1663-25 Art Deco/Preservation SUN DEC 20 1992 ED: FINAL
SECTION: NEIGHBORS MB PAGE: 4 LENGTH: 12 .92" MEDIUM
ILLUST:
SOURCE: BONNIE WESTON Herald Staff Writer
DATELINE:
MEMO:
CITY APT TO LIMIT
OCEAN DRIVE SHOPS
The Miami Beach Commission has tentatively banned new storefront shops
from Ocean Drive, despite complaints from some property owners who said the
proposal needs more study.
"I 'm not saying it ' s a bad ordinance, " said David Wallack, who owns a
hotel complex at 900 Ocean Dr. that includes shops, restaurants and bars. "But
we ' re not talking small stuff . We ' re talking major, major change. "
The commission voted unanimously for the change on Wednesday. It would
prevent new stores from fronting Ocean Drive. The proposal must pass a second
vote Jan. 6 to become law.
Some of South Beach' s most visible groups, including the Miami Design
Preservation League and the Miami Beach Development Corp. , supported the
proposal.
The ordinance, if passed, would also prohibit new storefronts along the
side streets connecting Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue.
The commission' s aim is to keep T-shirt and souvenir shops away from
Ocean Drive, businesses city officials consider out of sync with the Art Deco
district. Shops would be allowed inside buildings if they were at least 50
feet from the front property lines.
The proposal would also limit construction in the Ocean Drive and
Collins Avenue historic district to 50 feet high. A second floor could be
added to existing buildings, but only if it can' t be seen from the street.
Wallack and other speakers said they don' t mind the proposed ban on
certain types of retail space, but object to the measure ' s sweeping scope.
"I love the Art Deco district, " said South Beach Realtor Suzanne
Baker. "I don' t want souvenir shops. But a Parisian boutique? Yes. "
Tony Goldman, chairman of the Ocean Drive Association, a merchants '
group, endorsed the proposal, but Wallack and other Ocean Drive property
owners said they hadn' t been fully consulted.
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