Urban Development Review Board - Regular Meeting

To the Urban Development Review Board, today is February 18th. We can get started with our lobbyist note.

Thank you. If we can please rise for a Pledge of Allegiance. I'd like to call this meeting to order. It is 2.05. Do we have any requests for absence waivers?

Let's just do the minute approval. Okay, I'm sorry. We have a motion to approve.

Thank you. Do we have any public comments?

All right, we can please get started with item number one.

Yeah, maybe you can put it up on the site.

you have the aerial don't block that one if you just put it on that board if you don't mind where the aerial is yeah that's right there okay that's okay you can place it on the floor so basically this is uh our materials board this is the type of glazing that we're going to be using for the building it's a it's a gray uh

I'd like to get started to our right, Mr. Gallardo.

Thank you. I think overall for being such a long building and restricted in height, it's a good job of breaking up the elevations. What I do see on 42nd Avenue is in the middle of the building you are recessing the building there and the door just stepping back, I think what would help is if that expression also comes out to the railings and also to the ledge that's going across the top. Because then that would break up the elevation. Right now, it's so subtle because it's just recess in the middle that if you express that somehow, with the railing either stepping back or something different,

I think in general, you guys did a really great job on the party, in my opinion, surrounding the existing building. I really like the building on 42nd Street, the fact that you were able to break the length and you created a center section that brings natural light to the corridor. To me, that was done very successfully. On that particular design and elevation, my only suggestion would be to change those palm trees to actual trees. You did it very successfully. I think it feels very residential and the scale is great. It's just the palm trees don't really help you create that neighborhood feel

Yeah, the parking garage. Maybe you can do the same artwork, or it just looks very fake and doesn't really last a very long time.

Okay. It was still shown in your elevation, in your A202.

When you say you removed it, are you replacing it with the screen?

So can you go to A202 and just confirm that the section that has artificial green grass, that would now be artwork?

And then in the 43rd Street where you have the parking garage, if... Right now, the parking garage is a little bit forward from the residential tower by maybe five feet. It would be great if you can continue that green buffer zone that you had all along the perimeter. So you have it in 42nd Street. If you could turn the corner on 43rd, that would be great. Just to add another layer of buffer to the parking garage with landscape, just planting trees. It seems to me that there's just a sidewalk there with no vegetation.

Well, it's confusing because it's shown in your rendering, but when I look at the site plan and I look at the distance that you have between the sidewalk and and that I don't see it. But okay, that would be my one comment on that. Thank you. Mr. Sanchez.

Why would they not have trees on the June?

You have two trees on both sides of the, on both the north and south side of that east building, yes? Yes, because that is not- That's not on the right of way?

Well, in the meantime, I would say that the way you've laid out your site I think was fantastic. Just placing the parking garage in the back southwest corner I thought was thoughtful and keeping it out of the way. In hindsight, and I don't know if it's a big deal, being that your east building seems a little bit on the retail side or on the pedestrian side kind of unsolved, not as successful as your north and west elevation. You know, the idea of maybe flipping it. You know, I think your stoops on the north and west elevation were fantastic. I would say, you know, I loved that you raised your

I make a motion that we approve the recommendation that they revisit the elevation along June to create a little bit more articulation to reflect the indentation that currently exists on the facade.

I just want to add trees instead of palms.

So I accept the... The amendment for the trees, I'm good with 11th Street the way it is. I don't have a problem with the entrances, so I don't accept that amendment to my motion. I'm good with that elevation. So my motion was basically guided towards Lejeune, looking at that elevation, and I'll accept the friendly amendment for the trees, but revisiting the entrances along the side street, I don't accept that friendly amendment, so... Do you have anything else you want to add?

He's speaking to the mic. He's speaking to the mic.

Yeah, we've all expressed concerns on the building on Lejeune. I think they've heard that we're concerned with the building on Lejeune, loud and clear.

Okay. The motion has been... Madam Chair? The motion is to revisit the elevation of Lejeune to break up the center mass. There's currently a step back in the facade that is not articulated in neither the parapet nor in the railings and possibly incorporating that like they did along the side street and to remove or add palm trees. I forgot which one it was. Remove the palm trees.

Replace with regular trees. That's the motion. And do we have a second for that? I'm not concerned with seeing the cars from the ground because of the position that you're seeing them from. So whether you add another foot to it or not, you're still not going to see the cars. So I don't think there's a need to increase a parapet.

So we have a motion and we have a second.

I also want to add that your presentation was excellent. Thank you for clearly documenting the whole project very clearly for us to review super quickly and for bringing the material board. It's excellent. Thank you so much.

Thank you. This time I'll start on my left, Mr. Zamses.

I think this sets a really high bar for rental properties. So if I put myself into the budget that you're working for and the business model that you're trying to attract, I think it's a very successful project, especially in the areas where you have the stoops and the walk-up units in the back. I think you were able to achieve exactly what you are mentioning, which is breaking up the facade and creating a neighborhood feeling and designing for the pedestrian. I would agree that on the main elevation, you weren't as successful. It feels still a little bit flat and massive. But in general, I re

Thank you. I think overall the party, the way the building is laid out on the site is very positive, and some of the innovations are very articulated. To me, the arches kind of seem to have just been dropped in, like almost at the last second. It's like, oh, maybe we could use some arches. It doesn't really seem to tie in with the rest of the party. That's just my opinion. But I think it's a really interesting approach. Never thought about the fact that different brands apply to different markets and the fact that yes, there are people that that I'm more interested in. It's like hotels now. Th

Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Look, I appreciate your approach to the neighborhood. I think the west side of the project is very successful in the town homes. I think the scale is great. Aside from it being a zoning imposed, your execution It was very successful. On the east side, am I saying that right? Along 32nd, I don't mind that separation between the sidewalk However, you know, I would consider maybe lowering those low walls and maybe putting, you know, fence a little bit higher and shrubbery behind it to give that kind of openness. But I do have to say your long elevation

No, and I can see that. And I think, you know, just being so close to Coral Gables, you know, you're kind of bringing in that language, more of a classical party. Yeah. But my concern is the material that you use. A lot of these Ephus cornices, day one, look amazing. And then as the project starts to age... you start to have issues. So that's more of the question. What material are you looking to address that?

Okay. Excellent. Good answer. All right. Other than that, I don't have any other comments. We're ready to...

We don't have any other comments. We're ready to make a motion.

I can make a motion to approve as presented with one condition to look into breaking the length or the articulation of the east building elevation on 32nd.

We can also add to just confirm that the cornice detail will be precast.