an agreement with the City that can be filed as a lien
against the property to insure that all conditions are met or funds will not be granted.
Page 52 of 54
Page 2354 of 2557
10.0 FUNDING REVITALIZATION
There are a number of mechanisms available to fund the revitalization of North Beach outside of
the City's General Fund or Quality of Life Funds. The below cited funding methods should be
explored and considered by the City to assist in funding projects in in the North Beach area.
10.1 Special District Creation
One or more types of special districts could be created to provide funding mechanisms for
revitalization activities. These include:
1) Community Redevelopment Agency — Tax Increment - A North Beach Redevelopment
Area could be created as part of the City's existing Redevelopment Agency (RDA).
Miami-Dade County would have to approve the expansion of the RDA into North Beach.
2) Home Rule Tax Increment District - Under this method a non-CRA Tax Increment
District is created. This program would require County approval like a CRA, however,
no special blight finding would need to be created.
3) Special Assessment District — Section 170.01(1), Fla. Stat. - Such a district could be
created for capital improvements. It would allow the City to make improvements and
levy assessment against benefited property owners to pay for the improvements. This
could be beneficial for roadway, streetscape, and other infrastructure improvements
outlined in the Public Improvements section.
4) Special Assessment District Section 170.01(3), Fla. Stat. (Business Improvement
District) - Florida Statutes allows any municipality, subject to the approval of a majority
of the affected property owners to create what is generally referred to as a Business
Improvement District. Such a district the City would be allowed to levy and collect
special assessments against property benefited within a defined area for certain purposes.
5) Local Government Neighborhood Improvement District 163.506, Fla. Stat. - The City,
after certain stens are taken, may create local government neighborhood improvement
districts to assist in various revitalization activities. Such districts are authorized to levy
an ad valorem tax on real and personal property of up to 2 mills annually and/or use
special assessments to support planning and implementation of district improvements
pursuant to the provisions of s. 163.514(16),Fla. Stat.
6) Special Neighborhood Improvement District 163.511, Fla. Stat. - Substantially similar to
Local Government Neighborhood Improvement District except its governing board can
be three (3) persons appointed by the creating local government and creation required
referendum.
7) Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) — A taxing district authorized by State
Constitution Article VII and Florida Statute 125.01. The MSTU is a legal and financial
mechanism for providing specific services and/or improvements to a defined
Page 53 of 54
Page 2355 of 2557
geographical area. An MSTU may levy ad valorem taxes to provide funds for the
improvements. May require County approval.
8) Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) - A special assessment district authorized by
Florida Statutes 125,01 to provide for improvements and/or services to a specifically
defined area of the county and financed by a special assessment on only those properties
receiving benefits of those improvements or services. May require County approval.
10.2 Available Grant Funding
There are a few long standing grant programs that could assist the City in funding some of the
recommended North Beach improvements. These programs include:
1) Florida Department of Transportation Highway Beautification Grants - Grants from this
program can be utilized to beautify State roadways. As Collins Avenue, 7151 Street,
Normandy Drive, and portions of Indian Creek Drive and Harding Avenue are part of the
State highway system, improvements to these roadways would be eligible.
2) Transportation Enhancement Funding - Funding for transportation enhancements is
available by authorization of any comprehensive transportation funding act in place at the
time. Authorized Federal funding is then made available to local jurisdictions through
the Florida Department of Transportation and may be used for streetscape, landscaping,
and other amenities along State Roadways. Funding is subject to ranking and other
criteria by the local Metropolitan Planning Organization.
3) U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) - Limited grant programs to assist
localities in economically distressed area of which several census tracts in North Beach
may qualify. Various programs are available to fund economic development related
planning efforts as well as programs/projects as infrastructure improvements, and
business incubators.
4) Community Development Block Grants- This is a Federal grant program from which the
City of Miami Beach is entitled to an annual allocation of funds. Funds from this block
grant program must be used to meet one of three national objectives: 1) Elimination of
Slum and Blight; 2)Assist Low to Moderate Income Persons; or 3)To meet Urgent Need
5) Other Grant Opportunities - Other grant opportunities may be available for various
projects and programs recommended in this report. The City should monitor known
funding sources and seek funding announcements for new or unknown grant programs to
assist in providing funding for projects and activities that would conform to the goals and
intent of the North Beach revitalization efforts.
Page 54 of 54
Page 2356 of 2557