Miami Review Board Rejects Tall Towers on Small Lots

Miami’s Urban Development Review Board (UDRB) has rejected two projects this month to build really tall towers on small lots, calling both projects “out of scale.”

Under Miami’s zoning laws, the board is required to review any project proposal that exceeds 200K SF and base its recommendations to the city planning director on the project’s “urban quality, compatibility and contribution to the architectural and social fabric of the City,” according to the UDRB.

Last week, the board unanimously voted to recommend the denial of a plan from SB Development and Hazelton Capital Group to build a 55-story residential tower encompassing 463 units and 180 parking spots on a 0.3-acre site at 419 Northeast 19th Street in Edgewater.

The board’s vote represented the second time the UDRB has been asked to consider the Edgewater tower, which was first presented by the NY-based developers in October. The slender tower was proposed for a small, irregularly shaped lot between two existing condo complexes.

Residents of the neighboring residential buildings complained that the proposed tower would block their views. Ligia Ines Labrada, a member of the review board, said the project was out of scale for its location, The Real Deal reported.

“Just because as-of-right you can build this, urbanistically it’s way out of scale,” she said. “It’s taking no consideration to the adjacent residents, and I have a really hard time being able to digest something like this.”

An attorney representing the developers countered that the site allows for a tower that reaches up to 60 stories.

Earlier this month, the UDRB rejected a plan to build the tallest residential tower in the Wynwood Arts District. Bazbaz Development proposed to build a 48-story mixed-use residential tower on a 1.5-acre site at the corner of North Miami Avenue and Northwest 21st Street.

The 776K SF project would include 544 units, 621 parking spaces and about 19K SF of retail. The developers invoked the Live Local Act to incorporate additional height and density beyond what the underlying zoning district permits.

In its recommendation denying the project, the review board asked the development team to consider a redesign of the tower to reduce its mass and scale, saying the proposal was out of context with surrounding uses, Miami Today reported.

Several review board members were critical of the size of the proposed tower in an area where other new buildings are not higher than 12 stories. Dean Lewis, acting board chair, said a previous proposal for the North Miami Avenue site was for a 12-story building, noting that 48 stories are “a substantial increase.”

“In general, it seems to me very out of scale,” said Gia Zappattini, a board member. “Everything is very large, which makes the project even more out of scale.”