2002 0718 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting July 18,2002 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Action: City Clerk Brown-Morilla read the title and Bill O'Leary reported about his proposed irrigation and landscape improvements. Mayor Samson asked if the plans would include on the south end of the parcel to have a compact stone walkway. Commissioner Kauffman asked if we could move the handicap parking spaces to be relocated closer to the beach, City Manager Russo said yes. Commissioner Goodman asked about the correct number of parking spaces, and City Manager Russo explained that the diagram was a conceptual drawing. Public Speakers: Bill O'Leary; Ellen Wynne {City Clerk's note: Ellen Wynne submitted documents for the record) Ms. Wynne asked where is the sign saying public beach access? She said that she had received a letter from the County today designating the need for 50 feet access to the beach. Mayor Samson noted that the beach access at the Aqualina site would be 25 feet wide. He asked the City Manager to have Public Works Director Jim Watts meet with Ms. Wynne to measure the exact width of the easement, and to put a sign saying "Public Beach Parking Only." City Manager Russo said that they would look into it. City Manager Russo said he had no disagreement with Ms. Wynne. He noted that the beach renourishment that was just concluded involved having major equipment go through that access area and it was opened to their required specifications. He said that the Bill O'Leary landscaping plan will remain the same and nothing in the landscaping will block the access. He offered to look at all the issues that were brought up: about the parking lot, the handicap parking, the accessibility of getting material to the beach, and the width of it. City Manager Russo said he would have research done regarding the issue of having a sign installed that restricts the parking for beach-goers only. He asked the City Attorney's Office to research our ability to do what the Mayor requested which would limit it to Beach Parking Only, and have the legal authority to enforce it. Commissioner Goodman said that the beach access has been a topic that has caused a little difficulty over the years. He briefly reviewed the seven original beach accesses from the original renourishment. He noted that historically the issues of "beach access," "park," and "easement," have created confusion regarding ownership and the obligation to maintain them. He said that a typical problem was the beach access at Oceania which at one time was grass, from Collins A venue all the way to the beach. He said that Oceania later planted a couple of bushes near the beach and the bushes became overgrown, hiding the beach access. He questioned why we were being asked to spend money on 192nd Street, and at the same time Ellen Wynne is saying that she was promised certain things for the 1 92nd Street access area. He requested that the City look into all our beach accesses and find out what the conditions are, who maintains them, and are they ADA accessible? He complained that the beach access on the northern end of the Strand has been like a dirt road, ever since he has lived here. He said he has not surveyed the rest ofthe accesses recently but for many years before we were a City, he surveyed them with Walter Bresslour and Dade County 7