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HomeMy WebLinkAboutsubmission - correspondence 1BASF BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA Helping people realize their American Dream February 26, 2004 Honorable Manny Diaz and Commissioners City of Miami Commission 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 Re: PZ-21 and PZ-22, first reading ordinances re height limits and building moratorium along Biscayne Boulevard. Dear Mayor Diaz and Commissioners: I am writing on behalf of the Builders Association of South Florida's (BASF) Legislative Conunittee regarding the above -referenced items. They come before you for first reading on Thursday, February 26, 2004. Earlier this week, our members met with City staff to review these two proposals. Based on that meeting, the Association is respectfully requesting a deferral of these two items at this time. They base their request on the following reasons. Notifying property, owners. • Staff explained that a counesy notice about a charrette was sent to all property owners. That was a good start. However, there was no notice on the results of the effort and the considerable impact on property owners' rights: a height restriction and building moratorium. • Notice for the proposed moratorium ordinance on the City Commission agenda indicates a proposal to cap height along Biscayne Boulevard to eight stories and a 120-day moratorium. However, the same proposal includes a Planning Advisory Board proposal that recommends a four-story limitation and a 180-day moratorium. This is confusing to the public and to property owners and could be considered a legal flaw. BASF suggests that this may be cause for a deferral regardless of other member concerns. SUBMITTED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR ITEM_Pz.ai ON 0?-036-©y. Mayor Diaz February 26, 2004 Page 2 Recently adopted urban design criteria too specific. • We agree with staff and residents that well planned redevelopment must proceed carefully. Further, our members believe that the east side of Biscayne Boulevard needs to be treated differently than the west side of the street. • However, the recently prepared guidelines are too specific for either side of Biscayne Boulevard, and would hinder creativity along the corridor. As just one example, the guidelines go so far as to indicate what type of fences should be installed, and even more specifically the exact color and finish for such fences. (Draft Ordinance dated 2/13/04, Exhibit A, P.26). Such points are no longer "recommendations" but formulaic instructions to a designer. They have little place in an urban design manual, • Height restrictions are not an urban design criterion: they are an economic limitation that will severely restrict a fledging redevelopment effort the City indicates it wants to encourage. Instead of fostering new ideas for more pedestrian -friendly redevelopment, our members think this will produce monotonous, faux-1920's looking structures - that are simply the same height. Utilize bonuses to encourage more open space and other public amenities. • Also, height limitations have eliminated the possible use of bonuses to provide for more open space, plazas and other public amenities. Including incentives for places for people to congregate will bring new vibrancy to the streetscape and enliven the entire community. BASF recommends that bonuses be reinstituted for such purposes to guide development in this direction. Sustainable redevelopment efforts will create live -work -play communities. • We believe residents and other property owners have a similar goal: to attract new residents to the area. The PAB proposal of limiting buildings to four stories would entirely stop the redevelopment efforts the City wants to attract. Staffs proposal of eight stories is more reasonable. • However, in its effort to strike a balance between residents' concerns and development efforts, adopting an eight -story height limitation does not allow for the type of creativity helps foster an exciting sense of community. • BASF members are concerned about this simplistic approach of limiting height. It could "freeze" the neighborhood in its current pattern and leave the current in place. While the answer may not be 22 story buildings on every comer, it surely is not an eight -story limit, either. Plan should Include FEC Corridor elements — that is our future. • The design criteria for both the Boulevard and this corridor need to be viewed in its entirety, not as disconnected streets on a map. The proposed transportation improvements are needed in the future to make plan function as a community, not as isolated study components, with little relationship to one another. • Any final zoning plan and design guidelines should include these study findings. While we understand that transportation funding is not available yet, it is important to include this as a future component and goal for the entire area. Mayor Diaz February 26, 2004 Page 3 Recommendations. • BASF recommends that if a moratorium is to be considered, it must be the east side of Biscayne Boulevard only. • Given the above, the members respectfully urge that no change to the height limitation on the west side of Biscayne Boulevard be adopted at this time. • Further, BASF respectfully urges the City to convene a short-term task force of interested stakeholders (i.e. residents, builders, architects and others) to review these outstanding issues: 1) reduce or eliminate the overly specific and prescriptive nature of some elements of the urban design criteria; 2) amend the guidelines to include appropriate bonuses as incentives for more open space and even better public amenities; and 3) include the FEC Corridor recommendations in a plan for the future of our community — not just Biscayne Boulevard, BASF members are ready to work with City staff and all stakeholders to conduct this refinement of the urban design criteria to improve the city's ultimate goal of redeveloping its urban core for everyone's benefit. Thank you for the opportunity to express the Association's views on this important matter. Sincerely, Truly Burton, Government Affairs Director for Miami -Dade County cc: City Manager, Assistant City Manager Cuervo-Schreiber, Planting and Zoning Director Gelabert