2001-3310 ORD
ORDINANCE NO.
2001-3310
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT
REGULATIONS OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE; BY AMENDING
SECTION 118-593(E), ENTITLED "DELINEATION ON ZONING MAP"
BY DESIGNATING A PORTION OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY OF
PINETREE DRIVE AS AN HISTORIC SITE TO BE KNOWN AS THE
"PINETREE DRIVE HISTORIC ROADWAY," GENERALLY FROM 30TH
STREET TO 46TH STREET, AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN
THE ORDINANCE; PROVIDING THAT THE CITY'S ZONING MAP SHALL
BE AMENDED TO INDICATE THAT PORTION OF PINETREE DRIVE AS
AN HISTORIC SITE; ADOPTING THE DESIGNATION REPORT
ATTACHED AS APPENDIX "A"; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE
LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE CITY CODE, REPEALER,
SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on February 28, 2001, the City's Historic
Preservation Board held a public hearing and voted unanimously (5-
0; 2 absences) in favor of recommending that the City Commission
designate a portion of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive as
an Historic Site; and
WHEREAS, on March 27, 2001, the City'S Planning Board held a
public hearing and voted (6-0; 1 absence) in favor of the proposed
designation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach Planning Department has
recommended this amendment to the Land Development Regulations of
the City Code; and
WHEREAS, these recommendations of approval for the designation
of a portion of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive as an
Historic Site were based upon the information documented in the
Designation Report prepared by the City of Miami Beach Planning
Department attached hereto as Appendix "A."
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA:
SECTION 1.
DESIGNATION OF A PORTION OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
OF PINETREE DRIVE AS AN HISTORIC SITE.
The following described property is hereby designated as an
Historic Site of the City of Miami Beach and shall be known as the
"Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway":
That certain area located
within the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive between the
extended centerline of 30th Street on the south, to the easterly
extension of the north lot line of Lot 4, Block D, on the north, as
shown in the Surprise Lake Subdivision, recorded in Plat Book 9, at
Page 114, Public Records of Miami-Dade County (approximately 400
feet south of 46th Street), including all landscape features,
statues, fountains, and works of art located wi thin the public
right-of-way of said boundaries, said lands located, lying, and
being in the City of Miami Beach, County of Miami-Dade, Florida.
The legal description for the designated property is described in
Section 2 below.
The Designation Report attached hereto as
Appendix "A" is hereby adopted.
SECTION 2.
AMENDMENT OF SECTION 118-593(El.
Subsection (e), entitled "Delineation on Zoning Map," of
Section 118-593, entitled "Historic Preservation Designation," of
Division 4, entitled "Designation," of Article X, entitled
"Historic Preservation," of Chapter 118, entitled "Administration
and Review Procedures," of Subpart B of the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Section 118-593. Historic Preservation Designation.
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*
(el Delineation on zoning map.
All sites and districts
2
designated as historic sites and districts shall be
delineated on the city's zoning map, pursuant to section
142-71, as an overlay district. Such sites and districts
include:
*
*
*
l2l Public Riaht-of-Wav/HPS-9: Pinetree Drive Historic
Roadway, more particularly described as follows: A
portion of the pUblic right-of-way of Pinetree
Drive, bounded on the north by the easterly
extension of the centerline of W. 40th Street, as
shown in ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.2 AND 3, plat Book
8, Page 116, Public Records of Miami-Dade County,
Florida, and bounded on the south by the easterly
extension of the centerline of W. 30th Street as
shown in MIAMI BEACH IMPROVEMENT CO.' S PLAT OF
ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.1, plat Book 6, Page Ill,
Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida. And
together with: Commence at the intersection of the
centerline of 40th Street and the northerly
extension of the east line of Block 50, ORCHARD
SUBDIVISION No. 2 & 3, Plat Book 8, Page 116,
Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida, said
point being the POINT OF BEGINNING;
thence
3
northerly, along the northerly extension of the
east line of said Block 50 to the point of
intersection with the north right-of-way line of
40th Street; thence deflect 300 to the right for a
distance of 120.00 feet; thence northerly, along a
line parallel and 60.00 feet (measured at right
angles) east of the east line of Block 53 of the
above mentioned ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No. 2 & 3, to
the point of intersection with the south right-of-
way line of 41st Street (Arthur Godfrey Road);
thence
run
northeasterly
to
the
point
of
intersection of the easterly extension of the south
line of Block 3, and the southerly extension of the
east line of said Block 3, as shown in the ORCHARD
SUBDIVISION No.4, Plat Book 25, Page 30, Public
Record of Miami-Dade County,
Florida; thence
easterly, along the easterly extension of the north
right-of-way of W. 41st Street (Arthur Godfrey
Road) to the point of intersection with the
southerly extension of the west line of Lot 1,
FLAMINGO BAY SUBDIVISION No.1,
recorded in plat
Book 6, Page 101, Public Records of Miami-Dade
County, Florida; thence southerly across W. 41st
4
Street (Arthur Godfrey Road) to the point of
intersection of the north and west lines of Lot 29,
Block 3, FLAMINGO TERRACE SUBDIVISION, recorded in
Plat Book 10, Page 3, Public Records of Miami-Dade
County, Florida; thence continue southerly, along
the west line of Lots 29 and 28 of said Block 3 and
the northerly extension of the west line of said
Lot 29, to the most southerly point of tangency of
the west line of said Lot 28; thence southerly,
radial to the arc forming the north boundary of Lot
12, Block 4, of said FLAMINGO TERRACE SUBDIVISION
to the point of intersection of said arc; thence
run west-southwest, along the arc forming the north
boundary of said Lot 12
to the point of
intersection with the easterly extension of the
centerline of W. 40th Street; thence westerly along
the easterly extension of the centerline of 40th
Street to the POINT OF BEGINNING.
And together
with:
A portion of the public right-of-way of
pinetree Drive, bounded on the south by the
easterly extension of the south line of Block 3 as
shown in ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.4, Plat Book 25,
Page 30, Public Records of Miami-Dade County,
5
Florida, and bounded on the north by the easterly
extension of the north line of Lot 4, Block D, as
shown in SURPRISE LAKE SUBDIVISION, recorded in
Plat Book 9, Page 114, Public Records of Miami-Dade
County, Florida.
Said lands located lying and
being in the City of Miami Beach, County of Miami-
Dade, Florida.
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*
SECTION 3.
DETAILED LEGAL DESCRIPTION.
A more detailed legal description of the Pinetree Drive
Historic Roadway is attached to this ordinance as Exhibit "A," but
such detailed description shall not be codified in the Miami Beach
City Code.
SECTION 4.
INCLUSION IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF
THE CITY CODE.
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 Land Development Regulations of the Code of the
City of Miami Beach as amended; and that the sections of this
Ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such
intention.
SECTION 5.
AMENDMENT OF ZONING MAP.
The Mayor and City Commission hereby amend the Zoning Map of
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the Ci ty of Miami Beach as contained in the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code by identifying the area described
herein as HPS-9, Historic Preservation Site Nine.
SECTION 6.
REPEALER.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith be
and the same are hereby repealed.
SECTION 7.
SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, clause or provision of this
Ordinance is held invalid, the remainder shall not be affected by
such invalidity.
SECTION 8.
EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Ordinance shall take effect ten days following adoption.
PASSED and ADOPTED this
6th day of
June
, 2001.
~(f~
~4d
V ~ MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM << LANGUAGE
<< FOR EXECUTION:
/U(~
CITY ATTORNEY
Z-jJ.--O/
DATE
F:\PLAN\$HPB\PINETREE\ORDPBCC,WPD
7
EXHIBIT "A"
A detailed legal description of the boundaries of the Pinetree
Drive Historic Roadway is as follows:
Commence at the point of intersection of the centerline
of W. 30th Street with the southerly extension of the
east line of Block 41, as shown in MIAMI BEACH
IMPROVEMENT CO.' S PLAT OF ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.1,
recorded in Plat Book 6, at Page 111, Public Records of
Miami-Dade County, Florida. Said point of intersection
being the POINT OF BEGINNING of the tract of land herein
described; thence northerly, along the east line of said
Block 41 and its northerly and southerly extension to the
point of intersection with the centerline of W 31st
Street; thence continue northerly, along the east line of
Block 44 of the above mentioned PLAT OF ORCHARD
SUBDIVISION No. 1 and its southerly and northerly
extension to the point of intersection with the north
right-of-way line of W. 34th Street; thence northerly,
along the east line of Blocks 47 and 50, ORCHARD
SUBDIVISION No. 2 and 3, recorded in Plat Book 8, at Page
116, Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida, to the
north right-of-way line of W. 40th Street; thence
deflects 300 to the right for a distance of 120.00 feet
to a point. Said point being 60.00 feet (measured at
right angles) east of the east line of Block 53 of the
above mentioned ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.2 and 3; thence
northerly 60.00 feet east and parallel to the east line
of said Block 53 and its northerly extension to the point
of intersection with the south right-of-way line of
Arthur Godfrey Road (W. 41st Street); thence northerly
across Arthur Godfrey Road (W. 41st Street) to a point.
Said point being the point of intersection of the
easterly extensions of the south line of Block 3 and the
southerly extension of the east line of said Block 3,
ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No. 4 recorded in plat Book 25, at
Page 30, Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida;
thence continue northerly, along the east line of Blocks
3, 2 and 1 of said ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No. 4 and their
northerly and southerly extension to the point of
intersection with the north right-of-way line of 45th
Street; thence continue northerly along the east line of
Block D, SURPRISE LAKE SUBDIVISION, recorded in Plat Book
9, at Page 114, Public Records of Miami-Dade County,
Florida, to the northeast corner of Lot 4 of said Block
8
D; thence easterly, along the easterly extension of the
north line of said Lot 4 for a distance of 100.00 feet to
a point. Said Point located on the west line of Lot 43,
AMENDED PLAT OF INDIAN BEACH CORPORATION'S SUBDIVISION OF
LANDS IN GOVT. LOTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 AND 7 OF SECTION 23-
TWP 53 S.- RGE 42E, recorded in plat Book 8, at page 61,
Public Records of Miami -Dade County, Florida; thence
southerly along the west line of said Lot 43, Lot 44, Lot
45, and Lot B (Now Pine Tree Park), of said AMENDED PLAT
OF THE INDIAN BEACH CORPORATION'S SUBDIVISION to a point.
Said point being the southwest corner of said Lot B (Now
pine Tree Park); thence continue southerly, along the
west line of Lots 12 thru 1, FLAMINGO BAY SUBDIVISION No.
1, recorded in Plat Book 6, Page 101, Public Records of
Miami-Dade County, Florida, and its southerly extension
to a point located on the north right-of-way line of
Arthur Godfrey Road (W. 41st Street ); thence run
southerly across Arthur Godfrey Road to the point of
intersection of the north and west lines of Lot 29, Block
3, FLAMINGO TERRACE SUBDIVISION, Plat Book 10, Page 3,
Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida; thence
continue southerly, along the north line of Lot 29 and
Lot 28 of said Block 3 and the northerly extension of the
north line of said Lot 29 to the most southerly point of
tangency of the west line of said Lot 28; thence
southerly, radial to the arc forming the north boundary
of Lot 12, Block 4, of said FLAMINGO TERRACE SUBDIVISION
to the point of intersection with said arc; thence runs
west-southwest along the arc forming the north boundary
at said Lot 12, to its point of tangency with the west
line of said Lot 12; thence southerly, along the west
line of said Block 4, Block 5 and Block 6 of the above
mentioned FLAMINGO TERRACE SUBDIVISION, and the southerly
extension of said Block 4 and Block 5 to the point of
intersection with the easterly extension of the
centerline of W. 30th Street. Said point located on the
west line of Lot 6 of said Block 6; thence westerly,
along the easterly extension of the centerline of W. 30th
Street to the POINT OF BEGINNING. Said lands located
lying and being in the City of Miami Beach, County of
Miami-Dade, Florida.
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APPENDIX "A"
PINETREE DRIVE HISTORIC ROADWAY
MIAMI BEACH HISTORIC SITE
DESIGNATION REPORT
Figure 1 A 1939 photo of Pinetree Drive
taken 100kin9 south from 40th Street.
PREPARED BY
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING DEPARTMENT
DESIGN, PRESERVATION & NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING DIVISION
FEBRUARY 28, 2001
Revised March 27, 2001
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION REPORT
PINETREE DRIVE HISTORIC ROADWAY
Figure 2 This 1924
ornamental fountain is
located at Pinetree Drive
and 41 st Street.
Prepared By
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING DEPARTMENT
DESIGN, PRESERVATION & NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING DIVISION
MIAMI BEACH CITY COMMISSION
Neisen O. Kasdin, Mayor
Luis R. Garcia, Jr., Vice Mayor
Commissioners:
Matti Herrera Bower
Simon Cruz
David Dermer
Nancy Liebman
Jose Smith
Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
2
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD
Mitch Novick, Chair
Beth Dunlop, Vice Chair
Raul Garcia
Randall Robinson
William Taylor
Jose Toledo
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING BOARD
Melvyn Schlesser, Chair
Roberto DaTorre, Vice Chair
Carlos Capote
Henry Kay
Jean-Francois Lejeune
Scott Needleman
David Wallack
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Jorge G. Gomez, Director, Planning Department
William H. Cary, Director, Design, Preservation & Neighborhood Planning Division
Thomas R. Mooney, Design and Preservation Manager
PRINCIPAL AUTHORS
William H. Cary, Division Director
Shannon (McCartt) Anderton, Senior Planner
Carolyn Klepser, Historical Research Consultant
RESEARCHERS
Shannon (McCartt) Anderton, Senior Planner
Carolyn Klepser, Historical Research Consultant
MAP PRODUCTION
Juan Diaz, Planning Technician
3
PINETREE DRIVE HISTORIC ROADWAY
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION REPORT
Figure 3 Notice the beautiful details
in the horse of "The Great Spirit"
statue on Pinetree Drive.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. REQUEST..,.................................................................................................... 5
II. DESIGNATION PROCESS.........,....................................................................... 5
III. RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA............................................................... 7
IV. DESCRIPTION OF BOUNDARIES........................................................................ 12
V. PRESENT OWNERS.......................................................................................... 14
VI. PRESENT USE......................................... ........................................................ 14
VII. FUTURE LAND USEfZONING............................................................................. 14
VIII. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND............................................................................. 15
IX. PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS................................................ 33
X. FIGURE INDEX............................................... ... ............................................... 35
XI. BIBLIOGRAPHy................................................ ................,............................... 37
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I. REQUEST
On November 14, 2000, the City of Miami Beach Planning Department requested that
the Historic Preservation Board consider directing staff to prepare a preliminary
evaluation report with recommendations regarding the possible designation of a portion
of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive, generally from 30th Street to 46th Street,
as a local historic site. This request was believed appropriate by staff due to the
historic character and visual landmark nature of the roadway.
At the same meeting, the Board reviewed such request and unanimously approved a
motion (5 to 0; 2 absences) to direct staff to prepare a preliminary evaluation report
with recommendations regarding the possible designation of a portion of the public
right-of-way of Pinetree Drive as a local historic site.
At its December 12, 2000, meeting, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed the
preliminary evaluation report with recommendations prepared by the staff of the
Planning Department regarding the designation of a portion of the public right-of-way
of Pinetree Drive. The Board unanimously approved a motion (7 to 0) to direct staff
to prepare a designation report and schedule a public hearing relative to the designation
of this new historic site.
On February 28, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion
(5 to 0; 2 absences) to recommend approval of the designation of the proposed
Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway as an historic site in accordance with staff
recommendations, as reflected in this designation report. The Board also
recommended that the City Commission request the Administration to investigate the
possibility of a tree replacement program for the Australian Pines, which have been
lost over time or may be lost in the future, within the boundaries of the proposed
historic roadway.
On March 27, 2001, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (6 to 0; 1
absence) to recommend approval of the designation of the proposed Pinetree Drive
Historic Roadway as an historic site.
II. DESIGNATION PROCESS
The process of historic designation is delineated in Sections 118-591 through 118-593
in Subpart B of the Land Development Regulations of the City Code (Chapter 118,
Article X, Division 4). An outline of this process is delineated below.
Steo One: A request for designation is made either by the City Commission, the
Historic Preservation Board, other agencies and organizations as listed in
the Land Development Regulations of the City Code, or the property
5
owners involved. Proposals for designation shall include a completed
application form available from the Planning Department.
Step Two: The Planning Department prepares a preliminary evaluation report with
recommendations for consideration by the Board.
Step Three: The Historic Preservation Board considers the preliminary evaluation to
determine if proceeding with a designation report is warranted.
The designation report is an historical and architectural analysis of the
proposed district or site. The report:
1) describes the historic, architectural and/or archeological
significance of the property or subject area proposed for Historical
Site or District designation;
2) recommends Evaluation Guidelines to be used by the Board to
evaluate the appropriateness and compatibility of proposed
Developments affecting the designated Site or District; and
3) will serve as an attachment to the Land Development Regulations
of the City Code.
Step Four: The designation report is presented to the Board at a public hearing. If
the Board determines that the proposed site or district satisfies the
requirements for designation as set forth in the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code, the Board transmits a recommendation in
favor of designation to the Planning Board and City Commission.
Step Five: The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed
designation, and shall consider the proposed historic designation as an
amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code and,
subsequently, transmit its recommendation to the City Commission.
Step Six: The City Commission may adopt an amendment to the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code which thereby designates the Historic
Preservation Site or Historic District after one (1) public hearing for a
parcel of land less than ten (10) contiguous acres or after two (2) public
hearings for a parcel of land which is more than ten (10) contiguous
acres.
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III. RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA
1 . In accordance with Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations of
the City Code, eligibility for designation is determined on the basis of
compliance with the listed criteria set forth below.
(a) The Historic Preservation Board shall have the authority to recommend
that properties be designated as historic buildings, historic structures,
historic improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors
(architecturally significant public portions only), historic sites or historic
districts if they are significant in the historical, architectural, cultural,
aesthetic or archeological heritage of the city, the county, state or nation.
Such properties shall possess an integrity of location, design, setting,
materials, workmanship, feeling or association and meet at least one (1)
of the following criteria:
(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution
to the history of the city, the county, state or nation;
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past
history;
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical period,
architectural or design style or method of construction;
(4) Possesses high artistic values;
(5) Represent the work of a master, serve as an outstanding or
representative work of a master designer, architect or builder who
contributed to our historical, aesthetic or architectural heritage;
(6) Have yielded, or are likely to yield information important in pre-
history or history;
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a
significant concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by
historically significant past events or aesthetically by plan or
physical development, whose components may lack individual
distinction.
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(b) A building, structure (including the public portions of the interior),
improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it
has been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant
architectural elements are intact and repairable.
2. This portion of the public right.of.way of Pinetree Drive is eligible for
designation as an historic site as it complies with the criteria as specified in
Section 118.592 in the land Development Regulations of the City Code outlined
above.
(a) Staff finds the proposed historic site to be eligible for historic designation
and in conformance with the designation criteria for the following
reasons:
(1 ) Association with events that have made a significant contribution
to the history of the citv. the countv. state or nation:
This section of Pinetree Drive has its origins in one of the earliest
agricultural efforts in South Florida, and it is associated with two
of Miami Beach's "founding fathers" - John Collins and Carl Fisher.
In 1909, John Collins, a horticulturalist from New Jersey, bought
1,675 acres of land in what is now central Miami Beach. He
established a plantation on the rich high ground west of Indian
Creek. The creation of a "plantation road," generally paralleling
the west shore of Indian Creek and connecting the farm house,
packing plant, workers' quarters, irrigation pond, and dock at
today's 41 st Street with lake Pancoast, together with the planting
of Australian pines along that road to protect fragile produce from
salt laden winds, was one of three major events orchestrated by
John Collins in his attempt to develop a viable agricultural industry
in what would become Miami Beach. In order to move his produce
more rapidly to market, Collins constructed a bridge and canal
which would provide two direct routes from his farm to the
railroad and harbor at Miami. These two structures were intended
to facilitate transportation of crops, but they also literally paved
the way for further development of the Beach. After an arduous
dredging process, the Collins Canal was completed in 1912 and
still survives as the oldest manmade structure in the City.
It was John Collins' ambitious bridge project at age 75 that first
caught Carl Fisher's attention and created another reinforcing
event also associated with the history of Pinetree Drive. With
8
Fisher's financial assistance in exchange for 200 acres of land, the
Collins Bridge was completed in 1913, an engineering marvel and
the longest wooden bridge in the world at the time. After only
seven years of use it was replaced by the Venetian Causeway and
demolished.
Carl Fisher was a high-living Industrialist from Indiana who made
a fortune with Prest-OoLite automobile head lamps and built the
Indianapolis Speedway. In a short period of time, Fisher
transformed the barrier strip into a playground for millionaires
based on a genius for marketing that eclipsed his colleagues in
land sales and development of Miami Beach. Later, he would
become involved in the development of quality residential
development along Pinetree Drive.
(2) Association with the lives of oersons sianificant in the citv's past
historv:
Pioneer John Collins saw promise for his agricultural venture in the
uninhabited swampland now known as Miami Beach. Platted as
part of the Ocean Front Property by the Miami Beach Improvement
Company in 1912, Collins' farm was located west of Indian Creek
between 30th Street at the south and approximately 46th Street
at the north. The farm featured a "plantation road" flanked by an
"avenue of pines" (now known as Pinetree Drive)(see Figure 12).
Collins planted the Australian pines to serve as a windbreak for his
avocado and mango groves. When the area was developed as
residential property during the 1920's, the lane was allowed to
remain as a thoroughfare shaded with the pines. Today's Pinetree
Drive and the existing Australian pines represent one of the last
remaining remnants of the original Collins' plantation.
(3) Embodv the distinctive characteristics of an historical oeriod.
architectural or desian stvle or method of construction:
"The Great Spirit" statue and 1924 ornamental fountain, located
within the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive just south of 41 st
Street, are a wonderful cultural amenity to the surrounding
neighborhood and Miami Beach. The early incentives to adorn the
City's landscape with outdoor sculpture during the 1920's waned
in the decades to follow with the proliferation of building
construction in Miami Beach. Therefore, the retention of the few
remaining public works of art from this time period is even more
9
important. This outdoor sculpture is extremely valuable in
providing a sense of history and place during the City's first land
development period.
(4) Possess high artistic values:
The Australian pines are a unique historic landscape feature of
Pinetree Drive. They create a lush canopy for pedestrians and
vehicles as they travel the roadway. The "whispering pines"
provide a tremendous amount of shade and are a visual amenity
for the surrounding neighborhood.
There are historically significant works of art found within the
public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive just south of 41 st Street.
"The Great Spirit" statue depicts a Native American in a chief's
headdress mounted on a horse with its head lowered to the
ground. The 1924 ornamental fountain in Liebman Square
features three-tiers with cascading water and a large quatrefoil
shaped pool at its base.
(5) Represent the work of a master. serve as an outstanding or
representative work of a master designer. architect or builder who
contributed to our historical. aesthetic or architectural heritage:
While under contract with Carl Fisher, sculptor Ettore Pellegatta
and contractor John B. Orr created fine public works of art in
Miami Beach, which include "The Great Spirit" in 1924, "The Polo
Player" in 1923, and the Flagler Monument in 1920. Orr also
constructed the ornamental fountain at Pinetree Drive and 41 st
Street for Collins in 1924.
Ettore Pellegatta (1881-1966) was an Italian-born sculptor who
worked in New York City, Washington, D.C" and South Florida.
Notable examples of his work include the lions guarding the
entrance to the New York Public Library, located at the corner of
5th Avenue and 42nd Street, and the outstretched arm and head
of Mercury on the front facade of Grand Central Station. In 1915,
he moved to Miami to work on James Deering's estate, Villa
Vizcaya. He carved garden statues and decorations on many of
the gates and smaller buildings. He is noted for carving figures on
the bow of the landmark stone boat in front of Vizcaya on
Biscayne Bay.
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Born in Scotland in 1886, John B. Orr relocated to Miami in 1911
where he started in business as a plasterer, modeler, mason
contractor, and general contractor. He built up his company with
skilled workmen and opened offices in Miami and Palm Beach. Orr
was known for fine plastering, stucco and mason work, and
construction throughout Florida. Examples of his work in these
various fields include Villa Vizcaya, Allison Hospital, the Nautilus
Hotel, the Pancoast Hotel, the Everglades Club, and numerous
residences for wealthy clientele in Coconut Grove and Palm Beach.
(6) Have yielded. or are likelv to vield information imcortant in pre-
history or historv:
Retention of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive, as well as
the historic Australian pines and outdoor sculpture, promote the
general welfare of the City by providing an opportunity for the
study and appreciation of the early development of Miami Beach.
Pinetree Drive is representative of the evolution of Miami Beach
from the area's agricultural uses at the turn of the 20th century to
its present urban development. For over 88 years, the "avenue of
pines and plantation road" through the original Collins' Miami
Beach plantation have maintained their historic integrity and still
exist today as a significant part of the public right-of-way of
Pinetree Drive.
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places:
Currently, this portion of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive
is neither listed individually as an historic site nor is it located
within an historic district on the National Register of Historic
Places, although it appears to have clear potential to be
determined to be eligible for national historic designation.
(8) Consist of a aeoarachicallv definable area that cossesses a
sianificant concentration of sites. buildinas or structures united bv
historicallv significant cast events or aestheticallv bv clan or
phvsical develocment. whose comconents may lack individual
distinction:
The public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive, between approximately
30th Street and 46th Street, is clearly a geographically defined
area which has a significant concentration of historic trees
throughout its length, as well as several monuments and
11
sculptures, united by aesthetic cohesiveness and historically
significant events in the City's development history.
(b) A building. structure fincludinq the oublic portions of the interior!.
imorovement or landscaoe feature mav be desiqnated historic even if it
has been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant
architectural elements are intact and reoairable.
Although this portion of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive has
been slightly modified over the years, it retains its overriding historical
integrity. It continues to be representative of the cultural, social, and
aesthetic history of Miami Beach despite minor alterations to the roadway
and loss of some of the Australian pines.
IV. DESCRIPTION OF BOUNDARIES
The proposed historic site is generally defined by the lands located within the public
right-of-way of Pinetree Drive between the extended centerline of 30th Street to the
south, and to the easterly extension of the north lot line of Lot 4, Block 0, at the
north, as shown in the Surprise Lake Subdivision, recorded in Plat Book 9, at Page
114, Public Records of Miami-Dade County (approximately 400 feet south of 46th
Street). All landscape features, statues, fountains, and works of art located within the
public right-of-way of said boundaries are included within the proposed historic site
designation. Said lands located, lying, and being in the City of Miami Beach, County
of Miami-Dade, Florida.
A detailed legal description of the proposed boundaries of the Pinetree Drive Historic
Roadway is as follows:
Commence at the point of intersection of the centerline of W. 30th Street
with the southerly extension of the east line of Block 41, as shown in
MIAMI BEACH IMPROVEMENT CO.'S PLAT OF ORCHARD
SUBDIVISION No.1, recorded in Plat Book 6, at Page 111, Public
Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Said point of intersection being
the POINT OF BEGINNING of the tract of land herein described; thence
northerly, along the east line of said Block 41 and its northerly and
southerly extension to the point of intersection with the centerline of W
31 st Street; thence continue northerly, along the east line of Block 44 of
the above mentioned PLAT OF ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.1 and its
southerly and northerly extension to the point of intersection with the
north right-of-way line of W. 34th Street; thence northerly, along the
east line of Blocks 47 and 50, ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.2 and 3,
recorded in Plat Book 8, at Page 116, Public Records of Miami-Dade
12
County, Florida, to the north right-of-way line of W. 40th Street; thence
deflects 300 to the right for a distance of 120.00 feet to a point. Said
point being 60.00 feet (measured at right angles) east of the east line of
Block 53 of the above mentioned ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.2 and 3;
thence northerly 60.00 feet east and parallel to the east line of said Block
53 and its northerly extension to the point of intersection with the south
right-of-way line of Arthur Godfrey Road (W. 41 st Street); thence
northerly across Arthur Godfrey Road (W. 41 st Street) to a point. Said
point being the point of intersection of the easterly extensions of the
south line of Block 3 and the southerly extension of the east line of said
Block 3, ORCHARD SUBDIVISION No.4 recorded in Plat Book 25, at
Page 30, Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida; thence continue
northerly, along the east line of Blocks 3, 2 and 1 of said ORCHARD
SUBDIVISION No.4 and their northerly and southerly extension to the
point of intersection with the north right-of-way line of 45th Street;
thence continue northerly along the east line of Block D, SURPRISE LAKE
SUBDIVISION, recorded in Plat Book 9, at Page 114, Public Records of
Miami-Dade County, Florida, to the northeast corner of Lot 4 of said
Block D; thence easterly, along the easterly extension of the north line of
said Lot 4 for a distance of 100.00 feet to a point. Said Point located on
the west line of Lot 43, AMENDED PLAT OF INDIAN BEACH
CORPORATION'S SUBDIVISION OF LANDS IN GOVT. LOTS 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6 AND 7 OF SECTION 23-TWP 53 S.- RGE 42E, recorded in Plat Book
8, at page 61, Public Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida; thence
southerly along the west line of said Lot 43, Lot 44, Lot 45, and Lot B
(Now Pine Tree Park), of said AMENDED PLAT OF THE INDIAN BEACH
CORPORATION'S SUBDIVISION to a point. Said point being the
southwest corner of said Lot B (Now Pine Tree Park); thence continue
southerly, along the west line of Lots 12 thru 1, FLAMINGO BAY
SUBDIVISION No.1, recorded in Plat Book 6, Page 101, Public Records
of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and its southerly extension to a point
located on the north right-of-way line of Arthur Godfrey Road (W. 41 st
Street ); thence run southerly across Arthur Godfrey Road to the point of
intersection of the north and west lines of Lot 29, Block 3, FLAMINGO
TERRACE SUBDIVISION, Plat Book 10, Page 3, Public Records of Miami-
Dade County, Florida; thence continue southerly, along the north line of
Lot 29 and Lot 28 of said Block 3 and the northerly extension of the
north line of said Lot 29 to the most southerly point of tangency of the
west line of said Lot 28; thence southerly, radial to the arc forming the
north boundary of Lot 12, Block 4, of said FLAMINGO TERRACE
SUBDIVISION to the point of intersection with said arc; thence runs
west-southwest along the arc forming the north boundary at said Lot 12,
to its point of tangency with the west line of said Lot 12; thence
13
southerly, along the west line of said Block 4, Block 5 and Block 6 of the
above mentioned FLAMINGO TERRACE SUBDIVISION, and the southerly
extension of said Block 4 and Block 5 to the point of intersection with
the easterly extension of the centerline of W. 30th Street. Said point
located on the west line of Lot 6 of said Block 6; thence westerly, along
the easterly extension of the centerline of W. 30th Street to the POINT
OF BEGINNING. Said lands located lying and being in the City of Miami
Beach, County of Miami-Dade, Florida.
The described boundaries, as recommended by the Planning Department, are shown
in the proposed historic site map (see Map 1).
V. PRESENT OWNERS
The property located within the boundaries of the proposed Pinetree Drive Historic
Roadway is controlled by three (3) owners. Pinetree Drive is controlled by Miami-Dade
County. 41 st Street is controlled by the Florida Department of Transportation. The
City of Miami Beach controls the numerical cross streets between 30th Street and
46th Street as well as Flamingo Drive.
VI. PRESENT USE
Pinetree Drive is a north-south roadway which is surrounded by predominately single
family residences. Commercial, religious, and multi-family structures are located at the
intersection of 41 st Street and Pinetree Drive.
VII. FUTURE LAND USE/ZONING
Established Future Land Use/Zoning Districts surrounding the boundaries of the
proposed Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway are as follows:
RS
RM-1
RM-3
CD-1
CD-3
ROS
Single Family, Residential
Multiple Family, Low Intensity
Multiple Family, High Intensity
Commercial, Low Intensity
Commercial, High Intensity
Recreation and Open Space
Please refer to the future land use/zoning map for more detailed information (Map 2).
14
MAP 1: PROPOSED DESIGNATION Of A PORTION Of THE PUBLIC
RIGHT-Of-WAY Of PINETREE DRIVE AS AN HISTORIC SITE
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VIII. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Historical Overview. Like all the rest of Miami
Beach, this land was originally part of the 65-mile
coastal tract that was planted with imported
coconuts in a plantation scheme by New Jersey
investors in 1882. One of the investors was John
Stiles Collins (1837-1928), a Quaker and
horticulturist. When the agricultural project Collins
had invested in failed, he came to Miami to
investigate:
"In 1896... Collins came to Florida to see his land
which, by 1907, extended from what is now 14th
Street to 67th Street. Collins found some native
plants which indicated the presence of fresh water
on the island. His discovery led him to plant
avocadoes, fruits and vegetables. Collins, who was
living in a Miami hotel, commuted to the island by
boat since there was no land connection to the
mainland. He constructed a dock on Lake Pancoast
and a few small dwellings were built to house the
tenant farmers who oversaw the daily operations on the plantation. "1
At that time, most of the island that
would become Miami Beach was an
uninhabited mangrove swamp. In
1909, at the age of 71, Collins
bought 1,675 acres of this land and
established a farm on the rich high
ground west of Indian Creek.2
"Collins decided the soil there had a
favorable composition for the
cultivation of tropical fruits and
started an avocado grove. 3
Figure 4 Pioneer John S. Collins saw
promise in the uninhabited swampland now
known as Miami Beach.
Figure 5 Collins chose the high ground in the center of the
i61and north of today's 23rd Street for his agricultural venture.
I H. Raley, L. Polansky, A. Millas, Old Miami Beach, 1994, p, 5.
2 Ann Armbruster, The Life and Times of Miami Beach, 1995, p. 7.
3 Dade County Historic Preservation Division, From Wilderness to Metrooolis, 1992, p. 68.
15
"At first it appeared his efforts with
avocados would parallel the failure of earlier
coconut plantings. In the case of avocados,
the wind sweeping in off the ocean across
the narrow strip and Indian Creek and into
his orchards was damaging the crop. He
was growing not only avocados and
mangoes but tomatoes and potatoes as well
which he planted between the trees. "4 "To
protect the young grove from the wind,
Collins planted the twin lanes of Australian
pine trees which later became Pinetree
Drive. "5
Figure 6 A 1914 photo taken of the .. avenue of
pines and plantation road" (today's Pinetree Drivel
through the original Collins' plantation.
John Collins recognized his calling early. He
was born in Moorestown, New Jersey, on
December 29, 1837. He was the sixth
generation of his family to live and work on
the New Jersey homestead. "Educated in
public and private schools in Moorestown
he experimented with growing strawberries
commercially as a youth and entered the
fruit-growing and nursery business in 1855
after his father gave him a quarter acre of
land.. . Collins later established the Pleasant
Valley Nurseries and opened builders' and
farmers' supply yards in Moorestown and
Merchantville. He was the founder of the New Jersey Horticultural Society and an
innovator in plant culture. He used the profits from Pleasant Valley Nurseries to buy
additional property in the area. His reputation grew with his experimentation with and
commercialization of the Wilson blackberry and the Kiefer pear. '<6
Figure 7 Rows of young avocado trees at the original
Collins' plantation in what is now known as the
Orchard Subdivision.
Collins was joined in Florida by his sons Arthur, Lester, and Irving Collins, and his
daughter Katherine and her husband, Thomas J. Pancoast. On June 3, 1912, the
4 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, p. 24.
5 Ruby Leach Carson, "Forty Years of Miami Beach," Teouesta, Vol. No. XV, 1955, p. 8.
6 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, p, 19.
16
family formed the Miami Beach Improvement Company.7 This appears to be the first
official use of the term "Miami Beach," even before the town was incorporated. The
Company platted some of Collins' land holdings for sale and dredged the marshy
southern end of Indian Creek. Russell Pancoast, John Collins' grandson, later recalled
that what is now Lake Pancoast was originally "a grass flat covered with six inches
to a foot of water at low tide and perhaps another foot at high tide.',a The Company
also planned two other ambitious projects: a canal linking Indian Creek to Biscayne Bay
and a 2.5-mile-long wooden bridge across the Bay.
Collins' bridge and canal would provide two direct routes from his farm to the railroad
and harbor at Miami where previously there had been none. They were intended to
facilitate transportation of crops, but they also literally paved the way for further
development of the Beach. After an arduous dredging process, the Collins Canal was
completed in 1 91 2 and still survives as the oldest man made structure in the City.
The construction of the bridge across Biscayne Bay, however, strained Collins'
finances to the limit: "A long struggle to get the permit was followed by failure of his
contractors, and just when things looked blackest an angel was found in Carl G. Fisher
(1912), who...provided the cash and zip to transform a desolate sand bank into the
world's most dazzling resort. "9
Indeed, it was John Collins' ambitious bridge project at age 75 that first caught Carl
Fisher's attention and admiration and introduced him into the history of Miami Beach.
With Fisher's financial assistance, the Collins Bridge was completed in 1913, an
engineering marvel and the longest wooden bridge in the world at the time. Aher only
seven years of use it was replaced by the Venetian Causeway and demolished.
"Carl Fisher was a high-living Industrialist from Indiana who made a fortune with Prest-
O-Lite automobile head lamps and built the Indianapolis Speedway. When he learned
of Collins' financial difficulty, Fisher decided to bail him out and include himself in. On
January 21, 1913, he advanced Collins $50,000 in bonds to complete the bridge and,
in turn, was given 200 acres of land on the beach. It ran from the ocean to the bay,
1,800 feet wide north and south. It was but a beginning for Fisher, who was to carve
an empire out of it. "10
7 Ruby Leach Carson, "Forty Years of Miami Beach," Teouesta. Vol. No. XV, 1955, p. 9.
8 Russell Pancoast, Personal Memoirs, Family Collection.
9 Lorey More, Florida Hotel and Travel Guide, 1942, p. 282.
10 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, p. 30.
17
Pinetree Drive. One of the earliest references to
today's Pinetree Drive is from a plat map recorded by
the Miami Beach Improvement Company on
December 11, 1912. This map shows John Collins'
Miami Beach plantation with its avocado groves,
banana fields, cultivated land, and ancillary
structures. It is located west of Indian Creek
between 30th Street at the south and approximately
46th Street at the north. The farm is divided by a
"plantation road" (now known as Pinetree Drive)
which is flanked by an "avenue of pines" through the
avocado groves (see Figure 12).'1 The" plantation
road" generally runs parallel to the west shore of
Indian Creek and connects the farm house, packing
plant, workers' quarters, irrigation pond, and dock at
today's 41 st Street with Lake Pancoast, the Collins
Canal, and the Collins Bridge.
The Australian pines were first planted as a
windbreak to protect the young avocado and mango
groves. Several other methods of protection had
proven costly and unsatisfactory. These fast-
growing pines gave all the protection that was
needed.
Figure 8 A 1 939 photo of Pinetree Drive
taken looking south from 40th Street.
Notice the lush canopy of the twin rows
of Australian Pines.
Although a farmer at heart, Collins and his family recognized the potential for greater
development of the land. When the area was developed as residential property, the
farm road was allowed to remain as a thoroughfare. At that time, the roadway
between the two rows of pines was too sandy for practical use. Scrub palmetto
fronds were cut and laid in the old ruts made by wagon travel. This reinforcement
made the road firm enough to support vehicles, and later cars were driven over them.
From the beginning, this area proved popular as an exclusive residential
neighborhood.'.
In a September 14, 1920, letter from Carl Fisher to Thomas Pancoast and the Miami
Beach Improvement Company, Fisher expressed his concerns relative to the existing
"shacks" on the Collins' farm and their impact on upcoming land sales. He requested
Pancoast to clean up or remove the structures because of their negative impression on
11 Miami Beach Improvement Company, Plat MaD of the Ocean Front ProDertv, 11
December 1912, sheets 1 and 2.
12 City of Miami Beach Archives, "The John S, Collins Memorial," pamphlet, 1930.
18
prospective purchasers. Fisher also stated, "I am inclined to think we will have some
mosquitoes left on the property in November unless you get the big pine trees trimmed
up...1 am in hopes you will not delay the trimming of these trees too long because the
sale of our property there is worth so much more to us than the slight protection these
trees give to the fruit.... Some of these days the lots in the Avocado Orchard will be
worth more money than all the avocadoes these trees would raise in the next 100
years... We may have considerable good business in November if the property is
cleaned up and ready to show. "13
Fortunately, Collins' Miami Beach Improvement Company and Carl Fisher realized that
the Australian pines were a wonderful asset along the roadway and retained this
landscape feature for the newly developing neighborhoods. As seen in a 1927 aerial
photograph of Miami Beach, the "plantation road" is formally divided by medians
which feature Collins' original Australian pines (see Figure 13). There are a small
number of buildings in the area, and many of the streets surrounding Pinetree Drive are
in place.14
As seen in the 1935 atlas of Miami Beach, the Collins' plantation and the surrounding
area had evolved from its early agricultural uses to numerous residential structures and
the introduction of the Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course. The 1935 atlas shows
that the "plantation road and avenue of pines" has changed to Pinetree Drive.
Landscape medians divide the 100 foot paved right-of-way on Pinetree Drive between
30th Street to the south and 46th Street to the north. 16
By 1935, eight subdivisions flank Pinetree Drive and encompass portions of the
original Collins' plantation. Collins' Miami Beach Improvement Company platted four
subdivisions, which include the Flamingo Subdivision and Orchard Subdivision No.1
in 1921, Orchard Subdivision Nos. 2 and 3 in 1924, and Orchard Subdivision No.4
in 1926. Carl Fisher's Indian Beach Corporation platted both the Firestone Properties
and the Indian Beach Corporation's Subdivision in 1923. Frank Osborn et al platted
the Surprise Lake Subdivision in 1923. William Gleason platted the Flamingo Terrace
Subdivision in 1924.16
13 Historical Museum of Southern Florida, Carl Fisher letter Collection, Letter to Thomas
Pancoast from Carl Fisher, 14 September 1920,
14 Richard B. Hoit, Aerial Survey of Miami Beach. Florida. 12 February 1927, sheets 83A,
84A, and 85A.
15 Franklin Survey Company, Prooertv Atlas of Miami Beach. Florida, 1935, plates 9 and 10.
16 Franklin Survey Company, Prooertv Atlas of Miami Beach. Florida. 1935, plates 9 and 10.
19
Frank Osborn and his father, Ezra, moved to Miami Beach in 1882 to create a
commercial coconut plantation along with Elnathan Field and Henry Lum. The Osborns
and Field were Quakers from Middletown, New Jersey. Frank and his father were both
surveyors; Ezra also dabbled in farming. Field was a farmer, and Lum was a
nurseryman who moved to the Middletown-Red Bank, New Jersey, area in 1866. The
Osborn family and Field received deeds to the lands north of today's 11 th Street in
1882. William Gleason was a mainland carpetbagger who for a brief period claimed
to be Lieutenant Governor of Florida. He bought land on the peninsula in 1882.17
The 1952 atlas of Miami Beach reveals that
Pinetree Drive has remained generally
unchanged; however, the density of the
surrounding neighborhood has increased
with the construction of many more
residential structures. 18
The trees themselves have been the subject
to both praise and criticism since the
1930's. Commonly known as Australian
Pine, Casuarina Equisetifolia is a pine-like
tree native to Australia which can reach a
Figure 9 A palatial home on Pinetree Drive is half
height of 150 feet. It features fine jointed hidden behind tropical landscaping.
branches of hair-like "needles" and small
cones about 1/2 inch wide and 3/4 inch long. The cones are often used in Christmas
decorations. The bark of the red wood is used in medicine and in tanning. The
Australian Pine is a fast growing, salt resistant tree whose seedlings are often close-
planted to serve as a hedge or sea wall.19
"They are known as both beauties and pests. "20 In a newspaper article from 1938,
Miami declares the Australian Pine to be a nuisance to public and private property;
30,000 trees are proposed to be removed at a cost of $300,000. The height of the
fast growing tree threatens electrical and telephone lines, and the large surface roots
damage nearby sidewalks, curbs, streets, and sewer lines. The falling needles form
a heavy carpet which will kill the underlying grass if not removed. Residents who
plant the trees too close to their homes find that the needles will clog drain pipes and
17 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, pp. 9-11.
18 G.M. Hopkins Co., Plat Book of Miami Beach, Florida. 1952, plates 11, 13, 15, and 17.
19 Julia F. Morton, 500 Plants of South Florida, 1974, pp. 47-48.
20 Mark Silva, "Pining Away?" Miami Herald, 20 December 1979, pp. 3 and 6.
20
downspouts.21 In the 1970's, the Australian Pine was considered to be one of the
three worst tree pests in South Florida next to the Brazilian pepper and the Maleleuca.
These alien trees spread widely and displace native vegetation.22
Early developers found that the fast growing
Australian Pine was valuable for lining streets. The
trees also serve as an excellent wind break for fruit
groves and provide tremendous shade; the wood is
valuable in the lumber industry. "And they are not a
bit hard to look at even if the admirer does not linger
to hear the night wind or lie half awake by his open
bedroom window enjoying nature's notes as twanged
on the Casuarina Equisetifolia's needles." "The wind
... is one of the Australian Pines main attractions to
residents and visitors alike who hear music in the soft
tropical night winds playing on the pine needles high
overhead. "23
These "whispering pines," as they are sometimes
called, now have attained robust maturity, and grace
this highly restricted thoroughfare [Pinetree Drivel
whereon are found beautiful homes and estates of
many prominent people: Fred B. Snite, Jr. (boy in iron
lung), River Forest, 1/1.; Sebastian S. Kresge, Kresge 5
and 10 cent stores, Detroit; Joseph B., Robert C. and Mrs. Margaret A. Graham,
Graham Farms, Washington, Ind.; Willard F. Rockwell, Timken Detroit Axle Co.; Leo
Gerngross, Schenley's, Inc., New York; Col. Ben Finkel, furniture manufacturer, New
York; Albert Pick, Pick Hotels, midwest; J. Meyer Schine, owner of Roney Plaza and
many other hotels. 24
Figure lOin a 1979 newspaper
photograph, a pedestrian strolls among
the Australian Pines on Pinetree Drive.
The family estate of millionaire industrialist John Jacob Astor III was located at 3115
Pinetree Drive. This socialite, playboy, and financier was from one of America's most
famous families. His father, one of America's wealthiest men, drowned on the Titanic
21 "Immigrant from Australia and East Indies Stands to Cost Miami Taxpayers $300,000,"
Miami Herald, 25 December 1938, p, 5.
22 Mark Silva, "Pining Away?" Miami Herald, 20 December 1979, pp. 3 and 6.
23 "Immigrant from Australia and East Indies Stands to Cost MiBmi Taxpayers $300,000,"
Miami Herald. 25 December 1938, p. 5.
24 City of Miami Beach Archives, "Highlights of Greater Miami," pamphlet, 1953.
21
when it sank in 1912. His wife, five months pregnant with John Jacob III, escaped
the ocean disaster by Iifeboat.26
Australian Pines line the median of Pinetree
Drive single file between 30th Street and
40th Street and in pairs between 41 st
Street and 46th Street. Groups of trees
alternate on the west side of Pinetree Drive
south of 40th Street. The Australian Pines
are a unique historic landscape feature of
the roadway. They create a lush canopy for
pedestrians and vehicles as they travel on
Pinetree Drive. The "whispering pines"
provide a tremendous amount of shade and
are a visual amenity for the surrounding
neighborhood. A few of the Australian
pines have been lost over the years due to
the conversion of the original Collins' farm
into residential property and the introduction
of cross streets along Pinetree Drive during
the 1920's. Today's Pinetree Drive
maintains the same orientation as shown in
the 1912 plat map of the Collins' property,
and it features the same configuration as
viewed in the 1927 aerial photograph of
Miami Beach (see Figures 12 and 13).
Figure 11 These "whispering pines" grace Pinetree
Drive through an exclusive residential neighborhood
with its beautiful homes and estates of prominent
people.
25 Mitch Lubitz, "These Homes May Be Preserved," Miami Herald. 3 July 1980.
22
Figure 12 This 1912 plat map recorded by the Miami Beach
Improvement Company shows the John Collins' Miami Beach Plantation.
"Plantation Road" (now known as Pinetree Drivel is flanked by the
"avenue of pines" through the avocado groves.
Figure 13 A 1927 aerial photo of Miami Beach, taken after the great hurricane of
1926, shows Pinetree Drive just beginning to recover from severe damage to the
trees. (41 st Street is the broad road located just right of the center of the photo.)
Figure 14 In this 1941 aerial photo taken looking west at
the intersection of Pinetree Drive and 41 5t Street, it shows
the remarkable recovery of the Australian pines since the
great hurricane of 1926. The density of the neighborhood
surrounding Pinetree Drive has also increased with the
construction of many more structures.
23
Public Works of Art. There are historically significant works of art found within the
public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive just south of 41 st Street. Liebman Square
features several monuments and a fountain. The triangular-shaped park was dedicated
to the late Henry Liebman by the City of Miami Beach on December 12, 1972. He
served as the head of the Citizens Service Bureau for many years.26 A bronze plaque
dedicated to Liebman is mounted on a rock base at the far north end of Liebman
Square. A contemporary monument is situated on the south side of the park. It was
dedicated to Jorge Mas Canosa from the Hernandez family and Cubans-in-exile on
November 23, 1999. This monument consists of a bronze bust mounted on top of a
large, stacked pedestal with a white marble finish.
1924 Fountain. An historically significant
three-tiered ornamental fountain with a large
ground level pool is located in the northern
area of Liebman Square. The fountain was
built by the J.B. Orr Construction Company
for Collins in 1924.27 It is unclear who
actually sculpted the fountain because Orr
employed four sculptors at that time. Water
slowly cascades from the top tier of the
fountain to the two tiers below. Each tier
features a basin with scalloped and rolled
edges and a curvilinear base. A quatrefoil
shaped pool wraps the base of the fountain.
Two small lion heads are mounted on the
side of the fountain' s upper tier.
Figure 15 This ornamental fountain was constructed
by John B. Orr for Collins in 1924.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 26, 1886, John B. Orr
studied at the West of Scotland Technical College Art School.
This scholastic training was followed by an apprenticeship of six
years as an ornamental plasterer and modeler. In 1911, he
relocated to Miami where he started in business as a plasterer,
modeler, mason contractor, and general contractor. He built up
his company with skilled workmen and opened offices in Miami
and Palm Beach. Orr was known for fine plastering, stucco and
mason work, and construction throughout Florida. Examples of
his work in these various fields include Villa Vizcaya, Allison
Hospital, the Nautilus Hotel, the Pancoast Hotel, the Everglades
Club, and numerous residences for wealthy clientele in Coconut
Figure 16 John B. Orr was
a well known building
contractor during the
Florida Land Boom era of
the 1920's.
26 "Beach Dedicates Liebman Square," Miami News, 20 December 1972.
27 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 97, 41st Street and Pinetree Drive.
24
Grove and Palm Beach.28 He also built the canalfront structure at 1818 Michigan
Avenue, which was designed by the internationally recognized firm of Schultze and
Weaver in 1925. Examples of Orr's sculpture work include the Flagler Monument and
various statues erected for Carl Fisher on the Nautilus Hotel grounds.
The Flagler Monument was created by Orr, H. Peterson,
and Ettore Pellegatta just off the Venetian Causeway in
Biscayne Bay in 1920. The Flagler Monument's 96 foot
obelisk was built by Carl Fisher in memory of fellow
pioneer Henry Flagler, who brought the railroad to Miami
and Key West. The monument features four statues at
its base which symbolize Prosperity, Pioneering,
Education, and Industry.29 Carl Fisher contracted with the
J.B. Orr Construction Company for the construction of
the Flagler Monument. Ettore Pellegatta is responsible for
sculpting the four statues at its base.3o
Orr is credited for the
construction of "The
Polo Player" for Miami
Beach developer Carl
Fisher in 1923. The
statue is now located in Polo Park on the Nautilus
School grounds at North Michigan Avenue and
West 42nd Street. It is one of three polo players
(the others now destroyed) which were located at
the polo fields east of the former Nautilus Hotel.31
Orr constructed several other statues which
portrayed models fishing, golfing, playing tennis,
and bathing (all now destroyed) on Collins Island as part of the Nautilus Hotel
grounds.32 Ettore Pellegatta sculpted "The Polo Player" and the other sculptures for
Figure 18 Carl Fisher contracted the J.B. Orr
Construction Company for "The Polo Player"
in 1923. It was sculpted by Ettore
Pellegatta.
Figure 17 The Flagler Monument is
an excellent example of the work
by Orr, Peterson, and Pellegatta.
28 Miami Public Library, Florida Room. "John B. Orr," Florida: The East Coast, date
unknown, pp. 117 and 250.
29 Smithsonian, Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Flagler Monument.
30 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," Miami Herald, 9 September 1956.
3\ Smithsonian, Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, The Polo Player.
32 Smithsonian, Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, John B. Orr.
25
Carl Fisher while working with the J.B. Orr Construction Company.33
Constructed just north of 41 st
Street and Alton Road in
1924, Carl Fisher's Nautilus
Hotel was a playground for
wealthy winter tourists. The
hotel featured posh rooms, a
marble dance floor, polo fields,
and a cabana colony on John's
Island (named after John Levi).
The adjoining Collins Island
(dedicated to John Collins)
provided a cottage community.
The hotel was converted to a
Figure 1 g Sculpted by Pellegatta in 1 923, two polo player statues
military hospital during World identify the polo fields east of the Nautilus Hotellseen in background!.
War II. Immediately after the
war, it became a veteran's hospital. In 1949, it was purchased from the Veteran's
Administration by Mount Sinai.34 The structure was demolished in 1968 to make room
for more additions and buildings for the growing medical center.36 The bay bottom
surrounding the man-made John and Collins Islands was
infilled for the construction of the Julia Tuttle Causeway
in 1959 and the expanding Mt. Sinai Hospital.
One early Miami Beach resident, Cornelia Frazure, whose
father James Allison built Allison Hospital in 1926,
recalled that horseback riding was one of the sports Carl
Fisher had introduced. She remembered riding horseback
along the surf and the bridle paths circling Bay Shore and
LaGorce Golf Courses, and the bridle path in the center of
Pinetree Drive.36
Figure 20 This photo was taken of
Carl Fisher in 1923.
33 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," Miami Herald, 9 September 1956.
34 A. Ash, "Nice Things They Did with Moses' Money," MiBmi News, 15 November 1964.
35 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, p. 178.
36 Ruby Leach Carson, "Forty Years of Miami Beach," Teouesta, Vol. No. XV, 1955.
26
"The Great Spirit. " Located east of Liebman Square between
Pinetree Drive and Flamingo Drive, a landscaped median
island features an historically significant Native American
statue called "The Great Spirit." Sculpted by Ettore
Pellegatta in 1924, the 18 foot high statue depicts a Native
American in a chief's headdress mounted on a horse with its
head lowered toward the ground. Carl Fisher contracted the
J.B. Orr Construction Company for the statue.
The statue originally stood on the grounds of the Nautilus
Hotel just north of 41 st Street and Alton Road with another
of Pellegatta's Native American works, "The End of the
Trail." The difference between the statues is that the Native
American's hand points skyward in "The Great Spirit" and
toward the ground in "The End of the Trail. "37 The Native
American is also leaning forward with his head on the
horse's neck in "The End of the Trail. "38
"The Great Spirit" was relocated in 1959 from the Nautilus
Hotel grounds to its present location on Pinetree Drive. "The
End of the Trail" reportedly was moved to Key West, but it
hasn't been seen since its relocation."39 Pellegatta's widow,
Amelia, recalled that the "The Great Spirit" was originally
named "The Last Sunset," and faced west in another
location in Miami Beach before being moved to Pinetree Drive
in the 1950'S.40
In a 1956 newspaper article, Pellegatta stated, "Mr. Fisher
had seen a picture of such an Indian sculpture which existed
in another city, and that picture was aliI had to go by. We
took an old mare from Mr. Orr's stables to pose for the
horse, and a workman dressed up as the Indian." "The
statue, now a Miami Beach landmark, was made of cast
stone, then gone over with a chisel for perfection of detail. "
Pellegatta recalled, "There were jokers in those days, too.
Figure 21 This early photo
shows "The Great Spirit" at its
original location on the
Nautilus Hotel's polo grounds.
Figure 22 This 1 959 photo
depicts the statue at its
present location on Pinetree
Drive. Note the Australian
pines in the background.
37 Elizabeth Morgan, "'Spirit' Rides Again," Miami Herald, 22 December 1980.
38 All Souls' Episcopal Church, "The Great Spirit," 21 December 1980.
39 Elizabeth Morgan, "'Spirit' Rides Again," Miami Herald, 22 December 1980.
40 L. Thornton, "Regal Indian Statue Will Once Again Stand," Miami Herald, 20 May 1980.
27
Only a few days after the statue was erected, a bottle of 'fire water' was found in the
Indian's outstretched hand. ..41
Pellegatta created sculptures for many of the public
buildings in New York City, one of his most noted
works being the lions guarding the entrance to the
New York Public Library. Some of his other works
include the huge capitals in the main nave of the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine and some of the
detail work on the Columbia University Building. He
also worked on the front pediment of Grand Central
Station by carving the outstretched arm and head of
Mercury. In Washington, D.C., he worked on the Cathedral of the
Conception and the two enormous sphinx for the Masonic Temple.43
Ettore Pellegatta was born in Viggiu, near Milan, Italy,
on February 16, 1881. Luigi Pellegatta, his father
who died in 1882, was a sculptor famous for his
monuments throughout Italy and elsewhere. Ettore
Pellegatta studied at the Milan Academy of Art. After
working in Northern Italy and serving two years of
military service, he came to the United States in 1901
where his brother was already established as a
sculptor.42 Pellegatta was an artist who sculpted
custom work for clients.
Figure 23 Ettore Peilegatta was a fine
sculptor who worked in South Florida,
New York, and Washington, D.C.
Immaculate
In 1915, he was one of nine sculptors who moved to Miami to work on James
Deering's Neo-Renaissance estate, Villa Vizcaya. Since he always had a longing for
the tropics, he immediately fell in love with Miami and decided to stay. Pellegatta
sculpted in Vizcaya's gardens for five years and later was called back annually to repair
damage to the outdoor sculpture. While working at Vizcaya, he carved garden statues
and decorations on many of the gates and smaller buildings. He is noted for carving
figures on the bow of the landmark stone boat in front of Vizcaya in Biscayne Bay."
41 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," Miami Herald, 9 September 1956.
42 "Ettore Peilegatta," Encvclooedia of American Biooraohv, 1968, pp. 217-218.
43 "Ettore Peilegatta," EncvcloDedia of American BioaraDhv, 1968, pp. 217-218.
44 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," Miami Herald, 9 September 1956.
28
After leaving Vizcaya, the artist went to work with the J.B. Orr Construction
Company, which employed four sculptors at that time. While Orr was under contract
with Carl Fisher, Pellegatta worked on the Flagler Monument for which he carved the
four, 18 feet high statues at the base. He also sculpted "The Great Spirit," "The Polo
Player," and other statues during the early 1920'S.46
Pellegatta later established his own studio in the Paramount Building where he carved
six life-size nudes for the interior of the theatre. He was responsible for the capitals
at the Main Post Office in Miami, the statues atop the Huntington Building, and the
door carvings on the First Federal Bank.46 He executed works for the Boca Raton
Country Club, and he worked on many of the public buildings in Coral Gables, Boca
Raton, Hollywood, Miami, and Miami Beach. After retiring in 1940, he continued to
make small carvings. Pellegatta died in Miami on September 6, 1966.47
During an interview with the Miami Herald in 1956, the
modest Pellegatta wondered why he would be the subject
of a story since he had already been retired for 1 5 years.
He said that he had only one mild regret: that so much of
the work he did on the facades of Miami buildings had
been destroyed, or soon will be destroyed, in the interest
of "modernization." He asked, "What's there so
attractive about straight up-and-downess in a building?"
Pellegatta was brought up in the tradition of anonymous
architectural decoration as an integral part of the building
trade. He believed that building decoration should be
done, as it always has been, anonymously by good
craftsmen who are thinking not of fame but merely of
doing good strong work that willlast.48
Figure 24 The torso of "The Great
Spirit" was torn off after it was hit
by a car on September 30, 1979.
On September 30, 1979, "The Great Spirit" was hit by an off-duty Miami Beach
policeman's car when it vaulted the curb and rammed the base of the statue. The
five-ton statue slid four inches. The Native American's torso was torn off and his
hand was tossed afar.49
45 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor MDdest Man," Miami Herald. 9 September 1956.
46 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," Miami Herald. 9 September 1956.
47 "Ettore Pellegatta," Encvclooedia of American BiooraDhv, 1968, pp. 217-218.
48 Doris Reno, "Vizcaya & Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," Miami Herald. 9 September 1956.
49 Morris S. Thompson, "Crash Ends Indian's Trail," Miami HerBld, 2 October 1979.
29
A Roman artisan, Emilio Cianfoni,
repaired the broken pieces of the statue
which included the upper torso and arm
of the Native American and two of the
horse's legs. Similar to Pellegatta, he
immigrated from Italy in 1970 and
worked as an art restorer at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
before serving as the chief conservator
at Vizcaya in 1975. He retired from
Vizcaya on February 28, 2001.
Cianfoni discovered that the statue was
built on a structure of galvanized pipe
and steel rods. It was cast with a
composition stone made of silica,
crushed limestone, and dry pigment.
The City covered over the original sandy
brown color of the statue with a tannish-
pink shade of paint. Pellegatta did not
intend to paint the work because his
pigment was mixed in the composition.50
Figure 25 A Roman artisan, Emilio Cianfoni, repaired the
broken pieces of "The Great Spirit" statue in 1980.
After the accident, Pellegatta's widow,
Amelia, admitted that she was surprised
about the amount of attention paid to "The Great Spirit" because she considered it to
be one of her husband's lesser works. She said, "Really, you know the funny thing
about that Indian, that wasn't my husband's most famous piece. But every article I
read starts with the Indian. "57
After 50 years of anonymity and almost a year of repair, "The Great Spirit" was
rededicated on Sunday, December 21, 1980, with a bronze plaque bearing the name
of the statue and commemorating Pellegatta. Amelia Pellegatta said, "I'm very grateful
and happy you have done this in memory of my husband. "52
50 M. Silva, "Wounded Indian Brings Him Close to the Master," Miami Herald, 1 May 1980.
51 M. Silva, "Wounded Indian 8rings Him Close to the Master," Miami Herald, 1 May 1980.
52 Elizabeth Morgan, '''Spirit' Rides Again," Miami Herald. 22 December 1980.
30
The rededication ceremony was held
at the statue in front of All Souls'
Episcopal Church. Mayor Murray
Meyerson addressed the people
gathered, and Reverend William Swift
blessed the Native American and his
horse. Amelia Pellegatta and Ethel
Stanley, Pellegatta's widow and
daughter, were in attendance. James
Wendler, former newspaper publisher
and founder of All Souls' Church,
originated the rededication efforts. 53
Conclusion. Retention of the public
right-of-way of Pinetree Drive, as well
as the historic Australian Pines and
outdoor sculpture, promote the
general welfare of the City by
providing an opportunity for the study
and appreciation of the early
development of Miami Beach.
Pinetree Drive is representative of the
evolution of Miami Beach from the
area's agricultural uses at the turn of
the 20th century to its present urban
development.
Figure 26 In attendance at the rededication ceremony were IL-
R) Mayor Murray Meyerson, Ethel Stanley, Emilio Cianfoni,
Rector William Swift, Amelia Pellegatta, and James Wendler.
Despite minor alterations to the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive it still maintains
its historic integrity. When the Collins' farm was converted into residential property
during the 1920's, the plantation lane became a four-lane paved roadway, and a few
of the original Australian pines were possibly removed due to the introduction of cross
streets along Pinetree Drive. In 1980, thirteen of the pines were removed after they
died due to disease or perhaps the introduction of an underground sewer line.54
Fortunately, several hundred Australian pines still remain along this portion of Pinetree
Drive. For over 88 years, the "avenue of pines and plantation road" through the
original Collins' Miami Beach plantation have maintained their historic integrity and still
exist today as part of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive.
S3 All Souls' Episcopal Church, "The Great Spirit," 21 December 1980.
S4 Mark Silva, "Pining Away?" Miami Herald, 20 December 1979, p. 3.
31
The historically significant public works of art located within the proposed historic site
are a wonderful cultural amenity to the surrounding neighborhood and Miami Beach.
The early incentives to adorn the City's landscape with outdoor sculpture during the
1920's waned in the decades to follow with the proliferation of building construction
in Miami Beach. Therefore, the retention of the few remaining public works of art
from this time period is even more important. The 1924 ornamental fountain and "The
Great Spirit" statue are extremely valuable in providing a sense of history and place
during the City's first land development period. Although "The Great Spirit" statue
was relocated from its original site on the former Nautilus Hotel grounds, it has been
a landmark at its present location on Pinetree Drive for over 42 years.
Despite the "nuisance" aspect of the Australian pines, cited in this report and
elsewhere, these trees are located in vast quantities and even forests throughout
Miami-Dade County; they indeed almost define the special character of the coastal
zones. In these vast areas, management of the trees over the decades has either been
impossible or very difficult to achieve at best. Consequently, there is an official
eradication policy and implementation program managed by the Department of
Environmental Resources Management in Miami-Dade County.
The management of Australian pines along Pinetree Drive, however, is very different.
These trees are relatively small in number, and they are maintained, pruned, and
trimmed on a regular basis to be certain they do not represent a significant threat to
either vehicles or pedestrians along the drive, or to adjacent residential properties.
Consequently, the Planning Department staff are of the opinion that Pinetree Drive's
Australian pines represent a distinctly lower nuisance threat to the immediate area or
to the Everglades, which are significantly further to the west. Staff is gravely
concerned that these few well managed and well maintained historic pines along
Pinetree Drive will fall quick victim to the vast eradication program currently being
implemented in areas throughout Miami-Dade County. The management conditions
for Pinetree Drive are significantly different in nature and magnitude. The Florida
Department of Transportation has developed plans for the removal of 11 historic pines
just north of the intersection of 41 st Street, to create a south bound left-turn lane
leading east from Pinetree Drive to Indian Creek Drive and Collins Avenue.
32
IX. PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Criteria for Designation: The Planning Department finds the proposed Pinetree
Drive Historic Roadway to be in compliance with the Criteria for Designation
listed in Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations of the City
Code.
2. Site Boundaries: At its December 12, 2001, meeting, the Historic Preservation
Board reviewed the preliminary evaluation report and adopted the boundaries as
recommended by the Planning Department for the proposed designation of a
portion of the public right-of-way of Pinetree Drive as an historic site. (Refer to
Section IV, Description of Boundaries, for more information.)
On February 28, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved
a motion (5 to 0; 2 absences) to recommend approval of the designation of the
proposed Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway as an historic site in accordance with
staff recommendations, as reflected in this designation report. The Board also
recommended that the City Commission request the Administration to
investigate the possibility of a tree replacement program for the Australian
Pines, which have been lost over time or may be lost in the future, within the
boundaries of the proposed historic roadway.
On March 27, 2001, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (6 to
0; 1 absence) to recommend approval of the designation of the proposed
Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway as an historic site.
3. Areas Subiect to Review: The Planning Department recommends that the areas
subject to review shall include the public right-of-way and all landscape
features, statues, fountains, and works of art located within the boundaries of
the proposed historic site. Regular maintenance and minor repairs of public
sidewalks and roadways shall not require a Certificate of Appropriateness.
4. Review Guidelines: The Planning Department recommends that a decision on
an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be based upon
compatibility of the physical alteration or improvement with surrounding
properties and where deemed applicable in substantial compliance with the
following:
a. The Secretarv of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines
for Rehabilitatinq Historic Buildings, as revised from time to time;
b. Other guidelines/policies/plans adopted or approved by resolution or
ordinance by the City Commission;
33
c. All additional criteria as listed under Sections 118-564(b) and 118-564(c)
in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code;
d. City of Miami Beach Design Guidelines as adopted by the Joint Design
Review/Historic Preservation Board on October 12, 1993, amended June
7, 1994, as may be revised from time to time.
5. Pinetree Drive Management Policy: The Planning Department firmly
recommends that the City, Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Department of
Transportation maintain a well coordinated and vigilant tree maintenance policy
that will minimize any potential, substantial nuisance factor in an appropriate
manner to ensure the preservation of the historic integrity of the trees and the
historic roadway.
34
X. FIGURE INDEX
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
Figure 4:
Figure 5:
Figure 6:
Figure 7:
Figure 8:
Figure 9:
Figure 10:
Figure 11:
Figure 12:
Figure 13:
Figure 14:
Figure 15:
Figure 16:
Figure 17:
Figure 18:
Figure 19:
Figure 20:
Miami Public Library. Romer Collection. Photograph No. A464w:
"Pinetree Drive, Miami Beach. Looking South from 40th Street," 30 May
1939.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Photograph: (Fountain at
Pinetree Drive and 41 st Street), 2000.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Photograph: ("The Great
Spirit" Statue at Pinetree Drive and 41st Street), 2000.
Florida State Archives. Florida Photograohic Collection. Portrait: "John
S. Collins," date unknown.
Kleinberg, Howard. Miami Beach: A Historv. Miami, Florida: Centennial
Press, 1994, p. 20.
Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Matlack Collection. Photograph
No. 219-12: "Pinetree Drive," 1914.
Kleinberg, Howard. Miami Beach: A Historv. Miami, Florida: Centennial
Press, 1994, p. 20.
Miami Public Library. Romer Collection. Photograph No. A464w:
"Pinetree Drive, Miami Beach. Looking South from 40th Street," 30 May
1939.
City of Miami Beach Archives. Pamphlet: "Highlights of Greater Miami,"
1953.
Silva, Mark. Miami Herald. "Pining Away?" 20 December 1979, p. 6.
Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Charles Edgar Nash, Photograph:
"Pinetree Drive," date unknown.
Miami Beach Improvement Company. Plat Mao of the Ocean Front
Prooertv. 11 December 1912, sheet 1. Miami, Florida: Biscayne
Engineering Company.
Hoit, Richard B. Aerial Survey of Miami Beach. Florida. 12 February
1927, sheet 84A.
Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation. Aerial Survey of Miami Beach.
Florida. June 1941, sheet 141.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Photograph: (Fountain at
Pinetree Drive and 41 st Street), 31 January 2001 .
Miami Public Library, Florida Room. "John B. Orr." Florida: The East
Coast. Miami, Florida: Miami Herald, date unknown, p. 117.
Miami Herald. "Monument Backed," 2 September 1971.
Miami Herald. "Where Is It? What Is It? What Do You Know?" 22
January 1971 .
Postcard: "Nautilus Hotel." Winter Park, Florida: Sunny Scenes, Inc.,
date unknown. Larry Wiggins Private Postcard Collection.
City of Miami Beach Archives. Photograph: "Carl Fisher," 1923.
35
Figure 21: Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Photo Collection. Photograph
No. 78-68-295: "Indian Statue at Polo Grounds, Miami Beach, Florida,"
date unknown.
Figure 22: City of Miami Beach Archives. Photograph: "Indian at 41 st Street and
Pinetree Drive," June 1959.
Figure 23: Dodge, Edward N., ed. "Ettore Pellegatta." Encvclooedia of American
BioQraohv. New York: American Historical Company, Inc., Volume No.
XXXVIII, 1968, p. 216.
Figure 24: Thornton, Linda R. Miami Herald. "Regal Indian Statue Will Once Again
Stand," 20 May 1980.
Figure 25: Silva, Mark. Miami Herald. "Wounded Indian Brings Him Close to the
Master," 1 May 1 980.
Figure 26: All Souls' Episcopal Church. Photograph: "The Great Spirit," 21
December 1980, donated by James P. Wendler.
36
XI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
All Souls' Episcopal Church. "The Great Spirit," Photograph and Caption, 21
December 1980, donated by James P. Wendler.
Armbruster, Ann. The Life and Times of Miami Beach. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
1995,p.7.
Ash, Agnes. Miami News. "The Nice Things They Did with Moses' Money," 15
November 1964.
Carson, Ruby Leach. "Forty Years of Miami Beach." TeQuesta. Miami, Florida:
Journal of the Historical Association of Southern Florida, Volume No. XV, 1955,
p.8-9.
City of Miami Beach Archives. "Highlights of Greater Miami," Pamphlet, 1953.
City of Miami Beach Archives. "The John S. Collins Memorial," Pamphlet, 1930.
City of Miami Beach. Building Permit Card No. 97: 41 st Street and Pinetree Drive.
Dodge, Edward N., ed. "Ettore Pellegatta." Encvclooedia of American BioQraohv. New
York: American Historical Company, Inc., Volume No. XXXVIII, 1968, pp. 216-
218.
Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Carl Fisher Letter Collection. Letter to Thomas
Pancoast from Carl Fisher, 14 September 1920.
Hoit, Richard B. Aerial Survev of Miami Beach. Florida. 12 February 1927, sheets
83A, 84A, and 85A.
Kleinberg, Howard. Miami Beach: A Historv. Miami, Florida: Centennial Press, 1994.
Lubitz, Mitch. Miami Herald. "These Homes May Be Preserved," 3 July 1980.
Metropolitan Dade County. From Wilderness to Metrooolis. Second Edition,
Metropolitan Dade County, Florida, Office of Community Development, Historic
Preservation Division, 1992, p. 68.
Miami Beach Improvement Company. Plat MaD of the Ocean Front ProDerty. 11
December 1912, sheets 1 and 2. Miami, Florida: Biscayne Engineering
Company.
Miami Herald. "Immigrant from Australia and East Indies Stands to Cost Miami
Taxpayers $300,000," 25 December 1938, p. 5.
Miami News. "Beach Dedicates Liebman Square," 20 December 1972.
Miami Public Library, Florida Room. "John B. Orr." Florida: The East Coast. Miami,
Florida: Miami Herald, date unknown, pp. 117 and 250.
More, Lorey. Florida Hotel and Travel Guide. New York: Florida Guide Company,
1942, p. 282.
Morgan, Elizabeth. Miami Herald. "'Spirit' Rides Again," 22 December 1980.
Morton, Julia F. 500 Plants of South Florida. Miami, Florida: E.A. Seemann
Publishing, Inc., 1974, pp. 47-48.
Pancoast, Russell. "My Grandfather and Grandmother Pancoast." Personal Memoirs
from the Pancoast Family Private Collection.
Plat Book of Miami Beach. Florida. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: G.M. Hopkins
Company, 1952, plates 11, 13, 15, and 17.
37
ProDertv Atlas of Miami Beach. Florida. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Franklin Survey
Company, 1935, plates 9 and 10.
Raley, H. Michael, Linda A. Polansky, and Aristides J. Millas. Old Miami Beach. Miami
Beach, Florida: Miami Design Preservation League, 1994, p. 5.
Reno, Doris. Miami Herald. "Vizcaya and Flagler Sculptor Modest Man," 9 September
1956, p. 19-E.
Silva, Mark. Miami Herald. "Pining Away?" 20 December 1979, pp. 3 and 6.
Silva, Mark. Miami Herald. "Wounded Indian Brings Him Close to the Master," 1 May
1980.
Smithsonian American Art Museum. Inventories of American Painting and Sculoture.
Flagler Monument.
Smithsonian American Art Museum. Inventories of American Painting and SculDture.
John B. Orr.
Smithsonian American Art Museum. Inventories of American Paintina and Sculoture.
The Polo Player.
Thompson, Morris S. Miami Herald. "Crash Ends Indian's Trail," 2 October 1979.
Thornton, Linda R. Miami Herald. "Regal Indian Statue Will Once Again Stand," 20
May 1980.
38
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE OF ZONING MAP CHANGE
The City of Miami Beach proposes to adopt the following ordinance:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE
MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE; BY AMENDING SECTION 118-593(E), ENTITLED
"DELINEATION ON ZONING MAP" BY DESIGNATING A PORTION OF THE PUBLIC
RIGHT-OF-WAY OF PINETREE DRIVE AS AN HISTORIC SITE TO BE KNOWN AS THE
"PINETREE DRIVE HISTORIC ROADWAY," GENERALLY FROM 30TH STREET TO 46TH
STREET, AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN THE ORDINANCE; PROVIDING.
THATTHE CITY'S ZONING MAP SHALL BE AMENDED TO INDICATE THAT PORTION OF
PINETREE DRIVE AS AN HISTORIC SITE; ADOPTING THE DESIGNATION REPORT
ATTACHED AS APPENDIX "A"; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE LAND
DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE CITY CODE, REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, AND
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a second reading public hearing on the ordinance will be
held by the City Commission on WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2001, at 5:01 p.m., or soon thereafter, ea
possible, in the City Commission Chambers, Third Floor, City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive,
. Mianii Beach, Florida. .
The historic site proposed for designation is shown on the Map within this Zoning Map Change.
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All Persons' Are I~vited to Appear at this Meeting or Be Represented by an Agent, or to Express Their J
Views in Writing Addressed to the City Commission clo the City Clerk, 1700 Convention Center Drive,
1st Floor, City Hall, Miami Beach, Florida 33139.
A Copy of this Ordinance, and All Documents Related to the Proposed HistOriC Sita, Are availabie for
Public Inspection During Normal BUSiness Hours in the City Clerk's Office. InqUiries May Be Directed-
to the Pianning Department at (305) 673.7550. The above item may be continued at this meeting, and
under such circumstances, additional legal notice would not be provided. Any person may contact the
City Clerk at (305) 673-7411 for information as to the status ofthis item as a result of the meeting.
Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Fla. Stat., the City hereby advises the public that: ~ a person decides to
appeal any decision made by the Commission with respect to any matter considered at its meeting or
its hearing, such person must insure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record
includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. This notice does not
constitute consent by the City for the introduction pr admission of otherwise inadmissible or irrelevant
evidence, nor does it aulhorize challenges or appeals not otherwise allowed by law.
In Accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Persons Needing SpeCial
Accommodation to Participate in this Proceeding Should Contact the City Clerk's Office No Later than
Four Days Prior to the Proceeding. Telephone (305) 673.7411 for Assistance; If Hearing Impaired,
Telephone the Florida Relay Service Numbers, (800) 955.8771 (TOO) or (800) 955-8770 (VOice), for 11
I Assistance.
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\ci.miami-beach.fl.us
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO.
~f(l( -() J
TO:
Mayor Neisen Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
DATE: June 6,2001
SUBJECT:
Jorge M. Gonzalez \~
City Manager (j U SECOND READING PUBLIC HEARING
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway as an Historic Site
FROM:
An Ordinance of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach,
Florida, Amending the Land Development Regulations ofthe Miami Beach City
Code; By Amending Section 118-593(e), Entitled "Delineation on Zoning Map"
by Designating a Portion of the Public Right-of-Way of Pinetree Drive as an
Historic Site to Be Known as the "Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway," Generally
from 30th Street to 46th Street, as More Particularly Described in the
Ordinance; Providing that the City's Zoning Map Shall Be Amended to Indicate
that Portion of Pinetree Drive as an Historic Site; Adopting the Designation
Report Attached as Appendix "A"; Providing for Inclusion in the Land
Development Regulations of the City Code, Repealer, Severability, and an
Effective Date.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
The Administration recommends that the City Commission, upon second reading public hearing,
adopt the proposed amending Ordinance. It is further recommended to direct staff to prepare a
preliminary evaluation and recommendation report regarding the possible designation of the original
1926 pumping station and obelisk site, located at 28th Street between Pinetree Drive and Sheridan
Avenue, as a local historic site in lieu of expanding the boundaries ofthe proposed Pinetree Drive
Historic Roadway. The Administration recommends that the City Commission designate the
Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway, as originally proposed by the Historic Preservation Board, at this
time because it will afford the earliest possible protection to the historic site.
ANALYSIS
On November 14,2000, the City of Miami Beach Planning Department requested that the Historic
Preservation Board consider directing staff to prepare a preliminary evaluation report with
recommendations regarding the possible designation of a portion of the public right-of-way of
AGENDA ITEM
I?~
DATE ~~ -tJ f
Commission Memorandum
June 6,2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 2
Pinetree Drive, generally from 30th Street to 46th Street, as a local historic site. This request was
believed appropriate by staff due to the historic character and visual landmark nature of the roadway.
At the same meeting, the Board reviewed such request and unanimously approved a motion (5 to 0;
2 absences) to direct staff to prepare a preliminary evaluation report with recommendations
regarding the possible designation of a portion of the public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive as a local
historic site.
At its December 12, 2000, meeting, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed the preliminary
evaluation report with recommendations prepared by the staff of the Planning Department regarding
the designation of a portion of the public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive. The Board unanimously
approved a motion (7 to 0) to direct staff to prepare a designation report and schedule a public
hearing relative to the designation of this new historic site.
On February 28,2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion (5 to 0; 2
absences) to recommend approval of the designation of the proposed Pinetree Drive Historic
Roadway as an historic site in accordance with staff recommendations, as reflected in this
designation report. The Board also recommended that the City Commission request the
Administration to investigate the possibility of a tree replacement program for the Australian Pines,
which have been lost over time or may be lost in the future, within the boundaries of the proposed
historic roadway.
On March 27, 2001, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (6 to 0; 1 absence) to
recommend approval of the designation of the proposed Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway as an
historic site.
On April 18, 2001, the City Commission approved the designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic
Roadway as an historic site on first reading and scheduled the second reading public hearing for May
16,2001. The City Commission, at the suggestion of Vice-Mayor Luis R. Garcia, Jr., also directed
staff to expand the boundaries of the proposed Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway to include the
original 1926 pumping station and obelisk site (inclusive of its park-like setting), which is located
at 28th Street between Pinetree Drive and Sheridan Avenue.
Section 118-591 in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code require the following steps
to be undertaken in order to include the original 1926 pumping station and obelisk site as an
expansion of the original boundaries of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway proposed by the
Historic Preservation Board. These designation procedures include the following: a revised
preliminary evaluation and recommendation report for consideration by the Historic Preservation
Board, a revised designation report and legal description for review by the Historic Preservation
Board and the Planning Board at separate public hearings, and notification ofthese public hearings
Commission Memorandum
June 6,2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 3
to the property owners surrounding the proposed historic site. The recommendations of both Boards,
along with the designation report and proposed ordinance, would then be presented to the City
Commission for consideration at two separate public hearings.
The designation review process for expansion would take approximately six months before the
proposed expanded boundaries of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway would be heard by the City
Commission at its October meeting for second reading public hearing. Due to the potential threat
of road construction improvements, staff believes it is important to immediately provide historic
preservation protection to the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway and its Australian pines. Therefore,
staff recommends the designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway as an historic site on
today's second reading public hearing. It is further recommended to direct staff to prepare a
preliminary evaluation and recommendation report regarding the possible designation of the original
1926 pumping station and obelisk site as a separate historic site.
On May 16,2001, the City Commission continued the second reading public hearing of the Pinetree
Drive Historic Roadway until the June 6, 2001, meeting due to a lack of a quorum.
DESIGNATION PROCESS
The designation report for a proposed historic site is required to be presented to the Historic
Preservation Board and the Planning Board at separate public hearings. Following public input, the
Historic Preservation Board votes on whether or not the proposed historic site meets the criteria
listed in the Land Development Regulations ofthe City Code and transmits a recommendation on
historic designation to the Planning Board and City Commission. If the Historic Preservation Board
votes against the designation, no further action is required. If the Historic Preservation Board votes
in favor of designation, the Planning Board reviews the designation report and formulates its own
recommendation. The recommendations of both Boards, along with the designation report, are
presented to the City Commission. Because in this instance the proposed ordinance involves an area
of ten (10) or more contiguous acres, the City Commission must hold two (2) public hearings on the
designation, unless if at its first public hearing the City Commission votes to deny the proposed
designation, in which instance the designation process ends immediately. Upon conclusion of the
second hearing, if one should occur, the City Commission can immediately adopt the ordinance with
a 5/7 majority vote.
RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA
1. In accordance with Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations ofthe City Code,
eligibility for designation is determined on the basis of compliance with the listed criteria set
forth below.
Commission Memorandum
June 6.2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 4
(a) The Historic Preservation Board shall have the authority to recommend that
properties be designated as historic buildings, historic structures, historic
improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors (architecturally
significant public portions only), historic sites or historic districts if they are
significant in the historical, architectural, cultural, aesthetic or archeological heritage
of the city, the county, state or nation. Such properties shall possess an integrity of
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association and meet at
least one (1) of the following criteria:
(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the
history of the city, the county, state or nation;
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past history;
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical period, architectural or
design style or method of construction;
(4) Possesses high artistic values;
(5) Represent the work of a master, serve as an outstanding or representative
work of a master designer, architect or builder who contributed to our
historical, aesthetic or architectural heritage;
(6) Have yielded, or are likely to yield information important in pre-history or
history;
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant
concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by historically
significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development,
whose components may lack individual distinction.
(b) A building, structure (including the public portions of the interior), improvement or
landscape feature may be designated historic even if it has been altered if the
alteration is reversible and the most significant architectural elements are intact and
repairable.
Commission Memorandum
June 6.2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 5
2. This portion of the public right-of.way of Pinetree Drive is eligible for designation as an
historic site as it complies with the criteria as specified in Section 118-592 in the Land
Development Regulations of the City Code outlined above.
(a) Staff finds the proposed historic site to be eligible for historic designation and in
conformance with the designation criteria for the following reasons:
(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the
history of the city. the countv. state or nation:
This section of Pine tree Drive has its origins in one of the earliest agricultural
efforts in South Florida, and it is associated with two of Miami Beach's
"founding fathers" - John Collins and Carl Fisher.
In 1909, John Collins, a horticulturalist from New Jersey, bought 1,675 acres
ofland in what is now central Miami Beach. He established a plantation on
the rich high ground west of Indian Creek. The creation of a "plantation
road," generally paralleling the west shore of Indian Creek and connecting the
farm house, packing plant, workers' quarters, irrigation pond, and dock at
today's 41st Street with Lake Pancoast, together with the planting of
Australian pines along that road to protect fragile produce from salt laden
winds, was one of three major events orchestrated by John Collins in his
attempt to develop a viable agricultural industry in what would become
Miami Beach. In order to move his produce more rapidly to market, Collins
constructed a bridge and canal which would provide two direct routes from
his farm to the railroad and harbor at Miami. These two structures were
intended to facilitate transportation of crops, but they also literally paved the
way for further development of the Beach. After an arduous dredging
process, the Collins Canal was completed in 1912 and still survives as the
oldest manmade structure in the City.
It was John Collins' ambitious bridge project at age 75 that first caught Carl
Fisher's attention and created another reinforcing event also associated with
the history of Pine tree Drive. With Fisher's financial assistance in exchange
for 200 acres of land, the Collins Bridge was completed in 1913, an
engineering marvel and the longest wooden bridge in the world at the time.
After only seven years of use it was replaced by the Venetian Causeway and
demolished.
Commission Memorandum
June 6,2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 6
Carl Fisher was a high-living Industrialist from Indiana who made a fortune
with Prest-OoLite automobile head lamps and built the Indianapolis
Speedway. In a short period of time, Fisher transformed the barrier strip into
a playground for millionaires based on a genius for marketing that eclipsed
his colleagues in land sales and development of Miami Beach. Later, he
would become involved in the development of quality residential
development along Pinetree Drive.
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past history:
Pioneer John Collins saw promise for his agricultural venture in the
uninhabited swampland now known as Miami Beach. Platted as part of the
Ocean Front Property by the Miami Beach Improvement Company in 1912,
Collins' farm was located west of Indian Creek between 30th Street at the
south and approximately 46th Street at the north. The farm featured a
"plantation road" flanked by an "avenue of pines" (now known as Pinetree
Drive). Collins planted the Australian pines to serve as a windbreak for his
avocado and mango groves. When the area was developed as residential
property during the 1920's, the lane was allowed to remain as a thoroughfare
shaded with the pines. Today's Pinetree Drive and the existing Australian
pines represent one of the last remaining remnants of the original Collins'
plantation.
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical neriod. architectural or
design style or method of construction:
"The Great Spirit" statue and 1924 ornamental fountain, located within the
public right-of.way of Pinetree Drive just south of 41st Street, are a
wonderful cultural amenity to the surrounding neighborhood and Miami
Beach. The early incentives to adorn the City's landscape with outdoor
sculpture during the 1920's waned in the decades to follow with the
proliferation of building construction in Miami Beach. Therefore, the
retention of the few remaining public works of art from this time period is
even more important. This outdoor sculpture is extremely valuable in
providing a sense of history and place during the City's first land
development period.
Commission Memorandum
June 6. 2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 7
(4) Possess high artistic values:
The Australian pines are a unique historic landscape feature of Pinetree
Drive. They create a lush canopy for pedestrians and vehicles as they travel
the roadway. The "whispering pines" provide a tremendous amount of shade'
and are a visual amenity for the surrounding neighborhood.
There are historically significant works of art found within the public right-
of-way of Pine tree Drive just south of 41st Street. "The Great Spirit" statue
depicts a Native American in a chief's headdress mounted on a horse with its
head lowered to the ground. The 1924 ornamental fountain in Liebman
Square features three-tiers with cascading water and a large quatrefoil shaped
pool at its base.
(5) RlWresent the work of a master. serve as an outstandin~ or representative
work of a master designer. architect or builder who contributed to our
historical. aesthetic or architectural heritage:
While under contract with Carl Fisher, sculptor Ettore Pellegatta and
contractor John B. Orr created fine public works of art in Miami Beach,
which include "The Great Spirit" in 1924, "The Polo Player" in 1923, and the
Flagler Monument in 1920. Orr also constructed the ornamental fountain at
Pinetree Drive and 41st Street for Collins in 1924.
Ettore Pellegatta (1881-1966) was an Italian-born sculptor who worked in
New York City, Washington, D.C., and South Florida. Notable examples of
his work include the lions guarding the entrance to the New York Public
Library, located at the comer of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, and the
outstretched ann and head of Mercury on the front facade of Grand Central
Station. In 1915, he moved to Miami to work on James Deering's estate,
Villa Vizcaya. He carved garden statues and decorations on many of the
gates and smaller buildings. He is noted for carving figures on the bow of the
landmark stone boat in front ofVizcaya on Biscayne Bay.
Born in Scotland in 1886, John B. Orr relocated to Miami in 1911 where he
started in business as a plasterer, modeler, mason contractor, and general
contractor. He built up his company with skilled workmen and opened
offices in Miami and Pahn Beach. Orr was known for fine plastering, stucco
and mason work, and construction throughout Florida. Examples of his work
in these various fields include Villa Vizcaya, Allison Hospital, the Nautilus
Commission Memorandum
June 6,2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 8
Hotel, the Pancoast Hotel, the Everglades Club, and numerous residences for
wealthy clientele in Coconut Grove and Palm Beach.
(6) Have yielded. or are likely to yield information important in pre-histOl)' or
history:
Retention of the public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive, as well as the historic
Australian pines and outdoor sculpture, promote the general welfare of the
City by providing an opportunity for the study and appreciation of the early
development of Miami Beach. Pinetree Drive is representative of the
evolution of Miami Beach from the area's agricultural uses at the turn of the
20th century to its present urban development. For over 88 years, the
"avenue of pines and plantation road" through the original Collins' Miami
Beach plantation have maintained their historic integrity and still exist today
as a significant part ofthe public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive.
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places:
Currently, this portion of the public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive is neither
listed individually as an historic site nor is it located within an historic district
on the National Register of Historic Places, although it appears to have clear
potential to be determined to be eligible for national historic designation.
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant
concentration of sites. buildings or structures united by historically
significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development.
whose components may lack individual distinction:
The public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive, between approximately 30th Street
and 46th Street, is clearly a geographically defined area which has a
significant concentration of historic trees throughout its length, as well as
several monuments and sculptures, united by aesthetic cohesiveness and
historically significant events in the City's development history.
(b) A building. structure (including the public portions of the interior). iml'rovement or
landscape feature may be designated historic even if it has been altered if the
alteration is reversible and the most significant architectural elements are intact and
repairable.
Commission Memorandum
June 6, 2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 9
Although this portion of the public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive has been slightly
modified over the years, it retains its overriding historical integrity. It continues to
be representative of the cultural, social, and aesthetic history of Miami Beach despite
minor alterations to the roadway and loss of some of the Australian pines.
ANALYSIS OF THE AMENDING ORDINANCE
In reviewing a request for an amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code or
a change in land use, the Planning Board shall consider the following:
I. Whether the proposed change is consistent and compatible with the Comprehensive
Plan and any applicable neighborhood or Redevelopment Plans;
Consistent - The proposed designation is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan,
specifically with the Historic Preservation Element of the
Comprehensive Plan's Objective No. I which, in part, states:
.. .. .increase the total number of structures designated as historically
significant from that number of structures designated in 1988, either
individually or as a contributing structure within a National Register
Historic Preservation District or a local Historic Preservation
District. ..
2. Whether the proposed change would create an isolated district unrelated to adjacent
or nearby districts;
Consistent - The amendment would not change the underlying zoning district for
any areas within the City.
3. Whether the change suggested is out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood or
the City;
Consistent - The designation of the area as a local historic site would help to
encourage redevelopment and rehabilitation that is compatible with
the scale, characteristics and needs of the surrounding neighborhood
and help to preserve the architectural character of the built
environment, inclusive of its historic landscape elements.
4. Whether the proposed change would tax the existing load on public facilities and
infrastructure;
Commission Memorandum
June 6. 2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 10
Consistent - The LOS for the area public facilities and infrastructure will not be
negatively affected by the proposed amending ordinance as the
Australian pines and fountain located within the proposed historic site
have been a part of the proposed historic roadway for three-quarters
of a century or more. "The Great Spirit" statue has been a part of the
historic roadway since it was relocated from the Nautilus Hotel
grounds just north of 41st Street and Alton Road to its present
location on Pinetree Drive in 1959.
5. Whether existing district boundaries are illogically drawn in relation to existing
conditions on the property proposed for change;
Consistent - This portion of the public right-of-way of Pine tree Drive, generally
from 30th Street to 46th Street, is clearly a geographically defined
area which has a significant concentration of historic trees throughout
its length, as well as several monuments and sculptures, united by
aesthetic cohesiveness and historically significant events in the City's
development history.
The location of these boundaries has been determined through careful
investigation and research of historical documentation. A detailed
description of the proposed boundaries is delineated within the
attached Designation Report.
6. Whether changed or changing conditions make the passage of the proposed change
necessary;
Consistent - The success of historic preservation in the ongoing revitalization of
Miami Beach supports the protection of the proposed historic site.
Past demolition of historic structures, as well as the removal of
historic landscape features and monuments, demonstrates the
necessity of this amendment to maintain the historical integrity of the
area.
7. Whether the proposed change will adversely influence living conditions in the
neighborhood;
Consistent - The proposed change should not negatively effect living conditions
or the Quality of Life for the surrounding properties. Indeed, the
quality of living conditions in designated historic areas has
Commission Memorandum
June 6,2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 11
significantly improved since the City started designating historic sites
and districts. The thousands of Design Review approvals (both
substantial rehabilitation and minor improvements) within the
existing historic districts demonstrate this principle.
8. Whether the proposed change will create or excessively increase traffic congestion
beyond the Level Of Service as set forth in the Comprehensive Plan or otherwise
affect public safety;
Consistent - As designation does not change the permitted land uses, the levels of
service set forth in the Comprehensive Plan will not be affected by
designation. Likewise, public safety will not be affected. However,
future roadway improvements, such as additional turning or through
lanes, would require the review and approval from the Historic
Preservation Board for a Certificate of Appropriateness.
9. Whether the proposed change will seriously reduce light and air to adjacent
properties;
Consistent - If designation results in the retention of existing structures and
historic landscape features, there should be no reduction in light and
air either on site or to adjacent properties.
10. Whether the proposed change will adversely affect property values in the adjacent
area;
Consistent - As property values and value of construction have historically
increased in the existing designated historic sites and districts, there
is no evidence to suggest that designation would adversely affect
property values in the area surrounding the proposed designation. To
the contrary, the designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
should help to reinforce and promote continuous quality enhancement
ofthe area.
II. Whether the proposed change will be a deterrent to the improvement or development
of adjacent property in accordance with existing regulations;
Consistent - The proposed amendment will not change the development
regulations for adjacent sites which must comply with their own site
specific development regulations. Furthermore, the proposed
Commission Memorandum
June 6,2001
Designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway
Page 12
ordinance should not affect the ability for an adjacent property to be
developed in accordance with said regulations.
12. Whether there are substantial reasons why the property cannot be used in accordance
with existing zoning;
Consistent - The permitted land uses are not affected since the proposed
amendment does not change the underlying zoning district for any
property.
13. Whether it is impossible to find other adequate Sites in the City for the proposed Use
in a district already permitting such Use;
Not Applicable -
This review criteria is not applicable to this Zoning Ordinance
amendment.
The proposed designation of the Pinetree Drive Historic Roadway is appropriate to protect the
aesthetic, architectural and historical importance of the neighborhood. The positive social and
economic impact that preservation has had on the revitalization of Miami Beach, as well as the
worldwide media recognition of Miami Beach, is well known. Local residents, as well as visitors
from around the world, are seeking the very special urban character of Miami Beach, which includes
its historic landscape, that the Planning Department seeks to preserve.
Therefore, the Administration recommends adoption of the Designation Report, as recommended
by the Historic Preservation Board and the Planning Board, and adoption of the attached amending
ordinance upon second reading public hearing, designating the proposed Pinetree Drive Historic
Roadway as an historic site. It is further recommended to direct staff to prepare a preliminary
evaluation and recommendation report regarding the possible designation of the original 1926
pumping station and obelisk site, located at 28th Street between Pinetree Drive and Sheridan
Avenue, as a separate local historic site.
JMJtJ::fr~l{r~