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GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER SEVEN, 17TH MEETING OF THE LAND USE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.TODAY'S MEETING OF THE LAND USE COMMITTEE WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FORMAT WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBERS AT MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL AND STAFF, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC APPEARING EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.
TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY DIAL 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4 9 9 AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH IS 8 5 0 5 9 9 2 3 0 3 7 POUND, OR LOG INTO THE ZOOM APP AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH AGAIN IS 8 5 0 5 9 9 2 3 0 3 7.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM? MUST CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON INTO ZOOM APP OR DIAL STAR NINE IF PARTICIPATING BY PHONE.
WITH THAT, MR. DIRECTOR, WE HAVE AN AGENDA FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY WITHDRAWAL DEFERRALS CHANGES TO THE AGENDA PRINTED? UH, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION TO SET THE AGENDA? IS THERE A MOTION TO SET THE AGENDA? THE AGENDA'S BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND BY ACCLAMATION WE CAN SHOW THE AGENDA AS, AS ADOPTED.
[1. UNDERSTORY REQUIREMENTS IN SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICTS.]
THAT, MR. DIRECTOR, LET'S CALL ITEM NUMBER ONE.OKAY, MR. CHAIR, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS UNDERSTORY REQUIREMENTS IN SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICTS.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, THIS IS YOUR ITEM.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO INTRODUCE YOUR ITEM.
UH, PJ, CAN WE START THE SLIDESHOW PLEASE? OKAY.
SO, UH, I BELIEVE WHERE WE'RE AT IS A SECOND STOP BEFORE SECOND READING, UH, TO DISCUSS UNDERST STORIES.
AND I THINK WE COULD HAVE A LONGER, UH, ROBUST DISCUSSION ON WHY I BELIEVE, UH, AND I AGREE WITH OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR ON UNDERSTORY AS A SUPERIOR HOME FOR SOUTH FLORIDA, ESPECIALLY LIVING ON A BARRIER ISLAND.
UM, WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT HISTORY AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, UH, HURRICANES THAT HAVE COME TO, UH, FLORIDA.
UM, AND YOU CAN REALIZE THAT BASICALLY ANY HOME THAT WAS BUILT ON STILTS OR AK AN UNDERSTORY SURVIVED THE CATASTROPHE SURVIVED THE, THE STORM SURGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE MICHAEL, HURRICANE KATRINA, HURRICANE IAN, THEY, ANY HOME THAT WAS BUILT ON, ON STILL FOR AND UNDERSTORY GREATLY, UH, SURVIVE THE, THE IMPACT THAN HOUSES BUILT ON, UM, ON A MOUND OR WHAT WE CALL A, A, AN ELEVATED BERM.
OKAY, SO, UH, THESE ARE SOME OF THE PICTURES, UH, OF, IN FLORIDA, OF WHERE HOMES THAT WERE BUILT WITH UNDERST STORIES SURVIVED.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S, I SEE FIVE THERE.
ALL THOSE, ALL THE HOMES THAT WERE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED ON STILTS SURVIVE THAT CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THIS WAS, UH, MILTON.
HERE'S ANOTHER, UH, CLEAR EXAMPLE.
UH, THE, THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN THE MIDDLE IS A CANAL, AND THAT IS THE HOME OF A HOUSE THAT WAS NOT BUILT ON, UH, AN UNDERSTORY OR STILTS.
AND THAT'S LITERALLY WASHING AWAY IN THE CANAL WHILE THE HOMES THAT YOU SEE THERE ARE BUILT ON STILTS AND ARE STILL STANDING, OBVIOUSLY.
HERE IS A, A CONTINUATION OF THAT, OF THAT SAME, UM, UH, PICTURE, UM, NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE HERE THAT THE HOUSE ON THE LEFT, WHICH IS JUST COMPLETELY DESTROYED, THAT'S NOT AN, AN UNDERSTORY.
AND THE HUB ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS WITH AN UNDERSTORY.
AND THAT JUST SHOWS THAT BASICALLY YOU CAN HAVE, YOU CAN BE IN PROXIMITY TO ONE HOUSE THAT HAS, UH, THAT'S NOT BUILT FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
AND ANOTHER THAT IS, AND, AND A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS HERE.
THERE'S SOME MORE EXAMPLES AND, AND I'M TAKING EXAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT HURRICANES IN DIFFERENT YEARS.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST ONE PARTICULAR INSTANCE.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE ARTICLES THAT HAVE RECENTLY COME OUT.
UM, THIS WAS OCTOBER 12TH OF, OF THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON ONE GULF COAST STREET, UH, FLOODED BY MILTON BENEFITS OF ELEVATED HOMES STAND OUT.
AND, AND HERE IS A PERFECT CLEAR VIEW.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS AN UNDERSTORY, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE THESE EVER INCREASING CATASTROPHIC STORMS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE GONNA BE HITTING FLORIDA FOR THE NEXT FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
IN FACT, IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY AT RISK OF LOSING FLOOD INSURANCE.
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LOOK, WHEN WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, I, I THINK IT'S, AS FAR AS US UP HERE, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE POLICIES WE PUT FORWARD ARE FOR THE FUTURE.AND WHEN I SEE, YOU KNOW, ARTICLES LIKE THIS AND INSURANCE PROVIDERS JUST DROPPING OUT OF FLORIDA, I MEAN, THAT'S A HUGE CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO INCENTIVIZE A MORE RESILIENT, UH, MIAMI BEACH, I THINK SHOULD BE CHAMPIONED.
SO LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO A ANOTHER ONE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS RAISING, THIS IS ALL MIAMI HERALD, BY THE WAY.
THEY'RE ASKING THE QUESTION, OUR CITY'S GONNA BUILD HIGHER FOR THESE CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGES.
YOU KNOW, RECENTLY WE'VE HAD A, A, A STRING OF, UM, HURRICANES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE WEST COAST.
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY START COMING TO THE EAST COAST.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THAT NEXT SLIDE.
OKAY, SO AS I EXPLAINED EARLIER, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WERE TO BUILD A HOME, A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, AND YOU WANT IT TO BUILD IT ON AN ELEVATED BERM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO DRB AND YOU HAVE NO OVERSIGHT WHATSOEVER ON, ON ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE, THE HOME.
BUT IF YOU WANTED TO BUILD IT WITH ON AN UNDERSTORY, YOU HAVE TO GO TO DRB.
AND SO WHAT I WANT TO GO OVER, RIGHT REAL QUICK IS THE PROBLEMS WITH HOUSES BUILT ON BERMS. SO OVER TIME, BERMS CAN, UH, CAN DEGRADE.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S JUST BASICALLY SAND, IT'S DIRT.
UH, THEY LOSE THEIR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.
UH, THEY BECOME INEFFECTIVE DURING, UH, DUE TO CHANGING, UH, FLOOD PATTERNS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, JUST THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD TWO BACK TO BACK A HUNDRED YEAR STORMS. I MEAN, I MEAN, IMAGINE THAT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I I DON'T THINK ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO ME.
OKAY, WELL, TANYA, SORRY, I WAS ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING.
OKAY, WELL, THE TWO OF YOU'RE ON YOUR PHONE AND ONE OF YOUR IS NOT EVEN LISTENING.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT FOR ANYONE ELSE.
I, EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED TO PRESENT YOUR ITEM.
BUT IF WE'RE, IF I'M GONNA GET A TEXT MESSAGE ON MY PHONE, I WILL RESPOND TO THE TEXT MESSAGE.
WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU, BUT WE'RE ALL ALSO DOING OTHER THINGS.
OKAY? CAN YOU PLEASE GO BACK? SO IF I ASK YOU TO PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES IS YES, WE'RE WE ARE ALL LISTENING TO YOU.
SO WHEN, WHEN, WHEN MULTIPLE PROPERTIES USE BERMS, THEY COLLECTIVELY ALTER THE FLOOD PLANE DYNAMICS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN FEMA COMES IN AND THEY, AND THEY DO THE FLOODPLAINS, WE'RE CHANGING THAT A HO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME CHANGES THE FLOODPLAIN WHEN YOU BUILD ON AN ELEVATED BERM.
AND THAT GIVES POTENTIAL INCREASE OF RISK, UH, FOR, FOR FLOODING FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS THAT AREN'T BUILT, UH, HIGHER, UM, REGULATORY AND INSURANCE CHALLENGES.
BERMS MAY NOT MEET MODERN FLOOD PLAN, UH, PLANE MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS SET BY FE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, HOMES ON BERMS MAY ALSO FACE HIGHER FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS COMPARED TO STILTED HOMES DUE TO THEIR HIGH RISK PROFILE.
SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, YOU'RE BASICALLY DISRUPTING THE, THE NATURAL COMPOSITION OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, YOU KNOW, BERMS CAN BLOCK NATURAL WATER FLOW PATTERNS, UH, LEADING TO ALTERNATE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AND INCREASED WATER POOLING IN SURROUNDING AREAS.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES AND ONE OF THE, I GUESS THE ARGUMENTS ARE GONNA BE MADE IS, WELL, WHEN YOU BUILD IT ON AN ELEVATED BERM, WE HAVE CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT HAS TO BE MET TO, UH, CONTAIN THE WATER.
AND WHAT I'M ABOUT, THE NEXT SLIDE I'M GONNA SHOW YOU, OR A COUPLE SLIDES IS EVEN WITH RETAINING WALLS, YOU'RE STILL, THERE'S STILL A RISK OF FLOODING YOUR NEIGHBOR.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, FLOODING.
SO INCREASED RISK FOR NEIGHBORS, LIKE I SAID.
SO WHEN YOU BUILD AN ELEVATOR BURN, NATURALLY THE WATER GOES DOWNWARD AND IT CAN FLOOD INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR'S YARD.
IT CAN ALSO FLOOD INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S PONDING AND THEN THERE'S, AGAIN, LIMITED PROTECTION AGAINST STORM SURGE.
SO, HIGH COST, BUILDING A BERM REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF FILL MATERIAL AND LABOR, MAKING IT EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO, TO STILT HOMES AND CONSTRUCTION.
IN FACT, ALL THE FILL THAT WE GET COMES FROM THE EVERGLADES.
I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE KNOWS THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING FILL FROM THE EVERGLADES, PUTTING ON A TRUCK, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE DELIVERING IT HERE.
AND OVER TIME IT ERODES, UM, THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR FAILURE.
A LOT OF 'EM ARE, LIKE I SAID, UH,
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PRONE TO EROSION.UM, AND THEN THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE FOR, FOR BURNS AS OPPOSED TO IT BEING ON STILTS OR AN UNDERSTORY.
OKAY, SO PJ, IF YOU, I DUNNO IF YOU COULD PLAY THE VIDEO, UM, BUT HERE ON THE LEFT IS A HOME THAT WAS BUILT AS A SPEC HOME, AND IT WAS BUILT WITH AN ELEVATED BERM.
AND DURING JUST A REGULAR RAINSTORM, THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T ONE OF THE FLOODS THAT WE HAD, IT IS ACTUALLY LEAKING INTO THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR.
OKAY? AND THIS WAS A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR, FOR, UM, UH, FOR THE ELEVATED BERMS, UH, FOR CON FOR CONTAINING THE WATER MANAGEMENT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MISINFORMATION, UH, SURROUNDING THIS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN LIKE A WEBSITE THAT HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO THIS.
IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, PROTECT MIAMI BEACH DESIGN REVIEW FOR UNDERSTORY HOMES.
UH, I'M SURE ALDO'S GONNA BE, UH, SPEAKING.
I MEAN, HE SAYS THAT THIS IS A DEVELOPER PROPOSED PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, IN FACT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ALL OF OUR ITEMS WE HAVE TO CHECK OFF IF THIS WAS DEVELOPER, IF A DEVELOPER REQUESTED PROJECT.
THIS IS NOT A DEVELOPER REQUESTED PROJECT.
I SPECIFICALLY MADE SURE THAT IT'S NOT THE, THIS IS COMING FROM ME MEETING WITH RESIDENTS AND THEN TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO, THERE'S ONE CASE, ONE GUY IS GOING THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF DRB APPROVAL, FIVE YEARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S SAD.
I, I, I THINK WHEN WE WANT TO REALLY INCENTIVIZE THE RIGHT TYPE OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON MIAMI BEACH, THIS IS COMPLETELY BACKWARDS THE WAY WE HAVE IT NOW.
AND SO I WANNA GO OVER SOME OF THE CLAIMS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
NOW THERE'S A OR ONE CLAIM CREATES NEIGHBORHOOD BLIGHT WITH UNSOLD SPECULATIVE HOMES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MANY UNDERSTORY HOMES ARE BUILT FOR FAMILIES PRIORITIZING SAFETY AND FUNCTION, NOT SPECULATIVE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE CLAIM, THERE'S A, CONTRIBUTES TO INFLATED HOME PRICES AND REDUCES AFFORDABILITY.
AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, STREAMLINING THE PROCESS, THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS REDUCES COSTS AND TIMELINES, MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES TO BUILD RESILIENT HOMES.
ANOTHER CLAIM LIMITS NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATION AND REMOVES PUBLIC FEEDBACK.
OPPORTUNITY ZONING CODES ENSURE, STILL ENSURE COMPATIBILITY AND PROTECTIONS WITHOUT REQUIRING AN UNNECESSARY, REDUNDANT DRB PROCESS.
SO OUR CITY STAFF IS PROBABLY THE BEST IN THE STATE TO REALLY MONITOR AND, AND HANDLE THE, THE HOMES THAT ARE BEING, UM, PROPOSED TO BEING BUILT.
ANOTHER CLAIM WEAKENS PUBLIC REVIEW BY ELIMINATING DRB OVERSIGHT, REDUCING TRANSPARENCY AND INPUT.
SO STREAMLINED ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW WILL STILL ENSURES COMPLIANCE WITH ZONING CODES WHILE REMOVING UNNECESSARY DELAYS FOR HOMEOWNERS.
ANOTHER CLAIM ENCOURAGES OVERDEVELOPMENT OF MCMANSIONS THAT ARE OUTTA SCALE WITH NEIGHBORHOODS UNDERSTORY PROMOTE RESILIENT FLOOD DESIGNS THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH ZONING REGULATIONS AND COMMUNITY STANDARDS.
I MEAN, THE FACT THAT THEY'RE THE CLAIM THAT WE'RE BUILDING, MAN, THIS IS FOR MANSIONS.
IT, IT'S, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S SO DISINGENUOUS.
UM, OKAY, ANOTHER CLAIM ERASES MIAMI, BE BEACH'S ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY BY REPLACING OLDER HOMES, UNDERSTORY FOCUS ON FUTURE PROOFING HOMES FOR CLIMATE CHA CHALLENGES WITHOUT SACRIFICING NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
UH, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO LET EVERYONE THAT'S WATCHING AND LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND THIS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO BUILD A HOME ON AN ELEVATED BERM, YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO TO DRB IF YOU WERE, IF YOU WANT TO BUILD IT ON AN UNDERSTORY, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A DRB PROCESS.
AND THE ONLY INCENTIVE, THE ONLY BENEFIT THAT YOU HAVE FOR GOING THROUGH A DRB UH, PROCESS IS YOU GOT AN EXTRA THREE FEET.
THAT THREE FEET IS JUST FOR THE UNDERSTORY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOUR CEILING IS GONNA BE THREE FEET HIGHER OR ANY ROOM IN YOUR BUILDING, UH, IN YOUR HOUSE IS GONNA BE THREE FIVE.
IT'S JUST SPECIFICALLY FOR THE UNDERSTORY TO BE THREE FEET.
AND WHY IS THAT? IT'S TO MAKE IT USABLE.
YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE IT, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO PUT YOUR KAYAK OR YOUR PADDLE BOARD ON THE WALL OR YOUR FISHING POLES, AND YOU, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO PARK YOUR CAR UNDERNEATH.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
OKAY, SO I KNOW I'M ALMOST DONE CHAIR.
UM, I, I SAID AT THE FIRST READING THAT NEARLY HALF OF THE APPLICANTS THAT GO TO DRB HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER DRB MEETING.
AND SO WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT TRANSLATE TO? SO IF, IF YOU'RE A PROPERTY OWNER, YOU BOUGHT A PLOT OF LAND AND YOU WANT TO BUILD, AND YOU'RE THINKING TO YOURSELF, WELL,
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YOU KNOW, AND YOUR ARCHITECT IS TELLING YOU THIS, WELL, YOU CAN, YOU CAN BUILD IT ON ANOTHER STORY.WE WOULD PREFER TO BUILD AN OWNER STORY.
HOWEVER, IF YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO RISK BEING CAUGHT UP FOR SIX MONTHS, POSSIBLY A YEAR.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE CALLERS IS GONNA SAY FIVE YEARS IN, IN A PROCESS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE'S NO CONTROL OVER.
AND IT'S COMPLETELY ARBITRARY.
SO, AND, AND IF, IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER AND YOU SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'D RATHER JUST BUILD IT ON A BERM.
I WOULD GET MY BUILDING PERMITS IN TWO, THREE MONTHS, AND I'M NOT GONNA HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT INSURANCE COSTS, CARRY COSTS, UH, TAXES, UH, ET CETERA, AND, AND TIME LOST.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ISSUE, AND THIS 44%, 22 WERE 22 WERE CONTINUANCES, 11 WERE DESIGN RELATED, AND THE OTHER 11 WERE REALLY BECAUSE OF A LACK OF QUORUM IN OTHER ISSUES.
AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S A REAL, THAT'S A, THERE'S, IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT THERE'S, UM, A, A STREAMLINED PROCESS HERE THAT HELPS THE RESIDENTS WHO ACTUALLY WANNA INVEST IN THE FUTURE.
IN MIAMI BEACH, UM, YOU KNOW, I WROTE EXCESSIVE DELAYS AND A CUMBERSOME BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS DISCOURAGE THE ADOPTION OF RESILIENT HIGH QUALITY DESIGNS THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR ADDRESSING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER AND YOU WANT TO BUILD YOU, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RISKING EITHER SIX MONTHS, POSSIBLY A YEAR OR MORE TO BUILD WITH AN UNDERSTORY AS OPPOSED TO BILLING ON ABER, WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS, UH, WHERE YOU, THE, YOU, A BOARD MAY NOT EVEN MAKE QUORUM.
AND PJ YOU CAN, YOU CAN, UH, END THE SLIDESHOW.
SO, LOOK, I, I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE, THIS IS THE NEXT STOP BEFORE THE SECOND READING.
UM, I, I'M, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TO, TO, TO DISCUSS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANT TO END OFF ON THIS.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE INCENTIVES FOR A A A, A MIAMI BEACH THAT CAN WITHSTAND THESE EVER INCREASING STORMS THAT ARE COMING.
I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT HURRICANES.
I'M, I'M SIMPLY TALKING ABOUT THESE RAINSTORMS THAT HAPPEN THAT ARE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY EVERY YEAR.
AND, AND HOW DO WE PLAN FOR THAT? SO, UM, I'M MORE THAN MORE THAN HAPPY TO LISTEN TO MY COLLEAGUES' CONCERNS ABOUT THIS AND, UM, AND MOVE THIS ALONG.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS IMPORTANT, THIS IMPORTANT ITEM.
BEFORE WE HEAR FROM MEMBERS FROM THE COMMITTEE, GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ITEM AND SEEING THE AMOUNT OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN SPEAKING IN THIS ITEM, I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, ON THIS ITEM CAN RAISE THEIR HAND ON ZOOM, SPEAK VIRTUALLY, AND THOSE WISHING TO SPEAK, PRESS IN.
THE AUDIENCE CAN COME TO THE PODIUM AND SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES.
SO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK CAN APPROACH THE, UH, PODIUM OR RA, RAISE THEIR HAND ON ZOOM, AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME.
MY NAME'S PETER LURIA, 1800 WEST 23RD STREET.
I'VE LIVED ON MIAMI BEACH IN THE SAME HOUSE FOR OVER 30 YEARS WITH MY WIFE PAM, AND IN WHICH WE RAISED OUR FAMILY.
IT IS AN HISTORIC 1936 HOME THAT JOHN F. KENNEDY ONCE SLEPT IN AND THAT WE'D LIKE TO PRESERVE.
I WASN'T GONNA COME HERE TODAY BECAUSE I RECENTLY HAD A BYPASS SURGERY, BUT I FELT THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT AND I NEEDED TO BE HERE.
YESTERDAY I SPOKE WITH COMMISSIONERS DOMINGEZ BOUGHT AND SUAREZ, AND LEFT THE MESSAGE FOR COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ WHO RETURNED IT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH HIM.
COMMISSIONER BOT SUGGESTED I WRITE AN EMAIL TO ALL MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE TO EXPLAIN MY POSITION, WHICH IS WHAT I INTENDED TO DO BEFORE SPEAKING WITH COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
AND OUR CONVERSATION, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ ASKED TO PUT ME UP TO CALLING HIM YESTERDAY AND WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME WHEN I TOLD HIM NOBODY.
I TOLD THEM WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WAS THAT SEVERAL FRIENDS SENT ME A VIDEO FROM THE FIRST READING BEFORE THE COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 20TH OF THE PROPOSED R FIVE AG UNDERSTORY ORDINANCE, IN WHICH MR. CARLTON MENTIONED THAT THE NEIGHBORS NEXT DOOR TO A NEW UNDERSTORY HOUSE THAT HE'S BUILDING, LIKE TO SWIM IN THE BUFF AND MENTION MY NAME AND MY WIFE AS WELL, WHAT THAT HAD TO DO WITH THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
I HAVE NO IDEA, BUT IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IT WOULD SERVE TO SUPPORT THE ARGUMENT AGAINST GIVING MORE HEIGHT TO A NEW UNDERSTORY HOUSE BECAUSE THAT WOULD ONLY BE MORE INVASIVE TO THE PRIVACY OF THE NEIGHBORS NEXT DOOR.
I SUPPORT THE UNDERSTORY HOMES.
THE MORE HOMES THAT GO THOUGH BEFORE THE DRB, THE BETTER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS MIXING UP THE ISSUE.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT RAISES THE HEIGHT AND INCREASES THE MASS OF UNDERSTORY HOMES
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AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT ELIMINATES THE DRB, THE FOLLOWING PARAPHRASE FROM THE SAVED MIAMI BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD'S NEWSLETTER.THIS ORDINANCE PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER DAVID SUAREZ WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY WEAKEN THE PUBLIC PROCESS FOR THE REVIEW OF NEW CONSTRUCTION SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND CONTAIN THAT CONTAIN AN UNDERSTORY IN MIAMI BEACH.
MANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EPIDEMIC IN OUR SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
HOMES ARE BEING SNATCHED UP BY L LCS BY A HANDFUL OF DEVELOPERS WHO PROFIT THROUGH TEAR DOWNS.
EXISTING HOMES ARE REPLACED WITH MCMANSIONS, WITH THE INTENTION OF BEING FLIPPED FOR MAXIMUM PROFIT.
SADLY, THEIR BUSINESS PLANS CLASH GREATLY WITH OUR RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
AS WE SEE MANY OF THESE PROJECTS SIT UNSOLD AND BECOME ALIGHT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OR WORSE BECOME PARTY HOUSES.
NOT ONLY IS THIS COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY ERASING AN IMPORTANT PART OF MIAMI BEACH'S ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, BUT HAS HELPED TO CREATE A PROPERTY BUBBLE THAT IS LEADING TO EXTREME HOME PRICES, MAKING A FAMILY HOME OUT OF REACH FOR SO MANY MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS.
ITEM FOUR OR FIVE AG, WHICH IS PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER DAVID SUAREZ AND SUPPORTED BY THE MIAMI BEACH PLANNING DIRECTOR, IS MEANT TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESSES, BUT THAT IS MISLEADING.
WHILE THE COMMISSIONER CLAIMS THAT THE PROPOSAL IS DRIVEN BY HIS CONCERN REGARDING FLOODING OF EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, HE FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD PROCESS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEW OF NEW CONSTRUCTION.
THE THE REVIEW PROCESS OFFERS NEIGHBORS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW PLANS AND PROVIDE INPUT AND HELP TO ENSURE COMPATIBILITY UNDER THE ZONING CODE.
PLEASE GIMME, I'VE GIVEN YOU MORE MINUTE, EXTRA TIME BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO FINISH THE THOUGHT.
JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IF I GIVE YOU THE EXTRA TIME I NEED TO GIVE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COURT.
OR WHAT IF I ASK ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES TO GIVE ME SOME OF THEIR TIME? WE DON'T.
I JUST LIKE TO, I JUST HAVE A VERY SHORT, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXTRA 30 SECONDS.
UH, IMAGINE THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR BEING KNOCKED DOWN WITHOUT EVER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WILL BE BUILT.
THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF R FIVE AG HAS PASSED, HOW COULD WE STRIP NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE CURRENT REVIEW AND INPUT PROCESS, WHICH HELPS ENSURE COMPATIBILITY COMPATIBLE NEW CONSTRUCTION? THE ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY WEAKEN THE PUBLIC PROCESS FOR THE REVIEW OF NEW CONSTRUCTION, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT CONTAIN UNDERST STORIES IN MIAMI BEACH, A FUND FURTHER ANALYSIS.
THE ORDINANCE ALSO CONTAINS A SUBSTANTIAL HEIGHT INCREASE FOR NEW HOMES FROM FOUR TO SEVEN FEET, MORE THAN CURRENTLY ALLOWED ABOVE BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS FIVE FREEBOARD.
DON'T YOU THINK THE NEW HOMES ARE ALREADY TALL ENOUGH WHILE APPARENTLY NOT TO THE SPECULATORS WHO ARE NOW BUYING UP HOMES THAT DO NOT FACE THE OPEN BAY AND TRY TO ADD EVEN MORE HEIGHT TO LOOM OVER THEIR NEIGHBORS AND HAVE A DOWNTOWN VIEW LOOK FOR SMALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND CANAL HOMES? THANK YOU, PETER.
SNATCHED UP AND SUPERSIZED BY THIS INITIATIVE GOES BEFORE ALL WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN CONCLUSION, THE DRB SERVE AN IMPORTANT PURPOSE.
AND THOSE HOMES THAT GO BEFORE IT FOR REVIEW ARE MORE COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BETTER DESIGNED THAN THOSE THAT DON'T.
I URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO VOTE AGAINST IT AND FOR THE RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY TO SPEAK UP AND STOP THIS MISGUIDED INITIATIVE.
JUST TO CONFIRM YOU'RE AGAINST THIS ITEM, RIGHT?
SO TO THE OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE PRESENT, WE WILL STICK TO TWO MINUTES.
IF YOU GO BEYOND THE TWO MINUTES, I WILL STOP YOU.
I CANNOT ALLOW FOR EVERYONE TO GO BEYOND THE TWO MINUTES.
SO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THE TIMER AND OF, AND OF THE TIME RESTRICTION OUT OF A COURTESY TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
SO, UH, I'M PASCAL NIKOLAI, I'M THE CEO OF SA DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS SPEC DEVELOPER DOING LIKE HOUSES.
I'M SORRY, JUST, JUST ONE SECOND.
WE NEED TO KEEP SPEAKERS ON A TIMER, PLEASE.
SO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING HOUSE IS, WE DID SOMETHING FOR BUYER, FOR END USER AND WHAT END USER WANTS, THEY WANT TO BE SCARED ABOUT FLOATING ABOUT EVERY, LIKE, RISE, STEEL LEVEL URI CAN AND STUFF.
SO EVERY ONE IN THIS, OUR BUSINESS WANTS TO BE ELEVATED, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTS TO BE FEEL SAFE AND THERE'S NO SPECULATION, THERE'S NO MONEY TO MAKE WHEN YOU RAISE HOUSE, THERE'S A MORE SAFETY FOR EVERYBODY THEY WANTS TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO, WHEN, WHEN FLOODING IS COMING IN, MIAMI BEACH DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITHOUT THE WATER GOES IN THE HOUSE.
WHEN THE INSURANCE COME TO USA, YOUR HOUSE IS FLOODING, SO YOU HAVE TO PAY LIKE 50 K YEARS TO GET LIKE INSURERS OR SOMETIME INSURANCE.
SO PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE SELL THE HOUSE AS A LAND VALUES BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIKE INSURANCE THEY WANT TO COVER.
SO I THINK FOR ME, THERE IS NO DISCUSSION HERE.
I THINK WHAT'S DAVID SWAR IS PROPOSING IS, IS OBVIOUS IS YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS.
YOU HAVE TO BE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE TO RAISE THE HOUSE IF YOU WANT IT AS DESIGN PURPOSE.
AND IF YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU FEEL SAFE ON IT, YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
[00:25:01]
SUPPORT THIS, THIS WHAT DAVIDI SUPPORT FAIRLY BECAUSE WE ARE FACING THIS ISSUE WITH BUILDER, WITH CLIENTS, WITH EVERYBODY WANTS THIS HOUSE ELEVATED.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ON THE TABLE.
I THINK AS MIAMI BEACH FOR THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW WHAT, MIAMI BEACH C FOR OVERSEAS, THE FLOATING CITY.
EVERYBODY THINK WHEN YOU GO, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, I'M FROM FRANCE, I GO TRAVEL IN FRANCE.
WHEN I SAY I'M LEAVING MIAMI, SAY, OH, YOU LIVE IN THE WATER, WE'RE SCARED.
WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE LIKE DONE ABOUT THIS.
SO WE NEED TO BUILD ROAD HOUSE LIKE WALKING WITH THE LEVEL OF THE SEA BECAUSE IT'S GONNA GO UP.
SO NO MATTER WHAT, HERE WE ARE.
ARE THERE MEMBERS ON ZOOM? UH, WISHING TO SPEAK, MR. ATTORNEY? YES, WE HAVE MS. ELIZABETH LATON.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS SHORT.
MY MOM, UM, IS IN THE HOSPITAL.
BUT, UM, I'M, I WROTE YOU AND I'VE ASKED THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
UM, AND I'VE CALLED HIM BEFORE.
UM, THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS INSURANCE.
IF WE ARE ALREADY FACING CRISIS LEVELS OF HOME PRICING AND AFFORDABILITY, IF YOU WANNA SEE IT SKYROCKET, THIS IS HOW YOU GET IT.
THESE HOMES THAT ARE DESIGNED WITH UNDERST STORIES ARE GONNA INCORPORATE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, THEIR NATURAL VENTILATION, ENERGY EFFICIENT DESIGN, AND THEY'RE BENEFICIAL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
AS URBAN ENVIRONMENTS INVOLVED, HOMES WITH UNDERST STORIES CAN ADAPT TO CHANGING NEEDS AND LIFESTYLES, MAKING RIGID DESIGN REVIEWS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND RESTRICTIVELY BURDENSOME ON THE HOMEOWNER.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY THE THREE FEET IS A RESIDENT'S RIGHT TO KNOW ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT OUR RESIDENT'S, RIGHT, TO KNOW THAT IS ONLY THREE FEET OR MORE.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS AS IS.
IF THERE'S MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THE AUDIENCE, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
I'M SARAH OCK AND DO I NEED TO SAY MY ADDRESS AND ALL THAT OR IT, IT, IT 4 4 6 9 ROYAL PALM AVENUE, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA.
AND I LIVE IN ORCHARD PARK, WHICH IS NORTH OF 41ST STREET, KIND OF RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE.
IT'S NOT OVER BY PINE TREE, NOT OVER, OVER BY ALTON, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
AND I'M SEEING A LOT OF HOUSES GO IN AND THEY'RE REALLY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, QUITE ATTRACTIVE.
THERE'S A HOUSE AROUND THE CORNER FROM ME THAT, UH, THEY JUST BUILT, REPLACED A KIND OF AWFUL HOUSE AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE OTHER ONE GO.
UM, IT IS, HAS AN UNDERSTORY AND IT'S A REALLY, REALLY ATTRACTIVE HOUSE, BUT GUESS WHAT? IT'S PART OF THE DESIGN.
THE UNDERSTORY, IT'S A PARKING AREA.
IT ALLOWS THE CARS TO PULL RIGHT IN AT STREET LEVEL AND PARK.
AND THEN THERE'S A STAIRCASE THAT GOES UP TO THE FIRST STORY, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST LIVING, UH, STORY.
AND THE WHOLE POINT OF ELIMINATING DESIGN, REVIEW BOARD, UM, UH, UM, UH, INVOLVEMENT IS THAT NOW WE CAN STICK BIRTHDAY CAKES ON TOP OF STILTS AND THERE'S NO, UH, UH, UM, ACCOUNTING FOR WHAT IS HOLDING THE BUILDING UP, WHAT THE UNDERSTORY IS.
AND I SAW THE PICTURES THAT YOU SHOWED OF THE KEYS AND ON THE WEST COAST AND ALL THAT.
AND THEY'RE NOT VERY ATTRACTIVE HOUSES.
ONE OF THE THINGS IN MIAMI BEACH THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF IS THAT OUR DESIGNS ARE REALLY ELEGANT AND GORGEOUS.
AND EVEN THE NEW HOUSES ARE FITTING IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TAKE AWAY THE DR.
B'S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE UNDERSTORY, WHICH WOULD TAKE AWAY THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH BREEZE BLOCK AND ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT ALLOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE UNDERSTORY TO BE, UH, COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT JUST LOOK LIKE IT'S STANDING UP ON MATCHSTICKS IS THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARDS, UH, PARTICIPATION IN THE DESIGN.
AND THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE COME IN HERE SEVERAL TIMES TO DESIGN REVIEW BOARD, UH, MEETINGS AND KIND OF STOOD UP FOR, UH, UH, A DESIGN THAT'S NOT COMPATIBLE AND NOT ATTRACTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON.
AND THEY TALKED TO THE ARCHITECT, THE ARCHITECT IS THERE AND THEY GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND COME BACK WITH A BETTER DESIGN.
SO THE DRB SERVES A VERY IMPORTANT PURPOSE, NOT JUST FOR THE DEMOLITION OF, OF THE UNWANTED HOUSES ON THE PROPERTIES, BUT ALSO FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE DESIGN OF THE ENTIRE HOUSE, INCLUDING WHAT'S ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, AND WHERE THE PARKING GARAGE IS GONNA BE, IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S MEETING.
THE MEMBERS ON ZOOM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ZOOM.
YES, THERE'S SOMEBODY WITH THE NAME DEV.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
HI, MY NAME'S
I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT AND I'M ACTUALLY CALLING IN FROM A HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL BED THIS TIME.
SO LET THAT TELL YOU HOW SERIOUS I THINK THIS ISSUE IS.
AND I AM IN VEHEMENT SUPPORT OF DAVID'S MOTION HERE FOR
[00:30:01]
THE MAIN REASON.I'LL JUST GO RIGHT TO THE POINT BECAUSE I TOLD YOU A LOT ABOUT MY STORY AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE DRB SERIES MULTIPLE TIMES FOR, FOR GOING ON FIVE YEARS NOW.
BUT IT COMES DOWN TO THE FACT THAT WE CANNOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF CATCH 22 LEGISLATION IN OUR SYSTEM.
YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HOME ABOVE THE FLOODPLAIN, BUT NOW YOU CAN'T BUILD IT BECAUSE THE DRB CAN'T COME TO A CONSENSUS OR DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MEMBERS PRESENT OR IS COMING OUT OF A PANDEMIC AND, AND YOU'RE JUST HELD OVER AND HELD OVER AND HELD OVER.
IT HAS BEEN FOR ME AND IT'S FRANKLY NOT FAIR AND IT'S COMPLETELY ILLOGICAL.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GET RIGHT TO IT AND SAY THAT THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PLACE AND THE DRB DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO MAKE SURE BEAUTIFUL HOMES ARE BUILT ACROSS OUR CITY.
THERE ARE OTHER HOMES THAT ARE BUILT THAT GO TO THE DRB THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL AND THERE'S, THERE'S A MILLION DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY IS STAYING IN LINE WITH THE ZONING AND THE LAWS.
AND, AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT AND I'M TRYING TO GET MY HOME BUILT 'CAUSE I'M BUILDING IT FOR MY FAMILY.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT A DEVELOPER AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS AND THROUGH THIS AND THROUGH THIS, AND I JUST REALLY NEED THERE TO BE FAIR LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BILL THAT THEY HAVE TO DO.
AND IF, IF A HOME, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS BEAUTIFUL HOME THAT IS HISTORIC AND YOU KNOW, KENNEDY'S LIVED IN, THAT'S WONDERFUL AND THERE IS A HISTORIC REVIEW BOARD FOR THAT.
BUT YOU CAN'T TELL SOMEBODY THAT THEY HAVE TO RAISE THEIR HOME ABOVE THE FLOODPLAIN AND THEY HAVE TO REBUILD AND THEN TELL SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN'T DO IT.
AND TO KEEP TRYING, COME BACK, COME BACK LATER.
OR IF YOU HAVE AN INDIGNANT NEIGHBOR THAT IS ILLOGICAL OR IRRATIONAL, WHICH I HAPPEN TO HAVE HAD, THANK YOU THAT THANK YOU DEV.
THAT PERSON HAS POWER OVER YOUR FUTURE.
I THINK COMMISSIONER BOB WANTS TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
UM, HAS YOUR PROJECT BEEN APPROVED YET BY THE DRB? I THINK WE.
SO MY PROJECT WAS ULTIMATELY APPROVED AFTER THREE SESSIONS BY THE DRB.
HOWEVER, WE, MY ARCHITECT DID ANYTHING TO GET US THROUGH THAT FINAL APPROVAL.
AND HE JUST SAID YES TO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HEIGHTS THAN IS FEASIBLE TO ACTUALLY BUILD AN UNDERSTORY HOME AT.
SO NOW WE'RE STUCK AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE AN APPROVAL THAT WE CAN'T STRUCTURALLY BUILD.
SO WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE DRB AGAIN AND ASK FOR MORE, MORE HEIGHT, WHICH IS NOW LEGAL BECAUSE NOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH IT FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, THE CODE HAS SINCE CHANGED TO ALLOW FOR MORE HEIGHT, WHICH IS VERY REASONABLE.
YOU KNOW, WAY BACK WHEN WE'RE STUCK WITH A HEIGHT THAT IS COMPLETELY UNBUILDABLE.
DOES THAT ANSWER QUESTION? SO I'M STILL IN IT.
UH, HOPE YOU HAVE NOTHING SERIOUS AND HAS SPEED RECOVERY, BUT THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING FROM THE HOSPITAL.
UM, IS THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT IN THE AUDIENCE? YES.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT, UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ'S MOTION.
UM, I AM, I LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH.
I, UH, IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
I LIVE ON 2 35 NORTH COCONUT LANE.
UH, I BUILD HOMES FOR CLIENTS.
AND THE GOAL WHEN ANYBODY'S BUILDING A HOME MOST, AT LEAST WITH ME, IS TO MAKE THE HOME BEAUTIFUL AND RESILIENT.
UM, AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE DRB IS, IS JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO GO THROUGH.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS A YEAR.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE, FOR US, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING A HOME, HAVING AN UNDERSTORY MAKES IT A LOT MORE EASY TO NOT IMPACT THE NEIGHBORS.
WE HAVE MUCH MORE PARKING, STAGING OF MATERIALS.
SO I, I DON'T SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE RACING A HOME, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, THE HOME'S ALREADY GONNA BE RAISED.
WHAT IMPACT IS THERE TO THE NEIGHBORS OF UTILIZING THE SPACE THAT'S UNDER IT? THERE'S NO IMPACT.
THE HOME IS, IS GONNA BE AT THE SAME HEIGHT.
SO I, UH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION AND, UH, I THINK IT'S VERY USEFUL.
UH, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON SUE.
UH, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, I'M CALLING TO SUPPORT THIS MEASURE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF IT, BUT SHARON AND I ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, BUILDING ON TOP OF OUR
[00:35:01]
EXISTING STRUCTURE.AND WE ARE IN AN RM ONE ZONE, WHICH IS NOT AN THE, I THINK THE ZONES THAT ARE COVERED WITH RS UNDER THIS MEASURE.
AND WE WERE WONDERING IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO CONSIDER PERHAPS NEW LEGISLATION TO, TO HANDLE THE UNDERSTORY DEVELOPMENT OF HOMES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
WE HAVE A, A DUPLEX, IT'S A 1940 ART DECO HOME.
AND, UH, WE WERE BASICALLY JUST PLANNING FOR THIS THING TO FLOOD AND THEN TO COME BACK LATER AND BUILD ON TOP LATER MAKING THE FIRST FLOOR AN UNDERSTORY.
BUT IF WE COULD GET AHEAD OF THE, THE, THE STORMS AND ACTUALLY BUILD ON TOP AND MAKE OUR CURRENT FIRST STORY AND UNDERSTORY, THAT WOULD BE VERY MUCH HELPFUL FOR US IN TERMS OF HAVING A SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM PLACE TO LIVE IN MIAMI BEACH.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT SOME OTHER PARTS OF FLORIDA ARE MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE IN ALLOWING THESE UNDERST STORIES.
AND SO WE'RE NOT REALLY ASKING, I DON'T THINK THAT DAVID SUAREZ IS ASKING FOR TOO MUCH AND ASKING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE IN THIS MEASURE TO ENCOURAGE UNDERSTORY DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU MR. CHAFER, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE AUDIENCE WISHING TO APPROACH THE, THE PODIUM TO SPEAK.
UM, MEMBERS OF THE LAND USE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS JEANETTE DORFMAN AND I AM A HOMEOWNER IN THE NAUTILUS NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DESIGNATED MY HOME AS HISTORIC BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN PRESERVING THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF MIAMI BEACH.
I'VE ALSO INVESTED SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES INTO MAKING MY HOME RESILIENT TO FLOODING AND CLIMATE CHALLENGES.
I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO UNDERSTORY REQUIREMENTS, REDUCING DESIGN REVIEW, BOARD OVERSIGHT, AND INCREASING ALLOWABLE, SORRY.
REDUCING DESIGN REVIEW BOARD OVERSIGHT AND INCREASING ALLOWABLE HEIGHTS TO 31 FEET RISK, DEGRADING THE VALUE OF HISTORIC HOMES LIKE MINE.
THESE CHANGES COULD ENCOURAGE OUTSCALE DEVELOPMENT AND THE DISRUPTION OF NEIGHBORHOOD HARMONY AND IT WILL DIMINISH THE INVESTMENTS HOMEOWNERS, LIKE SUCH AS MYSELF, HAVE MADE TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THEIR PROPERTIES.
WHILE I SUPPORT CLIMATE RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE.
THESE PROPOSALS PRIORITIZE EXPEDIENCE OVER THE THOUGHTFUL DESIGN.
WITHOUT PROPER REVIEW, UNDERSTORY HOMES COULD INTRODUCE MASSING PRIVATE INTRUSIONS AND STORMWATER ISSUES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT ADJACENT PROPERTIES AND OUR COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN PERSONAL STEPS TO MAKE MY HOME BOTH RESILIENT AND HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT, I URGE YOU TO MAINTAIN THE OVERSIGHT PROCESS THAT PROTECTS HOMEOWNERS AND WILL PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE VOICES OF RESIDENTS WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT MIAMI BEACH AND VOTE AGAINST THESE AMENDMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
MR. ATTORNEY, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ZOOM? WISHING TO SPEAK.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDING IN PERSON, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
UM, I BROUGHT MY NOTES, BUT NOT MY GLASSES, SO I'M GONNA STRUGGLE HERE FOR A MINUTE.
BUT, UM, MY NAME IS GLENN BOYER.
I'M A 20 YEAR RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH, UM, AND A HOMEOWNER AND A, UH, ARCHITECT BY EDUCATION.
AND I'VE WORKED AS AN OWNER'S REP AND AS A PROJECT MANAGER, UH, PROPERTY MANAGER, ET CETERA.
UM, I'M WOR I'VE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS SORT OF THING AND I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE BERM HOMES DO PRO UH, CREATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ POINTED OUT WITH REGARD TO WATER RETENTION, WITH REGARD TO THE SIDE YARD ISSUES, THE FRONT YARD ISSUES.
AND IT REALLY DOES CREATE A COMPATIBILITY ISSUE WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, WE LOVE A CODE THAT, THAT IF WE FOLLOW, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF A GUIDELINE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST FOLLOW AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE CITY IS SORT OF PUTTING ITS FINGER, MAYBE INADVERTENTLY PUTTING ITS FINGER ON THE SCALES AND SAYING, OKAY, WE RECOGNIZE THERE ARE THESE ISSUES, THEY HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
YOU SORT OF HAVE TWO PATHS TO GO DOWN, BUT ONE PATH WILL TAKE A EXTRA, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, IT CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE, THE CARRY COSTS, THE ATTORNEY'S FEES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THE PROCESS, AND IN SOME CASES, I GUESS THREE OR FOUR TIMES, UH, GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE, THE GOAL OF THE CITY WHEN IT'S WHEN SOMETHING IS CODIFIED.
I DON'T HAVE TO COME IN FOR, IF, IF I FOLLOW THE RULES ON LOT COVERAGE ON FAR, ON SIDE YARD SETBACKS, ON FRONT YARD SETBACKS ON ROOF TERRACE LOCATIONS WITHIN MY, I DON'T HAVE TO COME IN FRONT OF A DESIGN REVIEW BOARD 'CAUSE IT'S THERE IN THE CODE.
AND SO IF IT'S THERE IN THE CODE THAT I CAN BUILD AN UNDERSTORY, I THINK HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL STEP IS JUST INCONSISTENT WITH THE REST OF THE CODE.
AND SINCE I HAVE 15 SECONDS LEFT, I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT, THINKING ABOUT THIS TODAY, THERE'S THIS SHOW ON NETFLIX CALLED THE WORLD'S MOST EXTRAORDINARY HOMES.
[00:40:01]
ONE OF THEM THAT'S A BLOCK NORTH OF HERE THAT RENE GONZALEZ DID, WHICH IS AN UNDERSTORY HOME.AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT, UM, MARC KOGAN DID ON PINE TREE DRIVE.
I BELIEVE IT'S AN UNDERSTORY HOME, AND I BELIEVE THAT AESTHETICALLY AND ARCHITECTURALLY THEY'RE MUCH MORE COMPATIBLE WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THESE HOMES THAT ARE BUILT UP ON BURKES.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I'M RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.
I WORKED FOR A HOME BUILDER, UH, PURE IN HOMES.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS MOMENT.
THE GENTLEMAN THAT JUST SPOKE BEFORE ME.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD SAY.
ESSENTIALLY THE, THE RULES AS THEY EXIST ARE AN ENCUMBRANCE TO US BUILDING AS IS PROBABLY A BETTER SOLUTION.
THE UNDERSTORY, THERE ARE CITIES VERY NEAR TO US THAT HAVE CODES THAT THIS IS CODIFIED IN.
I'VE BUILT IN GOLDEN BEACH, WE DEALT WITH THIS EVERY HOME WE BUILT.
UM, THERE'S VERY SPECIFIC CODES OF HOW AN UNDERSTORY IS UTILIZED, HOW IT'S DESIGNED, AND IT COULD BE VERY SIMPLE BY HAVING THE DRB, YOU'RE PLACING A TREMENDOUS ENCUMBRANCE ON US.
AN EXTRA SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR IS A LOT OF MONEY, A LOT OF RESOURCES, AND THE UNDERSTORY IS A REALLY GREAT SOLUTION.
HAVING GROWN UP IN FLORIDA ON THE COAST, PENSACOLA, WHERE IT'S BEEN HIT BY MANY HURRICANES, THIS SOLUTION IS REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING TODAY'S MEETING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU ABSOLUTELY.
DANIEL ALDA WITH MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT THE UNDERSTORY AND JUST THE DISPENSE OF THAT.
NO ONE'S AGAINST UNDERSTORY, THEY'RE CURRENTLY ALLOWED.
IS ANYONE AGAINST UNDERS STORIES? I DON'T THINK SO.
NO ONE RAISED THEIR HAND IN THE ROOM.
SO THAT'S NOT WHAT, UM, WE'RE HERE FOR.
THERE'S A MISNOMER ON THE NAME.
IT'S ACTUALLY A HEIGHT INCREASE.
AND IN PARTICULAR CHAIR, I WANT TO POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT IN MY VERY SHORT TIME THERE IN THE VERY BACK.
AND THE PLANNING BOARD DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS IT LIKE WE ASKED BECAUSE IT WAS BEING, UH, PUSHED, UH, TO GO THROUGH TO FIRST READING.
BUT WE NOW HAVE HERE IT SAYS RSS THREE, CURRENTLY 24 FEET WITH THE NEW REGULATION, 28 FEET FLAT ROOF UNDER SOREY HOME.
AND DID YOU NOTICE FOOTNOTE SEVEN? GUESS WHAT? IF YOUR THREE AND YOUR PROPERTY IS OVER 18,000 SQUARE FEET, YOU GET ANOTHER THREE FEET.
SO INSTEAD OF 24 FEET, NOW YOU GOT 31.
WOW, HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? VERY INTERESTING.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF, IF I CAN, IS TO BIFURCATE THIS ISSUE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY CONTROVERSY ABOUT BUILDING UNDER STORIES, BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO REFINE IS THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I WAS REALLY SHOCKED WATCHING THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD HEARING 2024 WHEN A DEVELOPER WHO DIDN'T EVEN OWN THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME, PER THE PROPERTY APPRAISER APPLIED FOR MAJOR VARIANCES, WAIVERS, AND EVEN PUSH SOME OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO PUSH IT THROUGH.
WHAT I DON'T WANT EVER TO HAPPEN IS FOR PEOPLE TO BE AFRAID OF WHAT'S GOING UP NEXT DOOR TO THEM.
I WANT RESIDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE BILLIONAIRES OR NOT, TO LIVE IN A COMFORT AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THESE FOLKS HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THEIR MILLIONS BY DEVELOPING PROPERTIES, BUT OTHER PEOPLE MADE THEIR MILLIONS OTHER WAYS OR JUST WANNA HAVE A QUIET LIFE IN A NON-COMMERCIAL SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO LET'S BIFURCATE THE HEIGHT.
I'D LIKE TO MEET WITH THE OTHER DEVELOPERS IN THE MEANTIME, COME BACK WITH A BETTER, UH, RESOLUTION.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK? HOPEFULLY THE LAST WILL BE THE FIRST.
I AM THE RESIDENT AT, UH, MY, MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND, KEITH GRAY.
WE'RE RESIDENT AT 1645 WEST SEC, UH, WEST 22ND STREET.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, THE HOUSE THAT IS, UH, DIRECTLY LOCATED, UH, UM, EAST OF, UH, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ACTUALLY BROUGHT MYSELF, AND THIS IS, I'M GONNA SPEAK ONLY ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE, BROUGHT ME, UH, TO DRB MEETINGS, UH, TWICE.
THE FIRST MEETING ACTUALLY WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS IN OUR FAVOR AND IN FAVOR OF MYSELF AND OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND THE SECOND MEETING WAS NOT, WHICH BY THE WAY, I FULLY ACCEPT.
I APPRECIATE IT AND I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE ABILITY OF SPEAKING UP.
SO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE IS THAT, IS ESSENTIALLY SHUTTING DOWN THE NEIGHBORS.
AND BELIEVE ME, I WAS BORN IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY.
I WAS RAISED IN POLAND, AND THE PART THAT WE COULDN'T DO IS TO SPEAK FREELY.
SO THEREFORE, I DON'T THINK THERE IS NOBODY HERE.
AS IT WAS SAID BEFORE, THERE WAS ANYBODY AGAINST UNDERSTORY HOUSES
[00:45:01]
ABSOLUTE ISSUE.BUT WHY THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE IS SAYING THAT NOW THE HOUSE WHICH IS SO HIGHER THAN ME, IT'S LIMITED TO 28, BUT IT WILL BE ADMINISTRATIVELY ALLOWED TO BE 31 FEET OR 34, UH, SLOP ROOF, FEET ABOVE ME WITHOUT ANY CHECK AND BALANCES.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I'M HUMBLY, I'M SPEAKING HERE AS A RESIDENT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE THE DRB MEETINGS AND THE PROCEDURES, BUT DRB IS ESSENTIALLY CHECKING BALANCES AND EYES ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND REMOVING THAT AND DE DELEGATING THAT ONLY TO THE, SOME BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS IS NOT THE ANSWER TO CREATE A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AND A HAPPY NEIGHBORS.
AND I SPOKE TO MY OTHER NEIGHBOR AND THE TRUTH IS THAT IT'S, I WANT TO STRESS IT.
WE ARE NOT AGAINST UNDERSTORY, BUT WE'RE AGAINST INCREASE OF THE HEIGHT AND ALSO REMOVING DRB REVIEW, WHICH WOULD BE VERY, UH, HELPFUL TO THE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WELCOME.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, SO I RECENTLY ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH, UH, THE DRB REVIEW PROCESS.
I'M A DEVELOPER, UH, BY TRADE AND I GUESS CONTRARY TO SOME POPULAR BELIEF, UM, I AIM TO, TO, MY GOAL IS TO BUILD PROJECTS THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL THAT ADD TO THE COMMUNITY, DON'T TO TRACK FROM THEM.
UH, SO DURING THE, UM, DESIGN PROCESS WITH OUR ARCHITECT, UM, WE WENT THROUGH SOME OPTIONS, UH, AND WE WERE FOCUSING ON AFFORDABILITY AT FIRST.
BUT AFTER SEEING WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA AND FLORIDA IN GENERAL AND JUST REALLY, UM, CLIMATE CHANGE HAS DONE, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD, AFFORDABILITY WAS IMPORTANT, BUT SUSTAINABILITY WASN'T SOMETHING THAT I WAS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE ON.
SO YES, THE IDEA OF BUILDING OUR HOUSE ON A BERM WAS SUGGESTED, BUT I TOLD OUR ARCHITECT, LISTEN, I THINK THAT IF WE WANT THIS PROJECT TO NOT ONLY BE BEAUTIFUL, BUT TO LAST, IT HAS TO BE DONE WITH AN UNDERSTORY.
NOW, I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROCESS OF HAVING TO GO TO THE DRB AND THANKFULLY FOR ME, AND UNFORTUNATELY UNLIKE SOME OTHER MEMBERS THAT HAVE SPOKEN, IT WAS A SHORT PROCESS.
I BELIEVE IT WAS ONLY FIVE, SIX MONTHS FROM FEBRUARY TO JULY.
UM, BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT I WAS REQUESTING AS A VARIANCE OR AN EXCEPTION, WAS THE UNDERSTORY.
UH, FUNNY ENOUGH, UH, AFTER I, I LIKE TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, SEEING HOW THEY FOLLOW THE CODE LAW, EVERYTHING THAT APPLIES TO BUILDING IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, IT ALMOST BECAME, IT WAS FUNNY, IT WAS, UH, FUNNY TO ME, BUT IT ALMOST BECAME LIKE, UM, NOT A POPULARITY CONTEST, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF ITEMS THAT WERE TOUCHED ON THAT WAS BASED IN SUBJECTIVITY AND OPINIONS AND NOT BASED IN WHAT I SAW, HOW I SAW THE WAY THE PROJECT WAS DESIGNED, UH, WITH OUR ENGINEERS AND OUR ARCHITECT.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT PROCESS INADVERTENTLY UNDERMINES THE ACTUAL FORMAL BUILDING APPROVAL PROCESS WHEREIN THESE PROJECTS ARE LOOKED AT UNDER, YOU KNOW, STRICT.
I MEAN, MIAMI BEACH HAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRICTEST BUILDING CODES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND I THINK THAT LOOKING AT THESE PROJECTS IN THAT LENS OF OPINION UNDERMINES THAT PROCESS AND IT SHOULD BE BAKED INTO THE FINAL PERMIT APPROVAL PROCESS AND NOT BE A STANDALONE.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
UM, ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? MR. ATTORNEY? ANY ON ZOOM? I'LL SPEAK IS ATTORNEY? NO.
HI, FRED CARLTON, 1800 PURDY AVENUE.
SO I GUESS I'M THE FOCUS OF A COUPLE OF PEOPLE UP HERE.
AND, UH, SO I'M GONNA ADDRESS MS. GRAY SINCE I'VE KNOWN HER FOR A LONG TIME.
SHE, UH, SHE DID SAY, TELL ME THAT ONE OF HER CONCERNS, MR. CARLTON, I'LL JUST ASK YOU KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THE DAY, IS WE DON'T MENTION MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BY NAME.
SO JUST, WELL, MY NEIGHBOR, I'LL MENTION MY NEIGHBOR TO THE EAST, WHO, WHO SAID THAT SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOUSE THAT WE WERE BUILDING FOR PRIVACY REASONS THAT HER HUSBAND'S, UH, AS UH, UH, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? HE, HE, HE SWAM, HE SWAM IN THE, IN THE NAKED.
BUT THEN I FOUND OUT LATER ON WHEN THEY CAME TO ME AND SAID, YOU SAY THE, EXCUSE ME, WHEN, WHEN THEY, THERE WERE PEOPLE ON THE PHONE, YOU SAID IT, AND I, I, THE PEOPLE UP HERE KNOW I DON'T TELL TALES OUTTA SCHOOL.
SO WHEN, BUT THEN I FOUND OUT LATER THAT REALLY WHAT SHE WANTED WAS FOR ME TO KNOCK DOWN 30 FEET OF MY BACK WALL SO THAT SHE COULD HAVE, UH, UH, A CLEAR VIEW OUT TO THE BAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE UP HERE ARE JUST VERY DISINGENUOUS IN WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, REALLY NOT RIGHT? LOOK, THERE
[00:50:01]
WAS STUDIES DONE FOR UNDER STORIES AND, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE, UH, RESILIENT FOR RESILIENCY WERE UNDERST STORIES THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION.THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF CODES IN PLACE, OKAY? THE DRB DOESN'T KNOW ALL THE CODES.
THE DRB IS MADE UP MOSTLY OF UNPROFESSIONAL PEOPLE THAT DO NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE DESIGN EXPERIENCE.
THEY'RE NOT ARCHITECTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALTORS, THEY'RE, UH, ORGANIZERS.
YOU KNOW, NONE OF YOU WOULD HAVE, UH, EX NON-EXPERTS, UH, ADVISING YOU.
LET'S SAY YOU HAD, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A FINANCIAL, A NON-EXPERT, FINANCIAL EXPERT, UH, ADVISING YOU.
SO WHY SHOULD CITIZENS HAVE A, A BOARD THAT IS COMPRISED OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT EXPERTS ADVISING THEM, TELLING THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY LIKE? YOU'RE THE ONE MAKING THE INVESTMENT.
YOU HIRE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, UH, THEY'RE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, AND YOU HAVE NON-PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE TELLING THESE PEOPLE WHAT THEY LIKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE HOMES ARE CONS.
A LOT OF THESE HOMES ARE CONSISTENT, OR MOST OF THESE HOMES ARE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S BUILT ON MIAMI BEACH.
ALL OF THIS COULD BE WORKED OUT SO THAT YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOMES REMAIN CONSISTENT.
THERE'S NO REASON TO GO BEFORE A BOARD THAT COSTS YOU TENS AND SOMETIMES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND, AND MANY, MANY DELAYS.
UH, ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK? YES, SARAH, WELCOME SOMETHING PLEASE.
I WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THERE TO BE THIS BACK AND FORTH.
EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND EVERYONE HAS BEEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SPEAK, BUT I ASK US TO PLEASE MAINTAIN THE QUORUM WHILE IN THE CHAMBERS.
I'M THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD, AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE DRB SINCE 2020.
I THINK LAST, UM, BECAUSE I WANTED TO RESPOND TO A FEW POINTS THAT WERE MADE BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND PEOPLE ON THE DEUS TO CLARIFY.
UM, THE FIRST POINT WAS, UH, MR. FINGER.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T CALL MEMBERS, I'M SORRY, NOT BY NAME.
THE PERSON THAT CALLED IN THAT SAID THAT IT HAS TAKEN HIM OVER FIVE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE DRB PROCESS TO REALIZE HIS HOME.
I WAS ON THE DRB IN 2020 WHEN THAT HOME WAS APPROVED.
SO ANY DELAYS THAT HAVE BEEN CAUSED SINCE THEN IS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE DRB PROCESS.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THERE SEEMS TO BE A PERCEPTION FROM A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT CALLED IN TO SPEAK TO SUPPORT THIS MEASURE THAT HAVING DRB REVIEW ELIMINATES OR PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM BEING ABLE TO HAVE UNDERST STORIES.
AGAIN, WE'RE ALL PRO RESILIENCY.
I THINK YOU MADE VERY GOOD POINTS.
WE REALLY LIKE UNDERST STORIES.
SO GOING TO THE DRB DOESN'T MEAN THAT PEOPLE CANNOT MAKE UNDERSTORY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS APPLICABLE.
UM, THE OTHER POINT WAS THAT THE DRB IS REDUNDANT.
AND I THINK THAT ANYBODY THAT HAS GONE, ANY SORT OF CREATIVE TYPE THAT HAS GONE THROUGH THE DRB PROCESS REALIZES THAT THIS CANNOT BE TRUE.
THAT THE STAFF, THE CODE, THEIR ROLE DEALS MORE WITH QUANTITATIVE.
THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON WHO SPOKE, WHO MENTIONED ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT QUANTITATIVE THINGS THAT WERE CONTRIBUTED BY STAFF.
WHERE IS WHAT THE DRB DOES IS QUALITATIVE.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT AS BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS IN BEAUTY.
AND I WILL SAY THAT PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN OUR REGION, BEAUTY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT VALUE.
RESILIENCY IS IMPORTANT, BUT BEAUTY IS AS WELL.
WE KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AT CITY HALL.
THEY PAY FOR OUR PARKS, THEY PAY FOR OUR SERVICES.
THIS IS WHY PEOPLE COME TO MIAMI BEACH.
THIS IS WHAT, AS YOU'VE HEARD RESIDENTS WANT, THIS IS WHAT BUYERS OF HOMES WANT.
SORRY, CAN I, OUT OF A COURTESY TO YOU, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW EXTRA THOUGHTS.
SO I THINK THAT MY MAIN ARGUMENT AND MY REASON FOR COMING, AND I'VE SAID THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IS THAT THERE ARE MANY STEPS IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS THAT CAN BE ELIMINATED TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY, SPEED UP DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTE RESILIENCY, AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER.
LET'S EXAMINE THE PROCESSES THAT ARE NOT HELPFUL TO OUR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS BEFORE WE ELIMINATE THE ONES LIKE THE DRB THAT HAS BEEN PROMOTING AND CREATING BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR DECADES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AS, AS WELL AS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS.
I'M ALSO AVAILABLE, I'M ALSO AVAILABLE AS THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN ON THE DRB FOR THE LONGEST TIME AND HAS THE DIRECT EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH THESE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND TO PLEASE ALLOW ME TO BE A RESOURCE TO YOU FOR QUE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HERE
[00:55:01]
TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE IN PERSON, MR. ATTORNEY, ANY ON ZOOM? WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND THEN COMMISSIONER BOND.UM, SO THIS WAS A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION ON UNDERST STORIES.
I HAD DONE SOME DIGGING ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
AND UNDERST STORIES FIRST BECAME, UH, ALLOWED IN MIAMI BEACH IN 2014.
AND THEN IN 2018, THE COMMISSIONER AT THE TIME ALAMAN BROUGHT IN THE DESIGN REVIEW TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
UH, DURING THOSE YEARS, I THINK THERE WERE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR HOMES THAT HAD UNDERST STORIES.
AND IN 2020, COMMISSIONER SAMUEL, WHO WAS VICE MAYOR AT THE TIME, UH, BROUGHT IN AN ORDINANCE TO INCORPORATE, UM, ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS THAT CAME FROM A CONSULTING FIRM.
I THINK IT WAS MATRIX AT THE TIME, UM, FOR THE DRB APPROVAL OF UNDERSTORY AND OTHER, UM, RESILIENT MEASURES.
UM, COMMISSIONER CHAMBERLAND WAS ALSO THE ONE THAT BROUGHT RESIDENTS RIGHT TO KNOW WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH UNITED.
AND SO OVERSIGHT OF THINGS WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HIM.
AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, THE DRB AND WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I'VE HEARD FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATIONS.
AND SO WHAT I WANT TO ENSURE IS WHEN A HOME HAS AN UNDERSTORY, IT IS A MASSIVE STRUCTURE.
THE NEIGHBORS DESERVE TO KNOW THAT IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT DOOR TO THEM.
AND THE DRB, IN MY EXPERIENCE, FROM 2020 TO NOW, WE'VE HAD OVER 50 HOMES WITH UNDERSTORY.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME DEVELOPERS DON'T LIKE IT AND THERE COULD BE WAYS TO STREAMLINE IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING WE CAN GET FROM TOM MOONEY.
AND FROM THE DISCUSSION TODAY, HOW CAN WE STREAMLINE THE PROCESS SO THAT A DEVELOPER DOESN'T HAVE TO COME OR WAIT MONTHS? HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER SO THAT BOTH THE RESIDENTS ARE FINDING OUT ABOUT THESE MASSIVE STRUCTURES? THE DRB IS GETTING THEIR CHANCE TO REVIEW IT AND, UM, THE DEVELOPERS ARE ALSO NOT SPENDING MONTHS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THEIR PROJECTS.
UH, COMMISSIONER, MR. DIRECTOR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WISH TO RESPOND TO COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ'S UH, REQUEST.
WE HAD LOOKED AT WAYS OF STREAMLINING THE PROCESS, NOT JUST FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT FOR OTHER TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT HAD TO GO BEFORE THE DRB AND, AND HPB WHEN THE MATRIX GROUP DID THEIR FIRST STUDY.
AND SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAD WERE SOMEWHAT LIMITED, SUCH AS REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF NOTICE THAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE PROCESS ITSELF IS WHAT LEADS TO THE DELAYS BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF UNPREDICTABILITY WITH REGARD TO MAKING AN APPLICATION TO THE DRB.
AND SO THAT'S WHY FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE FELT, UH, SHOULD BE REVIEWED AT STAFF LEVEL BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A VERY, VERY, UM, STRAIGHTFORWARD AND DETAILED CRITERIA FOR WHAT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THEIR HEIGHT, IN TERMS OF THEIR SETBACKS, IN TERMS OF THEIR DESIGN.
AND UNLIKE COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS, WHICH HAVE A GREATER IMPACT AND ARE MORE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPERIENCED BY THE PUBLIC, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ARE GENERALLY ONLY EXPERIENCED BY THE HOMEOWNER.
UM, AND THEY'RE NOT EXPERIENCED BY, BY MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UH, COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
UM, IF THERE'S ANY FOLLOW UP THAT YOU HAVE, LET ME THINK A LITTLE BIT AND GO ON TO OTHERWISE OKAY.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER FARAY? YEAH, I, I DON'T, IT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, IF TALKING, BUT I, THERE'S SOME COMMISSIONER WANTED TO.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM, THERE WAS JUST SOME POINTS THAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY ON, BUT I CAN WAIT.
COMMISSIONER BOT, UM, I WOULD ACTUALLY SAY THAT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ARE NOT ONLY EXPERIENCED BY THE FAMILY LIVING IN THAT HOME, THEY'RE PUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERYBODY LIVING IN THAT BLOCK OR ADJACENT TO IT, UM, EXPERIENCES IT AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SHARE THE LATE MARK SAMUEL'S, UM, DESIRE TO MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT IN, NOT OVERSIGHT NECESSARILY TO LIMIT WHAT CAN HAPPEN, BUT A DISCOURSE, A DIALOGUE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY SOMETHING.
AND IT'S SOMETHING WE VALUE SIGNIFICANTLY AS LEGISLATORS.
WE BUILD IT INTO OUR ORDINANCES TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE NOTIFIED AND WEIGH IN IF THEY WANT TO.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ABUSE THAT.
UM, THERE ARE GRUDGE MATCHES BETWEEN NEIGHBORS.
I'D LIKE TO FIND A WAY TO ELIMINATE THAT.
[01:00:01]
I THINK THAT'S REALLY PROBLEMATIC AND THAT IS AN UNDUE BURDEN FOR HOMEOWNER, HOMEOWNERS, DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE UPSET BECAUSE YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET BUSTED FOR HAVING RUN SOMETHING ILLEGAL THROUGH SOMEBODY'S YARD 30 YEARS AGO, THAT SHOULD NOT HOLD UP THE DESIGN REVIEW PROCESS.UM, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK QUESTIONS I DON'T KNOW ANSWERS TO, BUT HERE I GO.
TOM
UM, IF YOU'RE PROPOSING CURRENTLY A NON UNDERSTORY HOME IN THE RS ONE AND RS TWO DISTRICT, WHICH ARE THE MUCH LARGER ESTATE LOTS LIKE STAR ISLAND, THE, THE LARGE WATERFRONT ESTATE LOTS, THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IS 28 FEET FOR, FOR FLAT ROOFS AND 31 FEET FOR SLOPE FOR SLOPE ROOFS.
UH, IN THE RS THREE DISTRICT, UH, THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IS 24 FEET FOR FLAT ROOFS AND 27 FEET FOR SLOPE ROOFS.
AND THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR THE RS FOUR DISTRICT, UH, 24 FEET.
SO THAT'S FOR BURN HOUSES? CORRECT.
SO NOBODY IS DISAGREEING AND, AND, UM, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, YOU ALWAYS PUT TOGETHER VERY THOROUGH POWERPOINTS, BUT NOBODY IS DISAGREEING WITH THE FACT THAT UNDERSTORY HOMES LOOK TO BE OUR COLLECTIVE FUTURE.
NOBODY'S SAYING WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THOSE.
THERE IS A DISCUSSION THAT IS MERITORIOUS TO BE HAD ABOUT WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTORY HOUSE.
AS OF RIGHT, THERE ARE GUARDRAILS PUT INTO PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE BIRTHDAY CAKES POPPED ONTO STILTS THE WAY YOU SEE THROUGHOUT OTHER PARTS OF THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHEAST.
THAT IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
'CAUSE THAT IS GOING TO UNDERMINE OUR ARCHITECTURAL FABRIC.
BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE.
SO I'M NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT HAVING MORE EYES ON PROJECTS ALWAYS MAKES THINGS BETTER.
I MEAN, EVEN ON THE PLANNING BOARD, WE HAD SOMEBODY COME FORWARD WITH AN APPLICATION FOR A PERFECTLY VIABLE PROJECT, BUT ONE OF THEIR WALLS WAS THE EQUIVALENT UNINTENDED, BUT WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF A SPITE WALL TO THEIR NEIGHBORS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T OUR PURVIEW ON THE PLANNING BOARD TO, TO SAY, HEY, MAYBE THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO NOW THAT WALL WAS PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, IT HAD, UM, TEXTURING AND, AND YOU KNOW, SOME ARTISTIC MERIT TO IT, SO IT WASN'T A COMPLETE SPITE WALL.
UM, SO HERE'S WHAT I MIGHT SUGGEST AS A COMPROMISE TO CONSIDER.
IF WE ARE ALLOWING, AND NOBODY HAS ISSUES WITH BERM HOUSES BEING BUILT TO A CERTAIN HEIGHT, WHY DO WE, WHY WOULDN'T WE ALLOW THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN WITH UNDERSTORY HOUSES WHERE WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE BETTER FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE COMMUNITY, AND ULTIMATE RESILIENCE GOALS? HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE HIGHER, BETTER USE OF THAT UNDERSTORY SO THAT YOU CAN STORE YOUR GEAR, YOU CAN PUT IN BIGGER VEHICLES IS PARKING, YOU CAN USE IT FOR USABLE SPACE, THEN YOU WOULD COME TO THE DRB FOR A VARIANCE.
SO IF YOU'RE BUILDING, LIKE, FOR LIKE, WITH THE HEIGHT IMPACT BEING THE SAME, THEN YOU CAN, YOU CAN FOREGO THE DRB.
IF YOU WANT TO BUILD AN UNDERSTORY THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE USABLE SPACE AND THE UNDERSTORY, UH, PORTION, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND, AND GET THAT DONE THROUGH A DRB HEARING.
IS THAT AN AMENDMENT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO THE ORDINANCE BEFORE US TODAY? I THINK I'D LIKE TO HEAR SOME DISCUSSION, BUT YES, YES.
LET ME RECOGNIZE, LET ME RECOGNIZE THE ITEM SPONSOR.
ARE YOU AMENABLE TO THAT AMENDMENT? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS REASONABLE TO ME.
I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD TALK TO THE, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, I MEAN, THE REASON WHY WE HAVE A THREE FEET INCREASE IS TO MAKE THE UNDERSTORY USABLE.
LIKE IF YOU REMEMBER DIVA, HE SAYS THAT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T ASK FOR THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET, UH, ON THE UNDERSTORY, NOW HIS SPACE IS UNUSABLE AND HE HAS TO GO BACK TO THE DRB NOW AND REQUEST THE, THE EXTRA THREE FEET.
SO, BUT LET'S LET, LET'S REMAIN MINDFUL.
WHAT IS THE INTENT OF THE UNDERSTORY? THE INTENT OF THE UNDERSTORY IS TO PROMOTE RESILIENCY.
THE SAFETY OF THESE OF THESE HOMES, UH, ADDRESS ISSUES HAVING TO DO WITH INSURABILITY.
UH, AND BY HAVING THE UNDERSTORY, WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT.
AND THE EXTRA HEIGHT PERTAINS TO THE USABILITY OF THE UNDERSTORY, WHICH IS A NON RESILIENCY ISSUE.
SO, UM, TO THE POINT THAT COMMISSIONER BOND WAS MAKING, I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE PLANNING DIRECTOR AS SUGGESTED BY THE ITEM SPONSOR, MR. DIRECTOR.
SO IN, IN OUR EXPERIENCE, IN THE EXPERIENCE OF MY STAFF, UM, THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET FOR THAT UNDERSTORY BECOMES CRITICAL FOR USABILITY PURPOSES.
[01:05:01]
AND I THINK THAT IF YOU WERE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME BUILDING HEIGHTS, BUT REQUIRE THAT ANY HEIGHT ABOVE THAT, UH, FOR BASICALLY THE, THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET GO TO THE DRB, IT WOULD AMOUNT TO ALL UNDERSTORY HOMES GOING TO THE DRB, BECAUSE THAT THREE FEET IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF THE USABILITY OF THAT, UM, UNDERSTORY AREA.UM, MR. SWAR, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
SO, SO TOM, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE EXPLAINING THIS CORRECTLY, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AMENDMENT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD RESULT IN, IN NO MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, UH, CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE I, I, AGAIN, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE WANT TO DO, MR. CHAIR, IS INCENTIVIZE A BETTER HOME.
AND I DON'T THINK AN EXTRA THREE FEET IS GOING TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, MASSING OR, UH, VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT.
I, OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS SAID ON THE RECORD THAT THAT THREE FEET IS NEGLIGIBLE.
WE ARE NOT INCREASING THE MASSING.
THE FAR IS STAYING EXACTLY THE SAME.
WE ARE JUST SIMPLY INCREASING 36 INCHES OF THE UNDERSTORY TO MAKE IT USABLE.
SO, UM, I, I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH FROM CITY STAFF WHO, BY THE WAY, THEY SET UP A VERY DETAILED PLAN ON UNDERSTORY.
THIS IS NOT JUST A BUNCH OF CHECK BOXES THEY GO THROUGH.
I MEAN, IT, IT GOES THROUGH A STRENUOUS STAFF REVIEW PROCESS.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY WELCOME OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT TO THE PUBLIC THAT'S LISTENING ON, ON THE STEPS REQUIRED TO, TO, FOR A STAFF LEVEL APPROVAL FOR AN UNDERSTORY.
AND, AND CLEARLY THERE'S, THERE'S DETAILED CRITERIA IN THE CODE, UH, WHICH WE'VE ADOPTED OVER TIME FOR, FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
BUT LET ME JUST ASK YOU, MR. MR. DIRECTOR, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS REFERENCED THAT, UM, RS THREE HOMES CURRENTLY HAVE A HEIGHT OF UP TO 24 FEET, AND THAT THIS WOULD ALLOW HEIGHT UP TO 31 FEET.
UM, THAT TO ME, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THREE FEET, THAT IS SEVEN FEET.
SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND HOW MANY, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMES BEING APPROVED ARE GETTING UP TO 31 FEET IN HEIGHT? SURE.
CURRENTLY, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT MAXIMUM HEIGHT IN TERMS OF THE FOUR DIFFERENT RS DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE RS ONE AND RS TWO DISTRICTS, AS I MENTIONED, WHICH ARE THE MUCH LARGER ESTATE LOTS.
AND THOSE ARE GOING TO HAVE A HIGHER HEIGHT LIMIT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST MUCH LARGER LOTS.
THEN YOU HAVE RS THREE LOTS, WHICH ARE KIND OF A MIX.
YOU HAVE SOME RS THREE LOTS THAT ARE, ARE, THAT ARE MUCH, UM, THAT ARE NOT QUITE AS BIG AS RS ONE AND S RS TWO LOTS.
THEN YOU HAVE RS THREE LOTS THAT ARE AS BIG AND SOMETIMES EXCEED THE SIZE OF RS ONE AND RS TWO LOTS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE RS FOUR LOTS, WHICH ARE GENERALLY THE SMALLER DRY LOTS UNDER THE CODE.
NOW, UM, THE MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT IN THE RS THREE DISTRICT IS 24 FEET PER FLAT ROOFS.
HOWEVER, UNDER THE CODE, CURRENTLY, IF SOMEBODY HAS AN UNDERSTORY PROPOSAL WHEN THEY GO TO THE DRB, THE DRB CAN ALLOW UP TO 31 FEET.
SO 31 FEET TECHNICALLY IS ALREADY ALLOWED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO TO DRB FOR UNDERSTORY APPROVAL.
WHAT WE HAD SUGGESTED IS THAT THE HEIGHT BE, UH, LIMITED TO 28 FEET, BUT THAT THE THREE FOOT INCREASE BE ALLOWED ADMINISTRATIVELY, BUT ONLY FOR THOSE MUCH LARGER RS THREE LOTS IN THE RS FOUR DISTRICT.
UM, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE, UM, AS PROPOSED 28 FEET, EVEN THOUGH CURRENTLY THE DRB COULD ALLOW UP TO 31 FEET.
SO FOR THE RS FOUR, IT'S 28 FEET FOR THE FLAT, 31 FOR THE SLOPED.
THAT'S WHAT IS PROPOSED UNDER THE ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN THE AUDIENCE OR NOT, BUT, UM, SO BERMS ARE ALLOWED IN THE CITY AND THEY, IF THEY WERE HORRIBLE, I'M, THEY WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED.
AN UNDERSTORY THAT IS THREE FEET, WHICH IS THE SIZE OF A BERM IS BETTER THAN A BERM.
SO I DON'T SEE WHY IT WOULD BE NOT GOOD, NOT USABLE.
'CAUSE IF IT'S BETTER THAN A BERM, A THREE FOOT UNDERSTORY SOUNDS AMAZING.
NOW, FOR IT TO BE USABLE, WE'VE GOTTA INCREASE THE HEIGHT, BUT A THREE FOOT UNDERSTORY IS BETTER THAN A BERM.
SO, UM, THE REASON THAT THE THREE FOOT CAME INTO PLAY WAS, AS YOU MAY RECALL, WHEN WE, UM, ADOPTED THE LDR UPDATES AND THE RESILIENCY CODE IN LATE 2022 AND
[01:10:01]
AND EARLY 2023, UM, WE HAD SUGGESTED THAT THERE BE AN ADDITIONAL THREE FEET, UM, SO THAT THE UNDERSTORY AREAS COULD BE MORE USABLE.UP UNTIL THAT POINT, ARCHITECTS WERE STRUGGLING WITH TRYING TO MAKE THAT AREA USABLE BECAUSE THE OVERALL MAXIMUM HEIGHT DOESN'T CHANGE.
IT'S, IT'S MEASURED FROM BASE FOOT ELEVATION PLUS ALLOWABLE FREEBOARD.
AND EVEN BY MEASURING HEIGHT FROM BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS UP TO FIVE FEET, ARCHITECTS WERE STRUGGLING TO HAVE ENOUGH USABLE SPACE IN THE GROUND UNDERSTORY LEVEL, YET STILL PROVIDE A LIVABLE SPACE IN THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS OF THE HOME, THE ACTUALLY TECHNICALLY THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS OF THE HOME.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE FACTORED INTO THAT INCLUDE ROOF SLABS, AND THEY ALSO INCLUDE OTHER THINGS, UM, SUCH AS THE DRAINAGE THAT IS REQUIRED FOR A FLAT ROOF.
ONE OF THE THING THAT'S, UM, IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT BERM HOMES, WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE DRB APPROVAL, THE SIZE OF THE BERM WILL DEPEND UPON THE OVERALL HEIGHT OF THE HOME AS MEASURED FROM BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS FREEBOARD.
SO IN A LOT OF INSTANCES, A HOMEOWNER MAY DO BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS TWO FEET, WHICH DEPENDING ON SIDEWALK ELEVATION, MAY ONLY BE A THREE TO FOUR FOOT BERM.
HOWEVER, IF A HOMEOWNER WANTS TO DO BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS FIVE FEET, YOU COULD END UP WITH A SIX FOOT BERM.
UM, AND AS EXPERIENCED FROM THE SIDEWALK LEVEL, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY, IN SOME CASES, POTENTIALLY BE HIGHER THAN AN UNDERSTORY HOME THAT WAS LIMITED TO THE HEIGHTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED.
UM, PJ, CAN YOU PUT THE PDF UP PLEASE? PAGE TWO.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT WAS MENTIONED HERE, AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONER, BUT WAS HOW MASSIVE A STRUCTURE IT COULD BE AND THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD DESERVES TO KNOW.
AND IN PAGE TWO OF THIS, UH, PDF, THE NEXT PAGE, IT SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW MUCH HIGHER IT IS IN A SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THOSE NEIGHBORS DESERVE TO KNOW, UM, WHAT IS HAPPENING THERE.
UH, GO TWO MORE PAGES PLEASE, PJ, BUT LET ME JUST ASK YOU ON THAT.
IF, IF YOU GO BACK YEAH, UH, UH, PJ GO BACK PLEASE.
BECAUSE THERE, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE HOMES THERE, BUT HOW MUCH, I WOULD IMAGINE THE PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE IS THE ONE THAT HAS THE UNDERSTORY AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IT LOOKS LIKE AN EXTRA FLOOR.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AN EXTRA THREE FEET, MR. DIRECTOR IF, BECAUSE I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, THERE'S NOT A MISINTERPRETATION OF WHAT'S THERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY AN EXTRA 10 FEET, NOT AN EXTRA THREE FEET.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT TWO HOMES DOWN, IT'S A TWO STORY HOME, AND IT'S STILL MORE IN LINE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THAN THE ONE WITH THE UNDERSTORY.
I'M, I'M NOT SAYING NO TO UNDERST STORIES, I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT I'M JUST POINTING OUT, SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T THE THREE FEET THERE.
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER FLOOR, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S TWO STORY HOMES IN THAT PICTURE.
THE ONE NEXT DOOR AND THE ONE NEXT DOOR TO THAT.
UH, THE TWO TO THE RIGHT ARE BOTH TWO STORY HOMES.
THEY FIT, WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE UNDERSTORY ONE DOESN'T.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE SCALE.
AND THEN TWO, TWO SLIDES DOWN.
UM, HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, UM, A REAL PICTURE, NOT A RENDERING, AND THEN THE HOMES NEXT DOOR.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AS THE DRB HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THEY DO HELP WITH THE DESIGN AND WE DO HAVE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE ON THERE, AND THERE IS A MIX OF PEOPLE.
SO IF, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ARCHITECTS, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT AS A COMMISSION FOR THE FUTURE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY'RE HELPFUL.
AND SO LET ME JUST ASK THIS, THIS ADDRESSES A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE OF HAVING TO DO WITH, UM, WITH RESILIENCY IN OUR CITY.
UH, THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH, WITH, WITH THE HOMES, WITH, WITH THE BERMS. I DO BELIEVE, UH, THAT, UM, THAT, THAT THEY DO CREATE FLOODING FOR, FOR NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
I KNOW IT, I'VE SEEN IT, I'VE WITNESSED IT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY, THEY LOSE THEIR, THEIR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND THEY BECOME INEFFECTIVE, ESPECIALLY, UM, AS FLOOD PATTERNS INTENSIFY, UM, AND RAIN PATTERNS AS, UH, AS WELL DUE DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO, SO I THINK ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE BERM MODEL TO THE UNDERSTORY MODEL, WE'RE DOING, UH, UM, A SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:15:01]
FROM, FROM FEMA THAT SHOW SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS, UH, TO THOSE HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, BUILT, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THE UNDERST STORIES.AND SO WE DO NEED TO ENCOURAGE THIS AND WE NEED TO BE VERY BALANCED ABOUT IT IN HOW WE HANDLE THE PUBLIC, UH, THE PUBLIC INPUT AND THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE A WAY WHERE WE COULD ALLOW FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF, OF UNDERST STORIES? BUT IF SOMETHING IS SO OUTRAGEOUS THAT, YOU KNOW, AN ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNER, AN ABUTTING NEIGHBOR BE ABLE TO APPEAL THE ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW, HAVE, YOU KNOW, A A ONE MONTH WINDOW WHERE SOMEONE COULD FILE AN AN APPEAL, THAT WAY WE'RE NOT HOLDING UP HOMES THAT COULD BE REVIEWED, THAT COULD BE APPROVED.
IF SOMEONE IS REALLY VERY ONE IMPACTED, THEY CAN FILE AN AN A, AN APPEAL AND HAVE THOSE APPEALS BE PRIORITIZED BY THE DRB.
'CAUSE THAT WAY I FEEL WE'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S BALANCED.
WE'RE SENDING THE MESSAGE AND WE'RE COMMUNICATING OUT THERE, HEY, WE WANNA MOVE AWAY FROM THE BERMS. WE WANT TO PROMOTE THIS MORE RESILIENT, UH, STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE.
BUT WE ALSO FEEL THAT THERE IS STILL A PLACE WHERE IF YOU ARE AN AFFECTED HOMEOWNER, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE IF IT REALLY IS IMPACTING, OKAY, YOU CAN FILE AN, AN APPEAL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT HAVE AN ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD.
'CAUSE THERE, HERE'S THE THING, YOU KNOW, WE ALL ARE NEIGHBORS, BUT IF I BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DESIGN THE HOME THAT I WANT TO HAVE.
I DON'T WANT SOMEONE THREE BLOCKS AWAY DICTATING WHAT MY HOME IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AS IT IS, IT'S EXPENSIVE ENOUGH TO BUILD A HOME IN MIAMI BEACH, AND THEN ON TOP OF IT, BUREAUCRACY AND RED TAPE IS ADDING TO IT.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO FIND THE BALANCE.
HOW IS IT THAT WE ACCOMMODATE BOTH? I'M JUST WONDERING, UH, MR. DIRECTOR, HOW, HOW YOU WOULD SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORKING IF IT WOULD BE AMENABLE TO THE SPONSOR OF THE ITEM? UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT GENERALLY IN MY EXPERIENCE, CAN BE CHALLENGING.
UM, BECAUSE WHILE YOU COULD POST A PROPERTY TO NOTIFY RESIDENTS, WHICH THE CURRENT ORDINANCE REQUIRES, IF YOU WERE TO PROVIDE AN APPELLATE PROCESS AND A NEIGHBOR AVAIL THEMSELVES, SO THAT APPELLATE PROCESS, THEN THE ONUS WOULD LIKELY BE ON THE HOMEOWNER TO THEN HAVE TO BRING AN APPLICATION TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD.
AND THAT LIKELY WOULD, WOULD TAKE MONTHS.
CERTAINLY IF IT'S THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION, THE, I'M SORRY, THE OWNERS WOULD BE ON WHOM, I'M SORRY, TO BRING AN APPLICATION BEFORE THE
UM, IN WHICH CASE THEY WOULD HAVE TO FILE ALL OF THE EXHIBITS AND PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PLANS, UM, AND THEN GO BEFORE THE BOARD.
BUT ALL OF THAT IS ALREADY BEING PROVIDED TO YOU THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW IS ONLY THE PLANS.
UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT NEEDS TO GO TO THE DRB, THEY WOULD NEED TO SEE, UM, THOSE PLANS AND ANY OTHER EXHIBITS THAT THEY WOULD DEEM NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THE HOME COURT, SO WHAT OTHER EXHIBITS BESIDES PLANS, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD YOU IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW, YOU ARE, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC DETAILED CRITERIA, DESIGN CRITERIA THAT WE'VE HAD CODIFIED.
WHAT IS, AND I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN MATERIAL THAT WOULD BE REVIEWED BY STAFF AS OPPOSED TO THE MATERIAL THAT WOULD BE REVIEWED BY THE RRB? I'M OKAY, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOMETHING ADMINISTRATIVELY REVIEWED IF YOU ARE REVIEWING THE SAME MATERIAL.
BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME NOW SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT CLARIFIED PREVIOUSLY.
I'M SORRY, SIR, PLEASE, SORRY.
BUT YOU WERE, I, NO, WE ARE NOT DISRUPTIVE IN THE CHAMBERS.
I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS DISTRACTIONS IN THE CHAMBERS.
IF YOU WANT TO BE DISTRACTED, YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE.
LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT MATERIALS FOR
UM, SO THE MATERIALS I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MATERIALS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW BETWEEN WHAT DRB REQUIRES AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED BY AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW? IF THE APPELLATE PROCESS WAS SET UP SO THAT THE ONLY THING THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DRB IS WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO STAFF, THEN IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF MAKING
[01:20:01]
DUPLICATES OF THAT.AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE TOM, I'M SORRY, A REVIEW OF AN UNDERSTORY HOME.
WHAT IS IT THAT DRB RIGHT NOW IS REVIEWING AS PART OF AN APPLICATION PACKAGE AS OPPOSED TO WHAT STAFF WILL REVIEW ADMINISTRATIVELY? THE DRB, THE WHAT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE DRB OVER SAY, BUILDING PERMIT PLANS WOULD BE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PROPERTY, UM, CONTEXT DRAWINGS, UM, AND PERSPECTIVES.
THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE THREE KEY DIFFERENCES.
AND THOSE TYPICALLY ARE NOT REQUIRED WHEN WE DO AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERMIT REVIEW.
AND WHY WOULDN'T YOU REVIEW THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY? IF WE, IF WE WERE TO CREATE, 'CAUSE I JUST, I MEAN, I WANT US, LET'S SAY IF WE MOVE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THE INTENT OF OF, OF THE ITEM.
I THINK THE INTENT OF THE ITEM SPONSOR IS TO CREATE A MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S THE INTENT OF THE ITEM SPONSOR TO HAVE TO HAVE A, UM, LESS REVIEW OF, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTS AND PERSPECTIVES AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
SO WHY WOULDN'T STAFF REVIEW THAT? UM, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE PROFESSIONALS, WE WOULD, WE WOULD TYPICALLY REQUIRE FOR PERMIT REVIEW, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF THIS CRITERIA, UM, SITE PLAN, A SURVEY, A LANDSCAPE PLAN, FLOOR PLANS, DETAILED ELEVATIONS.
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE NEEDED MORE DETAIL TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE PLANS, WE WOULD REQUEST THOSE FROM THE ARCHITECT.
AND THOSE COULD POTENTIALLY BE, UM, PERSPECTIVE DRAWINGS IN TERMS OF, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT DRAWINGS AND PHOTOS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD AVAIL OURSELVES OF BY EITHER DOING A FIELD VISIT OR REVIEWING IT ON, ON GOOGLE EARTH OR, OR GOOGLE MAPS.
WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED AN APPLICANT TO PROVIDE THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
BECAUSE I JUST FEEL THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE APPROVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU DO, I I DON'T SEE HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE FULL CONTEXT OF IT WITHOUT SEEING THESE PERSPECTIVES, THE, UH, CONTEXT DRAWINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND SO LIKE, I WOULD FEEL MORE, MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE ALLOWING FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW PROCESS IF YOU GUYS ARE GETTING THIS INFORMATION, TAKING THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AS PART OF YOUR REVIEW.
AND THEN IF SOMETHING REALLY IS VERY ONEROUS, THEN ALLOWING FOR THERE TO BE AN, AN, AN APPEAL AT THE, UH, AT THE, UM, AT, AT THE RB, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN STAKEHOLDERS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE STANDING.
UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS AN OPEN SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOMEONE COULD BE PROPOSING SOMETHING IN, IN, UM, IN ORCHARD PARK, AND I CAN SHOW UP AND I DON'T LIVE IN ORCHARD PARK, AND I CAN BE TELLING A NEIGHBOR OF ORCHARD PARK WHAT THEIR HOME NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE AND STALL SOMEONE'S INVESTMENT AND INSTALL SOMEONE'S PLANS FOR YEARS.
AND I'M NOT EVEN AN IMMEDIATELY IMPACTED NEIGHBOR.
AND SO, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF I'M, IF I'M THE ABUTTING NEIGHBOR, IF I'M THE NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW, I GET THAT I, I GET, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO HAVE A SAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT BE DEALING WITH THE SHADOWS.
I MIGHT BE DEALING WITH A WALL, I MIGHT BE DEALING WITH SOMETHING, SOMEONE LOOKING OVER MY YARD THAT, THAT I'M, I'M FINE WITH AS A MATTER OF AN APPEAL, SOMEONE WITH STANDING, MAKING THEIR CASE TO THE BOARD.
UM, AND THAT'S A MATTER OF APPEAL.
BUT, BUT AS OF RIGHT, OR NOT AS OF RIGHT, BUT AS JUST A GENERAL PROCESS OF DOING BUSINESS REQUIRING EACH ONE OF THESE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I THINK WE SET US BACK.
AND SO I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, MISS, UH, TO, TO THE SPONSOR, UM, TO, TO, TO CONSIDER THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT CREATES A BALANCE.
UH, THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE FAIR FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
SO, UH, I'M STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS, BUT I, I THINK, UH, PLANNING DIRECTOR SAID THAT ANY SORT OF APPEAL PROCESS IS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE.
BUT, UH, MR. CHAIR, ONE THING YOU DID TOUCH UP ON WAS THE UNDERSTORY PROCESS.
TOM, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO THE REST OF OUR COMMITTEE THAT THE UNDERSTORY, IF SOMEONE WAS TO DO A STAFF LEVEL ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF UNDERST STORIES, YOU HAVE CREATED A WHOLE SYSTEM AND OUTLINE IN PLACE THAT'S A SEPARATE AND APART FROM ANYTHING
[01:25:01]
TO DO WITH A HOUSE BUILT ON A BERM.AND IT'S A MUCH MORE STRICTER, STRINGENT PROCESS THAN HOUSES BUILT ON A BUR.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU TOUCH UP ON THAT FOR A MINUTE SO WE CAN, UM, ENLIGHTEN, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND AND MY COLLEAGUES? SURE.
THE, THE REVIEW OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THERE'S SPECIFIC, UH, CRITERIA THAT IS USED FOR THE REVIEW OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UM, AND THIS APPLIES CURRENTLY TO BOTH UNDERSTORY AND TO BERM HOMES.
AND FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEBODY COMES IN WITH A BERM HOME, THERE IS SPECIFIC CRITERIA THAT OUR STAFF LOOKS AT IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN OF THE HOME AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS SUCH AS UNIT SIZE, LOT COVERAGE, BUILDING HEIGHT, AND WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT NOW.
UM, THE SAME WOULD HOLD TRUE FOR UNDERSTORY IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE CALL UNDERSTORY LEVEL STANDARDS.
AND THAT'S A SEPARATE SECTION OF THE RS REGULATIONS THAT IS SPECIFIC TO UNDERSTORY.
UM, AND IT REGULATES THINGS LIKE THE, UM, USE OF THE UNDERSTORY AREA, UM, THE, UM, AMOUNT OF NON-AIR CONDITION SPACE THAT IS REQUIRED.
UM, BASICALLY AIR CONDITION SPACE IS LIMITED TO THINGS LIKE AN ELEVATOR TO GET YOU FROM THE, UM, UNDERSTORY AREA TO THE, THE FIRST HABITABLE FLOOR.
UM, IT GETS INTO THINGS LIKE THE, UM, THE USE FOR PARKING AND STORAGE AND LIMITATIONS IN THAT REGARD.
UM, DETAILS SUCH AS A CONTINUOUS SOFFIT THAT IS REQUIRED, UM, AND THE, UM, OVERALL ELEVATION OF THE UNDERSTORY.
AND PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THE UNDERSTORY EDGE.
AND THAT REGULATES THINGS LIKE, UM, BREAKAWAY WALLS, UM, OPEN LATTICE WORK LOUVERS.
UM, AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF CRITERIA THAT SETS UNDERSTORY HOMES ON MIAMI BEACH, APART FROM WHAT YOU SEE AND THE KEYS AND OTHER AREAS THAT ARE TRULY JUST BUILDINGS PLACED ON STILTS WITH NO THOUGHT TO ARCHITECTURE DESIGN.
AND THAT'S WHY THE UNDERSTORY HOMES THAT WE SEEM LOOK LIKE THEY DO BECAUSE OF THIS CRITERIA.
SO ONE OF THE COLLEAGUES, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER BOT, I BELIEVE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA SEE LIKE A CAKE ON STILTS IF THE, IF THE CAKE ON STILTS WAS PRESENTED TO STAFF, STAFF, I'M ASSUMING WOULD SAY THIS IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO DRB.
EVEN THE DRB COULDN'T APPROVE THAT BECAUSE THE UNDERSTORY CRITERIA REQUIRES, UH, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ENCLOSURE, WALLS AND SOFFITS, UM, SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CAKE ON STILTS EFFECT.
SO, AND, AND IF, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT TO ME CORRECTLY, RIGHT NOW, HOUSES BUILT ON BERMS GO RACE STAFF LEVEL REVIEW PROCESS.
AND I'M ASSUMING MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE A FLOOD OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOUSES BUILT ON BERMS, UH, OTHER THAN THE FLOODING, OF COURSE.
UM, AND IF WE APPLY THAT SAME WITH, WITH THE SAME STAFF THAT'S DOING FOR BERMS, WOULD BE AS, WOULD BE THE SAME STAFF APPLYING IT FOR UNDERST STORIES, WE, WE WOULD HAVE A, A, A UNIFORM, A REVIEW PROCESS AT THE STAFF LEVEL THAT'S ALREADY WORKING FOR ONE TYPE OF, UH, STRUCTURE CORRECT FIRMS. SO, YOU KNOW, UH, COLLEAGUES, I, I THINK, YEAH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE JUST HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WE'RE FLOODING MM-HMM
AND NO MATTER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND OR NOT, WE'RE GONNA BE UNDERWATER.
AND THESE A HUNDRED YEAR STORMS ARE GONNA BE MORE FREQUENT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT MORE STORM SURGE.
AND WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD ON THIS ISSUE IS THAT SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS, THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH A DRB PROCESS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT, IT CAN, IT CAN CERTAINLY ENHANCE THE PROJECT, BUT AGAIN, THAT IS ALSO VERY SUBJECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT MAY BE BEAUTIFUL TO YOU MAY NOT BE BEAUTIFUL TO THE PERSON APPLYING OR TO THE NEIGHBOR, ET CETERA.
AND THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAME SUBJECT SUBJECTIVE REVIEW PROCESS FOR HO FOR HOMES BUILT ON BERMS, IT'S UNFAIR TO DO IT FOR HOMES THAT ARE MUCH MORE SUPERIOR, UH, FOR CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO, UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE ALREADY FOR REVIEWS, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A WORLD CLASS STAFF, I MEAN, REALLY BEST IN THE WORLD CONSIDERING ALL THE CHA CHALLENGES THAT SOUTH FLORIDA HAS, AND PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY A BARRIER ISLAND, YOU KNOW, I, I CERTAINLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH, WITH OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR AND HIS STAFF ON REVIEWING THESE PROJECTS.
AND, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S EVIDENT BY THE NATURE
[01:30:01]
OF THE, OF THE, OF THE LEGISLATION YOU'VE, YOU'VE PRESENTED.I'LL JUST REMIND YOU, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I BELIEVE IN US DOING ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE OUR CITY MORE RESILIENT BECAUSE OF THIS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS ITEM LEAVES THIS COMMITTEE POSITIONED IN A, IN A WAY THAT I FEEL THAT IT CAN RECEIVE DEF FIVE VOTES THAT THIS WILL NEED TO GET IN ORDER TO PASS AT THE CITY COMMISSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THIS ITEM, UH, BUT I THINK THAT THIS ITEM COULD POTENTIALLY GET MORE SUPPORT HEARING THE FEEDBACK THAT THAT, THAT WE'RE RECEIVING IF THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, APPEAL PROCESS WHERE, WHERE AFFECTED, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN BE DEFINED AS HAVING STANDING CAN BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAL AND HAVE, HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
AND SO TO ME THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THEN WE GET TO COMMISSION AND WE END UP WITH A FOUR THREE VOTE.
THIS ULTIMATELY NEEDS TO GET, UH, FIVE VOTES AT THE CITY COMMISSION.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER BOND, UH, WHO'S BEEN WAITING TO SPEAK.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I COME BACK TO THE NOTION THAT ARGUABLY THE DESIRE EFFECT HERE IS TO MAKE MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.
SO IS THERE A WAY TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND AGGREGATE, UM, AND LIMIT THE TOTAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT, AND IT IS THEN UP TO THE APPLICANT TO DECIDE IF THEY WANNA HAVE THAT EXCESS HEIGHT IN UNDERSTORY, OR INSTEAD OF HAVING 14 FEET CEILINGS OR 20 FEET CEILINGS, THEY COULD HAVE 18 FEET CEILINGS AND THEN HAVE MORE UNDERSTORY THAT'S USABLE.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS, AND I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING SOME KIND OF A REVIEW PROCESS, BUT I ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE DRBI, UM, HAVING SOME KIND OF AN APPEAL PROCESS, BUT I, THAT WORRIES ME THAT IT'S GONNA BE, UM, COMPLICATED.
MY WISH IS TO NOT TAKE IT OUT OF DRB, BUT I THINK WE WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE BUILDING HOMES, UM, THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE BUILDING HOMES TO MAKE IT AS RESILIENT AS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING A SPEC HOUSE OR A $50 MILLION HOUSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN THERE IS, AND YOU'RE, YOU WANT THE SOARING FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS AND YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, THE ROOF GARDEN, THEN I THINK THAT IS A PROJECT IN ITS TOTALITY THAT IS MERITORIOUS OF COMING TO THE DRB.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE EXTRA THREE FEET ON THE UNDERSTORY, IT'S ABOUT EVERYTHING WHERE YOUR WALLS ARE, WHERE YOUR LANDSCAPING IS, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT ON THE ROOF, HOW, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA PUT THE FIVE DIFFERENT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIGGER PROJECT.
BUT FOR PEOPLE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THEY BOUGHT A, THEY BOUGHT A PIECE OF PROPERTY WITH A 1930S BUNGALOW THAT IS CRUMBLING DOWN.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, I'M SORRY, DANIEL AND SARAH 'CAUSE I LOVE THOSE TWO, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S NOT VIABLE FOR THEM.
BUT THEY'RE NOT BUILDING A, AN ENORMOUS, UM, YOU KNOW, MULTI BAZILLION DOLLAR HOME, BUT THEY WANT IT TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
AND WE KNOW UNDERST STORIES ARE BETTER THAN BURNS.
COULD WE NOT PUT A TOTAL PACKAGE CAP? AND THERE, THERE THEREBY BIFURCATING SOMETHING THAT IS MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE VERSUS SOMETHING THAT IS A BIGGER PROJECT THAT IS THE TYPE OF PROJECT THAT MIGHT GET NEIGHBORS, UM, ENGAGED.
AND IF WE CAN, WHAT WOULD THOSE NUMBERS BE AND WHAT WOULD THEY LOOK LIKE? UH, B BEFORE TOM ANSWERS THAT, UH, UH, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY ONE THING.
WHEN YOU SAID THE THREE FEET, IS IT GONNA GO TOWARD HIGHER CEILINGS? NO.
THE, THE, THE THREE FEET ONLY GOES TOWARD THE UNDERSTORY.
NO, THAT'S NOT, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT IN WHAT CAN WE FIND WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE IN AGGREGATE? SO THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE PROJECT, YOU CAN DIVIDE UP INSTEAD OF HAVING TWO STORIES WITH 20 STORIES, UH, 20 FOOT CEILINGS, YOU COULD HAVE TWO STORIES WITH 18, UM, FOOT CEILINGS OR 17 FOOT CEILINGS AND THEN MAKE THE UNDERSTORY BIGGER.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE, WHATEVER.
THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING TO SEE, BECAUSE MAYBE THAT THEN ALLEVIATES THE ISSUE WITH THE REALLY BIG PROJECTS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE FACETS TO THEM AND THE SMALLER PROJECTS WHERE THEY JUST, SOMEBODY JUST WANTS TO MOVE THEIR FAMILY INTO SOMEPLACE THAT THEY CAN CALL HOME FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS WITHOUT BEING SWEPT AWAY IN, UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE, UM, THE FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHTS, UM, FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION ARE IN A LOT OF INSTANCES MORE LIMITED WHEN YOU DO AN UNDERSTORY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT YOU WANT THE UNDERSTORY OR THE HOMEOWNER WANTS THE, THE UNDERSTORY TO BE USABLE.
AND SO, UH, A USABLE UNDERSTORY TYPICALLY IS ANYWHERE FROM NINE TO 10 FEET.
UM, AND SOMETIMES IT CAN GO TO 11 FEET WHEN THEY DO THAT, THAT WILL TYPICALLY
[01:35:01]
LIMIT THEIR FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHTS OF THE FLOORS ABOVE TO ANYWHERE BETWEEN 13 AND 15 FEET, DEPENDING UPON THE BASE FLOOD ELEVATION THAT THEY MEASURE THE HOUSE FROM.AND SO YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, UM, GINORMOUS TYPES OF, OF FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHTS.
UM, IRONICALLY, THE HOMES THAT DON'T UTILIZE THE UNDERSTORY AND DO THE BERM, BECAUSE THEY START MEASURING THE HEIGHT FROM THE TOP OF THE BERM, THEY END UP GETTING THE HIGHER FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHTS.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE HOME MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY UNDER AN UNDERSTORY, WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE HEIGHT OF THE BERM AND YOU ARE REVIEWING THESE CASES SIDE BY SIDE, OFTENTIMES WHEN VIEWED FROM THE SIDEWALK, A HOME WITH A BERM CAN BE AT ALMOST THE SAME HEIGHT AS AN UNDERSTORY HOME COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ.
I MEAN, UH, LOOK, I I, I CERTAINLY CAN UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THE, THE CONCERNS RAISED BY SOME OF THE RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, I, I, TRUST ME, YOU KNOW, I I, I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO ADMIT, WAIT, YOU KNOW, THE REASON I GOT INTO POLITICS IS 'CAUSE I WASN'T NOTIFIED, UM, ABOUT A HOTEL BEING BUILT NEXT TO ME.
SO I'M GONNA, I CAN, I'M GONNA SUPPORT YOUR ITEM.
UM, AND I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT FOR, FOR THE INTENT OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE US, I'M SORRY, I, I, I HAVE A VERY TECHNICAL QUESTION, SORRY ABOUT, BUT PUBLIC PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.
IS THERE, YOU WERE GIVEN EXTRA TIME AS OUT OF A COURTESY AND SO I, I I CAN'T, I'M NOT GONNA REOPEN PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IT'S MORE A TECHNICAL THING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD ALLOW FOR, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO ALLOW FOR THERE TO BE AN APPEAL PROCESS.
SO THEN, SO THAT, SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW A CERTAIN LEVEL OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TO, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET TO COMMISSION, HAVE A FOUR THREE VOTE OR A FIVE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS IN A POSITION THAT CAN ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO, AND SO THAT'S, I DON'T WANT THIS, I DON'T WANT US TO WASTE OUR TIME IN THE PROCESS.
YEAH, I, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.
I WANT THIS TO BE A SEVEN OH VOTE.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS LEGISLATORS, WE NEED TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
AND IF, IF WE LIVED IN, UM, IN AMALFI, OKAY, WHERE, WHERE THEY HAVE VERY STRICT STANDARDS ON, ON BUILDING YOU, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS CLIMATE CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE SEA LEVEL RISE, THEY DON'T HAVE HURRICANES, THEY DON'T HAVE RAINSTORMS THAT HAPPEN OUTTA NOWHERE.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FLOODED AND THEN YOU SEE TARPON IN ON AED ROAD, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
WE DO, UNFORTUNATELY, BEING A MANMADE BARRIER ISLAND.
UM, AND LOOK, I, I THINK THE, THE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS INCENTIVIZE THIS TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION AND THE MOMENT WE START PUTTING A ROADBLOCK HERE AND A ROADBLOCK THERE, YOU, OR AN APPEAL, YOU, YOU, THAT IS GOING TO DEINCENTIVIZE.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT, UH, UH, OF, OF, OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
AND SO THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT APPEAL PROCESS FOR BERMS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE LIKE IF SOMEONE WANTED TO BUILD CINDERELLA'S CASTLE NEXT DOOR AND THEY WANTED TO DO, THAT'S REQUIRED FOR BOTH.
HUH? THAT'S REQUIRED FOR BOTH.
IF I COULD FINISH MY THOUGHT, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO DO THAT, THEY, THEY, THEY COULDN'T, UM, THEY COULDN'T BE APPROVED.
STAFF WOULD BE LIKE, LOOK, THIS IS CINDERELLA'S CASTLE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IN STYLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IF THAT WAS THE CASE FOR US FOR A, AN UNDERSTORY LIKE WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH A CAKE ON TOP OF STILTS THAT WOULDN'T BE APPROVED AT STAFF LEVEL, THAT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO GO BACK TO, WELL, I DON'T EVEN THINK DRB WOULD APPROVE THAT, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDELINES AND CHECKS AND BALANCES AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
AND I PERSONALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH OUR STAFF OVERSEEING THAT AS IT RELATES TO THESE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE DOING IT FOR HOUSES BUILT ON BURNS AND IT'S WORKING.
SO WHY WOULDN'T IT WORK FOR A MUCH SU BETTER SUPERIOR STRUCTURE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.
WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, AND WE'RE GONNA CALL THE QUESTION, UH, AND YOU KNOW, LET THE PROCESS END UP HOWEVER IT ENDS UP.
WELL, I WONDER IF THE PROCESS IS THE WORKING AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I MEAN, THE VOTE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WONDER IF THE PROCESS IS WORKING ON BERMS. 'CAUSE EVERYONE'S SAYING HOW HORRIBLE BERMS ARE.
SO I THINK THAT THE THING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS HOW DO WE ELIMINATE BERMS SO THAT WE DON'T OFFER THEM AND, UH,
[01:40:01]
WE DO ONLY UNDERST STORIES, BUT SOME QUESTIONS THAT I HAD IS THAT THE UNDERSTORY DOESN'T SPECIFY, THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T SPECIFY THE HEIGHT OF THE UNDERSTORY, AND IF IT DID, I MISSED IT, AND HOW TO GUARANTEE THAT EXTRA HEIGHT WILL ACTUALLY BE USED FOR THE UNDERSTORY AND NOT SOME OTHER PART OF THE STRUCTURE.WE COULD MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION, UM, IN THE CODE.
UM, BUT IN ORDER FOR THE UNDERSTORY TO BE USABLE, THEY'RE GONNA NEED AT LEAST EIGHT TO NINE FEET.
AND SO IN OUR EXPERIENCE, THAT IS BUILT INTO IT, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY TWEAK THE ORDINANCE TO MANDATE A MINIMUM FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHT THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT THAT EXTRA, UH, HEIGHT IS IN THE UNDERSTORY MR. AND THAT WOULDN'T AFFECT THE TITLE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ADD BEFORE A SECOND READING.
OH, COMMISSIONER BOT, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE IDEA THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD RESILIENCY AND NOT, UM, THAT THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PROJECTS, RIGHT? THERE ARE THE MORE MODEST UNDERSTORY HOMES, AND THEN THE MORE, UM, ELABORATE.
SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING THAT SPECIFIES A MINIMUM UNDERSTORY HEIGHT OF EIGHT TO NINE FEET, AND THEN ANYTHING THAT WANTS A GREATER UNDERSTORY HEIGHT, UM, EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE, THE, THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT WOULD BE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO DRB.
AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO GET BACK TO HOW DO WE GET MORE RESILIENT HOMES ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT THE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE REALLY LARGE AND REALLY IMPACTFUL, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD AND AND RESOLVED.
WOULD THAT WORK, TOM? YEAH, I MEAN, WE COULD CERTAINLY TWEAK THIS TO MANDATE A MINIMUM UNDERSTORY HEIGHT TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL HEIGHT AND THEN TO SPECIFY, UM, WHAT THE HEIGHTS OF THE EITHER ONE OR TWO FLOORS ABOVE WOULD BE.
AND BY SPECIFYING A MINIMUM OF EIGHT TO NINE FEET, THAT WOULD STILL ALLOW FOR A VERY USABLE, A FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR ABOVE THAT.
AND THEN ANYTHING ABOVE THAT HAS TO GO TO DRB.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY FAIR COMPROMISE.
UH, MR. COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, UH, WOULD YOU, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO ACCEPT AS AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR ITEM? UH, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, UM, A MINIMUM HEIGHT OF THE UNDERSTORY, UH, AND THEY STILL GET THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET, UH, AS WOULD DEPENDS ON THE DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE IN, CORRECT.
THAT EXTRA BECAUSE IT WILL GO TO THE UNDERSTORY, CORRECT? CORRECT.
IT WOULD ONLY GO TO THE UNDERSTORY NINE 12 TO MAKE THE UNDERST STORIES USABLE.
HE SAID THAT UNDER STORIES WOULD BE, I'M SORRY, MR. CHAIR, THE CHAIR, UM, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT AN UNDERSTORY TO BE USABLE NEEDED EIGHT OR NINE FEET, SO THAT'S THAT A MINIMUM.
IN MOST INSTANCES, PEOPLE WANT, IN OUR EXPERIENCE, NINE TO 10 FEET, BUT IF THEY WANNA GET TO NINE OR 10 FEET, THEN THEY HAVE TO GO TO DRB OR THEY WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE THE FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHT, THE LEVELS ABOVE.
SO IF THE OVERALL HEIGHT EXCEEDED A CERTAIN CAP, THEN THEY WOULD WOULD'VE TO GO TO DRB.
BUT TO THE EXTENT THEY WANTED TO SAY, PROVIDE A NINE FOOT UNDERSTORY AND THEN HAVE SLIGHTLY SHORTER TALL FLOOR TO CEILING HEIGHTS ON THE TWO HABITABLE LEVELS, THAT MIGHT BE AN OPTION.
IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAT WOULD GO ABOVE THE CAP OR WHATEVER, THEN PERHAPS THAT'S WHAT WOULD TRIGGER THE DRV.
SO JUST SO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, WE SET A MINIMUM HEIGHT FOR THE UNDERSTORY.
YOU STILL HAVE, TH IT DEPENDS ON THE DISTRICT.
I THINK 31 WA WAS THE HIGHEST ONE TO, TO PLAY WITH, WITH AN UNDERSTORY THAT WAS WITH THE THREE FEET VARIANCE.
BUT THAT THREE FEET, IS IT THE MAJORITY OF IT, IT'S GOING TOWARD THE UNDERSTORY, CORRECT.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO BUILD A MORE RESILIENT UNDERSTORY, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF THERE'S A STORM SURGE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE ON THIS, IF YOU'RE ON ONE OF THE ISLANDS AND THERE'S A 10 FOOT STORM SURGE, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE LAST THING I WANNA DO IS HAVE AN UNDERSTORY THAT'S ONLY, YOU KNOW, FOUR FEET TALL FOR MY KIDS TO PLAY
AND YOUR POINT, THE, THE GOAL IS THE HEIGHT IS NOT TO GET BETTER VIEWS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR.
THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A USABLE YEAH.
WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE'RE ENCOURAGING THE USE OF UNDERST STORIES, IT'S STILL TO, TO A SPACE THAT IS USABLE TO, TO THE HOMEOWNER.
UM, SO GIVING THEM THAT, THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY WITHOUT NECESSARILY INCREASING THE MASS AND THE SIZE OF THE HOME THAT IS BUILT ABOVE IT.
YEAH, I, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THROUGH THE CHAIR, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAXIMUM TOTAL HEIGHT IS, BECAUSE THE GOAL IS TO NOT HAVE IT BE WHAT'S CURRENTLY PROPOSED.
THE GOAL IS TO KEEP IT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, BUT GIVE THEM THE MAXIMUM AREA TO PLAY WITH INTERNALLY.
SO THE, THOSE THREE FEET, THEY CAN, THEY CAN PUT THEM TO THE UNDERSTORY AND THEN THEY TAKE IT FROM SOMEPLACE INTERNAL, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE IT JUST KEEPS ADDING UP.
[01:45:01]
WANNA JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE CHAIR.
SO I'M NOT GONNA HAVE A BACK AND FORTH LIKE THIS, SO I WANT TOM TO RESPOND TO US.
UM, THE, THE ACTUAL OVERALL HEIGHT WILL DEPEND UPON WHAT YOUR CAP IS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, UNDER THE CODE NOW IN THE RS, UM, ONE DISTRICT, YOU CAN GO TO 28 FEET.
UM, AND THE DRB CAN ALLOW UP TO 31 FEET.
4 31 FEET GENERALLY WILL ALLOW THE MOST FLEXIBILITY WITH REGARD TO A VERY USABLE UNDERSTORY AND USABLE HABITABLE FIRST FLOOR AND SECOND FLOOR.
TO THE EXTENT SOMEBODY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING HIGHER ON THE UNDERSTORY AND SUBTRACT AN AMOUNT FROM THE HABITABLE FLOORS ABOVE TO STAY AT OR BELOW THE CAP THAT IS SET.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN CERTAINLY DO.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEADING COMM BOUGHT WHERE YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH A MINIMUM HEIGHT FOR THE UNDERSTORY FOR RESILIENCY PURPOSES, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A CAP ON THE OVERALL HEIGHT AND HOW A HOMEOWNER WOULD WANT TO HAVE MORE HEIGHT IN ADDITION TO THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR THE UNDERSTORY, OR WOULD WANT TO HAVE ADDITIONAL HEIGHT ON THE FLOORS OF THE TWO HABITABLE FLOORS.
IF THEY WANTED TO EXCEED THAT CAP, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE DRB BE THE CHAIR, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT.
AND THEN WE REALLY NEED TO BRING THIS IN TO YOU SOON IT'LL BE TWO HOURS THAT WE'VE BEEN ON ONE ITEM.
AND SO I, AFTER THIS, I WANT THERE TO BE A MOTION IF THERE'S AN AMENDMENT THAT'S ACCEPTED BY THE SPONSOR, AND THEN WE'RE CLOSING OUT THIS ITEM.
SO THE BERM HOUSES COULD GO UP TO 28 FEET, DEPENDING ON THE ZONING DISTRICT FOR RS ONE AND TWO.
FOR INSTANCE, FOR RS ONE AND TWO, A BERM HOME IS 28 FEET ABOVE BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS ALLOWABLE FREEPORT.
AND THE FREEPORT CAN GO UP TO FIVE FEET.
AND SO THE UNDERSTORY HOUSE WOULD BE THREE FEET ABOVE THAT.
IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL THREE FEET.
YOU HAVE A MOTION YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE, UM, THROUGH THE CHAIR? YES.
JUST, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, I, I THINK COMMISSIONER BOT PROPOSED A, A MINIMUM HEIGHT OF THE UNDERSTORY.
I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET INCENTIVE FOR BUILDING THIS HOME, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA, IF YOU DON'T ADD THAT THREE FEET TOWARD THE UNDERSTORY AND YOU'RE TAKING IT AWAY, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE THE MAXIMUM OF 28 FEET AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE FORCED TO BUILD AN UNDERSTORY WITH A CERTAIN, UH, HEIGHT AND YOUR FLOOR CEILINGS GO DOWN AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, THAT'S NOT REALLY AN INCENTIVE FOR ME.
UH, OR, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST MY DESIGN, THEN I'M GONNA GO TO BERMS. AND THEN IT KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE.
AGAIN, I, I THINK, UM, I'M OKAY WITH A MINIMUM UNDERSTORY REQUIREMENT THAT MAKES IT USABLE AND STORM SURGE PROTECTIVE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT I THINK THE THREE FEET INCENTIVE, DEPENDING ON THE DISTRICT OR THE, OR THE ZONE, UH, MAKES THE PROJECT SENSE.
SO I, I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO REQUIRE A MINIMUM UNDERSTORY HEIGHT.
UM, AND YOU CAN COME BACK TO US, I THINK BETWEEN SEC BEFORE SECOND READING, UM, AS A, AS AN AMENDMENT TO THIS ITEM.
IT'S QUICK AND THEN WE'RE CALLING TO VOTE.
'CAUSE I REALLY WANNA GET THERE.
I I AM NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THE THREE FEET INCENTIVE BECAUSE FOR, FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE GO TO DRB IF YOU WANNA HAVE THAT THREE FEET INCENTIVE.
BUT, UM, AN AMENDMENT TO THE ITEM MIGHT BE, UH, THE TRIGGER NOTICE TO THE NEIGHBORS SO THAT THE NEIGHBORS KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
I REMEMBER AT THE FIRST LAND USE MEETING, I HAD ASKED IF WE COULD DO THE SAME THING TO BERMS AND THE REACTION FROM THE CITY STAFF WAS LIKE, AH, THAT WOULD BE MASSIVE.
UH, SO I'M NOT SAYING FOR EVERYBODY BUT TO THE UNDERST STORIES BECAUSE THEY ARE SUCH TALLER PROJECTS.
AND, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT THE GOAL IS ALLOW THESE UNDERST STORIES TO BE USABLE.
SO THE THREE FEET INCENTIVES SHOULD BE FOR THE UNDERST STORIES.
UH, IT SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE FOR THE OTHER PARTS OF THE, OF THE HOMES, WHICH I DON'T THINK YEAH.
IT'S BEING TRANSLATED WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I IF IT'S, IS THAT WHAT THE SPONSOR WAS SAYING? I BELIEVE SO, YES.
THE THREE FEET IS ONLY FOR THE UNDERSTORY.
UM, SO, UH, DAVID, YOU RECOGNIZE JUST THE THOUGHT IN TERMS OF HOW THIS IS, ENDS
[01:50:01]
UP WITH THE CALCULATION.IF THE HEIGHT IS BA IS BASICALLY MEASURED OFF YOUR DESIGN BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS FREEBOARD.
RIGHT? SO IF WE SAY THAT IF YOU GET THE THREE FOOT IN THREE FOOT INCENTIVE, THREE FEET IN INCENTIVE, IT HAS TO GO IN THE UNDERSTORY.
YOU'RE GONNA BASICALLY LIFT THE BASE FLOOD ELEVATION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED ON THREE FEET HIGHER HEIGHT IS MEASURED FROM THERE.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING, WHAT I'M THINKING IS IF YOU KEEP THE CURRENT HEIGHTS AS REQUIRED, LET'S JUST TAKE THE EXAMPLE OF THE 31 FOOT WITH A SLOPE ROOF.
ROOF, RIGHT? YOU STILL, 31 FEET IS ALWAYS GONNA BE FROM BAY FLOOR ELEVATION PLUS YOUR FREEBOARD.
SO NOW IF YOU INCLUDE THE THREE FEET, THAT'S THE INCENTIVE TO HAVE A USABLE UNDERSTORY THAT PUSHES THAT FINISHED FLOOR UP THREE FEET.
YOU STILL MEASURE 31 FEET FROM WHERE THAT ENDS UP AND YOU END UP WITH THE SAME THING, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE THE HEIGHT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING MEASURING FROM FROM BF, FROM BFE PLUS FREE BOARD AND THE THREE FEET, AND THEN YOU CALCULATE FROM CORRECT AND THEN YOU CALCULATE THE HEIGHT, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE IT 'CAUSE IT'S STILL GONNA BE 31 FEET FROM WHEREVER THAT POINT IS AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE THREE FEET IT'S GONNA BE AND THE UNDERSTORY CONSIDERATION.
ALRIGHT, TOM, IT, IT'S, I'M COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO US? YES.
UM, WHAT I WAS JUST CLARIFYING IS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE RS THREE DISTRICT, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WHAT IS PROPOSED AS A MAXIMUM HEIGHT FLAT ROOF FOR AN UNDERSTORY HOME IS 28 FEET.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY THAT EXCEEDS 18,000 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS BASICALLY AN ESTATE LOT THAT'S SIMILAR TO RS ONE AND RS TWO, THEN YOU COULD GO TO THAT HEIGHT OF 31 FEET AND THAT IS MEASURED FROM BASE FLOOD ELEVATION PLUS ALLOWABLE FREEBOARD.
SO I THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER SUAREZ WAS SUGGESTING IS THAT THE ORDINANCE BE AMENDED TO CLARIFY THAT THE ADDITIONAL THREE FEET, WHICH IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN EITHER THE 28 FEET FOR RS THREE OR 31 FEET FOR RS ONE AND TWO, UM, BE UTILIZED IN THE UNDERSTORY AREA.
ARE WE ALL, ARE WE ALL OKAY WITH THAT? DO WE STILL HAVE CONCERNS WITH THAT? ARE THE NEIGHBORS NOTIFIED THE, UM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, IF I MAY? YEAH.
UNDER THE, UH, DRAFT ORDINANCE, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR A POSTING, UH, PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF A BUILDING PERMIT SO THAT NEIGHBORS CAN SEE WHAT IS POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE PROPOSED AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY WANT TO REVIEW THE PLANS OR REACH OUT TO THE NEIGHBOR, UM, THERE WILL BE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE DESIGN TEAM ON THE POSTING SO THAT THEY MAY REACH OUT TO THEM BEFORE THE PERMIT IS ISSUED.
SO THE ITEM'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ HAS AMENDED.
UH, I'LL SECOND IT IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS? NO.
SEEING NONE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM SAY AYE.
ALRIGHT, SO IS THAT, THAT'S A NAY.
SO A TWO, TWO IS IT MOVES FORWARD WITH WHAT TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION? WELL, THE ITEM WAS A, AN AMENDMENT, UH, TO THE ITEM THAT IS CURRENTLY A COMMISSION.
SO A TWO TWO MEANS THERE'S AN UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AMENDMENT.
SO, SO, SO THE, FOR THE AMENDMENT, OKAY, SO DO YOU NEED A MOTION ON THE UNAMENDED ITEM OR, I MEAN, THAT ITEM IS STILL CURRENTLY IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION.
IT'S GOING TO SECOND READING THE SPONSOR COULD ON HIS OWN, BRING A, AN AMENDMENT AT SECOND READING IF HE WISHES TO INCORPORATE WHAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS REJECTED.
I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HERE.
TELL ME AGAIN, TELL ME WHAT'S YOUR EXPLANATION AGAIN? THERE WAS A MOTION TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE THAT IS CURRENTLY, UH, GOING TO SECOND READING AT COMMISSION THAT THAT MOTION FAILED.
SO THE ORDINANCE AS IN, AS IN ITS CURRENT FORM IS STILL AT COMMISSION FOR SECOND READING.
UH, IS THERE ANY, ANY ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO DO THEN WITH THIS ITEM TODAY? NO.
[01:55:01]
WE'RE ALL GOOD MOVING FORWARD FROM THIS.I MEAN, IF, IF IT JUST SEEMS, IT, IT, IT SEEMS DISAPPOINTING THAT WE SPENT TWO HOURS AND IT SEEMED LIKE WE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST COMMISSIONER BOT WAS THERE.
I, I MEAN, COMMISSIONER, I MEAN, LOOK, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE SPENT TWO HOURS.
IT WOULD BE A REAL SHAME IF, IF THAT JUST GOT WASTED.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UM, UM, WE TOOK A VOTE.
I MEAN, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO AMEND THIS ITEM AND I, YOU KNOW, I JUST, AND BY THE WAY, I FORESEE THIS WILL DIE COMMISSION.
I'M JUST BEING VERY TRANSPARENT.
I KNOW HOW TO COUNT TO FIVE AND, AND I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCED ENOUGH IN THIS TO KNOW THAT IN ITS CURRENT FORM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO SPIN YOUR WHEELS OR WASTE YOUR TIME.
I HAVE NO EXPECTATION OF THIS PASSING A COMMISSION.
SO, ALRIGHT, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, UH, FROM THIS ITEM, WE'RE GOING TO ITEM
[2. DISCUSS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A CONSENT AGENDA FOR LAND USE BOARD MEETINGS]
NUMBER TWO.COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, YOU HAVE ITEM NUMBER TWO? YEAH.
UM, AGAIN, TO STREAMLINE, JUST TO MAKE A QUICK TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS FOR A LOT OF OUR LAND USE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, I PROPOSE THAT WE HAVE A, UH, CONSENT AGENDA SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE A COMMISSION.
UM, A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THESE ISSUES CAN BE RESOLVED, UM, IN AS PART OF LIKE A HOMEWORK FOR SOME OF OUR LAND USE BOARDS.
AND IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, UM, ONE OF THE MEMBERS CAN EASILY PULL IT FROM CONSENT.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO EXPLORE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES, UM, THINK ABOUT THAT.
UH, MR. DIRECTOR, DO, UM, DO LAND USE BOARD CURRENTLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A CONSENT AGENDA IF THEY SO CHOOSE? YES.
AS WE NOTED IN THE MEMO, UM, THE LAND USE BOARDS HAVE IMPLEMENTED A CONSENT TYPE OF AGENDA.
IN THE PAST, UM, IT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT CHALLENGING BECAUSE ALL THE ITEMS THAT GO BEFORE OUR LAND USE BOARDS ARE TECHNICALLY PUBLIC HEARING.
SO IN ORDER FOR AN ITEM TO BE CONSIDERED AS A CONSENT ITEM, THERE'S THREE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MET.
ONE IS THAT THE APPLICANT HAS TO AGREE TO ALL THE CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THE DRAFT DEVELOPMENT ORDER.
NUMBER TWO, THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSAL.
AND NUMBER THREE, ALL MEMBERS OF THE, UH, LAND USE BOARD HAVE TO AGREE TO FORGO A PRESENTATION.
UM, AND SO THE, UM, LAND USE BOARDS COULD IMPLEMENT THIS RIGHT NOW, UM, IF THEY, IF THEY SO CHOOSE, HOW WOULD IT WORK FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING? 'CAUSE THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS, UH, WITH, UH, WITH, WITH THESE HEARINGS BEFORE THE LAND USE BOARDS IS THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO BE HEARD.
UH, AND, AND APPLICANT'S, UH, BEFORE LAND USE BOARDS, APPLICATIONS BEFORE LAND USE BOARDS.
AS I UNDERSTAND, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
THESE ARE ALL PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. RIGHT.
UM, HOW WOULD IT HAPPEN THEN IF THE, THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE ALL LUMPED IN ONE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ALL THE CONSENT ITEMS, RATHER THAN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS BEING HEARD INDIVIDUALLY? WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS WHEN WE'VE HAD VERY LENGTHY AGENDAS, UM, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO APPLICANTS TO SEE WHO AGREES WITH THE CONDITIONS IN THE DRAFT ORDER.
AND FOR THOSE APPLICANTS THAT HAVE AGREED TO THE CONDITIONS, WE WOULD THEN CREATE A CONSENT AGENDA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA.
AND THEN THE CHAIR WOULD CALL EACH ONE.
AND IF THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND IF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ALL, UH, AGREED THAT THEY DID NOT NEED A PRESENTATION, THEN THE ITEM COULD BE MOVED AND SECONDED AND APPROVED.
IF THERE WAS PUBLIC COMMENT OR IF ONE OF THE MEMBERS WANTED TO HEAR A PRESENTATION, THEN IT WOULD BE MOVED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO THERE'S THE ABILITY ALREADY TO DO THIS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS ALREADY.
UM, AND WOULD THIS MANDATED ON THE COMMITTEE, SO, OR WOULD THIS, UH, IN ESSENCE JUST ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THIS, IF THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY OR THE WILL? IF THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT TO THE LDRS, IT WOULD BASICALLY CODIFY A PRACTICE THAT THE COMMITTEE ALREADY HAS, UH, IN PRACTICE.
UM, AND, BUT AGAIN, ANY CODIFICATION WOULD HAVE TO BE SUBJECT TO THESE THREE CONDITIONS BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ALRIGHT, SO I'M, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS.
ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE DAUS? NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
SORRY, YOUR MIC IS NOT ON IN EARLIER.
[02:00:01]
I ACTUALLY WANT DANIEL SERATO WITH MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE.WE HAVE SUGGESTED THIS PREVIOUSLY.
CONSENT AGENDAS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF ITEMS COULD BE HELPFUL, EVEN HONESTLY WITH THE DISCUSSION WE JUST HAD.
I, I JUST WAS THINKING MAYBE CERTAIN, UM, HOUSING ITEMS OR, OR OTHER THINGS THAT ARE SORT OF MINIMAL COULD BE POSSIBLY DONE VIA CONSENT.
SOMETIMES, AS AN EXAMPLE, THERE'S A SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNER THAT COMES AND LIKE, THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH LIKE AN HP BOARD.
THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH, UM, CONTROVERSY.
AND IT COULD POSSIBLY BE APPROVED ON CONSENT AND MAKE IT EASIER.
SO IF THE SPONSOR'S INTERESTED, MAYBE WE COULD WORK TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT SOME OF THESE, UH, TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT CAN HELP SAVE TIME AND STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
SPONSOR, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH DANIEL ERALDO? AN MDPL? ALWAYS.
SO, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? MR. ATTORNEY? ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC VIA ZOOM? NO, SIR.
SEEING, SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE ITEM? I'LL MOVE IT.
UH, CAN WE SHOW THIS ADOPTED BY, BY THE, BEFORE WE VOTE, MR. DIRECTOR? YES.
I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT ACTION YOU ARE MOVING.
DO YOU WANT US TO DRAFT AN LDR AMENDMENT FOR REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD? OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, WAS THIS A DUAL REFERRAL? NO, NO, THIS IS NOT A DUAL REFERRAL.
SO THEN IT NEEDS TO COME BACK AND LET'S KEEP, UM, WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE BRING BACK A POTENTIAL LDR AMENDMENT THAT WE COULD RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COMMISSION FOR THE REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
SO WE'LL BRING THIS BACK TO THE LAND USE COMMITTEE WITH THE DRAFT ORDINANCE.
CAN WE SHOW THAT DONE BY ACCLAMATION? YES.
[3. DISCUSS FUTURE PROGRAMMING OF WEST LOTS]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, MR. DIRECTOR.ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A DISCUSSION, DISCUSS FUTURE PROGRAMMING OF THE WEST LOTS.
COMMISSIONER DAVID SU SUAREZ, THIS IS YOUR ITEM.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO INTRODUCE IT.
UH, LOOK, I, I THINK THE WEST LOTS HAVE, HAVE BEEN UNDERUTILIZED.
UM, AND I WANTED TO JUST GET SOME, UH, IDEAS ON THIS COMMISSION ON WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO, UH, WITH THESE LOTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT DOING NOTHING.
THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT MAYBE POTENTIALLY MAKING THEM INTO AT LEAST A PARK.
SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE PARK, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIM RUNNING DOWN TO COLLINS AVENUE AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, HURT, UM, OR YOUR CHILDREN.
SO, UM, MR. REBAR, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ANY IDEAS THAT YOU PREPARED OR, UM, SPECIFICALLY MAYBE A PARK IN, IN THE AREA.
YEAH, YOU'RE SURE I COULD, I COULD OFFER SOME, SOME SUGGESTIONS.
NOW, AS, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THERE, THERE'S EIGHT LOTS MM-HMM
AND RIGHT NOW ONE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S WHERE THE SKATE PARK IS AND WHERE THE FUTURE SKATE PARK OR PUMP TRACK EXPANSION WILL TAKE PLACE AS PART OF THE GOB.
AND ADJACENT TO THAT, TO THE EAST IS NORTH, NORTH BEACH, OCEANSIDE PARK.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK, BUT THE REST OF THOSE LOTS ARE NOT PART OF THE PARKS, PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO THERE'S ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS.
FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, WHAT IS THE BEST USE OF IT TO MEET OUR PARKING NEEDS TO MEET OTHER CITY NEEDS? NOW, OF COURSE YOU WANT
UH, IT WOULD BE SMALLER SCALE THINGS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA FIT A FULL-SIZE SOCCER FIELD ON THOSE LOTS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA FEEL FIT, A FULL SIZE BASEBALL FIELD.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE DURING, UM, DIFFERENT MASTER PLANNING.
THERE WAS A TALK ABOUT HAVING ACTIVE RECREATION THERE, BUT YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE BEAUTIFUL PASSIVE PARK THAN THE BEACH TO THE EAST.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY LOTS ARE JUST GRASS? IT'S JUST UNDER, UH, NOT EIGHT.
IS THERE EIGHT TOTAL OR EIGHT TOTAL? THAT'S UNDER UTIL UNDERUTILIZED OR EIGHT TOTAL? THE TOTAL STRETCHES.
I, UM, IN, IN, I BELIEVE IN YOUR, YOUR PACKET HERE, YOU'LL HAVE EIGHT.
AND THEN, UM, SEVEN AND EIGHT REMAIN VACANT.
UM, TWO, FIVE AND SIX ARE USED FOR MUNICIPAL PARKING LOTS.
UM, THEN I MENTIONED THE SKATE PARK.
YOU HAVE THE OLD LOCK CABIN SITE.
SO, SO HOW MANY JUST HAVE GRASS ON IT VACANT? I BELIEVE IT'S THREE AND A HALF.
BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING.
AND YOU HAVE ONE OF THEM THAT'S VACANT AS I HAVE, THAT'S THE HALF.
WE HAVE THE SKATE PARK ON THE HALF, AND THEN WE HAVE THE OTHER HALF FOR EXPANSION AND WE HAVE THE BOTANICAL GARDEN COMPOSTING SITE UP THERE.
SO THERE'S SOME TEMPORARY USES BE TAKING PLACE THERE AS WELL.
IT'S, UM, SO EVEN IF IT'S VACANT, IT MIGHT HAVE A TEMPORARY USE OTHER THAN, THAN THE PARKING.
[02:05:01]
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THINGS WE CAN DO, OR THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT A LOT HERE, PICKLEBALL, PADDLE COURTS, SMALL SIDED SOCCER, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.LIKE A FIVE ON FIVE, THREE ON THREE SOCCER, PROBABLY YOU U 12, 12 AND UNDER SOCCER, 11 AND UNDER MM-HMM
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COLLINS AVENUE THERE.
YOU GOTTA KEEP THE BALL IN THERE.
SO WE HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH HOW LARGE OF A FIELD WE GO.
WELL, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR SURE.
I I, I, I MEAN I, I THINK LIKE A SOCCER FIELD THERE ON ONE OF THOSE THREE AND A HALF LOTS WOULD BE EXCELLENT ADDED BENEFIT TO THAT COMMUNITY OF NORTH BEACH.
I MEAN, WHERE'S THE, WHERE'S THE NEAREST SOCCER FIELD IN NORTH BEACH FROM THERE? WE HAVE, UM, NORMANDY, WE HAVE A MULTI-USE FIELD AT NORMANDY ISLE.
WE HAVE A MULTI-USE FIELD AT, UM, FAIRWAY.
WE ALSO HAVE JOINT USE OF BISQUE BEACH ELEMENTARY, UM, IN THE EVENING.
BUT A TRUE, TRUE SOCCER ONLY FIELD.
THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MULTIUSE.
YOU WE'RE NOT, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ON'S.
THERE'S TWO IN FLAMINGO PARK OR JUST ONE.
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S VERY POPULAR.
WE HAVE THE FOOTBALL, SOCCER STADIUM.
AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A SOCCER CAGE, WHICH IS CLOSEST TO CITY HALL HERE ON, ON MERIDIAN.
AND THAT WOULD BE IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES WOULD FEEL ABOUT, I THINK I'D LOVE A SOCCER FIELD THERE, UM, AT LEAST ON SOME, ON UNLEASHED THE, THE OTHER HALF PERHAPS OF THE, UM, LOT THAT'S OWNED BY PARKS.
UH, LET ME JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOME COMMENTS HERE.
I VERY STRONGLY FEEL THAT ANYTHING THAT WE DO ON THE WEST LOTS, AND THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, A MOTION I MADE A WHILE BACK AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE UNDER THE PREVIOUS COMPOSITION.
UM, THAT, THAT IT'D BE COMMUNITY DRIVEN, THAT WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THIS, JOHN, THAT WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE A MEETING THAT WE CANVAS THE NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY THERE.
UM, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OUR RESIDENTS, THEY ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, BUT THEY NEED TO BE ENGAGED AND THEY WON'T ENGAGE US IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO.
BUT THAT WE NEED TO REACH OUT.
WE NEED TO KNOCK ON THEIR DOORS, WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THEM IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
WE NEED TO ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN? DO YOU HAVE ELDERLY? WHAT IS IT THAT'S MISSING? WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT IS THE NEED OF THE COMMUNITY? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HERE? UM, AND I, AND, AND I WOULD LOVE FOR, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE A, A SOCCER FIELD.
UH, BUT I WOULD LOVE, I WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO BE THE DESIRE OF THE COMMUNITY AND SO, AND SO I THINK THAT OUTREACH IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE THERE.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY.
I DON'T WANT US TO BE LEASING OUT THESE SLOTS.
I DON'T WANT US TO, I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY, ANY CONCRETE GOING IN THERE.
I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE ALMOST, UM, A CONTINUATION OF, UM, OF THE OPEN SPACE PARK ACROSS THE STREET.
AND THIS SHOULD ALMOST BE ANCILLARY TO, TO THAT.
UM, AND SO, AND SO FOR, FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE EXPANDING THE RECREATIONAL SPACE USING THIS AS, AS RECREATIONAL SPACE AND ANYTHING THAT'S PLACED THERE, ULTIMATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, SPEC THROUGH SPECIFIC PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THE WAY WE'VE DONE THE, THE OPEN HOUSE AT, UM, AT THE SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITY CENTER, THE WAY THE COMMISSIONER BOUGHT IS ORGANIZING ONE FOR, FOR THE HOUSE UP THAT, THAT WE PURCHASED UP IN NORTH BEACH.
I THINK WE KIND OF NEED TO DO A REVERSE OPEN HOUSE WHERE WE REACH OUT TO THOSE NEIGHBORS, WE GO TO THEIR DOORS, WE ASK THEM, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE HERE? AND USE THAT AS, UH, AS GUIDANCE FOR US.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ AND THEN COMMISSIONER BOND.
UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM UP.
AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WHAT, UH, THE CHAIR IS SAYING IS A HUNDRED PERCENT TRUE.
WE NEED TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT TO SEE WHAT IT IS THEY'D LIKE THERE.
BECAUSE MAYBE PICKLEBALL IS SO POPULAR HERE, BUT THE PEOPLE UP THERE ONLY WANT SOCCER.
UM, SOME OF THE LOTS, THE ONES THAT ARE PAVED AND ARE CURRENTLY PARKING SHOULD REMAIN THAT WAY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE NORTH BEACH PARKING, UH, ITEM THAT'S GONNA BE IN EFFECT NEXT YEAR.
AND I THINK THOSE LOTS ARE GONNA BE A LOT FULLER THAN WE'VE SEEN THEM IN THE PAST.
AND IN ANOTHER ONE OF THE LOTS, I, I THINK IT MIGHT BE SIX, IS THE KITTY CAMPUS, IS THAT WHERE IT IS? YOU SAID JOHN? THE CAT ONE, THE KITTY CAMP.
[02:10:01]
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT STAYS, UM, AS IT IS.AND I KNOW THAT OCEAN RESCUE IS USING ONE OF THE LOTS ALSO IS NUMBER ONE.
THERE, THERE MAY BE TALKS THAT THEY MOVE INTO THE HOUSE ON COLLINS OR MAYBE NOT.
AND, AND ALSO THERE IS A FUTURE PROJECT WITHIN NORTH BEACH OCEANSIDE PARK THAT WOULD PRO WOULD PROVIDE SPACE FOR THE COUNTY BEACH OPERATIONS, PARKS, REC OPERATIONS, AND THE OCEAN RESCUE.
AND THEN THERE WAS THAT CONVERSATION, WHICH I HEARD, WHATEVER, WHICH I'M NOT A PART OF WITH THAT, THE HOUSE ON COLLINS.
BUT, UM, ALL IN ALL, THIS IS A GREAT ITEM.
AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER BON.
YEAH, I'LL ECHO EVERYTHING THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID SO FAR.
COMMUNITY INPUT IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
WE CAN'T JUST DICTATE WHAT GOES IN THERE.
UM, THESE PARCELS ARE SACROSANCT TO NORTH BEACH AND WE NEED TO TREAT THEM ACCORDINGLY.
I, UM, I WOULD BE INTERESTED ALSO IN HEARING FROM, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT OTHER USES THAT ARE RECREATIONAL IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, ARTS AND LEARNING SPACES, PERHAPS, UH, COMMUNITY RESOURCES IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
I DON'T WANNA SEE CONCRETE BOARD THERE EITHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING KIND OF FUNKY POP UP CONTAINER, UM, VILLAGES PERHAPS THAT, THAT MEET A NEED THAT MAY NOT BE ADDRESSED.
SO, UM, I WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT AS WELL.
ALL FOUR OF THE PUBLIC OUTREACH.
UM, CHAIR, UM, WE, WE SPOKE ABOUT IT AND THEN WE WERE TRIPLE BOOKED THAT NIGHT.
WE HAD TO POSTPONE THE MEETING, THEN SUMMER CAME.
ANY GUARDRAILS YOU WANNA PUT ON ON ME AND STAFF FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE PUBLIC OUTREACH? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TWO LOTS? IS THIS GONNA BE JUST AN, A BLANK PAGE THAT WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION? BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'D LIKE TO KEEP PARKING.
I ALREADY, I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING THAT WE DON'T, WE REALLY DON'T WANT CONCRETE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT AFFECTS PADDLE OR P PADEL OR PICKLEBALL.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE AN IMPROVED SURFACE.
ANYTHING MORE YOU WANT TO, ANY, ANY MORE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GIVE ME? OR JUST REALLY LET'S JUST GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET SOME INPUT.
MAKE SURE WE PROTECT THE, UM, THE KITTY CAMPUS.
BUT I, OR OR FIND A DIFFERENT HOME FOR THEM.
THAT THEY CAN'T BE JUST BOOTED OUT.
I THINK THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT ASSET THAT WE HAVE.
WELL, AND THE PUBLIC THEME IS BEING DEPRIVED OF THE OPPORTUNITY FROM HAVING IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
IT'S NOT JUST IMPROVEMENT TO THE LOTS, THE IMPROVEMENTS THERE ARE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE, OF THE RESIDENTS OF THAT AREA.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOME OF OUR MOST CULTURALLY DIVERSE, BUT ALSO SOME OF OUR MOST, YOU KNOW, LIMITED INCOME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LIVING THERE.
AND WE COULD BE PROVIDING THEM WITH AMENITIES FOR THAT CAN ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO, UH, I LOVE THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS, IS, IT'S, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE VISION THAT I HAVE AS WELL.
AND, UH, AND I LOVE TO SEE WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD SAY.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE SAID THIS IN IN THE PAST, LET'S REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T NEED CONSULTANTS TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, WE ARE GOVERNMENT.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, GET THEIR FEEDBACK WITHOUT NEEDS TO HIRE CONSULTANTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
HOW ABOUT WE SEND OUT A SURVEY, UH, AN OPEN-END SURVEY.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T PUT ANY, I MEAN, MAYBE WE COULD MULTIPLE CHOICE AND OTHER, UH, BUT HOW ABOUT WE SEND A SURVEY OUT TO THE NORTH BEACH ZIP CODE AND ASK, HEY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE, UH, ON HERE? WE, WE COULD START WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN GO ONTO AN OPEN HOUSE, SET UP SOME TENTS AND ON LOTS.
I THINK, I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE SURVEY.
I LOVE THE IDEA ABOUT HOSTING.
UH, LET'S, LET'S HOST A PICNIC, A COMMUNITY PICNIC AT ONE OF THE LOTS, AND LET'S FIND A DAY WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY DO OUTREACH.
LET'S GO OUT TO THESE, TO THE NEIGHBORS OF THESE AREAS.
MAYBE WE CAN ENGAGE SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, TO HELP US WITH THIS.
LET'S GO OUT TO SOME OF THESE AREAS.
KNOCK ON DOORS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE, BECAUSE LET'S BE REAL, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA COME TO RESPOND TO, TO A SURVEY, WHICH IS GREAT, I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT.
BUT THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WE ALREADY ENGAGE WITH AND THEY'RE ALREADY IN OUR MAILING LIST.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA FIND OUT ABOUT A COMMUNITY EVENT TO COME AND GIVE US THEIR INPUT ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO WE ALREADY ENGAGE WITH.
BUT THERE'S MORE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT'S THERE.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE BARRIERS OR THEY MAY HAVE TWO OR THREE JOBS, THEY MIGHT NOT COME OUT TO THESE THINGS, BUT, BUT THOSE LOTS ARE THERE FOR THEM.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO ACTIVELY GO KNOCK ON THEIR DOORS AND ASK THEM HOW THEY SEE THIS, UH,
[02:15:01]
BEING ACTIVATED TO FILL WHATEVER VOIDS THEY FEEL MAY BE EXISTING THERE.ARE WE COOL WITH THAT, WITH THOSE THREE APPROACHES? YEAH.
DOES SOMEONE WANT, SO DO WE WANT TO BRING THIS BACK BEFORE THE LAND USE COMMITTEE? HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOU'LL NEED TO DO THIS TYPE OF OUTREACH? LET'S SAY THREE MONTHS.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DECEMBER HOLIDAYS, RIGHT? SO, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF BLUE ZONES THINGS HAPPENING IN JANUARY.
SO WE COULD DO THE SURVEY DURING THAT, BUT I'M THINK FEBRUARY, THEN HIT THE GROUND SURVEY.
JANUARY, HIT THE GROUND, FEBRUARY, MARCH, COME BACK.
SO COME BACK TO MARCH OR APRIL.
DO WE WANNA SAY MAYBE? YEAH, DOES THAT WAY WE HAVE THREE MONTHS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE FOR THE SURVEY, ONE FOR THE EVENT THAT'S BETTER.
ONE FOR OUTREACH, AND THEN APRIL COME BACK DOOR TO DOOR.
AND THEN WE COME BACK IN APRIL WITH SUBSTATIVE FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN CONSIDER.
SOMETIMES MARCH IS BUSY IN THE CITY TOO.
IS THAT GOOD? UH, COLLEAGUES? YEAH.
IF I MIGHT JUST JOHN, UM, THE BLUE ZONES THING IS THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, NOT JANUARY.
THE, THE BIG PRESENTATION THAT, OKAY.
SAY BY THE WAY, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WORKING ON THE, ON THE BLUE ZONES, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE OF US IN COSTA RICA FOR ROBERT'S BIRTHDAY.
AND, AND THEY ARE SO PROUD THAT THEY ARE PART OF BLUE ZONES AND HOW THEY PROMOTE IT AND HOW IT CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
I'M SO PROUD THAT OUR CITY'S ENGAGED WITH IT.
WELL, IF I MIGHT THROUGH THE CHAIR YES.
THROUGH, SINCE YOU TEED THAT UP, I HAVE TO GIVE A MAJOR SHOUT OUT TO CINDY CASANOVA, WHO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE LIKE A LITTLE PROJECT THAT SHE MIGHT HELP US ORGANIZE.
AND IT, IT IS AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING.
AND SO YES, SHE'S TURNING BLUE.
SHE, RAQUEL, SHE NEEDS A BIG RAISE.
UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
MR. ATTORNEY, ARE THERE ANY ON ZOOM? UM, I SEE MR. LARRY SCHAFER AND MS. ELIZABETH LATON.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
I, UM, WANTED TO BRING UP AN IDEA THAT I HAD FOR THE FORMER LOG CABIN PARCEL ON THE WEST LOTS.
UH, MY IDEA IS A TEMPORARY ARTIST VILLAGE BUILT FROM CONTAINER STRUCTURES.
THE NORTH BEACH YARD WAS GOING TO BE BUILT FROM CONTAINERS AND THINGS LIKE FOOD TRUCKS THAT WERE TEMPORARY.
UH, MY PROPOSAL IS TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THE NORTH BEACH YARD, BUT WITH A GREATER FOCUS ON LIVING AND WORKING SPACE FOR ARTISTS.
UH, THERE WOULD BE SOME COMMERCIAL SPACE, UH, BASICALLY AREAS SO THAT ARTISTS CAN SELL THEIR WORKS AND MAYBE A CAFE, COFFEE SHOP AND SO ON.
BUT NOT AS MUCH COMMERCIAL USE AS THE NORTH BEACH YARD GOT APPROVED YEARS AGO.
UM, AND I THINK THERE WOULD BE A STRONG E EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ARTISTS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LIVING IN A DEDICATED ARTIST COMMUNITY ON THE WEST LOTS.
UM, MY PROPOSAL WOULD INCLUDE CONTAINER HOMES, CONTAINER STUDIOS FOR WORKING ARTISTS, AND OTHER TEMPORARY STRUCTURES THAT COULD BE REMOVED IF THE CITY WANTED TO DEVELOP THE WEST LOTS OR WANTED TO REPLACE THE PROJECT WITH A PARK OR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PUTTING CONCRETE BLOCK STRUCTURES HERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BUILT, UH, EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY AND THEN REMOVED LATER IF THE NEEDS OF THE CITY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS A RECENT DISCUSSION OF BEAD VENDORS AND ARTISTS VENDING ON THE BEACH.
UM, I THINK THAT WE'D BE GLAD TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE ARTISTS AND VENDORS INSIDE OUR ARTIST VILLAGE SELLING WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY LIKE, THAT'S CONSIDERED ART.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BRING TO NORTH BEACH WOULD, WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE US MORE COMPETITIVE WITH SOME HIPPER AREAS LIKE WYNWOOD, WHERE ARTISTS HAVE HELPED TO REVITALIZE AN ENTIRE AREA, WHICH USED TO BE FORMER INDUSTRIAL SPACE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT ALL OF THE WEST LOTS SHOULD BE COVERED BY AN ARTIST VILLAGE.
MAYBE ONE WEST LOT, MAYBE ONE AND A HALF.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF MY NEIGHBORS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I REALLY SHARED THIS IDEA WITH OTHERS.
SO INTERESTED TO SEE IF MY NEIGHBORS ALSO LIKED THIS IDEA AS WELL.
THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF HAVING COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE WE CAN ALL VOICE OUR IDEAS AND HEAR FROM EACH OTHER.
COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ, AND THEN I'LL GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, JUST QUICKLY, UM, THERE IS AN ARTIST VILLAGE MADE OUT OF CONTAINERS IN LAS VEGAS.
AND, UM, SO IF THE CITY WANTS TO LOOK AT A TEMPLATE ON HOW THEY DO IT, UH, ARTISTS LIVE IN THE CONTAINERS.
THERE'S ALSO SOME THAT ARE CAFES AND IT'S, UH, A VERY UNIQUE PROJECT IN, UH, A SECTION OF TOWN.
UM, LET'S PROCEEDING WITH THE NEXT, UH, SPEAKER, MR. ATTORNEY.
WELCOME ELIZABETH, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, I THINK, I THINK THE COMMUNITY, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL REACHING OUT TO US BECAUSE THESE ARE OUR
[02:20:01]
LOTS AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SO MANY CONTROVERSIES OVER THE YEARS.I THINK IF WE COULD ALL HAVE COMMUNITY INPUT, IT WOULD REALLY BE APPRECIATED AND WE'D BE ABLE TO MAKE SOMETHING WORK.
BUT ONE THING I WOULD ASK IS THAT BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE, CAN, CAN Y'ALL PLEASE CLEAN THEM UP? I DON'T KNOW HOW.
I MEAN, THEY ARE COMPLETE JUNK.
UM, THEY ARE WAITING ON A HURRICANE TO JUST TOSS REBAR AND RUSTED THINGS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE UNSIGHTLY.
IT'S, IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DECLINE IN THE AREA.
SOME OF THE OLD SHEETING THAT'S, THAT'S COVERING THE, UM, FENCE.
YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE BEACH HAS THESE BEAUTIFUL AREAS AND WE'VE GOT EIGHT LOTS THAT CAN BE BEAUTIFUL AND WE CAN UTILIZE THEM RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE CITY IS USING THEM, THEY'RE COVER, IT'S, WE, THEY NEED CLEANING UP AND MAINTAINING AND THAT SHOULD BE FIRST.
UM, AND I'M JUST APPRECIATE IF Y'ALL COULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ZOOM? WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, MR. ATTORNEY? THERE ARE NO.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO CONFIRM WITH STAFF, UM, THROUGH THE GEO BOND PROJECTS, I BELIEVE 20, IN THE 2018 GEO BOND WAS THERE, THERE WAS $5 MILLION HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, UM, TO SPUR INVESTMENTS IN GREEN SPACE AND OPEN PARK AREAS ON THE WEST LOTS.
ARE THOSE FUNDS STILL THERE? YES, THEY ARE.
MR. CHAIR, THERE'S $1 MILLION AS PART OF TRENCH ONE, AND THEN THE OTHER 4 MILLION WOULD COME AS PART OF THE TRENCH TWO.
AND WE, AND WE STILL HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THE LOG, UH, CABIN TO RECONSTRUCT THE LOG CABIN.
AND WE ACTUALLY, UH, I KNOW WE HAVE AN ITEM AT COMMISSION FOR AN UPDATE THAT HASN'T OCCURRED YET, BUT LOCK CABIN NOW WE'RE ALREADY SECURING A CONSULTANT TO BEGIN THAT DESIGN CONSULTANT, A CONSULTANT TO DESIGN THE NEW LOCK CABIN THAT LOOKS LIKE THE OLD LOCK CABIN.
WHAT IS OCCURRING WITH THE CURRENT LOCK CABIN? IT'S, IT'S IN STOR.
ALL THE COMPONENTS ARE IN STORAGE.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA USE THE PIECES OF THE OLD LOG CABIN TO THE SIGN AND BUILD A NEW LOG CABIN.
IS THIS WHAT WE'RE DOING SIMPLISTICALLY? YES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BEST USE OF THOSE DOLLARS, UM, BUT, UM, ALRIGHT, SO WE, SO SO I GUESS THE POINT IS THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE IF WE DO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE, WHEN WE DO GO OUT TO THE C COMMUNITY AND WE GET FEEDBACK, WE HAVE GOB DOLLARS AVAILABLE TODAY TO IMPROVE, UH, THESE WEST LOTS.
ANY ACTION THEN THAT IS NEEDED ON THIS ITEM? I BELIEVE YOU THE MOTION WAS TO CONTINUE THIS TO THE APRIL, 2025 MEETING TO ALLOW FOR THE OUTREACH.
[4. DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ADOPTING A “LIVE BETTER” PROGRAM, INCLUDING ZONING AND OTHER INCENTIVES, TO PROMOTE ATTAINABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS IN MIAMI BEACH FOR MIDDLE-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR TO THE NEXT MEETING.AND LET'S INTRODUCE ITEM NUMBER
[5. ORDINANCE TO CREATE FAR, HEIGHT AND SETBACK INCENTIVES FOR NON-TRANSIENT RESIDENTIAL USES FOR PROPERTIES FRONTING 6TH STREET IN THE C-PS2 ZONING DISTRICT (DUAL REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD).]
FIVE, MR. DIRECTOR, LET'S READ ITEM NUMBER FIVE INTO THE RECORD.OKAY, MR. CHAIR, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE TO CREATE FAR, HEIGHT AND SETBACK INCENTIVES FOR NON-TRANSIENT RESIDENTIAL USES FOR PROPERTIES FRONTING SIXTH STREET IN THE CCPS TWO ZONING DISTRICT COMMISSIONER SU SUAREZ.
I'M JUST GONNA WITHDRAW THE HONOR.
I DON'T WANNA WASTE ANY MORE TIME.
YOU SURE YOU WANT TO WITHDRAW THE ITEM? YEAH, AND NO ONE, NO ONE HERE IS GONNA BE IN SUPPORT OF IT, SO I, I I DON'T WANNA WASTE ANY MORE TIME.
[6. REVIEW CURRENT LOADING REQUIREMENTS, AND HOW TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF LOADING AND DELIVERIES ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND RESIDENTS’ QUALITY OF LIFE (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, INCREASED ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AS WELL AS LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS).]
ITEM NUMBER SIX.UH, COMMISSIONER BOT IS YOUR ITEM.
UM, YEAH, SO I WILL LET JOSE DO MOST OF THE HEAVY LIFTING HERE, BUT THIS IS, UM, TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, BOTH DELIVERY TRUCKS AND, UM, RIDE SHARE VEHICLES STOPPING, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET WHEN WE DON'T HAVE LOADING ZONES AVAILABLE TO THEM, OR DESIGNATED DROP OFF OR PICKUP SPOTS AND REALLY SNARLING TRAFFIC.
YOU SEE IT ON COLLINS DOWN HERE IN SOUTH BEACH.
YOU SEE IT IN, UM, ON INDIAN CREEK HEADING SOUTH WHERE, UM, TRAFFIC IS SNARLED BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT AN UPS TRUCK THAT DOESN'T PULL INTO THE BUILDING.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THIS, AND I WANTED TO GET, UM, SOME INFORMATION FROM THE CITY ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, AND, UM, TO TAKE THE TWO ELEMENTS OF IT SEPARATELY.
THE, UM, UH, THE LOADING ZONES FOR THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND THE PICKUP RIDESHARE, UH, PICK UP AND DROP OFF POINTS.
[02:25:01]
YOU, MR. CHAIR.JOSE GONZALEZ, TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR AND INTERIM PARKING DIRECTOR.
UH, SO I WILL START WITH THE FREIGHT LOADING ZONE, THE TOPIC OF FREIGHT LOANING ZONE.
SO ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, UH, THE CITY PASSED LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWED THE CREATION OF ON-STREET PARKING SPACES DEDICATED FOR FREIGHT, UH, LOADING AND UNLOADING.
AND WE CALL THOSE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES OR FLCS.
UH, CURRENTLY, SO THIS WAS 10 YEARS AGO WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTED.
AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A HUNDRED, ABOUT 107, UH, F LZS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
MOST OF THEM ARE LOCATED IN EITHER SOUTH BEACH OR NORTH BEACH.
AND, UM, UH, FLZ IS COMPRISED OF SEVERAL PARKING SPACES.
SO THE 107 FLCS ACTUALLY CONSUME ALMOST 400 ON STREET PARKING SPACES, UH, IN OUR CITY.
SO THESE ZS ARE IN EFFECT FOR CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY, USUALLY ABOUT 30 MINUTES, AND THEY'RE SHARED BY THE DIFFERENT, UH, PURVEYORS THAT HAVE TO APPLY AND BE ISSUED A PERMIT IN ORDER TO BE, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PARK IN, IN THAT FFL FLZ.
THE PARKING DEPORT, UH, DEPARTMENT STRICTLY ENFORCES FLCS.
WE HAVE A FLZ DETAIL, IF YOU WILL, THAT CONSISTS ABOUT THE THREE TO FIVE, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENTS, UH, SPECIALISTS THAT GO THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND LOOK FOR FLC UH, VIOLATIONS.
UM, SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO DO VERY PER PERIODICALLY IS LOOK AT OUR FLCS, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, THEIR SIZE, THEIR USAGE, UH, OR, UM, UTILIZATION TO DETERMINE IF ANY TWEAKS NEED TO BE MADE.
WE WORK WITH THE PURVEYORS ONE-ON-ONE.
UH, WE'VE WORKED RECENTLY WITH AMAZON, WITH, UM, UPS TO, UH, TO TRY TO ADDRESS THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR REQUESTS.
SOME OF THESE COMPANIES, UH, RACK UP QUITE A NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS OF CITATIONS.
SO WE WORK WITH THEM TO TRY TO, UM, ADDRESS THEIR, THEIR NEEDS AND TO REALLY ENSURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS WORKING EFFECTIVELY.
AND THE, UM, FLC UH, SPACES ARE USED FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSES.
UM, SO THERE'S TWO TYPES OF VIOLATIONS THAT CAN OCCUR RELATED TO AN FLC.
IT COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE A VEHICLE IS PARKED IN THE FLC SPACE THAT IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO BE THERE.
UH, IN THOSE CASES, UH, A CITATION IS ISSUED AND THE AMOUNT OF THE, OF THE CITATION IS 74, UH, DOLLARS.
AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER CASES WHERE THERE ARE TRUCKS THAT ARE JUST BLOCKING A TRAVEL LANE, THEY'RE BLOCKING TRAFFIC FLOW OR THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
IN THOSE CASES, WE ISSUE A CITATION OF A HIGHER AMOUNT.
IT'S $124, AND IT'S ISSUED FOR OBSTRUCTING, UM, UH, FOR OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE ALSO ISSUE A RIGHT OF WAY FINE IN THE AMOUNT OF $500.
AND THAT'S FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE, A $500 FINE.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, THERE IS AN ISSUE THAT AT AT LEAST HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION WITH REGARD TO THOSE RIGHT OF WAY FINES.
UH, SOME OF THEM DO NOT HAVE MUCH LEGAL STANDING AND THEY'RE BEING DISMISSED, AND IT'S A LITTLE GLITCH IN THE CODE THAT WE MAY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CLEAN UP.
SO WE CAN WORK WITH OUR, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UM, TO, TO TRY TO CLEAN THAT UP SO THAT THOSE RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATIONS THAT WE'RE ISSUING TO TRUCKS THAT ARE BLOCKING TRAVEL LANES CAN HAVE SOME MORE LEGAL STANDING.
AND IN TERMS OF, UH, THE NUMBER OF, OF CITATIONS THAT, THAT WE'VE ISSUED, UH, IN THE MEMO WE INCLUDED A, A SMALL TABLE THAT CAN COMPARES, UH, FISCAL YEAR 23 WITH LAST FISCAL YEAR 24.
AND WHAT WE SEE IS WE SEE AN UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF FLC CITATIONS ISSUED FROM 7,241, UH, LAST, UH, OR FISCAL YEAR 23 TO 9,461.
CITATIONS ISSUED LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND IN TERMS OF RIGHT OF WAY VI VIOLATIONS ISSUED, UM, THERE WERE 767 ISSUED IN FISCAL YEAR 23 AND 1,562.
SO MORE THAN DOUBLE THE AMOUNT IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS OF MAXIMIZING THE UTILIZATION OF OUR FLCS FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE.
UH, ONE OF THE, UM, I THINK INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IN THE COMING MONTHS IS TO, IS TO BETTER MANAGE OUR CURBS.
THERE ARE TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE THAT USE AUTOMATION TO, TO JUST MORE EFFICIENTLY
[02:30:01]
MANAGE OUR VERY LIMITED CURB SPACE THROUGH THE USE OF CAMERAS AND DIFF AND LPRS AND DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT, UH, CAN, UH, UH, MORE EFFICIENTLY ENFORCE IF SOMEONE IS PARKED WHERE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PARKED IN AN FLZ CURBSIDE, FLZ, UH, SPACE, FOR EXAMPLE.UH, THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT, UH, HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY ALREADY.
AND I THINK, UH, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO, TO LOOK TOWARDS THOSE, UH, INNO INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO TRY TO ENFORCE, UM, MORE EFFICIENTLY.
AND, UM, AND IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN PAUSE HERE AND TALK ABOUT FLCS OR GOES TO THE, UH, RIDE SHARE ASPECT CHAIR.
UM, SO I, I'M ACTUALLY, I, I'M VERY EAGER TO HEAR YOU COME BACK AND MAYBE WE CAN CONTINUE THIS, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN COME BACK AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THOSE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT OTHER CITIES ARE USING.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY A PROBLEM IS BEYOND THE F LZS AND WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE ABUSING THEM, UM, IS WHEN TRUCKS JUST PARK IN THE MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, OF A TRAVEL LANE.
AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHEN IT HAPPENS, WE KNOW WHERE IT HAPPENS, IT'S RUSH HOUR THAT WE FEEL THE IMPACT.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, NOBODY'S THERE, IT'S NOT AS BIG OF A DEAL.
BUT I I TRAVERSE THAT CORRIDOR GOING NORTH, UH, FROM THE NORTH TO SOUTH ALL THE TIME.
AND TRAFFIC IS ALWAYS BOTTLED UP IN THE SAME COUPLE OF BLOCKS BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A DELIVERY TRUCK.
UM, WHAT CAN WE DO, WHETHER IT'S WORKING WITH THE DELIVERY TRUCKS AND MAKING SURE THEY PULL INTO THE BUILDINGS OR ENFORCE, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE, UM, WRITING TICKETS AND VIOLATIONS.
I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, FOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING JUST THIS SPECIFICALLY IN THE, THE FREIGHT LOADING ZONES, BUT THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND SO COULD WE NOT, UM, TARGET THESE, THESE LOCATIONS AND WORK TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE THE TRAFFIC SNARLS THAT THEY CAUSE? AND HOW WOULD THEY DO THAT? AB ABSOLUTELY, COMMISSIONER, AND WE DO, WE DO DO THAT.
UH, IT BECOMES A CAT AND MOUSE GAME.
YOU KNOW, OUR ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE.
THEY MAY ENFORCE, UH, 10 MINUTES LATER, THE SAME DRIVER MAY BE DOING THE SAME THING A FEW BLOCKS DOWN.
I MEAN, WE ENCOUNTERED THAT ALL THE TIME.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE RECENTLY, THERE WAS A CASE WHERE ONE DRIVER WAS CITED MULTIPLE TIMES, A LOT.
SO, UH, UH, IN, IN THAT CASE, WE DID REACH OUT TO THE COMPANY THAT THAT DRIVER WORKS FOR, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR AND THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME SORT OF PENALTY.
BUT IF, IF THESE DRIVERS ARE JUST, UH, IGNORING THEM, THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE.
SO BY WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH, UH, THESE COMPANIES, WE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT AS I MENTIONED, WITH UPS, AMAZON AND, UM, FEDEX AS WELL.
AND, AND WHY CAN'T, UM, THE DRIVERS PULL INTO THE BUILDINGS? WELL, SOMETIMES THEY, THEY PHYSICALLY CAN'T BECAUSE THE CLEARANCE ISN'T THERE IN THEIR PORT CO SHARE IN THE BUILDING'S PORT CO SHARE.
SOMETIMES THE BUILDING JUST DOESN'T ALLOW THEM TO, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD BE ACCOMMODATED.
UM, A AND THIS HAPPENS IN A LOT OF THE OLDER BUILDINGS THAT DON'T HAVE THEIR, UH, AND IT HAPPENS IN NEW BUILDINGS AS WELL THAT DON'T HAVE THEIR LOADING A DEDICATED LOADING, UNLOADING AREA.
AND IT, IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THEN WE, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THESE COMPANIES TO, OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THESE LOADING ZONES ON EVERY BLOCK, BUT WE TRY TO STRATEGICALLY LOCATE THEM IN A WAY WHERE IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE DRIVERS.
THEY MAY NEED TO PULL OUT THEIR DOLLY AND GO A FEW BLOCKS TO MAKE THEIR DELIVERIES, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A, A, A CASE BY CASE BASIS, AND IT HAPPENS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, WE'RE CONSIDERING DOING A WORKSHOP OF SORTS WITH THE INDUSTRY, LIKE AN INDUSTRY WORKSHOP JUST TO, UH, REALLY RAISE AWARENESS ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT, IT, IT IS, WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, AN UPTICK IN THE AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OR JUST ILLEGALLY BLOCKING TRAVEL LANES.
SO JUST TRYING TO, UH, I REMEMBER THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS DONE YEARS AGO IN THIS ROOM, UH, WITH THE INDUSTRY AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SHARE WITH THEM, UH, OUR RULES, OUR REGULATIONS AND ASK THEM TO BE, UM, GOOD, GOOD PARTNERS.
AND IF, IF I, IF I COULD CALL ON, UM, ALBERT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ALBERT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING.
ALBERTO VENTURA, ASSISTANT PARKING DIRECTOR.
WE TRY TO ALWAYS MEET WITH THE PURVEYORS, WITH THEIR MANAGEMENT TEAMS TO ADVISE THEM OF WHAT'S GOING ON, TRY TO HELP THEM, HELP US, HELP THEM.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEN THEY COME BACK NOT KNOWING THAT THEY OWE US A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN FINES, AND THEY FIND OUT MONTHS LATER.
SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO MEET WITH THEM TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THEM, HEAR THEM OUT.
IF THEY ASK US FOR ADDITIONAL FREIGHT LOANING ZONES, ADDITIONAL LOANING ZONES, WE LOOK AT THE AREA AND WE CAN ACCOMMODATE 'EM.
WE GO AHEAD AND ACCOMMODATE 'EM.
DO WE, UM, HOW DOES PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION WORK
[02:35:01]
WITH THE POLICE IN MONITORING, MONITORING THIS, HOW TO SPEAK TO THAT.AGAIN, WE HAVE A CREW OF PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT, THAT WE ASK EVERY DAY TO GO OUT TO DIFFERENT ZONES.
THAT'S PART OF PARKING, THAT'S NOT POLICE.
YES, POLICE ALSO, WE ALLOCATE SOME FUNDS FOR THEM TO ASSIST US WITH, WITH THAT, WITH THOSE DUTIES AS WELL.
AND ARE WE GETTING A GOOD BANG FOR OUR BUCK ON THOSE FUNDS? WELL, THE, LATELY THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE LOW.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO MEET WITH PD AND SEE WHERE IS IT THAT THEY'RE SENDING THE OFFICERS AND WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO.
HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE PAY? UH, ALLOCATE FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT, I BELIEVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR.
WE FIRST, UH, ALLOCATE 50,000.
AND THEN IF THEY COME BACK BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR TO ASK FOR MORE, THEN WE, WE PROCEED TO GIVE 'EM THE ADDITIONAL 50,000.
AND DO WE, DO WE HAVE, UM, TRACKING OF HOW MUCH, HOW MANY, UM, VIOLATIONS THAT HAS NETTED US? YES.
I MEAN, WOULD WE BE BETTER SERVED BY HIRING TWO MORE PES IN THE TRA IN THE PARKING DEPARTMENT INSTEAD, IT WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO CAN CAN YOU COME BACK TO US WITH THAT AS WELL WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH ABSOLUTELY.
THERE'S ACTUALLY ALSO A VERY SIMILAR, UH, ITEM ON THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE AGENDA ABOUT PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND THIS PARTICULAR ITEM OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POLICE, UH, EFFORTS, THE SUPPLEMENTAL EFFORTS AND THE TOW TRUCKS FOLLOWING THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THEY'RE JUST NOT PART OF THIS.
THEY WEREN'T PART OF THIS ITEM, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND SHARE THOSE AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER, I I FULLY AGREE FROM WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, I THINK GIVEN, GIVEN THE DECLINING PERFORMANCE, UH, UH, FROM THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN POLICE AND, AND, AND PARKING, UM, THAT PERHAPS IT COULD BE BETTER TO CONSIDER REALLOCATING THAT $100,000 TO HIRE THE ADDITIONAL PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST THAT CAN BE MORE DEDICATED, MORE FOCUSED.
SO HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO SIGN THEM TO THE NEXT MONTH.
AND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE FLCS AND THE ALLEY ZONES, UH, TO, FOR STAFF TO PRESENT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THEN, UM, IF YOU WANNA SWITCH OVER TO RIDESHARE, I'LL JUMP OVER TO RIDESHARE JUST VERY BRIEFLY IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
SO DURING THIS, UH, ART WEEK FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH UBER.
AND, UH, WE CREATED SPACES, SOME OF OUR PASSENGER LOADING ZONES THAT WERE UNDERUTILIZED SPACES IN FRONT OF HOTELS, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE CREATED A HANDFUL OF THOSE.
AND, UM, UBER WAS ABLE TO GEOFENCE THOSE SPACES ON THEIR PLATFORM SO THAT, UH, AND, AND, UH, THE, THE LOCATIONS INCLUDED THE CONVENTION CENTER, RIGHT, UH, ON CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE BETWEEN 18TH AND 19TH STREET, THE GOOD TIME HOTEL, UH, THE, AND THE ONE HOTEL AS WELL.
WE WANTED TO START WITH A SMALL NUMBER AND THEN EXPAND, YOU KNOW, THE PILOT, UH, WE'LL BE MEETING WITH, WITH UBER TO GO OVER THE, THE STATS.
WE WERE MONITORING THOSE, THOSE, UH, LOCATIONS.
IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING DURING ART WEEK JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE GRIDLOCK.
UM, SO POTENTIALLY UNDER THOSE EXTREME, YOU KNOW, GRIDLOCK CONDITIONS, UM, THE PILOT IS NOT GOING TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS DURING JUST NORMAL, YOU KNOW, DAY TO DAY.
UM, BUT UM, UBER HAS, UH, DONE THIS WITH OTHER CITIES AND IT'S WORKED VERY WELL.
THE WAY IT WORKS IS WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO REQUEST A RIDE, IF YOU'RE IN ONE OF NEXT TO ONE OF THOSE, UH, GEOFENCE ZONES, IT WILL TELL YOU WHERE TO GO TO GET PICKED UP, UH, BY, BY UBER OR LYFT.
WE CAN ALSO POTENTIALLY EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO LYFT AS WELL.
UM, THAT HAD NEVER, UH, BEEN DONE BEFORE.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE DID IT.
AND AGAIN, IT WAS DURING ART WEEK, SO, UM, A GOOD TEST CASE, PROBABLY WORST CASE,
UH, BUT WE, WE HOPE TO DO MORE OF THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UBER.
AND YOU'RE MEETING WITH THEM THIS WEEK, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY? YES.
SO, UM, I WOULD LOVE IT TO BE EXPANDED TO LYFT AS WELL.
AND THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO CONTEMPLATE IS THE, UM, FLEX SPACES THAT WE HAVE FOR TAXI CABS.
IF WE COULD CONSIDER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WITHIN OUR PURVIEW, UM, BUT CONSIDER CO DESIGNATING THEM FLEX SPACES FOR CA UH, TAXI CABS AND ALSO RIDE SHARE PICKUP, DROP OFF ZONES.
THERE'S ACTUALLY, UH, FROM THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING A RESOLUTION THAT DIRECTS US TO, TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY ON THAT.
THE COUNTY REGULATES, UH, TA TAXI CAP SERVICE, UH, AND OPERATIONS.
UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE FOR THAT FLEX, THE RIDE SHARE.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE COMPETING ECONOMIC INTERESTS, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF CAPTURE THEM AND, AND PUT THEM INTO THAT, THAT GEO CASH LOCATION
[02:40:01]
TEMPLATE THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE TESTING OUT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.SO THROUGH THE CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS.
I MEAN, DO YOU NEED UNTIL FEBRUARY, SINCE IT'S THE HOLIDAYS TO GET THIS DONE? OR WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE READY FOR? JANUARY.
IS THERE JANUARY? IS IT, IS IT, I THINK IT'S THE 16TH.
WE, WE COULD COME BACK WITH AN UPDATE.
FOR THE 16TH, THEN MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE IT TO JANUARY 16TH.
LEMME SHOW THAT BY EXCLAMATION.
UM, WE DIDN'T OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IS THERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? UH, SEEING NONE IN PERSON, THERE'S ONE ON ZOOM.
UM, YES, WE HAVE, UH, MR. WAYNE ON ZOOM.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UM, WAYNE FROM SOUTH OF FIFTH, HOW ARE YOU? UM, I REALLY LIKED TANYA'S SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS.
UH, THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT ON.
UM, THE CAB SERVICES ARE, UH, DINOSAUR INDUSTRY, AND THE FASTER WE GET THOSE SPOTS TO RIDE, SHARE OR OTHER UTILIZATION WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A CATCH 22 ON, ON PARKING REGULATIONS.
SO, UH, 5, 6, 7 YEARS AGO, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, OR I SHOULD SAY THAT THE COMMISSION, UM, DID AWAY WITH, I THINK EVERYBODY IN PARKING.
AND THESE GUYS WERE REALLY GOOD.
I MEAN, THEY WERE OUT THERE HUSTLING AND THEY MOVED THEM TO OTHER DIVISIONS THANKS TO ONE OR TWO, UH, COMMISSIONERS WHO WORKED FOR THEIR JOBS.
BUT, UM, WE, WE LACK, UH, PARKING, UH, PEOPLE.
UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF TECHNOLOGY.
I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT, UM, GETTING A TICKET WHILE I'M STANDING IN A NO PARKING ZONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S LIKE A TIMEFRAME THAT YOU COULD STAND WITHOUT BEING, UM, UH, IMPACTED BY A FINE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT NOT SO MUCH THE TRUCKS, THEY DON'T GET IN MY WAY SO MUCH, BUT THE BUSES, WE, WE LACK TURNOFF AREAS FOR BUSES ON ELTON ROAD AND OTHER MAIN THOROUGH FARES, YOU KNOW, COMES TO MIND ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY.
I'M, I'M STUCK BEHIND A BUS THAT'S PARKED.
UM, IT'S 11TH AND ALTON, THE TURN FOR, UH, WHOLE FOODS, UH, FROM THE NORTH ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET IS CONSISTENTLY STOPPED FOR BUSES THAT AT THAT STATION RIGHT IN FRONT OF WHOLE FOODS ON ELTON.
SO THAT BLOCKS TRAFFIC FOR, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MINUTES.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC OF MIAMI BEACH AND, AND WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THE SPACES MORE EFFECTIVELY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, MR. ATTORNEY? NO, YOUR HONOR.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE CAN SHOW THIS ITEM BEING CONTINUED TO THE JANUARY 16TH, UH, CITY, UM, LAND USE COMMITTEE MEETING AND COLLEAGUES,
[7. INCREASE SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR NIGHTCLUBS AND OTHER LATE NIGHT DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS.]
[8. EXPLORE ZONING INCENTIVES AND IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE ZONING DISTRICTS TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.]
UM, MY CO-SPONSORS ARE NOT HERE FOR ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT.SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO, I'M GONNA CONTINUE THOSE AS WELL TO THE JANUARY 16TH CITY COMMISSION MEETING WITH THAT, UH, LAND USE COMMITTEE.
LAND USE COMMITTEE MEETING WITH THAT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER, SORRY, WHICH ITEM YOU HERE TO SPEAK ON? COMMENT ON WHICH ITEM? OKAY.
IF, IF YOU'RE PLEASE REACH OUT TO US.
UH, BUT I, WE, WE SPEAK, WE ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ONCE THEY'RE BEFORE US.
UH, SO WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY OTHER, UH, BUSINESS BEFORE US FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER WITH NO OTHER BUSINESSES? THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
OH, COMMISSIONER, NO, JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU FOR CHAIRING ALL YEAR.
YOU'VE BEEN TERRIFIC AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND COMING BEFORE US.
AND, AND I'D BE REMISS NOT TO RECOGNIZE THE FABULOUS WORK OF OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR THOMAS MOONEY, FOR OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DAVID MARTINEZ, AND OF OUR CHIEF DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, NICK ES, WHO DOESN'T JOIN US TODAY, BUT OUR CITY ATTORNEY, RICK PICCO, WHO, UH, WHO, WHO LEADS THE, THE, UH, CITY.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ALWAYS PARTICIPATING.