Our Positions at the October 18th, 2022 Historic Preservation Board

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MDPL’s Advocacy Committee has reviewed the following applications and offers our positions below. Please note, the lack of a position on a project does not indicate support for or opposition to that project. To review the Historic Preservation Board Agenda, including public participation information: Click Here


REQUEST FOR CONTINUANCES/ WITHDRAWALS

HPB22-0515, 1665 & 1667 Washington Avenue

An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the total demolition of a Non-Contributing structure and the construction of a new office building.

Current Site

Proposed Structure

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An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the total demolition of a Non-Contributing structure and the construction of a new office building.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness with conditions.

MDPL Position:

MDPL believes that the proposed massing of this building is overwhelming to the adjacent historic building. Rather than blending in with the surrounding neighborhood context, it seems to overwhelm it. In reviewing the building program, approximately 50% of the floors appear to be dedicated to parking – though there is no required parking in the zoning code for this lot. We also are concerned about how the Palm Trees on the sidewalk could grow, as the building appears to jut out towards the sidewalk. We share the Staff’s concerns about the ground-level activation and materiality. However, we believe that only resolving this misses the bigger picture – the massing of this proposed structure is too large. We would suggest:

-Additional setback of the building from the property line – to make it more in-line with the Greenview

-Reducing the amount of parking inside the building in order to shorten the length of the building if the size of offices cannot be reduced

In summary, we believe this project could be successful with additional setbacks and refinements. However, we cannot support this project as currently designed.

HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS

HPB22-0526, 230 Palm Avenue

Current Site

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An application has been filed requesting the Historic Preservation Board to approve the designation of the existing home as an individual historic single-family residence.

The Designation Report can be viewed here.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

In view of the foregoing analysis, staff recommends the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness and variance be approved, subject to the conditions enumerated in the attached draft Order, which address the inconsistencies with the aforementioned Certificate of Appropriateness criteria and Hardship and Practical Difficulties criteria, as applicable.

MDPL Position:

MDPL is thrilled to see a single-family home designated as historic. We thank the homeowners for their proactive designation and we hope this is an inspiration for others in the neighborhood to do the same.

MODIFICATIONS TO PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BOARD ORDER

HPB22-0536 a.k.a. HPB20-0420, 1030 6th Street

Current Site

Proposed Structure

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An application has been filed requesting modifications to a previously issued Certificate of Appropriateness for the partial demolition, renovation and restoration of all buildings on the site and the construction of an attached addition as part of a new hotel development, including one or more waivers and variances to reduce the required setbacks, reduce the required open space and reduce the minimum hotel unit size. Specifically, the applicant is requesting design modifications to the previously approved project and modifications to the previously approved variances for the required open space and minimum hotel unit size requirements.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Continuance of the application to a date certain of December 13, 2022.

MDPL Position:

MDPL appreciates the applicant’s team spending time with our advocacy committee to discuss this project. We believe that the property is in need of rejuvenation as an important Henry Hohauser-designed complex at the perimeter of the historic district. The renovation and restoration of the two Hohauser front properties along 6th street will improve the surroundings greatly.

As far as the new addition, we agree with the Staff Report that it is out of context with the surrounding neighborhood as currently designed. This is in line with our prior position and that of Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association at the time the prior project was reviewed. In that case, the owner reduced the height of the new addition by one level and it also had a more sympathetic treatment for the facade of the rear Hohauser building.

There are items that we like about the new design, but we also believe that what faces 6th street should be consistent with the Flamingo Park Neighborhood. It also appears that there is more hardscape/concrete in this new version.

With the recommended continuance, we believe that further refinement can be made to ensure a more compatible project for this important entryway to the district.

HPB22-0541 a.k.a. HPB18-0208, 1685 Washington Avenue

Current Site

Proposed Structure

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An application has been filed requesting modifications to a previously issued Certificate of Appropriateness for the total demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new hotel including variances to reduce the required tower front setback for residential uses, to exceed the maximum allowed projection into required yards, to exceed the maximum number of stories and maximum building height, to reduce the required width of a drive aisle and to eliminate the distance separation required from structural columns to a drive aisle. Specifically, the applicant is requesting approval for design modifications to the roof deck/8th level of the building and modifications to the previously approved variance for the maximum building height.  

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Approval of modifications to the previously issued Certificate of Appropriateness with conditions. Approval of modifications to the previously issued variance with conditions.

MDPL Position:

MDPL is very concerned about plans that do not comply with original HPB approvals. We must strive to always ensure that all rules are followed by the applicants now and going forward.

NEW APPLICATIONS

HPB21-0455, 1052 Ocean Drive

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The Special Magistrate, on July 26, 2022, remanded to the Historic Preservation Board a previously submitted application for modifications to the Certificate of Appropriateness to amend conditions of the order relating to the operation of the rooftop.  The limited purpose of the remand is to determine whether the HPB will now approve the applicant’s underlying application with the imposition of additional reasonable conditions as proposed by the applicant.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Approval of the modifications to a previously issued Certificate of Appropriateness with conditions.

MDPL Position:

MDPL remains concerned about noise control and impacts to the neighborhood.

HPB22-0512, 8430 Byron Avenue

Current Site

Proposed Structure

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An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the partial demolition, renovation and restoration of the existing building, the construction of an attached rear addition and a variance to reduce the required side setback for a driveway.

Approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness with conditions.

Approval of the variance request.

MDPL Position:

We support the Staff recommendations. This project is a good example of restoring historical properties while adding rear additions. In the case of this historic property, we particularly appreciate the corner window treatment which is very MiMo and will see a new life through this restoration project.

HPB22-0538, 2701 and 2727 Indian Creek Drive, 233 27th Street and 230 28th Street

Current Site

Proposed Structure

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An application has been filed requesting a variance to reduce the minimum hotel unit size requirements.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Approval of the variance request.

MDPL Position:

We support the Staff recommendations

HPB22-0539, 1690 Collins Avenue

Current Site

Proposed Structure

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An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the partial demolition of a portion of an existing rooftop addition, the construction of a 2-story rooftop addition and a variance to reduce the minimum hotel unit size requirements.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Continuance of the application to a date certain of December 13, 2022.

MDPL Position:

Summary: We support the Staff Recommendations for a continuance

We thank the applicant and their team for meeting with us to review the project. We understand that the developer seeks to enhance the uses of the property to include more meeting space. In addition, we welcome the transformation of the existing open-air rooftop bar to an enclosed meeting space.

However, as currently proposed we believe that the massing is overwhelming the context of the existing Regent Hotel. The resulting proposal would have an approximately 3-story addition on top of a two-story Art Deco hotel. The massing as currently proposed appears to overwhelm the existing structure. Therefore, we concur with the Staff Report and urge a continuance in order for the applicant to develop a more contextual massing program for the proposed addition.

Summary: We support the Staff Recommendations for a continuance

What would Miami Beach be like without Historic Art Deco, Mediterranean, and MiMo buildings?

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