Design Review Board - Regular Meeting

Good morning. We are live and recording in the Commission Chambers. Can you hear us?

Yes.

Thank you very much. So far we have Chair Javier Baena, Vice Chair Daniel Guerra, Subrata Basu, Angel Lopez. We do have a quorum.

Thank you. Shall we get started? Whenever you're ready. All right. I'll just hold this meeting to order. I'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, let's do roll call. Start with city staff.

Yes, Marcus Lightfoot, and I have Michelle Lopez of the Corradino Group here in the chambers with me, and there are no applicants in the chambers.

Thank you. Start with us through board. Alex Uribe from the city attorney's office.

Basu, you're unmuted. You are unmuted, Basu.

I think he was muted. They have to unmute him.

Oh, can somebody unmute?

He's co-host. He can unmute himself.

Gotcha. Can somebody unmute him?

I have the same issue with video. My video is not working.

All right. Anybody else? I mean, yeah. Morning, Basu. Morning. Morning, Alex. Can we do the swearing in, Mr. Uribe?

Yes. Good morning, everybody. Anybody who's going to be providing any sort of testimony or presentation, I need you to please turn on your cameras and unmute yourselves. I understand that there's nobody in Zoom. Sorry, there's nobody in Chambers. So everybody's just here on Zoom. I see Eric Castellanos. Actually, we do have our consultant from Cordero here in Chambers. Okay, understood. And so if you would please raise your right hand. You swear from the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I do.

Yes. Thank you very much.

You may begin. Okay, let's start with the first applicant.

Yes, the first item is DRB-2026-006. The applicant is Eric Castellanos for the location located at 5812 Sunset Drive for Board Cuban. This request is for exterior renovation. The report will be handled by Ms. Lopez. Thank you.

Good morning, board members. Michelle Lopez with the Corredino Group. The applicant, Eric Castellanos, with Board Cuban Bakery, submitted an application, DRB 2026-006, on January 15th, requesting an exterior renovation to install an awning at property located at 5812 Sunset Drive. The retail cell is currently vacant and was previously occupied by Sushi Maki. The details for the proposed awning are provided for in the application materials, including sheet A203, the canopy plan, provides the reflective ceiling plan and front elevation for the proposed canopy, sheet X1, the canopy isometric plan, and then also eight photographic images of existing conditions and comparatives. The property is located within the Transit Supportive Development Area Subdistrict, within the Transit Supportive Development District, and also bounded by the same zoning and subzoning to the north, south, east, and west. The applicable regulations for encroachments, including canopies, are provided for in City Code Section 20-8.1, Subsection D. And the the the canopy itself does not obstruct views or access between the building entrances the sidewalk and or street so that complies with the first criteria of the section I referenced. The proposed canopy is 30 feet, two inches wide. That complies with your criteria. The canopy is going to project four feet, six inches, which also complies. The applicant did not provide the dimension for the criteria that states canopies shall have a break of at least one foot between canopies. So the city requests that additional information. And... And also the criteria canopy shall be a minimum of 12 feet high from the sidewalk grade to the lowest point. What's provided for is nine foot four inches. That's an existing condition provided for in the existing building. The following comments regarding the height of the awning elevations. shown on sheet A203 and provided details for the elevation height and lateral dimensions. The TSTD zone provides that a minimum canopy height for the TSTD compliant structures is 12 feet, which is consistent with the TSTD building requirements that require 12 feet as minimum ground floor height. The existing building is lower and there is an existing brow in line with the adjacent stores at the canopy level. The existing canopy location is considered legally non-conforming as an encroaching structure on a legally non-conforming building. Therefore, the non-conforming dimensions can be preserved provided that the extent of the non-conformity is not increased pursuant to City Code Section 20-4.8b. City of South Miami Planning finds that the extent of the nonconformity is not increased and the proposed canopy height is acceptable. With that, the staff recommends approval for the requested canopy, provided that the applicant submit the additional dimensions of the break between canopies. And then from a procedural standpoint, any design comments and or suggestions from the board are to be provided by the applicant. And then approval of a canopy less than 12 feet runs with the existing building. With that, I turn to the applicant. Thank you.

Can you please clarify, this is Pedro Ramos. The architect. Can you please clarify what you mean as far as the break? Where is that break intended to be? Are you referring to the edges of the canopy? I'm not sure.

Yeah, so the code provides that between canopies, you have a one-foot break. So we're seeking clarification on that dimension. The applicant has not provided that information.

Okay, this is one canopy from one end to the other?

Yes, sir.

Right, so we do not plan to have any breaks in the middle of the canopy, so I'm not sure if you intend to have a space on the ends to separate ourselves from the adjacent tenant?

Yes.

Is that what they intend? Okay. So what do we have to do? What, what that break, could that break be like six inches so that if it's even with the storefront, um, the break shall be at least one foot between canopies.

So yeah. So one foot from the both adjacent neighbors.

So is it from the property line of the adjacent tenant or is it from the adjacent tenants canopy, the canopy on the canopy? Okay.

We should be fine with the blue canopy. The one on the east, I'm sorry, the west side, there is no canopy. It's a structure, so I don't think we should have an issue with any of those. We just have to show it.

Okay. Okay.

Is anybody presenting or is this the end of the presentation?

This is the end of the presentation unless there's any other questions. It sounds like once we clarify these two points, it's approved, right? Is there anything else we need to clarify?

Hold on a second, Mr. Uribe, did everybody get sworn in? Yes.

Yes, they did.

Yes, they did.

All right, thank you. No, I guess, is anybody in chambers that wants to comment on this?

There's nobody in chambers but staff.

Okay, so let's do board members.

Subrata, would you like to go first? So this must be important. Cordino sent the big guns here for the presentation.

Thank you, Mr. Bosio. Always a pleasure.

No, I don't have any comments. I wish. So the signage, the only signage you're going to have is that round thing that's projected from the building. Is that the only signage you're going to have?

No, we have a separate permit for the signage. Signage is already actually approved and installed currently.

Can somebody share the screen so that we can see the information that you are trying to approve?

What do you mean by trying to approve? As far as signing?

Do we have a presentation? Is there documentation that we can look at? We are describing a pandemic and whatnot. There you go. Thank you.

Okay, so the signage will be above the canopy. The canopy is 12 inches in height. And if you see actually on the left, there is a space between the neighboring awning and our proposed awning. So we should be fine. It's more than 12 inches. The other side, there is no awning and it's further back, the actual structure. So we're fine there. The... The actual sign is actually already installed. I have a picture I'm sure I can show if you like.

Yeah, I wish there was a little bit more information about the project itself rather than, you know, we have eight pages of photographs of everything else. But I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the project itself. But it's a simple one, so I mean, I am not – I don't think there's much to discuss here, but with a little perspective or isometric or something would have been nice to have. Can you see the picture? Can you show the picture of the signage? How it's appearing? Sure. Do you want me to share my screen?

Yes, please. At the end of the presentation, there are or isometrics from the awning company.

Yes, that's what I was going to show as well. That's it. Go ahead. Are you seeing my screen now?

We are.

Okay. So this is what it would actually look like. This is the four foot six projecting out, which is exactly what we had before with the black awning that was existing with the 30 feet two inches, which is also what was existing as well. This is the metal canopy that would be attached, kind of levered to the building.

Okay.

I don't know if you need me to go through the actual engineering.

I don't need to look at the construction drawings, but just a, if you have a picture of the signage.

Here is, of the actual signage that's there currently? Yes. Okay, give me a second.

Are you asking for the current signage or the proposed signage?

I have the current. They said that they already have an approval for the signage, and it's already up. So it's nice to see what is going on. I mean, overall picture, you know, it's like... It would be nice to see that picture. Yeah. Okay. Well, that's, there it is. The color is up. I mean, those pictures would have been nice to have as part of the package. And then you're going to have another projecting sign on the right side of that building, on that facade, correct?

We took it off to paint the building, but yes, that's an existing, what is that called? Blade sign. Blade signs. Okay.

All right.

And then the canopy will come right up to the purple, basically from purple edge to purple edge. Okay. And it would be just projecting four foot six. Yeah. And right above, right on the same line as the storefront windows. Okay.

What's the color of the canopy again?

It's the same color as the aluminum color of the frames of the storefront.

Gotcha. Thank you, Subrata, are you done with your comments?

That's fine, that's fine, I am okay.

Okay, Angel, would you like to comment?

No, no, no, I'm okay.

I'd like to have a word. Okay, Eric? Where is he? Daniel?

No, I'm okay. I just agree with Subrata. The presentation could have had a little bit more detail, but I have nothing to add. Thank you.

Okay, and Christian?

No, no comment from me.

Thank you. I don't have a comment as well. So I guess we can make a motion. Anybody like to make a motion?

Make a motion to approve.

All right. I second. Make a vote. Yes. Daniel? Yes. Angel?

Yes.

Christian?

Yes.

I vote yes as well. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

All right. I guess the last thing is the approval of the meeting minutes. Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. Thank you. I second. I second.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Aye. Hearing none, minutes approved. Next meeting, it's... Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 830. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Have a good week, everybody.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.