Ready or Not 

A legal dispute between the City of Miami Beach and the La Gorce Country Club has been fast tracked to the courtroom at warp speed.  Next Monday Miami Beach and La Gorce will face off in the circuit court chambers of Judge Barbara Levenson at 9 a.m. after an appellate court rejected the city’s request for a dismissal and for a delay in the trial date.  Representing the city: assistant city attorneys Gary Held and Debbie Turner.  Representing La Gorce Country Club: attorney Joe Serota.  At issue: the city’s restrictions on the club’s desired fence surrounding its property. 

Firehouse Blues

Firehouse No. 2, recently declared historic by the City of Miami Beach, may end up being razed to the ground after all.  According to engineering consultants it will cost $1 million more to renovate instead of simply knocking it down and starting over—something about a rotten foundation.  The Miami Beach City Commission will discuss the item on Wednesday and, according to rumors, may actually decide to waste the current firehouse and start from scratch. 

Back to Her Roots 

Special event coordinator Maggie Fernandez informed her City of Miami Beach colleagues Monday that she will be resigning on July 9.  The reason: she has been tapped by County Manager George Burgess to be his assistant. (Title: Assistant to the County Manager.) A Miami Beach administrator for nearly three years Fernandez previously worked at the county, said Janet Lopez, spokesperson for the City of Miami Beach. During her time at the Beach Fernandez was innovative and hard working, she said.  “We are sad to see Maggie go but wish her all the best in all her future endeavors.” 

“It’s equivalent to the Golly Green Giant. Looking right up its legs,” is how William Cary, Miami Beach’s Historic Preservation Coordinator described the application that was in front of the Design Review Board seeking design review approval for a 19-story residential building being proposed on a vacant lot at 6747 Collins Avenue.

Overriding Cary’s objections, the DRB gave its unanimous approval to the applicant, Ocean Sound 6747, LLC. “This is where the staff and board disagree,” said a green faced Cary. “I’m very concerned with the direction the board is going,” he said.

In other action, the DRB denied El-Madrid Apartments, LLC, an applicant seeking design review approval for the demolition of three existing two-story residential buildings and the construction of a new fifteen story residential building being proposed for 6800 Indian Creek Drive.

Several neighbors and residents currently residing within and adjacent the two-story buildings appeared at the meeting to protest the demolition of their homes. “We are being displaced,” the distraught tenants told the DRB.  

* The applicant, Philips South Beach, LLC, d/b/a the Shore Club, located at 1901 Collins Avenue, requested a Conditional Use Permit in order to authorize the use of the pool and courtyard areas for outdoor entertainment including, but not limited to live entertainment and DJs. Prior to the start of the public hearing, the applicant asked the board that the matter be deferred. The deferral failed 2-4 with Mel Schlesser and Pablo Cejas voting for the applicant and Victor Diaz, Carlos Capote, Francois Lejune and Jerry Libbin voting against. Roberto Datorre was absent. The application was withdrawn.  

* The board held a public hearing on Loving Care Residence located at 6891 Bay Road to consider the issue of noncompliance with the approved Conditional Use Permit and based on substantial competent evidence could revoke the approval, modify the conditions or impose additional or supplemental conditions.

After several neighbors objected to how the facility was being operated, Jerry Libbin said, “I can’t trust this operator” and made a motion to revoke the permit. Libbin’s motion failed for lack of a second. After several conditions were then imposed on the operator, Victor Diaz made a motion to approve, which passed 5-1 with Libbin dissenting.    

* A discussion on a proposed ordinance trying to close the loophole that now exists whereby establishments obtain a restaurant license in order to be able to operate as dance halls and entertainment establishments was sent back to planning to incorporate the board’s comments. After a lengthy staff discussion, the board did appear to reach a consensus to not permit dance halls or entertainment establishments within or adjacent to certain residential areas. Existing businesses within these areas, however, would be grandfathered in. What still remains open, though, is the ability of restaurants that operate as dance halls or entertainment establishments after 2 a.m. to seek conditional uses to operate in these areas.   

* Another discussion item was presented to the board on a proposed ordinance that would update and clearly define the requirements of the Land Development Regulations as they pertain to nonconforming structures. Included in the ordinance, the adoption of regulations pertaining to the maintenance and improvement of existing nonconforming structures and refining, clarifying, expanding and enhancing existing procedures and requirements for improvements to existing nonconforming structures in order to ensure that a substantial portion of any such structure is preserved. The ordinance also addresses an amendment to the 50 percent rule.

The board referred the ordinance to the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Structural Integrity for further review. Board member Pablo Cejas is also a member of that committee, which includes Ted Berman, Arnold Goldman, Herb Gopman, Mike Kinerk, Steve Levison, Mitch Novick (chair), Scott Robins, Manuel Taracido and Marjorie J. Weber. 

At its July 8^th meeting, the Historic Preservation Board will consider an application by M.B. Redevelopment Inc. (Loews Hotel) requesting a one-year extension of time to obtain a building permit for a previously issued Certificate of Appropriateness to partially demolish, alter and modify an existing hotel building located at 1601 Collins Avenue in order to construct a three story addition at the southwest corner.

The HPB will also be considering an application by Boni Real Estate, LLC (Barbizon Hotel) requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness to partially demolish, alter and modify an existing courtyard space at 530 Ocean Drive for use as outdoor restaurant seating.

The board will also review an application by Villa Luisa LLC, seeking a preliminary evaluation of a proposal to partially demolish, alter and modify three existing residential structures at 121, 125 and 135 Ocean Drive and to construct a new seven- story residential structure.

In an independent action, the chairman of the HPB, Mitch Novick, fired off a letter to the editor to the New York Times responding to a Times’ story lambasting a Wood & Zapata designed addition to Soldier Field in Chicago.

Novick wrote: “Unfortunately, I have seen similar circumstances here, where I am chairman of Miami Beach’s Historic preservation Board. In recent years on Lincoln Road, a sculptured round concrete kiosk designed by Morris Lapidus, the Modernist architect of the Fontainebleau Hotel, was removed. It was replaced by an aluminum and glass airplane-wing type of structure whose form and function remain purposeless, blighting the community. It’s time all cities learned to respect their past.” Novick was referring to the $400,000 Roach, also designed by Wood & Zapata.           

Best Adult Club Soon To Get A Liquor License? 

Finally, after years and years and years and years of surviving on serving customers fruit juice, Club Madonna may soon be able to serve alcohol with its lap dancing.  The Neighborhoods Committee recommended an ordinance that would eliminate an archaic law forbidding booze in clubs providing nude entertainment while preventing the Beach from being overrun with them.  The matter comes before the Beach commission agenda on Wednesday for first reading.