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Home My WebLink AboutR-96-0679J-96-1088 9/20/96 RESOLUTION NO. 96- 679 A RESOLUTION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, ENDORSING THE DESIGNATION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI AS A "SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY" UNDER THE SUSTAINABLE COMMaTIES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AUTHORIZED BY THE 1996 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO RI'QUEST ON BEHALF OF THE CITY SUCH DESIGNATION BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS; AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO TRANSMIT THIS REQUEST TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ITS ADOPTION. WHiR Av, the Florida Legislature, during its iS)SG ,session, authorized the Florida Department of Community Affairs to undertake a Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project; and WHEREAS, said legislation also limited to five (5) the number of local governments which can be designated "Sustainable Communities"; and WHEREAS, said legislation also stipulated that three (3) of the five (5) local governments so stipulated "shall be located totally or7 in part within the boundaries of the South Florida Water Management District--"; and WHEREAS, the City of Miami is located in the South Florida Water Management District; and WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Community Affairs is recyuesting statements of interest from municipalities interested in seeking designation under this new legislation; and WHEREAS, such designation will enhance access to state agencies charged with supporting job creation, crime prevention, envirenmsntral protection and restoration, solid waste recycling, transportation improvements, and sewage treatment systems improvements; and 1ATTACHMENT (5) CONTAINED cnT cowassiox MELMC; OF SEP 2 6 IM R�wluRion 8+to. 96- 679 .Ak� WHEREAS, the City's urban and neighborhood revitalization initiatives would be augmented by improved access to the State programs in these areas; WHEREAS, The Florida Department of Community Minirs specifically directed that all requests for "Sustainable Communities" designation originate from the Office of the "chief elected official" of such community; and WHEREAS, the Miami Planning Advisory Board, at its meeting of September 18, 1996, Item No. 3, following an advertised public hearing, adopted Resolution No. PAB 44-96 by a vote of Geven to zero (7-0), RECOMMENDING APPROVAL of endorsing the designation of the City of Miami as a "Sustainable Community," as hereinafter set forth; and WHEREAS, the City Commission after careful consideration of this matter deems it advisable and in the best interest of the general welfare of the City of Miami and its inhabitants to endorse the designation of the City of Miami as a "Sustainable Community," as hereinafter set forth; i NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are hereby adopted by reference thereto and incorporated herein as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. The City Commission hereby endorses the designation of the City of Miami as a "Sustainable Community" under the Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project enacted by the 1996 Florida Legislature. Section 3. The Mayor is hereby authorized to request, in substantially the form attached hereto, the Florida Department of Community Affairs to designate the City of Miami as a "Sustainable Community." -2 96--" 679 1-� Section 4. The City Manager or his designee is hereby directed to transmit this resolution, and its attachments, to the Florida Department of Community Affairs immediately following its adoption. Section S. This Resolution shall .become effective immediately upon its adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 26th day of September , 1995 ATTES WALTER J. FOEMAN, CITY CLERK PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: j E . MAXWELL DE UTY CITY ATTORNEY APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: A. Q JO III CITY A. W1131: MIS : JiBM 96- 679 "'i#v of !i ilaini. fflov d0a XN 01' 11V w !, P 0 BOX 330708 e` � MIAW. OLORiOA 33233.0700 ` JOE CAEiOLLO . " 1, 305) 250-5300 MAYOR �� \�PAX 1305) 854-400f September 26, 1996 James L. Quinn, Chief Bureau of State Planning Florida Department of Community ,Affairs 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100 Dear Mr. Quinn: The City of Miami seeks designation under the Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project. This designation would enhance initiatives already underway that seek to provide sustainable growth for the City and its neighborhoods. `Ihe City of Miami over the years has very actively pursued policies and initiative, that promote infill and compact urban development. A partnership between the City of Miami and the State of Florida that builds on current City initiatives, and seeks to improve the livability and sustainability of our corrununities would be highly desirable for both parties. The State would gain an active: pamer, with extensive experience dealing with the issues of urban redevelopment, jab creation, law inc.cime housing, community based redevelopment, crime prevention, and environmental protcetion and restoration. The City will be a partner that has and will continue to provide creative solutions to these issues, and would gain State support that would enhance Chose elforts. In the City of Miami, policies and initiatives that promote intill and compact urban development have been key to urban and neighborhood revitalization strategies. This type of development or redevelopment is necessitated by our geography, as we are a built -out city - the urban core of a large metropolitan area. Both our land use policies and our downtown and neighborhood initiatives demonstrate our commitment to furthering appropriate compact urban development. Together, these provide more than ample reasons for the designation of City of Miami under the Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project. 96- 679 First, a look at City initiatives consistent with the broad principles of sustainability. Since the mid 1980s the City of Miami has embarked upon and successfully completed major initiatives and smaller scale projects that have helped create duality housing, jobs and communities. Southeast Overtown Park West was a major urban initiative that led to the redevelopment of a very poor blighted area just north of the City's downtown. An area of slum and vacant lots has been transformed into an area of compact urban development providing over 900 units of low to moderate income housing. It has become an attractive and affordable area to live, in particular fbr those who work in the downtown area. Through its moderate and high density residential structures, it provides affordable residences in the heart of the City, clearly an alternative to single family suburban sprawl. Throughout the City's neighborhoods there has been, and still exists, a large supply of vacant and undenntilized properties. This has contributed to slurp and blighted conditions as well as disinvestment in many low income neighborhoods. The City's land acquisition program for low to moderate income housing combined with its Scattered Site Afford -able Home Ownership Development Program and its Affordable Housing Program has turned unproductive and blighted properties into affordable well constructed residences. In many cases, this has led to first time home ownership and greater neighborhood stability. The removal of eyesores and potential spots for illegal activity has improved the livability of City neighborhoods. In addition. the City has worked with community development corporations to augment its infill housing activities. Together these programs have resulted in the construction of over 1,000 new housing units throughout low income areas in the City. It is important to note that the City's Comprehensive Plan supported these activities from a land use perspective as well as in the Goals and Objectives. The City has not limited its attention to neighborhood oriented housing infill in low income areas, it has also sought to spur economic redevelopment and job creation at the neighborhood level! The NVynwood Foreign Trade Zone is illustrative of the City's commitment to infill community based economic development activity. This project involves a partnership between the City, private investors and community groups. Currently, over 10 acres of vacant land are available for redevelopment Arith groundbreaking expected early this Fall. The project is expected to provide as many as 800 jobs in a very poor area. This will provide a tremendous boost to this depressed industrial area, and specifically to a site that has laid fallow for over fifteen years. During the past year the City, as part of its neighborhood planning process, has initiated planning charettes in several neighborhoods. This is a community based initiative through which the land use, economic, housing, and traffic circulation issues in a community are addressed. In addition, a sense of place and neighborhood identity is clarified. This has led to an ongoing dialog between the City and the neighborhoods. This process, in turn, has led Ito creative solutions to seemingly vexing planning issues. Currently, a master plan foT Cotmilut, Grove, as well as strategic master redevelopment plans for the Riverside area, the Upper Eastside, and the Latin Quarter Specialty Center in process. Further, the combination of environmental restoration and development are seen in two important City initiatives. 'The Virginia. Key project seeks to 2 96-- 679 develop recreational facilities on Virginia Key. to renourish the public beach and to develop a campground and eco•tourism destination. Second. the City was recently awarded an EPA Bro%%mfields Pilot. This project seeks to turn an abandoned unproductive and contaminated eyesore in an industrial area into a job producing environmentally remediated site with clean industry. All of these efforts are clearly about developing livable and sustainable communities. Let us now turn to the City's record regarding land use policy. The City of Miami has for many years been a fully built-up city that is indeed a part of a larger urban area. The City boundaries are well within the urban development boundary of the greater metropolitan area and the City does not suffer from urban sprawl. In fact, the City of Miami has a population density of over 10,000 person per square mile, the fifth highest in the nation. The possibilities for development lie largely in infill development often involving, at least in part, demolition and replacement of structures. Although there any just over 1,000 acres of vacant land within the City, over half have limited possibilities for development. Most developable land is to be found on modest sized parcels, often adjoining developed parcels. This gives rise to significant possibilities for infill development. The few natural areas within the City are protected from the possibility of development as they are and will remain in public ownership. The City has no agricultural lands. The City has sought to remove barriers to infill development by adopting timely permitting processes. In fact, the City suspends concurrency review for every application that is consistent with the zoning and land use regulations under the Comprehensive Plan, The City is able to do this for small projects as there is sufficient capacity. The City has had this policy in place since adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in 1989. This, in case after case, has relieved applications involving infill development from an otherwise onerous and time consuming process. The City has sought to provide all of its residents in need with adequate and afTordable housing. The City has encouraged the development of housing for the elderly, disabled, low and very low income households throughout the City both through ftinding support and by not imposing mechanisms to limit the number of facilities to meet the special needs of its residents. In fact, the City has a heavily disproportionate share of the regions AC 1"s, as well as low and very low income housing. Intergovernmental coordination between the City and other local, governments, the county, and the state is achieved through informal networks. It has been our experience that, in practice, legislated cooperation rarely works as well as informal consensus among interested parties. The City of Miami has an exemplary history of acquisition and maintenane of open space and recreational opportunities. This has continued despite significant budget cutbacks since the mid 1980s. The City's fine park system, including such natural treasures as Sewell and Simpson Parks, as well as the largely undeveloped Virginia Key attest to the City "s c omtni.tment to providing open space and recreational opportunities to its residents and visitors alike. 3 56- 679 The City has actively promoted public transit and nonmotorized means of transportation. The 'Transportation Corridors Plan' of the City, that is unique in all of Florida, promotes the importance of non -auto transport. It makes public transport and non -auto transport equal in people carrying capacity of the transportation system. (This is more fully explained in `Transportation Corridors: Meeting the Challenge of Growth Management in Miami.*) As part of the neighborhood planning process, the City engages in community planning charettes.. Through this open community process a more defined sense of place and neighborhood identity emerges. The charette process has led to community design guidelines. landscape and beautification plans, gateway design features and the like. Individual community identity is evident throughout the City from neighborhoods like Coconut Grove to Little Havana., from special districts like the three historic districts to the three industrial districts, as well as from commercial districts like the Design District to Downtown and its sub - neighborhoods. All with distinct flavor. The City has undertaken many initiatives to redevelop blighted areas. To that end, the City created two tax increment finance districts to help catalyze the redevelopment efforts in blighted areas. The older and most successful effort has been in Southeast Overtown Park West. An area of slum and vacant lots has been transformed into an area of compact urban development providing over 900 units of low to moderate income housing. The City of Miami celebrated its 100 anniversary this year, giving testament to our ability to successfully handle the vexing difficulties and opportunities of an urban environment. At this junction in our history we have more than ample administrative capacity to implement the designation. Finally, in regard to our record concerning the adoption, implementation and enforcement of the Comprehensive Plan the record speaks for itself. Since 1989 we have, in timely fashion, adopted, implemented and enforced all of the provisions of the Comprehensive Plan. In conclusion, it should be clear that the City of Miami has both in policy and in practice strongly pursued the path of compact urban development while soliciting needed community input. Our policy record demonstrates our commitment to supporting sustainable development, while our accomplishments and both current and planned initiatives attest to our building sustainable communities both now and in the future. On the basis of our record and current and planned initiatives we request that the City of Miami be designated under the; 'Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project.' Sincerely, ';Joe Carollo, i�4ayuF 4 06-- 679 t ram., PZUS CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA i INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission FROM : Merre T4,te im City � RECOMMENDATION: GATE : %,p 18 ,.9% FILE : SUBJECT : Appl -' cation for Designation as Sus- tainable Community. REFERENCES: For City Commission -I Meeting of 9/26/96. ENCLOSURES :Resolution. It is 'respectfully recommended that the City Commission adopt the attached Resolution endorsing the designation of the City of Miami as a Sustainable Community and authorizing the Mayor to request such designation on behalf of the City. -�_411ey;�� a The 1996 Florida Legislature enacted the Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project to further the broad principles of sustainability including: achieving a more clean, healthy environment; limiting urban sprawl; and creating quality communities and job:. The Department of Community Affairs is requesting statements of interest from local governments interested in seeking designation under this legislation. The Legislature authorized the Department to designate up to five local. governments under this demonstration project. Such designation will enhance access to State agencies charged with supporting job creation, crime prevention, environmental protection and restoration, solid waste and recycling, transportation improvements, and sewage treatment systems improvements. In addition, designation will relax certain state -mandated planning requirements. It is therefore recommended that the attached Resolution be adopted by the City Commission to endorse the designation of the City of Miami as a Sustainable Community and authorize the Mayor to apply for such designation on behalf of the City. 96- 679 VA, PLANNING FACT SHEET APPLICANT Department of Community Planning and Revitalization APPLICATION DATE August 28, 1996 REQUESTILOCATiON Request for endorsement of revolution to designate the City of Miami a as a "sustainable community". LEGAL DESCRIPTION Not applicable. PETITION Consideration of endorsing the designation of the City of Miami, Florida as a sustainable community which will allow the City to qualify for programs aimed at encouraging sustainable development and possible funding sources to aid in the implementation of such programs. PLANNING Approval. RECOMMENDATION BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS The designation of the City of Miami render the State of Florida's Sustainable Communities Demonstration project would enhance initiatives already underway that seek to provide sustainable growth for the City and its neig1hborhords. The City of Miami over the years has very ,acWt ety pursued policies and initiatives that promote infill and compact urban development. These policies and initiatves are not only consistent with, but. area at the heart of building sustainable communities. A partnership between the City of Miami and the State of Florida that builds on current City initiatives, and seA s to improve the livability and sustainability of your communities would be highly desira. PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD Pending . action of 9/ 19196 VOTE': N/A CITY COMMISSION N/A, APPLICAWN NUMBER 96a264 Septamltrsr'IIt,logo item # 3 Page #t 1 96- 679 „