HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Commisison Fact SheetCITY COMMISSION FACT SHEET
File ID: R-24-0079
Title: A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING THE RELEASE OF THREE (3)
RECORDED INSTRUMENTS, SPECIFICALLY APPROVING THE
RELEASE OF A DECLARATION OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS,
ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "B," APPROVING THE
RELEASE OF A DECLARATION OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS,
ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "C," AND APPROVING
THE RELEASE OF A UNITY OF TITLE, ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "D," RECORDED AGAINST THE REAL
PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED AT 1825 BISCAYNE BOULEVARD,
1819 BISCAYNE BOULEVARD, 1844 NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 1840
NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 1824 NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 1820
NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 331 NORTHEAST 18 STREET, AND 327
NORTHEAST 18 STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS MORE
PARTICULARITY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE
THE RELEASE(S) IN FORM(S) ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY; MAKING FINDINGS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY
CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
LOCATION: Approximately 1825 Biscayne Boulevard, 1819 Biscayne Boulevard, 1844
Northeast 4 Avenue, 1840 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1824 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1820
Northeast 4 Avenue, 331 Northeast 18 Street, and 327 Northeast 18 Street, Miami,
Florida [City Commissioner Damian Pardo - District 2]
APPLICANT: Iris Escarra, Esq., on behalf of 17 Plaza LLC (the "Applicant")
PURPOSE: The Applicant is requesting a Special Appearance to release three (3) legal
instruments, which were proffered by the former property owner in connection with an
expired Variance from 1991 linked to the cancelled "Chinatown Project", for the
properties generally located at 1825 Biscayne Boulevard, 1819 Biscayne Boulevard,
1844 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1840 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1824 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1820
Northeast 4 Avenue, 331 Northeast 18 Street, and 327 Northeast 18 Street, Miami,
Florida.
FINDING(S):
PLANNING DEPARTMENT: Recommended approval.
City of Miami
Legislation
Resolution
Enactment Number: R-24-0079
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 15444 Final Action Date:2/22/2024
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S),
APPROVING THE RELEASE OF THREE (3) RECORDED INSTRUMENTS,
SPECIFICALLY APPROVING THE RELEASE OF A DECLARATION OF
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "B,"
APPROVING THE RELEASE OF A DECLARATION OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS,
ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "C," AND APPROVING THE
RELEASE OF A UNITY OF TITLE, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT
"D," RECORDED AGAINST THE REAL PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED AT 1825
BISCAYNE BOULEVARD, 1819 BISCAYNE BOULEVARD, 1844 NORTHEAST 4
AVENUE, 1840 NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 1824 NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 1820
NORTHEAST 4 AVENUE, 331 NORTHEAST 18 STREET, AND 327 NORTHEAST 18
STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS MORE PARTICULARITY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT
"A," ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE THE RELEASE(S) IN FORM(S) ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY;
MAKING FINDINGS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING
FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, 17 Plaza LLC ("Applicant") submitted a Special Appearance application to
the City of Miami ("City") to release the three (3) legal instruments proffered by a former
property owner in connection with an expired Variance from 1991 linked to the cancelled
"Chinatown Project", specifically 1) a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants recorded on April 20,
1992 in Official Records Book 15481, Page 0602, attached and incorporated as Exhibit "B"; 2) a
Declaration of Restrictive Covenants recorded on December 29, 1992 in Official Records Book
15761, Page 2913, attached and incorporated as Exhibit "C"; and 3) a Unity of Title recorded on
December 29, 1992 in Official Records Book 15761, Page 2910 (collectively, "Legal
Instruments") for the property generally located at 1825 Biscayne Boulevard, 1819 Biscayne
Boulevard, 1844 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1840 Northeast 4 Avenue, 1824 Northeast 4 Avenue,
1820 Northeast 4 Avenue, 331 Northeast 18 Street, and 327 Northeast 18 Street, Miami,
Florida, as more particularly described in Exhibit "A," attached and incorporated, ("Property");
and
WHEREAS, the Property is designated "T6-36B-O," Urban Core Transect Zone — Open,
in the Zoning Atlas of Ordinance No. 13114, the Zoning Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as
amended, ("Miami 21 Code"); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. R-92-268, the "Chinatown Project" generally
located within the Property was approved by the City Commission on August 30, 1992,
amending Resolution No. R-91-92, adopted January 24, 1991, and amended by Resolution No.
R-91-779, adopted October 24, 1991, which granted the Variance ("1991 Variance"), as part of
the "Chinatown Project", pursuant to Ordinance No. 9500 of the City of Miami, Florida (Previous
Zoning Code) with specified Conditions of Approval that were not complied with by the former
property owner; and hence, the 1991 Variance effectively expired per its two-year expiration
date of August 30, 1992 deadline; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the 1991 Variance, the then owner of the Property
proffered and recorded the Legal Instruments; and
WHEREAS, none of the Conditions of Approval of the 1991 Variance were met and as a
result, the Chinatown Project that was never constructed and was cancelled; therefore, the
Applicant is requesting a Special Appearance to release the Legal Instruments; and
WHEREAS, the Applicant is requesting a Special Appearance to release the Legal
Instruments, which are described below:
• Exhibit B - Covenant 1 (City -assigned ePlan File ID: PZ-23-17252): Section 2 of
Covenant 1 provides that the Permits and plans for the redevelopment of the Property
"shall be held in Escrow by the Building Official until" various conditions are met
including payment of all City and County impact fees, posting of a $250,000 cash bond,
and issuance of a building permit prior to August 30, 1992. Section 6 of the Covenant
provides that it may be amended or released by a written instrument executed by the
then owners of the Property provided that said instrument is approved by the City
Commission at a public hearing.
• Exhibit C - Covenant 2 (City -assigned ePlan File ID: PZ-23-17252): This covenant
provides various restrictions requiring that at least 80 parking spaces (and necessary
easements) be provided on the eastern portion of the Property to serve the western
portion of the Property. Section 6 of Covenant 2 also provides that the Owner shall not
sell or convey the eastern portion of the Property separately from the western portion of
the Property until the Owner meets all the conditions sets forth in the 1991 Variance.
• Exhibit D - Unity of Title (City -assigned ePlan File ID: PZ-23-17252): The Unity of Title
mirrors Covenant 2 and provides that the Owner shall not sell or convey the eastern
portion of the Property separately from the western portion of the Property until the
Owner meets all the conditions sets forth in the 1991 Variance. Section 3 of the Unity of
Title provides that it may be amended or released by a written instrument executed by
the then owners of the Property provided that said instrument is approved by the City
Commission at a public hearing, and
WHEREAS, the Release Review Committee recommended to the City Commission
approval for the release of Covenant 1, Covenant 2, and the Unity of Title with the condition that
the Applicant record the Chinatown Project's Tentative Plat #1380 (the "Tentative Plat") and
released documents simultaneously in the public records of Miami -Dade County, Florida; and
WHEREAS, as a condition of this Special Appearance application, ePlan File ID — PZ-
22-14439, the Applicant shall record in the Miami -Dade County Official Records the releases of
the three (3) Legal Instruments, as described herein, along with the Tentative Plat at the same
time; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Department recommends approval and full release of the three
(3) Legal Instruments as presented by the Applicant; and
WHEREAS, any modification, amendment, or release of the Legal Instruments shall be
in a form acceptable to the City Attorney; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Department has reviewed the application and finds that the
release of the Legal Instruments is consistent with the goals of the Miami 21 Code by promoting
the public health, safety, morals, convenience, comfort, amenities, prosperity, and general
welfare of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission, after careful consideration of this matter, finds that it
is in the best interest of the general welfare of the City and its inhabitants to approve the release
of the Legal Instruments;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are
adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Commission approves the release of the three (3) recorded Legal
Instruments, attached and incorporated as Exhibit "B," Exhibit "C," and Exhibit "D," for the
Property described in the attached and incorporated Exhibit "A," and authorizing' the City
Manager to execute such release(s) in a form(s) acceptable to the City Attorney.
Section 3. This Resolution shall become effective ten (10) days upon its adoption and
signature of the Mayor.2
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
1 The herein authorization is further subject to compliance with all legal requirements that may be
imposed, including but not limited to, those prescribed by applicable City Charter and City Code
provisions.
2 If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten (10) calendar days
from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become effective
immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission.