2006 1116 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting November 16,2006 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida opening remarks on zoning procedures/decorum and City Clerk Hines read a disclaimer for the Zoning hearing, and administered the oath to the witnesses for the Zoning hearing. City Clerk Hines asked if there were any Ex Parte disclosures, and there were none. Assistant City Manager Jorge Vera reported noting that this item was deferred from October 17,2006 because the applicant needed to discuss some issues with adjoining property owners. He said this property is adjacent to Samson Park and has a relatively narrow lot width of just over 100-feet. He noted that the applicant reduced the number of units from 107 to 103, and consequently the amount of parking spaces went from 163 to 156 due to the reduction in the number of units. He said the major change to the building is the parking pedestal that was revised and a planter has been created along that side. He said staff does not see this variance setback as detrimental to adjoining properties. He said the applicant is also requesting a waiver of the beach access easement, and staff is in the opinion that the beach access should be waived due to the safety and welfare of the public. Public Speakers: Clifford Schulman, Esq.; Kobi Karp, Architect; Henry Kay; Gloria Taft; Leib Kamishev Clifford Schulman, Esq., representing the applicant, reported that one of things they had asked for last month was a north setback variance that would have put a wall above 6- feet another 7- 8 feet adjoining their north property line. He stated that the property owner to the north, Mr. Jose Milton, expressed some concerns regarding that, and they revised the plan so that today's variance is a minor variance as opposed to what they had before. He said they pulled the building back 18-feet from what had been previously proposed on the north side, and so the variance they are requesting is the minimum necessary to build this building. He said it is a 32-story building with 103 units, a 4-unit reduction, and the objection that was filed by their neighboring property owner, Mr. Milton, was formally withdrawn. Kobi Karp, Architect, presented renderings of the project, noting that the lobby would open up to the adjacent Samson Park. He said they created a vertical glass image in the front with a crystalline look which at night has up-lighting and back-lighting, with landscaping. Mr. Schulman said in TDRs, the applicant has agreed to pay the City $6.8 Million, in addition the bonuses are $1.3 Million, and he offered an additional mitigation payment of $750,000 that would go to the City for its public purposes, hopefully to enhance the Park. He said this would bring to the City approximately $8.9 Million in additional revenue from this project. Vice Mayor Brezin said that there is quite a distance to the next beach access and asked ifthey could create some type of an emergency exit so if there is an emergency on the beach they have a way out. Mr. Schulman said if anyone needed help they could come through the building. Mr. Karp noted on the plans that there is a fire staging area which is half way through the site where the lobby is, emergency vehicles can come there. He said there is also an elevator on the beach side so they can bring a gurney up and into an emergency EMS vehicle. Mr. Schulman said a fire truck can get up to that area on the north side. Commissioner Thaler said parking spaces have been reduced because of the reduction in the amount of units, however, the handicapped parking, he assumes has not been reduced. Mr. Schulman said that is correct, they meet the required six (6) spaces, and that there is 24 hour valet parking; residents of the building cannot park their cars without valet. 3