Ordinance 95-2977 ORDINANCE NO. 95-2977
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING
COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE NO. 89-2665;
AMENDING SECTION 19, ENTITLED "HISTORIC
PRESERVATION BOARD AND HISTORIC DISTRICT
REGULATIONS" ; AMENDING SUBSECTION 19-5,
ENTITLED "DESIGNATION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION
SITES OR DISTRICTS" BY DESIGNATING THE MIAMI
BEACH WOMAN'S CLUB SITE AT 2401 PINE TREE
DRIVE AS A LOCAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION SITE;
PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE ZONING
ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR A REPEALER; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on July 12, 1994 , the City' s Historic Preservation
Board held a public hearing and voted in favor of designating the
Miami Beach Woman' s Club Site as a local historic site; and
WHEREAS, on December 20, 1994, the City' s Planning Board held
a public hearing and voted in favor of the proposed designation;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach Planning, Design and Historic
Preservation Division has recommended this amendment to the City' s
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Miami Beach Woman' s Club has been located at the
Site since 1926 ; and
WHEREAS, the building currently located on the Site was
designed by Russell T. Pancoast and constructed in 1933 ; and
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WHEREAS, the building is an example of the California-
Ranch/Mission style of architecture, and all of its primary
architectural features have been maintained; and
WHEREAS, this amendment is deemed necessary to protect and
enhance the character of the building located within the described
property; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission believe that this
amendment is necessary to the welfare of the citizens of the City
of Miami Beach, Florida.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA:
SECTION 1. That Subsection 19-5, of Section 19, entitled
"Historic Preservation Board and Historic District Regulations" of
Zoning Ordinance No. 89-2665 of the City of Miami Beach, Florida is
hereby amended as follows :
19-5 DESIGNATION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION SITES OR
DISTRICTS
C. Historic Preservation Designation
* * *
6 . All Sites and districts designated as Historic
Sites and Districts shall be delineated on the
City' s zoning map pursuant to Section 21-8 , Maps,
of this Ordinance, as an Overlay District . Such
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Sites and districts include :
h. RM-1/HPS-6 : The Miami Beach Woman' s Club Site,
2401 Pine Tree Drive, Flamingo Terrace
Subdivision No. 1; as recorded in the Public
Records of Dade County, Florida. The
designated area consists of the exterior
premises and those portions of the interior
described as architecturally significant in
the Addendum to Designation Report dated
February 8 , 1995 .
* * *
SECTION 2 . INCLUSION IN ZONING ORDINANCE NO. 89-2665. It is
the intention of the City Commission, and it is hereby ordained
that the provisions of this ordinance shall become and be made part
of the City of Miami Beach Zoning Ordinance No. 89-2665 as amended;
that the sections of this ordinance may be renumbered or relettered
to accomplish such intention; and that the word "ordinance" may be
changed to "section" or other appropriate word.
SECTION 3 . REPEALER. That all Ordinances or parts of
Ordinances in conflict herewith be and the same are hereby
repealed.
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SECTION 4 . EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall take effect on
the 25th day of February , 1995 .
PASSED and ADOPTED this 15th day o February , 1995 .
ATTEST: _
'OR
CITY CLERK
public hearing 2/15/95
SWS:scf\disk7\wom-club.ord
February 10, 1995
FORM APPROVED
Legal Dept
By IT-
Date A-fib—qs 5i.u5
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CITY OF MIAM ! BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA 33139
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. I -�S
TO: Mayor Seymour Gelber and DATE:
Members of the City Commission
FROM: Roger M. Carlton
City Manager FEBRUARY 15, 1995
SUBJECT:
FIRST READING AND PUBLIC HEARING- AMENDMENT TO
ZONING ORDINANCE 89-2665 DESIGNATING THE MIAMI
BEACH WOMAN'S CLUB SITE AT 2401 PINE TREE DRIVE AS
A LOCAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION SITE.
RECOMMENDATION
The Administration recommends the City Commission adopt the
attached ordinance to amend the City of Miami Beach Zoning
Ordinance No. 89-2665, amending Sub-Section 19-5 entitled
"Designation of Historic Sites or Districts" by designating the
Miami Beach Woman's Club site at 2401 Pine Tree Drive as a Local
Historic Preservation Site.
BACKGROUND
The City Commission adopted Resolution No. 94-21117 on April 6,
1994 , requesting the designation of the Miami Beach Woman's Club at
2401 Pine Tree Drive as a historic site.
On May 12, 1994, The Historic Preservation Board, upon receipt of
the evaluation and recommendation report from the Planning Design
and Historic Preservation Division at their regularly scheduled
monthly meeting, directed the Division to prepare a formal
designation report.
The Historic Preservation Board on July 12, 1994 , recommended that
the subject property be designated as a local historic site. The
Historic Preservation Board, by this action, also approves the
enclosed Historic Site Designation Report, (See attached) .
PAGE 1 OF 7
AGENDA ITEM
DATE -2-' � �"- I �
On November 22, 1994, the Planning Board held a public hearing on
the historic designation of the building and site in question and
continued the matter to the December 20, 1994, public hearing.
At the November meeting of the Planning Board, representatives of
the property's new owner, The Wolfsonian Foundation, expressed
concerns regarding building permit processing and extra
governmental delays that may be implemented in conjunction with
historic designation. Their greatest concern involved the
upgrading of the interior of the property. Planning and Zoning
Director Grandin assured representatives of the Wolfsonian
Foundation that modernizing and upgrading the interior of the
building so that it is more functional, especially the kitchen and
bathrooms could be accomplished within the guidelines of the
"Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and
Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. "
At said meeting, Mr. Grandin offered as an example, 301 Washington
Avenue, where a religious institution is in the process of being
successfully converted into a museum. That site was designated
historic in 1992 , and the building has since undergone phased
upgrading to meet not only the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, but the programmatic needs of the museum,
including new restrooms.
After discussion by the Board, a motion was passed to continue the
matter to December 20, 1994, public hearing in order for the new
owner to investigate further the possible consequences related to
historic designation of the property.
While the new owners of the property expressed genuine concerns
regarding the interior upgrading of the property, the Planning
Director believes that these concerns are not justified. The
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of
Historic Buildings does indeed require that historic interior
spaces retain original material, architectural features and
hardware, whenever possible, particularly in historic interior
public spaces, -ie. , lobbies, hallways, meeting rooms, etc. , (see
attached Secretary's Standards particularly, pages 10 & 11) .
However, the building may be upgraded to meet the current code
requirements of the South Florida Building Code and the Americans
with Disabilities Act. The project at 301 Washington Avenue is a
prime example. As such, the non-public interior spaces such as the
kitchen, bathrooms, storage areas, office and the like can be
rehabilitated with little restriction.
At the December meeting of the Planning Board, representatives of
the Wolfsonian Foundation agreed to the historic designation of the
site and building and significant public interiors which included
the entrance foyer, meeting hall and tea room. The Board voted 5-1
(one abstention and one negative vote) to approve the historic
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designation of the site, which includes the exterior of the
currently existing building and significant architectural features
of the public areas of the interior. The significant architectural
features of the interior have been itemized by the Historic
Preservation Coordinator, Mr. William Cary, within the attached
addendum as an amendment (see attached) to the original designation
report. Representatives of the Wolfsonian Foundation, Mr. Carter
McDowell and Mr. Jay Kamm, also took part in the survey of the
interior public areas with Mr. Cary and helped draft the amendment
to the original designation report. Also within that amendment, is
a clarification in regards to the parking area and the exterior
elevations of the building. These representatives of the
Wolfsonian Foundation have agreed to the historic designation of
the property, provided the proposed amendment is made a part of
that original historic designation report.
ANALYSIS
Planning Context - The subject building was constructed in 1933 and
designed by architect Russell T. Pancoast. Micro-film data
suggests remarkable structural integrity since virtually all the
original primary features to the building have been maintained.
These features include a recessed front entrance, fenestration
openings with flanking wood storm shutters, brick veneer at the
bulkhead of the building and arched doorways on the east elevation.
However, the arched doorways appear to have been filled-in and the
original open screen porch on the south side of the property has
been enclosed.
There is a generous amount of landscaped area surrounding the
property, including palm trees, hedge material and flowering mature
canopy trees on the west side along Pine Tree Drive. The at-grade
parking lot, to the east of the main' structure, has been enclosed
with a chain link fence and each parking space has been striped and
includes a wheel stop; said lot is part of the site proposed for
designation. In general, the parking area is in good condition.
However, the surrounding perimeter right-of-way, is in sub-par
condition and in need of repair. This is primarily due to
automobiles parking on the existing ground cover.
The architectural style of the building -- California-Ranch/Mission
-- is really a compilation of different architectural vernaculars.
Specifically, the subject building incorporates features and
elements unique to the California Ranch/Mission style with the low
profile, symmetrical massing, gabled roofs with barrel tile and
sparse adornment. The facility has the appearance of a single
family residence.
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Other features of the building which are unique to this style
include arched doorways and an arcade walkway on the east
elevation, as well as small window forms throughout the building,
with flanking southwest style wood shutters, which beget the
intended image of heavy masonry construction. The building also
incorporates features specific to the Tropical Art-Deco style
including a recessed front entrance, decorative steel front door
and a porthole window.
The building is also located within it's original foundation and
the only minor alterations over the years have been what appears to
be a small exterior addition on the west side of the building in
1936 and the addition of an interior coat, powder and toilet room
in 1939. The only major modification to the structure, the
enclosure of the screened porch on the south side of the building
with jalousie windows, appears to have been done in 1958.
Finally, the subject structure has been owned and operated by the
same entity, the Miami Beach Woman's Club, since it's inception on
December 15, 1926 and it has functioned solely as a Woman's Club
during this time period. Most of the aforementioned physical
qualities were original to the building and thus contribute to it's
extraordinary integrity in terms of location, design, setting,
materials, and workmanship.
Land Use - The subject site is approximately 35, 000 square feet in
area and incorporates the entire block between 24th Street and 24th
Terrace along Pine Tree Drive. The Woman's Club facility consists
of a one-story building composed of CBS stucco with a barrel tile,
multi-gabled roof, recessed front entrance and arched door openings
on the east elevation. The site is fully landscaped with an at-
grade parking lot adjacent to the main building. The surrounding
land uses are characterized by low-rise multi-family dwellings and
single family residences farther to the north. A school, public
golf course and City facility is directly to the west. The Fana
Holtz Building of the Hebrew Academy (5 stories) is directly north
of the subject property.
Zoning - The site is located in the RM-1, Residential Low
Intensity District. The existing use of the subject property as a
semi-private club is considered a "granfathered" Conditional Use,
(ie, private\public institution) , and is consistent with the
current Zoning Code.
Planning Review Criteria - In reviewing this request for an
amendment to the Ordinance, the Planning Board considered the
following criteria, where applicable, to this request:
1. Whether the proposed change is consistent and compatible with
the Comprehensive Plan and any applicable neighborhood or
Redevelopment Plans;
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The proposed change will not affect, and is consistent with,
the Future Land Use Map. The use of the site for
institutional purposes is permitted as a Conditional Use in
the RM-1 land use category and will not change as a
consequence of the proposed designation as a historic
preservation site.
2 . Whether the proposed change would create an isolated district
unrelated to adjacent or nearby districts;
The local historic site designation is an overlay zoning
classification and does not change the underlying zoning
district; the overlay zoning as a site is appropriate and
consistent with the purpose of Chapter 19 of the Zoning
Ordinance.
3 . Whether the change suggested is out of scale with the needs of
the neighborhood or the City;
The proposed amendment would help to ensure the preservation
of this historic site, thus not only potentially maintaining
the existing scale of the site which is consistent with the
surrounding neighborhood, but also maintaining an important
part of the city's heritage.
4 . Whether the proposed change would tax the existing load on
public facilities and infrastructure;
The proposed designation as a historic site would not affect
the levels of service of any facilities or infrastructure
serving the site. There is no change caused by the
designation.
It should be noted that the property would remain tax-exempt,
regardless of historic designation. It is valued at $429,518;
as an exempt property, the tax exemption equivocates to
approximately $12, 500/year.
5. Whether existing district boundaries are illogically drawn in
relation to existing conditions on the property proposed for
change;
As stated earlier, this is an overlay zoning classification
and does not affect the underlying zoning district.
PAGE 5 OF 7
6. Whether changed or changing conditions make the passage of the
proposed change necessary;
As mentioned previously, this is the original building and use
of the site. The designation of this property as a historic
preservation site will encourage the continuance and
maintenance of the property in its current state.
Importantly, also, as development pressures increase in the
surrounding area, the designation of this site will help to
ensure that any new construction and rehabilitation of the
property is completed in a sensitive manner.
7. Whether the proposed change will adversely influence living
conditions in the neighborhood;
The proposed change should not have a negative effect on the
surrounding area. The preservation of this historic site will
provide physical evidence for future generations of this
distinctive type of construction as well as the social
development of this City.
8 . Whether the proposed change will create or excessively
increase traffic congestion beyond the Levels of Service as
set forth in the Comprehensive Plan or otherwise affect public
safety;
It is not anticipated that the designation of the subject
property as a historic site would have any affect on the
traffic Levels of Service as established in the Comprehensive
Plan nor should it affect public safety. At this point in
time, the Wolfsonian proposes to use the facility in concert
with the Woman's Club for meetings, lectures and other similar
programs.
9. Whether the proposed change will seriously reduce light and
air to adjacent areas;
The preservation of this historic site should help to ensure
that the existing light angles, air circulation and open space
are maintained.
10. Whether the proposed change will adversely affect property
values in the adjacent area;
Designation of this historic site should help to ensure that
the buildings and site will continue to be maintained and not
neglected. The maintenance and possible rehabilitation of the
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property should have a beneficial impact to the surrounding
property values in the area.
11. Whether the proposed change will be a deterrent to the
Improvement or Development of adjacent property in accordance
with existing regulations;
The proposed change to the ordinance should not have any
detrimental effect to the improvement or development of the
adjacent property or surrounding neighborhood.
12 . Whether there are substantial reasons why the property cannot
be used in accordance with existing zoning;
The existing zoning remains in place; the designation of the
property as a local historic site would help to ensure the
preservation of this historic facility.
13 . Whether it is impossible to find other adequate Sites in the
City for the proposed Use in a district already permitting
such Use;
This criteria is not applicable to the proposed change.
CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, the Administration has concluded that the
City Commission should adopt on first reading the amending
Ordinance to designate the Miami Beach Woman's Club site at 2401
Pine Tree Drive as a Local Historic Preservation Site.
DJG\MHF\DISK#10\1202CM1.95
PAGE 7 OF 7
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property should have a beneficial impact to the surrounding
property values in the area.
11. Whether the proposed change will be a deterrent to the
Improvement or Development of adjacent property in accordance
with existing regulations;
The proposed change to the ordinance should not have any
detrimental effect to the improvement or development of the
adjacent property or surrounding neighborhood.
12 . Whether there are substantial reasons why the property cannot
be used in accordance with existing zoning;
The existing zoning remains in place; the designation of the
property as a local historic site would help to ensure the
preservation of this historic facility.
13 . Whether it is impossible to find other adequate Sites in the
City for the proposed Use in a district already permitting
such Use;
This criteria is not applicable to the proposed change.
CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, the Administration has concluded that the
City Commission should adopt on first reading the amending
Ordinance to designate the Miami Beach Woman's Club site at 2401
Pine Tree Drive as a Local Historic Preservation Site.
DJG\MHF\DISK#10\1202CM1.95
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