Rome, they say, was not built in a day.
Residents should keep this in mind when considering a timeline for building – or rebuilding – the resilient visionary empire Key Biscayne could become.
All seven members of Key Biscayne’s strategic vision board were present for Monday night’s second meeting regarding a plethora of conglomerate proposals for what architects, residents and vision board members might possibly want to see.
Galina Tachieva, managing partner and expert planner at DPZ CoDesign, who highlighted some of the key topics of an 80-page debut report on community and management last month, skimmed through an additional 66 pages in the Planning and Design chapter. , then 16 others in politics. & Chapter Regulation.
“I’m very happy with the process (as an urban planner),” Tachieva said. “It coincides with our way of doing (business)…we have a lot of visuals; what do they say, a visual is worth a thousand words?”
Visuals, such as an elevated hallway in Key Biscayne’s “spine”; an improved entrance; elevated pavements; mixed-use structures along Crandon Boulevard; green spaces and solar panels on the roofs; and even an underfloor space for excessive rainwater or ample parking – a bone of contention at the previous meeting – were just a few of the many potential ideas.
But, if that sounds overwhelming, it’s not, said board chairman Mario Garcia-Serra, who told Islander News the next day, “We’re interacting with the (Miami) CoDesign team for some time now and understand that their extensive ‘brainstorming’ is what can lead to effective and innovative solutions to some of the Village’s challenges, goals and objectives.
The entire document, perhaps some 200 pages when completed, will eventually be archived online. A condensed version, whittled down to about 10 focus or priority points after all seven members have done their “homework” for the May 9 follow-up meeting, and a 2-3 minute highlight reel or video, as suggested by council member Matt Bramson will be developed and presented to village council members and the public in the near future.
Incidentally, Speak Up Key Biscayne, which served as a sounding board for community polls and opinions on future plans, will be integrated into the village website with links to data regarding resident responses.
Earlier at Monday night’s meeting, the Strategic Vision Board decided to drop the year 2050 (it used to be 2020 and then 2040) from the document’s title, so as not to deter people from thinking that all of this won’t happen. would not produce for another thirty years.
Vice President Jorge Mendia thought people might scoff, thinking, “Why are we worried about things 30 years from now when we have to solve the problems today?”
The reality is, Tachieva said, some of these projects will be done sooner rather than later.
Going forward, the complete document will be called the Key Biscayne Vision Plan (with date of adoption).
Tachieva said her company could only present the plans. It’s up to the village or engineers to build everything and merge overlapping projects, such as underground utilities, drainage systems and elevated roads, for example, at the same time.
Considering such a broad ‘vision’, including improved infrastructure to compensate for sea level rise and the effects of major storms, were things the Vision Board had been considering for the past three years.
“This is a long-term vision plan, so we’re looking at what could be done in the decades to come,” Garcia-Serra said. “The goal is to be ready if and when the need arises.”
Tachieva showed a photo of Galveston, Texas, an example of a raised city that was done in one go – a relatively easier undertaking – and she also pointed to Seattle, saying it was “pretty amazing to lift all of downtown, but one property at a time (and filling the underside with dirt from the hilltop removal over 100 years ago).
She said the Key Colony Plaza mall and the Winn-Dixie properties on Key Biscayne “are on a different level…a way of thinking about elevating your village.
“The idea you have of raising yourself up is inevitable… you are going to raise your houses, your businesses, Crandon Boulevard…”
Tachieva said convincing some business owners to eventually raze and then raise their properties will come with time.
“Some (structures) are at the end of (their) normal life cycle,” she said. “I showed you what (Key Biscayne) was like in the 50s and 60s, and it’s changing…change will happen, and you can steer it in a direction (you’d like to see). ”
