Tag: priorities

NBNA Scorecard on April 6th North Beach Committee Meeting

Balance of Master Plan Tipping Toward Increased Height & FAR in North Beach & Away from Affordable Housing Options & Preservation in Town Center

What can we say except OMG! And ugh.

If you haven’t heard the latest, Mayor Levine reconvened the North Beach Committee to take a look at the Master Plan recommendations—you know, the thing we spent all that money and time on building consensus around last year—and forward suggestions for Commission review and vote.

A motion passed to expand Town Center, which would mean a larger area with increased height to 12 stories, and another to increase FAR (density) within the expanded area.

Although these suggestions were part of the Master Plan, they were balanced alongside support for local historic districts (we lost the Tatum Waterway), a commitment to bolstering affordable housing options and adherence to the detailed guidelines in the plan (which are currently being debated) for the proposed North Beach conservation districts.

Take a look at our scorecard below for more about the recent actions of this North Beach Committee to see what these seven “representatives” are up to:

Scorecard from April 6th
North Beach Committee Meeting

Wait a minute…  Didn’t we all agree as a community, along with the professionals and experts at Dover & Kohl, to a limited height increase in Town Center as long as the proposed local historic were adopted as proposed (we lost Tatum Waterway… so far) and affordable housing options were integrated?  And didn’t we also agree—again with the professionals—that a FAR increase should be balanced against these protections for the character and diversity of our neighborhoods?

Oh, FYI, the Committee also vetoed the concept of inclusionary zoning in Town Center, which would have required developers to include mixed-income units and encouraged a variety of affordable options (like micro units) for residents.

One positive recommendation was the unanimous support of a historic preservation fund that would provide grants to property owners to help restore or adapt MiMo structures.  Sadly, however, a motion to support finding options for how best to preserve historic structures on 71st failed. This would mean the possible loss of the iconic parabolic arch (NBNA’s trademark!) on 71st.

Folks, it’s time to reach out and show up. Why are parts of the Master Plan getting implemented while others are intentionally undermined and denied? Many in the community consented to concessions they would not have otherwise agreed – because they were promised something in return. Wasn’t that the foundational compromise of the plan? The North Beach Committee needs to hear from us. The Commission and Mayor needs to hear from you (current and running). Let’s begin a dialogue regarding what are sure to be hotly contested issues. See easy to cut and paste email lists below.

Join residents on Thursday, April 27th from 8:00AM to 11:00AM at the Normandy Golf Club when the North Beach Committee will propose changes to the Conservation District ordinance.

Given the motions thus far, we fear these recommendations will not favor clearly expressed resident concerns regarding parking, space between buildings, height and the maintenance of the character and scale of our neighborhood.

If we don’t begin to ask questions and voice our vision, we are allowing 7 handpicked residents to determine the future of North Beach even though hundreds of residents and stakeholders worked side-by-side with Dover & Kohl to hammer out a balanced, compromised vision of the North Beach of the future.

Current North Beach Committee Members Contacts

Margueritte Ramos, Nancy Liebman, Betsy Perez, Brad Bonessi, Daniel Veitia, Carolina Jones & Kirk Paskal

rperez4bullseye@aol.com;carolina@twincribz.com;daniel@urbanresource.com;margmiami@gmail.com;Nanlieb@aol.com;brad.bonessi@gmail.com;KPaskal@gmail.com

Current Mayor & Commission Contacts

Philip Levine, Mickey Steinberg, Joy Malakoff, Michael Greico, John Aleman, Ricky Arriola, Kristen Gonzalez

johnaleman@miamibeachfl.gov;joymalakoff@miamibeachfl.gov;kristenrosengonzalez@miamibeachfl.gov;michaelgrieco@miamibeachfl.gov;micky@miamibeachfl.gov;rickyarriola@miamibeachfl.gov;philiplevine@miamibeachfl.gov

Commission & MayorAL candidates Contacts

Dan Gelber, Michael Grieco, Micky Steinberg, Daniel Kahn, Mickey Steinberg, Zachary Eisner, Robert Lansburgh, Joshua Levy, Rafael Velasquez, Michael Gongora, Adrian Gonzalez, Cindy Mattson

dan@dangelber.com;michael@griecolaw.com;danny@kahnceptgroup.com; micky@palmprop.com;zackelaw@gmail.com;rclmgt@gmail.com;jlevypglaw@gmail.com;rv@rafaformiamibeach.com;Michael@michaelgongora.com;agmb305@gmail.com;cmattson@eeoconsultants.com

Preserve Our History, Protect Our Future

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. North Beach is at a critical crossroads, and the future of historic preservation — our strongest safeguard against out-of-place overdevelopment — depends on you.

We have two big opportunities in the coming weeks to protect North Beach’s heritage and character, and we need your help to make the most of them.

Master Plan Meeting on Preservation on Monday, May 23rd @ 6:30PM: Attend and Speak Up

Dover, Kohl & Partners are holding a public workshop about local historic designation options at the North Shore Youth Center next Monday, May 23 at 6:30pm. We need you and your friends, family, and neighbors there. Without historic designation, North Beach will remain powerless to protect our local character and scale against demolition and unsuitable development.

Demolition Moratorium in North Beach: Attend Meeting on Wednesday, June 8 and/or Write Commissioners

Commissioners Ricky Arriola (Sponsor) and Joy Malakoff (Co-Sponsor) have proposed a temporary moratorium on demolitions of contributing historic structures within the North Shore National Register and the Normandy Isles National Register Districts until the in-progress Master Plan by Dover, Kohl and Partners is completed and implemented by the Commission. Please contact the Commission (info below) and/or come to the meeting at City Hall on Wednesday, June 8 (time TBD) to show your support. This evening meeting starts with awards at 5PM.  The demolition item should be up for discussion between 6 and 7PM.

There will be intense, profit-driven pressure against both the moratorium and local historic designation, so your voices are absolutely essential. Too often, these conversations are being dominated by calls for relentless development (often via demolition), without enough emphasis on protection of our local character.

Facebook likes and shares can help spread the word, but they can’t substitute for a powerful, live presence at these events. If you want a balanced plan for North Beach’s future, it’s time to show up and show it.

Based on your input, NBNA placed historic districts at the top of our priority list for the Master Plan back in January:

Priority #1 Historic Designation: North Beach deserves local historic designation of our National Register Districts.

North Beach is already recognized by the National Registry for its cohesive, irreplaceable concentration of mid-century modern tropical architecture–and yet our historic neighborhoods remain nearly completely unprotected locally. Local Historic District designation should be the foundation of the Master Plan. (In fact, this designation was unanimously passed by the Historic Preservation Board in 2014 but delayed by city officials until it could be integrated within this planning process.) With development pressure and aggregation of parcels within our RM-1 districts at an all-time high, historic designation offers the best protections to ensure the compatibility of new development within these areas. North Beach deserves the same local designation that has helped preserve the integrity of South Beach without sacrificing suitable development.

This is the community’s only chance to protect not just our historic structures, but the scale and charm and style that make North Beach special. Don’t let it slip past us.

Mayor & Commission

  • Mayor Philip Levine: philiplevine@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7035
  • Commissioner Micky Steinberg: micky@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7103
  • Commissioner Michael Grieco: michaelgrieco@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7104
  • Commissioner Joy Malakoff: joymalakoff@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7106
  • Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez: kristenrosengonzalez@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7030 Ext 6854
  • Commissioner Ricky Arriola: rickyarriola@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7030 Ext 6274
  • Commissioner John Aleman: johnaleman@miamibeachfl.gov Ph: 305.673.7102

NBNA Statement of Shared Priorities for the North Beach Master Plan

Based on conversations with our North Beach community, North Beach Neighbors Alliance (NBNA) has identified the following 7 shared priorities for the Master Plan:

#1 Historic Designation: North Beach deserves local historic designation of our National Register Districts.

North Beach is already recognized by the National Registry for its cohesive, irreplaceable concentration of mid-century modern tropical architecture–and yet our historic neighborhoods remain nearly completely unprotected locally. Local Historic District designation should be the foundation of the Master Plan. (In fact, this designation was unanimously passed by the Historic Preservation Board in 2014 but delayed by city officials until it could be integrated within this planning process.) With development pressure and aggregation of parcels within our RM-1 districts at an all-time high, historic designation offers the best protections to ensure the compatibility of new development within these areas. North Beach deserves the same local designation that has helped preserve the integrity of South Beach without sacrificing suitable development.

#2 Government-Owned Parcels: North Beach’s city-owned properties must serve the good of the local community through recreational and educational uses.

All city-owned property, including but not limited to the West Lots and public parks, should be carefully developed to support the public good and not private interest. The West Lots should be used for some combination of efficient parking, green space, and public resources like an expanded library, skate park, educational/research institution, etc. While many are in favor of light commercial use like cafes and small-scale retail, particularly along the Harding Corridor and around the perimeter of (not within) the West Lots, the vast majority oppose profit-driven development of residences, hotels, or large-scale shopping centers.

#3 Green Space & Open Sky: North Beach’s natural beauty and fragile environment needs respect and protection.

Public parks should never become sites for commercial development, nor should special interests be granted land use rights that would endanger our green spaces. The North Shore Open Space Park and Allison Park, as well as our smaller local parks, should be preserved as scarce, valuable resources for residents’ enjoyment and environmental protection.

#4 Land Use Regulations: North Beach’s existing zoning laws should be consistently enforced, particularly when it comes to height.

While the public has the right to vote on density increases, the City Commission can—as it did on Ocean Terrace—offer height variances that undermine the integrity of the neighborhood. We need the Master Plan to call for height certainty: consistent adherence to the current laws. Despite the claims of some developers (and as proven by South Beach), profitable development does not require massive high-rises. The recent vote against the Ocean Terrace upzoning demonstrates locals’ opposition to over-development; that should be formalized in our Master Plan.

#5 Transportation: Creative expertise should be used to improve circulation of traffic.

Improving traffic in North Beach will not be simple, and it will require a combination of solutions. Some suggestions from neighbors include revision of traffic flow to ease pressure on main arteries; expansion of the North Beach Trolley route to include both north/south and east/west routes; the completion of the bike- and pedestrian-friendly beach path between North and South Beach; the addition of water taxis (or better yet, busses); clearer markings and stronger enforcement of existing bike lanes; and critical analysis of possible connections to proposed monorails and other city and county initiatives.

#6 Parking: Enhanced public parking options are needed for local residents and visitors.

The importance of accessible, affordable public parking options cannot be overemphasized for residents or visitors. Rising population in residential areas coupled with a growth in commercial district use requires more parking spaces. Increased public parking options should be considered with a long-term view of future mass transit hubs.

#7 Neighborhood Character: North Beach wants to promote livability for residents, not become a luxury destination.

What we love most about our neighborhood is its quality of life: family-friendly resources, local businesses, accessible rents, natural beauty, and cultural and economic diversity. We choose to live here—and many choose to visit—based on the charm and character of our low-scale and historical beach town feel. North Beach is not South Beach, and we don’t want to be a luxury destination or haven for absentee investors. Planning should prioritize the local community through support of small businesses and the creation of facilities and public spaces that prioritize year-round livability for a mixed-income resident population.

Other commonly expressed wishes for your consideration:

  • Activation of the Harding Corridor through walkable West Lots, allowances for short-term (‘guesthouse’) rentals within restored existing MiMo structures (with the caveat that 24-hour management remain on site at all times) , and light commercial development.
  • Pedestrian-only Ocean Terrace.
  • Parking structures up to 3 stories.
  • Limiting concessionaires on beach.

The consensus on these issues is reassuring and inspiring. If we all get out there and communicate these messages—clearly, civilly, and consistently—with the Steering Committee and Dover & Kohl, we have a real opportunity to craft a Master Plan that serves all of North Beach.

Let’s make North Beach better by keeping what we love the same.