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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Public Comments Submitted Online for the October 26, 2023 City Commission MeetingCommission Report - Final Public Comment for October 26, 2023, Regular City Commission Meeting October 26th, 2023, 3:52 pm EST Public Comment motero@miamigov.com First Name Charles Charles Veronica Last Name Belekis Belekis Calzadilla Sosa Street Address 176 NE 50 Street 176 NE 50 Street 20726 SW 81st PI, Cutler Bay Agenda Item PZ. 15 #14742 Land Use - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St PZ. 16 #14743 Rezoning - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St DI. 2 #14829 Discussion - D3 Park Improvements Public Comment As a homeowner directly adjacent to this project, I would like to see a covenant in place that addresses the concerns of the residents before the land use and zoning changes are approved. I would like the item to be deferred at this time. As a homeowner directly adjacent to this project, I would like to see a covenant in place that addresses the concerns of the residents before the land use and zoning changes are approved. I would like the item to be deferred at this time. Dear City Commissioners, I am a student at Miami Dade College and a Chef Andrew Scholar with Debris Free Oceans, and I want to express my strong support for the proposed "Leave No Trace" policy on the picnic islands in Northern Biscayne Bay. These islands, despite not being owned by the County, incur a significant annual cost of $500,000 for trash pickup, and millions have been invested from the Biscayne Bay Environmental Enhancement trust fund for island restoration projects. It is crucial to address this issue. I would like to emphasize a few key points: County Expenditure: The County's substantial expense on trash pickup underscores the need for a "Leave No Trace" policy, which would alleviate this financial burden. Island Restoration: We must protect the investments made in island restoration by ensuring that these islands remain pristine and free of trash. City Deeds and Responsibilities: It's vital to uphold the city deeds' commitment to managing the islands as parks and enforcing the prohibition on anchoring. I urge you to support the "Leave No Trace" policy and collaborate with the County, cities, and relevant agencies to implement it effectively. Let's take action to preserve the beauty and ecological value 14968 Submittal -Public Comments Submitted Online for the October 26, 2023 City Commission Meeting Samantha Samantha Kathy Surles Surles Higgs Cooper 111 NE 46th Street, Miami FI 33137 111 NE 46th Street, Miami FI 33137 101 Northeast 50th Street PZ. 16 #14743 Rezoning - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St PZ. 15 #14742 Land Use - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St PZ. 15 #14742 Land Use - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St of the islands in Biscayne Bay. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. Sincerely, Veronica Calzadilla I am one of the neighbors that Kim deceived, and I want to retract my signature! Not only did she say/ show this was for properties they "currently own, we are not purchasing residential properties and encroaching into the neighborhood." This was just to get an understanding how the neighbors feel about the project. Never mentioned our signatures were being submitted to the city for approval! I am all for improvement to the neighborhood and business, when following the established rules and restrictions. There is NO way I would agree to this up -zoning! Samantha Surles Andreas Ulrich NE 46th Street, Miami FL 33137 I am one of the neighbors that Kim deceived, and I want to retract my signature. Not only did she say/ show this was for properties they "currently own." She stated "they are not buying residential properties and encroaching into the neighborhood." She never mentioned this being submitted to the city for approval. I am all for improvement to the neighborhood and businesses, when following the established rules and restrictions. There is NO way I would agree to this. Samantha Surles - NE 46th Street I am opposed to changing the land designation for several reasons . Their are two developers that own this land and over a period of months they have changed their vision for the land several times. They first approached me saying that it would be airbnb's , than a hotel with underground parking, next it would be condominiums and lastly very modest in keeping with the same design residential units . From the beginning the number one concern is parking and traffic . when Vista opened we had so much parking from employees as well as customers in front of our homes. Their was so many cars we could not park in front of our homes . Along with that came traffic cars speeding down our street and we have young kids. Pollution , people walk to their cars throw their food containers and bags right on our lawns and streets . Noise from the cars and people also the restaurant had live entertainment that you could hear at late at night and we stay in the middle of the block . It also brought more crime, car break ins . We had to obtain residential parking just to be able to park in front of our homes . We do a monthly clean up Kathy Higgs Cooper 101 Northeast 50th Street PZ. 16 #14743 Rezoning - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St to address the trash on the streets. I am opposed to two developers who have not addressed any of these concerns, they have flipped on a convenant several times , developer Arthur has said he plans to sell and David has a different vision that does not address my concerns as a homeowner. I am opposed to rezoning the land designation for several reasons . Their are two developers that own this land and over a period of months they have changed their vision for the land several times. They first approached me saying that it would be airbnb's, than a hotel with underground parking , next it would be condominiums and lastly very modest in keeping with the same design residential units . From the beginning the number one concern is PARKING and TRAFFIC when Upper Buena Vista opened we had so much parking from employees as well as customers in front of our homes. Their was so many cars we could not park in front of our homes . Along with that came traffic cars speeding down our street and we have young kids. A pedestrian was hit on NE 2nd avenue & 45street . Increased POLLUTION people walk to their cars throw their food containers and bags right on our lawns and streets . NOISE from the cars and people also the restaurant had live entertainment that you could hear at late at night and we stay in the middle of the block . It also brought more CRIME , car break ins and theft We had to obtain residential parking just to be able to park in front of our homes . We do a monthly clean up to address the trash on the streets. I am opposed to two developers who h.ave not addressed any of these concerns , they have flipped on a covenant several times , developer Arthur has said he plans to sell and it was listed and David has a different vision that does not address my concerns as a homeowner. I have attended meetings with both Arthur & David and they dont seem interested in keeping this a neighborhood although they say they have done alot for the neighborhood they have done alot for their business . They were never concerned with the what the residents concerns were , they did not concern themselves with maintaining the property around them . Their was often lots of trash on the ground right outside of their property , they used a lot for parking once and it was not well maintained , the trees and grass lining the streets were unkept . often street lights out on that side of vista they did nothing . Once 100 NE 46 Angelika Rothkegel str. Miami 33137 100 NE 46 Angelika Rothkegel Str. Miami 33137 Donald Sandy Harrell 60 NE 46 Street 5910 NE 6th Moise Court PZ. 15 #14742 Land Use - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St PZ. 16 #14743 Rezoning - 160 NE 50 Ter, 152 NE 50 Ter, 170 NE 50 Ter, 184 NE 50 Ter, 183 NE 50 St, 177 NE 50 St PZ. 6 #14672 Design District SAP - 81 NE 39 St CA. 5 #14863 ROW - Planting of Trees, Shrubs and Plants they start rezoning this area whats to stop them from purchasing the next lot and the next and before you know it this neighborhood is full of condos and business instead of houses. Their are alot of young families here who have made a commitment to this neighborhood and want to grow our community .I voted for you Chairwoman King please dont let them destroy our neighborhood. I was misled by the Developer's representative Kim Keats about the nature of the petition. Now that I've been made aware of it's true intent I am retracting my signature for : RE: PZ.15 #14742 Land Use PZ.16 #14743 Rezoning I vote NO on this project Angelika Rothkegel I was misled of a project by the developers representative Kim and I would like to retract my signature. I vote No for the project. Angelika Rothkegel I would request my name be removed from the petition in support of this project. After further investigation I feel as if I was misled into signing. Miami is one of the hottest cities in the country, ranking third -worst in heat island effect out of the 44 largest cities in the United States, according to the Climate Central report released in July 2023. As concrete replaces natural landscape, the end result is surfaces that reflect and radiate heat instead of surfaces that absorb heat, causing a rise in temperature. The reduction in natural landscape has also contributed to the severe flooding Miami has been experiencing, especially in the downtown neighborhoods and coastal communities because water simply has nowhere to go - concrete does not absorb rainwater. Furthermore, the health of Biscayne Bay is at a critical state, in part due to pollution from stormwater runoff, fertilizers, and other contaminants. According to the recently release 2023 Biscayne Bay Economic Study Update, Biscayne Bay provides $64 billion in economic output in Miami -Dade County and 448,5000 total jobs are generated from Biscayne Bay. We have a simple, affordable, and immediate solution before us that can help reduce our heat island effect, provide flood mitigation, and filter pollutants and toxins before they enter Biscayne Bay — utilizing swales as green infrastructure. At the July 27, 2023 City of Miami Commission meeting, Commissioner Sabina Covo introduced an agenda item directing the City Manager to take all steps necessary to present legislation to the City of Miami Commission that would create a process for homeowners to plant certain native plants on their adjacent swale by right and other native and non-native plants by a review and permit process. The item passed unanimously. The legislation will be presented and voted on at the October 26, 2023 Commission meeting. Swales are the oldest, most utilized stormwater management method throughout the world, designed to provide water quality treatment that will reduce pollution and control flooding during storms. Swales collect rainwater, mitigate flooding, filter out pollutants, sediment and toxins, prevent erosion, and provide a natural area for storm runoff. However, for swales to function properly, maintenance is vital. Unplanted, eroded swales, which are extensive throughout the Miami, not only fail to serve their important stormwater management purpose, they hamper the movement of stormwater, and contribute to flooding and pollutants entering Biscayne Bay. Planted swales capture and slow stormwater runoff. The water is absorbed by plants and soak into the soil rather than flowing rapidly into the street, enabling the plants to filter pollutants found in stormwater runoff. This controlled movement of the stormwater prevents erosion, while also sediment and other pollutants such as nutrients from fertilizers from entering waterways leading ultimately to Biscayne Bay. Why native plants? Grass swales offer less filtering and infiltration than swales planted with native plants. Native plants have a more dense, deeper root system, require minimal to no fertilizer, pesticides, or watering, are easy to maintain, and are adapted to our South Florida climate so they will live longer. As an added bonus, they add aesthetic beauty and habitat to sustain our biodiverse ecosystem. I urge all of the commissioners to do the right thing for our environment our environment and establish swale legislation that is simple and immediate so that we can address our climate issues now, without requiring a permit process for certain native plants. Or, just leave existing code alone and ensure that city staff and residents are well -versed about what is allowable in the code, which includes planting native, herbaceous plants, ground cover, and forbs, so that swales can be planted and Lillian Engelhard 645 NW 1st st, APT 301 Miami, FL 33128 DI. 2 #14829 Discussion - D3 Park Improvements maintained to serve their purpose of stormwater management. An added bonus is heat mitigation. After thoroughly reviewing the City of Miami existing codes, including Miami 21 that was adopted in January 2011, which intent and purpose mirrors the City's Landscape Ordinance adopted in June 2010, it appears that a permit may not even be required to plant native plants in replacing existing landscaping, including grasses and forbs. According to Miami 21 sections 9.5.1 Lawn Area (turf) "c. Maximum permitted lawn area for all zoning districts is referenced in Table A. Very drought tolerant grasses and low growing native plants, including grasses and forbs, as referenced in the Landscape Manual, may be used as groundcover beyond the maximum permitted grass area specified in Table A." and 9.9 Stormwater Retention/Detention Areas, "b. Stormwater retention/detention areas shall be planted throughout with native herbaceous facultative plants." A forb is a "herbaceous flowering plant other than grass," a herbaceous plant is vascular plant that has no persistent woody stem above ground, and a swale is a stormwater retention area. The definition of ground cover in City Code is "A dense, extensive growth of low -growing plants, other than turfgrass, normally reaching an average maximum height of not more than twenty-four (24) inches at maturity." Planted swales is a small contribution to water quality improvement, but every little thing we do adds up. Allowing residents to plant certain native plants in the swales, without a lengthy permit process, in front of their homes is one easy way we can all work together to better manage stormwater to reduce heat, limit flooding, and help save our precious Biscayne Bay. My name is Lillian Engelhard and I am the Community Engagement Associate at The International SeaKeepers Society, a global nonprofit based here in Coral Gables. SeaKeepers works to connect the global boating and yachting community with ocean conservation efforts through a multitude of projects. As Community Engagement Associate, I help with educational programming such as floating classrooms on Biscayne Bay and classroom visits to Miami/Broward schools, and I organize and host coastal cleanups, something SeaKeepers recently received a Proclamation from Mayor Francis Suarez and Commissioner Sabina Covo for. Since 2019, when SeaKeepers began hosting cleanups, we have collected over 22,514 pounds of debris, mostly from Miami -Dade and Broward counties. In 2023 alone, we have removed over 3,592 pounds. The majority of our cleanups are at coastal parks Margaret Pace Park and Morningside Park, which we visit on a monthly basis. During our floating classrooms, we teach local K-12 students about the importance of Biscayne Bay to both people and animals, and how the bay is constantly being polluted from many sources including trash, sewage leakages, fertilizer runoff, oil and gas leakages, and sediment pollution from construction and dredging. We finish our floating classrooms with cleanups at nearby picnic islands so that the students can see the gravity of the issue of marine debris, and demonstrate how easy it is to be part of the solution instead of the problem. The two islands we have visited most are Pelican Island and Sandspur/Beer Can Island. Before we switched marina partnerships, we used to visit Pelican Island a couple times a month for cleanups, and sometimes we were able to collect a lot of garbage, and sometimes we found it pretty spotless. Pelican Island has a "take what you bring" policy and there are no trash cans on the island, so visitors are encouraged to remove whatever trash they create on the island when they leave. Since the transition, we have begun to visit Beer Can Island a few times a month, and the difference has been astounding. Beer Can Island has trash cans for visitors to use, which I have been told are supposed to be emptied on a weekly basis. However, if you take one look at Beer Can Island you can see how this system is designed to fail. The trash cans are constantly overflowing with debris, consisting mostly of food and beverage packaging. Once full, many visitors discard their trash on the sand surrounding the trash cans. At high tide, all of the debris that is not in trash cans is likely washed directly into the water, and the trash cans themselves are often submerged in water at the bottom, enabling small pieces of trash and chemicals to enter the water. The problem gets even worse as you walk back into the island and see all of the trash left behind that people did not even attempt to throw out. Food wrappers, glass bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, bottle caps, vapes, cigarettes, you name it, it's here. And to complicate matters, there are raccoons on the island desperate for Julio Chacon 161 NE 42ND ST, Miami, FL 33162 PZ. 10 #14675 Land Use - 171 NE 42 St food that tip over the trash cans and let all the collected trash wash away. This island is clearly a beloved party spot, but to anyone with a care for the environment, it is a sight for sore eyes. I believe that the City of Miami needs to pay special attention to all of the picnic islands in the bay that are frequented by guests and take action to rectify the normalization of littering. I believe all trash cans should be removed, as they seem to discourage a sense of personal responsibility, as people believe they are being picked up after. All islands should have the same policy as Pelican Island, you take what you bring. The part of the budget that arranges trash pick ups should be reallocated to patrolling the islands and removing debris before it enters the water, and issuing tickets or fines to people seen littering, if possible. I also think increased signage about how to properly dispose of waste is crucial. Unfortunately, personal responsibility seems to have gone out the window and I believe the City needs to step in to prevent the continued pollution before our Bay is completely unswimmable for us and unlivable for all our beloved fish, sharks, dolphins, manatees and turtles. I will be attaching some photos I have taken of the islands, many were taken by a member of the Junior SeaKeepers program at one of the picnic islands by Shake -a -Leg. I am grateful to the City Commission for holding this meeting and making this a topic of interest. Your commitment to our environment gives me hope for the future of Miami and Biscayne Bay. Our family feels that the proposed re -zoning and construction of what is stated in the petitions for the property located at 171 NE 42ND ST, will greatly affect our quality of life and of our neighbors. Please find below a few bullet points with our concerns with this project. - The proposed garage and mini -park will compromise our and our neighbor's privacy, security and peace of mind by increasing human traffic and providing a raised line of sight over our fences and a view to our private backyards. - The proposed garage defeats the purpose of Policy PR-1.1.5 stated in File ID 14675 - Application and Supporting Documents, by providing a parking garage the city intends for residents to visit the mini -park with their cars. Morningside Park, which is less than 2 miles away from the location, provides substantially more parking, recreational area and facilities than the proposed garage and mini -park. * Policy PR-1.1.5: The City will review and enact provisions and create a plan to remedy deficiencies for residents who do not have access to a park within a ten-minute, barrier -free walk, including financing for acquisition to remedy deficiencies - The proposed garage and mini -park will further congest the already stressed NE 42ND ST by increasing vehicle traffic and increase the chance for vehicle collisions to the local resident parked cars on that street. - The proposed garage will increase traffic noise to the area from cars entering and leaving from the garage. - The proposed mini -park will barely provide any significant recreational area for people or pets due to its size constraints and possibly be used more as a sitting area with greenery and water features. Sitting areas/benches are already available on NE 42ND ST, with plenty of greenery, and around the Design District. If possible, we would like to suggest that the area be reused as a normal native green space to provide more greenery to the area and more food, water and shelter for our native species and pollinators. We believe residents and tourists will appreciate the beauty of the Design District and the native Florida flora and fauna.