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Home My WebLink AboutSubmittal-PAB Minutes1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 CITY OF MIAMI PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS before the City of Miami Planning Advisory Board on the 2lst day of April, 2004. BOARD MEMBERS MAX STRANG DANA MANNER CATHY LEFF DENIS ROD ARVA MOORE PARKS Submitted into the public record in connection�i �wit item P2 -33 on to oy Priscilla A. Thompson City Clerk Cv-/- C%49 it VVorLLwnte Reporting Service Miami Orlando r 1'Tarapa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2 MR. STRANG: With regard to the traffic, I agree, traffic is bad, and traffic for this project is probably going to get worse because of those people that remain in their cars, but it is good that we give an opportunity for people that don't like to use cars somewhere to live in an urban mixed environment, and that is the plus side of, as Tucker said, squeezing every bit of possibility out of this land. We're giving more people access to this urban environment where they can walk to get all of their needs taken care of so to speak. So the traffic doesn't bother me, because as a growing city as we are, we are going to go through growing pains, but we do need to offer these types of residential opportunities in these locations. And, as far as density, yes, it is big. In fact, looking at the illustrations and the context diagrams before us, it looks like we're looking at downtown, and that goes to show you how urbanized Brickell has become. This is an intense R4, which is a high density zoning district. This area has this critical mass of housing. In fact, looking at the application, Submitted Into the public record in connection w th item p?-33 on toPit hV 1-Trisciita A. Thompson e knvice Reporting Service City C erk .��Ilaaniaic.0 Orlando Tampa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 I've never seen an application that has had this many neighbors contacted in a 500 foot radius. It says 943 labels, or something, were made, and this is only 180 degrees. Most people have a 360 degree scope. This is only half, because it's on the water. So it's already dense, and to me adding to this critical mass in this particular location is beneficial to the greater good of the neighborhood. MR. MANNER: There are a number of issues that came up here that were brought up by people who are opposed that live in the neighborhood and by Mr. Gibbs, who represents folks who were opposed. It had to do primarily with, my take, three different areas and those had to be traffic, density and to quality of life issues. In terms of looking at this in the context of what was approved in the prior months versus what we see today, in terms of traffic and looking at the signalization study and things like that, I don't think it is as dire a need as Mr. Gibbs laid it out, but I think that it's pretty obvious that the Submitted Into the public record in connection th item P2-53 on 16134 Priscilla A. Thompson VVTorkLwi e Reporting Service Miami °° Orlando lump City Clerk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 traffic impact, because of the increase in density from the prior months, is going to be unfavorable, but I echo Max's feelings about the addition of density to the area, I think is appropriate, because the Brickell Avenue area is our very high density residential neighborhood that is in close proximity to downtown, and if we don't build out and take advantage of that ability to use that density in a place where I think it's appropriate, where else should we do it in town. I think this is the appropriate place to have very highly dense populations. The issues about the net lot area, gross lot area -- any lot that's on the water gets that benefit, and, although, people may not be familiar with this subtlety in the codes, it's something that we see quite commonly, and in terms of looking at this in terms of 1305.8, I've seen a lot of favorable mitigation of many other elements of this project versus the prior months that in my mind balance out against the potential negative impacts of additional traffic caused by the additional density of the building. We hear people Work wide Reporfine Service Miami 00 Orlando Tanya 4 Submitted Into the piblic record in connection with item P?-33 on ,� rrs. Thompson City Clerk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 5 talking that live in the neighborhood who say that they drive three blocks. Well, that's fundamentally the issue. If people are unwilling to walk three blocks to go to work, that's going to change by virtue of density, and, although that behavior is going to be difficult to change for a lot of people, I think that's a change that has to come along with increasing the level of density and urban residential neighborhoods like in the Brickell area and that giving up the car is going to be. a difficult change to make. I don't live in they Brickell area, but I live very near by. My wife and I both work and we have two children. We have one car. I'm not the average Miami citizen, but we, prior, had two cars. So you can do it. It is possible. All of the things in terms of the changes that were made, subjecting the property to some of the prospective changes in the code in terms of reduction, adding more parking to the project than what is needed, I think those are all favorable changes when you look at them under 1305. So those are my thoughts on the project. Submitted Into the pubic record in connection h item P_2_.._on Priscilla A. Thompson Wor 1icvic�e Repor Ei ng S ervncce City Clerk Miami ° Orlando ° Tampa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6 I think all of my questions have been answered by the other dialogue we had. So others can speak, but I'm prepared to make a motion. (Speakers not included.) MR. ROD: I don't know if anybody is going to talk again, but I would like to make a move so we can get moving. With lots of respect for the people who came over here tonight, because I always side up with the people of the city, I'd like to approve the project of Mr. Hollo, because I read this book and I trust his company and I'm sure I'm not wrong when I say this. So I move to approve. MS. PARKS: Is there a second? MR. MANNER: Yes. MS. PARKS: I would like to say something at this point. I worry a little about the density, because there's so much going on at one time. I think this is the better design than the previous ones. I want to thank you for figuring out the flood plan, or whatever it's called, to get those retails down on the street. I live in this neighborhood. I'm very familiar -- I'm very sad when I drive up Brickell Bay Drive, Submitted Into the public record in connection wpth item ?z-s3 on !o % iy Priscilla A. Thompson cDrhiwnce Reporting Service iiaini 00 Orlando 0 Tampa City Clerk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7 because of the proliferation of parking garages and the retail and there's really no one on the street, and that's what we want to have. I hope the retail will get more people on the street. I wish it were not quite as dense, because I worry a great deal about people being able to get out of their apartments, and I'm sympathetic. I'm glad it's a little smaller. But I actually think it's a wonderful job of hiding the parking garage, which has become my big thing. So I do support it. Can we call a vote? (Vote is unanimous.) Submitted Into the public record in connection wjth item P 2- 33 on 14,4104 Priscilla A. Thompson City Clerk o rlaa-iLe Reporting Sei vice Miami c.0 Orland® Tampa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 CERTIFICATE OF REPORTER STATE OF FLORIDA: ss. COUNTY OF DADE: I, STEVEN WASSERMAN, Certified Shorthand Reporter in and for the State of Florida, do hereby certify that I transcribed in shorthand, from videotape, the proceedings before the City of Miami Planning Advisory Board at the time and place set out herein; that the foregoing pages, numbered from 1 to 7, inclusive, constitute a true and correct transcript of the .item thereof. I further certify that I am not an attorney nor counsel to any of the parties, nor related to any of the parties, nor financially interested in the action. WITNESS my hand and official seal this 26th day of May, 2004. STEVEN WASSERMAN Notary Public My Commission Expires April 20, 2007 STEVEN WASSERMAN Notary Public - State of Florida `MM COMmission Exp res Apr 20. 2007 ;�� a Commission # DD179569 4 ''''' Bonded By National Notary Assn. 8 Submitted Into the public record in connection w'th item p2 -33 on /01 Priscilla A. Thompson City.CIerk v' V'®]��C��7ll7�W�i c_e Reporting Service Miami 00 Orlando "2 Tampa