§ 33C-9. Downtown Intermodal District Corridor Sub-Zone.

(A)

Purpose and Intent. The following development review standards and criteria shall govern applications for Initial Plan Approval of the general site development plan and applications for Final Site Plan Review for all development to be located within the boundaries of the Downtown Intermodal District Corridor Subzone (DID Corridor Subzone) established in subsection 33C-9(B) herein. The DID Corridor Subzone shall function as the urban transit hub of a major international tourism and trade destination. The standards set forth herein further the unique land use characteristics of this area, which lies within the City of Miami Urban Core and within a Regional Urban Center, as designated on the Land Use Plan Map of the County's Comprehensive Development Master Plan.

(B)

Boundaries. The DID Corridor Subzone of the Rapid Transit Zone is hereby established; the boundaries of the Subzone incorporated into Exhibit 17 of subsection 33C-2(B). The legal description of the boundaries and a full scale map of the boundaries of the DID Corridor Subzone presented in Exhibit 17 are on file with the Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources or its successor Department.

(C)

Permitted Uses: The following uses shall be permitted in the DID Corridor Subzone, either alone or as mixed uses in horizontal or vertical integration. "Vertical integration" means any combination of primary uses (such as passenger transit systems or businesses) located on the ground floor, and residential and accommodation uses such as hotels on the upper floors. "Horizontal integration" means any combination of parcels or buildings and structures with different primary uses within the same development.

(1)

hotels;

(2)

commercial/retail;

(3)

offices;

(4)

residential;

(5)

bars and restaurants;

(6)

intercity passenger rail systems, which provide, but not limited to such uses, elements and activities as stations, passenger platforms and waiting areas, ticket and information booths, luggage handling areas, restrooms, utility rooms, in-station advertising displays, stairs, elevators, escalators, walkways, concessions, vending machines, restaurants, lounges and other service-related businesses offering goods and services for sale to passengers, and other similar uses as are necessary for or ancillary to the proper functioning of a passenger rail station or system;

(7)

maintenance facilities for an intercity passenger rail system, including yard and shops, and associated tracks and facilities.

(8)

rental car facilities;

(9)

parking lots and parking structures, including commercial parking lots and garages that charge fees for parking;

(10)

governmental;

(11)

convention halls and showrooms;

(12)

institutional;

(13)

health care facilities, except hospitals;

(14)

other similar uses as approved by the Director of the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources or its successor Department.

(D)

Pre-application conference. The applicant shall participate in at least one pre-application conference with the Rapid Transit Development Impact Committee (RTDIC) prior to filing the application. The applicant shall provide a general outline of the proposal through schematics and sketch plans including narrative information sufficient for the understanding of the proposed development.

(E)

Initial Review.

(1)

Following the pre-application conference, a request for approval of a general site development plan for development within the Downtown Intermodal District Corridor Subzone of the Rapid Transit Zone as provided in subsection 33C-9 herein, shall be made by filing an application with the Rapid Transit Developmental Impact Committee (RTDIC) in accordance with the provisions of Section 33-304. Said application shall be considered a special exception for approval of a general site development plan to be considered and acted upon directly by the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to the development regulations established in Section 33C-9. Applications shall comply with the procedural requirements of Section 33-304 of this code. Within sixty (60) days after the filing of the application, the RTDIC Staff Council shall review the application, and the RTDIC shall issue a recommendation upon such application. The recommendation shall reflect the consensus of the members present. In the event that the City representatives present do not concur with a recommendation for approval, the recommendation shall be for denial. The recommendation shall be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners for final action. In the event of a recommendation of denial by the RTDIC, approval of the application shall require the affirmative vote of 9 members of the Board of County Commissioners.

(2)

Phased development. The intermodal characteristics of the DID Corridor Subzone serving the MetroRail, MetroMover, and MetroBus systems may require that the construction of infrastructure to serve future development be completed in phases. Where a phased development is requested, the Board of County Commissioners, in approving a phased site plan, shall specify building footprints, heights, density, intensity, and gross square footage of buildings that are identified on the site plan as future development parameters granted by the Board of County Commissioners. Specific land uses and design details of said future development may be reviewed and approved by the Rapid Transit Developmental Impact Committee in subsequent phases pursuant to the Final Review criteria enumerated herein, provided the development parameters approved by the Board of County Commissioners in the phased site plan are not exceeded and the development regulations set forth herein are met.

(3)

Required exhibits for Initial Development. The following exhibits shall be submitted with the application for a general site development plan:

(a)

A narrative describing the project's scope, including but not limited to: vision statement, size of project and location, and prominent components of the development; phasing of the development if necessary; scale; relevance to the region; its connection to the surrounding urban context; economic impact on the local economy; design concept(s); significance of the project as a gateway to the community; and any additional information necessary to explain the development.

(b)

Schematic site plan(s) at a scale of not less than one (1) inch equals one hundred (100) feet indicating: prominent structural components of the development; permitted land uses; existing and proposed streets; major points of egress/ingress of the development; public open space locations and area in square feet; floor area ratio; pedestrian circulation; residential density; and square feet of retail, office, institutional, governmental, and other proposed land uses not to exceed the development thresholds contained in the administrative site plan development parameters included herein.

(c)

Information on adjoining and adjacent uses on a plan at a scale no less than one (1) inch equals one hundred (100) feet to indicate the relationship(s) between the proposed development and adjacent areas including, but not limited to: existing land uses and their intensities; densities, vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems, blocks and lots, and unique geographical features.

(d)

Perspectives, isometrics, elevations and other drawings illustrating proposed development.

(e)

Any additional information specified by the Rapid Transit Development Impact Committee at the pre-application conference to evaluate the character and impact of the proposed development.

(F)

Final Review.

(1)

Final Review for development of the Downtown Intermodal District Corridor Subzone. Following approval of the special exception, final review for all or a portion of the development, including phased development, shall be made and approved administratively by the RTDIC in accordance with plans and documents approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The RTDIC review shall be guided by development standards established in subparagraph 33C-9(F), herein, for an administrative site plan review (ASPR). Applications for modification of a site plan approved pursuant to this section, including applications for approval of a subsequent phase of a previously approved phased site plan, shall be considered and acted upon administratively by the RTDIC without the necessity of public hearing. In the event that the City representatives present do not concur with approval of the application, the decision of the RTDIC shall be for denial. The affirmative vote of 9 members of the Board of County Commissioners shall be required to reverse a decision of denial by the RTDIC.

(2)

Notice. Mailed notices of the RTDIC Executive Council meeting shall be accomplished by placing in the United States mail a written notice to all property owners of record, as reflected on the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser's tax roll as updated, within five hundred (500) feet of the subject property. Such mailed notices shall contain general information, including, but not limited to, the date, time and place of the meeting, the property's location (and street address, if available), and nature of the application shall be sent no sooner than thirty (30) days and no later than twenty (20) days prior to the meeting. The property shall be posted no later than twenty (20) days prior to the meeting in a manner conspicuous to the public, by a sign or signs containing information including, but not limited to, the applied for zoning action, application number, and the time and place of the public meeting. The property owner shall be responsible for ensuring that the sign is maintained on the site until completion of the public meeting and for removal of the sign within two (2) weeks following completion of the public meeting. In addition, notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in Miami-Dade County, as follows: a full legal notice, to be published no later than twenty (20) days and no earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting, to contain the date, time and place of the meeting, the property's location and street address, if available.

(3)

Required Exhibits. The following exhibits must be included with an application. It is provided, however, that the Director shall have the authority to waive any of the items because of the nature or timing of the development or because the information cannot be furnished at the time of this review. The application shall be deemed complete if all items in this subsection are included in the application.

(a)

Master plan at a scale of not less than one (1) inch equals one-hundred (100) feet, which shall include the following information:

(i)

Lot lines and setbacks.

(ii)

Proposed floor area of all permitted uses.

(iii)

Height, size, shape and location of existing and proposed buildings.

(iv)

Location of off-street parking and layouts showing number of parking spaces required and provided.

(v)

Proposed grades if significantly altered.

(vi)

Signage, street and lot lighting, street and lot furniture.

(vii)

Total number of dwelling units and hotel rooms, if applicable.

(viii)

Location and amount of public/private open space required and provided.

(ix)

Phase lines, if applicable.

(x)

Figures indicating gross and net acreage, and areas to be dedicated for public rights-of-way.

(xi)

Vehicular and pedestrian circulation system including blocks, streets, major points of access into and out of the development, pedestrian crosswalks, medians, and on-street parking.

(xii)

Location of pedestrian access points, including connections to existing or proposed bridges, roadways, or sidewalk areas.

(xiii)

Location of loading facilities, waste collection areas, and other service areas.

(b)

Floor plans and elevations of all structures, including gross square footage of each floor.

(c)

Sections of major structures.

(d)

Isometrics or perspectives of the proposed development.

(e)

Landscape plan(s) in accordance with Chapter 18(A), except as modified herein.

(f)

Such other design data as may be specified to satisfy a condition of approval of the Initial Review.

(G)

Administrative Site plan development parameters. The following development regulations shall apply to all development within the DID Corridor Subzone.

(1)

Parking: The table below indicates minimum parking for uses located in the DID Corridor Subzone.

Use	Minimum Parking Requirements
Commercial/Retail, Restaurants, Bars, Convention Halls and Showrooms	1.8 spaces / 1000 SF
Office, Government, Institutional, Health Care Facilities	0.6 spaces / 1000 SF
Residential	0 spaces per unit
Hotels	0.3 spaces / room
Transit systems including Maintenance Facilities	0.6 spaces / 1000 SF (excluding platform)
Other Uses	50% of the required parking indicated in Section 33-124

 

(a)

To minimize adverse visual effects of the structure(s), multi-story parking garages facing public and private streets rights-of-way and/or public open space shall utilize but not be limited to: liner buildings; glazing; building wall extensions; vertical planted walls; berms; landscaping; architectural fenestration; sculpture; design features or other innovative screening methods. Surface parking lots fronting streets shall be located a minimum of ten (10) feet from the right-of-way and screened at the ten (10) foot line with a wall having a maximum height of 3'6". The setback shall incorporate a combination of hard-scape and landscape elements finished to match the existing sidewalk.

(b)

Mechanized parking shall be allowed and when provided, exempt from the provisions of Section 33-122 of this Code. For the purpose of this Subzone, mechanized parking shall be defined as a mechanism with vertical and horizontal transport capability that provides for automobile storage and retrieval. A mechanized parking space shall be counted toward the parking requirements of this Section. Mechanized parking may not be provided unless a queuing analysis is submitted and approved during the Administrative Site Plan Review process.

(c)

Required off-street parking for uses located within the DID Corridor Subzone can be located within one mile of the boundaries of the DID Corridor Subzone. An applicant for approval of development with off-site parking shall execute and record in the public records of this County a declaration of restrictions approved by the Director covenanting that such development shall cease and terminate upon the elimination of such parking area, and that no development requiring such parking shall be made of such property until the required parking area is available and provided.

(2)

Setbacks, cubic content, and lot size:

(a)

Due to the unique characteristics associated with an intermodal transit corridor subzone, development setbacks from all streets (other than NW 1 ^st Avenue), interior/rear property lines and Metromover and Metrorail rights-of-way shall be zero (0) feet minimum.

(b)

Setback from NW 1 ^st Avenue: The minimum setback for thirty percent (30%) of buildings fronting on NW 1 ^st Avenue shall be zero (0) feet. Seventy percent (70%) of buildings fronting on NW 1 ^st Avenue shall setback ten (10) feet minimum; provided, however, where a colonnade is provided the minimum setback shall be zero (0) feet. Colonnades shall have a minimum clear height of ten (10) feet. When the development sets back a minimum of ten (10) feet from the edge of the right-of-way, the setback area shall incorporate a combination of hard-scape and landscape elements finished to match the existing sidewalk. The percentage of frontage requirement may be calculated by street block or as a combined cumulative average of all street blocks fronting NW 1 ^st Avenue.

(c)

There shall be no cubic content or minimum lot size requirements.

(3)

Encroachments:

(a)

Buildings and structures above the ground floor may be built above colonnades and/or encroach into street setbacks but shall not extend beyond the public or private right-of-way; except that a maximum of one hundred percent (100%) of the street may be covered above the first floor with structures connecting buildings including: platforms fitted with trains and passenger waiting areas; roofs; upper story terraces, pedestrian bridges, automobile bridges between parking garages and parking garages. Adequate clearance for structures above streets shall be maintained.

(b)

Cantilevered balconies, awnings, weather protection elements and similar features with adequate vertical clearance may encroach into street rights-of-way but shall not extend closer than six (6) inches from the curb face. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 28-18, Code of Miami-Dade County, structures necessary or appropriate to the structural support of a Fixed-Guideway Rapid Transit System or an Intercity Passenger Rail System shall be permitted to encroach on or in a mapped street.

(4)

Floor Area Ratio and lot coverage: The floor area ratio, lot coverage and maximum square footage of buildings to be developed within the DID Corridor Subzone shall not be limited.

(5)

Building Height: The maximum building height shall be the maximum allowed by MDAD in accordance with the zoning regulations for Miami International Airport provided in Chapter 33.

(6)

Open Space: The minimum open space requirement shall be fifteen percent (15%) of the gross development area. Open space shall include parks, plazas, balconies, terraces, courtyards, arcades/colonnades, pedestrian paths, rooftop green spaces above buildings and parking garages, and transit platform areas improved for pedestrian comfort.

(7)

Signs: Signs visible from public rights-of-way or public areas shall comply with Section 33-284.87 of this Code, except that Class C signs may be permitted in accordance with Section 33-107 of this Code. Subject to the requirements and limitations of Section 33-107 of this Code, a maximum of five (5) murals may be approved in this Subzone. The signage plan submitted with the application for final site plan review shall contain criteria, locations and sizes of signs.

(8)

Density: Residential density shall not exceed 500 units per gross acre.

(9)

Architectural Expression: Building facades facing public and private street rights-of-way or public open space or both shall be a minimum 40% glazed. Glazing is not required for building facades which face the Metrorail or MetroMover rights-of-way or for above-grade parking garage structures which face public and private street rights-of-way or public open space; however, parking garages shall conform to the parking standards included herein. Blank walls facing public and private street rights-of-way and public open space shall be prohibited unless furnished with some type of artistic expression such as sculpture, mosaic and similar features.

(10)

Landscaping: Landscaping shall conform to the standards set forth in Section 18A-6, Code of Miami-Dade County, as applicable to non-residential development, with the following exceptions:

(a)

Lot trees: Thirty (30) trees per net acre of open space. In addition to the placement of trees in the lot, they may be placed in greens, squares, plazas and street medians within or in close proximity to the Subzone. Lot trees shall have a minimum two (2) inch diameter at breast height.

(b)

Street trees shall be planted at a maximum of thirty (30) feet average on center, with a minimum three (3) inch diameter at breast height. Street trees shall be placed inside landscaped strips, tree planters, and in medians in the right-of-way or on private property where demonstrated to be necessary due to right-of-way obstructions as determined by the Public Works and Waste Management Department or its successor Department or the appropriate authority within the municipality.

(11)

Service areas and mechanical equipment: Service areas and fixtures shall be screened and so located as not to be visible from public and private rights-of-way or public open space. Mechanical equipment installed on roofs shall be screened from view by parapets or other architectural elements. Fixtures, including but not limited to backflow preventers, pumps, underground ventilation exhausts, and electrical vaults, shall be located within or to the side or rear of buildings; such fixtures shall not be located within the street setback area. Backflow preventers shall be shielded from view, as required by Section 32-157(d) of the Code.

(12)

Alcoholic Beverages: The restrictions on premises used for the sale of alcoholic beverages set forth in Chapter 33, Article X of this code regarding hours and days of sale, distance from other premises used for the sale of alcoholic beverages and distance from schools or religious facilities shall not apply in the Downtown Intermodal District Corridor Sub-Zone.

(H)

Plan Review Standards. The purpose of the site development standards is to encourage the creation of development within the Subzone that acts as a significant gateway for and destination to downtown Miami by designing and arranging buildings, public open space, transit and street circulation in a manner that foster round the clock pedestrian-activity, serves the local and regional transit demands of the community and contributes to the urban revitalization of the City of Miami.

(1)

A mix of uses in the design of development projects is encouraged to the maximum extent possible. Mixed-use buildings including without limitation residential, commercial, office, hotel, and restaurants, are highly encouraged in combination with transit facilities.

(2)

Developments shall provide direct pedestrian and vehicular connections to the adjacent block and street network. Pedestrian crosswalks providing safe passage from adjoining streets and blocks into the development project of the Subzone shall be installed at street corners and, if practicable, midblock locations. Crosswalks shall be distinguished from other street elements by the use of conspicuous materials, texture and color.

(3)

Public open space in the form of plazas, squares, greens, and landscaped areas shall be incorporated in the design of all development projects at grade or on above-grade surfaces. The public open spaces should have a scale that is compatible and complementary with the intensity of proposed development, and their design should relate to the development's concept. Landscaping, furniture, art, paved pedestrian paths, and lighting, among other features, should be used to enhance the open spaces pedestrian experience.

(4)

Consideration should be given to providing landscaping in a manner that reduces the heat island effect of the development on the urban environment.

(5)

All new development shall strive to meet certification standards from Florida Green Building Coalition or a similar organization.

(6)

Developments shall be designed with a coordinated outdoor lighting and signage system that is an integral part of the project and compatible and harmonious with existing and proposed development in the Subzone and with surrounding uses. Signage should clearly indicate locations of and guide pedestrians and vehicles to proposed parking areas, transit facilities, permitted uses, and surrounding activities and uses.

(7)

Proposed building scale should be in harmony with building scales allowed by applicable City of Miami regulations for surrounding properties. Buildings and their landscapes shall be built to the sidewalk edge in a manner that frames the adjacent street to create public space in the street corridor that is comfortable and interesting, as well as safe for pedestrians. Architectural elements at street level shall have abundant fenestration, windows and doors and design elements that create interest for the pedestrian.

(8)

Proposed development in the Subzone shall provide connections via bridges, paths, sidewalks, or a combination of such features to the MetroRail and MetroMover systems that adjoin the property.

(I)

Platting. Separate parcels located within the DID Corridor Subzone and made subject to a unity of title or covenant in lieu of unity of title shall not be deemed a subdivision and shall be exempt from the platting requirements of Chapter 28.

(J)

Conflicts. The development review procedures, standards, and criteria set forth in this Section 33C-9 shall govern in the event of conflicts with other zoning, subdivision or landscape regulations of the Miami-Dade County Code or with the Miami-Dade County Public Works and Waste Management Department Manual.

(K)

Amendments. At least six (6) weeks prior to the scheduled public hearing of any amendments to this Section 33C-9, the County shall mail or e-mail a copy of the proposed ordinance to the City Clerk and the City Attorney of the City of Miami. The communication to the City shall include the date of the scheduled public hearing.

(Ord. No. 14-37, § 7, 4-8-14; Ord. No. 122, § 2, 11-1-16; Ord. No. 18-81, § 4, 7-24-18)