Miami Today: Week of Thursday, August 17, 2017 by Miami Today

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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MIAMI INTERNATIONAL GETS 22% OF NATION’S 72-AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS BONANZA, pg. 12 HIGHER CHARGES: Household electricity prices in South Florida in July were more than 10% higher than in July 2016, although those prices were still 16.8% less than the nationwide average, according to figures released Friday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional households paid 11.9 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity in July, the bureau reported, up from 10.8 cents in July 2016. But the nationwide average in July this year was 14.3 cents. In July 2016, South Florida electricity prices were 22.3% lower than the national average. The price of electricity in South Florida has been at least 15% below the national average each July for the past five years, the bureau said.

The Achiever

By John Charles Robbins

BYE-BYE BIRDIE: While the parties aren’t talking openly, it appears that the Jim McLean Golf School at Trump National Doral Miami will relocate to The Biltmore Hotel next year. “News has traveled fast, so I wanted to get out a tweet to thank so many for text messages and phone calls,” Mr. McLean tweeted July 26. “It’s been a great 26-year run at Trump Doral. Grateful to 5 owners. All allowed me [to] hire incredible professionals and run the top golf school in America. Very excited about the upcoming move to The Biltmore in Coral Gables, FL in 2018.” OPENING A DIALOGUE: Part of the taxes Wynwood pays goes to Miami-Dade Public Schools. Last year, the amount was $2.4 million, up from $593,049 in 2013, members of the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) heard at their Monday meeting. Yet there are only two schools in Wynwood, both under-enrolled. “We should reach out to the school board,” said Albert Garcia, BID co-chair and chief operating officer of Mega Shoes. “This may be an opportunity to establish a relationship. We aspire to attract residents and families, to be a place to raise a family. Yet there’s never been a conversation with the school board.” SUBURBAN STRENGTH: Metro Capital Partners announced this week it has sold its Tamiami Metro office building for $7.9 million, more than twice the $3.2 million it paid for the property in 2013.The two-story building at 13595 SW 134th Ave. consists of 39,069 square feet of rentable space. “The property was completed in 2007, at the height of the recession, but the interior was never built out before the office building was foreclosed on,” according to a Metro Capital Partners’ release. “The asset languished unfinished until Metro Capital Partners bought it and completed the build-out in 2014. Since then, the seller has been able to lease out the property, stabilize it and put it on the market.”

Edward Abraham

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Heading University of Miami Miller School of Medicine The profile is on Page 4

Charter review rejects return of county manager By Susan Danseyar

Members of the public advocated before a Charter Review Task Force for a commissionappointed manager for Miami-Dade, but the panel tasked with reviewing the county charter for revisions decided to maintain a decade-old strong mayor system. The task force’s third meeting Monday centered on debating what would be best: a commission-appointed manager versus a strong mayor government. Member Eric Zichella moved to leave the strong mayor system as is and to return later for “tweaks as necessary” to increase checks and balances on the mayor’s power. His motion carried. Susan Windmiller, president of the MiamiDade League of Women Voters, had told the task force that her board unanimously desires to revert to the county manager form Miami-Dade had prior to 2007, as it tends toward more professional department appointments less affected by politics. Kathy Charles O’Sullivan also sought a return to the “manager/council structure” along with improvements in the budget process to allow more input by the commission and public participation.

Miami finds annexation a costly step

Charter review picks at budget, finance, pg. 7 A union official who had experienced the county manager system first hand, John Rivera, said that it led to more and better contract discussion. Mr. Rivera, president of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association, said that from a labor standpoint the current system has proven not to work because it’s tinged by politics. Before the meeting, task force members received supplemental documents. A National Civic League publication from 1990 presented a “Model County Charter” under which all county powers rest in an elected governing body that appoints as chief executive a professional manager “continuously responsible to and removable by the elected governing body.” The task force also saw a survey to which 750 county governments responded. In 90% of them, the legislative branch chooses the county executive. Only 10% had a separately elected executive. But task force member Alfredo J. Gonzalez said that since Miami-Dade is larger than many states and the fifth largest county in the US in size of budget, a strong mayor government is necessary to get things done.

If Miami annexed several unincorporated areas, including Blue Lagoon, Melrose and Brownsville, it would take a financial hit, a study says. Based on revenue and expense calculations and factoring in the current tax rate, adding the areas as they are today would cost the city nearly $14 million a year. The possibility of annexing unincorporated areas isn’t new; Miami leaders have debated it for years. For local governments, it’s a way to increase tax base while serving a larger area. The county and voters would have to approve any annexation. In the last annexation study in 2014, the city asked Florida International University to examine the pros and cons. The city had the FIU Metropolitan Center update the study this year and commissioners recently discussed it. Without a vote, commissioners directed City Manager Daniel Alfonso to continue to pursue annexation options and to talk to the county about what the next steps would be. Assistant City Manager Fernando Casamayor detailed highlights of the latest study for commissioners. The study includes projected added revenues and costs to expand city boundaries to include the three new areas, and in this case it would be an initial loss. Commissioner Frank Carollo asked, “So what’s the total net minus?” Mr. Casamayor said, “Total net minus is about $14 million … to add all three areas, and that’s as they exist today. It does not mean that in the future, based on our zoning code and the additional services that we will be providing in those areas, that it couldn’t spur some development; and actually, these numbers could flip at some point.” Mr. Carollo responded, “Understood – at some point. My question is, some of the conversations we’ve had with future budgets and so forth, you know, I don’t know if we want to take up additional losses so… I think it needs to be looked at very closely.”

Neisen Kasdin also supported the current system. The manager form works for smaller communities, said Mr. Kasdin, a former Miami Beach mayor. “When leading a big, complex community like Miami-Dade, the strong mayor form works.” Jacksonville has 19 commissioners, Mr. Kasdin said. “If the community didn’t have a strong mayor, things would be unwieldy. We’re new to the strong mayor form; we’re still growing into the role.” Maria Lievano Cruz said she likes a county manager form rather than a strong mayor. “An elected mayor may look at more popular decisions” rather than the best ones, she said. “Right now, there’s too much power concentrated in one position.” The concept of too much power doesn’t scare Mike Valdes-Fauli. “My concern with the current system is about institutional knowledge and competence,” he said. “If you come in for four years, how can you have both?” Without much comment, the task force also rejected requiring management qualifications for mayoral candidates if the mayor manages Annexation pros and cons, pg. 17 the county.

GOOD SKATES FROM 5 CITIES, COUNTY CHIP IN ON A PARK ...

NY FASHION DESIGNER, SCHOOLS WORK ON RIVER STUDIO ...

WYNWOOD SEEKS SERVICES BASED ON HIGHER TAXATION ...

WEST GROVE MAY FINALLY GET A HISTORIC DESIGNATION ...

VIEWPOINT: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST AT MARINE STADIUM ...

WORKING RIVERFRONT APPEAL WENDS WAY TO CITY HALL ...

BANK OF AMERICA BUOYS SEAPORT’S FINANCIAL RATINGS ...

FLORIDA MEMORIAL INTERIM LEADER LOOKS TO STAY ON ...

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

TODAY’S NEWS

The Insider BRICKELL ACQUISITION: TSG Group announced this week the acquisition of a 44,575-square-foot site at 1399 SW First Ave. for $32 million. The Consulate General of Mexico currently occupies 23,000 square feet in the 34,935-square-foot office building there. “We are excited to have completed this transaction, acquiring such a highlydesirable property in the epicenter of the city,” said Jorge Escobar, TSG managing partner. “The purchase of this site supports TSG Group’s bullish strategy to increase its footprint in areas with a solid trajectory for growth.” PLAYING SHORTHANDED: Most departments in Miami-Dade County government are functioning with fewer employees than were budgeted this year, a report from Mayor Carlos Giménez to county commissioners shows. Five departments, in fact, are more than 100 employees below what the county budgeted for the year, according to third-quarter statistics for the period ended June 30. The five biggest gaps are in Corrections & Rehabilitation, 415 employees short of the budgeted 3,067; Water & Sewer, 363 workers short of the budgeted 2,824; Carlos Gimenez Transportation & Public Works, 273 workers short of the budgeted 3,971; Police, 260 persons short of the budgeted 4,074; and Parks, Recreation and Open Space, 109 employees short of the budgeted 1,030. CASH SALES STILL HIGH: More than 38% of closed Miami-Dade sales of residential properties in the second quarter of the year were all-cash transactions, the Miami Association of Realtors reported last week. That’s more than double the national average, which is about 18% all-cash sales. As usual, cash sales were heavily weighted to the 3,818 condo transactions, 53.5% of which were all cash. In single-family homes, 23.9% of the 3,882 transactions were all cash.

Airport to hack away at old taxi lot By Gabi Maspons

Miami-Dade commissioners are to vote Sept. 7 on moving the taxi lot at Miami International Airport with the Florida Department of Transportation paying $900,915 of the cost. “The taxi lot is just beat-up, old abandoned buildings, so they’ll inevitably have to come down,” said Emilio Gonzalez, county aviation director. “It’s a safe bet that we will have to move the lot.” MIA is planning a Terminal Optimization Plan that consists of multiple projects totaling over a billion dollars to extend the life cycle of airport facilities, Mr. Gonzalez said. Moving the taxi lot is essential to completing airport renovations. The total cost of the taxi lot relocation is about $3.2 million, and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department is to request additional state transportation department funds to cover 50% of the cost through its Capital Improvement Program, the legislation says. No federal funds are committed to the project, and the aviation de-

‘The taxi lot is just beat-up, old abandoned buildings, so they’ll inevitably have to come down.’ Emilio Gonzalez partment is to cover any costs that exceed the state funding. To replace the existing lot, the airport would have to buy land and construct a new taxi lot on the site for about 500 cars. The new site is to have a taxi check-in booth, restrooms and a cafeteria.

Since the arrival of Lyft and Uber, taxi service at MIA has been a point of contention. Last year the county legalized app-based models and passed an ordinance that required taxi drivers to offer the same app software to customers. In another effort to keep the taxi industry competitive, taxis that serve the airport are required to have a credit card processing system, a light that denotes a vacant cab and a security camera. The airport also says the taxi lot adds to traffic. “[Miami-Dade Aviation Department] has received an increasing number of complaints reporting obstruction of the airport entrance, delays in scheduled … shuttle buses, congestions of Central Boulevard, and longer police response time during peak hours of airport operations,” the legislation says. The airport says the relocation of the taxi lot will reduce traffic, operational delays and car accidents near the terminal and is essential to move forward airport renovations.

BUYER OR SELLER?: The Miami Association of realtors is calling Miami-Dade a “seller’s market for single-family homes, buyer’s market for condos.” In currently active listings, the association notes that at the present sales pace there is a 5.4-month inventory of single-family homes on sale but a 13.6-month supply of condominiums. “A balanced market between buyers and sellers offers between six and nine months of supply inventory,” the association states. CITY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS: The City of Miami has lined up companies for construction citywide. Commissioners approved job order contracting for construction from the six lowest bidders for horizontal construction and the six lowest for vertical construction. The companies will provide maintenance and construction citywide as needed for three years with the option to renew for two more one-year periods, for total annual expenditure limits of $2 million for horizontal construction and $2.5 million for vertical. Chosen for horizontal work are Harbour Construction Inc., GEC Associates Inc., Metro Express Inc., H&J Asphalt Inc., H.A. Contracting Corp. and EnviroWaste Services Group Inc. Chosen for vertical work are Harbour Construction Inc., JCI Construction Inc., H.A. Contracting Corp., The Terracon Group Inc., Lee Construction Group Inc. and GEC Associates Inc. ACCESS FOR BIG BOATS: In the fallout of a Miami City Commission decision that the developer of Island Gardens is in default of its land lease on Watson Island, other issues surfaced. On July 27, commissioners voted to solve one, declaring no objections to any lawful action to ensure that Yachting Promotions Inc. (YPI) can use the city-owned property at 1050 MacArthur Causeway in accordance with its agreements with Flagstone Island Gardens LLC. This involves access to the deep water marina there. The resolution notes that Flagstone granted Yachting Promotions the right to use the property and the marina as a venue for the annual Miami Boat Show. The resolution states that the city’s Notice of Default regarding Flagstone and the lawsuit Flagstone filed against the city “cast doubt upon YPI’s rights under the Super Yacht Agreement.” The resolution concludes that the uses of the property cited in the Super Yacht Agreement benefit the city’s economic and general welfare, and the commission wishes to eliminate any doubt that YPI may use the property as the agreement states. ANTI-POVERTY FUNDS GIVEN: Keon Hardemon, chairman of the Miami City Commission, chose to allocate funds to help support Miami-Dade County for the Black Affairs Advisory Board. Commissioners recently authorized up to $7,000 of grant funds from Mr. Hardemon’s share of Anti-Poverty Initiative money to go to the Black Affairs Advisory Board. The board advocates for the social, economic, political and educational needs of the black community in the county, the resolution says. The board is to use the money for Community Keon Hardemon Pillars scholarships, which are awarded to students to assist in their post high school education. THE RESET BUTTON: A coalition of Miami Beach residents and hospitality workers was to announce Wednesday (8/16) RESET – Residents Electing to Switch Employees to Transit – an incentive for people to use of public transit, ridesharing and vanpools. “Miami Beach is home to 90,588 residents, but has an average daily population of 205,915 people,” said a release. “With a tourist and worker population that outnumbers residents, the hotel industry is a key contributor to the traffic and parking crisis in Miami Beach. In mid-Beach, there are 6,000 hotel workers who find themselves either driving to work and paying up to $20 a day for parking, illegally parking in a residential area, or spending up to four hours commuting [on public transit].The initiative will require large midBeach hotels to provide their employees with transit passes, ridesharing credits, or vanpool shuttles so they can get to work without adding to Miami Beach’s traffic and parking congestion. The coalition will begin engaging Miami Beach voters to gather the 4,458 signatures required to put the initiative on the ballot for 2018,” the release said. CORRECTION: Merrick Manor is to be a 227-residence project at 301 Altara Ave. in Coral Gables. A report on its construction financing last week understated the number of residences.

A regional skate park and pump track will open here this year thanks to the county and five municipalities.

Good skates chip in on regional park By Gabi Maspons

Five municipalities and MiamiDade county have come together to construct a regional skate park/ pump track at Haulover Park to be opened by year’s end. Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Miami Beach and Surfside each donated up to $50,000; Sunny Isles committed up to $150,000; and the county contributed the land, said Daniel Dietch, mayor or Surfside. After the skate park in Sunny Isles Beach closed because of noise complaints, the mayor group came together to talk about developing elsewhere, Mr. Dietch said. Before retiring, former director of the county’s Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Jack Kardys carved out a temporary location with limited features in the Southwest corner of Haulover Park while plans were being made for a permanent location. “We brought in the county to talk about Haulover Park because it has the more open space than any surrounding communities and a number of locations within the park,” Mr. Dietch said. “We hope to open the park by the end of the calendar year, and will begin construction within the next month,” Mr. Dietch said. There is to be at least one design meeting open to the public, and the

design process should take no longer than 30 days, Mr. Dietch said. After the permits are cleared, they can begin building, he said. The county will maintain the park and a fence is to keep people from skating when it’s closed, but there will be no staffing. The location is to be a hybrid of a skate park and a pump track to attract people with any kinds of wheels to use the site. “Having gone through a number of workshops, [I’ve noticed] a real desire by the traditional skate community to have a skate park that is attractive to the broadest range of users, so this will have a pump track aspect to it too. It’s the same approach as BMX dirt tracks; all wheels are welcome,” Mr. Dietch said. Mayor Bud Scholl of Sunny Isles Beach, the municipality contributing the largest amount of money, said this initiative shows how Miami mayors come together to get things done: “It’s an incredible collaboration by the municipalities and the county to bring in a much desired amenity,” Mr. Scholl said. “The skate park is a great example of government in action,” he said. “We’ve been working really well together.” “In the days of partisanship and infighting, it’s nice to remember that doesn’t happen at the municipal

level. We’re not partisan – we’re just interested in creating the best space for our guests. Everyone’s hearts are in the right place.” Party politics don’t affect mayors here, Mr. Scholl said: “The government above us may be complicated, but we’ve been able to transcend [politics] and make things happen.”

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VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

Miami Today is an independent voice of the community, published weekly at 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133. Telephone (305) 358-2663

Six pivotal decisions vital before restoring marine stadium An architect has listed more than 50 uses for a restored Miami Marine Stadium, which is heartening, but before the city tries to actually restore the stadium it has six pivotal decisions to make. Michael Lewis The list of possible uses includes many that would be financial failures. So restoration must follow a solid business plan that outlines not only principal uses but who would operate the stadium and under what payment terms, who would ensure finances to maintain and keep it open, what nearby city properties would be included under the stadium’s umbrella, and how the city would ensure a Good Neighbor Policy with Key Biscayne, which stadium events could isolate. None of those decisions is the purview of an architect. Nor should a city manager who is unlikely to be in his job long after the fall election be deciding. This one falls into the lap of a new

Letters to the Editor Health care block grants

A recent letter extolled the virtues of a single-payer health plan. To be honest, my wife and I are on Medicare, she with a supplement and I in an Advantage plan. Although the system works fine for us, you cannot but wonder that not a day goes by which we read of fraud in the billions. Since the health industry now consumes more than 20% of our GDP, it is worrisome that in a single-payer system the government would be involved in an enterprise controlling trillions of dollars, hospitals and doctors. An idea that this single-payer model would alleviate the lines in the emergency room is probably true, but what will happen is that these lines will now appear in doctors’ offices. When the government takes over, doctors will be paid less, there will be fewer of them, and there will be more patients, so it is easy to see the net results. If we look at examples of single-payer systems we see in England and Canada, but especially England, a two-tier outcome with the rich in private care and all the rest in the government-controlled system. Many of those in Canada come to the USA when the wait becomes too long for help. I truly believe the way to go is in block grants to the states. With 50 states, many will come up with plans that really work, that can be duplicated by others if successful. They would not be restricted from going across state lines for insurers. They could draft legislation to curb malpractice giveaways. I am disappointed with Congress on both sides of the aisle. This is the time to tackle the problem once and for all and develop a working model that will benefit all Americans. Roger Shatanof

mayor and city commissioners who will be playing musical chairs this fall as well. Today is a time when going slowly is the wisest course. Outgoing Mayor Tomás Regalado told Miami Today eight months ago that four highly reputable venue operators – the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, Live Nation and SMG – had all inquired informally about running the restored stadium. That interest, like the list of possible stadium uses, is heartening for those concerned about the site’s future. But city parameters for stadium uses and ground rules for what the city expects an operator of the city property to do and what that operator must pay to the city in return will certainly alter the list of potential bidders to run the site, perhaps adding more or subtracting some that have inquired so far. For example, it makes a huge difference whether the city emphasizes boat races, which were once the stadium’s primary use, or concerts, or beauty pageants, or business meetings, or air races. And the city certainly should not decide that all 50-plus uses on the list or others to be found are equal, if only because a restored stadium still must be tailored in advance for its users.

There will be no pageant dressing rooms if the stadium doesn’t provide them from the outset, no provisions for global media facilities without planning, no boxing and wrestling events without a ring, no concerts without a floating stage, no summer camp without proper facilities, and so on. Each potential use adds to cost, and there isn’t space to give primacy to every use at once. Equally important, no stadium operator wants to handle all of these 50-plus disparate projects, and financial return will be vital to both operators and a city that will have to pay for stadium upkeep. If the city sets up a stadium foundation and board, as it should, the foundation will count on revenue from events to fund the stadium in perpetuity – remember, the stadium closed its doors after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but it was bleeding money for at least five years before the hurricane hit, money that came out of taxes, because no boat races were run in those years. There was no reserve fund then for stadium care and restoration. There should be in the future. The $45 million in borrowing that city voters have authorized is only for a one-time restoration, not to fund operations, maintenance or upgrades.

And wise city officials will tap stadium revenues to help repay those bonds. Mayor Regalado ran for office eight years ago with marine stadium restoration as a primary campaign plank. It’s logical that he wants a restoration now as his legacy. But it’s even more logical to nail down business plans to keep the stadium open in perpetuity before doing site work. Will a so-called flex park around the stadium be part of the package, and how will it be used – we were promised soccer fields when it was built, but the city manager has since told us the fields are impossible there. Before we move forward with a concrete restoration based on hopes for 50-plus uses that surely aren’t all practicable either, city officials need to present to a future mayor and commission potential answers to the key questions: what are the best site uses, what lands are included, what financial terms does the city seek, who are potential bidders to handle the chosen uses, how will Key Biscayne be protected and what entity – city hall or a foundation – will oversee the operators, the sites and the money? Without those answers in advance, a restored stadium will weigh heavily on future taxpayers and is unlikely to fulfill its promise for any of the 50-plus uses.

When students get tools to succeed, they succeed The STEM field – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – has become increasingly important in the past few years. Encouraging grade school students to participate in STEM activities has been shown Amanda I. De Cun tovmake an impact on their chances of high school graduation and being accepted into college. In fact, one program has seen first-hand what a difference STEM immersion can do for a student. The program that has made an incredible impact on high school students since its inception in 1999 has been the Frost Science Upward Bound Math and Science program (UBMS), funded by the US Department of Education. UBMS understands the importance of science in the classroom, but has also realized that under-resourced students often miss out on a science-focused curriculum in school and as well lack science role models in their lives. To defeat this problem, the UBMS program enlists students from Title 1 schools in the Miami area and enrolls them in a four-year, after-school, weekend and summer program geared toward STEM curiosity. The program inspires these under-resourced students to see a world of post-secondary study, motivating them to complete high school and become the first generation in their family to be accepted into college. The UBMS program provides these students with access to mentors, interactions with scientists and technology as well as a six-week summer program called IMPACT (Integrated Marine Program and College Training). In partnership with the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and

The Writer

Amanda I. De Cun is a master of professional science candidate and marine ecosystems and society intern with the Department of Ocean Sciences at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Atmospheric Science, these students are able to immerse themselves with a marine science curriculum through activities with the university such as shark tagging expeditions, outdoor field experiences and field trips to state parks and marine sanctuaries, and conduct research projects mentored by graduate students and Miami-Dade County Public School teachers. The IMPACT curriculum always includes the theory, practice and tools associated with subjects including oceanography, marine biology, geology, ecology, meteorology and resource management. At the end of their six-week summer program, the students present their projects and are recognized by museum staff, scientists, families and peers for their accomplishments. This summer I was given the opportunity to lecture to these students during their six-week IMPACT program at the Rosenstiel School. As a current Rosenstiel graduate student, I am fulfilling my internship requirement under the direction of Dr. Vassiliki Kourafalou, a professor in the Ocean Science Department who is currently doing research with funding from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, a “10-year independent research program created to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies.” In easier words, the program seeks to understand the effects of oil on the environment and how to be better prepared in

case another oil spill like the Deepwater Horizon explosion were to happen. During my internship, I spent most of my time researching and understanding the work related to the Gulf project, created lectures and presentations for high school classrooms and attended outreach events. I felt really lucky to be given the opportunity to present to these IMPACT students, because coming from a previous career as a high school biology teacher, I understand the importance of communicating science to young people, while making them interested in it at the same time. Knowing I made a positive impact on these students is a feeling that every teacher, volunteer, outreach coordinator, mom, dad, whoever it may be, wants to feel and experience. With over 1,000 students participating in their program since 1999, 98% have graduated from high school and 95% have been accepted into a post-secondary institution of study, with the majority pursuing STEM fields. The UBMS program has made it extremely clear that when you provide students with the necessary tools to succeed they will, in fact, succeed.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

The appeal of a working riverfront wends way to city hall By John Charles Robbins

Cory Offutt, owner of Biscayne Towing & Salvage Inc., has for months spoken out against a planned riverside restaurant on land zoned for marine-industrial uses right next door to his business. He says a restaurant with outdoor dining is incompatible with a loud and smelly shipyard. “This is a huge impact on my business,” he said at a meeting early this year. “There’s no way we can survive in harmony together.” The owner-developer of the proposed restaurant, Shahab Karmely, disagrees and has said he loves that the Miami River is a “working river.” Mr. Karmely and his KAR Properties propose River Arts Complex, to transform three warehouses into a dining and event space at 125, 129 and 131 NW South River Drive. It includes a partnership with Yachtlife, a private club with yacht sales and rentals. The plan sets aside one commercial fishing boat slip to provide fresh seafood catches to the restaurant and public. The property is zoned D3 for marine-industrial uses, but a restaurant would be allowed with special permission or by

Photo by John Charles Robbins

Restaurant would rise on riverbank in the center of picture. The marine business is at right, out of photo.

administrative warrant. The warrant process is a special conditional use that is decided by the city’s planning director and is subject to appeal by neighboring property owners. The granting of a warrant can be appealed first to the city’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board, and that decision can be appealed to the city commission. That’s the path this project has taken. On April 7, Planning Direc-

tor Francisco Garcia approved a warrant for the project, with several conditions. Mr. Offutt, who’d already hired a lawyer to protect his interests, appealed the decision approving the warrant. The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board first heard the appeal May 17, and the board backed Mr. Garcia and denied the appeal in a 9-2 vote. The appeal is now before the Miami City Commission. On

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July 27 the case was deferred until the commission’s Sept. 28 meeting. In a four-page decision on the warrant, prepared by the planning staff and signed by Mr. Garcia, one finding is that the application is to permit a private yacht club and lounge with yacht sales/rentals at the property with an accessory food service establishment with outdoor dining areas within a D3 Transect Zone. “The accessory, onsite restaurant maintains a water dependent use by emphasizing local seafood, furthermore providing a dock space for commercial fishing vessels to unload and sell their seafood,” the decision reads. The warrant was granted, but along with more than a dozen conditions, including: Development must be consistent with the Sept. 2, 2016, plans entitled “River Arts Complex - Warrant Submittal” by Berenblum Busch Architecture Inc. Off-site parking is required for a proposed valet service. The planning director must validate sufficient off-site parking before a building permit is issued. The Class I and Marine Operating Permits must be approved before a building permit is issued. Throughout all phases, the project must comply with the Lower River design development regulations of both the Miami River Greenway Action Plan and the Miami River Greenway Regulatory Design Standards. Brick pavers can’t cover critical root zones of trees and a state-licensed arborist must prepare a tree protection plan before construction to show how the pavers can be installed without damaging those root systems. A landscape plan in accordance with the Miami 21 zoning code is required before construction. Signage must be reviewed under a separate permit application and isn’t part of the warrant. Musical devices or instruments can’t be used from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. unless said the music is in a closed building and can’t be heard outside to

disturb others nearby. Noise complaints must be resolved immediately. The warrant can be revoked for failure to comply with the conditions. Mr. Offutt has said his Biscayne Towing & Salvage is loud, smelly and operates around the clock. He said a restaurant next door is incompatible with his shipyard and he’s worried he’ll be regulated out of business. Tucker Gibbs, attorney for the shipyard, argues in the appeal that the proposed food service establishment use isn’t an accessory use to the proposed yacht club and lounge with yacht sales and rentals. “There is no evidence in the record that shows that the proposed private yacht club and lounge is the principal use and that the proposed food service establishment is accessory to that use,” he wrote. Mr. Gibbs wrote that the appeal board’s denial of the appeal is contrary to provisions of the Port of Miami River portion of the City of Miami Comprehensive Plan, including: That the Port of the Miami River be protected from encroachment by non-water dependent and non-water related uses. “The proposed food service establishment is not water dependent nor is it water related,” he wrote. The plan requires the city to encourage and maintain working waterfront uses within the Port of Miami River Working Waterfront. The plan requires the city to discourage encroachment into the working river by incompatible uses. Mr. Gibbs goes on to say the appeal board’s denial of the appeal is not only inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, it’s also inconsistent with the guiding principles of the Miami 21 code. At previous meetings before the Miami River Commission and its subcommittees, Mr. Karmely spoke of his affection for the river. “We are very committed to the river,” he said, mentioning that his company is behind one of the largest projects on the river. One River Point is planned as dual 60-story residential towers connected at the top with a private club and at the bottom with a giant waterfall, along with a series of high-end lodging units on the top floors. Mr. Karmely said the river is the heart of the city. He said the key to development along the river is how to “weave the fabric of the river” into other uses – uses that open the river to different constituencies. The river can be a place for multiple uses, he said, including restaurants and lounges. At a special river commission meeting early this year, a motion to recommend a warrant for the River Arts Complex failed on a vote of 6 “no” to 5 “yes.” At the same meeting, the river commission recommended denial of a similar proposal for a marine-industrial site further up river.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

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MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

TODAY’S NEWS

Miami captures 22% of US airport improvements jackpot By Gabi Maspons

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded this week over $36 million in infrastructure grants to Miami International Airport to reconstruct and rehabilitate taxiways to improve the safety and efficiency of airport operations. The FAA announced the grant through its Airport Improvement Program, which awarded a total of $162.4 million to 72 airports around the US to fund infrastructure projects. Miami International Airport received over 22% of the total grants. The $36 million grant is broken into three components: $23.5 million to reconstruct Taxiway R; $12.5 million to rehabilitate Taxiways S, T and their perpendicular taxiway connectors; and $779,013 to reconfigure Taxiway M5, which was identified as a potential risk by the FAA as part of its Runway Incursion Mitigation Management Analysis. Elaine Chao, secretary of the US Department of Transportation, said, “The Airport Improvement Program helps to maintain our aviation infrastructure and supports safety, capacity, security and

“This is an important investment in Miami International Airport’s air service and the economic vitality of the region,” said Elaine Chao.

environmental improvements.” Airports are entitled to a certain amount of Airport Improvement Program funding each year based on their passenger volume, but the FAA can supplement with discretionary funds if the capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, the FAA said. MIA was entitled to a total of $27.6 million according to the FAA, and it accessed an additional $9 million of discretionary funds for the construction of Taxiway R. The FAA is providing discre-

tionary funds to 25 of the 72 airports “based on their high-priority project needs,” the FAA said. To address the potential risk of Taxiway M5, “the grant will cover the cost to reduce the overall pavement width, reconfiguring its taxiway lights and installation of new pavement markings,” said Ammad Riaz, chief of the Aviation Planning Division at MIA. The Airport Improvement Grants fund up to 75% of the total project amount, the FAA said. The airport said they will cover the remaining 25% of the

total cost through the Multiyear Capital Plan fund. The three components of the grant are all part of a larger overall project called MIA Taxiways R, S & T Pavement Rehabilitation Project, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2021. As for the timeline, federal grants are available Oct. 1, and the airport said the construction notice to proceed is Nov. 1. The airport’s timeline aligns with the FAA’s required completion date: Asked if the funding comes with time constraints, the FAA said, “The airport has a maximum of four years to complete the funded project.” MIA has 66 taxiways shared by both passenger and cargo planes, so the construction and rehabilitation shouldn’t interfere with regular airport operations too much, the airport said: “The project will be phased and constructed in segments,” Mr. Riaz said. “Detours and rerouting of taxiing aircrafts will be required.” Rehabilitation of a taxiway consists of removing a two-inch depth of asphalt and replacing it with three inches of new asphalt,

replacing taxiway centerline lights and edge lights and painting pavement markings, the airport said. “New pavement provides better traction for taxiing aircraft, thereby improving taxi performance and safety,” Mr. Riaz said. “New taxiway edge lights and taxiway centerline lights provide better visual guidance at night time and during inclement weather for aircraft taxiing operation for additional safety.” Asked how relocating Taxiway R will improve safety, Mr. Riaz said “it will allow cargo aircraft landing heading to the west side cargo area to avoid an active runway crossing, which is a huge safety improvement.” In addition to making MIA safer, the reconstruction will also grow airfield capacity. “Upon completion of this project, Taxiway R will be able to accommodate Airplane Design Group VI aircraft (i.e. A380 and B747-8), which will increase the airfield capacity of MIA,” Mr. Riaz said. Ms. Chao said, “This is an important investment in Miami International Airport’s air service and the economic vitality of the region.”

Venetian Causeway a replacement target By Katya Maruri

The Florida Department of Transportation’s study of the Venetian Causeway that began last October to address known structural and functional deficiencies of the 12 bridges that make up the causeway is moving ahead to determine whether to rehabilitate, replace or do nothing to those bridges. The county’s stated aim, however, is complete replacement. The historic causeway, built in 1926, connects a cluster of 11 man-made residential islands with ten fixed bridges and two bascule bridges. As recently as last year, the causeway’s West Venetian Bascule Bridge was repaired for $12.4 million, adding 60 years of life to the bridge. It reopened on Feb. 29, 2016. Since then, the state transportation department has been conducting a project development and environment study of the causeway to make future bridge rehabilitation and replacement

eligible for federal funds. “The replacement of the causeway would be the best option at this point,” said Dennis Fernandez, bridge engineering manager for the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works. “Currently, under the study we are required by the feds to analyze each option until early 2019. If it is decided to replace the causeway, a design phase of three years will take place, followed by four years of construction.” During the first year of the design phase, a consultant would be hired to undertake the design process. Once a consultant was chosen, the next two years would be solely dedicated to design. After the design process was completed, the project would take another year to hire a contractor and another four years to complete construction. “Throughout the construction phase we plan to maintain all traffic on the causeway,” Mr. Fernandez said. “We don’t want the causeway to shut down as a

Bridges on the Venetian Causeway underwent extensive repairs in 2010. State study eyes their future.

result of this process.” The study is currently being funded by Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Transportation. The county hopes to receive federal funding for the replacement of the causeway as a result of the study, Mr. Fernandez said. “Funding for the design phase will come from Miami-Dade

County,” he said. “Hopefully, though, the federal government will be participants throughout this process and provide federal funding.” In anticipation of replacing the causeway, the department of transportation and the county’s public works team plan to have designs for replacing the causeway ready

to go by the time a decision is made so they can be ahead of the game and work with the department of transportation and other consultants involved in the project to accelerate the process. “At the end of the day,” Mr. Fernandez said, “our intent is to replace all the bridges and the causeway.”

Wynwood hunts path to escape city art spending guidelines By Catherine Lackner

There’s been some movement in the efforts of the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) to obtain a carve-out from the City of Miami’s Art in Public Places program but victory is far from assured, board members heard Monday. “There has been a modest concession from the city attorney’s office that we be given a year [after the ordinance goes into effect] to develop guidelines” for the district’s art, said David Polinsky, BID board member, chair of its Planning & Zoning Committee and

principal of 250 Wynwood. “It’s an 18-month car ride, but they still insist that our guidelines be subject to theirs. It’s my strongly held belief that it would be a disaster. Our definition of art and artists is so different from theirs,” he said. Since last year, art-centric Wynwood has been campaigning for an exclusion from the proposed new rules, arguing that the district is known for its artworks, many of them colorful, unconventional murals. Miami’s art program would require developers or remodelers of projects valued at more than $1 million to either include art that

is appraised at 1.25% of their construction costs or contribute 1% of the project’s value into a fund. Art would then be selected and placed by a committee. But Wynwood has its own Design Review Committee that has been charged with putting together an art plan for the district. The committee last met on a Friday night at 6:30, which may have been an attempt to dissuade observers, Mr. Polinsky said. He did not attend, but one art professional who was there told him the committee was “trash-talking the idea of a carve-out for Wynwood.”

“The fix is in,” said board member David Lombardi, a principal of Lombardi Properties. “Should we ask The Bakehouse Complex and ArtCenter South Florida to join in?” The next meeting is in October, Mr. Polinsky said, and it’s important for the arts community to appeal to the city commission. Board member Jonathon Yormak, cofounder and managing principal of East End Capital, suggested a letter be sent to all property owners, explaining the importance of the carve-out to preserve Wynwood’s unique character.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

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