City focused on enhancing parks and recreation

By Bari Auerbach

Moms pushing strollers and kids on swings…couples enjoying great concerts…pet owners having fun with their dogs…friends gathering for enriching activities and fitness routines…Today, at the public parks enhancing Sunny Isles Beach, residents of all ages are gathering to enjoy “sun, fun and recreation” helping to make the city one of the most desirable places to live and visit in South Florida.

Just recently, the goal to continue acquiring land for parks and green open space was the focus of a special City Commission meeting on April 16 when resolutions were approved to facilitate acquisition of additional land located at 215-255 Sunny Isles Boulevard and 151 Sunny Isles Boulevard via eminent domain. The resolutions passed support the Sunny Isles Beach “Open Space and Public Parking Initiative” devised to upgrade city amenities and enhance the Town Center district encompassing Sunny Isles Boulevard to 172nd Street on the west side of Collins Avenue. 

Urban planner Jack Luft, who helped prepare the Sunny Isles Beach Comprehensive Plan, explained, “In 2001, a study was done to help develop strategies for upgrading the city’s image and providing a ‘higher and better’ use for underdeveloped or blighted properties.

“Then, in 2007, the city initiated an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to establish a parks, open space and capital improvements element. Several goals and objectives incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan addressed the need for expanding public open space to meet the needs of a growing population.

“A parks and recreation study was done focusing on trying to find locations, costs and benefits of various alternatives for expanding open space. Based on public purposes established in the Comprehensive Plan, data [regarding] population and projections for growth and many public meetings, it was concluded that the most viable option and optimal location would be additional land purchased on Sunny Isles Boulevard in order to meet goals and objectives for expansion of open space and recreational amenities.

“The basic recommendation for acquisition of property for [public] mixed use open space and parking facilities on Sunny Isles Boulevard remains a top priority…it’s a hub and hinge point for the community where things can be connected.”

‘Green Light for TDR’s’
A successful seed for developing more green space in the city was planted when the City Commission voted in favor of amending land development regulations pertaining to transfers of development rights (TDR’s) and the bonus program within the zoning code. The amendments were drafted to encourage developers to dedicate land that can be used for parks, open space and other public amenities while ensuring property owners as well as the city are fairly compensated. 

The ordinance pertaining to TDR’s that passed served to award extra incentives such as increased floor area ratio to property owners of privately owned sites utilizing TDR’s to donate parcels of three acres or more to the city. Ultimately, the TDR ordinance helped make it possible for Town Center Park to enhance the city in lieu of a proposed residential development.
At a City Commission meeting on March 19, an ordinance was approved granting developers an up to 10 year extension to utilize transfer of development rights (TDR’s). 
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.  
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].”

‘Park Place’
According to the city’s website www.sibfl.net, today, Sunny Isles Beach has  seven parks planned “for everyone to enjoy” with five currently in use: Town Center Park: 17200 Collins Avenue; Samson Oceanfront Park: 17425 Collins Avenue; Senator Gwen Margolis Park: 17815 North Bay Road; Golden Shores Community Park: 201-191 Terrace; Pelican Community Park: 18115 North Bay Road; Pier Park: 16501 Collins Avenue; Bella Vista Bay Park: 500 Sunny Isles Boulevard; and Heritage Park: 19200 Collins Avenue.
Pelican Community Park, featuring a little league baseball field and community center with a gymnasium, recently opened a state-of- the-art fitness center with cardio equipment, a five-station weight training center and free weights. To utilize the Fitness Center, you must be at least 18-years-old and a Community Center member. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Community Center membership benefits also include priority registration in all programs, athletic leagues, camps and lessons held at the Community Center; discounts up to 20% on all programs; plus use of the computer lab and gymnasium when available. For more information, phone: 305-792-1706.
Sunny Isles Beach also now offers residents and visitors WiFi access throughout the city’s parks as part of a Wireless Island Project. All of the city parks are now WiFi Hotspots where internet connectivity is free, wireless, and commercial-free.

‘Extreme Green Benefits’
“Any green space is desirable and improves quality of life,” noted proposal manager Guada Woodring Lueck when speaking on behalf of the city’s consulting firm Calvin, Giordano & Associates

“Parks beautify the area; potentially increases property values; and also bring the city closer to attaining open space element goals in the Comprehensive Plan…In addition, building parks helps the city maintain a favorable position with state granting organizations like FRDAP, the Florida Community Trust and Florida Department of Community Affairs – other good sources of grant funding.”

More benefits associated with parks Lueck listed included “creating a prettier and greener Sunny Isles Beach as well as an area for social interaction where families can meet and be able to maintain a sense of community in a city experiencing rapid development.”

Business and economic development organizations such as the Beacon Council concur: Parks and open space create a high quality of life that attracts tax-paying businesses and residents to communities… Corporate CEOs say that employee quality of life is the third most important factor in locating a new business.

Small company owners say recreation, parks, and open space are the highest priority in choosing a new location for their business. Across the U.S., access to parks and open spaces has become a measure of community wealth - a tool for attracting businesses and residents by guaranteeing quality of life and economic health.  

Urban parks, gardens and open space stimulate commercial growth and promote revitalization. Open space can also help boost local economies by attracting tourists and supporting outdoor recreation.

Other benefits include keeping kids occupied; exercise and fitness opportunities; fun and entertainment; learning and education; getting to know neighbors; enjoying fresh air and nature; and affordability since there are no entrance fees.