12-09-2004 Workshop Meeting•
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MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE
PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Village Hall
6:45 P. M.
The Planning and Zoning Board of the Village of Miami Shores held its workshop
meeting on Thursday, December 9, 2004, at the Village Hall. Chairman Richard
Fernandez called the meeting to order at 6:50 PM.
Members Present
Richard Fernandez, Chairman
Tim Crutchfield
Robert Abramitis
Cesar Sastre(arrived at 7:15 PM)
Members Absent
Sid Reese
Planning and Zoning Staff Present
Al Berg, Director of Planning and Zoning
Al Berg swore in all those in attendance. He indicated that there was one case that the
Board could conclude its hearing process on and it was placed on the agenda. Chairman
Fernandez asked the applicant if he wished to defer this item because there were only
three Board members present. Michael Meyer responded that he would like to go
forward.
PZ04-1118-02
Michael Meyer (owner) Sec. 604: Site plan approval:
275 N. E. 102 Street new house
Mr. Berg introduced the case and explained that it was presented to the Board last month
and was tabled pending resolution of a tax folio number and an opinion of title. The
applicant has submitted those items and has asked to be reconsidered.
Some neighbors were present and advised that the meeting was starting earlier than what
was posted on the property sign, Chairman Fernandez called a brief recess until 7 P.M..
The meeting was reconvened at 7:02 P. M.. Mr. Berg decided that he should present the
entire case from the beginning because the neighbors who were not present did not have
the benefit of the case analysis and the staff recommendation. A letter was submitted
from one of the neighbors objecting to a two story house. Mr. Berg stated that the house
had roof line changes, some one story elements, many windows with nice architectural
features, and a front entry garage. It met all the code requirements and staff
• recommended approval.
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Michael Meyer stated that he worked very hard with the architect to develop a design that
was aesthetically pleasing and in conformity with the requirements of the code. He has
attempted to develop a house that would fit in the neighborhood. He stated that their had
been two muggings in the alley and that was one of the reasons that he did not locate the
garage in the back. He presented additional material concerning the square footage of
some of the houses in the area and found that the proposed square footage (3000 sq. ft.) is
not out of character for the neighborhood.
Some residents were in attendance and spoke against the proposal. They were George
Savingee, Nancy Dowson, Ben Frazier (290 N.E. 102 St.), and Mr. and Mrs. Frechette.
All of the neighbors were concerned about the mass of the structure and the fact that it
did not fit in with the rest of the houses on the street.
Chairman Fernandez noted that the economic forces were driving a lot of the
developments in the Village. The zoning code dictates the minimum size of dwellings
and setbacks must be met. The Board has addressed bulk and massing in their review of
new houses in the past and has been successful in achieving good design.
Mr. Crutchfield said that the 1 story side was good. He was concerned about the triangle
of visibility and how the proposed landscaping would interfere. He felt that the garage in
front was not a good design and that it would be a better design if it was located in the
rear.
Mr. Abramitis noted that the house is within the parameters of the code. People have
rights to build according to the code.
Mr. Abramitis made a motion to approve the application subject to meeting the
requirements of the triangle of visibility as to the landscaping. Mr. Sastre seconded the
motion. Motion passed 3-1 (Mr. Crutchfield voting no).
CODE REVISIONS - Signs
Chairman Fernandez suggested that the Board review exempt and prohibited signs on
page 23. It was noted that holiday decorations was not included in this section and Mr.
Berg should include this in the revisions. It was also noted that government regulation
signs, life safety, minimum size for address signs, alley signs, and facing of real estate
signs needed changing. Several changes were made to the exempt and prohibited sections
of the code, as well as other portions of the text.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 PM.
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The next meeting will be held in the Village Hall at 7:00 p.m. on December 16, 2004.
Al Berg Mr. Richard Fernandez, Chairman
Planning and Zoning Planning and Zoning Board
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December 13, 2004
To: 1. All members of the Village Council, Miami Shores, FL
All members of the Building and Zoning Board, Miami Shores, FL
3. Tom Benton, Village Manager, Miami Shores, FL
From: Joseph C. Frechette
300 N.E. 103 Street
Miami Shores, FL
Re: Vacant lot next to the house located on the northwest comer of N.E. 102 Street and
N.E. 3rd
Avenue, Miami Shores, FL
On Thursday, December 9, 2004, I attended the Building and Zoning hearing in
the Miami Shores Town Hall. I arrived at approximately 7:00 PM and the hearing was in
progress. To the credit of the Board who had started the hearing at 6:45 PM as
scheduled, they restarted the hearing because those in attendance stated they arrived at
7:00 PM because the sign on the property in question stated the hearing would be at 7:00
PM.
Mr. Al Berg, a village employee, presented the plans for the residence proposed to
be constructed on the captioned lot. During the course of his presentation he mentioned
there had been two muggings in the alley behind the captioned lot. (This came as a
complete surprise to the several residents in attendance as none of us were aware of this.)
Mr. Michael Meyer, who has applied to build a house on the captioned lot as his
personal residence, made a presentation during which he made a point of stating his plans
reflect a two -car garage on the front of the residence. He stated one of the reasons for
this was in the interest of security because of the mugging incidents mentioned by Mr.
Berg in the alley. (It should be noted that none of the houses located in the 200 block of
N.E. 102nd Street on either the north or south side have garage doors facing the street.)
One of the Board members in attendance stated that he believed a single garage,
or a garage located in the rear of the proposed residence would be more in keeping with
the surrounding residences.
On December 12, 2004 an inquiry was made at Miami Shores Police Department
and we were informed by a police officer who reads all police reports that in the past 3
years he could not recall any muggings in the alley bordered by N.E. 2nd and 3rd Avenue
and N.E. 102nd and 103rd Street in Miami Shores. This would lead one to believe that
such a serious allegation would be documented and proof given to the Board as it might
possibly affect the decision of the Board members as to the location of the garage door or
doors in the proposed residence.
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My main purpose in writing this letter is to mention the fact that to me and others
present at the meeting, the primary criteria for a building being suitable for the area is,
whether the building fits within the setbacks, not its design.
It would seem that whether the building is architecturally compatible with the
other buildings in the area is of more importance than its size and should be of primary
consideration in the decision making process.
Sincerely,
/Joseph . Frechette