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HomeMy WebLinkAboutO-11715J-97-616 9/22/97 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 11000, THE ZONING ORDINANCE, BY AMENDING ARTICLE 6 SECTION 602.10.4, TO MODIFY OFFSITE PARKI REGULATIONS FOR THE SD-2 COCONUT G E CENTRAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, TO INCLUDE HAT 6 PORTION OF THE ADJACENT G/I DI RIOT CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY THE COCONUT GR VE PLAYHOUSE; CONTAINING A REPEALER OVIS AND A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PRO DING F AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, presently and historicely, the parking in the southwest sector .46f the Center; and is a scarce y of ut Grov lage WHEREAS, the parcel wi a z ni designation of G/I Coconut Grove which is bo ded•by les Ave e the s i n resen ccu ied and Main Highway on t east, p p Coconut Grove Playho e is a lable and quely su ed provide excess park where parking is WHEREAS, Y proposal wil parking st parking; g spaces or that part of the vil ce ter st sca e; and is serve ieved and deTd herbect is an incentive r tpmef a t will vi e much oededess s s. N WHEREAS, the Miami Planning Advisory Board, at its meeting of June 30, 1997, Item. No. 3, following an advertised hearing, adopted Resolution No. PAB 46-97 by a vote of seven to zero (7-0), RECOMMENDING DENIAL of amending Zoning Ordinance No. 11000 as hereinafter set forth; and WHEREAS, the City Commission after careful consideration of this matter, notwithstanding the recommendation of the Planning Advisory Board, deems it advisable and in the best interest of the general welfare of the City of Miami and its inhabitants to amend Ordinance No. 11000 as hereinafter set forth; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Ordinance are hereby adopted by reference thereto and incorporated herein as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. Ordinance No. 11000, as amended, the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Miami, Florida, is hereby amended in the following particulars:l' "ARTICLE 6. SD SPECIAL DISTRICTS GENERAL PROVISION 1/ Words and/or figures stricken through shall be deleted. Underscored words and/or figures shall be added. The remaining provisions are now in effect' and remain unchanged. Asterisks indicate omitted and unchanged material. - 2 - 1 11715 Sec. 602. SD-2 Coconut Grove Central Commercial District. Sec. 602.10. Minimum off-street parking. Sec. 602.10.1. Except as otherwise specified herein, the minimum off-street parking requirements shall be as depicted in the chart below. Said minimum parking requirement may be satisfied by providing the.parking, pursuant to 602.10.4, paying in lieu of providing the parking, pursuant to 602-.-I$.12, or providing the parking on site. No variances for the reduction of the number of parking spaces is permitted. 602.10.4. Off -site parking. 1. For all nonresidential development, all required parking may be permitted off -site anywhere within that part of the SD-2 district that lies east of Margaret Street, or that portion of the G/T di�rt, as designated br the City of Miami's Official Zoning Atlas, in -CoconutGrove which iG bniinded by Charles Avenue on the south, and Main Highway on the Pastand E resent l y occupied by the Coconut Grove Playhouse. subject to an annually renewable Class I Special Permit which shall be ,accompanied by an updated parking calculation survey; provided, however,,—� lal that such required off -site parking shall not be located on any property for which subsidies or other financial assistance was or is obtained from the Coconut Grove Parking Trust Fund as described in Chapter 35 of the City Code—; _(b) that such xi parking ng i s not required for any other use nn the cubject prOpPrfiy. All leases under this section shall be in recordable form and approved by the City Attorney s Office and filed with the Zoning Administrator prior to each issuance and renewal of Class I Permit. 2. All off -site parking arrangements outside of the SD-2 District shall be terminated upon expiration of existing leases or phased out over a period of thirty six (36) months commencing from January 1, 1997, whichever occurs earlier. Parking spaces which are required and located off -site as well as outside of the SD-2 District at that time shall come into compliance with the provisions set forth - 3 11715 0 .0 herein. However, that certain parrP1 of land dpsianawg jjj • /- City . -Miami,-, 11 • - • 1 • - • • 1 _ - - f - • 1 /. •f / • •- • • - • • - •. 1• illillill 1 • - 11 - 1 • / •pyi- • / • • - Section 3. All ordinances or parts of'ordinances insofar as they are inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4: If any section, part of section, paragraph, clause, phrase or word of this Ordinance is declared invalid, the remaining provisions of this Ordinance shall not be affected. Section 5. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (3 0 ) days after final reading and adoption thereof. PASSED ON FIRST READING BY TITLE ONLY this 23rd day of Rppt-_ember 1997. PASSED AND ADOPTED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING BY TITLE ONLY this 13th day of October , 1997. ATTEST: WALTER J. FOEMAN CITY CLERK JOE CAROLS� NjAyO In accordance with Miami Code Sec. 2-36, since the Mayor di f►ot indXca a approval a# this legislation by signing it in the designated place provided, said legislation now becomes effective with the elapse of ten (10) days from the date of Commission action regarding same, without the Mayor exerc' 'n a to. Wa an, City Clerk - 4 - 11715 PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: GEORGE . WYSONG, el II ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: W345/GKW/AMR -5- 11715 Pz-1 SECOND READING PLANNING FACT SHEET APPLICANT City of Miami Department of Planning and Development. HEARING DATE June 30, 1997. REQUEST/LOCATION Amendment to Article 6, Section 602 of Zoning Ordinance 11000. LEGAL DESCRIPTION N/A. PETITION Consideration of amending Ordinance 11000, as amended, the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Miami, by amending Article 6, Section 602. "Coconut Grove Central Commercial District" in order to modify Section 602.10.4 entitled "Off -site Parking", to include that portion of the adjacent G/I District bounded by Main Highway, Charles Avenue and William Avenue; also in order to correct and clarify certain language in the section. PLANNING Approval. RECOMMENDATION BACKGROUND AND The proposed modification seeks to change the off -site parking ANALYSIS regulations in the SD-2 "Coconut Grove Central Commercial District" in order to include that portion of the adjacent G/I District currently occupied by the Coconut Grove Playhouse in sites available to accommodate off -site parking. The proposed amendment also clarifies the requirement that said parking shall not be required for any other use on the subject property, and that off -site parking arrangements for the above referenced G/I district do not have to be terminated as specified in this section of the code. PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD Denial VOTE: 7-0 CITY COMMISSION Sassed First Reading on September 23, 1997- Continued from CC 9/28/S APPLICATION NUMBER 97- 016 Item #3 .............................................................. _.................. _............................... ........................................... ..................................................... -.................. CITY OF MIAMI - DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 444 SW 2NO AVENUE, 3it0 FLOOR - MIAMI. FLORIDA, 3313fi PHONE (305) 416-1435 Date: 06/23/97 age 1 11715 W r = - aa1PQ.,41a oaoeaoo m a a avaa�4e�©a Nell 114 I ,o It 1 • e t• • f 0 A K -- o _ �t'�• IJ � �.� � S' u s •o u . • • O � i .f 4 a II A f • , • • i 1 lo-Z --_- --v a.. off" mu mumi"-wil 1 omammaomQ_a��aamm ,, o �® 00 I 4' • t M ) I' 3 3• =J (="7—lrlt_f �ai..�. �)•i u.(-i.JBj �••I•i-I.7»� ■ ♦ M.• (+1 ••i i•�� '.!-�.� O .I3I1 •� )� - t ..iu .ram 0 A Y A V E. -0 • , , . I all IN 11111 me aram�oaa a1001a©me mega®®:mta�1 •• 7 • f 1= �S e 1 a .. x Q o► a u Q • FL . I A AVE.= N AVE.a. ,,, o z 1 k/ n r am..mmdac mmom�aall 3+ a u ,• a .r •a w a r eeee�veee AA®ma®®®A IMMUNE . . . .......... 'kNI G RAND t^1------------� - .,cam C• �1 .t t. t+ tt tl o u Ia THOMAS a to e{ t{ v se a 29 ro�a�m�moe !�Aa�damm C� ENO • , ♦ . t � • N • / f • f { , . o O ., Q ) ,• r N IT r If >o :•'� �_.� .• .R.• •, ; � - �r \� ' oo �, .17 •. tt 7• a 70 A Y S3 I! f St f •O a ._ tl •f � ::`� d}MIC•. • \ VE Cm RLF3 AVE / S t l t .1 I f f a . • f r ,1 It 30 Ia ,1 1, t, I S 2 a t• • ¢ •• 24 V tY • s i •= naau• AV zr t a ® ,•ac, Qv . _ ..yam. »fo, „ ..• S' 1 •'/ ' Loru o iulu'/ft a • ° s ' Ira CAMP O 9 �O Q� ,♦ 1 t t '*'o■. /y + 4 a ( ti�• ? BIS.CAYNE AV E. �� •� D-73 ti AVE. . 1. r ,1 ! 21 N � �•� 2'' ` 20 49 AVE.01 qclll AVE. +o F• o n a � � • r ullf uCC rrtvC RESOLUTION PAB - 46-97 A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING DENIAL, TO AMEND ORDINANCE 110001 AS AMENDED, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, BY AMENDING ARTICLE 6, SECTION 602 "COCONUT GROVE CENTRAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT" IN ORDER TO MODIFY SECTION 602.10.4 ENTITLED "OFF -SITE PARKING TO INCLUDE THAT PORTION OF THE ADJACENT G/I DISTRICT BOUNDED BY MAIN HIGHWAY, CHARLES AVENUE AND WILLIAM AVENUE; ALSO IN ORDER TO CORRECT AND CLARIFY CERTAIN LANGUAGE IN THE SECTION. HEARING DATE: June 30, 1997 ITEM NO. 3 VOTE: 7-0 ATTES qck4Luft, Director Department of Planning and Development COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY SUMMARY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL - JULY 1996 REVISION DATE: OCI'OBER 1997 Prepared for THE CITY OF MIAMI and THE COCOANUT GROVE VILLAGE COUNCIL CHARRETTE TEAM: Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Architects, Inc. Carr Smith Associates Arva Parks and Company Ceo and Nardi, Inc. Savino and Miller Design Studio Judson and Partners 0 pt Gibbs Planning Group �,��,, aP�:_� . �• icy-a�- 98 it715 .. COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 STUDY AREA, LOCATION MAP N 11715 F TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 9 2. Existing Conditions 4 3. Master Plan 7 4. Master Plan by Topic (including: existing conditions, recommendations, illustrations) History 1? Preservation 21 Landscape and Open Space 35 Housing 56 Retail 69 Traffic . 80 Note: in general, text precedes illustrations. ___j F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 INTRODUCTION In April 1996, a group of concerned residents, business owners and community leaders gathered with a team of design consultants and City of Miami officials to produce the Coconut Grove Planning Study. A five day charrette took place at the Dinner Key Convention Center. It was begun and ended with public presentations at the Coconut Grove Women's Club. In an interactive process of meetings and drawings, numerous issues were addressed; the result of this work is presented in this report. The Planning Study was commissioned by the City of Miami. The Cocoanut Grove Village Council and the two NET offices provided oversight and organizational assistance to the study team. The study team consisted of seven firms: Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Architects and Town Planners, Coordinating Team; Arva Parks and Company, Historic Consultant; Ceo and Nardi, Inc., Preservation Consultants; Savino and Miller Design Studio, Landscape Consultants; Clyde Judson, Housing Policy Consultant; Bob Gibbs, Retail Consultant; Carr Smith, Associates, Traffic Consultants. The foundation work for the charrette involved research by the study team, including all prior reports on the study area, meetings with the Village Council and City departments, and six evening workshops in March and April in which the different sectors of the Grove brought their concerns to the study team. The Coconut Grove study area has clearly defined boundaries: Route 1 on the North, Biscayne Bay on the East, Battersea Road on the South, and Le Jeune Road, Lincoln Drive and Brooker Street on the West. Goals The goals of the study were articulated by the Village Council: l . Preserve the historic, low density, heavily landscaped character of the Grove's residential neighborhoods. 2. Improve the means for landscape conservation and enhancement, for both private landscape and public parks. 3. Maintain and improve the Village Center while reducing its negative impact on surrounding neighborhoods. 4. Improve the parking situation in the Village Center. 5. Consolidate proposals for the Waterfront. 6. Review policies and regulations for housing, especially with regard to the West Grove. These concerns range from those of regional impact, to community based issues, to the needs of individual streets and blocks. These three scale gradations are useful to keep in mind while addressing the future of Coconut Grove. The Region Coconut Grove is privileged to be the founding place of metropolitan Miami. As such it lies at the heart of a region blessed by its natural resources and beleaguered by human settlement which is perceived by many to be out of control. Within this metropolis, the Grove is unique for its natural environment and its history, exerting a strong attraction for visitors, residents and businesses. Coconut Grove has some of the most valuable real estate in South Florida. This is both boon and bane for the Grove's constituents. Residential neighborhoods characterized by lush landscape and historical buildings are threatened by oversized new buildings. The commercial heart of the community has become one of the region's few urban destinations, with restaurants, cinema and franchise retail accommodating a heavy load of daily visitors. While the influx provides commercial benefit to most business owners, some are currently in distress, and visitor activity brings severe stress to residents in surrounding neighborhoods. Coconut Grove's location at the threshold to downtown Miami invites commuting traffic from points south to crowd not only its arterial streets but also to intrude into its local streets. Clearly, a plan which restricts kgelf to the boundaries of this community cannot solve problems produced by regional deficiencies. Until new growth in Dade County is structured to be transit oriented and transit served, and until additional destinations of equivalent urban quality are made, Cocuuut Grove will continue to attract more than its share of traffic and visitors. Thus, with regard to regionally generated concerns, it is obvious this study can only offer proposals of mitigation, not total resolution. And these measures of mitigation,. to be most effective, must be designed specific to the problem and specific to site. The Community Within its own borders, Coconut Grove can point to characteristics and assets which are highly valued by all its constituents and which, in the face of outside forces, present the challenge of their conservation and preservation. The character of the place exists, a new vision is not required. Rather its preservation, refinement and enhancement are the goal. This was clearly articulated in the Council's goals for the Study. To address the community's internal needs, the Study identified that the Grove has an urban structure which identifies places of differing character and needs: four neighborhoods, two districts, and eight corridors. Neighborhoods are mixed -use, primarily residential, pedestrian friendly areas: North, Central, West and South Grove. Districts are areas dominated by a single use: the Village Center and the Waterfront. Corridors are the connectors and separators of neighborhoods and districts: Bayshore Drive, Tigert;ul, 27th Avenue, Bird Avenue, MacDonald Street, Main Highway, Douglas Road, Grand Avenue, Le Jeune Road, and Dixie Highway. The identification of this structure of neighborhoods, districts and corridors in an existing urban condition facilitates analysis, design and implementation. Distance and dimension play an important role in a citizenry's perceived responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of urban places. A more elaborate description of neighborhoods, districts and corridors can be read in Appendix F. Streets and Buildings The character of public space and private building receives the greatest concern from private property owners in close proximity: the control of regional traffic on one's street, the control of building scale and quality on adjacent lots to one's own, are examples of issues that offer daily quality of life and long term investment value. This is the scale at which a community's character is established. It is at this scale that most of this Study's recommendations are made: with site specific design proposals as well as regulatory refinements which include building and landscape detail. From Region To Front Yard This Study attempts to treat all topics with an understanding of all three scales of concern, from regional, to community, to street. For example, cut -through traffic is addressed with traffic 2 11715 F calming suggestions which mitigate cut -through traffic on a given street without relegating the problem to a neighboring street. The retail study proposes balancing the needs of residents and visitors by adding the convenience shopping needed by local residents without destroying the regional attraction of the Village Center. The ultimate goal of this study is to help maintain a mixed use and mixed income, beautiful and valuable community at the heart of metropolitan Miami. This should be seen not only as a goal to serve the residents and business owners of Coconut Grove, but also as an absolute necessity for quality of life in all of South Florida. Coconut Grove is an important example to all surrounding communities striving for an ideal future. 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 (EXISTING CONDITIONS The following is a summary of the existing conditions in the neighborhoods, districts and corridors of Coconut Grove. The workshop notes which produced this summary can be found in Appendix "A". In addition, the following sections of the Study refer to specific existing conditions appropriate to each topic. The North Grove is a primarily residential area bounded oy route 1, 27th Avenue, the Waterfront and the Bay. The neighborhood's character is dominated by single family houses on medium to large lots under a generous tree canopy. Civic instinitions such as Vizcaya. Mercy Hospital and Ransom Everglades Middle School are regional destinations embedded within the neighborhood. A high rise residential colony on Grove Isle, high rise apartments and offices along Bayshore Drive, and a commercial front along Dixie Highway are also part of the North Grove. The concerns articulated by this neighborhood include: the need to control€e+ traffic intrusion into residential streets used to access the school and the hospital - the beautification of its public places, including its road corridors and parks - the preservation of trees, landscape, historic streets and buildings - regulatory control of lot splitting and building scale - the lack of recreational facilities for children and adolescents The Center Grove is bounded by Route 1, 27th Avenue, Oak Street and 32nd Avenue. The character of this area is somewhat ambiguous as it is in the midst of a several decade rebuilding resulting from a re -zoning of single family to low rise multi -family. Several distinct sectors within the neighborhood deserve attention, in order to encourage investment commitment exceeding the merely speculative approach which characterizes too much of the recent building. These areas need a predictable physical character and a uniform relationship of building to street. A retail center at Bird Ave. and 27th Ave provides neighborhood conveniences, and apartments, offices and automobile -oriented shopping along Route 1 add to the diversity of the Center Grove. The advantageous location of the Center Grove adjacent to the Village Center is offset by the stress caused by traffic and parking. The concerns articulated by this neighborhood include: - increasingdensity ensity and congestion - improvement of its corridors to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles without widening for vehicles - enhancement of pedestrian access to Metro -Rail - additional street tree planting, especially near the Village Center to discourage visitor parking - preservation of historic buildings threatened by higher density zoning - the recharacterization of streets fronted by high walls, gates and off-street parking - the need for a community center - ensuring compatibility of physical character and use of sites available for redevelopment - vandalism and trash from Village Center visitors passing through The West Grove is Miami's first Black neighborhood. A strong sense of history pervades this community; several workshop participants identified themselves as sixth generation residents of the neighborhood. The West Grove produced its own questionnaire in anticipation of its Planning Study workshop (included in Appendix A) and its attendance exceeded that of the others. 4 11715 ---J Boasting a classic neighborhood structure, the most complete compared to its neighbors, the West Grove has single family houses, duplexes, apartments, shops, schools, churches and cemeteries. Repressed by its current demographic situation and the racial discrimination of its history, the West Grove has numerous opportunities for improvement. A committed constituency of residents and business owners is already involved in a series of improvement plans and deserves the support of the surrounding community. West Grove concerns include: improving the Douglas Road and Grand Avenue corridors - developing a retail plan for Grand Avenue without commercial intrusion into impacting the parallel Florida and Thomas Avenues - renovating street and utility infrastructure - maintaining the dominant single family character of the neighborhood while infilling and upgrading building stock, and encouraging homeownership - additional housing - traffic intrusion in residential neighborhoods - the need for a youth activity center The Planning Study identifies a number of directions and strategies for the West Grove, and strongly recommends that a more detailed urban design plan which addresses streetscape and urban design building guidelines, street by street, be undertaken immediately to support the community's commitment to preservation and enhancement. The South Grove is a primarily residential area, bordered by Kumquat Avenue, the Bay, Battersea Road and Le Jeune Road. Dominantly residential in character, with single family homes on medium and large lots, the neighborhood is home to a number of significant historical buildings and institutions including several churches, Ransom Everglades Upper School, the Carrollton School, the Vanguard School and the Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden. As in the North Grove, regionally based traffic accessing these institutions and passing through on the way to downtown Miami cause stress not only to Main Highway but also to local streets used as shortcuts. South Grove concerns include: - traffic intrusion on local streets - traffic congestion caused by the schools along Main Highway - preservation of historic trees and landscape, and historic streets and buildings - regulatory control of lot splitting and building scale The Village Center is bounded by Oak Street, 27th Avenue, the Bay and Franklin Avenue. A regional shopping and entertainment destination, the Village Center is still the historic focus of Coconut Grove. As such it is the object of both considerable pride and regret: pride for its international renown, regret for its loss of local service and community identity. Existing conditions requiring attention include: - the MacDonald and 27th Avenue corridors and the connection to Metro -Rail - off-street parking, its quantity and the capped Parking Trust Fund acting as a moratorium on some retail development - the deterioration of Commodore Plaza - congestion at the main intersections - the aesthetics of buildings including retail frontages and tall blank rear walls facing residential areas - parking and trash problem overflow into adjacent residential areas - loss of small town commercial amenities - the need for organizing better bus and taxi parking - the future of developable sites such as the Playhouse parking lot, the post office, the Mutiny and the Naval Reserve Center - McFarlane Rd. development 5 11715 F The Waterfront includes all the publicly owned bayfront land from Peacock Park to Kennedy Park. Approximately a mile long, Coconut Grove's is one of scarce public waterfronts in the City of Miami and indeed in Dade County. A public charrette organized by the City in March `94 provides the basis for the Planning Study's recommendations for this district. Issues of concern include: - the completion of the public promenade - enhancement of the park's landscape - restoration and re -use of the historic hangar buildings - control of parking for recreation and not business uses - consolidation of service to boaters including the boat ramp and its required parking, and the establishment of a harbormaster. L-. _1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 MASTER PLAN PESCRIPTION OF STRATEGIC ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION vav ®z�i= iY P! 6r The master plan illustrates the goal of the planning study - that is, the maintenance and enhancement of a mixed use, mixed -income, unique, beautiful and valuable community located at the heart of metropolitan Miami. A series of recommendations is dcscribed in the repeat sections which follow. They belong to one of three categories of action: - regulatory - management recommendations - design specific to neighborhood, district and corridor The following is a summary of these recommendations. Their further explanation in the topic sections of this document includes suggestions for methods of implementation. Regulations Revise the City of Miami Preservation Ordinance Implement the Ad Valorem Tax program Add a Thematic Resource District section to the Preservation Ordinance and designate six new districts with design guidelines specific to each Designate all National Register sites Revise City of Miami l ,"&eape Environmental Preservation Ordinance Using County Tree Ordinance as foundation, add all the more demanding elements of the City's ordinance Strengthen the fines and mitigation policies Revise the building permit process, reversing the order to require a tree survey and an analysis of the impact of the pro-ject on trees at the beginning of the review process appkeatieFk Revise City of Miami Environmental Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 17, following the recommendations of this report Revise the City of Miami Zoning Ordinance to promote compatibility of new construction with historic context, following the recommendations of this report Revise the Parking Trust Fund regulations Management Add an historic and environmental preservation officer M a resource for the two NET offices. Institute annual preservation and conservation education workshops for residents Institute Comprehensive survey and listing of historic sites Develop a method of property acquisition for completion of uniform right-of-way for 27th Avenue and Bird Avenue 11715 7 L_ _j Initiate organization of Waterfront mooring facility, including institution of harbormaster Institute a one -stop approval process for affordable housing, including the waiving of all permit fees Develop a unified merchandising strategy for the Village Center clarifying the location and relationship of regional destination and local convenience retail facilities Design Projects Provide detailed urban design plans specifically for the West Grove, the Village Center, and the Waterfront (to consolidate prior design efforts and to elaborate on the recommendations of this report), Develop specific designs for each park in Coconut Grove (schematic designs are included in this report) Prepare plans for trolley connection between the Metrorail and the Village Center Prepare specific streetscape designs and engineering for each of the corridors, following the recommendations of this report Implement recommended neighborhood street improvements, including traffic calming designs for specific locations in the neighborhoods, landscape plans for augmented street tree planting, and the addition of a bicycle path network on designated streets Study the replacement of the overhead utilities underground Develop design for harbormaster building, dock and revised boatramp at the Seminole Dock Develop specific design for landscape improvements of spoil islands Develop pre -permitted plans for several single-family and duplex infill houses for purchase by developers to ensure compatibility and neighborhood enhancement through new building Initiate the design and development of a new public parking stricture in the Village Center Add bicycle lanes to designated streets L COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 avow axnaf 31 MASTER PLAN 11715 F m COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 VILLAGE CENTER DISTRICT 10 11715 -1 F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 MASTER PLAN ILLUSTRATIONS Design and thawing, Charles Barrett, 1996 South Entry of the Village Center Proposal for a two story retail front, concealing the parldng garage adjacent to the Playhouse along Main Highway 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 MASTER PLAN ILLUSTRATIONS Design and Drawing, Charles Barren, 1996 West Entry of the Village Center at Grand Avenue and Commodore Plaza Proposal for new buildings on both sides of MacDonald Street with retail at ground level I M 5 m COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 MASTER PLAN ILLUSTRATIONS r W Design and Drawing, Charles Barren, 1996 Proposal for new parking garage at the Fuddrucker's site with retail at ground floor along Grand Avenue L 1015 -j {r IMM 0. 444 rx 1. 11? F`Y r 1L,2 � J F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 MASTER FLAN ILLUSTRATIONS Design and Drawing, Charles Barrett, 1996 View of the Seminole Dock Proposal for a pergola along the baywalk with Dockmaster's building beyond — __j �rLj4 r _n � ' d ` t• t � � -•�.M' it tit �� / q ' \k -1 �k.a t:qg ?!"� ';i.+_ r�..'�� �•t :!< .. -• ;L�t?t. / . _ #{. e': M, '..f� � J�•Eih';1�.� • '� `�,- _ fl,?Jr1f f� TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Overview '? . Historical Photograph . L- COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 IHSTORY BY ARVA MOORE PARK 18 20 1$ii5 __j COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 MSTORY AN OVERVIEW BY ARVA MOORE PARKS Summary Coconut Grove, a sprinkle of land in a tropical paradise, attracted South Florida's earliest settlers. The Grove pioneers were a hardy lot. Determined and eager, they endured the challenge of wars and wilder-ess. Early homesteaders like Edmund "Alligator" Beasley, iohn Frow and the Pent family survived the Seminole conflicts and claimed acres of prime Coconut drove waterfront under the U.S. Homestead laws. With bravado, they settled this undeveloped land and their homesteads comprised the heart of Coconut Grove in the 19th century. In time, more and more pioneers, whetted by an appetite for adventure, came to Coconut Grove's shores. Englishman "Jolly" Jack Peacock arrived in the early 1870s and settled south of Beasley. Staten Islander Ralph Munroe visited the area in 1877 and transformed the landscape forever. He convinced his friends, Charles and Isabella Peacock, who had come to the area at the behest of Charles' brother, Jack, to build a hotel among the unspoiled wilderness. The Peacocks opened the Bay View House in 1884 on the ridge in what is now Peacock Park. The following winter, Ralph Munroe brought in the first tourists, and re -christened the area "Cocoanut Grove" after he discovered that there had been a post office by that name. Ironically, there were only two coconut trees in the Grove at the time. By the time the railroad reached Miami in 1896, "Cocoanut Grove" was a thriving community of over a hundred people. It exploded with dizzying growth. Two general stores, a bathing casino, numerous wharves, a waterfront factory, a school house, church, woman's club and a blacksmith shop dotted the landscape. With an eclectic spirit, Coconut Grove became the cosmopolitan heart of young Miami. South Florida's first black community developed as pioneers, almost exclusively from the Bahamas, came to work at the Peacock Inn. They taught the newcomers how to live in the tropics and built fine "conch" houses, churches and clubs on what later became Charles Avenue. Fisherman and comptie (wooy, tropical plants) diggers rubbed elbows with what one writer called the "most sophisticated group of settlers this side of Tidewater Virginia." People like William Deering and William Matheson helped give the bayfront the nickname, "Millionaire's Row." When the United States entered World War I, the community catapulted to center stage. Dinner Key became one of the first naval air stations in the United States. Over 1000 aviators trained on the 31 acre peninsula. By 1919 the world was safe for democracy once again, and Groveites were eager to return to the unpoisoned pleasures of their pre-war life. Residents lobbied to close the noisy and disruptive station. Firmly clasping to their independence and needing political muscle to fight the base, the citizens of Coconut Grove incorporated the Town of Coconut Grove in 1919--complete with a city hall, fire department, motorcycle police force, municipal dock and town seal. In the early 1920s, the town fathers hired a Philadelphia architect, John Irwin Bright to create a master plan. The plan promoted the grandiose Mediterranean style architecture that can still be seen in the old Coconut Grove Bank and Coconut Grove Theater. The Bright Plan also included impressive municipal buildings flanking a man-made mirror lake - today's MacFarlane Road. The black community would have been relocated north of the railroad track into a planned development with bath houses and day care centers and their neighborhood was slated to become a golf course. Although adopted, the plan was never fully implemented. 11'7115 F Coconut Grove remained an incorporated town until September t925, when, despite the protests of area residents, the rapacious City of Miami gobbled it up. In 1929, amidst the pangs of depression, a fledgling Pan American Airways bought out the New York, Rio and Buenos Aires airline had been flying seaplanes from a houseboat terminal at Dinner Key. Soon the "Flying Clippers were leaving Dinner Key for points all over Central and South America, the Caribbean and the West Indies. By the time Pan Am built a new Art Deco terminal in 1934, Coconut Grove was the true "Gateway to the Americas." Pan Am continued to fly from Dinner Key until the armed forces returned to the site during World War 11. The airline never.came back after the war, and within a few years, the City of Miami acquired its property and transformed it into Miami City )'Tall. The post-war years brought new residents and Coconut Grove became a laboratory for America's rising social currents. Father Theodore Gibson and Elizabeth Virride pioneered "slum clea*ance" in the West Grove. Artists mingled with the upscale in the hometown setting. Developer George Engle built the gray fake -stone Engle Building on the corer of Main Highway and MacFarlane Road and his Florida Pharmacy served the affluent. In 1955, Engle couverred the abandoned Coconut Grove Movie Theater into the Coconut Grove Playhouse. With its opening in 1956 and the hippie invasion of the 1960s, the Grove became an artists' haven. A long way from undeveloped marshlands, the area was now a hybrid of sorts --vagabonds mixed with the wealthy, artists lived among the millionaires, and its domestic tranquillity battlers the forces of change. The 1960s brought the area its first high-rise - the Coconut Grove Bank building. Within a few years, development threatened the whole bayfront. It took the brazen Munroe family, who sold the Barnacle to the State of Florida in 1973 instead of zoning the area for apartments, to finally stem the tide. By 1974, a planning study and subsequent zoning change stopped the concrete encroachment. The 1974 changes, however, also encouraged greater development in the Village Center. By the late 70s Mayfair opened and many of the quaint Mom and Pop establishments disappeared - casualties of rising property values and higher taxes. In 1991, a new development called CocoWalk opened on the site of Bright's proposed Coconut Grove Municipal Center. Built in a style that echoed his vision, CocoWalk gave the Grove a town square and has become a centerpiece for South Florida's flourishing tourist economy. Today, Coconut Grove remains part of the City of Miami. The profoundly original community, born out of the labors of homesteaders, steadfastly holds to its independent roots. Its spirit is seen in lush, tropical vegetation and tree -lined streets. It glows from sparkling waters and echoes from flapping sails. It emanates from an active citizenry who fight against over development. It thrives, despite change, and among the tides of homogenized suburbs, Coconut Grove still remains uniquely itself. COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HISTORY PHOTOGRAPHS J w .rr�wj we.a,� a . n.. rr..n.. . aI • a JrJ. . rr. rr. J .i n.b.rY. By 1896, all of the available land in Coconut Grove had been acquired through the Homestead Act. 1171. 0 0 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION BY ROCCO CEO AND MARIA NARDI / CEO AND NARDI, INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 22 2. Neighborhoods / Problems and Opportunities i Recommendations 23 3. General Recommendations 28 4. Thematic Resource District 29 5. Implementation / Incentives 30 6. Illustrations 32 F 1 -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRJESERVATION INTRODUCTION New Text Community character is what distinguishes one place from another and makes a community a desirable place to live and work. As witnessed by a healthy tourist economy, community character is also attractive to visitors who amongst ether :kings come to a community to experience its character as defined by its cultural, historic and natur�J assets. Communities are also in constant change, demographically, economically and socially and with these inevitable changes are pressures that question how much a community can change before its cha.-acter and identity are thrown into the balance. Poorly managed growth erodes character and identity rapidly, not only impacting historic sites but all of a community's cultural and natural assets not to mention general quality of life. It is the responsibility of local government to create ways to manage growth that helps to preserve and maintain a community's unique identity. One tool that local government has to manage growth is preservation. Preservation has two categories that broadly define its objectives; they are, asisthetim preservation regulations, which preserve traditional scale and land use patterns, and fiscal incentives which stimulate certain types of private investment which could include rehabilitation of historic structures and the creation of new businesses. Preservation A astiietie regulations include historic districts, architectural and landscape guidelines, tree and sign ordinances and preservation laws for open space. Fiscal incentives include property tax abatements, freezes and credits as well as direct grant or loan programs. Although these benefits often exceed the perceived detriments, it is important to point out why benefits are often controversial. Preservation AesthetiG regulations are often seen as restrictive to private propgM rights and detrimental to economic interests because they are seen as preventing property owners from getting as much income as they might if the property were free from restrictions. The ability to destroy a building to build a much larger more profitable building must be weighed against the economic benefits of keeping a historic building. Keeping sites such as the Barnacle and Viscaya has made Coconut Grove more attractive, raised property values of surrounding sites, and has attracted tourists and shoppers to local businesses thereby increasing expenditures for lodging, food, gasoline, and souvenirs. Fiscal incentives although less controversial also generate considerable debate about allocating public funds to promote special interests especially when tax benefits are given. Fiscal incentives are however often needed to encourage rehabilitation of historic sites in order to help defray additional costs that might be associated with preserving a historic structure. The text that follows outlines some of the issues that face Coconut Grove and looks at how one could more adequately face the preservation of Coconut Grove's community character. The collective benefits of preservation are illustrated in the unique character that each community maintains, and how well that community identifies with it and is identified by it. 22 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAh1I, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION NEIGHBORHOODS / PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES / RECOMMENDATIONS North Grove Problems and Opportunities The North Grove is well anchored by Vizcaya which crosses South Bayshore Drive and assists in creating the character of the Scenic corridor. North of this site along Brickell is millionaires row, which contain a number of large estates that stretch between Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Bay which both individually and collectively could be considered for designation. Concentrating at the corner of SE 32nd Road and Brickell are the Coleman Estate, Villa Serena, J.S. Joyce Estate, and the Amelia White Estate. These are fine examples of construction from the early 1900's in hammock sites. Threatened because of their large lot size (100' x 500' average), future lot splitting or incompatible development can easily turn a majestic street into walled subdivisions. Because these sites contain large mansions with lush tropical Hammocks, they represent a double loss unless creative techniques are employed to encourage restoration, adaptive reuse, and easements for these historic sites. Designation of this district would extend the Vizcaya Historic GemeFvatiear dir,#ir-t Site northeast helping to connect Wainwright park with Vizcaya. Equally important are the sites that flank Bayshore Drive south of Vizcaya. A number of sites lining both the low street side and high elevation of the bluff have created much of the character of the street. These sites are continually under stress due to some pavement wideninga read widetliRg pfojeets and incompatible development. Careful consideration should be given to all future right-of-way improvements so that the character of Bayshore Drive is maintained and the buildings are not further separated from their immediate context. This area is known for having some of the earliest architecture in the Silver Bluff and New Biscayne Subdivision. Lots tend to be long and thin measuring 50' x 500' with some sites like the Trapp House having access on both Tigertail and Bayshore Drive. In the Preservation plan we have identified a number of sites around 17th avenue that individually and collectively could be designated. The last area to be identified for designation is the subdivision of King Park. This 1923 subdivision is complete with at least 50% historic fabric and some of the best examples of Mediterranean revival architecture. Lot sizes vary from wide and shallow to long and deep due to the arrow -head shape of the subdivision. The subdivision is also unique in that its orientation is toward the Bay instead of the Miami Street grid system and therefore carries the memory of the shoreline even though it is a considerable distance away. Recommendations 1. Designate properties and districts. Brickell Avenue, Bayshore Drive and King park are identified as potential historic districts. Designation of these sites and Districts would further protect the scenic corridor and further preserve the character of a range of different lot types, landscapes and subdivisions. 2. Include original street names with numbers on street signs so that cultural connections to individuals and natural features can be remembered and retained. L F Target Groups Ba}�Hei Homeowners Association Coconut Grove Park Homeowners Association Coconut Grove Civic Club Cocoanut Grove Village Council Friends of Wainwright Park Natoma Manors Homeowners Association Tigertail Homeowners Association Vizcayans Womans Club of Coconut Grove Waterfront Problems and Opportunities The waterfront presents special challenges for preservation because it contains representative examples of some of Coconut Grove's finest historic sites such as the Pan American Seaplane Base and the Barnacle, yet is stretched along a waterfront that is discontinuous as a linear public park. The challenge will be in how to preserve the integrity of existing historic sites while sensitively incorporating future adjacent sties and programs. Additionally, there is community interest in the rehabilitation of the Virrick Gym, the 1934 Art Deco office annex, and a number of hangars for adaptive reuse. The waterfront, as indicated in the masterplan, is seen as a linear park with historic structures beaded along its length. Kennedy Park, Bayside Park, Peacock Park and, ultimately, the Barnacle State Historic Site, are four primary green spaces in this sequence. Recommendations Rehabilitate the Virrick Gym, hangars and Art Deco Annex. Target Groups Barnacle Association Chamber of Commerce Coconut Grove Civic Club Womans Club of Coconut Grove Cocoanut Grove Village Council Center Grove Problems & Opportunities The Center Grove has already felt the effects of adjacent commercial development in a residential setting. Having the greatest variety of zoning uses, the juxtaposition of scale and density has put an incredible stress on what historic fabric has survived. Add to this cut -through traffic, overflow parking, and an increased disregard for the area by weekend visitors, and you have a neighborhood with problems. Residents have also expressed a concern for the preservation of the remaining Dade County Pine Residences. The primary opportunities for this area are in the designation of individual sites and the encouragement of more compatible development adjacent to historic sites. Without designation of the Dade County Pine residences, there are few opportunities for tax incentives or grants. Incentive zoning could offer some relief from the adverse effects of development. 11715 24 Recommendations Incentive zoning has often been used to allow developers an increase in density in return for providing public benefits such as preservation of historic buildings, affordable housing, community or day care facilities. Unfortunately, increasing densities has also added to the problems one wants to avoid. Many cities such as San Francisco, and New York now require developers to provide public benefits while still building within required densities, af:� in a compatible way with the community. Funds generated from incentive zoning, like iffipaGt fee&, could be used for providing additional services for the neighborhood or go toward the acquisition, and or rehabilitation of a historic building for a community center. Target Groups Center Grove Homeowners Association Coconut Grove Civic Club Coconut Grove Treeman Trust Cocoanut Grove Village Council Dade Heritage Trust Florida Ave Homeowners Florida Ave. Homeowners Association Village Center Problems and Opportunities The Village Center is a nervous mixture of important historic sites and the Grove's most successful commercial development. The Coconut Grove Playhouse is considering plans for the expansion of its parking facilities but should do so in a way that does not negatively impact adjacent streets or the integrity of their historic building. Indeed, much of what has been done to the commercial district has buried or greatly altered the character of the historic fabric of Main Highway. Residents and businesses alike expressed concern over the lack of continuity of storefronts along Main Highway; they asked for greater uniformity in signage, canopies, and the amount of fenestration along the street, while maintaining the older architecture's eclectic character. Design guidelines should be considered for the regulation of future renovation of the streetscape. Many Mediterranean style buildings from the 1920's lie buried within the fabric undermining the economic benefits of preserving the areas original small town character. Recommendations Consider the development of Design Guidelines for stores along Main Highway and on all historic buildings. Target Groups Coconut Grove Treeman Trust Coconut Grove Chamber Of Commerce Coconut Grove Civic Club Cocoanut Grove Village Council 11715 25 L -a West Grove Problems and Opportunities A strong and historically important community continues to be threatened both by lack of economic development and by incompatible building development; there is also aR4 a lack of impiemen of incentives for preservation and restoration. A well defined community of Bahamian ancestry. the West Qrove has strong civic Drive in building its community. The West Grove has a concentration of early one and two-story wood frame buildings that are some of Miami's earliest Dade County Pine vernacular structures. Streets such as Charles Avenue have a sufficient concentration of historic buildings that make it suitable for designation as a district. Individua4 site de6ignatien would District designation (see below) would curb iricompadble development and ciinie by creating funding opportunities for new construction. With the aid of relief from current zoning regulations and setbacks, new construction could be compatible with the existing historic fabric. Wood Frame construction with porches that front the street would assist in retaining its character. The larger scale drawing of Charles Avenue indicates possible infill scenarios for new single family housing. In these three infill sites, the porch is shown encroaching into the front yard setback to create better compatibility with adjacent historic fabric. Current zoning requirements require that the building setback be 20 feet from the front property line. With designation as a district, guidelines could be tailored into the HC District to allow for better more livable and compatible infill architecture. Recommendations 1. Designate individual site 2. Designate Charles Avenue (Evangelist Street) as a district. 3. Create guidelines and zoning relief from setbacks for new sites adjacent to historic sites to allow new construction compatibility with historic fabric.'This could be accomplished by creating a historic conservation district and then tailoring an ordinance to allow for new construction to be compatible with historic fabric. 4. Propose the construction of new oolitic rock walls around parking and the adjacent cemetery to complete the rehabilitation of the corner of Charles Avenue and Douglas Road. 5. Educate the public about the incentives for restoration, rehabilitation, preservation of historic sites, and the incentives for new construction through community workshops (See Incentives and general recommendations). Target Groups Coconut Grove CAA -CD Board Coconut Grove Cemetery association Coconut Grove Civic Club Cocoanut Grove Village Council Dade Heritage Trust Florida Ave. Homeowners Association Local Development CoMgration Stirrup Grove Homeowners West Grove Homeowners and Tenants Association L 26 116ry 15 South Grove Problems and Opportunities The South Grove's primary preservation question is the loss of community character due to incompatible development. Lot -splitting with higher density on large parcels is as much a problem as land assemblage and large scale building that occurs in smaller scale neighborhoods. As land value increases, there is a reciprocal pressure to neglect or destroy historic buildings and landscapes for the potential rewards of future development. Increased development tends to increase assessed values of surrounding sites making taxes higher, pressuring surrounding sites to follow development patterns. Designation of individual sites and districts is the first step in eligibility for funding for tax incentives for restoration. The South Grove has a number of subdivisions with historic fabric that are eligible for resignation. Well defined, dense Coconut Grove Park has a Cartesian clarity, unique in Coconut Grove. Plaza Street and Palmetto Ave cross in the center of a green marking the center corners of the subdivision. With street names such as Loquat, Avocado, Palmetto, Royal Palm and Poinciana, it is easy to see why the dense landscape has a park like setting. With a lot size of 50' x 140', Coconut Grove Park has a deeper lot size than the typical Miami lot of 50' x 100'. This lot type has allowed for buildings to have cottages and outbuildings placed deep to the rear of the lot creating well defined streets, with private retreats to the interior of the block. The Cartesian quality of the plan with its preference for the east west direction is subtly transformed by the rolling natural landscape of solution holes and small bluffs. The subdivision is picturesque, retaining much of its original architecture which is a range of oolitic rock bungalows, cottages, and Mediterranean style buildings with Moorish detailing. Lot assemblage and incompatible development have, however, begun to erode the fabric of this subdivision and, unless more protection is sought, the park -like setting of this neighborhood will be lost. Bay view Road and the triangle are another example of an area available for designation. Originally the Sunshine Fruits Company Subdivision, the street retains the Dade County Pine and Oolitic Rock Bungalows and Mediterranean Revival buildings of the early 1900's. Started as winter residences for absentee owners of fruit groves, the street was once complete with grapefruit trees, solution holes, and a majestic row of Washingtonia Robusta palms. Many of the Washingtonia Robusta and fruit trees remain but are now being lost due to incompatible development or lack of funds for their maintenance. The street retains most of its original character and platting but needs designation as a district to encourage compatibility of future development and to create incentives for the restoration of houses currently existing. Much of the background work is in place for the designation application. Historic buildings and landscapes can be retained through designation, implementation of tax credits for restoration, and through easement programs. Recommendations 1. Designate individual sites such as the Kampong as indicated in the plan. Seek designation of Coconut Grove Park and Bayview Road as districts in order to encourage compatibility of future development and the restoration of existing landscape features and buildings. 2. Implement tax incentive programs such as the Ad Valorem tax program iR the City of Mi;;Mi and easement programs that preserve the character of the street. and plan. 3. Implement design guidelines for the subdivisions so that future development has a model to work from for compatibility. Target Groups Cocoanut Grove Village Council Land Trust of Dade County Coconut Grove Civic Club South Grove Homeowners 27 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PFXSERVATION GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS In Order of Priority 1. Increase City Staff in Preservation; prov' and add a preservation officer to the NET office as a resource for community efforts and education. OF&n��s-is-a-�� _ . 2. Educational workshops for citizens on: Tax Incentives Designation Process Local, State, and National Resources Coordination of Local Groups toward common goal 3. Dramatically increase the number of designated sites in Coconut Grove. The preservation plan proposes an increase of approximately 540 sites. Many existing National Register sites and pending or proposed sites can be immediately designated such as the Kampong, and the Cemetery on Charles Avenue. 4. Designate Districts with design guidelines specific to each area or subdivision. The proposed Besigaated districts are: 1. King Park Subdivision 2. Bay View Road 3. Charles Avenue; including a section of Plaza Street 4. Coconut Grove Park Subdivision 5. Brickell Avenue 6. South Bayshore Drive These are illustrated below but the boundaries and specific details of designation would need to be refined.' Additional research may identify other districts. too. 5. Study and modify the current City of Miami Preservation Ordinance to allow for a broader range of preservation possibilities and incentives. Implement the Ad Valorem Tax Program, revise the language of the Preservation Ordinance, if necessary, to allow Designated Districts. Encourage local 6. Revise zoning to allow for better compatibility of new construction with historic fabric of buildings and landscapes. For example: Allow for front porches to encroach into the front setback area to allow for conformity with surrounding fabric. 7. Draft an ordinance for a Thematic Resource District for parts of Coconut Grove as an additional incentive for the preservation of historic buildings and sites. This could be treated as an overlay district in the Zoning. ordinance. 1171528 L_ � F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION THEMATIC RESOURCE DISTRICT New Text A Thematic Resource District (TRD) is designed to be a protective land use element in the CDMP that outlines a mechanism and criteria for local governments to implement when called for. It is an umbrella land use designation that will allow the appropriate body to tailor a plan for any specifically defined area that meets the criteria and cur. include: ove►lay zoning, ruchitectsral and landscape design guidelines, conservation and preservation strategies, community development strategies, as well as incentive programs to accomplish these goals. In essence, a TRD is intended to streamline land use regulations as they apply to a specific area to make them compatible and complimentary to the broader objectives of the community. In order for a TRD to be officially designated, the area would have to meet 3 out of the 5 following criteria. A TRD should have: 1. A unique or historic architectural character present throughout the defined area. For example, in the case of Coconut Grove it is its variety of small scale architecture from the turn of the century to the 1930's and its dense landscape of both native and exotic plants. 2. Natural or historic landscape features such as natural forest communities, public or private landscape themes which are prevalent throughout the area. 3. Specialized commerce. For example, a concentration of resort industry, antique or design districts, or specific economic development objectives. 4. A unique town or suburban plan which is specifically noteworthy for its design and because it serves the community in some quantitative way. 5. Other cultural features such as archeological sites, notable infrastructure improvements which directly contribute to the aesthetic character of a community, or special public amenities. When an area is determined to meet the necessary criteria for a TRD, the objectives for the community need to be defined so a program can be designed. 29 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION IMPLEMENTATION / INCENTIVES Ad Valorem Tax Exemption TheAd Valorem Tax Exemptions is a historic preservation property tax exemption available in Florida. The purpose of this state legislation is to encourage preservation by "freezing" ad valorem taxes at the rate they were assessed before improvements are made. This "freezing" is accomplished by removing from the assessment the incremental value added by the authorized improvements. The City of Miami is currently drafting an ordinance for this program through the Historic and Environmental Preservation Office. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program This federally funded program provides funds for local activities which improve the quality of life in blighted neighborhoods, and provides the expansion of economic opportunities for persons of low to moderate income. The City of Miami's CDBG Program is required to be implemented within the physical boundaries of eight neighborhood target areas identified as needing economic development, revitalization, housing and infrastructure improvements. The West Grove was identified as one target area and was found eligible for CDBG funding. To be eligible for CDBG funding, federal policies require that each activity (1) benefit low or moderate income persons, (2) aid in the prevention of slum or blight, and (3) meet other community development needs having a threat to the health and welfare of the community. Funds can be used for acquiring real property, interim assistance activities, economic development activities, assisting private for profit entities, historic preservation, the finance or subsidizing of construction of new permanent residences, rehabilitation of public or private property, and code enforcement. This program is available through the City of Miami Community Development Office: (305) 579-2461. Florida Enterprise Zone Program The Community Contribution Tax Credit Program (CCTCP) provides an incentive (50% tax credit) to encourage Florida corporations to make donations toward community development and low income housing projects. The tax credit is easy for a business to receive. Corporations located anywhere in Florida that make donations to approved community development projects may receive a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the value of the donation. This program is conducted through the Florida Department of Commerce in Tallahassee, Florida: (904) 488-9357. Historic Preservation Grants - In - Aid Locally designated historic properties may be eligible for Historic Preservation Grants -In -Aid. Eligibility of these properties increase if they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This program is available to not -for -profit organizations, units of the county or units of local governments, and departments or agencies of the state including State Universities. This program is available through the Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation in the Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, Florida: (904) 487-2333. Investment Tax Credit For Low Income Housing This legislation provides for an investment tax credit for acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of qualifying units of low income housing. There is a 9% tax credit per year for 10 years for each unit of low income housing acquired, constructed, or rehabilitated without other Federal subsidies and a 4% tax credit for 10 years for units involving Federal subsidies or tax-exempt bonds. This 11715 30 program is available through the Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation in the Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, Florida: (904) 487-2333 The Historic Homeownership Assistance Act This Federal legislation provides an incentive to individuals to restore and preserve historic homes by providing an income tax credit for qualified rehabilitation expenditures to historic homes. Approval is pending. Easement Programs An easement is a partial interest in real property, through donation or purchase, recorded in the deed, protecting the identifying elements of the interior/exterior or space around the property deemed important to be preserved. An easement program enables a tax-exempt, charitable organization or public agency to protect buildings or land against potential adverse development or changes by acquiring partial interests in such properties. This program protects a property without burdening an organization with the costs associated with full ownership. The property becomes in a real sense a public/private partnership. Types of easements vary from Scenic or Open Space Easements to Exterior or Facade Easements, to Interior Easements. Easements can also restrict uses of a property, preventing a residential site from becoming commercial, or undeveloped land from incompatible intensive uses. Easements ultimately have federal tax incentives allowing owners to take a charitable contribution deduction for federal income, estate and gift tax purposes for the value of the easement. State easement programs vary and one should consult with a lawyer before setting up any easement program. Revolving Fund A revolving fund, normally administered by a non-profit or government agency, establishes a monetary basis on which property can be bought, improved, maintained, and sold outright. Revolving fund monies are subsequently returned and reused. The funds act to create a new economic and social force in the community. 31 11'715 F y COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY NIIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION PROPOSED AND EXISTING DESIGNATED HISTORIC SITES N a c`i Ate, 4_ a`i " a� • i ��!► \t b A ❑ � o J} t O H � fit c ° \ m A \ u t vo- �- U'f N Af •ltt���n� i Y'i�v. ram~ t\ - \` `��Yri I If y O ` � ■ � O it ,' c � I u .II • ��� is � y � y o" p1 r�rl�Mr �e �. 40 r ': ter.■ \,� � C r � - stow E.; r 33 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 PRESERVATION PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND SPECIAL ZONING DISTRICTS 34 11715 t COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE BY SAVINO AND MILLER DESIGN STUDIO TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Existing Conditions (natural environment, open space development, illustrations) 36 2. Neighborhoods and Districts (overview, recommendations, illustrations) 40 3. Parks and Recreation (overview, recommendations) 43 4. Streetscape and Corridors (overview, recommendations, illustrations) 45 5. Private Property and Open Space 51 6. Policy Amendments 53 7. Catalytic Projects 54 8. Funding Sources 55 1 015 L— ___.1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE EXISTING CONDITIONS THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Coconut Grove is located on the southeast coastline of Dade County, Florida roughly two miles ,,outh of the Miami. River, between the Rickenbacker Causeway to the north and the Coral Gables Waterway to the south. Its western perimeter is defined by U.S. 1 (Dixie Highway) which parallels the shoreline in a northwest direction. Its location along the coast is ideally situated to take advantage of the prevailing southeasterly winds blowing off Biscayne Bay. Along this coastline, an oolitic limestone ridge (part of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge) provides an ideal habitat for tropical hardwood and pineland hammocks. Part of the unique character of Coconut Grove is formed by the eastern edge of this ridge, known as the Silver Bluff. It is most prominent along the bay -front to the north of Kennedy Park. South Florida is known for its distinctive plant life and diversity. It is the only environment in the continental United States which supports a naturalized communityof tropical flora. The origin of the flora is generally considered to be the Caribbean islands to the south and east, migrating by means of water, wind, animal and human activity. In addition, South Florida supports non -tropical (northern), exotic, and native species which add to the tremendous plant diversity of the region. Nowhere is this more evident than in Coconut Grove. The higher elevation and particular soil and geological characteristics of the Silver Bluff/Atlantic Coastal Ridge created an ecological niche and habitat for tropical hardwood hammock environments (Quercus, Bursera, Simaruba, Lysiloma, Eugenia spp.). In Coconut Grove, the hardwood hammock dominated the coastal area from Rickenbacker Causeway south to the Mercy Hospital area. Remnants of this type of hammock can be found today in Wainwright Park, Vizca and a small pocket at the Barnacle/Commodore Bay site. The remainder of the coastline - between the Silver Bluff formation and Biscayne Bay - was inhabited by a thin band of coastal hammock plant species (Mangrove, Spartina, Wax Myrtle, Buttonwood). (See Map Existing Vegetation and Topography) Behind Silver Bluff, the higher elevations of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge limestone formation became ideal habitat for the slash pine/scrub plant community (Pinus elliotti, Pinus palustris, Serenoa repens, Zamia spp.). In terms of acreage, the pineland hammock was the dominant plant community in Coconut Grove. Many of the early homes and buildings found in Coconut Grove were built from this "Dade County Pine" forest. Unfortunately, due to its poor sustainability in development areas and the relative ease of clearing pineland compared to the hardwood hammocks, most of the pineland is gone today. It is worth noting that much of the pineland was cleared initially for agricultural development, then later for housing. Perhaps less well known is the history of cultivated fruits which were grown in and around Coconut Grove. Grapefruit plantations were widespread in the area. The Hayden Mango and the Trapp Avocado were developed in Coconut Grove. At one time, a thriving guava plantation and fruithouse could be found on the Kampong property. The early Bahamian settlers were instrumental in bringing other tropical fruits to the area, and taught the white settlers how to cultivate the difficult and rocky limestone terrain. 36 11715 _j OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT Overview Today, Coconut Grove is characterized by an abundant and diverse plant community. This wealth of trees is probably the most obvious and beneficial aspect of the Grove, and is the principal contributor to its unique character and image. For this reason, this study will focus on ways and means to: A. Preserve trees (and palms) in areas with already dense stands of vegetation B. Enhance places in Coconut Grove where there is sparse vegetation Existing Conditions The existing vegetation was studied with aerial maps; these quickly provide a glimpse of where preservation and enhancement measures are most needed (Fee Map Existing Tree Canopy). The North Grove (except for the Bay Heights area) and South Grove, being stable single-family neighborhoods, have a dense and evenly distributed tree canopy, and lend themselves to focus on preservation measures. For various reasons, such as retail/commercial development (Downtown), lack of funds and proper maintenance (West Grove), and densification (Center Grove), the tree canopy in these areas needs to be enhanced. The attitude toward the vegetation aspect of the Study was evident in the neighborhood workshops, where participants expressed the need for preservation or enhancement based on whether they had extensive tree canopy, or did not. Notably, in the West Grove workshop, participants voiced their concern that trees along Grand Avenue were not maintained as well as those further east in the downtown district. A group in Center Grove concerned about random crime and their vicinity to the Downtown is advocating tree planting as a means to detract visitors to park in their neighborhood. COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE EXISTING TREE CANOPY 'Crd -IN[TW 31 L- 5100 38 11715 I I= -0 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE OPENSPACE INSTITUTIONAL i z L HIM 11 39 11715 i -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS Overview The neighborhoods identified in the Coconut Grove Planning Study are defined by various means: regional location, demographics, zoning, streetscape corridors and historical use. Yet, while sharing many characteristics, each neighborhood has unique conditions and characteristics which require unique responses. In terms of landscape and open space improvements, some neighborhoods need to institute measures which preserve vegetation, while others are in greater need to enhance their vegetation. Generally though, the planning study for Open Space & Recreation recommends: 1. Street tree planting for those streets with little or no tree canopy 2. Creation of a streetscape network of paths, signage and planting which orients pedestrians and bicyclists to neighborhood and community facilities and points of interest, i.e. parks, places of worship, schools, and historic places 3. Thematic plant associations, such as hammock, pineland, or tropical species, which can help to define the various neighborhoods In addition, general policy recommendations for private development are proposed to: 1. Increase planting (enhancement) presently required under the Metro Dade Landscape Ordinance 2. Increase required "green" space or building setbacks (preservation) under the City of Miami Zoning Ordinance Landscape And Open Space Recommendations North Grove Streetscape A. Our recommendations for a streetscape program in North Grove include: 1. Planting improvements on Tigertail Avenue, 27th Avenue and Bayshore Drive 2. Improvements to continuous wall on south ROW of U.S. 1 from 17th Avenue to I-95, possibly including: a. Art installation by local artists or school children; b. Living fence of creeping fig (Ficus repens) w/ Thrinax palms 3. Streetscape "infill" where tree canopy is sparse, esp. In Bay Heights Area (tropical hammock trees; Live Oak, Gumbo Limbo, Paradise Tree, Strangler Fig). 4. Create a viable bike lane running north and south on Bayshore Drive 5. Signage/graphics system for user orientation at key intersections and points of interest 6. Streetscape planting on key streets to churches, parks, historic places and schools L— Center Grove Neighborhood Concerns A. The major concern in the Center Grove neighborhood is the problem of vehicular/parking overflow from the Downtown district resulting in increased crime, vandalism, litter and deterioration of the existing swales B. To discourage these problems, several neighborhood activists have initiated a tree planting program for the swales. A street tree program, now in the planning stages, proposes planting roughly 320 trees as a first phase for the Center Grove neighborhood Streetscape A. Create a street tree network with the following priorities: 1. Neighborhood Association plan for street tree planting a. Large canopy trees, i.e. Live Oak, Mahogany, Paradise trees, on swales with no overhead wires b. Small to medium trees, i.e. Lysiloma, Dahoon Dolly, Pigeon Plum, Loquat, Frangipani on swales with overhead wires. (See Metro Dade Landscape Ordinance for other recommended plants adjacent to power lines) C. Small palms or shrubs on berms of no greater than 18" height can be planted between the street trees to discourage parking between them, as opposed to placing limestone rocks or concrete bollards, which expose the City to liability d. Coordinate street tree program with neighborhood parking requirements 2. Creating street hierarchy to prioritize tree planting in swales on streets closest to Downtown district 3. Planting improvements on 27th Avenue, Bird Road and MacDonald Avenue 4. Palm planting on south side of U.S. 1 5. Streetscape planting on key streets to churches, parks, historic places and schools B. Signage/graphics system for user orientation at key intersections and points of interest West Grove Streetscape A. Create a street tree network with priority on: 1. Grand Avenue, Douglas Road and MacDonald Avenue (See Streetscape Corridors Recommendations) 2. Streets with direct access to schools, parks, churches, and historical districts 3. North -south streets from Grand Avenue 4. Palm planting on south side of U.S. 1 B. Create provisional community gardens in vacant parcels where feasible. Organize Co-ops to plant and maintain. Potential market with street vendors/farmers market. C. Botanical garden/orchard at schools, churches (where possible) for education, such as small citrus groves, guavas, recapturing the spirit of the origins of Coconut Grove D. Planting improvements at cemetery I E. Possible plant palette could include various tropical flowering and fruit trees to recall the plant community which migrated from the Caribbean: West Indian Cherry, Yellow Elder, Lignum Vitae, Wild Tamarind F. Possible restoration of pineland hammock community in Charles Avenue Historical District, to represent area's original visual character G. Signage/graphics system for user orientation at key intersections and points of interest South Grove Generally, the quality of tree canopy and open space is very good St;ceo:tscape A. Our recommendations for a streetscape program in South Grove include: 1. Streetscape "infill" where tree canopy is sparse (tropical hammock trees such as Live Oak, Gumbo Limbo, Paradise Tree, et..., gieF Pig) 2. Streetscape planting on streets to churches, parks, historic places and schools. 3. Planting improvements with traffic -calming measures 4. Bikeways to parks and schools 5. Signage/graphics system for user orientation at key intersections and points of interest Village Center/Waterfront Grove Streetscape Network A. Create a street tree network with priority on: 1. Coconut palm plantings on main retail streets or native canopy tree, where retail siaP would not be blocked and sidewalk is wide enough 2. Where sidewalk is wide, possible canopy tree planting on secondary streets 3. Coconut Grove palm planting along Myer's Park/Bayshore Drive 4. Palm planting on Bayshore Drive B. Explore various options to create a bike path and sidewalk from Coconut Grove Playhouse area to waterfront to relieve congestion at Main Highway/Grand Ave. intersection C. Selective mangrove pruning to open up "windows" to Biscayne Bay, as approved by Dept. of Environmental Resources Management D. Create landmark "Lighthouse" on Dinner Key water's edge as focal point from intersection of McFarlane Ave. and 27th Avenue vistas E. Signage/graphics system for user orientation at key intersections and points of interest 42 117115 _�1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE PARKS AND RECREATION Overview Parks and open spaces, like streetscapes, are an integral component of our urban fabric. As such, they arc a direct rei ection of our social and cultural well-being. They prcvidc anelse►itial tined in community building bringing us together to play, get to know each oilier, and "re-create" ourselves. A successful park system offers a diverse set of recreational opportunities allowing for various kinds of recreation which serve all members of the community. We advocate, as many municipalities are doing, well -programmed parks that provide activities which get youths `off the street" and reduce neighborhood crime. As we heard so often in the workshops, crime is a major concern in Coconut Grove. With a combined effort of community and city agencies, parks and recreational programs can be utilized to reduce its crime problem. Given the ever -tightening squeeze on municipal budgets, it is vital that neighborhoods become active in "taking back" their parks. In fact, we encourage neighborhood associations to be formed in order to plan, program activities, monitor and maintain their parks. Municipalities cannot do it alone: there needs to be closer public/private partnership in the care of neighborhood parks and open spaces. The Parks Bond Issue An upcoming county -wide bond issue for parks, called the Safe Neighborhoods Parks Act of 1996, is scheduled for the November election. The Parks and Recreation Departments throughout the County are formulating budget "wish lists" proposals for critical park needs (staffing, new facilities and playgrounds, park furniture, programs) in their respective municipalities. Presently, the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department has prepared a budget proposal for roughly $20 million for its park program. Many of the recommendations made in this proposal are being suggested for Coconut Grove parks, and some were the result of the team observation and community input. Parks and Recreation Recommendations Park Design Certain design principles are important in park design: 1. They should be well -lit, with emphasis on installing vandal/bullet-proof fixtures 2. Dense foliage should be removed from the perimeter to facilitate easier visual monitoring 3. High walls or barriers should be removed or made transparent 4. Areas should be designed for use of children of different age groups 5. Seating areas should be designed close to tot -lots for comfortable parental monitoring 6. Use of playground play structures which incorporate the principle of "integrated play" (as opposed to the old playground concept of spreading playground equipment helter-skelter throughout the park) 7. Equipment should be designed with long-term maintenance and safety in mind -an important factor given shrinking parks budgets and potential for litigation Parks Maintenance I. Native, drought -tolerant vegetation should be planted to reduce maintenance and conserve resources 2. Allow some areas to become more "naturalized". 3. Plant design should utilize "xeriscape" principles, which reduce demand on municipal water supplies 4. Irrigation systems can be designed in accordance with "xeriscape" principles, and provided with rain/groundwater moisture sensors to eliminate over -watering 5. All parks should have a maintenance s-cification prcp=d for their specific ce 6 Special Park Districts A relatively old concept in regional park management, known as Special Park Districts (SPD), is also gaining momentum. These are independent districts which have their own tax base, elected boards of directors, and considerable public involvement. These districts are created out of citizens desire to control the delivery of park and recreation services apart from other services. SPD's have shown they can reduce overhead costs while improving the overall efficiency, response time, and economics for parks and recreation services. Some distinct advantages are: 1. Their independence allows SPD's to act "more boldly" than parks and recreation departments in legislative matters 2. They can focus full attention on fulfilling public recreational needs 3. They can move into the private community for private funding drives 4. They enjoy more active community involvement In 1988, a $225 million park bond issue for the East Bay Regional Park District, created in 1934, was passed (a 2/3 majority was required) indicating substantial approval for the SPD and its program and services. With a upcoming bond issue in Dade County, the creation of a SPD should be studied to effectively master plan and manage the county -wide park system based on successful models around the country. Note: Following is a table detailing park by park descriptions of existing conditions and recommendations. Most parks are illustrated, a few very small parks have written recommendations only. 44 1171� L^ COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE STREETSCAPE AND CORRIDORS - EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Overview The streetscape, usually defined by the public right-of-way (ROW), is a major factor in shaping our urban landscape. Streetscapes - and the manner in which architecture and open space with them - define what we call the public realm. Codes and ordinances do not address the public streetscape beyond the right-of-way line, but can strongly influence the character of the public realm. This study addresses the following aspects of streetscape improvements: 1. Ways to improve the visual quality of streetscapes through planting 2. Alternatives for street configuration to create a pedestrian -friendly environment while facilitating vehicular, pedestrian and bikeway circulation 3. Enhancement of view corridors and scenic corridors General Recommendations A. Prepare a Streetscape Master Plan which identifies a palette of street trees and palms to be planted in various neighborhoods based on existing plants, maintenance requirements, and feedback from neighborhood representatives/city The plan would analyze: 1. Coordination of private development Street Tree requirements with proposed planting in right-of-ways 2. Thematic plant communities, such as tropical hardwood hammock, coastal hammock, tropical fruit and flowering trees, to define the historical/cultural patterns of Coconut Grove 3. Establishment of a hierarchy to prioritize streetscape/street tree planting in Coconut Grove and each neighborhood 4. Feasibility of relocating overhead electric lines underground 5. Recommendations for bike lane/paths, streetscape furniture, and signage Major Corridors Based on the findings of the planning study process, ten streetscapes were identified as major corridors. These were defined as the corridors having the greatest need, and potentially having the most beneficial impacts for streetscape improvements. 1. Bird Avenue 2. 27th Avenue (Grapeland Avenue) 3. Grand Avenue (West of Downtown) 4. Douglas Road (North of St. Hugh Oaks) 5. MacDonald Street 6. Dixie Highway (U.S. 1) 7. Main Highway 8. Bayshore Drive 9. Le Jeune Road 10. Tigertail Avenue 45 11715 F -1 1. Bird Avenue Existing Conditions A. A principal east -west corridor with major impact on the Center Grove Neighborhood B. Overhead utility lines create an unsightly image, and limit potential planting in swales C. Identified as an "up and coming" commercial district at its western end, close to the 27th Avenue intersection D. Little or no pedestrian sidewalks/amenities E. No bikeway/path F. Major intersections: Mlacl)onald Avenue and 27th Avenue Recommendations A. Reconfigure street to allow for sidewalk, bikeway and planting in swale areas B. Relocate overhead utility lines underground to improve visual character and allow for large canopy tree planting C. Make extensive streetscape improvements in commercial district including expanded sidewalks, parking reconfiguration and planting improvements D. Define 27th Avenue/Bird Avenue intersection with planting islands and new signage 2. 27th Avenue Existing Conditions A. A principal north -south corridor with major impact on the Center Grove Neighborhood and North Grove Neighborhood B. Overhead utility lines create an unsightly image, and limit potential planting in swales C. Variable right-of-way and private property lines create difficulties in major expansion and continuous streetscape improvements D. LittIe or no pedestrian sidewalks/amenities E. No bikeway/path F. Major intersections: Bird Road, Tigertail Avenue and Bayshore Drive G . Metrorail Station north of U.S. 1; marina and bay view at south terminus H . One of few corridors that connects straight to Bay but, presently, it is not obvious Recommendations A. Reconfigure street to allow for sidewalk, bikeway, planting improvements and future at -grade trolley line B. Relocate overhead utility lines underground to improve visual character and allow for large canopy tree/palm planting. As minimum, explore options of having overhead on one side of street only C. Encourage city to study ways to widen the right-of-way to create greater opportunities for streetscape improvements and better circulation D. Define 27th Avenue/Bird Avenue intersection with planting islands and new signage E. Locate visual landmark at south terminus 27th Avenue. Dockmasters Building, Lighthouse on spoil island - possible ideas F. Improve pedestrian connection to Metrorail Station F 3. Grand Avenue Existing Conditions A. A principal east -west corridor with major impact on the West Grove Neighborhood and Downtown District B. Overhead utility lines create an unsightly image, and limit potential planting in swales C. Existing median with marginal planting from U.S 1 to Douglas Road D. Narrow pedestrian sidewalks/few amenities E. No bikeway/path F. Major intersections: Douglas Road, MacDonald &R4Main Highway and Mary S= G. Primarily retail/commercial uses on both sides of street Recommendations A. Extend median where appropriate from Douglas Road to MacDonald Avenue B. Relocate overhead utility lines underground to improve visual character and allow for planting of large canopy trees/palms. As minimum, explore options of having overhead on one side of street only C. Expand sidewalk at opposite sides of street to create rnini-plazas with seating, planting, kiosk. Connect with concrete paver crosswalks D. Enlarge existing tree planter islands; replant with large canopy trees or palm clusters E. Widen pedestrian sidewalks where feasible F. Planting and signage improvements at Douglas Road and MacDonald Avenue 4. Douglas Road Existing Conditions A. A principal north -south corridor with major impact on the West Grove Neighborhood and South Grove Neighborhood B. Overhead utility lines create an unsightly image, and limit potential planting in swales C. Metrorail Station north of U.S. 1 D. No pedestrian sidewalks/amenities south of Grand Ave. Sidewalk on both sides from Grand Avenue to U.S. 1 E. No bikeway/path F. Major intersections: Grand Avenue, primarily commercial use, Main Highway and Ineraham Highway G. Schools, churches, residential and commercial uses along street H Designate as a scenic transportation corridor south of Kumquat Avenue Recommendations A. Reconfigure street. (lane width, number of circulation lanes, etc.) to allow for new median, sidewalk and planting improvements from cemetery to U.S. 1 B. Relocate overhead utility lines underground to improve visual character and allow for planting of large canopy trees/palms C. Improve pedestrian connection to Metrorail Station D. Planting and.signage improvements at Grand Avenue intersection A715 F 5. MacDonald Street Existing Conditions A. A principal north -south corridor with impact on the West Grove Neighborhood and Center Grove Neighborhood B. Overhead utility lines create an unsightly image, and limit potential planting in swales C. No pedestrian sidewalks/amenities from Shipping Ave. to Florida Ave (except for one block -long sidewalk on east side from Percival to Day Ave). Sidewalk on both sides from Bird Rd. to Shipping Ave. D. No bikeway/path E. Major intersections: Grand Avenue, Bird Rd, U.S. 1 F. Mainly residential uses along street, except at U.S. 1 and Bird Rd. intersections Recommendations A. Reconfigure street to allow for sidewalk and planting improvements B. Relocate overhead utility lines underground to improve visual character and allow for planting of large canopy trees/palms. As minimum, explore options of having overhead on one side of street only C. Planting and signage improvements at Bird Road and Grand Avenue intersections 6. Dixie Highway (U.S. 1) Existing Conditions A. Principal east -west highway corridor with major impact on the entire Grove B. Overhead utility lines on some south swales (between Natoma and I-95) create an unsightly image, and limits potential planting in swales C. Primarily office, gas station and "strip shopping" uses along south R.O.W., residential use between 27th Ave. and 1-95 D. Very unsightly in West Grove and North Grove (between Natoma and 1-95) where walls/fences constructed helter-skelter on south R.O.W. E. Intermittent sidewalk on south R.O.W. F. Major intersections: Le Jeune Road, Grand Avenue, Bird Road, MacDonald Avenue, 27th Avenue, 22nd Ave, and 17th Avenue G. Existing median with Royal Palms or native tree Recommendations A. Install continuous sidewalk on south side where feasible for pedestrian safety and access B. Relocate overhead utility lines on south swale where feasible C. Coconut Palm planting on south swale where feasible, prioritize in West Grove D. Wall/Fence improvements to include artist mural/planting, etc. between Natoma and I-95 E. Planting and signage improvements at major intersections (esp. Grand, Bird, and 27th Ave.) 7. Main Highway Existing Conditions A. Principal east -west corridor with major impact on the South Grove and Village Center B. Large canopy trees and vegetation, stone and concrete walls, the narrow roadway and architecture create a good street C. Sodium vapor lighting not ideal color for vegetation, large canopy trees create "dark" areas below D. Narrow asphalt sidewalk functions as sidewalk and bikeway/path (south side) E. Major intersections: Douglas Road, Grand Avenue, Royal Palm, Poinciana Avenue F. Overhead electric on north side frcm Douglas Road to Royal Road G. Primarily residential and institutional uses along street; retail in Village Center H. Designated as a Scenic Corridor Recommendations A. Minor sidewalk/bike path improvements to include widening where possible, especially at critical "intersections" B. Replace chain -link fence at Douglas/Main intersection with keystone bollards C. Install specialty "moonlighting" from large canopy trees to illuminate dark areas D. Explore feasibility of replacing sodium vapor street light lamps with Mercury Vapor lamps E. Minor "in -fill' planting improvements F. Signage to indicate Scenic Corridor and/or Historic designation S. Bayshore Drive Existing Conditions A. A principal east -west corridor with major impact on the Village Center and North Grove B. Intermittent overhead utility lines on north side create an unsightly image, and limits potential planting in swales C. Existing median with planting from McFarlane to Aviation Ave D. Intermittent sidewalk on south side which functions as jogging trail and bike lane, creating conflicts E. Wood bollards installed to discourage parking in Kennedy Park/Myers Park areas F. Major intersections: McFarlane, 27th Ave., Aviation Ave., 22nd Ave., 17th Ave., east terminus at US 1Brickell AveJSouth Miami Ave. G. Primarily residential uses along street; retail/entertainment and office at Village Center H. Designated as a Scenic Corridor Recommendations A. Reconfigure street to provide continuous bike lane on both sides and sidewalk B. Relocate overhead utility lines underground to allow for planting improvements C. Minor planting improvements, such as Garden Club flower planting in existing median D. Coconut Palm planting on south sides adjacent to park and water (replace wood bollards with Coconut Palms E. Planting and signage improvements at major intersections: Mcfarlane, 27th Ave., Aviation Ave., 22nd Ave., 17th Ave., and east terminus at US 1/Brickell AveJSouth Miami Ave. F. Signage to indicate Scenic Corridor designation F 4. Le Jeune Road Existing Conditions A. A principal north -south corridor with major impact on the South Grove B. Existing planting creates a good visual character C. No pedestrian sidewalks or bike lane on east side D. Major intersections: Hardie Road, though Poinciana, Crawford and Loquat used as "short-cut" roads by commuters/school users E. Primarily residential use along street Recommendations A. Del Create traffic -calming measures at Hardie, Poinciana, Crawford and Loquat intersections (see Traffic section) Minor "infill" planting in swales Coordinate with The City of Coral Gables to maintain a unified -and sym_mtt-d l design of paving, trees and lighting,, 10. Tigertail Avenue Existing Conditions A. A principal east -west corridor with major impact on the North Grove B. Overhead utility wires create an unsightly image, and limits potential planting in swales C. Intermittent sidewalks, but primarily without sidewalk D. Existing vegetation creates a good visual character where utility lines are not overhead E. No bike lane or path F. Major intersections: 27th Ave., Aviation Ave., 22nd Ave., 17th Ave. G. Primarily residential use along street Recommendations A. Residents do not want sidewalk additions or extensive street widening, which would cut into their usable front yard areas B. Possible slight street reconfiguration for bike path, if feasible C. Relocate overhead utility wires underground to improve visual character and allow for planting of large canopy trees/palms. As minimum, explore options of having overhead on one side of street only D. "Infill" planting in swales, especially where overhead electric is located 1Y715 __J COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE PRIVATE PROPERTY AND OPEN SPACE Overview Coconut Grove is defined by its unique and diverse plant community, and its residents' sense of stewardship towards it. Residents who attended the workshops and charrette made it clear that the preservation of Coconut Grove's tree and p,am canopy was a paramount concern. Presently, existing policies governing private development are allowing the destruction of too many trees. During the charrette, it became clear that - if preservation and enhancement of tree canopy were to be successful - the planning study must address existing zoning and landscape policy for private development. It is beyond the scope of this study to examine these policies in detail. However, aside from actual zoning changes, factors having the greatest impact on private property's landscape character are: 1. Building Setbacks 2. Parking Requirements 3. Landscape Requirements Building Setbacks (See rawings at page 114) As buildable lots decrease in size and residential square footage increases, the net result has been significant loss of green space. Increasingly, new single-family (R-1) and townhouse (R-2), development in Coconut Grove is replacing the tree canopy based on existing setback requirements (this is especially true where R-1 zoning is changed to R-2 zoning). The critical factor in site development for typical R-1/R-2 zoning - due to typical lot layout dimensions - is the side setback. The front and rear setbacks are less critical in that there is usually adequate space to site plan around critical site features such as specimen trees. At present, the side setback for R-1/R-2 zoning is 5' minimum width. On a typical lot width of 50', the percentage of maximum buildable area/lot width is 80% (40750'). The planning study proposes to decrease the percentage of maximum buildable area/lot width-te ;nog (994n'4 with a 5' ,,,;,,:tba& (See HousingSectionl Parking Requirements 1. For R-1/R-2 zoning, allow 12'-0" maximum driveway width at property line crossing. 2. Provide incentives for site plans which "stack" cars and minimize driveway width. Landscape Regulations At present, the new Metro -Dade Landscape Ordinance (MDLO) sets county -wide standards for landscape requirements. The City of Miami is currently revising its landscape code to conform to the MDLO as a minimum standard. The City of Miami i& may upgrade these requirements based on its own specific municipal needs. 51 The planning study proposes the following standards for inclusion into a Coconut Grove Special Landscape Overlay District (in its entirety). 1. For R-1/R-2 zoning: A. Increase the minimum number of trees required from three to five for typical lots, five to seven for corner lots B. Provide incentives for specimen tree preservation (i.e. bonus for FAR, building height, parking, green space requirements) C. Increase penalty for unpermitted tree removal/destruction D. Revise building permit procedure to require tree survey submitted - and superimposed onto - the cite development plan Site plan approved only after existing tree management/mitigation plan is submitted and approved by CGEHPO or Landscg= Arg iitect E. Create position - as appointed by the Coconut Grove Village Council and managed through the Grove NET office - for Coconut Grove Environmental and Historic Preservation Officer (CGEHPO) who is responsible for reviewing development applications, building permits, etc. Make recommendations for tree transplanting mitigation and preservation. Require CGEHPO sign -off for permit approval. Prepare GIS Existing Tree inventory. (See section for Chapter 17 proposed amendments) * * It is the opinion of --the City of Miami that the position of the Environmental aid Prgservarion Qfflcer should be created Within the Deparetment of Planning and Development. Consensus has not been reached for text in italics 1Y715 F -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE POLICY AMENDMENTS Chapter 17:Environmental Preservation lj &m@nag-rdin to recommendations. See I?lanto ection on Proposed Amendments to Chapter 17) Building Setbacks (R-?/R-2 zoning) :Pie planflifig study . Decrease the percentage of maximum buildable area/lot width t@49 - ins, ��n,� Wh c+ -m tb sv ra Ie-�vo r�a�iii�u.r- ��. (See Housing Section) . Parking Requirements (R-1/R-2 zoning) 1. Allow 12'-0" maximum driveway width. 2. Provide incentives for site plans which "stack" cars and minimize driveway width. Permit Process 1. Amend process to include the following documents for initial plan review by The Coconut Grove Environmental and Historic Preservation Officer (CQE a. Site survey showing all trees 4= 3" caliper or greater,walls or other pertinent site features. b. Landscape Management plan: indicating proposed tree removal, transplanting and mitigation plan as required under the revised City of Miami Chapter 59. C. Landscape Plan: indicating proposed new planting, paving and other site improvements as required under the revised City of Miami Chapter 59 by -registered 0 e size trees from $500.00 to $5.(M.00. Amend 401 Section 2-829 of the City of Miami Zoning Code to increase the civil penalty for removal of specimen size trees from $500.00 to $5,000.00, Historic and Environmental Preservation Board 1. Create position of "Coconut Grove Environmental and Historic Preservation Conservation T I ire- _-__» _..I__ __ __--.—._J L. TT I/___ /I--.___dl —__J ___L t_I Iit r s.. prefembly have approval powers -subject to village Council voting - Coconut oconut Grove (See section- Proposed Amendments to Chapter 17). Consensus has not been reached for text in italics. 53 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE CATALYTIC PROJECTS General 1. C 2. 3. Begin GIS data base of all trees over 6" in diameter at breast height (except plans not requiring tree removal permitunder Chapter 17). Use for building permit analysis. 4. Create Overlay District for Coconut Grove to upgrade Metro -Dade Landscape Ordinance R-I and R-2 planting requirements, and increase side building setbacks. North Grove 1. South R.O.W. of U.S. 1., between 22nd Ave. and the I-95 ramp - Wall/fence improvements combining art/mural from local artists & schoolchildren and planting improvements. 2. Tigertail Road streetscape project. 3. Wainwright Park improvements. 4. Kennedy Park improvements. 5. Bay Heights street tree planting. Center Grove 1. "Fast -track" Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Plan. 2. Bird Road Streetscape Project. West Grove 1. Landscape improvements at cemetery. 2. Start Community Gardens project on city -owned vacant land. 3. Grand Avenue Streetscape Project. 4. Relocate Clinic outside of virrick park; commence with landscape and facilities improvements. 5. Douglas Road Streetscape Project. South Grove 1. Main highway- Specialty "moonlighting" in large canopy trees along bike/walkway 2. Landscape improvements associated with traffic -calming street configurations 3. Sidewalkibike path improvements along Main Highway Downtown/Waterfront Grove 1. Provide a shoreline boardwalk extension from Peacock Park to the Barnacle site. 2. Peacock Park/Myers Park Landscape Improvements. 3. Coconut Palm plantings on major retail streets, where needed. 4. Design competition for Landmark "Lighthouse" on Dinner Key Picnic Island. Consensus has not been reached or text in italics. 54 11715 Parks COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE FUNDING SOURCES A. General Obligation Bond/Dade County: The Safe .Neighborhoods Park Act of 1996; scheduled for November referendum B . Public/private partnerships Streetscape A. Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency & Enhancement Act (ISTEEA) B. Highway Beautification Grants (Federal/FWD; Contact: Gary Henna Ph.(904) 922-7210 C. Coconut Grove Festival Fund D. Special Assessment District Florida Power and Light Special Projects A. Neighborhood Assessment B. National Historic Trust for Preservation C. Art in Public Places D Private Foundations Dade County Community Based Organization Grant: Contact: Nancy Masterson Ph. 372-6555 F American Forests G Cool Communities F -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING BY CLYDE JUDSON / JUDSON AND PARTNERS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Recornmendations 3. Existing Zoning Requirements and Specific Changes to the Zoning Code 4. Grand Avenue Proposal L 57 58 61 67 56 11715 F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING INTRODUCTION There are four distinct neighborhoods in Coconut Grove. While they share the strong common ties of being part of the historic village and still focusing on its commercial center, they have very different characteristics and each has its own concerns. The North and South Grove tend to have higher incomes, higher assessed properties, a lesser perception of crime, better housing stock., more foliage, and are predom inaaly white. With regard to housing, they share concerns about neighborhood character preservation, lot splitting, and oversized new building. The Center Grove tends to be middle income, with a range of assessments for a mix of single family and multiple family housing. It is also predominantly white. Walled complexes and town houses offering garages as their primary face to the street are the unfortunate result -of rezoning without design guidelines, giving Center Grove a character of fragmentation and social isolation. The West Grove is predominantly black and has social problems that are becoming more acute with the population becoming poorer; the majority of residents are renters and real estate is often assessed lower than its replacement value. The West Grove has a denser population, is more urban in appearance, has a large stock of deteriorated buildings, and has far less foliage than the rest of the Grove. The median household income in the West Grove is approximately $14,000 compared to as high as $100,000 in the North, $50,000 in the Central and $100,000 in the South Grove neighborhoods. It should be noted that historically the Center and West Grove neighborhoods have provided the most affordable housing for the village. The experience of the last half century and good neighborhood planning principles indicate that congregating low income families and income segregation in general are unhealthy, and the detrimental effects on an entire region can be far reaching. Thus, redevelopment efforts aspiring to preserve the cultural character of the Center and West Grove should not be required solely to produce low income or affordable housing. Significant features of historical or cultural character may be preserved and protected through historic designation, design guidelines, and redevelopment that encourages home and business ownership. All of Coconut Grove must confront the need for improvement in the West Grove and the need for increased home ownership there . As well, the North and South neighborhoods should share in meeting the affordable housing needs of Coconut Grove as a whole. Given that these two areas are completely built out, offering little opportunity for building anew, the fulfillment of this goal is only possible ie ther etkew by a public commitment to purchasing and managing individual scattered houses, or perhaps more easily implementable, by the regulatory introduction of secondary residences (granny flats) in existing single family zoning. 11 "D A- I_ J r COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY NITAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING RECOMMENDATIONS For the North, South, and Center Grove, most of the housing concerns voiced by residents are related to preservation zoning regulations and insensitive building design. In the West Grove, additional issues revolve around the coincident but divergent desire for improvement and fear of oentrificatien. A series of diagrams follow, illustrating the shortcorrings of current zoning with regard to the former neighborhood concerns, and some proposed solutions. For the West Grove, the following are recommendations intended to encourage affordable in -fill single family house development: A. Decrease soft -costs related to affordable housing development: Waive all impact, processing, permits, certificate of occupancy fees for affordable housing. Provide one-step expeditious city approval process. Reduce professional fees: 1. SoIicit architects gagia@@Fs to design and prepare construction documents for several prototypes for repeat use that meet historic, preservation and design guidelines 2. Process prototypes with one-step / one-time approval for repeat use Use C.D.B.G. funds to up -grade water and sewer utilities in affordable housing target areas. Implement the City of Miami's affordable housing strategy as ggr the Annual Action Plan for fiscal year 1227. Request WASH and the City to prioritize utility up -grades. B . Enhance buyer ieeesefaef education: Expand and increase current pre -qualification program. Develop and implement COME BACK TO THE GROVE marketing campaign. Increase Monilef and market to reliable renters currently living in the neighborhood. C. Increase A4aFket small housing developers participation - Identify and pre -qualify developers. - Educate developers about opportunities, incentives and subsidies - Offer City owned property as catalytic inducement (identify lots) - Use City housing funds as construction loans to developers who already effect of blending down the interest rate of the conventional loan, reducing the risk and increasing the profitability of the project. iR the feFmat of lean blend down ins-AffARs rates. Provide development assistance grants for compliance with design guidelines and historic preservations requirements. Request appraisers to use a construction cost method when appraising affordable housing rather eth f than prior sale method. �JL81-1 a e9 Request other funding sources to become more aggressive in target areas. Extend Affordable Housing Trust Fund concept to select areas of Coconut Grove with limitations on use of funds to affordable housing development in Coconut Grove region Establish a eatalytiG 4 model area for concentrated single family housing in - fill development. D. Develop Design Guidelines, to enhance, preserve, and restore neighborhood character and history (see design sketches ) - Permit andAF FegUire encourage porches and main entries to face street frontage. - Limit perimeter wall height and the extent of solid surface aM, require transparency at the front of lhgl!24. - Prohibit garages and parking es; -st� ai 4entages at the front of the lot. - Create overlay zoning for R-2 zoning to encourage R-1 type development with incentives i.e. affordable housing, fingucinggugibili allowing home - businesses and secondary units. rental apammat pmking fedaGtien etc. - Prohibit lot splitting. - Discourage lot aggregation for multi -family, by placing a cap on street frontage width, Create design guidelinesjhat require building facades and massing to be consistent with neighborhood character. E. Create Historic District (see Preservation). 59 11715 I I l t*t _ et � \ ♦\ ct �� a1 \ 1, l l COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY 41IAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING COCONUT GROVE ZONING MAP ri --------- L.1___� 117T5 I F, 0 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING EXISTING ZONING REQUIREMENTS /R1 (NOTE. DIAGRAM DIMENSIONS ARE MINIMUM ALLOWED) R1 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS Minimum Lot Size: five thousand (5,000) square feet Height: 25' above flood level or sidewalk Floor Area Ratio: max. 0.60 times the gross lot area Building Footprint: max. 0.40 times the gross lot area Green Space: min. 0.15 times the gross lot area Uses: 1 dwelling/lot community based residential max. 6 daycare, schools, worship Parking: dwellings: min. 2 spaceslunit day care ctr: 1 space owner, 1 space per employee, I space unloading for up to 10 clients home occupation: I space per employee 61 11dry 15 --j COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING SPECIFIC CHANGES RECOMMENDED FOR THE ZONING CODE /R-1 Section 401, R-1 Intensity: N inlnlum lo'. size: add "In Coconut Grov , lots in multiples of allowable minimum which have hang existing buildings shall not be subdivided." Setback: add " In Coconut Grove, a porch may encroach a maximum of 10' into front setback (,see section 908.8). one side setback shall be a minimum or 10' for at least 50% of building length and rear setback for accessory use structure may be five (5) feet. In historic districts, front setback may be varied to average that of adjacent lots. " Permitted Principal Uses: (look for, aggeasory structures) Permitted Accessory Uses: 1. Detached garages and car shelters: add "In Coconut Grove, on lots of 7.500 sf or more, these shall not exceed 450 SF in feet - and for Rroperties which are owner occupied and with apREoval of adjacent propgrty owners (application for special excel2ion) may include a subsidiary living unit." Off Street Parking Requirements: Dwellings: Dwellings, minimum two (2) spaces per unit. Add "In Coconut Grove, garage doors- shall only face the street if they are setback 20' from front facade. Driveway width at property line shall be a maximum or 12'. Driveways of permeable material are encouraged. Tandem parking is allowed " Sign Regulations: Real Estate: add " In Coconut Grove, these may not exceed 40 square inches in area" Construction: add " In Coconut Grove, PDH construction signs shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area." Section 908.8 Fences, Walls: Add. " In Coconut Grove, fences, walls or hedges forward of the front facade shall be 50% transparent-�� For those groperties with fences walls or hedge forward Qf the front facade less than 42 inches. a,frontporch may encroach a maximum of 10 feet into front setback. 'Section 908.10 Limitations of driveways: b. " ... driveways which are limited to a width of twenty (20) feet", add: "and in Coconut Grove twelve (12) feet,"... Consensus has not been reached for text in italics. I16T15 F L COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING EXISTING ZONING REQUIREMENTS /R2 (NOTE: DIAGRAM DIMENSIONS ARE MINIMUM ALLOWED) R2 TWO 1FAMILY RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS Minimum Lot Size: five thousand (5,000) square feet Height: 25' above flood level or sidewalk Floor Area Ratio: max. 0.60 times the gross lot area Building Footprint: max. 0.40 times the gross lot area Green Space: 8 min. 0.15 times the gross lot area Uses: 1 or 2 dwellings/lot community based resid. max. 14 daycare, schools, worship Parking: dwellings: min. 2 spaces/unit day care ctr: 1 space owner, 1 space per employee, 1 space unloading for up to 10 clients home occupation: I space per employee 63 11715 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING SPECIFIC CHANGES RECOMMENDED FOR THE ZONING CODE /R-2 Section 401, R-2 Intensity Setback . add "In Coconut Grove, the front setback may be 0 for 50% of the lot width, provided the first 20' of building depth is porch or habitable space, with a minimrun 25% of the front wall, at the street or within the porch, to be clear glazing. The raise setback may be 10' ". Permitted Principal Uses: Off Street Parking Requirements Dwellings: Dwellings, minimum (2) two spaces per unit. Add "In Coconut Grove, garage doors shall only face the street if they are setback 20' from front facade. Driveway width at property line shall be a maximum of 12'. Driveways of permeable material are encouraged. Tandem parking for individual units is allowed." Sign Regulations: Real Estate: add " In Coconut Grove, these may not exceed 40 square inches in area" Construction: add " In Coconut Grove, PDH construction signs shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area." Section 908.8 Fences, Walls: Add: " In Coconut Grove, fences, walls or hedges forward of the front facade shall be 50% transparent, or a maximum height of 42 inches. In Coconut Grove R-2 districts, fences and walls aligned with facade facing street may be 8' tall. " Section 908.10 Limitations of driveways: b. " ... driveways which are limited to a width of twenty (20) feet", add. "and in Coconut Grove twelve (12) feet, .. Consensus has not been reached for text in italics. 64 11715 F L_ COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY M.IAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING EXISTING ZONING REQUIREMENTS /R3 (NOTE: DIAGRAM DIMENSIONS ARE MINIMUM ALLOWED) R3 MULTI -FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS Minimum Lot Size: five thousand (5,000) square feet Height: 50' above flood level or sidewalk Floor Area Ratio: max. 0.75 times the gross lot area Building Footprint: max. 0.40 times the gross lot area 8 Green Space: min. 0.15 times the gross lot area Parking: one family/ two family: min. 2 spaces/unit multi -family: i space for 1 & 2 bedroom unit; 2 spaces for 3 bdrm unit; 3 spaces for 4 bdrm unit; & 1 for every 10 units -visitors. Day care ctr: I space owner, 1 space per employee, 1 space unloading for up to 10 clients home occupation: 1 space per employee Other uses -see R1 65 11715 F I -1 _ COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING SPECIFIC CHANGES RECOMMENDED FOR THE ZONING CODE /R-3 Section 401, R-3 Intensity Setback: add "In Coconut Grove, the front setback may be 0 for 50% of the lot width up to a height of 25', r rovidrd the first 20' of building depth is porch or habitable space, with a minimum 25% of the front wall, at the street or within the porch, to be clear glazing. " Permitted Principal Uses: Add: "5. Bed and Breakfast lodging of one unit per 1500 s.. lot area for no more than six units". Off Street Parking Requirements Dwellings: Add "In Coconut Grove, garage doors shall only face the street if they are setback 20' from front facade. Driveway width at property line shall be a maximum of 12'. Driveways of permeable material are encouraged. Tandem jarking for individual units is allowed." Sign Regulations: Real Estate: add " In Coconut Grove, these may not exceed 40 square inches in area" Construction: add " In Coconut Grove, PDH construction signs shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area." Section 908.8 Fences, Walls: Add: " In Coconut Grove, fences, walls or hedges forward of the front facade shall be 50% transparent, or a maximum height of 42 inches. In Coconut Grove R-3 districts, fences and walls aligned with facade facing street may be 8' tall." Section 908.10 Limitations of driveways: b. " ... driveways which are limited to a width of twenty (20) feet", add: "and in Coconut Grove twelve (12) feet,"... Consensus has not been reached for text in italics. 66 1.171 5 ___ 1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING GRAND AVENUE PROPOSAL New Text One of the impediments to the enhancement of the residential areas in the West Grove is the seeming uncertainty of the neighborhood's future as portrayed to the visitor by Grand Avenue. This impression derives from the rondi►ion of the properties lining the street; some of the apartments on the east end of the street and the renovated storefronts at the Douglas Road intersection are inhabited and well maintained; but in the intervening blocks there are numerous properties that are poorly maintained, or un-inhabited and boarded up, and a number of unkempt empty lots. The image of disinvestment set forth by Grand Avenue is incongruous with that of the bordering residential areas which appear more stable. , West Grove residents have not yet reached a consensus on the role of the street. Ambitions for Grand Avenue range widely: from those espousing a higher density of commercial development the full length of the street, requiring structured parking and the use of the full block depth, to those simply proclaiming that no loss of residential lots along Florida and Thomas Avenue is acceptable. This study proposes for Grand Avenue a strategy of infill building and small parking lots restricted to a single lot depth, mixing small scale retail with office and housing uses to enhance its local main street character. The ambition to bring to the West Grove the intensity of retail and entertainment uses of the Downtown Grove is neither realizable in the near term, nor in the long term would it be beneficial to the stability of the adjacent residential streets; it also discourages current maintenance and individual property owners improvement efforts. The vision of revaluing the existing with complimentary renovations and infill, rather than large scale clearing and rebuilding, requires two actions for greatest near term benefit: modification to the streetscape and modification to the zoning for the properties lining the street. The modification to the streetscape should reinforce Grand Avenue's local main street character. This includes a reduction in number and width of the travel lanes. Several options for a new design are shown in the street section drawings. They range from two to three lanes, with and without a landscaped median, always maximizing on street parking to support retailers and buffer the sidewalks. In such •a renovation, all efforts should be made to keep the existing trees which have grown to maturity and provide significant shade that would take years to replace. West of Douglas Road, Grand Avenue crosses from the City of Miami to the City of Coral Gables. The future of this area needs to be coordinated by the two municipalities. The parkway improvement of several decades ago has not produced the new investment hoped for along it, in large part due to the discontinuous street section: retail and residential buildings and empty lots on the north side provide a framework for infill, but the- variety of fronting and backing uses on the south'side preclude a coherent picture of street space and uses. The modification to zoning along Grand Avenue is needed to produce the specific building types desired. A drawing follows which illustrates an infill building type, a small courtyard apartment building, intended to compliment and re -value the existing building fabric. A detailed design for the full length of Grand Avenue should follow this study, to provide a vision of physical predictability and to build investor confidence. 67 11715 F- COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 HOUSING GRAND AVENUE 61 1715 -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 RETAIL BY BOB GIBBS / GIBBS PLANNING GROUP TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Existing Conditions and Recommendations 70 2. Illustrations ", 4 69 11715 F -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 "TAIL EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A three day qualitative analysis of Coconut Grove retail shopping districts was carried out during the charrette. The intention of the study was to identify the character of each retail area in the Grove, such that future enhancements could consolidate plans of unique identity and function, thus minimizing competition among them and reinforcing their interrelationship. Based upon this analysis and experience of similar projects, this study concludes that Coconut Grove has five primary shopping areas: - Cocowalk and Mayfair - regional destination retail and entertainment - Commodore Plaza - core retail/neighborhood services better than it looks - Grand Avenue - neighborhood service retail - Bird Avenue - neighborhood service retail - Dixie at MacDonald and 27th Avenue - highway retail The three neighborhood service districts have a small trade area of 1-3 miles in size and primarily offer local convenience goods and services for Coconut Grove residents. Historically, Coconut Grove was a local shopping area centered around Commodore Plaza. Long time residents remember Commodore Plaza as Miami's Worth Avenue, and that it offered a very high quality of services to the area. Its nature changed in the last decades when Mayfair and Cocowalk opened. Commodore Plaza lost many of its goods and services and became a local convenience area. There is a strong merchant and property owner impetus to improve Commodore Plaza. This loss of goods and services at the heart of the Grove, including convenience food markets, hair care, professional services, home accessories and decorating, etc. is still regretted by residents of the Grove. Coconut Grove is renown for its regional shopping and entertainment facilities (Cocowalk and Mayfair). Its trade area extends beyond Miami Beach and offers an extensive amount of entertainment and shopping opportunities including restaurants, movie theaters and national franchise retail stores. The following observations begin with an overview of the regional context, and then focus on Commodore Plaza whose current diminished activity warrants attention. The Larger Context l . The Coconut Grove area is seen within the region as a very busy theater/entertainment area with a shortage of parking. The Village Center has a very strong market for restaurants, entertainment and movie theaters. 2. The residential area south of Downtown Miami which include the Grove, is weak in the quality of super markets. There is a demand for one more quality market of approximately 60,000 square feet in this area of Miami. The region is lacking in moderate family shopping and entertainment, also. 3. Coconut Grove is perceived to have been, at one time, much like South Miami with a full range of strong local stores. 4. Coconut Grove may loose some of its regional destination retail to South Miami's Bakery Center when its renovation is completed. F Village Center The Village Center can report very high sales statistics, triple the national averages (Cocowalk $1,000/sf), however the low quality of architecture and construction makes the seemingly invincible destination retail area vulnerable to competition from new development such as the Bakery Center in South Miami. 2. Proposed Mayfair redevelopment offers a positive contribution to Coconut Grove: - Addition of real useable parking with redesigning of garages - Addition of street retail, replacing internal court entries - Increased access at Rice Street - Bringing in quality retail such as Borders Book Store 3. Cocowalk is expanding towards Commodore Plaza; its type of stores are overtaken by Fuller Street. 4. At Grand and Main there is a small core retail complex with good quality shops, good selections of apparel. At Grand and MacDonald, a pharmacy and farmer's market are stand alones, not particularly connected to the area's retail traffic. Commodore Plaza Existing Conditions It services a small trade area of less than 2 miles, providing local neighborhood conveniences. There is a great deal of vacancy approaching Grand intersection. 2. It still functions mostly as local neighborhood services. 3. It has many tired and dated storefronts. 4. It is conveniently accessible from Main Highway and MacDonald Street. It has easy to use street parking. 5. It lacks anchors at both ends. (Playhouse and movie theater on Grand served as anchors at an earlier time) 6. It needs a new identity, including one or two specialty niches. 7. The streetscape, lighting and trees need updating. The paving bricks and caulking are in good condition. 9. The existing restaurants and outside cafes reduce shopping potential, by occupying retail space and by making sidewalk passage difficult. 10. It presently receives little positive impact from Cocowalk or Mayfair but it is impacted negatively by their traffic. Recommendations 1- Create an overall management/leasing program or Coconut Grove Downtown Development Authority, for all of Downtown Grove, to bring the commercial district up to modern standards. -Z.4- Upgrade street lights, furniture, signage, etc. 1.2- Improve storefronts and window displays. F 4 Add off street parking in surrounding area with small garages which continue street front retail. Encourage the Playhouse to build a low rise parking garage with anchor retail at street front on Main Htg way. 6 4-- Decide on ideal characteristics of the retail mix. - A continuation of Cocowalk(?) - Return to neighborhood retail(?) - Add 25,000 sf market at Grand and MacDonald as an anchor for Commodore Plaza. - Develop a Value renter of upscale specialty retailers (Coach, Sak's Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, DKNY, Polo, etc.) at Grand and MacDonald. 77 5.- improve pedestrian crossings at Grand and Main to facilitate access of regional visitors throughout Downtown. &,6.,. Organize and motivate existing Commodore Plaza property owners to be reasonable in rent expectations and recognition of individual responsibility. 1: - Postpone plans to tear -up Commodore Plaza: keep the sidewalks and curbs; improve lighting and seating; prune trees aesthetically. Major street construction at this type could cause street to bottom out, which may be desirable but should be intentional. 19,,9-- Widen sidewalks along Main Highway from Cocowalk. _LL9- Complete a continuous retail frontage loop from Mayfair and Cocowalk along Main Highway onto Commodore Plaza and back up Grand Avenue to Cocowalk, e.g. infilling fronts of Post Office and Fuddruckers's parking lots. J_Z44- infill retail along Grand between Commodore and Fuller. 13.44- Develop a mid -block pedestrian access between Fuller and Commodore Plaza (extend existing partial connection). nn Man Highway. 14.E-3.-Allow for some waivers on signage restrictions for larger retailers. Presently the storefronts facing streets and with multi -levels have disadvantages over one level courtyard retail j5 4.4-- the :.,,.,.,edi to fuwr-o, Maintain and improve condition of shade trees. Prune trees aesthetically to improve visibility and persuant to arboreal standards. 16.44-5-.- Add pedestrian directories and information centers for shopping and restaurants L_ 1F715 __! F Grand Avenue Grand Avenue is a historical neighborhood retail district that has recently been expanding and renovating itself. Many of its businesses have good visibility to incoming traffic into Cocowalk and Commodore Plaza. Presently, many of the Grand Avenue shops have a very small trade area servicing only local residents. Grand Avenue shopping district does have a potential to capture the Cocowalk traffic and increase its trade area. Bird Avenue The Shops on Bird Avenue are a local business area offering easy to use markets, carry out restaurants and scrrice businesses. The shopping area presently looks deed but aces offer a number of very good services and food opportunities. It appears that Bird Avenue shops area have a small trade area that could be expanded if they developed an overall identity and capital improvements in building exteriors, streetscape and parking. Dixie Highway at MacDonald Street and 27th Avenue Dixie at MacDonald and 27th Avenue has a variety of highway dependent businesses such as service stations and restaurants. These businesses offer little benefit or competition to other Coconut Grove retailers. Note: The following diagrams of the Village Center show existing conditions and some proposals for directing its retail organization. ___j F u COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 RETAIL REGIONAL ANALYSIS 74 11715 . F Ij _ COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 RETAIL. EXISTING CONDITIONS i [] Neighborhood Specialty ® Core Retail ® Family Entertainment Anchor 11 "7'1 5 -1 F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 nTAIL PROPOSALI F7 Neighborhood Specialty Core Retail Family Entertainment Anchor 76 11715 F i COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 RETAIL PROPOSAL II Ica, Neighborhood Specialty Core Retail Family Entertainment Anchor 1171577 K -1 _j f- COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 ]R.ETAIL PROPOSAL III [� Neighborhood Specialty Core Retail Family Entertainment Anchor 11-415 F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 nTAIL GRAND AVENUE 79 11715 -1 F 9 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TFAMC BY MARK ALVAREZ / CARR SMITH ASSOCIATES TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Regional Mobility 2. Neighborhood Traffic Intrusion 3. Pedestrian Safety 4. Bicycle Facilities 5. Transit Access . 6. Parking 80 11715 ri r L N TRAFFIC AND PARKING The master plan elements for traffic and parking take an integrated approach to guiding the future of transportation and parking efforts in Coconut Grove by supporting the other elements of this plan. The overall goal of the transportation element of the plan is to maintain the village character and support the future vision of Coconut Grove, while supporting regional functions of transportation. • As a component of the retail plan, circulation and parking are critical tools to redirect commercial development and define the scale, pattern., and character of the commercial district. • As a component to the housing plan, the volume and speed of vehicular traffic, the ability to use non -motorized modes of transportation, and the pedestrian character of the street are used to: • redefine residential areas, • maintain an integrated urban form of neighborhoods connected by multiple streets, • and to help redirect traffic to support the redevelopment of other neighborhoods. • As a component of the conservation and landscape plan, streets provide one of the most significant opportunities for landscaping as the streets are the primary system of public open space for the Village of Coconut Grove. The Traffic and Parking Master Plan is comprised of seven sections: 1. Regional Mobility 2. Neighborhood Traffic Intrusion 3. Pedestrian Safety 4. Bicycle Mobility 5. Transit 6. Parking 7. Corridors 1171581 F REGIONAL MOBILITY EXISTING CONDITIONS The combination of congested conditions along Dixie Highway and driver behavior in a street grid to seek out alternate paths, has a significant impact on Coconut Grove by forcing an alternate commuter path through the Grove. The primary through LLaffic (vehicles which enter and leave Coconut Grove with stopping at a destination within the Grove) path is South Bayshore Drive, Main Highway, Douglas Road, and Ingraham Highway. Some of the significant existing conditions that were observed in the Village Center, due to commuter traffic and due to traffic attracted by entertainment and other commerce are: • The Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection is currently operating at LOS F. With its existing signal phasing and combinations of permissive and protected turns, the conflicts illustrated in the accompanying diagram were observed. • At the Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection, the most congested approach is the McFarlane approach, even though signal timing prioritizes this movement. • During weekend night time peaks, the congested Village Center traffic is characterized by pedestrian conflicts. • The approaches to the Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection do not clear during peak periods, and traffic queues block the Virginia, Matilda, and Fuller approaches. • Property and business owners consider that circulation on Commodore Plaza is not adequate to support the street's economic redevelopment. • Left turns from Grand to Virginia conflict with west -bound Grand Avenue traffic, and causes queues which prevent the right turns from clearing on McFarlane Road. • Queues waiting to enter parking facilities along Virginia Street block the Virginia Street / Oak Avenue intersection. • The left and right turns from Grand Avenue to Mary Street has an unusual prioritization, causing driver and pedestrian confusion. • Charter bus drop offs and pick ups create a nuisance for residents and visitors, and buses block the visibility of commercial establishments. • The pedestrian phase at the Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection is inadequate. 82 11715 00 w IFLGRIDA AVENUE GRAND AVENUE 0 D cn M M L 2 2 Grant! / Main / McFarlane Turning Movement Conllict�. J G) z D to Do M m FLORIDA AVENUE GRAND AVENUE 41- CT 0 16 r 7 n M -i —I L RECOMMENDATIONS Preserving regional mobility is paramount to preserving the relationship of Coconut Grove to the City of Miami and Dade county, as well as to insuring the latitude for the Village of Coconut Grove to continue to develop in the manner it finds most appropriate. This flexibility can only be insured by maintaining the roles of regional transportation facilities, while gradually lessening their negative impacts on the neighborhoods. Operational changes to South Dixie Highway should be considered for implementation in the short term. Further study of these intersections should also consider alternatives that involve physical improvements as well as operational improvements. In response to the findings, the objectives of the Plan's regional mobility recommendations are: • Preserve the urban relationship of Coconut Grove to the City of Miami network, while maintaining and improving the quality -of -life and high commercial trade value of the Coconut Grove neighborhoods and business districts. • Minimize distortions to the street network by minimizing street closings, and operational restrictions which negatively impact the Florida Intrastate Highway System and other regional routes. • Recognize the constrained status of the regional routes: South Dixie Highway, Ingraham Highway, Main Highway, and South Bayshore Drive. • Utilize existing programmed improvements and coordinate with County, State, and City roadway jurisdictions to maximize the benefit of the improvements to support neighborhood, corridor, and district plans. • Support existing regional transit use, and plan for amenities, pedestrian facilities, and intermodal activity centers that promote greater utilization of existing and future transit investments. • Based on the findings of turning conflicts illustrated in the Existing Conditions section, restrict turning movements at the Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection to increase throughput at this intersection. Corresponding to the number for each conflict in the diagram, the restrictions are: 1. Permissive right-hand turns from eastbound Grand Avenue to Main Highway conflict with left turns from westbound Grand Avenue to Main Highway. The right turn, in addition to conflicting with other vehicular traffic, allows drivers to make a turn without clear visibility through the whole turn for crossing pedestrians. If the turn is restricted, traffic can effectively make the turn safely through Fuller Street. 1171 T F 2. Permissive right-hand turns from eastbound Main Highway to McFarlane Road conflict with right-hand turns from Grand Avenue to McFarlane Road. This permissive right turn also creates pedestrian conflicts as drivers stop in the crosswalk to be wait for gaps from the Grand Avenue right turning traffic. The turn should only be restricted as a permissive turn (right -on -red). No alternate path is required. 3. Left-hand turns from westbound Grand Avenue to McFarlane Road conflict with movement from northeast -bound Main Highway to eastbound Grand Avenue. The left turn, although prohibited, did not have sianage indicating the restriction at the time of the study. The turn should be prohibited. Signage indicating the alternate path to South Bayshore Road is also recommended. 4. Permissive right-hand turns from the McFarlane Road approach to eastbound Grand Avenue conflict with straight through eastbound movement on Grand Avenue. Furthermore, much of this traffic also turns left on Virginia Street to head to parking for Cocowalk or Mayfair. There is only room for about four vehicles to queue in the through lane of Grand Avenue for this left turn. This queue frequently cannot clear before extending to the intersection. Complete restriction of the right turn from McFarlane to Grand Avenue is recommended. Signage indicating the alternate route from South Bayshore Drive to parking garages is also recommended. 117"T5 --j F t COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TRAFFIC INTERSECTION STUDIES GRAND AVENUE AND MAIN HIGHWAY C�+'J AYGTiUL Xt Existing Condition WHO AVENUE Proposal I NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC INTRUSION EXISTING CONDITIONS Coconut Grove is situated at the southeastern edge of the City of Miami street network. Essential to the definition of an orthogonal street grid. are the opportunities of multiple paths. If the anerial street network in Coconut Grove cannot adequately accommodate longer -distance through traffic and commuter traffic originating or ending in the Grove, then there is a greater likelihood that some motorists will intrude upon and use local residential streets as alternate paths. Conversely, if the arterial facilities provide adequate speed, level -of -service, and roadway capacity, then there is greater likelihood that few operational or physical alterations will be necessary to reduce or eliminate through traffic intrusion. When local residential streets are used as alternate paths, the problems of traffic intrusion on cut - through routes is encountered. The residents concerns relate to their individual experience of the cut -through traffic as it adversely impacts the livability of their street, their public space, and their neighborhood. The minutes of the Neighborhood Workshops contain many specific comments relating to traffic intrusion on local neighborhood streets. The problems are summarized in the following table. RECOMMENDATIONS The quality -of -life in Coconut Grove is undergoing increasing pressure from the ever increasing introduction of automobiles onto the streets of the Grove. While the usefulness of alternate paths is essential to the function of the urban orthogonal grid, many streets now support traffic which adversely impacts the enjoyment and safety of residents. The function of many residential streets is first to provide public space, then to operate as circulation facilities. In many cases, pedestrians and cyclists have been forced off of the roads, and meeting, exercising, or other outdoor streetspace activities have been seriously encroached by vehicular traffic. Though attempts to segregate traffic from pedestrian sensitive areas can be successful, in Coconut Grove it is not possible in most places. In the Village Center, traffic cannot be removed from the streets without causing serious economic consequences to the vitality and activity of the district. In the residential areas, part of the character of the Grove is the physical quality of the narrow, curving, mature -growth streets without curbs and sidewalks. Pedestrians simply share space with automobiles as has been historically the case, and as is appropriate to the scale and character of a traditional village setting. On these streets it is essential to calm traffic so that it does not jeopardize the safety of other street uses. Although road closures have been used to reduce traffic intrusion in the past, they solve the problem of one street by making that of a neighboring street worse. Although street closings can produce initial benefits to local residents, the long-term benefit is not proven: they impede 1171'�7 __J r-- emergency access, produce inequities, and the cumulative impact of street closings is detrimental to the overall street traffic network. Apart from these traffic control measures, traffic calming maintains direct access while focusing on the actual negative impacts of traffic. The approach is to adapt the volume, speed, and behavior of traffic to the primary functions and characteristics of the street through which it passes, rather than adapt the streets to the ever-increasing demands of vehicular traffic. Addressing the current street closing policy, the Dade County Public Works Department, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization have completed the Stree* Closure / Traffic Flow Modification Study. The traffic calming recommendations contained in this study are consistent with the objectives, concepts, and methodology of the County's Study. It is recommended that the application procedure contained in the Street Closure / Traffic Flow Modification Study be followed for implementing traffic controls which accomplish neighborhood objectives, and consider County needs. From Chapter 7, of the Street Closure / Traffic Flow Modification Study, several category levels are used to distinguish the least restrictive (passive) to the most restrictive (active) measures of traffic calming. The least restrictive measures should be employed first, followed by progressively active traffic calming methods. The overall approach to the recommendations was to incrementally implement traific calming measures one level higher than existing conditions, except where pedestrian and traffic mixing on narrow streets with significant existing friction suggested that two levels may be necessary. In cases where inappropriate geometry for the street purpose were observed, such as wide corner radii on residential streets, remedies addressed these first. In all cases, changes in vertical geometry were avoided as these contribute to noise in residential areas, and present difficulties to providing efficient emergencymedical service. The specific street -by -street recommendations are a preliminary guide based on principals contained in the County's study, environmental conditions, and engineering judgement. Each each instance should require further study to determine impacts to schools, emergency access. Preliminary site design for each traffic calming device would then incorporate aesthetic considerations, cost, special drainage considerations, bicycle facilities, etc. 7 Residential Street Traffic Intrusion and Cut -Through WID711 RADIUS VLTWEt It "" TYPES tIJ4I: SIDEWALK BIKELAN[ OPTICAL ADJACENT PRIMARY 0—I lappo. lacy UENSEC110N5 CONDITION WIDTH "NO USES ROADWAY EmsrtNG CILT THROUGH DIRECIKINAL PROBLEMS lapeo. 111 Sapp.. I— USE TRAFFIC G.NERATORS tYNHUSIUN . fFWNKLIN OOUG{pS RD _ ! oaa Oa) CALMING LEVEL At ENDS FLOW AVENUE Jo tUCAt 2 WAY 28'to SmlJnVia 39 800 4�1YAV URBg GI, .:. .,� .�. tat one perxwii MAIN IJWY 44'bW BOTH SIDES AESIIIENTIAL VER1CUlAf1.. 1�: .... 3 WAY saf WQb IN+J'Jren bo der landscape 1XY YES. VOLUME WaY on .Veell Vae.anapy SPEED Eti£ABETH GRANDAVE LOCAL 2WAY is, to lw8puia 3p STREET la 1A wl 30tl 4WAY .UHbfi GUf1E FIOTtI SIUE5 NO 100. - TIIUMAS0.VE RESIDENTIAL VEHX:ULAR 1 - .. .. a„� 'Pa",fi 1.0 COMMERCIAL bodes Natdseape CRIME PARK Lae Oaduce bup I CIJARtES DOIIGLAS AU (UGAL 2WAY canopy eeb Va00 AVENUE la 2g'bbpibaafa 44'bltl 30 1600 4WAY URO&GUT3E BUTHSIDEII :.' � MAIN JIWY RESIDENTIAL VENICULAfl NO _ YES ei bac4lrwnee fc6ea�an bo�der�vidscalwSYEED _ pay On iLeey a Vee' " tOQUAT tE JEUNE RV LOCAL 2WAY 18 AVENUE to 151.20 500 SWAY CURD 1&DE NONE tX} SOLANARU SWALE ISIDE 5.10 SCLUOL MIXED WINEtANSOJJ YES (even ,a) estde OVER w HESIDENTIAL t vIE RGLI X S VOLUME SPEED KUMUUAT SOLANA(10 LOCAL 2-WAY M., CROOl AVENUE 5s T8 .01. M 600 4-WAY _ SWALE NONE .., . NO. - .... ... WIJGtAS fill (even edge et 51° 10 RESIDENTIAL MIxE6 i {tANSL}M pavernany tnwafi �peec"dacape LVLFICLAUES YES vOLHIAE - ...f.00AL 4ndswpe anapY SCNOO' SPEED lOOUAT SOLANA{10 2WAY 18 "" -.•. AVENUE to IOio 15 606 4WAY SWALE ,tpryE NO ...,_ 1'-,:..` •...'.: ... .. DOtXTIRS NO d leven ge of Sb tO RESIUENINAL MIXED .. J HANSOM YES pa navy ! wsg Hndswpa bode N'VIC'" flee canopy FVERGIAOES SCHOOL VOLUME SPEED tU(NJAT VOUGLAS NU LOCAL '2WAY 15 :.::... AVENUE 1° I9 zoo 4WAY SWALE NONE". p, ~� , I,� HIBISCUSST lane atl8a RESIDENTIAL M!XEO oM 010eM et PEVSCItOUI YES VOLUME '2WAY of Pavement) pavement ad8e 0order lamdscape ilae canopy 'LYMOU(H bsi flUG{{ SPEED CAAWtORO LE JEUNE ND LOCAL 1B `....NO.. CIlUHC fIFS AVENUE b 26 6W 4-WAY SWAIE ,ANON[ OOUGMS NU ana )even doe ! p.str RLSlOENT AL MIXED 2 NO .. 3 WAY Pa.....,)a wYh at a ,way m to YES VOLUME pa eni edge rya SPEED POINCIANA LE JENNE HD LOGAI 2WAY i8 ..... _.. W AVENUE 10 20 700 4 WAY SWALE IJONE,tKly p VAINHWY and (even I RESIDENTIAL MIXED 2 - tin 3 WAY Pavem� q w—°1 YES VOf L+ME pavement edge ah p.q ,' SPEED BATTERSEA 1EJEUNf. LOCAL ItVAY ROAD b 18 20 t. I00 t WAY SWALENONE - 50� RESIDENifAt - OONGLAS NO a. (evert dpa al MIXEDL bnd * i GABLES YES VOIIIME 3 WAY pave nil end feint yards ba der landscape CONOGS. Yea campy ESPANQtA SW ITTH AYE tUCAI 2WAY • .. DRIVE b 17 20 850 3WAY .-'.. SWALE NONE NO ~ t4O NATOMAST (—. ad,., 5ba RESIDENTAL MIXED._.N 1 no i� One of Vee. Wr0e: landscape YES VOLUME pavement) I— yvde Vee canopy SPEEU SETEE NATOMAST STREET LOCAL 2WAY 16 29 450 3'WAY -- b SWALE NONE �� IS RESIUENTAL �MM {� r� 5W 22ND AVE (evsn edge I EDP Wdwpnpfi I NO YES VOLUME: (o j'R paren enl) 0eea Da dnt iands�ape Vee...anopy SPEEU- o ♦00 SW 28111+ SW2311DAVE LOCAL ILYAY 28 30 , 4 " �, 1+ \Q STREET a' 550 4WAY :U11O fi GO HE S L 40 AESIDENTML SW251HAVL and VEf11CVUR 2, tJO YES 3 WAY agewage raway SPEED, &9nl Yaada aRea6 I Residential Street Traffic Intrusion and Cut -Through STREET FROM ITO FUNCTION DIRECTION PAVEMENT INICHSCCHOl` Ot4GEST DISTINTEIISECTIOt STREET EDGE SIDEWALK BIKELANE OPTICAL ADJACENT PRIMARY EXISTING CUT -THROUGH DIRECTIONAL PROBLEMS WIDTH HAUIUS UEIWEEN TYPES CONDITION WIDTH LAND USES ROADWAY TRAFFIC GENERATORS INIRUSIOtT (Teel) Opgo A-0 NIHILSECTIONS (.pp... Leal USE CALMING AT ENDS FLOW Iaplxoa. It) Iwmtaad ed0el LEVEL {at one petted) ....NO I~ .v • •SPEED SW23HO DIXIE HWY LOCAL 2-WAY 28 30 250 4 WAY :URB&GURE BOTHStm 40 RESIDENTIAL MIXEDw14ONE NO YES AVENUE to aklewa*' SW 28TH ST Itonl y.tm « -NO r_ W dSPEED SW 241H DIXIE HWY LOCAL 2-WAY 28 30 250 4 WAY -LIRB GU fTEI BOTH SIDES 40 RESIDENTIAL MIXE13 NONE NO YES AVENUE to adewa4a SW 2BTH ST Ilonl ynds -20-30 _SPEED COCONUT SW27111 AVE LOCAL 2WAY 18 20 500 3WAY SWALE NONE NO RESIDENTIAL MIXED NONE NO YES" AVENUE to lave. edge.1 1-1 Ymtb VIRGIN)A ST - pavemenq WTMDE SW 27111 AVE LOCAL 2WAY IB 20 350 3WAY SWALE NONE NO 20-30 RESIDENTIAL MIXED NONL NO YESVOLUME AVENUE to loran edge of Itonl yards SPEED VIRGINIA ST Pavement) SW 301H DIXIE HWY LOCAL 2 WAY 18 20 950 3 WAY SWALE BOTHSIDES NO 20-30 RESIDENTIAL VEHICLES NONE NO YES SPEED COURT to (even edge of front Yard, BIRD A VE pav... n0 BRIDGEPORT DIXIE HWY LOCAL 2WAY 18 20 850 3WAY SWALE BOTH SIDES NO 20.30 RESIDENTIAL VEHICLES NONE NO YES SPEED AVENUE to & DELIVERY (even edge al Ironl yards I COMMERCIAL TRUCKS BIRD AVE pavement) . I .• •.. - .: .:.a :Mi..:ti'.i..uili a'7rs..irs wia i..., H«.-�.I_ . TIGERTAIL MARYST LOCAL 2�WAY 28 JU 700 4-WAY SWALE BOTHSIDES NO 20 RESIDENTIAL VEHICLES NONE COMMUTE YES SPEED AVENUE to OLLEC]OH atal Ieven edge of swab, &SCHOOL and PEUDFSTITIAN SW 17TII AVE I 3WAY pavement) VILLAGE CIH SAFETYat I It E ELEM 1 4. A - t,-fiONE OAK MANY ST LOCAL 2-WAY 28 30 4WAY 'URB&GUTTE BOTH SIDES NO 20-30 RESIDENTIAL VEHICLESy NO YES SPEED AVENUE to 'ULLLCrOH and Iron)yards I COMMERCIAL PEDESIHIANS MC DONALU AV 3 WAY SCIK)Ot (kte local.) SOURt at MINUIL 2-WAY 36 3U 3WAY SWALE ONE SIDE BIKE PATH .� 10 RESIDENTIAL VEHICLES NONE COMMUTE NO _ SPEED BAYSHORL KIHKSI & ARTERIAL (even edge of $wale PARK end DRIVE LMAIHLA ST pavement) 50, &SCHOOL OLLAGE CTR Kennedy Pa,k .4 1Z tL,:. ... _. MAIN al MINOR 2-WAY 25 20 1WONLAR SWALE BOTHSIDES BIKE PATH 0 RESTDEUTVLL VEHICLES 1 COMMUTE NO SPEED HIGHWAY HiLliSCUS ST APIETitAL 3WAY (evenedgsol edgeolpaveme CHURCH& side gr.vdn and pavemenq flees and SCHCIOL and Is- canopy VILLAGE CTR old Itt—ttt F PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EXISTING CONDITIONS Residential Neighborhoods The streets in the residential neighborhocds of the North Grove, the South Greve, and the Center Grove are generally without sidewalks. Along most of these streets, mixed use of the street surface appears to occur with satisfactory safety and egjoyment. On some of the streets, especially those use for cut -through routes, there are potential conflicts and unsafe conditions between vehicles and pedestrians. These streets area identified in traffic intrusion table. Corridors Mixing of pedestrian activities and vehicular traffic are inappropriate for commercial corridors where pedestrian volumes, traffic volumes, and traffic speeds are high. The following commercial corridors, neighborhood collectors, and arterials were found to have insufficient pedestrian facilities by these criteria: • SW 27th Avenue / Grapeland Boulevard, from US-1 to South Bayshore Drive • SW 32nd Avenue / McDonald Road, from US-1 to Grand Avenue • SW 37th Avenue / Douglas Road, from US-1 to Grand Avenue • Main Highway, from Charles Avenue to Poinciana Avenue Village Center The Village Center commercial district streets are characterized by very high levels of pedestrian activity with high volumes of frequently congested vehicular traffic. The streets have grade - separated sidewalks on both sides; however, the widths are frequently inconsistent, and in some places, too narrow for the volumes of pedestrian traffic which they cant'. Observable deficiencies in sidewalk width were found at: • South side of Grand Avenue, from McFarlane Road to Virginia Street • North side of Grand Avenue from Matilda Street to Rice Street • Northeast side of McFarlane Road • Northwest side of Main Highway, from Grand Avenue to Commodore Plaza Waterfront At the Waterfront District Workshop, residents and community leaders indicated that there is a strong community desire for a continuous, lighted, active pedestrian path along the waterfront from the Barnacle to the Virrick Gym. This path does not currently exist. 91 11715 F Crosswalks At the Neighborhood Workshops and during field observations, the need for crosswalks at specific locations was identified at locations where there were frequently observable pedestrian / vehicular conflicts, or locations where school children cross roadways with 85th percentile speeds that are above 20 mph, or traffic volumes above 1,500 vehicles per day. Some of these locations have limited driver visibility due to horizontal or vertical curves on the approaches to the locations. The locations are listed below. • South Bayshore Drive at Emathla Street • South Bayshore Drive at Kirk Street a Tigertail Avenue at Emathla Street Main Highway at Royal Road • Main Highway at Devon Road • Main Highway at Anchorage Way • Oak Avenue at Matilda Street • Grand/Main/McFarlane intersection RECOMMENDATIONS The pedestrian safety component of the Master Plan addresses five issues: 1. Sidewalk and pedestrian inadequacies in the Village Center, 2. Sidewalk and p6destrian inadequacies in the Waterfront District; 3. Corridors where separated pedestrian space is needed but not presently existing; 4. Residential areas where pedestrians mix with traffic; 5. Areas where school crossings area needed. This element of the Traffic and Parking Master Plan has been developed to support the Florida Department of Transportation's Florida Pedestrian Safety Plan, and the Walkable Communities Program. Village Center District The Village Center recommendations incorporate the following recommendations: 92 11'715 L__ j • Widen the sidewalk on both sides of Grand Avenue from McFarlane to Mary Street. Realign landscaping, parking, canopies, and street furniture to maximize the effective width of the sidewalk. • Provide street crossings which accommodate the physical abilities of pedestrians. The maximum crossing width, without refuge should be no longer than 48 feet. Pedestrian signalization should be provided for a 3.5 foot per second walking speed. • In coordination with the redevelopment of Rice Street as a pedestrian plaza, a mid -block cress walk on Grand Avenue, aligned with Rice Street shecld be provided. • The Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection should be raised, with textured pavement to slow traffic through the intersection, and facilitate facilitates pedestrian mobility. ® The Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection should have an all -ways pedestrian only cycle which allows crossing in any direction. Obstructions, such as outdoor dining tables can not block the pedestrian crossing. To create the pedestrian phase without lengthening the signal cycle time turning movement restrictions must be implemented. Waterfront District The Waterfront District, Peacock Park, and future redevelopment of the Viirick Gym includes a continuous, lighted active pedestrian path from the Barnacle to Virrick Gym. Corridors The following corridors were studied for redesign and commercial redevelopment: Grapeland Boulevard (SW 27th Av.), Grand Avenue, and Bird Avenue. Five others: South Bayshore Drive, Main Highway, Aviation Avenue, Douglas Road, and McDonald Street were studied for redesign as urban spaces and transportation corridors. Pedestrian facilities include: • sidewalks on both sides of no less than 4-feet (in most cases 5-feet and 6-feet); • landscaping or parking between sidewalks and moving traffic lanes; • utilities and meters are cleared from the walkway; • pedestrian crosswalks with raised median crossings for pedestrian refuge and/or bulbouts. Details of these improvements are listed and illustrated in the Corridors Section. Residential Areas Residential streets throughout many of the neighborhoods of Coconut Grove have mixed pedestrian and traffic zones. Sidewalks, and curb and gutter improvements would not be 93 11715 L_ consistent with the village character of most of the neighborhoods. No pedestrian improvements are included in the Neighborhood sections, unless they are near a school or other institution which produces high pedestrian volumes. The mixing of traffic and pedestrians on common street space is addressed in the residential traffic calming components. School Crossings The locations where traffic volumes, roadway geometry, and high volumes of pedestrians from schools produce potential pedestrian/vehicle conflicts listed above need pedestrian crossing improvements. The recommendations below are primarily based on the MUTCD and the Florida Pedestrian Safety Plan. • Pedestrian indications should be provided • The signals should be pedestrian actuated. Pedestrian signalization should be provided for a 3.5 foot per second walking speed. • Signs and pavement markings are included. A raised and/or textured pavement to create a mental and physical suggestion to driver to slow down through the area should be considered. • Traffic calming devices can be employed to slow traffic, so long as they do not obstruct sight to the pedestrian crossing or waiting area. Speed humps or other vertical geometry deviations should not be employed on the approaches to the crosswalk. • The maximum crossing width without a raised median for refuge should be no longer than 48-feet. • Crossing width can also be reduced by bulbouts or chokes. • Parking or other obstructions to view should be prohibited at least 100 feet in advance of and 20 feet beyond the crosswalk. • Intersection lighting should illuminate the crossing and waiting areas and/or create backlighting to make the pedestrian silhouette clearly visible on approach. 94 11715 � L- F BICYCLE FACILITIES EXISTING CONDITIONS Within Dade County, there is an existing and planned bicycle network consisting of streets and paths used by cyclists. This network is planned for continued expansion as a first step to encourage more bicycle riding as a part of the transport2tion m:x. The Miami Urbanized Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has analyzed the current roadway network to measure how well the existing roadway system serves bicyclists, with consideration of the division of abilities that differentiate experienced adult riders from younger or less accomplished cyclists. A grid system of improvements was designed, comprised of on and off road facilities, and prioritized into a short-range and long-range program. Below are excerpts the pertinent projects from the Bicycle Facilities Plan, Interim Stand Alone Projects List. METRO-DADE BICYCLE FACILITIES PLAN EXISTING STAND ALONE PROJECTS Project Project Site From To Improvement Signage S. Bayshore Drive McFarlane Dr. Rickenbkr Csy. `Bicycles Sharing Roadway" Signage S. Bayshore Dr. Existing path SW 32 Rd. "Route" Peacock Park Signage Main Highway Existing path The Barnacle "Route" N. Prospect Dr Design Review / Intersection Ingraham Hwy. Douglas Rd. Intersection Upgrade Improvement Reconstruction SW 27 Avenue S. Bayshore Dr US-1 Add shoulders Restriping intersections along entire existing bikeway system Bicycle Racks / Metrorail Bicycle racks and Lockers Stations locker installations RECOMMENDATIONS The bicycle mobility component of the Traffic and Parking Element of the Master Plan focuses on integrating with the Corridor Studies to include bicycle facilities in them. In residential neighborhoods, cyclists simply mix with existing traffic to provide safe transportation and recreational use by all levels of bicyclists. Where vehicular traffic speeds are too high for cyclists' safety, traffic calming techniques may be applied. These bicycle facilities are incorporated into the Corridor Studies for: Grapeland Boulevard (SW 27th Av.), Grand Avenue, Bird Avenue, South Bayshore Drive, Main Highway, Aviation Avenue, Douglas Road, and McDonald Street. They include: 95 1.1'715 L_ F. • Bike lanes • Wide curb -lanes • Wide outside -lanes Busy commercial districts such as the Village Center, have shared use traffic lanes. Traffic speeds are slow enough to allow safe shared use with Group A bicyclists. The following accommodations are made for bicycles: • Wide curb -lane or wide outside lane • Curb inlets are used instead of drainage grates. If grates exist, they should not be of the parallel bar design. • Clearance intervals for traffic signal timing should allow for bicycles, and traffic actuated signals should be sensitive to bicycles. Within the Village Center in public spaces and in municipal parking facilities, and also along commercial corridors, there should be Class III bicycle parking facilities for short-term use. Class III facilities include ribbon racks and inverted U racks which allow one wheel and the frame to be easily locked by a U-bolt type lock. The bike racks should be in clearly visible, well- lighted locations. Class III facilities should be included in municipal parking facilities if the racks are located in a well -lighted location near the parking attendant. To meet the long-term needs of bicycle commuters, Class I facilities (bicycle lockers) should be provided. F, TRANSIT ACCESS EXISTING CONDITIONS Coconut Grove is provided transit service through the resources of the County -wide Metro -Dade Transit Agency system. County -wide, Metrobus and Metrorail capture approximately 2.5% of the total transportation mode split. The system presently targets the needs of transit dependent riders; however, it is transitioning to capture a greater share of choice riders (those whom choose to ride transit for convenience). The Village Center of Coconut Grove is particularly well suited to providing enhanced service to attract choice riders, such as visitors to the area. At the Neighborhood Workshops and the Charrette, residents and business owners suggested that greater utilization of transit should be a goal of the Coconut Grove Plan. This would accomplish the several objectives: • Reduce traffic congestion in the Village Center without reducing patronage; • Reduce cut -through traffic through neighborhoods; • Open up more available parking in the Village Center by providing transit links to points beyond a 5-minute walk; • Reduce parking spill -over into the Center Grove Neighborhood; • Create a more pedestrian oriented environment; • Improve the transportation choices for Coconut Grove residents and commuters; • Provide an opportunity to have high profile transit service to attract more entertainment and retail business without sacrificing the safety or quality -of -life of residents. The impediments to greater utilization of transit service are that the Metrobus routes are perceived to offer too poor a level -of -service in terms of headway, enroute travel time, reliability, and intangibles, such as ride, seating, noise, and exhaust emissions. Metrorail service, while overcoming many of these deficiencies, fails to attract ridership because of the walking distance and lack of appropriate intermodal transfers. The lack of adequate, safe, convenient pedestrian facilities further reduces the likelihood that choice riders will use Metrorail. RECOMMENDATIONS The Grapeland Boulevard Corridor (SW 27th Avenue) includes a proposal for an at -grade, light rail trolley. Two potential alignments are shown in the accompanying studies. The motivations for the proposal of this light -rail vehicle are: 97 11715 L_ F. L_ • Provide a centerpiece for a complete revitalization of Grapeland Boulevard (SW 27th Avenue) as the gateway to Coconut Grove. • It would unite activities and parking along the Waterfront area, and help to activate it during the evening. • As a daytime transit operation, by providing a direct connection to the Metrorail Station, it could significantly extend the service area from that station to the Village Center and the office buildings along South Bayshore Drive. By enhancing the intermodal transfer, and by creating a highly visible transit component that changes the image of transit from the transportation of last resort to the transportation of choice, ridership on Metrorail would increase. The proposal which is illustrated in the Grapeland Boulevard (SW 27th Avenue) Corridor Studies would have the following characteristics: • One double -ended vehicle could be used, running along a single track from the Metrorail Station, along the west side of SW 27th Avenue, the south side of South Bayshore drive, and the west side of McFarlane Road. There would be four signalized intersection crossings. • The vehicle would be manned, and operated at slow speeds which would not jeopardize pedestrian safety. • At an estimated average travel speed of 6 mph, the 1.2-mile route (one way) could be traveled in 5 minutes. Leaving time for short layovers at end points, a 15 minute headway could be achieved with one vehicle, and a single track. • A location for maintenance would be required. • The US-1 crossing would require signal timing alterations. 117185 _1 F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TRAFFIC TROLLEY ROUTE OPTION I Ort, wv£, VwVtr� 99 -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 l IL i� dR0 }g i w` I 2 j �l V{f�' � OAL qY� ��1 �--Y r�1 i• T"F.[' 1C TROLLEY ROUTE OPTION I1 11715 100 I COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TRAFHC TROLLEY ROUTE OPTION III 11715101 F, COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TRAMC CORRIDOR SECTIONS GRAPELAND (27TH AVENUE) 117 1 ef 0 -1 COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TPAFHC CORRIDOR SECTIONS GRAPELAND (27TH AVENUE) .c ti f � c" 75 blow 11'7150' COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 TRAMC CORRIDOR SECTIONS AVIATION Lq I1) � 7, 7, 24. s' i LZ 104 11715 -1 F COCONUT GROVE PLANNING STUDY MIAMI, FLORIDA APRIL, 1996 CORRIDOR ECT p S AVIATION 11715 105 9 PARKING EXISTING CONDITIONS - PARKING The parking element of this planning study focused primarily on three issues: 1. Parking in the Village Center, including bus, taxi, and potential valet operations; 2. Parking in commercial corridors to support economic redevelopment, land use, transportation, and quality of life objectives; 3. Parking spillover in the Center Grove Neighborhood. Village Center Parking Based on current data by the City of Miami Records, there are 678,000 square feet of gross leasable retail area in the Village Center (SD-2 Overlay District). Of this, it is estimated that approximately 35% is occupied by restaurant uses. Including theater and hotel -based demand there is a parking demand of 5,095 spaces for weekend nights in the Village Center. Peak hours of accumulation for this area were determined to be on a Saturday night between 7:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. This corresponds to the peak hours stated by Village Center managers and property owners during the Planning Charrette. Parking capacity is that which is within or just at the edge of the 5-minute walking distance of the Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection, which for purposes of analysis, is used as the center for measuring walking distances. With respect to walking distances, it should be noted that a weekend night walking distance survey was conducted as part of the 1992 Parking Study. The results of this survey are: Walking Distance Percent of Respondents Less than 100 feet 22% 100 to 500 feet 39% 500 to 1,000 feet 36% Over 1,000 feet 3 % The following table calculates the parking deficit in the Village Center, based on the calculated demand, and facilities within a 5-minute walking distance. A large additional existing capacity of surface parking exists just outside of the 5-minute walking distance at the Convention Center parking lot. At this location, there are approximately 700 surface lot spaces which are available most weekend nights after 9:00 p.m.; however, utilization is low due to distance and user attitudes toward security at this lot and along the walking path. L F 1996 ESTIMATED VILLAGE CENTER PARKING SUPPLY AND DEMAND COMPONENT Publicly Publicly Demand Available Unavailable Deficit supply Supply On -street 280 marked and unmarked Municipal Lot # 6 143 near Coconut Grove Playhouse Sailing Club Surface Lot 37 Cocowalk 497 Mayfair Public Garage 346 Mayfair Valet Garage 690 Cocoview 62 on McFarlane Rd Grand Avenue Surface Lot 30 across from Mayfair Coconut Grove Bank Surface Lot 350 Fuddruckers Surface Lot 100 McFarlane Road Surface Lot 60 Commodore Plaza Surface Lot 40 Coconut Grove Elementary Surface Lot 35 Grand and McDonald Surface Lots 45 Oak Avenue and Rice Street Surface Lots 40 Mutiny Garage 200 Mary Street Surface Lot 90 Cumulative Totai 5,095 2,755 290 2,050 107 11715 L The lack of bus drop-off / pick-up spaces, layover areas for buses to wait between drop-off and pick-up, and designated bus routes, leades to the following problems: • Buses emit noxious fumes, and create noise; • Bus drop-off and pick-ups can frequently block traffic; • Buses moving through the Grand / Main / McFarlane intersection exacerbate congestion and pedestrian movement at that intersection. Neighborhood Parking_ Intrusion Due to the deficit of available parking in the Village Center, a significant number of vehicles find parking in the north periphery of the Village Center. This neighborhood, the Center Grove, is plagued by continuous swale parking in front of the residences from 7 p.m. to 4 am on weekend nights. Spill -over parking is most prevalent on the blocks north of Oak Avenue to Day Avenue, and from McDonald Street on the west to Tigertail and SW 27th Avenue on the east. Commercial Corridor Parking Three corridors have been given emphasis in the Planning Study for future redevelopment, and infrastructure improvements. Among these, the following findings are pertinent to each. • SW 27th Avenue generally has adequate on -site parking, except between US-1 and West Trade Avenue, where parked cars overflow into the right-of-way. Generally, on -site parking along the corridor is disorganized, and there is little distinction between the right- of-way and parking areas. If pedestrian infrastructure and landscaping is improved along the corridor, parking will have to be reconfigured. Grand Avenue does not have adequate parking to meet the intended needs of the redevelopment of the corridor. Bird Avenue, in the segment from SW 27th Avenue to Virginia Street does not have adequate parking. Parked cars from on -site lots overflow into the right-of-way. Generally, on -site parking along the corridor is disorganized, and there is little distinction between the right-of-way and parking areas. RECOMMENDATIONS The Parking element of the Master Plan address three issues related to vehicular parking: 1. Shortage of parking capacity in the Village Center on weekend nights, and the construction of additional parking to meet demand; 2. Parking spillover in the Center Grove Neighborhood; 3. Parking policy issues in the Village Center. 11715108 L F L Village Center Four locations have been studied as potential sites for the development of additional parking. These locations, shown with their corresponding 5-minute walk radii in the accompanying Village Center map, are described with their potential capacities in the table below. Also shown in the figure is the need to locate garages as interceptor parking facilities. Interceptor parking captures parking vehicles before they enter the most heavily congested are of the Village Center. PARKING STUDIES SUMMARY Site Location Number of Approximate Number of Entrance/ Levels Height Parking Spaces Exit Location Farm Store Site Mary/Oak/Rice 4 30' 351 Mary St. Playhouse Main Highway 4 30' 460 Main Hwy. -143 existing Fuddrucker's Grand Ave. 4 30' 266 Grand Ave. -100 existing Grand Ave. Grand/McDonald 3 28' 315 McDonald St. & Margaret St Total 1,149 With a demand for 5,095 parking spaces, the deficit would be reduced to 201 parking spaces. Additional parking structures roust be programmed sequentially to minimize the impacts of construction on the already extremely congested traffic flow. Construction of more than one of the garages at any one time could have detrimental impacts on the commerce and quality -of -life in the Village Center. The garages must also be planned with a circulation plan for the Village Center to minimize congestion. Parking Spillover in the Center Grove Parking spillover in the Center Grove neighborhood would be substantially alleviated by the addition of new parking facilities to the Village Center. Still it can be expected that there will be some "free -riders" who will park in this neighborhood to patronize or work in the Village Center. Based on input from residents at the Coconut Grove Planning Charrette, and suggestions from some' of the Village Center business managers, a set of recommendations to remedy spillover parking have been developed. They are: • Retain swale drainage without curb and gutter s Swale areas are landscaped ;with a combination of low plants and trees at spacings which are too small for car to fit into. 109 11715 Swale areas should remain level to maintain their drainage functions. • Curb buttons and pyramids are not to be used. • If after the landscaping is complete, parking spillover is not alleviated, a permit program with guest passes and regular enforcement should be considered. Parking Policy The following recommendations are based on the findings of this study, meetings at the Coconut Grove Planning Charrette, and citizen input. The recommendations are the same as those produced by the City of Miami staff, working with the Coconut Grove Planning Study Design Team, in the performance of the May, 1996 Coconut Grove Parking Study. The recommendation is to redefine the City of Miami parking ordinance for Coconut Grove to allow the following: The basic parking requirements for the district shall remain as 1 space per each 300 square feet of gross retail area, 1 space per each 100 square feet of gross restaurant area including outdoor dining areas, 1 space per each 5 fixed theater seats, and 1 space per each hotel room. The parking requirement may be met by being grandfathered in, providing parking on site, or by purchasing the required parking from the Coconut Grove Parking Trust Fund bank. For development sites of 20,000 square feet or less: • All parking required for the first 0.86 floor area ratio (FAR) of development may be purchased at a fee of $5,000 per space. • All development above an FAR of 0.86 may purchase all of its required parking at a fee of $10,000 per space. For development sites over 20,000 square feet: • All parking required for the first 0.86 FAR of development may be purchased at a fee of $5,000 per space. • All development above an FAR of 0.86 may not purchase additional parking. it must provide parking on site. For all development, there will be no temporary "rentals" of parking spaces for the basic requirement of 1 space per 300 square feet; however, restaurants, theaters, and other uses which require more parking than 1 space per 300 square feet may provide the difference of required parking by paying a supplemental fee for said difference on a monthly basis. This fee shall be $50 per month, and shall be raised each year according to the Consumer Price Index (CPD. 1171510 L F L 9 There will not be a cap of a maximum number of parking spaces for the district. Each development within the district will be able to purchase all of its required parking based on the square footage of development, the size of the property, and the nature of the uses contained in the development. The last issue involving parking policy in the Village Center is that of valet parking. If a policy is adopted which allows valet parking, it should observe the following guidelines: • The number of valet stations must be limited. • The valet operations must be fully contained within parking lanes. • Valet station operations must not block access to nor inhibit public on -street parking. • The valet station should not block or restrict the walkway of the sidewalk. Valet stations should be located at mid -block locations. • If valet operations are shared by more than one establishment, their affiliation must be clearly posted. • Fees paid by the valet operators should be to the Coconut Grove Parking Trust Fund. 11715111 C, 0/1 MIAMI DAILY BUSINESS REVIEW Published Daily except Saturday, Sunday and Legal Holidays Miami, Dade County, Florida. STATE OF FLORIDA COUNTY OF DADE. Before the undersigned authority personally appeared Octelma V. Ferbeyre, who on oath says that she is the Supervisor, Legal Notices of the Miami Daily Business Review f/k/a Miami Review, a daily (except Saturday, Sunday and Legal Holidays) newspaper, published at Miami in Dade County, Florida; that the attached copy of advertisement, being a Legal Advertisement of Notice in the matter of CITY OF MIAMI ORDINANCE NO. 11715 XXXXX inthe................................................................................ Court, wa& nublisl i ? j in said,gewspaper in the issues of Affiant further says that the said Miami Daily Business Review is a newspaper published at Miami in said Dade County, Florida, and that the said newspaper has heretofore been continuously published in said Dade County, Florida, each day (except Saturday, Sunday and Legal Holidays) and has been entered as second class mail matter at the post office in Miami in said Dade County, Florida, for a period of one year next preceding the first publication of the attached copy of.advertisement; and affiant further says that she has neither pai nor promised any per ' m or corporation any disc nt, rebate, commis or refun for the purpose Of sec i this advertis n or publi tion in the said new ap 2 2 SwerR 6MLu�scribed before me this$ ........... A.D. 19...... (SEAL) p"sU MAWELA ROMERO 2' C011 NIAABEAOctelma V. Ferbeyr r@jn;n to MtC777419 �P W 00WASUME> S Oa n_o SEPT 22.2002 CITY OF MIAMI, FLOHI®A LEGAL NOTICE All interested persons will take notice that on;the -13th day of bcto- ber, 1998, the City Commission of -Miami, Florida adopted ttie following titled ordinances: ORDINANCE NO.11708 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 53-181(4) OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,. FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED: "SCHEDULE OF FEES," THEREBY REVISING PARKING RATES AT THE JAMES L. KNIGHT INTERNA- TIONAL CENTER PUBLIC PARKING FACILITY; CONTAIN- - INGA REPEALER PROVISION- AND A SEVERABILITY >: n CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR AN:EFFECTIVEDATE. ORDINANCE NO. 11709 - AWORDINANCE AMENDING'CHAPTER 54 OF THE CODE OF.THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, ENTI-- TLED: "STREETS AND SIDEWALKS,- BY -AMENDING- SECTION 54-190; ENTITLED:;.. "NONSTANDARD STREET -WIDTHS," BY-ADDING.WEST'DRIVE, BETWEEN MATHE- SON ,1 SON AVENUE AND STEWART- AVENUE, IN THE COCO-, NUT GROVE NEIGHBORHOOD; CONTAINING A. RE- PEALER: PROVISION AND A3 SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, `. AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. j •3 ORDINANCE NO-11710 AN ORDINANCE ABOLISHINGITHE TAX-EXEMPT PROP- ERTY *STEERING :COMMITTEE AND REVOKING ALL OF SAID COMMITTEE'S POWERS301JI TIES, PRIVILEGES AND FUNCTIONS;_CONTAINING'A{R&?EALER PROVISION AND A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE:-' ''.''�•-'`' ORDINANCEiNO.11711 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING' CHAPTER 54/ARTICLE IX OF - THE CODE' OF THE CITY' O,F~ MIAMI, FLORIDA,-"AS -AMENDED, ENTITLED:' ED:' "STREETS. AND SIDEWALKS/. COCONUT GROVE SPECIAL EVENTS DISTRICTS," TO PROVIDE THAT THE .CITY. COMMISSIONER• APPOINTED' AS THE 'EX OFFICIO- NONVOT_ING;•MEMBER OF THE-,-,, -COCONUT -GROVE STANDING; ,FESTIVAL COMMITTEE MAY BE DESIGNATED.BY THE CITY COMMISSION AS THEt CHAIRPERSON OF SAID COMMITTEE; MORE PARTICULARLY •BY AMENDING SECTION ,54-342(c) OF SAID CODE; CONTAINING A REPEALER -PROVISION AND A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE.`:.. i i5 ORDINANCE NO. 11712 , AN ORDINANCE AMENDINdCHAPTER 50 OFITHE CODE OF THE CITY'OF-MIAMI; FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; ENTI- TLED:. �"SHIPS, .VESSELS; .AND WATERWAYS," BY- RE . PEALING ALL REFERENCES -TO CERTIFICATES -OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY.RELATING'TO' COMMERCIAL VESSELS, AS HEREIN DEFINED; PROVID- ING FOR APPLICATION FOR COMMERCIAL' DOCKAGE AND REGULATIONS FOR THE REAPPLICATION FOR,.-: f: DOCKAGE AFTER REVOCATION BY THE CITY OF MIAMI; MORE PARTICULARLY BY: REPEALING SECTIONS 50-61 THROUGH 50-67 IN THEIR ENTIRETY, ADDING NEW `SECTIONS 50=61-AND 50-343, AND AMENDING SECTIONS 50-1, 50-69, 50-221; 50-276, 50-301'AND 50-338-CONTAIW ING A REPEALER PROVISION AND A --SEVERABILITY " CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR AN_EFFECTIVE DATE.,: . ORDINANCE NO.11713' ' AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2 / ARTICLE XI / DIVISION 6 OF THE CODE OF THE -CITY OF-:MIAMI, - FLORIDA, AS'AMENDED, ENTITLED "ADMINISTRATION /- ; l BOARDS, COMMITTEES„COMMISSIONS./ MIAMI SPORTS AND.EXHIBITION.AUTHORITY,' TO'(1) AL'LOW,FOR`EACH MEMBER OF THE CITY COMMISSION TQ SERVE`ON THE MIAMI SPORTS AND EXHIBITION AUTHORITY ("MSEA") FOR A. PERIOD -OD ONE (1)- -YEAR; _(2) DELETE' REQUIREMENT THAT THE APPOINTED.COMMISSIONER BE PRESIDING -OFFICER OF THE CITY .COMMISSION, AND (3) DESIGNATE THAT THE MEMBERS APPOINTED,, TO THE MSEA SHALL SERVE FOR A TERM OF NOT LESS. , 4 THAN ONE YEAR; MORE PARTICULARLY BY^AMENDING SECTION 2-1013(a) AND (c) OF SAID CODE; CONTAINING A REPEALER PROVISION AND 'A SEVERABILITY . I.,, CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ORDINANCE NO. 11714 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF - AN ACCOUNT ENTITLED: "NOW BUDGETED REVENUES,", - WHICH SHALL SERVE AS THE,EXPLICIT DEPOSITORY OF UNANTICIPATED REVENUES TO BE RECEIVED'. BY THE CITY OF MIAMI AND UTILIZED AS AUTHORIZED BY THE UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE; FURTHER, - AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO: (1) ACCEPTAND DEPOSIT -.SAID ,REVENUES - INTO SAID ACCOUNT -AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, (2) ENSURE THAT SAID. '. REVENUE FUNDS ARE NOT `CO-MINGLED'WITH-_OTHER CITY FUNDS OR DEPOSITED INTO .EXISTING CITY OF- ' MIAMI BANK .ACCOUNTS,_.AND (3) EXECUTE' THE�NEC-. ESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO -THE CITY ATTORNEY; FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF SAID UN- ANTICIPATED REVENUES; CONTAINING A REPEALER PROVISION AND A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND PRO- VIDING FOR. AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ORDINANCENO: - AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDI NNA CE NO. 11000, THE ZONING ORDINANCE, BY AMENDING 'ARTICLE -6, SEC- TION 602.10,4, TO. MODIFY :OFF -SITE PARKING •REGU=' k.: LATIONS .FOR THE SD-2 COCONUT GROVE CENTRAL COMMERCIAL. DISTRICT, TO-,iNCLUDETHAT PORTION' OF THE ADJACENT G/I DISTRICT CURRENTLY ,-OCCU- PIED BY. THE COCONUT`GROVE`PLAYHOUSE;-CONTAIN=.'