Remarks by James Mackenzie
85 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 4
- Play at 1:42:05
“So you guys are taking all of the roof off from the house? Correct. And replacing it with a new roof?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:42:29
“Which cannot be solved with just putting like a steel column or anything.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:42:42
“Yeah, I'm sorry to interrupt you. It's just I have a big issue with that. I think the house that exists there is a very nice house. It's one of the nicest houses in Surfside, I would say, for a corner lot. Yes. And, you know, this presentation to me seems like it's... It looks minimal, but it really is huge because we're changing the entire character of the house by taking that roof off and making it a flat roof with a single slope. Yeah, it's it's really drastic.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:43:48
“And you can't work with the existing roof to make some cathedral ceilings inside the house and create a really interesting interior.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:44:25
“So just to understand, the floor plan on A01. Yes. I was reading it as partially existing, and then the front, the taupe color and the two tones of gray was the only scope of work. But what you're describing to me now is that the distribution of the existing house needs to be altered or will be altered and therefore the sloped roofs are not going to be able to survive and therefore we're taking it all off to put a flat roof Is that a good representation of what, is my understanding a good representation of what you're doing?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:45:32
“Yeah. That puts me on the fence. I have to be honest with you.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:45:38
“I mean, I've renovated historic buildings, and I know it's hard. And I know it's not easy. Yeah. But it can be done.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:45:48
“Where there's a will, there's a way. And that's why we're professionals, right? Correct. We don't just draw pretty pictures. Correct. I mean, that's the notion, the public notion of an architect. Ah, draw me a little sketch. And then when you charge them, it's like, why are you charging me so much for the little sketch? I think that, honestly speaking, from my perspective, this is a major renovation of this house, is how I would qualify it. But I may be wrong, and you're welcome to prove me wrong.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:46:28
“Even if they raised the roof or I'm saying that if they're looking for height Because the current ceilings are low Then it tells me that the the roof structure of the house are trusses but trusses can be modified and Yes, it's going to be a cost to modify the trusses on site, but it can be done so that you can create cathedral ceilings in the living room, for example, which may be continuous with the dining room. Kitchen may not need that, but... Yes, rather than taking walls down haphazardly and taking the entire roof off, I would choose to simply say, okay, where do I need, where within…”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:47:52
“Yeah, if we're gonna present this house as something that is just a modification of the garage, then I think that that does not tell me that it's just that. Now I've discovered that the entire roof is being pulled out, and that's fair game for anything. Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt you. and if the aesthetic were something that i that i would be willing to support yeah why not but but this is just a single slope going one way with cantilevers all all around the box it just is not appealing architecturally you're going from something that is that is uh let's say compatible with the context…”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:48:52
“I THINK THE ATTORNEY WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:50:26
“I think it's drawn in one of your exhibits. It's drawn. Yeah. I think it was A02. A02.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:53:02
“Sorry, what's your name? Ash. Ash? Yes. Please don't take offense to what I'm saying.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:53:15
“Can I ask you, okay, let's assume you have to take the roof off, right? Which wasn't clear to me in these drawings. And apparently my colleagues are also. Instead of just doing a simple truss with a slope, can you try to recreate a sloped roof? In other words, let's change apples for apples and not apples for oranges. Is that possible? Since you're spending the money anyway. I mean, a trust like this is going to cost you less, yes, but a trust will cost you minimal. But you will maintain at least what 90% of the house looks like today. Correct. I mean, that is a very nice house, by the way.…”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:59:01
“i was not given a chance to answer uh the attorney's question as to whether uh somebody had had previous conversations with the person oh okay so i want to disclosure an ex parte disclosure an ex parte communication disclosure so if you'd like to disclose Well, this project came before us in the previous administration. And in the previous administration, I had discussions with the architects of this project.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 1:59:45
“Okay. I just wanted to keep that on the record because it did happen.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:21:29
“That's it? I'm a little confused. Oh, by the way, for the record, this is not the house that we reviewed when we met in a previous life. I would have to say that your story is very compelling. It looks like you have a lot of patience. Thank God. I would like you to dress up the stairs from the street side. Only just a simple maybe 18-inch wide wall on either side accompanying so that they don't look like they're lonely or an afterthought between the wall of the house towards the street.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:22:29
“Yeah, we reviewed a two-story house. Right, exactly. Back then, yeah.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:22:38
“Yeah, and maybe, I don't know how you could do it, but it would be nice if you could step up, have a little landing, and then another step up. We can do that. I think it would create a little bit more interest and a better composition for the entrance. We could do that.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:22:58
“Yeah, 18 inches or maybe. So you don't lose. Whatever suits you, but something that could have planting on.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:23:13
“And as far as the balconies, one of them is in violation of the code, right? Which would be the north one. Are you facing east or west? The front. We're facing east. You're facing east. Is it both balconies or just one?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:23:40
“But, you know, if we look at the floor, maybe I'm looking at the floor plan wrong, but.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:23:55
“It's both balconies that are in violation then?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:24:11
“No, the only thing that shows the balconies, I think, is the rendering. The balconies have been taken out from the floor plan.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:24:24
“Let's see. I have a site plan that shows the street at an angle. And I'm assuming that the left side meets the 20 feet, but on the right side, they'll probably have 25.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026