AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING APPENDIX "A" OF THE CITY CODE, ENTITLED "FEE SCHEDULE," TO REVISE FEES CHARGED FOR PARKLET PERMITS, AND PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

A parklet is a small park, plaza, or creative public space that is physically installed or constructed in an on-street parking space.

On July 7, 2015, the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel for Washington Avenue recommended that the City Commission encourage the establishment of parklets along Washington Avenue, in order to stimulate economic development and further activate the Washington Avenue corridor.

The Mayor and City Commission approved the creation of the Washington Avenue Pilot Parklet Program ("Pilot Program") on December 9, 2015, allowing businesses located along Washington Avenue to install parklets for utilization by sidewalk cafes in on-street parking spaces on a temporary basis, subject to certain requirements and criteria. In order to encourage restaurants to participate in the Pilot Program, the Mayor and City Commission amended the City Code to abate sidewalk cafe permit application fees and per-square-foot permit fees for sidewalk cafe operators that participated in the Pilot Program.

The abatement was extended for a total duration of three (3) years. The Pilot Program was originally scheduled to terminate on March 31, 2019. On July 17, 2019, the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 2019-4281, extending the duration of the Pilot Program through March 31, 2021.

On January 20, 2021, the Land use and Sustainability Committee (LUSC) held a discussion regarding sidewalk cafes and parklets in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood. The LUSC members recommended that parklets for sidewalk cafe seating continue to be permitted, and recommended that staff draft an Ordinance to make the program permanent.

On June 23, 2021, a First Reading to the Ordinance was read into the record and approved by the City Commission.

The City Administration is proposing to change the fee structure for the parklets to be consistent with the fee structure for sidewalk cafes, reflecting current market prices.  The current parklet fee approved on Second Reading by the City Commission in July was $34 per-parking-space, per day.

The Administration recommends approving the Ordinance on First Reading, proposing changing the fee structure for parklets in order to reflect the current market prices, to $150 per-square-foot charged per space based upon a standard-sized parking space of 187 square feet per year, and schedule a Second Reading Public Hearing on September 30, 2021.