LTC 545-2016 Status of North Shore Open Space Park Renovation Project MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 545-2016 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members oil he City Comm' sion
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager II ---
Y � Y
DATE: December 19, 2016 ■
SUBJECT: STATUS OF NORTH SHORE OP N SPACE PARK RENOVATION PROJECT
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to clarify recent misinformation being
disseminated online regarding the scope of the North Shore Open Space Park Renovation
Project (project). The project will encompass the full limits of the park, bounded on the north by
87th Street and on the south by 79 Street, and will continue to serve as a free public park. The
Master Plan for the project was approved by the City Commission in December of 2014. The
Master Plan and the intended design concepts were presented to the community on September
7, 2016. The project is currently being designed by Calvin, Giordano and Associates, Inc., and
West 8 and is approximately 30% developed. It is scheduled to be presented to the Design
Review Board (DRB) on January 3, 2017.
The design, as proposed in the 2014 master plan, includes the following components:
• Circulation and Lighting • Planting
o Expansion and enhancement of the o Revitalized lawns
pathway network o Tree pruning for visibility
o New pedestrian scale lighting o Removal of invasive plants
o Design and construction of the final, o Diversified native plant palate
northernmost, section of the City's o Redefinition of conservation areas
beachwalk system
• Program enhancements
• Gateways o New shade structures
o New iconic gateways o Refurbished restroom facilities
o Park signage o Refurbished picnic shelters
On December 14th, 2016, a petition was created online entitled, "Stop the Partial Closing of the
North Shore Open Space Park in Miami Beach." The petition, among other things, states that
portions of the park will be dismantled and ceded to real estate developers and that certain trees
will be cut down and replaced with lawn landscaping.
The project, as designed, does not vacate, donate, dedicate or otherwise cede any portions of
the park. In addition, the design includes a network of defined conservation areas that will
institute maintenance and management programs to ensure that invasive vegetation and trash
are removed, a healthy cross-section of plant species can be achieved and habitats for birds and
butterflies can be promoted with the use of native plant communities.
The petition also erroneously states "all picnic tables from the north blocks of the park were
removed overnight." None of the picnic tables at the park have been removed by the City. Picnic
tables are often moved from one area of the park to another by patrons, as they relocate them in
order to accommodate their needs during celebrations, gatherings, etc. However, none of them
have been removed from the facility. Further, the petition contains an allegation that "sea grape
trees started to get cut down under the false statement that [they] are an invasive species." This
is also an incorrect statement, as sea grapes and other trees at the park have not been cut down
or otherwise removed.
Another misconception pertains to the funding for the master plan. As you will recall, the
Commission directed a portion of funding, paid by the adjacent developer for the city to vacate
87th Terrace, and not a portion of the park, to be used to fund the master plan. These funds were
not paid to the city specifically for the creation of the master plan.
North Shore Open Space Park is one of the largest parks in Miami Beach, and we look forward
to these improvements for our residents and visitors to enjoy.
If you have .. y questions, do not hesitate to contact David Martinez, CIP Director at Ext. 6972 or
me.
JM/J T'/Dk