2004 0415 Regular City Commission Meeting

Home Browse Search

Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting April 15, 2004 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Action: City Clerk Hines read the title and City Manager Russo reported. Public Speakers: none Commissioner Thaler moved and Commissioner Brezin seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2004-655 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor. 9e. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Authorizing the City Manager, on Behalf of the City, to Apply for and Accept a Florida Communities Trust Grant through its Florida Forever Program, for the Possible Acquisition of Property Located at 15795 Collins Avenue (Ocean Palm Motel), or Properties Located at 16050 Collins A venue, 16100 Collins A venue, and 16200 Collins A venue, for Open Space and Park Land, in an Amount of up to Six Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($6,600,000.00); Authorizing the City Manager to Take Any and All Action Necessary with Respect to the Obtaining and Distribution of Grant Monies, as Appropriate; Providing for an Effective Date. Action: City Clerk Hines read the title and City Manager Russo reported stating that the requirement for this grant is very specific, in that it is only for a negotiated purchase, not condemnation, and it is only to preserve land for environmental or park open space. He said that there is a system, where you get more credit for doing different things, and in one general area where you get a lot of credit, is if it is for the acquisition of property in an area that you have already targeted as something that you have wanted, that you have had public meetings on, that you have put into a capital budget process, and that is connected to other environmentally sensitive areas like the beach or other areas that you would like to just preserve. City Manager Russo said that staff has looked at this and there is an oceanfront piece that qualifies that was part of our Capital Improvement Program Town Hall meetings from two years ago, and have been in our budget, meets a tremendous criteria, is connected to the ocean, the walkways, has beach access, and Haulover, He said it meets a lot of points, is a single-owned property hotel in the south end of the City, and that it would cost a lot of money but it is an area that qualifies; and is in the south side of the City. City Manager Russo said we could collect up those very small commercial strip centers and turn that into a park land strip, and he noted that we have sent out the required letters to the property owners, which is a requirement that we get a signed letter from the property owner that says that they are willing to negotiate with us but it doesn't commit them to anything. He stated that he just received a late entry, a property owner that owns an open piece of land, a half acre or so, on Sunny Isles Boulevard, who is possibly willing to entertain that letter, and that is an area that we have targeted in other studies and reports to preserve some open space, the middle section between the east and west lanes. He stated that if we are successful in obtaining this motel, and if we get $6 Million, you are talking $8 or $9 Million on this property. City Manager Russo also sent these letters out to the owners of the lots in Golden Shores that Page 12 of 19