Miami Beach Green Infrastructure Requirements for Golf Courses and Athletic Fields

(a) All new public and private golf course greens and all renovated golf course greens, provided their renovation exceeds 50 percent of its total area, shall meet all the following requirements: (1) Incorporate best management practices as defined in “Best Management Practices for the Enhancement of Environmental Quality on Florida Golf Courses”, published by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, latest version. (2) Provide the use of native and/or Florida-friendly trees, shrubs and ground cover landscaping in more than 80 percent of the total areas designated for non-play. (3) Specify a certified turfgrass groundcover species for all play areas that requires the least amount of fertilization and water consumption. (4) Incorporate the use of green infrastructure elements and/or low impact development (LID) design in the design of the golf course’s drainage system and in allowing ample, uncompacted areas for tree root growth. (5) Provide a minimum ten-foot low-maintenance buffer adjacent to watercourses, seawalls and storm drain inlets. (b) All new athletic fields and all renovated athletic fields, provided their renovation exceeds 50 percent of its total area, shall meet all the following requirements: (1) Incorporate best management practices for landscaping by including the use of native and Florida-friendly trees, shrubs and ground cover landscaping. (2) Incorporate the use of green infrastructure elements and/or low impact development (LID) design in the design of the field’s drainage system and in allowing ample, uncompacted areas for tree root growth. (3) Include at minimum a ten-foot low-maintenance zone buffer adjacent to watercourses, seawalls and storm drain inlets. (c) When renovating over 50 percent of the area of any public park, the new design shall meet all the following requirements: (1) Incorporate best management practices for landscaping by including the use of native and Florida-friendly trees, shrubs and ground cover landscaping. (2) Incorporate the use of green infrastructure elements and/or low impact development (LID) design in the design of the park’s drainage system and in allowing ample, uncompacted areas for tree root growth. (3) Include at minimum a ten-foot low-maintenance zone buffer adjacent to watercourses, seawalls and storm drain inlets. (d) Requests for exceptions to the requirements set forth in subsections 46-226 (a) , (b) , and (c) shall be submitted in writing to the environment and sustainability director or his/her designee, detailing the project’s design and details, demonstrating that good faith effort was made to achieve substantial compliance with the applicable requirements, and explaining what hardship would be incurred if a proposed exception or variance is not granted. The environment and sustainability director or his/her designee will have discretion to approve or reject exemption requests on a case-by-case basis. (e) All renovations to any golf courses, athletic fields, and parks shall provide a management plan with fertilization strategies, chemical-mixes and distribution/utilization regimes to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus-related nutrient load. (f) Fertilizers applied to greenspaces, parks, specialized turf, including athletic fields and high intensity public parks shall be formulated and applied in accordance with requirements and directions provided by Rule 5E-1.003 (3) (b) Florida Administrative Code, as it may be amended. (g) Fertilizers applied to turf and landscape plants within the city shall be formulated and applied in accordance with requirements and directions provided by Rule 5E-1.003 (4) , Florida Administrative Code, Labeling Requirements for Urban Turf Fertilizers, as it may be amended. (h) Fertilizers labeled for sports turf at golf courses, parks, and athletic fields shall: (1) Have directions for use not to exceed rates recommended in the document titled SL 191 “Recommendations for N, P, K, and Mg for Golf Course and Athletic Field Fertilization Based on Mehlich I Extractant” dated March 2007, as amended from time to time, which is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference into this article. (2) Have directions for use in accordance with the recommendations in “BMPs for the Enhancement of Environmental Quality of Florida Golf Courses” published by FDEP dated October 2012. This does not exempt applicators at these sites from the required basic Green Industry BMP training. (i) All public and private golf courses, athletic fields, high-impact areas within public parks with specialized turf, and greenspaces are required to administer a nutrient soil test periodically and provide the test results together with the monthly fertilizer-use per site to the environment and sustainability department upon request. Monthly fertilizer-use for public and private golf courses, athletic fields, high-impact areas within public parks, and greenspaces will be reported in the city’s annual water quality report that is submitted as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit’s annual report submitted the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. A list and a map of the high-impact areas within parks will also be included in the city’s annual water quality report.