On September 11, 2019, at the request of Commissioner Ricky Arriola, the City Commission referred the discussion item to the Land Use and Development Committee (Item C4Z). On October 30, 2019 the Land Use Committee (LUDC) discussed and continued the item to the January 2020 LUDC meeting with direction to the administration to meet internally and with the item proposer to identify different options for a potential pilot, including budget and operational impacts.

The item was placed on the January 21, 2020 agenda of the newly constituted Land Use and Sustainability Committee (LUSC). The item was deferred to the February 18, 2020 LUSC meeting. On February 18, 2020 the item was deferred to the March 17, 2020 meeting.  The March 17, 2020 LUSC meeting was postponed and the item was moved to the May 26, 2020 LUSC agenda. On May 26, 2020 the item was deferred to June 30, 2020.

Prior to the June 30, 2020 meeting, Commissioner Arriola withdrew as the sponsor of the item, and it was deferred to the July 21, 2020 LUSC agenda.  The new sponsor of the item is Commissioner Mark Samuelian.

On July 21, 2020 the LUSC discussed the item and continued it to September 22, 2020 with the direction for the administration to meet with the item proposer regarding a potential pilot area.  On September 22, 2020 the item was continued to the October 20, 2020 LUSC.

On October 20, 2020 the LUSC discussed the proposed pilot area and continued the item to the February 2021 LUSC meeting, with direction to the Administration to explore potential funding option in the FY 2022 budget.  On February 17, 2021 the item was deferred to the March 24, 2021 LUSC.

As indicated in the referral memo, KoDA, a Miami Beach-based architecture firm, submitted a proposal that contemplates the exploration of Miami Beach's alleyways. The firm aims to examine ways we can adapt our alleys to be in line with the Urban Land Institute's recommendations for stormwater management while maximizing the value of alleys to better serve pedestrians and cyclists. KoDa's exploration would be guided by the tenets of "tight urbanism."

There is also a potential to partner with the University of Miami (UM) on this project since the principal of KoDA, Mr. Wes Keen, is a professor at the UM School of Architecture. Attached is KoDA's proposal regarding alleyway improvements. This concept centers on improvements to streets and alleys, particularly those rights of way that are used primarily for service purposes.

Subsequent to the October 30, 2019 LUDC, the administration met internally to discuss the operational and budget aspects of the proposal. In this regard, the following areas were identified:

1. Synchronization with the James Comer Field Lincoln Road Master Plan; specifically, the proposal for Lincoln Lane north and south.

2. A building by building analysis would be required for any fixtures that would be affixed to.

3. The need to address alley sections on a block by block basis, particularly regarding loading, grease trap access, as well as storm water and sewer access point.

4. Existing and proposed bike lanes.

KoDA has since been following up with the public works department regarding specific information related to waste management pick up schedules, routes, quantities, and costs. Additionally, KoDA has been reviewing the City atlas, including utility information such as sewer, stormwater, rain outfalls, and pump systems, as well as the initial recommendations from Jacobs Engineering Blue/Green Infrastructure proposals.

UPDATE - October 20, 2020
Subsequent to the July 21, 2020 LUSC meeting, representatives of KoDA met with Planning and Public Works staff regarding a potential pilot in the 1000 block of Ocean Court. Attached is the preliminary concept of this pilot.

It is important to note that the Ocean Drive initiative, which is scheduled to be discussed by the LUSC separately on September 17, 2020, and the full City Commission on September 29, 2020, is still fluid. As such, the administration believes that it would be premature to commit to any proposal for Ocean Court or Collins Court until the City Commission provides policy direction on the different mobility options for Ocean Drive. The transportation and mobility systems identified for Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue will inform how these interior alleys will be best utilized. This, in turn, will inform the most appropriate design for Ocean Court and Collins Court.

KoDA would like to address the LUSC regarding whether there may be an opportunity for funding the proposal. Currently, there is no funding for a pilot project in the FY 2020 budget, nor has funding been identified in the FY 2021 budget, which is scheduled for adoption on September 29, 2020. At this point any funding for the proposal could only be considered as a budget amendment for FY 2021. As indicated previously, there will likely be very limited funding for new projects considering the preliminary FY2021 budget projections.

UPDATE - March 24, 2021

At the direction of the LUSC, the Administration looked at potential funding options for the aforementioned pilot in FY 2022 budget. In this regard the following potential sources have been identified:

• 2022 Capital Budget. Since the proposal is not listed in the draft capital budget, an enhancement would need to be considered by the City Commission as part of the budget process. This would require a re-prioritization of previously identified capital budget priorities.
• 2022 Reserves. Funding could, potentially, come from the City reserves. However, this will be challenging given the uncertainty of commercial property values for FY 2022.

Given current budget constraints, as well as uncertainty with regard to resort tax revenue and commercial property values, the Administration does not recommend that a pilot for this proposal move forward at this time. Additionally, as mentioned previously, the Administration believes it is premature to commit to any proposal for Ocean Court or Collins Court until the City Commission provides policy direction on the different mobility options for Ocean Drive. The transportation and mobility systems identified for Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue will inform both the utilization and most appropriate design for Ocean Court and Collins Court.