2015-0219 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting February 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida Architect Castifleira said that one of the things they noticed was an existing sunken plaza where the two floors of parking will come, and so this is the area that will get filled in. In the Association's attempt to beautify this project with trees, palms, vegetation, things of that nature,they will be blocking the lower floors of some of these views. There is no blockage of views with this plan. The facade in the towers facing the water is a blank facade,no windows, no nothing, where fire stairs were in the best views. A lot of the landscaping automatically blocks some of those views. From the fourth floor up,the same views will be there as they are not doing anything with that. In the Y-shaped building,just the angle of the view and the two (2)Towers you will not have any views between the two(2)Towers. The benefit of parking is difficult in all South Florida,not just in Sunny Isles Beach. They are talking about 340 cars of people that already visit or live here. They are going to park somewhere, the parking garage that the City is building at Gateway Park, is about the same size they are requesting. Parking problems are not just the problems of the building, it becomes a problem for the City. The concern here is that people who cannot find available parking will find other solutions. Architect Castifleira said when we design projects we forget that a big portion of how projects are viewed are not only from street level, but also from high-rises looking down. The top of that parking would become a much more world-class resort type condo project. We are introducing the very shallow type of fountain element, an open pavilion for people to lounge which is a better area for the sun, and he showed the areas that are going to be the north floor as we step back the building. On the common side it will be a water feature, a sculpture, beautiful landscaping cascading over the second floor wall. On the beach side we are introducing a grand stainvay that takes you from the balcony down to a lower deck, again the second level which will have Jacuzzis and things of that nature connecting back to the Spas that are located within the building. This creates a grand way to getting down from the fourth level to the second level and then back into the Spa. He presented a series of images that are "before" and "after" proposals including the façade and enhancements for the walls, architecturally stronger, open spaces, landscaping, water features, and sculptures for the benefit of the passerby and the City. Trump Tower I Board of Directors member Jurgen Giesber said the garage is overcrowded and when they have friends over they are being told they cannot park there and to find parking elsewhere. You as the host have to go out and find them and bring them to your home, and after dinner take them back to their car which is an embarrassing situation. When they purchased their unit there was no conversation about a lack of parking spaces,they were only told that there was plenty of parking and it was all valet. That worked for the first couple of years but as time progressed it was clear that this was going to be problematic. By the end of 2013 everybody realized that it was impossible to accommodate all the vehicles in Trump and III. This proposal is a win, win, and there is no cost to the City, hence the taxpayer. The proposal would also reduce traffic on Collins Avenue. Mayor Scholl opened the public hearing to hear residents that wished to speak, and after hearing those residents,he closed the public hearing. Commissioner Levin asked City Planner Hasbun what the history is of this project at the time it was constructed and she knows there were some issues with the view corridor. City Planner Hasbun said when the application came in 2005,the developer had a singular proposal during the site plan process,eventually that did not go through the Commission at the time and they lowered the parking pedestal to 20-feet. 7