2012-0301 Special Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting March I. 2012 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida things he heard today and he disagrees with is when you do a variance it becomes a norm. Variances are site-driven, this is a special site because you have a lot that is very big on the south side which is a Park. As we go into the future you are going to be challenged with one ofthe few lots that are left to try to develop. He is in favor of this project. Joseph Milton said this project is damaging their property, the wall that is being built at their property line is about 18 feet, actually about 21 feet above the sidewalk and what is allowed in Code is 6 feet. It will run the entire length of his property and it will cause a significant reduction in value to his property and that is why he is opposed to this project. Mr. Schulman said in 2006 there was another project that was approved for this site The Park Place, and at the Public Hearing for Sunny Isles Resort Developers, Mr. Milton opposed a zero setback and he showed him a letter (which he placed into the record). Mr. Milton said yes, it came from his father Jose Milton withdrawing his opposition to that project. There were several meetings between him and his developer at that time and there was a resolution established between them. Jose Milton is no longer the owner of this property, he set up a Trust with his sons of which he is one of them. The Trustees have been entrusted with the responsibility of decisions for the benefit of the children. Mr. Schulman asked Mr. Karp what happens to this building if the setback variances are not granted and what it does to the pedestal. Mr. Karp said it would disallow them from having the green-wall, and the landscaping is very important to have the building come from the Park. The density is down but the parking ratio is up, we have tried to keep it as the smallest box as possible and that is what the uniqueness and hardship of this came about. Mr. Schulman asked if the pedestal would have to go higher, and Mr. Karp said we are doing an luxury product building that the Park is part of the building, and the building is part of the Park. They wanted to push the parking as low as they can, the parking is very efficient, it is very tight, there are no ramps, it is one level, and it is decked up vertically. Ifthe variance is not granted then they will have to go up with multiple levels and ramps. We are keeping it as low as possible, and we are pushing the tower as far back as possible. Mr. Schulman asked him what part of the wall of the pedestal will be seen from the Park, and Mr. Karp said because the wall slopes up, and we would cut the wall down, instead of having a guardrail which is about 42-44 inches high, we cut it down as low as possible, maybe 12 inches, and a guardrail is on top and so it feels even lighter and then we carried the landscaping vertically up, a long slope up because the building is setback, and we have the green-wall. Mr. Schulman asked if you will see a wall or green, and Mr. Karp said you would only see green. Mr. Schulman said on the comments about the impact on the views from Winston Towers, something is going to be built on this site no matter what. Mr. Schulman said the width of the building and its impacts, one of the great things about this parcel is that they are adjacent to 200 feet of wide open space so that even though the width of their building may be slightly more than is permitted by Code, this is probably the only parcel of property in the City where you won't notice it because it is next to the Park. Commissioner Gatto said the building is beautifully designed, and she asked if there was going to be a 21-22 foot wall on the north side of the building, and Mr. Karp said it will not be on the property line, it is set back between 3-5 feet. He said the clears needed in order to clear the mechanical lifts is 18.5 feet and then there is a deck that goes on top of that with 6