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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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I. Status of Miami River Greenway Historical Signage - Dr. Ernie Martin stated he asked a few historians to serve on the Miami River Greenway Historical Signage Text Subcommittee.  Martin forwarded the sample text to the Villagers, authored by Jim Broton regarding Spring Garden and Point Park .  The word count is confirmed at 220 words per sign side.  The graphic designer obtained the Villager’s logo, which is required to appear on the signs.  Lavinia Freeman, Trust for Public Land (TPL), stated she would e-mail MRC staff the marker design renderings.

II. Status of Miami-Dade County Proposed General Obligation Bond - Mr. Brett Bibeau stated the MRC mailed a letter to the Board of County Commissioners, recommending $12 million for the Miami River Greenway to be included in the proposed general obligation bond issue.  Mrs. Freeman stated TPL will support the $12 million request. Dr. Martin noted he will work with Mr. Bibeau on the letter to County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, regarding the importance of under grounding FPL utility poles.   

III. Status of Miami River Greenway items in the City of Miami Homeland Defense and Neighborhood Improvement Bond Issue - The Greenways subcommittee noted Dianne Johnson, City of Miami Department of Capital Improvements, has scheduled and then postponed several meetings, regarding the City’s bond issue Greenway’s line item.  Freeman and Martin stated they had identified two Miami River Greenway sections to recommend using the City Bond’s “Greenways” line item dollars because the Greenway areas currently have no available funding.  Bibeau noted that the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) funding is eligible for the recommended area on the south shore, from metro-rail to S. Miami Ave.    In addition, Bibeau authored the “East Little Havana” FDOT grant, which resulted in a $1,000,000 grant award to the City of Miami, eligible in the second area on the South shore, from Flagler to SW 12 Ave.  The Greenways subcommittee agreed to schedule a meeting in March with Dana Nottingham, DDA Executive Director, regarding the possibility of the DDA partially funding the greenway section within their district.  The Greenways subcommittee agreed to continue to evaluate where the funding gaps are, perhaps along North River Drive proceeding west from I-836, and along South River Drive proceeding west from NW 12 Ave., and recommend those areas for funding from the City’s bond Greenways line item.   Mr. Jose Casanova, City of Miami , stated that the Florida Humanity Council will have a grant workshop on March 29^th, 2004 , at 1:00 PM , in the Miami Riverside Center cafeteria.

IV. Miami River Village Review - Mr. George Childs stated he had sent a letter to the Urban Environment League, pertaining to an article in the Miami Herald by Marilyn Bowden, entitled “Developer plans three residential towers on land sold by FEC”.  Mr. Childs expressed concern that the riverwalk could be disrupted by the proposed dry-dock storage.   Mr. Bibeau noted the MRC unanimously recommended approval of the “ Miami River Village ’s” Major Use Special Permit application, which was unanimously approved by the City Commission, partially because it maintained the required 50-foot setback from the river, with a publicly accessible 20-foot wide riverwalk, with connecting restaurant space.   Bibeau assured Mr. Childs that the integrity of the riverwalk will be protected and not disturbed by the dry dock storage, which is proposed beneath the Metrorail and next to the FPL site.   Public access to the Greenway will be provided from the north/south through a central public promenade and along S. Miami Ave , in addition to east/west access beneath the S.  Miami Ave Bridge connecting with new riverwalk to the east, and beneath Metro-Rail connecting with riverwalk proceeding west.  Mr. Childs recommended more shaded area along the riverwalk.   Dr. Martin stated that the GSC will be developing the design guidelines and welcomes the suggestions of Mr. Childs.

V. New Business- Mr. Bibeau stated he met with the following Miami Circle Planning Group members, who expressed their support for moving forward with using the MRC’s awarded $125,000 in grants to develop the Miami River Greenway along the shoreline adjacent to the Miami Circle :

• Linda Canzanelli, Superintendent of Biscayne National Park
• Michael Spring , Director of Miami Dade County’s Department of Cultural Affairs
• Robert Carr
• Enid Pickney, Dade Heritage Trust

Mr. Fred Gaskee, Director of the Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, stated the DOS had submitted permit applications to repair the seawall at the Miami Circle site.  Repairing the seawall is necessary prior to developing the connecting riverwalk.   Mr. Bibeau stated he would obtain a copy of the construction documents for the seawall, in order to have a professional engineer commence construction documents for the funded riverwalk.

The GSC confirmed the next regularly scheduled second Monday of the month meeting for Monday, April 12, 2004 at 10:00AM in the Miami Riverside Center , 444 SW 22^nd Avenue , 8^th Floor, North Conference Room. 

Meeting adjourned.                                        

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