On October 27, 2020, the Sustainability Committee made the following two motions:

1. Motion requesting the City Commission waive or reduce the permitting fees for a period of two years for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations to incentivize and facilitate emission-free driving in Miami Beach

    

2. Motion supporting the ReefLine Miami Beach proposal as a concept to create habitats for local marine life, promote diverse tourism, and provide recreational activities for locals and guests and recommended that as the artificial reef locations are selected that the siting ensure their will not be negative impacts to existing surf breaks..

    

The first motion has been separated as a different discussion item co-sponsored by Commissioners Mark Samuelian, Michael Gongora and Micky Steinberg (C4 F) and will also be heard at the December 15 Land Use and Sustainability meeting.

ReefLine Project

The Blue Lab Preservation Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation with a focus on building positive community impact that will help address ocean pollution, water quality, climate change, environmental and social issues. Blue Lab Preservation Society is developing a project called the ReefLine. This project seeks to establish an underwater public sculpture park, snorkel trail and artificial reef located off Miami Beach’s shoreline (Attachment A). The vision is to have a series of artist-designed artificial reefs that attract marine life and eco-minded residents and tourists. The large-scale environmental public art project has been conceived by cultural placemaker Ximena Caminos who will serve as the project’s Artistic Director. The ReefLine’s masterplan will be designed by architect Shohei Shigematsu/OMA in close consultation with a team of expert marine biologists, researchers, architects and coastal engineers.

On November 18, 2020, the Art in Public Places (AiPP) Committee passed a motion also supporting the concept of the ReefLine Miami Beach proposal. At the City Commission meeting on November 18, 2020, the Mayor and City Commission adopted a resolution #2020-31489 (attachment B), accepting the recommendation of the Sustainability Committee and the AiPP Committee to support the ReefLine Miami Beach in concept.

The ReefLine project has received funded by the Knight Foundation. Additional matching funds are anticipated from private philanthropists, art collectors, state artificial reef grant funding, and partnerships with local hotels and tourism boards. The project goal is to deploy several new sculptures each year, such that eventually a long snorkel trail will be formed interconnecting all of them to create the world’s largest assemblage of sculptures designed by renowned artists.

The following is presented to the members of the Land Use and Sustainability Committee for discussion.

Attachments:

Attachment A- Reefline Resolution #2020-31489

Attachment B- Reefline presentation deck