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Panel comments following 1-22-21 meetingComments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 1 of 8 Panel Members Mr. Tom Donall Reviewing the Pilot Program presentation. I think that we should perhaps explore a complete alternative that would A) Help create a safer and environmentally fitting solution B) A more suitable conveyance for tourist. My Idea is to implement an Ocean Drive Golf cart or trolly cart service for hotels to deliver guests and luggage throughout ocean drive. I am having a hard time choosing an option, I feel we need to discuss these options further in our next meeting. That being said, I would appreciate focusing on the feasibility of utilizing a "cart" service for hotels and tourists, deliveries and parking for restaurants and businesses and the option of pedestrian only traffic. My idea for Deliveries is to use the mid building alleyway from block to block with a traffic "cop/expeditor" to keep traffic flowing. Deliveries should be during AM hours. On the subject of standalone bars; I fully agree with not having any. The process to obtain Outdoor entertainment licenses needs to be revamped. The current process is costly and time consuming. Ms. Jen Roberts While I like the idea of the hybrid option of some streets being pedestrian only and others open to traffic, it seems unfair to the businesses in the pedestrian only sections. I feel like we need to be consistent in the traffic flow. Option three seems to be the most fair and convenient flow. One way southbound makes the most sense and I like the proposal to extend the park. It seems on slide 10 that we would lose the bike path in this scenario? Of course, I would prefer more pedestrian only zones, but I think it’s really important to poll the businesses on those streets and understand if they are for or against the traffic closures. If the general consensus were to have pedestrian closure, I would be all for that. Also, side streets with closures would be interesting as well as there could be creative ways to activate those streets. Mr. Daniel Ciraldo • we should have "No turn" on Collins, or "Authorized vehicles only" because I see cars u-turning all day long at Ocean Court as that's when they realize Ocean Drive is closed to traffic... and it's a major safety/logistical/traffic issue that can be rectified ASAP if Josiel/Transportation can finally get the signs up.... can you check on that? Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 2 of 8 • there are lots dirty alleys due to leaking from certain businesses (e.g., Voodoo lounge) that drips into the gutter… those should be rectified, code compliance should do a sweep and monitor regularly • please consider 5th street, the long cul-de-sac, as a good possible drop off spot for a pilot with nice signage • signage overall needs to be improved Ms. Jane Krupp Just a note to thank you all for moving the green steel barriers yesterday back to their original positions at 14th and Ocean Court. When the barriers were moved a few weeks ago, to give the Winter Haven valet space, they proved how irresponsible commercial operators are who see no value in controlling what goes on the exterior of their properties. Besides the 50 feet of new 'valet' area becoming a slingshot/party meet up space, they allow tractor trailers to back into the 'privileged' area, unload and idle for hours, as they contribute to the din, spew diesel fuel all over our property and poison our streets and apartments, (and hotel customers) with noise, chemical fumes and black soot. They also show complete indifference to people sitting on their 14th Street side entrance steps and railings who are partying with open containers, smoking weed and creating loud disturbances well past curfew. I believe the police have spoken to the hotel managers on several occasions, but nothing changes their business model. They do not clean the street at the entrance and in 15 years I have rarely seen any employee clean or paint the exterior of the building. TripAdvisor and Yelp reviews of Ocean Drive hotels are rife with complaints of truck and partying noise not only at the Winter Haven, but also at our highest rated establishments. This street experiment clearly shows that we cannot rely on commercial owners to maintain any kind of quality of life because there is no short-term profit in it for them. The city does not provide proactive monitoring for these issues. I did a walking tour last week with a code officer to point out the peeling paint, rust, spawling, failed repairs, unsightly patching and mis-matched paint, facade, parapet and concrete cracks and general unmaintained and litter-strewn properties surrounding my building at 14th and Ocean. They cited 5 properties for multiple violations and done only because a resident, me, requested the inspections. If the hotels would make an effort to improve the quality of life for their customers, it would benefit themselves and the city in the long run. The 50 feet of pedestrianized street that we regained today, makes a huge difference in the quality-of-life around our building and the hotel. Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 3 of 8 It keeps the vehicular chaos and pollution just that much further away from peoples' bedrooms and kills the party space. A big learning opportunity with closing Ocean Drive is how to effectively alleviate crime through controlling the way cars are used by troublesome tourists who endlessly cruise and “park and party”. Controlling vehicles through parking, ticketing, towing and establishing perimeters is a science and an art. Hopefully the master planners will be thinking hard about these cause and effect issues and design accordingly for the benefit of all, not just for those seeking to profit from the unfettered and free use of our public rights-of-way. BEFORE: This truck idled for 2 hours yesterday in front of 2 residential buildings as it used the valet area to free park, take up valuable and paid permitted residential parking spaces and complete their deliveries for all of Ocean Drive. There were 3 of these monster trucks yesterday morning in the same spot. Here can be seen the black soot on the top of the truck that they spew out. Also notice they are in the former "valet" area, so when customers arrive, this is their greeting. Along with the parked cars that inhibit the turning radius of the constant parade of dead- end, turn-around traffic looking for parking, because there is no signage directing them otherwise. There is not enough space to have all mobility functions simultaneously and hopefully the Master Planners are taking note of this failed experiment. Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 4 of 8 So many trucks east of Ocean Court that pedestrians walking west on 14th Street could not pass... AFTER: some basic order restored.... the side entrance to the Winter Haven is on the right (east towards Ocean Drive) Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 5 of 8 Boundaries and limitations are the key to making our streets safe and preventing unwanted behaviors. It's time now to implement a stepped down delivery system, communicate with the dozen or so trucking companies that make regular deliveries along with the hotel managers communicating with their vendors to manage and coordinate their delivery times in a responsible manner. Commercial owners should be held more accountable for the public space around their buildings especially when given special privileges like valet parking and golf cart access. Let's install proper signage (inform the public) and enforce our parking laws. Encourage use of van deliveries, like the trucks used by Amazon, FedEx and UPS and ban diesel trucks east of Washington. A shout out to Police enforcement for the pre-spring break efforts...! Friday and Saturday nights were amazing! We are starting to lift this burden of loss of our civilized society, inch by inch. Ms. Nisi Berryman First my RIGHT NOW idea, that will cost under $10,000 – Covered solar-powered benches with LED screens for ads and charging ports (saw these installed in NYC, Times Square) The benches are provided free and can generate income once paid for (through ad revenue). From seeing them installed, I know how much people enjoyed them and used the charging ports while they chatted/took in the scenery. They could work well as pickup/dropoff spots for carts and trolleys, Ubers, etc. since they are covered. The ads could be interspersed with Ocean Drive info, maps, upcoming events, digital art, etc. I’m unclear how to move an idea like this forward but If of interest, I’m happy to connect the panel or point person with the designer/owner, who is an old friend of mine. She could properly present it, and answer all questions. If it came to a vote, I would abstain to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. This is all new (legal) territory for me so your advice is welcome and needed!! For the Ocean Drive Traffic plan, I like option 2 that keeps a pedestrian-only section, with changes (close to the weekend/special event plan). Could be larger, say 9th Street- 12th street for pedestrians. Also, might relieve traffic congestion to make 9th and 12th 2- way streets, maybe ending in cul-de-sacs something like 5th Street for drop off and pick up. This would have to be on the reclaimed park area I think. I love the proposals for using the wasted area of Lummus Park, and we need MORE TREES!! Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 6 of 8 Let’s get rid of the pink sidewalks (which NEVER look good) and put that money into more trees and painted graphics as Bernard presented. Tropical Deco patterns, not Wynwood. I would love to see some $$ going to restaurants to improve the look of the outdoor areas, the banners with logos are most appealing (to me). A deal with companies to provide them at a great price could help. I know times are tough, but the Home Depot look is not attractive. Also, must allow for servers to access their tables – maybe painted graphics or reflectors on the sidewalk to “mark” a lane? We need to clean up the alleys and make them feel safe for everyone Plentiful perimeter parking with carts (are rickshaws too tacky??) could get the luggage and non-walkers to their destinations. Other thoughts: Observation Towers? Maybe 2 or 3 that would have solar power for fans and LED screens on first level with Coral Morphologic live feed of Biscayne Bay or …Area to chill upstairs and watch the sea or volleyball, Ocean Drive, moonrise, etc. I imagine these would have some insurance liability but could be wonderful. I was thinking of South Points Park’s raised topography and how nice it is to look out over the sea. If that is doable would also be great. Band shell for live music and performance – Rhythm Foundation, Miami New Drama, New World, Young Arts and other groups could program Jetty? Could that help prevent erosion and riptides? Ms. Nicole Bostick Per our last mtg, Mr Plutzik prioritized problem-solving actionable items that could be executed immediately for business in the district. While lack of pedestrian traffic to retailers, as well as hotel guest transportation obstacles were mentioned, these were only generalizations. Can we get who/what/where/when/why details? What business exactly are suffering? Where are they located? How have they measured/tracked the impact of the pedestrianization of Ocean Drive, if indeed that's what they claim is the cause of their problems? Broad changes can't be considered, much less implemented if we don't have a very clear picture of the situation. Where can we find that? While I appreciate the intention of the recent Zyscovich presentation, our meeting format, in particular time constraints don't allow for the in-depth explanation and analysis needed for a true understanding of the proposal. I think it might be valuable to distribute presentations pre-meeting, so at least we have the chance to digest and come to the meeting prepared with questions/comments. This might be a big ask, but it would be even better if future Zyscovich presentations were 3d animations/video rather than flat files. I don't know the cost, but I'm sure they have the ability. With a mission of such importance, Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 7 of 8 it's critical that information be provided in the most digestible manner. Come on it's 2021 --- monologue presentations are ineffective and simply don't cut it. I looked through the background files that you provided, including the 10 point-plan, and all manner of legislative amendments. there are two areas in which I didn't see much focus: 1) There has been a lot of attention on ways to influence behaviors of visitors once they're already here. What has or is being done from a policy perspective to attract the right audience (or detract the wrong one)? 2)) Infrastructure & Development -- What has the city done, or can we do with regards to redevelopment -- for example the city buying properties for sale in the district to replace tattoo parlors, etc. with the kinds of businesses that will attract the clientele we want to see? How have we, or can we, incentivize those kinds of companies to take root on the beach? How great would it be to have a University campus/building, perhaps one dedicated to environmental sustainability, in South Beach. Or all these new tech companies supposedly coming to Miami. 3) What are dress code ordinances in the area? Sand/Beach vs. street vs in a retail space vs hotel? Members of the Public Mr. Donald Worth To: Ocean Drive Task Force As long-term residents of Ocean Drive, we've lived on the second floor of our XXXX Ocean Drive Condo since 1993. Because Art Deco buildings don't have balconies, we created his+her perches - matching window seats - where we not only observe but actually have a dialogue with the street. We watched the meeting via zoom on Jan. 22. Please consider our observations: -We think expanding Lummus Park into the "no man's land", the sandy area by the berm, is excellent. One unexpected benefit: during sustained periods of steady winds (not unusual here) the sand sometimes accumulates so much that it blows onto Ocean Drive and it has to be plowed! One point of concern: Turning another 10 blocks into a park may be costly; we are guessing that this capital improvement might not be covered under the current General Obligation Bond issue. -Over the many years that we have fought to close Ocean Drive to vehicular traffic, we have heard that some hotels object because it makes pickup and drop-off difficult for hotel guests. Rather than rely on secondhand hearsay, which may be biased, let's get firsthand data so that we can determine exactly how serious this problem is. Comments received following January 22, 2020 Panel Meeting Page 8 of 8 The City should do a survey of Ocean Drive hotel guests. Do they like the street closure? Dislike it? How problematic are pickup/drop off issues? What suggestions do they have for the street? The Greater Miami Convention Center and Visitors Bureau could do this study. Frankly, it would be easy to just interview people walking down the street with suitcases and see what they think. -We don't believe that automobiles are essential for either the restaurants or the (very limited) retail on Ocean Drive. Lincoln Road-without automobiles-works for restaurants and retail. And people seem to behave better when cars aren't around. -We hate that Ocean Drive became the ultimate cruise to nowhere. From our perch, we see the vast majority of automobiles on Ocean Drive are cruisers. They are self-contained tailgaters driving round and round while purchasing nothing. -For this reason, we feel that any "hybrid" scheme which allows some automobile traffic will fail and promote much confusion and aggression. The desire to cruise Ocean Drive is so strong, especially on weekends, no matter what you do, whatever lane you leave open for traffic will always be clogged. -It is also true that a "hybrid" street which tries to accomplish too many things may, in the end, accomplish little. We have a lot of respect for Bernard Z. and his firm and we are pleased that they have been selected by the City. The hybrid designs presented, however, struck us as a bit clunky and did not capitalize on the marvelous opportunity to create a majestic pedestrian landscape. -Re: access to hotels, we do recognize that we must first understand how serious this problem is-and then come up with acceptable solutions. A tram/golf cart setup would be ok on a fully pedestrianized Ocean Drive. Also use of the back alleys (and we agree this should be a significant first-step improvement) and perhaps zoning to encourage developers to combine buildings on Collins and Ocean Drive, such as the Betsy. Combining buildings creates better economies of scale and gives Collins Ave Hotels an Ocean Drive address. And it solves the access issues. - We recognize that some of the major decisions for Ocean Drive (car free or not) are political decisions that ultimately will be made by the Miami Beach City Commission. But let's gather as much information as possible first. Finally, thank you all for doing this work. We have been waiting 27 years for an initiative like this! Yours truly, Nina and Don Worth