Historic & Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB)

Historic & Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) — October 6, 2026 - 2:50 PM

[Music] [Applause] I ask everyone to please stand for the pledge of allegiance and remain standing to be sworn in by staff. I pledge allegiance. To the flag. Of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing if you intend to testify in this proceeding, please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you will give will be the truth and nothing but the truth? Thank you. You MAY be seated. Please take this opportunity to check your cell phones. Make sure they're on do not disturb or mute. I'll ask the city attorney to read it. A note on lobbying. Any person with a lobster pursuant to chapter two article six of the city code must register with the city clerk and comply with related city requirements for lobbyists before appearing before the historic and environmental preservation board. A person MAY not MAY not lobby a city official, board member or staff member to register a copy of the code section about lobsters available in the city clerk's office or online on municode.Com. The agenda for this meeting and the materials for the items on the agenda were published made available to the board in advance of the meeting. The materials are also available online@miamigov.Com. Please silence all cell phones and other noise making devices. Any person with a disability requiring assistance, auxiliary aids or services for this meeting MAY notify the hearing board liaison. Any person MAY be heard by the board through the chair and pursuant to the published notice for not more than two minutes on any proposition before the board unless modified by the chair when addressing the board the member of the first state his or her name, address and what item will be spoken about when the board takes action or votes on any proposition it shall do so by a roll call vote to be recorded and included in the record. Thank you. Thank you. Can we have a roll call please? Calling chair doctor william hopper. Here calling vice chair lewis prieto munoz present. Thank you. Calling member emilio bustillo present. Welcome to heb also calling member najib campbell here. Thank you. Calling member christopher cawley here. Thank you. Calling member alyssa cepeda here. Also welcome to heb calling. You're welcome calling member julie o'dell here. Thank you. Calling member john perez calling member hugh ryan here. Thank you. Calling member jordan trachtenberg here. Thank you. We do have quorum. And our alternate is empowered to vote. Do we have any requests for absence waivers? No request for absence waiver. Okay. >> is there a motion to accept or any additions or corrections to the minutes of JULY 7th 2026? Motion to approve. So moved. Second second. Thank you. Any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed? Motion carries. Are there any changes to the agenda? Yes um we have item number one. They request to be deferred to the next meeting they weren't able to attend um so they're like we moved to next meeting they requested deferral. From the public wishing to speak on item number one should be deferred seeing none is there a motion to defer. Move to defer? Is there a second. Second in. Addition and additionally um. >> we got to vote. My apologies. Um there's a motion to second to defer this one to the meeting of NOVEMBER. That would be the meeting for NOVEMBER 3rd. NOVEMBER 3rd at 3:00 yes. Um any discussion all in favor say aye. Aye aye. Opposed motion carries. Yes sir. Yes. >> and if the chair and the board is comfortable we want to tackle the discussion items first specifically the special meeting in NOVEMBER um as well as some some changes just to the title of um of item number two. So if the boards are comfortable with kind of talking about the NOVEMBER special meeting first taking that out of order. I have no objection. Anyone else okay go ahead. Yes fine. Passing staff. . >> so at this time uh there's one intended decision appeal scheduled for NOVEMBER. So the question is to the board whether or not you wish to hold a special meeting or have that item rolled into the regular meeting of NOVEMBER 3rd. I think we can. Well, I think in general if if it's okay that we have maybe some kind of criteria, um through the chair that if there's items um below a certain amount, let's say for example, um this meeting that's coming up here in OCTOBER, how many items is the OCTOBER meeting? The special meeting? Yes special. >> meeting there are three items. There's three items. So for me I would rather have had those had those items today. Yeah absolutely. >> rather than but now we can't because they've already been noticed. So my thought is why don't we have a is there a way to do a minimum maximum approach to this. So we've discussed that as staff at this juncture our recommendation is not to have the special meeting in NOVEMBER um simply because it takes a lot of effort from everybody including the public and the board and and the the hearing boards team and and clerk. So our recommendation at this point is to roll that singular item into the NOVEMBER agenda. That's that's clear. It's more along the lines of if there's under I don't know, ten items or if we're able to maintain ten items at a regular meeting meaning if there's six and then there's four, then we should always adhere to those ten items at the regular meeting rather than roll it into another one, just kind of throwing it out there as like maybe there's a metric to this. Through the chair. Yes sir. Um so you don't want to come for an extra meeting a month. Jordan if there's only one item on that meeting it would be amazing. Please. Um out of curiosity ken so right now, um, there's still one more week before our NOVEMBER agenda is set. Correct. So let me rephrase my question at what stage in the month do you know with certainty how many items we MAY have for NOVEMBER regular meeting and or uh the special meeting. I like to say I have the count of items for the regular meeting as of last friday. Um the special meetings though it varies when the. When is the deadline for so hypothetically if there were a NOVEMBER if for the NOVEMBER meeting, let's say that we don't move to have a special meeting since we think there's only one item by one theoretically do they have two uh file or to incorporate themselves into our [Laughter] NOVEMBER agenda? Today? >> yeah. >> so is it fair to say that generally speaking as of the date of the normal uh board meeting prior to the month of the special meeting so today we'd be debating the NOVEMBER meeting we should know with fairly clear with relative clarity how many items we will have in NOVEMBER and we can decide on a case by case whether we need a special yes. I think maybe that's for the time being the better procedure. So does that mean at our last meeting we could have realized that this meeting we would have taken on the other three. So to be clear, I believe one item from SEPTEMBER was specifically deferred and that negated the ability to have the discussion about whether you needed an item for october or not and a special meeting for OCTOBER or not because it had already been deferred to a date specific in OCTOBER if I'm correct I was not at that meeting but that is my understanding. That's my recollection. >> I see item one was deferred to a date certain in OCTOBER. I recall that as well. >> so there had to be. The special sense. Okay. >> yeah yeah I think that works. Obviously there's going to be some sort of things we can't predict like that but um yeah I think that's the way to do it. In that same vein I think separately this was discussed I believe in the SEPTEMBER regular meeting. Um or it MAY have been yeah I think it was the SEPTEMBER meeting the at one stage in 2019 we did have before the board the potential of amending our procedures to incorporate a definitive conclusion to the meeting absent well, if we extended beyond a certain time I believe the exact wording at that with that amendment or whatever the item was being discussed as of 9 P.M. Would be the last item unless extended by unanimous action of the board. I would like to take that back up at our next meeting if that's something that could be added to the discussion items for potential revision of our procedures. And in terms of red line wording, I think that amended proposal from 2019 would be my preferred language. So there's no reason to even rediscover how best to phrase that. Okay. So you don't want to change it. I would say let's no, no, I would say the there was a proposed language amendment. >> I thought we did it. We've never adopted it. Covid happened. It was I mean I don't remember check the check the minutes but I thought that went through uh siobhan looked into it. She says it didn't. So I think we need to for the sake of clarity take it on. But yeah I thought so as well and I forwarded to her the proposed draft but it was it never went past a red line and there was no board action ever taken. Apparently when we made those motions to continue the meeting that was not necessary. What we made motions in the past to continue a meeting past 9:00. Yeah, that was not necessary. But no one told us then just tell us now. [Laughter] Well let's make sure we get it done next next month for sure. So there will be no no motion on a special meeting in NOVEMBER. Correct. Do we need a motion to not have one? All right. So moved. Second. Motion and a second to not have a special meeting in NOVEMBER. Any discussion on the motion. All in favor say aye. Aye motion carries. I have. >> a good afternoon. I'm sorry. I'd like to announce the arrival of member john perez. Do apologize. Thank you. Sorry, I have a question about the special meetings. I know we started them in JULY. We've been having them regularly when we approved the calendar for the next year um are we going to have two meetings a month or is it going to be just we'll see what the load is and then and then take it from there.. >> at this juncture I don't believe we have a plan to approve two meetings a month. But if needed they will be added as it goes. The same thing has happened this year and that makes it hard and I brought this up the first time in JUNE when it was brought up for JULY. It makes it hard to schedule when you've got a calendar you know first tuesday of every month and then you've got other things to do, you know? So okay. Well I think in that case we should revisit maybe not today. Don't beat it to death. But um, jordan's recommendation of a min max situation with the special meetings. So if you can't if you can figure that out at some point maybe that will help. Um, MR. Ryan's concerns. So I'm very interested in it also. I appreciate that I don't necessarily know that we want to codify that because there are items that can take 10 or 15 minutes and they're items that can take an hour as this board is well aware. So for longer or longer. So um it is a consideration definitely but I'm would have consideration regarding codifying that. So I do also want to just while we're on the discussion items I want to clarify um for the board and for any members of the public who might be here discussion item number two is a typo. Um discussion item number two is the um quarterly update for archeology for the city. It is not relevant to chapter 23 in any way in terms of what's as written as a discussion item. Do you want to do those other two discussion items now. No okay. We'll do those at. The end of the meeting if that's okay with the board. That's fine with me. So we'll move into the regular agenda starting with item number two staff will announce the item. So I do have some a couple quick updates. Okay so um I do want to um uh note the two new board members who have joined us, um officially recognized them. Um emilio bustillo has joined us. He is a miami based registered architect. Um he's senior project manager at ferguson glasgow schuster and soto inc. Uh, operating out of coral gables. He's a graduate of the university of miami with a degree in architecture. He brings extensive experience in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, rehabilitation and context context sensitive design, uh, with a deep understanding of miami's architectural and cultural history. His work focuses on preserving, revitalizing um and respecting the character and context of miami. Welcome aboard. And I want to recognize alisa cepeda. Um, she's an experienced project manager with a background in public and private engineering. Uh, she holds a degree in public administration from florida international university and a degree in criminal justice from miami dade college. Alisa is actively involved in miami's historic preservation efforts through her leadership as PRESIDENT Of the palm grove neighborhood association, her membership in the mimo biscayne association and her service as president of the little haiti revitalization trust. Welcome on board. Welcome to you both. Glad you're here. Is that it? Okay, now we'll move into the regular agenda. Staff will announce the item. The applicant will come forward and give your name and address for the record and we'll have the staff report after the staff report the applicant MAY comment on the staff report if they have a presentation please limit that to ten minutes or less. When you have finished we will open it up to the public for comments. Please limit your comments to two minutes or less when everyone has had a chance to speak, we will close the public hearing and open it up to the board for questions or comments and those and that discussion will be limited to the board and anyone to whom they MAY want to address their question or comment. If you have any questions let me know and we'll start with item number two. Okay. >> um also MAY we close the online public comment is there were no online public comments. Yes thank. You thank you. Okay. And we'll proceed with the discussion item number two. No no agenda item number two I'm sorry. Agenda item item number two file id 19826 a resolution of the miami historic and environmental preservation board pursuant to section 23-14 of the city code of ordinances approving an application for ad valorem tax exemption for historic properties part one for the individually designated historic resource known as the jt weathers garage located approximately at 128 northeast first avenue, miami, florida 33133 further incorporating the analysis and the attached staff report entitled exhibit a with the following findings. Thank you. Is the applicant present? Please give your name and address for the record. Hello. >> good afternoon. My name is raphael hillis. I live at 1000 brickell plaza unit 2103. Thank you. >> we'll start with the staff report. Good afternoon, city of miami planning technician. I request that the staff analysis be accepted into the record. Yes. >> um, the application is pursuant to section 2314 of the ordinance. The applicant is requesting the approval of ad valorem tax exemption for historic properties part one for a designated historic resource known as gt weathers garage located in downtown miami commercial historic district. Um this property was just designated in MARCH 2026 um at that time was approved the special difficulty appropriateness for the restoration of the materials of the building historical had roof gable and parapet vent sills, awnings and windows. Um the as I say the property was designated now the property is looking for approval for the ad valorem exemption part one. Is the thing. Is there anything you would like to add to the staff report? No that's it. Um thank you for the designation earlier this year. We're moving forward quite well with the project. We should be approved for our permits in the next month or so and then looking forward to get started at the end of this year early next year. Good thanks. Is there anyone from the public wishing to speak on this item seeing no one, I'll close the public hearing open up to the board for questions or comments motion. >> I would move to approve the tax exemption. I'll second. >> that. Motion a second. Any discussion on the motion roll call please. Calling vice chair lewis prieto munoz. Yes calling member I'm sorry jordan trachtenberg. Yes thank you. Calling member emilio bustelo yes thank you. Calling member najeeb campbell. Yes thank you. Calling member christopher cawley yes. Thank you. Calling member alyssa cepeda yes. Calling member julie odell yes. Calling member john perez yes. Calling member hugh ryan. Yes thank you and calling chair doctor william hopper yes thank you. This passes by a vote of 10 to 0. Excellent thank you everyone. Sorry. >> calling item number three file id 19827 a resolution of the miami historic and environmental preservation board pursuant to section 23-6.2, subsection b four of the city code of ordinances approving a special certificate of appropriateness to permit the enclosure of the front porch. Installation of a solid vertical six foot tall enclosure to the side of the home and installation of brick driveway and walkway in the herringbone pattern on a contributing property located approximately at 5944 north east sixth avenue, miami, florida 33137 within the morningside historic district further incorporating the analysis in the attached staff report entitled exhibit a with the following findings. And is the applicant present no. Present. >> yes. >> good afternoon. Please give your name and address for the record. My name is michael goldberg. Uh, my address is 1170 harbor court, hollywood, florida. But I'm here on behalf of my daughter who owns the house and my son in law who are out of the state on business today I do have a notarized certificate of appearance authorizing me to appear. I'm also a licensed florida lawyer if that makes a difference. But I'm not here as a lawyer. I'm here. As as a grandparent and a father. The power of attorney is valid. I reviewed it. Very good. >> thank you very much. We'll start with the staff report. Um I request that the staff analysis be accepted into the records. Yes. >> the application is the applicant pursuant to section 262362 b four code ordinance applicants requesting the special certificate of appropriateness to allow alteration of the modification to a contributing property in morningside historic district um the applicant requesting enclosure of the front porch, a ten foot driveway and six foot walkway and a enclosure the the property with fence uh well the porch uh the staff find the request complies with the um with the guidelines the property was enclosure before um the request complies with criteria. Um okay about the driveway the the proposal is for six foot walkway that is incongruent with the historic context and staff recommend a decrease in size from the width of the stairs to be no wider than four feet and the staff find that the requests comply partially comply um sorry vertical six foot fence um the applicant is requesting. Is requesting to close and close the the property by the morningside guidelines houses with a second lot on a large side yard extending at least 30ft from the house. The side of the property line MAY enclose the side yard the house the property the yard is 25ft and the proposal is to enclose with a materiality materiality that the opacity is not congruent with the guidelines and staff recommend stucco with a gaze to comply with 60% opacity and visibility. Staff recommends approval this condition based on our findings. Thank you. Do want to go through the conditions. Conditions the conditions sorry the word the word shall be developed in accordance with the plans submitted under 2620944. All windows should be clear with options of low e coating. The applicant shall comply with the requirements of all applicable departments and agencies. Part of the city of miami building permit submitted process the enclosure should be of stucco masonry wall with driveway and pedestrian gates providing at least 60% visibility. Driveway and walkway must be in the same location as the original. The driver shall be between 10ft and 12ft wide. Walkways should be between 3ft and 4ft wide and deviation from the approved plan shall review for the preservation officer to ensure substantially compliance with the special significance appropriateness should it be determined the modifications are not substantially in compliance. The applicant, owner or successor shall apply for a new special certificate of appropriateness. Thank you. Thank you. >> [Laughter] Is there anything you would like to add to the staff report? I'm sorry. Sir, is there anything you would like to add to the staff report? Um not to add to the staff report. I have a couple of requests of exceptions if possible. Okay. >> if the board would entertain them. Go ahead. Thank you. Um first of all thank you very much for the enclosure with the chloe that is that is great and it's greatly appreciated. Um with respect to the fence and the privacy fence I have one question of clarification but more importantly um the part that goes across the driveway, uh we would respectfully ask that it could be a privacy fence. Um it was unclear from the recommendation whether or not only the side gates because it talks about pedestrian gates and that's not really a pedestrian gate whether that can be privacy but the pedestrian gates can can be visible and that would be fine. but um with respect to the driveway, um there's two reasons why we believe a privacy gate is is more appropriate. Um when I first stood up I told you I'm here on behalf of my three year old and five year old granddaughters this property is located roughly about 100ft from biscayne boulevard. People routinely hop over the fence in morningside and we've had bicycles stolen and things of that nature take place nothing major but people routinely hop over and my grandchildren routinely play in the side yard. Um and so we would like that privacy for more security for them. There are three and five year old um little girls um importantly in the spring you guys approved um and you can see pictures of it and I'm not getting connection over here but you you approved um the french doors on the back building this only has to do with the back building. Um um so basically when you approve those french doors you labeled it as nonconforming but you graciously approved it anyway. The privacy fence would actually improve the overall historical visibility of the property because it was sort of um block the french doors which you found nonconforming from the street view while preserving the view of the second floor which has all the historical architectural elements that you and rightfully so wish to preserve. Um, so actually adding the privacy fence would actually make the property more historically um conforming. Um also one thing very important the privacy fence is to the side of the main house. It would in no way block the view of the main house, but one thing it would block is all the pipe work and plumbing coming out of the side of the main house. So it would make it actually a more pleasing historical view. So with respect to the privacy fence both for security reasons and my belief that it would make the property more historically conforming, I respectfully request that you consider allowing the privacy fence to be blocked. The visit vision of the lower french doors going to the back um that's the first part the second um um issue I would ask you to consider is is just with the width of the walkway up to the property. If you look at the historical pictures the width has always been the same as the steps somehow in the um in the time that passed since the property was built the owners had widened it wider than the steps. We agree that it should be no wider than the steps but no less than the steps. We think that's a more accurate historical portrayal of the property. So we thank