2012-0301 Special Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting March 1,20]2 SUllny Isles Beach, Florida Clifford Schulman, Esq. representing The Mansions at Acqualina reported that the site is one acre in size but its dimensions are 100 feet on the frontage of Collins A venue, and approximately 455 feet at the back, an A-type site, and adjacent to the Samson Oceanfront Park. It is unique in that they are probably the only parcel of property that on their south they have unobstructed views for eternity and that gives them tremendous opportunities not only to use those views but to contribute to the functioning of the Park, the look of the Park, and really take from the Park some very good things and even make them better. This lot was plotted many years ago, and under the Zoning Code it is grandfathered in for certain requirements such as lot size. Because it is such a small lot there are certain necessities in order to develop anything viable and economically feasible. Mr. Schulman said they are requesting a site plan approval for an 84-unit building and the site can have 104 units, it is a 35-story structure, and it is approximately 470 feet high when the law would allow it to be 649 feet high. They are asking for approval of the use of62,644 units of TORs which are private, a waiver of beach access, the building width is 73% where 60% is permitted, they need a 3 to 5-foot setback and they will show on their north boundary where 20 feet would otherwise be required. When they had originally filed this application they asked for a zero setback to the north and they did that for a reason, in 2006 this Commission approved a project called The Park Place that was basically a zero setback on the north. But after consultation with neighbors and staff, they pulled that back so they have a minimum of3 feet setback and it widens out to 5 feet in certain locations. When that site plan was approved in 2006, our neighbor to the north filed a No Objection Letter with the City, and so they didn't think it would be a problem. Mr. Schulman said they arc also asking for the use of available Bonuses, those Bonuses will give to the City $3.15 Million, they need a 2-footl-inch setback on the south where 5 feet would be required, the building width is 73% vs. 60%, and approval for the murals and graphics. They will also show that their tower, which could be 75 feet li'om Collins Avenue, instead is 133 feet ii'OI11 Collins A venue. The porte-cochere could also be 50 feet from Collins Avenue but it is 133 feet from Collins Avenue. Their tower could be 20 feet to the property line, instead it is 22 feet away from the property line. Their height could be over 600 feet but they are only doing 430 feet. They are allowed to cover 80% of the site with their footprint but instead they are only covering 60% of the site. Their density is lower, 84 units instead of 104 units. A phenomenon that is happening on Sunny Isles Beach is bigger units, their minimum unit size is 1,400 square feet where they could have as small as 550 square feet, and in fact their average unit is 2,800 square feet. They have 23% more parking than is required by the Code, and they have 200% more handicap parking than is required. Staff has given their recommendation that they are consistent with the site plan and the variance standards within the City LDRs. Kobi Karp, Architect, presented a 3-D model and renderings of the project, and how it relates to the Samson Oceanfront Park. They looked for a green-wall effect which is basically the point of the building so the Park comes across it, climbs up to the point of the building and creates a green-wall effect which is ivy growing up the wall. There is a trellis of bougainvillea layered on top of that, and in front of that starts the layering of the trees and mature vegetation, which helped them to create an idea of a unique piece of architecture that 3