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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-361-4850
Fax: 305-361-4755
  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

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Discussions: Jim McDonald opened the meeting and all members provided self-introductions. Phil Everingham provided a report on the Miami River Economic Impact Study. Phil briefly advised the Dr. Ken Lipner, an economist with FAU, has been asked to help the MRC in completing an economic study of the river. Dr. Lipner was involved with prior river studies and is very familiar with international shipping trade and how to extract statistics from Customs and Army Corps port data. The economic study is to show the value of the river and provide economic support for the dredging project. This study will attempt to include not only the shipping industry, but also the pleasure boat industry, commercial fishing industry, restaurants on the river and hotel and Inns along the river. A meeting is scheduled with the Beacon Council on February 23, 2000 ,with a Dr. Crowder who was involved in the 1991 Beacon Council study of the river. The MRC wants to be able to address the number of jobs that are related to the river. The County is completing a tax-based study of river properties for the possibility of creating a tax increment financing district. This tax information will also be part of our economic study.
     Patty Allen provided an overview of downtown development. DDA is very actively involved with several developers for riverfront projects. Patty discussed projects by Harvey Taylor and Terremark on the river that involve mixed-use that have components of residential arid commercial. Both of these developers have met with the Trust for Public Land and the Greenway master planner, Chuck Flink. Patty is encouraged by the different developments on the River and believes the mixed use component with commercial retail and residential benefits the riverfront and riverwalk development. Mark Buchbinder from HUD believes many of the properties west of downtown can be developed as affordable or middle-income communities.
     Discussion ensued about the development of the waterfront for water related or boating access. Cleve Jones opened discussion concerning a riverfront property that was not being used for marine related uses and he was concerned about the loss of boat slips on the river Cleve was very concerned about a property that the city was amending the zoning from marine industrial to high density residential. This property is next to a large marina and the local community is concerned about a high rise building in the area. This zoning change also exacerbates the problem of residential next to commercial marine business. Residents like to sleep at night and many marine businesses are 24-hour operations. The Quality of Life Working Group is working on a joint City and County urban infill plan to update the old master plan of the Miami River. Right now the MRC is working on several problems with specific projects along the river that are the result of poor zoning and recently the haphazard zoning amendments that allow specific developments only because it provides a revenue source but does do not conform to proper urban development guidelines. A new urban infill plan is clearly necessary and the QOL group is pursuing this endeavor, Dianne Johnson advised that many water-related developments are limited or not feasible because of the restrictions created by the Manatee Protection Plan (MPP). Jim McDonald believes there is one common theme, which is access to the river by boat and from the shore. Jim is concerned that river boating access relating to dockage and slips and waterfront docks at restaurants is limited. Ash Bullard echoed the fact that water access is important and suggested that zoning plans should be updated. Dianne Johnson stated that the master plan is updated only as needed.
     Discussion returned to whether this committee should provide a recommendation about the property zoning change from marine industrial to high-density residential. Phil Everingham advised the group that several potential purchasers of the property wanted to develop the property for marine business but were not allowed because of DERM regulations. If this is factual, it is a major problem where the zoning is for marine industrial and a regulatory agency prohibits its use as marine industrial. Imagine the position of the property owner attempting to sell the property. The committee determined that it is would be prudent to invite the property owner to our next meeting to explain the situation. Cleve Jones stated the property owner works for him and the problem is that DERM has denied every marine related proposal for the property and that is why he asked for a zoning change.
      Jim McDonald and the committee membership felt this was an opportunity to request the property owner, real estate agent, DERM Director and Commissioner Barreiro come to our next meeting to hear the facts and fully understand this important and potentially precedent- setting issue. David Miller will inform the above entities and schedule this issue for the next meeting.
      Bob Schwartrich from the City provided information about brownflelds initiatives and the committee felt Bob should provide a more detailed briefing on this important issue at a future meeting.
      The meeting concluded at 1:20 PM.

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