P&Z 5.11.06MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE
PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD
WORKSHOP MEETING MAY 11, 2006
The workshop meeting of the Miami Shores Planning and Zoning Board was held at 7:00
P.M. on Thursday, May 11, 2006 at the Village Hall. The workshop was called to order
by
ITEM I: ROLL CALL: Richard Fernandez, Chairman
Sid Reese
W. Robert Abramitis
Cesar Sastre
Mark Ulmer
ALSO PRESENT: Richard Sarafan, Village Attorney
Valerie Bierley, Clerk
David Dacquisto, Zoning Director
All members on the council were introduced as well as the clerk and Zoning Director.
The workshop meeting is being held in the conference room, there are signs posted
outside directing any public members as to where we are.
The assigned topics of discussion are delegated. Once each person has presented their
topic, they will then become a mini-chair and will entertain questions and/or suggestions.
It is recommended the last thirty minutes of the workshop be dedicated to the interest of
boats and boat storage among other matters.
A discussion concerning the statue fountain and yard arts matter were requested.
ITEM II: DISCUSSION ITEMS:
• Introduce and summarize certain issues the council members have requested the
board to deal with.
• Address four items and get the issues on the table.
• Sign ordinance; introduce or re-introduce and summarize these matters.
• Present a summary and proposal for the Country Club issue.
• Bring forward a wood construction item, front and back yards as well as boat
storage and boat related items.
DEVELOPMENT OF SIDE YARD:
Direction from the board was requested on two points. A. Is the interpretation consistent
with what the board believes the code to say? B. Should we proceed with code
amendment? Side yards include but not limited to generators, air conditioning units,
pools and patios. A two hundred square foot may be surfaced with gravel to park a boat
and also a three foot strip of pavement is allowed as a walkway, but as far as the
generator units and patio’s go these are not allowed. Other city codes in Florida and their
regulations for the side yard were referred to.
DOWNTOWN DESIGN STANDARDS:
Design regulations and recommendations were discussed using an example from Monroe
County. A vision for Miami Shores is suggested as necessary before design standards can
be developed. If that vision can be found a consultant should be used to draw up
examples of desired building facades and again use to encourage not impose. Rather than
construct a vision around the buildings, an option is to create the vision around the public
right of way. Creating a vision for the streetscape and how we want Miami Shores to be
distinctive so it is clear when you are in Miami Shores.
PARKING ISSUES:
Describing how the community has a commercial street but no secondary commercial
areas off the main arteries. As a result if a business does not create enough parking,
commercial parking will spill over onto the residential areas. One option allows the
applicant’s to commission a parking study along with a traffic consultant. Another option
is businesses sharing parking based on hours of operation.
NONCONFORMING USES AND NONCONFORMING STRUCTURES:
Showing information from other districts dealing with nonconformities, it is advised to
clearly state there is a difference between nonconforming uses and nonconforming
structures.
Discussion on these four items begins with how to determine side yard on corner lots.
Should these houses be treated differently? Explaining that the code should show what is
the front and side of the house. Comments on the fifty foot lots, should these lots be
considered differently than the larger lots? The reply is that it is possible but it also sets
new problems with it. Is parking ordinance a problem in terms of the amount of parking
being required? There is a need for flexibility. A concern about hiring an expert traffic
consultant came up and it was stated there could be an in-house consultant with the cost
paid by the applicant. A main concern at this point of time is the hurricane season.
Dealing with boats and generators, if there is not a provision for emergency generators
then there will be chaos. Generators should be considered as a separate issue not as a side
yard issue. How should mobile generators be dealt with? They should be dealt with by
using a conditional use permit. There are six objective criteria’s to meet. If you meet
them get the permit if not then additional criteria’s must be met and go before the board.
LOTS:
It is expressed the council asked for the board to consider an eighty foot minimum width
lot. The board will form an opinion and get back to them. The council does not want big
lots turned into small ones.
The main concern is there are many beautiful streets and property that might be torn
down. This is not something that is wanted.
SIGN ORDANANCE:
There is a general feeling that the codes are inadequate and zoning areas that are not
addressed. There should be more time spent on the sign codes.
The board discusses an example of a case in another city of having no sign ordinance and
the problems that follow.
COUNTRY CLUB ISSUE:
It is expressed that the board should begin looking at future development for this land. It
will most likely take three years to happen. The feeling is this subject needs to be
prioritized.
The board discusses how this property needs to be used as a park or recreation area by
law. Dade County charter has a provision, that any attempt to change park to commercial
use requires a referendum of the county.
WOOD CONTRUCTION ITEMS:
The code does not specifically state wood construction items cannot be put in the front.
Should this code be changed? Is this something the board wants?
BOAT STORAGE:
Comments and considerations for boat and boat item codes. Some considerations such as
frame, length, height and color; is this something that should be addressed in the code?
Twenty foot boats are currently allowed on a gravel pad. There is a proposal to increase
these maximum amounts.
Going around the room for questions and comments, several arose. Why twenty-eight
feet oppose to twenty-six or thirty feet? The answer was the twenty-eight feet are easily
trailable. Are there any concerns as to what happens to trailers during hurricanes? Should
they be treated differently on main avenues? Boats parked on side patios should be no
longer than the length of the house. But they can be stored in the backyard. Looking for
current license on trailers and on boats, all boats should be covered when stored with
neutral colors. Several cities have ordinance that ticket boats in right of way in streets.
Minor maintenance on boats is O.K. in residential area, and prohibits storage of boats on
commercial parking lot.
PRIORITIZING:
The Board prioritized items for action:
1) Emergency generators and boats, visa via conditional permits. Come up with more
solutions.
2) Boat storage (just on discussion)
3) Land used as dividing.
4) Down town Design standards.
5) Wood construction.
6) Parking
7) Parking ordinance
TWO MEETINGS A MONTH
1st meeting carry over
2nd meeting appeals, site plan
NEXT MEETING.
The next regular meeting will be on May 25, 2006
V. ADJOURNMENT
The May 11, 2006 Planning and Zoning meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M
__________________________ ____________________________
Valerie Bierley, Recording Clerk Chairman, Planning & Zoning Board