2007 1213 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting December 13, 2007 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 7B. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Amending Section 265-47 of the City Code Relating to Driveway Standards; Providing for Severability; Providing for Inclusion in the Code; Providing for Repealer; Providing for an Effective Date. Action: [City Clerk's Note: Sketches were distributed prior to the meeting, see action under Item 4A.] City Clerk Hines read the title, and Community Development Director Robert Solera reported that this ordinance clarifies the need for any additional or secondary driveway to provide a minimum of 12-feet in width and meet all the driveway standards that are already in place. He said it also clarifies the circular driveways and provides for a minimum width of lO-feet, and a minimum setback of 5-feet from the subject property line for all primary and secondary driveways, including language to assure that all recreational vehicles such as boats, jet skis, etc., be located in the rear or side yard with an enclosure installed around it. City Attorney Ottinot said he called several cities, including Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, and Boca Raton, which requires recreational vehicles to be in the rear side yard with an enclosure, and he distributed the information to the Commission. Public Speakers: Richard Mufson; Warren Campbell; Danny Iglesias; Serge Beck Commissioner Goodman asked ifthere is a driveway already built, and if they wanted to put a recreational vehicle on the other side, would they have to put in another driveway, and Community Development Director Robert Solera said the idea behind it is to make sure all recreational equipment is behind a screened area so that aesthetics in front of the property are not damaged. Commissioner Scholl said if it is behind the enclosure they don't have to have a driveway to get to the enclosure if it is on a pad, they can back over to the pad as long as it is behind an enclosure, and Mr. Solera said that is correct. City Attorney Ottinot noted that we have an ordinance on the books that vehicles can't be parked on the grass, if you have a recreational vehicle you must have an approved surface or pad. Mayor Edelcup clarified that it has to be parked on the pad but in getting to that pad, they can ride over the grass. Mayor Ede1cup asked the City Attorney to explain what exists under our current ordinances because there seems to be some confusion of what is currently required versus what this would change. City Attorney Ottinot said under the current Code recreational vehicles are required to be in the rear yard/side yard area, there are two modifications here: l) to require enclosure of where the recreational vehicle is located; and 2) the width. He noted that the request to modify the Code came about for two reasons: 1) a complaint; and 2) a letter from Mr. Mufson requesting help on the width of a driveway. He said under our Code if you want a secondary driveway you are required to have a minimum width of 18- feet, and a primary driveway is 22-feet wide, and so with this amendment you can have a secondary driveway, connect the path to the secondary driveway, and reduce the width, so this is a minor modification about an issue that was brought up by two individuals and two concerns. Mayor Edelcup said you have to take off the table the fact that all recreational vehicles have to be behind the lot line, and on a firm surface. He said the only thing that this particular ordinance changes is creating the fencing requirements on the side or front of that rear area where that vehicle is stored. Vice Mayor Thaler asked if the enclosure is just a fence, and Community Development Director Robert Solera said the idea is to have a screen from the right-of-way either in the form of a fence, concrete, wood, or a landscape buffer. Commissioner Brezin said that we are interested in beautification and keeping property values 8