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RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ERECTION, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE EXPANSION TO GSA FLEET MANAGEMENT DIVISION SHOP 3C LOCATED AT 8801 NW 58TH STREET, IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 33-303 OF THE CODE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

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WHEREAS, this Board desires to accomplish the purposes outlined in the accompanying memorandum, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference, and has conducted a public hearing in compliance with the provisions of Section 33-303 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida,

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that

Section 1. This Board hereby finds that the erection, construction and operation of the expansion to GSA Fleet Management Division Shop 3C located at 8801 NW 58th Street, more specifically described as follows:

A PORTION OF 629.99 ACRES LESS THE AREA BEGINNING AT SE CORNER OF SE � THENCE N243.70 FEET, W243.70 FEET, S243.70 FEET, E243.70 FEET TO POINT OF BEGINNING & LESS SW 1/4 OF SW � OF SE 1/4, OF SECTION 16, TOWNSHIP 53S, RANGE 40E, OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA.

is necessary to provide for and protect the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens residents of Miami-Dade County, Florida and in so finding, has considered, among other factors, the type of function involved, the public need therefore, the land use pattern in the area, and the nature of the impact on the surrounding property.

Section 2. This Board approves the recommendations in the attached memorandum and authorizes the County Manager to take appropriate action to accomplish them.

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Date:

To:
Honorable Chairman Joe A. Martinez
And Members, Board of County Commissioners

From:
George M. Burgess
County Manager

Subject:
Governmental Facilities Hearing Application GF05-07
GSA Fleet Management Division Shop 3C Expansion

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve the attached resolution authorizing the erection, construction and operation of an expansion to GSA Fleet Management Shop 3C located at 8801 NW 58th Street, in compliance with Section 33-303 of the Code of Miami-Dade County. This item was prepared by General Services Administration (GSA) and is recommended for approval.

MANAGER'S BACKGROUND
LOCATION:
8801 Northwest 58th Street, Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.

COMMISSION DISTRICT:
12

BACKGROUND:
GSA Fleet Management Division currently operates two shop facilities � Shop 3 and Shop 3C � on a 40-acre tract at the above-listed address. This site is a portion of a closed 629-acre County landfill that lies north of NW 58th Street, between NW 87 Avenue and NW 97 Avenue. Both shop facilities service heavy equipment from Solid Waste Management, Public Works and other departments. Shop 3C provides welding and repair work; Shop 3 performs general maintenance to on-road vehicles.

Shop 3 was constructed in the 1950�s as the original heavy equipment repair facility. The building�s ceiling and bay doors are not high enough for the more modern equipment now used by the Departments, particularly the units operated by the Department of Solid Waste Management. As a result, staff is forced to provide most of its vehicle maintenance activities outside the building. Retrofitting the existing Shop 3 building to accommodate the higher vehicles is neither feasible nor cost effective, due to the building�s age and layout. Shop 3C is a significantly newer structure, and can be cost-effectively expanded to accommodate all of the maintenance activities, equipment and personnel currently housed and/or performed by the existing Shop 3 facility. The Shop 3 building will continue to be utilized to maintain those vehicles it can accommodate as well as for much needed storage.

FACILITY DESCRIPTION:
The plan proposes an addition to the northern side of the existing Shop 3C building, which is 172 feet long and 75 feet wide. The plan will allow the current Shop 3 repair operations and personnel to be relocated to the expanded Shop 3C building.

The building expansion will involve the removal and relocation of buried garbage to the North Dade Landfill and the replacement with compactable materials, as required by the Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM). The building plan for the new construction includes office space, a lunch room, bathrooms, locker rooms, an air compressor room, a stockroom, outside canopied storage areas, and six drive-through service bays. The expansion will also include an additional 150,000 square feet of parking and driveway areas with access to NW 87 Avenue. The access will require approval from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Staff is in the process of seeking approval from FDOT for said access. The parking lots and driveway drainage will be connected to a percolation pond. The new expansion will assume the shop and administrative operations associated with maintaining Solid Waste Management Department vehicles.

JUSTIFICATION:
The relocation of Shop 3 operations will improve working conditions for shop personnel and eliminate current concerns regarding the potential for contaminating the groundwater. As stated previously, Shop 3�s ceilings and bay doors are not high enough to accommodate much of the current-generation heavy equipment used by the County; as a result, much of the maintenance work must be performed outside the building. This not only exposes staff to the elements but it has led to concerns of rainwater runoff carrying pollutants from the exterior maintenance area into the 58th Street Canal. GSA Fleet Management Division and the Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) are working together to assess and remediate any environmental issues through stringent evaluations and utilizing available resources to eliminate contaminant levels. The expansion project will move maintenance activities inside a building and away from the 58th Street Canal, which will protect staff and prevent any possibility of contamination. The planned additional driveways accessing NW 87th Avenue will alleviate traffic congestion problems caused by Fleet Management and Solid Waste Management vehicles entering through NW 58th Street.

DEVELOPMENT:
The initial design phase for this project is complete. Construction contract bidding will begin immediately following BCC approval of the expansion. It is anticipated that construction of the project will be completed within 18 months.

FUNDING SOURCES:
The estimated budget allocated for construction of the facility is $2,700,000.00. The revenue source for the project will be provided by the Fleet Capital Projects Fund. Maintenance and operational costs will be provided by Fleet Heavy Equipment Operation revenue presently in place.

SITE REVIEW COMMITTEE:
The Committee�s task is to review projects subject to Section 33-303 of the Code of Miami-Dade County with regard to the public need for the proposed facility, its impact upon the surrounding community, and other similar considerations. The Committee reviewed this project on September 28, 2005. GSA�s Fleet Management Division subsequently addressed the issues raised during the review process, ultimately satisfying all requirements of the Committee and receiving unanimous approval in October, 2005.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL:
The project was presented to Community Council # 8 on October 12, 2005. The council members were fully supportive of the project and recommended approval of the application.

PUBLIC HEARING:
Section 33-303 of the Code of Miami-Dade County provides that, prior to the construction or operation of a facility in the unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade, a favorable public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners is required. The Board may only authorize use, construction and operation of such facilities after considering, among other factors, the public need for the facility, the type of function involved, existing land use patterns in that area and the nature of the impact of the facility on surrounding property. The attached report from the Miami-Dade County Site Review Committee addresses these factors.