2013-1017 Regular City Commission Meeting (2)

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting October 17, 2013 City or Sunny Isles Beach, Florida specifically work with engineers. He noted a rendering and pointed out a double row of columns all along the edge and that is to have this whole part of the building here be built after the tower and which will allow us to have the cranes, the construction maneuvering and all that set up within the lot, not on Sunny Isles Boulevard. Just doing that we ran numbers of over $1 Million extra cost to the building. That again is something that is being done to alleviate a problem and to make sure it brings the least amount of disruption to the intersection. Keep in mind that this is a small building and will get built in less than a year. Vice Mayor Aelion asked what is the distance between the exit side of the building on Collins Avenue to the first u -turn to go north, and he heard someone say about 1.000 feet. Architect Castineira said he doesn't have the exact number as he doesn't have the map, and this also gets reviewed by FDOT. Vice Mayor Aelion said as far as the variances that are being sought, granted the 8 to 13 -story difference, may give a perception of a 40% increase in story height. However, when one looks at the height in the variance which is the objective look of 12 feet in height compared to the 140, it is only an 8% increase in height. As far as the visual and effective look on the building there isn't much change even though the perception is an extra five stories high, it is really an 8% increase in height. He was a little conflicted with the decision between these variances, the concerns that were voiced here with the residents of Oceania and also the fact that these variances do not impact so much the architecture of the mitigated look of it. It has a feature to the general look of our City which the architecture is beautiful, it brings the flavor of Coral Gables into our City and it is a yen, beautiful rendering. Commissioner Gatto asked for a clarification on the additional foot, it is per floor which totals 12 feet, is that correct? Architect Castineira said right, that adds to the math that ultimately brings it to Class "A" status. Commissioner Gatto said she sees this whole process as both a science and an art. She does not see it just as science, and she is not looking at it just from a numbers standpoint. It is important not to tie the hands of the artist, in this case the architecture, if it somehow compromises the aesthetics of the building. It is a fine balance that you have to personally analyze because you are making important decisions. In this particular instance she finds that 12 additional feet is negligible and she understands all the issues of quality of life. Once you get the science down, the aesthetics is also very important. Mayor Edelcup said if we go with staff recommendation to deny the two variances that other agencies have requested, where does that put the project since we will be at odds with some other agencies? City Attorney Ottinot said the only decision the Commission has to make tonight is the decision based on the Zoning Code. Regarding the other agency action, that ultimately has to be done by the agency. The Commission just has to apply the law that applies to this Application. Mayor Edelcup said the only reason he is raising it is because it came to us first before some other agency has acted on it. Architect Castineira said with the other agencies, there are slight modifications to the rear of the building on the towers on the west side that will accommodate their needs. At the same time we have the City's boardwalk requirements, we have the Shoreline requirements, and we have the Water Management requirements with the mangroves. We are confident that we will be able to work out a solution and still move forward. Commissioner Scholl said it seems to him that if we deny the setbacks it gives them ammunition to go back to the other agency and then they can work it out, and if the other agency balks, they are going to come back to us. Architect Castineira said they put together a very extensive presentation to show them. The space that we have 8