96-22244 RESORESOLUTION NO. 96-22244
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING
THE WAIVER OF DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS IN
SECTION SIX OF THE CITY'S ZONING ORDINANCE
PERTAINING TO MAXIMUM SIZE AND LOCATION OF
SIGNS IN ORDER TO ERECT TWO (2) DETACHED
MONUMENT SIGNS AND FOR THE RETENTION
/RESTORATION OF THREE (3) HISTORIC SIGNS FOR THE
PROPOSED LOEWS/ST. MORITZ CONVENTION CENTER
HOTEL.
WHEREAS, the proposed Loews/St. Moritz Convention Center Hotel has received ~ ll
necessary approvals from the required City Boards; and
WHEREAS, in order for the Loews/St. Moritz Convention Center Hotel to pro vie e
convention center hotel facilities to meet the current needs the City of Miami Beach~ it is necessal y
to waive the development regulations set forth in Section 6 of the Zoning Ordinance pertainir~.g 'o
the maximum size and location of signs in order to allow the erection of two detached monurae: tt
signs and the retention/restoration of three historic signs; and
WHEREAS, detached signs are limited to 15 square feet and the two proposed deta,:he d
signs, with sign copy reading "Loews", measure 26.32 square feet, thus requiring a waiver of 11._: 2
square feet for each detached monument sign; and
WHEREAS, the Zoning Ordinance allows for one sign per street frontage at grade, and oF e
building identification sign (1% of wall area) located on the parapet for a total of two signs and tte
applicant has proposed to replace the Loews building identification sign as a second deta,:h~ d
monument sign at grade, thus, in order to relocate the building identification sign, a waiver to a Ao v
two detached signs at grade is required; and
WHEREAS, the applicant is proposing to restore the original St. Moritz sign located on tl e
eyebrow of the building and the Zoning Ordinance allows a sign of 30 square feet and the ori~:in d
sign has a sign area of 52.4 feet, thus a waiver of 22.4 square feet is required; and
WHEREAS, the applicant is also proposing to restore the original St. Moritz signs locate d
on the north and south parapets and the Zoning Ordinance allows for building identification sig~ s
facing the street or oceanfront, thus a waiver is required to relocate the Collins Avenue ar d
oceanfront building identification signs to the north and south parapets; and
WHEREAS, the relocated Collins Avenue St. Moritz sign would be restricted to one pel ce: ~t
of the wall area or 143 square feet and the original sign has an area of 175 square feet, thus a w~iv,
of 32 square feet is required; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Miami Beach Zoning Ordinance No. 89-2665, Subsection 6-
the City Commission may waive certain development regulations following a noticed public hea: 'in
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CIT
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the above-reference d
waivers of development regulations pertaining to the maximum size and location of signs in c rd,
to allow for the erection of two (2) detached monument signs and for the retention/restoratic n I.f
three (3) historic signs for the proposed Loews/St. Moritz Convention Center Hotel are he :el y
approved.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 18th day of
ATTEST:
mber ,19~9~61~~~
CITY CLERK
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APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA 33139
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Mayor Seymour Gelber and
Members of the City Commission DATE:
December 18, 1!)9t
Jose Garcia-Pedrosa
i ana~er ~E
E T F CITY COMMISSION TO WAIVE DEVELOPMEN3
REGULATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 6-12 (B) (4) OF THE ZONINC;~
ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE ERECTION OF TVVC
DETACHED (MONUMENT), SIGNS AND THE RETENTIC~N,
RESTORATION OF THREE HISTORIC SIGNS FOR THE LOEWS/ST
MORITZ HOTEL PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
#
The Administration recommends that the City Commission waive the development regulations
prescribed by Zoning Ordinance 89-2665 regarding the maximum size, and location of signs in or, :le~
to allow the erection of two detached (monument) signs and the retention/restoration of three histc tic
signs for the proposed Loews/St. Moritz Convention Center Hotel, consistent with
comprehensive sign program which has been approved by the Planning, Design and Historic
Preservation Division.
BACKGROUND
The project has already received the following approvals from the respective Boards.
a,
Certificate of Appropriateness for Design Review Approval from the Joint Desjgn
Review/Historic Preservation Board was granted on October 24, 1995.
b,
A recommendation to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for Demolition fr,
the Historic Preservation Board was granted on October 24, 1995, and approved by
the City Commission on December 6, 1995.
The project has several components -- the construction of a new seventeen (17) story hotel buildi ng
including a ballroom, restaurants, swimming pool, recreational facilities, a grand palm court and new
A ENDA TEMq i',5
DATE ['~-]~"_..~?,c~
perimeter retail buildings, as well as the rehabilitation, renovation and expansion of the existing S t.
Moritz Hotel building.
The existing St. Moritz hotel is within the Ocean Drive/Collins Avenue Local Historic District ard
is designated historic by the City's historic properties database.
The Administration is requesting that the City Commission waive the development regulatiot s
regarding the maximum size and location of signs in order to allow the erection of two detache :l
(monument) signs and the retention/restoration of three historic signs, pursuant to Section 6~ 12 (F )
(4) of the Zoning Ordinance which reads, in part:
"Following a public hearing, the Development Regulations required by this
Ordinance, except for the Historic Preservation and Design Review processes, may
be waived by a five-sevenths (5/7) vote of the City Commission for Development
pertaining to Governmental owned or leased Buildings, Uses and sites which are
wholly used by, open and accessible to the general public, and for Convention
Center Hotels and Convention Center Hotel Accessory Garages and City utilized
parking lots, provided they are continually used for such purposes."...
A public heating on such a waiver of regulations requires that a 15 day notice be given and.that th ~
notice be posted on the property, advertised in a newspaper of general circulation and mailed to a l
property owners within 375 feet of the site. This notification has been properly executed.
ANALYSIS
Because the main project has already received all necessary approvals from the required Boards. th '.
overall design and scope of the project has been thoroughly scrutinized and endorsed.
comprehensive sign program has also been submitted to and approved by the Planning, Design ~n,
Historic Preservation Division with regard to design, placement and overall size.
However, in order for this project to install two detached monument signs and to restore the orig na [
St. Moritz signs, as part of said comprehensive sign program it is necessary to waive the follow inl:
development regulations of the Zoning Ordinance:
Detached monument signs are limited to a sign area of 15 square feet. The propose~l
monument sign. with copy reading "Loews." would have a sign area measuring 26.32 squar,
feet. Therefore. a waiver to exceed the required sign area by 11.32 square feet is necessm'y
Given the size of the overall project, the proposed sign area is proportionally correct.
2a.
The Ordinance allows for one sign per street frontage at grade, and one buildinl;
identification sign (1% of wall area) located on the parapet for a total of two signs. '['h, ~
applicant has proposed to replace what would be a permissible Loews building identifical io~
sign with a second detached monument sign at grade. In order to relocate the build int: ::
2
identification sign, a waiver to allow two detached signs at grade is necessary. Since the :he, ¢
hotel building will not have a large identification sign, this second monument sign is .,.ee ~
as an appropriate substitute and would be considerably smaller in size.
b,
The same size waiver, as in No. 1 above (i.e., to exceed by 11.32 square feet the requ Lre t
square footage), would also be necessary for the second detached monument sig.n.
The applicant is proposing to restore the original St. Moritz sign located on the eyebrox~, c f
the building. The Ordinance allows a sign of 30 square feet. The original sign has a sig ~
area of 52.4 feet. A waiver to exceed the required size by 22.4 square feet is, theref.~n,
necessary. Given the large setback of the building from the street, the waiver will allow thi ~
historic and proportionally sized sign to be restored.
4a.
The applicant is also proposing to restore the original St. Moritz signs located on the nort2t
and south parapet walls. The Ordinance allows for Building identification signs facing th .'
street and oceanfront. Therefore, a waiver. is required to relocate the Collins Avenue m, l
oceanfront building identification signs to the north and south parapet walls.
b,
The relocated Collins Avenue St. Mofitz sign would be restricted to one percent of the
area, or 143 square feet. The original sign has an area of 175 square feet. A waive': t,
exceed the required size by 32 square feet is necessary. (Note: the relocated oceanfront sigl t
does not require a size waiver as the ordinance allows the size to be determined through th,
Design Review process).
CONCLUSION
The comprehensive sign program developed for the Loews/St. Moritz Convention Center Hotel ha:
been done with great thought and attention to detail. Even though several waivers of developm en
regulations are being sought, they are appropriate in order to address the unique character of the site
in this respect the waivers are not different from similar variance requests which have bee~
considered and granted by the Board of Adjustment for other hotel projects.
In view of the forgoing, the Administration has concluded that the City Commission should waiw
development regulations pertaining to signs, as described above and pursuant to Section 6-12,B.,
of the Zoning Ordinance, in order to erect two detached monument signs and retain/restore thre{
historic signs for the proposed Loews/St. Moritz Convention Center Hotel.
JGP/HM/DJG
enc.
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