Proposed Residence Inn site north of 17th Street
Homeowners along the Venetian Causeway and West Avenue fear a proposal to build a hotel off 17th Street near Alton Road will create congestion and parking problems.
The hotel, proposed to be a 116-room Marriott Residence Inn, would be built on a pie-shaped tract of land between 17th Street and Dade Boulevard west of Alton Road. Picture it behind Boston Market. Designed by Kobi Karp, it would be five floors high.
“We’re not against hotels,’’ West Avenue Corridor Neighborhood Association co-chair Christina Florez said at Thursday’s meeting of the Venetian Islands Homeowners Association. “We’re concerned about incompatible development in a residential community.’’
Miami Beach zoning rules allow the hotel in the location, but the developers have asked to reduce the parking requirement, Florez said. The developers, SOBE17 LLC, have asked the Miami Beach Planning Board for permission to use a parking garage with mechanical lifts to provide 66 spaces on the site.
A hearing had been scheduled for Dec. 18, but the developer has asked to delay the hearing until Jan. 22.
The parking request for the Residence Inn is part of a broader proposal Miami Beach is considering that would lower the number of parking spaces required for hotels. Miami Beach United and several neighborhood associations have come out against the parking proposal, in the belief it will lead to greater congestion in largely residential areas like West Avenue.
Belle Isle Blog 
Someone always against any change on the beach or in my backyard! If they create parking, this is a great project IMHO!
Terrible idea !! We do not need a Hotel on West ave. This is a residential neighborhood and should remain that way. Small businesses and the like are fine . Keep the hotels on the Ocean side.
I think it is a great location for a Marriott Courtyard – I am all for it.
Claire Tomlin 238 E. San Marino Drive
Hi,
As the adage goes, say what you like about me but make sure you spell the name correctly:
Christine Florez not Christina Flores. 🙂
Thanks for the writeup about this important issue. We need to get the City to recognize that residential neighborhoods are not compatible with certain types of development – hotels being one of them. There are many things that make our community great – committed long-term residents, owners and renters alike. They care about our home, our safety, our schools, etc.
Hotels in of themselves are not bad! It is where they are located that makes them bad.
Thanks.
C.
On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 11:25 AM, Belle Isle Blog wrote:
> ** > belleisleblog posted: ” Proposed Residence Inn site north of 17th > Street Homeowners along the Venetian Causeway and West Avenue > fear a proposal to build a hotel off 17th Street near Alton Road will > creat”
I can’t imagine that hotel not causing a complete mess with traffic. When considering hotel location why wouldn’t the City consider anything next to the causeways?? This is just so shortsighted.
That’s one of the busiest intersections in Miami Beach. To add a hotel on that street will only add to the misery
As a Board member of the Belle Isle Association I strongly oppose the position here described. The proposed hotel is fully legal and responds to all the zoning conditions. The only reason that it needs to go to the Planning Board is the issue of the mechanical garage. I do not understand how residents of the Venetian Causeway can accept the presence and possibly the extension of the Standard Hotel (Belle Isle is a residential zoning) while at the same time oppose the hotel at 17th Street (which is in a mixed use commercial district). The current site is an eyesore and a shameful entrance to Miami Beach. The project shows adequate architecture, reasonable in height and in massing. As for the issue of traffic, please, these are old-NIMBY arguments without any real proof and I am afraid that behind these apparent rationale there lie untold and not very democratic real motifs. After the five days of Art Basel hell and in advance of all the hell to come (Boat Show, season, etc.) 30 additional cars at 17th will not choke the area. That is less than one comes in and out of Epicure in 30 minutes, and please look at little this successful commercial venue has done to improve our neighborhood: their parking areas are a shame for Miami Beach!
The hotel developer was asking for several variances that would have had a negative impact on the neighborhood. But, because the neighborhood raised our voice, the developer has eliminated some of those variances. I think the neighborhood residents are doing a good job working side by side with the city and developers to make compromises.
PS I respectfully disagree, the proposed hotel with 66 parking spots is not legal in that the City Ordinance requires the 116 room hotel to provide 116 parking spaces. I believe there is no conditional use or variance to avoid the required parking spots. If I misread the ordinance I apologize.
A Marriott Residence Inn is an extended stay hotel that caters to business travelers and those looking for long-term stays of 5+ nights. Given the location and product type, it will not generally target tourists. Check out their product elsewhere in the country and be informed before making a comment about “evil” hotels in a residential area.
-West Ave resident and hotel consultant
I have lived on 16th and West ave for over 20 years. We have so little green space for a city of this size. The intersection of West and 17th /alton and 17th is already at max capacity. I drive it often. I really don’t get why anyone in this residential neighborhood would want a Hotel constructed on that spot. Extended stay or not . It is what it is and it will require a lot of parking spaces, including the visitors and employees who will go there. Soon we will have valet parking all the way down West ave, and no residential parking left. HOTEL. BAD IDEA…