Murmurs

What the…. 

Just as the Miami-Dade Commission was about to award a contract to the beach concession operator that won the selection process via the county’s competitive bidding and had the recommendation of the administration, Commissioner Sally Heyman said she didn’t like the winning bidder.

Heyman was so adamant in her stand, she convinced the commission to vote against the selection committee and staff’s number one choice and to move the process back to committee.

An outraged attorney from Greenberg Traurig, who was representing the winning bidder, said his client won the contract through a competitive process that was fair and even alleged that this last minute attempt to scuttle the awarding of the contract was due to another bidder making a few phone calls. Heyman denied that any of the other bidders had called her.

But attorney said his client won the contract through the competitive bidding process and was selected over competitors such as the Boucher Brothers.

After hearing the attorney’s argument, several commissioners asked staff if he was correct in the information he was giving them. One hundred percent correct, was the answer.

The commission said they were given the wrong information and then reconsidered its prior vote and awarded the contract to the winning bidder. Even after hearing the facts, Heyman still voted against staff’s choice of beach concessionaires.    

Miami Beach

Historic Preservation Board

Prelim Opposition

The Seville Beach Hotel Corp’s request to the HPB to consider a Preliminary Evaluation for the partial demolition and renovation of an existing twelve-story hotel, a rooftop addition to the existing Seville Hotel, as well as the construction of a new twenty-one story multifamily building, brought to the meeting opposition from The Palms, a neighboring hotel.

In opposing the proposed project, architect Alan Shulman testified as an expert witness on behalf of the Palms Hotel. The Seville Hotel is located at 2901 Collins Avenue.

In other action, the HPB continued until November 9^th a request from Southern Shore properties, Inc. for a Cerificate of Appropriateness for the total demolition of an existing two-story multifamily building and the construction of a new four-story multifamily structure. The proposed project, Neon, a.k.a. Augusta Bay Apartments is located at 1607 Michigan Avenue.

Planning Board

Continued

At its October 26^th meeting, the planning board continued

the consideration of an ordinance that would amend the Land Development Regulations of the city, which would clarify and update certain terms and descriptions to provide more defined parameters for what constitutes a non-conforming structure. The ordinance would also address off-street parking and parking credits to establish revised standards for non-conforming structures. The continuance would allow the Historic Preservation Board to have more time to review the ordinance.

Denied

The board denied an application from 834 Ocean Drive LLC, requesting Conditional Use Approval to operate an open-air entertainment establishment as defined by city regulations. The application for the proposed establishment, Fox Café, had several opponents, including Mango’s owner David Wallack. The applicant’s attorney told the board that he was “shocked” by Wallack’s opposition. A motion to deny by member Jerry Libbin was approved unanimously.

Workshop

Following its regular agenda, the board held a public workshop to gather input and to discuss the concept of creating entertainment districts from a land use perspective. Several neighborhoods from North Beach to South Pointe were placed on the table.

There was general consensus that the city commission had succeeded in its policies south of 6^th Street and that Lincoln Road and Espanola Way were doing just fine as it related to the number and operation of entertainment establishments.

As to Washington Avenue, several entertainment establishment operators and members of the public, mostly living south of 6^th Street, believed it would be in the city’s best interest to do away with the current law that requires a 300-foot separation between clubs and bars.

Removing the 300-foot separation, according to its proponents, would bring a higher quality of entertainment establishments to the area. Member Joy Malakoff said she wasn’t sure about that and it would need more discussion.

Another topic of discussion was the level of services, such as police and sanitation that would be required within a proposed entertainment district, particularly in South Beach. Member Jerry Libbin suggested there might be a way for the police department to hire additional officers more efficiently, perhaps for a fourth shift to just work limited hours on weekends in South Beach.

While several other speakers raised the issue, board chair Victor Diaz said delivery of services is more an issue for the commission and city manager to address. Diaz also said if the commission directs the planning board to take a look at service delivery, that’s fine with him.

But Diaz also suggested that if the proponents of additional services for proposed entertainment districts do come back to the planning board, they should also bring a plan on how to pay for them.

Coming Up

At its November 9^th meeting, the Historic Preservation Board will again consider an application from the Friends of Marvin Green, requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a memorial clock sculpture in the median at the intersection of 74^th Street and Ocean Terrace.