As the town of Miami Lakes lacks money to convert a golf course to a passive park, a development agreement for a residential development site gives residents their best chance for an open green space nature area.
At the November 3 regular meeting, council members were expected to discuss and vote on a resolution to accept a dedication of 5.19 acres of the historic landmark Madden’s Hammock, located at Miami Lakes Drive and N.W. 87 Avenue, for a passive park, and a $200,000 donation by the land owner to upgrade the neighborhood parks concurrency, as a requirement for the Dunnwoody Lakes residential development.
As part of the passive park use agreement, residents will not have access to the nature area on the weekend. Access to the passive park would be available from Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Once the agreement is approved, residents can use the passive park for hiking, walking, biking and other nature-like activities. Recreation sports, such as soccer and football, will not be allowed.
The land is currently owned by the Lowell Dunn family which has a contract to sell it to the Lennar Corporation. Lennar is seeking to make some adjustments to the original zoning agreement that lawmakers approved in 2002.
At the meeting, lawmakers discussed and either voted or deferred three resolutions created by town staff as they relate to some of the proposed changes to the zoning plans.
Town staff asked council members to first approve a resolution on applications for approval of an alternate site plan, six variances and modifications of the Declaration of Restrictions, for the Dunnwoody Lakes residential development, including for open spaces within the development, architectural elevations for townhouses, paving, grading and drainage plans, landscaping, signage and street lighting.
In addition, the resolution calls for a ten-foot-wide landscape buffer indicated on the alternative site plan that would be used for the planting of street trees.
Lawmakers were also asked to approve a resolution to authorize town staff to grant transportation concurrency to the Dunnwoody Lakes residential development under the terms of a mobility fee system, but only if the council later adopts an ordinance.
The resolution would allow town staff, if the council adopts the ordinance, to create a mobility fee system in the future as contemplated in the recently-completed Alternative to Concurrency study, to grant transportation concurrency in whole or in part, to the Dunnwoody Lakes residential development according to the provisions of the new ordinance.
A new mobility fee system would consider and fund all modes of transportation, including, not exclusively, roads.
Town staff has also asked the Town Council to adopt a resolution expressing support for the creation of a community development district (CDD) for a potential Dunnwoody Lakes residential development.
By supporting the creation of the Centre Lake Community Development, Miami-Dade County retains to the authority to create the CDD through an ordinance, but in doing so requires a resolution of support from the town.
Florida law requires the creation of CDDs in order to provide capital infrastructure to serve growth or projected growth in a defined area without burdening the general taxpayers of the larger jurisdiction.
In the Dunnwoody Lakes case, the primary responsibilities would be construction and maintenance of private roads, drainage facilities and pocket parks for the Dunnwoody Lakes residential development.
The CDD would have taxing authority over the land within its boundaries.
In other town news:
• The Council was expected to give their final approval for an ordinance to remove the requirement that rooftop air conditioning units on town homes be screened from view at eye level and instead require that such units be a neutral color.
The town’s land development code mandates that where air conditioning equipment is installed on the roof of townhouse properties, that the equipment be screened from view at eye level (five feet, six inches) from the streets and adjoining properties.
• Council members were expected to approve a resolution to authorize the town manager to assign the agreement with CRW Systems Inc., to SunGard Public Sector Inc., to provide annual maintenance services for the town's permitting and code enforcement software system.
SunGard recently purchased CRW.
• Lawmakers were expected to approve a resolution to adopt the town’s new Strategic Plan in which residents gave input on how Miami Lakes should look over the next ten years.
Some of the residents’ feedback, through a survey, include enhance mobility, pursue economic development and enhance the vibrancy of community hubs and activity centers, enhance signature beauty and park landscape, and achieve better communication, transparency and public participation on all issues.
• Lawmakers were expected to discuss and vote or defer a resolution for town staff's approval for a preliminary plat for a property at 7242 Loch Ness Drive in an attempt to subdivide the parcel into five single family lots.
Before the preliminary site plans were submitted to the town, residents earlier this year asked lawmakers to reject the proposal because additional cars would add to the traffic congestion in a one-way-in, one-way-out community.
• Lawmakers were expected to vote on modifications to the town’s final 2014-2015 budget to reflect that expenditures were below appropriations in each fund.
The changes from the general fund total departmental expenditures are about $465.000 less than budgeted.
Litigation for Michael Pizzi’s lawsuit has exceeded the town’s legal department’s amended budget by $93,785.
The town manager is asking funds be transferred from the surplus of the police department’s budget, increasing the town attorney’s costs to $639,785 thus far.
For Community and Leisure service, the department’s total expenses have exceeded appropriations at its level by $137,850, including salary and benefits and covering the expenses at Royal Oaks Park as well as installation of sod around the concession area.
In addition, the town experienced a net increase of $16,250 for utility expenses at Miami Lakes Optimist Park.
For public works, total expenses are well within the department’s total budget, however, a revision of $10,000 is needed to cover expenses due to expensive repairs of the On-Demand bus.