Staff examined different areas in the community that could house a hydroponic farm but did not identify any vacant City buildings that would suitably accommodate an indoor farm or greenhouse. Therefore, the City is considering a model using shipping containers to house plants. The eight, vacant City-owned lots known as the North Beach “West Lots,” spanning from 79th to 87th Streets across the North Shore Oceanside Park, could provide an opportunity to test this new farming method. Given the size and structure of the containers, Staff recommends adapting a portion of a vacant West Lot as a test site for the container model.
Concurrent with development of this agenda item, the City has been working with Dover, Kohl & Partners to examine the future use(s) of the eight, GU-zoned West Lots. Through community charrettes and meetings, residents have expressed a need for better access to fresh, healthy food in the North Beach community and an interest in a hydroponic garden as a potential remedy. At the June 27, 2018 Commission meeting, Dover Kohl presented an initial conceptual design entitled The Plan for the West Lots (the “West Lots Plan”). In light of the presentation, the City Commission included funding for redevelopment of the West Lots as a G.O. Bond item in the November 6, 2018 election. Dover Kohl’s planning study, directly informed by community input, highlighted five key recommendations, including showcasing resilience and sustainability; civic/social uses which compliment the passive park; and a preference for lower height and less impactful uses in the inner core of the West Lots. Dover Kohl specifically proposed a hydroponic farm as an eco-friendly design principle that would support these key recommendations.
In other cities, the hydroponic farm is typically treated as an industrial use and located away from residential areas. The farms typically operate in agriculture or industrial districts rather than the center of walkable, mixed-use environments. Farm operations within shipping containers often resemble windowless box structures inside a parking lot with large waste-removal and recycling areas, and enormous bays that can accommodate delivery trucks. This traditional method for hydroponic farms would not be compatible with the community vision found in the North Beach Master Plan.
However, a farm may be compatible with the Master Plan vision if the operation was successfully integrated into future programming for the West Lots. The proposed map for each block in the West Lots Plan is attached as Exhibit B. The West Lots Plan proposed the North Beach Yard, on West Lot 3 (between 81st and 82nd Streets), as an optimal site for a vertical farm. The proposed project’s site plan already includes planting beds in its northeast corner and its operators indicated to Dover Kohl that a hydroponic farm aligned with their core mission. In the alternative, Dover Kohl suggested possible locations as the proposed eco-park on Lot 2 (between 80th and 81st Streets) or the proposed tropical garden on Lot 6 (between 54th and 85th Streets). Staff also identified as a potential location the north half of Lot 4 (between 82nd and 83rd Streets) adjacent to the temporary skate park.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ITEMS
Potential mechanisms for solicitation and structure of a project include a ground lease of the City-owned land or financial subsidy of a private operation, depending upon the level of market interest. The City could also explore other options at the direction of the Committee, including integration of a hydroponic farm in the plans for North Beach Yard. As the City’s land development regulations do not contemplate agriculture uses, GU waivers by the City Commission would likely be necessary to allow the use on the West Lots. Actual plans for a farming project would require zoning review and a building permit. Should the Committee wish to proceed with a hydroponic farm, a feasibility study that identifies viable locations would be beneficial since the concept is untested by the City.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND RESEARCH
Recently, staff contacted the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Tropical Research and Education Center and is planning to meet with the Urban Horticulturist/Entomologist about hydroponic container farming and explore how, if at all, the City of Miami Beach can potentially incorporate hydroponic farming into Miami Beach communities.