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FORT LAUDERDALE CENTRAL BEACH Revitalization Plan Update (F.D. E.R. Grant Report #F-8912) EDWARD D. STONE, JR. AND ASSOCIATES PLANNERS AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS December 1989 CENTRALBEACH REVITALIZATION PLAN UPDATE WDER GRANT REPORT #F-8912) Prepared for: City of Fort Lauderdale Beach Redevelopment Office Prepared by: Edward D. Stone, Jr. & Assoicates, Planners & Landscape Architects December, 1989 Funds fqr thmis project.were provided by the Department of Environmental Regulation Office Of Coastal Management using funds made available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended. 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Under a grantf rom the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (F.D.E.R.) Coastal Zone Management Program we have reviewed the City of Fort Lauderdale's Central Beach Zoning Ordinance/Design Guidelines (1986), Revitalization Plan (1988) and Community Redevelopment Plan (1989) related to two (2) critical factors: Capacit : The ability of the Central Beach Area's infrastructure to serve the public and private redevelopment envisioned as part of the overall revitalization program. Linka : The degree to which public and private redevelopment can be "linked" in ing an integrated system of pedestrian, vehicular, and parking fa= Analysis of these factors has led to capacity and linkage diagrams - which should guide the City's decision making throughout the revitalization effort. Accompanying these diagrams are a series of specific recommendations: Capacity 1. The City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should develop a system of tracking existing and proposed development so that a development's impact on remaining capacity can be included as a factor in the public's development review process. (The City's concurrency management system which is currently being developed by the Planning Department Staff, may be the most logical means of implementing this recommendation). I 2. The City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should review the densities and heights in the Central Beach Zoning Ordinance to determine whether any modifications should be made in light of the densities revealed by the Capacity Diagram. 3. The City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should regularly update and revise the Capacity Diagram as a means of monitoring the relationship between development and capacity in the Central Beach Area. 4. The City Planning Department and Central Beach Redevelopment Office should consider authorizing a more detailed analysis of hurricane evacuation times and procedures for the Central Beach Area. This analysis should be designed so it will ultimately be useful in the City's Development of Regional Impact application and provide guidance for additional programs and facilities necessary to improve evacuation of the Central Beach Area. FDER Grant Report F-8912 Linkao: 1. The City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should pursue Florida Department of Natural Resources (FDNR) approval for "hang' " commercial shop and restaurant uses under the structural slab I @ng e evation mandated by the 100 year storm surge of +20.2 feet above MSL. Concurrently the City should also pursue approval for the maximum possible shoreline parallel coverage of -development along the oceanfront. 2. The City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should evaluate neighborhood perception of the center median parking and related sidestreet improvements and, if warranted, investigate means of extending these types of improvements on Birch Road and west into the NBRA zoning district. 3. The City Planning Departmentand Beach Redevelopment Office should investigate means of extending the proposed public promenade/public accessway along the Intracoastal Waterway, both southward and northward from the Birch/Las Olasparking lot. In addition, the City should consider alternate means of linking other segments of Intracoastal waterway access to the beach area pedestrian system. 4. The City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should pursue grants-in-aid as well as other funding sources to pay for critical elements of the vehicular, parking and pedestrian linkage scheme, including the: a. Central Beach Parking Structure. b. Expansion to the Sebastian/Alhambra Parking Lot. C. ISHOF, Birch Lot and Sebastian Street Water Taxi Stops. d. Visitors Center/Watercraf t Rental/Restroom Fa'cility. 16. Lifeguard Headquarters/Police Substation/Restroom Facility. f. Beach Activity Areas. The City should also consider operational measures to supplement the physical linkage improvements including a Central Beach tram service, Bicycle/Skateboard Rental facilities, etc. An illustrative master plan was prepared depicting public improvements which might be constructed by 1995. A three-dimensional computer model was also prepared to guide City decision-makers as they make decisions regarding the impact of private development on public improvements and the overall character of Central Beach. FDER Grant Report F-8912 2 Ii. INTRODUCTION The City of Fort Lauderdale has been actively pursuing revitalization of its Central Beach area since adoption of the Central Beach Revitalization Plan in July of 1988. Significant activities which have occurred since- that date include: 1. The decision to relocate the S.R. AlA southbound one-way pair corridor to the so-called "2 + 2" diagonal alignment. 2. Adoption of the City's Local Comprehensive Plan and subsequent request- for a County Land Use Amendment designating the Central Beach as "Regional Activity Center." 3. Preparation of a traffic capacity "Action Plan" and subsequent agreement with Broward County to both increase the average daily trip capacity of beach roadway segments and reserve roadway capacity generated by the City's General Obligation Bond (G.O.B.) improvements for future development in the redevelopment area. 4. Planning and adoption of a community Redevelopment Plan pursuant to F.S. Chapter 163 for the southern portion of the Central Beach area. These events have substantiated the major elements of the Beach Revitalization Plan, while at the same time focusing attention on issues such as capacity and linkage which may suggest some refinements are necessary FDER Grant Report F-8912 3 INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY A. Roadway Capacity .S.R. AIA is the principal carrier of traffic in the Central Beach Area. It is designated as a minor arterial on the Trafficways Plan, which designates all existing and proposed future road rights of way (R.O.W) in Broward County. S.R. AlA is classified as a State Minor Arterial on the Florida Department of Transportation's (FOOT's) Functionally Classified Network. Birch Road and Seabreeze Boulevard, located west of S.R. AlA are currently local roads which are not utilized to their full potential due to their location away from the beachfront, their discontinuity, and their indirect roadway alignment. @ks part of the City's Central Beach Revitalization efforts, a major series of improvements for SR AlA is being implemented and funded through a General Obligation Bond (G.O.B.) Issue. The major elements of this G.O.B. project are, the relocation of parking spaces from along SR AlA, an improved two-way divided segment of SR AlA, the one-way pairing of a portion of SR AlA, and the introduction of improved pedestrian facilities along SR AlA and designated sidestreets. Initially, the Central Beach Revitalization Plan (July, 1988) proposed the SR AlA one-way pair system using existing SR AIA as a two lane northbound route, and a realigned Bavshore Drive/Birch Road/Seabreeze Boulevard corridor as a two lane southbound route. In December 1988, the City approved a revision to the one-way pair alignment, proposing instead a one-way diagonal connector between SR AlA at Alhambra Street and'Birch Road at Castillo Street. Design for this revised corridor, known as the "2 + 2" alignment is underway and right of way maps identifying properties to be acquired for the new corridor have been completed. In order to accommodate an ultimate four lane section of SR AlA, the City has secured a Broward County Trafficways Plan amendment to reserve an eighty-five (85) foot right-of-way (R.O.W.) along the same alignment as the "2 + 2" one-way southbound corridor. This prevents adjoining land owners from developing new structures within the 85 foot wide future R.O.W. zone. Should funds become available, the City has agreed to pursue construction of the additional two lanes of the ultimate four lane relocated SR AlA. Florida's Growth Management Act requires that public infrastructure such as roadways be in place sufficient to meet the level of service (LOS)) standards adopted in local Comprehensive Plans. With regard to traffic capacity availability for the Central Beach Area, both the City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County exercise the authority to ensure that development does not occur which will result in a reduction of levels of service below those levels established in their adopted Comprehensive Plans. FDER Grant Report F-8912 4 In July 1989,,the City and County entered into an agreement adopting a traffic capacity "Ac on Plan" to resolve traffic concurrency issues related to the beach area roadway segments and capitalize on the roadway improvements proposed under the City's G.O.B. project.The Action Plan provides for (1) the reservation of vehicular trips to the redevelopment area based on documented capacity-enhancing roadway improvements and (2) a general increase in roadway segment capacity based on the County's acceptance of detailed analysis-of beach area traffic, which demonstrated capacity above that determined by the County in its initial computer model calculations. Future traffic volumes on S.R. AIA will be highly dependent on the exact type and size of land uses to be developed in the Central Beach area. The Action Plan analyses have shown that the Central Beach Area will be able to handle @pproxiniately 3,200 peak hour trips over and above existing traffic, with implementation of the G.O.B. roadway improvements including the "2 + 2" one-way pair. The tabulation of peak hour conditions and the conversion of these figures to average daily trips for use in the County's compyter model is shown in Exhibit 1. Based on these analyses +3,200 peak hour trips is assumed as the best available indicator of additional Central Beach area roadway capacity. FIDER Grant Report F-8912 5 BIT I LIPM ANALYSIS FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH ACTION PLAN ROADWAY LINK TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS SR AlA SR AlA LAS OLAS SOUTH OF SUNRISE SOUTH OF LAS OLAS WEST OF BIRCH Peak Hour Conditions 1. Existing capacity(a) 3,129 (b) 3,232 1,358 2. Capacity Enhancement(c) 597 701 498 3. Future Capacity(d) 3,726 3,933 1,856 DAILY CONDITIONS 4. Future Capacity(e) 45,400(e) 47,960(e) 32,500(f) 5. Existing Plus Committed Demand(g) 35,564 25,607 18,949 6. Total Available Capacity(h) 9,836 22,353 13,551 7. Reserved Capacity(i) 7,280 8,549 6.073 8. Allocable Capacity(j). 2,556 13,804 7,478 a) Calculated for two-way flow volumes from maximum threshold of LOS D at critical intersections. b) Assumes that the limiting volumes are northbound at Sunrise and southbound at Las Olas. c) The calculated difference between Future Peak Hour Capacity (line #? and Existing Peak Hour Capacity (line 1). d) calculated using the maximum threshold of LOS D volumes after implementing the S.R. AlA improvements described herein. a) Equal to Future Peak Hour Capacity (line 3) factored up to daily trips using a .082 peak to daily ratio. f) The Las Olas/West of Birch segment when factored fell below Broward County's LOS D capacity (per May 30, 1989 Resolution) and so this capacity was substituted for that segment. g) Existing volumes Plus Committed Demand documented per Broward County Resolution, February 21, 1989. h) Equal to Future Daily Capacity (line 4) minus Existing Plus Committed Demand (line 5). i) Equal to Peak Hour Capacity Enhancement (line 2) factored up to daily trips using a .082 peak to daily ratio. J) Equal to Total Available Daily Capacity (line 6) minus reserved Daily Capacity (line 7). B. Utility Capac:ity Sanitary Sewer Service Sanitary sewer service is provided to the Central Beach area by two major force mains which cross the Intracoastal Waterway via the Seventeenth Street Causeway and Sunrise Boulevard bridges. The effluent is treated via deep well injection at the City's George T. Lohmeyer Plant at Port Everglades. No significant sewer improvements are currently planned for the Central Beach area. The existing sanitary sewer service is projected to meet any future redevelopment needs and should not be considered a factor limiting redevelopment. Water Distribution Syste The water distribution system servicing Central Beach is double fed from mains below the Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevard bridges. Water treatment takes place at the City's Five Ash Treatment Center off Powerline Road near Prospect Road. The City is currently upgrading the water main under S.R. AlA in conjunction with its General Obligation Bond (G.O.B.) Roadway Improvement project. This new main is planned to meet future redevelopment needs and should not be considered a factor limiting redevelopment. Storm Sewer System As an integral part of the G.O.B. project, a storm drainage system will be implemented with the reconstruction of S.R. A1A. Several outfalls are planned as part of this system. This new storm drainage system is planned to improve storm drainage conditions throughout the Central Beach Area. Electrid1y Florida Power & Light is currently in the process of upgrading its conduit and duct bank to increase wire size. No other improvements are planned following these upgrades as these improvements should bring FP & L service to a capacity suitable for redevelopment. Telephone Southern Bell is in the initial stages of installing a fiber optic cable along Las Olas Boulevard to service the beach area. Small remote carrier terminals to support the new fiber optic system are also being installed. These updates will.provide full digital service to the beach area and should improve phone service for any future redevelopment activities. FDER Grant Report F-8912 7 C. Hurricane Preparedness The Florida Emergency Management Act, Chapter 25, Florida Statutes, mandates the establishment and maintenance of a local emergency management agency in support of the state co . prehensive emergency management plan and program. Natural disaster planning in Broward County is addressed primarily by the Broward County Emergency Preparedness Division (EDP). In addition, the Broward County Mass Transit, Emergency Services, and Social Services Division as well as the Broward Sheriff's Office are involved in natural disaster planning activities. The Broward County Coastal Evacuation Plan, the effectiye local plan for Fort Lauderdale, provides for an orderly and coordinated evacuation of Fort Lauderdale residents and visitors to minimize the loss of life and sufferin& that could be caused by the effects of a hurricane. The current plan requires evacuation of some or all of the residents within the hurricane vulnerability zone which extends from SR AlA westward to as far as U.S. Route 1 depending on the severity of the storm. Broward County is scheduled to issu e an evacuation order 21 hours prior to eye landfall of a Category 1 or 2 storm. Evacuation is estimated to take approximately 6 hours depending on traffic, availability of buses/operators and the cooperation of citizens. The County is scheduled to issue an evacuation order 26 hours prior to eye landfall of a Category 3 through 5 storm. Evacuation is estimated to take approximately 12 hours depending, again, onlraffic, availability of buses/operators and the cooperation of citizens. The Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, if he deems it appropriate, may issue an evacuation order prior to the order from Broward County. Three east-west evacuation zones have been designated by the County within the Central Beach area, each,associated with a primary evacuation route as follows: Zone Boundary Primary Evacuation Route 4 Northern boundary Oakland Park Boulevard of Fort Lauderdale to Sunrise Boulevard 5 Sunrise Boulevard to Sunrise Boulevard Las Olas Boulevard 6 Las Olas Boulevard to S.E. 17th Street Port Everglades SOURCE: Broward County Florida Coastal Evacuation Plan J1988). FDER Grant Report F-8912 8 The total number of residents within the hurricane vulnerability zone subject to an evacuation order is estimated as follows (Figures are given by storm category.): Category 1-2 Storm Category 3-5 Storm Zone Residents Zone Residents 4 15,379 4 26,041 5 16,782 5 22,388 6 9.385 6 Total 35,385 70,557 NOTE: Category 3-5 Storm figures include Category 1-2 figures. SOURCE: Broward County Office of Planning (1987). The ability to evacuate the Central Beach area population will be affected by transportation and hazard constraints on evacuation routes. Hazards include the unpredicted early-arrival of gale force winds blowing debris into evacuation routes and, thereby, interrupting vehicular movements. Access to evacuation routes for residents east of the Intracoastal Waterway is greatly dependent on the maintenance of good traffic flow on SR AlA which is the main north-south thoroughfare east of the Intracoastal. This roadway is particularly vulnerable to inundation by severe wave action and tidal surge which would prevent access to the evacuation routes. Since there are three bridges connecting the barrier island to the mainland in the Central Beach Area, there is also concern regarding the potential hazard caused by a bridge remaining in the up-position. Normal travel speeds on evacuation routes may be significantly reduced due to the high numbers of evacuees utilizing private automobiles. The percentage of households with automobiles for those rec&rmg evacuation in a Category 1-2 storm, ranges from 79 to 93 percent for single-family residents and 83 to 90 percent for multi-family residents. The percentages for those requiring evacuation in a Category 3-5 storm, ranges from 84 to 98 percent and 84 to 89 percent for single-family and multi-family residents, respectively. The Central Beach area is already developed with predominately hotel and residential uses. Revitalization and redevelopment plans may increase the areas population slightly, but several factors should serve to keep evacuation times stable or even decrease them: 1. The seasonal nature of resort residents which allows peak populations of transient guests and seasonal residents to occur away from Florida's the hurricane season. 2. Reduced densities under the City's Central Beach Zoning Ordinance and development limits imposed by traffic capacity established under the previously described "Action Plan". FDER Grant Report F-8912 9 3. Roadway/bridge improvements including three additional lanes of capacity on the Sunrise Bridge, the SR AIA one-way pair (including a southbound leg which is located away from the most vulnerable coastal edge) various intersection and turn lane improvements, etc. The City's local comprehensive plan projects total Coastal Area resident Populations of 156,121 by 1995 and 158,829 by 2000. Using these forecasts the Plan projects future populations subject to evacuation as follows: 1988 2000 Storm Categories Evacuees Evacuees One and two 35,546 36,644 Three through Five 70,557 73,808 SOURCE: Broward County Coastal Hurricane Evacuation Plan (1.988). Based on these projections and the improvements described above, the Plan anticipates evacuation time to "remain constant and most likely be reduced." This suggests hurricane evacuation time is not the major capacity limiter for the Central Beach, although more detailed analysis of evacuation routes and timing is needed. D. Capacity Summary & Capacity Diagram Based on the above discussion, it appears that SR AlA road capacity is the limit* factor affecting redevelopment in the Fort Lauderdale Central Beach Ing Area. The +3,200 peak hour trip capacity established by the Action Plan described in the Roadway Capacity section of this document should then become the planning threshold which guides public decision-making regarding the redevelopment of Central Beach. In order to determine the amount of additional development that can occur in the Central Beach under this threshold, trip generation rates from the Institute of Transportation (ITE) Irip Generation Manua , Fourth Edition and other studies by Barton-Aschman Associates can be used to project the amount of development +3,200 additional peak hour trips would allow on the major roadways in the Central Beach area. These trip generation rates are as follows: 0.44 trips per suite hotel room 0.62 trips per business hotel room 5.92 trips per 1,000 square feet quality restaurant 3.08 trips per 1,000 square feet specialty retail 4.86 trips per 1,000 square feet service retail 4.66 trips per 1,000 square feet entertainment establishment 1.60 trips per marina slip 2.40 trips per 1,000 sq@are feet office 0.37 trips per condominium unit 2.03 trips per 1,000 square feet of tourist attraction SOURCE: Barton Aschman Associates (1989). FDER Grant Report F-8912 10 Extensive analyses undertaken by Hammer Siler George Associates has measured the potential future market for a variety of development types within the Central Beach Area. These studies concluded that the Central Beach Area offers an opportunity to provide a mix and variety of high quality land uses which will attract the County's growing permanent and seasonal population as well as tourists visiting South Florida. -The specific development types determined to be marketable include entertainment, speciality retail, pedestrian. retail, hotel, office, residential and marina uses. Based on this market information and those land uses encouraged by the City as part of its Community Redevelopment Plan for the core of the Central Beach, we have estimated the distribution 'of remaining ("peak hour) traffic capacity among future land uses as follows: Future Land Use/Tri12 Generation Peak Hour Trip Tally Marina �150 slips @ 1.6 trips/l slip +240 trips = 8176 Entertainment Complex �125,000 SF @ 4.66 trips/1,000 SF = +580 trips = 18% Special Retail �125,000 SF @ 3.08 trips/1,000 SF = +385 trips = 12% Hotels/Suite - Business �1,800 rooms @ 0.53/RM= �955 trips = 307b Service/Beach Retail .+75,000 SF @ 4.86/11000 SF = +365 trips = 1101o Residential �1,500 units @ 0.37/unit +555 trips = 1701b Office �50,000 SF @ 2.40/1,000 SF = +120 trips = 4% �3200 trips = 10001b These future land use assumptions have been distributed among the Central Beach's seven (7) zoning districts as shown in Exhibit 2 (Capacity Diagram). The Capacity Diagram records existing land uses and development patterns within each zoning district. Several alternatives were generated for distributing the future land uses estimated above among the various districts. The alternative distributions were based on criteria such as existing densities, significant structures to remain, relationships to adjoining usevetc. The alternatives were presented to both the City of Fort Lauderdale Planning Department and the Beach RedevelopTent Board. Input from both groups were then combined into a single preliminary capacity diagram which results in the FDER Grant Report F-8912 I N T R A C 0 A 5 T A L W A T E R W A Y .NO_, 00 mn c@6 -L-ju 09 ISOHMAI IABAI SCUTI.I 8@ @ ( . s@ A T L A N T I C E A N i:": Vj@ @A=E? I TO- I-;l.0=ToT. 'j": M. Zo-t W IMw. . I. 2@O ACRM 1 1-1 1,0 A@ I F-_,,lt BOA) WgUl/ll 675- 75 -ACO. W. M/A. 10 S-TS-/A. - 1. Q t. 0 2-1 I-M-1 0,3 IABAI OEAC@ C3 mix_. 0 _sii (-1-25,0 (.1-0 E.- Sit E-1- ao ALLOW 1-1- A02M I ICt ALLOW +1- 200 ROOM EXPANSION TO BAHIA MAR 200 ROOM EXPANSION TO HOTELS (2) 300 ROOM HOTELS. (1) 525 ROOM HOTELS. & A FEW (+/- 15) RESIDENTIAL UNITS. & A FEW (+1- 38) RESIDENTIAL UNITS. & ALLOW A FEW 37) RESIDENTIAL UNITS. 0 .1A .7 E- ALLOW 4 TO 5 HOTELS & NO NEW RESIDENTIAL ALLOW UNITS. REBID L:-L-:-7 o 150 300 600 900 NORTH DECEMBER 1989 following distribution of future development under the �3,200 peak hour capacity threshold: Zoning District Potential Future Development SBHMA: +200 room expansion to Bahia Mar and + 15 new residential units ABA(South): +200 room expansion to hotels and +38 new residential units PRD: (2) new" 300 room hotels, (1) new 525 room hotel and +37 new residential units ABA(North): 4 to 5 new hotels, and no new residential units 1OA: +39 new hotel rooms and +515 new residential units NBRA: Reduce hotel rooms by +127 add +738 new residential units SLA: Reduce hotel rooms by �27 and +144 new residential units This.information can be used by the City in several ways, First, the City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should review the densities and heights in the Central Beach Zoning Ordinance to determine whether any modifications should be made in light of the densities revealed by the Capacity Diagram. Next, the City Planning Department and Beach Redevelopment Office should develop a system of tracking existing and proposed development so that a development's impact on remaining capacity can be included as..a factor in the public's development review process. (The City's concurrency management system which is currently being developed by the'Planning Department Staff, may be the. most logical means of implementing this recommendation). And finally, the City Planning Department- and Beach Redevelopment Office should regularly update and revise the Capacity Diagram as a means of monitoring the relationship between development and capacity in the Central Beach Area. FDER Grant Report F-8912 12 IV. PEDESTRIAN LINKAG Accessibility to Fort Lauderdale's beach and throughout the Central Beach Area is what makes this one of the most unique resort areas in the Southeast. Because accessibility and the "linking" of public and private development is so critical to the area's success, every effort should be made to encourage comfortable and convenient pedestrian and vehicular travel throughout the Central Beach Area. Critical components of this linkage system include: A. Pedestrian Active Oceanfront Use The first floors of all buildings, including structured parking, should be designed to encourage pedestrian scale activity. To stimulate pedestrian activity, buildings which front on major corridors (such as S.R. AlA, Las Olas Boulevard, Cortez Street, etc.) or pedestrian plazas should devote a majority of their first floor area to retail activities such as restaurants, shops, galleries and similar active uses. Wherever feasible, street or plaza level retail uses should have direct access to the adjoining public sector sidewalk in addition to any other access which may be provided. Structured parking facilities should be designed with street or plaza level frontages consisting of either occupied retail space or any architecturally articulated facade which screens the parking area of the structure. Street level openings to parking structures should be sited away from S.R. AM and major intersections and their size should be minimized to accommodate necessary vehicle entrances and pedestrian access only. Street or plaza level retail and restaurant uses should be encouraged to use a portion of the public sector sidewalk for sidewalk displays and/or outdoor dining areas. Private use of public sector sidewalks should be temporary only and subject to all applicable codes and lease arrangements. All displays, furnishings and other elements associated with these active street level uses should be designed and maintained to enhance the visual and functional quality of the streetscape and should be compatible with adjoining public sector site elements. B. Oceanfront Promenade & West Sidew A +20' walkway along the western side of SR AlA, should incorporate landscape treatment and street furnishings which will encourage interaction with adjacent private development. Sidewalk cafes and private seating/dining should be encouraged in this zone providing a minimum 10' continuous clear pedestrian flow space is maintained. Sidewalk cafes and private seating/dining should not be permitted where turn lanes reduce the sidewalk width below 10' unless additional walk is dedicated on adjoining private land. A promenade or beach strand varying f rom 8-24' in width should incorporate landscape treatment and street furnishings which win serve as the main pedestrian feature and establish the aesthetic focus which links the Beach Revitalization area. Pedestrians, leisure bicyclists, skateboards and rollerskaters should be encouraged to use the promenade. Street vendors should also be permitted to operate on this portion of the promenade (by special permit). FDER Grant Report F-8912 13 Passenger vehicle drop-off areas shall be provided at regular intervals north of Southeast 5th Street, Cortez Street, Granada Street and Terramar Street reducing the promenade width slightly in these four areas. C. Intracoastal Plaza/Promenade A pedestrian-oriented outdoor gathering space should be developed along the Intracoastal Waterway which relates to both the marina and adjacent upland development. The Intracoastal promenade should provide public viewing facilities for the City's holiday boat parade and other Intracoastal events. Efforts should be made to extend the public promenade/accessway north and south of the Birch/Las Olas parking lot frontage. In addition, the City should consider alternate means of linking disbursed points of Intracoastal access to the beach area pedestrian system. D. People Street- Improved EastfWest Pedestrian Circulation: To respond to the increasingly urban scale and pedestrian activity in the Central Beach Area, a series of "People Streets" have been designated to serve as a framework for future development. People streets offer improved pedestrian and vehicular facilities such as wider sidewalks, turn lanes, and landscape features. At the northern end of Central Beach they also include center parking medians. People streets occur approximately every third (existing) block, or every + 900 - 1,000 feet including SE 5th Street, Las Olas Boulevard, Cortez Street, Sebastian Street, Granada Street, Riomar Street, Terramar Street and Vistamar Street. E. Pedestrian Anchor A series of significant public facilities or pedestrian activity areas anchor the pedestrian and vehicular spines described above. These include: 1. International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)/Alexander Park -"a major cultural facility at the southern end of the Central Be,@ch area, housing exhibitory, swimming/diving facilities, meeting rooms and an oceanfront park space. 2. Bonnet House - a major cultural facility at the northern end of the Central Beach Area housing a historic estate museum, gardens and native grounds which reflect Fort Lauderdale Beach in the 1940's. 3. Visitors Center/Watercraft Rental/Public Restrooms - southern anchor of the promenade and one-way pair. 4. Lifeguard Headquarters/Police Substation/Public Restrooms - northern anchor of the one-way pair and approximate mid-point of the promenade. 5. Water Taxi Stops - designated docking facilities for the Water Taxi with covered waiting areas and telephone access to the taxi dispatcher anchoring the western terminus of those People Streets which have direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway. FDER Grant Report F@8912 14 .6. Beach Portals/Activity Zones - special treatment of beach access portals anchoring the eastern terminus of each People Street along the oceanfront promenade. This treatment includes column/wall features, special paving and landscape treatment. Beach activity areas which encourage family-oriented recreation are located on the beach near.these portal features. F. Public Parking Facilitie A variety of public parking facilities service the pedestrian and vehicular systems described above. These facilities have been located to distribute:parking throughout the Central Beach Area in relation to anticipated demand and the characteristics of adjoining private development. Public parking for the northern, more residential scale, neighborhood is provided by a series of center parking medians on designated people streets. Public parking for the central portion of the area is provided by an expansion to the Sebastian/Alhambra Surface lot and a public parking structure between Las Olas Boulevard and Cortez Street. Public parking for the southern portion of Central Beach is provided by the existing South Parking lot. Other public parking facilities will be available at the ISHOF, Birch/Las Olas Parking lot and along SR AlA north of Sunrise Boulevard. This distribution of parking facilities provides numerous opportunities to serve both public and private sector uses and provides ready access to the beach. G. Linkau Summary & Linkav& Diagram The various pedestrian, vehicular and parking facilities which make up the Central Beach linkage system described above are shown in Exhibit'3 (Linkage Diagram). The facilities depicted on the Linkage Diagram range from existing, under construction, or committed projects to proposed and as. yet unfunded projects. The City should evaluate whether People Street improvements and center parking medians should be extended westward into the NBRA zoning district. The City should also pursue funding for those facilities which have yet to receive full funding including- the: 1. Central Beach Parking Structure 2. Expansion to the Sebastian/Alhambra Parking Lot 3. ISHOF Birch Lot and Sebastian Street Water Taxi Stops 4. Visitors Center/Watercraft Rental/Restroom Facilities 5. Lifeguard Headquarters/Police Substation/Restroom Facility 6. Beach Activity Areas The City should also consider operational measures to supplement the physical linkage improvements such as a Central Beach tram service, bicyclelskateboard rental facilities, etc. FDER Grant Report F-8912 V. ILLUSTRATIVE MASTER PL A. The 1995 Illustrative Master Plan (Exhibit 4) represents a composite image of all the issues discussed herein. It combines the recommendations of this update into a unified plan which reflects the overall desired aesthetic and functional character of the Central Beach Revitalization area. Significant features of the plan include: 0 Relocat'ion of the existing parking-on S.R. AlA to center median and off-street lot facilities accessible from. major side streets. 0 Realignment of southbound S.R. . AlA along the 2 + 2 Corridor which will allow the City maximum flexibility toward reaching its goal of eventually moving all four lanes of traffic onto this corridor. 0 Walkway and landscape improvements to designated "People Streets", identifXing sidestreets which will provide the main framework for east/west pedestrian movement throughout the project area. 0 A Promenade with modular paving and landscape treatment establishing a bold and continuous tropical atmosphere along the entire beachfront. The promenade accommodates four designated passenger vehicle drop-off areas an@ beach portal features at each People Street as wen as other major access points to the beach. 0 A Western sidewalk serving the beachfront development which accommodates special intersection treatments at each People Street and has sufficient width to accommodate sidewalk cafes, displays, etc. 0 Project Entry Features at Las Olas and the north/south limits of the Central Bea6 Area including special paving and landscape treatments which welcome locals and visitors to the Central Beach Area. 0 Supplemental Beach Landgaping including two major dune restoration fea ures which acknowledge the areas two major greenspaces - Alexander Park and Bonnet House. 0 Beach Activity Areas which allow such activities as volleyball, f risbee throwing and other family-oriented recreation on the beach within designated limits. 0 The International Swimminiz Hall of Fame/Alexander J!ark complex renovated and expanded into an -interactive exhibit museum of national standing including a redesign of Alexander Park to create a "front yard" for the Hall of Fame and identify the facility from SR AlA. 0 The Bonnet House estate restoration as a house museum and historic grounds providing �30 acres of educational and historic resources depicting Fort Lauderdale Beach as it was in the 1940's. FDER Grant Report F-8912 16 0 Central Public Parking Structure (�4 20 spaces) a centrally located parking garage to accommodate a ortion. of the parking spaces relocated from S.R. AlA (Seabreeze to CastilV and the Birch/Las Olas parking lot. 0 Expanded Marina Facilities to as much as +150 wet slips including a dockmaster facility and speciality boat docking. 0 Intracoastal Promenade - Pedestrian-oriented outdoor gathering space along the Intracoastal Waterway which relates to both the marina and the adjoining land-side uses planned for this area. The Intracoastal Promenade should provide public viewing facilities for the City's holiday Boat Pa.rade and other Intracoastal events. 0 Oceanfront Plaza- Outdoor promenade space along the northbound SR AIA which relates to the oceanfront uses planned for this area and improves the pedestrian experience along the beachfront. 0 Visitor Center. Watercraft- Rentgl and Restroom Fadility - Renovation or replacement of the existing Voyager station structure includin@ the addition of watercraft rental services, a variety of visitor services, public restrooms, a Central Beach entry feature, and visitor parking spaces. 0 Lifeguard Headquarters. Police Substation. and Restroorn Facili!Y - Construction of -a new building at the eastern terminus of Sebastian Street to house a lifeguard headquarters, police substation, and public restroom facilities. 0 Las Olas Pavilion and Restrooms - An open air pavilion and restroom structure located on the GOB-funded public plaza and promenade features at the eastern terminus of Us Olas Boulevard. 0 South Lot Concession. MaiLitenance Headquarters and Restroom Facility - A two-story structure with beach maintenanc-e vehicles on the first floor and beach maintenance offices, restrooms and a food/beach supply concession on the second floor. This feature may tie into the pedestrian overpass serving Bahia Mar and provide an elevated performance area for special events. 0 Private redevelopment of the "core" of the Central Beach area (near Las Olas Boulevard offering) a variety of uses consistent with the urban beach village center concept such as hotels, speciality retail, an entertainment complex, pedestrian retail, etc. FDER Grant Report F-8912 17 V1. PROPOSED REGULATORY CHANGES: A. Florida Department of Natural Resources Strategy: The Florida Department of Natural Resources (FDNR) has advised the City that construction of habitable space (restaurants, shops, hotel rooms, etc.) east of the Coastal Construction Line (CCCL) in the Redevelopment Area will need to be above the 100 year storm surge elevation (calculated by FDNR as 20.2 feet above MSU This would place the first floor of any new structure at least eleven (11) feet above existing sidewalk elevations and prevent the establishment of pedestrian active uses along Las Olas Boulevard and SR AlA as envisioned in the City's Revitalization Plan. Related to this elevation issue are FDNR'spolicies governing maximum shoreline parallel frontage and impervious (paving or buildings) areas east of the CCCL. At a series of meetings in late 1988 the Director of FDNR's Division of Beaches and Shores suggested that the City might be able to gain some relief from these requirements as a special urban beachf ront redevelopment if the City was able to: 1. Receive a permit for the overall Beach Revitalization Area or accept delegation of coastal construction permitting authority from FDNR for that area. .2. Gain Governor and Cabinet approval for construction of restaurants and shops below storm surge elevation under a strict set of conditions: designed to insure public safety and minimize property damage caused by storm surge. 3. Gain FDNR approval for shoreline parallel frontage and impervious area ratios which relate to the characteristics of existing development and the unique aspects of this urban beach area. Based on our review of FDNR's current coastal construction regulations we recommend the City proceed immediately in approaching FDNR about resolution of these issues. A team of City staff, technical consultants and legal counsel in Tallahassee should begin to prepare a formal request based on the following strategy f ramework: 1. Substantiate the unique characteristics of Fort Lauderdale's Central Beach (urban edge, roadway immediately adjacent to the beach, importance to local and regional tourism industries). 2. Explicitly define the City's goals and objectives with emphasis on the @nportance of redeveloping Central Beach (crime, building conditions, public safety, traffic, aesthetic concerns, etc.) FDER Grant Report F-8912 18 3. Acknowledge FDNR's concern for public safety (F.S. Chapter 161.141 (1) and FDNR Rule 1613-33.05) and propose measures to insure public safety is maintained, such as: a. Local requirements for on-site shelters b. Enhanced evacuation and storm preparation education programs. C. Restrictions on "break-away'.' construction techniques to minimize size of water-borne debris. 4. Acknowledge FDNR's concern for property damage (F.S. Chapter 161.141(l) and FDNR Rule 168-33.05) and propose measures to minimize property damage during a storm event, such as: a. Local requirements for "break-away" construction below storm surge elevation. b. Local requirements to provide storage for a significant percentage of retail merchandise above the storm surge elevation to accommodate shops "hung" below the structural slab. C. Local requirements to provide for kitchens, restroorns and ,major restaurant equipment above storm surge elevation to accommodate restaurants/bars "hung" below the structural slab. d. Local insurance and storm damage assistance programs to supplement existing Federal/State programs. 5. Acknowledge FDNR's policies on shoreline parallel frontage and im-peTvious coverage and propose measures to meet these requirements. Our initial calculations suggest that the existing beachf ront has approximately 517b shoreline parallel frontage which compares favorably with the Department's 60% maximum frontage poli@y. Given the existing street pattern and the City's policy of a minimum 75% street level frontage to insure a continuous streetscape "edge", we estimate that ultimate buildout will fall between 5501b and 63% shoreline parallel frontage. If some sidestreets are removed the frontage may increase accordingly. 6. Define an implementation mechanism which both the City and FDNR find acceptable, considering factors such as: a. the relative cost/benefit of the City administering delegated authority from FDNR. b. the ability for a specific permit covering the entire beachfront to be flexible enough to accommodate development requests over time. MER Grant Report F-89U 19 B. REVITALIZATION PLAN REVISIONS (previously issued via memorandum dated November 2, 1989) We have reviewed the Beach Revitalization Plan (July 1988), including the policy statements, zoning ordinance and design guidelines, and recommend that the City consider making the following changes to bring it into consistency with the draft Community Redevelopment Plan. 1., Policy Statements: Revise preface, introduction and overview to reflect current redevelopment plan/area (p.1) Revise description of PRD district (p.2) - Revise descriptions (slightly) of other districts (p.3-5) Delete Goal #4 (p.5) - Revise circulation concept description (p.8) - Delete subsection 5 "Preparation of Community Redevelopment" (p.9-17) and substitute a summary of current position with FDNR - Delete the entire Section IV: Schedule of Actions - Land Assembly and Preparation of Community Redevelopment Plan (9-17) - Revise parking plan and incorporate new illustrative plan. 2. Zoning Ordinances: - Revise PRD boundaries to include ABA South. Change the definition of the Community Redevelopment Plan. (p.2) - Revise PRD "Purpose" to promote redevelopment of the area immediately north and south of Las Olas Boulevard. (p.14) Add entertainment and office as permitted use in the PRD district. (p:15) and change "residential" to "residential as a component of a mixed-use development". (P.15) - Delete ten acre minimum lot size in PRD. (p.16) - Note shared parking analysis can be submitted to allow shared parking requirements in PRD (p.16) - Add office as permitted use in the SBHMA district. (p.27 3. Design Guidelines: - Revise widths of walkways, etc. in Public Corridor descriptions subject to final agency approval. - Revise marina facility description under Beach Facilities. Revise plaza descriptions, add Lifeguard HQ plaza under Beach Facilities. - Revise restroom. location under Site Elements - Revise private sector guidelines graphics/format (see enclosed draft). FDER Grant Report 17@8912 20 In addition,'we would like the City to consider the following issues in your current review of the Revitalization Plan: - Whether to add provisions in the ordinance for improved waterfront access/view corridors along the Intracoastal in the SBHMA and/or IOA districts. (See attached example from.. Tampa ordinance). - Whether to continue to encourage at grade retail/restau rant uses in the design guidelines without any assurances from FDNR that these will be permittable. Whether the City should have more than "random" selection rights in choosing its design arbitration panel member. -Randorn!' selection rt@ay not produce the most appropriate or qualified review on a given pro ct. Note that the developer/applicant's selection is not random. p.12-13 of the zoning ordinance). Whether F.A.R. standards are appropriate in light of the capacities reflected by the Action Plan for beach area roadway segments. Whether heights/densities should be decreased around the Bonnet House. We also understand that the p@anning department is working on zoning revisions to the landscape requirements and to incorporate local control of trip allocation per your approved Action Plan. These amendments should be coordinated with the modifications you@ choose to make from the list above to insure that the ordinance remains concise and clear. FDER Grant Report F-8912 21 VIL DESCRIPTION OF COMPUTER MODELIN A. Database/Capacity DiagLa-m The !Z@pacity Diagram was created by digitizing city.pl.ate maps, adding densities from field surveys and city records (i.e., existing hotel'rooms, residential units, commercial square footage, etc.) digitizing zoning district lines and inputting proposed conditions (i.e., new buildings, new road geometry, etc.). This information was thenverified by the City Planning Department and used as the baseline existing conditio@is in developing future capacity/development alternatives. B. Three Dimensional Capabilities A COMPAQ 386/25 Microprocessor with 3 megabytes of RAM and 70 megabyte hard drive was used to generate the database, 3D modeling, and 3D rendering. Once a digitized two dimensional drawing is complete in the computer, the Autocadd software offers several techniques which help create a three dimensional wireframe drawing. First each building in the database was assigned an approximate height based on a windshield survey and comparison with City records. Then a wireframe is created which reflects the three dimensional OD) outline of each building. Once the 3D wireframe is created AutoShade software's rendering can be added. Several steps are necessary before actually implementing the autoshade image. While still in Autocadd software, rendering 'scenes' have to be established. Each 'scene' has to have 'cameras' located and at least one 'light' source identified. Only then can the file be filmrolled into the AutoShade sof tware. AutoShade is a rendering software which allows rendered scenes to be recorded and replayed in a rapid sequence, While in AutoShade the camera and lighting along with many other rendering factors can be varied to get the desired effect. C. 11ses for the Computer Model We have recently used this 3D Model to assist the City in analyzing proposed buildings (i.e., setback, height, visual impact, pedestrian linkage, etc.) and proposed road aligni-nents. The computer model has been particularly helpful in depicting the physical relationships related to the City's proposed redevelopment project and design guidelines for the redevelopment area. Future uses of the. computer will likely include: 0 refinement and further testing of zoning standards, design guidelin es and beach related policies 0 site specific review of development proposals in the Central Beach Area 0 review and ranking of the physical relationships/massing of developer proposals for the redevelopment area 0 long range imaging of how the beachf ront may look when existing policies and market projections have been "built out". SERVI SERVI ES CTR Ll IIARY NO 3 6668 14-11M 3