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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting December 18,2014 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida <br /> height from slab to slab,each unit is 11 feet,slab to slab. Based upon the math it seems to her <br /> that you could lower the ceiling height from slab to slab instead of making it 11 feet, maybe <br /> make it 10 '/2 feet,maybe lower the difference between the top of the bridge and the first unit, <br /> bring it down some,and maybe get rid of one unit,one floor,and make the building fit within <br /> the Code without asking for the variance. Maybe the size of a slab can be decreased,and she <br /> thinks that when proposals like this are made there are business negotiations and everybody <br /> comes asking for more than they are willing to take. Perhaps the developer of the condo,the <br /> contractor for the other side,needs to make some concessions in the amount of revenue or the <br /> amount of profit it is going to earn. Maybe the Chabad needs to make some concessions in <br /> the design, instead of the $15 Million maybe build it for $13.5 Million so that it works for <br /> everybody financially and it can still be done within Code. Architect Jaime Schapiro said in <br /> response,you are right slab to slab is 11 feet,but due to the type of building which is so slim, <br /> those slabs are going to be a foot or over one foot, and he believes the ceiling height of less <br /> than ten(10)feet for$4.5 Million apartment you cannot give a ceiling height of less than ten <br /> (10) feet, and we have to do that because of the type of building which is extremely slim. <br /> Commissioner Levin said if the price per unit is $3.5 Million to $4 Million and the people <br /> who are going to buy here, you expect them to live at the Chabad, then perhaps they have <br /> money that they can contribute to the project so we can make it work with a shorter building. <br /> Rabbi Kaller said he is not an architect but being that he was involved in every step of the way <br /> for the past 11 months, he wanted to bring out a few points. First of all, the Community <br /> Center was never planned to be a$15 Million endeavor. The Community Center when it was <br /> conceived and dreamed upon,this was two(2)years ago and we were not supposed to go over <br /> $10 Million. Today with the construction cost considerably higher than two (2) years ago, <br /> that cost had risen drastically. And yes, as Commission Gatto had mentioned, this is not an <br /> Application for a condominium,this is an Application for a Community Center which needs <br /> this partnership with the developer. Without this joint venture, he doesn't know how many <br /> years it would take them to start the Community Center. We do have about $5 Million in <br /> pledges. This partnership will enable them to almost come to a point of building the entire <br /> Community Center. But as far as trying to trim this building as much as possible, as you <br /> mentioned it is a request for a variance and in this case it is only 22 feet. Another option the <br /> Chabad does have is to stretch the Community Center as is because if we don't have these <br /> funds we will perhaps change the whole thing and build one condominium building on both <br /> lots. This would allow them 103 units with 180,000 feet of FAR which will create traffic,we <br /> are talking about 30 feet height but we are talking about a density which is five(5)times less <br /> than it could be on these two (2) lots. Again, he knows everybody is sensitive about the <br /> height and about these extra 30 feet but in this particular case, this is not a huge building, <br /> because this site is so small and because the construction is so expensive, it is simply not <br /> viable. There is also an issue of parking, there is mechanical parking but the footprint is so <br /> tiny and the building is so slim, every inch of this space is utilized. We did trim three floors <br /> down, 35 feet of the bridge, and so we are asking for approval. <br /> Commissioner Levin said with regard to the ability to build more units,would that in fact be <br /> practicable,or would the unit size be too small that they wouldn't really sell and you wouldn't <br /> build 103 units anyway. Rabbi Kaller said no, they would not be small, if we cannot do that <br /> as a free standing building, in the past two (2) years he has been approached by multiple <br /> developers saying to stretch the Community Center. But he said no because he would like this <br /> 8 <br />