Resolution 2022-32129 3
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RESOLUTION NO.. 2022-32129
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING PURSUANT TO
MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE SECTION 118-563(D), TO CONSIDER GRANTING
A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE TOTAL DEMOLITION OF
AN EXISTING TWO-STORY BUILDING, LOCATED AT 833 6 STREET(SOUTH
SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER), FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW
THREE-STORY FIRE STATION (FIRE STATION 1).
WHEREAS,the existing Fire Station 1 located at 1051 Jefferson Avenue,was built in 1967
and serves the areas south of 15th Street including Star Island, Hibiscus Island, Palm Island,
MacArthur Causeway up to Watson Island and Terminal Island; and
WHEREAS, in 1992, the existing Fire Station 1 underwent a major renovation of the
existing interior spaces that included upgrades to the mechanical, plumbing and electrical
systems, and an addition which increased the total square footage of the facility to 12,836 square
feet; and
WHEREAS, on February 3, 2015 the City retained the firm of Borelli & Partners ("Borelli")
to provide a detailed comprehensive facility assessment report which included a conditions
assessment of the existing Fire Station 1, researching current codes and guidelines, as-built
documentation, and site inspections, to determine the current overall condition of the facility; and
WHEREAS, Borelli's assessment report concluded that significant maintenance and
repairs are required to continue operations in the current facility and instead recommended the
demolition and reconstruction of the existing Fire Station 1; and
WHEREAS, the concerns cited include the existing building being constructed at 5.5'
below the current required FEMA Flood elevation, indicating that under severe storm events Fire
Station 1 would become inaccessible and would prevent emergency assistance to the
surrounding Miami Beach community; and
WHEREAS,the facility does not meet current National Fire Protection Association(NFPA)
standards, which require that the building be able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and other
natural disasters, and although a major renovation would address some issues, the existing
building does not address the operational needs of the Fire Department, nor provide the facilities
required to meet the anticipated increase in demands due to the growth and development of the
area; and
WHEREAS, the building does not provide sufficient parking spaces for the employees of
the fire station, which negatively impacts the availability of parking in the neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, staff worked with professional architecture and engineering
consultants to analyze several public and private sites for the location of Fire Station 1 and the
sites, including locations within the Flamingo Park, were presented to the Neighborhood and
Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) and the Finance and Citywide Projects Committees
(FCWPC); and
WHEREAS, two design concepts, locating Fire Station 1 in a parking lot in Flamingo Park,
were presented to the NCAC, FCWPC and the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association, for
direction on the location and required project budget; and
WHEREAS, upon the rejection of this site by the community, the project did not move
forward and remained unfunded; and
WHEREAS, on July 21, 2017, the Administration presented a proposal fora 2018 General
Obligation Bond Program to the FCWPC identifying a preliminary wish list of projects to be funded,
which included the Fire Station 1 project; and
WHEREAS, on November 6, 2018, the electorate of the City of Miami Beach approved
the issuance of$439,000,000 of general obligation bonds, including $72,000,000 for police, fire,
public safety, and security improvements; and
WHEREAS, funding in the amount of$10,000,000 was included for the development of a
new Fire Station 1; and
WHEREAS, on May 8, 2019, the City Commission approved the issuance of a Request
for Qualifications (RFQ)for architectural and engineering design services for the new Fire Station
1 facility, and on July.31, 2019, the City Commission adopted Resolution 2019-30913, and
WHEREAS, the City retained Wannemacher Jensen Architects for architectural and
engineering design services for the new Fire Station 1 facility; and
WHEREAS, the project currently proposes the new Fire Station 1 at the current location
of the South Shore Community Center, 833 6th Street, in the Flamingo Park Neighborhood (the
"Site"); and
WHEREAS, this Site was selected because of its size, access to frontages on three sides
(6th Street, Jefferson Avenue and Meridian Avenue), and, due to its geographic location, for the
possibility of improved emergency response times; and
WHEREAS, this property also provides access to the alley, Meridian Court, and public
access parking at surface lot P-11; and
WHEREAS, the new 29,309 square feet Fire Station 1 facility includes four drive-thru
apparatus bays, living spaces, offices, a kitchen, a gym, support facilities and 34 parking spaces
and the project shall comply with the City's future sea level rise initiatives, storm water
management and resiliency programs, and the requirements of US Green Building Council's
LEED Gold certification; and
WHEREAS, the design elevates the apparatus bays, to provide parking below the
building, meeting the minimum parking requirement for the Fire Department employees on site,
thereby preserving neighborhood parking availability; and
WHEREAS, access ramps are provided from Meridian Avenue and Jefferson Avenue to
the elevated apparatus bays, meeting the requirements for certification by the NFPA and vehicular
access is maintained to Meridian Court in the proposed design; and
WHEREAS, the design requires the demolition of the two story, Morris Lapidus designed
community center, which houses a day care, and offices that provide social services to the
community; and
WHEREAS, the two existing tenants of the South Shore Community Center have active
lease agreements that expire in October of 2022, and these leases will continue to be renewed
until the property needs to be vacated for demolition, and at that time,the tenants will be relocated
with the City's assistance; and
WHEREAS, the City remains committed to finding a safe and adequate new home for the
Rainbow Intergenerational Learning Center and Seniors in Action, so that no community
programs or services are lost as a result of the building's demolition; and
WHEREAS, during the Historic Preservation Board (HPB) meeting on June 15, 2021, the
HPB asked the Planning Department staff to evaluate the current classification of the South Shore
Community Center, for the purpose of possibly modifying its classification from non-contributing
to contributing in the City's Historic Properties Database; and
WHEREAS, at its September 13, 2021 meeting, the HPB reviewed and discussed the staff
report, and determined that the South Shore Community Center is a non-contributing building;
and
WHEREAS, on September 23, 2021, Wannemacher Jensen and CIP presented the 30%
design documents to the General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee (GOBOC) and the
Committee voted unanimously to support the project as presented,
WHEREAS, following the September 23, 2021 GOBOC meeting, a Letter to the
Commission was issued indicating GOBOC support and recommendation for the project to move
forward as quickly as possible; and
WHEREAS, on September 30, 2021, the City Commission approved the scheduling of a
public hearing to consider the waiver of development regulations pursuant to Section 142-425(d)
of the Land Development Regulations; and
WHEREAS, on October 5, 2021, the Office of Capital Improvement Projects ("CIP)
presented the 30%design documents to the community during a virtual public meeting where CIP
and the design consultant responded to resident questions ; and
WHEREAS, on November 1, 2021, the 30% design documents were also presented to
the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association, and several questions from residents were
addressed; and
WHEREAS, the project is fully funded and on December 7, 2021, the City received notice
of a grant award of $8.414 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection -
Florida Resilient Grant Program for Fire Station 1. Funds from the grant become available on July
1, 2022 (FY 2023); and
WHEREAS, on December 8, 2021,the City Commission adopted Resolution 2021-21949,
confirming the use of the 833 6th Street site by granting waivers of certain land development
regulations required for the construction of the new Fire Station 1; and
WHEREAS, on March 8, 2022, the Historic Preservation Board ("HPB")granted approval
of the Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition of the existing building, and for the design
of the new three story Fire StationI building, with parking at the ground level, at 833 6th Street;
and
WHEREAS, the approved design, as previously requested by HPB, incorporates design
elements from the existing Morris Lapidus building including the retention of several planters
along 6th Street, the relocation and reuse of portions of the entry canopies, use of stacked split
face concrete block, and an exposed staircase; and
WHEREAS, the 30%design phase of the project has been completed and the consultants
are scheduled to proceed with the 60% design phase; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Miami Beach City Code Section 118-563(i), the actions of the
HPB regarding Certificates of Appropriateness for demolition of any building, structure,
improvement, or landscape feature located within a historic district and located on City-owned,
Government Use (GU) zoned property shall be advisory with the right of approval or disapproval
vested with the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the City Code does not require the City Commission to schedule a public
hearing in considering the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for Demolition; and
WHEREAS, however, as this is the same process followed by the Historical Preservation
Board, in an effort to provide additional notice beyond what is legally required„ it is recommended
that the Commission schedule a public hearing on the matter; and
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 set a public hearing pursuant to Miami Beach City Code Section 118-563(d), to consider
granting a certificate of appropriateness for the total demolition of an existing two-story building,
located at 833 6 street(South Shore Community Center),for the construction of a new three-story
fire station (Fire Station 1).
PASSED AND ADOPTED this day ofa 2022.
ATTEST:
RAFAEL . GRANADO, CITY CLERK DAN GELBER, MAYOR
MAY 1• 0 2022
APPROVED AS TO ` B1e'
FORM & LANGUAGE �' t
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City Attorney Date
Resolutions-C7 A
MIAMI BEACH .
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Aline T. Hudak, City Manager
DATE: May 4, 2022
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING PURSUANT
TO MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE SECTION 118-563(D), TO CONSIDER
GRANTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE TOTAL
DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING TWO-STORY BUILDING, LOCATED AT
833 6 STREET (SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER), FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW THREE-STORY FIRE STATION (FIRE
STATION 1).
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
The existing Fire Station 1 located at 1051 Jefferson Avenue, was built in 1967 and serves the
areas south of 15th Street including Star Island, Hibiscus Island, Palm Island, MacArthur
Causeway up to Watson Island and Terminal Island. In 1992, the existing Fire Station 1
underwent a major renovation of the existing interior spaces that included upgrades to the
mechanical, pl`3rribing and electrical systems. An addition was also constructed providing '
additional space for Fire Rescue which increased the facility to 12,836 square feet.
On February 3, 2015, the firm of Borelli & Partners was retained to provide professional
Architectural and Engineering services for a detailed comprehensive facility assessment report
to include conducting a conditions assessment of the existing Fire Station 1, researching current
codes and guidelines, as-built documentation and conducting site inspections, to determine the
current overall condition of the facility. Subsequently, Borelli and Partners submitted an
assessment report for the facility which concluded that significant maintenance and repairs were
required to continue operations and recommended the demolition and reconstruction of the
existing Fire Station 1. The concerns cited include the existing building being constructed at 5.5'
below the current required FEMA Flood elevation, indicating that under severe storm events
Fire Station 1 would become inaccessible and would prevent emergency assistance to the
surrounding Miami Beach community. Additionally, the facility does not meet current National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, which require that the building be able to
withstand a Category 5 hurricane and other natural disasters. Although a major renovation would
address some issues, the existing building does not address the operational needs of the Fire
Department, nor provide the facilities required to meet the anticipated increase in demands due
to the growth and development of the area. Finally, the building does not provide sufficient
Page 247 of 1451
parking spaces for the employees of the fire station, negatively impacting the availability of
. parking in the neighborhood.
In 2016, staff worked with professional architecture and engineering consultants to analyze
several public and private sites for the location of Fire Station 1. The sites, including locations
within the Flamingo Park, were presented to the Neighborhood and Community Affairs
Committee (NCAC) and the Finance and Citywide Projects Committees (FCWPC). Two
design concepts, locating Fire Station 1 in a parking lot in Flamingo Park,were presented to the
NCAC, FCWPC and the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association, for direction-on the
location and required project budget. Upon the rejection of this site by the community, the
project did not move forward and remained unfunded.
On July 21, 2017, the Administration presented a proposal for a 2018 General Obligation Bond
Program to the FCWPC, identifying a preliminary wish list of projects to be funded, which
included the Fire Station 1 project.
On November 6, 2018, the electorate of the City of Miami Beach approved the issuance of
$439,000,000 of general obligation bonds, including $72,000,000 for police, fire, public safety,
and security improvements. Funding in the amount of $10,000,000 was included the
development of a new Fire Station 1.
On May 8, 2019, the City Commission approved a request to issue a Request for Qualifications
(RFQ) for architectural and engineering design services for the new Fire Station 1 facility. On
July 31, 2019, the City Commission adopted Resolution 2019-30913, and the City retained the
firm of Wannemacher Jensen Architects for architectural and engineering design services for
the new Fire Station 1 facility.
The project currently proposes the new Fire Station 1 at the current location of the South Shore
Community Center, 833 6th Street, in the Flamingo Park Neighborhood. This site was selected
8—because of its size, the access to frontage -on three sides, 6th Street, Jefferson Avenue-and
Meridian Avenue, and its geographic location, affording the possibility of improved response
times. This property also provides access to the alley, Meridian Court, and public access
parking at surface lot P-11.
The new 29,309 square feet Fire Station 1 facility will provide four drive-thru apparatus bays,
living spaces, offices, a kitchen, a gym, support facilities and 34 parking spaces. The project
shall comply with the City's future sea level rise initiatives, storm water management and
resiliency programs, and the requirements of US Green Building Council's LEED Gold
certification. The design elevates the apparatus bays, to provide parking below the building,
meeting the minimum parking requirement for the Fire Department employees on site, thereby
preserving neighborhood parking availability.Access ramps are provided from Meridian Avenue
and Jefferson Avenue to the elevated apparatus bays, meeting the requirements for certification
by the NFPA. Vehicular access is maintained to Meridian Court in the proposed design.
The design requires the demolition of the two story, Morris Lapidus designed community center,
which houses a day care, and offices that provide social services to the community. The two
existing tenants of the South Shore Community Center have active lease agreements that
expire in October of 2022. Leases will continue to be renewed until the property needs to be
Page 248 of 1451
vacated for demolition.At that time, the tenants will be relocated with the City's assistance. The
City remains committed to finding a safe and adequate new home for the Rainbow
Intergenerational Learning Center and Seniors in Action, so that no community programs or
services are lost as a result of the building demolition.
During the Historic Preservation Board (HPB) meeting on June 15, 2021, the HPB asked the
Planning Department staff to evaluate the current classification of the South Shore Community
Center, for the purpose of possibly modifying its classification from non-contributing to
contributing in the City's Historic Properties Database.At the September 13, 2021 meeting, the
HPB reviewed and discussed the staff report, and determined that the South Shore Community
Center is a non-contributing building.
On September 23, 2021, Wannemacher Jensen and CIP presented the 30% design
documents to the General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee (GOBOC). The Committee
voted unanimously to support the project as presented, and a Letter to the Commission was
issued indicating GOBOC support and recommendation for the project to move forward as
quickly as possible.
On September 30, 2021, the City Commission approved the scheduling of a Public Hearing to
consider the waiver of Development Regulations pursuant to Section 142-425 (d) of the Land
Development Regulations, after duly noticed public hearing, advertised in the newspaper at
least fifteen(15)days prior to the hearing, a description of the request and the time and place of
such hearing was be posted on the property, and notice be given by mail to the owners of land
lying within 375 feet of the property at least fifteen(15)days prior to the hearing.
On October 5, 2021, CIP presented the 30% design documents to the community during a
virtual public meeting. CIP and the design consultant responded to questions from several
residents.
On November 1, 2021, the 30% design documents were also presented to the Flamingo Park
Neighborhood Association, and several questions from residents were addressed.
The project is fully funded. On December 7, 2021, the City received notice of a grant award of
$8.414 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Florida Resilient
Grant Program for Fire Station 1. Funds from the grant become available on July 1, 2022 (FY
2023).
On December 8, 2021, the City Commission adopted Resolution 2021-21949, confirming the
use of the 833 6th Street site by granting waivers of certain land development regulations
required for the construction of the new Fire Station 1.
On March 8, 2022, the Historic Preservation Board (HPB)granted approval of the Certificate of
Appropriateness for the demolition of the existing building, and for the design for the new three
story. Fire Station1 building, with parking at the ground level, at 833 6th Street. The approved
design, as previously requested by HPB, incorporates design elements from the existing Moms
Lapidus building including retention of several planters along 6th Street, the relocation and
reuse of portions of the entry canopies, use of stacked split face concrete block, and an
Page 249 of 1451
exposed staircase.
The 30%design phase of the project has been completed. The consultants are proceeding with
the 60%design phase.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to Miami Beach City Code Section 118-563(i), the actions of the HPB regarding
Certificates of Appropriateness for demolition of any building, structure, improvement, or
landscape feature located within a historic district and located on City-owned, Government Use
(GU) zoned property, shall be advisory with the right of approval or disapproval vested with the
City Commission.
The City Code does not require the City Commission to schedule a Public Hearing in
considering the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for Demolition. However, this is the
same process followed by the Historical Preservation Board. In order to protect the City from
potential challenges, it is recommended that the Commission follow the same process.
The Administration requires the granting of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition of
the South Shore Community Center, by the City Commission, for the use of this property as the
location of the New Fire Station 1.
SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
Results from the 2019 Resident Survey show that 8% of residents rated city facility
improvements as the most important capital improvements project.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Not applicable.
CONCLUSION °I"
The Administration recommends that the City Commission approve the resolution.
Applicable Area
South Beach
Is this a"Residents Right Does this item utilize G.O.
to Know" item, pursuant to Bond Funds?
City Code Section 2-14?
Yes Yes
Strategic Connection
Neighborhoods-Provide quick and exceptional fire and emergency response.
Legislative Tracking
Capital Improvement Projects
Page 250 of 1451