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Ordinance
Legislation
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3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 12445 Final Action Date: 10/13/2022
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
2/ARTICLE IX/SECTION 2-779 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ENTITLED "ADMINISTRATION/CITY-OWNED
PROPERTY/OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNS ON CITY -OWNED
PROPERTY," TO ALLOW FOR OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNS AT
BAYFRONT PARK, MAURICE FERRE PARK, AND VIRGINIA KEY BEACH
PARK; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
SPONSOR(S): Commissioner Joe Carollo
WHEREAS, Bayfront Park and Maurice Ferre Park have begun to attract large numbers
of residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, Bayfront Park Management Trust ("Trust") manages Bayfront Park and
Maurice Ferre Park to offset costs of maintenance on the City of Miami ("City"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust has begun to host major events to amplify the enjoyment and use
of the two parks for the community; and
WHEREAS, off -site advertising can assist the Trust in generating more revenue to
ensure funds necessary to improve and maintain the parks;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Ordinance are
adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. Chapter 2/Article IX of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, is
amended in the following particulars:1
"CHAPTER 2
ADMINISTRATION
ARTICLE IX. CITY -OWNED PROPERTY
1 Words/and or figures stricken through shall be deleted. Underscored words and/or figures shall be
added. The remaining provisions are now in effect and remain unchanged. Asterisks indicate omitted
and unchanged material.
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(a) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere in the Code or the zoning
ordinance of the City, as amended, a permit may be obtained for the erection of outdoor
advertising signs on a principal building, or monument sign within the boundaries of a City -
owned park, located on certain City -owned properties identified in this section. Currently,
these properties identified herein are venues for large assemblies, performances, exhibitions,
or events, having a capacity in excess of 1,000 patrons, and are operated by the City or a
501(c)(3) corporation in which the revenues generated by the activities held at the venue
support its operation. Subject to compliance with any applicable federal, state or county,
regulations, or restriction and as may be permitted under any existing lease or management
agreement, outdoor advertising signs as described in this section, shall be allowed only at the
following three six venues:
(1) The James L. Knight Center (400 Southeast 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida);
(2) The Olympia Theater and Building/Gusman Center for the Performing Arts (174 East
Flagler Street, Miami, Florida); a4
(3) Miami Children's Museum (980 MacArthur Causeway, Miami, Florida)-i
(4) Bayfront Park (301 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida);
(5) Maurice A. Ferre Park (1075 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida); and
(6) Virginia Key Beach Park (4020 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida).
(b) Definitions.
Outdoor advertising signs: Sign where the sign copy does not pertain solely to the use of the
property, a product sold, or the sale or lease of the property on which sign is displayed and
which does not solely identify the place of business as purveyor of the merchandise or
services advertised on the sign.
Outdoor advertising sign operator: Entity that constructs and/or operates the outdoor
advertising sign.
Permit holder: Permit holder is the outdoor advertising sign operator and the lessee in the
case of City -owned property that is subject to a leasehold interest or a licensee in the case of
a City -owned property that is subject to a license agreement, or the property manager in the
case of City -owned property that is subject to a management agreement.
Sign: A sign, for purposes of this section, is any identification, description, illustration, or
device, illuminated or non -illuminated, that is visible from a public right-of-way or is located on
City -owned property and visible to the public and which directs attention to a product, place,
activity, person, institution, business, message or solicitation, including any permanently
installed or situated merchandise, with the exception of window displays, and any letter,
numeral, character, figure, emblem, painting, banner, pennant, placard, or temporary sign
designed to advertise, identify or convey information.
For purposes of this section, a sign can be an outdoor advertising sign where the sign copy
does not pertain to the use of the property, a product sold, or the sale or lease of the property
on which the sign is displayed and which does not identify the place of business as purveyor
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of the merchandise or services advertised. Any sign authorized pursuant to this section is
permitted as an accessory use to a principal commercial use.
Sign, animated: Any sign or part of a sign which changes physical position by any movement,
or rotation, or which gives the visual impression of such movement or rotation.
Sign face: The entire face(s) of the sign including all text, artwork, and commercial
sponsorship messages incorporated into a sign.
Sign, flashing: A sign which gives the effect of constant intermittent movement, or which
changes to give more than one visual effect in less than eight seconds.
Sign, ground or freestanding monument: Any non -movable sign not affixed to a building, a
self-supporting sign. GroundMonument signs, pursuant to City's zoning Miami21, as
amended, shall be construed as including signs mounted on poles or posts in the ground,
signs on fences, signs on walls other than walls of buildings, signs on sign vehicles, portable
signs for placcmcnt on the ground (A fram, invcrted T Frame and the like), signs on or
landscaping. permanently attached to the ground. Permanently attached as used herein shall
mean that the supporting Structure of the Sign is attached to the ground by a concrete
foundation. Monument Sign Structure shall bear no visible freestanding poles.
Sign, revolving or whirling: A revolving or whirling sign is an animated sign, which revolves
and turns, or has external sign elements that revolve or turn. These signs may be power -
driven or propelled by the force of wind or air.
(c) Criteria for approving the erection of outdoor advertising signs on City -owned property.
Signs authorized under this section may be internally illuminated, but shall not be animated,
revolving, whirling, or flashing signs. Moreover, any change of copy must not take place at
intervals more frequent than eight seconds. The sign shall be integrated into the architecture
or wall of the building; and shall not be a monument sign or cantilever from the building. The
design of the sign shall be consistent with the operation of the underlying venue, as
determined by the director of planning and zoning. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
signs located within Bayfront Park, Maurice Ferre Park, and Virginia Key Beach Park shall not be
required to be integrated into the architecture or wall of a building and may be monument signs in
order to promote as much green space in the venues, as possible.
Process for obtaining an outdoor advertising sign permit for City -owned property. Locations
listed in subsection (a) are appropriate for an outdoor advertising sign. If under the existing
lease, management agreement or license, the lessee, property manager and/or licensee is
authorized under the existing agreement to erect a sign, such permit shall be reviewed and
approved and a permit issued by the Director of Planning, pursuant to the criteria stated
herein:
(1) The size of any outdoor advertising sign will comply with the size limitations placed by the
Miami -Dade County Code, as amended, and shall not exceed 672 square feet plus
embellishment for a total of 750 square feet per sign.
(2) Outdoor advertising signs may be internally illuminated, but flashing, intermittent, rotating,
or moving lights are prohibited. Lighting which causes glare or impairs the vision of the driver
of any motor vehicle, or which otherwise interferes with any driver's operation of a motor
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vehicle is prohibited. Furthermore, a sign may not be illuminated so that it interferes with the
effectiveness of, or obscures, an official traffic sign, signal or device.
(3) Mechanically changeable and digital display panels are allowed provided the static display
time is at least eight seconds, and the time to change from one message to another is no
greater than two seconds.
(4) The specific size, configuration and location of the sign and its supporting structure must
comply with all criteria set forth above and the Director of Planning shall also evaluate the
proposed sign for compliance with the criteria set forth herein and in Article 4, Table 12,
design review criteria of the zoning ordinance of the City, as applicable. Bayfront Park shall
have no more than three (3) monument signs and Maurice Ferre Park shall have no more
than two (2) monument signs. Notwithstanding the provisions contained in 2-779(c)(4);
permitting review criteria related to size and materials for Bayfront Park, Maurice Ferre, and
Virginia Key Beach Park outdoor advertising signs shall be approved by Director of Planning.
(5) The outdoor advertising sign operator must be a co -applicant with the lessee, manager, or
licensee.
(6) In addition to a permit issued pursuant to this section, the permit holder must obtain all
other necessary permits to construct and operate the sign in compliance with City Code and
state and federal law.
(e) Permit fee for the erection of an outdoor advertising sign on City -owned property.
(1) Permit fee. Any entity that collects rent, fees, or income from a sign on City property,
including, but not limited to the permit holder and the outdoor advertising sign operator, shall
pay to the City the permit fee described herein.
The annual permit fee shall be an amount equal to $7.00 per square foot of sign face
multiplied by 12 months per year for each sign, provided that such annual permit fee shall be
no less than the minimum $48,000.00 or greater than $63,000.00 per annum (the "permit
fee"). The initial permit fee shall be due in its entirety upon the issuance of a temporary
certificate of occupancy or certificate of occupancy for the structure upon which the sign is to
be erected, whichever is issued first. In any event, the annual permit fee must be paid prior to
placing any advertising on the sign. In the event any permit fee is not paid in its entirety, the
City may exercise any of the remedies set forth in subsection (f). Fees shall be prorated
based on the date of issuance of the TCO or CO, or in any event, no later than the date of the
first advertisement on the sign, calculated by calendar year.
(2) Renewal of permit fees. The permit holder shall pay or cause the annual permit fee to be
paid in quarterly installments until such time it is paid in full. Sign permits shall be void if
quarterly payments are not received within ten business days after each quarterly payment is
due. The payment year shall run on a calendar year.
Along with the first quarter permit fee each permit holder shall submit demonstration of up to
date documentation of public liability insurance as approved by the department of risk
management, and continued effectiveness of a bond or letter of credit in the amount of
$50,000.00. Any payments made more than ten days after the date due shall be considered
late and shall accrue interest at the rate of 18 percent for 45 days. If payment is not received
by the 45th day, the City shall immediately rescind the sign permit.
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(3) Revenue sharing agreements allowing for a percentage of gross revenues between the
City and any lessee, manager or licensee of a City -owned property and/or the outdoor
advertising sign operator must be approved by the City commission.
(f) Termination, revocation, or rescission of outdoor advertising sign permit.
(1) Any sign permit issued under this section constitutes the exercise by the City of its
proprietary authority,- and is subject to termination and revocation for any cause in the best
interest of the City. Any sign that is permitted on City -owned property under this section which
is found to be in violation of the conditions of the sign permit or any federal, state, or county
regulation or restriction is subject to removal by the City at the permit holder's expense.
(2) The issuance of a sign permit under this section shall be conditioned upon the permit
holder, or in the case of City -owned property that is subject to a management agreement, the
sign company, executing a hold -harmless and indemnification, approved by the office of the
City attorney, that will acknowledge that the sign permit does not confer any vested rights and
hold the City and its officials, employees, contractors, agents or assigns harmless from any
loss or damage to the sign if it is removed by the City. The permit holder will expressly agree
as a condition of the permit that the sole recourse against the City and its officials, employees,
contractors, agents or assigns will be the return of the sign, if available, in whatever condition
it is found.
(3) If in any event the outdoor advertising sign operator fails to utilize the permitted structure
for outdoor advertising for a period of more than six months, the City manager shall rescind
the outdoor advertising sign permit.
(4) The City may immediately rescind a sign permit for noncompliance with any provisions of
City Code, including, but not limited to subsection (e).
(5) Upon rescission of a sign permit, if the permit holder fails to remove the sign, the City
may:
a. Remove the structure, equipment or improvements related to the sign and may draw upon
the bond or letter of credit to ensure the same; or
b. Retain ownership of any sign or structure on the property.
(g) Opt -out provision. The City opts out of Chapter 33, Article 6, Division 5 of the Miami -Dade
County Code of Ordinances, as amended, per Section 33-121.11 as applicable to these signs.
The City has adopted the rules contained in this article, to regulate these signs in proximity to
expressways.
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Section 3. If any section, part of a section, paragraph, clause, phrase, or word of this
Ordinance is declared invalid, the remaining provisions of this Ordinance shall not be affected.
Section 4. This Ordinance shall become immediately after its adoption and signature of
the Mayor.2
2 This Ordinance shall become effective as specified herein unless vetoed by the Mayor within ten (10)
days from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Ordinance, it shall become
City of Miami Page 5 of 6 File ID: 12445 (Revision: A) Printed on: 6/23/2025
File ID: 12445
Enactment Number:
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
ndez, City tton
ey 8/29/2022
ndez, ity Attor
ey 9/30/2022
effective immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission or upon the effective date stated
herein, whichever is later.
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