Remarks by James Mackenzie
85 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 3 of 4
- Play at 2:24:48
“So I'm assuming that the north side where the master bedroom is, or the south side, would be in compliance. Can you look at that? Not now.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:25:04
“Yeah, it would be an oddball kind of situation.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:25:10
“Yeah, or maybe you look for another way to deal with it. I'm not sure if you have a little bit of room to create like a Juliette kind of balcony. We thought about that. Yeah, so that you do have some articulation, not just a plain wall with two windows.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:26:42
“I think Scarlett's problem is the invasion of the setback, which you're only allowed, I think, eight inches, right?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:27:18
“Yeah. I think that would be a very nice elevation with that. Okay. I'm sure Scarlett would have to vet it, but let's hope that you find that little corner to give some leeway. In the back, I think the front is going to look very nice once you have those elements. In the back, it is a bit... I don't know if you... It is a bit troubling.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:30:13
“To the edge of the water, how much is it?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:30:26
“Okay. I think those are my comments. I think the front facade needs to be appealing, and I think they like the ideas, and I would say... The back, I agree. You know, if you could look for a way to make those steps a little different, where there's a softer transition, you know, it's not like going up.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:31:53
“I'm sorry, go ahead. I'm a little confused about the building department and the 50%. Is there still an issue pending about the 50%? That's why they have to bring it up. racing the finish for so what we're looking at is really your plan yes moving forward yes that meets the code requirements of the building department and everybody's happy okay i just want to make sure that we're approving if we're going to approve something that's already been vetted in that direction yes okay thank you just saw one clarification that um do do you want to ask that question uh”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:37:00
“And the comments associated with the front of the house as well.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:41:16
“If I understand correctly, we're moving towards scarlet or or let's say the zoning to dictate whether it meets code or not and and i think i'm fine with that i mean we don't need to see something that meets all the zoning requirements unless it's you know graffiti or something like that i presume no”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:43:05
“But can something be done code-wise that's incorporated in the zoning that they could look at and then bring forth something that's outside the boundary of whatever the code says? Can that be situated? Can we codify it so that only the exceptional comes here and not all of it?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 2:48:38
“I also agree with you in the sense that I think we're lacking code enforcement somehow. Not just in the commercial district but all around in general. And I bring it forth because the other day I was walking along the commercial. At one point there was a restriction on pharmacies And because Publix had a pharmacy and these, what is the other pharmacy that's closer to CVS, there was a distance issue. And only those two pharmacies were supposed to be, and that was the end of pharmacies for Surfside because of this rule of the distance. It appears like that rule is no longer in play.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 3:01:24
“Some jurisdictions have gotten to the point where they've totally eliminated the design review process if a residence complies with those zoning criteria. It's because the design review is perceived as being very subjective. And in the realm of subjectivity and taste, somebody could love something and somebody else could hate it. So it becomes so subjective that for single family homes, they've moved away from having design review criteria unless you're proposing an industrial look that doesn't fit within the community and clearly doesn't fit the language, if you will, or the style that that…”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 3:08:24
“But just out of curiosity, SB180 is dealing more with the actual zoning code issues.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 3:08:40
“As opposed to matters of composition, color, palette.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 3:10:52
“I mean, in essence, it's called design review because we're talking about design. We're not talking about FAR, you know, how much pervious area. Those are things that belong in the planning side, in the zoning side. We're here to discuss the actual design and its benefits or its accolades or its, you know, running a range.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 3:11:32
“But in the design guidelines, you're talking about things that are not palpable, measurable, right?”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 3:11:43
“So they need to be really tight so that feelings don't start to play a role in the discussion.”
Planning and Zoning Board · Jul 30, 2026
- Play at 7:17
“James McKenzie. I've been living in Surfside about 24 years, more or less. I'm an architect by profession with licenses in three different states because I've worked in several states. My office currently is in Miami Beach, or I should say my office is in Miami Beach for 30 years already. And I continue to practice. That's about the story.”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026
- Play at 13:13
“Through the chair, I'd like to ask Lindsay, was there anything of any importance in those in that session that we should be cautious about or?”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026
- Play at 13:36
“Was this a meeting where maybe design guidelines were discussed?”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026
- Play at 14:01
“And other than that, there were only applications then?”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026
- Play at 14:12
“Regular applications that were all approved or some of them got turned back with conditions or what happened?”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026
- Play at 17:07
“I'd like to take a look at them. So I'd say yes.”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026
- Play at 38:21
“I was also contacted by the owner of the property. It wouldn't affect anything.”
Planning and Zoning Board · May 28, 2026