HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Public Comments Submitted Online for the May 14, 2020 Virtual City Commission MeetingCommission Report
Commission Meeting Public Comment - May 14th 2020
May 14, 2020 12:24 PM MD-
Public Comment
motero@miamigov.com
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First Street
Name Last Name Email Address Address Agenda Item Public Comment a
Lobbyist?
RE. 1 7357
2751 N Allocate Grant
Chris Hoffman chris@wynwoodbid.com Miami Funds - Bay of N/A No
Ave Pigs Memorial
Project
1007 N
America RE. 6 7432
Way Recognize -
Juan Losada jlosa@aoLcom N/A No
#407 Longshoremen
Miami, Association
FL 33132
2
Alhambra FR. 15131
Plaza, Amend Code
Suite — Chapter 62
Jose Diaz Diaz@BallardPartners.com N/A Yes
102, — Repeal of
Coral Special Area
Gables, Plan Process
FL 33134
1007 n RE. 6 7432
america
Juan Losada jlosa@aol.coom way Recognize - N/A No
Longshoremen
miami fl
33132 Association
1007 n
America RE. 6 7432
Juan Losada Losa@aol.com way Recognize N/A No
Miami Longshoremen
GP Association
33132
BC. 21 5199
150 W.
Flagler Miami Forever
Bond Program
Brian McDonough bmcdonough@stearnsweaver.com Street N/A No
Citizens'
Miami FL
33130 Oversight
Board
7448 Submittal -Public Comments Submitted Online for the May 14, 2020 Virtual City Commission Meeting
Last Name Email Address
Street
Address
2525
Ponce de
Alejandro Uribe auribe@wsh-Law.com Leon
Blvd.,
Suite 700
Peter
Elvis
Ehrlich petersobe@aotcom
Cruz ELvisCruz@mac.com
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 3 7395
Allow - TCO to
be Issued
During the
Platting
Process
Good morning Mr. Chair,
and Commissioners, My
name is Alejandro Uribe,
with offices at 2525
Ponce de Leon Blvd. My
comment is related to
FR.3. My comment is not
in opposition to the
ordinance as a whole.
However, a portion of this
ordinance repeats a part
of Section 55-10(c) which
serves as an important
toot. This toot, which is
Limited only to single
family home
construction, allows an
owner to avoid a costly
and Lengthy platting
process in certain
circumstances. I wrote
you a Letter regarding the
benefits of keeping this
in the City Code. While
my client is currently in
the pipe an may use this
tool, we believe it wilt be
beneficial to Leave this
provision available to
other single family home
builders, particularly in
these challenging
economic times that wilt
be with us for the
foreseeable future.
Please amend FR.3 to
not repeaL the portion of
Section 55-10(c) of the
City Code. Thank you!
FR. 1 5131
720 NE Amend Code
69th — Chapter 62 Vote Yes to Repeals
Street, — Repeat of SAPs.
Apt 6W Special Area
Plan Process
631 NE
57 Street
Please do not pass this
item. Historic
Preservation is a great
asset to the City of
FR. 5 7185 Miami. This amendment
Amend Code - would greatly weaken
Chapter 23 - the City's Historic
Historic Preservation program. At
Preservation a minimum, this item
should be deferred until
presentations can be
made before the a Live,
not a virtual., meeting.
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a
Lobbyist?
Yes
No
No
First
Name
Elvis
Last Name Email Address
Cruz ElvisCruz@mac.com
Stacy Sylvain stacy-11@hotmaiLcom
Juan Losada jlosa@aoLcom
Street
Address
631 NE
57 Street
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 1 5131
Amend Code
— Chapter 62
— Repeal of
Special Area
Plan Process
BC. 10 5547
62nd Community
Street Relations
Board
1007 N.
America RE. 6 7432
Way Recognize -
#407 Longshoremen
Miami, Association
FL 33132
Please pass this repeal
of Special Area Plan
references, and Special
Area Plans altogether.
SAPs are an evil monster
that are destroying the
character, scale and
affordability of
neighborhoods. By the
Planning Department's
own statistics, Miami is
already zoned to allow
the construction of 8
times more housing units
than were counted in the
2010 census. That's
before the approval of
any Special Area Plans.
Thank you.
I was born and raised in
the community of Little
Haiti to Haitian
immigrant parents. My
home, school, and place
of worship was always in
this community. A
community that is
suppose to symbolize
the beauty, strength and
resilience of the Haitian
people. A community
that is supposed to be
provided equal
opportunity and
treatment by elected
officials and
representatives. As we
celebrate Haitian
Heritage month and
soon, Haitian Flag Day, I
wanted to know what is
the city and city
commissioner's plan to
dean the streets of Little
Haiti and prevent illegal
dumping?
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a
Lobbyist?
No
No
N/A No
First
Name
Frank
Meena
Last Name Email Address
Simone frank@franksimone.com
Street
Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
701
Brickett FR. 15131
Avenue, Amend Code
Miami, — Chapter 62
FL 33131 — Repeat of
and 540 Special Area
Brickett Plan Process
Key Dr.
I write to you today as a
resident of Brickett Key
with a business on
Brickell Avenue Swire
Properties' first
introduction to Miami
came via its purchase of
Brickett Key, in which I
Live and Love Living here.
Swire next invested in
Brickett City Centre,
which has become one of
the most appealing and
sustainable LEED
certified projects in the
Country. This was build
pursuant to the allowable
building code as a
Special Area Plans. Now,
as they seek to expand,
the City of Miami might
not allow Brickett City
Center to utilize the SAP,
which may cause
unintended
consequences for
existing SAPS, Like
Brickett City Centre. As a
municipal attorney, I
respectfully suggest that
you vote again the plan
that may make Brickett
City center ineligible for
the SAP. And, amend the
code, if necessary.
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a
Lobbyist?
No
Jagannath meena@communityjusticeproject.com 3000 FR. 1 5131 White I support FR 1/Fite Yes
Biscayne Amend Code ID 5131 removing
Blvd Ste — Chapter 62 references to Special
106 — Repeat of Area Plans in the City of
SpeciaL Area Miami Code, the
Plan Process Commission should
continue to defer this
item until it can be heard
and passed together with
the proposed ordinance
under Fite ID 5132, which
is not currently before
the Commission due to
the disruption of the
COVID pandemic. I want
to take this opportunity
to say that SAPs, as they
have been implemented,
have been a driver of
speculative activity that
have negative
consequences for
neighborhoods Like
ALtapattah and Little
Haiti, which have high
numbers of Low income
renters. At the same
time, they have not
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Street
Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
produced benefits for the
surrounding community
that adequately mitigate
against displacement or
future environmental
impact, like affordable
housing (pegged at City
median incomes). The
process for SAP approval
has been fundamentally
flawed and thus repeal is
appropriate, so long as it
is replaced by a set of
policies that address the
underlying problem. The
following
recommendations have
been previously
submitted, and I reiterate
them here again. Along
with SAP repeal, the City
should pass legislation
that: Reserves density
bonuses for projects with
a residential component
affordable to the average
Miami household at 60%
AMI, 30% AMI and
below. City subsidies
(like grants from the
Forever bond or grants of
public land) should
prioritize developments
that contribute the most
units to these goals, and
give additional incentives
for those increasing ELI
units. Mandates aft
upzonings to include
displacement and
environmental impact
studies that address
climate gentrification,
resiliency, and racial
disparities in impact.
Lays out a model for
community benefits
agreements that includes
enforceable provisions
around such economic
benefits as local hiring,
Living wages and job
training services, among
other things. Promotes
meaningful engagement
with the community and
neighbors regarding
public benefits prior to
hearings on upzoning
applications for future
developments, and
requires approval of any
community benefit
package by a
community -appointed
advisory board. Requires
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Name
Last Name Email Address
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Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
that applications for
future upzoning must
provide upfront and
immediately accessible
public benefits,
specifically including
affordable housing and
public space. Requires
independent appraisal of
the value of a
development and an
appraisal of change in
value of the property if
granted an upzoning. No
net toss of affordable
housing, in addition to a
minimum of 50% of
density gained through
the rezoning process
being set aside for
affordable housing, set at
a Level affordable to the
surrounding community,
no higher than 60% AMI,
but with a preference for
units at 30% AMI and
below. Development
applications should
specifically include
neighborhood
preservation, such as
buffering of the existing
neighborhood,
consideration of the
surrounding
neighborhood, and
consideration of the
surrounding
neighborhood height and
density. Community
Land Trusts should be
incentivized and funded,
with cash and public
resources. They should
be Located in the
immediate vicinity of new
developments to assist
with home ownership.
For upzoning applications
for projects without a
residential component,
requires either a cash
contribution to a fund to
support community Land
trusts (CLTs) or
commercial space set
asides for small
businesses, minority -
owned businesses or
non-profit community
organizations. Thank
you.
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a
Lobbyist?
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Street
Address
540
Brickell
Key
Wendy Allen wendymia@bellsouth.net Drive
#1028
Miami,
FL 33131
JeanCarlo Pallais jcpallac@hotmaiLcom
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 1 5131
Amend Code
— Chapter 62
— Repeal of
Special Area
Plan Process
I am submitting a public
comment to the May
14th, 2020, public
hearing on FR1 and write
today in support of
Special Area Plans. As a
full time resident of
Downtown Miami/Brickell
Key since 1990, I have
seen many positive
changes take place.
Special Area Plans have
been a big part of our
Last decade of
development. Over the
past ten years
neighborhoods like
Wynwood, the Design
District and Brickell City
Centre have transformed
our City to the upper
echelon comparable to
top cities in the World
and are magnets for
tourists and investors.
Miami's economy is
centered on drawing
people from all walks of
Life to come and visit our
Magic City. Without
Miami's master planning
to move our municipality
forward, 1 doubt that
these projects would
have taken place. Thank
you for your time.
1060 FR. 1 5131 Please vote NO on FR-1.
Brickell Amend Code I am a resident of
Ave, Apt. — Chapter 62 Brickell and I think that
1401 — Repeal of SAPs have worked. If it
Miami, Special Area isn't broken, please don't
FL 33131 Plan Process fix it. THANK YOU!
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
No
First
Name
Erika
Last Name Email Address
Thomas erikat1085@gmaiL.com
Street
Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
I write to you today as
the Senior
Communications
Manager for the EAST
Miami Hotel. I thoroughly
enjoy working at BrickeLt
City Centre every day. To
say it is a unique
wonderland is to sell it
short. Part of the reason
why I Love the BCC so
much is because it helps
bring young families (Like
mine) to BrickeLt,
something which was
very much Lacking when I
first moved to BrickeLt
several years ago. Young
parents want to be
around other young
parents, and parents Love
to be able to have their
kids interact with other
kids in safe spaces. As
FR. 1 5131 such, BrickeLt City Centre
4279 SW Amend Code has become an iconic
10 St — Chapter 62 destination for children to
Miami FL — Repeal of run and play, and eat.
33134 Special Area Without SAPs Like the
Plan Process BrickeLt City Centre,
most development in
Miami would not be inter-
connected. It would be
harder to create a draw
for families if we had to
rely on piecemeal
development. I
encourage you to come
to EAST and visit the
attached BrickeLt City
Centre once quarantine
is over, so that you can
see the sense of
community that this
project has brought to
BrickeLL. It wilt make you
proud. And it wilt inspire
you to bring your families
to come and see
something unique.
Please vote against FR
1, and in favor of
preserving Special Area
Plans. I thank you aLL.
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Street
Address
81 SW
8th
Ramona Messore ramona.messore@hbc.com Street,
Miami,
FL 33130
Viorica
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 1 5131
Amend Code
— Chapter 62
— Repeal of
Special Area
Plan Process
My name is Ramona
Messore and I am the
Vice President/General
Manager of Saks Brickett
City Centre. I have been
working at the Brickell
City Centre since our
store first opened -up at
this new location. I feel
so grateful to Swire
Properties for believing in
the City of Miami and
choosing our City from
the dozens of world -class
cities that they could
have invested their
resources in. They chose
Miami because we are a
City worth believing in.
And, they also chose
Miami because its City
code allowed for Large-
scaLe projects to be
approved seamlessly
through the Special Area
Plan process. As a
matter of fact, I believe
that they were amongst
the first SAPs approved
by the City of Miami
(and it has paid off in
spades for the City). I do
not typically chime in at
public hearings, but I do
think that it would be
important to preserve
projects Like the Brickett
City Centre, as our City
continues to flourish. If
SAPs are removed,
existing SAPs, Like the
Brickett City Centre, wilt
have a much tougher
time being amended,
and the projects
improved, which would
be a real shame for the
future of Miami. We need
more great, safe places
for families to
congregate, get
entertained, and enjoy
Life. Especially when this
quarantine period is over.
I ask you to consider all
these things when you
vote today on behalf of
Special Area Plans.
Pineda vioricapineda@gmaiL.com 16357 FR. 1 5131 I Lived in Downtown
SW 45 Amend Code Brickett for eight years
Terrace — Chapter 62 and watched Brickett City
Miami, — Repeat of Centre get built. I Lived a
FL 33185 block away from the
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
No
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Street
Address
Special Area
Plan Process
Agenda Item
Public Comment
development. I loved
every minute of living in
Brickell and enjoyed the
Live, work, play concept.
I left Brickell because I
moved to Atlanta for
work. I recently returned
to Miami to complete a
Masters in Real Estate
Development and
Urbanism, and more than
ever, I understand the
importance of SAP
communities. SAP
communities bring jobs
and diversity; they create
walkable, open spaces,
which allow for people to
Live active and healthy
Lifestyles. The
developments also bring
24-hour foot traffic,
helping restaurants and
retail businesses within
the neighborhood to
thrive. I am about to
complete the program
this summer, and Ike
had the privilege to meet
and Listen to the
developers in our
community pitch their
projects. I am confident
that the future of Miami
wilt be bright. These
developers are trying to
build responsibly, taking
into account affordability
issues, gentrification,
sea -Level rise, global
warming, and traffic
issues. Magic City plans
to include affordable
units in their residential
mix. It is Located in an
opportunity zone area,
which wilt help bring
more jobs and tech
companies into our city.
Other communities are
building near TODs,
much Like Brickell City
Centre. I hope SAPs are
here to stay, we are
Living in 2020, and we
must Look into the future.
We must start thinking
about loT, Smart Cities,
and the 5-G network.
SAP communities wilt
help us implement loT
and the 5-G network in a
much more feasible way.
I am for loT and 5G
technology, but we also
need to start having
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
First
Name
Carlos
Last Name Email Address
Ca no carloscanomoffat@gmaiLcom
Street
Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 15131
1915 Amend Code
Brickell — Chapter 62
Ave — Repeal of
C1511 Special Area
Plan Process
discussions about data
and how citizens'
information will be
protected. The future is
already here. Let's make
Miami one of the most
thriving, technologically
advanced cities in the
Nation. Let's not go
backward.
My name is Carlos Cano
and I live in BrickelL As a
resident of Brickell, I can
attest to the power of
Special Area Plans, and
the type of projects that
they attract (like the
Brickell City Centre).
These projects are truly
special, as they help
highlight the future of
Miami. As an architect, I
Love seeing architecture
as art, thriving all over
our City. And SAPs are a
big part of that story. It is
because of this that I
write to ask you to vote
no on FR1.
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Attain Mcguffie Foundation@wishinabottle.net
Sue
Street
Address
Miami
Florida
Agenda Item Public Comment
My name is Attain
McGuffie, Founder &
President of Wish in A
Bottle Foundation Inc.
WISH IN A BOTTLE
FOUNDATION
INC 501(c)(3) is a
dynamic non-profit
organization that focuses
on restoration and
cleanup efforts in the
Little Haiti community in
Miami, Florida. The
foundation works
tirelessly with people in
the community,
community Leaders, and
organizations to combat
iLtegal dumping,
damaged roads,
vandaLization, and much
more. May 1st marks the
beginning of Haitian
Heritage month where
we celebrate the
resilience, strength, and
BC. 15 7360 beauty of the Haitian
Historic and culture and its people. To
Environmental commemorate this
Preservation celebration, the Wish in A
Board Bottle Foundation IncwiLt
be initiating a major
cleanup on Saturday,
May 16th from 9 am to 2
pm. We are encouraging
volunteers to come out
and support the cause.
As we celebrate
throughout the month, Let
us be examples of the
words so eloquently
engraved on the flag,
"L'union Fait La Force"
(Unity is Strength). Let
us come together and
unite for a greater good,
Let us unite to restore
Little Haiti, Let us unite to
dean the streets of Little
Haiti. We wilt be taking
the precautionary
measures mandated by
the government,
amongst this pandemic
to ensure the safety of
each volunteer. Happy
Haitian Heritage Month
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
Zhang sue.zhang@miami.edu 230 NE FR. 1 5131 I am a Master student at No
4TH ST Amend Code University of Miami
— Chapter 62 Herbert Business School
— Repeal of studying real estate
Special Area Finance. I'm honored to
Plan Process have the opportunity to
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Street
Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
study real estate in
Miami, because the
world -class projects that
are being developed in
Miami -Dade County,
such as Miami World
center, BrickeLt City
Centre and the upcoming
American Dream Mall
which claims to be the
most innovative retail
project. We all know that
one of the unique tools
that developers can use
to build massive projects
in Miami is the Special
Area Plan (also known as
SAPs). I understand that
mega development
projects like brickeLt city
center can be make huge
impact on the economic
development in the area,
but they also create
workforce housing, bring
tremendous job
opportunities and
improve city
transportation
connections. I'm
concerned that if city
were to pass the
ordinance which would
remove SAPs from the
Miami 21 Zoning Code, it
could send a message to
the real estate
community that they are
not going to support new
projects Like that.
Projects Like the Design
District, BrickeLt City
Centre, are helping
create the vision of what
Miami wilt Look Like in its
second century. Taking
BrickeLt city center as an
example, With its
numerous green building
features, pioneering
underground parking
solutions, and site -
integrated Metromover
Light raitstation, BrickeLt
City Centre not only
earned the LEED® GoLd
designation, but brings
about a new paradigm in
Large-scale sustainable
urban development. I
hope the city can keep
the SAPs. Thus, not only
the city wilt be benefiting
from those projects, we
as students can also
benefiting from Learning
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a
Lobbyist?
First
Name
Last Name Email Address
Randy Olen randy.ofen@foundrycommerciaLcom
Street
Address
Agenda Item Public Comment
real estate through those
projects.
I write to you today on
behalf of the Brickell
Area Association in
opposition to FR.1 which
would remove Special
Area Plans ("SAP") from
the City of Miami's
Zoning Code. As you can
imagine, the Brickell
Area has been greatly
impacted, in a positive
way, by the Brickell City
Centre, one of Miami's
first SAPs. We believe
that SAPs are an
important tool that
developers can use to
make tong -term
investments in our
community. Brickell City
Centre serves as a
1395 FR. 1 5131 sterling example of just
Brickett Amend Code how impressive and
Avenue, — Chapter 62 transformative some of
Suite 180 — Repeat of these projects can be.
Miami, Special Area There are several other
FL 33131 Pan Process very good examples of
SAPs throughout the
City, that are worthy of
preservation. The Brickett
City Centre has been a
blessing to the
Downtown/Brickett area.
We have seen so many
families move to Brickett
and what used to be a
desolate business area
has become a booming
family -friendly
destination. These are aft
things that the City of
Miami should promote. It
is for aft these reasons
that I stand in opposition
to FR.1 and in support of
SAPs. I thank you in
advance for your time
and consideration.
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
First
Name
Russell
Last Name Email Address
Brooke russbrooke@hotmaitcom
Street
Address
808
Brickell
Key
Drive
(3003),
Miami FL
33131
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 1 5131
Amend Code
— Chapter 62
— Repeal of
Special Area
Plan Process
Name: Russell Brooke
Email:
russbrooke@hotmaitcom
Street Address: 808
Brickell Key Drive #3003,
Miami FL 33131 Agenda
Item #: FR.1 To whom it
may concern — As a
resident and Board
Member of Brickell Key, I
would like to express my
opposition to FR1 on the
May 14th, 2020
Commission Agenda.
This item will stifle
development, which is
needed for a city to
continuing growing. It will
also limit job creation,
which will be desperately
needed over the next few
years. Miami, especially
the Brickell area has
seen a renaissance of
sorts over the last 10
years, and city officials
should, in my humble
opinion, oppose agenda
items Like this one. Note:
The biggest issue that
comes with future
development is traffic. In
my opinion, traffic in the
future wilt start to
decrease as 1) more
people work from home,
2) ride sharing becomes
easier and more popular,
3) scooters/bikes are
utilized more, 4) drones
for shipments are used,
5) the city adopts future
technological advances
Like adaptive signals, 6)
cars utilize autonomous
tech advances, and 7)
efforts to improve public
transportation continue to
ramp up. So,
development wilt not
impact the city as much
as people think, in
regards to traffic. If
anyone would Like to
speak with me in the
future, please feel free to
contact me. Best —
RusseLt Brooke Brooke
Consulting & ReaL
Estate, LLC (305) 798-
7596
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
No
First
Name
Ken
Daniel
Last Name Email Address
Tannenbaum kentannenbaum@gmaitcom
Ferman danieL88ferman@gmaitcom
Street
Address
520
Brickett
Key
Drive #
903
Miami,
FL 33131
26 NE
60th St.
Miami,
FL 33137
End of Report
Agenda Item Public Comment
FR. 1 5131
Amend Code
— Chapter 62
— Repeat of
Special Area
Plan Process
Are you
a
Lobbyist?
Hello, my name is Ken
Tannenbaum and I am
contacting you as a
board member of the
Brickett Key One Condo
Association. I am
supportive of Swire
Properties and the
Brickett City Centre. It is
a once in a Lifetime
development that has
brought retail, residential,
and office opportunities No
to our Little section of
Miami. I don't know
much about SAPs, but I
do know that the one
that we have in our
neighborhood works and
should be a shining
example of what the City
can expect from similar
projects in the future.
Please vote to protect
and preserve this SAP.
Hi, I am wondering if in
terms of re -opening you
wilt be making a
distinction between gyms
and fitness studios. In
what phase wilt boutique
fitness studios (Pitates,
yoga, etc), that conduct
BC. 14 1599 small group classes
Health where the clients stay on
Facilities one piece of equipment No
Authority the entire time in groups
Board typically of ten or Less,
be allowed to reopen
with proper social
distancing and other pre-
cautions? Many of these
studios are
independently owned
and operated are realty
struggling. Thank you