HomeMy WebLinkAboutcover memoSecond Reading Ordinance
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
The Honorable
Mee tubers of
Joe Arriola
hi
f Administrator/City Manager
DATE:
SUBJECT:
REFERENCES:
ENCLOSURES:
OCT 12 2004
FILE :
Amendment to City Code
Amending Code Section 55-15
RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully recommended that the City Commission adopt the attached Ordinance
amending Chapter 55 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida entitled "Subdivision
Regulations" by amending Section 55-15 entitled "Vacation and Closure of Rights of
Way and Platted Easements by Plat".
JUSTIFICATION
In response to property owners' complaints about the condition and illicit uses of public
and private alleys adjacent to their homes, the City Commission amended the City Code
in December 2003 to establish an alternative process to the City's platting procedure to
close and vacate those alleys in residential neighborhoods. The purpose of the alternative
process is to simplify, expedite and reduce the cost of closing unwanted alleys.
Anticipating a large demand to utilize the alternative process that would be difficult to
administer and cumbersome on Zoning Board agendas, the City Code currently limits the
submittal of alley closure applications to the first sixty (60) calendar days of the year to
enable alley closure requests to receive a thorough review and be scheduled in an
organized, timely manner on Zoning Board agendas.
Since the adoption of the alternative alley closure process, the demand and submittal of
applications has been far below original projections. Three complete applications were
received in January and February 2004. The Public Works Department has received
comments from property owners that the sixty (60) day time restriction for the submittal
of alley closure applications unnecessarily delays the process and may discourage the
submittal of applications. Based on the homeowners' comments and the number of
applications that have been submitted, the Public Works Department has determined that
there is a need and demand to expedite the closure of alleys in the residential
neighborhoods as originally intended by the adoption of the alternative, simplified
process.
C:1My Documents\RESOLUTIONSIORD Amending Sec.55-I5.doc
Amendment to City Code Amending Code Section 55-15
Page 2
The attached Ordinance will expedite the process by eliminating the time restriction for
submission of applications for the altemative method for closure of alleys abutting
parcels of Iand zoned R-1 and R-2. Upon adoption of this Ordinance, the alternative
method to close alleys will proceed continuously on a year-round basis
FISCAL IMPACT: NONE
ACS/SNG/LJH/mm
C:IMy Documents\RESOLUTIONSIORD Amending Sec.55-I5.doc