Miami would make greenway-front developers build trail, not pay

Miami’s City Commission on Thursday takes second reading of an ordinance that would let developers near a designated greenway earn bonus floor area by building trail instead of writing a check. Sites that front a greenway would have to build it whether or not they want the bonus.

Why it matters

File 18845 turns the half-mile ring around five named greenways, the Underline, the Commodore Trail, the Ludlam Trail, the Miami River Greenway and the Underdeck, into its own underwriting zone citywide. A project within a half mile but not fronting a greenway could earn up to 50% of its bonus floor area by constructing a segment, minimum 50 linear feet, built concurrently, designed to Planning’s approval and maintained by the greenway owner. The other half is still buyable with a contribution to the Parks and Open Space Trust Fund. A project fronting or abutting a greenway loses that choice: the first 50% may be earned only through construction, for a length at least equal to the building frontage. Cash in lieu applies only where the adjacent segment already exists. It is the same South Florida bonus, repriced in hard costs.

The numbers

Two T5-O pathways enter the existing bonus, which takes 5 stories to 8 and up to 91 ft when abutting T3: T5-O within a half mile and not abutting T3, by right, and abutting T3 by Exception with commission approval. Trail work is credited at no less than the city’s adopted per-linear-foot construction cost from the Office of Capital Improvements schedule. The minimum build is a paved multi-use path averaging 14 ft wide, with canopy trees per the Street Tree Master Plan, irrigation, pedestrian-scale lighting, benches, bike racks, receptacles, ADA curb ramps and traffic calming at crossings. Facades over 100 linear feet facing a greenway must be broken by vertical elements, art or civic space.

What’s next

A new section 3.20 is the mandate. Every property fronting a greenway must build the adjacent segment across its full frontage. T3 and T4-R are exempt unless the project is new commercial, office, lodging, food service or alcohol service. Owners may pay cash in lieu or show the requirement is restrictive or burdensome, in which case it is waived. Waterfront and Miami River walkway obligations can be neither opted out of nor credited toward a bonus. Sponsored by Commissioner Ralph Rosado, the item cleared first reading 4-0 on June 25 after an 8-0 recommendation from the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board. A companion, File 18710 at item SR-7, is also on second reading.