Committee asks staff to pilot green roofs on three city facilities and explore incentives for private developments

Committee members discussed two linked items (MB 4 and MB 14) directing the administration to study green roofs across city buildings and to examine feasibility of a green roof at City Hall. Staff recommended a cautious pilot approach using a newer facilities building (1833 Bay Road) as the most immediately feasible location and suggested evaluating two other candidate roofs: City Hall and the South Shore Community Center.

Facilities staff noted older municipal buildings often lack structural capacity for full-coverage green roofs and cited wind, drainage and maintenance issues. The facilities director said the 1833 Bay Road building (built 2015) appears structurally suitable for a pilot. Initial high-end estimates for full coverage were cited at approximately $750,000 for about 6,000 square feet; staff recommended scaling a pilot back to smaller sections or modular systems and testing different plant palettes (native, low-water species, or potted/raised beds) to assess maintenance needs and survivability in Miami Beach's climate.

Commissioners urged iterative, lower-cost pilots that would test native plantings, seating/activation and stormwater benefits without committing large capital sums for a single full-roof conversion. Several members proposed the city require green roofs or living walls as incentives for new development and asked staff to prepare a referral to the land-use body for incentive options. Facilities staff said they could produce reduced-cost estimates and program options for three candidate sites and return to the committee with recommendations.

The committee directed staff to return with a pilot plan and scaled cost options, suggested sequencing for low-, medium- and high-cost approaches, maintenance estimates and potential grant or resilience-funding sources that could offset capital costs.