Twin Rejections
Zoning Board Votes No After Residents Oppose Developer
and Nightclub Application            

“Living in this area is a pain in the ass because it’s noisy and commercial.”

By Ryan Brown

Residents of Miami’s District 3 packed City Hall to voice their opposition to a nightclub and a high-rise being constructed in their neighborhood.

Both projects ended up being rejected on Oct. 30 by the Miami Zoning Board.

Luis and Mercy Palomo wanted property located at 1292 SW 21st Terrace and 2149 SW 13th Ave. in East Shenandoah to be rezoned from single-family residences (R-1) to restricted commercial (C-1).  Essentially, this would allow a commercial building to be constructed. C-1 zoning allows 150 units per acre; R-1, only nine units per acre.

“The design of the project calls for a residential building tower over a parking pedestal, which is set back and lined with townhouse units,” A. Vicky Garcia-Toledo, the Palomo’s attorney, wrote to the city of Miami on June 7.

But neighbors appearing at the meeting, who live in single-family-zoned areas, argued that traffic would become unbearable due to the density of the proposed building, making the area more dangerous for drivers and children. One resident even claimed that Commissioner Joe Sanchez, who represents District 3, was against having “high buildings” in that neighborhood.

“This zoning change will allow 150 units, which is 17 times what is now allowed,” said Luis Fernandez, a lawyer working pro bono on behalf of The Vizcaya Homeowners Association, the group leading the resistance against the development.

Most residents appearing at the meeting feared that approving the upzoning could create a “domino effect,” opening the floodgates to more big commercial projects and eventually turning a quiet neighborhood, a “gem,” as one resident called it, into a commercial area.

Also against the idea: the Planning Department, which stated that SW 21st Terrace “is low-density residential, specifically single-family residential.” The Planning Advisory Board also voted to deny on Sept. 6.

“A few people support the project,” said Demitri Mancos, a resident of the neighborhood, “but pretty much everyone opposes it.”

The Zoning Board decided to recommend the city deny this application.

Luis Palomo, the developer of the project, lives in a small house on the property where the proposed project would be built. “I’m confident the city will allow me to build this project,” Palomo told the SunPost Wednesday, noting that despite the Zoning Board’s recommended denial, the mayor and City Commission have ultimate say. “This block is a disgrace,” Palomo adds. “Look at this piece of shit!” he says, pointing to his house.

Palomo insists the project will benefit the neighborhood. “Living in this area is a pain in the ass because it’s noisy and commercial,” he said. “If the project is built there will be a buffer between the street [Coral Way] and the houses.”

Another proposed project on the agenda: a Honduran nightclub in the heart of Little Havana, at 760 NW Fourth St. This time the Planning Board recommended approval for the nightclub since it was “near the Miami River and major public and entertainment facilities near the downtown area … will benefit by having a nightclub nearby,” stated a staff report.

But the nightclub application, made by Luis Uva of D.P. Realty Corp., also met opposition, not only from neighbors but from the Police Department as well.

Little Havana’s NET Administrator, Pablo Canton, and Commander Jose Alfonso of the Miami Police Department, pointed out that over the past 10 years, drug dealers have been virtually eliminated from that area. If a nightclub opened, they believe, drug dealing would resume with the influx of people visiting the area for the purpose of partying.

Alfonso also noted that the police usually receive nonstop complaints from neighbors when a nightclub is established near homes. “The clientele goes off into the neighborhoods,” he said.

One Little Havana resident believed the club would introduce an additional element of crime: “I really think that this will attract prostitution,” she said.

Another problem for the club is its lack of ample parking. The Zoning Board made it clear that parking is already a problem in too many parts of the city.

Uva’s requests for both a parking variance and a “special exception” to open a nightclub were rejected by the Zoning Board.

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