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black. Hey Black day. I'm a kicker. Feel well. All right. All right. feel. Hey
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feel good. Heat. Heat. Please take your seats. The meeting is about to begin. Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record. Please stand by. We are going on air in
5 4 3 2 1. Good morning and welcome to the July 10th meeting of the DRB. Uh I apologize for having to start a little bit later today. Uh let's get started. We have a number of items on the We're still waiting for another member uh who should
be here very shortly, but I just wanted to get going with items that didn't need uh a quorum of five. So, let's get started with the first item. DRB. Oh, no. I guess we need to swear everybody in. I do. You want to go first or
I just um for attendance purposes, I'm gonna I'm gonna um announce that uh member Mauagaboli is absent. Um and member uh Akquil Lester is on his way. He should be here shortly.
And um Adam Meshber is absent. All right. Good morning everyone. Today's meeting of the design review board has been scheduled in a hybrid format with a quorum of the board physically present in the commission chambers at the Miami
Beach City Hall and applicant staff and members of the public appearing either in person or virtually via the Zoom platform webinar. In order to participate in today's meeting, those wishing to participate via the Zoom platform webinar may dial 888-475-4499
and enter the webinar ID which is 82273941924 or log into the Zoom app and enter the webinar ID which again is 82273941924. Any individual wishing to speak on an item must click the raise hand icon if they're using the Zoom app or dial star9
if they're participating by phone. Now, before I will swear in, those that will be testifying today, I'm going to read into the record the city's notice regarding lobbyist registration. If you are appearing on behalf of a business, a corporation, or another person, you need to register as a lobbyist with the city clerk's office.
If you haven't registered yet, you should register before you speak to the board. You do not have to register as a lobbyist in three limited circumstances. One, if you're speaking only on behalf of yourself and not any other party. Two, if you're testifying as an expert witness providing only scientific,
technical, or other specialized information. Three, if you're appearing as a representative of a neighborhood association without any compensation or reimbursement for your appearance to express support of or opposition to any item. Now, expert witnesses and
representatives of neighborhood associations still have to pri uh prior to appearing disclose and writing to the city clerk their name, address, and the principal on whose behalf they're communicating. If you're an architect, attorney, or employee representing an applicant or an objector, you must
register as a lobbyist as well. Now, these rules apply whether you are appearing in favor of or against an item or encouraging or arguing against its passage, defeat, modification, or continuence. Now, um I'm going to go ahead and uh swear in those who are
physically present today. And if we will have any um testimonies via Zoom, I will swear them in at the time of of their testimony. All right. Um please stand and uh raise your right hand, please. Okay. Do you swear or affirm that that the testimony you will be giving this
proceeding is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. All right. You may proceed. Madam Chair, all to you. Thank you. Um, let's proceed with uh I guess the approval of minutes. Mhm.
Do you have a a motion and a second to I'll move to approve minutes. I'll second that. Okay. All those in favor? I I minutes pass. And then we have a few items that are
being requested for continuence. Um the first one is item DRB25 1086. um that item the uh the applicant was not able to make it today so they have requested that the item be continued to the September meeting. Um the item will
also be um the item was noticed in the newspaper and online. Um the mail notice and the posting did not go out. So we will be renoticing the item uh for the September meeting. So no action is necessary because it will be renoticed.
Um the next item that is being requested for continuance is DRB251089. That's 1601 West 24th Street. Um the applicant is making a few modifications to to their proposal. So they have requested um that the item be continued
to the September meeting so that they can submit some some revisions. Um on that one we will need a vote. Okay. Make a motion to continue. Second. I'll second that. Okay. motion and a second. Uh, all those in favor? I.
Motion passes. And then um there's an item DRB 251080. That's 6788 Collins Avenue. Um this was an item that came before the board in May for uh it's a shopping center um in the North Beach area. The board
requested additional information for landscaping, lighting, um additional information on flooding. Uh the applicant has since hired a new architect um to help help them with these issues. Um and so they were not able to submit in time for today's meeting. The item was continued to the to today's meeting. Um because of that,
they're requesting that the item be continued to the September 11th meeting as well. Okay, great. Make a motion. Motion second. Okay. And I beforehand I'd like to comment on that property I went by the other day and it really does need a new architect.
So I'm glad to see that. Excellent. In favor. Okay. Um, all those in favor? I. Motion passes. All right. Perfect. And that's it for continuences.
Okay. Great. So, I'd like to call our first application DRB 241077 6625 Brevity Lane and 6626 Sheffield Lane. This application is requesting design review approval for the new construction of a two-story residence including one
or more waiverss to be developed on a vacant lot. The site is located in the RS3 zoning district and the unit size proposed is 11,33 square ft which is 43% where 50% is the maximum allowed.
The applicant is proposing to construct a new two-story residence on a true lot located on Lagor's Island with frontages on Brevity Lane and Sheffield Lane. The applicant is requesting a design waiver for height. The proposed resident is
comprised of two buildings and is designing the neocclassical style of architecture. The application includes a request for a design waiver pertaining to the height of the residence. The maximum building height for the slope roof in the Restoning District as
measured from midpoint of a slope is 27 ft. However, the DRB may approve a waiver for an additional 3 ft of height. The applicant is seeking the additional 3 ft in order to construct the main home at a height of 30 ft. The subject site
contains a lot area of 26,250 ft which is 160% above the minimum lot area required for the RS3 lots and it is more similar to lots in the RS2 zoning district where the maximum allowed building height is 31 ft to the midpoint
of the slope roof. The subject property meets these larger lot area thresholds and is under the maximum allowed zoning for both load coverage and unit size. Staff is supportive of design uh with the requested design waiver for height and recommends approval of the
application. And with this I leave the applicant. Great. Uh thank you madam chair. Michael Larkin 200 South Boulevard here representing the applicant. Um Lloyd is the applicant. his flight home to Miami was canceled last night, so he couldn't make
it today. He apologizes in advance, but asked us to go forward anyways uh because he's urgent to go ahead and get the approval and keep on moving. Um I'm also here with Zeb D. Rose. I've worked with Zeb for over 20 years. It's been a blessing to work with Zeb. He his style,
his signature style is neocclassical architecture, which makes it a refreshing style for you all to consider. And last but not least, my colleague Michael Yiannopoulos. Uh, pull up the presentation.
Uh, next slide. Next slide. So, the property is on the western side of Loris Island. It's a double lot between Brevity Lane and Sheffield Lane. So, it has double fronted. It's an anomaly based upon its size. It's 26,000 square
ft, which is enormous for Miami Beach standards. Uh, next slide. The property is in a single family zoning district. So of course it's surrounded by single family homes. No surprise there. Next slide. So in the RS3 district, the maximum
permitted height as a general rule is 27 ft. But the city commission recognized that there are certain properties that are zoned RS3 that are more similar in their characteristics and their size to RS2. So the minimum lot size for RS2 is
18,000 ft². So the city commission basically did a compromise and said, "Okay, if you're zoned RS3, but your minimum lot size is 18,000, you can go to the DRB and request a height waiver cuz clearly when you're getting to be that large, you have the additional size to accommodate some additional height."
So that's why the city commission empowered you a few years ago to grant this waiver request to go from 27 to a maximum of 30 ft. Next slide. So the waterfront lots in Loris Island are all zoned RS2. The minimum lot size
there is 18,000. All the interior lots are zoned uh RS3 where the minimum is 10,000 ft². Next slide. So again, the property size here is over 26,000 ft². And the city commission has empowered you all to grant this height
waiver. Next slide. At 10,000 ft, it's small in RS3, but that's what it is. And at 26,000, we're much larger than that. We're two and a half times really the minimum lot size for RS3. Our proposed height of 30 ft is a modest 3-foot increase over the 27 ft in height and
below the 31 ft maximum allowed in RS2, which are the waterfront lots. The subject property is actually 8,000 ft larger than the minimum lot size in the RS2 zone. Next slide. We looked at the built environment of Loris Island. We calculated the average lot size. So in the waterfront lots, the average lot
size is 25,000 square feet. the average lot size of the interior lots of 13,000 and change at 26,000. We even exceed the average lot size of the waterfront lots. So clearly we fit this exception that the city commission has empowered you all to consider uh these height waiver
requests for RS3 lots that are substantially larger than the typical RS3 lot. I now like to invite Zeb JRos up and he's going to walk you through his uh beautiful design for this home. Thank you. Good morning. Zeb JROS. I represent my
firm, Juros Architects. Um, we're commissioned by Mr. Oliver Lloyd to design the house, design also the interiors and also do the construction. So uh it's a it's a package and I am proud of this work and I very much in
lengthy conversation with the client we were looking at the different options of the different styles and uh we decided uh with my recommendations to go with the monocclassical style. Lagor is unique in that respect
that majority of Miami Beach you see a Mediterranean revival, you see uh streamline modern, you see art deco of course modern but Lagor has a certain touch of reminiscent of Regency style architecture more more classical
architecture. Therefore I perceive that this house um has certain intellectual connection to to the island in the design style. Um on the other hand the interiors are quite contemporary. So it's a my design philos philosophy as
well that are creating something that is lasting as far as uh connection to history and precedence and scale uh and um more contemporary interiors. Nevertheless,
uh the design of the house, the lot is complicated in itself because right in the middle because those were originally two lots, there is a 10-ft easement. So, we are limited also how much I could really push the house away from the front to diminish the scale of the
house. Oh, we have succeeded. The house is right now the the garages are at the minimum setback which is 20. But the main structure, the two-story structure is 55 ft away. On the other hand, uh the structure that it faces the brevity,
which is a pool house, casita, whichever way you would call it, is only one story. So it doesn't create any impact on uh on the neighborhood. If you look at my original rendering of the front, if you could go back for a second, um
you can see that the actually the portion of the roof that the height of the tie beam of the of the cornice or freeze whatever you would call is only at 25 ft, which is more than acceptable. If I would I would be allowed under the present zoning to go with the flat roof.
The section of the roof visually that is projecting and by the way the rendering is taken like you are standing at the gate looking from the street is relatively minuscule. If I were to have to lower that roof and lower the house my roof will completely disappear which
I think that would that would be detrimental to the to the aesthetics. Um I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Do you want to take us through some of the absolutely uh right the the C if you
go right this is another shot of the front as you can see the one-story garage the rear facade is I think a little bit more uh contemporary you see the expanses of glass are much it's more more casual more more relaxed but still retaining certain elements of classical
architecture and then keep going reciprocal of it you have the one-story structure at the faces the brevity almost a book end of of with the same uh the same language. Um
can we keep going? Okay, this is from uh brevity lane very simple um structure soften also by elements of planters and let's land landscaping. Um we've done quite a few projects on uh
lagors. This is the best. Again, I'll be happy to answer any questions. Okay. Does that conclude your presentation? Um, anything else? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um, is there any other members of the public wishing to
speak? Is there anyone online? Anybody online? Please raise your hand. Yes, we do have uh Ryan's iPhone BCV 2. Hi, Ryan. Can you hear us?
Yeah. Uh, I need to swear you in really quickly before you proceed, please. Sure. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony that you will be giving this proceeding is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. All right. Thank you. You may proceed. You have two minutes.
Uh, my name is Ryan Shinman. I live directly across the street. Uh, I'm 41 Lor. So, the back of my property faces directly into Mr. Lloyd's. And uh I just wanted to say how much I am in favor of
the design, the architecture, and everything that they're trying to do. I think it's going to be an unbelievable addition to what was a falling down uh unlived in house for for probably almost a decade. And I would I I'm also on the
board of Lagor Island. I'm not speaking on behalf of the board just as a resident, but I can tell you how excited that not only myself and the family at 41 Lorce, but the other neighbors are excited for Mr. Lloyd and his family to be joining us uh and and having this
wonderful architecture and this wonderful property be built over the next few years. So, I'm I'm fine and in favor with this variance that they're asking for. Thank you very much for calling in and
sharing your opinion. Anybody else? We have no other members with their hands raised. Okay, great. I'm now closing the public portion and opening it up to the board to make any comment. Anyone start? Um, short, sweet, and to the point. Um,
I I think you've really truly captured the neighborhood like no other. I mean, this is so exciting to see beautiful architecture. Thank you. That so respects the where it's going and it it looks like it will look like it has always been there. So, I am fully supportive of it. And the roof is
exactly what you said. In fact, you would expect a bigger pitch on that roof, but it looks you did you did a beautiful job. Thank you. Anyone else? Yeah, I mean, I'll say the same. Um, beautiful design and um, I appreciate
the the pool house and how that faces me. I'm blushing. Yeah. So, I'm I'm in favor as well. I think that this is a a needed waiver. Um, and you meet the criteria. So, and yep.
Thank you. Okay. Good. All say it's a timeless design that looks beautiful. I thank I have no Yeah. Nothing to say about it. Okay. Yeah, I I agree. I'm glad that you brought up um the context because I I was thinking a lot about how there's a
certain sensibility on this island that you don't really have is I mean I feel like you used to have it a lot in North Bay Road and it's been replaced. So, I do I agree. I think that this is really beautiful. Um I I I don't like height waiverss and so I had a little bit of
concern with that but honestly the neighbor calling in and saying that the whole all everyone is really excited about this project and it's not something that you know is is getting in the way or has come up. I think that it you know it looks like with the design it'll be absorbed into the property and
into the environment. Um how does it work with easements? Is it just the city if they need to they're allowed to go onto the property or they're they're usually for utilities. I think in this case it's for electricity an electrical easement for um most of the electrical lines used to
run through the back yards. I guess now they're probably being moved underground in in most of these situations. Um yeah, so FPL FPL has the ability to go in there and and maintain their easement and and do any electrical work. I'll be happy to answer as well. That
area is strictly landscaped. We may have some removable uh stepping stones or something to that defect, but it is uh we'll we'll be signing all the necessary documents of uh but it's like a no man's land. You can't put any permanent structure within the
easement. It's like right. Um and then I I was this property. It wasn't I guess laotted into one property like it still has two addresses. don't usually there there are two addresses. I believe the main address used to be Sheffield
Lane and the applicant is uh moving the main address to Brevity Lane. Um but they have the ability to do that. Okay. Um the only and like I said, I think it's beautiful. The only thought I had um is I was wondering and I I I I
very much like the style and um in the the the pool or not the pool. Yeah, I guess the pool house. Um the smaller building that's facing um is it Sheffield. Sheffield. No, Gravity. Gravity. Gravity.
You have this sort of cascading greenery and I was thinking that I I feel I was wondering why you added that. Um I'm trying to get a picture of it in front of me. Um only because I personally think it sort of takes away from the design. Um, like I think that
if that wasn't there, I I I just don't think it's necessary. I I fully agree to the contrary. We were trying to introduce it to maybe even soften the impact, but I agree. I I think that that's an unnecessary expense and maintenance and uh potential water
leak. Yeah, I I agree. And I think because there's so many Well, maybe I think it's the other one the other that side too, but replacing the main house having that maybe a little bit of a planter softening that I think. on the street side. No. Yeah, I don't think you need on the
street side cuz you have so many volumes. Yeah, that would be the that would that was my only recommendation that we're trying to guess the the neighbors, but I guess we we can remove that. No, I think I think too if you you know, you have all the planters and you know, the roof line is so pretty and with the
cornises and so I think that um it also I think it takes away from the style. Um, I feel like that sort of hanging planter you see on much more contemporary designs. So, yeah, but other than that, I think it was lovely and I think it's gonna be a good addition to the new
Thank you so much. Um, any other comments or does anybody want to make a motion? I'll make a motion. I actually one more comment. We didn't even get to the to the finishes and the textures and the materials are I see them. No, they're
stunning. They're they're so they're so on point for everything, the railings, all of it. Very very simple. I call it like Italian operator vulture. It's it's really lovely. Okay, I'll make a motion to approve the height waiver.
I'll second that. Um, did you want to include a recommendation on the removal of the of the Yeah. of the the the hanging greens? I don't call that or the planter. Friendly amendment. a friendly amendment. Yeah. Though I mean it seems like I'm fine with that. I'm fine with
it. I fully concur. I'm fine with that. Yeah. Okay. Remove green. Oh, but I guess we were making to include it in the motion. So, we're making a motion on the hyperarians first. So, that's it's it's not a this is a waiver. So, you can Oh, we can do it all at once.
You can do it all together. Okay. So, do you want to rephrase that? Okay. So, I would like to rephrase that and say I approve the waiver for the height variance. So I make a motion to approve that and would ask that you remove the planter on the street facing side.
Absolutely. It will be my pleasure. Okay. Okay. Um all those and so we have a motion by Mr. Defender, second by Miss Leuen. All those in favor? I I motion passes. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Okay.
Okay. Next we have DRB25 1095 6 and 7 Ferry Lane. This application have been filed requesting design review approval for the construction of a new three-story residence on two lots to replace an existing single family home including a
connection through an air rights easement above a portion of a ride ofway ed adjacent to ferry lane. The application also includes a request for variances from the required from yard setbacks for six ferry lane and seven ferry lane and one or more waivers.
Okay. So, this is uh an application um as Alejandro stated, it's for two lots. The lots are separated by by an alleyway and the city commission recently granted an air rights easement allowing them to connect um the two sides of the road uh
via by a bridge that basically extends the home over the ride ofway. Um so, as a result, they are requesting two variances in order to allow for that. Two setback variances. One is a setback of the front yard and one is a setback of a side facing a street and that's to allow for that structure to encroach
into the setback um and then span the ride ofway um so that the two sides of this block can be unified into one. So it is it is two lots. They don't need a they don't need a variance for for unifying the lot or anything like that. Um at the ground level the ride ofway
will still uh exist. Um it basically there it's not a through street but um cars in the city will have access to that area at the ground level. The um the home is in a contemporary style. Um there um
um the ground level will consist of two parking areas on the ground floors um and then a a pool deck facing the the waterfront. Um the upper levels will be where the main part of the home is and it will span the the ride ofway. It is a three-story uh structure. Um the
applicant um um has uh proposed it's very nice design. However, there are some concerns that staff has regarding the materials. Um the plans show indicate the types of materials that they will be using. However, the plans are not clear as to where those materials will be located.
Um, so staff does recommend um some conditions to ensure uh that the visual quality of the home is consistent with what's being represented in the renderings. Um, and so we want items that are to be clarified and they can do this uh subject to the review and approval of staff as part of the
building permit process. And so that includes the painted stucco finish color and location, exterial tile cladding, large format color and location, aluminum mullions and columns covers color and location. uh the the details of the impact glass railing handrail
finish. Um the uh window horizontal louver materials and color uh the exterior ceiling projecting sidewalls materials and color. The dark gray walls, columns and planters materials and color. So we want those details uh to be elaborated on as part of the building permit process. Um the home
incorporates changes in planes, draping plants, voided spaces which soften the structure um and include and then provide some dynamic movement in the structure. So, it's an interesting uh home. Um, regarding the two variances, um, the this does present a hardship and a
practical difficulty given that the city commission did grant them the the the air rights um to use over the ride of way. So, they they they have no choice but to seek these variances. Um, and staff is supportive of the granting of the variances. Uh, staff is supportive of the design subject to the conditions
that the that the materials be refined further. Um and staff recommends that the application be approved subject to the conditions in the hatch in the attached order. Good morning. Joseph Partardo, Partardo Law, PLLC, 1205 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. I want to start by saying we are in full
support of the recommendations of staff, including the clarifications and conditions on the application. Uh and and we would welcome those as part of any board approval. I'd like to introduce our team. We have our principal designer, James McDonald, architect of record, Andre Hullman, and also Mr. Collie, our landscape
architect. The owner comes to you with uh the unanimous support of the city commission. We passed on two readings, the air easement. We come with a cosign of the city administration, the city manager on our application, the support of almost 80% of Fairy Lane unit owners.
And at this time, I want to introduce a second letter of support from our immediate nextdoor neighbor, um, Steve Rhodess, who has indicated his full support for this application. Thank you. The owner purchased two the two parcels with the intent to uh acquire an airride
easement from the city of Miami Beach over the public right ofway that ends at the end of Ferry Lane. Uh there's an FPL vault right at the end of the block there. So we approached the city to inquire what that process would look like. They obtained an appraisal. uh we
went to the finance department, the FK committee, and uh we were able to negotiate with the city a premium of 50% above the fair market value of those air rights uh as part of our application. That recommendation went to the city commission where we passed unanimously
uh twice. We we've coordinated with BEAR, the Bell Residents Association, and the public benefit that we're giving to the city of Miami Beach. Uh in part is going to go to a dog park on Bell Ale, and the other portion of the funds we anticipate will go to improving Ferry
Lane. Um we're not seeking any increase in F. We're not seeking any increase in hydro density. Uh even though this is a multif family zone district, it's a single family home. And uh at this point, I want to turn it over to Mr. McDonald to walk you through the property, the
design, and inquire any questions you have. Thank you, Joe. It's an honor to be here today. Thank you for having me. Um we're about to present a very unique home uh for the neighborhood and it has its challenges with having the two separate lots and then bridging over and trying
to make that feel cohesive and feeling like a residential single family house. Um to our right is going to be the development of the st uh the standard hotel. So they're building up next to us. And then Steve Roads to the left of
our cover page here, 8 fairy lane. They were also building up. As Joe mentioned, we're located on a deadend road between the two lots with an FPL transformer vault located on the standard side of the road. um that
dictated the height of the bridge in which we wanted to cross between the two properties. We needed to allow ample height for FPL trucks to get under, maneuver, operate, uh which is a total height of 17 ft clear from the road. So,
if we flip to uh the fourth page, I have a different presentation here. Let me find it. Okay. So, you can see here uh Casabel is what we're calling it. Seven and six Fairy Lane. To the right, as I mentioned, is the standard hotel and the
development that they're doing. And to the left, Steve Roads they're building up uh to the allowable height, which is 55 ft, which is 5T freeboard and 55 ft or 50 feet of height. My apologies.
Let's get through the neighborhood here. At the ground floor here, you could see six very lane to the left and seven to the right, which is on the water with a dead end uh lane in between. On the left hand side, we're going to have a garage
and service elevator and stairs. And to the right is an open air uh covered parking which takes you up to the understory um and into the foyer of the house where we'll have another lift and stairs going up into the main portion of the house
with a pool and jacuzzi along the water's edge. Excuse me a second. This is the presentation. Is that also what you gave us? I'm trying to follow up. It's not. I apologize. No, this is the submitt we made to the city. We'll walk through this here. Watch walk through this one.
Either one. But anything any sort of hard copy that you have to walk through it also needs to be available. Ah, you know I I could put it up on the screen. Yeah. Like there's no way to unless you have this in a digital we do. It's this reorganized but we can
plug it in if that's necessary. What whatever I don't know what whatever conveys the information in a way that's accessible to anybody. Please do not plug anything into the laptop. Okay. Was the submit? Was the presentation submitted via email?
I don't believe it was submitted. It was just finished yesterday afternoon. Yeah, we wouldn't be able to uh fine with the one on the screen if that's okay. And so which one is this on the screen? So again, we these are our architecture plan submissions. Okay, let me
I made a 54 page document that you guys submitted. Okay, just just so we can follow along. Not a problem. Thank you. Okay. So again at the ground floor we have uh on the left hand side six ferry lane the uh garage with service elevator and
stairs. On the right we have open air covered parking and the understory of the house which takes you into the foyer uh with a pool and jacuzzi uh on the water side. Second floor is a living level with kitchen uh bedrooms, laundry
room. Second floor is the um media space, movie theater overlooking the living room below and additional guest bedrooms. And then the next level up is the
primary suite, rooftop uh terrace and spa. And then the uppermost level is just a roof deck with a small jacuzzi. Everything being proposed is within the allowable height. uh no additional F. Um here's a diagram on the screen that
represents uh the portion of the house that is over the right of way which is in the center here and then off to the right we show a portion of the house that exceeds the uh ground floor setback of 20 ft um out towards the road to connect to that bridge. And then on the
left hand side, six fairy lane, we show the portion of house that overlaps that sideyard setback up above. And in plan form, um, we're highlighting the portion of the house over the lane below, as well as the portion of the
house that overhangs from set back to, uh, air rights and purchased air. Uh, color palette. The only thing missing here on this screen is is the wood louvers, which I'll show you in the renderings. So, we're trying to maintain a simple palette of the white stucco um
black uh mullions um uh a nice natural stone um and then uh the wood louvers which you'll see here from water perspective. This is looking out um uh towards the house from the water. Uh
again, we're below the allowable height requirement by just a few feet. From a a street level perspective, pulling up to the house, uh this is what you'll you'll see approaching the house here with the understory uh the bedrooms up above that
bridge between the two properties. And then these wood louvers and details um to give privacy to some of the circulation that we have anywhere we have stairs. We tried uh allowing glass for light to come into the home and then uh providing those wood louvers for
privacy and shade. Some working drawings. Flip to the renderings. That'll give you a good sense. So here's a a rendering elevation of the house from the street side. Again on the left hand side is six
Ferry Lane, then the bridge above and then seven Ferry Lane. This is if you're at the standard hotel looking directly east at the side. We're trying to introduce planters along uh these elevations to allow for privacy and also
just to give the house a lighter feel. Uh this is kind of a aerial perspective again from the standard side looking um southeast. And then this is aerial perspective uh looking southwest. Again, these louvers
are providing privacy for the circulation of the home. Then anywhere we have exposed uh glass, we're trying to provide planters in front for um just a lighter feel. That concludes this PDF package. Just trying to catch up and make sure
that you're okay. The package you have in front of you may also reflect some of the landscape architecture elements that were included in Mr. Collie's landscape plans. Oh, okay. Yeah, I noticed that there was a lot of that. Um, can I just the the packet that was submitted, is that consistent with with
the the application? It's just rearranged in a new order. Okay. Okay. Um, is there Well, I guess the I guess if we have questions about the landscape, you're available. It's not like there's a pre part of the presentation or we don't need that right
now. Okay. Um, okay. Does that conclude the overview? Thank you very much. Um, are there any members of the public wishing to speak? Anyone here? Anyone online? Please raise your hand if you'd like to speak online. Somebody in the chamber, please come
forward. State your name. Have you been sworn in? No. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony that you'll be giving us proceeding is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Yes. All right. Thank you. You have two minutes. Thank you. Yes. My name is Rabbi Shu
Man. I'm the rabbi at the synagogue right at the end of the block, 14 Ferry Lane. And um I think it's a beautiful project. It will really enhance the street. It will enhance the neighborhood and um me and my congregation think it's
a an amazing project and thank you all for your help. Thank you very much. Is anybody online? We have no we have no hands raised online. Okay, no one else here. Okay, great. I'm now um concluding the public portion of the presentation, opening it up to the
board. Um I know Gabe already had a question and I have the same question too about the air rights. What was your Well, just what what was your question in particular or Well, my my thing is all right. Um my my concern is
if if the if the commission approves this, right, and kicks it off to us to to make the decision? Why didn't they just approve it to begin with? No, I think they did approve the air. The air rights have been sold. The air rights have not been sold. There is an agreement in principle with the
city commission and we have attached to the resolution the air rights easement the form of the easement which has conditions. One of those conditions is that we obtain DRB approval and the city in order to express its support for the application
approved on the resolution the economic terms of the airsides easement purchase and the city manager has co-signed our application to indicate that it's consistent with the city comprehensive plan and that the easement if it was approved by the DRB would otherwise be
legally accessible and and appropriate. So from a design perspective, this is your show. But from a legal, economic uh and business perspective, the commission and the city manager are in in agreement of the proposal. So it's a and then we're supposed to
decide to agree to sell you the air rights or on the design. Only the design, but I want to reassure this board that the air rights easement side of the equation has already been taken care of. It's been taken care of, but it it hasn't. No, no money has traded hands. Nothing.
But I mean, have you they have has the city given them the air rates? No. No, it's still it's dependent upon our approving the design. That's correct. I see. I see. And so with the easements, not the easements, the um the the variances with the encroachment.
So if we say that we don't want to have that you can't the the waiver or whatever it is the the v you can encroach upon that that the whole thing would fall apart. If I may, the variance that we're seeking is not with respect to the air rights easement.
It's that, if I'm correct me if I'm mistaken, the columns that are necessary to support the easement encroach on the setback, right? If we believe that it's not appropriate to have it encroached on the setbacks, then it wouldn't go through. It wouldn't go through. They would
likely I mean they could appeal but yes I'm just trying to understand what we're here to do and what the repercussions are or aren't or because this is an interesting new territory I think for all of us. Um okay did that answer is that any
other any more questions that we have? Is there anything else that you wanted to add about this sort of interesting air rights? We we've had a few in the past. There was um where the Trader Joe's is they have an air rights ease meant to span over an alley. Um we had a project
I it never got it hasn't been built yet um on Alton Road where u Epicure used to be. It's an office building um I believe it was a Norman Foster design. Um they have an air rights easement and so so we have had a few situations um for these types of easements. I haven't seen it in
a residential district before. This is the first time I see it with a residential district and that where we're going to have um actual habitable space over the easement. Usually in the case of the Trader Joe's, it's just parking deck going over the easement. So this is the first time I I see interior
air conditioned space. Um so it it's it's an interesting uh concept. Um but so but there's but there is a precedent for doing this type of a of a of an easement. Interesting. And if I may, the uh habitable space that's inside of the air right easement even with that we're
within the F limit density limit. So we're not seeking it and we're not seeking to take advantage of the zoning code because of the air sement. Right. So basically even with that additional square footage that you're adding over the road, the public road, it's still within the size.
Okay. Yes, that's correct. Right. So it So if you had just built two separate houses, they could have been even bigger or taller or whatever. That's exactly right. Right. Okay. It's just distributing it. Okay. Okay. I'm sure it'll come. Thank you.
It's complicated. Um Okay. Any other specific questions or who would like to begin the discussion about the design? I have a question. Um so did you say it was single family use? Was that single? the the zoning in the area is multif family which is a separate
conversation but this is a single family home sixbedroom house single family because I saw maybe this was just a rendering I saw like a sign on like page 50 um there's like a little ad like a Cababella sign which made me
question that it was going to be single family that was just the name of the house there's okay you're just naming the house okay and I mean you know this may just be a product of the the circumstances of the having to have this catwalk. That was an attempt to make it feel more
like you're approaching the front of a house rather than driving under the side of a house. Okay. Um Okay, that was that was my only question right now. Um if somebody else has a comment, um feel free.
Why didn't Why didn't you try to just get the street itself? Is it because of the pole? No, there's an FPL vault at the end of the block. So, and that's the reason you didn't take the street. Correct. Right. Okay. Um, let me ask you, what about the precedent of these air rights, though? There are
other issues in residential. This is a residential area. It's not a it's not a commercial alley. It's a street. What are the implications if the neighbor next door wants to do it and the neighbor on Century Lane wants to do it? Um, so these are these are case by case basis. I don't think it sets a
precedent. um in in any way, shape, or form. This is a unique case where you have a dead end uh up against the backside of a of a of a large uh hotel structure, the the the standard hotel building. So, it is it is a unique case where where you have this deadend street that backs into the backside of a of a
essentially a commercial building. Um so, I don't I don't think it sets a precedent that the other properties on on on Bell Ale can can do the same thing. I think this is a unique circumstance that the city commission thought was acceptable. Although I mean right on the other side, you know, if
you head east that the street dead ends in the same way with two properties. I think I guess that's Yeah, that's my question. And also I'm thinking there are there are other areas in the city where you have residential areas that have a dead end like along North Bay Road, you know. I mean I do think that that's a
real concern of are we now going to start seeing encroach you know applications where suddenly these public spaces and the public access you know gets oluded and privatized I mean I personally think that's a big concern you know as a resident of the city I can
understand if the commercial structure with the you know a parking lot that makes sense to me because it's still fairly public um but yeah I I I have the same sort Also, because I I went yesterday because I had to see how this was going to fit.
And um I mean it it is really tight. You need that little street there, not just for the access for FPNL, but also coming down the street and then turning around. There's It's so small. There's no way to do it. How many How many square feet is the
total house? Because I can see that on the believe it's 11,000. No AC it was 8,800 I believe you know so we're looking at a market value of 35 million maybe um I'm just curious because the city got 800,000 for it um
and I know the Bellau residents association I didn't I heard none of this I live in the neighborhood and I knew none of this was going on um was a donation made to the Habad house for support no let me address that directly the Bellal residents association and and I
uh got together and discussed at the encouragement of Commissioner Dominguez. Uh no money has traded hands. No donations to the Kabad House have been given and no monies have been given to anybody yet. Um if and when the easement is approved, a public benefit will be given to the city of Miami Beach and no
other entity, only to the city of Miami Beach. Uh, Commissioner Dominguez at the commission hearing that approved this suggested that $300,000 of the public benefit ought to be set aside for uh the new uh dog park on Bell Ale. And the
remaining fund she encouraged ought to be used for the improvement of Ferry Lane. Um, none of that of course has been decided. All that is still subject to staff approval and and the like. I So, we're a short thing today. I just have to be honest with you. I would
suggest um uh continuing this only because I can't in my good conscience without speaking to the commission. I mean, I'm pretty shocked that they gave this for this price, for this precedent, for this property. If I can walk you through the process, we engaged almost a year and a half ago
an appraisal. There was a planning analysis done. CBRE came back with an appraisal. We went to the finance committee. It was publicly noticed. for paying a 50% premium above the fair market value of those air rights. That recommendation went and passed unanimously twice at the
I I understand. I I don't think that necessarily air rights and market value of real estate and the the money that your client's going to receive if this is approved that it's a wind it's a huge windfall that would not be there. And I again not my job. I'm just saying I can
in good conscious approve the variances to get this project going forward and we don't have any. If I can understand your specific concern with respect to the variance that's requested, I'm not sure that I see the connection between the the variance and the No, I think he's just trying to sort of
do this due diligence. This is what we're here for because in general we have it we have the same situations in let's face it on the other side of Fairy Lane, you have the same situation and on the other side of Sentry Lane, you have the same situation. And we had people there that tried to put three lots together and staff was
supportive, which was shocking to some of us. And then their forever home is now on the market for $15 million. So I know the price. I know the cost. I know the market value of real estate of built real estate. It's gigantic on the waterfront. And connecting those two
lots to none of yours. You guys did everything what you should have done. I'm just saying I it's that we're in this situation and I heard nothing about this and I'm on the design review board and I'm in the neighborhood and was pretty active. I don't know what kind of outreach
the commission did or the fellow residents association, but I didn't know any of this and I think it's a bad precedent, but I also think the city completely undersold itself for something like this. That's and and so I'm not saying maybe I don't even have the right to do it, but I can say that I
I wouldn't vote for a variance in this meeting and there's only five of us here, right? So rather than say I'm not going to like deny it, I'm saying I think it's a good idea to get continuence because I can't in my good conscience knowing what I know vote on the
variances. I'm just being honest with you. I don't hate the design you guys. I'm not saying anything negative about what you're putting forward. you did what you paid to do and I understand and I appreciate it and I don't think there's anything below board there, but
I just am telling you that I couldn't vote for a variance on something like this right now. Yeah. No, I think um yeah, he just wants some more information that's beyond the scope of right here, right now being provided. I would also say too, and I know you didn't discuss this in your
presentation, on the one hand, as I mentioned before, you know, I am concerned about a president and and selling, you know, public air rights, all of that sort of thing, but also on the other hand, I could see as I was looking at your design and and just
really sort of studying it and asking myself, you know, what are the what are the ideas behind this and and all that, I do see that. And if you want to bring up I guess it's the on your on on all the materials you provided us you didn't designate like north south east west. So
but it is I think it's A7 um which is just the street view of a rendering of the street view. Um you know it's very obvious to me and I think that we've come across again and again
how diff is it? Oh no it's this one. It's um it's 50 page 50 on the architectural plans that yes so you know we've seen now a quite a number of presentations or applications for uh projects on these
two on ferry lane and on sentry lane and the conditions of the zoning do present it be we've seen lots of structures that are very awkward and one of the things that that for me and you can correct this as I was looking at this design I was thinking you know he's really doing
a good job. A lot of the critique has been massiveness and the seems like here these are tiny these are small lots there's no sidewalk it's very tight and so everything seems so massive and so one of the things that I recognized is this design does allow you it seemed to
me like you're working with three very different volumes in a way that would help break up that massive is that something was that intentional that's absolutely correct yeah I mean we have the right to build you know all the way up on this uh elevation we're looking at that whole top floor could be
AC space if we wish. But instead, I'm trying to play with the massing and have it feel like smaller structures with that bridge in between and then uh this seven fairy lane house almost like two separate structures with that appendage in between um for that purpose to to make it feel
less massive. Well, and that that which I think is a good you know again that's responsive to a lot of the stuff that's come up in the conversations that we've had with other applications. So on the one hand, the only way you're able to do that is to get the air rights and to have that. So
I'm personally I'm I'm a little bit conflicted about, you know, where, you know, to Scott points, but like I I'm not quite sure. I'm curious to see, you know, what the other board members would say. Um I have some other comments about the design. Um I don't know if we should
go there or if there's anything that anybody else has to add about the air right situation or just continue. Oh yeah. I just want to ask you said the square footage was 11 thou. I'm seeing total AC
volume of 1222 on A22. Is that correct or is that an earlier version? Sorry, where are you reading that? So on on the page A-2.2, it's saying volume above air rights is
18,69. Sorry, that's cubic feet. Cubic feet, right? Yeah. Yeah. But then it says AC total volume 12,222 ft. Cubic feet. That's cubic feet. of cubic feet. Yeah. If you refer to the um the bottom
left corner of that page. So that's what you're counting. That's how they This is on the air right appraising those air rights. How much volume of that air we were occupying. Okay. So the house itself though the AC
area of of living area is 11. No, the uh grand total the bottom left corner of that page. Oh, okay. 8,000. Okay. 8,696 and we we were allowed to get 36,000
cubic feet on the air rights and we are building only 12,000 and change right okay on the air rights. So the air rights basically go from the minimum height above the street to the maximum height of what's allowed
there. Correct. Correct. Okay. And again, that's all in an effort to keep the house feeling more in scale with the neighborhood. Mhm. No, you did you did a good job with that. Um,
any other Eric? Yeah. Listen, I don't my problem here is the bridge and the air rights. And that's where I I have I'm conflicted as well because I don't mind it in a commercial area, but when you bring it into a
residential area, it just, you know, and we've denied it for one. And so I think, you know, the best bet here is really to to to take what Mr. different values is suggesting
and come back and I I would love to understand from the board precisely what it is that you want us to come back to you with from either an economic dollar sense perspective because it it wasn't clear to me. It's not for you from me. So what I'm saying is I'm not willing to vote on
this. Yes. And you need five people to get a variance and that's what I'm saying. I'm trying not to tank your project at all if there are other people and I need to I need to speak again. And I have to go back. I know this is a done deal as far as the process you went through with the
air rights, but as a resident, I'm very concerned about I'm very concerned about the precedent it sets in the city. And I didn't hear I haven't spoken to a commissioner about it and nobody ever approached me about it. So, I'm not Please don't take this as a personal
assault to you. And I actually think the design is very nice. I really do. And you know, I just let me just give you some of my concerns. Airight's the president. That's the biggest concern I have. And it's not just for Bellis, it's for everywhere in the city. I truly
don't have a problem with commercial districts over alleys. That's a different thing. This is not an alley, it's a street. The other thing is, quite honestly, at this price for air rights, and I know you got valuation, you're getting a de facto carport in addition
to what you have. And I know it's, you know, technically not a thing, but if your next door neighbor who probably wants to do the same thing to his house, um, if he didn't like your project and called code enforcement every day when you parked your cars sticking out into
that little street that's basically under your house and for all intents purposes should be a carport for you. And that's why I didn't ask, you know, but you have the the FPL thing. I appreciate that sincerely and and it's important for me to understand just so I know where you're coming from. I I want to just let you know we have the support
of both five and eight. Mr. Steve Rhodess on eight. No, I know you do. I I have no doubt this whole neighborhood has turned into build as big as you can and get as much money. And I'm going to hold out until I do, too. I It's not the whole and in in the zoning. It still pisses me off that
no one's ever done anything to address these these ridiculous lots. um this is this is a problem that our planning department never took any of this seriously and just let left a loophole for things like this that we always have to deal with. And so um I just need to
understand more and and you may get my vote, you may not, but I want you to have the real opportunity because I do not think it's a bad project and I don't fault you for any of it. But I want to understand more what the commission was thinking and I want to speak to them. I just do. No, I appreciate that clarification.
Thank you. For sure. Thank you, Scott. Yeah. No, I I think that that's it is this is something new and something that I think we haven't really been I No, I don't know if we ever dealt with air rights before. Any anyway, this is new territory for us and
I I think many of us are sympathetic to Scott's concerns. Um I also I did want to ask I did have some points about the design um to mention and I'm glad that you clarified. I was wondering why that understory was so tall because it does
seem a little bit out of proportion with things. So that is understandable clarification. I find it interesting and I don't know maybe it was it's on the updated materials but it wasn't on the original materials that you submitted. I do find it interesting. One of the issues that I had with the
design is that one side doesn't seem to is so radically different than the other. Um the east versus the west elevation. Um, and I find that I can see why in the East Elevation, um, why you have the screening there for privacy. I
find it interesting because I do know that, you know, the standard is building a hotel room right there. Why although those windows are so much closer to their new tower, why you didn't put any screening there? Yes. So, to clarify, their floors are
slightly offset from ours. So with then having the the guest experience or um a family experience living in those rooms, we wanted to allow in as much natural light as possible and allow screening of of the planting to be more of that
privacy connection. The balconies are not deep, but um with the right glass on there, I think during the day um they'll have total privacy in those rooms. Um and at night, you know, uh curtains. Curtains.
Okay. Um, and then what about that that comment of the relationship between the two different sides? I mean, I I also feel like the East elevation is is very busy. You know, you've got a you've got a lot going on. Um,
and then yeah, I mean overall my impression is that there's just there's just a lot of design choices that have been made that I don't I don't really know, you know, like I'm looking at the balconies on the rear and that, you know, they're all everything is very regular, but then the balconies facing
the bay are, you know, sort of in these irregular shapes. Um, which again like doesn't really respond to anything else in the design. Um, one of the thing that stands out, the roof elements, I mean it could be the renderings, but the roof elements really stand out in particular
this very tall looking elevator framing. Um, and even I wonder too if the screening around the air conditioning units if that was maybe white as opposed to the the wood color. Again, you know, these aren't necessarily things that I
want to be noticing, highlighting. Um, so you know, and then there's not a lot of information, although you supplied a lot of information. There's like we don't really know what this building is going to look like for the south facing side. Do you have an elevation or or do you
have a rendering of the south facing side which because there are so many low buildings, you know, singlestory homes there right now is going to be seen. Let me see what page this one is on. A7.2.
Um, it's the only elevation we have of that southern side. A7. You said it's A72, which is more middle of the decks. Oh, I see. See. And then there's another
irregular balcony on that side. Is this the only run? Like do you have you don't have a rather than a bird's eye view a lower view of it like what it would look like from the street? Yeah, we have a technical one but not not that kind of not
even a technical one would be helpful. I'm just trying to get a sense of of what that side looks like. Right here. Apologize. somewhat light, but this is the south elevation. Oh, yeah. It's a little hard to see.
That's a 3.9. Okay. So then, okay. Okay. And that's this. I see. Yeah. I mean, that's the And and you
know, I had a question, too, about the roof elements and all of the roof activations. It seems like there's a full kitchen up there. No, that's just the grill area on the the uppermost roof. That's a grill um for dining and a small jacuzzi.
And there's no shade structures or anything. Not fixed. No, we're trying to keep the height of the physical structure as low as we can. As low as possible. And that's why you decide though, but you still wanted to activate the roof. Yes.
And it's within the allowable percentage of square footage from the floor below, right? Are there um zoning requirements of what? Like and they can put a permanent grill on the roof and all that. Yeah. There it's it's an allowable height exception, but they are within the
height limit. So in in this case, it's not treated as a height exception. So if they wanted to, they could put a fixed awning sort of or or some sort of something there to to do that. Yeah. But you were saying you were concerned about
as opposed to just needing some shade while you're sitting there cooking and grilling. Okay. Akil, did you have Yeah, I said two questions. On the roof deck level, the AC units that have the penthouse coverings or screens, what kind of material is that going to be? or
it it'll give the appearance of wood, but we may change that to a white finish. Um, it was most likely going to be an aluminum uh made to look like wood to match the house similar in color to the wood in here. Okay.
Yeah. I would also that that was should be on the list that staff needs to review that that was also a material that was not listed anywhere. Um, and is that were you thinking the same thing for the other wood elements that you see? It'll all match in that tone.
Even sort of like underneath the eaves, it's all going to be an aluminum wood look, not actual wood. That's to be determined uh whether it's real wood or aluminum made to look like wood, but it'll all have the same um aesthetic
tone, right? Throughout. Okay. Sorry. It'd be nice to see that material if you can. And then I really like the use of the planted boxes on each story, but there's a reason why it was not carried up to the roof level. And
the upper most roof upper most roof again just the the weight of the building tends to get very heavy the higher you go up. So I was trying to get more delicate as we we rose. So we went ahead and chose not to put any planters on the upper most horizontal plane of
the house, which is which are those roofs. Okay. And and then also the material I see on some of the railings that are glass and then you have a band. Is that also going to be the aluminum or is that going to be a metal? Is that going to be the woodlook color or
Sorry, which element are you referring to? The the cap rail? Yes, that would be a wood cap rail on top of that glass. On top of the glass. Yeah, I know. Um, yeah, just since we're giving some design comments, it sounds like, you know, we'll be coming back.
Um, yeah, kind of going back to the planters. Um, I felt a little bit of a disconnect with the elevation that faces the water. There's there's I feel like it needs some sort of softening element. Okay. Um, it's a little inconsistent with the
other facades. Like maybe that maybe that's planters and in a few spots. I realize you don't want to obstruct the view and I can appreciate that, but it's just very stark to me compared to the other three facades. Um, so if you could consider that when you come back. Um,
and I think Sarah mentioned this in passing as well, but the the elevator shaft to me is is kind of sticking out in a bad way. At least on on the top floor, it kind of looks like a chimney and not in a good way. Um, so maybe consider softening that as well. it's
just this one black mass. Um, but otherwise I I you know I I do like everyone was saying with the massing overall with the building I I think you it was a very creative approach and it is generally working. There's just like a little fine-tuning here and there that I think would would
really take this to the next to the next level. Thank you. I also think I also think too that and I think this is you know sort of piggy back on I think the most successful elevation that you have is actually the one facing west. Um and and
in thinking about that it's because I think it's because that's the one that has the fewest decorative elements. I I and and it all seems to be related and connected. Um, I agree that the the rear the elevation that faces the bay, I do
think it needs to be refined in some way. One of the things that really strikes me and I understand I understand why. Um, but it's this it's almost like the proportions are off where you have this really big gap between the two balconies and then it's it's narrower.
And it's, you know, I mean, you know, like as a as a designer, you know, proportions are really funny things where you just move something a little bit and suddenly it creates a completely different look and feel. Um, I don't I don't have any recommendations on on how or why, but for me right now when I'm
looking at that rear elevation, which probably is going to be one of the most visible to the community, so it's something that, you know, concerns us, I I want I I feel like that's something that needs to be, you know, more cohesive,
refined in some way. Maybe if you do something with the elevator shop, maybe if you make it less prominent, it would seem. But right now, it just feels like the the breaks between the floors are just it just not I there's something
about it that it sort of just needs a little bit of refinement. I I I I wish I could be more articulate. Um I think maybe if the other architect was here, he'd be able to but it just seems off. And I wonder too as you're sort of working through looking at the elevator, looking at some of these other
design elements if if that would if a better solution could be found. Um, but yeah, I I again I keep going back to that western elevation and it makes me think that on the east facing side that on the one
hand I you know I understand the reason for the screening but again like there's a and and I do think that it's a smart gesture to break it up into three different volumes. Um, but if there's some way that it can be simplified in some way or, you know, taken back or or
or whatever and to have a better relationship, all four sides of the structure should feel like they're cohesive. Um, with or without screening or whatever. And right now, I don't think you're conveying that in the way that I know that you could. And yeah, maybe on the back if there were some
planters or maybe if there were less, whatever that is. But I do think that overall um again this is going to be a really prominent structure. There's a there's a lot that you have to do so I can understand and it's it's large. Um so yeah that those were just
my general design refinement comments. Um I also wondered what it seems like there's a lot of air condition area in the understory. What was the programming for that? The only air condition um program on the understory is the foyer
of the house. Um the garage um would not be air conditioned. Um so it's really only one volume. If I go to the floor plan here of the ground floor. Yeah, it looked like there was another sort of room that that on the back side or the east
side. That's a mechanical room. Ah for the elevator. Okay. We have we have a um elevator uh pool bath uh access from that understory and then the foyer of the house. Any other spaces are nonac uh mechanical or garage or storage.
Okay. Okay. Yeah. Just again like I would didn't see a lot of info about that. Um, oh, and the other thing too on that floor, I noticed um that the area it was hardscape or it was pvious surface um or it was impervious surface
and I was just wondering why isn't that a requirement as much pvious surface as possible. Let me see if I can find the the drawing that I was I think it was with the landscaping. Sorry. There was some diagram that you had that
showed impervious. It should be pvious versus impervious. Yeah. Um surrounding the uh property. Um perhaps accessing the mechanical rooms could be more of a gravel finish. Um but
nothing uh nothing impervious. What? Okay. A2.0. That might be the actual road. That's not trying to think where I saw that. Oh, wait. Here. Sorry. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. I was wondering the hardscaped area. It was by the pool. Shouldn't that be pvious surface by the pool or is that So in front of the pool is lawn. Yeah. And then to the left or right of that pool is also lawn. I do have some
stepping stones across the the shallow portion of the pool that takes you to an outdoor shower tucked around the side of that elevator shaft. And then I I mean are Yeah. Are you I guess if you could bring up a 2.0 You know,
I mean, it shows it there. It's about 600 square ft right there. The hardscaped area is impervious. Is that steps or No, this is my apologies. This is the second floor of the house on this plane.
That's showing the the the balcony up above. That's the balcony over overhang over the pool. Ah, okay. So, underneath Lance. Okay. So you were just can it's it's the diagram. It's not. Okay.
The area between the building and the pool is pvious surface. Okay. Okay. Just making sure. Okay. Um other comments or anything? I got one more. I think design-wise
having a sign above that entrance is going to make it it looks commercial to me and there's a lot of people that go down that road by mistake and I just it it looks like it's inviting people to pull in that driveway just in that
street just I kind of would probably put it on the lower thing or something. I I don't know. I just think it looks very commercial. We appreciate the feedback very much. Thank you. Um I I know that there is a lot a lot to
take in. Um and I do it does seem like you don't have a quorum today to pass the variances. I don't know what everyone's going to I mean I don't know if anybody wants to make a motion or we can make a motion to continue. Can we pull each other?
You like a straw poll? Uhhuh. Sure. Can Can we do that? Just a straw poll of Sure. Okay. Um, who would vote to approve the project? I wouldn't show that over. Okay. Yeah. I mean,
I I I do think that we'd be helping you by offering a continuance as opposed to voting on it today. Absolutely understood. Okay. So, unless Yeah. I feel like Okay. So, why don't we make a motion? Does anyone want to make a motion?
I'll make a motion to continue to September. I know that we have a very full September docket, but and there were what's today? There are a lot of I think design things to work through. I don't know if if we
continue to September, is that Yeah. would you be able to make that deadline or would October give you a little bit more breathing room? I mean, I know that we want we can make the deadline work uh either month. Yeah, we're a year move forward.
Yeah, I can imagine. Um Okay, so there's a motion to continue to September. Okay, you second. Okay. All those in favor? I motion passes. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your time. And I would
recommend too that when you come back, please do have a very specific materials board worked out. That's that was also going to be a condition and you're going to avoid it. Um, yeah, that would be really helpful. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. We if if there's anything you would like
us to analyze uh I'm sure we would like to analyze it before it comes back to the board um at least 3 weeks prior to the meeting because we do have a a very heavy agenda and so we we have a lot of staff reports we're going to be preparing. So please if you can get us anything at least 3 weeks prior to the
meeting so we can provide an update in the staff reports for the board members. Thank you. Thank you. And that would be the September 11th meeting. Yeah. Okay. Is there 11? Yeah.
Mhm. Um okay. Um should we move on? Uh DRB 2510847729 Carile Avenue. Okay. Here behind
I think we have Commerce Street on the agenda next. If you don't Sorry, I had Sorry, I had my stack. Okay. Yes. DRB 251096. Okay. So, 850 Commerce Street. 850 Commerce Street. Okay. Uh, an
application has been filed requesting modifications to an existing commercial building that previously received design review approval. Specifically, the applicant is requesting design review approval for the re renovation of the front facade, signage, and the installation of a woodclad enclosure located at the rear of the property, including one or more waivers. Um, so
this this um project was previously approved by the design review board. uh well was originally approved by the design review board in 2011 and then again uh they received some modifications for a new glass storefront system uh to enclose an existing outdoor terrace in 2016. So they're now uh
requesting another modification. This is located in the CPS1 limited mixeduse commercial district. It's a 9,000 ft lot size. Um the approved use on the site is a restaurant and it will be continued to be used as a restaurant. Um the property uh contains two buildings. One of the
buildings on the site was built in 1923 and it's one of the oldest surviving structures in the Ocean Beach neighborhood. And then the other building next to it is a more contemporary commercial structure and they've they've been unified to create a a single restaurant. Um the applicant is proposing uh several
design modifications including new signage to the existing building. Um um they are providing uh artwork on one of the sides, a Baron Holland uh Holland printed artwork. Um the existing uh 1923 structure. The applicant will be uh
proposing a new operable glass nanowall system. Uh the code requires that nanowall systems be approved by the DRB in cases where they are within proximity of residential districts. Um which in this case they are. So that's specifically that's something that specifically is called out as requiring
DRB approval. Um in addition to the other facade modifications. Um as part of that approval, staff does recommend that there be a condition that the operable window not open prior to 9:00 a.m. and be closed by midnight in order to minimize sound impacts to
surrounding neighbors. Um the overall color palette for the project will contrast gray with wood tones and yellow accents uh found on the canopy and umbrellas. Uh the front garden uh wall will be finished in woodlike with woodlike planks consisting of with
contrasting gray stucco. Um the uh signage will consist of large uh metal channel letters with facelit white plexiglass uh in the upper leftand corner of the building. Um and um the application is the applicant is also proposing the relocation of a side
entrance to the rear with a new ADA ramp and a new 7 foot high wall uh woodlike enclosure in the back alley to screen some mechanical equipment that currently looks a little uh disorganized. So that's a major improvement for the alley. Um staff is supportive of the proposed modifications. However, we do
recommend that the color palette for the 1923 building not be as dark, that it be a lighter color, uh, midtone or a light gray perhaps, rather than that dark, uh, darker color that's being proposed. Um, so with that modification, staff recommends that the application be approved subject to the conditions in
the caps order. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, good morning. Um, thank you for your time. My name is Duncan Bath. I'm representing the, uh, future tenant in the location, Cactus Club Cafe. Um just want to give a brief synopsis of what our intent is with the
location. This is part of our expansion. We're a Canadian company um expanding into the USA. Um this is going to be one of our first locations um within the US. We are our primary aim is to engage with the local neighborhood in a meaningful
way. We are looking to um increase our frontage and our facade and be a valuable member of the community. Um everything that we're aiming to do is hoping to provide some love to a you know a it's not a historically classified but a historic building
within the neighborhood and um bring it up to a standard that is you know uh matching our neighbors. Uh with that I'll pass it on to Joe Veani who's representing our architect on the project. Yeah thank you for your time today Joe Vioni. I'm um from Bergmmy Architectural
PC out of Boston Massachusetts. Um just if we can pull up on the screen um just to give some context where we are. We're south the fifth um a couple blocks from the from the ocean. Um and just to kind of walk you through the site plan uh the frontage or the front front of the
building is uh on Commerce Street. Um across the street there's a parking lot to the to the east uh there's a multi east and south there's multi multi-story residential. Um and to the to the west is a existing onestory restaurant. Uh as
um as Mr. Madan said earlier um there is a um two parts of the building. There's a newer more contemporary building and then as Duncan said the 1920s era uh building which we're looking to give a light touch. This is a current condition
uh of the plant uh former plant space um uh from Commerce Street. Uh, another view of that. And then couple views down the alley. This the small alleyways to the left and right of the building. Again, parking lot across the street. Uh, a couple looks into the rail alleyway. Right now, there's a lot of
electrical panels right now planned to have their uh dumpster outside, but there is an existing refrigerated trash room which we will be utilizing to hide the dumpster and also uh a new 7 foot fence uh which we are limited to 7 ft because we are within a uh the 5ft
setback. Um and a couple looks at the front facade again and uh looking at the rear facade um adjacent to the residential space. Um proposed changes to the space. Um we are enlarging the opening on this on the uh the 1920s era
building created uh utilize an operable nano wall system uh to create a little bit more um in indooroutdoor experience and we are receptive to the proposed condition uh to be respective of the neighbors. There's no sound system, no live music uh happening um outside um or
no live music in general at all, but uh certainly no um speaker system outside. uh new umbrellas uh to match the cactus club aesthetic. Um and then just re repainting the uh wood clap ward on the um on the 1920s that were building.
There's no um changes to the roofs. Uh on the contemporary structure, we are infilling a small portion of the front facade. Uh infilling the glazing panel uh because there was a there was a ramp there that's no longer needed. We are putting the ramp in the back uh with a
new ADA uh accessible ramp. Uh so we are cleaning up the landscaping. Um and then also uh infilling that portion to just create a continuous glazing band. Uh the the front facade uh fence. Uh we're painting it to m uh nl match to the new
uh faux um faux aluminum glazing. Uh the new signage that would meet all zoning requirements. uh eliminate excuse me eliminated signage uh front um uh excuse me
sorry uh and I'm I have a little bit of a cold uh um but anyway the the signage on the front of the building would be illuminated uh with uh acrylic uh face letters uh the back of the building uh going to the 7 foot uh height to hide
the uh condensers uh hide some of the electrical panels hide uh empty kegs. Really trying to clean up the back facade. Uh the existing clapboard facade on the back would be uh painted that same gray color. And we can look at the uh look at the color with the um with
what the board would like. Uh and then just cleaning up the the rear stuckco facade and just touching up um wear uh touching up uh any portions that may have been damaged from the dumpsters or any of the uh uh any damage from wind or
rain. um color palette. Again, we're using the uh a notewood faux uh almost a teak color uh for that primary band. Uh the paint is a Benjamin Moore. It's called um Quicksand, which is a a medium gray.
It's looking a little bit darker in the renderings. Uh and we can certainly submit a physical sample, too, if the color is going to be problematic. Um the exist the awning, we're not really proposing any new structure of the awning. Uh it's just going to be um a umbrella fabric on the edges and then
underneath we're commissioning an art piece um to just give it a little bit of liveless underneath that. And then again just re really trying to uh enhance the streetscape and bring some of that energy to the street from the restaurant. The sconces, I know this was a comment previously, the sconces, we we
made revisions to the sconces as part of this uh as part of the final submitt to make sure it's recessed uh so it's not into the right of way. There's no illumination out there now, but we think it'll be a nice addition on top of the uh the uh the faux wood that we'll also
bring out there to replace in the chevron. And just going to the re uh renderings now. Um it's kind of overgrown. You can't really see the sign uh sign. So, we're really trying to clean up really uh creating that indooroutdoor experience that doesn't currently exist. Um just kind of a
before and after. And then also in the evening just showing the illumination on the street um existing condition. Uh this is new. Um and then at night again and then uh just one thing that didn't
make it into this presentation just because you can't see it because the vegetation is very dense here. Um, we had the wood. We were showing the wood incorrectly uh below that uh below the glazing, but there's really no value of it being there because you can't see it.
It's just really dense. Uh just looking at that. So on an existing photo, just illustrating the existing condition. While we are cleaning up some of that uh landscaping, it's still not visible. So, we think the stucco cleaning it up would be uh a much um more beneficial look
there. Um just to really not damage any of the uh the faux wood that's going to be there. Um and that concludes our presentation. Uh and we're receptive to any questions. I apologize for the back and forth. I'm not feeling very We're glad that you're able to be here. Yeah.
Um so, thank you very much. Are there any members of the public wishing to speak? Anybody online? If you'd like to speak, please raise your hands. No hands raised. Okay, great. I'm closing the public portion and opening it up to the board for comment.
Would like to begin. Anyone? If I could just add one small item, no member of the public spoke up, but I have actually spoken to a couple of the neighborhood associations um who have called me in the last couple of days. Their principal concern was around the rear alley because it faces onto the
main entry for a condo building facing us. and they are generally very supportive. I don't want to speak on their behalf, but just the comments I've had is they've had huge issues with the previous tenant in them leaving trash, all sorts of other items and debris in the alleyways. So, they're very
supportive of us to making an effort with that enclosure to clean up that and uh, you know, provide some screening because, you know, the back of restaurants and commercial properties can be quite unsightly. Thank you. Thank you very much. And I think that we all appreciate the goodwill that already you're bringing to
the project. So, thank you. Okay, Scott. So, what? Tell me the concept of that this again. Is it a restaurant? It's a restaurant. Correct. Just a restaurant. Just a restaurant. It's called Cactus Club Cafe. It's neither Mexican nor a club nor a cafe. It's very confusing.
This has been a restaurant brand that's been in Canada for over 30 years. We are a casual fine dining brand, which is sort of a tortologology to everyone. But in essence, it's we aim to um provide very high level service um within a refined aesthetic yet there was
there's no dress code. We're not a white linen service. It's aimed to be approachable for um for for the wider public. Perfect for the neighborhood. Um buckle up for the permitting process for opening a restaurant in this town. You know that, right? Yeah. Trust me, we know.
Um no, I it's a great space. Um I wanted to ask the sign. I can't imagine that's code in Miami Beach. That large sign the Is that part of Is that just a placeholder or is it your logo sign that you put on other places?
No, we're It is a standard sign, but the size is within the zoning requirements. It's It surprised me. My dad was in the sign business and you used to get like this much space unless it's neon historic sign. So, okay, that's all it You know what? I I
don't have any um I hope you don't take too much of the landscaping out. That's part of what makes it so lovely to eat out there at the other restaurants is to have a kind of a lush thing, but other than that, I mean, I'm glad you kept the historic building. I don't really have any any other comments. Thank you.
Thank you. Oh, thank you. Yeah, I guess I have one question on the existing conditions versus the new building space or mass. Is it the same layout as before? or is it the the like the interior space or exterior when you Oh, the exterior. Yeah, there's no
there's no increase in the building size. There's really uh it's really mostly a recladding project. We're enlarging an opening uh to for the nanowall. And then we're also infilling a door that's no longer needed and then adding the ramp and of course the fence in the back to hide some of the unsightly things that you
typically see in a restaurant operation. Yeah. I I personally prefer the landscaping the way it was currently. Yeah. versus how how it shows with bushes. I guess is it bushes or that's that's fan palms. I notic that those were being removed. Is that just for visibility of the restaurant?
Yeah, they're really overgrown to the point where you can't see the plant side. You can't see inside the restaurant. I know some of the comments we got on planning was looking at the um the sophet on the inside, making sure that was a high level of finish. And certainly we want to engage the streetscape so people know we're there,
know it's active. Um, so just trimming down those fam poms were just uh, you know, they grow. They grew so quickly. If you look at a like Google map from like six years ago, they were, you know, here and then now they're, you know, 20 ft tall. So, um, it's just really trying to engage the restaurant with the
streetscape. Just for clarity. So, the the bushes that are kind of shielding the underside beneath the windows are to remain. We'd be keeping those. So, we're keeping that kind of like vegetation looks to maintain that. It is the fan palms that we are, you know, we're reducing there to make sure we've actually got
visibility because I think in the um streetscape shown by Joe, uh you cannot see that there's a restaurant there unless you already aware there's there's no visibility into the actual restaurant space at present. Yeah. So maybe the the compromise or suggestion would be to sort of create
that maybe tropical or the less tropical feel, but maybe not overwhelming vamp, but still find a way to keep a tropical vibe to it because the recommendation that's the most unique thing. Um and also there's the street tree now which is going to grow
but it is also blocking a little bit. So Okay. Thank you. Um um Okay. Yeah. Speaking Yeah, kind of similar on the vegetation. I'm in favor of getting rid of the fan palms. Um, back in my landscape architecture days that they're like never planted those next to a one-story building and that's
why because they're totally um gone beyond the the roof line. So, I'm in favor of that. But I do agree. It looks a little sparse now with just the hedge. So, just consider that. And I know that the landscaping there was there's not much landscaping plan here, but if you
could consider that to make it more of an inviting space. I assume you're going to have outdoor tables there. Yeah. Yeah. Are you going to be doing like umbrellas or that that's that's We would have umbrellas and we will have a bot program out there as well. So, we'll have additional planting to go in
around that patio um to support that. Okay. Okay. Because it would have been nice to see it that way, but um but I can envision it. So, yeah, I would just try to soften with some greenery there. Um, but otherwise, I'm in favor. I also agree with um the staff's suggestion to
lighten that that building to the left. Um, but yeah, otherwise I'm excited. I live around this neighborhood, so very excited to try it. Thanks. Yeah, I would say that that was my the color the the tones were also my
concern. I um I went and I took a look at the neighborhood um and one of the things that really struck me and I'm sure you've realized this too. Um is that in that in those blocks there's all of these really like white clean looking
structures. Um and this is not that and it's it's really really different and I think of course you know it means it's going to stand out but I wonder if it's going to stand out not in the way that you want it to stand out. That was my concern. So, I was I I went and I looked
and and then I read the staff report and they also mentioned the palette. Um, so my question though, I'll sort of piggybacks onto what Scott was getting at is, you know, are these colors is this palette based on sort of the brand of the restaurant? Um, how does that
relate? you know, I don't want to, again, we're here to be constructive and try to help you figure out, okay, how are we going to translate this into this very particular um architectural notable or there's a very specific look to that
little section of South Fifth and how can we take your brand and make it both fit in but still be a marketable destination? Yeah, absolutely. So, I'm happy to answer that. So in terms of our branding, our history in terms of design
and architecture, and obviously it's evolved through the years, and with our expansion to the US, we're trying to evolve it a little bit further, but we typically have had a kind of a West Coast modern approach towards design, which is a huge amount of natural materials, warmer tones. So you'll see that a lot in the interior and the use of the knotwood on the exterior is kind
of a nod to that is we've tended to use a lot of wood and mill work. the use of an aluminum um wood look is mostly for um durability in this climate because as we all know it's uh it's pretty tough and I understand it's the worst termite season in history going on at the
moment. So uh um that's good fun for everyone. So yeah, in general it's trying to have a bit of a continuation of that and a nod to that because we feel that the existing concrete really is not adding to that neighborhood in terms of aesthetic and doesn't really match anything. As far as the existing building, we wanted to be sensitive and
not change it too much. we understand it's got an history in the neighborhood and really the choice of color and I think the renderings perhaps are doing a little bit of a disservice in terms of because the actual color in terms of the sample is a little bit lighter than what it appears um and we'd be happy to share
that. We just wanted to bring it down a little bit. As I said, we're kind of a warm is a very warm aesthetic inside our restaurants um with a lot of natural tones. So, we just wanted to soften it a little bit from the bright white. But we're appreciative of the of the comments and are happy to look at that
further. Yeah, I would I mean I like again I want I want you to keep your brand visible as it is, but it really is very st I mean and I think also you know that pocket it's not I'm this is not the historic
the specifically the historic area that's why you're here with us but it does abut it and and you know I don't want and even we see a lot of the sort of wood finish in homes in other parts of the city but not in this area. Um, and you saw like
with the first project that we saw with the house that, you know, it was a very specific aesthetic for that neighborhood and the house fits so well with it. And so I would like to see all the projects in this area fit with that specific aesthetic. Um, and I'm wondering too if
maybe there's just a lot of wood. If maybe there could be some, you know, I could see how um the main section that has the Cactus Club sign, maybe that's part of the brand that would to keep that. But maybe the fencing doesn't you don't paint it to look like wood. Maybe
that becomes white or that lightens up. Like I really want to do and certainly the historic building which now is a very very stark white. you know, if there's ways to, you know, find common ground where you lighten it up significantly from what's
presented, but also it goes with so maybe not a stark white, but maybe more of like an ivory or something that it's not so glaringly I want to make sure that this fits the context as well. You know, that's a lot of what we do here when we review
projects. Um, and so to sort of lighten it up, I think that also speaks to our comment too about having the lush vegetation and making it to be a really it it is really nice to sit outside on at those restaurants in that little street that's not very busy and you have
and you're going to get so many tourists and they're coming for that like tropical experience. Um, and so I want to so yeah, so that was that was what I was going to say. you know, my recommendation would be to work with staff to significantly lighten as many
elements as possible of the building. So, and even right now, like I know that the the original building where Plan was like that's um you know, concrete, but it's still sort of a lighter tone and because the building next to it is white and there's so much vegetation, it doesn't stand out as much as this is
definitely going to. So, right. I mean that's what it was like you you know like this to me like this could be on a stretch of like Biscane Boulevard in Aventur and I don't know how familiar you are with the area but like we really you know one of the things that we pride oursel about Miami Beach is that Miami Beach architecture
really sort of stands out and you know that you're in the city and especially like I said this restaurant is going to serve a lot of residents but it's also going to serve a lot of tourists and you know they want that experience too. So yeah, I it it seems like we're all very,
you know, again, you know the brand best and and we we know that this has come up before and when you know, you have franchises or you know, businesses that are in multiple areas of the world, you know, we want you to succeed. Um there's definitely room for common
ground. And I think just to on on one of the points around vegetation and providing that experience, one thing that obviously is not shown in the presentation, but within the interior design um in that uh 1920s portion of the building, it's a double height space and we are bringing in major bot. So we
have a full tree installation within there as part of the design. So we're bringing a huge amount of bot to kind of extend that vegetation through. So with that enlarged opening, the idea is that you get more of a perspective into the space and have that view. Yeah, I've been in the space. It's really nice
with all the skylights and everything. It's it's there's a lot of opportunities. So, and it's exciting to see something coming in and then not sit vacant. So, um any other comments or somebody ready to make a motion motion to approve the variance or go?
Yeah, I mean I Yeah, I guess I would I would make a motion just talking internally for a second, but with a condition to to really work with staff on the lightning of the of the building and and the landscaping to make that just more of a an aesthetic. Would would you
all be in agreement with that? We don't need to see this again, but it can work with staff. Yeah, I'd second the color um to Yeah. So, okay. So, I'll make a motion to approve um subject to
working with staff to um to really revisit the color palette at least on the 1920s building um to be more in tune with the vernacular of this area um as well as um the landscaping to just
expand on that and make it a more um lush experience for the for the patio users and the fence too. And the fence. Yes. um to yeah to to consider changing the color palette there too. Um
Okay. Do you have specific D and then you said lighter like Yeah, lighter in tune with the that that street, you know, the Olay the Call Me Gabby. Um just kind of keeping with that. Um and I guess do we want to see like a gray or cuz staff was talking gray. Is
that something that it should it be lighter? Should be more of like an off-white or a cray I don't know. I'm partial to white, but yeah, I at least to explore it could be I mean maybe gray will will work. Okay. Um but I think Yeah,
the colors. Yeah. Yeah. Just le Yeah, that's our that's our suggestion, but it doesn't have to be taken. Um Okay, that's my motion. Great. Great. And I'll second. Okay. Okay. Okay. We have a motion by Miss Luen and a
second by uh Mr. Mr. Different. All those in favor? I I thank you very much. Motion passes. Good luck. Thank you. Okay. Um I want to just take a 5m minute recess and then we'll come back. Please take your seats. The meeting is
about to begin. Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record. Please stand by. We are going on air in 5 4 3 2 1. Okay. Thank you and welcome back to the
July 10th meeting of the Miami Beach Design Review Board. The next item on our agenda is DRB25-10847729 Carile Avenue. I heard that the architect is online. The architect is online. Uh GJ Ramos office is the sorry Gustavo Ramos. I'm
not sure which Zoom uh you're going to be using uh but he's online and he has a he has a PowerPoint presentation but I can proceed with the staff recommendation first if you Yeah. Okay. So this is DRB21084. This is 7729 Carlile Avenue. I'll read
the title. An application has been filed requesting design review approval for the construction of a new four-story multif family building to replace an existing residence as well as request for one or more design waiverss. The application also includes a variance request to exceed the maximum projection and height for steps and platforms in
the required front yard. A variance uh uh request related to the required side setback for portions of the first and second floors. A variance uh request to exceed the maximum projection for balconies and overhangs on the required interior side setback. A variance related to the required minimum floor to
ceiling height for the first habitable habitable level. and a variance request to exceed the maximum building height for new construction for the first 25 ft of building depth as measured from the minimum required front setback. Um the the site is located in the North Beach
National Register Conservation District overlay. So it is in the RM1 district, but because it is in that overlay, there are some additional uh regulations that apply related to setbacks and and other things that your typical RM1 district does not have have have to comply with. Um so I I'll go through those. Um the
maximum height in this district allowed is 45 ft. The proposed project is 41 ft. So they're slightly below the maximum allowable height. Um the first habitable floor is located at 10 uh.56 NGVD. So it is slightly above the base flood
elevation for resiliency purposes. Um and then I as I said they are seeking a few variances. But so I'll discuss first the design. Um it's located on an interior parcel. They're proposing six units. Um the ground floor will consist primarily of parking. However, that
first unit um will have some habit habitable space on the ground floor. So, it's technically not an understory home or an understory building because there is some habitable space at that ground floor which is a bedroom. Um and then the stairs for the upper floors. For most of the other units, they just have
access to the upper levels. They really don't have habitable space at the ground floor. Um the the development has so it has uh six two-bedroom residential units. Each unit is approximately a thousand square feet organized vertically in a townhouse
style configuration. Um the units span typically the second and the third floors with the exception of that first one as I said which has some space on the ground floor. Um they have private rooftop terraces offering each uh resident dedicated outdoor spaces with views beyond the site. Um, at the ground
floor they have uh six on-site parking spaces, a trash room and bicycle parking racks. Uh, pedestrian access is provided directly from Carile Avenue via walkway on the southern edge. Um, and vehicular access is provided through a driveway also on Carile Avenue.
Um, the design of the building is contemporary and the front and south elevations have a dynamic interplay of movement of textures and shift in planes. Um the design features um um orthogonal frame elements and balconies that project beyond the building's walls and they're they're seeking some
variances for for some of those uh projections. Um and then along the interior southacing elevation unit entries are provided at the ground level and then the upper levels include some open balconies in addition to the rooftop terraces. Um so they do have a lot of open space for the residents,
outdoor space for the residents. Um staff is generally uh supportive of the design of the project. However, we do have some concerns regarding compatibility of the ground floor with adjacent uh properties. Uh particular regards of visual screening and privacy. Um so staff does recommend that a solid
perimeter wall be provided at the rear and interior sideyards at the maximum height permitted by the code. Um in order to limit the the projection of headlights and other other issues on those neighboring properties. Um so let me discuss the variances. Um so the
first variance is to exceed by 1'6 in the maximum projection of 2'6 in which is 25% of the required front setback in order to construct steps and platforms in the required front yard projection. Um the um the code does allow for the steps to be
a a projection. However, given the the height of that first floor, um they do need a little bit of additional room in order to to get to that elevation. So the applicant is seeking um a variance um to be able to to get to that level and staff is supportive of the of the
granting of that variance given that there is a a practical difficulty getting to the required uh um minimum elevation for that first floor. Um the next variance is to reduce by 3'6 in the minimum required side setback um south
of 10 ft in order to construct portions of the first and second floors with a with a setback of 8' 4 in. Um so in the Northshore National um register district overlay, one of the requirements is that there be at least one interior side of
10 feet. Generally the side setbacks have to be 7 and 1/2 ft, but this this area does require that one of those be 10 ft. Uh this is a very narrow lot. Um so that does present a hardship to the applicant be a being able to fit um uh a development with appropriately sized units.
Um, so staff is supportive of the granting of this variance given the given the lot widths. Um, and that requirement for a 10- foot wide um, interior side setback would be would be would be a hardship for the applicant being able to comply with that given the site constraints. Um, the next variance
is to exceed by 1 ft the maximum projection of 2'6 in for the required side setback in the south in order to construct balconies and overhangs in the required side setback with a projection of 3'6 in. Again, um similar issue. Um
the um the the code allows for a 25% projection into this interior side yard. Given the the site constraints in order to have um um a practical usable balcony, um the applicant does need to seek this variance um in order to um
have an appropriate dimension. Um the the variance is minimal in nature and and we do not expect any negative impacts on the adjacent properties from this variance. Um there's still um there's still a a a sufficient setback where where privacy can be maintained.
Um the next variance is to reduce by 3 ft the minimum required floor to ceiling height of the first habitable level of 12 ft in order to construct the first habitable habitable level with a height of 9 ft floor to ceiling height. Um, so the ground floor, the the the um this is
for a bedroom and a and a a foyer that they have at the ground floor of that first unit. Um, the code would require um that that height be 12 ft. Um, the DRB is allowed to wave that to 9 to to 10 ft. They're seeking an additional
foot beyond that. So that's why it's a variance and not a waiver. um they because they're using uh such a high freeboard, we feel that there is sufficient room to be able to to mitigate against future sea level rise and other issues, which is the intent of having that that high ground floor
elevation. We think that that freeboard um minimizes um the the um the potential to be able to mitigate against future sea level rise. And um if they were not seeking this variance, it would just make the building taller, requiring even more
steps, requiring more issues um regarding accessing the upper levels of the building, um which would make the building taller. And so this does present a a practical difficulty and a hardship uh being able to have those those uh wider spaces that you would need for higher for for wider
staircases. Um and so staff is supportive of the granting of this variance. The last variance is to reduce the required 25 f-t building depth setback from the front facade for the construction exceeding 32 ft in height
by 9'4 in in order to allow for the construction of a fourth floor with a building depth setback of 15 ft 8 in from the front facade. So this is another requirement of the overlay. Um the overlay requires that when uh portions of a building that exceed 32
feet in height be set back 25 feet from the front facade. The applicant is seeking a variance so that that that the portions exceeding 32 feet in height only have to be set back 15t 8 in from the facade. So they're they're reducing
that setback. Um if they in if they were providing that setback, they would uh significantly limit the usable square footage for that second unit, it wouldn't be a feasible practical unit. Um given the the site constraints and the limited depth that
this lot has available to it. Um and so it does present a a practical difficulty. Um the code does allow the DRB to wave that 25 ft distance by 5T. So they are only exceeding the amount that the DRB could wave um by 4'4 in. So
it is a minimal variance um and staff is is supportive of the granting of the variance. So so the number the code requires 25 ft. DRB can wave it to 20 ft. They need they're requesting an additional 4T 4 in. So that's beyond the the amount that the DRB can wave. Um so
that that's why it's a variance uh and not a not a waiver. Um and so given the the site constraints um staff is supportive of the granting of the variance. Um so with that staff recommends that the application be approved subject to the conditions in the attached draft award.
Thank you very much. Uh is the applicant available? Yes, I'm here. Hello. Um sorry I just Hello Sam. I need to quickly swear you in before you proceed please with your testimony with your presentation. Um, do you swear or
affirm that the testimony that you'll be giving this proceeding is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. All right. Thank you. You will have 10 minutes. Okay. Yeah. My name is Gustavo Ramos, architect. I'm at 8935 Northwest 35th
Lane in Dorado. The uh project location is 7729 Carile Avenue, Miami Beach. The zoning is RM1 uh Overlay District. I might be repeating a little bit of what the was
said before, but uh nevertheless, um the uh project proposes a six-unit townhouse project uh three stories over parking with six parking spaces on the ground floor. Uh all units are accessible from the ground floor.
The uh actual building design, if we can go to the next uh this is the survey. the survey. The property is 112 uh 112 and 1/2 ft by 50 ft. Uh next,
this is a like a location map of of uh where the property is. Next, this is also a location map of the area and of North Beach. And next sheet, this is the uh ground
floor. Uh the actual building design. Uh the ground floor, there's six units that are accessible from the front. Uh the first unit, as you can see on the left, unit number one is facing the street and is
accessible from the street and it also uh serves as a buffer to the parking that's uh underneath the building. The other uh five units are accessible from on the south side. You can see where the steps
are on that uh south property into a uh landscape corridor which each unit uh accessible to a a small vestibule and then a stair going up to the living, dining, kitchen uh and a half bath.
Uh again, let's see the uh the parking, if you can see, the parking will be uh screened by a uh uh an overhead grill. And so pretty much the
whole facade is is is not invasive to the uh as far as the parking to the to the street. We can go to the next uh this is again the ground floor. Next, the second floor. Uh you can see that uh
at the second floor level you have entered the unit at the ground floor and all units come up to the second level where there's a living dining open space, a kitchen and then a half bath. All the units pretty much typically the
same looking south. Uh, as you can see, some of the units have balconies and because of the uh setbacks, the balconies are quite small. They're 3 and 1/2 ft deep. Uh, but it's a it's a good way to have
the the people out to be able to get outside the units. Uh, if we go to the next, so the third floor would be two bedrooms with two baths and all the units pretty much the same. The unit in the front has one less
bedroom uh upstairs because we're trying to keep the units uh the unit in the front uh scales back in height uh to try to match the fenestration of the of the neighbor. Um then on the third level, if you go to
the next uh on the fourth level actually, you have an access from each unit to a a private terrace. And you can see all units are are on the roof have private terraces. And then there's a there's a trellis that covers
part of that trellis that defines the space. on the next uh if you can go to the next level. There's like a uh the frame is made out of aluminum, dark bronze, and then it'll be wood uh trellis
uh covering part of the of of the area because of the uh you know the the amount of sun and and all the issues these units are facing south. Next This is the landscape plan. Uh I think
if you go one more you can see a little bit better. Uh the as was uh was told before the we are providing a 6 foot high uh CBS wall around the property on three sides to
provide privacy and also to contain the like the headlights uh from the uh from the cars and the parking area. uh the these walls will be uh covered with hedges and landscaping in order to
provide uh privacy and and more beauty to the to the ground floor. Uh if you go to the next level again, these are the types of plants that are going to be used in in that ground floor area. Next level. Next.
This is more landscaping. One more landscaping. This area, this plan shows the green area as opposed to the paved area. We're going to be using uh uh pavers on sand for all the areas that
access the the units. Next, these are the uh buildings that surround uh the project. Next, more more of the same. You can see the
uh proposed project is on the second from the left on the top. And these are all the other properties that surround the uh that neighborhood, especially that block. Next, again, more properties that uh that's in
the neighborhood within the the the nearest two blocks. Next, more of the same. Again, more buildings. This is the uh the 3D
uh that's imposed into the uh the photo of the of the area. This is from the looking from the north uh the south east looking into the south from the
southeast actually from the southwest sorry you can see the uh the the building itself. The concept was to create uh a modern look but also try to match the uh the the different uh type
of elements in the area such as eyebrows and boxed in windows. Uh also we're using uh the dark bronze or dark gray uh window window frames and railings
on the left there of the entrance. You can see that there's the uh set back is the entrance to the garage which is going to be hidden from the street. Uh and on the right side you can see the access to the units uh that face south.
All the entrances to the units that face south. You can see partially some of the uh areas up on the higher level where the balconies uh are covered. Three of the balconies are covered with a with a trellis. Again
the uh same color of aluminum with uh wood as part of the uh trellis. We go to next. This is more from the northwest looking at the uh at the front
elevation. We're going to be using uh like a stack tile in uh possibly like desert sand color. We're trying to get that horizontal look to the uh and stacking look to the uh the uh the tile surfaces
on the front. Next, this is a little bit higher view. You can see a little bit of the uh rooftops with the trelluses. One more. This is more looking from the south at
uh at floor elevation. Again, one more. This is straight from the south. You can see the uh the elements that are that are vertical in the white uh volumes are the entrances to the units where you enter the unit
and go up to the uh the second floor. The parking is beyond this area to the north and it's it's uh it's never seen. You can also see the uh the trelluses up in the uh we're trying to keep everything very light and and the
massing with the tile to to be defined so that it's not all uh uh too much massing. We're trying to define a little bit more verticality. One more. Next.
This is coming from the southoutheast of view. This would be like the rear of the building, the rear of the property. Next, this is straight from the east in the rear of the property. You can see the
trellis above and the balconies uh on both sides. Again, we're trying to create more like a a uh using the eyebrows to to match the fenestration of of the the design of the area and also
the boxing in of the of the windows. Next, this would be like the the uh north elevation, the rear elevation. And you can see the parking would not be seen because there would be a 6ft high wall there under there and the
landscaping. Next, this is another view from the front and the rear at a higher level. Next, uh this is basically the materials that we're going to be using. We'll be using
smooth white stuckle. Um the doors and windows would be uh dark bronze. The framing uh the railings also the same. The stack tile will be like a porcelain tile uh uh
probably two to to 4 in uh in a horizontal format and the color is going to be like a like a desert sand uh color. Next, this here is pretty much the uh
definitions of the variances which I think the uh planning has already gone through. Next, these are sections of the building showing uh the uh actually the the
elevation of the floor. We we it used to be nine. It used to be eight feet uh for flood and one foot uh at elevation nine for for uh design flood elevation. But now the new regulations according to uh uh Mo
Muhammad from the public works the minimum elevation is at 10.56. So we had to raise from 9 elevation 9 which was the previous uh elevation required for design flood elevation to 10.56
which kind of like raises the building but uh based on the flood criteria we had to match that. Next this is a elevation showing you know the the different uh
penistrations and materials. This is the south elevation. Next, this is the rear uh north elevation actually. Next, this is the east elevation which would
be the front showing the different uh materials with the tile and also the white stuckle. Next, and this is the uh the rear elevation which would be uh
looking west. Next, these are sections and I think we're pretty much done as far as uh if you want to keep going. Let's see if there's any other Yeah. No, I think that um you know you the the time is up, but yeah, we're also
probably going to you know, have questions and comments, so this is very thorough. Thank you. Okay. Um, are there any other members of the public wishing to speak? Anyone online?
No. Uh, no other hands raised. Okay, great. I'm now closing the public portion and opening up to the board for comment. Uh, who would like to begin? Anyone want to start? Laura. Sure. Okay. Thank you for your presentation. Um,
overall I'll say with the variance requests, I don't I don't really take an issue with them. Um however because we are granting or may may grant um a number of these I I do want to ensure that the building is
um you know we're adding extra space. So we want to make sure that the building is cohesive with the the neighborhood and just the surrounding elements. So I guess I'll speak a little bit to some of the design elements that I noticed that I would suggest need a little bit of of
tweaking. Um the the landscaping to me kind of seems like an afterthought. Um particularly at the street view. Um maybe it's just that the renderings haven't, you know, expressed that and I I do, you know, I
do see some don't have any which I understand is just to see the building. Um but perhaps some elements of like verticality are needed on that elevation. Um whether that's through
landscaping or through that tile wood cladding effect, maybe you could bring that up through the building. I would suggest doing something to kind of make that more of a statement. It almost just looks like that cladding cuts off. And then we have this white building on top
and maybe some sort of crawling landscape or if you can get a tree in there, maybe you don't have the space that could that could help kind of merge those two materials together. Um, also staying on that front street
facade. Um, do you do you know what material you're going to be using for the the garage gate um by chance? Uh, the garage gate is going to be like
a uh like almost like a stainless steel color. Okay. Um, I' I'd ask that you kind of consider the material there as well. it it you know it it kind of to me even in
the renderings it kind of stands out. Um I don't know if there's something else you could could use there that would maybe be a little more cohesive with the building. Um that would be my my suggestion there. Um and I think I just
had one other design comment. Um let me go 28. I'm on page 28 of the presentation. They're the the windows that are on the
is that the west side elevation first floor. They have these eyebrows that to me just don't seem like they need to be there. But maybe that's for shade. Um or if maybe you can like bring those in a little bit. They they just seem as wide as the balcony and they
kind of seem a little out of place. um 28 page 28. Sorry, this is sheet uh this is sheet 28 of your presentation. Sorry. Um and I'm referring specifically to the the I think it's this is the western side of the building.
Render view 8. Render view 8. Yes, render view 8. Um the first floor windows on the west elevation, they have these little eyebrows. Um, which Oh, those are the uh Yeah, those those are the the areas where the kitchen
windows are. They're they're uh they're they're they're uh narrow and long and they're basically between the counter and the uh and the the bottom of the cabinets above
from the interior would look like a horizontal window. And what uh planning had suggested that we add a little bit of uh fenistration to those to that facade to try to create a little bit more u interest.
Okay. And one of the things that we did was we added to create a a longer uh you know a concept of horizontality is to to give those windows also uh eyebrows
which is pretty standard in in in uh you know the architecture of the area. Okay. Yeah. I that this is just my opinion on those pieces. They stuck out to me a little but I mean maybe they're just a little wide. Um, but if you know
I'm I'm not going to die on that hill at all. Um, so but I I mean overall I do appreciate the architecture. I just think there's just a little refinement that could be done particularly on the street facing facade. Again, I think my biggest concern is going to be the vert
like I think you need some sort of vertical element in the front. Um, and how that's accomplished. which I'll defer to you, but I think that would really just make that first floor, not understory, but the garage floor and then the everything above it a little more cohesive. Um,
yeah, if you look at page uh let's see 29, uh we tried to keep the the material kind of like to create a base for the building and to reduce the verticality of the building so that it's we you know we wanted to reduce the verticality. So
we basically cut at the level of the of the second floor in the front and then matched it with the level of the second floor on the south side which would be where all the entrances are. So uh we had different schemes but the
you know we wanted to create a base for the building and to lower its height as far as uh using the materials. I see. I see. Yeah. Yeah. And I I think just Yeah, I'll I'll let I'll let others speak, but that's that's just my my
impression on the I I think that your your elevation on the east side I think looks really great. And I think that you were able to kind of merge those two textures together really well. And I I just I feel like we could do a little tweaking on that street elevation to
make it look more cohesive with that other that east side. And um that that's really what I'm getting at. But thank you again. We can the uh the actual renderings don't really show the the the actual landscaping that's in the front. We can provide you know different type of
landscaping. I think in the uh we do have trees in that in that landscaped area in the front. I'm trying to see what uh what trees are there to create a little bit more verticality. But again, our our idea was try to reduce the verticality so that
to to bring down the height since the building is going to go up to 10.5. Yeah, maybe that's not the right I I guess not increase verticality, but I think you do need some sort of vertical element in the front facade. And I wonder if if maybe something just sort
of just to soften it. Maybe that's what And um if you go to page 13 that does have a landscape plan. Um is Gustavo is that accurate in terms of what plants? Yes. Yes. Are going to be there. So
yeah, the the the picture on the uh the drawing on the top right is is pretty accurate. That's it. So let me ask you a question because this was also something I want to piggy back into Laura's comments because I agree. Um but is there it's
hard to tell. It seems like from the other information you provided that it doesn't seem like there's enough room on I guess what I'm looking at the right side to have that second tree um on the property. What if there was a tree where
those two smaller palms are? Do you think that would we could provide a tree there. The only thing would be that the the living room is that glass area, right? And we we really didn't want to block the view of the street. Yeah. of the uh you know from the front
since that unit is you know all the units are 15 feet wide they're uh so we kind of like didn't want to block or put a you know in case of hurricane or something like that that right in front of the glass. Is there though enough room on the
property to put that that second tree? It didn't seem like there was in the other drawing the I'm trying to Is there is there green space on the other side of the walkway? We have 10 feet, let's see, 8 foot4 from
the property line. And that's that's not really a very big tree. I'm trying to see what the tree it is, but the drawing I have is I personally, you know, I like my privacy, so having a tree in front of the window to look out on, um, that sounds nice to me. You know, that's
something that I would prefer. um or you know, but I think the the point is in general that is there some is there some way that we can soften the front facade? Yeah, I have the same I have the same concerns because you basically listen I understand the constraints you have with
the stairs and the height and having to leave that. But what you see what you do what dominates is that garage and then that blank wood wall and no it's not really wood. it will be like a like a cladded wall but it just again it's just
a very blank space and it's you know it's not a very welcoming entrance. It's not a very exciting building to look at it and I know you have I know you have big constraints but it just it it just doesn't I don't know it has no I I have
a big concern with it. It just I don't know what you can do but something on that wall cuz you have garage wall and then a little teeny entrance for at least it looks like it from the street. Kale, do you have thoughts suggestions?
I personally think the design comes a little peace meal in terms of there there will be like pretty lush landscaping in the front there though. But I mean you know let's listen to Akale has some good suggestions. I guess this the blank
swast of stucco and the control joints there. I don't know if you can enlarge the windows or glass ele elements, but I don't know. This overall the design comes a little seems a little not peace meal, but I guess this uh not cohesive to me.
This takes like design elements from different builds I feel like and stuffs it into one. Well, one of one of the things that I noticed too is this um the circular stairway, which that would like I had the same sense that it seemed like it was a little bit severe. Um it could be the landscaping and the materials
that you're presenting. Um, but I'm wondering if, and it's just hard to tell with the drawings, too, if maybe the stairway, the circular stairway could become a little bit more of a dominating element that would offset all of the
more severe materials and rectangular details within the facade. Um, it's hard to tell exactly where that where in the terrace the stairs the stair is located, but maybe that would be a good way to you already have that element. If you
just made that a little bit more larger and more prominent, that might offset it. Um, I also, one of the things that I was doing with the facade is I was looking at the placement of the windows and I'm wondering, one of the things that I just sort of did with the little
PDF is I feel like there's a window along I'm looking at um the drawing on page 21 of the presentation. You want to bring it up? Can you bring up 21? Yes.
Okay. So, the window that is along the left side, the small ribbon window, even I if I sort of, you know, erase that. So, it was all white, which I know is adding a little bit more straight white surface, but it just felt a little bit
more it gave it a little bit more balance. It It just seems like that that window just feels like it flew there and stuck, you know? I understand. I really like the window and the framing on the other side of the building. Um, and I really like the vertical windows that, you know, run two stories. That's really
nice. But the one to the to the absolute left just seemed a little like it flew there and stuck. And even just sort of, you know, like on my drawing, I just sort of, you know, erased it and looked at it was like, "Oh, that feels a little bit more intentional." Um, and then
the other thing, if you look at page six, if you look at page six, you can see why the window is there, right? Well, I'm wondering too if you know, I mean, I know I know that there is light. I wonder if what you could do is on the um I guess it's the west facing facade is just extend, you know,
make more of a window so that it's moving, you know, around. Am I being clear? Yeah. Yeah. If you look at page six, you can see the plan where that window is, right? It's in the kitchen. No, it's in the kitchen. So, basically what it is is it's a corner window that's
very prominent in in the architecture of the area. And and in this case, it would be uh so that at least if you're in the kitchen, you could see to the front, right? Okay. It's actually a very a narrow window because goes it goes from 3'6
which is the height a little 6 inches above the height of the counter 2 feet high and then the cabinets are above it. So it's basically a reflection of what's happening inside on the outside. So that's the reason that it's there. If
I I'd ra I'd really rather not have them just look at the at the building next door. You know what I'm saying? And and I think it does create for for me architecture should have uh windows should be in the spaces that
create volumes and in this case a a corner window creates a volume of massing between the mass and the and the void. So in in I think in modern architecture that's an important factor that windows are just don't get popped
into a wall. Windows usually are between a volume and another volume. And that's kind of like what creates the concept of uh modern architecture. In this case, I feel pretty strongly about that window that it's, you know, it's it's appropriate for what's inside.
Mhm. What's happening inside and also that, you know, it lightens that corner so that it doesn't just become one mass, right? No, I understand all of that. And I love a ribbon window and I love a corner window. and I I saw the relationship of what, you know, is
inside and how that um brings natural light into that space in the kitchen. Um, however, that combined with all of the other details and elements that you have, there's a lot going on in that facade and it's not necessarily done in harmony that maybe it works on the
inside, but it's not necessarily translating on the outside. Um, again, it just seems like it's a it's the whole the facade as a whole is a bit is is coming across as a bit severe. Um, and it's something that all of us seem to
have latched on to. And I think that if you, you know, look at removing some of those elements, that's one, you know, that the ribbon window, there's three sections to it. And if you just remove one of the sections on the front, I think that the overall composition is a lot um stronger.
the the like the the right side window. Yeah. I mean, I don't know how to explain it. I that the window that you're talking the the window at the corner in the front on the left side, but to have more wall.
Yeah. I mean, I it's just sort of it makes the composition a bit stronger on the front to not have the window there. As much as I love windows and natural light, there's just so many other elements happening on that front elevation that
removing that is actually I in my opinion enhancing the design rather than taking away from it. Right. Well, one of the things that's happening too is that that area there's a there's a there's a
uh living room, dining room. So, if I take that wall off, I mean, if I close that window, then the dining room loses a view. I think I think we're thinking about I'm talking about the other corner. No,
no. I I'm sorry. I agree with the architects, but I also I would never take that window away, but I think that Wait, wait. Are we talking I'm talking about the window that's in the kitchen. Are you talking I'm talking about that one and he's talk I thought you said you were talking about the window in the dining room. Oh, no. No, I thought you said the the
big window of the living room. No, no, no. I think that's great. I'm talking about the kitchen that there's one small there's there's like a corner ribbon windows. There's three sections
at the corner of the kitchen. And what I was saying is if you remove that one section that the composition of the front facade I I think would be a little bit it'd be a little bit less busy. right
from the outside. That window, the window on the other side in the living room and dining room, that seems very intentional. The other one that spans the two floors, that seems very intentional. The the one on on that corner in the kitchen, while it's I can
see why it would make sense from inside the kitchen, from the street, it doesn't seem it doesn't seem as intentional in terms of of the placement of the other windows. That that was my the thing is if you look at uh page 20
you can see that up above on the third floor the same thing is happening. Yes. And that's what I I mean that's we're turning the uh rather than having a square a you know a square wall with where where mass meets
a window that's popped in by putting the corner window you're cutting out a volume out of the out of the mass. If you if you remove the side window in the front of the kitchen and in the back
of that bathroom up above Mhm. it becomes a window on one side and a solid wall on the other. And what I what I'm trying to create as an architect is is create a a a piece of the building that that creates almost
like a void of a corner. So I'm trying to avoid the corner rather than accentuate the corner. Yeah. No, I I I I completely understand your intent and I see that you've done that on other, you know, in the rear and I think it's very effective um in other
parts of the building and generally speaking, I like this gesture. However, I don't think it's as successful as it could be in this context that I that that that's just what I'm trying to say. And I'm glad that you mentioned the the the one diagonal because I realized that
that was in those two were sort of having a conversation. Um, however, that was the idea. That was the idea to create almost like a relationship between the the third floor and the ground floor in in we're cutting a piece of the the solid block. We're cutting a piece of
the block by creating a void with glass. Yeah. No, I I I get all that. I'm I I It's just that I don't know if that concept works as well with all the other elements that you're providing with this building. That's that was my comment. and that you
know if it means that the window on the third floor on the opposite corner gets reconfigured a little differently. So maybe you know right now it's wrapping around the corner where you have two sections in the front facade and one on the side. Maybe and again I'm just throwing it out there if it wrapped
around differently or maybe if there were just you know there was the full ribbon was just on on the east facing side you know whatever that is. My point is that it it's just it's a little bit the front facade needs to be refined. Can I ask a question? Yeah. Yeah. I have an idea and I I'm not the
architect so everybody can shoot me on this one. On the sides of the building the cladding goes up to the eyebrows whereas in the front it just stops where the garage stops. What if the cladding went up to where that other score was went across the garage and kind of frame
the garage? Maybe cuz I disagree with Sarah. If you take the window away, you're to me you're looking at another block. And while it might simplify it, I think it will also make it more of a non face like a not street facing look. If you if you
brought the cladding up to either the eyebrow or to that score, like I don't know why those scores are there. Uh, I guess to break up the thing. Then maybe it would frame the garage and entrance and make it feel less Well, but would you end the cladding at
the score or did you end it? It would look like it doesn't line up. Do you need a score there? Which cladding? Which cladding? The cladding on the front that blank wall between the garage and the entrance. If you brought that cladding up to to like the eyebrow level and got rid of
the Yeah. the the material the the yes yes above the garage for 2 feet or whatever that distance is and then got rid of that score on the bottom. Do you need that score if you have the cladding? I mean it's sort of indicating
and it it's it delineates where the the level like it the the the levels not the level like the ceiling you know it delineates the floor but the cladding goes up to the other on the side the cladding goes up higher so it's almost weird but on this I mean it seems to me like an I like I like the mo I I like the
scores because it's this very modernist gesture of like this is where this is where the floor begins and ends the control joints the floor what the control joint is cracking yeah if you look page page 21. You're you're saying bring the uh the cladding
up to the level of the floor. It's what it's what I'm saying, but I'm not an architect. But you have the you have the cladding on the right on the side of the building. It goes higher than the front of the building, which kind of seems odd to me because why why did you decide to stop the cladding right there? And
well, the thing is the the the building there where the uh the garage is, we moved the garage back and it's it's it's a five foot overhang. So, you need a three-foot beam that holds up that volume that comes out. If you could see
the score line of the floor, from the score line of the floor down, there's a beam that holds that corner that's floating, you know, above where the entrance of the garage is. My my pro my question would be if I bring the cladding to the
floor line then what's above the floor line? You have cladding and then stuckle. We tried to keep it at that level because that's where the uh the massing end starts and ends. you know, if we brought it up,
uh, you know, unless we brought the the window all the way to the left, so it would stop under the window where the, uh, you know, the the box in window is. But that's basically the reason it it stopped there is because the uh there's
a three-foot mass mass uh uh beam that's holding up the second floor and the third floor there and over the garage. Yeah, I I I sort of like I I like how it is in the delineation. Um I don't want to get too lost in the in the weeds
here. Um because at the end of the day, you know, we're here to we're not it's not our we're not here to solve the problems, you know, we're just here to to say, okay, this the intention is being realized. It should be softened here. All of these different comments.
Um I also wanted to mention too, so clearly the takeaway is we all seem to agree that the facade needs to be refined in some sort of way. Maybe it's softened, maybe it's playing with the volumes of the windows and the
locations, um the stairwell, etc. Um and and some Another thing that Laura brought up that I also wanted to to agree with is the screening for the garage. Um I'm actually surprised that that you guys I mean, usually it seems
like in the past staff has been pretty strict about what is and isn't allowed. At least from the materials that you provided, it looks very utilitarian and this might be a really good place to create something a little bit more artistic that would give um maybe soften
up the facade in some sort of way. Aren't there isn't there in the code of what these screens can and cannot look like? Would you want it more solid or more or or more see-through? Well, actually more see-through what you would see, you know, the the ceiling and the garage and
the duck and the plumbing and all that, but you're you're saying it should be more like uh more the scale the scale of it kind of looks like like a cage. Um I'm so sorry to say I think like either you know make it more open or or it could be solid. I
I just I think that the scale is off. It's very small. Um and then you have these big masses. I think there's there's something there's an alternative m material there that would be that door is set back 5T by the way. We we moved it back so that it would you
know set back as a as a secondary plane and we can we make it any material that's acceptable to to the board you do the does the city have guidelines as to what those gates we we don't have specific guidelines. We did include a condition in the order and
I I I neglected to state that in my presentation that the final design details of the parking garage and door uh shall be cons uh submitted in a manner to review reviewed and approved by staff because they you're right they didn't provide uh the kind of detail that we typically see. I should I should have mentioned that in my report but we
that is a concern that we had that we wanted that to be um elaborated because there was not a lot of detail on that. Yeah, I think I I personally think, you know, a great opportunity to create a an interesting gesture on this design would be to have the gate be some sort of
artistic, you know, I mean, it's metal. You can do many different things. Um, I I I think that that that's just an opportunity like a screen. Yeah. Right. It it's just, you know, at least what you've depicted here seems just very utilitarian, like something I'm just going to pull down to cover up, you
know, a dumpster in an alleyway and this building deserves more. Um, I would say something maybe not so solid if cuz you have so many you have the solid volume next to it. Something a little bit lighter. Um, and yeah, that you can
maybe that's where the lightness comes from that offsets the larger, you know, expanses of white on the other parts of the facade. Um, I also and also, you know, I I I almost I I don't know. I'm going to go back to putting a big tree.
It'd be great if there could be a tree more in in the front of the building to soften it. the um I didn't really understand what you were saying and and it piggybacks onto staff's comments about um having full walls along the side for the
parking is that you were saying it it should be full walls or half walls and then Gustavo it seemed like your solution was landscaping. No, no, no. We we do have a 6ft high wall uh at at all three uh you know property
lines a 6ft high perimeter wall and it's in the plans. It's in the uh it's in the the site plan. We would like we would like a wall as high as the code allows. We didn't notice it in the plans. It might be on one of the elevations but it wasn't in the u
in the site plan. One of the things that I also didn't see was a railing along the the the access corridor along I guess it's the east side because it seemed you know you go up a few steps. Doesn't there need to be a railing there
or Mhm. Is that I didn't notice that the the actual uh um the driveway slopes with those steps pretty much at the same elevation as the steps and the height difference between that the landing and
the and the ground the ground is going to burm up with the steps on the other side. So the L, if you're looking at the landscaping, it's going to burm up and then the uh the driveway also slopes up. So there's no real difference to
falling, you know, as far as a required having a a railing there or anything. No, I meant the area between the building next door. I mean, maybe I'm Oh, I don't there. I'm not I don't believe that they're going to need a railing there. Okay. It's not as high. It was hard to see with the the designs. So if you look
at page four, which is a side plan, it shows how we have a a 6ft high retaining wall and uh garden wall at all three sides. And then in the front where you need the visibility triangle, we bring
it down to uh to 2'6. So, we didn't put it in the rendering because it would it would kind of like uh block a lot of the view, but it is in the in the side plant. You can see. Does that satisfy your condition?
That Yes, that's Yeah, because the the the goal is for headlights to not shine into the neighboring property and other lights. Okay. Right. Right. Right. No, we actually need it for a retaining wall, too. Part of it the the part below the the grade would be to hold back the grade that we
have to build up. because the site is that much higher for and and just to make sure all of the the plants that they recommended because I'm assuming there's going to be a lot of shade. I mean, these buildings are very close. They're all sort of shade plants.
They don't need a lot of sunlight. Uh let's see. Basically, the south is on the right side of that rendering. So, it's probably going to get plenty of sun, you know, from like 10 to to three because the sun travels
all the way around that right side. On the other side is probably where you're going to have the least light on the north side on the left side of the building, which is facing north. So, so the uh you know the landscaping there is not as uh as as profound and also we're we're
trying to beautify the area on the right side because that's where all the entrances to the units are. So those I think we we'll be okay. Okay. Okay. Also we we can provide a tree or or trees in the front in that front planter
to create and soften the elevation a little bit. I feel like those that's sort of what we were, you know, we were just sort of getting you to explore some options. Um, any other comments, thoughts? No, also the uh the you talked about the
circular stair. If you look at page uh page seven, that stair is set back about, you know, 25 ft from the property line.
So, it's not really in the front of the facade of the building. It's more toward the rear and it accesses the rooftop terrace. You see the the circular stair on the left? Yeah. Yeah. It's really set back from the building
on that at that level. The building is going to be at about 30 feet. So, yeah, it it won't be that pronounced. Yeah. as far as the visibility of it. Okay. Yeah. No, thanks for clarifying that, which is a shame because I do
think that that's the sort of element that would be helpful to, you know, offset the sort of severity and boxiness of some of the elements along the front. Right. Right. Right. Anyway, the problem with these these properties is they're they're so small that if you look if you really look at the the the
shape of the building, it is a box. They're all boxes because you, you know, you're going up to the property line and the setbacks. So, basically what we tried to do was create volumes within that that that rectangular area either by using you know mass against window or
you know that was the only the only way in these small lots to create some kind of a you know penetration to the building. Yeah. No, I personally think that you did a really good job with the program and these seem to be, you know, livable,
nice units and I think that the project is going to be, you know, certainly beneficial for the community. I I feel like overall it's very positive. Um, just a little refinement. Um, I I would say, you know, we've given you lots of ideas to work with staff um to to work
on that. Does anybody have a motion that they want to make about the project? Anyone can I just give one more suggestion? Sorry. Because we we and I think we've we've talked about it a lot and again just a suggestion
because it sounds like, you know, there's going to need to be some refinement on the front facade. Um, you know, perhaps when we were talking about bringing the cladding to the to the brake line and the concrete, you know, maybe instead of doing that, we you
could maybe eyebrow the the garage door and maybe that'll b that would add to a balance of space. That would kind of bring down the pedestrian experience almost to break up the levels. Um maybe that won't work, but that's something I
would consider exploring um to kind of resolve the issue that we all seem to have with just how the massing is. Um and then you show show it on the show it on the uh on an elevation so we know where Sure. Um okay, I'm looking at page 21
of the um presentation. That's Yeah, that one's fine. Um maybe above the garage door, maybe that that's you add an eyebrow there, right? And it and it that might just help break up the space and also balance out the left and right sides of the building. Um
again, like like Scott said, I don't want to tell you what to do with the building, but just just to as a suggestion to No, I I have we have no problem with you. You're saying where that where that volume becomes like a box just bring out
uh let's say a twoft overhang like eyebrow that turns all the way around the corner. Um I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing. I'm talking about over the garage door. Maybe that's just a new a new a new eyebrow there.
Are you and were you talking about the window on the second on the first livable floor? And again, I don't I don't I don't want to, you know, we don't have to take this by heart, but just just offering another suggestion to address the issue that
we're all having to just explore explore there. Mhm. So I think I think maybe that we can move forward with some suggest some suggestions about what you and staff can work on to,
you know, do the home stretch. Um, you look at page 23, you can see that that volume, page 23, the volume that overhangs the garage entrance. Yeah. You can see how it overhangs about five
feet. You were saying to put an eyebrow at where the overhang. Yeah, I maybe maybe that won't work. I I I'm just trying to think of other ways to address the the offbalance and bring Well, we can we can try that as far as, you know, bring it bring it out two feet
and then turn the corner and give it a an eyebrow which would kind of match the fenestration on that box window. Yeah. To the other side. That may that may be the solve. I don't just just an idea. So I I think I think what we're going to
leave you with is it seems like this it's something that we're going to approve this with recommendations being to look at other options. Play with the placement of eyebrows, the location and extent of um the tile
cladding. This is all on the front facade. Um the corner windows. Again, we don't have all the answers, but it's something to sort of work with staff to figure out how to the ultimate goal is to make the front elevation look less
severe. Would you say that that's and you know with tree placement and cohesion and to make to make sure that all the elements in the front facade are cohesive with one another as well as with the interior of the space. Um, and to play with maybe add landscaping,
soften it, as well as attention to the screening to make it more open and, you know, some sort of more artistic, less utilitarian gesture. Um, was that roller door? So, would this return to
So, I mean, that's what if if we we now have to vote, do we want to approve it based on those conditions or do we want to continue it and see it again? You know, do you Oh, no. Don't continue it. I know that's up for us to decide and that's where I'm going. I think we're we're going to need to continue
this because um I I'm not totally convinced convinced right now and I find that it's extremely busy the the facade and it's just not cohesive and you know so I would like to see it return in the future.
Okay. How how would how would you how would you you know a motion Gustavo I'm going to interrupt you. A motion has been made that we now need to vote on. So Gabe made a he made a motion. Is there a second to continue? Okay. Aquila is
second. That's the September meeting. Okay. Yeah. Well, we have to vote on it. All in favor? I I Okay. Okay. Yes. So, can you have all of these changes made by the September 11th meeting or would it be better for
October? No, I can do September. The only thing is I would need I would need more clarification on how to do the changes because um So is that something that that you could work on with him? We can work with you. Yeah. I mean, you definitely have a good sense of of where we were going and and
what was going on. Yeah. I I feel like it's it seems like it's just a few little tweaks can get you there. Thank you very much. And and just speak with staff. We can reach out and meet next week and and go over go over some of these suggestions. Okay. Sounds good. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I don't I I wanted to ask something not related to this, but I know that we're the design review, but do when these when these projects come like this, you know, is infrastructure taken into consideration with like
drainage and parking and all that that the the parking we we address as part of our zoning review. The infrastructure drainage, that's part of the building permit process. So once the design is approved, that's that goes into the architectural set of plans. Once they get this approval, then they move into the building permit set where
they have to do mechanical, electrical, plumbing. This is pre what we're doing is pre to because they don't if if the design is not approved, it doesn't make sense for them to start working on all the other things. Okay. And makes sense. Thank you for the clarification. Okay. Um, so we've we're finished with
the new application. There are some discussion items. Are are you in the audience for the discussion items for the parklets? For the parklets. Okay. Because also it's 12:30 and Scott, you said you have to leave at 1:45. Yeah, 1:40 actually.
I wonder if we can take maybe like a 20 minute lunch break. That'll get us and then because I don't think those other two items are going to be that long to discuss. I mean, we don't know as much about what it is.
Do you think we could do all of it before? guidance. Should we just try through for Okay, I think the sidewalk should be a real quick discussion. Okay, let's first so we can get out of here. Okay. So, yeah, let Should we try the parklets? It's up to you. Yeah, if you'd like.
Yes. Um, if we're going to start with the parklets, I just in your packets. Um, what you have before you are the existing parklet guidelines in the front. Those are those are um in effect. And then towards the end of that packet, you'll see uh some recommended changes
um for the uh parklet design guidelines that that uh that we'll be discussing now. Okay. Um am I able to pull up the PowerPoint submitted? Yeah. PJ, can we pull up the I think
there was a PowerPoint for the Parklets. All right, pulling it up one moment here. This is item 10. Parklets. Awesome. All righty. So, the idea here is to update the existing parklet guidelines based on kind of the lack of design
elements that are currently on there. Originally, when the parklet design guidelines were made, it was more with a focus on safety and and just all the elements of protection for the diners rather than so much how it looks. So the end result right now is and you'll see
here we have a lot of parklets mainly on Washington Avenue and they have all sorts of different looks that take away from beautifification other than instead of adding it. So right now as you can see here a lot of them have inappropriate buffer materials made. Uh
they have all sorts of different inconsistencies with the umbrella design. Uh some of them have taken it upon themselves to add fans to their uh parklets which what is not in the guidelines. there's a lack of verbiage in there that opens that up for them. Um, and it just overall we're trying to
get more consistency so that it beautifies City M Beach. Um, as you can see here on the left hand side, this is on page six of the existing guidelines. This shows more or less uh what we want them to implement uh as part of the
parkllet submission. And on the right hand side, we have more or less what public works asked for them when they applied as part of the outdoor dining program. So, as you can see, there are more elements in the site plan because we do ask them to add water barriers and more specifications of clear passageway,
wheel stops, and this doesn't necessarily translate on the existing guidelines. It's not there right now. So, the idea is that the design elements will be improved. Um, this is an example. I believe this is on kiscane. This is one of the parklets that they
had back then. Uh this 2021 I believe. But as you can see, it's a the idea is to not make it as cluttered. It's to have a open when when someone passes by these parklets, you're able to see the frontage and it's more open to the dining uh experience. So uh as part of
that, we want to make sure that the language for water barriers is added to the existing parklet guidelines. We want to restrict the fan use that they have the operators have taken upon themselves to add there. just doesn't look very nice. Um, right now the language of the concession agreement allows operators to
add roll down tarps, which is great when you have ocean drive sidewalk seating, but not so much on these parklets. So, we want to restrict that and change the language of the outdoor dining so that we no longer see those roll down tarps. Um, changing the overall style, specifying specific market style
umbrellas will do wonders for the look. Right now, we have u all sorts of types of umbrellas out there. Um, and we want to take more of a direction because we have also the existing Ocean Drive guidelines and just kind of simplify the look of these umbrella so it's all uniform. Um, restrictive of existing
signage um, and just specifically add on here on the existing uh, location criteria of of where these buffer materials should be and of what specific type. uh when these were made originally, especially with the water barriers, it wasn't taken into consideration FOT requirements and and
transportation requirements. So, we want to just make sure and add those specifications also to standardize planter usage. We have all sorts of lack of verbiage and all sorts of different planters added out there that we want to make sure, hey, you can have ABC plants and in this manner. Um right now these
are some examples here of some of the enclosures that the operators have taken upon themselves to add. Uh as you can see um because public works does require them to add the water barriers and transportation. Um they've taken upon themselves to more or less add different
type of enclosures to these water barriers. Each of them have their own ideas right now of what is considered a beautifification aspect. Um these are kind of examples of more or less what we want to standardize. As you can see in this case, they enclosed it with some
type of wooden material uh around their their seating and with an exterior screen. Uh we want to standardize that exterior screen so that we have one uniform look. Right now we have all sorts of screens out there. Some of them don't even use it. Some of them um put
stickers on the water barrier. So it's all so very ununiform right now. Um, an idea submitted here is for putting a certain type of planter planter size on top of the existing water berries and then enclosing them with the screens there that looks all
flush. Um, it would be low height plants that can go over the existing screen and um it would have uh the necessary drainage and um fit well with the existing idea of
what's already on these guidelines. uh as mentioned earlier. So the umbrellas, the idea is to take the ideas from our existing ocean drive guidelines and restrict the type of umbrellas that they can have. In this case, we're looking more of a market profile aspect, no bigger than 9 ft 6 in. And then to
limit the color and logo size on those umbrellas out so it's not screaming at you when you walk by. Additional recommendations also um we can go with different styles of water barriers that allow for the easier placement of these planters to go on
top. As you can see here, um we also want to work closer with the co code team to just make sure that they understand what we're trying to accomplish once this is all down. And the example here, as you can see, exposed water bears with approved planter boxes uh and a long limiting
seating can open that that look that we want to achieve here that's not currently reflected on these guidelines. Any questions? That picture is not in Miami Beach, is it? No, that's okay. That's on Newport Rhode Island,
actually. Okay. So what you want from us is some guidance, some approval. Yes. So this uh came about um as a commission recommendation to have these updated and we're going through the
process here to make sure that these elements are clearly uh communicated and made sure that it it can be approved in this manner. So I have some feedback. So, what what you presented looks cute, but it doesn't look Miami
Beach at all to me. Uh, and I got to tell you, the biggest concerns I have with this is today is a perfect day to do it. Walk down Washington Avenue at about 5:00. It is the hottest, most ungodly place you can ever be on the east side of
Washington Avenue. On Ocean Drive, you have buildings, you have shade. on Washington Avenue, you are in it's un it's it's unusable. And so to say they can't use fans and then to put little umbrellas, I think you got to make these usable. And and
I'm sorry to say, but this is just not going to be usable in the afternoon dinner hours with that sun that hits Washington Avenue, especially in and and actually I like to say that the the existing guidelines right now actually restrict their umbrella size to sixoot umbrellas. So this would actually
be Yeah. I mean, but you know, I always go to this. The city I was on the transportation committee for like 8 years and the city made it impossible for anybody to pull over to deliver something. They put bumpouts. So now the cars now the delivery trucks stop in the middle of the street and now they're
putting those ungodly cones. If you have something that doesn't actually serve the purpose that it's meant to serve, then it's not going to be usable for anybody. I'm not being critical. I'm just being like, we're doing this. Let's come up with a solution. I I'm sure you've seen in New York City, they have
little structures around them because it gets cold there and they're able to close plastic windows and they have a waterproof roof. I mean, I would consider maybe something like that. Washington is a very different creature than Ocean Drive
just from the the the street is not pleasant necessarily and the sun is brutal. I mean, it's just absolutely brutal from 1:00 on. So, that's my my thing. I mean, is this cuz this says from 2021. Is this what you're proposing?
This is actually that's the original. It hasn't been changed since it came out. That's that's the only version we have right now. Okay. If you go towards the end, you see the recommendations. If you go p Yeah. And actually that rendering on the front is is not correct because now we
require the water barriers which is a solid you will have a solid wall. I guess that's the question. What are what what is being proposed? I mean, it seems like you've got just just the umbrellas
and and the other pictures that you shown here. Um, sorry, give me a sec. That the umbrellas, no signage treating the water barriers so that they don't look like water barriers ideally. Um, that's the screening. The screening
and then like the pictures that you show like right there, right? So that's that's what's out there right now. That that is there right now. And that's the sort of enclosure that Scott is saying is is important. Yeah. I mean for I mean let's face it here you have you have terrible
rainstorms and you have a brutal sun when it's not raining. So to the umbrellas are cute but they don't do anything. Especially when the sun's coming from the side. They're they're useless. But the problem is that hysteresically when you have those tarps coming down and all the plastic it looks
start to look like. But do you understand there there's a middle ground between this juryrigged thing and saying that you have cute umbrellas that are un they're worthless. I mean and I mean I I want to get there like we want to find the Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I'm just I I think
it would be interesting to me to look at the elements that do work and and if anybody's done it nicely, but clearly there's a pattern of big umbrellas that get give you protection from rain and sun. That's number one. And number two,
I mean, figure out a way to incorporate fans or or because it's it's just not usable. So, we want people to use them. We want them to be cool. And I think rather than having one specific standard, you might have two or three or
four options so that you have a little variety that maybe maybe somebody on and truthfully I'm thinking about this on the west side of the street, I don't know how many cafes there are, but that's a less brutal sun environment, whereas on the east side of the street,
you really really need that some kind of shade protection. So whether you have um a structure overhead with things that roll down so when the sun comes you can roll them down at the worst time of day and still use them like like solar
shades like we have in windows. Um I I'm not trying to shoot it down but I don't think that one sizefits-all for the west side and the east side of the streets here. And this is all great feedback like we we definitely this is the type of conversation we want to have to get to the right place. Yeah. You see what I'm saying though?
Like cuz again I've seen all these things done to for safety or for aesthetics and if they don't people don't use them. They just built a park in um Sunset Harbor and I can't believe I didn't catch it cuz it's the thing I catch. They they put the entrance to the
park like 20 ft from where people walk from the Venetian Causeway to Sunset Harbor. Everybody wants to cut through the park but they didn't put a walkway there. So what are people are climbing over boulders and they're trampling over plants because that's where the walk
that's where it naturally goes. This is the same situation where if you don't have protection from rain that works and protection from sun on the west on the east side of the street then it's not going to be usable. I mean it's just not
you know and then the area that this that this is allowed is Washington Avenue but also Sunset Harbor. I think my question too for and is this a sort of joint public's works planning department thing is you know what's the idea do you
does the city want to encourage restaurants to grow out into the street is this feedback that you're getting from the restaurants I know that this was a really important thing during co but we've scaled back like is and is that also the plan because I know you're
now putting these things where there's parking spaces and is that you are are we doing this to encourage restaurants to have these parklets to take over the parking spaces or not? Or I guess we need a little more context. I I don't think it's to it it's it's
allowed. So it's it's a program that we have today. They have to pay money to to be able to use that parking space. Um and if we're going to allow it to continue, we want it to be done properly. Um we're not looking to encourage it or discourage it. It's it's allowed and and and they can do it now.
It's just we want to we want it done correctly. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I I I agree with Scott that first of all, I think that the drawing that you had that had the water barrier with the screen and like that's love that's definitely an upgrade, but I agree it does have to have a sensitivity
to shade and rain. And I think I would think too that the restaurant owners are investing so much in these structures that they're going to want to be they're going to want to be able to serve people when it's raining or when it's really hot. Yeah. Yeah. That's the thing because a lot of
these especially Washington, they're such tiny spaces and if they put tables and there's a rainstorm, they can't put people inside. It's like it it's it's a wash out. So, um I you know I almost would say reach out to kids to to architecture schools
or something do a contest and say let's have a concept for these because they could be really cool and like I saw some really neat ones in New York that they kind of had wooden things and I think they've dismantled a lot of them now. Um I don't know that you know like you had
a good question. I didn't even ask are are these Yeah. Like you know what are we doing with them? But I think that and and neighborhoods are really different. I mean, what works on Washington Avenue is not going to be Sunset Harbor, Ocean Drive. And so I think you have to have some
options particularly again roll down things so that when it's either raining or super sunny when you're facing that way and some kind of um shade that's waterproof, I don't think umbrellas necessarily do it. And you know, I I think it's ch I think it's challenging
challenging on the street. the streets weren't designed right and we could definitely look at different concepts other than in addition to umbrellas or other than umbrellas to see uh what can work what can also you know so it could look good it could be uniform and be useful most
I've seen other cities where they as expansion of the public parks like the vegetation creates a shade and it creates like a barrier between street and the yeah there's no room here for that I guess no room for that but well and I also think to
instead of going with lots of little umbrellas, if there was one big one and that at least maybe the people on the edge aren't getting as much coverage, but the ones on the inside are okay, you know. Um, or some kind of not ugly frame that you
could attach and detach roof and side things to depending on the roll up, roll down. I don't know. I I don't know what the solution is. And I it sounds really hard, but I'm sure there's a solution. Mhm. But I also think it's it's valid and I mean I know this is a project with
the city. I also think it's valid to ask the question, why are we doing this? Is do we want to see all these little, you know, restaurants springing up on the street? Is that the look that we're going for? I mean, already these are not aesthetically pleasing to a lot of us. At least on Ocean Drive, the outdoor
cafes are on the large sidewalk and it's defined versus having the street. Do we want to add more to the streetscape or is the property itself like I would say I I would say anything to activate Washington Avenue is helpful. But in
Sunset Harbor, you know, I don't really know if encouraging restaurants to take up more of the street space and parking space is where we want to go or is even necessary because there's so much empty restaurant space there to begin with and the sidewalks on a lot of places are
very wide. So I I think it just sort of depends. I think it's worth it through the process to ask the big picture question and as of now like for example if an applicant on Sunset Harbor wanted to in front of them use the parking spaces they are allowed to. Right. Right. Which I I mean I don't know personally as somebody who likes to
drive likes to go to Sunset Harbor and I always drive. I like parking spot you know and I know the garage is there and I use the garage but it's just more convenient and and the streets aren't as wide as they are on Washington Avenue. Um,
yeah. So, it's it's sort of again to Scott's point too that it just needs to be count uh context specific, you know, and then what happens if these starts springing up in North Beach and in all those and how is that going to look and feel and function? So, we have determined that we we
generally do not want to have these parklets on F.Oros because that creates a whole different layer of of approvals. Um, so we are only approving them on Washington, Sunset, 11th Street, 20th Street. I know. Um,
what's this? There's there's a place on 20th that has the double park lid out there and it's in a back street so it's not too visible. Um, so that's kind of the idea more or less where we want to approve these parklets in the future. Um, K, I can just add a couple of things. I agree
with what you guys were saying like the no fans thing kind of was like that was um but but going back to like I guess why you came to us for aesthetic reasons and things like that. I'm looking at the umbrella slide. I mean I I don't have a problem with
valances on an umbrella. I think that that adds character. Is there a specific reason why you don't want them? Just for the over so you could see through from the street. You could see the frontage of the restaurant cleaner. It's just for a cleaner look. Um,
we can obviously explore it and look into maybe limiting the umbrellas, setting them to a certain size so that each covers a certain parking spot. Um, these are all things that we can reconsider. Yeah. And I mean, as Sarah was saying, like maybe like one giant umbrella, you know, that can act as the shade and and
the rain barrier and then the valances actually help with that. But um I just wanted to add that I also the the color requirements also I was like are we going a little too far here? I think you know solid
only I've I see you know there's like striped umbrellas those are very cute. I think those add character. I think just limiting the color palette into solids only is too much in my opinion. I think there's room for creativity there if if
the restaurant especially like we just had a restaurant application in here and they have a they have a kind of well-known color scheme or or whatever. So, if there's opportunity to allow the restaurants to kind of fit in with that, I I would be in favor of of that being a
little less restrictive on color and solids only. Um, and then the last thing I'll say is if we could expand maybe on what the exterior screen potential is. Like I I think I don't have the print out, but like just getting this is like
the only thing wasn't like helpful to me. So I don't know if there's other examples of seeing like successful screens would be great. Um, but yeah, that's awesome. I I I agree. We should have better guidelines here. But those
are that's that those are my observations. Thank you. I'm really glad you brought up the color scheme that also and I think it makes a good point of like if a restaurant has a certain brand color palette. I wonder if I wonder if maybe a happy medium is to
say, "Okay, these are our preferred colors, but you know, it it's open, I don't know, to suggestion or discussion or or whatever it is." I mean, like sort of like how we have here where like if you make a really good case, it would be okay. I I would also I also
and I would shy away from white awnings just because it seems like they get so dirty so easily. White umbrellas. I I I get complaints all the time. White umbrellas, Ocean Drive, and you get dirty. Yeah, I mean that might that also might be something to add cuz there were
actually two whites on your list. That was the But yeah, I I agree. I think that you know, our brand is so is colorful and lively and um you know, I think that that's maybe up to the discretion of of whether it's public works, whoever is reviewing it, but to
to say listen, it could be Yeah. Yeah. I love I love the ideas. Yeah. Yeah. Think outside the box on this one. You know, the other thing I just looking at this this it's funny. You can see the need, right? There's a couple fans in the pictures you showed and then there's the attachment between the two umbrellas
of something so the water doesn't drain on everything. And that's how like you can see what the needs are. You can see what they need to do. So the question is how do you create creativ creatively um enable that? And then are you going
to like what about the existing ones that maybe don't conform to these guidelines? What happens? So the the idea is since the this is all part of the outdoor dining concession uh program and the current contract is 2 years expires September 30th 26. So the idea is to implement these changes on
the next renewal of the contract and then if necessary provide a buffer time for them to update these parklets during that new contract period. And do you ever as part of the process and maybe being a can of worms here, do you ever talk to the restaurant owners? Yes. Okay. About what they've
get their feedback all the time to get see what works for them really. Ultimately, we're here to try to make it work best for them. Okay. Thank you. Okay, cool. Any other comments? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Um, safety wise, I don't like this at all.
This came about as a result of CO. Um, and as a result of something happening in Barcelona, we ended up putting barriers on Ocean on link uh, sorry, on Lincoln Road and the entrances. But what is to happen if somebody goes
crazy here and runs over into these people and there's no safety? So that's number one. And number two, in a city that has so many parking issues, we're going to hear take away more parking. It just doesn't make sense.
So, let's let's let's let's give less parking and let's make it less safe for the sake of aesthetics. And that's where I'm at. So, I do not like
I was pro this during CO. We need to move on past CO. I would like to, you know, I I I just don't agree with this. I think it looks crappy. um as it is now, I think safety wise is a
major crisis to be happen. I mean, you never know when someone goes crazy or or or or just didn't take their meds that day and something could happen and we'd have no protection. And the other thing again is parking. Uh let's take more parking away
from a city that has parking issues. Questions? Good. Good point. Yeah. Yeah. Have have you considered I mean because it is on the street, what has that discussion been? Um historically um and I think that's how the water barrier conversation came up in the first place uh from the
original design is that that was determined to be properly safer at the time. Um the the idea is that this park lit program is got put in part of as the outdoor dining contract. So regardless
of what happens right now, they are through contract September 30th, 2026. Whether we want to revamp it, remove it, or otherwise, then we'd have to explore those options. But the directive right now was to beautify them rather than remove them. I think you bring up some really good
concerns. I'm glad you said something. K, do you have any other any other comments? It's really what what makes me concerned about it is that my spouse has an insurance agency. So, it's all about insurance, insurance, insurance, and we're not protecting our people here.
You know, we're we're we're exposing them if anything. So, that's where I'm at. I mean, it doesn't mean that we can't have some barriers that are more protective, number one, uh or or safer, but
you know, I don't know. I I I I see this as a something in the making that could could hurt us in the end. I do have one disagreeance about parking. Uh my opinion, the city should emphasize
walkability and pedestrians pedestrian experience. So this is the idea of when you add more parking or you add more lanes to the highway, it doesn't necessarily cut down traffic. just adds more cars and less walkability, but to emphasize the pesting experience and emp
emphasize the walkability of air area have uniform design. I think that's something that be championed and explored. And the feedback that you know the folks that operate these things, they're going to tell you that super necessary for their business, especially on Washington with the limited sidewalk
space that they need it. I'll I'll listen to them first rather than someone who has a car because I feel like we prioritize cars too much at this point. progress. But that's our problem then. You know, we're we're only Okay. Yes, I understand. Walkability. Great. Da da
da. But then people aren't coming. People are not coming because parking. People are not coming because there's lack of parking and and the parking that there is is 20 bucks a night an hour. So that's also a problem. you know, we're trying to fix a problem, but we're not
focusing on the real issue, which is is is a parking issue, you know, and then you have these trucks that block the road because they have to deliver. And yes, you know, police or or other law enforcement agencies, you know, direct
them in a way where they should park, but you know, sometimes you come down Washington Avenue and what's holding these the the roads and the traffic are the trucks that are trying to deliver because they're in these areas where these extensions are. So, I don't know.
Yes, we can beautify it. We can make it good, but we're not going to solve the problem like that. I think we can all then start a whole long conversation about transportation and parking and everything that I'm sure that you have other important things that you need to do. Although as I love
those conversations um but for the sake of time and as a resident I understand by the way completely I get it. Do you feel like everybody got out of the discussion what the goals were and that you know I think it's good you know the opinion of
five people and five stakeholders so good any other okay um okay did we want to talk about the sidewalks too sure yeah okay so we don't we don't have any exhibits sorry we don't have any exhibits for that item
the discussion item is where should the sidewalks be Miami each red and where should they be? Your standard uh gray concrete sidewalk um options historic. Should they be limited to historic Thank you very much. Should they be limited to historic districts? Uh commercial
corridors, commercial districts, specific neighborhoods? That's kind of the the idea for this this uh discussion item. Um so just looking for feedback. Is it is there any guidelines now? Is it just sort of arbitrary or where you know
where the pink like I know there's pink sidewalks in some residential neighborhoods but there seems to be lots of different colored sidewalks in different places. Yeah. In Sunset Harbor there's they're not they're not red. Um I I don't know if we have something documented exactly
where where it needs to be. And I think that's part of the goal here is to create that guidance to have that formal guidance. And then on Washington Avenue, are they pink? Washington Avenue is a R. Yes. Okay.
The Deco District, they are I don't think anybody knows I or a lot of people don't know this goes back Carl Fischer did this and Carl Fischer developed Monttok in Long Island and they have red sidewalks and he did it in Miami Beach. And the
reason they said it could cut down on glare and also because it was um like rolling out the red carpet. It's more expensive than white and people complain that the colors are different. As somebody who like has lived here for over 30 years, I always thought it was
really special and I always loved having conversation with people like why do we have red sidewalks? So for me, the different colors that end up happening with the reds when they fade and whatever are not as much of an issue. I think it's fun when new sidewalk goes down and it's super red and people talk
about it and I think it's like one of the very few historic things that can't be built out or turned into a white box or whatever. And so I kind of love the idea of red sidewalks everywhere. They should they did it on Bellis. did white
sidewalks for the new development and it looks stupid and it's sad. So, I think especially I don't know for me they would go I'd go red everywhere they're not. Um I think Alex put a thing about changing them all at once or whatever. I wouldn't do that. I would just say when they're doing new sidewalks I would like
to see them red everywhere. But that's me. So when when was that vote that we wasn't there a vote a number of years ago? Do you remember? 2019 the 20 and everybody it seemed like unanimously wanted to spend more on the red on the red I I don't know so they cost more that was my question
they c they cost more 20% it cost 20% more and yeah I don't remember what the vote was but it it seemed pretty strong like it it seemed people sort of preferred it. I don't know. Um cuz I know I didn't even realize having grown up here. I didn't even I didn't even
notice it. Like somebody was like, "Oh, why are the sidewalks red my beach?" And I was like, "Why aren't they red anywhere else?" I mean, it's so ingrained in our culture and everything. But I'm curious for those that moved here, you know, did you have any did that strike you or I don't know. Does
that become part of our brand? I love it, too. Um I I I agree. I think it seems like it's worth the cost. I think it's very cute and I agree that like the change in time you don't you kind of forget about it until you see a new sidewalk being poured and it's I
think that's really charming. Um I'm from Tampa. We don't do it but there's like a town in St. Petersburg that does it and they call it like the pink streets and it's very iconic and I think that it's I think that it's a it's really charming and I'm I'm with you Scott everywhere where they're pouring
new sidewalks. I'm in favor of that. Yeah. Coming from DC, they don't re have red boats, but I like them personally. I also think that they hide the dirt more. Oh, yeah. So, you know, it's not like you see that
the mildew on it as much as you see it on a on a white one, for example. It stands off right away. So, I'm I'm in favor of I like it, too. Yeah. Why why was this why did this come up again? Um it was referred I believe by the land
use committee. They requested that the that it be discussed by by the land use boards. So I would say not only do we all seem to like it since I I think the city should embrace it more. They should say let us roll out the red carpet the red sidewalk. Like I think it would be
a thing for people to notice and to do and it's fun and it's lighthearted and um it's iconic. I mean again mtok Carl Fischer did it. I think that's so cool, right? Yeah. No, I think it's an opportunity for another way to brand ourselves as different and as like an arts and
culture destination and something that makes us unique. And yeah, I don't know why we would I've never really been bothered at all by the variations in color. And yeah, I and I would say as both a design review board member as
well as a private citizen, I think everybody really likes the red sidewalks. And it doesn't seem to matter that it's a little bit more expensive. Okay. It's, you know, it's like saying, "Oh, let's just have regular lighouses. I mean, lifeguard stands, you know, like those are they've become like an iconic
part of who we are and what people expect and what they envision." So, in my opinion, the more pink the better. And and I would like to add that as a result of having those lifeguards being individualized, there's other cities now in the globally that are copying those
same ones because I just came from Aleante in Spain and they have those identical ones that makes you feel like you're on South Beach. So they're very iconic. So if anybody could copy our, you know, red sidewalks, more power to it or even be inspired to do their own
color, right? But I think I think we're good with red. Yeah. Okay. All right. Pretty good. Okay. Anything else? No other comments. Um I will say that the uh the
agenda for September is very full. So please make sure to be here. There's a lot that we have to get through. Thank you very much. Uh was there any other announcements? Um did you want to Scott, did you want to make a motion for a
You know, I wanted to discuss last time we we were discussing the pvious pavers, pvious materials under in an understory. And the whole reason that they were there was because it's for water management. But this this
house we were dealing with had a very sophisticated pumps system and what it would it would basically take care of what where they wanted to put impervious stuff. Um, we just found out though that the count
the state is about to override the local municipalities on anything that's more strict than what the state does, including the No, no. Anything that's more strict than what we had before? Oh. Than what we had before? Like specifically for pavers? No, no. Any regulation?
Everything. So basically any lesser standards ours would be. So, so we're looking at increasing permeability. That's that's our goal. Or improving uh flood management. Um we're at this point not allowed to become more
restrictive. Um there's a there's a moratorum on adopting ordinances for land development regulations that are more restrictive. So we we're things we're looking at. We this legislature session just ended. So we're we're we're reacting to what came out of that. So more restrictive but also more
resiliency forward. is just more restrictive anything restrictive in any it's good restrictive that we can't restrict my thing would it still would apply what happened we had a house that was so massive had such a massive understory that instead of putting
imper impervious pavers they wanted to put impervious solid concrete in one point because they argued it's such a huge space that the the tiles will um you know they'll sink and they'll they'll move. So they had a system that manages
the water. So since the whole purpose for me I was I was willing to to grant the variance because the whole purpose of that is to deal with water. Okay. And because they had a system that dealt with the water, they could have paid the whole thing and it wouldn't have
mattered. And since it was under the house anyway, it's not like it's exposed to sight or anything. I I thought if they have another system of managing it, you know, sometimes we have rule like it's like the side rule of the 60 ft thing. If you have other ways to
mitigate it, then let them do it another way instead of putting this thing on us. So that's what I wanted to have the discussion about and I I then it was to find out if in fact the the rules we had was based on the pviousness and water management and he said it was
so to me if they can come up with another solution as i.e. watt pumps and sister. They had a big sister in there in this house. So, so it was going to deal with it and so I had no problem waving that thing. But then how does that relate to
what you were saying about them changing the laws? We're looking at changing regulations to make to to provide for more permeability. Um, and that's coming as a result of a county regulation that's that's looking for municipalities to change their regulations to require more permeability. not necessarily an issue for us, but there's a lot of cities
where you you see the front of the homes and it's yeah 100% paved. Um so they're looking they're looking to they adopt regulations that apply to all cities within the county and and so that's one of the regulations that the county would like for cities to adopt. So we're having to make some changes to our
ordinance. Um we require a lot of permeability but they want us to require some more. Um and um so we're we're analyzing if that's possible at this point. Um But so then you're saying we may not have allowed what we did last
time allow it. Oh, we didn't and it's still there. So we I think we were checking to see if we were checking to see that was for storm water and it was so that so that would be I guess my emotion would be if they're revising this rule if it has to do with an understory permeability
and they have another way to mitigate it why not build that into the ordinance. Sistn for instance like I can't I'm not an engineer but the sistern was above and beyond so we could we could perhaps have a waiver that um really the only reason
if they had a water listen guys for what because it was important I was saying if they had a with the understory thing if the unit owner had a water management system i.e. This one had a sister. They literally built an injection well to
handle the runoff because this thing is so massive. That would work. So why would we care if the whole point of the right ordinance is permeability? Yeah. Yeah. So that's I wanted to maybe throw that in the mix. So what what the the board could do is
have a formal discussion item and and you could make a recommendation that we would transmit to the city commission um through an LTC and perhaps that they would change it. they would change. Yep. Because in the only and and this came up when we were in the discussion, it wasn't it was up for our approval.
It was a variance. Um and it's and it's actually and it's coming back. So, we probably shouldn't we we should talk about in uh you're saying change the regulations as opposed to what's happening now. It's coming to us anyway with everything. Well, this partic this
came up this time, but we have so many issues where the rules don't necessarily make sense when there's a way around it that everybody's using like that sidewall thing, right? Everybody there's a lot of ways to skin a cat or whatever they say. And so we keep having the same thing.
And why should this be a variance when the whole point of it is to prevent it's permeability or the equivalent, right? So you're trying to prevent them from coming here like to give it guidance. Is that what it is? Yeah. There's so many things that keep coming back to us that
unnecessarily unnecessarily. Okay, I get it. Cuz if they had no other V, they wouldn't have to come to us at all. And that's the kind of thing that staff should be able to me should deal with. So, let's discuss it then. Put it on. But we need it. Okay.
Yeah, I guess put it on. Okay. But not not September, right? Add another September. Put it on October. will be here the whole day. Yeah. Okay, that's all. Sorry. Okay. Anything else? Good. Okay. Well,
then have a wonderful August and everybody on September. Thank you very much.