The Street Plans Collaborative is working with the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association to help articulate the vision for safer neighborhood streets in Miami Beach. Located in the heart the City's Art Deco historic district, Flamingo Park is home to an outdated automobile infrastructure that encourages motorists to speed in an otherwise highly walkable urban neighborhood. Working alongside local advocates, TSPC is recommending the City undertake a significant "road diets" approach to calm the neighborhood's north-south avenues, which currently feature 17' travel lanes. inadequate shade trees, and narrow 5' sidewalks.

--
The Street Plans Collaborative
Flamingo Park Street Redesign Workshop Initiative
Report Memorandum -- August 2, 2010

This memorandum is intended to summarize the results from the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association’s (FPNA) Better Street Design Advocacy Workshop held on August 2, 2010. The Street Plans Collaborative, Inc. is pleased to have contributed to these important efforts. We hope the FPNA will consider our firm as an ongoing resource as this important advocacy effort continues to move forward.

To be sure, numerous emails sent over the past few days have summarized the challenges involved with advocating for sensible street redesign solutions in the Flamingo Park Neighborhood. However, the success of the FPNA’s advocacy efforts --this week and the many leading up to it— have been well-documented by FPNA’s leaders, including Denis, Randall, Judy, Xavier, Adam, Wanda, Steve, Tammy, and several others. If one thing was clear, it’s that the City of Miami Beach understands the neighborhood’s well-organized position on the FPNA’s position on the myriad of issues at hand. What follows is a summary of this position, which is supported by our recommendations.

Recommendations:

Curb-to-curb street reconfiguration

While it is preferred that the neighborhood continue advocating for a 7’-10’ -10’– 7’ curb-to-curb configuration on all streets except for Euclid Avenue, 8’ parking will not greatly disturb the overall integrity of the street design so long as the movement lanes remain at 10’. To be clear, there are many examples of 7’ parking lanes proving to be safe and desirable. The Street Plans Collaborative is happy to furnish said examples upon request. Yet, our notes indicate that Jeff Cohen of Miami-Dade County stated that 7’ parking lanes would only be appropriate when complimented by a two-foot valley gutter, effectively making the total non-travel lane width 9’. See below for our opinion on this design solution.

Valley Gutter

Using a valley gutters to handle stormwater was proposed as a possible solution to keep parking lanes narrow (7’). The valley gutter would be placed between the travel lane and vehicular parking lane. We believe this to be an unnecessary solution because:

1) it causes the motorist to more frequently step into flowing water during a storm event;

2) it may be 7’ for the paved parking lane, but it adds a potential two feet to the parking lane, without taking away space from the travel lane; better to keep an 8’ parking lane with a traditional curb and gutter;

3) Motorists are apt to park squarely on the valley of the gutter

See the photos attached to the email to see how this is being applied in the downtown Miami.

Neighborhood Bikeways

The Street Plans Collaborative recognizes and supports the relative importance of dedicated bicycle facilities in supporting non-motorized transportation. Thus, it is our recommendation that the inclusion of a dedicated, well-designed north-south bikeway in the Flamingo Park Neighborhood remains on Euclid Avenue. This bikeway “spine” will help concentrate cyclists and provide an identifiable north-south corridor for bicycle travel between the SoFi and Flamingo Park neighborhoods. It will also provide needed connections to the existing 16th Street Bicycle Lane.

Alternatively, Shared Use Lane Markings (sharrows) may be considered on other streets, including 11th Street and Meridian Avenue where bicycle travel is common but ROW/context does not allow/require a dedicated bicycle lane facility. In conjunction with the proposed sharrows on Washington Avenue, and proposed bicycle lanes on Euclid and Alton, the neighborhood will be well-served by bikeways connecting important citywide destinations.

Finally, it is recommended that when a bicycle lane is placed between the parking lane and the travel lane, that the bicycle lane meet the minimum standard of 5’. Furthermore, it is recommended that the parking lane be 8’ wide, and not the 7’ as previously proposed. This is consistent with national best bikeway practices, and is supported by Miami-Dade County’s own standards.

We concur that the FPNA should support the Miami Beach City Commission in revising the BODR to include the above proposed 5’ bicycle lanes on Euclid Avenue,  in return for achieving a curb-to-curb configuration not in exceed a 8’-10’-10’-8’ (36’) section on all other north-south local neighborhood streets (Lenox, Michigan, Etc.)

Bulb-outs

It is our recommendation that the FPNA continue advocating for bulb-outs in the neighborhood. Significant research from around the country demonstrates that these traffic-calming devices not only calm traffic when implemented in conjunction with narrow travel lanes, but also reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians. Additionally, the added visibility and reduction in time required to cross the street is particularly important for our society’s most vulnerable street users: children and the elderly. Indeed, the City will only be better off if it actively fosters an environment in Miami Beach where it is increasingly safe to “age in place.”

Swales, sidewalks, encroachments

The swale-sidewalk configuration has yet to be determined in detail, as too many factors remain unknown. However, we concur with the FPNA that reorganizing the pedestrian zone and the planting zone to be conducive to walking and providing a shaded environment must be a priority. At a minimum, 6’+ of unobstructed sidewalk space is essential to creating an environment that is comfortable for pedestrian circulation within the neighborhood.

Per the comments of Steve Mouzon and other FPNA leaders, it seems the City should further study the required planting strip width for the planting of street trees that may reach the desired canopy.

Additionally, the planting zone should be designed flexibly so that the space between the tree/vegetation plantings accommodate a variety of amenities (street furniture, signs, bicycle parking, newspaper vending, etc.) This will help keep such elements out of the sidewalk and organize the street in a manner that maximizes walkability.

Finally, the issue of encroachment remains an issue that is unlikely to be solved without fervent debate. It is our opinion that rather than reclaiming the encroachments outright, a nuanced approach is necessary. Primarily we recommend that the City of Miami Beach begin enforcing the current ordinance requiring property owners to maintain their hedge and tree growth in a manner that minimizes their impact on the sidewalk. As other FPNA members have already pointed out, much of the neighborhood’s character is derived from the great variety of gates, walls, hedges, and plantings that help define the neighborhood’s public and private realm. While, some of the issues associated with hedge and other property encroachments may be alleviated by the eventual presence of wider sidewalks, reasonable enforcement could greatly improve the existing condition of the sidewalk.

The Re-Classification of Pennsylvania Avenue

Given its current function, the Collector Road’ classification bestowed upon Pennsylvania Avenue is unjustified. However, according to the Federal Highway Administration, a Collector Road:

“… provides access to property and traffic circulation within residential, commercial and industrial areas. Facilities on the collector system may penetrate residential neighborhoods. Collectors distribute trips from the arterials through the area to the ultimate destination. Collector streets collect traffic from local streets in residential neighborhoods and channel it into the arterial system. Collector systems may include the street grid which forms a logical entity for traffic circulation the street grid that forms a logical entity for traffic circulation.”

Pennsylvania Avenue has the same characteristics as all of the other north-south avenues, save for Meridian Avenue. Indeed, it maintains the same 70’ ROW and 50’ curb-to-curb section. However, because the above FHWA definition is so vague, it may be plausible by applying the definition alone to Pennsylvania to confirm its current status as a Collector Road. Thus, we recommend that the FPNA advocate for the City and County to undertake a real study of how the street is currently performing, especially as it relates to origin-destination data, as much of the traffic may indeed be coming from those simply circling the block and not from those using the street as thoroughfare for accessing other main east-west or north-south vehicular routes in Miami Beach.

For your reference, the text below is from the FHWA website on Functional classification, which may be of some interest when advocating for de-classifying Pennsylvania:

The importance of the functional classification process as it relates to highway design lies in the fact that functional classification decisions are made well before an individual project is selected to move into the design phase. Moreover, such decisions are made on a system-wide basis by city, county, or State DOTS or MPOs as part of their continuing long range transportation planning functions. Such systematic reassessments are typically undertaken on a relatively infrequent basis. Thus, the functional classification of a particular section of highway may well represent a decision made 10 or more years ago.

Even after the decision has been made to functionally classify a highway section, there is still a degree of flexibility in the major controlling factor of design speed. It is important to remember that there are no "cookie cutter" designs for arterial highways or collector streets. Because of the range of geometric design options available, arterials and collectors can vary considerably.

The Need To Update Highway Functional Classifications

Traffic service patterns on a roadway and the roadway's function can change over time. If the functional classification system for a specific jurisdiction is not updated on a regular basis, roadways may be designed using inappropriate design standards.

The Functional Classification Process Is Not an Exact Science

One of the difficulties surrounding the relationship between highway functional classification and design guidelines is that the classification process is not an exact science. The predominant traffic service associated with a particular route cannot be definitely determined without exhaustive surveys of traffic origin/destination patterns on each link of the road network. Engineering judgment based on experience must play a role in making design decisions.

It is recommended that the FPNA work with the City of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County and the FDOT to redefine Pennsylvania Avenue as a local street. In the meantime, an 11’ lane and 8’ parking may have to be implemented, which is not recommended as an acceptable street section for the remaining segments of Pennsylvania Avenue, or any other north-south Avenues in the Flamingo Park Neighborhood. However, 11’ travel lanes will certainly present an improvement over the existing 17’ condition!

Finally, our preliminary research does not allow us to estimate how long the re-designation process is likely to take. Regardless, this is a fight worth fighting, and we expect that when further analysis will reveal that Pennsylvania Avenue truly functions as a local street and should be designed to the same standards as other local streets within the Flamingo Park neighborhood, as promised by the City of Miami Beach.

Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association -- Workshop Meeting -- Achieves Substantial Progress in Advancing Pedestrian Experience, Bicycle Safety, Sense of Place and Quality of Life

Workshop Meeting Report
Flamingo Neighborhood Streetscape

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association convened a special Workshop Meeting on Monday, August 2, 2010 in the City Manager's Conference Room at City Hall. The objectives of the meeting included review of the City's proposed design treatment for Euclid and Pennsylvania Avenues, formulation of the neighborhood response / alternatives, preparation for Historic Preservation Board review, and the development of a collaborative concensus among those in the room.

The program vision remains streetscape improvement that enhances the pedestrian experience, improves mobility and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, effectively calms automobile traffic, plants shade trees and builds and sustains  sense of place and quality of life.

The meeting was hosted by Assistant City Manager Jorge Gomez and included residents of the Flamingo neighborhood as well as staff from the City Agencies that are responsible for program development, implementation, guidance and review -- Planning Department, CIP Department, Public Works, Traffic and Pedestrian Division, Parks and Recreation Department..

The report of outcomes and results is in the form of the following letter from Denis Russ, who facilitated the Workshop Meeting --

Message from Denis Russ --

I want to share with you how very proud I am of the work of our team --  not just at the Workshop, but in the days and weeks and months that led up to this meeting with the City.  Our team was informed and studied, passionate and compelling,  disciplined and largely successful   --yes, I think successful 

...in making substantial progress on our agenda,
...in demonstrating the value of an inclusionary planning process, and
...in modeling an integrated design process.

I think our resource panel -- Mike, Tony, Steve, Xavier and the input from Lizz and Randall and the earlier contributions of Cesar Garcia Pons and others -- gave great credibility to our positions.

And the team meetings armed the resource panel as well as our neighborhood resident advocates with all the relevant background information and pertinent policy positions.  Jack and Judy and Wanda consistently collaborated with each other in spearheading our advocacy.  Aaron rigorously reviewed the literature; Adam never stopped empirical testing; and Tammy is Tammy.  

Results:

We conducted a very inclusive planning workshop and integrated design charrette with proponents, opponents, even skeptics all in the room and civilly participating well guided by design professionals from the required disciplines.

We achieved agreement that the model for n/s Avenues will be 10' travel + 8' parking lanes!

We continue to advance increased financial support for meeting our infrastructure requirements much beyond the original allocation!  [Certainly not yet a done deal.]

In the absence of a grant extension, I think we agreed to accept 11' + 8' on Penn from 7th to 9th, but the City agreed to seek reclassification and a design exception.  If successful, they agreed to implement our favored treatment for the balance of Pennsylvania Avenue!  [I've joined with the City in seeking a grant extension, with no final word as yet.]

We appropriately responded to the diversions of reclaiming encroachments and the valley gutter proposal:  Too tough to call today;  We'll look at it;  No promises made.  [And I'm very glad to get Xavier's and Steve's call on the valley gutter issue, which I will convey to the City.]  

With respect to the specific questions raised on outcomes --

1.  The City's proposal for Pennsylvania 7th to 9th Streets (collector) will be 11' travel + 8' parking lane.  They have agreed to seek re-designation and/or exception.  In which case the balance of Penn would become 10' + 8'.

2. The current BODR does indeed call for 12' lanes on Euclid.   On Aug 10th the City Administration will go to the HPB to seek approval to add the 5' bike lane.  It is likely (but not yet settled) that the City Administration will go to the City Commission for similar approval in September.   [I believe that we earlier agreed to support this position in return for narrowing all other n/s Avenues.]

3.  We have not yet approached the Commissioners.  As we have seen on the tennis court issue, City Commissioners are often difficult to predict and rely upon!  While I recognize the substantial concerns expressed, I continue to believe that we can shape a valuable partnership with the Administration which is the most likely way to garner support from the Commission and the required funding.

Finally, I want to thank you all for your considerable personal support.  While I suspect you know that I enjoy this facilitating role, I know it requires your support --at times your tolerance -- which I greatly appreciate.

I believe we have made substantial progress, but the challenges ahead will be even greater.  The next step is the HPB on Aug 10th at which the Administration will seek approvals of a revised BODR in accord with their commitments to us and at which we will be called upon to voice FPNA support.  The Board is likely to engage in very dynamic discussion.   

s/ Denis.

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. 

Jeff Donnelly reports on Bikeways meeting; Historic Preservation Board Likely to Hear the Issue on August 10, 2010

Items learned or confirmed at the Bikeways Committee meeting on Wednesday June 23.


Euclid BODR

In 2002, the City Commission approved a BODR for the 70 foot Euclid right of way divided east to west as: 14 feet for sidewalk, swale, and encroachments; 9 feet for parking; 12 feet for one traffic (bikes and/or autos) lane; 12 feet for the reverse traffic lane; 9 feet of parking, and 14 feet for swale, sidewalk and encroachments on the other side of the street. The primary purpose of this design was to emulate Meridian Avenbue as the best pedestrian street in the neighborhood.   In addition to the exiting Meridian template, bump outs of approximately 9 feet were added to several corners, making the pedesatrian east-west crossing of Euclid at those points a maximum of 24 feet.

AGN Bikeways

Afterwards, the City Commission approved a bike ways plan for the City that named bicycle lanes as the only method of providing a bicyle facility or bicycle mode on Euclid. This approval, it turns out, conflicted with the 2002 EDAW BODR for Euclid that the Commission had previously approved. Specifically, the BODR called for a 24 foot moving vehicle space and the AGN bike lane proposal would require a minimum of 30 feet of moving vehicle space (20 for autos and 10 for bikes). Had the City Commission approved the bikeways proposal without specifying the bike lane mode, but allowed for the possibility of any of the three other modes -- bike paths/trails, bike boulevard, bike route -- there might not be a conflict. But the Commission, badly advised, failed to allow other bicycle modes or to resolve the conflict.

The City's application for changes in the BODR to accommodate the AGN Bikeway will come before the Historic Preservation Board on August 10, 2010.

On August 10, the Historic Preservation Baord can vote to maintain the BODR's 24 foot (two 12 ft travel lanes (bike and/or auto) with bump outs to limit pedestrian crossing distances and create a viable pedestrian north-south walkway or modify that BODR. Depending on the type of proposal, it may take 4 or 5 votes to modify the 2002 BODR.

Jeff Donnelly

Randall Robinson Reminder: Our vision for Euclid has always been to create a more-pedestrian oriented corridor, lowering the speed, calming the traffic and creating a safe shared roadway for cars and bikes.

The Smart Growth Manual
By Andres Duany, Jeff Speck, Mike Lydon


Bicycle Network

A proper bicycle network consists of four basic types of facilities: bicycle trails, bicycle lanes, bicycle boulevards, and share routes.

Bicycle trails are physically separated from higher speed traffic. Bicycle lanes are demarcated by striping within medium-speed roadways. Bicycle boulevards are streets with low traffic volumes in which priority is given to bicyclists by traffic-calming devices and signage. Finally, shared routes – the majority of thoroughfares – are low-speed streets in which cars and bikes mix comfortably.

The first step is to map the existing network, remembering that much of it will consist of unmarked shared routes within neighborhoods. This network should then be expanded by using the three other basic bikeway types, as contextually appropriate. . . .

Report on the CMB Bikeways Advisory Committee Meeting; Issue is Unresolved: Bike Lane vs Shared Roadway

Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association was invited to attend the June 23, 2010 meeting of the CMB Mayor's Blue Ribbon Bikeways Advisory Committee to discuss the plans for implementation of the Southeast Phase One Section of the Flamingo Neighborhood improvement program -- particularly improvements to Euclid Avenue.  Concern had been expressed that the narrowed 12 ft roadway would have to be expanded to 15 ft to accommodate a 10 ft auto lane and a 5 ft bike lane.  The view of the neighborhood was to implement the existing plans created by EDAW and approved by the City Commission in 2002.

The Committee indicated that they had not received any plans and could not discuss the matter until receiving plans.  Present at the meeting were David Henderson, the Bicycle / Pedestrian Coordinator for the County and Jeff County Traffic Engineer for the County who was pointed to as the responsible party for approving any plans.  Mr. Cohen spoke very strongly in favor of bike lanes separated from the auto lanes.  He indicated he had not seen any plans for Euclid Avenue Improvements, but upon receiving plans he would review them and likely suggest alternatives that would require separated bike lanes.

There did indeed appear to be an adversarial quality of the meeting with the bikeway members favoring separated 4 ft bikelanes on Euclid as was designated in the Bikeways Masterplan and representatives of Flamingo Neighborhood continuing to advocate for implementation of the plan for Euclid adopted by the City Commission as a part of the CIP Basis of Design Report.  It is likely that we will need to identify other venues for the resolution of the conflict, i.e.,

• Designated Responsible Departments -- CIP;  Public Works
• Assistant City Manager Jorge Gomez / City Manager Jorge Conzalez
• CIP Oversight Committee
• Historic Preservation Board
• City Commission

EPZ joins us at Flamingo Park Neighborhood Meeting and offers advice and cousel on streetscape plans

Subject: Euclid Avenue Improvements


Dear Denis,

This follows yesterday's meeting of the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association about the Euclid Avenue improvements. It now looks like I will be unable to attend Wednesday's meeting in City Hall, due to meetings at the University I could not reschedule, so I am providing some comments emerging from our discussion. . . .
As you know, my questions and comments emerge from many years of involvement nationally with urban design and streetscape design, including studies for the City of Miami Beach for the area south of Fifth Street. Also, for the past two years I have chaired the Built Environment Adaptation Committee of the Miami-Dade Climate Change Task Force and I am thoroughly sensitized to the anticipated effects on South Florida such as sea level rise. For this discussion there are two relevant responses to climate change: mitigation (of human impact on global temperature) including reducing carbon emissions and urban heat; and adaptation (to the effects of climate change) that for South Florida includes learning to live with more frequent flooding as a result of sea level rise. There is of course much more to be said about both mitigation and adaptation, but I am focusing on those points that might affect the street design decisions.

With regard to an impending phase of street improvements south of Flamingo Park, it is my understanding that there are several guiding documents that have had public input and yet are not entirely compatible in terms of street width dimensions. These include the Basis of Design Report (BODR) of 2002, and the more recent Bicycle Master Plan, as well as more recent resident advocacy for narrower lanes and more attention to pedestrian mobility. While I understand that there is urgency to begin the project, I would suggest adding to the discussion the element of climate change and sea level rise, as it may provide the overriding rationale for choosing among the various options. Street flooding will intensify with time, so public expenditures for infrastructure should be as forward thinking and adaptable for evolving conditions as possible.

In our meeting we were looking at 2004 engineering drawings for Euclid, and we could not fully understand the street section, and potential changes in elevation. We raised several concerns related to the narrowing of the pavement and the extending of the curb into the existing cartway:

1) Will the crown of the road remain where it is? Presumably one would not plan to lower it as high water is already a concern. In which case, will the storm water system be moved (with the curb and gutter, and sewer inlets) closer to the center of the right-of-way to take advantage of a somewhat higher elevation?

2) Maintaining the crown has implications for extending the curb, requiring a somewhat higher curb elevation and the swale to slope from the sidewalk up to the curb, so a careful study of the geometry in section of crown, curb location and elevation, swale slope and sidewalk width, should inform the decision about dimensions. Here we are assuming the sidewalk remains at its current elevation.

3) Mitigation goals point to a street design with more green area and less pavement. This in turn suggests designating Euclid a bicycle route (or sharrow or shared street) to avoid additional pavement for a bike lane. While I believe the argument can be made for even narrower lane and parking dimensions, the BODR dimensions of 12' lane and 9' parking (total 21') would provide generous space for bicycles in the roadway as well a generous swale to accommodate shade trees.

4) Adaptation goals also point to such a narrower street section, as this will bring up the curb elevation, and position parked cars closer to the crown diminishing some of the flood risk. The wider swale will provide more permeable ground for storm water absorption. (As flood events intensify, a simple street section of 21' per side, would even allow a future use of the roadway with cars parked on the crown, with the driving lanes designated at curbside, as long as bumpouts are not installed.)

I hope this is helpful in advancing the discussion. As a property owner in the neighborhood, I look forward to the long awaited improvements to the public space, and I hope that this investment will serve the public goals of sustainability, resilience, and adaptability.

Lizz
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

Last Minute Proposal to change the Euclid Avenue Plan to add 5 foot concrete bike lane: Oh Say it Ain't So, Joe

The City is on the verge of implementing Phase 1 of the Flamingo Improvements – the Southeast Section from 7th to 9th Streets, from Washington to Meridian. (Likely the next phases will be 2 to 5 years down the line.) A contract has been let with Ric-Man International, Inc. and they will begin with the water distribution portion by early July. Later portion of this first Phase will be the Stormwater Drainage and Streetscape Improvements.

Seemingly at the last minute, County and City staff recommend changing the plan to add a 5ft bicycle lane along Euclid Avenue—taking the space from the pedestrian sidewalk and green planting swale. While we were hoping to model the new Euclid after Meridian, this change would result in a Euclid that more closely resembles 16th Street. We favor a bicycle route with bikes and autos sharing the roadway. So the FPNA is pushing back to retain the adopted plan – to create a better, cleaner, greener, safer, more pedestrian-oriented Euclid Avenue. 

These matters will be discussed at a meeting of the City Bikeway Committee tomorrow, Wed, June 23, 2010, 3:00pm, in the Mayor's Conference Room, 4th Floor, City Hall.


Some background information --

The proposed capital improvement program for the Flamingo Pak Neighborhood puts a priority on addressing improvements to Euclid Avenue. The existing plan – fully supported by the Flamingo N’hood Association -- includes the following explanation and treatment for Euclid:


Euclid Avenue (see Figure 3-18 thru 3-20): Euclid Avenue is a heavily traveled North/South vehicular corridor through the Flamingo neighborhood that connects 5th Street to Lincoln Road. The existing section of the Avenue consists of two 17’-0" wide travel lanes with +/- 2’-6" planting strips and 5’-0" sidewalks on either side. The Avenue was identified by residents as being the least pedestrian friendly Avenue in the neighborhood due to the speed of traffic and the lack of shade along the sidewalks. 
The proposed improvement is to modify the existing section to match that of the "preferred" Meridian Avenue section. This would require relocating the existing curb & gutter to allow for +/- 7’-6" planting strips with a continuous shade tree canopy. This would also "calm" the traffic by reducing the travel lanes widths to +/- 12’-0". To further improve the pedestrian experience, the existing sidewalks will be widened to +/- 6’-0" where possible (Appendix "B" – Sheet 21).

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association continues to be guided by the following principles:

1. We favor implementation of the Flamingo Cap;ital Improvement streetscape projects in a manner compatible with the adopted Basis of Ddeisgn Report.  We believe that the public space needs to adequately accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists and autos  -- in that order of priority!
2. We continue to support a 12ft roadway shared by bicyclists and autos -- with appropriate traffic calming, including crosswalks and 4 way stop signs at every intersection. 
3. We think that the Atlantic Greenway Network can best be implemented in South Beach by a Bike Route along Euclid.
4. We oppose increased asphalt along Euclid at the expense of the pedestrian-oriented sidewalk and green swale.  We need an increased tree canopy and shade.
5. We support moving forward with the Southeast Phae 1 portion of the project.  Nonetheless, it is imperative for the City to sit down with the community and review the detail plans currently being developed. 
6. We continue to favor moving forward with the development of the Stormwater Master Plan.  Nonetheless and in the meantime, it is important to review with the city the proposed elevation and geometry of the roadway, the slope of the sidewalk and swale, the elevation of the outlet pipes and the opportunity to encourage private property owners to replace concrete with pervious materials.
7. We continue to favor greenery over asphalt and a pedestrian, bicycle friendly public space that substantially slows auto traffic along neighborhood streets.

It seems clear to us that the Flamingo Park Neighborhood does not need more concrete nor another Sixteenth Street corridor.

City Commission to Decide on Tennis Courts in Flaming; An Open Letter to the Mayor and Commissioners

Dear Mayor and Commissioners:


The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association urges that you move forward by finalizing and implementing the Flamingo Park Masterplan and its Tennis Facilities within the 17 court footprint adopted by the City Commission, approved by the Historic Preservation Board, and recommended by the City Manager.

We fully support the very good plan that resulted from over 18 months of meetings, workshops and hearings guided by Wolfberg Alvarez, CIP, Parks and Recreation, your Finance Committee, and the City Commission.

We fully support the Administration’s analysis and recommendation to move forward now within the parameters of the existing adopted masterplan.

We urge you to fashion a reasonable, realistic solution that will enable tennis players – whether seniors, adults, or our students – to play on appropriate surfaces on courts in the City. But tennis facilities in Flamingo Park ought not to overwhelm other aspects of the park – active, passive or aesthetic. That was the point made by Planning Department staff and the Historic Preservation Board in considering the Berger Plan and the 22 court proposals!

We urge that you fashion a solution without compromising the balance of uses and aesthetic value of the Flamingo Park Masterplan.

Sincerely,

Denis Russ
For Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association

Public Hearing before City Commission on Short Term Rental -- Scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 5:00 pm

The City Commission has scheduled the Second Reading Public Hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 on the Short Term Rental of Apartment Units / Townhomes.

The proposed ordinance precludes future additional operators to rent their properties short term and also sets a criteria to allow certain existing short term rentals to continue.  While there has been great difference of opinion on the issue, our Association has been consistently in support of such a compromise. 

While the final proposed Ordinance and staff recommendation is not yet available, it is generally thought that the proposal will be generally within the parameters previously stated and will be supported by the Association. 

Commission Meeting Scheduled to Discuss Flamingo Park Tennis -- Let them know: Seventeen is ENOUGH

At the City Commission meeting on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, Item R9K is a Discussion of Amending the Flamingo Park Master Plan relative to the Tennis Center -- including the number and composition of the tennis courts, the design of the clubhouse and the total footprint to the new tennis facility.

The Administration memo can be accessed at  http://flamingomb.org/2Q2010/CMB_Flamingo_Tennis_Courts_5-12-2010.pdf

The conclusion and recommendation of the Administration is

A determination of the type and number of courts to be built is needed in order to proceed with this project.  We are at 100% drawings on the 17 courts and have been unable to proceed pending a final decision on the number and type of courts to be built.  A change in the configuration of the tennis center (and tennis center building design) will require new design drawings to be developed and further costs and delays for the implementation of the Master Plan.  The Administration recommends affirming/approving the current Tennis Center design and location and the current footprint of 17 courts.  A final decision on the complement of hard versus clay courts will allow us to proceed with the next steps in the project.

At our meeting on Monday, May 3, 2010 the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association reaffirmed our support for the currently approved configuration / footprint of 17 tennis courts.  Please take a moment to write a note to the Mayor and Commissioners in support of our position and be sure to show up at the Commission meeting -- Seventeen is ENOUGH.

Meeting Notes -- Mon, May 3, 2010, 5:30pm -- What are your Ideas on Outreach and Marketing??

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association met on Monday, May 3,2010, 5:30 pm, at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue.


The Agenda followed the assignment of our designated subject areas and leaders.

Preservation and Planning

1. Short Term Rentals in Flamingo – Discussion was led by Jeff Donnelly.

There was extensive discussion of the history and current status of the issues. It was recognized that fundamentally there were strongly held positions on both sides of the matter: Some wanted no restrictions; some wanted no short term rental. A compromise was fashioned based upon a criteria including several factors, i.e., dates of operation, status of violations, tax reporting, etc. In moving forward it is generally recognized that the details of the application of the criteria is really in the hands of administration and Commission.

It was broadly agreed that the current proposal before the Commission is within the compromise agreed to earlier. It was understood that those who seem currently to be excluded would continue to seek protective status. The Association would continue to advance the compromise position.

2. Alton Road Overlay District – The discussion was led by Mark Needle.

There continued to be broad support for the Alton Road Overlay District as advanced by the Planning Department staff and considered by the Planning Board. The Association supported the following propositions:

 No variances should be permitted.

 Maintain the 4 story above-ground height limit with the understanding that underground parking would not be added to the building height.

 Aggregation beyond two lots is conditional, subject to a determination by the Historic Preservation Board that a proposed design is compatible with adjacent structures.

Flamingo Park Masterplan and Improvement Projects


3. Flamingo Park – Tennis Facilities – Discussion led by Wanda Mouzon.

There was extensive discussion of the status of Flamingo Park Masterplan and project implementation, particularly regarding the number and configuration of tennis courts.

Representatives of the Miami Beach Tennis Players Association explained their position of needing to maximize clay courts. The position of the school was described as seeking to play on hard courts at Flamingo Park.

The Association agreed to continue to advance its existing position to limit the number of tennis courts to 17 courts based upon the plan approved by the Commission on Sep 9, 2009 and as subsequently approved by the Historic Preservation Board.

Other Matters were carried over to the next meeting, including

-- Flamingo Neighborhood Street Improvements

-- Crime Prevention and Safety / Pedestrian Safety Project

Outreach and Marketing

Finally, it was agreed to solicit ideas for expanding the base of Association members and participants and to spend some time at our next meeting developing an Outreach Action Plan.

Randall Robinson strikes an ace in his message to the City Commission

From: Randall Robinson
Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 8:49 PM

Subject: Tennis

Dear Mayor Matti Bower and City Commissioners:

I am excited to be writing to you today because I believe you have the ability, through the item on the Flamingo Park Tennis Courts, to bring lasting improvement to two of the areas of Miami Beach I hold nearest and dearest: Flamingo Park and North Beach.

The holding of USTA Florida Orange Bowl Tennis Tournament between North Shore Tennis Center and Flamingo Park would bring attention and economic benefits to North Beach's growing appeal, while reducing the pressure on the Flamingo Park tennis facility to expand.

I cannot say it better than the Historic Preservation Board "that the adopted plan [for Flamingo Park] fits the need for a balance in varied recreational facilities and green open space respite in a way that respects the original plan for the park." 17 courts is enough! Please support the community in its desire to formalize the precious central, accessible, open space they have fought for for so long. Miami Beach's most densely populated neighborhood needs the open space.

Speaking of 'balance,' I urge you to do everything in your power to make the USTA Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Tournament a citywide event and spread some of South Beach wealth and exposure to North Beach.

Best Wishes,

Randall Robinson
Urbanist

Wanda Mouzon sends the message to City Hall: Diversity of Activites and Design Aesthetic Should Guide

Dear Mayor Bower and Commission,


I just read this interesting article and wish to share it with you. The statement that I found especially relevant to our Park renovation and our cause for the preservation of open green space is this:

" Studies show that depression correlates with the lack of access to green space, a plight of many inner-city residents; the physical isolation of suburbanites; and the immobility enforced on those who cannot drive but have no transportation alternative."

http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/how-urban-planning-can-improve-public-health-11408/

Let's not allow the disease of sprawl to infect our City OR our Neighborhood Park! The ad hoc aggregation of single-use projects and functions in a city OR in a park are contrary to creating communities that are socially diverse, environmentally sensitive and economically sustainable. Just as sprawl consumes land, is unsustainable, favors social inequality and causes traffic problems, allowing Flamingo Park to be largely consumed by single-use activities will do the very same thing!

Thank you for keeping this in mind as the final decisions are made concerning the Park. Please remember as well, the design elements and components that create the most beautiful and most enjoyable parks in the world. (that I shared with you all in an earlier email) These two items should be the key deciding factors.

Wanda Mouzon


How Urban Planning Can Improve Public Health

Miller-McCune Online
News and Options

April 28, 2010

A growing movement looks to change development patterns — as a matter of public health.
By Jonathan Lerner

Atlanta's Broad Street is often cited as an instance of urban planning that worked to created a sense of neighborhood.

(Courtesy of Congress for the New Urbanism)

You hardly need scientific research to pinpoint objectionable aspects of suburban sprawl. The big-box commercial jumble, the lifeless cul-de-sac subdivision, the traffic, the sameness — all are plain to see. Disagreeable qualities of half-empty downtowns and deteriorated city neighborhoods are equally visible. Still, people don’t usually think that the things they find aesthetically objectionable about their neighborhoods might literally be making them sick.

Yet a growing mass of scientific evidence does indicate that how places are designed and built can cause and complicate grave health problems for individuals and whole populations. Depression — the clinical kind, not the aesthetic and cultural malaise that sends people vacationing to, say, Barcelona — is one. Studies show that depression correlates with the lack of access to green space, a plight of many inner-city residents; the physical isolation of suburbanites; and the immobility enforced on those who cannot drive but have no transportation alternative.

As for cars, they don’t just spew pollution and trap people alone for wasted hours. They cause accident injuries and  deaths. Moreover, unwalkable distances and the culture of automobility encourage sedentary habits, contributing to obesity and diabetes and other illnesses. Plowing up farmland for new subdivisions at the metropolitan edge not only diminishes local food supplies and reinforces industrial agriculture — with negative implications for nutrition and resource conservation — it also forces those who must “drive till they qualify” for housing to need a car for almost every household member. Those automobile costs, usually overlooked, have exacerbated soaring rates of foreclosure and suburban poverty, with unhealthful knock-on effects like stress, displacement and homelessness.

Many examples beyond these lead to a conclusion: The crucial questions about how we build focus less on aesthetics — important as that is to our well-being — than on public health, in its broadest sense.

City planning originated, around the turn of the last century, out of concerns over health problems created by filthy slums and industries. Then the fields of public health and planning came uncoupled. Public health took on a mainly biomedical focus on individual genetics, biology and behavior and how clinicians could affect those, and on a narrowly biological approach to epidemiology and evidence. Meanwhile the planning of built environments was hijacked by the car.

Now the fields of city planning and public health — pushed by economic crisis, climate change and green technology, among other factors — are converging again. This month, the Congress for the New Urbanism was set to hold its national convention in Atlanta; it was organized with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the theme “New Urbanism: Rx for Healthy Places.”

The convention is hardly the first effort to address the relationships between urban form and health. The World Health Organization’s Healthy Cities movement was initiated in 1988; among other things, it encourages attention to health inequalities, participatory governance and the health considerations of economic and urban development. Some 1,200 European cities and many in Canada and Australia participate.

Back in the U.S., the Local Government Commission, an organization of elected and community leaders, government staff and planners and architects, adopted the Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities in 1991. (The principles were named for the Yosemite National Park lodge where they were agreed to). The principles targeted the dysfunctional qualities of sprawl-pattern development; these ideas came to underlie the New Urbanism and Smart Growth movements. Meanwhile, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living Research program supports extensive research into the urban form/public health nexus. The CDC’s Healthy Community Design initiative does the same.

Dr. Howard Frumkin, special assistant to the CDC director for climate change and health and co-author of Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities, actually calls the Congress for the New Urbanism “a public health group. By promoting walkability, mixed use, connectivity and civic space within communities, we know more and more, based on emerging evidence, that CNU is promoting public health.”

To anyone who thinks the New Urbanism makes sense, research conclusions on how built environments affect health can seem self-evident. For example, studies have demonstrated that neighborhoods with shops, schools, libraries, workplaces and homes within easy walking distance tend to support higher levels of physical activity and have lower rates of obesity. Public transit use has a similar effect on activity and fatness. Research has indicated that exposure to nature may improve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, and that people with access to parks exercise more.

Like, duh. “So much research is proving the obvious,” says Ellen Dunham-Jones, associate professor of architecture and urban design at Georgia Tech and co-author of Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs. “But once you get the numbers, you can hopefully get policy changes.”

Research into the connection between urban life and public health is, however, also creating surprises. As an example, Dunham-Jones points to studies showing that compact communities reduce overall vehicular emissions — but that people who live next to highways and heavily trafficked arterial roads breathe in more emissions. “It may be healthy for the community at large but not for you,” she says.

Pinning down the implications of such research subtleties remains a challenge. Frumkin identifies two still-poorly understood correlatives of built environment: “We have reason to believe that community design and building design have impacts both on mental health and on social capital. Social capital in turn is a very important determinant of overall health.”

The plans for New Urbanism towns sometimes depict circles centered on retail areas, with radii labeled as the distance of a five- or 10-minute walk. But landscape architect Dee Merriam, a CDC community planner, says that even walkability, a seemingly unambiguous value, needs scrutiny. “The basic metric we’ve been using for urban design has been the automobile scale, and the walking scale is a totally different metric,” she says. “What is the distance of a five-minute walk? It’s probably very different for a young athlete than for an elderly woman or someone with toddlers.”

Merriam says more investigation is also needed into green space, despite its known health connections; Dunham-Jones agrees, saying that research has raised complex questions about trade-offs. “Cities would prefer to have one big central park to maintain, than to have a whole lot of little parks. To really get people jogging, you need a big park. But to get little kids to go play, it’s much better to have a lot of little parks,” she says. “We can improve health by doing all sorts of things, but we’re not at the point where we’re maximizing dollar investment.”

Some new efforts to find design solutions for health challenges involve food. Ideas range from turning abandoned space in declining neighborhoods into urban farms — projects like this are already under way in Detroit and elsewhere — and allotting space for community gardens in new developments. There is even a vision of “agriburbia,” where entire neighborhoods are landscaped with orchards and cropland that could feed people in and beyond the development while providing local employment opportunities.

A recent design workshop addressed another piece of the healthy living puzzle: multigenerational or “lifelong” communities, where people can continue to live actively as they grow old. Specialists on aging, developers, planners and architects tried to envision the transformation of parts of metro Atlanta, reiterating the “must-haves” of New Urbanism — transit and walkability, mixed uses, multiple housing types — but describing how such elements could better accommodate the aging with, for example, shorter walking distances and shuttles to transit stops and shopping areas.

So the Congress for the New Urbanism, the CDC and others are taking important steps to address the cause-and-effect relationships of built environment and public health. But for towns and cities to be less damaging to health, those connections must become more universally acknowledged by health professionals, designers, planners and the decision-makers and developers for whom they work. Moreover, for the environment to support better health, public consciousness has to change. Individual choices will have to sustain healthier patterns of development, and political support will be needed, too, because some of the proposed changes in development demand big cultural shifts, particularly around auto use.

Many advocates say what’s needed is a holistic view that considers health, the environment, social relations, political processes and the economy as part of the development process. Jason Corburn, associate professor of city and regional planning at University of California, Berkeley, and author of Toward the Healthy City: People, Places, and the Politics of Urban Planning, insists that architects and planners “need to recognize that they’re part of governance,” since a healthy city should invite open participation in its political processes, planning included. “This is not to say that design is not important,” he says, but that it should be just one piece of thinking relationally about multiple influences upon health.

One tool that helps government officials identify such influences is the health impact assessment, an evaluation
process similar to the environmental impact statement. Such health assessments are a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S., but several dozen have already been conducted, and the CDC is actively promoting their use. While there is a legal basis under environmental protection laws for evaluating health impacts of proposed projects, the officials responsible are often unfamiliar with the HIA concept, or can feel that it deals in types of evidence not traditionally considered valid in making development decisions.

But traditional thinking has produced the sickening built environments most Americans now inhabit. Even  “progressive” ideas won’t necessarily change them. For example, if everybody owned a car that drove 100 miles on a gallon of gas, the country would burn less oil — but sprawl would still be encouraged, and the population would continue to grow fatter, sicker and more isolated. It may be possible to influence the public to choose transit over cars; entrenched attitudes toward tobacco were changed after all. But to change transport habits, America needs to provide transit systems and walkable destinations as practical options, and that’s where the architects and planners come in.

Flamingo Neighborhood Meeting -- Monday, May 3rd, 5:30 pm -- AGENDA

Meeting Notice
Monday, May 3, 2010, 5:30 pm
at The Seymour, 945 Pennsylvania Avenue
Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association
Building and Sustaining Our Quality of Life

Please note that our meeting on Monday will begin at 5:30pm


AGENDA

1. Communications Program -- Tammy Tibbles Young  -- postponed

2. Planning / Zoning / Historic Preservation -- Jeff Donnelly and Mark Needle
Alton Road Overlay District; Short Term Rentals

3. Flamingo Neighborhood Street Improvements -- Judy Robertson
Euclid Avenue; Street Trees

4. Flamingo Park Improvement Program – Wanda Mouzon
Tennis Courts and Facility

5. Safety / Pedestrian Safety Project -- Aaron Sugarman


The Historic Urban Neighborhood in South Beach
from Washington to Alton / from Fifth to Lincoln
All Residents of the Neighborhood are Invited to Attend and Participate


Other Meeting NoticesMon, May 3, 6:30pm, Shane Water Center -- Mayor on the Move
Tues, May 4, 8:30am, Commission Chambers -- Design Review Board
Wed, May 5, 5:30pm, 21st St Recreatn Ctr -- Park & Recreation Facilities Board
Fri, May 7th, 9:00 am, Commission Chambers -- Board of Adjustment

Mon, May 10, 3:30pm, 1755 Meridian Av, #200-- Transportation & Parking Committee
Mon, May 10, 5:30pm, Commission Chambers -- CIP Oversight Committee
Tues, May 11, 9:00am, Commission Chambers -- Historic Preservation Board
Wed, May 12, 9:00am, Commission Chambers -- CMB City Commission Meeting
Thur, May 13, 3:00 pm, TCD Conf Rm 555 17 St -- Special Events Neighborhood Review
Thur, May 13, 6:00pm, MB Conv Ctr, Rm C220 -- Design Workshop - Convention Ctr Masterplan


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

City Commission Declines to Decide on Flamingo Tennis Facilities

At its meeting on Wednesday, April 14, 2010, the City Commission was unable to decide upon the configuration of Tennis Courts and Tennis Facilities.  The existing plan calls for 17 clay courts at Flamingo Park, was adopted by the Commission on September 9, 2009, and also approved by the CMB Historic Preservation Board.   Community advocates have called for 5 hard courts at Flamingo or at some other facility. 

The position of the Flamingo Park Association is Seventeen is ENOUGH.  One of the best presentations of this viewpoint was prepared by Steve Mouzon.  His blog may be accessed at ---

http://www.originalgreen.org/OG/Blog/Entries/2010/4/13_Parks_vs._Recreation_Centers.html

The article is also presented as follows:

The Original Green


Parks vs Recreation Centers

Parks are essential elements of vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods, while recreation centers get most of their DNA from super-sizing and sprawl. Both parks and recreation centers foster fitness activities, but there are several differences crucial to the health of the neighborhood and the greenness of the city.

Parks are places where people can enjoy countless outdoor activities. See the patch of grass the people above are sitting on? Earlier that morning, it might have been used for a pick-up softball game. After these people leave, a few kids might kick around a soccer ball. Later in the day, you might see a couple young lovers on a stroll along the shadows at the edge of the field. Most activities are relatively unplanned. Most often, park recreation planning goes something like “hey, let’s go down to the park and see if anyone wants to play ball,” like the guys in the picture below. You don’t have to pay admission or get permission to go to the park.



Recreation centers, other than the fact that they also involve physical activity, are quite the opposite. Recreation centers have extensive facilities for certain organized sports: a swimming pool, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, etc.



Because recreation centers require major investments, they often have to charge admission of some sort to help pay back that investment. You also may need to be a member of the recreation center’s association to gain access. As a result, many of the activities in recreation centers occur behind walls or chain-link fences.



Once, a basketball court or two, a baseball diamond, a couple tennis courts, or even a soccer field were often tucked around the edges of many parks. More recently, however, our penchant for super-sizing everything, plus our deference to major sporting events that might happen only once or twice a year have resulted in the need to expand one or two of everything to dozens of everything. Two tennis courts are now no longer good enough... gotta have a couple dozen in order to possibly host a city-wide tournament at some point in the future. One baseball diamond? Forget it... gotta have eight so you can host a tournament there, too. There are several hidden problems with these super-sized recreation centers:







You can’t walk your dog on the tennis courts. Or in the swimming pool. Or on the basketball court. A tennis-focused recreation center, for example, is only useful to people who play tennis. Because recreation centers focus on single-use recreational uses (like sprawl does with land use in general,) they eliminate fields for dog-walking, tossing a frisbee, pick-up games of whatever you want to play, or just laying in the sun or sitting on the park bench watching the world go by.



Do we need specific-use recreational facilities like tennis courts, swimming pools, etc.? Of course. It’s just a question of proportion.



Here’s one of the problems with proportion: If only a fraction of the population within walking distance of a recreation center play tennis, then building enough tennis courts to hold a major tournament means that most of the people playing on those courts will have to drive to get there. There are several sustainability ramifications here: Most obvious is the fact that you’re burning a lot of gas to get there. But you also have to surround the recreation center with lots of parking for all the cars. Plus, you’re clogging the streets of the neighborhood with traffic. Also, because the recreation center doesn’t attract nearby neighbors for all the general-use stuff like dog-walking, you’re starving the neighborhood streets of pedestrians that would otherwise make the neighborhood more vibrant and safe as I described in this post.



There are a couple rules of thumb distinguishing between parks and recreation centers: First, parks are made up primarily of multi-use fields. This means that less than half of the space in a park should be dedicated to single-use recreational facilities. A much better number is less than one-fourth single use, with the vast majority being multi-use. Many great parks are completely multi-use.







There’s also the Grandstand Rule: If an activity needs a grandstand, it’s probably drawing a crowd from further around than just the neighborhood.

So is there a place for a recreation center? Yes: Out on the highway somewhere. They are large, expensive, sprawl-based facilities, but if your community can’t do without one, then put it where it belongs: where lots of traffic can get to it quickly and easily. But by all means, don’t put it in a neighborhood. It’s not a good neighbor. It needs to keep to itself.



Parks, on the other hand, are necessary parts of a sustainable neighborhood. Everybody should be within a five-minute walk of a park, and smaller playgrounds for kids should be scattered throughout the neighborhood so that every kid is within a two-minute walk of a playground. Town planners such as those at the Congress for the New Urbanism, of which I’m a member, support these park principles.



There is a growing threat to neighborhood parks today: they’re increasingly being eaten up for single-use recreational activities, so in effect, they’re being transformed into recreation centers right under our very noses! My own Flamingo Park in Miami Beach is in grave danger of this fate. Already, so much of the land has been given over to single-use activities that there are only two general-use fields left, and they constitute a ridiculously low percentage of the entire park. Now, the tennis advocates want to take one of those two fields so that they can add to the seventeen tennis courts they have already! Might as well change the name to the Flamingo Rec Center and build a new parking lot on the other remaining field to handle all the extra traffic!



~Steve Mouzon

City Commission to Decide Flamingo Tennis Facilities on Wed, April 14, 2010, sometime after 5pm

The City Commission will decide upon whether to adjust the Flamingo Park Tennis facilities at its meeting on Wed, Apr 14, 2010.  The discussion has been scheduled for sometime after 5pm along with a number of items of importance to the Flamingo neighborhood and other neighborhoods of the City, including consideration of an amendment to short term rental ordinance.  In Sep 2009, the Commission adopted a plan for 17 courts and a new Tennis Facility.  Controversy on whether the courts should be clay or hard surface has now led to a proposal to increase the number of courts.

The Historic Preservation Board at its last meeting approved the 17 court plan with the statement that the adopted plan fits the need for a balance in varied recreational facilities and green open space respite in a way that respects  the original plan for the park.

Our neighbor and member Wanda Mouzon shares with us the following article and thoughts:

Here is a link about Urban Parks and lists some of the great Urban Parks. I have been to all but 3 of them, and I agree that they are all examples of successful parks. The key to this success is in the definition. The larger and more dense the city, the more important it is to provide residents a place to escape into nature and experience trees, grass, flowers and the like. These parks depict the many ways that this "escape" can be realized and is often based on the local climate, topography, etc. The important point is that if we allow Flamingo park to be consumed by single use recreations, this escape to nature is lost and the primary purpose for an urban park is not even achieved!

http://architecture.about.com/od/landscapedesign/tp/cityparks.htm


Great City Parks
Landscape Design in City Parks and Urban Spaces
By Jackie Craven, About.com Guide

As cities grow, it has become important to set aside green space where urban dwellers can enjoy trees, flowers, lakes and rivers, and wildlife. Landscape architects work with urban planners to design city parks that integrate nature into an overall urban plan. Some city parks have zoos and planetariums. Some city parks encompass many acres of forested land. Other city parks resemble town plazas with formal gardens and fountains. Listed here are landmark examples of city park design.

Central Park in New York City1
Central Park in New York City was officially born on July 21, 1853 when the State legislature authorized the City to buy more than 800 acres. The enormous park was designed by America's most famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.

Parque Güell in Barcelona, Spain
Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí designed Parque Güell (pronounced par kay gwel) as part of a residential garden community. The entire park is made of stone, ceramic, and natural elements. Today Parque Güell is a public park and a World Heritage monument.

Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C.
Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. extends 12 miles from the Potomac River to the border of Maryland. With hiking trails, a planetarium, an amphitheater, a dock, and riding stables, Rock Creek Park offers a retreat from city life.

Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California6
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California is a vast 1,013-acre urban park with extensive gardens, museums, and memorials. Once covered with sand dunes, Golden Gate Park was designed by William Hammond Hall and his successor, John McLaren.

Forest Park in Queens, New York7
Designed by Frederick Olmsted in the 1890s, Forest Park has 538 acres of trees and fields. Forest Park is located in the New York City neighborhood of Queens.

Balboa Park in San Diego, California8
Balboa Park in San Diego, California is sometimes called the "Smithsonian of the West" for the concentration of cultural institutions. Balboa Park encompasses 8 gardens, 15 museums, a theater, and the San Diego Zoo.

Manito Park in Spokane, Washington9
Manito Park in Spokane, Washington has a perennial garden, a rose garden, a conservatory with tropical plants, and a 3-acre formal European garden designed and built in 1913.

City Park in New Orleans10
Spanning about 1300 acres, City Park in New Orleans is one of the biggest urban parks in the USA. A highlight of City Park is the Bestoff Sculpture Garden.

Bryant Park in New York City11
Bryant Park in New York City is modeled after small urban parks in France. Bryant Park is located in mid-town Manhattan.

Cherokee Park in Louisville, Kentucky12
Amenities like A 2.4 mile scenic loop, a fenced dog park, and a bird sanctuary, make Cherokee Park in Louisville, Kentucky one of the most-visited parks in the USA.

To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://architecture.about.com/od/landscapedesign/tp/cityparks.htm

©2010 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

Letter to Mayor and Commissioners: Seventeen is Enough!

Mayor Matti Bower and
Members of the City Commission
City of Miami Beach
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Re: Flamingo Park Tennis Facilities

Dear Mayor Bower and Commissioners:

The Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association favors the plan for tennis facilities adopted by the City Commission on September 9, 2009 and approved by the Historic Preservation Board at its last meeting.

The adopted plan calls for seventeen tennis courts and a new tennis building facility placed along the central axis across from the Swimming Pool. The plan was a result of well over a year of active professional input by Wolfberg Alvarez and extensive dialogue on what would be best for the whole community. Many, many options were considered and scores of meetings were held at the neighborhood and community level, in the Finance and City wide Projects Committee as well as discussion and action by the City Commission. We think a good result emerged and should be advanced into implementation.

SEVENTEEN IS ENOUGH!

As noted by the testimony and findings at the Historic Preservation Board, there are many uses and functions that are accommodated – even celebrated -- within Flamingo Park. It is important that these be balanced and guided by the history and aesthetic of the park plan. We have been advocates of the park as an important green open space amenity within a very urban, fully developed neighborhood. We certainly recognize the importance of the park as an active recreational venue and understand and support the goal of balancing the many intended uses and functions of the park. Seventeen courts certainly provide adequate tennis facilities for use by residents of the neighborhood and the City.

SEVENTEEN IS ENOUGH!

Flamingo Neighborhood Projects have experience substantial delay in implementation:  Delay in Flamingo stormwater drainage and water/sewage project while Ocean Drive is complete. Delay in Flamingo streetscape improvement projects while Washington Avenue is complete. Delay in the Flamingo Park project while South Point Park is complete.

We have been good neighbors and we have supported the bond issue and Ocean / Washington / SoFi communities, but surely our turn has come. Reopening this project to additional discussion, planning and redesign will result in another delay of work in our neighborhood. If even more courts are needed we would support the City in its expressed intention to fund such additional courts on school property, on the Par Three property, at Polo Park and/or elsewhere. Certainly, we too want what’s very best for our school children, as well.

ALL WE ARE SAYING IS FOR FLAMINGO -- SEVENTEEN IS ENOUGH!

It’s just good business to make a plan and then implement it. It’s just good government to move from the adopted plan into project implementation. Let’s learn a lesson from the National Agenda and embrace a clarion call for the fierce urgency of now in the implementation of projects in Flamingo – Tennis Projects, Park Projects, Stormwater projects, Water and sewage projects and Streetscape projects.

We urge you to move forward in the implementation of the existing adopted plan with seventeen courts at Flamingo Park….now.

Sincerely,

Denis Russ for
Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association.

Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce considers Tennis in Flamingo Park; Takes No Action at this Time

The Board of Director of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce met on Tuesday, April 6, 2010.  Among itesm on a full agenda was Flamingo Tennis.

The discussion -- originally called for 4pm -- got moved eventually to 5pm. At that time Commissioner Ed Tobin presented his views on Tennis, clay courts, location at high school, tennis tournaments, etc.

Denis Russ presented the position of the Flamingo Park N'hood Assn supporting the 9-9-09 adopted plan: Seventeen is Enough! The discussion among the board reflected the positive feelings they have for tennis tournament play. And they would likely be supportive of plans that included major tennis tournament play.

While the Board was certainly respectful of both presentations, their sympathies were with tournament play.  During the discussion they detected the absence of a quorum and took no action. Although they might at some subsequent meeting.

City Commission Neighborhoods Committee moves the decision on Flamingo Tennis Facilities to the Commission

The City of Miami Beach Neighborhood Committee met on April 6, 2010 to consider a revised plan for Tennis Courts and Facility at Flamingo Park. The Committee forwarded all option to the City Commission at their meeting on Wednesday, April 14, 2010


Commissioner Libbin proposed that 5 new hardcourts be built in Polo Park for the High School, thereby allowing the City to proceed with the Flamingo tennis facility as previously approved by the Commission. However, he still held out the possibility of building 18 courts rather than 17 by removing the ficus tree which is currently located at the SW corner of the tennis facility, and he is still open to 2 or 3 of the Flamingo courts being hard courts. He also remains open to consideration of the tennis player proposal for 20 courts, if the 5 courts at Polo Park turn out to be unacceptable to the full Commission.

Both staff and Commissioners stated that any expansion of the tennis center beyond the currently approved proposal for 17 courts would have to go back to the Historic Preservation Board, and that its decisions on this matter are decisive and are not subject to being overturned by the Commission. Commissioner Tobin stated that he found the deliberations of the HP Board quite convincing on this issue of balancing uses at Flamingo Park.

Commissioner Wolfson attended the meeting, although he is not a member of the committee, and expressed strong support for 17 courts at Flamingo. He was not pleased with the Polo Park proposal, because he believes that it would be unlikely to get built, just resulting in further delay of the Flamingo Park project.

Tammy Tibbles and Jack Johnson testified on behalf of the FPNA position. Rebecca Boyce and David Berger testified in support of just 17 courts and expressed support for Commissioner Libbin’s suggestion of courts at Polo Park as a way to resolve the call for hard courts by the High School. Informally, the Tennis Players’ Association continues to advance their 20 court proposal.

There was assertive testimony from high school parents and teachers calling for 5 hard courts in Flamingo Park. Actually the tone of their advocacy seemed to alienate all others and seemed focus only on winning the day rather than reasonably exploring alternative possible solutions. Commissioners seemed put off by their tone.

At the end of the meeting, Commissioners Libbin, Tobin and Exposito voted unanimously to require city staff to come up with a rough estimate of the cost of building 5 new hard courts at Polo Park and to present that to the full Commission at its April 14 meeting. However, they also voted unanimously to require staff to develop an estimate of the cost of requiring Wolfberg Alvarez to develop a new plan for the tennis center based on the tennis player's 20 court proposal.

It appears that the 14 City Commission meeting on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 will be decisive on this issue, and all Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association activists should plan to be present at that meeting if humanly possible.

Tennis Player's Association Representatives Share Plans; Flamingo maintains: Seventeen is Enough

At the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Meeting on Monday, April 5, 2010, Rebecca Boyce and David Berger and members of the Miami Beach Tennis Players Association described their efforts at re-planning and improving the plan for tennis facilities. Their new plan would call for 15 clay courts, 5 hard courts and a total of 20 courts with the tennis building facility located along Eleventh Street.


After considerable discussion it was agreed that FPNA would not consider alternative plans at this time, but would move forward on advocacy of the existing plan with just seventeen courts.

Adopted Position

1. Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association supports the existing plan for Tennis Facilities adopted by the City Commission on September 9, 2009: Seventeen is Enough!

2. FPNA favors clay courts in the Flamingo Park Tennis Center, as better for seniors, adults and young people. [ONLY IF NO FURTHER ADVANCEMENT OF 20 COURTS]

3. FPNA would support City funding of hard courts at the High School, on the Par Three Golf Course, or elsewhere. [ONLY IF NO FURTHER ADVANCEMENT OF 20 COURTS]

4. FPNA requests the creation of temporary working groups to work within the existing plan's footprint to achieve the greatest form and function for each aspect of the park.

City Commission to Decide on Short Term Rentals on Wed, Apr 14, 2010

At the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Meeting on Monday, April 5, 2010 it was reported that the draft Ordinance to be presented to the City Commission at its meeting on Wed, April 14, 2010 is consistent with the position of the Flamingo Neighborhood previously adopted by resolution.

Accordingly there will be consistent advocacy on behalf of adoption of the proposed ordinance by the Association.

A copy of the staff report and recommendation to the commission can be accessed at the following link:

http://flamingomb.org/2Q2010/CMB-short_term_rentals_Memo_4-14-10.pdf

A copy of the ordinance will be posted as it is made available.