Reso 2021-3170 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Site design and building guidelines: Many participants expressed dissatisfaction regarding the exterior appearance/design aesthetic of the existing commercial properties. These properties are among the earliest developed in the Town Center area. Despite being properly maintained, their design, in particular, clearly allude to their age. Participants also lamented that the architecture of these buildings is not memorable. Many participants support the modernization of these properties, including a redesign of the sites for improved traffic and pedestrian circulation, adequate parking and increased landscaping and green space. Updated site and building design guidelines; whether as part of the overlay or incorporated into the Zoning Code, will be important. In addition, in the wake of the pandemic, we recommend that guidelines emphasize items such as health and wellness, touch -less interfaces, antibacterial finishes, upgraded ventilation systems and acoustic bufferings, and increased usable outdoor space, among others. • Area parking conflicts: As a destination, the commercial section of the Town Center North area is an area of high parking demand. This is an ongoing concern of property owners, as well as end users. The outdated strip -mall design of these sites makes parking and access management inefficient and difficult to resolve. Additionally, one of the sites is used (by agreement) to accommodate supplementary parking for a property across the street. The situation could be improved with structured parking (either private or public). • Location of bus stops on westbound Sunny Isles Boulevard: Participants raised alarm at the location of the bus stops on Sunny Isles Boulevard leaving Sunny Isles Beach, one of which is at the spot where traffic lanes merge from 4 to 2, and the other, at the turn on North Bay Road. Studying this issue requires coordination with FDQT and Miami -Dade County Transit. • Citywide issues: There were two issues that rose to the top of the list of citywide concerns and which merit continued attention on the City's part. • Transportation/congestion This issue is relevant to the Town Center but transcends the district 4w and, indeed, the City as a regional problem. The City should continue to work in concert with regional and state transportation agencies as well as neighboring communities. It should also continue to assertively implement multimodality improvements identified in the City's 2016 Transportation Master Plan and pursue an expansion of micromobility systems and infrastructure to reduce demand for vehicle trips on roadways (as well as to keep residents safe and minimize the spread of CQVID-39). School capacity: This is a sticky issue for the community. Many participants' concern with the potential redevelopment of the Town Center North area (or, indeed, any other) is related to the addition of population, specifically families with kids, and the impact this could have on the capacity of the Norman S. Edelcup K-8 School, For others, the issue is whether the City should have its own high school. Recommended Strategy Based on the input received and the evaluation performed by the project team, the recommended strategy is R Narrower Focus," as posed in this report, along with the additional recommendations listed in the previous pages. Next Steps • In addition to selecting a preferred strategy at a public meeting, the City Commission should provide direction to staff regarding the appropriate density and intensity metrics for the TCNQ, related Zoning Code amendments, or the need for further study or action on other items. • City staff will then proceed to prepare the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments necessary to implement the Commission's direction. re -Envisioning the Town Center North Overlay 11212812020 93