99-23425 RESO
RESOLUTION NO. 99-23425
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING THE FLORIDA
LEGISLA TURE TO ADOPT A STATE LAW THAT WILL PROMOTE
PLACE-SENSITIVE HIGHWAY DESIGN ON ROADS, STREETS AND
BRIDGES, TO ENSURE THAT PROJECTS ADEQUA TEL Y MEET
TRANSPORT A TION NEEDS, EXIST IN HARMONY WITH THEIR
SURROUNDINGS, AND ADD LASTING VALUE TO THE COMMUNITIES
THEY SERVE; AND FURTHER INCLUDING THIS PROPOSAL IN THE
CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY PACKAGE.
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach urges the State of Florida Senate and House of
Representatives to adopt a state law requiring that:
1) The Commissioner of Transportation establish new design standards, beginning on Fiscal
Year 2001, to govern new construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration, or rehabilitation of
bridges, principal and minor arterial roads, collector roads and local roads, and streets; and
2) The new standards shall take into account the following criteria;
a) safety, durability, and economy of maintenance;
b) the constructed and natural environment of the area;
c) the environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and preservation
impacts of the activity;
d) access for other modes of transportation; and
3) In establishing the standards above, the Commissioner of Transportation shall solicit and
consider the views of chief elected officials, statewide, and organizations including, but not limited
to: those with expertise in environmental protection, historic preservation, scenic conservation,
bicycle and pedestrian transportation, as well as regional councils of governments, rural development
councils, the State Council on the Arts, the Federal Highway Administration, and the League of
Cities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOL VED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby urge the Florida Legislature to adopt a State Law that will promote place-
sensitive highway design on roads, streets and bridges, to ensure that projects adequately meet
transportation needs, exist in harmony with their surroundings, and add lasting value to the
communities they serve; and further include this proposal in the City's Legislative Priority package.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 15th day of
December
, 1999.
ATTEST:
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CITY CLERK
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APPROVED PS TO
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
MEMORANDUM
TO: Amelia Johnson
FROM: Robert Parcher .i{,,(p--- !,+'-'1-" ?p
City Clerk
DATE: December 17, 1999
SUBJECT: Agreements
Enclosed is the Public Act documents for the signatures of the Florida Legislative
Commissioner, the Clerk of the Senate, the Clerk of the House and the Governor to
adopt a State Law.
After obtaining the applicable signatures, please return the documents to the City
Clerk's Office, to the attention of Mercy Williams. Subsequently, a fully executed
copy will be forwarded to you for your files in addition to a copy of the authorizing
resolution (Resolution No. 99-23425, 12/15/99, C-7-N).
Thank you.
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PUBLIC ACT NO.
AN ACT CONCERNING AL TERANTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES
It is the intent of the Florida Legislature to encourage the highest quality design to ensure that
road and bridge projects adequately meet our transportation needs, exist in harmony with their
surroundings, and add lasting value to the communities they serve.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
a) On or before date , the Commissioner of Transportation shall
establish new design standards to govern new construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration,
or rehabilitation of bridges, principal and minor arterial roads, collector roads and local roads and
streets. The standards shall take into account
1) safety, durability, and economy of maintenance;
2) the constructed and natural environment of the area;
3) the environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and preservation
impacts of the activity; and
4) access for other modes of transportation.
b) In establishing the standards required under subsection (a) of this section, the
Commissioner shall solicit and consider the views of chief elected officials and organizations
including, but not limited to: those with expertise in environmental protection, historic preservation,
scenic conservation, bicycle and pedestrian transportation, as well as regional councils of
goverments, rural development councils, the state council on the arts, the Federal Highway
Administration, and the League of Cities.
Certified as correct by
Legislative Commissioner
Clerk of the Senate
Clerk of the House
Approved:
,2000
Governor, State of Florida
To' Nancy Liebman Advisor
from,
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NATIONAL TRUST
ft~ HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Memorandum
To:
From:
Subject:
Date:
Historic Preservation Communitv
Kitty I liggins, Vice President for Policy
Place Sensitive Highway Design
October 19. 1999
The National Tmst has long supported the notion that state transportation agencies should
be taking historic, scenic, and cultural resources into account as they design and build
transportation projects. \\11ether it's called Thinking Beyond the Pavement or flexibility in
highway design, it goes directly to the cmcial ,vay that roads affect historic resources,
community values, and livability.
The enclosed statement from Scenic /\merica regarding the need for place sensitive
highway design in the states is right on target. As many of you know. the National Tmst has
partnered with Scenic America on many of transportation reform issues. including the campaign
to enact national legislation urging the states to adopt flexible road design standards.
If you have not seen the article "Building Roads In S~mc \:l/ith Community Values" from
the MarclliApril1999 Public Roads, give the Public Policy Department a call at (202) 588-6255
or e-mail (P9JJC.)'ialnlbJ2,QIg) and we will send it to you. We also have a limited supply of the larger,
more detailed Federal Highway Administration publication entitled Flexibilitv in Highwav
Design. Also available are copies of a 1997 article entitled "Asphalt Rebellion." ,vhich appeared
in Governing magazine.
As more and more local communities realize how transportation decisions, over which
they have little control. adversely atlect the preservation of their distinguishing attributes and
their sense of place. they are turning to community-conscious road design principles as a way of
making sure that the visual quality of the area is taken into account.
Once state transportation agencies commit themselves to early and sustained public and
community involvement in road design and planning, vve will have made significant progress
toward meaningful transpo11ation reflmll at the state level. Community sensitive design ranks
with a commitment to tind alternatives to road expansion. including public transit, as a means of
easing tranic congestion at the top of the list oftransportation refonn measures.
If you need additional intonnation or have questions. please call Dan Costello on the
Public Policy staffat (202) 588-6167.
Protecting the Irreplaceable
(2U2) 588-6000 . Fax (202) 588-6038
httpi/w\vwnationaltrustorg . E-mail [pohcY(0'nthporg]
1785 J\lassachusetts Avenue, NYV . \Vashmgton, DC 20036-2117
10: Nancy LIeoman AQVISOr
tram:
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The Asphalt Revolution:
Citizen Action and Place Sensitive Highway Design in States
October, 1999
As the country moves into the second year of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21 st
Century (TEA-21), thousands of highway projects to widen, flatten, and straighten new and
reconstructed roads are moving forward rapidly. Until state highway design policies change, old
design standards and ways of thinking will continue to destroy historic, scenic, cultural and
environmental values that define the distinctive character of many American communities. Even
\vith the positive envirolUl1ental gains made in TEA-21, too few states include the public in the
design process, or make an emxt to adopt new design guidelines or retrain state and county
highway engineers. At the same time, the demand for place-sensitive highway design is growing
stronger. particularly as the general public links transportation and land use issues in the contex1
of "smart grO\vth." A.s state legislatures and k1Cal goverrunents consider steps to promote better
grO\vth, the potential audience f()r our message on design is growing exponentially.
Scenic America's long-tenll goal is to work with our state affiliates and other
transportation retann organizations to ensure that the design of every road project in America
will a) fully involve citizens who are affected by that road; and b) reflect sensitivity to the
envirolUllent to aesthetics and to the character of place. Our challenge is to work with those who
champion reform -- citizens, far-sighted state transportation ofIicials, and national leadership
organizations -- to accelerate adoption of place-sensitive design at the state level.
A number of tar-sighted departments of transportation and highway engineers are
convinced that place-sensitive design is tremendously important. During the past two years
FHWA has published Flexibility in Hig/nvay Design, an invaluable book of case studies about
design that respects the natural and constructed environments; and l\Jaryland State Highway
Administration and FHWA sponsored the highly successful "Thinking Beyond the Pavement"
conference in May, 1998. In addition, both COlmecticut and Venllont have adopted new design
standards which are tar more sensitive to the characteristics ofthose states.
However, it has also become apparent that 1Fithout a clear legislative mandate for place-
sensitive deSIgn at the state level. change m destructive road building 1vill be slow in commg. In
1999-2000 our challenge is t\vo-fold: first, through popular press and publications we need to
broaden citizen understanding that place-sensitive highway design is possible, legal and already
in effect elsewhere; and second, we must facus on helping citizens work with their state
legislators to pass the model place-sensitive design legislation Scenic America has drafted (see
attached).
m
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR & COMMISSION
MEMORANDUM
TO:
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER "
/
AMELIA JOHNSON
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR
FROM:
NANCY LIEBMAN
COMMISSIONER
DATE:
NOVEMBER 1, 1999
RE:
PLACE SENSITIVE HIGHWAY DESIGN
Please look over the attached. Do you think we should pass a resolution urging the Florida
Legislature to adopt a policy as suggested by Scenic America? We could also include the
proposal in our State Legislative Priorities package.
NL/ml
Attachment
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\cLmiami-beach.f1.us
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. .EllS...:it:t
TO:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City C 'ssion
DA TE: December 15, 1999
FROM:
Sergio Rodriguez
City Manager
SUBJECT:
A RESOLU I OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING THE FLORIDA
LEGISLA TURE TO ADOPT A STATE LAW THAT WILL FOSTER
ALTERNATIVE AND PLACE-SENSITIVE HIGHWAY DESIGN ON
ROADS, STREETS AND BRIDGES, TO ENSURE THAT PROJECTS
ADEQUA TEL Y MEET TRANSPORT A TIONNEEDS, EXIST IN HARMONY
WITH THEIR SURROUNDINGS, AND ADD LASTING VALUE TO THE
COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE; AND FURTHER INCLUDING THIS
PROPOSAL IN THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY PACKAGE.
ADMINISTRA TION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
ANAL YSIS
The main streets of Miami Beach, such as Collins Avenue/[ndian Creek Drive/Harding Avenue,
Alton Road, 5th Street, 41st Street, 71st StreetINormandy Drive, and the causeways are under the
jurisdiction of or are constructed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). In addition,
most of the city's bridges are also constructed by FDOT.
Through the years, the City has had to plead with the local state officials, on a project-by-project
basis, for the adoption of flexible and place-sensitive design standards for their projects in Miami
Beach, which do not fit the mold used by the engineers for all highway/roadway construction
statewide. The City has struggled to influence the final outcome of FOOT projects with certain
degree of success, as far as our causeways and bridges are concerned. However, our requests for
sensitive design standards for the main City roads remain a challenge.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as the City of Miami Beach, have long
supported the notion that state transportation agencies should take historic, scenic, and cultural
resources into account as they design and build transportation projects. "Until state highway design
policies change, old design standards and ways of thinking will continue to destroy historic, scenic,
cultural and environmental values that define the distinctive character of many American
communities. "
AGENDA ITEM C 1 N
DATE_' 2. -15-'1~_
Therefore, the Administration recommends that the City Commission join a nationwide effort of
the National Trust and Scenic America by adopting a Resolution urging the State Legislature to
adopt place-sensitive design standards for Florida, and by including this proposal in the City's
legislative priority package.
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Attachment
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