HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-75-02652
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MBA
3/5/75
RESOLUTION NO..
75-265
A RESOLUTION GRANTING PERMISSION, AS PROVIDED
IN ORDINANCE NO., 6371, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 36(1),
TO USE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 7521 N.E. 3RD AVENUE,
LOT 5, BLOCK 6, DIXIE HIGHWAY PARK (4-103), VOA
WORK RELEASE CENTER FOR A MAXIMUM OF 16 ADULT
FEMALE RESIDENTS, LOT BEING 50.25.' x 147.62';
ZONED R-4 (MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE) DISTRICT.
SUBJECT TO A 140 YEAR REVIEW
WHEREAS, the Miami Planning Advisory Board at its
meeting of February 19th, 1975, Item No. 2, following an
advertised hearing, adopted Resolution No. PAB 13-75 by a 5
to 2 vote recommending approval as per Ordinance No. 6871,
Article IV, Section 3.(1), for permission as hereinafter
set forth; and
WHEREAS, this Commission deems it essential and
desireable to the public convenience and welfare and finds that
the use will not be detrimental or injurious to the character of
the development of the immediate neighborhood;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That the application for permission, as
provided in Ordinance No. 6871, Article IV, Section 36(1), to use
property located at 7521 N.E. 3rd Avenue, Lot 5, Block 6, DIXIE
HIGHWAY PARK (4-103, for Work Release Center for a maximum of 16
adult female residents, lot being50.25' x 147.62', zoned R-4
(Medium Density Multiple), be and the same is hereby granted.
SUBJECT TO TWO YEAR REVIEW.
P ED A ADOPTED this 25 day of MRCH 1975.
C_.. g R R
�, .�U2I CE A. FE...E
�`::-.7 �'P/ MAYO R
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HI '. , SOUTER`J
CITY CLERK "DOCUMENT INDEX
ITEM NO -_
PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: " + \ 5 :.� . , '
MICHEL E. ANDERSON, Asst, City Atty,
APPROVED AS TO FORM -AND CORRECTNESS
JOHN S . LLOYD ,a
City Attorney
CITY COMMISSION
MEETING OF
('. r; , IJ/ `0
Rt$OWflOf NO., ' 2 4
RE,..,.......,.....
Honorable City Commission
Attention: Mr, P, W. Andrews
City of Miami, Florida
Gentlemen:
February 25, 1975
Re: GOVERNMENT USE = RECOMMENDED
7521 N.E. 3rd Avenue
Lot 5, Block 6
DIXIE HIGHWAY PARK (4-103)
Applicant: Dade County
The Miami Planning Advisory Board, at its meeting of February 19, 1975,
Item #2, following an advertised Hearing, adopted Resolution No,
PAB 13-75 by a 5 to 2 vote Recommending request for permission to
use property located at 7521 N.E. 3rd Avenue, Lot 5, Block 6, DIXIE
HIGHWAY PARK (4-103), as per Ordinance 6871, ARTICLE IV, Section 36(1),
for Work Release Center for a maximum of 16 adult female residents,
Lot being 50.25' x 147.62'; zoned R-4 (Medium Density Multiple).
Four objections were received in the mail.
A RESOLUTION to provide for the above has been prepared by the City
Attorney's office and submitted for consideration of the City
Commission.
•
AVIL
David Simpson Jr., erector
Department of Admin stration
Planning and Zoning Boards
cm
Z.M. 9
Attached: Minutes
cc: Law Department
NOTE: Planning Department recommendation: "APPROVAL".
Tentative City Commission date: March 27, 1975.
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•1
VV J/J
7521_ N, EOrd ,._Avenue _ (
Loot 5, Diock 6; DIXIE H/dAwAY PARK (4.143) •
':•
Request for peritiseion to use above property, . �f
as per Ordinance 6871, ARTIcI IV, Section 36 (1), • e>
for Work Release Center for a maximum of 16 adult
fetttale residents, tot being 50.25' x 147 ,62' ;
zoned R-4 (Medium Density Multiple),
Secretary filed proof of publication of Legal Notice of Hearing,
and administered oath to all persons testifying at this Hearing,
PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION, :APPROVAL",
According to Dade County's Women's Dentention Center, the
adult females who reside in the proposed Work Release
Center will be placed there after a thorough review by the
Detention Center and after it is positively determined
that the females selected to participate in the program
are willing and able to return to the community. Residence
in a peaceful, non -institutionalized environitent is
considered a constructive aspect in the rehabilitation
process.
Placement in the Work Release Center will occur during
the period immediately prior to official release, in
order to lessen the anxiety and difficulty of returning
to families, jobs and neighborhoods in Dade County, from
where all of the residents come. Placement in the Center
will also require that all residents work or study away
from the Center during the day. The Center will be
staffed by one full-time house manager. Counselors and
supportive staff will be in the Center on scheduled visits.
Mr. Acton: Mr. Edward Lynch of the Planning Department staff
will present this Item.
Mr. Lynch: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, the recommendation
of the Planning Department is approval of the application. The
subject site shown in yellow on the overhead projection is a 50' wide
by a 148' long lot in an R-4 multi -family residential district which
is surrounded by industrial and commercial zoning districts. The
subject site is located approximately two blocks east of northeast
2nd Avenue and approximately three blocks south of northeast 79th
Street.
The building was originally a 4 unit apartment building but
it's currently being used as a rooming house and has eleven bedrooms.
No plans of the City or the County currently affect the subject site.
It is neither within the Little River Study Area nor the Northeast
Study Area.
Reviewing the property, the facilities in terms of the standards
that were recently approved by the Planning Advisory Board for
substance abuse facilities provides a favorable evaluation of this
facility. We've provided some information on the 3rd page of the
handout to compare this facility with the standards that were approved
by the Planning Advisory Board for the substance abuse facilities.
Now, according to Dade County's Women's Detention Center, the
females participating in this program, will participate after a very
careful review by the Women's Detention Center and after it is
-3- February 19, 1975 Item.2
positively determined that the women are ready and able to rettitrl to
a community, For the most part, the women residing it the Center
will be forced to work or study during the day. All will be away
from the Home, returning only at night. There will be a resident-
manager 24 hours of the day and a supportive staff will be visiting
the site as needed.
based on theme locational and operational conditions the
Planning Department recommends approval of the petition.
Dr. Mecardelt I'm Dr. Janet McCardel, Supervisor of the
Women's Detention Center. The Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation
Department is charged with the responsibility of the custody and
treatment of all female offenders in the Dade County area. Over the
past few years the Department has been actively engaged in a re--
evaluation of its total program in an effort to spotlight those areas
in which we are in need of improvement. Often such areas are defined
in terms of their absence.
Tonight, we are concerned with the provision of a work
release house for women. We spoke to you some weeks ago in a workshop
session describing the work release program in detail and in the
interest of time I will not belabor that point tonight.
Briefly, we feel that there is need for a work release
center for the female offender in the community. As of this date, the
community provides several work release centers for the male offender.
The nearest work release center for the female offender is in Lantana,
Florida. That one program is a State -run facility. It is not
suggested that the work release program be initiated as a program
wherein the female offender may avoid punishment. It is rather, a
necessary phase during which the woman is reoriented to society.
Work release is granted during the last month of incarceration by
local authorities, State authorities and Federal authorities. It is
totally inconceivable to expect a woman to return to society and be
a law abiding, productive citizen when she has no job, no place to
live and no opportunity to re-establish family ties. Most of the
women returning to this community are faced with this kind of predica-
ment.
Further, 68% of the women returning to the community are
unmarried heads of households and are responsible for the care and
support of minor children. It is our intention that a work release
program would establish 't home life but well supervised atmosphere
and will offer a smooth transition for a more appropriate re-
orientation for the Dade County woman returning to her home thereby
reducing recitivism increasing that woman's potential to be a
productive and useful citizen in our community. Thank you.
Sonia yahr; Good evening, I'm Sonia Yahr, Co-chairman
of the Administration of Justice Committee for the League of Women
Voters of Metropolitan Dade County. The League recognizes that the
work release is a proven, realistic and viable tool for rehabilitation.
It is basically self-supporting. Since 1968 11,000 inmates have
passed through the work release program and they have in large part
helped pay for their subsistence; they have paid for the support of
their dependents; they have paid court fees and fines, restitution if
that was applicable in their case, and they most importantly, have
left the program with significant savings. Money in their hands; so
that they could return to the community and to their families as
contributing members and not 'taking' members of society. Women in
February 19, 1975 Item 2
PAB
Dade County do not have this opportunity because as Dr. MCCardel
frentioned the nearest work release center is in Lantana which is
75 miles away. Ths League strongly feei.s that this is discriminatory
against Dade County women and it is destructive to the very concept
of work release which is a viable, rehabilitative tool. There are
two reasons for this. Local effort at work release which is dotrdudted
at the Women's Detention Center at the present time is ineffectual
because when the women leave to work they gust eotte home to a jail at
night. This means they have to get together with the other woven in
the jail who are not able to have this sense of freedom and the height
of self respect and sense of awareness that they have gained through
their work release experience is totally negated when they have to
return to this jail at night. Moreover, and not many people realize
this, every entrance back into the facility into a secure facility,
because of security reasons necessitates a strict search. Strict
search and work release are not compatible procedures. Again, it is
totally unrealistic to expect a woman to enter a work release program
in Lantana, 75 miles away, and continue and come back to Dade County.
The League of Women Voters feel that a work release center
for Dade County would have very positive effects. 1) women would
develop community ties. They would work and stay in the jobs that
they have gotten through the program as the men have done. It would
allow, as Dr. McCardel said, women to readjust realistically to a
home environment. They're going to have to go back to their children
and to the pressures of a household but they will do that in their
community; in their local environment. They don't have to suffer the
displacement of coming home.
Moreover, a center totally adopted to the concept of
work release instead of,a dual concept of jail and work release
would allow the woman to adept fully to the burdens of societal
living and we feel that women who are carefully screened and who
qualify for this program should not be denied this opportunity and
they should be given the same opportunity that men in our community
have to enter a work release program. Thank you for your attention.
Mrs. George Lewis: I live at 7910 S. W. 58th Court, South
Miami. I am a former high school teacher. For the last three and a
half years I have been a regular visitor at the Women's Detention
Center representing many denominations of the . . . churches south of
the Miami River.
In the course of that time, I have talked with hundreds of
girls and women and I've decided that there are two classes of women
in my teaching experience. Those that do not have the brains and the
equipment quite to go out into the world by themselves. They need a
trade school somewhere. But it is for the other half who do have the
brains, who do have the skills, but don't have the attitudes of
getting up in the morning on their own; reasonably going to bed; of
getting along with his employer and doing what his employer tells him
to do. It is a change of attitudes that these people need with a
little bit of gentle supervision behind them that will equip them to
go out and get a job and hold a job after they have been released.
Thank you.
Ms. Thomas: Good evening, I am Francina Thomas, 1499
N. W. 74th Street, Miami, Florida. I am a Director of Minority
Affairs and Women's Concerns at Florida International University
and I come to this issue from three points of view. I am a member of
the Community Relations Board. We have an interest in this issue.
r5- February 19, 1975 Item 2
FAO
1 aM a mettnber of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. We have an interest in
this issue and 1 come primarily because 1 represent wOMth at My
university. My interest is not limited to that. 1 feel that what
We see happening in Dade County to women offenders is a punishment for
being wotiten prisoners and not being men prisoners. Now that is a
reiteration of what has been said by the previous speaker and I need
not go into it any further but I think we just should consider one
thing about this. That woven, as we know them, are not those who are
in prison do not meet our ideas of what like women should be, and 1
guess we never expected the:t much from they anyway so they get away
with it.
Anyway, getting back to the women, we are putting a kind of
heavy burden on them because women are supposed to be the homemakers
the ones who keep the hearth warm and all that sort of thing, and
when they deviate from that, we get kind of harsher punishment. If
you will check the stories and the history of the judges and the kind
of time that's given, you'll find that women are given harsher
sentences when they face a judge the first time because there is some
difficulty accepting that.
I bring to you two pieces of information. This is from the
Christian Science Monitor, September 15, 1973. This article talks
about prisons without bars; keep inmates in the community. Within
this article they also speak about the work release program and how it
has helped women. . . . they also speak of the program that has been
started in Florida, but we don't have a work release program in Dade
County. I think it's up to us to be sure that the women here get
every opportunity to get back to their children; to get back to their
families; to get adjusted to life on the outside.
I guess you know about our new explosions. We have the
explosion of knowledge, technology, communications, we have all kinds
of things happening while women are in prison. This makes their
adjustment doubly difficult because things are not as they were when
they entered. So not only do they have to get used to the things
they missed, they must get caught up on what's now going on. So I'm
asking that you consider what is to make that adjustment a little
easier.
This is a second article I bring to you from Essence
magazine, September 1974 and this is the 'legal eye'. Employment
problems affect offenders. I will be happy to leave these with the
committee and hope they will mail them to me at F.I.U. because they
are part of my file for your perusal and for your discussion and I'd
be happy to answer any questions if I may. Thank you.
Mrs. Massaguer: I'm Trudy Massaguer, 2784 N.
I'm a teacher in the public schools of Dade County and a
. . . visitation team for the past two years and I just
my voice to this very positive thing that's possible for
to make better American citizens.
W. 4th Terrace.
member of
want to add
you to do
Ms. Watson: My name is Ruth Watson, 11030 West Golf Drive.
I have been incarcerated two times, one time in Lowell, Florida but
I was released with twenty dollars, a small baby three months old
and a bus ticket and no place to go. I did come to Miami and
fortunately things did work out. Then I was incarcerated again from
November of 1972 to September of 1973, in . . . West Virginia.
Fortunately I was chosen for the work furlough here in Dade County.
They found me a job working with Dade County Building and Zoning.
I was part time, In September I was released from the wor% furlough,
February 19, 1975 Item 2
.ti
February of 1913 1 took a test and I became clerk It, I'm still
working there and I really like it, and if I didn't have work
furlough I'm sure that I'd still be a barmaid because I had no
training doing anything else. i started out filing, really at the
bottom of the ladder but 1 really got up there and think that work
furlough is probably one of the greatest things that have ever
happened, in the United States,and I feel that if a girl does have
a chance for a work furlough especially being away from her family
for a few months, you have your problems with your children, They
calf you. You can't solve their problems and nobody there can help
you because you're there and they're here; and when I was on work
furlough, my children could come and see me and I could call them
and we straightened out a lot of our problems; their personal problems,
and 1 think it's just a wonderful thing. I really think it should go
further than this.
Ms. Janna . . .: I reside at 9030 S. W. 44th Street. In
the past I have served as a volunteer for Parole and Probation in
Alachua County. I will complete my Bachelor of Science in criminal
justice administration this December. It was through courses at the
Florida international University that I spent some time doing research
at the Women's Detention Center here last year and with all due
respect to Dr. McCardel and to her staff, I would like to say that
that Center is not even a nice place to visit.
The purchase of this home to be used as a work release
center is based on a theory of rehabilitation and reintegration.
This community facility is simply a bridge between incarceration and
total freedom. A bridge over troubled waters, if you will. To those
of you here who say "we don't want these women in our neighborhood"
I would like to quote a comment made by the present commission on
law enforcement and administration of justice. Two-thirds of the
correctional case -loads are under parole and probation supervision
today. The question is no longer whether to handle offenders in the
community but how to do so safely and successfully. Thank you.
Mr. Sims: My name is Robert H. Sims. I reside at 4125
N. W. 10th Avenue within the City of Miami. I also serve as the
Executive Director of the Metropolitan Community Relations Board. I
speak, I guess, maybe from several frame of references, but more as a
human being concerned about the plight of the people who have paid
their price to society and have additional needs for support. I think
if there is any great tragedy that has affected or placed upon people
is to rehabilitate them without really preparing them for re-entry.
I can think of people returning from the moon, traveling at the speed
of light without slowing down and crash into the ocean and they die.
There is a cushioning effect as the parachutes open and they are
allowed to gradually re-enter the atmosphere and gradually and softly
land upon the waters and return to their loved ones.
I think of the same thing when I think of the women who
are fortunate enough to be under the leadership and under the guidance
of Dr. McCardel and her staff. But if you ever encounter these women
on the streets, you find sometimes that they're having a tremendous
difficulty in adjusting to the world of reality as opposed to the
world of fantasy sometimes that they are encountering in the institution
in which they are residents. So I firmly support the need for an
additional support system. A support system that would take them out
of that environment and put them into a secondary environment that
would allow them to make the type of mental adjustments that are
necessary to combat the kinds of things that are going to face them
when many of them return back to the trenches. So I offer my name in
-7- February 19, 1975 Item 2
PAB
support of Dr. McCardel, her fine staff and this wonderfri program
that is before you tonight. Thank you.
M. tsse, : I at Virginia Essex. I live . at llSO S. W.
22nd Street, I am the Chairperson on the commission of the Status
of Women for the City of Miami and I could east everything that has been
said before tne, and I totally agree with it. tut f will very briefly
point out to you that a large percentage of the women who serve time
in prison are residents of the City of Miami. when they are selected,
and that's a key word, they are selected, everyone will not have this
opportunity. When they are selected for a work release program, they
are within months of their release and will be returning to Miami.
Therefore it is to our advantage to have eight of these women in
their efforts to re -socialize themselves because they are our neighbors.
If they had an opportunity through a well supervised
work release program to work, to learn more about a life of contributory
citizenship, to see and relate to their families, and in particular
their children, they are much more apt to be the kind of neighbors
that we would choose.
Work release centers for men are operating well as has
been pointed out to you. Our studies on the commission for the
Status of Women throughout the United States indicates that these
two are being very effective. As has been said, men have these
opportunities. Women are entitled to the same opportunities. And so
therefore, we, on the commission for the Status of Women of the City
of Miami another advisory commission to our own City Commission,
would urge you to approve the request of the County to permit the
property that they would like to purchase to be used for a work
release center for women. Thank you.
Dr. Silbert: Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Dr. Jeffrey
Silbert. I'm the Executive Director of the Dade County Criminal
Justice Planning Unit, the federal funding agency responsible for the
Agenda Item this evening. I live at 1408 S. E. Bayshore Drive within
the City of Miami. I'm also an . . professor at Nova University
and at Florida International University. So, I'd like to point out
that this is a federal program; federal dollars that go to the State
of Florida and/or to be dispensed locally within Dade County and the
municipalities and to serve the people living within Dade County.
There is a grant for over $98,000. These are 1973 dollars.
If the site selection is not successful this evening, I'm not quite
sure whether or not the people at the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation would be successful in finding an alternate site.
They have tried to find sites before this unsuccessfully.
So we at the planning unit and advisory council made up of
members of 26 people from the community, State representatives, judges,
police et cetera have selected this project for its worthiness and it
follows along with the federal guidelines and national commission on
standards and goals which are being interpreted locally, and community
based facilities are very high on the list of priorities for our
community. So I'm not going to belabor the point, but I'd like to
Lend our support as we have over the past year and a half to get the
grant finally awarded and we would like to see it come to fruition.
Thank you.
Ms. Robbie: I'm Elizabeth Robbie, I've long been
interested in criminal justice and rehabilitation. I have worked as
a volunteer for the Greater Miami area, court observer and probation
8 February 19, 1975 Item 2
FAB
aide. I have served on the Hoard of Self Help, a program tt
rehabilitate young people in the drug scene. Presently 1 am a Member
Of the G-'otnmunity Relations toard and their aim is to help all segMents
of the community to live together with a minimum of friction. It would
seem to me it would be a drift if oade County would lose a federal
funding for such a necessary project as this simply beoause no one
seems to want this type of dwelling in their area. To get these people
who have been out of the mainstreatn of society back to leading useful,
productive lives is a community responsibility and will cost far less
in taxpayer's dollars than having them go back to crime and having to
Spend time in prison. i urge those responsible for making this
decision to consider the plight of these unfortunate girls and women
and give them a helping hand to a better life. Thank.you.
Ms. Fatow: My name is Sandra Fatow. My address is 1242
N. W. 188th Terrace and I've been called on tonight on behalf of this
program for this reason. I hold a Thursday night church service in
the City jail. I'm not the average church lady you might think of
because I was four years a heroin addict before having a personal
encounter with Jesus Christ four and a half years ago.
What I'd like to petition you tonight is this. One night
I met these people who brought me into their home and they said "now
Sandy, we believe that the Lord will change your life, but first we
want to show you that we're here and we care and we're willing to
work with you to watch your life change." Tonight there's two areas
in a girl's life in these jails, spiritually and practically. I
believe God has ordained myself and othery to go in and minister
spiritually to these girls, but I ask for a group of people bold
enough tonight to minister practically to them. I'm not equipped to
give them a house tonight. I work with these girls in the City jail.
This Sunday I'm their speaker at Lowell prison. I feel for these girls.
I know these girls and the greatest thing in their life tonight is
rejection and I can tell you tonight that when I found out that
somebody cared, somebody cared. If you're here tonight and just one
girl's life is changed like mine is tonight, it was worth it all.
So I petition you tonight to give serious consideration that you're
not just talking to someone that hears about it, I've been there, I
know what these girls are going through. I know that tonight we're
not dealing with the issue of releasing these girls. We're not asking
you to let these girls go. A judge has already decided when they're
going to go home. We're asking you to work with us to help them
get adjusted to society. To be able to come to church. To come out
and get a job and see their kids. We're asking you to be part of
what we believe God is doing in this jail at this time; and tonight
the main reason that I believe what I'm saying is going to be honored
by the living God is because 1) I believe that to resist the author-
ities of the City placed over us is to resist God himself; and God
says those that resist him, he's going to resist them. So we petition
you tonight with all our hearts to help us work for this Home.
Thank you.
Mrs. Rockafellar: Thank you Sandy and congratulations to
you.
Mr. Robinson: I'm Mr. Robinson. I reside at 1800 S. W.
15th Street. I'm the Coordinator of Urban Ministers of United
Methodist Church in Dade County. I have a letter here to you, Mrs.
Rockefeller, from one of our fellow ministers who is the . .
of the United Methodist Church. Will you receive it?
February 19, 1975 Item 2
PAS
Mrs. iockafellar: Yes, 1 would be happy to.!hank you
very much.
Mr. Robinson: x think we all know that the work release
program that is adjacentto the Riverside Methodist Church is
eminently successful. Cf the sixty or so who have gone through that
program, I'm told on very good authority, only one has been re -arrested.
I'm also told that the house in which this program resides still has
some people living there who are not in the program and they don't want
to move out which says an awful lot about the way the program is run
and 1 think destroys the myth that the people who are being re-
habilitated don't make good neighbors.
Neither Dade County nor the city of Miami has such a
program for women I think is a gross inequity and if I may say so
smacks of male chauvinism. But I see a great interest in all levels of
government and I see interest here tonight on the part of you. So
I want to give my endorsement as a Christian minister and also to let
you know that the executive committee of the Metropolitan Fellowship
Churches has gone on record favoring this program and urging you to
pass it as well. So I simply would repeat the many arguments that
already have been given and I simply say I hope and pray that you will
look favorably upon the program.
Mrs. Rockafellar: Thank you Reverend.
Ms. Marian . . . Good evening, I'm Marian . . . I'm a
concerned citizen and as such a volunteer with Transition, Inc.,
I live at 12075 S. W. 70th Court. until two years ago my family and I
lived abroad and during that time our view of the United States was
through the news media which is very unflattering. We were quite
concerned when we were repatriated as to just what kind of community
we would find. We found it wasn't as bad as the newspapers said.
But in some ways it was worse. We moved into a comfortable community
full of people who were educated; people with advantages and we found
a discouraging ignorance of what was going on and a very startling
lack of concern. A great deal of fear but no effort to find out
exactly what was happening. So we set out to do so and I became a
volunteer with Transition and I can't really sympathize too much with
the lack of concern. I can sympathize with the ignorance but as a
volunteer I learned many things some of which are pertinent tonight.
The offenses that women commit are rarely of a violent
variety or less frequently of a violent variety. They are very
frequently because of dependents. If we had an opportunity to maake,
some of these women less dependent and more able to take care of
themselves and their families, it seems to me a tremendous contribution
and we shouldn't hesitate to do so. Thank you.
Mr. Witzleben: I'm Larry Witzleben and I work for Dade
County Building and Zoning and I have in the last two or three years
worked with prisoners and former prisoners, one of those people being
with me here tonight who has been with me for a year and a half and
very successfully.
It just seems to me very simple logic that the same
criteria whereby a person qualifies for the work . . . program
and shows that they are ready to make the adjustment to normal society
also qualifies for the chance to live the normal life after working
hours and to further and hasten the adjustment process. I think that
alone is argument in behalf of this house and I heartily endorse it.
.10- February 19, 1975 Item 2
PAB
Mrs. Rockafellar: Thank you sir. Is there anyone here
opposed to this project? Being none, we will now close the public
Hearing and go into discussion among the Board Members.
1 have a queEttion I'd like to ask br. McCardel, boctor,
according to our records: here this Center will be staffed by one
full-time house manager, counselors and supporting staff and will be
in the Center on scheduled visits. Now do you plan any police
patrolling, protection for the neighbors by either uniformed or
non -uniformed police patrolling this area day and night?
Dr. McCardel: We do not plan any kind of uniformed staff
in that area whether it's patrol other than the usual uniformed patrol
that would go on in that particular neighborhood.
Mrs. Rockafellar: Well, the reason I ask is that I went
out to look over this area. Now in this area there are a large number
of blacks, quite a few whites, senior citizens, and some Cubans and
while I was there I was talking to a young black man that lives across
the street. He told me that he had signed up for this, but the lady -
were you the lady that went out and solicited the signatures?
Dr. McCardel: There were a number of our people that went
to talk in the neighborhood.
Mrs. Rockafellar: Well he told me that he signed up for
it and he asked me if there was going to be police patrol day and
night and I said 'no, not that I know of.' He said he was opposed to
it until the lady that came out to sign him up, he told them that
they had a terrible problem there with prostitution, and this lady
said 'you'll have no more problems of any kind because this area will
be patrolled constantly, day and night, by police not in uniform,
but will be patrolled.'
Now we do get the citizens input. What's
are the people being misled in these areas? This, I
happen. If they're being misled, promised something
going to have, that isn't going to happen?
bothering me,
don't think should
that they're not
Dr. McCardel: I can assure you that they're not being
misled. I believe I know the gentleman that you were talking to. He's
in a duplex right across the street?
Mrs. Rockafellar: Yes.
Dr. McCardel: He was told that there would be supervision;
that the house would be staffed by Dade County and that there would be
continuous supervision on the premises and that if there were any
problems relating to the residents of that particular house that he
would have immediate and direct recourse either to me or to the house
manager or to whomever he wants to go in Dade County. He would have
someone to address in relationship to his problem. He was not told
that there would be a patrol. We have not only no authority but no
reason to say that kind of thing.
Mrs. Rockafellar: Well this is what has been bothering me.
He said he was promised by the lady that was there that all their
problems would be over. They would have police patrol day and night
in plainclothes and they would take care of the prostitution and any
other police problem that came up in the area. That's what has been
bothering me because I didn't know if they were being misled.
February 19, 1975 Item 2
PAS
111111111n1n 01
Dr. MCCardel N'o, he may have misunderstood although I
don't see how. 1 was not the one that spoke with hits but he was not
told that we would take care of any other problem in the area, He
was told that we would staff this house and take are of the prcbleps
within this house to his satisfaction and to the satisfaction Of every
other Dade County citizen.
Mrs. Rockefeller: Thank you Doctor. Any other §ueatioha
from Board Members? Mrs. Fernandez?
Mrs. Fernandez: My question goes to Mr. Acton. Do we
have some kind of ordinance for work release center for men?
Mr. Acton: No. We will have though. I believe the
presentation made at the last meeting when I was not here stated that
the Department is now working on - we call it the Community Based
Residential Facility which will include work release centers for both
men and women. A wide range of programs that are now available.
Mrs. Fernandez: Isn't the Department working on an amend-
ment to the ordinance to include work release centers in general?
Not only for men but also for women?
Mr. Acton: Yes, that's right.
Mrs. Fernandez: What is the status of that ordinance?
Mr. Acton: Well, we expect to come back to you with an
ordinance probably in, I would say, about a month's time or less.
We are organizing a Task Force of various individuals who represent
different types of programs to get their input on the standards that
have been developed to date on Community Based Residential Facilities.
Mrs. Fernandez: And you expect to have this in front of
us in about one month?
Mr. Acton: Yes.
Mrs. Fernandez: And at this time, what we have in front
of us is a kind of 'conditional use' before the ordinance is ready?
Mr. Acton: Yes. We've developed enough standards, you see,
we've done enough of our own research, enough standards plus the work
that we've done on substance abuse, and that's the reason we prepared
the recommendation the way that we did to give the Board as much
information about the facility and how it relates to those standards
that were developed for the proposed ordinance.
Mrs. Fernandez: Yes, because we approved the Drug Abuse
Ordinance at the last meeting.
Mr. Acton: Mr. Lynch would like to address the Board on
this matter too.
Mr. Lynch: The Planning Department has already drafted a
preliminary ordinance which would be like an umbrella ordinance to
cover substance abuse, work release centers, rehabilitation of alcohol,
dependent persons and other people that have social adjustment problems.
We have, as I said, prepared a draft and we have just recently sent
out letters to different individuals in the community who are experts
in these fields to meet with us in reviewing the draft ordinance.
The draft ordinance as of today has suggested some standards all of
-12- February 19, 1975 Item 2
FAB
Which are taken care of in this proposed residiential treatMert
facility.
Mrs. Fernandez: Another question is, in the Drug Abuse
we accepted, Substance Abuse Residential on R-2 and R=4 and this
Center is located on an R-4 Medium Density Multiple, and in all the
studies the Department is conducting 1 suppose that at least an R=4
will be suitable for this kind of facility?
Mr. Lynch: With the Substance Abuse Facilities you
approved a location of R-2 and above in terms of residential . .
classifications, so there would be no problem.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: I would like to ask Dr. McCardel a
question. Dr. McCardel could you tell me the percentage of the women
who are in this program who are residents of the City of Miami?
Dr. McCardel: As opposed to Dade County in general?
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Or elsewhere.
Dr. McCardel: I really have not prepared the statistics
in that way. However, I can say this. In our population 30% of
the women come from the downtown Miami area. An additional 28%
come from the Model Cities area and that is our, you know, over 50% -
the major portion of the population. We have another large group that
comes from Coconut Grove area; and then others from Opa Locka, Dade
County unincoporated areas, but in our total population that's how
it separates out. Now, as to those who go on work release, I just
don't know at this time.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: May I ask you also the percentage of
violent crimes of the women who are in this program?
Dr. McCardel: Without getting into a picky kind of issue
on violent crime, it would be very hard to address the question. If
I asked you if you thought robbery was violent and you said 'yes' then
I would have to say that some of the women may be involved in a charge
such as robbery. However, those kinds of charges are often reduced
at the time they go to court because the robbery is not of the type
that you think of where someone walks into a bank and holds a gun on a
bank teller and takes the money. It's a situation where they are
involved with, perhaps, an issue of prostitution and they take the
money from the man and he yells robbery. It may go and stand as a
robbery charge. It may not. It's qualitatively a different crime
although if you said robbery, I'd have to say it was violent.
Mrs. Rockafellar: Any other questions? Mr. Dannenberg?
Mr. Dannenberg: Mme. Chairman, will you entertain a
motion at this time?
Mrs. Fernandez: Mme. Chairman, I'm all in favor of this
kind of petition of course and the only doubt in my mind is really
we should have approved the ordinance first, and then the application
after. I suppose this comes in front of us tonight because of the
time limit, of federal funds coming to the City and so on. But on a
practical basis I accept this as a petition before the ordinance is
formally approved but I want to hear from the Department of complete
assurance that the draft it is working on - that this application will
for sure meet the standards of the draft of the work release program
because I know from the file that there has been a few in opposition.
-13- February 19, 1975 Item 2
FAB
f read the oppeeitions of different neighbors. These red :Vote speak
for themselves. I'm surprised nobody is here. Maybe by this time
they understand a little bit better what the work release center is
all about but t want an assurance from the Department because in
principle f don't like the idea of voting in favor of a petition when
thirty days free today we have been promised an ordinance.
Mr. Lynch: Well in light of what we think these
standards should be for the umbrella ordinance, we have recommended
approval taking into account all our resent thinking in terms of
location, setbacks, open space, housing Standards the lot area re..
quirenents, building requirements. We have taken all these things into
consideration in recommending approval because the applicant does have
the legal recourse of requesting the Planning Advisory Board and the
City Commission approval of the petition until we do have the ordinance
approved. But in light of our recent thinking, it has met all these
standards.
Mr. Lichtenstein: You say it meets ALL the requirements?
Mr. Lynch: 1 think the only problem was the side yard
setback. Yes.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Well, the ordinance as proposed
currently reads 20,000 square feet does it not? and this is 75.
Mr. Lynch: No, I'm talking about the newly proposed
ordinance that the Department is drafting.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: That would be 10,000.
Mr. Lynch: No, what we've recommended in the new
re -drafted ordinance is that we establish lower lot area requirements
for higher density districts because there are some programs - some
facilities with a lower number of participants, residents and if a
requirement of 20,000 square feet were enforced, some of these programs
of 15 people or less would not be able to operate except in R-2 districts
because the cost of a 20,000 square foot piece of property in R-5 or
in the commercial district is completely prohibitive for a small
residential facility: a lower density residential district would have
a higher lot area requirement, and a higher residential district or
a commercial district would have a lower lot area requirement in order
to allow the possibility of smaller programs in multi -family residential
and commercial districts. As I say, we held the line on 20,000 square
feet in R-5 - commercial districts, we would in effect be forcing all
of these smaller programs to operate only in R-2 districts where the
cost of land is a lot lower.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: In the Department's recommendations
here, it says 10,000 square feet.
Mr. Lynch: Where are you reading? Can you make
reference to a particular page? What we're saying on page 2 of 3 is
that one variation to the Substance Abuse Ordinance that the Department
is considering is a reduction in lot area requirements. The reason for
this reduction is to permit the operation of smaller community -based
treatment facilities in multi -family and commercial districts, where
land costs for a 20,000 square foot lot would be extremely high and
would probably result in a concentration of smaller facilities in
R-2 districts. And so we're saying that under the proposed Ordinance
that we have drafted and will be reviewing with these experts, we have
lowered the lot area requirements in the higher multi -family districts
-14-- February 19, 1975 Item 2
PAB
i
and in the coti wterdial districts in order to allow shall facilities
like this one, to operate.
Mrs. Alexander: Mnie, chairman, nevertheless we are
hearing this under an ordinance and an Article and a Section under
which it is permitted and if there are no further questions?
Mrs, Rockafellar: Mr. Dorja wishes to speak.
Mr. Borja There are three areas which do not comply
with the actual standards, right? Yard Area - which under the local
substance abuse facility requests 10 feet side yard . , , on the
side . . . altogether you'll have 16 feet.
Mr. Lync1: Might.
Mr. Borja: The parking is not met either nor is the
ingress and egress, right?
Mr. Lynch: Well with the parking you allow a waiver
if located near mass transit facilities or due to the condition of the
residence, or things like that and we consider that since most of the
females participating in this program will not own a car, will be
close to bus lines on N. E. 2nd Avenue, and close to bus lines on
N. E. 79th Street that the need for having the number of spaces is
not that obvious. In fact in the new ordinance we have allowed also
a waiver of parking for conditions like this; that if they are close
to bus lines or if they are prohibited from having cars -
Mr. Borja: But the proximity to support services is
a 'must', it has nothing to do with parking. Right?
Mr. Lynch: As I think it was explained in a workshop
earlier, these women will,not be owning cars so there will be no need
for on -site parking spaces except for the staff. One house manager,
if even she will have a car.
Mr. Smith: I move tha•: we recommend to the City
Commission the approval of the request for the use of the building
at 7521 N. E. 3rd Avenue as a work release center for women.
Mrs. Alexander: Second.
Mrs. Rockafellar: There's a motion on the floor by
Mr. Smith, seconded by Mrs. Alexander. Will you call the roll,
Mr. Acton?
Four objections were received in the mail.
(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
-15" February 19, 1975 Item 2
FAB
Mr, Smith offered the following resolution and totted its
adopt iOn
RESOL 1 XI N.Nd
RESOLtft tON RECOMMENDING REQUEST POR
PERMISSION TO tiSE PROPERTY LOCATED AT
7521 N, E, 3RD AVENUE, LOT 5, BLOCK 6;
DIXIE HIGHWAY PART( (4-103) AS PER
ORDINANCE 6871, ARTICLEIV, SECTION 36(1),
FOR WOR C RELEASE CENTER FOR A MAX/MUM OF'
16 ADULT FEMALE RESIDENTS, LOT BEING
50.25E x 147.62; ZONED R-4 (MEDIUM DENSITY
MULTIPLE).
Upon being seconded by Mrs. Alexander this resolution was
passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES: Mmes. Alexander, Fernandez
Messrs. Dannenberg, Smith, Borja
NAYES: Mmes.*Lichtenstein, Rockefeller**
Mr. Acton: Resolution passes 5 - 2.
At roll call:
* Mrs. Lichtenstein: Until we have an ordinance that would
speak more clearly to this, I'm for the work release program, I think
it's a marvelous idea and I'd like to see it but at this time I vote No.
** Mrs. Rockafellar: First, I want to speak to the motion.
I don't know whether you've had any correspondence or not by phone,
Mr. Acton, but I've had a number of calls from the Little River
Chamber of Commerce and they pointed out that all during their
Comprehensive Studies with the City, with this Department, they pointed
out crime as the one big factor that they're having over there. Many
of the merchants now are working with closed doors and this project
will only be three blocks from those people - those merchants there -
and they feel that the City, by putting this right next to their
business district, is not helping them in the respect that they asked
during the Public Hearings that we had, and the hearings they held with
the Department. Also, there are a number of letters here in opposition
to this from people living in the area. I've been wondering also, why
these people, as Dr. McCardel has said, most of them are from downtown
and other areas, why an effort was not made to locate these people
in the area from which they came. So my vote is No.
-16- February 19, 1975 Item 2
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