Belle Isle Key owners are planning another project

It’s been five years since Belle Isle residents successfully fought a proposal from the owners of the apartment complex Belle Isle Key to knock the low-rise complex down and replace it with a shiny five-story conplex.

The owners of the property at 31 Venetian Way, the EuroAmerican Group, have hired a new architect and have a new design.

They will be giving Belle Isle residents a look on Tuesday, Belle Isle Residents Association president Scott Diffenderfer says.

The preview will happen at 7 p.m. at Belle Plaza, 20 Island Ave., in the card room.

The existing apartment complex on the site has 120 units. The previous proposal called for 181 apartments in two five-story buildings, including a 315-space parking garage topped by two tennis courts.

The Miami Beach Design Review Board approved the project in July 2010

Rendering of previous plan

, but only if one of the two five-story buildings proposed for the site was scaled back by one floor. The developer appealed to the Miami Beach City Commission, and when that failed, went to court. They were unsuccessful there as well.

Court upholds Miami Beach height limit on Belle Isle Key apartment proposal

Proposed Belle Isle apartment complex

A three-judge Miami-Dade Circuit Court panel has upheld the city of Miami Beach’s decision to limit the height of a proposed Belle Isle apartment complex, rejecting a lawsuit filed by the owner of the Belle Isle Key Apartments.

In a decision released last week, the panel said Miami Beach had the right to tell the developer, EuroAmerican Group, Inc., that it could not exceed four stories one of the two buildings it proposed at 31 Venetian Way.

EuroAmerican wanted to replace the current complex — 120 units in four, three-story buildings — with a complex that would include 181 apartments in two five-story buildings,  including a 315-space parking garage topped by two tennis courts. Eliminating one floor from the smaller of the two buildings would have trimmed eight units from the project.

The city commission in November 2010 upheld an earlier recomendation from the Miami Beach Design Review board, based on advice from city staff.

The developer’s lawyer, Neisen Kasden, first challenged that decision to the city commission. The city attorney’s office and the city planning staff recommended the commission reject EuroAmerican’s appeal.

They commission did, and the developer sued, saying the design board didn’t have the authority to condition approval of a design based on reducing its height.

In their decision, the judges — Marcia Caballero, Orlando Prescott and Rosa Figarola — said the Design Review Board staff recommendations were consistent with how the design board and the city commission voted.

“Since both the Design Review Board and the City Commission relied upon those recommendations to make their decisions, those decisions are supported by competent substantial evidence,” the judges concluded.

Belle Isle’s first apartments discriminated — like many on Miami Beach

Postcard depicts Belle Isle in the 1940s, "restricted clientele" only.

We’ve heard many stories about the old days on Miami Beach, when hotels allowed no blacks or Jews, and discrimination was up front and overt.

A recent postcard find brought that era home for Belle Isle Blog.

The discovery: a postcard from the 1940s for what is now Belle Isle Key Apartments, then Belle Isle Court.

Those apartments (still 120 one- and two-bedroom apartments, though its owner wants to build 180 units on the spot) were renovated Army barracks, and everything else on the island was an estate.

On the card are the code words for discrimination in the era: “Restricted Clientele.”

Students of Miami Beach history say that in the 1930s and 1940s, those signs were common on the Beach. Legend has it there were also signs that said “no colored, no Jews, no dogs,” but no historian we’ve ever talked to has a photograph of one. The message here is as direct, if not a tad more subtle.

In her book, To the golden cities: Pursuing the American Jewish ream in Miami and L.A., author Deborah Dash Moore recounts how that era came to a close. In 1945, as Jewish soldiers returned from World War II, many headed to Miami, where they had trained.

In Miami Beach, Burnett Roth and 16 other Jewish servicemen made the rounds of some Beach hotels and asked them to take down the signs. Some did; many did not.

In 1947, Roth ran for the Miami Beach City Commission and won, its first Jewish member. The city passed an ordinance forbidding discriminatory advertising. The ordinance was challenged and a judge ruled the city didn’t have the power to enforce it. In 1949, “Jews convinced the Florida Legislature to introduce enabling legislation to allow cities to enforce such ordinances. After the bill passed in 1949, the Miami Beach City Council then forbade ‘any advertisement, notice or sign which is discriminatory against persons of any religion, sect, creed, race of denomination in the enjoyment of privileges and facilities of places of public accommodation, amusement or resort.'”

Of course, discrimination did continue, and places like La Gorce Country Club and the Bath Club banned minorities for many more years.

Belle Isle Key developer sues Miami Beach over height limit on proposed apartment complex

Rendering of the proposed apartment complex at 31 Venetian Way.

The owner of Belle Isle Key Apartments at 31 Venetian Way has sued the city of Miami Beach, challenging a Design Review Board decision limiting the height of one of two planned buildings to four floors.

The lawsuit, filed last month in District Court, is the latest twist in a design and zoning fight that now goes back two years.

Belle Isle Key Apartments is owned by Euroamerican Group, which has operated the apartment complex on the northeast corner of Belle Isle since 1980.

The existing complex includes four, three-story apartment buildings, and total of 120 units, and street level parking.

EuroAmerican, which is owned by Gustavo Munoz, has proposed building two sleek five-story buildings and a parking structure on the 3.5-acre site. It included 181 apartments in two five-story buildings, including a 315-space parking garage topped by two tennis courts.

City planners criticized the project as too big for the neighborhood, and for not providing adequate views of Biscayne Bay. Architect Luis Revuelta made a number of design changes, including eliminating a bridge between two buildings, and widening a “view corridor” to the water.

The current zoning for the property does allow buildings as high as five stories. The developer did not request any zoning changes, but still needed approval from the Design Review Board on architectural issues.

Of the last version of the plans, city staff wrote: “as presently designed, the 5-story massing of the southeastern portion of the project still overwhelms the historic Venetian Causeway, which in addition to being locally designated, is listed on the National Register, and is designated as an American Scenic Highway. The elevations of the main, larger structure of the north side of the site have not been adequately detailed and developed.”

On July 6, the Design Review Board ended 18 months of conversations and negotiations on the design when they approved the project on a 4-1 vote — but only if one floor of the building closest to the bridge to Sunset Harbour is eliminated. Cutting one floor from the smaller of the two buildings would trim eight units from the project.

That was one change the developer was unwilling to make, lawyer Neisen Kasdin said. EuroAmerican appealed the decision to the city commission, which denied their appeal on Nov. 17. On Dec. 17, the suit was filed in the appellate division of Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

In its petition to the court, lawyer Kasdin argues that city zoning codes allow buildings 50 feet high; imposing the four-story limit for the one structure (a height of 38 feet) is inconsistent with Miami Beach land development regulations.

He points out that at 50 feet, the five story building would be the lowest building on Belle Isle that actually abuts the causeway (lower than Grand Venetian, 3 Island Avenue and The Vistas.

The Belle Isle Residents Association met on several occasions with EuroAmerican’s design team, and those discussions led to several changes in the plan. In the end, association told the Miami Beach Design Review Board that the project was better, but still too large, in the association’s view.

At a recent meeting, residents association members discussed the prospect of a suit challenging the city’s decision. At that meeting, association member Jean-Francois Le Jeune, a professor of architecture at the University of Miami, said the association might explore designating Belle Isle as a historic district as a way to limit how high buildings can be built on Belle Isle.

Miami Beach commissioners reject Belle Isle project

Miami Beach commissioners on Wednesday upheld height limits imposed by the city Design Review Board for a proposed new apartment complex on Belle Isle.

Commissioners were asked by the owner of the Belle Isle Key Apartments to allow two five stories buildings as part of a sleek new complex on the northeast corner of Belle Isle. In July, the design board approved the project, but only if the building nearest to the east bridge was capped at four floors.

The developer, EuroAmerican Group, Inc., appealed that decision to the city commission. The city attorney’s office and the city planning staff recommended the commission reject the appeal.

EuroAmerican has owned the 3.5-acre property at 31 Venetian Way for more than 20 years, operating it most recently as Belle Isle Key Apartments. The existing complex includes four, three-story apartment buildings. EuroAmerican is owned by Gustavo Munoz.

City planners criticized the project as out of character with the historic causeway, and too massive for the property.

With the appeal denied by the City Commission, the developer has two options: He can sue and challenge the decision in the courts, or he can submit a revision to the Design Review Board — requiring new public hearings and review by city design staff.

Belle Isle redux: Architect vents, reader turns red light, Continental Group mails out missive

Here’s a grab bag of updates on Belle Isle issues and blog posts:

— We reported from Tuesday’s Miami Beach Design Review Board meeting that the DRB members approved the proposed new complex for 31 Venetian Way, but only if one floor is lopped off the smaller of the two five-story buildings in the plan.

That’s one thing the developer representatives said they could not change, so the decision appears to force them to either abandon the plan or appeal the DRB decision to the city commission. In the meantime, architect Luis Revuelta posted a lengthy comment on the post in which he says Belle Isle homeowners and some city staff were “arrogant” and “unjust” and opposed any new development on the current Belle Isle Key Apartment site.

Several others weighed in, so take a look and share your thoughts, too.

— We wrote about the proposal to add more red light cameras in Miami Beach, which the city will discuss Wednesday, and noted that the new cameras and locations will be managed by a second company, which adds cost and complexity to the effort.

A blog reader who identified himself/herself as Whocares@whocares.com (gotta love that) posted a comment asking for the rationale behind using two companies, and scolded your Belle Isle Blog for not providing more info on the city’s thinking. It’s a valid point.

So, here is what we know: The Herald reported in March that some Beach commissioners were unhappy with delays in getting the first group of cameras operational, and that led them to approach a second firm. The Herald story also pointed out that the second firm (whose bid the city will discuss on Wednesday) is represented by lobbyist  David Custin, who did political work for Commissioners Jonah Wolfson and Jorge Exposito in the last election.

That seems like important context, so thanks, WhoCares. We care.

— We wrote last month about the angst among unit owners at 9 Island Avenue, where a change in management companies (9 Island terminated the contract of Continental Group, which managed the building for 12 years and hired KW Property Management) resulted in six building porters losing their jobs, among other personnel changes.

One reason given for not keeping the porters was that the contract with Continental required a fee of 30 percent for each of those employees’ annual salary if 9 Island wanted to keep them.

On Friday, unit owners received a copy of a letter from Continental Dade Region president Stephan R. Titleman that says Continental is trying to place the former 9 Island employees in new jobs, but if the 9 Island board wants to retain any of them, Continental Group won’t charge the fee.

So now what?

Architect to present another new design for proposed Belle Isle apartments

The project would replace Belle Isle Key Apartments.

There are new plans for the proposed apartment complex at 31 Venetian Way, currently Belle Isle Key Apartments, and architect Luis Revuelta will present them to Belle Isle residents and the Belle Isle Residents Association on Wednesday.

The owner of the complex plans to demolish the existing three-story buildings and build a five-story complex of apartments and a parking garage, topped with tennis courts and pool.

Revuelta and partner Barbara Pederzoli presented a version of the plans to Belle Isle residents on May 18, after a Miami Beach staff review declared the project out of scale and character with the neighborhood. At that meeting, Revuelta promised to work with University of Miami architecture Professor Jean-Francois Lejeune, dean of UM’s architecture graduate school and a Belle Plaza resident, on showing what impact the project will have on bay views on the island.

Since originally proposed, the architects have created a wider view corridor from the building to Biscayne Bay, and residents at the last meeting said it had improved, even though they still had issues with the design.

You can read a report on that meeting and the last iteration of the design here.

Resident association president Scott Diffenderfer said the plans that will be presented Wednesday are “significantly revised.” Wednesday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Belle Plaza, 20 Island Ave.

The city of Miami Beach Design Review Board is scheduled to vote the design on July 6.

Architects make progress with Belle Isle residents; big test is Design Review vote on July 6

The latest rendering of the apartment complex has a clear view between buildings.

The designers of the proposed apartment complex on the northwest corner of Belle Isle made their case to the island residents association Monday night — and made a little a little headway, too.

The project goes before the Miami Beach Design Review Board on July 6. City staff earlier this month deemed it out of character with the island neighborhood. You can read a previous post about that here, and the City report here.

Monday night, Belle Isle residents, who have been critical of the project in the past, reviewed it with architects Luis Revuelta and Barbara Pederzoli. They didn’t embrace it, but several said it was improved from previous versions.

The project at 31 Venetian Way would replace the Belle Isle Key Apartments, a three-story complex that includes 120 apartments. The new design proposes 181 apartments in two five-story buildings, as well as a five-floor, 315-space parking garage. Two tennis courts top the garage. While the buildings are 54 feet high, the top of the elevator mechanical structures is 68 feet.

The two buildings are separated by a “view corridor” to Biscayne Bay. Previous designs showed a bridge over that open space that included apartments, but Revuelta said they eliminated the bridge to provide a better view of the bay.The opening between the buildings is about 60 feet wide. The project also would include a bay walk accessible from Venetian Way that Revuelta said would be open to everyone “from dawn to dusk.”

One of the Belle Isle residents at Monday’s meeting, University of Miami architecture Professor Jean-Francois Lejeune, dean of UM’s architecture graduate school, said the latest design does provide better bay views, and affords residents of Belle Plaza, a condo directly north from the project, better visibility of the water than the existing complex.

Another longtime critic, resident association treasurer Keith Hark,  said he felt Revuelta had made progress with the plans, even though he still didn’t like the look of the buildings. The new design, he said, “still has hat sort of very massive feel….which is why I was hoping for something like that Aqua Island feel….What we have been fighting on are the practical implications of the construction….that we understand living here but the architects might not.”

“Our big concern on the community board has always been traffic,  all these cars going right into that circle.” Hark said. “We were concerned about the massing of the buildings coming right to the edge” of the property line, “and they pushed it back and pushed it back.”

Revuelta said he has tried to incorporate resident concerns with the design. Revuelta noted that the building owner, Gustavo Munoz, is not seeking any variances under the city zoning code.

“We have done as much as we can to design a building within the law,” Revuelta said.

He offered to make design changes to make the project more pleasing to the residents, but noted that the residents and Design Review Board members had different ideas of how it should look. If they could have that conversation together, instead of going back and forth between resident association and board, it they might reach some compromises, he said.

Revuelta estimated construction on the project would take 14 to 16 months. He asked if residents who felt it was improved would come to the Design Review meeting and say so — even if they still have objections.

Lejeune suggested that Revuelta create digital view renderings to show what residents in buildings like Belle Plaza could expect to see from their apartments, and Revuelta said they would follow up on the idea.

The project would replace Belle Isle Key Apartments.