By Bari Auerbach

Focused on maintaining prosperity and continually heightening quality of life, the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission has been responding to current economic conditions by formulating innovative strategies to implement “operation conservation/preservation.”  

TDR Preservation
At the March 19 City Commission meeting, an ordinance was approved granting developers an up to 10 year extension to utilize transfer of development rights (TDR’s).  City Attorney Hans Ottinot reported, “The real estate crisis has impacted development projects throughout the country. More precisely, the crisis has impacted development in [Sunny Isles Beach] by forcing developers to delay construction of projects that were approved by the City Commission.

“The city has been approached by several owners of privately owned development rights (TDR’s) about extensions for the utilization of TDR’s (beyond the five year time frame already allowed). Under the [city’s] current TDR ordinance, private owners are required to withdraw TDR’s from the TDR bank within five years of approval of a sender site. By adopting this ordinance, the City Commission will create some flexibility in the code to provide extension requests.”

Preserving Transfer of Development Rights (TDR’s) can assist Sunny Isles Beach in furthering goals to create more open space and parks while encouraging more activity in the private marketplace. “TDR’s are of great value to the city when they do get used because they become the basis of ongoing property taxes,” Mayor Norman Edelcup said.  

TDR’s can be defined as "the process by which development rights are transferred from one lot, parcel, or area of land in a sending district (usually where land conservation is sought) to another lot, parcel, or area of land in one or more receiving districts (where property is desired and can be serviced properly). Pertaining to specific parcels in Sunny Isles Beach, if a property owner has no interest in building on the site he owns, he would then have the option of picking up the TDR’s on that property and selling them or transferring them over to another site in the city upon approval of the City Commission.

Main TDR sites where land could potentially be donated to the City are the east side of Collins Avenue and the Town Center district on the west side of Collins Avenue from 172nd Street to and inclusive of Sunny Isles Boulevard.

The ordinance adopted on March 19 also includes a formula calculating the annual fee developers will have to pay to the city for TDR extensions. Mayor Edelcup explained, “The formula I’ve proposed is to treat TDR’s similar to property values…I’m suggesting a valuation of $30 per square foot for a TDR – commensurate with property values on the west side of Collins Avenue in today’s market.

“We would use that valuation of $30 per square foot [multiplied by] the number of TDR’s owned by a person. Then that number would be [multiplied by] the millage rate  applied to regular real estate property in the city [currently 2.48].

Giving an example of how the formula works, Edelcup said, “100,000 square feet of TDR’s [multiplied by] $30 per square feet [equals] the valuation of about $3 million. Then, applying the millage rate of 2.48, we come up with an approximate $7,500 fee due to the city for that particular year’s [TDR] extension.

“We would have the right to look at that $30 valuation each year to determine if it’s still appropriate based on comparable properties in the city and [the current millage rate would be applicable as it can fluctuate each fiscal year].”

To further help protect the future of development in Sunny Isles Beach in light of current real estate market conditions, the City Commission also passed an ordinance last year permitting a voluntary program for the extension of time for unexpired development approvals contingent on a monetary compensation plan.

Budget Conservation
Per request of the City Commission, acting City Manager Rick Conner recently reported city staff will take on the task of designing features and landscaping for an additional acre of land acquired for Heritage Park at the north end of the city. This will save the city a fee of  $93,000 proposed by the design firm Spillis Candela, contracted to design the Heritage Park and parking garage.

The City Commission has been focusing on making the most of budgetary dollars in all city departments. While Sunny Isles Beach has ample budget reserve funds, the theme has been “conserve and reserve” wherever possible due to a reduction in city revenue forecasts, mostly from property taxes. In order to help balance the ‘08/’09 budget, the city’s millage rate rose from $2.398 to $2.48 per $1,000 of assessed property value – lower than it was two fiscal years ago and still one of the lowest property tax rates in Miami-Dade County.

Cost efficiency was also the catalyst for the city to consolidate elections with Miami-Dade County. The City Commission endorsed amending the city’s charter by changing the dates of the city’s general and runoff elections to coincide with the county – necessitating terms of office to be extended by one year for one time only.

Life Preservation
Five potentially life saving defibrillators will be placed in the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center following the City Commission’s approval to participate in the Miami-Dade County Fire Department s Public Access to Defibrillator Demonstration Program (PADD).

Acting City Manager Rick Conner reported, “The American Heart Association estimates that the survival rate after cardiac arrest would increase by 20 percent and 40,000 more lives could be saved each year with more consistent application of effective bystander CPR and early use of Automated External Defibrillators. PADD programs across the country are helping communities recognize the importance of having defibrillators  readily available in public places The best part of this program is that it’s free
to the city.”

Water Conservation
Mayor Norman Edelcup recently proclaimed the month of April 2009 as “Water Conservation Month” in the City of Sunny Isles Beach. According to the proclamation, “South Florida residents consume 179 gallons per person per day - the highest water usage in the state.

“The state of Florida, together with local partners, are investing billions to develop alternative water supplies, clean up stormwater pollution, restore rivers lakes and springs, upgrade drinking water facilities and improve wastewater treatment…The South Florida Water Management District is implementing a comprehensive water conservation program to instill a lasting culture of conservation in communities and is working together with the City of Sunny Isles Beach to increase awareness about the importance of water conservation - an effective and efficient method to preserve water supplies.

“The City of Sunny Isles Beach and the state of Florida have designated April,
typically a dry month when water demands are most acute, Florida s ‘Water
Conservation Month’ to educate and encourage citizens to conserve the state’s precious
water resources.”

Green Preservation
Sunny Isles Beach smart “Going Green” initiatives are already receiving high praise and recognition. Last May, the Florida League of Cities announced the publication of its 2008 City Innovations Showcase which included “Government Center Goes Green” - a detailed description of the recycling at the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center.

According to the city’s Public Works Department, the maintenance staff in the Government Center is doing its part to save money and energy by continuing with a new larger scale recycling policy. New recycle bins are just the start of the city’s conscious effort to help preserve the environment. The city is also recycling dry-cell batteries and inkjet cartridges and has implemented a computerized system to control the lights and air conditioning usage throughout the entire Government Center.

In keeping with the smart trend to “go green – and save green” the City Commission authorized the purchase of two GEM Model EL electric pickup trucks for the Public Works Department. The cost of the trucks, not to exceed $21,000, represents a savings of approximately $10,000 when compared to the purchase of gasoline vehicles and the elimination of expenses for gasoline and oil. The goal is to ultimately replace other city vehicles with similar more cost-efficient models.

At the March 19 City Commission meeting, a special presentation was made by artist Michael Singer of the Miami design firm Michael Singer Studio - specializing on creating eco-sensitive urban projects. Singer’s associate Jason Bregman, an architect focusing on environmental design, also spoke about future “Going Green” opportunities in Sunny Isles Beach to save energy, remove pollutants from the air, create more vegetation and filter stormwater to promote water conservation.

“In every tiny green space the city has there is an opportunity for growth,” Singer said.
Singer’s award-winning work has been instrumental in transforming public art, architecture, landscape and planning projects into successful models for urban and ecological renewal, which have contributed to the definition of site specific art and the development of public places.  In recent years, Singer has been involved in a variety of landscape and outdoor environment, planning and infrastructure projects in the United States and Europe.
“Whatever input we can get to help make Sunny Isles Beach a ‘green city’ would be appreciated.” Mayor Norman Edelcup said.