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LTC 365-2013 Biscayne Beach parking01.1. MIAMIBEACH �t:P OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LETTER TO COMMISSION NO. LTC # c 4a.5 TO: Mayor Matti Herrera and Members City Co ission FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager a "°— co DATE: October 8, 2013 SUBJECT: Biscayne Beach parking The purpose of this LTC is to provide information regarding the planning and design phases, as well as the approval of the current construction documents for the Biscayne Beach Neighborhood. The current construction documents are consistent with the Basis of Design Report (BODR), prepared by The Corradino Group, and adopted by the City Commission on October 15, 2003. Further, to clarify certain issues as it relates to the proposed parking within Biscayne Beach. BACKGROUND The Biscayne Point Neighborhood Improvement Project is comprised of three (3) distinct areas, Biscayne Point Island, Stillwater Drive and Biscayne Beach. The scope of work for the overall Project includes water main improvements; drainage improvements including the installation of a pump station; repair of sidewalks, curbs, and gutters; lighting system improvements; landscape improvements; installation of pavers and bridge lighting at the 77 Street entrance to Biscayne Point Island; brick paver crosswalks throughout; and pavement milling, resurfacing, signage and striping. PROJECT TIMELINE Plannin Phase hase • 9.19.2002 - Community Design Workshop (CDW) No. 1 • 1.09.2003 - Community Design Workshop No. 2 • 8.04.2003 - Presentation of the BODR to the General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee (currently known as the Capital Improvement Projects Oversight Committee) • 10.15.2003 - Resolution No. 25376, approving the BODR During the CDW meetings, staff described the city's process for developing the neighborhood improvements plans and also sought input from the community. This process culminated in the BODR, which makes the following recommendations as it relates to parking: • Maintained the same cross section, or existing roadway /sidewalk configuration • Provided crosswalks at intersections • Provided planters /bulb -out at each intersection and landscaping of these areas with shade and /or palm trees • All parking spaces will be striped to meet code requirements. Page 2 Biscayne Beach Parking LTC Design Phase • 2.06.2008 — Community Design Review Meeting One Community Design Review (CDRM) meeting was held for the project. The meeting was attended by city staff, the Design Consultant, the Program Manager and Residents. During the meeting, a presentation was made of the 60% design plans and critical aspects of the project. City staff engaged in discussions with representatives of each of the Homeowners Associations (HOA) during the CDRM. Subsequently, separate meetings were held with representatives of the Biscayne Point Island HOA, the Stillwater Drive HOA, and the Biscayne Beach HOA on 4.17.2008, 5.20.2008, and 2.20.2008, respectively. The Biscayne Beach HOA raised no objections regarding the proposed parking layouts at this meeting. The plans were finalized, bid, awarded, and moved into the pre- construction and construction phases. Pre - Construction /Construction Phases • 05.25.2011 — Biscayne Point Island Pre - Construction Community Meeting • 06.02.2011 — Stillwater Pre - Construction Community Meeting • 06.07.2011 — Biscayne Beach Pre - Construction Community Meeting During the Biscayne Beach Pre - Construction Meeting, city staff presented the improvements and explained what residents should expect during the construction. The construction plans were made available to residents for examination. Various residents expressed their concerns regarding the loss of parking and the placement of bump -outs after the previously approved plans were presented. Staff confirmed that the plans were consistent with the BODR. ANALYSIS Throughout the planning and design phases of the project, the City committed to minimally impacting the legal parking spaces throughout the Biscayne Beach Neighborhood. However, during a regulatory review by the Miami -Dade County Public Works Traffic Engineering Division, a 15 -foot wide travel lane was mandated to allow for fire - fighting apparatus to have access during emergencies. The City's Fire and Public Works Departments concurred with the requirement, which made it necessary to convert the existing 45 degree parking to 90 degree parking and to eliminate parallel parking on one -way streets. The 90 degree configuration allows for more parking spaces than the 45 degree configuration, thereby offsetting some of the loss of the parallel spaces. Our approximate parking counts are as follows: Total Pre - Construction Angled and Parallel Parking Spaces ................... ............................710 Total Post Construction Angled and Parallel Parking Spaces ................ ............................579 NetParking Spaces Lost ............................... ............................... ............................131 Many of the parking spaces /areas currently being used in Biscayne Beach are not legal parking spaces, which made the neighborhood appear to have more spaces for parking than are allowed or that are safe for drivers, pedestrians or public safety access. The new parking design and configuration of stalls discourages illegal parking throughout the neighborhood and brings the area up to code. The net loss of 131 spaces is approximately 18 percent of the pre- construction legal parking in the neighborhood. Page 3 Biscayne Beach Parking LTC The areas that primarily impact parking availability are the intersections with crosswalks and driveways. The intersections need to be clear of parked vehicles in order to ensure a clear line of sight for drivers. The installation of crosswalks preclude the installation of parking within a certain proximity of the intersection. Providing uniform, legal parking areas addresses these safety issues for both drivers and pedestrians. The installation of bulb -outs does not necessarily reduce the overall number of parking spaces. Bulb -outs were primarily placed in areas that would not otherwise be legal parking spaces. A major portion of the Biscayne Beach BODR discusses the installation of bulb- outs /planters. Specifically, this treatment is being used as "...a traffic calming and landscaping tool that extends the sidewalk the width of the parking lane ". The BODR also called for the installation of 22 mid - block bulb- outs /planters. After a review with the Engineer of Record, and regulatory agencies, the number of mid -block bulb -outs was reduced to 11. Further reduction in this number is being evaluated. These planters will be strategically placed were parking would not otherwise be legally permitted. Recently, Biscayne Beach residents expressed concerns regarding the loss of parking. The CIP staff met with the Public Works Department (PWD) traffic engineering staff, who had previously approved the current parking plans. PWD explained that the Engineer of Record was conservative and that there are some opportunities to gain parking spaces within the neighborhood. This includes eliminating planned bus bays, re- evaluating the parking striping plan, and placement of mid -block bump -outs within the neighborhood. Staff is currently reviewing these options with the Engineer of Record and the regulatory agencies to implement these options and thereby gain additional parking spaces.