HomeMy WebLinkAboutArticle II - Project Description•
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BISCAYNE BAY LOFTS
(ONYX)
MAJOR USE SPECIAL PERMIT
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
ARTICLE 11.
Project Description
A. Zoning Ordinance No. 11000
1. Section 1304.2.1 Application forms; supplementary
materials
2. Section 1702.2.1 General Report
3. Section 1702.2.2 Major Use Special Permit Concept Plan
4. Section 1702.2.3 Development Impact Study
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BISCAYNE BAY LOFTS (ONYX)
Major Use Special Permit
Zoning Ordinance No. 11000
1. Section 1304.1.1 Application forms: supplementary materials
(a) Statements of ownership and control of the proposed development of activity.
The Disclosure of Ownership and Ownership Affidavit are provided in Article 1.
(b) Statement describing in detail the character and intended use of the
development or activity.
Biscayne Bay Lofts (ONYX) is a luxury residential, high-rise development consisting
of 1 18 loft -style units. This waterfront development project is geared to attract the
growing market of empty -nesters, young professionals, second home buyers,
retirees and newly relocated families from Latin America and to respond to the
market demands of the Edgewater neighborhood.
Nestled between NE 25th Street and Biscayne Bay, at 665 and 721 NE 25 Street
and 720 NE 26 Street, the property is just north of Downtown Miami in the
Performing Arts District. The project site has a net lot area of .929 acres or 40,570
square feet with frontage of Biscayne Bay to the east. The gross lot area contains
1.57 acres or 68,089 square feet. The property is zoned R-4 Multifamily High
Density Residential with (SD - 20 Overlay) Edgewater Overlay District.
The property is situated within the City of Miami in the Edgewater neighborhood
that is currently undergoing a significant urban renewal process. With new infill
development and redevelopment of various sites, this area now has new
facilities such as the $300 million Performing Arts Center. The development of the
Performing Arts Center promises to make Miami -Dade County the leader in
performing arts around the world as it will provide opportunity to bring world -
class art and culture as well as showcase other local South Florida art
organizations. This Performing Arts Center will have a dramatic impact on the
economic vitality of the area and on the development activity that will follow. In
addition recent completed projects such as Margaret Pace Park, the American
Airlines Arena, as well as many other mixed -use and upscale residential
developments complement and support the redevelopment of the entire Omni
and Edgewater neighborhoods.
Geographically, Biscayne Bay Lofts is located just minutes away from major
transportation corridors such Biscayne Boulevard, 1-95 and SR 836, offering
convenient access, a 15 minute drive to the Miami international Airport and
direct access to the City of Miami's the Downtown area and banking center. its
exceptional location with regard to the major thoroughgfares will allow residents
to quickly commute to and from all major employment centers in the South
Florida Region.
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Demand potential for housing development in the Performing Arts / Downtown
Miami area is strong. According to a recent study conducted by the Downtown
Development Authority, it is estimated that 1,500 new dwelling units will be
constructed between 2003 and 2009.
Biscayne Bay Lofts (ONYX) is a 27-story, 1 18-unit condominium with two separate
recreation decks and a 7-story parking structure. The resident units will consist of
one, two, three and four bedrooms having various views of the city and bay from
the Southwest corner of the building. As true loft apartments, all residences will
have ceiling heights of 10 feet for the "flats" and 18 feet for the mezzanine loft
units. Offering unique style and quality, each unit will be delivered as finished
residences and designed with a sleek and elegant amenity package. Specific
finishes include: Kitchens with granite countertops, European cabinetry and
stainless steel appliances; Bathrooms complete with marble flooring, marble
countertops, free-standing glass showers and double sinks and bidets
(depending on the unit size); and, Floors may range from hardwood floors to
marble the or laminated concrete to accentuate the lofty feel of the unit design.
In addition to the high ceilings, the units will be further characterized as lofts with
over -sized windows and sliding glass doors that lead out to large balconies with
glass railings. The generous use of glazing will draw in the sunlight and feature
the views of Biscayne Bay during the day and Downtown Miami at night.
The building's amenities will include 24-hour manned security, with electronic
access into the parking garage and a single point of entry info the residential
tower; Infinity -edge, heated swimming pool on the bayfront with a Jacuzzi; State-
of-the-art fitness facility with TVs on the cardio machines, steam room and sauna;
and a sunset garden and pool deck on the 8th floor of the building.
The following is a specific breakdown of the units
UNIT TYPE
TOTAL UNITS
One Bedroom (12 units are 2-story lofts)
36
Two Bedroom
73
Three Bedroom
7
Four Bedroom
2
4
GRAND TOTAL
118
The general layout of Biscayne Bay Lofts (ONYX) takes full advantage of the
waterfront edge and the City of Miami's skyline. As the building fronts Biscayne
Bay to the east and NW 25th Street to the south, residents will have lavished
landscape views and beautiful horizons.
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The floor plates for this building will consist of the following: At ground level, the
project will feature 19,390 square feet of lobby, parking, and various recreational
and storage space. The second through seventh floors will contain 123,765
square feet of more parking, one -bedroom / one -bedroom units with Lofts, and
three -bedroom units with balconies and mechanical / electrical rooms. The
eighth floor will feature a beautiful garden deck with an urban style backyard
that has colorful planters and tropical landscaping. In addition, this floor will
showcase more one -bedroom and two bedroom units. From the ninth to the
twenty fifth floor, there will be 171,950 square feet of one -bedroom and two -
bedroom units with balconies. More two and three bedroom units will be located
on the 26th floor containing 9,596 square feet of penthouse style condominiums.
Finally, on the 27th floor, there will be four -bedroom penthouse style units
containing 9,483 square feet of space.
(c) General location map, showing relations of the site or activity for which special
permit is sought to major streets, schools, existing utilities and the like.
The following exhibits are included with the Major Use Special Permit Application:
(1) Aerial: Aerial photograph of the surrounding area indicating the project site
(2) Area Context Map/Site Aerial: Map of the project areas indicating buildings
that surround the site.
(3) Location Map: Map of the surrounding street system indicating the project
location.
(d) A site plan containing the title of the project and the names of the project
planner and developer, date, and north arrow and, based on an exact survey of
the property drawn to a scale of sufficient size to show.
The project developer is Biscayne Bay Lofts LLC. The architects, planners and
engineers are Bermelio, Ajamil & Partners, Inc. The general information requested
is shown under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents. Several drawings include the
following information:
(1) Boundaries of the project, any existing streets, buildings, watercourses,
easements and section line.
The boundaries and the location of existing streets and easements are shown
on the Boundary Survey located under Tab 5 of the Supporting Documents.
(2) Exact location of all building and structures.
The exact location of all existing buildings is shown on the Boundary Survey
under Tab 5.
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(3) Access and traffic flow and how vehicular traffic will be separated from
pedestrian and other types of traffic.
Access to the project will be from NE 25'h Street through a private driveway
that leads to drop off / valet area and parking garage. The loading dock
area will be located on the north side of the property and accessed through
NE 261h Street.
At the entrance to Biscayne Bay Lofts (ONYX), there will be a vest pocket
park and sidewalk for pedestrians that lead to a landscaped pathway, a
sculpture garden and then an entry -way to the residential lobby. A detailed
analysis of the site access and traffic flow is provided in the Traffic Impact
Analysis located under Tab 2 of the Supporting Documents.
(4) Off street parking and off street loading areas.
The parking structure is located within the first seven floors of the building. This
7-story parking garage will have a total of 170 parking spaces that will be
designated as follows: 36 spaces for one bedroom units, 73 spaces for 2
bedroom units, 14 spaces for 3 bedroom units, 4 spaces for 4 bedroom units, 6
spaces for handicapped and 37 additional parking spaces.
The loading areas provide Iwo berths at 10 feet by 30 feet where one 12 X 35
feet and one 10 X 20 feet is allowed. The loading docks and other service
areas are shown under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
(5) Recreational facilities locations.
The recreational facilities for this development are located on both the
ground floor and on the eighth floor. At the street level, residents of Biscayne
Bay Loft will enjoy a fenced swimming pool, a sun deck, spa and a barbeque
area at the northeast side of building. These amenities are terraced above
the grade of the existing seawall and provide excellent views of the bay. The
setback of the face of the terracing walls is varied from 12'-32' along the
shoreline to provide a more exciting edge condition and varied landscape.
The first level of terracing is 2'-6" above the elevation of the top of the
seawall. This lower level contains the sundeck for the swimming pool that
overlooks the bay. The finish grade of the swimming pool is on the second
level of terracing at 1 °-6" above the first level sundeck. The north end of the
recreation deck abuts a landscape buffer that screens the recreation area
from NE 26 Street. A focal point from the building lobby at the southeast side
of the building is a small sculpture garden plaza south of the pool overlooking
the bay. Residents can access the sculpture garden plaza and the recreation
area by a pedestrian ramp from the street level on NE 25 Street. The
pedestrian ramp will have a water feature integrated in to the detail of the
wall.
The second recreation area is located on the eighth (8) floor of the building.
Entrance to the recreation deck will be through a palm grove planted in
super -sized lightweight concrete pots. Along the west side of this recreation
deck, there will be an urban backyard for residents of the building and their
pets. A circulation path is provided around the deck for walking with
gathering spots for umbrella tables, seating and sunning. Gathering spots
include two trellis areas and barbeques. An elevated grid of grass planters will
be provided for lounging with a nearby shower arch for cooling down. Large
grass areas will be provided for pets that will be allowed in this building. Along
the edge of the garden, a beautiful planter wall of colorful bougainvillea will
further compliment the area. Small flowering canopy trees also placed within
the same super -sized lightweight concrete pots will offer additional shading
on the deck. Along the east side of deck, there will be tables, chairs and
chaise lounge to over look the bay. Three built-in wide banquette seating
areas with colorful cushions and pillows will add to the allure of this area.
Hardscape and paving materials will be in light colors to minimize heat. The
recreation areas are shown under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
(6) Screens and buffers.
The project includes landscape buffers and treatments along ail sides of the
building. Canopy trees will be highlighted along NE 25 Street and NE 26 Street
to provide shade for pedestrians and human scale to the streetscape. The
west sides of the building will be softened with vertical native trees to buffer
the neighbor's view of building. In all locations, several layers of vegetation
will be provided to give a variety of textures, colors and seasonal interests.
(7) Refuse collections areas.
Waste collection will be provided by standardized on -site containers located
on the north side of the property (NE 26th Street) within the loading dock area.
These facilities are shown under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
(8) Access to utilities and points of utility hookups.
Access and connections to site utilities are discussed in the Site Utility Study,
located under Tab 3 of the Supporting Documents.
(e) Tabulations of total gross acreage in the project and the percentage thereof
proposed to be devoted to:
(1) The various permitted uses.
R-4 Multifamily High Density Residential allows for single-family, duplex and
multifamily structures up to and including high rise apartment structures with a
maximum density of one hundred fifty (150) units per net acre. This district also
allows, with limitations, supporting services such as places of worship, primary
and secondary schools, daycare, community based residential facilities and
convenience establishments. The SD-20 Edgewater Overlay District is to
preserve the urban character of the area, preserve and enhance property
values through setback and lot coverage restructure to enhance the area as
a place to live and work.
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(2) Ground coverage by structures.
Ground coverage by the structures is 28.3% of the total gross lot area.
(f) Tabulation showing the following:
(1) The derivation of numbers of off street parking and off street loading spaces
shown In (d) above.
The total number off street parking spaces provided is 170 spaces where 139
spaces are required. Derivation of the number of off street parking is shown
under Project Criteria, located under Tab 6.
(2) Total project density in dwelling units per acre.
Total project density is 118 units where 139 units are permitted based on an
allowable 150 units per acre.
(g) If common facilities (such as recreation areas of structures, private streets,
common open space, etc.) ore to be provided for the development, statements
as to how such common facilities are to be provided and permanently
maintained.
All common facilities provided will be maintained by the Owner.
(h) Storm drainage and sanitary sewerage plans.
Storm drainage, water distribution, wastewater and solid waste generation
provisions are discussed in the Site Utility Study located under Tab 3 of the
Supporting Documents.
(i) Architectural definitions for buildings in the development: exact number of
dwelling units, sizes and types, together with typical floor plans of each type.
Detailed information and breakdown of square footage of all uses are found
under Project Criteria included under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
Typical floor plans for the residential units, as well as elevations and sections are
located under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
(j) Plans for signs, if any.
Please refer to Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
(k) Landscaping plan, including types, sizes and locations of vegetation and
decorative shrubbery, and showing provisions for irrigation and future
maintenance.
The landscape plans are found under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
(1) Plans for recreation facilities, if any, including location and general
description of building for such use.
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The recreational facilities for this development are located on both the
ground floor and on the eighth floor. At the street level, residents of Biscayne
Bay Loft will be enjoy a fenced swimming pool, a sun deck, spa and a
barbeque area at the northeast side of building. These amenities are
terraced above the grade of the existing seawall and provide excellent views
of the bay. The setback of the face of the terracing walls is varied from 12'--
32' along the shoreline to provide a more exciting edge condition and varied
landscape. The first level of terracing is 2'-6" above the elevation of the top
of the seawall. This lower level contains the sundeck for the swimming pool
that overlooks the bay. The finish grade of the swimming pool is on the
second level of terracing at 1 '-6B' above the first level sundeck. The north end
of the recreation deck abuts a landscape buffer that screens the recreation
area from NE 26 Street. A focal point from the building lobby at the southeast
side of the building is a small sculpture garden plaza south of the pool
overlooking the bay. Residents can access the sculpture garden plaza and
the recreation area by a pedestrian ramp from the street level on NE 25
Street. The pedestrian ramp will have a water feature integrated in to the
detail of the wall.
The second recreation area is located on the eighth (8) floor of the building.
Entrance to the recreation deck will be through a palm grove planted in
super -sized lightweight concrete pots. Along the west side of this recreation
deck, there will be an urban backyard for residents of the building and their
pets. A circulation path is provided around the deck for walking with
gathering spots for umbrella tables, seating and sunning. Gathering spots
include two trellis areas and barbeques. An elevated grid of grass planters will
be provided for lounging with a nearby shower arch for cooling down. Large
grass areas will be provided for pets that will be allowed in this building. Along
the edge of the garden, a beautiful planter wall of colorful bougainvillea will
further compliment the area. Small flowering canopy trees also placed within
the same super -sized lightweight concrete pots will offer additional shading
on the deck. Along the east side of deck, there will be tables, chairs and
chaise lounge to over look the bay. Three built-in wide banquette seating
areas with colorful cushion and pillow will add to the allure of this area.
Such additional data, maps, plans or statements as may be required for the
particular use or activity involved.
The details and calculations used to compute the development requirements for
the site such as the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) are shown under Tab 6 of the
Supporting Documents. The drawings covering the roof and mechanical,
electrical and plumbing rooms are included under Tab 6 of the Supporting
Documents.
(m) Such additional data as the Applicant may believe is pertinent to the proper
consideration of the site and development plan.
Sections and elevations depicting the architectural character of the building, as
well as floor plans showing the residential units, parking garage and service area
are located under Tab 6 of the Supporting Documents.
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2. Section 1702.2.1 General Report
(1) Property ownership or ownership and beneficial interest within the boundaries of
the area proposed for Major Use Special Permit
Statement of Ownership and beneficial interest within the boundaries of the area
proposed for Major Use Special Permit is provided in Article 1.
(2) The nature of the unified interest or control
The nature of unified interest or control is indicated in Article 1.
(3) Survey of the proposed area showing property line and ownership.
A copy of the Boundary Survey is included under Tab 5 of the Supporting
Documents.
(4) Map of existing features, including streets, alleys, easements, utilities' lines,
existing land use, general topography and physical features.
The existing site features and utility lines are shown on the Boundary Survey of the
property located under Tab 5. The site features and the utilities are also
described in the Site Utility Study, located under Tab 3 of the Supporting
Documents.
(5) Materials to demonstrate the relationship of the elements listed in (4) preceding
to surrounding area characteristics.
The drawings submitted with this application are located under Tab 6 of the
Supporting Documents.
(6) Existing zoning and adopted comprehensive plan designations for the area on
and around the lands proposed for Major Use Special Permit.
The existing zoning designation for the property pursuant to City of Miami
Ordinance No. 1 1000 is R-4 Multifamily High Density Residential with an (SD -20
Overlay)Edgewater Overlay District. Page 21 of the Zoning Atlas Map is located
in Article 1, and indicates the existing and surrounding zoning. The comprehensive
plan for future land use designation of the property is residential high density.
The zoning and the comprehensive plan designation are consistent with one
another.
3. Section 1702.2 Major Use Special Permit Concept Plan.
(a) Relationships of the concept plan to surrounding, existing and proposed future
uses, activities, systems and facilities (transportation, recreation, view corridors,
pedestrian systems, service systems and similar uses).
Article I1 contains a written narrative of this outlining proposed uses, activities and
architectural character. This narrative also contains descriptions of the project's
relationship to traffic, pedestrian movements, and transportation access. Building
elevations and sections showing the proposed materials, vertical profile and
height, and orientation to streets is included in the Drawings submitted with this
Application. The list of Drawings submitted is found under Tab 6 of the Supporting
Documents.
(b) Existing zoning and adopted comprehensive plan principles and designations.
This project conforms to the R4 and SD-20 Overlay, Multifamily High Density
Residential with Edgewater Overlay District. The comprehensive plan for the
future land use designation conforms to the land use designation in effect for this
property.
4. Section 1702.2.3 Development Impact Study
(a) A traffic analysis shall be submitted for an area within approximately 1/4 mile of
the site, or an area including the major intersections to be impacted by the site,
whichever is larger.
The traffic Impact Analysis is included under Tab 2 of the Supporting Documents.
(b) Economic impact data shall be provided, including estimates for construction
costs, construction employment and permanent employment and shall
demonstrate that the proposed development is favorable to the economy,
public services, environment and housing supply of the City.
The Economic Impact Study is included under Tab 4 of the Supporting
Documents.
(c) A housing impact assessment.
Over the last several years, prices of urban housing have increased dramatically;
despite the recent slow down in the economy. Subsequently, a substantial
amount of people within metropolitan areas has begun to return to the city to
live. This has created a shortage of multi -family housing along with an upward
surge of housing prices. Contrarily, the cost of construction has not kept pace
with these increases, which has made it economically affordable to construct
new buildings for sale. This pattern remains the same in South Florida where there
continues to be an increased demand for housing, particularly in Miami -Dade
County.
This development will have 1 1 S luxury condominium loft residences with the price
ranging from $170,000 to $500,000, with an average price of $360,000.
(d) A description of proposed energy conservation measures shall be provided,
including only those measures that are proposed in addition to the minimum
requirements in State Energy Code.
Architecturally, the building envelope will be comprised of insulated wails and
roof. Lightly tinted glass will be used throughout the building. The design will also
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consist of balcony overhangs to increase building shading. Electrically, all
exterior and landscape lighting will be controlled by means of time clocks and
photocell switches. Energy saving lamps, ballasts and fixtures are being
considered at cores and public spaces.
(e) Historic Buildings
There are no existing historic structures located on the property.
(t) Environmental Impacts
The property is not located within an Environmental Preservation District.