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I.
Technical Project Reviews
A.
Presentation of “
Miami River
Rapids”,
1850 Delaware Parkway
- Mr. Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, stated he had left voice messages
for the architect of Miami River Rapids, Mr. Robert Behar, whom has been
out of town. The UIWG directed MRC staff to ask the potential developers
to present Miami River Rapids during the July 2005 UIWG meeting.
B.
Presentation of “
Hidden
Harbor
”,
1951 NW South River Drive
-
Mr. Bibeau stated that he had left voice messages for the “
Hidden
Harbor
” architect, Mr. Fidel Perez.
The UIWG directed staff to ask the potential developers to present
Hidden
Harbor
at the July 2005 UIWG meeting.
C. Presentation
of RFLI for
236 NW South River Drive-
Mr. Bibeau and Mr. Murley
welcomed Ms. Judy Marsie-Hazen and Mr. Peter Kendrick, representatives
of the City of
Miami
’s Department of Economic
Development. Mr. Bibeau identified the subject property’s location on
an enlarged
Miami River
aerial photograph (prepared by
the South Florida Water Management District). Ms. Marsie-Hazen stated on
April 22, 2005 the City of Miami had issued a “Request for Letters of
Interest,” (RFLI), for 236 NW South River Drive, currently known as
“Garcia’s Seafood Market,” to solicit proposers interested in the
property on an as-is basis. The .7-acre subject property, noted Ms.
Marsie-Hazen, is located immediately west of the I-95 underpass and
consists of 264 plus linear feet of frontage. The property would be
leased out on a month-to-month basis, as the City concludes its zoning
code rewrite known as “
Miami
21.” Ms. Marsie-Hazen added that the subject property is located within
the first of four geographic quadrants to be studied under the “
Miami
21” plan. According to Ms.
Marsie-Hazen, Quadrant 1 of “
Miami
21” is scheduled for review within the next six months. After that, the
City of
Miami
will engage in a public process
to obtain input and suggestions. Ms. Marsie-Hazen stated she did not
anticipate any formal action from the City of
Miami
related to “
Miami
21” until 12 months from now.
Ms. Marsie-Hazen noted the deadline for the City to receive
responses to the “RFLI” was Friday,
May 13, 2005
,
3 pm
.
Ms. Marsie-Hazen explained an Evaluation Committee, composed of 2
private individuals and one member of the public sector, was chosen to
review the four submitted responses to the “RFLI.” The four
responses were submitted by local City of
Miami
businesses, including
Casablanca Seafood, Miami River Lobster, Emerald Yacht & Ship
Management, and Garcia Brothers Wholesale, Inc, the current occupant of
the subject property. Ms. Marsie-Hazen stated the Evaluation Committee
had submitted its unanimous recommendation of Garcia’s Brothers
Wholesale, Inc as the best bid to City Manager Joe Arriola, whom had
accepted the unanimous recommendation. Dr. Fran Bohnsack,
Miami River
Marine Group, asked why the City of
Miami
had decided to conduct an
“RFLI” process, and Mr. Kendrick explained that since 1975, the
owners of the subject property did not have a written lease agreement
with the City. Mr. Kendrick
stated that Mr. Arriola had recently decided to put the subject property
out to bid in order to determine its value and best use.
Dr. Ernie Martin asked if Garcia’s Brothers Wholesale, Inc, the
winning bidders and current renters of the subject property, would pay a
higher monthly rent fee to the City as a result of the “RFLI”, and
Ms. Marsie-Hazen stated there would be an increase from their original
payment, and they are entering into lease negotiations with the selected
bidder. Bibeau asked if the
City Manager and Evaluation Committee’s selection of Garcia’s
Brothers Wholesale, Inc as the most successful bidder would go before
Miami City Commission for approval, and Ms. Marsie-Hazen responded that
it would. Ms. Marsie-Hazen
noted that the winning bidder was first in line to negotiate a contract
with the City. Dr. Martin asked how the subject property fits in with
the logistics of “
Miami
21,” Lummus Landing and the
Miami River Greenway, and Mr. Kendrick responded he would request an
update from Ms. Laura Billberry, City of
Miami Economic Development
.
Dr. Martin noted the MRC is on record recommending the Lummus
Landing area be used as a publicly accessible “Fisherman’s Wharf”
area, and the City of
Miami
concurred with the
recommendation in their Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) recently
submitted to the Department of Community Affairs.
The UIWG directed MRC staff to schedule presentations regarding
“Lummus Landing” on the upcoming MRC Greenways and Economic
Development and Commerce subcommittee agendas.
The UIWG unanimously recommended the MRC find the decision
made by City Manager Arriola and the City’s Evaluation Committee to
maintain the existing “Garcia’s Seafood Market” use of
236 NW South River Drive
to be consistent with the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.
Bibeau stated this item would most likely be placed on the MRC’s agenda
for the July 11, 2005 meeting, noon, 1407 NW 7 ST, “New Board Room”,
and stated he would forward the agenda to Ms. Marsie-Hazen.
Mr. Murley asked if Lummus Landing
would be included in Quadrant 1 of “
Miami
21,”and Mr. Kendrick
responded he did not know. Dr. Martin stated it was his understanding
that Quadrant 1 includes the Miami River’s North shore to NW 12 Ave.
Dr. Martin asked if the winning bidder of the “RFLI” had agreed to
promote the Fisherman’s Wharf concept, and Ms. Marsie-Hazen responded
that a strong point reflected in all of the bidder’s proposals during
the City’s “RFLI” process was to improve upon the subject
property’s existing use and maintain the Miami River’s marine
industry. The winning bidder, noted Ms. Marsie-Hazen, had also agreed to
expand upon the idea of creating a Fisherman’s Wharf, a commercial hub
for local fishermen and an exciting destination for City of
Miami
residents and tourists. Mr.
Murley thanked the City for promoting the Fisherman’s Wharf idea. Dr.
Martin stated he had spoken to Ms. Billberry regarding developing Lummus
Landing into a potential relocation site for displaced
Watson
Island
fisherman. Ms. Marsie-Hazen
noted the City had contacted and performed outreach services to
displaced fisherman, hoping to invite bids during the “RFLI”
process. Mr. Bibeau stated he had recently spoken to Ms. Billberry, who
had informed him that Mr. Steve Bogner was working on obtaining
shoreline permits to better accommodate fishing vessels along the Lummus
Landing shoreline.
Ms. Marsie-Hazen thanked the UIWG for
the invitation to the MRC’s July meeting, and invited the MRC to
participate during “
Miami
21’s” first official public
workshop. Ms. Marsie-Hazen
recommended that the MRC contact Ms. Luciano Gonzalez, City of Miami
Planning Department, to become a member of the City’s “Miami 21”
mailing list in order to obtain future information regarding “Miami
21” workshops and meetings. The MRC’s UIWG thanked Ms. Marsie-Hazen
and Mr. Kendrick for the information and their attendance at the
meeting.
II.
Planning Studies / Presentations
A.
Status of “Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Study”
–Mr. David Henderson,
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), stated the MPO had created a
draft scope of services and cost estimate for the MRC recommended
“Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Study,” at the
request of the MPO, and its member Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno
Barreiro. Mr. Henderson noted the MPO has $75,000 available for the
study and stated he had been directed to ask the
Miami River Commission
for an additional contribution towards the study.
Mr. Bibeau stated he would ask the MRC’s Executive Board to
consider a $25,000 contribution for the study during their July 2005
meeting, and asked the UIWG if the MRC should work on securing
additional grant funding for the study, as was the case with the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan. Mr.
Murley stated the grand total $100,000 is sufficient for a sound study,
which will prioritize the major transportation issues for further
analysis in the near future. Dr.
Martin recommended including Water Taxis as a possible short-term
multi-modal solution within the draft scope of services. Mr. Bibeau
added that Metro-Rail, Metro-Movers and buses are also alternative
transit services/short-term multi-modal solutions that could be further
analyzed in the study. Mr. Henderson agreed to look into those
possibilities, and explained that the “Transportation Planning
Technical Advisory Committee”, advises the MPO Governing Board on such
matters. Mr. Henderson noted a separate study advisory committee,
composed of City, County and FDOT representatives, would be created to
represent all of the agencies involved in the “Miami River Corridor
Multi-Modal Transportation Study.”
Mr. Murley recommended including the MRC as a member of the
advisory committee, and Mr. Henderson agreed.
Murley offered the services of the UIWG and MRC staff to assist
the selected transportation consultant in the administrative component
of the study as an “in-kind” contribution in order to reduce the
administrative component and line items within the scope of services in
the paid contract. Mr.
Henderson stated he would e-mail MRC staff a revised draft scope of
services, before its eventual consideration by the MPO.
Henderson
stated the MPO would execute a “General Consultant Contract” for the
study.
Bibeau noted the direct participation from the City of
Miami
, Miami-Dade County Public Works and
Transit Departments
,
Florida
Department of Transportation, MPO, and Miami-Dade Expressway Authority
is essential to produce a quality plan, which would be adopted and
implemented by the respective agencies.
Therefore, MRC staff drafted a Joint Planning Agreement (JPA) for
the aforementioned agencies approval, based on the JPA adopted for the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.
Murley and Henderson noted the MPO serves as an intergovernmental
coordinating entity on Transportation matters, and would work closely
with the Transportation Planning Council (TPC) and all necessary
agencies on the Miami River Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Study,
therefore the JPA was unnecessary.
B.
Discussion
of Revised Draft Miami-Dade County Marine Industrial Zoning Overlay
-Ms. Helen Brown, Miami-Dade County Planning and Zoning, stated Commissioner
Bruno Barreiro, representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Mr. Joe
McManus, Miami-Dade County Planning and Zoning, and Mr. Brett Bibeau met
on Tuesday, May 24 to discuss sections 33-278.8 and 33-278.9, and insert
a “force majeur” clause into the draft Marine-Industrial Zoning
ordinance, as recommended by the MRC.
The Federal Maritime Security Act requires perimeter walls and or
fencing around shipping terminals, therefore “or fences” would be
added into section 33-278.8 and the perimeter walls or fences would meet
the County’s section requirement for all operations and storage to
take place within walls or fences, and no additional walls or fences
would be required by the draft ordinance.
The USCG representatives stated Federal Code required marine
industrial sites to be paved in order to easily confine any potential
spills, and avoid visual obstructions which conflict with Homeland
Security required monitoring, therefore the USCG recommended the
deletion of section 33-278.9 from the draft County ordinance.
In addition, the USCG and marine industry have indicated having
15% of the site landscaped is often not feasible as it would severely
conflict with operations on the River’s small industrial parcels.
Dr. Bohnsack noted that the draft landscape requirement could
negatively affect the
Miami River
marine industries’ support of the Miami-Dade County Marine Industrial
Zoning Overlay ordinance. Ms.
Brown replied existing terminals would be grandfathered in, and would
only be required to come into compliance with the new requirement if
they apply for a new construction permit. Dr. Bohnsack suggested
creating a median along
North River Drive
or planting trees in the middle of the road in order to control traffic
within the area. Bibeau
noted an aesthetic buffer would be generated with landscaping the Public
Right of Way along North River Drive, because the CSX railroad is
located between the Drive and Marine Industrial sites, therefore
landscaping within the fenced off (as required) private property
wouldn’t create the desired buffer with the surrounding community,
rather only be visible from within the marine industrial site. Ms. Brown
stated the
County
Planning
and Zoning Department isn’t in favor of inserting a “force majeur”
clause, which would automatically revert the marine industrial zoning
back to Industrial, if the
Port
of
Miami River
were to be closed for any reason. Ms.
Brown explained the property owners would be allowed to apply for an
amendment to the zoning to return to the Industrial category. Mr. Bibeau
noted the creation of the MRC recommended Miami-Dade Marine Industrial
Zoning Overlay District is an objective of the County’s adopted
Comprehensive Plan.
C.
Presentation of City of
Miami Initial Streetcar Corridor Feasibility Study
– Bibeau
stated he had contacted Winsome Bowen, the City’s consultant for the
Streetcar Corridor Feasibility Study.
Ms. Brown had e-mailed the City to schedule a presentation
possibly during the UIWG’s July meeting.
D.
Presentation of
Civic
Center
Area Zoning Overlay- Mr.
Bibeau stated he had contacted Jose Casanova, City of Miami Planning
Department, to obtain the draft ordinance for review at the UIWG’s
July meeting.
E.
Presentation of
Miami River
Tunnel Feasibility Study -
Mr. Bibeau introduced Mr. Luis A. Prieto-Portar, professor of Florida
International University Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering. Mr. Prieto-Portar, a former Chief Engineer for Metro-Rail
and Director of the City of Miami Public Works Department, noted he has
considered and conducted Miami River Tunnel Feasibility Studies for over
a decade as a means of controlling and/or reducing traffic. Mr.
Prieto-Portar noted that mining under the
Miami River
in order to create a tunnel would substantially lower costs, as
explained further in his website www.fiu.edu/~prietol.
Mr. Prieto-Portar estimated a four-lane tunnel from SW 8 ST to
NW 3rd ST
would cost $48.5 million, and noted the new
SW 2nd Ave
bascule bridge cost over $60 million.
Prieto-Portar noted tunnels maintain riverfront property options,
where bridge ramps and piers require river frontage.
Dr. Prieto-Portar noted bascule bridge maintenance is more
expensive than tunnel maintenance. Mr.
Prieto- Portar noted he has conducted his studies of tunnels on a
pro-bono basis, and currently serves on DERM’s Environmental Quality
Control Board. Mr. Prieto-Portar stated he is constantly searching
worldwide for effective tunnel techniques, such as the “TBM” method.
The cost effective “TBM” method has been used successfully in
tunnels in
Boston
proceeding north on 93 ST Road into
Logan
Airport
, (built under a series of buildings), and in Padington
England
(into
Heathrow
Airport
). The UIWG asked if the TBM
tunnel in
Boston
is known as the “Big Dig” where leaks have been reported, and Mr.
Prieto Portar replied the northern problematic section of the “Big
Dig” tunnel was not constructed with the recommended TBM method.
Mr. Prieto-Portar stated local contractors would be able to
perform the tunnel work. Bibeau stated he had attended a recent River
Tunnel presentation, which Prieto-Portar made to the American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE), and invited him to present his study to the UIWG.
Prieto-Portar stated the power point presentation used in the
ASCE luncheon is available for downloading on his website. Prieto-Portar stated he
had presented his findings to Commissioner Winton, Mary Conway and
Alicia Cuervo Schriver, City of
Miami
, whom agreed that it was important to conduct a Miami River Tunnel
feasibility study. Subsequently
the City of
Miami
contracted Reynolds Smith Hill, which subcontracted HDR to perform the
study. The UIWG directed MRC
staff to schedule a presentation on the City of
Miami
’s Miami River Tunnel Study, and noted the general topic of a Miami
River Tunnel, as recommended theoretically by the MRC, should be placed
on a future MRC agenda. The
UIWG thanked Mr. Prieto Portar for his presentation, and Mr. Prieto
Portar thanked the UIWG for the invitation, and stated he would be happy
to participate in future MRC meetings regarding the proposed tunnel.
III.
New Business
Mr. Murley
passed around a copy of the “Smart Code,” a document created by
nationally recognized urban designers Duany-Plater Zyberk & Company.
The “Smart Code,” stated Mr. Murley, examines and reviews the
hierarchies of different communities, from “T1” (rural) to “T6”
(urban). Mr. Murley
suggested that the UIWG examine the possibility of morphing the
Miami River
into a “special district”, and directed MRC staff to determine which
Miami
21 quadrants and corridors the Miami River Urban Infill Corridor is
located within. Mr. Murley
recommended MRC representatives attend the upcoming July 6
Miami
21 public hearing.
Mr. Murley
suggested invited Downtown Development Authority representatives to
present and discuss the DDA Plan. In
addition, Murley recommended a workshop on the recently released Hazen
Sawyer / SFWMD / Biscayne Bay Economic Study.
The meeting adjourned.
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