Ordinance 99-3224 ORDINANCE NO. 99-3224
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE •
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA AMENDING THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH,FLORIDA,AMENDING CHAPTER 6 ENTITLED
"ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES", SECTION 6-4 ENTITLED "LOCATION
AND USE RESTRICTIONS" BY REQUIRING A MINIMUM DISTANCE
SEPARATION BETWEEN NIGHT CLUBS, DANCE HALLS AND
ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS SELLING ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES;AMENDING ARTICLE V,ENTITLED"SPECIALIZED USE
REGULATIONS" OF SECTION 142, ENTITLED "ZONING DISTRICTS
AND REGULATIONS" BY REQUIRING A MINIMUM DISTANCE
SEPARATION BETWEEN DANCE HALLS; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION
IN THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH,FLORIDA; REPEALER;
SEVERABILITY; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Code of the City of Miami Beach specifies certain location and use
restrictions for facilities selling or offering alcoholic beverages for consumption; and,
WHEREAS, said Code requires requires a minimum distance separation between certain
facilities selling or offering alcoholic beverages for consumption; and,
WHEREAS,the City Commission desires this provision to apply to establishments that also
operate as nightclubs, entertainment establishments and/or dance halls, in order to address problems
that are compounded by their close proximity, including valet service,traffic control and pedestrian
control;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA:
SECTION 1. That Section 6-4, entitled "Location and Use Restrictions" of Chapter 6, entitled
"Alcoholic Beverages", of the Code of the City of Miami Beach, Florida is hereby amended to read
as follows:
Chapter 6 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Sec. 6-4. Location and use restrictions.
(a) Generally. The following location and use restrictions are applicable for facilities selling or
offering alcoholic beverages for consumption:
(1) Educational facilities. No alcoholic beverage shall be sold or offered for consumption in a
commercial use within 300 feet of any property used as a public or private school operated for the
instruction of minors in the common branches of learning. Except for uses in the civic and
convention center(CCC) district, hospital (HD) district or within 300 feet of a marina.
(2) Places of worship. No alcoholic beverage shall be sold or offered for consumption in a
commercial use, except in restaurants for consumption on the premises, within 300 feet of any
property used as a place of worship.
(3) Retail stores for off-premises consumption. The minimum distance separation between retail
stores primarily selling alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises as a main permitted
use shall be 300 feet.
(4) Motion picture theater. No alcoholic beverages shall be sold or offered for consumption in
any motion picture theater or in any room opening directly or indirectly into or in connection with
any motion picture theater.
(5) Filling station. No wine or liquor shall be sold or offered for consumption in any filling
station.
(6) Curb service sales.No alcoholic beverages shall be sold or served to persons in a vehicle of
any kind or from an exterior counter or any type of walk-up window. All sales are to be from the
interior of the structure.
(7) Off-premises consumption. All sales of alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises
shall be in a sealed container.
(8) Bottle clubs. There shall be no bottle clubs within 300 feet of any property used as a public
or private school operated for the instruction of minors in the common branches of learning or place
of worship.
(9) Dance Halls. The minimum distance separation between dance halls licensed to sell
alcoholic beverages, and not also operating as restaurants with full kitchens and serving full meals,
shall be 300 feet.
(10) Entertainment Establishments. The minimum distance separation between entertainment
establishments licensed to sell alcoholic beverages, and not also operating as restaurants with full
kitchens and serving full meals, shall be 300 feet.
(b) Determination of minimum distance separation.
(1) For purposes of determining the minimum distance separation, the requirement shall be
measured by following a straight line from the main entrance or exit in which the use associated with
alcoholic beverages occurs to the nearest point of the property used for a public or private school.
In cases where a minimum distance is required between two uses associated with the alcoholic
beverages for consumption on or off the premises, the minimum requirement shall be determined
by measuring a straight line between the principal means of entrance of each use.
(2) When a distance separation is required, a scaled survey drawn by a registered land surveyor
shall be submitted attesting to the separation of the uses in question. This requirement may be
waived upon the written certification by the planning and zoning director that the minimum distance
separation has been met.
(C) Variances. Variances to the provisions of this section may be granted pursuant to the
procedure in section 118-351 et seq.
SECTION 2. That Article V, entitled "Specialized Use Regulations" of Chapter 142, entitled
"Zoning Districts and Regulations", of the Code of the City of Miami Beach, Florida is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Chapter 142 -Zoning Districts and Regulations
ARTICLE V SPECIALIZED USE REGULATIONS
DIVISION 9. DANCE HALLS
Sec. 142-1421. Dance Halls.
(a) Minimum distance separation.
(1) As per Section 6-4(a)(9)of this Code,the minimum distance separation between dance halls
licensed to sell alcoholic beverages, and not also operating as restaurants with full kitchens and
serving full meals, shall be 300 feet.
(2) The minimum distance separation between dance halls not licensed to sell alcoholic
beverages shall be 300 feet.
(b) Determination of minimum distance separation.
(1) For purposes of determining the minimum distance separation, the requirement shall be
determined by measuring a straight line between the principal means of entrance of each use.
(2) When a distance separation is required. a scaled survey drawn by a registered land surveyor
shall be submitted attesting to the separation of the uses in question. This requirement may be
waived upon the written certification by the planning and zoning director that the minimum distance
separation has been met.
Ld Variances.
Variances to the provisions of this section may be granted pursuant to the procedure in section
118-351 et seq.
SECTION 3. REPEALER.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances and all sections and parts of sections in conflict
herewith be and the same are hereby repealed.
SECTION 4. INCLUSION IN CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
It is the intention of the City Commission,and it is hereby ordained that the provisions of this
ordinance shall become and be made part of the Code of the City of Miami Beach as amended; that
the sections of this ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such intention;and that
the word "ordinance" may be changed to "section" or other appropriate word.
SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, clause or provision of this Ordinance is held invalid,the remainder
shall not be affected by such invalidity.
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Ordinance shall take effect on the 25th day of December , 1999.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 15th day of Decem.- , 1999.
A I/` ST: n MAYOR
cuc
CITY CLERK
F:\PLAN\$PLB\OCTI999\DIST 1426\DISTANCE.FIN
1st reading 11/17/99 APPROVED AS TO
2nd reading 12/15/99 FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
/11 /x—J 2m
City Attorney Date
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139rr;I
http:\\ci.miami-beach.fl.us
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. 9 Q3-91
TO: Mayor Neisen O.Kasdin and DATE: December 15,1999
Members of the City Commission
FROM: Sergio Rodriguez 1`
City Manager /
1//
SUBJECT: Nightclub I nce Separations
Second R ading Public Hearing - An Ordinance of the Mayor and City
Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida Amending the Code of the
City of Miami Beach, Florida, Amending Chapter 6 Entitled "Alcoholic
Beverages", Section 6-4 Entitled "Location and Use Restrictions" by
Requiring a Minimum Distance Separation Between Night Clubs,Dance Halls
and Entertainment Establishments Selling Alcoholic Beverages; Amending
Article V, Entitled "Specialized Use Regulations" of Section 142, Entitled
"Zoning Districts and Regulations" by Requiring a Minimum Distance
Separation Between Dance Halls; Providing for Inclusion in the Code of the
City of Miami Beach, Florida; Repealer; Severability; and an Effective Date.
RECOMMENDATION
The Administration recommends that the City Commission, upon second reading public hearing,
adopt the proposed amending Ordinance.
ANALYSIS
The consideration of proposed amendments to`the Land Development Regulations of the City
Code relative to distance separation requirements for alcoholic beverage establishments was
referred to the Planning Board by the City Commission on September 17, 1999 at the request of
Mayor Neisen Kasdin.
As the Commission is aware,a number of issues related to the operation of nightclubs and similar
establishments have been of concern to the City, and have been the subject of referrals to the
Planning Board, the Washington Avenue Task Force, and other City advisory boards. Numerous
meetings under these auspices have been held over the past year to discuss the issues, and
representatives of the nightclub industry, concerned neighborhood residents, and the City
Administration have all been involved in these discussions. Much progress has been made in
identifying potential solutions to the various problems at issue. The proposed amending ordinance
before the Commission today, requiring distance separations between alcoholic beverage
establishments, can be considered as part of a package of proposals dealing with the impacts of
nightclub establishments on the City, which the Commission will be considering.
AGENDA ITEM S 6 E.
DATE 12- 1,5-99
Commission Memorandum
December 15, 1999
Nightclub Distance Separations
Page 2
ANALYSIS (Continued)
The Planning Board, at its October 26, 1999 meeting, voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the
proposed amending ordinance. At its November 17, 1999 meeting,the City Commission voted 6-1
(Commissioner Garcia opposed) to approve the proposed ordinance on first reading.
Currently,the City Code contains a minimum distance separation requirement of 300 feet for retail
stores selling alcohol for off-premises consumption. Additionally, the Code contains regulations
limiting alcoholic beverage establishments from being located within 300 feet of educational
facilities and houses of worship.
Dance Halls and Entertainment Establishments
The proposed amending ordinance adds a minimum distance separation requirement of 300 feet
for dance halls and entertainment establishments, as defined in the new proposed definitions
reviewed previously by the Planning Board. It has been the Planning Board's conclusion that the
negative impacts associated with certain nightclub type establishments within the City can be
assigned primarily to the dancing and entertainment component associated with these
establishment. It is for this reason that the Planning Department's draft ordinance focuses on dance
halls and entertainment establishments, rather than simply focusing on alcoholic beverage
establishments as a whole. (See Attachment "A" for proposed definitions of dance hall and
entertainment establishment).
As the City, and especially the South Beach area, has evolved into a world-class entertainment
district,the negative impacts of nightclubs on the surrounding neighborhoods has been a cause for
concern. By ensuring that new nightclub establishments are suitably separated from one another,
the City can avoid creating more areas such as the area of Washington Avenue between 6th and 7th
Streets, where the proliferation of nightclubs has created a"dead-zone" during the day, as all the
nightclubs located there present opaque facades, closed during the daytime hours, and only
commence business in the late evening hours.
The City Police Department staff has stated that there should exist regulations that require a
distance separation for nightclubs, and that problems commonly associated with clubs that are
compounded by their close proximity. These include valet service, traffic control and in particular
pedestrian control. This proposed amending ordinance would ensure a 300 foot separation between
clubs, which is approximately one block; for example, the 300 foot distance might allow an
individual club on each corner of one single block,which would be a more appropriate distance
than currently exists in areas of heavy nightclub concentrations.
Note that under this proposed ordinance, existing clubs would be grandfathered in, and be allowed
to remain in their existing location in their present form. Note also that in cases of hardship, the
proposed ordinance would allow variances to this distance separation regulation,just as variances
Commission Memorandum
December 15, 1999
Nightclub Distance Separations
Page 3
ANALYSIS (Continued)
are presently permitted for the existing distance separation requirements. All applications for
variances under this provision would have to meet the requirements of the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code regarding such variance applications.
Note that these proposed minimum distance separation regulations would also apply to dance halls
not also licensed as alcoholic beverage establishments. Establishments of this kind, sometimes
known as"juice bars",are proposed to be considered Dance Halls,and licensed as such,under the
new proposed nightclub definitions. These establishments have been the subject of discussion and
proposed legislation, and the potential negative impacts of such establishments on their
surrounding neighborhoods has been documented. Including them in the distance separation
requirements will insure that concentrations of non-alcoholic `juice-bar"type nightclubs, and their
associated negative impacts, do not occur in specific areas.
This proposed amending ordinance is one way to address the problem of over concentration of
nightclubs and other types of alcoholic beverage establishments. Additionally, the proposed
amending ordinance addresses the concentration of dance halls which are not alcoholic beverage
establishments. Based on the foregoing analysis, the Administration recommends that the
Commission adopt, upon second reading public hearing, the proposed amending ordinance to
Sections 6 and 142 of the Code of the City of Miami Beach, Florida.
V 6
RL G.T66
SR \JGG\RGL\rgl
T:\AGENDA\1999\DEC 1599\REGULAR\1426CMM2.WPD
ATTACHMENT"A"
PROPOSED DEFINITIONS FOR
DANCE HALLS AND ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS
Dance hall means a commercial establishment where dancing by patrons is allowed,including,but
not limited to. restaurants, alcoholic beverage establishments and entertainment establishments.
Entertainment establishment means a commercial establishment with any live or recorded,
amplified or non-amplified performance. (excepting television,radio and\or recorded background •
music, played at a volume that does not interfere with normal conversation, and indoor movie
theater operations).
I
. it
- c2
N r g_
N O
() tip bA
. 44 sem.
sca/4
zo � .�
z cti �
t w d
O 0.0 U