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Dr, Martin opened the meeting with self-introductions.  The November 14, 2001 Greenway subcommittee minutes were unanimously approved.  Dr. Martin provided the Greenways subcommittee with an updated Greenway development matrix.

Dianne Johnson, City of Miami Department of Real Estate and Economic Development, provided the subcommittee with an update on the awarded Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) “Lummus Park Riverwalk” ($900,000) and “Fort Dallas Riverwalk Extension” ($1,260,000) grants.  The FDOT notified the City of Miami that the grant awards would be re-programmed, unless the City submits a Joint Participation Agreement and scope of services by March 1, 2002.  Johnson stated The City Manager has not signed the authorization to proceed with the grant execution, as per the November 13 Memo from Arleen Weintraub, City of Miami Director of Real Estate and Economic Development.  Weintraub’s memo states, “It is our intention to utilize the FDOT funding for the Lummus Park area project to extend the riverwalk already being designed for “Lummus Landing” to adjacent public property.  This would include arranging to construct a riverwalk on the adjacent pump station property of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, or on the public rights of way along NW South River Drive to the 5^th Street Bridge.”  Johnson stated the City Manager’s office has not signed the authorization to proceed because it would improve Miami-Dade County owned property.  Johnson stated Gimenez’s office wants the grant to be spent on City owned property.  Brett Bibeau, MRC, stated the memo authorized spending the grant on City owned North River Drive, as an on-road facility, between Lummus Park and the Fifth Street Bridge.  Johnson stated she has heard rumors of property sales in that section of North River Drive, which may have an impact on a Greenway in that area.  David Miller stated the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan is considering realigning North River Drive in the area in question by diverting traffic along NW 6^th Ave. and NW 6^th Street, which would create more space for the Greenway along N. River Drive.  Lavinia Freeman, Trust For Public Land (TPL), stated the Knight Foundation’s $2.5 million Miami River Greenway grant award will in part fund a contract with a team of professional engineers and planners who will do construction drawings, specs, and cross sections for this area.  Freeman stated they will study the realignment of North River Drive option.  Johnson stated the City Manager’s office would like to spend the “Lummus Park Riverwalk” grant award running perpendicular to the River, on NW 2^nd and NW 3^rd Street, to link the Miami-Dade County Government Center to Lummus Park.  Bibeau stated this newly proposed route is not a portion of the Miami River Greenway Action Plan, approved unanimously by the City Commission on May 10, 2001.  Bibeau elaborated that connecting paths from the River to the County Government Center are a good idea after the Miami River Greenway is developed, and should be pursued at that time.  Dr. Martin stated the new NW 2^nd and NW 3^rd Street proposal is a radical departure from the intent of the original application and Miami River Greenway Action Plan.  The Greenways subcommittee passed a unanimous resolution in support of spending the “Lummus Park Riverwalk” grant funds between the Spring Garden Humpback Bridge and Lummus Park, via City owned N. River Drive or City owned NW 6^th Ave and NW 6^th Street.  The TPL professional engineering contract will do all engineering work, and the “Lummus Park Riverwalk” grant award will fund the development.  Dr. Martin stated this section links to the Greenway portion through Spring Garden on North River Drive, which is currently being engineered by Milian, Swain and Associates under a City contract.

Bibeau asked Dr. Martin to take up the second item on the agenda out of order.  Bibeau introduced Lee Pinto, President of the Villagers, Inc., which is the oldest Historic Preservation Organization in Miami.  Bibeau provided the Greenway’s subcommittee with a draft Letter of Understanding regarding the Villagers, Inc. $25,000 donation to the Miami River Commission to fund top quality, long lasting historic markers, signage and plaques along the Greenway.  Ms. Pinto stated the Villagers, Inc. strongly supports the Miami River Greenway, and its link to historic preservation along the River.  The Villagers Inc. wanted to demonstrate their support with this $25,000 donation.  The Greenways subcommittee unanimously supported the acceptance of the donation.  Dr. Martin thanked Ms. Pinto for the generous donation. 

Johnson provided the subcommittee with the status report on the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” $1,260,000 FDOT grant award.  The FDOT has notified the City that they must submit a Scope of Services and Joint Participation Agreement prior to March 2002, or the grant will be re-programmed.  Arleen Weintraub sent a Memo to City Manager Gimenez on November 13, 2001 explaining the only area in need of Riverwalk within the boundaries of the grant award is along the North River shore between S. Miami Ave. and Metro-rail.  The memo requested authorization to proceed with the assistance of the MRC and TPL in asking the property owners to donate a twenty-foot wide riverfront area to the City to build the Greenway with this grant award.  Johnson stated the Managers Office would like to use the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant to plan and design a path on Biscayne Bay in Bicentennial Park.  Johnson stated there is some question as to whether Bicentennial Park is ready for the path’s development, since the improvements to Bicentennial Park are yet to occur.  Johnson proposed using the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant for design and engineering of a path in Bicentennial Park, and filling in old boat slips at Bicentennial Park.  Johnson informed the Greenways subcommittee that $15 million of Bicentennial Park Improvements were approved on November 13, 2001 in the Homeland Defense / Neighborhood Improvement bond issue. Furthermore, Johnson stated the City was going to offer the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” $1,260,000 grant as part of the Marlins

Stadium Public funding package, but it does not look like the stadium is going to happen.

Dr. Martin asked Johnson if the City Manager’s recommendation was to use the $1,260,000 “Fort Dallas Riverwalk”, which the Greenways subcommittee thought was going to be used to link existing riverwalk at the Hyatt and FPL facility, for the Baywalk from the Hotel Intercontinental to Bicentennial Park.  Johnson corrected Dr. Martin, explaining the City Manager’s office recommendation is to use the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant for a baywalk between the American Airlines Arena and Performing Arts Center.  Sallye Jude stated the area proposed by the City is not within the boundaries of the Miami River Greenway Action Plan.  Jude feels the businesses in the Miami River corridor need the Miami River Greenway to come to fruition.  Bibeau stated the original 1994 “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant application was clearly intended along the Miami River, not Bicentennial Park.  Bibeau pointed out the City of Miami owns North and South River Drive in the Miami River Greenways phase I development area, from the mouth of the River to the Fifth Street Bridge.  The Miami River Greenway Action Plan, approved by the City Commission, proposes the Greenway as an on-road facility along North and South River Drive, in the vicinity of Fort Dallas.  The Greenways subcommittee unanimously passed a resolution (Dianne Johnson abstained) supporting the $1,260,000 “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant award be utilized on City owned North or South River Drive, as planned in the Miami River Greenway Action Plan. 

Lavinia Freeman, TPL, asked Johnson what the time frame is for the City Manger’s Office recommendation to re-program the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant to Bicentennial Park.  Johnson replied she had several conversations with David Korros, FDOT, who is currently working within FDOT administratively to authorize re-programming the grant funding to Bicentennial Park.  Dianne Johnson stated she has drafted the request to re-program the FDOT grant funds from the Riverwalk to Bicentennial Park Planning.  In addition, Johnson explained the City is required to submit a “LAP” application to Washington for approval.  Johnson stated she supported the November 13, 2001 Memo from Arleen Weintraub, City of Miami Director of Real Estate and Economic Development, to City Manager Gimenez, requesting authorization to use the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant along the River’s north shore between Metro-rail and South Miami Ave/ Bridge, and the “Lummus Park Riverwalk” grant along City owned North River Drive between Lummus Park and the Fifth Street Bridge.  Johnson expressed her surprise when the City Manager’s Office directed her to re-program the “Fort Dallas Riverwalk” grant funding for Bicentennial Park’s Bay walk planning and design, and the “Lummus Park Riverwalk” grant funds for east-west paths, off the river, along NW 2^nd and NW 3^rd Streets.

Bibeau opened discussion on what was the first item on the agenda.  With authorization of the full Miami River Commission and the Greenways Subcommittee, Bibeau is applying for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant.  Bibeau explained he was applying for the grant to fund the development of the Miami River Greenway connecting the existing path beneath the Metro-Rail on the south shore to the proposed Miami River Greenway.  He noted that as per the RTP requirements, this meeting was publicly noticed and all property owners in the proposed Greenway section were faxed an invitation to attend the meeting.  Bibeau stated he had personally visited all businesses within the area last week to discuss the RTP application.  The majority of the Miami River’s Federal Navigable channel comes close to the river’s shore.  In the proposed section of the Greenway, there is sufficient room between the shore and Federal Navigable channel for the Greenway to be a boardwalk over the River.  The second option for this section is an on road facility from the existing Metro-rail path, east along SW Miami Ave Road, to the South Miami Ave. Bridge.  Bibeau asked Alan Campbell, owner of the Big Fish Restaurant on the River’s shore in the proposed Greenway section, if he had any objection to the boardwalk option.  Campbell replied he supported the boardwalk option provided he could still dock boats at his restaurant.  Bibeau took the Greenways Subcommittee on a walking tour of the two proposed options for this Greenway Section.  The subcommittee noted the added difficulty of the extra permits required for the boardwalk option, yet encouraged Bibeau to apply for the option he determined as best.

The meeting adjourned.

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