HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Correspondence-Arthur J. MarcusARTHUR J. MARCUS ARCHITECT P.A.
1450 LINCOLN ROAD * MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139 * T:305.674.8945
marcus aAbellsouth.net
May 22, 2008
City of Miami City Commission
Miami City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, Florida 33133
Re: Proposed "Kubik" condominium at approx. 5600 Biscayne Boulevard
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As a professional Architect for over thirty years with a far ranging practice encompassing all
types of building and urban design, I am opposing the Kubik project as it is currently
proposed.
I have worked diligently for many years in Miami Beach, not only as an Architect, but also
as a citizen activist and as a member and Chairman of the Miami Beach Design Review
and Historic Preservation Boards, dealing repeatedly with this issue of ensuring that new
buildings in historic neighborhoods fit into the existing architectural context.
I was also part of the team behind the 'Save Miami Beach' movement, which educated the
public about rational development in South Beach. In that campaign we argued that over-
development is truly detrimental to a community's health and well-being.
Through my involvement with numerous city committees, we have learned in Miami Beach
that critical issues such as building height, building massing, open space between
buildings, contextual scale and the ability to see the sky, matter deeply to our residents and
can have long ranging effect upon the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
Kubik, a 150'-0" tall and 400'-0"foot wide wall -of -a -building, would abruptly intrude and
irrevocably alter the existing predominantly one and two story scale of the MiMo / Biscayne
Boulevard Historic District.
New construction, especially in such a low scale neighborhood, should always respect and
take cues from the existing surrounding urban context. This concept is ordained in section
1305.2 of your zoning code. Nowhere else along the MiMo Historic District has an
assemblage of 10 separate lots been put together to allow such a massive project. All the
other buildings in the district are built on only one or two lots, with open space between
each building, and not a 400-foot long facade, as is proposed here.
As the model shows, the proposed project fails to respond to the architectural context of the
single family homes across 58th street in Palm Grove and across Biscayne Boulevard in the
Morningside Historic District. Nor does it respond to the 27 blocks of the MiMo Historic
District, by failing to create an urban design transition of building mass and scale which
respects the existing surrounding streetscape, rather than smothering it.
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MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
May 22, 2008
Page two
This urban design principle of planning new structures which are harmonious with their
adjacent physical environment, appropriate to the relative scale of the adjacent
neighborhood and compatible in mass and scale....is supported not only by commonly
accepted contemporary urban design practices, it is also supported by your own
govemmental advocacy:
• The Miami -Dade County Planning Department's 'Urban Design Manual' has already
illustrated 3 stories as the example of the preferred scale for commercial corridors.
• The creation and success of the MiMo Historic District confirms that this stretch of
Biscayne Boulevard has a character and appearance of historic building heights,
scale, setback and open space that should be preserved.
• The Miami Planning Department's charrette examples of appropriate building
designs for Biscayne Boulevard show two and three story buildings.
• Florida case law has supported a 35-foot height limitation in order to preserve.and
protect the integrity of residential neighborhoods adjacent to similar large scale
development.
It is unfortunate that the City of Miami has overlooked its very own criteria with respect to
relative building scale. Thus I recommend that you not only listen to the arguments of your
own residents and constituents; listen to your own govemmental zoning experts, in limiting
the maximum building height to 35 feet, as the appropriate height for buildings proposed to
be sited within, and close to, these historic districts and single family homes.
In closing, this city commission has previously protected the MiMo district by allowing three
other special permits on the condition that they be no higher than 35 feet. I recommend
that you do the same in this instance.
Your ruly,
Arthur J A 4. us AIA
Submitted into the public
record in connection with
item PZ.1 on 05-22-08
Priscilla A. Thompson
City Clerk