LTC 291-2004 Proposed Drexel Avenue Improvements
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 291-2004
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Subject:
Mayor David Dermer
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez \ ,y-r:;--
City Manager ()
Proposed Drexel Avenue Improvements
Date: November 10, 2004
To:
From:
Recently, the City received an anonymous letter (attached) that was apparently sent to
numerous Drexel Avenue property owners stating that the City was planning to widen the
public right of way on Drexel Avenue by ten feet on each side of the street, an action that
would require the removal of fences, gates, walls, and landscaping currently existing in this
area. The letter urged the property owners to call the City's CIP Office or City Commission
to complain about this "taking" of land.
In response to the misinformation stated in the letter, I wanted to provide the Commission
with the facts about the proposed Drexel Avenue improvements. Through the
Flamingo/Lummus Neighborhood Right of Way Improvement Project, plans were
developed to reconfigure Drexel Avenue between 15th Street and Lincoln Road to provide
for a center pedestrian walkway, or esplanade, which would provide an important link, both
visually and functionally, between Lincoln Road and Espanola Way. A schematic plan of
the Drexel Avenue improvements is attached. This element of the Flamingo Neighborhood
ROW Improvement Project was discussed at length in the two community meetings held
during the Project planning phase and was strongly supported by residents in attendance.
It was included in the Basis of Design Report for the Project, a document that was
reviewed and approved by all City Departments, the Historic Preservation Board, and
ultimately the City Commission.
Work on the Flamingo Neighborhood Project construction drawings is approximately 60%
complete, and as part of the community input process, these construction drawings will be
presented to community residents at a Community Design Review Meeting sometime this
fall. The construction documents will also be presented to the Historic Preservation Board
for official approval.
The City right of way on Drexel Avenue is 70 feet wide. The current back edge of sidewalk
on each side of the street is set back approximately 9.5 feet from the right of way line. As
in the case on most City streets, over time property owners and residents have installed
unpermitted hedges, fences, and other hardscape and landscape material in this area
between the back of sidewalk and the right of way line. Photographs of some of these
encroachments are attached. The improvements proposed for Drexel Avenue would
require the full use of the right of way to accommodate a 5 foot wide sidewalk and six inch
curb on each side of the street, a 7 foot wide parallel parking lane and 12.5 foot wide travel
lane on each side of the street, and a 20 foot wide center pedestrian walkway. The need
LTC-Proposed Drexel Avenue Improvements
November 10, 2004
Page 2 of 2
to utilize the full right of way to accommodate the Drexel Avenue improvements was
discussed at the community meetings held at which residents expressed strong support for
the Project. There is no way to construct the promised and approved improvements
without removing those encroachments that exist in the 9.5 feet from the current back of
sidewalk to the private property line.
The City's procedure regarding right of way encroachments that are required to be
removed is to provide adjacent property owners with ample notice, which would be a
minimum of 90 days, to enable residents to relocate onto their own property any hardscape
or landscape materials that they wish to keep. Notice has not been given to Drexel Avenue
residents yet because the start of construction is still some time away. While the removal
of right of way encroachments is a sensitive issue for some City residents, in this case
there was a very strong community consensus that the proposed improvements justified
the removal of encroachments.
In response to the letter that was distributed, the CIP Office has received two inquiries to
date. CIP staff met with the two property owners, and both indicated that they were
strongly in favor of the improvements.
The issue of the need to remove the Drexel Avenue encroachments will be discussed
again with the community at the pending Community Design Review Meeting, and affected
property owners will be provided with at least 3 months notice of the need to remove the
encroachments prior to construction, which is expected to begin sometime in late 2005 or
early 2006.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information about
this matter.
JM 4~s
A~'fFDP:
C: Robert C. Middaugh, Assistant City Manager
Tim Hemstreet, CIP Director
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Dear Dr<.~xd A ve"u<.' Pmperty Ownt'r,
AS you may know, the City of Miami Beach is in the process of major neighborhood
improvl'm(.~nt~ throughout thl' City. The northern part of the Fl<lmingo neighborhood is
no exception. Included in the proposed plans for our neighborhood b the widening of
th<.~ public rlght~of-way on Drexel Avenue from 151h Street to Lincoln Road. In ordl'r
to implement its design for this street, the City MUST reclaim the land which has been
encroached upon over the years by those properties which have fences, gates, walls,
walkways, limdscnping, parking spaces, etc., in the right-of.way. This means that any
of the above improvements which are within approximately ten feet of the sidewalk
on each side of the street will be removed by the City and not replaced.
It is imperativ(.' that you contact the City's Capital Improvement O(ficc at 305-673-7071
tl) ask how the proposed improvements will affect your property. You could end up
losing the use of a valuable piece of property and those improvements on it which
you have paid tor and enjoyed the use of for years.
You may .1!sO want to cont~ct the Mayor and City Commjssion~rs al 305-673-7030 to
find out why the City is proposing to take away land which has been attached to your
prop<.~rty for d<.'<.'ad<.'s without any direct notice to you.
One of the Affected Pnrtics
B(, ...wart' that you may hav<.' It'gal n'('Ollrs\' :-.inn' Ih\' City h.Js, in \'SSl~rK<.', ilb,HHloll<.'u thl'
right-of-wilY.
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PROPOSED NEIGHBORHOOD CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM
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