LTC 050-2017 High Impact Events on Beach Property - Spring 2017 Scheduleel- MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 050-2017
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members o the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: January 30, 2017
SUBJECT: High Impact Events on Beach Property — Spring 2017 Schedule
This letter serves to inform the Mayor and Commission of the actions taken by the City
Manager to install the provisions of the City's High Impact Events on Beach Property
during the busy spring, 2017 period. As you recall, following the April, 2016 unpermitted
Floatopia social media happening and the ensuing trash left behind by the crowd who
attended, the Commission directed the City Manager to strengthen enforcement
provisions and provide limitations for beachgoers as protective measures for residents
and visitors to the beach and City. The result was the Commission's May 11, 2016
approval of Ordinance 2016-4019, which amended Chapter 82 of the City Code of the
City of Miami Beach, amending Article V, entitled "Beaches." This Ordinance provided
the City Manager with the discretionary power to install such protective measures when
a High Impact Period is deemed to occur, wherein large crowds and activities, by
permitted or unpermitted use, may pose a threat of damage or destruction to City
property. Measures imposed during a High Impact Period on beach property will
include:
• The prohibition of coolers;
• The prohibition of any inflatable devices;
• The prohibition of tents, tables, and similar structures;
• The limitation of live or amplified music;
• The limitation of traffic routes to prohibit vehicular access to non-residents, and
permit access only for residents and those patrons and employees of
businesses located in the specific area where traffic routes have been limited;
• The establishment of occupancy limits for different segments of beach property,
and prohibiting access to those areas that have reached those occupancy
limits, in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public;
• The prohibition of any direct or indirect consumption of alcohol on the beach
property;
• And the implementation of a license plate reader police detail, which may be
utilized on eastbound traffic lanes of the MacArthur Causeway, Julia Tuttle
Causeway, and on any other access points to the City.
For the upcoming spring, 2017 period, inclusive of spring break and Winter Music
Conference schedules, the City Manager and Police Department have identified the
dates of March 3 through April 16 as a High Impact Period on beach property, based on
estimates derived from prior years to meet the following requirements to enact the above
measures. Per 2016-4019, only one of the below requirements is sufficient to trigger
these protective measures.
• An event, activity or period of time is expected to generate attendance by more
than 5,000 people for an area of beach property that extends less than 15 blocks
from north to south. Ocean Rescue's patron attendance estimates for the
beachfront from South Pointe to 15 Street during the same time period averaged
42,375 patrons per weekend day/ 127,124 patrons per weekend in 2015 and
43,052 patrons per weekend day/ 136,330 patrons per weekend in 2016.
• City parking lots and garages in an area within a 15 block radius of beachfront
property are at full capacity. Parking Department's use reports of garages nearby
the public beach area (7 Street garage, 12 Street garage, 13 Street garage, 16
Street/ Anchor garage) for the same March and April period show an average of
48% over capacity in 2015 and an average of 55.6% over capacity in 2016.
• There is a designated major event period (as set forth and identified within the
special event regulations and guidelines). The special event regulations and
guidelines define Winter Music Conference, this year March 21-24, as a major
event period.
• A maintenance of traffic plan is required (including street closures) based upon
the high impact. In 2016, Police Department closed Ocean Drive from 7 to 11
Streets from 7pm to 7am on successive weekends (the last weekend in March
and the first weekend in April), based on higher arrest totals the prior two
weekends than the previous Memorial Day Weekend.
• Hotel occupancy levels are anticipated to be greater than 75% in the City.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau's Smith Travel Research
estimates for the same periods in 2015 and 2016 averaged 86.5% hotel
occupancy.
These periods reflect historically high attendance on Miami Beach beachfront property,
due to the schedule of various Florida and Georgia college spring breaks, as well as
Miami-Dade high school spring break.
In addition to this LTC, the City Manager will file notification of implementation of these
measures with the City Clerk and the Communications Department will inform
appropriate news media for publication and broadcast of the restrictions imposed during
these dates. Once any such measures are imposed, any violation of the imposed
measures shall be punished as provided in section 1-14 of City Code.
C: Kathie Brooks, Assistant City Manager
Eva Silverstein, Director, Tourism Culture and Economic Development
Vanessa Williams, Assistant Director, Tourism Culture and Economic Development
Graham Winick, Film and Event Production Manager, Tourism Culture and Economic Development
KGB/ ES/ VW/ GW