At the June 10 Miami Lakes Town Council regular meeting, lawmakers approved a resolution to establish a per space fee for the “Payment-in-lieu of Parking Program” at $1,047.17, plus yearly reimbursements to the town for the cost of litter control for each improved on-street parking space.
In February, the Town Council passed an ordinance to set up the parking program within the Town Center area to create more available parking and protection to separate cars from the main thoroughfare and to beautify the area.
The program allows land uses within the Town Center area to meet all or a portion of their parking requirement by making a payment for the use of public, on-street parking spaces, with proceeds from this program used to make parking and mobility improvements in the Town Center area.
The per space fee at $1,047.17 is based on the estimated cost to the town of improving each on-street parking space, including pavement markings, and providing and maintaining landscape islands/bump-outs covering approximately ten percent of the on-street parking area within Town Center.
The resolution also provides the option for an applicant/property owner to provide all or a portion of these physical improvements and maintenance activities themselves, in which case the in-lieu fee would be pro-rated, and could be eliminated entirely if the applicant/property owner chooses to undertake all physical improvements and maintenance activities themselves.
In cases where right-of-way improvements will be completed by someone other than the Town, the design and location would be subject to discretionary approval by the Town, and also subject to said party obtaining any required right-of-way construction permits.
Stu Wyllie, president of The Graham Companies, the primary property owner within the Town Center area, said, “Councilmembers have been very diligent in seeking more restaurant and entertainment options in the area. However, existing Town Development Code parking requirements for our tenants have prohibited leasing to new businesses.
“The ability to add the approximately 430 ‘on-street’ parking spaces to our existing parking inventory will greatly enhance our leasing efforts. The business community appreciates the town’s efforts to assist in improving the tenants in Town Center for all resident to enjoy,” he said.