HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1976-04-22 MinutesY OF MIA
1SSION
UTES
OF MEETING HELD ON APR 2 21976
PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
CITY HALL
H. D, SOUTHERN
CITY CLERK
RALPH 6, ONG IE.
ASS tSTANT MY 'Y CLERK
INDEX
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING
CITY COMMISSION OF MtAMI, FLORIDA
ITEM NO SUBJECT
1. CENTRO MATER DISCUSSION
2. r WORKSHOP SESSION - DEVELOPMENT OF DINNER
KEY AREA AND DINNER KEY AUDITORIUM
ORDINANCE OR
RESOLUTION NO. PAGE NO,f
DISCUSSION 1=2
WORKSHOP 1=10
1. PRESENTATIONS, PLAQUES, SPECIAL ITEMS
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
• 15.
16.
17.
WITHDRAWL OF FRANK SPENCE
MERRITT STIERHEIM
FROM CONSIDERATION OF CITY MANAGER
PHASE II - MIAMI COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT PLAN STATUS REPORT BY MR.
DAVID WALLACE OF WALLACE,MC HARG,ROBERTS
AND TODD , DISCUSSION 17=21
AMEND 6871 - REDUC ; ZONED STREET WIDTH
S. W. 36th CT. from I7TH St. SOUTH 1 ORD. 8543 22
176-392
M76-393
11=12
12=16
FEES - TENNIS COURTS - BALL MACHINE
AMEND SECTION 39-3 OF THE CODE
DECLARE INTENTION TO EXERCISE AUTHORITY
UNDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPREHENSIVE
PLANNING ACT OF 1975-CHAPTER 75-257 F1a.Law
DESIGNATE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD AS
CITY LOCAL PLANNING AGENCY 1 ORD. 8546 23
ORD. 8544 22
ORD. 8545 23
ACCEPT COMPLETED WORK OF AD-A-LITE ELECTRIC
INC. FOR KINLOCH PARK IMPROVEMENTS 1975 1 R76-394 23
ACCEPT COMPLETED WORK
FASHION HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT H-4381-BID "B" R76-395 24
ACCEPT PLAT - 3RD ADDITION TO 4-WAY ESTATES R76-396 24
ALLOCATE $126,549.00 SANITARY SEWER BOND
FUNDS R76-397 24
ALLOCATE $12,534.00 FM STORM SEWER FUNDS R76-398 25
ALLOCATE $15,325.00 HIGHWAY BOND FUNDS 76-399 25
ALLOCATE $1,616.00 FROM POLICE HEADQUARTERS
AND CRIME PREVENTION FACILITIES BOND FUND ' R76-400 25
ALLOCATE $6,055.00 FROM PUBLIC PARKS AND
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BOND FUNDS ' R76-401 26
GLENROYAL SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENT
SR-5374 C&S - AUTHORIZE CITY C?.E RR TO
PUBLISH NOTICE OF OBJECTIONS TO COMP WORK R76-402 26
EXTERNAL AUDITING FIRMS - CHANGE EVERY 3
YEARS AND REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT
3 FIRMS FOR POSSIBLE SELECTION M76-403 26=27
i
MINUTES OF WORKSHOP .SESSION OF THE
CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
ON THE 22ND DAY OF APRIL, 1976 THE CITY COMMISSION OF
'IAMI,..FIORIDA MET AT ITS REGULAR MEETING PLACE I THE CITY
1ALL) 3SUO PAN AMERICAN DRIVE, IAMI, LORIDA IN WORKSHOP
SESSI N,
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 8:10 O'CLOCK AM, BY
MAYOR MAURICE A, t-ERRE WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE
COMMISSION FOUND TO BE PRESENT;
Commibb.ionef Mano.2o Rebobo
CommLae.ionen J. L. P.eummen, . Jk.
Vice -Mayon Robe Gordon
Mayon Mauh..Lce A. Fenne
Comm.L44ionen Theodore GLbaon
ABSENT:
ALSO PRESENT:
P. W. Andnewa, City Manager
A. P. Cnouc►., A44i4tant City Manager
John S. Lloyd, City Attorney
H. D. Southern, City Ceekk
CENTRO MATER - DISCUSSION
006
Mr. Andrews: The Fire Department can describe a little more carefully where
their specific concerns are and I'm not sure that you can resolve the problem if
you T.7an.te!i to this Mr. Uayor.
Chief Coleman: I'm Chief Coleman, a fire marshal, City of Miami. The problem
here is in Fire Zone 1 we have an ordinance which is also a part of the South
Florida Building Code. In Fire Zone 1 we restrict the moving in or the construct-
ion of frame buildings. They have to be at least type 3 protected construction.
You cannot move a frame structure into the area or you can't construct it. You
can't get a permit to construct it.
Mayor Ferre: Chief, let me ask you this. These children have been there and
this operation has been there for several years. Now have you been using that
frame building for several years?
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Yes. We have been using that building for 7 years.
Mayor Ferre: Well how come it comes up now? Would you answer that?
Mr. Ferencik: Well, your honor and members of the commission, it comes up at
this point in time because they had to get a certification.
Mayor Ferre: You meam a certification of occupancy?
Mr. Ferencik: Yes, for the purpose of I believe an application for a federal
grant.
Mayor Ferre: Well, how could they be in that place without a C.O. for 7 years?
Mr, Ferencik: Your honor, I'll tell you exactly how they got in that place.
Mayor Ferre: We just were trying to be friendly to them, is that it?
Mr. ferencik: No, 7 years ago when they wanted to do this at that point in time
the park was in the developmental stages, this facility was in the developmental
stage, They came to us and we talked about this thing and at that point in time
the school board was using portable classrooms and they were twit ailing portable
classrooms wherever they chose to really in spite of our ordinances, The
APR221976
philosophy that Vas followed in allowing them to put those portable classrooms
into that facility Was the fact that the School Board uses exactly the same kind
of facilities without regard to 'Where it was so we let them put them in there.
Mt, Pluttett I think plus one other factor. I think we bought the portables
and we iiioV'ed their there, Yes, I d0 recall that.
Mayor Ferte: All right. Let ire get this straight now, These people ate in rel.,.
ative compliance. Is that correct? They say they're going to comply. Is there
any way that that building could comply, Chief?
INAUDIBLE RESPONSE
Mayor Ferret Could they comply?
Mr, Ferencik: Understand one thing, this is really within the control of the city
because what is in the First Fire Zone is within the control of the city. Assum-
ing this remains First Fire Zone then these buildings have to meet a certain qual-
ity of construction in order to be certified for this use and I believe it prob-
ably can be accomplished by putting a sprinkler system in the building. Now
that's an expensive solution but that would be a solution to the problem.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Well, sir, we just want a temporary license to operate
until then because we agree with you and we want to comply with the requirements
but we need time. It is a matter of time. You know what happened now, our urgent
need is the permit because our problem right now is that Title XX notified us
last October that we have a one year period to meet the licensing requirements.
We had already taken several steps in this direction but now the food and nutrit-
ion program demands our having the license this very month. Otherwise our claim
for reimbursement will be with'ield by them. Then we are going to have 210 child- or
ren without the food. They eat their dinner at this center at 5 O'Clock each
day. That's our main concern. And we want in order not to discontinue our ser-
vices, we need first of all the certificate of use and occupancy temporarily. We
are ready to implement any suggestion the Fire Department cares to make us con-
cerning fire prevention. But we ask you to help us find a solution.
Mr. Andrews: ... location or unless the buildings can be brought up to the city's
requirements.
Mr. Ferencik: Certainly you can do it. They've been operating there for seven
years now and they can continue to do so.
(Gap due to mechanical diffidulties)
Mr. Plummer: ... I would prefer to the maker of the motion that the period of
time be for 6 months rather than 90 days and hopefully through the administration Ar
they can help them find it and we don't have to come back here...
Mayor Ferre: I'll tell you what...
Mr. Andrews: Mr. Mayor, may I interrupt you please? May I suggest that you void
that motion in some way and not adopt anything. We will work with these people
administratively and that way the commission is not on record in any of taking
any action contrary to...
Mr. Reboso: I withdraw the motion, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Andrews: We will work with you to try to resolve the problem...
Mayor Ferre: You know what I think one of the things you ought to consider is
moving over to the Riverside Baptist property where there is plenty of space.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: But do you know how many children we have?
Mayor Ferre: Two hundred.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: And we need almost the whole building for that,
Mayor Ferre: The whole building?
INAUDIBLE
Mayor Ferre: That's 4,000 square feet, that's not bad. No? Ok, Well
Ok,
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER; Thank you very much.
YPr Ferre; Thank you, Chief,
2 APR 2176
2 �
WORKSHOP SESSION DEVELOPMENT OF DINNER KEY AREA AND DINNER KEY AUDITORIUM
Mayot Fette Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Wotk Session linited just to
this Dinner key fadility and I would like for the architects if they're here;
think you're better off sitting here in front where ve can gee you rather
than back thete. All tight, Mr, Andrews,
Mr, Andrews: Mr: Mayor and nternbere of the coMMiseion, the ekpressed purpose
of this Meeting is for the commission to indicate what their individually and
collectively indicate what their desires wishes and aspirations are for the
reconditioning of the Dinner key facility and including the Master Plan. So
the purpose really is for you to tell the architect what your feelings are
about the development of this redevelopment and if you wish he caninake a
slight presentation or you can launch right into describing 4 ^nt it is you
feel that the building should be converted to.
Mayor Ferre: Mr. Plummer, do you want to start? No?
Mr. Plummer: Mr. Mayor, it was my understanding as far as the Dinner Key
Auditorium is concerned that it would be refurbished according to the plans
that We saw the night of the public hearing.
Mayor Ferret I will start expressing my opinions and then Rose Gordon and
then we'll go right down the line whoever wants to. I personally feel that
this area should be as green as possible but it should be activity and people
oriented. In other words I feel it should be a location where the residents
of not only Coconut Grove but of Miami have the impulse of coming down here
and parking and spending a Sunday afternoon in the very same tradition and
sense that people are attracted all over European cities that the intellect-
uals of the Editorial Department of the Miami Herald so much enjoy and love
and talk about Vienna and Paris and how beautiful Zurich is and why shouldn't
we have Zurichs here and then oppose anything that goes in that direction.
Well, I want to say on the record today that I am totally diametrically 100%
opposed to that contradictory philosophy of saying one thing and then coming
and saying the other thing. And what I'm trying to say, I have from the very
beginning is, that this cannot be one more pastoral park a' la Bayfront Park
in downtown Miami. I hope that this becomes an active park where people can
walk and feel the pleasure of participating in that park. Now that ends,
there are several things that I feel are important: (1) I think there
ought to be a broadwalk or a walk place where people can walk with benches
and trees and things that would attract people to walk along the waterfront.
Now I know that the boaters are going to be very unhappy about that but my
personal opinion is the people of Miami come first and the boaters came sec-
ond and I'm sorry. I just happen to think that the boating attraction that
we almost subsidize for some of these boaters, giving them rates much lower
than the private sector is an attraction that in lieu of the fact that the
city is going out of their way to give them that facility that they should
at least share part of it with the public which means the way I see it; is
that we're not taking advantage of the marinas. Now everytime I bring some-
body from Caracas, Venezuela, Paris, France or London, England and it's their
first trip to the United States or Miami especially. You know what they love
the most? Is going down to Miamarina or down here and walking and watching
these boats. Now I guess I get so used to them that it doesn't really enthuse
me that much but people just love to sit and watch boats going in and out of
a port in a sailboat and they like to see American yachts and they want to
know whether Chris Craft is better than Hatteras or something else and it is
a people thing that we have. You see it all over Europe. You see it in Zur-
ich where people go to the Bay just to sit on a bench next to the waterfront
to watch the sailboats or to watch a passenger boat unload people. You see
it along the Riviera where people go by the millions literally and just sit
there to watch these little boats come in and out of a port or something.
And it is a spectator sport. To me it is just like going to watch a football
game - watching boats come in and out. So I'm just saying I feel philosophic-
ally that what this should become is a place that marries, as Doxiades used
to say, the water and the land so that in effect the waterfront becomes like
a stadium where people will be watching the activities of the water from the
land without having to own a boat. You see the big thing here is that this
is a boating community. Well, I think that people who don't own boats should
have the ability to enjoy boats. And the way you do that is you provide places
from which they can sit or stand or run or jog or bicycle or something else,
Now that's #1. (2) I think that obviously parking is a monstrosity but we
can't do without it. I wish this were San Francisco and all the parking could
be underground but we can't have it, This isn't San Francisco, So therefore,
I think it is essential that everything from Kennedy Park all the way to the
Coconut Grove Say root Park now called Peacock Park somehow be tied with some
3
APR221976 ;',
kind of a train the same way Disney World is tied or the Conch Ttain down in
Key West, We're going to have to subsidize it maybe on weekends so that I
can come with my faimily, park for example somewhere within this complex and
then be able to go to Kennedy Park and play Frisby or take a You know
I've got a little girl, You know every Saturday her big thing is she wants
to go have a picnic. I usually work on Saturday so I come home about 1t30
or so, get on a bicycle and where we go picnic is Kennedy Park, She likes
to go out there and watch the boats and run around and frisby and all of this,
Now the problem is unless you live in the neighborhood how do you get there?
you've got to park and you've got to walk a half a tile to get to the place
if everybody were to use it or they do what happens sometimes which is bad
too, I've seen on several occasions people park within the park, They'll
get tickets along the street, now we don't give tickets anymore but whenever
there is any activity going on there is no way in which people can park. All
I'm saying is that I think there ought to be the facility, the ability for
people to park in one place and enjoy the whole park if they want to, It is
an experience. I think it would also --- (3) Thirdly, I think that the park-
ing itself should be as concealed as possible. Now I'm not overly enthused
about berms and all of that because Berms also cut out the view of the water
but in certain areas I think that lush vegetation and even small berms - a
foot and a half or two foot berms where it would give the density a little
bit higher is not bad in certain, I don't know where you're going to decide
the parking areas. (4) I think as many of the old buildi.:,;G as you can wipe
out of this and that the Manager is going to have to work with you on. For
example, you see those five little sheds that have been there since the war
days, they were temporary offices put up by the Navy or the Coast Guard dur-
ing the Second World War. Now as I recall they amount to 20,000 square feet.
It's not as much as you would think. Now it seems to me that we ought to do
everything within our power to get those things out of there and then that
really would become green are Now where do you go? I don't know. The
Olympia Building, the old Police Station that we're - - and then we'd have
plenty of room left over. I mean let me tell you that Police Station is a
heck of a lot more than 20,000 square feet. You look and there might be some
places where we could put these departments. I don't know whether it is poss-
ible or not, I'm just throwing it out off of the top of my head without a
great deal of thought. I'm not saying that that's been carefully thought
out. I'm just saying that we're talking here about philosophy. I'm saying
philosophically if we could get rid of some of those smaller buildings I'd
love to see them go.
Mr. Andrews: I didn't want to interrupt you, Mr. Mayor, there's about 14,000
square feet in each of the two larger buildings.
Mayor Ferre: That's 28,000.
Mr. Andrews: Yes. Mr. Mayor, we've got a plan for the movement of everything
including the Building Department for all those buildings utilizing the Munici-
pal Justice Building. We feel we can move into the building in August and
September and begin removing these buildings at Dinner Key about the same time.
Mayor Ferre: 0f course, we have to have a decision as to what we're going to
do with that Municipal building. Now that was #4. (5) I think that one of
the great attractions of San Francisco and one of the reasons why people like
to go to the waterfront and to Fisherman's Wharf and to all this is because
not only do they go and see boats and they see activity and other people but
they can also have a nice meal. And in Fisherman's Wharf and in that whole
general area of San Francisco you can pick your shot. You know you want an
expensive restaurant fine, they've got a lot of them there. If you want
something where you stand up and get a fish sandwich they've got that too.
If you want a little Abalone sandwich they've got that. So there is a variety
and you can pick not only the quality but the price and how long you're going
to be there. I think that this area starting with Coconut Grove Yacht Club
and going all the way down should have hopefully at least 3 maybe even 4
restaurants. They don't have to be 300 seaters, maybe 50 or 60 seats might
do the trick. Maybe one will be 100 maybe one will be 40. You know maybe
one of them will just be a little kiosk with a little outside thing with fans
where people can sit down and have a beer and a pizza or a fish sandwich which
is really what we ought to be - this is a water oriented community- that
ought to be our thing is fish sandwiches. You know? I don't know where you
are going to locate these things but somewhere along the water perhaps in
conjunction with the walking path. (6) I think you ought to have somewhere
across here, you ought to rethink that bicycle thing because there is a con-
flict with the walking path and the bicycles and believe me that's a problem
because cyclists don't like it and especially older people get all upset
APR 221976
when these kids scoot by theta ot a bicycle. Now iti New 'fork City in Central
Park, as you May know, and in most of the European parks the cycle paths are
separate ftatft the Walking. Where people walk there are tic, automobiles and
there are hc) bicyCleai Sotehaw I think you ought to think so that you have
a bicycle thing going through here and the walking thing so that they'te hot
the same. (7) I think if at all possible we ought to have, whetevet possible
some additional boating space, I think for example at the corner of that
green area or where those docks ate there tight be on the left side thete,
there was some discussion at one time of adding one mote piet. Nov let fine
tell you how I thihk we ought to do pay fot those piets, and we've never
talked about this, but Paul, remember we had that hearing with all those
boating people. And they all admitted they all want more boats. There is
a tremendous shortage of boating spaces in this community. Well., if they
would pay a fair price we could use those moneys and collect them just like
we do with the Orange Bowl, for example, to do nothing but improvement of
the piers; so that we can paint them every other year instead of letting
them deteriorate and maybe make better electrical connections. They're com-
plaining about electricity, the sockets don't work right. Well heck, you
know with the prices they pay what do they want? If we get these prices up
to a reasonable amount, and I'm not saying exorbitant, I'm saying under what
the private sector does but certainly twice as much as what we're charging
now we would then have the money to now only improve our existing piers which
I think need improvement but also perhaps build one more for 50 or 60
more boats in that area. (9) I think that the traffic pattern of this whole
place has got to be very carefully thought out because right now I think it
grew like Topsy, there is no traffic pattern to this, cars ramble all over
the damned place. I think there are a lot of places where automobiles should
not be permitted. To me I would like to see a green area along Bayshore
Drive and a green area along the waterfront so to speak so we sandwich in
the cars in between as much 4.; possible, certainly much more than we have now
where you have automobiles right up to the water. I think that is absurd.
I think there ought to be convenience, automobiles going to the water, people
that are getting off their gears and their sailboat sails and motors and all
that stuff but no parking - just availability to get close so that they can
carry their gears on. Now anybody who has a boat on a pier has got to walk
a hundred feet anyway and frankly anybody who can walk 100 feet can walk 200
feet. So all this thing of you've got to have your car right next to your
boat is a lot of malarkey because they got to walk anyway. So if you've got
something heavy to carry and you can carry it 100 feet you can carry it 200
feet. (10) I think you ought to try to keep in mind that one of these days
Rose Gordon is going to come with hers and we're going to get that water
taxi and water transportation and you'd better think about where those people
are going to land. Let's not get into a situation where we won't have a
place for these people, if we have a riverboat type or if we have a hydrofoil
or if we have a water taxi of some kind that we won't have a place for people
to dock and I think it ought to be close to some other public facility like
maybe a restaurant. I was talking before, I forgot to mention a specific
point in case. We've just given to Grove Key Marina a lease for a certain
number of years and they're going to sublease for a restaurant. Now I'm hop-
ing that, you see those two little buildings to the right and then there is
a big hanger? Ok. Now you see the big hanger way down south, the big one?
That's it. Now you see the space in between those two? Ok. Now the lease
of the land in the apace between the two belongs to Grove Key and the only
way you can get a restaurant out on that tip which is what we've been talking
about, as I see it, is to have your automobile entrance to that tip in be-
tween those two buildings and there is enough space to do it. There is a
lean-to that has to be torn out but the reason I feel that you have to do
that is because as you go north that's all for boat storage and one of the
problems that Grove Key Marina has and why they're worried about a restaurant
there is that they don't want civilians coming across their boat yard in auto-
mobiles which could be dangerous. So the only you can solve that I think is
to have a separate entrance where you have a straight shot into the restaur-
ant and then you don't have to cross, Don't you see? Anybody running across
with fork -lifts and industrial gear for boats and since it is on. the border
line of the perimeter of the difference between the lease for Grove Key and
Merrill Stevens then I think you've got a straight shot in without creating
any kind of a traffic problem just for consideration. Now two more things.
Paul, two weeks ago they put some basketball courts in the area where the
old hanger for the Coast Guard was right in front of Monty's restaurant. Now
it seems to me that we have wo little waterfront opportunity that it just
seems silly to me to put up basketball courts on a beautiful piece of prop-
erty that overlooks the ocean or the bay. I think that ought to be green,
beautified, and some parking left in it and it ought to be; I don't think
that is the kind of activity in my opinion that we ought to have in this kind
4.
5
APR 2 2 1976_i,
of a park. We've got a lot of other places we can put tennis courts and basket, -
ball courts and handball courts but certainly not right on Biscayne Bay, I
think that we should have nothing but water related activities and things like -
walking or bicycling or restaurants etc, Now with regards to the auditorium,
I think there is no way that you can make that hanger pretty and it is absurd
really to think, I would try to make it as clean and as simple as possible and I would try to hide it as tuch as you can with as many trees as you can
and make it real lush vegetation, You do that now and I think you might make
it attractive in some ways, the area attractive, Now as far as the lean-tos
are concerned, my personal opinion is that those things take the building
ugly and what they give you is nothing really in square footage. I'd knock
all those damned things out and make that building a little cleaner looking;
knock all the lean-tos, make it smaller, But I would leave the space inside
as simple and open as possible and concentrate on beautifying. You're going
to have air conditioning. If you got enough money in the project maybe you
might put some panels outside, If not maybe you might cover up those windows
and put straight panels all the way across and paint it uniformly so that it
doesn't stand out, and keep it as clean. I think that we've got to keep it
in mind as to what that thing is going to be used for. It is not the old
traditional exhibition hall of a convention center. That's not what that is
going to be. That place is a community facility. It is going to be used for
flower shows, coin shows, home shows, antique shows, animal shows, dog shows,
that type of a thing. It ought to be a place that doesn't i.ecome exorbitant.
You shouldn't have to pay $5,000 to rent the darned place. You ought to be
able to get it for 3 or $400. It ought to be flexible enough where you could
have boxing matches there so that we don't have to have Elizabeth Verrick
coming down here with Andy Deemes telling us that it is going to rain in the
Orange Bowl and they're going to lose their shirts. It ought to have all the
facilities for the sale of tickets and the shole bit so that for example, we
can compete with Miami Beach .:-.d with Pompano and have international tennis
matches here. You may not be able to get international basketball because
it's not big enough but you ought to be able to get some of these college
games played there. Maybe we can get some of these, there might come out of
this some sports activities other than boxing that might be very very profit-
ious for a place like that. But it ought to be home oriented, community or-
iented rather than convention type oriented. Now since we don't have a con-
vention exhibition hall--- we're going to have what was it, 80,000 feet
projected which isn't enough, you might have some overrun. We might get a
big convention that may need to use this facility and, therefore, again
going back to the water transportation, in my opinion part of the water trans-
portation ought to be very close to that because I very much invision a hydro-
foil going back and forth from our Convention Center to this if you have this
as a partial exhibition hall until we get our own exhibition hall in downtown.
That's it, I'm talked out.
Mr. Plummer: Let me ask a few questions because somewhere here, Mr. Mayor,
I'm lost. Mr. Andrews as I understand in the original inception of this thing
spelled out a certain criteria, put dollars on the amounts on the individual
items. I recall very vividly you could set up and would set up six, as I
recall, tennis courts for play inside of there. It was very clearly delin-
eated in the X-number of dollar amount as to what the facade would be, how
much the air conditioning would be, how much the outside decorating would
be. Now why are we talking about if money if left over these things be done?
The one thing I've been most insistent upon all the way along is that the
money set aside, as I recall, two and a half million dollars, was adequate
to do the things that were outlined and spelled out in that book. Now are
we deviating from that?
Mr. Andrews: No, what we're doing is getting the commission's expressions
as to any feelings they have as to how this should be developed, what it is
that you particularly want the architects to look out for. For example, I'm
particularly interested in seeing the architects take into consideration as
part of the Master Plan in addition to their specific design of the auditor-
ium is a way that we can connect this area of Dinner Key to Coconut Grove
with a tram system of some kind that may need to be subsidized by government
in order to make it work. It might be free, it might be 100 to use the tram
back and forth so that you don't have to concentrate all the parking here at
Dinner Key, connect it all the way over into Kennedy Park and by having that
kind of activity of having a tram you will enhance the use of this area which
means more dollars flowing through the area which comes back to city govern-
ment...
Mayor Ferre; Beautiful,
APR 221976
111
XI
Mr. Andrews: Those were the kind of ideas that we were trying to solicit
from the commission as to what they see in the total development of the
Dinnet Key area so that the architects could take into considetation your
feelings and your attitudes about this.
Mayor Ferret J, I.., one of the things that I tetet'11bet that 1 learned at
Ihtetaifla and I think was a good idea and I think we don't do enough of that
here in the city and it works in other places is that soflte things ate going
to make money and some things are going to lose but if we pair them together
some of the things that lose money in the long run are really going to be
winners for you, They may not be winners in the beginning. Now for example,
and I think Rose we ought to approach it that way. Suppose we let out a
contract for a restaurant here. Now all the restaurants we put out make
money for us, You know what happens to the money? It goes iuLo the General
Budget and it gets lost. But suppose we were to say, "Ok, we're going to
make•$50,000 or $100,000, that is going to be earmarked specifically for this
park and for this, for example, we will subsidize a tramway and if there is
any money left we'll subsidize, for example, the boat." It will be a loser
in the beginning but eventually I guarantee you you're not going to get any-
body to come up here and buy a hydrofoil. We're going to have to do that.
You want your boat, the city is going to have to buy it, Rose, and we're
going to have to run it until it makes some money. And the moment it makes
money I guarantee you that everybody is going to want to b.-r it then and
we're just going to have to be risky about it. But I think if we earmark,
for example, the moneys that we make from restaurants for tourist activities
in this community and take it away from the General Fund then you'll have
some money to work with. Now right now I guarantee you that we have $150,000
that we're making from our restaurants. Now that in my opinion should not
go to the General Fund. We should use that for tourist promotional things
like for example the water thing that we're talking about.
Mr. Plummer: Well, Mr. Mayor, more important to me because this thing is
now starting to drag, when are you going to start and when are you going to
finish? That's what I want to know. Don't everybody jump up at one time.
INAUDIBLE
Mr. Plummer: Well when do you contemplate starting the auditorium? This
week it is being started. And when do you contemplate it being finished?
INAUDIBLE
Mr. Plummer: Sure they've got a contract.
INAUDIBLE CONVERSATION
Mr. Plummer: Let me ask the one question and I want the answer. When is it
going to be finished?
Mr. Andrews: We have a schedule in the contract as to when the plans will
be finished.
Mr. Plummer: Not the plans, when is the building going to be finished? Please,
Vince, that's not the answer I'm looking for.
INAUDIBLE
Mr. Plummer: And you're starting this week?
INAUDIBLE
Mr. Andrews: Yes, but there is some phasing in this. We're not going to let
everything, all the planting be completed and all the is dotted and is
crossed before we go ahead with certain phases of the reconstruction.
Mr. Plummer: Why?
Mr. Andrews: Because once the plan is approved, the preliminary plan is
approved by the commission as to what the final design will look like, what
is proposed for the inside specifically, the cost estimates have been refined
as far as refurbishing and replacing some of the inside facilities, washrooms,
whatever we might do to the floor, the ceilings and so forth then we will take
those and single those out and get under way with individual contracts. So
you don't have to wait...,
Mr. Plummer; What did you put this book together for?
7 APR 2 21976
Mr, Andrews: That was the preliminary study, the justification to proceed
and take sure that the moneys that you were going to spend would be wotth
spending, Now the architects are taking these preliminary plans as the Pan
coast firm would have and developed the details of each installation, You
can't do anything specifically and let any contracts on what is contained
in this document.
Mt, Plummer: You know who I'm waiting on to walk in that door? Edward
Durrell Stone because when he cotes in that door he's going to get both bar-
rels from me. That man promised me dedication of Bi-Centennial park the
First Day of January. Now we're into March, now we're into April, And I'm
going to tell you when he walks in that door he'd better have on an asbestos
suit, Now you're putting these people in the same category because I'm going
to pin them down. I want to know when is it going to be finished. That sign
in my office says, "The only way to measure the ability of an individual is
in the results" and I'm not seeing them.
INAUDIBLE
Mr. Plummer: Hey, that's great but he's hedging that you've got to get pre-
liminary design, this design and that design. You know the people of this
community don't care about those plans and the preliminary designs. When are
they going to walk in the door? That's the bottom line. E ghteen months
from today, my friend, I will be here waiting for you. No providing. No
providing, I'm asking you. Eighteen months?
INAUDIBLE
Mr. Plummer: The city made the decision some 6 months ago, six months
three to two vote but the city made the decision. Now why in the hell
it moving? You know 18 months from today you're going to tell me that
I's weren't dotted and the T's weren't crossed and that's why it isn't
Ok. Nobody wants to give me a date, huh?
Mr. Andrews: It's difficult to give you a date because I keep indicating I
believe that when the architects get to a certain point in their planning
and they start isolating the different projects that need to be carried out
that would constitute the total plan there are areas where we can let con-
tracts and get started before they finish other areas of the planning. Example:
If there are any roof work to be accomplished we can go ahead and get started
on that. We don't have to wait for the total plan to be finished to get that
element started. There are other elements...
ago, a
isn't
the
finished.
Mr. Plummer: Paul, when you were selling this thing we even talked about a
thing called "fast -track".
Mr. Andrews: That's what I'm talking about right now.
Mrs. Gordon: Mr. Andrews, where did you say that you were proposing that park-
ing take place so that the tram would operate from that point?
Mr. Andrews: I really wasn't suggesting anywhere, Mrs. Gordon. What I was
imagining is a tram system that would connect the business area of Coconut
Grove down through the parks system right straight through the Dinner Key
area into Kennedy Park so that Kennedy Park now would be accessible. If you
parked in the Grove and you wanted to go down to Kennedy Park you could get
all the way there through the use of the tram, walk back or use the tram going
back.
Mrs. Gordon: Then you were considering removing some of the asphalt area
around the old auditorium?
Mr. Andrews: Some of it I believe can be removed and that will depend on the
architects when they get involved in this oparticularly the area around the
buildings that exist now that eventually we're hopeful will be removed. Now
some of the asphalt will be removed arouud the auditorium to provide for the
landscaping that's needed to clean up the area. Yes, from that extent but
how much I'm not really prepared to say.
Mrs. Gordon: Ok. We're running out of time but I would like,..,
Mr. Plummer: Rose, let.me just put this in the record. Ok? Based on these_
individuals' comment and that of the Manager, I've got it figured out that
this building better be dedicated when the three of them win election next year,
%.
APR 221976
et
Ok? That's 18 months. And one of the fitst things that we'd better do is
when we dedicate that building when they're sworn in because if it isn't done
by the I'm holding you all responsible, Andy, not you because you're going
to be gone.
Mr► Andrews: I'll still be here.
Mt. Plummer: Let's see what happens. Sitting here talking to us isn't going
to get the work done. Go to work.
Mr. Andrews: Ok. Mr. Mayor and members of the cotntnission, I'm going to reo-
lease the architects now to go ahead and begin the preliminary design phases
of this, whatever the contract calls for.
Mrs. Gordon: To sum up, the Mayor covered so many points that I would have
said that I agree with - The Bay Walk, the benches, I would add some shelters
over the benches for shade. The eating areas scattered somewhere, picnic areas,
more greenery, less asphalt particularly that triangle that's at the corner
of that sketch in my opinion should be all green and in it there should be
some areas for passive types of recreation not only for adults bur for child-
ren too. We suffer from a severe shortage of equipment for children. Mr.
Andrews, I address you on this at this moment. Would you tell me what has
happened to the playground equipment that was ordered many .ncny months ago
where some of it was supposed to go into the little park on 22nd Avenue? I
have driven by there several times the past few weeks. It is landscaped,
there is nothing whatsoever as I can see for children to do when they get
there.
Mr. Andrews: We'll have to find out, Mrs. Gordon. I was by there the other
day too and I thought I saw some of the cedar pole type of play apparatus but
I could have been mistaken.
Mrs. Gordon: I didn't notice any, I was driving, I didn't stop to walk around.
But all I saw was huge mounds. I didn't see any other thing that any little
children could utilize.
Mr. Andrews: Mr. Hays is finding out right now.
Mrs. Gordon: Ok. I'd like to also suggest that there be some kind of equip-
ment for children whether it be swings or something. If you're going to bring
a family out to picnic the little ones have to have something that they can
be interested in. To you, Mr. Andrews, regarding the removal of the small
structures and the relocation to the Municipal Building, it was quite a sur-
prise to me. Since I have never received from you an answer to the request
for a study of use of that building for a youth town.
Mr. Andrews: Mrs. Gordon, I want to assure you that this is not a plan that
is complete, that we would bringing this first to the City Commission, we're
not ready to present that and we would not do that without simultaneously
coming to you with a plan for the Youth City Project. The two will have to
be worked together because of the commitments and the concern that the com-
mission has for the potential use of the Municipal Justice Building for the
Youth Center Project.
Mrs. Gordon: When will you have the Youth Center Project completed?
Mr. Andrews: I think we can bring all of that information to you within the
next twi weeks.
Mrs. Gordon: I have nad numerous people requesting of me, what has happened
to the city's plan for Youth Town, have they dropped it. I said no, we're
still studying it. I can't understand the many many many months that we've
been studying it. Can we have that at the next commission meeting, please?
Mr. Andrews: Yes, I'll try to have that in two weeks.
Mrs. Gordon: The water taxi station or terminal is a great idea I would think
because I think that we are moving in that direction for water transportation
since the county is also taking an interest in it it is logical that we poss-
ibly could have a joint venture on the water taxi proposal, So I think it is
encumbent upon us to prepare for some stations for the taxis to land, Mr.
Andrews, at this moment it's not exactly to the subject but it is in the locale,
On Sunday in Peacock park there was a, I don't know what it was a rally or what-
ever it was, It was very very disturbing to the entire neighborhood, I don't
�. •
know if you took the time to go down there to listen to those loudspeakers
and the noise Was terrible, I received a call on it, I know Mt. Plummer got
a call on it froth the same person and I went down personally tel check it arid
I thought it was terrible that we should allow an entire conformity to be dis
turbed by that kind of noise attd I would hope that we would trot per tit it to
happen again. To use loudspeakers in a park like that in the manner that it
was used that just terrible.
Mr. Plumate,: The man that called rite to complain, I couldn't hear his cotplaint.
Mrs. Gordon: Right, I couldn't either but I did go down there and I did veri-
fy it and I thought it was... And it was about 5:30 in the afternoon that I
got there and it was still as loud as it was when he called me much earlier.
Ok. That's my only comments right now. The Mayor covered everything regard-
ing the other aspects, I don't want to be repititious. Manolo, do you have
anything you want to add? J. L., do you have anything further?
Mr. Plummer: Yes. Not further, still - November '77. November of '77 com-
pletion.
Mayor Ferre: Is there anything else before
want to thank the architects for their help
is it. The next time we see something is a
they come up to show us. Good luck to you.
done. And come in under the budget.
10
the commission now? If not we
and I assume, Mr. Andrews, this
finished produe , hopefully that
Work night and day and get it
APR 2 2 1976