2009-0716 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting July 16, 2009 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 13C. Jennifer Levin, a resident of Oceanview Building B, said that she understands that the garage is going to be in the southeastern corner of the Park area where the ramp to William Lehman Causeway is, and she doesn't understand why the City needs an easement around the back because we already have ingress and egress through Collins Avenue. She said she objects to the gate being closed to the Ocean Reserve parking lot, it would overburden their parking garage and increase liability, insurance costs, etc. She requested that the Commission not eliminate the gate to the Ocean Reserve Garage or not even utilize the easement and find an alternative way to gain access to the garage. City Manager Conner said the original design called for the entrance to the City's parking garage to run just east of and parallel to the fence that now separates the two properties and so it would be entirely on the Heritage Park property. When the discussion opened to obtain the additional acre for park purposes it would turn what is now asphalt into part of the Park. As part of that process the driveway to the City's parking garage would then move west to the other side of the fence and connect back to the City's garage which is within 60 feet of connecting to the existing exit out of the existing garage. The request was made to close that exit and not have that connection so that the traffic would not flow through the Park because once the acre is developed and landscaped, it would become part of the entire Park picture. That agreement is what was requested at the time, but there are options. One option is to simply go back to the original plan and not include the acre as part of the Park plan but he believes it would benefit all the properties back there to have a beautiful additional acre immediately in front of and adjacent to their properties. There may be alternatives and we have time to resolve this issue, it will take several months to get the garage started, and during that period we are discussing the possibility of what we do with the park plans, and the Commission has not even made that final decision yet, it is still in the development stages. He recommended that if there is a concern that we set up a meeting with all the parties involved and look at the situation and decide what is the best total package, and he presented a rendering of the Park. Mayor Edelcup said to give the City Manager 90 to 120 days for him to have a meeting and /or a workshop with the residents of Building B, and show them the plans both ways and get a consensus of the majority of the homeowners or residents in Building B, and then report back to the Commission, and then the Commission can make a determination on which way to go. City Attorney Ottinot has been in communication with the Building B attorney and also the Ocean Reserve attorney, and are in discussion by trying to resolve a legal issue, the question is really whether they have the authority to grant the City the easement. At the time they granted the easement they indicated that they have the authority, and so right now we are trying to resolve that issue. Commissioner Scholl said it would be easier to get all the folks involved and work it out, and Commissioner Brezin said we will work out a plan that is mutually agreeable to all of us. 13D. Michael Bourgoin asked for an update on Newport Pier and restaurant RFP. City Manager Conner reported that the Pier is being designed, permitting is on track, and that the Pier will be ready for the City's 2010 Anniversary Party. We went through the RFP process for the restaurant and there were no submittals. After the fact, we had two parties indicate that there was an interest and we went through the process and received those two