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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Emails-Midtown WalmartWilly A. Bermello E-mail dated Nov 21st, 2013 Forwarded message From: Willy A. Bermello <WBermello@bapdevelopment.com> Date: Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 12:28 PM Subject: RE: Midtown Miami Walmart To: Jacob Pfeffer <jacob@splashperfumes.com> Dear Mr., Pfeffer, As I mentioned to attorney Tucker Gibbs as I left yesterday's UDRB meeting, I have an annual partners meeting tonight at 7 pm which prevents me from participating before the City Commission hearing. Please feel free to use and read this email into the record. In my professional opinion, WALMART had every opportunity to comply with the city's guidelines. They chose not to. Two of those guidelines are the requirements for liner space along the principal arterial and having an animated street frontage along Miami avenue. Both requirements, without the need for "relaxation" from the department could have been easily complied with , had there been the will to do so. I am one that does NOT subscribe to the theory that WALMART as a retailer is bad, BUT what I do subscribe to is that no matter how big or powerful you are, you should comply, particularly when there are absolutely no hard ships preventing you from doing so. This is a country of laws, abide by them. Frankly, there is NO way that the Commission can or should keep, WALMART out of Midtown, if they comply: but, to this date, they haven't. Willy Willy A. Bermello Bermello Ajamil& Partners, Inc CONNECT WITH US ON: 13- o/o3oi" S,6r% /af - cirnat is- Midtown Walmart Submitted into the public record in connection with item PZ.18 on 11/21/13 Jacob Pfeffer From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject Hi Francisco, Willy A. Bermello <WBermello@bapdevelopment.com> Monday, April 15, 2013 10:01 PM Garcia, Francisco Sanchez, Carmen; Nunez, Enrique; Gonzalez, Perla S. Re: UDRB The Wal-Mart application is important to the community and particularly to MidTown. It certainly is to us and a decision that we did not take lightly at our last UDRB meeting. I believe that I speak for my fellow board members when I say that there is nothing more that we would have liked but to have voted for the approval of the application. However there were a number of specific areas where the application in our opinion fell short of the spirit and intent of Miami 21 and the Midtown guidelines, as follows: 1)The liner use is required on all floors along Midtown Blvd (not just the ground floor). 2)The activation of glazed display and entrances along North Miami, should be seen as an important streetscape component and to be taken seriously, but when the applicant places the public restrooms along the building facade when it could have gone in an interior location, it sends a message louder than words. 3)The proper screening of the upper level parking was barely considered almost "mocking' the city staff recommendation; and lastly, 4)The Loading Bay for the liner building had design deficiencies. The UDRB recommended that the applicant go back and "fix" these deficiencies, but counsel for the applicant stated that they had spent enough time and it was time to move on. That posture in my opinion resulted in the UDRB's unanimous vote to deny the application. We are purely advisory of course. We are volunteers , offering of our time to assist you and the Department. Our wishes and aspirations at all times are to provide you with the best balanced advice on every application, particularly those of major community value and impact, as the case with Wal-Mart. Thank you for getting back to me, and as always wishing you the best. Un abrazo, Willy From: Garcia, Francisco To: Willy A. Bermello Cc: Sanchez, Carmen ; Nunez, Enrique ; Gonzalez, Perla S. Sent: Mon Apr 15 15:21:54 2013 Subject: RE: UDRB Dear Willy: Thank you for writing. I have not seen the on-line article you refer to but want to convey that it is never the case that I personally or we in the department of planning and zoning disregard any advice provided by the UDRB. You may know, and I am certainly aware of the fact, that this is a very controversial application and that there are strong positions held on both sides of the proposal. You may also know that the application has been with the planning and zoning department for more than a year in which many iterations have been reviewed and many changes have been made to ensure that the proposal is of Submitted into the public record in connection with item PZ.18 on 11/21/13 the highest quality. Most unfortunately however, the public conversation about this matter has been acrimonious in the extreme and in my personal opinion some of the media coverage has been slanted if not distorted. Let this serve then as a personal note to convey that the UDRB has both my complete respect and gratitude for the valuable advice provided. I look forward to a continued collaborative relationship with the Board, especially in this exciting time of development and revitalization the City of Miami is traversing. As pertains to the Waimea application and as I have stated publicly at various meetings; I am leaning to approving the application (likely with some conditions) and we are presently crossing is and dotting is to ensure the proposal is a) compliant with the code and b) contextual with the neighborhood, as appropriate. Kindest regards. Francisco Francisco J. Garcia, Director Planning and Zoning Department City of Miami 305.416.1470 From: Gonzalez, Perla S. Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 2:35 PM To: Garcia, Francisco Subject: FW: UDRB Francisco, For your information please note Mr.Willy Bermello's email below. Best, Perla From: Gonzalez, Perla S. Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 2:29 PM To: 'Willy A. Bermello' Subject: RE: UDRB Willy, I am not aware of the current situation of the Walmart project, but I am forwarding your question to the Planning and Zoning Director to kindly answer it. Best regards, Perla Gonzalez UDRB Liaison From: Willy A. Bermellojmailto:WBermello(abaodevelooment.coml Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 2:04 PM To: Gonzalez, Perla S. Subject: RE: UDRB Hi Perla, Yes I received the package. I have a conflict of interest with this application, given that Terra is a client of the B&A. Since this is the only item, I will not be attending. BTW, I saw an article "on line" that states that Francisco is leaning to approval of Wal-Mart as presented, without any consideration of the UDRB's two (2)areas as of objections. Is that true? 2 Warmest personal regards, Willy From: Gonzalez, Perla S. fmailto:poonzalezCamiamiciov.coml Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 11:29 AM To: Willy A. Bermello Subject: UDRB Dear Willy, Please confirm whether you received the package for the UDRB meeting this Wednesday, and also if you are planning to attend. Thank you, Best, Perla S. Gonzalez PLANNER II UDRB LIAISON City of Miami Planning & Zoning Department Urban Design Section 444 SW 2nd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Miami, FI. 33130 Phone: (305) 4161433 Email: pgonzalez@miamigov.com i xecne l.U':s l to the envronmenl before printing the email. 3 Submitted into the public record in connection with item PZ.18 on 11/21/13