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LTC 198-2014 Citywide Dune Restoration and Enhancement Project Status Update MIAMI d OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER 2014 JUN 10 PM 4*. 56 NO. LTC# I ?&-ao1q LETTER TO CPM&A1 1:0 ► I - TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members f the City ommission FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager DATE: June 10, 2014 SUBJECT: Citywide Dune Restoration and nhancement Project Status Update The purpose of this LTC is to update the Mayor and City Commission on the status of the Citywide Dune Restoration and Enhancement Project. The goal of this project is to restore the health and structural integrity of the dune system while incorporating the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) design guidelines into vegetation management. The healthier dune system will provide better habitat for native plants and animals, be more structurally sound, and offer the City improved storm surge protection and erosion control. All work for this project has been coordinated with and permitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. From February through May, two landscape contractors, retained through the Invitation to Bid (ITB) process, removed non-native vegetation from the four project areas. Attachment 1 shows the locations where this work was conducted in South Beach (Government Cut to 3 Street and 14 Street to 23 Street), Middle Beach (23 Street to 47 Street), and North Beach (64 Street to 79 Street). Beginning in June, the contractors will begin to replant the cleared areas with native species that will maximize the dune's ability to protect upland properties from storm surge and provide critical erosion control to the beach. Areas not addressed by this project will be restored in the future during the construction of the adjacent beachwalk or as part of volunteer dune restoration efforts. The week of June 23, the City's in-house tree crew will begin selectively pruning native dune vegetation throughout the City, including that in North Shore Open Space Park, under the supervision of an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist. The vegetation will be pruned between 24 and 36 inches in height to provide greater vegetation stability and reduce security concerns from continued homeless and illicit activities within the park. In the past few weeks, the Administration has received several inquiries regarding this sea grape pruning strategy from City residents. Mr. Robert Barron, a dune ecologist with Coastal Management and Consulting, has been retained to provide professional guidance during the Citywide Dune Restoration Project. He has responded to these inquiries in a letter that outlines the pruning methodology and the reason it was selected for the City's dune system (Attachment 2). Upon completion of this work, City staff will conduct an interdepartmental review of the restored area to identify any remaining areas of concern and to confirm the resulting conditions meet the dune management and CPTED goals. Additionally, the City Administration is recommending i F:IWORK!$ALLt(1)EMPLOYEE FOLDER&BETSY WHEATONILTCIDUNE LTCIDune Project Update LTG 14 05-29.doc LTC—Dune Project Status Update June 10, 2014 Page 2 of 2 that the dunes be placed under a maintenance contract, in which a landscape contractor will maintain the entire system 30 times per year. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. `<MJ/MT/ETC/JJ F/ESW/M KW Attachments: 1 -Citywide Dune Restoration Project Map 2 - Letter from Robert Barron, Coastal Management and Consulting I F:\WORK\$ALL\(1)EMPLOYEE FOLDERS\BETSYWHEATON\LTG\DUNE LTC\Dune Project Update LTC 14 05-29.doc li r. � I 4 . i i �1 c i p.. I �.t. u 1 ti Popp ...J2, FOOMy Attachment 2 ROBERT H BARRON Coastal management and Consulting Coastal Growers Inc. 7611 Lawrence Rd. Boyfinmou Beach,Fl.3343 56 I-6149-8318,ce11441-1446 April 2,1014 Elizabeth Wheaton Enwimnmental Resources Manager. City'6 Miami:Beat h 1700 Convention Center 13riv a 4th`Floor IViiarhi Beach,Florida 33139 'Ms.Wheaton, I am.a coastal dune biolc�gi t w%th`nearty 4Q'ye�ats of experience working on Flon%da's beaches, . have designed'and parried out more than 1,4(10 dune restorab OMB ranging from host-storm: stabdizat on projects to argue=seal habitat remorations.The City of h!iiami Beach.reta ed me in 11r1ay of 2413,to assist in developing a management strategy for its c{oastal dune system tat h enhances storm pnrtection and erosion control functions,while xne�eting the biological,aesthetic, and safety issues of cc3nccrn to Miami Beau:residents rover the past t xnons I have worked closely with staff to develop a dune management pro an that based un tl3e best available science, as well as any p ofessionsl +experient'.e wow on public and. .'private dune re�on projects. One component of this is reduc ng select sea grape and other coastal'trees to a height that is between 24 inches and 3Q inches and snaimtaining these at a Inng-teem Height between 36 niches'aad 42 .ches This approach.is also l nowa as rremedial c�rovm redue qn p g or eoppicing. Reriedia sea g prang'strrengthens die stability of the dune system ovcrtarae because it modfics he tinees to low and dense grov�th v�rhich makes them mare stable and more likely to endure a mayor vvindstonm without uprooting or toppling.Additionally,the p7resedribed n Cw height ewes:hiding and improves: visibilit3r aver the dunescape, oonsistenx ivit1 Crone P're&►C,U:,*i Thro►u Environ mental T esign guitdeline . apply these pruning methods yeari- roua South Florida,because the cd�e is througho ut'the year and the local see grapes do not experience a dori�. t season. sea graph pnu ng methodology has been extensively vetted with the Florida T3eparament of EnvuPntnental Pro#ection (F]DgP} c v+ the past.ter► , and that agency hays�O ma#ch�g Brat► t©project tit have applied tfiis pining strategy,including a project:­m­.. the City of Delray Beach that redud' 5-foot s gapes trams'to aerie height, A�the betray Beach prueet was`initially uaptpular with a few} it was welcomed by the v znajonty of'�CitiZens, and vas recendy described at the National Co�nce ott Beech Preservation Theology as the"model far future dune management programs". Delray.Beach and its residents axe very happy the long-term results, sp�ecif c y eticallyM'ple mg climes with rredured seeurity� ccancerns anal improve resistunce to storms,as tested Hurricane 1JWilnia. Attachment A shows mistin conditions m the.I?el y each dunes. Short. wn, the recentl* pruned sea' �ami Beach will put out new shits fluxing#lie com g months and : show substantial growth'before the start of the 2014 hum' semon.Long term,Miami Beach +can expect dine areas v�hrc the , gapes are tnanta<incd as more stable how scrub to Look smear to. iiection of Delray Beach dune sho�wia in the photograph. If you bfave arty qu ion,phase Ala not hesitate to contact me. Sin�ely Robert H Barron Caastal 14anagement and cxnsultng A tar Eun nts:A Photo graph of Delray Beach Dune a � era�• � Sao Y 3 Wnw,04C NMI-