HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-AIA Miami ResolutionAlA Miami
UNIMMI
410,
AIA MIAMI RESOLUTION MAY 06, 2008
WHEREAS, Miami 21 was instituted and based upon certain identified goals to: 1) address
certain issues of incompatibility and adjacency; 2) clarify certain inconsistencies; 3) create more
predictability; 4) create a more user friendly code that would be understandable by professionals and
lay citizens alike; and 5) help create a world class city by encouraging creative and world class
architecture; and
WHEREAS, the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Miami) has
engaged in the process of Miami 21 over the last two plus years and its members have committed
hundreds if not thousands of hours to the evaluation and analysis of Miami 21; and
WHEREAS, during the course of the evaluation and analysis AIA Miami has consistently
questioned the need to create a completely new language not familiar to AIA Miami or the public and
have requested and suggested many changes and clarifications; and
WHEREAS, the AIA Miami analysis has concluded that the proposed form based code will
not lead to and not facilitate innovative world class architecture, further it is unnecessarily
complicated and restrictive, while not actually addressing the goals identified for Miami 21; and
WHEREAS, AIA Miami has adopted the attached position paper;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY AIA Miami that:
Section 1. AIA Miami remains fully committed to achieving the goals of Miami 21;
Section 2. AIA Miami does not support continuing the work of the current form based
version of Miami 21 with its completely new and unconventional language, but instead recommends
that the City immediately begin work on specific changes or amendments to implement the Goals of
revising the zoning code.
Section 3. AIA Miami commits to the City that it will work with and assist the City in these
endeavors and that the citizens and neighborhood associations in the most affected corridors such as
27 Avenue, Biscayne Boulevard, Coral Way, be engaged and involved in the creation of the specific
solutions tailored to the issues in their neighborhoods.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of May , 2008.
l °
SIGNED: SUBMITTED INTO THE
Bernard c ovitz AIA
President, iam
1 of 1
PUBL!CRECORDFOR
ITEM P22 ON s- s -oes.
-0021-Sob
t _ ni eso (ul'av,
A. Miami
AIA MIAMI POSITION PAPER
RE: MIAMI 21
The Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Miami) has a cooperative
history of supporting the effort of Miami 21 to resolve existing zoning issues within the City.
We have always understood the goals of Miami 21 to include the following:
• To address issues of incompatibility and adjacency and create better transitions between
single family and commercial zones
• To clarify certain inconsistencies that exist in the current code
• To create a more user friendly code that would be understandable by professionals and
lay citizens alike
• To create better predictability
• To help create a world class city by encouraging and inviting creative, world class
architecture and development
Over the course of the past 2 years, AIA Miami has had interactive meetings with the City of
Miami, and our members have spent a great deal of time volunteering in the effort to understand
the implications of the new code and analyzing the many revisions.
Our chapter has concluded after careful review and discussion that we cannot support the
adoption of Miami 21 for two primary reasons. First, the current version of Miami 21 has not
successfully addressed many important issues, as outlined below, and therefore, has not met its
goals. For example:
TERMINOLOGY: Miami 21 utilizes a new and different language that is non-
standard in the planning and development industry world-wide, and therefore makes
it very difficult for an owner to study the feasibility of a potential project in Miami.
This also makes it very difficult for the public to predict the outcome of any
proposed project.
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER:Miami 21 does not attempt to preserve the unique
character of the many established neighborhoods throughout the city. Additionally,
historic preservation is not addressed in the new code. The existing code has
attempted to do this utilizing the SD overlays and it seems prudent to utilize such a
concept in any future zoning code.
TRANSITIONS: Miami 21 has not successfully addressed the adjacency issues
with appropriate transitional zones as it initially intended. For example, the
equivalent C-I and R-1 zones still exist next to each other with no transition or
buffer.
SUSTAINABILITY: Miami 21 has not incorporated, to the extent desired, the Green
and Sustainable initiatives encouraged by Mayor Diaz and his staff.
ARCHITECTURAL MASSING: Miami 21, as a form -based code, encourages a uniformity
to the building envelopes. Assuming a developer will maximize development rights
without paying additional bonuses, all buildings will result in the same height podium
and the same overall height limitations. This results in a homogenous and
monotonous urban architecture.
Submitted into the public
record in connection with
item PZ.1 on 05-08-08
Priscilla A. Thompson
City Clerk
Second, and more fundamental, we, as a professional organization of architects, believe that the
form -based approach to zoning can not result in a code that will enhance the quality of Miami's
built environment. This type of approach is restrictive, repetitive, and does not allow for an
architecture rich in character upon which our urban environment should continue to build.
Furthermore, AIA Miami believes that the goals of a new zoning code as stated above need to be
codified. We believe that such unresolved issues may be expeditiously resolved by amending the
existing code. We offer the following suggestions, as a minimum:
• Rather than make changes in common terminology such as FAR to FLR, keep the
existing language and re -define FAR coefficients from gross to net lot areas.
• Incorporate the requirement for liners and other strategies that encourage pedestrian
activity at the street level and provide "eyes on the street."
• Revise the Zoning Atlas/Land Use Map to introduce consistent transitional zones where
incompatible adjacencies occur along the main corridors.
• Incorporate the successful work of our Mayor and his staff to ensure the future
sustainability of our City.
• Modify or clarify the Special District overlays, as necessary, so that the zoning code
continues to require that new buildings contribute to the character of existing and
established neighborhoods.
• Address setbacks and frontage requirements, if necessary, in a way that allows for
buildings to address the street in a way appropriate for the surrounding environment
and activity level.
• Simplify, if necessary, the number of zones and overlay districts by revising the existing
Zoning Atlas/Land Use Map.
AIA Miami remains fully committed to achieving the original goals of the City's zoning update as
stated above and in creating a code with which our professional community can be comfortable.
Therefore, be it resolved by Board of the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
that we do not support the adoption of Miami 21 for the reasons contained herein.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of May , 2008.
SIGNED:
Bernard Horo` , AIA
President, AIA Miami
Submitted into the public
record in connection with
item PZ.1 on 05-08-08
Priscilla A. Thompson
City Clerk