Euclid & Pennsylvania -- Community Meeting Workshop; Mon, Aug 2nd, 4pm, City Manager Conf Room, at City Hall

Community Meeting Notice
Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association
Workshop Meeting to Consider
Euclid / Pennsylvania Ave Streetscape Design
Monday, August 2, 2010, 4:00 pm --
in the City Manager’s Conference Room
4th Floor City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach

Featured Guest – Mike Lydon – Co-Author of Smart Growth Manual
He wrote the book on street design that puts pedestrians + bicycles first and recognizes streets as public space, describing sense of place, not speedy auto pace! Mike Lydon – Bio -- http://www.streetplans.org/leadership_mike_lydon.php

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association will host an important Workshop Meeting to address details in the Euclid / Pennsylvania -- Flamingo Capital Improvement Streetscape Project -- Monday, August 2nd, 4:00 pm, City Manager's Conf Room, Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive, 4th Floor

The project vision is well set out in the Basis of Design Report adopted by the City Commission in 2002 -- Enhance the pedestrian experience, Calm Traffic, Increase Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility, with a resulting positive impact on our Sense of Place! While Euclid Avenue was identified as the targeted model block, the Neighorhood has agreed to support the bicylce lane on Euclid in return for narrowing all other north/south Avenues. The discussion has now evolved into a consideration of Pennsylvania Avenue.

The public right of way is 70' and the current auto travel lane is 17', so there's plenty of room to work with. But if we accept 12' auto/bike shared lane, 8' for parking, 2' existing private encroachment, 7'planing area swale -- the yield only permits a 1' increase from 5' to 6' for the sidewalk. The neighborhood does not perceive that as a sufficient pedestrian enhancement. We are interested as well in appropriate tree and landscaping selection, the composition of the swale, appropriate signage and selection of other street amenities that contribute to a greener and safer environment.

This workshop meeting is intended to engage the neighborhood together with the responsible city and county officials, and other stakeholders in a collaborative discussion to reasonably meet the various competing needs. Your participation is very important to us.

Flamingo – the historic, urban neighborhood in South Beach
from Washington to Lincoln, from 5th Street to Lincoln Road
All residents of the the neighborhood are invited to attend and participate.

Denis Russ Direct Line -- 305-672-4782
Miami Beach CDC -- at The Seymour
945 Pennsylvania Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
T-305-538-0090 --- F-305-538-2863
Denis@MiamiBeachCDC.org

Workshop Meeting -- Euclid / Pennsylvania Avenue -- Design Detail

Monday, August 2, 2010, 4:00 pm
City Manager's Conf Room, Mia Bch City Hall

You are cordially invited to join us at this important Workshop Meeting to address Urban Design detail in the Flamingo Capital Improvement Streetscape Project -- Monday, August 2nd, 4:00 pm, City Manager's Conf Room, Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Conv Ctr Drive, 4th Floor.


The project vision is well established in the Basis of Design Report adopted by the City Commission in 2002 -- Enhance the pedestrian experience, Calm Traffic, Increase Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility, with a resulting positive contribution on enhancing our Sense of Place!  

While Euclid Avenue was identified as the targeted model block, the Neighorhood has agreed to support the bicylce lane on Euclid in return for narrowing all other north/south Avenues. The discussion has now evolved into a consideration of Pennsylvania Avenue.

The public right of way is 70' and the current auto travel lane is 17', so there's plenty of room to work with. But if we accept 12' auto/bike shared lane, 8' for parking, 2' existing private encroachment, 7' planing area swale -- the yield only permits a 1' increase from 5' to 6' for the sidewalk. The neighborhood does not perceive that as a sufficient pedestrian enhancement and the bike/ped urban design literatrue supports a narrower roadway.

This workshop meeting is intendded to engage the neighborhood together with responsible city and county officials, and the other stakebholder in a collaborative discussion to reasonably meet the various competing needs. Your input is very important to us.

RSVP: Please let us know if you will be able to join us.

Denis Russ          Direct Line -- 305-672-4782
Miami Beach CDC -- at The Seymour
945 Pennsylvania Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
T-305-538-0090   ---   F-305-538-2863
Denis@MiamiBeachCDC.org

City of Miami Beach Planning Board -- Meets on Tuesday, July 27th, 1:30pm

Judy Robertson and Jack Johnson remind us
of Important Matters to be considered

Important matters considered by the Associaiton are scheduled to be heard at the Planning Board

File No. 1946 / Alton Road Historic District Buffer Overlay

File No. 1965 / Alton Road Parking District (new)
File No. 1969 and 1970 / 1600 Lenox Avenue rezoning matters 
File No. 1967 / Bed and Breakfasts / amending eligibility

Jack Johnson urges, "We've got lots of new stuff on our plates, but it's very important that we not lose track of the old stuff, which as we've seen, can change behind our backs if we're not vigilant.


"Next Tuesday, the Planning Board (which has new members who may/may not be sympathetic to our issues) will rehear the Alton Road Historic District Buffer Overlay. It's essential that as many of us as possible be there to protect the hard-fought protections that we've been seeking against overdevelopment along the east side of Alton Road. If we aren't there in force, we could easily lose those protections. Without them, the next economic boom could bring a series of development projects to the west edge of our neighborhood.

"Also on the agenda is a new Alton Road Parking District. You can find the agenda at http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/planning/scroll.aspx?id=27480."

Flamingo Southeast CIP Project Information -- Provided by City of Miami Beach

Flamingo Neighborhood Improvement Project
Construction Activity is currently underway.


The WATER MAIN IMPROVEMENTS for the Flamingo Neighborhood Improvement Project began on July 6, 2010 and are estimated to be completed by October 2010. Weather and other unforeseen circumstances may alter the anticipated schedule. The balance of underground utility and neighborhood improvements, which will consist of lighting, drainage, hardscape, landscaping and roadway improvements, are currently being designed/permitted, and will be forthcoming after the water main installations are complete.

CONTACT FOR PROJECT INFORMATION: 

Ric-Man International, Inc., Yarni Fernandez, Public Information Officer, 1210 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, Florida 33139,
8:00AM to 5:00PMPhone: (305) 535-1743, Fax: (305) 535-1745,
Email: yfernandez@ric-man.us

Project Limits: Washington to Meridian, 7th to 9th Streets -- The work will take place between the west side of Washington Avenue and the east side of Jefferson Avenue from 7th Street to 9the Street.



Maintenance of Traffic:  Throughout construction the contractor will strive to minimize impacts to area commuters and residents. The illustration above demonstrates a typical road closure during the improvements.



Pedestrian Impacts:  Pedestrian access will be maintained during construction; however, for safety purposes, the contractor may close sections of sidewalk and crosswalks at certain times while the work is underway. In such cases alternate pedestrian routes will be provided with proper signage.



Impacts During Construction:  Although the contractor strives to minimize all impacts associated with construction; motorists, businesses and pedestrians may experience one or more of the following inconveniences:

∙ Temporary impacts to on street parking
∙ Periods of dust and noise
∙ Pedestrian and vehicular traffic impacts
∙ Construction crews and equipment within work zone and adjacent neighborhood
∙ Storage of materials on site
∙ Temporary water service interruptions (Advanced notification will be provided)

Public Works Department / Capital Improvement Projects Department -- Develops Project Descriptioon

Project Coordinator Rick Saltrick
has provided this descriptive information
 
City of Miami Beach Public Works Department is developing a description of the Euclid Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue Roadway Improvements to guide and document the implementation of the project, provide information to the community, and for presentation to the Historic Preservation Board to modify the adopted BODR – Basis of Design Review. The work will be carried out by the Capital Improvements Project Department.


You may access the current draft from the following links:

Euclid Avenue Roadway Improvements -- http://flamingomb.org/3Q2010/EuclidPubWksDesc_07222010.pdf

Pennsylvania Avenue Roadway Improvements -- http://flamingomb.org/3Q2010/PennPubWksDesc_07222010.pdf



The Euclid Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue descriptive material includes the following information:

Euclid Avenue
Existing Conditions -- Section Depiction,  Roadway Images,  Sidewalk Images,  Intersections
Basis of Design Report -- Narrative Abstract,  BODR Section Depiction
Master Bicycle Plan -- South Beach Section Map,  Proposed Bike Lane Section,  Proposed Intersections
Proposed Landscaping Treatment  --  Proposed Tree and Landscape Selection

Pennsylvania Avenue
Existing Conditions -- Typical Section Depiction, Roadway Images, Sidewalk Images,  Intersections
Basis of Design Report -- BODR Section Depiction
Proposed Reduced Lane Width  -- Typical Section Depiction

Questions or concerns related to current construction now underway in the Flamingo Southeast Project Area (from Washington to Meridian, from 7th to 9th Streets) can be addressed to YAMI FERNANDEZ, Public Information Officer for the General Contractor -- 305-535-1743 or yfernandez@ric-man.us . 

Project Construction Commences -- Contact Information for GC Public Information Officer

Flamingo Park Neighborhood Meeting
held on Monday, July 19, 2010

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association met on Monday, July 19, 2010 to hear the status of the Flamingo Southeast Project presented by representatives of the City of Miami Beach Public Works Department and Capital Improvement Projects Department.  The meeting was described in the following article appearing in The Miami Herald.  http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/20/1738546/road-work-has-begun-in-flamingo.html

Construction has already begun on the project which is located from Washington to Meridian, from 7th to 9th Streets.  The General Contractor is Ric-Man International, Inc. Their Public Information Officer -- Yami Fernandez -- is available to answer questions and respond to concerns about the project at 305-535-1743 and she can be reached by e-mail at yfernandez@ric-man.us .  

Association Supports Bike Lane on Euclid; Calls for Urban Design Workshop Charrette to Narrow the other North/South Avenues

At its meeting on Monday evening, July 19th,
the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association---

-- Agreed to support the Euclid Avenue bike lane in return for the City moving to the appropriate narrowing of all other north/south avenues;

-- Asked that the City join us in conducting a design workshop charrette to address the design characteristics of Pennsylvania Avenue as a model for the other north/south avenues. Concern was expressed that 12' auto travel lane is too great; 6' sidewalk is too narrow; selection of appropriate n'hood signage is important.

There was general support of the enunciated vision:  reduce the travel lanes, in order to enhance the pedestrian experience, support an integrated bicycle network and calm traffic.   

But if we give 12' to the County for the bike sharrow, 7' to parks for trees, 8' for parking --  there's just a one foot yield to increase sidewalks from 5' to 6'.  Its just not a sufficient pedestrian enhancement!

We hope to conduct the design workshop charrettee on Monday, August 2nd, at 5;00pm, which will be sufficiently in advance of the scheduled Historic Preservation Board to have credible input into the final urban design program for the area.

Meeting on Monday -- To Finalize Euclid & Pennsylvania Urban Design -- Flamingo Southeast Kickoff

Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association
Meeting Notice and Agenda
Monday, July 19, 2010, 5:00 pm
at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue

          5:00 pm Southeast Flamingo Project Information 
Learn all about the Project -- Washington to Meridian, 7th to 9th Streets
Water Distribution, Stormwater Drainage, Streetscape Improvement
Traffic Calming, narrowing the auto travel lanes, bulbous at the corners, Increasing the swale to plant Shade Trees, widen the sidewalks, improve safe mobility for pedestrians and cyclists including a bicycle network with bike paths, boulevards, lands and routes.

          6:00 pm General Meeting / Regular Agenda
Building & Sustaining Quality of Life for those who live, work and visit
Euclid Avenue Bike Lane / Narrowing all other north/south Avenues
Presentation of Proposal for 1600 Lennox Avenue -- Michael Larkin

Flamingo Agenda Focus Areas -- Quick Updates

Communication and Outreach -- Tammy Young
Park Masterplan / Implementing Projects -- Wanda Mouzon
CIP N'hood Projects -- Judy Robertson / Ben Bachelder
Crime Prevention & Safety -- Aaron Sugarman
Preservation & Planning -- Jeff Donnelly & Mark Needle
Family Friendly Promgrams -- Adam Shadroff

FLAMINGO -- the historic urban residential neighborhood in South Beach -- from Washington to Alton, from Fifth St to Lincoln Road -- All residents are invited to attend and participate.

Sixth Street Quality of Life WALKABOUT -- Friday, July 16, 2010, 9:30am, Meet at the Las Olas Cafe

The City of Miami Beach Community Resource Outreach Team is coordinating a WALKABOUT in the Sixth Street area to identify issues that impact the quality of life of area residents and businesses.  The Team will be joined by representatives of the Police Department and the Code Enforcement Division. 

The group will gather at Las Olas Cafe, 644 Sixth Street on this Friday, July 16, 2010, at 9:30am.    Members of the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association are invited to participate. 

This important activity is being coordinated by Lynn W. Bernstein, Community Resource Outreach Team, Office of the City Manager - Tel: 305-673-7000 x6178 / cell: 786-229-3972 - LynnBernstein@MiamiBeachFL.gov.

Meeting Notice -- Monday, July 19, 2010, 5pm -- Project Information Kick-Off

Neighborhood Meeting Notice
Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association
Community Information and General Meeting
Monday, July 19, 2010, 5:00 pm
at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue
5:00 pm – Southeast Flamingo Project -- Community Kick-off
6:00 pm – Regular, General Meeting

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association will meet on Monday, July 19, 2010, 5;00pm, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue. Flamingo Park Neighborhood – from Fifth to Lincoln, from Washington to Alton – All residents of the neighborhood are invited to attend and participate.



At 5:00 pm representatives of the City of Miami Beach Capital Improvements Projects Department and Public Works Department will join with featured guest, the selected design/build contractor Ric-Man International, Inc. to provide information and answer questions about the commencement of the Southeast Flamingo Project. This is a long anticipated major construction project that will improve water distribution, stormwater drainage and streetscape improvement in the area – from Washington to Meridian, from 7th Street to 9th Street. Streetscape Improvements will include the beginning of a major program to address traffic calming and improve pedestrian and bicycle mobility throughout the neighborhood. Special feature of the program is bump-outs at the curbs and increased sidewalk and swale for planning shade trees.

This Community Presentation will be followed by the regular meeting at 6:00 pm with a focus upon Building and Sustaining Quality of Life in our historic urban residential neighborhood in South Beach. This will include final consideration and action by the Association on the Euclid Avenue Improvements as a part of the Flamingo Neighborhood Mobility Network to promote traffic calming and an improved pedestrian and bicycle network for the neighborhood. Other program elements include – Communication and Outreach, Preservation and Planning, Crime Prevention and Safety, Improvements to Flamingo Park, and continued Neighborhood Capital Improvement Projects. An additional area to be discussed at the meeting is promoting the neighborhood for families.

At the CIP Oversight Committee meeting it was recommended to move forward with the Southeast Flamingo Project with a bike lane on Euclid Avenue, but with narrowing Pennsylvania Avenue.  The Administration indicated its support for narrowing all other north-south Avenues!!

Flamingo will Host Webinar Internet Seminar on Bike Boulevards + Greenways

Bicycle Boulevards and Neighborhood Greenways

Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 3:00 to 4:00 pm

Miami Beach CDC, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue

5 Participants may join us for this Internet Webinar, sponsored by

apbp -- Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals

Learn about the evolving best practices in the creation of bicycle boulevards. This webinar will be drawn from lessons learned in Portland, Ore., as well as across the nation. Presenters Mia Birk, CEO, Alta Planning + Design, and Greg Raisman, Traffic Safety Specialist, Portland Bureau of Transportation, will describe the current state of the practice and the next big thing—neighborhood greenways, which incorporate the idea of bicycle boulevards with green streets, neighborhood enhancements, and community building; this larger vision can appeal to more people and help with funding.

Advance Registration is required.  Please contact Denis Russ at 305-672-4782, Denis@MiamiBeachCDC.org.

The webinar will focus on helping to fully optimize existing bicycle boulevards, through

• route selection
• levels of intervention
• examples of challenges and solutions for a range of design issues
• neighborhood greenway strategies, and
• processes for getting project buy-in and approval.

Presenters:

Mia Birk is CEO and Principal at Alta Planning + Design, with 20 years experience in sustainable transportation focused on pedestrian, bicycle, trail and greenway planning, design and implementation. She is also Adjunct Professor at Portland State University, where she co-founded the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) in the College of Urban Studies. She is the co-author of the PSU IBPI Bicycle Boulevard Planning and Design Guidebook. Mia was the City of Portland Bicycle Program Manager from 1993-99, where she led a period of rapid growth of Portland's bikeway network. She has led numerous groundbreaking studies in the field of non-motorized transportation and is a co-founder of the Cities for Cycling project of the National Association for City Transportation Officials.

  

Greg Raisman is a Traffic Safety Specialist with the Portland Bureau of Transportation. He works in the Traffic Operations Division on the Community and School Traffic Safety Partnership team. Greg specializes in bicycle safety, school and residential traffic safety, drunk driving, red light cameras and crash data mapping and analysis. Greg's current projects include developing a citywide network of neighborhood greenways, utilizing "green streets" for traffic calming, and building programs to increase behavior change from multi-modal police enforcement.

Flamingo Neighborhood Project Report at CIP Oversight Committee -- Monday, July 12, 2010, 5:30pm

The Capital Improvement Projects Oversight Committee will meet Monday, July 12, 2010, 5:30 pm, in the Commission Chambers at City Hall. Join us for this important meeting. You may access the Agenda and the Flamingo Report at the following link:      http://flamingomb.org/3Q2010/CIP_OC_07122010.pdf

The Flamingo Report at the CIP Oversight Committee will include information and discussion on

• Stormwater Masterplan -- First task is to develop a model of the Flamingo Lummus West Ave N'hoods and develop design improvements for use in Neighborhood Capital Projects.
• Phase I Project 10E -- Washington to Meridian, 7th to 9th Streets.  This will include discussion of Euclid Avenue Improvements and the resolution of the conflict between the BODR and the Bicycle Masterplan.  This report and discussion will determine the manner of implementing the Euclid Avenue Improvements and the possible treatment of all other north/south Avenues in the Neighborhood.
• Flamingo Park Projects

Completed Projects -- perimeter fencing, playground equipment, dog park expansion
Additional Projects --
Football Field turf and scoreboard / Renovation of Running Track
Baseball Field restoration / Perimeter Landscaping
Community Garden / Handball Courts
New Restroom Building / Lodge Building Renovation
Renovate Softball Field Bathrooms / Skate Park Construction
Other Elements -- Park Grading, Hardscape, Furnishings and Signage, etc.

Meeting Notice:  The next meeting of the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association will be held on Monday, July 19, 2010, 5:00 pm, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue.  All residents of the neighborhood are invited to attend and participate. 

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood -- Fifth Street to Lincoln Road, Washington Avenue to Alton Road -- the historic, urban residential neighborhood in South Beach.  Our Assoication works to build and sustain Quality of Life for those who live, work and visit our community. 

CIP Oversight Committee Meets on Monday Evening; Project Plan: Add Shade Trees, Calm Auto Traffic, Promote Neighbothood Mobility for Pedestrians and Bicyclists

We urge you to attend the Capital Improvements Projects Oversight Committee (the CIP OC) meeting this Monday, July 12, 2010, 5:30pm, in Commission Chambers at City Hall.

 CIP OC will receive a report on the current status of Flamingo Projects, including projects in Flamingo Park and in the Neighborhood – water distribution, stormwater drainage and streetscape projects.

 Substantial controversy has arisen with respect to Euclid Avenue Improvements due to a conflict between the Basis of Design Report (BODR) for Flamingo and the Bicycle Masterplan – both documents adopted by vote of the City Commission. The Flamingo Neighborhood Association has called for the implementation of Euclid Avenue Improvements as specified in the BODR – with 12’ travel lane, adequate swale for planting shade trees, and enlarged sidewalks, but without an additional 5’ bicycle lane as specified in the Bicycle Masterplan.

 In a meeting Friday with City Officials representatives of Flamingo made the point that proposed streetscape projects for Euclid were intended to serve as a model for reducing the asphalt throughout the neighborhood, increasing shade trees and landscaping, and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle mobility. City Officials expressed concern with removing the bike lane or even moving it to another street. Representatives of Flamingo expressed support for a Neighborhood Bicycle Network providing a hierarchy of bike facilities – including bike paths, lanes, boulevards and routes or sharrows where bikes and autos shared the roadway.

 Flamingo representatives made the point that if Euclid were to become a wide Avenue with separated 5’ bike lane and 10’ auto lane, then a commitment should be made to reduce the width of the roadways on all  other north/south Avenues and then they should be designated as sharrows and a part of the Flamingo Mobility Network.—providing adequate circulation for pedestrians, bicyclists and autos in that order of priority.

1. In this first section of the Flamingo CIP project, narrow the roadway on Pennsylvania Avenue to 10’ to 12’ providing increased sidewalk and swale.
2. Make the commitment to continue this narrowing treatment for Pennsylvania as the project moves northward in later stages.
3. Use the narrowing of Pennsylvania as a model and make a commitment to similarly narrow all of the other north / south Avenues in later states of the Flamingo CIP program.
4. Embrace the policy of a Flamingo Neighborhood Mobility Network that provides adequate circulation for pedestrians, bicyclists and autos in that order of priority, implement Euclid Avenue Bicycle Lane, and mark all other streets in Flamingo as Bicycle Routes with shared space for bikes and autos.

 Join us at Monday’s meeting to see just how this way of looking at the Neighborhood is developed and further presented.

 

July Meeting Rescheduled to Monday, July 19th, 5:30pm, at The Seymour; CIP OC will meet on Mon, Jul 12, '10

There will be no meeting on July 5th.  The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association regularly meets at 5:30 pm, on the first Monday of each month, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Because of the July 4th Holiday Weekend the July Meeting is re-scheduled to Monday, July 19, 2010, 5:30 pm.   We anticipate that this meeting will include a presentation by the City and Ric-Man International on the Phase I Southeast Section Improvment Program. 

On Monday, July 12, 2010 the CIP Oversight Committee is scheduled to meet at 5:30pm in the City of Miami Beach Commission Chambers, at City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive. 

Please plan to join us for this important meeting!  We anticipate a report on the status of Capital Improvement Projects in the Flamingo Park Neighborhood, including Flamingo Park Projects and initiation of Phase I Southeast Section of Capital Project -- Water Districtuion, Stormwater Drainage and Streetscape.  We are also hopeful that there will be a satisfactory resolution of the Euclid Avenue Improvement program with a priority on pedestrian circulation and a shared roadway that will accommodate cyclists and autos.