HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal - Truly Burton - Bulider Association of South Florida Letter to Commissioners:as
April 26, 2022
Submitted into the pus is
record for itgm(s)
on
Builders Association
of South Florida
BUILDING GREAT CITIES
SINCE 1944
Honorable Christine King and City Commissioners
City of Miami
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
City Clerk
www.basfonline.org
111 NW 183rd Street, Suite 111
Miami Gardens, FL 33169
Re: Proposed Ordinance replacing Waiver Process with City Commission Public Hearing
re Parking Reductions in City Transit Corridors and Transit -Oriented Developments
(TODs) - Item PZ 8, April 28, 2022, City Commission Agenda
Dear Chairwoman King and City Commissioners:
I am writing on behalf of the Builder's Association of South Florida (BASF) members regarding their
concerns about the above -referenced ordinance, currently scheduled for Second Reading as Item PZ.8 on
the City Commission agenda for Thursday April 28, 2022.
Briefly, this item would eliminate the current parking waiver procedure - and replace it with a
much more time-consuming and expensive City Commission public hearing requirement - for any
project located within designated Transit Corridors and Transit -Oriented Developments (TODs).
The proposed amendment to the Draft Ordinance, would have unintended, and negative,
consequences on the City's goals to promote the construction of more affordably -priced -housing.
The cost of the delays in waiting to be scheduled for a City Commission hearing — and hoping for
an approval — would very likely reduce any small builder's interest and ability to build these much -
needed, smaller -sized projects on in -fill parcels. The loss of future projects will only make rents go
up, that much more.
Today, Article 4 of the Miami 21 Code authorizes, by Waiver, up to a 30% offset from minimum
parking requirements for new projects within qualified Transit Corridors/TODs. Now, the current
process already offers these protections for existing, low -scale residential neighborhoods:
• First, the waiver is NOT available today for projects within 500 feet of properties zoned T3
(single family and duplex residential).
• Second, the waiver requires mandatory mailed notice to all abutting property owners,
neighborhood associations and city commission offices, and is subject to appeal.
Since the adoption of this important parking standard into the Miami 21 Code, many more
apartment projects have been built to accommodate the City's growth. They have generated new
tax revenue for the City and have been critical to mitigating the current housing shortage - without
which would be contributing to even higher rents experienced by City residents.
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Subifiitteti Into the public
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--- City Clerk
Page Two
City of Miami City Commission
April 26, 2022
Based on the above, BASF respectfully asks the City Commission to take a more wholistic approach to
studying parking requirements within the Miami 21 Code.
The proposed legislation unfortunately would have detrimental impacts to housing affordability in
Miami. Our hope is that a more wholistic approach can balance the needs for promoting housing
affordability and smart urban development with the concern of protecting established residential
neighborhoods from unintended impacts.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the Association's views.
Sincerely,
Truly uxtowv
Truly Burton
Executive Vice President
Cc: Hon. Francis Suarez, Mayor
Art Noriega, City Manager
Nelson Stabile, BASF President
Jose Gonzalez, Immediate Past President
Alex Ballina, Incoming President