Miami Beach committee asks staff for long-term plan to reimagine West Lots

The Land Use and Sustainability Committee on July 10 asked city staff to return in September with a refined, longer-term concept for the West Lots after commissioners and residents urged preserving flexible green space, adding community amenities and preserving parking.

Committee Chair Alex Fernandez opened the discussion and said the goal was to move beyond temporary activations toward a “little bit more long term” plan guided by neighborhood input. Planning Director Tom Mooney and staff reported a community outreach event and an online survey that drew 276 responses with clear priorities: green space, social and event space, and parking.

Why it matters: the West Lots sit between North Shore Open Space Park and neighborhoods that lack nearby retail and regular community gathering places. Commissioners framed the discussion as a chance to expand park uses, preserve or reconfigure parking, and pilot neighborhood amenities such as farmers markets, fitness stations or soccer fields while avoiding permanent builds that would reduce flexibility.

Committee members and nearby residents described survey results and on-the-ground observations. Planning staff said the public’s top four preferences were “green space, social space, event space, and parking”; the memo showed green space with 84 votes, parking with 68 votes, social space 49 votes and farmers/food uses 36 votes. Commissioner Suarez highlighted the community preference for flexibility and cautioned against overbuilt, single-use facilities. Commissioner Bond suggested combining lots and side streets to gain contiguous space while preserving adequate parking.

Residents who spoke during public comment called for trees and shade, not fencing, and offered to partner on near-term pilots. Resident Larry Schafer offered to meet with staff to integrate prior community ideas and noted which intersecting streets should or should not be closed because they serve park entrances. Omar Jimenez, a North Beach resident, urged more tree canopy and cautioned against fencing that would block views.

Directives and next steps: staff were asked to work with the Parks and Planning departments to produce a “fine-tuned concept” that prioritizes open green space while keeping options for seasonal markets, food trucks, fitness activations and possibly a small soccer area on newly acquired contiguous parcels. Fernandez directed staff to return in September with a proposal. No binding land-use changes or new capital allocations were adopted at the meeting.

Background details: commissioners and staff discussed treating some streets between lots as reconfigurable right-of-way to expand contiguous recreational space while preserving or adding parking. Commissioners noted the future 70 Second Street parking garage will add capacity (discussants referenced an extended two-level plan and described an approximate 150-space figure after the second level was added). Parks staff currently manage Lot 4 (the skate park); commissioners asked staff to identify which lots parks would manage versus parking operations.

Ending: Staff agreed to coordinate across Planning, Parks and Parking and return with a consolidated concept and initial feasibility notes in September. The committee scheduled no vote and left open whether any lot vacation or permanent infrastructure would be proposed.