[00:00:01]
WE ARE GOING ON AIR IN 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH MEETING OF THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD.
UH, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.
A BUNCH OF, UM, US HERE IN THE MEETING AND SOME OF THE APPLICANTS GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
UH, BUT NOW WE ARE READY TO BEGIN AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL PROCEED VERY QUICKLY, UH, ROGELIO.
LET'S START OFF, UM, TAKING ATTENDANCE AND I'LL DO A, UM, A ROLL CALL.
I BROUGHT THE WRONG, I BROUGHT AN OLD, UH, OLD NAMING TABLE.
UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT, FIVE OUT OF THE SIX.
SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND WE CAN PROCEED WITH THE MEETING.
TODAY'S MEETING OF THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD HAS BEEN SCHEDULED IN A HYBRID FORMAT WITH THE QUORUM OF THE BOARD PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CITY 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 PARTICIPATE VIA THE ZOOM PLATFORM WEBINAR MAY DIAL 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4 9 9, WHICH IS A TOLL FREE NUMBER.
AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH IS 8 2 2 7 3 9 4 1 9 2 4, OR LOG INTO THE ZOOM APP AND ENTER THE WEBINAR ID, WHICH AGAIN IS 8 2 2 7 3 9 4 1 9 2 4.
AND THE INDIVIDUAL WISHING TO SPEAK AROUND ITEM MUST CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON IF THEY'RE USING THE ZOOM APP, OR DIAL STAR NINE IF THEY'RE PARTICIPATING BY PHONE.
NOW BEFORE, UM, I WILL SWEAR IN THOSE THAT WILL BE TESTIFYING TODAY.
I'M GOING TO READ INTO THE RECORD THE CITY'S NOTICE REGARDING, REGARDING LOBBYIST REGISTRATION.
IF YOU'RE 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, NUMBER ONE, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ONLY ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF AND NOT ANY OTHER PARTY.
NUMBER TWO, IF YOU'RE TESTIFYING AS AN EXPERT WITNESS, PROVIDING ONLY SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL OR OTHER SPECIALIZED INFORMATION AT THIS PUBLIC MEETING.
NUMBER 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.
EXPERT WITNESSES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SHALL PRIOR TO THE APPEARANCE DISCLOSE IN WRITING TO THE CITY CLERK, THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND THE PRINCIPAL ON WHO BEHALF THEY'RE COMMUNICATING.
IF YOU'RE AN ARCHITECT, ATTORNEY, OR EMPLOYEE REPRESENTING AN APPLICANT OR AN OBJECTOR, YOU MUST REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST.
THESE RULES APPLY WHETHER YOU'RE APPEARING IN FAVOR OF OR AGAINST AN ITEM, OR ENCOURAGING OR ARGUING AGAINST ITS PASSAGE, DEFEAT, MODIFICATION, OR CONTINUANCE.
NOW, UM, IF YOU, IF EVERYONE WOULD, UH, STANDARDIZE YOUR, UH, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND IF YOU INTEND TO TESTIFY TODAY, AND, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY VIRTUAL SPEAKERS, IT'LL BE SWORN IN AT THE TIME OF THE TESTIMONY.
DO YOU SWEAR OR AFFIRM THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU'LL BE GIVING THIS PROCEEDING IS THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE APPROVAL OF
[1. After Action February 13, 2024]
THE MINUTES UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER BUSINESS.WE HAVE NO OTHER BUSINESS TODAY.
AND IT SEEMS WE HAVE A CONTINUANCE OR A WITHDRAWAL.
UM, THAT IS, UH, ACTUALLY WE DO HAVE A WITHDRAWN ITEM DRB 24
[2. DRB24-1068, a.k.a. DRB19-0468 - 4880 PINE TREE DRIVE [ Withdrawn ]]
DASH 10 68, WHICH WAS 4 8 80 PINE TREE DRIVE.THAT ITEM IS WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT.
UM, THAT WAS AN UNDERSTORY HOME.
THEY'RE NOW ABLE TO PROCEED, UM, WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL, SO THEY'RE GONNA GO BY THAT ROUTE.
UM, SO THEY WITHDRAWN THEIR APPLICATION.
UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE A REQUEST FOR A DEFERRAL.
[3. DRB24-1040, 1500 BAY ROAD]
THAT'S ITEM NUMBER THREE ON THE AGENDA.NO ACTION IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE ITEM WILL BE RENO FOR A LATER DATE.
UM, THE APPLICANT'S HERE IN, IN CASE YOU WANNA ALLOW THEM TO.
HI, MY NAME'S TONY CIO WITH OFFICE 2 8 0 0, UH, LEY BOULEVARD, SUITE 1200 IN CORAL GABLES.
UH, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, WE INTEND TO MAKE SOME, SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE APPLICATION.
[00:05:01]
WE WILL BE RE NOTICING IT, BUT WE DID WANT TO MAKE THAT STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD, SO THAT'S VERY CLEAR.UM, THIS SINCE IT'S GONNA BE RENO, NO ACTION IS NEEDED.
SO THEN ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON TO NEW APPLICATIONS?
[4. DRB24-1060, 424 WEST DI LIDO DRIVE]
YES.UH, DRB 24 DASH 1 0 6 0 4 24 WEST TOLEDO.
UH, THIS APPLICATION IS REQUESTING THIS REVIEW APPROVAL FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF A TWO STORY RESIDENCE WITH AN UNDERSTORY TO REPLACE AN EXISTING RESIDENCE, INCLUDING ONE OR MORE WAIVERS AND VARIANCES TO ALLOW THE PORTIONS OF THE UNDERSTORY TO BE FILLED AS PROPOSED TO ALLOW A WALL FENCE TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT ON THE SIDE FACING THE STREET AND THE REAR YARD FACING THE WATERWAY.
SO THIS IS A, A WATERFRONT LOT.
IT'S ON TOLEDO, UM, ISLAND, ONE OF THE VENETIAN ISLANDS.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A MODERN TWO STORY UNDER STORY HOME.
UM, I WOULD CALL IT SORT OF A HYBRID HOME, UH, AS OPPOSED TO YOUR TRADITIONAL UNDERSTORY HOME.
UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUESTING A VARIANCE TO BE ABLE TO FILL IN A LARGE PORTION OF THE UNDERSTORY HOME.
THE APPLICANT DOES HAVE A, A HARDSHIP WITH THIS RE IN THIS REGARD IN THAT THEY'RE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE CAUSEWAY ITSELF.
SO THEIR FRONT ELEVATION IS, IS ABOUT TWO TO THREE FEET LOWER THAN THEIR, THAN THE SIDE ELEVATIONS ADJACENT TO THE CAUSEWAY.
THE CAUSEWAY, THIS IS WHERE IT'S SLOPING UP TOWARDS ONE OF THE BRIDGES.
SO THEY, THEY HAVE, UM, AN INTERESTING, UH, TOPOLOGY THAT WE DON'T TYPICALLY SEE IN MIAMI BEACH WHERE EVERYTHING IS FLAT.
UM, SO THEY, THEY ARE REQUESTING A VARIANCE TO BE ABLE TO FILL IN A LARGE PORTION OF THE UNDERSTORY.
THE PORTION OF THE UNDERSTORY THAT WILL BE USABLE WILL BE TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LOT, WHERE THE LOT WILL BE LOWER ADJACENT TO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOR TO THE SOUTH.
UM, AND SO THEY'LL HAVE A GARAGE AND THEN AN OUTDOOR DINING AREA THAT'LL BE IN THE UNDERSTORY.
THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL BE USABLE.
THE REMAINDER OF THE UNDERSTORY WILL BE FILLED IN.
UM, THERE WILL BE SOME SPACE IN BETWEEN THE, THE PORTION THAT'S FILLED AND THE, IN THE FIRST SLAB OF THE HOME.
UM, SO, SO IT'LL BE A, AN INTERESTING MIX.
THEY'RE ALSO REQUESTING TWO VARIANCES FOR THEIR, UH, FOR THEIR FENCES, UM, AND WALLS ADJACENT TO THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY.
THEY'RE REQUESTING A VARIANCE TO, UM, TO ALLOW THAT TO BE AN EXTRA SIX FEET, SIX INCHES HIGHER THAN WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE ALLOWED, WHICH IS FIVE FEET AT THE PROPERTY LINE.
THEY'RE REQUESTING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO FIVE FEET SIX INCHES, UM, THROUGH A VARIANCE.
UM, STAFF IS SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH VARIANCES GIVEN THE LOCATION ADJACENT TO THE CAUSEWAY.
THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, UM, NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SECURITY AND PRIVACY OF THIS, UH, PROPERTY.
UM, AND, AND ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES RELATED TO RUNOFF AND, AND DRAINAGE.
GIVEN THE, THE CHANGES IN TOPOLOGY IN THE, IN THE VICINITY.
THE HOME IS OF A CONTEMPORARY STYLE.
UM, STAFF HAS NO, UH, NO CONCERNS WITH THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN OF THE HOME AND STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE APPLICATION BE APPROVED SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS IN THE ATTACHED ORDER.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DAKOTA HENDON WITH A AND D STUDIO PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, UH, OFFICES AT 2 4 2 0 SOUTHWEST 27TH AVENUE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS PROJECT TO YOU.
I'LL, I'LL KEEP THE BEGINNING PART PRETTY SHORT.
UM, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, UH, FROM, FROM THE DESIGN PERSPECTIVE WHERE WE, HOW WE GOT HERE, UM, FROM 2012 TO 2016, I WAS WORKING FOR NEW YORK CITY PLANNING DURING HURRICANE SANDY AND THE RECOVERY AFTERWARDS.
SO, UM, A LOT OF MY CAREER HAS BEEN SPENT LOOKING AT HOW DO WE ADAPT TO THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE A BIT TALLER.
UM, WE ACTUALLY WROTE, I THINK THE FIRST SORT OF UNDERSTORY LEGISLATION IN THE COUNTRY.
AT LEAST WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND ANY, UH, PRECEDENCE FOR IT, WHICH ALLOWED THAT EXTRA HEIGHT USING URBAN DESIGN TOOLS THAT HELP MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF, OF THE HEIGHT.
UM, THAT WAS BACK IN 20, IN 2012.
AND THEN I MOVED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IN NEW YORK CITY AND IMPLEMENTED THOSE ZONING RULES, UH, ON HUNDREDS OF HOUSES BEING ELEVATED AND REBUILT IN THE ROCKAWAYS IN NEW YORK.
UM, LONG STORY SHORT, WE APPROACHED THIS IN A WAY THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE THE HOUSE.
WE WERE FIRST BLESSED TO BE A, A RELATIVELY LARGE SITE OVER, UH, 20,000 SQUARE FEET LOT AREA.
I'LL GIVE YOU EXACT, 21,874 SQUARE FEET.
SO WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF SPACE TO, UH, A ADAPT THE HEIGHTS ACROSS.
AND AS ROGELIO MENTIONED, UM, OUR SITE IS LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF VENETIAN AND WEST TOLEDO.
AND AT THE WEST TOLEDO FRONTAGE WE'RE AT ABOUT 4.2 NGVD.
AND THEN ONCE YOU GET TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE, WE'RE ALMOST AT EIGHT.
[00:10:01]
A BIT OF ELEVATION DIFFERENCE FROM, FROM FRONT TO SIDE.AND WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS, WAS INCORPORATE THE LARGE AREA AND, AND SORT OF SLOWLY TRANSITION THIS HOUSE.
SO WE HAVE A, A, A SLIGHT RAISING OF THE YARD AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE TO THE, TO THE AMOUNT ALLOWED BY THE CODE.
UM, BUT THAT ACTUAL ELEVATION, ONCE YOU GET AROUND TO THE VENETIAN SIDE, THAT INITIAL KIND OF, UM, RETAINING WALL DISAPPEARS BECAUSE OF THAT ELEVATION CHANGE.
SO WE HAVE A SMALL RETAINING WALL AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY THAT SORT OF TURNS INTO OUR PERIMETER WALL AT THE SIDE, BUT AT THAT POINT, THE, THE GRADES ARE LEVEL HERE.
UM, LET ME, I'LL GET INTO THAT.
UH, I'LL JUST TO SHOW YOU THROUGH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, FOUR 12 WEST TOLEDO IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
UM, THE CURRENT HOUSE IS A A 1980S STYLE HOUSE THAT'S IN SOMEWHAT OF DISREPAIR AND, AND, UM, NOT NECESSARILY OF NOTABLE QUALITY AND DOESN'T QUALIFY AS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN EXISTING LARGE WALL ON THE, THE PROPERTY LINE, UH, ALONG THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY UNSIGHTLY.
THESE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THE, OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE KIND OF OVERALL STYLE AND AND APPROACH, THIS WOULD BE THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
YOU'LL SEE THE SMALL RETAINING WALL AT THE FRONT.
UM, AND THE RAISED PART, THE TALLEST PART IS REALLY JUST AT THAT FRONT MIDDLE SECTION.
THE, THE INTENT OF THE OWNER IS TO SHOWCASE SOME OF HIS SCULPTURES THAT HE'S BEEN COLLECTING.
SO SOME OF THOSE, THAT'S REALLY DRIVING A LOT OF THE DECISIONS IN THE HOUSE.
AND YOU'LL SEE FROM THE SITE PLAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PROPOSING A POOL.
IT'S MORE, UM, LOOKING AT THE HOUSE AS MORE OF A SCULPTURE GARDEN AND, AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE VIEWS OF THOSE SCULPTURES FROM BOTH THE STREET AND FROM WITHIN THE HOUSE.
UM, FROM THE BACKSIDE YOU SEE, WE ALSO HAVE LIKE A, WHAT WE CALL THE MIDDLE TERRACE, WHICH IS THE MAJORITY OF THE SITE IS AT THE UNDERSTORY LEVEL.
THAT'S ABOUT SEVEN FEET IN GVD.
UM, AND THEN, UH, SORRY, IT GOES FROM SEVEN AT THE PROPERTY LINE UP TO ABOUT NINE, WHICH IS THE KIND OF, THE UNDERSTORY DOESN'T GO ABOVE NINE AND GVD.
AND THEN WE HAVE THIS SORT OF MIDDLE TERRACE RUNNING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SITE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST POINT, UM, THAT REACHES ITS PINNACLE AT THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BREEZEWAY BETWEEN THE TWO SITES.
SO, UM, WE TRIED TO KEEP ALL OF THE SLOPES GENTLE, UM, TO REALLY UTILIZE THE, THE BREADTH OF THE SITE.
UM, AND THEN FROM THIS WOULD BE THE VENETIAN, UH, CAUSEWAY ELEVATION.
YOU SEE, WE'VE TRIED TO, OUR INTENTION IS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN ABOUT A SIX FOOT HEIGHT FOR THE, FOR THE WALL ON THIS SIDE, UH, ABOVE GRADE.
SO WHEN YOU MEASURE FROM FUTURE ADJUSTED GRADE, WHICH WE HAVE AS A SEVEN, 11 AND THREE QUARTERS IS THE FUTURE ADJUSTED GRADE.
UM, THE, THE WALL JUST STEPS UP SORT OF IN LINE WITH THAT ELEVATE, YOU KNOW, AS THE SITE, AS THE SIDEWALK SLOPES UP, WE'VE TRIED TO STEP THE WALL JUST THAT LITTLE BIT MOUNT TO MAINTAIN, UM, THAT, UH, SO THIS 3D AXO, I THINK ALSO HELPS TO ILLUSTRATE WHERE THE TOPOGRAPHY IS, IS RUNNING, UM, WITHIN THE FRONT YARDS.
WE, WE DON'T GO ANYWHERE ABOVE NINE, WHICH IS OUR BFE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
AND THE, THIS MIDDLE TERRACE IS 11 AND AT THE MIDDLE, SORRY, I'M JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT.
OUR, THE MAJORITY OF OUR FINISHED FLOOR IS AT 15 SIX, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN WHAT IS NECESSARILY EVEN ALLOWED.
LIKE THE, THE BFE PLUS FIVE GETS US TO 14.
ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE HOUSE IS ACTUALLY AT 14.
WE'RE RAISING IT AN EXTRA FOOT AND A HALF AT THE OWNER'S DISCRETION, UM, TO, FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY AND TO GET US THE ACTUAL ABILITY TO HAVE A, A USABLE SPACE, UH, AT THE GYM AREA.
SO WE'VE ALSO PLAYED, LET ME GO TO THE FLOOR PLANS, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE.
SO THIS IS THE UNDERSTORY PLAN.
UM, AS YOU SAW FROM THE RENDERINGS, THERE'S TWO MAIN BLOCKS OF THE HOUSE.
THE, THE NORTHERN BLOCK IS JUST UNOCCUPIED BELOW.
IT'S ABOUT A THREE FOOT CLEAR SPACE BECAUSE THAT MAJORITY OF THAT AREA IS JUST SLOPING UP TO THIS MIDDLE SECTION, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST POINT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE TOPO LINES KIND OF RUN AROUND HERE.
SO THIS IS OUR TALLEST POINT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY BEING CUT THROUGH IN THE UNDERSTORY PLAN.
AND THE REST OF THIS IS ALL, UH, MID-LEVEL.
AND THEN, UH, THE LOWEST LEVEL, WHICH IS ABOUT NINE, WHICH IS ALSO THE PROPOSED SEA WALL HEIGHT.
UM, THE UNDERSTORY HAS A GARAGE
[00:15:01]
AND OUTDOOR DINING AREA.UM, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, THE MAJORITY OF THE REAR OF THE SITE IS DEDICATED TO THAT SCULPTURE VIEWING AND GARDEN.
UH, WHEN YOU GO UP TO THE, THE MAIN LEVEL, UM, THE BREEZEWAY IS, IS ON UN ENCLOSED TO ONE SIDE IS THE GYM AND BEDROOM VOLUME.
WE'VE ACTUALLY STEPPED UP THE GYM, LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS GOING ON IN THE BUILDING.
AND WE STEPPED UP THE GYM IN ORDER TO GIVE US A CLEAR HEIGHT FOR THAT UNDERSTORY BARBECUE AREA.
UM, AND ACROSS, UH, THE BREEZEWAY IS THE MAIN PART OF THE HOUSE, THE LIVING ROOM, EVERYTHING FROM THE DINING ROOM TO THE RIGHT IS ALL AT 15 SIX.
AND THEN WE STEPPED DOWN INTO THE GREAT ROOM AND OUTDOOR COVERED AREA, WHICH ARE AT THAT 14, WHICH IS THE BFE PLUS FIVE.
UM, WE'VE INCORPORATED ONE, ONE THING WE'VE NOTICED WITH A LOT OF HOUSES IS MECHANICAL.
THE VISIBILITY OF THE MECHANICS IS, EVEN WITH THE SCREENS CAN SOMETIMES BE UNSIGHTLY.
THE, THE EQUIPMENT TENDS TO BE TALLER.
THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE SOME, SOME VISIBILITY TO IT.
SO WE TRIED TO INCORPORATE ABOVE THE AREAS THAT CAN BE LOWER CEILINGS, A MECHANICAL MEZZANINE.
SO BUILT INTO THE KIND OF FACADE OF THE HOUSE IS A MECHANICAL ROOF THAT WILL VISIBLY SCREEN ALL OF THE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN ON THE SECOND FLOOR IS THE, THE BEDROOMS, UH, THE OFFICE, UH, AND SOME BALCONY AREAS, AND THEN TWO STAIRCASES THAT CAN CONNECT YOU TO EACH SIDE OF THE, THE FIRST FLOOR.
SO THEORETICALLY, IF YOU, IF IT WAS RAINING OR YOU DIDN'T WANT TO GO OUTSIDE, YOU STILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE HOUSE WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE BREEZEWAY.
UH, ROOF PLAN SHOWS, UH, A, A LARGE OVERHANG FOR THE SECOND FLOOR.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE VENTING FOR THE MECHANICAL ROOF AREAS.
AND THEN OUR COVERED TERRACE, THE, THIS IS THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, UH, THE MATERIALITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING, UM, THE, THE RENDERINGS THAT I SHOWED AT FIRST WERE, WERE, UM, PROFESSIONALLY DONE.
SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER QUALITY.
UH, AND THEN I'LL JUST RUN THROUGH THE, THE SECTIONS TO GIVE YOU A BETTER SENSE OF THOSE HEIGHTS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, HERE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE UNDULATING GROUND LINE BELOW THE UNOCCUPIED AREA OF THE UNDERSTORY.
SO WE'RE STILL KEEPING THAT OPEN.
WE'RE STILL ALLOWING WATER TO RUN UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE.
UH, WE INTEND TO USE A, A CONCRETE BLOCK SCREEN FOR THAT WHOLE AREA TO BLOCK IN VIEWS, UM, WHICH WILL, WILL BE THE 50% OPEN.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SITE, WHICH WOULD BE THE TALLEST SECTION.
SO YOU SEE THE BREEZEWAY IS, IS STILL RAISED UP A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THAT AND, AND EVERYTHING CAN FLOW UNDERNEATH.
UM, THIS IS THE MORE COMPLICATED SECTION, WHICH IS AT THE, THE GARAGE AND BARBECUE TERRACE.
AND THEN THIS IS THE OPPOSITE VIEW DIRECTLY THROUGH THE BREEZEWAY RUNNING NORTH SOUTH.
SO YOU SEE THE GARAGE, THE, THE MAIN LEVEL WHERE THERE'S THE THREE STORIES.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF CROSS SECTIONS.
I'LL, I'LL WRAP IT UP QUICKLY.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CROSS SECTIONS IN OUR SET, BUT I JUST HIGHLIGHTED A FEW HERE TO GET, IF IN CASE YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE, THE SITE IS AT EACH CORNER, THIS WOULD BE ALONG THE VENETIAN, UH, AT THE SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND THEN JUST TO GO OVER THE VARIANCES VERY QUICKLY, UNDERSTORY GRADING, UM, AS WE'RE SHOWING, AND RO MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S THIS HYBRID PHILOSOPHY OF TRYING TO BRING THE GROUND, DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING SO THAT NOTHING LOOKS OUT OF PLACE, LIKE SLOWLY SLOPE THE GROUND UP, RAISE, RAISE THE BUILDING A LITTLE BIT MORE, TRY TO FIND WAYS THAT WE DON'T JUST EITHER HAVE A BLANK WALL IMMEDIATELY AT THE STREET, OR THAT WE HAVE THESE SORT OF IMPOSING THREE STORY VOLUMES THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW, GIVE US A SENSE THAT THESE, THESE BUILDINGS ARE GETTING SO LARGE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE ALL OF THOSE KIND OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
UM, THE, THE SITE CONDITIONS ARE WHAT I, I THINK DICTATE THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE VARIANCE, WHICH IS THIS KIND OF SIGHTING OF THE HOUSE ALONG THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY.
UM, AND HAPPY TO GO INTO ANY MORE, UM, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
I HAVE, UH, JUST, UH, ADDITIONAL DRAWINGS FROM THE SET SHOWING HOW WE PLAN TO TREAT THE UNDERSTORY.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE WALL, WE'VE CUT IT AT KIND OF THE HIGH POINT OF THE SITE AND THE LOW POINT OF THE SITE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGHOUT.
IT'S A, IT'S APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET ALONG THAT VENETIAN CAUSEWAY, BUT, UM, WE DO NEED THAT, WHEREAS AT THE, THE LOW POINT, WE'RE AT CODE ALLOWED FROM, IF WE'RE MEASURING FROM FUTURE ADDRESS THE GA GRADE.
BUT WHEN WE GET TO THE HIGH POINT, THE, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LOW, OR YOU SEE THE RED LINE IS WHERE WE MEASURE FROM.
AND THEN AT THE HIGH POINT OF THE SITE, IT'S, IT'S MUCH
[00:20:01]
LOWER.SO, UM, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE DESIGN OF THE WALL HELPS TO MITIGATE ANY IMPACT OF THAT EXTRA HEIGHT AND PROVIDE THE SECURITY AT THE SIDE ALONG THE VENETIAN.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK? ANYBODY ON ZOOM? PLEASE RAISE YOUR, UH, YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE NO HANDS RAISED ON ZOOM.
I'M NOW CLOSING THE PUBLIC PORTION, OPENING UP FOR DISCUSSION FOR THE BOARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN, DO YOU WANNA START IT? I MEAN, WHEN I REVIEWED THE PLANS YESTERDAY, I REALLY ENJOYED, I REALLY LIKED THE, UH, REMOVAL OF THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACE SURFACES IN THE BACTERIA AREA.
SO IT'S ALWAYS LOVE WHEN I SEE MORE GREEN IN THE PLANT AND REMOVING THE GREEN, THE LANDSCAPING.
SO I REALLY ENJOY THAT PART OF THE DESIGN.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A VERY THOUGHTFUL WAY TO HANDLE THE TOPOGRAPHY, UM, AND THE GRADE CHANGES.
UM, YEAH, I I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I HAVE TO SAY, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE SORT OF DEEP STUDY OF THE MASSING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN FINDING WITH THESE LARGER PROPERTIES, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE AND WITH THE UNDERSTORY, IS, UM, THIS VERY BLOCKING, MASSIVE, OVERWHELMING STRUCTURE THAT OVERWHELMS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND I THINK THAT YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB HAVING A SENSITIVITY TO THAT, BREAKING IT UP.
I LIKE HOW, UM, BOTH YOU AND YOUR CLIENT ARE REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE ART, THE COLLECTION, THE SCULPTURE COLLECTION.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS AN INTERESTING, UM, I WOULD HOPE TOO THAT MOVING FORWARD, THAT THIS IS A GREAT MODEL TO LOOK AT OF A WAY TO NOT MAKE A STRUCTURE THAT IS VERY TALL.
I THOUGHT YOUR COMPARATIVE ELEVATION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT IN ANOTHER, I DON'T HAVE IT IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS STRUCTURE IS A LOT TALLER THAN THE ONES ADJACENT THAT ARE ALSO VERY NEW HOMES.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE AWARE OF, OF LIKE, HOW IS THIS GONNA IMPACT THE CONTEXT? BUT I THINK THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S AT THE CORNER AND YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAUSEWAY, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THIS, THIS PROPERTY CAN ABSORB THAT IN A WAY THAT MAYBE OTHER PROPERTIES COULDN'T.
UM, SO, SO YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN, UM, IS THIS, I'M WONDERING, DOES THIS CONDITION WHERE YOU HAVE THE PROPERTY SLOPING UP, DOES IT AFFECT ALL OF THE HOMES ON THE VENETIAN THAT ARE LIKE THIS OR THIS JUST ONE IN PART, LIKE HAS IT BEEN RAISED SINCE IT WILL LIKELY AFFECT HOMES THAT ARE ON THE VENETIAN AT THE APPROACH TO A BRIDGE? YEAH.
UM, IT, IT, IT WILL LIKELY AFFECT OTHER HOMES LIKE THAT.
SO WE MAY SEE, UM, THIS, THIS WOULD SET AN EXAMPLE THAT WE MAY SEE OTHER HOMES THAT MIGHT REQUEST SIMILAR VARIANCES, UM, TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD.
BECAUSE THIS IS WHEN YOU'RE SAYING WITH THE HYBRID, UM, I MEAN, I KNOW HOW THAT PLAYS OUT HERE, BUT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THERE'S A CONCERN FROM THE PLANNING PERSPECTIVE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS WHO ARE PROPOSING DOING BOTH AND THEN GETTING EVEN MORE HEIGHT MM-HMM
SO THAT, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THIS PROJECT.
AGAIN, I THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE WAY OF, OF FIGURING OUT THIS RIGHT HARDSHIP, BUT JUST TO, I DON'T WANNA SET TOO MUCH PRECEDENT BY SAYING, OH YEAH, YOU CAN DO BOTH.
I, I DON'T FORESEE EVERYONE WANTING TO USE THIS MECHANISM BECAUSE THEY LOSE USABLE SPACE IN THE UNDERSTORY.
AND I THINK PEOPLE WANNA MAXIMIZE, UM, THAT USABLE SPACE IN THE UNDERSTORY TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
UM, MAXIMIZE THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE AND, AND THE FOREGOING THAT, SO I, I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY'S GONNA DO IT, BUT I THINK YOU MIGHT SEE A FEW THAT MIGHT REQUEST A SIMILAR VARIANCE, UM, IF THEY'RE AT SIMILAR LOCATIONS.
I, SO WE HAVE, UM, I WOULDN'T SEE IT AT BELL ISLE, BUT THE OTHER TWO ISLANDS PERHAPS, UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE FOUR PROPERTIES TOTAL THAT WOULD BE IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE.
UM, SO I, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN EXPLOSION OF THIS TYPE OF, OR I'M EVEN THINKING TOO, MAYBE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE YOU HAVE PROPERTIES ADJACENTS TO THESE SMALL BRIDGES, RIGHT? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S BEEN OR WHATEVER.
IT'S, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, I THINK THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY IS PROBABLY HIGHER THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SUNSET ISLAND.
THE SUNSET ISLAND BRIDGES, UM, A FEW OF THE OTHER BRIDGES THAT I'M THINKING OF.
UM, BUT SO I I I, I DON'T FORESEE THIS TAKE THIS CONCEPT TAKING OFF BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF THE, OF THAT SPACE.
BUT, BUT IF PEOPLE ARE PROPOSING IT, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S A, I THINK IT'S A PRETTY GOOD IDEA, UM, IN THESE
[00:25:01]
CIRCUMSTANCES.AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I NOTICED ABOUT THE DESIGN, WHICH I DO THINK IS LOVELY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SCREENING.
DID THE CLIENT NOT WANT ANY WINDOWS OR FENESTRATION FACING EAST? SO FROM, WELL FROM THE EAST, ALL OF THAT IS GLASS BEHIND.
AND THE INTENTION IS THAT THOSE SCREENS WOULD BE OPENABLE.
SO THE MASTER BEDROOM VOLUME, THOSE WILL ALL OPEN COMPLETELY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF USING A BRAZILIAN REFERENCE OF, OF LIKE MITIGATING THE SUN WITH THE SCREENS, BUT ALSO GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THOSE COMPLETELY.
THE MASTER BEDROOM, WHICH IS KIND OF ON THE SECOND FLOOR AT THE FURTHEST EAST SECTION.
UM, THIS AREA THAT HAS WINDOWS ON ALL THREE SIDES.
AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE WATER VIEWS WOULD BE BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH FROM THAT LOCATION.
UM, SO THE INTENTION IS VERY MUCH THAT, THAT EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS IN THE RENDERINGS TO BE MORE SOLID, THAT THERE WILL BE A, A TON OF GLASS BEHIND IT.
SO BASICALLY EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE UPPER FLOOR, THE SIDE HERE FACING THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY IS MORE SOLID UHHUH.
BUT THE REST, THESE ARE ALL SLIDING GLASS DOORS THAT WILL ALSO HAVE BIFOLD, THOSE SCREENS WILL BIFOLD OUT OF THE WAY.
AND WHAT ABOUT ALONG THE, THE EAST FACING FACADE, UH, ALONG THE STREET? SO, UH, ON THE EAST IS, IS A GALLERY.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE ART OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THAT WHOLE THING.
AND, AND WOULD ALSO HAVE, WE'RE STILL IN THE DECIDING IF THOSE SCREENS WILL COMPLETELY OPEN OR IF THERE'LL BE MORE ON THE FIXED SIDE, BUT THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN ALL OF THEM.
SO THERE'S STILL GONNA BE VISIBILITY IN AND OUT.
UM, WE DID, WE JUST COMPLETED A HOUSE IN BAY HARBOR ISLANDS WITH A SIMILAR PRODUCT, AND IT'S, IT'S PHENOMENAL FROM THE INSIDE, BOTH OPEN AND CLOSED.
IT, IT REALLY GIVES YOU A, A, A, A FILTER TO THE LIGHT WITHOUT BLOCKING YOUR VIEW.
UM, SO IT, IT CAME OUT REALLY BEAUTIFULLY AND WE'RE HOPING TO SORT OF IMPLEMENT IT ON A BIGGER SCALE HERE.
YEAH, NO, AND I ASKED SPECIFICALLY TOO, 'CAUSE WE'VE FOUND IN THESE RENDERINGS THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, LIKE THE GAPS DON'T NECESSARILY TRANSLATE, LIKE SOME THINGS THEY READ AS MORE SOLID THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE.
THAT WAS PART OF THE QUESTION.
AND THEN, UM, OH, I SEE THERE, YEAH, THERE WE HAVE GLAZING BEHIND ALL OF THEM, UH, THIS WHOLE EXTENT.
SO THIS WHOLE WALL IS GONNA BE, UH, ARE FACING THE EAST.
WELL, AND I ALSO THINK TOO, THAT'S ALSO, AGAIN, A GOOD DESIGN CHOICE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT COULD APPEAR SORT OF SOLID ISH, BUT IT'S RECESSED.
LIKE THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THIS, SOMETIMES WE SEE PROJECTS WHERE IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A 40 FOOT WALL.
AND SO THIS, YOU GET THE SENSE OF PRIVACY, BUT ALSO LIGHTNESS.
UM, AND THEN CAN YOU SHOW US ON THE RENDERING WHERE THOSE SCREEN MECHANICAL AREAS APPEAR AGAIN? LIKE FROM WHAT WOULD BE VISIBLE FROM THE STREET? OR IS THAT JUST ALL HIDDEN BEHIND THE INITIAL SCREENS? SO YOU CAN SEE, SORRY IF THIS, UM, THE SLAB IS APPROXIMATELY HERE MM-HMM
SO WE'VE TRIED TO, WE HAVE LIKE A CONTINUOUS SCREEN TO PREVENT YOU FROM SEEING THAT IT, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES AT THAT MOMENT, BUT THEN THERE'LL BE A SECONDARY SCREEN THAT'S BEHIND, SORRY, YOU CAN SORT OF SEE THE CROSSHATCH APPEARING IN THE RENDERINGS.
LIKE IF I CAN ZOOM IN
AND, AND THIS IS A THICKENED SLAB, SO WE DON'T HAVE A ROOF ON TOP.
IT'S JUST A, A SCREEN TO ALLOW VENTILATION OUT THE TOP.
SO WE'RE GETTING ABOUT SIX FEET IN HEIGHT, UH, CLEAR THERE FOR THE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, UH, TO, TO FIT BEHIND HERE.
SO THAT'D BE OUR ACS, OUR, UH, HOT WATER HEATERS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE GENEROUS SPACES INSIDE, SO THE HOT WATER HEATERS WHERE WE'RE STILL DECIDING OUR EXACT LOCATION.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A MECHANICAL ROOM WITHIN, WITHIN THE SPACE.
UM, BUT THIS WOULD BE ALL OF OUR TYPICAL OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT WOULD BE LOCATED HERE.
AND I, I LIKE THE FENCING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL WITH THAT.
THE EX I WAS, I DROVE BY YESTERDAY AND THERE'S AN EXISTING WALL THAT'S MAYBE MADE OF CORAL, IS THAT RIGHT? ON THE FRONT? ON THE TOLEDO SIDE? UH, SORRY, YEAH, ON THE TOLEDO SIDE IT'S, IT'S COVERED.
BUT IN THE, LIKE, THESE, YOU CAN SEE FROM HERE, LIKE THIS PART IS CORAL AND IT HAS SOME CORAL COLUMNS, BUT AS IT TURNS THE CORNER IT'S JUST, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF HOW THICK THE CORAL IS, BUT REPURPOSING THAT AS PART OF A LANDSCAPE ELEMENT, JUST 'CAUSE IT'S NICE.
UM, WE WOULD DEFINITELY, I MEAN, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS LIKE ROCK, YOU KNOW, SOME ROCK FORMATIONS OR WHATEVER IN THE
[00:30:01]
ABSOLUTELY.AND I, I MEAN THAT'S OUR INTENTION WITH SOME, YEAH.
OF THE ROCK SHOWN HERE IS TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE, THE CORAL THAT'S DUG UP FROM THE SITE OR, OR THAT'S ALREADY THERE SO THAT WE CAN USE IT TO IMPACT THE LANDSCAPE.
I THINK, OKAY, THAT'S ALL THE, YEAH, I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY.
THE DESIGN'S REALLY NICE AND I THINK IT REALLY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT EVERYTHING.
I I JUST WANNA ASK YOU THOUGH, YOU, YOU'RE AWARE OF THE IMPENDING REBUILDING OF THE VENETIAN CAUSEWAY BRIDGES AND I JUST, THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE SO IT HARMONIZES NICELY WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, I, I DIDN'T MAKE IT A HUGE PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
THE, THE FUTURE ADJUSTED GRADE SEEMS TO BE IN LINE WITH THOSE.
SO KIND OF USING THAT FUTURE ADJUSTED GRADE IS HELPING US, I, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT'S NOT GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY AT THE CENTER, BUT THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY REPLACING THE BRIDGES, THE, THE ONE AT A TIME.
WE, WE LOOKED INTO THE FULL PROJECT AND IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE OKAY FOR A PLANNING PURPOSES USING THAT FUTURE ADJUSTED GRADE.
AND THEN MODIFIED JUST MAKE, I MEAN AT ONE POINT THEY HAD PROPOSED THESE REALLY OBNOXIOUSLY HIGH BRIDGES THAT, AND THEY LOWERED IT A LOT AND THEY KEPT IT MORE IN THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER.
BUT I JUST REALLY, I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT A WEIRD SNAFU AT THE END.
AND YOU HAVE SOME WEIRD THING TO OVERCOME.
'CAUSE IT REALLY IS BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT AND, AND THINK THAT WE'VE ACCOMMODATED ACCORDINGLY.
ACTUALLY, LIO, UM, LET ME ASK YOU QUESTION TWO AGAIN WITH THIS SORT OF HYBRID UNDERSTORY THING.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, THERE SEEMS TO BE A SOLID WALL FOR THE GARAGE.
IS I, I THOUGHT THAT AN UNDERSTORY IT HAS TO BE OPEN.
IT, IT HAS TO BE OPEN, BUT THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS MADE FOR THE GARAGE AND FOR, FOR, UM, ACCESS AREAS FOR ACCESSING THE UPPER LEVELS.
UM, OTHERWISE IT DOES HAVE TO BE OPEN, BUT THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS MADE FOR, FOR THOSE TYPES OF, OF USES.
BECAUSE IN THE IT, THIS DOESN'T SEEM, I GUESS THE UNDERSTORY ISN'T AS VISIBLY AN UNDERSTORY RIGHT? IN THIS HOUSE.
IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CRAWL SPACE FOR, FOR A, FOR A GOOD PORTION OF IT.
YEAH, THESE ARE THE MOST UNIQUE PROPERTIES.
THESE ONES THAT ARE RIGHT ON THE BRIDGES, I THINK THOSE ARE GONNA BE MM-HMM
EXCEPTIONAL AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS? NO.
DOES ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
UM, AND, AND SHOULD WE SEPARATE OUT WITH THE VARIANCES? IT'S UP TO YOU.
IF, IF, USUALLY IF YOU, IF YOU THINK SOME ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET APPROVED THAN OTHERS, THEN THEN IT'S BETTER TO SEPARATE 'EM OUT.
BUT IF YOU THINK THEY'RE ALL EASY TO APPROVE, THEN YOU CAN DO IT COMBINED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY MS. LEWIN, SECOND BY MR. DIFFENDERFER.
UH, THEN MOVING ON TO OUR OTHER ITEM D, RRB 24 1 0 7 4,
[5. DRB24-1074, A.K.A. DRB21-0664, A.K.A DRB17-0166, 3900 - 4000 ALTON ROAD]
UM, 30 904,000 ALTON ROAD.THIS APPLICATION IS REQUESTING MODIFICATIONS TO A PREVIOUSLY ISSUED DESIGN REVIEW APPROVAL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING FENCE AND INSTALLATION OF A NEW FENCE ALONG PORTION OF THE PERIMETER OF THE PROPERTY, INCLUDING A VARIANCE TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HEIGHT FOR A FENCE WITHIN THE REQUIRED YARDS.
AS A BACKGROUND ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2017, THE DRB APPROVED A SIMILAR VARIANCE TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED HEIGHT FOR A FENCE WITHIN THE REQUIRED YARDS.
AND LATER ON, ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2021, THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD APPROVED THE, APPROVED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW NINE STORY MULTIFAMILY BUILDING ON THE VACANT PORTION OF THE SITE.
SO THIS SITE HAS TWO PARCELS, THE TALMUDIC UNIVERSITY ON THE NORTH AND THE MULTIFAMILY, EH, PROJECT ON THE SOUTH.
THIS IS LOCATED IN THE RM TWO ZONING DISTRICT, AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING THE VARIANCE, WHICH IS, UM, FROM THE REQUIRED SETBACK AND HEIGHT IN SECTION 7.5 0.3 0.2 TO EXCEED BY THREE FEET 11 INCHES.
THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED HEIGHT OF FIVE FEET FOR A FENCE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY LINE IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT A FENCE AND GATES UP TO EIGHT FEET 11 INCHES IN HEIGHT MEASURED FROM GRADE, WHICH IS 3.83 NGVD WITHIN THE REQUIRED YARDS.
UM, AS WE KNOW, FENCES ARE MEASURED FROM GRADE, THE EXISTING GRADE AT THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK IS STRAIGHT THREE POINT 83 NGBD, AND THE YARD ELEVATION WITHIN THE PROPERTY IS AT 5.5 NGBD.
[00:35:01]
FEET FROM THE SIDE, FROM THE SIDEWALK AND YARD ELEVATION.AND WITHOUT THE VARIANCE, THE FENCE WOULD ONLY BE 3.3 FEET IN HEIGHT FROM THE YARD ELEVATION OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, THE HARDSHIP HERE IS THAT THE SITE HAS DIFFERENT YARD ELEVATIONS.
SO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE, UH, A GOOD FENCE IS, UH, VARIANCE IS REQUIRED.
THE, THE PROPOSED, UH, FENCES ARE LOCATED IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE PROPERTY ALONG THE SHARED ACCESS DRIVEWAY BETWEEN THE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT AND THE DIC PARCEL AND THE DOG PARK AMENITY LOCATED AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT, UH, STAFF THAT RECOMMENDED THE FINAL FINISH COLOR OF THE FENCE BE LIMITED TO A NATURAL ALUMINUM OR SILVER GRAY TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING FENCE AND HAS REQUESTED ON THE PREVIOUSLY DESIGN REVIEW BOARD ORDER, UH, THE REQUESTED VARIANCE WOULD ALLOW THE FENCES AND GATES TO BE APPROXIMATELY SEVEN FEET TALL WITHIN THE PROPERTY, PROVIDING ADEQUATE SECURITY TO THE PERMUTED COLLEGE AND MULTIFAMILY PARCEL.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THE APPLICATION BE APPROVED, INCLUDING THE APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS ENUMERATED IN THE DRAFT ORDER.
AND WITH THIS, I WILL LET THE APPLICANT THANKS, ALEJANDRO.
NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ, 200 SOUTH BISCAYNE BOULEVARD HERE REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT, 3,900 ALTON ROAD, LLC, UM, JOINED BY YOU SERRO FROM ARCHITECT TONICA.
HE IS OUR ARCHITECT ALSO FROM OWNERSHIP BY ANDREW GU AND CHRISTINA CUERVO.
UH, SO THIS APPLICATION IS REALLY LIKE A FINISHING TOUCH TO THE PROJECT THAT YOU AS, UH, MS. MS. NELSON AND MR. DIFFERENT DEFER WILL REMEMBER WAS APPROVED IN 2021.
UM, BUT WE'LL SHOW YOU THE, THE PROJECT AS IT WAS APPROVED SHORTLY.
UM, AND REALLY IT'S JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE TOWN, MUNICH UNIVERSITY MAINTAINS A SECURE CAMPUS AS WELL AS SECURING THE MULTIFAMILY SITE.
AND WITH RESPECT TO THE DOG PARK, A THREE FOOT FENCE JUST WOULDN'T BE ADEQUATE TO KEEP PEOPLE'S PETS IN.
AND IT'S A VERY HEAVILY TRAVERSE SECTION OF ALTON ROAD RIGHT NEXT TO THE PROJECT.
SO, UH, THESE FENCES ARE REALLY JUST, UH, THE MINIMUM THAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP THE SITE SAFE AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, FINISH THE PROJECT, WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO BEING DONE.
I WAS JUST DISCUSSING WITH ANDREW, THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING FOR A TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY AT THE END OF MAY.
UH, SO IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT PROJECT FINISHING UP.
UM, SO AS ALEJANDRO MENTIONED, THIS SITE IS A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT SITE WITH A COVENANT LIEU WITH THE TOWN MUNICH UNIVERSITY.
SO IT'S KIND OF UNIQUE IN THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TWO FOLIO NUMBERS AND TWO PARCELS, UH, IT'S ONE SITE FOR ZONING PURPOSES, SO THERE'S NO SETBACK IN BETWEEN THE, THE TWO PROPERTIES.
UM, THEY, THEY ESSENTIALLY SHARE THIS SITE.
UH, AND JUST SO YOU GUYS SEE, UH, I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN IT AND DROVE BY THE SITE, BUT THE PROJECT, UM, IS ALMOST COMPLETE.
THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING FOR TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY THIS SUMMER.
UH, AND THIS FENCE REALLY THE, THE DOG PARK WOULD BE IN THIS AREA OF THIS HEAVILY LANDSCAPED AREA OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER.
AND THEN GOING TO THE NEXT, UH, PHOTOS OF THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.
THIS ONE YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING TALMUDIC FENCE AND WHERE IT KIND OF ABRUPTLY STOPS, WHERE THE DRIVEWAY'S GONNA GO.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING THE NEW FENCE ESSENTIALLY CONTINUE EXACTLY WHAT THE TALMUDIC HAS THERE NOW.
SO THIS IS A, A CLOSEUP OF THE EXISTING FENCE AND AS ALEJANDRO MENTIONED IN 2017, THEY OBTAINED A VARIANCE FOR THAT FENCE.
AND THE PRIMARY JUSTIFICATION WAS TO SECURE THE SITE.
UH, AND IT IS A, YOU'LL SEE THE RETAINING WALL BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN GRADE ELEVATION BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE LEVEL OF THE ACTUAL LOT.
UM, AND THIS DRIVEWAY THAT YOU SEE HERE WILL BE THE SAME DRIVEWAY THAT'S GONNA ACCESS THE PROJECT.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA RECONFIGURE THAT GATE SO THE GATE WILL BECOME PERPENDICULAR TO ALTON ROAD.
SO YOU'LL TURN RIGHT TO GO INTO THE TALMUDIC SITE OR GO STRAIGHT AND LEFT INTO THE MULTIFAMILY SITE AND YOU'LL SEE THAT HERE ON A SITE PLAN.
SO, UH, ON THIS SITE PLAN WE'RE MARKING UP WHERE THE EXISTING FENCE IS AT THE TOP IN GREEN, IN BLUE.
IT'S KIND OF TOUGH TO SEE, OH, I HIGHLIGHT THAT.
BUT, UH, THE PERPENDICULAR PORTION OF THE FENCE, THAT WILL BE THE TALMUDIC ACCESS GATE.
UM, AND THEN OUR ACCESS GATE TO THE MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY WILL BE DEEPER INTO THE SITE TO ALLOW ENOUGH DEPTH SO THAT THERE'S NO QUEUING PROBLEMS. UM, AND AS MENTIONED, THE DOG PARK IS AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE SITE HERE, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO THAT JULIA TUTTLE KIND OF ENTRANCE RAMP.
SO WE NEED THE, THE ADDITIONAL HEIGHT OF THE FENCE TO KEEP THOSE, UH, PEOPLE'S PETS INSIDE.
UH, SO THIS IS THE FENCE DETAIL.
UH, ONE THING WE WANTED TO POINT OUT HERE IS THIS IS THE APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF THE FENCE THAT WE COULD BUILD.
AS OF RIGHT, IT JUST WOULDN'T SECURE THE SITE AT ALL.
UM, IT WOULD CREATE A, A LIABILITY FOR THE TOM MUT UNIVERSITY, ALSO FOR THE MULTIFAMILY SITE.
AND IT ONLY APPLIES WITHIN THE FIRST FOUR FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE.
EVERYTHING THAT'S BEYOND FOUR FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, WE ARE ALLOWED TO BUILD FENCE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AT THE HEIGHT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
[00:40:01]
PUT THE WRONG FENCE DETAIL HERE, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, UM, THE SECOND GATE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THE SITE.IT'S GONNA BE A, A SWINGING OPEN GATE.
UH, BUT THAT ONE DOESN'T REQUIRE A VARIANCE.
IT'S JUST SO YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND HOW THE CIRCULATION WITHIN THE SITE WORKS.
UH, SO THIS IS THE RENDERING WE PREPARED AND UH, REALLY THE FENCE IS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO SEE AND THAT'S ON PURPOSE.
UH, WITH REGARD TO THE DESIGN OF THE FENCE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO DETRACT FROM THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, I'M SURE AS YOU ALL REMEMBER, THE BUILDING WENT THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF, OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS AT THIS BOARD AND WE'RE ACTUALLY REALLY PROUD OF THE WAY IT'S COME OUT.
IN LARGE PART TO THE, TO THE COMMENTS FROM THIS BOARD.
UM, WE DON'T WANT THE FENCE TO BECOME, YOU KNOW, AN ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE OF SOMETHING TO DETRACT FROM THE BUILDING AND WE WANT TO MATCH WHAT THE TOWN TALMUDIC HAS.
UH, 'CAUSE IT WOULD BE KIND OF A DRAWING TRANSITION TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
SO WE ACCEPT STAFF'S CONDITION TO KEEP THE COLOR THE SAME.
UM, THE IDEA IS FOR IT TO JUST BLEND, UH, SINCE IT IS ONE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT SITE.
AND THERE'S A CLOSE UP HERE SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UM, HERE IS WHERE THE, THE FENCE, WHY DOES IT KEEP DOING THAT? THE FENCE TURNS PERPENDICULAR TO ALTON AND THERE'LL BE A GATE HERE AND THEN OUR ACCESS GATE WILL BE IN HERE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS VARIANCE TODAY.
UH, SO WE CAN FINISH UP THIS PROJECT AND HAVE NEW MULTIFAMILY HOUSING HERE.
UM, ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK? NO.
ANYBODY ONLINE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I'M NOW CLOSING THE PUBLIC PORTION, OPENING UP TO THE BOARD FOR COMMENT.
DO YOU WANNA I JUST HAVE TO CONCEDE THE BUILDING CAME OUT MUCH, MUCH NICER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD.
I HAVE TO SAY IT REALLY TURNED OUT REALLY NICE, SO, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE FENCE.
ANYONE ELSE? NO, IT SEEMS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
I HAVE TWO SORT OF CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
UM, IS THE DOG PARK PUBLIC OR IT'S JUST FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE BUILDING? I BELIEVE IT'S AN AMENITY FOR PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE BUILDING.
IT'S NOT A PUBLIC PARK AND IT'S JUST YOU GO GO OUTSIDE TO GO IN.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FENCE EITHER.
UM, I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT, OR I THINK MAYBE THIS IS MORE FOR YOU JUST TO CLARIFY.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS A VERY LARGE TREE IN FRONT THAT WAS TAKEN DOWN.
IS THAT GONNA BE REPLANTED AND REPLACED? ANDREW, DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU WANNA COME UP? I, I CAN'T.
YOU CAN'T TALK FROM BACK THERE.
MIKE
WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT WITH THAT DT DOES FT TREAT.
SO YEAH, SO IT WAS AN FDOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER.
UM, THAT RIGHT OF WAY IS AN FDOT RIGHT WAY.
SO THEY'RE DISCUSSING, I GUESS, MITIGATION WITH FDOT SITE VISIBILITY TRIANGLES.
UH, SO THERE'S SITE VISIBILITY TRIANGLES THAT THE TREE MIGHT CONFLICT WITH BLOCKED.
SO WHERE THEY REPLANT, I GUESS, IS BEING NEGOTIATED.
'CAUSE I MEAN, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SHADE TREE THAT I KNOW THE CITY IS PROMOTING IN THE SWALE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS PUBLIC PROPERTY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SOMETHING IS THERE TO THE, THE CITY'S, UH, TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE WOULD REQUIRE MITIGATION.
UM, UM, SO, SO THEY'LL HAVE TO PLANT SOMETHING SOMEWHERE.
I, I CAN'T TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHERE THAT'S WHERE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT THEY WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE TO MITIGATE THAT.
AND I DO REMEMBER, UM, I THINK IT WAS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION THAT THE INCREASED FOOT TRAFFIC THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THIS BUILDING.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO PUT A CROSSWALK ANYWHERE ALREADY? I WILL SAY THERE'S A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET OF PEOPLE CROSSING FROM THE TALMAN UNIVERSITY AND THAT'S A VERY BUSY, VERY BUSY STREET.
SO, AND I THINK IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE WHEN THIS BUILDING GETS FULL.
SO SOMETHING I, I KNOW THE 41ST STREET MASTER PLAN TALKS ABOUT IMPROVING PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY.
UM, SO THAT'S DEFINITELY THE CITY'S GOAL ALONG 41ST STREET.
WE'RE WORKING WITH FDOT ON, ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
IT'S ULTIMATELY THEIR RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, DEFINITELY WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY IF THERE'S ANY CROSSWALKS PROPOSED HERE, UH, BUT I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP AND I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I WOULD SAY TOO BECAUSE, UM, I AM, I LIVE, I'M, I'M IN THIS SECTION A LOT AND NOBODY SEEMS TO WALK FROM THE ENTRANCE OR EXIT OF THE, THE BUILDING NOW TO 41ST STREET ACROSS.
THEY CROSS IN THE MIDDLE AND THERE'S PEOPLE TURNING LEFT TO GO SOUTH AND IT'S A LOT OF FAMILIES AND IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS.
SO, AND THERE'S NOTHING THERE, BUT THERE'S, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, SENSE FOR 39TH STREET TO HAVE A CROSSWALK THERE FOR, UH, FOR PEDESTRIANS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE ISSUE IS EVER, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A NEED 'CAUSE THERE'S NEVER BEEN SO
[00:45:01]
MUCH THERE.BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE PEDESTRIAN, SO THROUGH THE CHAIR THERE ACTUALLY DID BUILD A CROSSWALK.
IT'S AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER WHERE THE DOG PARK IS.
FDOT WOULDN'T LET THEM PUT IT AT THE MIDDLE OF THE SITE 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T COMPLY WITH THEIR REGULATIONS.
UM, BUT THEY DID BUILD ONE, UH, THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT.
IS THERE, CAN YOU BRING UP WHERE THE EXACTLY THAT IS, 'CAUSE ISN'T THE DOG PARK REALLY CLOSE TO WHERE THE ENTRANCE TO THE JULIA TUTTLE IS LIKE RIGHT THERE? YOU CAN'T SEE IT ON THE SITE PLAN, BUT IT'S ANDREW, IT'S HERE IN THE CORNER.
I DUNNO WHY THIS KEEPS HIGHLIGHTING YEAH.
IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE PROPERTY.
SO RIGHT NEXT TO, SO LIKE HERE, OH, THAT DOES, THAT'S IT ALIGNS WITH OUR OH, RETRAIN ENTRANCE.
NOT WHERE THE DOCK, IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S MORE CLOSER TO FURTHER THE NORTH OF THE DOG PARK JUST AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PROPERTY.
SO DOES IT ALIGN WITH THAT PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY THAT WALKS COMES INTO THE SITE? SO, YES.
GO TO THE SITE THEN, OR SORRY ABOUT RENDERING, MAYBE IT'S IN RENDERING THE AREA.
SO THAT WOULD BE ON BERRY STREET.
IT'S AT THE, AT THE CORNER OF BERRY STREET? NO, SO IT'S AT THE CORNER OF BERRY STREET.
WE COULD SEND YOU A SITE PLAN THAT SHOWS THAT IT WAS STUDIED AS PART OF OUR TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WE SUBMITTED WITH THE ORIGINAL PROJECT.
UM, WE JUST, WE DIDN'T EXPECT THAT TO COME UP TODAY, SO, BUT I, I BELIEVE IT WAS STUDIED AS PART OF OUR TRAFFIC STUDY AND ANDREW'S TELLING ME THAT THEY BUILT IT, SO.
YEAH, I MEAN, JUST SO YOU KNOW, JUST SO YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THAT STREET NOW AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, I MEAN, LIKE, I, I'VE NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT'S, PEOPLE ARE TURNING, THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THE CHURCH MM-HMM
IT'S REALLY, REALLY BUSY AND NO ONE SEEMS TO GO TO THE CORNER.
SO SOMETHING THAT TO THINK ABOUT WITH THE PLANNING.
DOES ANYONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION? SO MOVED THAT WE APPROVE THE VARIANCES? I, I'LL SECOND THAT.
SECOND SECOND BY MR. DIFFENDERFER.
GOOD LUCK NAVIGATING THE TRAFFIC THIS WEEKEND.
NEXT MONTH WE ALSO WILL HAVE TWO ITEMS. UH, MAY WILL BE A LITTLE BUSIER.
UM, I'LL BE ON VACATION SO MICHAEL BELU WILL BE HERE IN MY PLACE.
AND WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, OH, HERE, APRIL 10TH.
APRIL 10TH IS THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND HAVE A GOOD MONTH.