Remarks by Luis Prieto y Muñoz
433 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 3 of 18
- Play at 3:20:06
“It wasn't me to interrupt you. It's fine.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:20:41
“So that is conditions three then remains.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:20:49
“Then I would be very happy to make a motion with those amended conditions.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:21:10
“They were just read in by staff. All architectural members agreed with them. I'm comfortable that Ken will be able to go and re-watch for your reference. This is hour three, minute eight for your future reference. So I don't need them read in specifically for my motion.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:47:57
“I think he's saying it's open format now. So through the chair, if I may.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:52:37
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:53:27
“The tree was there. So I feel... Like, I might have a hard time being convinced that you were not going to purchase the property to demolish it or at least substantially remove large portions of the structure to build something else. The house was listed as a teardown. The house was very clearly in poor condition. You bought it with that intent. I mean, I appreciate that that's absolutely your prerogative. What I struggle with is the following. It is a contributing property in a historically designated district. there are very clearly defined parameters that need to be conformed to. Everybody…”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:55:07
“I will tell you that virtually without fail, every demolition that comes to this board is accompanied by an engineering report by a structural engineer who declares the structure to be an imminent threat to all involved. Was it submitted to the staff for their consideration, the structural engineering report?”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:55:27
“At the end of the day, it's not for us to adjudicate structure. I am confident that a competent structural engineer can incorporate existing facets of that structure into their renovation. I'm not suggesting you live there now, but I'm saying that in terms of a renovation or restoration of the property, there is competent structure that can be incorporated into that program. I find it impossible to believe otherwise. I'm not saying it's safe at the moment.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 3:56:00
“But my point is simply that if we took every single engineering report that comes to us that says the structure needs to be demolished imminently, every structural property in Miami would simply take that tack because, and I don't mean to impugn the reputation of your structural engineer, but there are plenty of structural engineers in this city that can be compelled to sign their name to anything. So... We have to look at this through the merits of the historicity of the site, the historicity of the neighborhood, and the impact that this may or may not have on that fabric. And that's the…”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:01:00
“So I think at this point you have a bit of a sense of the tenor of the board, and I think you have two choices here. We can defer this for a substantial amount of time. Is that right, Ken?”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:01:18
“So my suggestion, and I'm not going to guide you, obviously, it's for you to decide, but ultimately the decision point in front of you is to either have us vote now, and give you a decision one way or the other which is your right or you can choose to waive what's called your 60-day rights everybody's entitled to have a decision within 60 days of this hearing and allow this item to be deferred confer with your architects evaluate all the feedback that you've gotten here in terms of what this board considers approvable or not and come back to us when you're ready and i can assure you that…”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:02:36
“We could come back to this after we hear the next item. We can give you some time to confer.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:04:53
“We can't. We can deny it with findings. It's a denial of findings. And for the sake of it, my denial is on the basis that this is not conforming with the intent of the historic district and that this is an irrevocable loss to the architectural fabric of the Buena Vista East Historic District.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:44:56
“Who has a... Who would like to go first? I would be very happy to take a quick stab. Would you mind giving me just a sense of... From your perspective, apart from the fact that it's non-contributing and that it's vacant, although it doesn't seem like it was vacant when you purchased it, what other affirmative evidence do you have that establishes a need for demolition other than you want to build something else?”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:45:28
“Okay, but there's nothing wrong with the structure. There's nothing about the structure that requires demolition other than it doesn't suit your purposes.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:45:42
“So other than your philosophical views on the neighborhood's needs, there's no reason to demolish the property?”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:46:06
“When you purchased the property, the intent was to demolish it and redevelop it with the plan that you've broadly presented to us today.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:46:14
“I think from my perspective, this is straightforward. I mean, ultimately, we're dealing with a 1936 property that, as far as I can tell, should absolutely have contributed, been considered contributing in the reporting process. And it's precisely in line with the historical character of the neighborhood that is intended to be preserved by this neighborhood historic preservation district that overlays it. And while I admit that what you're presenting is a lovely structure, I have nothing negative to say about it. As I said with the previous item, our task here is to preserve the historicity of…”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:57:47
“If I could give you, and that's absolutely your right, and I think that's something that I think we would all, entertained. I mean, truly, you came here so respectfully, and your presentation was so well put together, like, I feel awful denying you, but I mean, we have to be true to our mandate and to our belief. From a deferral standpoint, I mean, you understand this is an extensive, you see here that, you know, we are all viewing this as protecting the integrity of this neighborhood, and In order for you to build a program of that dimension there, within the confines of what we've…”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 4:59:01
“Nothing is approved whatsoever. Yeah, there would be no demolition.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 5:00:22
“I think for the sake of this procedural matter, the item in front of us is demolition and new construction. I think it's very clear that as of where this stands, the board is opposed to demolition of the structure. At least that's the interpretation I took from my colleague's position.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 5:00:39
“If they come back with an application that broadly replicates what has been in front of us before or already, I think they can expect for that to be denied as well. And I'm sure they're not interested in having a protracted design exercise just for that to be denied or to end up with the same conclusion.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 5:01:30
“Comforted in knowing that we have a very similar view on preservation as do many of your constituents as do you as well? So I think you know take that as you will but I'm pretty confident that the applicant is well aware of where we stand on demolition of this property and If they come back with that same application, I think that the tenor will go very much in the same direction So I certainly would be entertaining willing to entertain deferral. I don't know where my colleagues land So what would be gained by a deferral?”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 5:06:25
“I think we're moving off the point here. So you would like a deferral? Yes. I would move to defer this item indefinitely. I move.”
Historic and Environmental Preservation Board · Sep 1, 2026