RESOLUTION 87-18989 RESOLUTION NO. 87-18989
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ADOPTNG
THE INSPECTION AND APPEAL PROCESS
AND THE CRITERIA FOR RETENTION OF
UNDERSIZED UNITS AND ILLEGALLY
INSTALLED KITCHENS.
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Miami Beach has
been aware and concerned that a policy regarding residential
units containing less than the required 400 square feet of space,
many with illegally installed kitchens, should be established ;
and
WHEREAS , a Committee of City staff and concerned citizens
has recommended the attached appeal process and criteria; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to allow property
owners an opportunity to legally establish non-conforming units
while encouraging continued positive growth in the City,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Commission of the
City of Miami Beach adopts the inspection and appeal process and
the criteria for retention of undersized units and illegally
installed kitchens .
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 16th day of September , 1987 .
,/i
sr MAY:
M A
ATTEST:
LEGAL L.► i F
y 41 ...,c61".
CITY CLERK
7,2341
Dale
MLB/mr
07/22/87
INSPECTION AND APPEAL PROCESS
The following review process and appeal procedures are only
applicable to violation notices that relate to units which have
illegally installed kitchens and units which are below the
minimum size established by the City. The South Florida Building
Code, the Miami Beach Property Maintenance Standards, the Miami
Beach Zoning Ordinance and Fire Codes remain in full force and
effect .
The Code Enforcement Officer will identify those buildings which
have illegally installed kitchens and/or undersized units and
issue the appropriate violation notice based upon the current
standards as presented in the City' s regulations . The property
owner will be advised that he may seek a hearing pertaining to
the undersized units and/or illegally installed kitchens before
the Board of Adjustment . The Officer will suggest that he
contact the Planning & Zoning Department for purposes of filing
the appeal . If an appeal is not filed or compliance not obtained
within 90 days of the notice of violation and final order , a
hearing before the Code Enforcement Board will be scheduled. If
the appeal is filed within the 90-day period, then a hearing will
be scheduled before the Board of Adjustment for its adjudication
of the matter . The Planning & Zoning Director , in formulating
his recommendation to the Board of Adjustment, shall utilize the
criteria below . Should the Board of Adjustment approve the
appeal, then the owner will file an application with the Building
Department for a building permit. Should the appeal be denied,
then the owner will be required to comply with all applicable
laws and codes.
CRITERIA FOR RETENTION OF UNDERSIZED UNITS
AND ILLEGALLY INSTALLED KITCHENS
1 . The Miami Beach Property Maintenance Standards, Miami Beach
Zoning Ordinance ( excluding unit size , density and
kitchens) , South Florida Building Code and Fire Codes shall
be complied with based upon the current standards and
regulations.
2. Historic Structures - If the building is an historic
structure, the exterior improvements (paint, windows, door,
architectural detailing) shall substantially meet the design
criteria as listed in the U. S . Secretary of Interior
Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures
prior to the City approving the units. The term "historic
conforming structure" shall mean those buildings which are
either contributing or conforming in architectural style,
scale, setback , date of construction and/or historic
association and/or are listed as such on the Historic
Property Data Base as maintained by the Planning & Zoning
Department . Buildings which are not considered historic
shall have facade improvements which are consistent with the
architectural style in which they were designed.
3. Density, Unit Size , Kitchens - The determination as to
density, unit size and whether kitchens are permitted shall
be based upon the room configuration and sizes permitted by
the City. Data which is maintained on the City' s building
card , Occupational Licenses, microfilm and other City
records shall be utilized in determining the number of
permitted units and kitchens . Appeal of the violation
notice shall be to the Board of Adjustment under the
procedures as set forth above.
4. Length of Ownership, Number of Code Violations, Police and
Fire Calls - How long a property has been owned by a
1
particular owner , history of
Y cods violations , number of
incidents of fire andlice calls
� are to be considered. A
history of numerous violations
and incidents involving a
particular property owner or a building uildinq may effect
eligibility bility for retention of undersized
install ed kitchensunits and illegally
.
5. Minimum Unit Size - The area shall
be measured from the
exterior face of exterior walls and from the centerline a line of
interior walls separating two units . The area includes
bathrooms, kitchens, closets and hallways all of which are
in the interior terior of the unit . Units with less than 200
square feet are not permitted.
6 . Buildings under a Dade County
Y Unsafe Structures Order are
not eligible ble to be reviewed under these criteria.
7 . The Board of Adjustment shall substantially apply the list
of criteria in determining the appeal.
8 . These criteria are not applicable to properties which ch are
vacant , closed or those which have lost their non-
conforming al
status . g
9 . The utilization of these criteria is only applicable to
property owners who purchased a buildingprior to
initiation of the City-wide t h e
Code Enforcement Program. The
term "property owner " shall be applicable to w
record ofpropertiesPP owners of
. which have closed and the transaction
recorded in the public records of Dade Count b
16, 1987 . Y y September
Property owners of record after September 16, 1987 shall 1y with existing regulations
or follow ordinary
appellate or variance procedures.
MLB/mr/rlw
07/16/87
09/09/87
09/29/87
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
6:4 Arm* Wave%
F L. O R I D A
koncot
ARNOLD M. WEINER �.�.\ may;' P.O.BIN 190000
MIAMI
BEACH,FLORIDA33119HCfTYATTORNEY ,,
TELEPHONE: 673-7470
'.
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. 2 (- --
3 8
DATE: July 29, 1987
TO: Mayor Alex D- •ud
Members of he City •mmi -IV . .
411L
FROM: Rob W. Par inslir
'.4/
City Manager
SUBJECT: Non-conformin• Inits Committee
BACKGROUND:
In the past year , the Non-conforming Units Committee has held
meetings to evaluate the options
p available to the City for the
establishment of a policy regarding illegal residential units in
the City. It has been estimated byCode Enforcementrthat there
were several thousand such units in the City; each containing
less than the required 400 square feet of space
kitchens installed without P and many with
t out permits.
The inspections now being performed as a result of direction
given to the South Pointe Strategy Committee, necessitates an
immediate policy concerning the non-conforming units.
The Non-conforming Units Committee had considered the following
options in dealing with such units:
1 ) Demand conformity with City Codes; therebyrequiring
square feet re q g
that units with less than 400 s have kitchensq be made to conform
and/or
removed.
2 ) Permit the Board of Adjustment to hear applications for
variances to the Code requirements; but requiring that all safety other building code requirements be met.
3) Establish a committee composed of Cityadministration
and one or two private citizens
to hear property owner requests
for maintaining the undersized units . All other
requirements would have to be met .
Code
Several meetings were held at which input fromr
ro et
and civic organizations was invited. p P y owners
The majority feeling was
that in order to encourage continued positiverowth in the
units should conform to the building g City,
u lding and zoning ordinances. In
the event a property owner received a notice of violation
involving an undersized unit and/or an illegally
/ installed
kitchen, the property owner would be given the opportunity
appeal the notice of violation to the Board of Adjustment . to
Criteria were established by the City administration which
would
be applied by the Board of Adjustments in hearing the appeal .
The criteria are attached hereto forE our review .
applicable CityDepartment hasy Each
p reviewed and recommended the
criteria .. Additionally, the South Pointe r
Pro et Owners '
Association has given its recommendation Property
for approval .
In the. event the City Commission passes the resolution approving
the procedure of appeal and the criteria, g
then the procedure will
be immediately established and affected property owners
able to avail themselves of the appellate procedure.
willbe
ocedure.
AGENDA
ITEM
DATE - 87
Page Two
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the CityCommission
approve the resolution
adopting the inspection and appeal process and the criteria
retention of undersized units and erla for
illegally installed kitchens .
MLB/mr
07/22/87
, • 2
ORIGINAL
RESOLUTION NO. 87-18989
(Adopting the inspection and appeal pro-
cess and the criteria for retention of
undersized units and illegally installed
kitchens)