Ordinance 2019-4285 Height Increase for Ground Level Additions
on Oceanfront Lots in the Architectural District
ORDINANCE NO. 2019-4285
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
BEACH, SUBPART B, ENTITLED "LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS,"
BY AMENDING CHAPTER 142, ENTITLED "ZONING DISTRICTS AND
REGULATIONS," ARTICLE II, ENTITLED "DISTRICT REGULATIONS,"
DIVISION 3, ENTITLED "RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY DISTRICTS,"
SUBDIVISION V, ENTITLED "RM-3 RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY, HIGH
INTENSITY," BY AMENDING SECTION 142-246, ENTITLED "DEVELOPMENT
REGULATIONS AND AREA REQUIREMENTS," TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT
LIMIT FOR GROUND FLOOR ADDITIONS MEETING CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS; AND PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, REPEALER,
SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach (the "City") has the authority to enact laws which
promote the public health, safety and general welfare of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the City's Land Development Regulations ("LDRs") provide for the
regulation of land within the City; and
WHEREAS, this Ordinance provides for a height increase for ground floor additions on
oceanfront lots in the Architectural District, with a lot area greater than 115,000 square feet,
subject to the requirements set forth herein.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA:
SECTION 1. Chapter 142, "Zoning Districts and Regulations," Article II, "District Regulations,"
Division 3, "Residential Multifamily Districts," Subdivision V, "RM-3 Residential multifamily, high
intensity," is hereby amended as follows:
CHAPTER 142—ZONING DISTRICTS AND REGULATIONS
* * *
ARTICLE II.—DISTRICT REGULATIONS
* * *
DIVISION 3. - RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY DISTRICTS
* * *
SUBDIVISION V.- RM-3 RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY, HIGH INTENSITY
* * *
Page 1
Sec. 142-246. - Development regulations and area requirements.
(a) The development regulations in the RM-3 residential multifamily, high intensity district are
as follows:
(1) Max. FAR: Lot area equal to or less than 45,000 sq. ft.-2.25; lot area greater than
45,000 sq. ft.-2.75; oceanfront lots with lot area greater than 45,000 sq. ft.-3.0.
(2) Notwithstanding the above, oceanfront lots in architectural district shall have a
maximum FAR of 2.0.
(3) Notwithstanding the above, lots which, as of the effective date of this ordinance
(November 14, 1998), are oceanfront lots with a lot area greater than 100,000 sq. ft.
with an existing building, shall have a maximum FAR of 3.0; however, additional FAR
shall be available for the sole purpose of providing hotel amenities as follows: the
lesser of 0.15 FAR or 20,000 sq. ft.
(b) The lot area, lot width, unit size and building height requirements for the RM-3 residential
multifamily, high intensity district are as follows:
Minimum Minimum
Lot Area Lot Minimum Average Maximum
(Square Width Unit Size Unit Size Building Height
Feet) (Feet) (Square Feet) (Square Feet) (Feet)
New construction-550
Non-elderly and elderly low
and moderate income
housing-400
Workforce housing-400
Rehabilitated buildings-400 New 150
Hotel units: construction-
15%: 300-335 800 Oceanfront Tots-200
85%: 335+ Non-elderly and
elderly low and Architectural dist.: New
For contributing hotel construction-120;
structures, located within an moderate ground floor additions
7,000 50 income
individual historic site, a local (whether attached or
historic district or a national housing-400 detached) to existing
register district, which are Workforce structures on
renovated in accordance with housing-400 oceanfront lots-50
the Secretary of the Interior Rehabilitated (except as provided in
Standards and Guidelines for buildings-550 section 142-1161)
the Rehabilitation of Historic Hotel units—N/A
Structures as amended,
retaining the existing room
configuration and sizes of at
least 200 square feet shall be
permitted. Additionally, the
Page 2
existing room configurations for
the above described hotel I
structures may be modified to
address applicable life-safety
and accessibility regulations,
provided the 200 square feet
minimum unit size is
maintained, and provided the
maximum occupancy per hotel
room does not exceed 4
persons.
(c) Notwithstanding the above, for oceanfront lots located within a locally designated historic
district or site, but not within the architectural district, with less than 400 feet of lineal
frontage along Collins Avenue and containing at least one contributing structure, the
maximum building height for ground floor additions to existing structures, whether attached
or detached, shall be as follows:
(1) For existing structures greater than five stories in height, the maximum height shall be
limited to ten stories or the height of the roof line of the main structure on site,
whichever is less. At the discretion of the historic preservation board, the maximum
height of the ground floor addition may exceed ten stories if the existing and
surrounding structures are greater than five stories in height, provided the addition is
consistent with the scale and massing of the existing structure.
(2) For existing structures five stories or less in height, the maximum height shall be
limited to five stories.
Additionally, the proposed addition shall not substantially reduce existing or established view
corridors, nor impede the appearance or visibility of architecturally significant portions of an
existing structure, as determined by the historic preservation board.
(d) Notwithstanding the above, for oceanfront lots located in the architectural district, the
overall height of an attached addition may exceed five stories and 50 feet, but shall not
exceed the height of the roof line of the structure attached to, provided all of the following
conditions are satisfied:
(1) The proposed addition shall consist of the expansion of existing hotel units only and
shall not result in an increased number of units.
(2) The proposed addition shall be for hotel units only. A restrictive covenant, running
with the land, or other similar instrument enforceable against the owner(s), acceptable
to and approved as to form by the city attorney, shall be required to ensure that the
units remain as hotel units for a minimum of 30 years. If the applicant is unable to
provide such a covenant, this requirement may be waived by the city manager if it is
demonstrated that the project provides an extraordinary public benefit to the
surrounding area.
Page 3
(3) The proposed addition shall not be attached to front, street side or oceanfront
elevations, nor along any other principal elevations or facades, as determined by the
historic preservation board.
(4) The proposed addition shall not substantially reduce existing or established view
corridors, nor impede the appearance or visibility of architecturally significant portions
of an existing structure, as determined by the historic preservation board.
(e) A ground floor addition relocating existing hotel units shall also meet the following
conditions, in addition to subsection (d)(2)—(4) above:
(1) There shall be no neighborhood impact establishment, dancehall or entertainment use
in the area of the proposed addition;
(2) No new outdoor or open air entertainment establishment shall be created on the
property. Outdoor or open air entertainment establishments existing as of the effective
date of this subsection (November 24, 2012) may continue but shall not be expanded if
a property avails itself of this provision.
(3) Upon approval of the proposed addition by the historic preservation board, no building
greater than two stories or 25 feet in height shall be constructed between the rear of
the building and westward line of the dune overlay district. This.provision shall not be
subject to variance.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions in subsection 142-1161(d), if the building presently
contains unoccupied but built spaces enclosed on at least three sides by existing walls
of a height that would conceal a new roof, such as false parapets or storage rooms,
those spaces may be further enclosed as habitable floor area, up to the permitted floor
area; and
(5) No new commercial uses shall be permitted on the rooftop or any open air decks of
the existing structure or proposed addition.
Notwithstanding the above, for oceanfront lots located in the architectural district, with a lot
area greater than 115,000 square feet, a ground floor addition, whether attached or
detached, may exceed 50 feet in height, but shall not exceed 200 feet in height, in
accordance with the following provisions:
Placement of the structure. The ground floor addition shall be located internal to the
site, and shall be set back a minimum of 100 feet from the front property line, 75 feet
from the street side property lines, and 100 feet from the rear (oceanfront) property
line.
L2) Limits on the floorplate of additions exceeding 50 feet in height. The maximum floor
plate size for the portion of an addition that exceeds 50 feet in building height is
15,000 square feet per floor, excluding projecting balconies. The historic preservation
board may approve an increase in this overall floor plate, up to a maximum of 20,000
square feet per floor, excluding balconies, in accordance with the certificate of
appropriateness criteria in chapter 118, article X of these land development
regulations.
SECTION 2. REPEALER.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances and all section and parts of sections in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed.
Page 4
SECTION 3. CODIFICATION.
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 Code of the City of Miami Beach as
amended; that the sections of this ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish
' such intention; and that the word "ordinance" may be changed to "section" or other appropriate
word.
SECTION 4. SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, clause`or provision of this Ordinance is held invalid, the
remainder shall not be affected by such invalidity.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE,
This Ordinance shall take effect ten days following adoption.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 31 day of T� / , 2019.
ATTEST: `�
Dan Gelb-v,-Mayor •
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!}�� i� �tQ1�i
Rafa E. Gran do, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
First Reading: July 17, 2019 & FOR EXEICUTION
Second Reading: July 31, 2019 cg,ptoN et,.v--- 9 (a((el
I Date
City Attorney 1
Verified by: I \X--
Tho as R. Mooney, AICP
Planning Director
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Ordinances - R5 A
MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: July 31, 2019
•
11:05 a.m. Second Reading Public Hearing
SUBJECT: HEIGHT INCREASE FOR GROUND LEVEL ADDITIONS ON OCEANFRONT
LOTS IN THE ARCHITECTURAL DISTRICT
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, SUBPART B, ENTITLED "LAND DEVELOPMENT
REGULATIONS," BY AMENDING CHAPTER 142, ENTITLED "ZONING
DISTRICTS AND REGULATIONS," ARTICLE II, ENTITLED "DISTRICT
REGULATIONS," DIVISION 3, ENTITLED "RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY
DISTRICTS," SUBDIVISION V, ENTITLED "RM-3 RESIDENTIAL
MULTIFAMILY, HIGH INTENSITY," BY AMENDING SECTION 142-246,
ENTITLED "DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS AND AREA
REQUIREMENTS," TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT LIMIT FOR GROUND
FLOOR ADDITIONS MEETING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING
FOR CODIFICATION; REPEALER; SEVERABILITY; AND AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
RECOMMENDATION
The administration recommends that the City Commission adopt the subject ordinance.
ANALYSIS
HISTORY
On May 8, 2019, at the request of Commissioner Ricky Arriola, the City Commission referred
the subject discussion item to the Land Use and Development Committee, the Planning Board,
and the Historic Preservation Board (Item C4 0). The ordinance is co-sponsored by
Commissioners Joy Malakoff and John Elizabeth Aleman.
On June 12, 2019 the Land Use and Development Committee discussed the item and
recommended that the Planning Board transmit the attached ordinance to the City Commission
with a favorable recommendation.
BACKGROUND
The RM-3 zoned oceanfront properties from 16th — 21st Streets, which is the subject area of
the proposed ordinance, are also located within the Miami Beach Architectural District
(established in 1979) and within the Ocean Drive/Collins Avenue Local Historic District
Page 306 of 1288
(established in 1986 and expanded in 1992 to include the subject area). The following is a
summary of current and previous height limits for the area, as well as code changes, since
1998:
Prior to 1998:
Lots over 100,000 SF: 300 feet
Oceanfront lots over 200,000 SF: 400 feet
Otherwise: 250 feet
1998 (Ord. 98-3150)
New construction on vacant lots: 120 feet
Ground level additions: 50 feet
Roof-top additions: Prohibited
2007 (Ord. 2007-3589)— proposed by the Seagull/Days Inn on 21st Street
The height allowed for ground level additions was increased up to the height of an existing
structure for the expansion of hotel units only, and only along an interior side yard.
2012 (Ord. 2012-3784)— proposed by the South Seas Hotel (1751 Collins)
This expanded upon the 2007 ordinance to allow an increase in height for ground level
additions, up to the height of the existing building, for the purpose of relocating hotel rooms.
This ordinance contemplated demolishing interior portions of a lower building, while retaining the
street and ocean front sides of the structures, and building a new, taller structure, in-between the
two, up to the height of the taller existing building on a property. Additionally, no building greater
than 25 feet shall be constructed on the eastern portion of the lot.
PLANNING ANALYSIS
Attached is a proposed amendment to sec. 142-246(b) of the land development regulations of
the city code. This amendment has been submitted on behalf of the real estate developer
SHVO, who recently acquired the Raleigh, Richmond, and South Seas Hotels on Collins
Avenue between 17th and 18th streets. The proposal would increase the maximum allowable
height of ground level additions on oceanfront lots in the Architectural District from 50 feet to
200 feet for lots over 115,000 square feet.
As indicated above, in 1998, as part of the downzoning of the City, which included general
height and FAR reductions citywide, heights within the subject RM-3 area were reduced to 120
feet for vacant lots and 50 feet for ground level additions to existing structures. These height
limits were adopted to ensure that new construction was compatible with the scale and character
of the surrounding historic district.
On the RM-3 zoned, oceanfront side of Collins Avenue within the Architectural District (between
16th and 21st Streets), the existing maximum building heights vary, as follows:
16th Street to Lincoln Road:
Loews Hotel: 18 stories/Approx. 200 feet
Georgian Condominium: 10 stories /Approx. 100 feet
Decoplage Condominium: 16 stories/Approx. 170 feet
Lincoln Road to 17th Street:
Dildio/Ritz Carlton: 12 stories/Approx. 130 feet
Page 307 of 1288
Sagamore Hotel: 6 stories/Approx. 65 feet
National Hotel: 12 stories/Approx. 125 feet
Delano Hotel: 13 stories /Approx. 135 feet
17th Street to 18th Street:
Ritz Plaza Hotel: 12 stories/Approx. 125 feet
Surfcomber Hotel: 3 stories/Approx. 35 feet
Marsielle Hotel: 8 stories/Approx. 85 feet
South Seas Hotel: 8 stories/Approx. 85 feet
Richmond Hotel: 7 stories/Approx. 75 feet
Raleigh Hotel: 8 stories /Approx. 85 feet
18th Street to 20th Street:
Shelboume: 14 stories/Approx. 150 feet
Nautilus: 7 stories/Approx. 75 feet
Shoreclub: 19 stories/Approx. 200 feet
20th Street to 21st Street:
Setal Hotel: 7 stories/Approx. 75 feet
Setai Residential Condo: 37 stories /Approx. 400 feet
Days Inn/Seagull: 7 stories/Approx. 75 feet
The overall heights noted above are generally consistent from Lincoln Road to 18th Street, with
a small number of sites having lower overall heights. The properties to the south of Lincoln
Road are generally taller, as are some of the sites north of 18th Street, most notably the Setai.
The proposal to increase the overall height of additions within the above noted boundaries of the
Architectural District would only apply to development sites that are at least 115,000 square
feet. Based upon current available FAR and site ownership, as of now, this threshold would
apply to two development sites:
1. The proposer's site, which contains the Raleigh, Richmond and South Seas Hotels.
2. The Shoreclub parcel on the south side of 20th Street.
Other properties within the RM-3 district from 16th to 21st Streets could, potentially, be
aggregated in the future and meet this 115,000 square foot threshold; this would allow such
sites to be eligible for up to 200 feet of height. However, based upon the current ownership
make-up of properties from 16th to 21st Street, as well as the availability of FAR, the number of
properties that would be eligible via a future lot aggregation is limited.Also, any future properties
that would become eligible would still need to meet the certificate of appropriateness criteria for
building placement.
Planning staff did have some concerns with the impact that the proposed height increase may
have on the existing, well-established and iconic historic context of the area, as viewed from the
west along Collins Avenue, and the east along the beach walk. In order to ensure that the
proposed increase in maximum allowable height for additions within this area does not
compromise the architectural and historic integrity of the existing structures within a development
site, the following additional safeguards are included within the proposed ordinance, and were
endorsed by the Land Use and Development Committee:
Page 308 of 1288
1. Placement of the structure. The ground floor addition shall be located internal to a site, and
setback a minimum of 100 feet from the front property line, 75 feet from the street side property
lines as well as setback a minimum of 100 feet from the rear(oceanfront) property line.
2. Limits on the floorplate of additions exceeding 50 feet in height. The maximum floor plate
size for the portion of an addition exceeding 50 feet in height building is 15,000 square feet,
excluding projecting balconies, per floor. The historic preservation board may allow for an
increase in this overall floor plate, up to a maximum of 20,000 square feet, excluding balconies,
per floor, in accordance with the certificate of appropriateness criteria in chapter 118, article X of
these land development regulations.
Lastly, the administration would note that the overall height for a proposed addition is at the
discretion of the historic preservation board. The overall height, as well as the placement of the
structure, is not 'as of right', and the historic preservation board has clear authority to review any
height and building placement, in addition to architecture and demolition.
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
On June 25, 2019, the Planning Board held a public hearing and transmitted the ordinance to
the City Commission with a favorable recommendation by a vote of 5-0.
SUMMARY
The subject proposal was a tri-referral to the LUDC, Planning Board and Historic Preservation
Board. On July 9, 2019, the Historic Preservation Board (HPB) recommended approval of the
ordinance by a vote of 5-1 (one member was absent). The HPB also indicated that the
endorsement of the ordinance does not guarantee that the maximum height permitted will
ultimately be approved, as the overall height, massing and demolition would be evaluated at the
time an application is submitted to the HPB.
Redeveloping oceanfront sites that contain short buildings whose length runs from the street to
the rear pool deck can be challenging. Such buildings, including those between 17th and 18th
Streets, are at a competitive disadvantage to the taller, more narrow structures (such as the
Raleigh and the Ritz Plaza), which afford ocean views to virtually every room. The longer
buildings on narrow lots simply cannot provide the same views and amenities under the current
code, particularly as it pertains to an allowable addition. This is an important discussion point, as
most of these longer buildings on narrow sites were constructed during or right after the great
depression, and were designed for working class tourists. Today's hotel market, however, has
expanded and diversified significantly.
This is not to lessen the importance or significance of these structures, as they play a very
important role in the historic context and architectural evolution of the area, and the city as a
whole. However, on balance, the administration believes that it would be beneficial to allow for
taller hotel additions to sites with contributing buildings, provided the safeguards noted above
are included.
UPDATE
On July 17, 2019, the subject ordinance was approved at first reading by the City Commission,
with no changes.
•
Page 309 of 1288
CONCLUSION
The administration recommends that the City Commission adopt the subject ordinance.
Legislative Tracking
Planning
Sponsor
Vice-Mayor Ricky Arriola and Co-Sponsored by Commissioners John Elizabeth Aleman and
Joy Malakoff
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
❑ Form Approved ORDINANCE
Page 310 of 1288