Flooding & Sea Level Rise
Climate change and the rising sea. Learning to live with water. Miami Beach residents are facing the greatest challenge of our generation. Waiting, pausing -- “sticking our head in the sand” is not an option. Sunny day and stormwater flooding are occurring now. If elected as your Commissioner, I’m committed to protecting our community and continuing the battle against sea level rise.
Completed in 2018, the Urban Land Institute (“ULI”) panel report offers an excellent roadmap for short and intermediate term government policy in Miami Beach. I will use this eighty eight (88) page “Stormwater Management and Climate Adaptation Review” as a reference and guide for future decision-making.
I Support the Following "Go Forward" Sea Level Rise Fundamentals:
UPDATE: In April of 2019, the City hired Jacobs Engineering Group to create a detailed plan for implementation of the integrated water management strategy recommended by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Jacobs Engineering Group will make recommendations in three key areas:
1) Integrated blue-green concept plan
2) Road raising analysis and recommended approach
3) Prioritized project list with weighted criteria to rank neighborhood projects
One of the world's top engineering firms, Jacobs Engineering Group generates $15B in annual revenues and trades on the NYSE.
www.jacobs.com
The Jacobs Engineering Group report is an important "next step" in our battle against flooding and sea level rise.
*Will the ocean rise more or less than 12 inches over 30 years?
1/3 of an inch per year = 12 inches in 30 years
According to ULI, Miami Beach officials used a three step process to set a 3.7 NAVD benchmark for the City:
ULI:
1) "At the beginning of the stormwater management program, Miami Beach officials identified that the mean high-water elevation figure being used to design new stormwater projects—0.6 feet NAVD—did not account for higher stormwater and tide events."
2) "To correct these measurements, the city assessed every tidal event over the last several years and identified that the highest-elevation non-storm-related event occurred at 1.7 feet NAVD."
3) "Using that figure, the city created a 30-year planning horizon that accounted for a 12-inch projected increase in sea level, arriving at a base elevation of 2.7 feet NAVD. Under these guidelines, Miami Beach identified that the crown of area roads would need to be elevated to 3.7 feet NAVD, and its approach was to identify the city’s most vulnerable areas and prioritize those regions successively."
"Since making these design decisions, the city has since observed 2.2 feet NAVD high-tide elevations in 2016 and 2017, indicating that the earlier estimates are unlikely to be sufficient if trends continue, particularly for a 30-year window."
*See graphic below
Streets Below 3.7 NAVD88
80 miles -- City of Miami Beach
25 miles -- FDOT
Climate change and the rising sea. Learning to live with water. Miami Beach residents are facing the greatest challenge of our generation. Waiting, pausing -- “sticking our head in the sand” is not an option. Sunny day and stormwater flooding are occurring now. If elected as your Commissioner, I’m committed to protecting our community and continuing the battle against sea level rise.
Completed in 2018, the Urban Land Institute (“ULI”) panel report offers an excellent roadmap for short and intermediate term government policy in Miami Beach. I will use this eighty eight (88) page “Stormwater Management and Climate Adaptation Review” as a reference and guide for future decision-making.
I Support the Following "Go Forward" Sea Level Rise Fundamentals:
- Mike B: Comprehensive approach with integrated tools and multiple strategies.
- ULI: "Broadening Miami Beach’s strategy beyond pumps and street elevation to integrate green and blue infrastructure and other innovations in resilience could lead Miami Beach to become a worldwide model of living with water."
- Mike B: Transparent and community-inclusive. Engage with residents and stakeholders as full partners in the decision making process.
- ULI: "Local stakeholders clearly articulated that the outreach process that led to the current storm water management system was not sufficient. Stakeholders particularly noted the minimal opportunities for community input and a tone that did not welcome input."
- Mike B: Broadening our sea level rise strategy also means moving away from a “one size fits all” street raising policy. I prefer a surgical, neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach and consider street raising one of many tools in our tool belt.
- ULI: "Going forward, the city should identify a broader range of strategies, including blue infrastructure, green infrastructure, and seawall improvements, together with its committed pumping systems and elevated streets, to both introduce more flexibility in managing water and offer more visible collateral benefits to the local community."
- Mike B: Fix issues with completed projects including aesthetics, harmonization and permanent back-up generator installation.
- Mike B: Expedite the Indian Creek, Palm and Hibiscus Islands projects. Residents are suffering with significant delays. Utilize all available resources to complete these projects as soon as possible.
- Mike B: Move forward with the West Avenue project utilizing the “resilience accelerator” to resolve residents concerns related to street design, parking, bike lanes and harmonization with private property.
- Mike B: Require Design Review Board (DRB) review and approval before construction commences to ensure that aesthetics and harmonization are fully considered and integrated into every project.
- Mike B: Add permanent back-up power generators on existing projects and include on all future projects.
- Mike B: Prioritize water quality and treatment systems.
- ULI: "Pumped systems including a traditional grid, sand trap, and vortex have a tendency to underperform and fail during extreme events. Moreover, the citizens and stakeholders of Miami Beach are clearly concerned about water quality and the potential water quality implications of the pump system. Going forward, the city should implement state-of-the-art treatment systems through green infrastructure that will absorb pollutants while increasing flexibility."
- Mike B: Protect our historic buildings while accepting the challenge of sea level rise.
- ULI: "The city’s existing heritage regulations and governance have done a formidable job of preserving the integrity of the city’s historic architecture. However, given the extent of the risk that the city faces and the vulnerability of many historic buildings, all stakeholders must begin to reconsider what preservation means and strategize accordingly. If Miami Beach successfully engages in this conversation locally, the city and heritage community will have the opportunity to lead a national conversation regarding how to respect and care for cherished historic assets in the face of environmental vulnerability."
UPDATE: In April of 2019, the City hired Jacobs Engineering Group to create a detailed plan for implementation of the integrated water management strategy recommended by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Jacobs Engineering Group will make recommendations in three key areas:
1) Integrated blue-green concept plan
2) Road raising analysis and recommended approach
3) Prioritized project list with weighted criteria to rank neighborhood projects
One of the world's top engineering firms, Jacobs Engineering Group generates $15B in annual revenues and trades on the NYSE.
www.jacobs.com
The Jacobs Engineering Group report is an important "next step" in our battle against flooding and sea level rise.
*Will the ocean rise more or less than 12 inches over 30 years?
1/3 of an inch per year = 12 inches in 30 years
According to ULI, Miami Beach officials used a three step process to set a 3.7 NAVD benchmark for the City:
ULI:
1) "At the beginning of the stormwater management program, Miami Beach officials identified that the mean high-water elevation figure being used to design new stormwater projects—0.6 feet NAVD—did not account for higher stormwater and tide events."
2) "To correct these measurements, the city assessed every tidal event over the last several years and identified that the highest-elevation non-storm-related event occurred at 1.7 feet NAVD."
3) "Using that figure, the city created a 30-year planning horizon that accounted for a 12-inch projected increase in sea level, arriving at a base elevation of 2.7 feet NAVD. Under these guidelines, Miami Beach identified that the crown of area roads would need to be elevated to 3.7 feet NAVD, and its approach was to identify the city’s most vulnerable areas and prioritize those regions successively."
"Since making these design decisions, the city has since observed 2.2 feet NAVD high-tide elevations in 2016 and 2017, indicating that the earlier estimates are unlikely to be sufficient if trends continue, particularly for a 30-year window."
*See graphic below
Streets Below 3.7 NAVD88
80 miles -- City of Miami Beach
25 miles -- FDOT
