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Miami River
Village
Major Use Special Permit Charter Waiver Presentation Ms. Ines
Marrero-Priegues, Akerman Senterfitt, reminded the UIWG that the
proposed “
Miami River
Village
”, previously titled “Miami River Renaissance”, was unanimously
recommended for approval by the
Miami River Commission
on
July 22, 2002
. Preigues stated the
potential developer, Mr. Tony Cabrera, Epoch Development, offered to
provide the MRC with an opportunity to review the request for a waiver
of the City Charter side yard setback provision, which was not a
component of their original presentation.
Mr. Reynaldo Borges, Borges and Associates, explained that based
on the lot width, the project is required to provide a total of 74-feet
in side yard areas. Although
the project has 74 feet of publicly accessible pedestrian corridors, the
western side yard is built through the loft units, which are elevated to
25 feet, and the City of
Miami
found this required the charter waiver because the side-yard was not
“unobstructed”. Ms.
Prieguez stated this should be mitigated by the fact that the potential
developer is willing to fund and develop the Miami River Greenway as it
continues from his property to the east on Miami-Dade County owned
public right of way beneath the S. Miami Ave. Bridge, install Miami
River Greenway wayfinding signage and cleats for recreational vessel
access. Brett Bibeau, MRC
Managing Director, read the MRC’s motion regarding the proposed
project from the MRC’s
July 22, 2002
minutes, “a motion was made by Jerry Fernandez recommending approval
of the Miami River Renaissance project and seconded by Ernie Martin.
After discussion the motion was amended to recommend approval of
the project subject to increasing the riverwalk width near the
Miami
Avenue
Bridge
Tenders
Tower
. The amended motion passed
unanimously”. The UIWG
noted the riverwalks unobstructed pedestrian path adjacent to the Bridge
tender tower was only 11 feet wide, rather than the minimum 16-feet wide
as recommended in the City Commission adopted Miami River Greenway
Action Plan. The
development team stated they would be able to provide the 16-foot
pedestrian path width. Murley
recommended the
Miami River
Village
representatives meet with Dr. Ernie Martin, Chair of the MRC Greenways
subcommittee, to incorporate the Miami River Greenway design
recommendations. The UIWG
recommended the MRC support the requested side-yard setback waiver,
because the private developer was willing to fund and develop the
Riverwalk beneath the S. Miami Ave. Bridge, provide way-finding signage
and cleats for recreational vessels.
Dick Bunnell, Chair of the MRC’s Dredging subcommittee,
recommended a 5-foot dock to be included along the shoreline, in
addition to the cleats. The
waiver will be presented to the MRC on
December 1, 2003
. The “
Miami River
Village
” Major Use Special Permit (MUSP) will be presented to the City of
Miami
’s Planning Advisory Board on
November 19, 2003
and the City Commission on
December 18, 2003
. The UIWG’s
“Development Technical Review” form is attached
II.
Dupont
Plaza
Presentation -Adrienne
Pardo, Greenburg Trauig, presented the
Dupont
Plaza
conceptual design.
The site is located at the mouth of the
Miami River
on the north shore.
The proposed design would have two phases and include a
continuous riverwalk. Phase
I would consist of a hotel and condominiums (694 units) and Phase II
would
consist of condominiums (596 units).
Currently, the project is being submitted to the City of
Miami
for internal
review. A MUSP application
will be filed. The proposed
project does not require rezoning, yet a waiver to the City Charter
setback provision is being requested.
The City Charter requires a 50-foot setback for new developments
from the
Miami River
, unless the
parcel is less than 200 feet wide, as is the property in question.
Therefore, the City Charter requires a minimum setback equal to
25% of the property depth, which in this case equates to 41-foot
required setback. In the
narrowest area, the proposed project is setback 20 feet from the
River’s shoreline. Mr.
Pedro Bravo, RVL Architects stated the project would provide 3 view
corridors from the Street to the River.
Dr. Martin noted
the planned Riverwalk’s unobstructed pedestrian path was only 11 feet
wide, and the City Commission adopted Miami River Greenway Action
Plan recommends a minimum 16-foot width.
The UIWG noted the mixed-use nature of the project is consistent
with the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan’s
recommendations for the downtown “
Lower
River
”, yet a redesign of the setback and riverwalk area was necessary to
be consistent with the Miami River Greenway Action Plan.
The projects landscape architect, Steve Lefton, Kimley-Horn and
Associates, agreed to redesign the riverwalk area.
The UIWG recommended the redesigned riverwalk be presented to the
MRC’s Greenways subcommittee. The
UIWG’s “Development Technical Review” form is attached.
III.
Tuscan Phase II Presentation-Adrienne Pardo, Greenburg Trauig,
presented the Gatehouse Group’s proposed “Tuscan Phase II” project
. The site is located on the
north shore of the NW 5 ST Bridge. .
Mr. Michael Spetko, Gate House Group stated the MRC had
unanimously recommended approval for Phase I of the proposed “
Tuscan Place
” project on
February 3, 2003
. Spetko stated phase II
consists of 172 affordable residential units.
The entire project would consist of 376 residential units.
Spetko stated the Gatehouse Group met with the Florida Department
of Transportation (FDOT), and provided a 75-foot setback for phase II,
due to plans for right of way acquisition required to replace the NW 5
ST Bridge with a new bascule bridge with piers built in the river with a
120-foot vertical clearance. The
UIWG informed Spetko that when the FDOT presented this proposed new NW 5
ST Bridge design to the MRC on
November 3, 2003
, the United States Coast Guard responded on the record that they
require no portion of the bridge to be built into the Federal Navigable
Channel, which has a 150 foot vertical clearance at this location.
The UIWG noted the MRC has not formulated an advisory
recommendation regarding the difference between the FDOT and USCG
positions. The UIWG found
the project to be consistent with the Miami River Corridor Urban
Infill Plan’s recommendation to develop mixed income housing in
this area, and consistent with the Miami River Greenway Action Plan
in providing an “on-road” section of the Greenway on the site.
Furthermore, the UIWG recommended the Gatehouse group meet with
Commissioner Bruno Barriero in relation to the impact of the NW 5 ST
Bridge project. The UIWG’s
“Development Technical Review” form is attached.
IV.
Finnegan’s on the River Presentation - Tony Karpawich,
Finnegan’s on the River, presented the proposed restaurant project.
The site is located at
401 SW 3rd Avenue
. The
restaurant would
have a two-story indoor area
and an outside area with a pool.
Karpawich requested the advice of the UIWG with regards to his
design. Murley stated that
the proposed restaurant would be a destination along the river.
Bibeau noted the site is currently zoned marine industrial, and
the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan recommends the removal
of marine industrial zoning east of I-95, which includes this potential
restaurant site. Murley recommended Karpawich meet with Jose Casanova,
City of Miami Planning Department, to obtain advice related to the
proposal. After further
developing the proposal the proposed project will be brought to the MRC
for review. The UIWG’s
“Development Technical Review” form is attached.
V.
Review of revised Miami River
Corridor Urban Infill Plan Draft “1st Annual Update”
and Draft “5-Year Integrated Budget”- Bibeau
provided the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan revised draft
“1st Annual Update” and draft “5-Year Integrated
Budget”. The UIWG agreed on the following additional amendments to be
included in the draft annual update:
- Create
a new Implementation Step” in the “Neighborhood Improvements”
section stating, “Work with the Florida Power and Light (FPL),
City of
Miami
and
Miami-Dade
County
to properly façade and landscape all substations within the Miami
River Urban Infill Corridor.”
- Create
a new “Implementation Step” in the “Greenway” section
stating,
“Conduct
a Miami River Park Master Plan to integrate existing and proposed public
spaces with the Miami River Greenway system.”
- Create
a new “Implementation Step” in the “Transportation” section
stating, “Assist the City of
Miami
,
Miami-Dade
County
and Metropolitan Planning Organization in implementing their adopted
“Downtown Transportation Master Plan” as it relates to the Miami
River Urban Infill Corridor.”
- Create
a new “Implementation Step” in the “Transportation” section
stating, “Request Metropolitan Planning Organization, City of
Miami, Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Department of
Transportation to conduct a North and South River Drive Corridor
Study, to address the impact of developments, “on-road” Miami
River Greenway sections, Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan
transportation recommendations, marine industrial site access,
dedicated transit loop route, improved signage, noise barriers /
buffers, and all plans and projects for transportation impacting
North and South River Drives.”
- Study
amending the eastern boundary of the “
Middle River
” on the south shore from the NW 5 ST Bridge to I-95
The
UIWG will present the draft “1st Annual Update” and draft
“5-Year Integrated Budget” to the MRC for consideration on
December 1, 2003
.
Meeting
adjourned.
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