TriBoard Workshop Wednesday, January 22, 2003

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TriBoard WorkshopWednesday, January 22, 2003

• Economic Development Board
• Historic Preservation Board
• Planning and Zoning Board

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North Ponce de Leon Study area
North S.W. 8th Street South Navarre
Avenue East Douglas Road West LeJeune
Road
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Purpose of Meeting

• Solicit input on issues from each Boards
  perspective
• Educate City Staff and each Board on issues as
  they relate to the following
• Economic Development Standpoint
• Historic Preservation perspective
• Planning and Zoning Issues
• Solicit public input

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North Ponce de Leon Boulevard Studies Completed

• Area has been the subject of 3 previous studies
• 1994 - Findings and Recommendations of the
  Douglas Apartment District Task Force (Attachment
  A)
• 1998 Draft North Ponce District Zoning Review
  (Attachment B)
• 2002 Coral Gables Charrette Report (North Ponce
  District excerpts and recommendations
  Attachment C)

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Douglas Apartment District Task Force

• Problems
• Opportunities
• Planning and Redevelopment Objectives
• Ponce De Leon Boulevard
• Neighborhoods
• Traffic Parking
• Security
• Social and Community Services
• Incentive and Enhancement Programs
• Public Investments and Improvements
• Public and Private Financing
• Cooperative Marketing and Management

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Douglas Apartment District Task Force

• Mission of Study (page 6 of document)
• Support of residential property owners
• Support of residents
• Support of commercial property owners of Ponce de
  Leon Boulevard
• Support of Coral Gables Taxpayers
• Sustainable economic and physical redevelopment
• Implementable over a brief period of time

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Douglas Apartment District Task Force

• Summary of area
• Area in serious deteriorating condition
• High crime rates
• Non existent owner occupancy
• Numerous code violations
• Understandable lack of motivation on the part of
  individual owners to make significant investments
• Failed retail commercial spine at its center

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Douglas Apartment District Task Force

• Summary (continued)
• Area includes historic urban landscape
• Historic Mediterranean character
• Ponce del Leon is one of the City most important
  street
• Support of the plan requires broad and committed
  support from the private sector

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Douglas Apartment District Task Force

• Recommendations
• Create a redevelopment district
• Create a plan
• Implement a plan
• Seek grants, private and public sector financial
  support
• Issue bonds fianced by tax increment financing
  and transfer of development right
• Make public improvements
• Establish a loan program
• Make direct investment into community such as
  social, service, recreational, beautifaciton,
  economic development
• Create Overlay district with modifications to Med
  Ord, Historic District regulations, Cottage
  ORdaicne

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North Ponce District Zoning ReviewDraft Document
- 1998

• Objective Stimulate redevelopment of the
  area
• Study Examined specifics such a green
  areas, empty parcels, green space and
  edges, landscape corridors, specific building
  details (i.e. setbacks, FAR), street
  frontages
• Study never underwent public hearing review

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Pre-Charrette

• North Ponce de Leon Issues
• Land Uses
• Zoning
• Urban Character
• Transportation and Traffic
• Parking
• Architecture
• Streetscape
• Infrastructure

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Pre-Charrette

• Overview
• Coral Gables Apartment District considered
  relatively affordable
• Commercial corridor is attracting new retail,
  restaurants and entertainment
• Allowed Commercial high-rise development up to
  16 stories permitted along Ponce corridor.
• Allowed Apartment development up to 50 units
  per acre and height up to 8 stories (97)
• Development trends points towards
• High-rise mixed-use development along Ponce de
  Leon Boulevard
• Multi-family residential development adjoining
  the commercial corridor

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Pre-Charrette

• Overview
• Existing housing is virtually all multi family,
  most housing stock is 50 years old
• Development trends could result in the demolition
  of multi family complexes to make way for
  larger-scale buildings
• Ponce de Leon Boulevard, the Citys primary
  north-south commercial corridor, could benefit
  from streetscale improvements
• Small historic districts may help preserve the
  half-century old structures, and provide
  affordable/moderate rents to residents
• Long term goals ensure commercial and
  residential developments are complementary to
  each other

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Pre-Charrette

• Overview
• Future trolley service linking CBD, the Village
  of Merrick Park and Metro Rail will circulate
  through the North Ponce de Leon District
• Existing apartment buildings have little or no
  off street parking
• Parking for businesses spills over into
  residential streets
• Need to preserve historic buildings, tax
  incentives are available
• Development rights need to be balanced with the
  need to preserve the low to mid-rise character of
  the area
• Maintain and enhance street tree program

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Charrette Recommendations

• Design
• 4. Develop a master streetscape plan for all
  Downtown and North Ponce streets to enhance the
  city as a Garden City, with an emphasis on
  pedestrian comfort as follows maximize sidewalk
  width add shade trees to increase tree canopy
  minimize vehicular lane widths maximize
  on-street parking preserve commercial/retail
  visibility access and accentuate mid-block
  crossings design aesthetically pleasing
  lighting select plant material types to relate
  to street scale and promote increased urban open
  space in safe, accessible areas. Encourage the
  use of innovative design and planting techniques,
  including structural soil, to insure
  survivability of plant material. Develop four
  generic approaches (kit of parts) based on the
  variety of existing rights of way and conditions
  as follows

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Charrette Recommendations

• Design (continued)
• 6. Activate trolley planned for north-south
  route from SW 8th Street to Merrick Park and
  Metro Rail add east-west service on Miracle
  Mile and Biltmore Way up to Venetian Pool and
  Biltmore Hotel
• 8. Consider long term plan for fixed rail to
  substitute for rubber tire trolleys and study
  additional routes throughout City in addition to
  routes mentioned above
• 9. Develop eastern edge of Philips Park with
  liner residential buildings to conceal the
  parking garage now visible across the park and
  to add eyes on the park. Use development
  proceeds to purchase land for small parks in the
  North Ponce area
• 16. Reinforce five identifiable communities in
  North Ponce area, per prior study, with a
  streetscape that establishes identity and a
  special green space for each community

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Charrette Recommendations

• Design (continued)
• 17. Create a central square for all of North
  Ponce at intersection of Ponce de Leon Boulevard
  and East Ponce Boulevard with arcaded buildings
  or similar edge defining attributes surrounding
  the new square
• 18. Redesign Ponce de Leon Boulevard corridor to
  include the following increased sidewalks
  widths sidewalk landscaping limitation of
  vehicular driveway curb cuts and traffic
  calming, including a landscaped median
• 19. Provide landscaped traffic calming elements
  for Galiano and Salzedo Streets

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Charrette Recommendations

• Management
• 6. Position Downtown and North Ponce retail to
  be complementary to, rather than competing with,
  tenant mix of the Merrick Park
• 8(e) Create remote parking respectful of
  surrounding residential uses at the north
  terminus of the trolley system. South terminus
  is already served at Metro Rail
• 8(h)Introduce residential parking permit system
  for North Ponce residential neighborhood.
  (Parking, Building and Zoning)

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Charrette Recommendations

• Policy
• 1. Consolidate dense development and
  redevelopment of Downtown to enhance the public
  realm and its transit friendliness and
  walkability
• 5. Work with County to assume jurisdiction of
  all streets in Downtown and North Ponce
• 14. Preserve historic apartment buildings in
  North Ponce and develop methodology for
  implementation thereof
• 15. Preserve North Ponce as the Citys
  neighborhood for affordable rental housing
• 16. Revise zoning code to promote infill
  building in North Ponce that is compatible with
  historic types, with parking behind habitable
  space fronting sidewalks to ensure eyes on the
  street
• 18. Revise zoning Code to allow bed and
  breakfast uses with smaller unit size and
  parking on the street with permits

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TriBoard and Public Input

• Educate City Staff and each Board on issues as
  they relate to the following
• Economic Development Standpoint
• Historic Preservation perspective
• Planning and Zoning Issues
• Solicit public input

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TriBoard Workshop

• Discussion