Design Review Board - Regular Meeting

Good morning. We are live and recording in the chambers. Can you hear me? We hear you, Marcus. How are you? Recording in progress. Thank you very much. Good morning, everyone. I want to let you know that I got an email from Christian Rodriguez this morning. He will not be able to attend. Javier Baena has missed three meetings in a row, and he was automatically removed from the board, so we now only have five members. So because Christian isn't going to be for the meeting and mariano corral is the landscape architect for the project at 6021 southwest 88th street that project will just be automatically approved because mariano has to recuse himself from it understood and that okay understood yeah so we only have the one item 6501 southwest 59th avenue and at this time we still don't we don't have a quorum we only have mariano An angel. An angel. Right.

Okay. We'll give him some time. Good morning, everyone.

Good morning, Angel.

Good morning, Angel. How are you?

I'm doing well, Alex. How are you?

Very good. Thank you. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, Mariano.

How are you? Good, sir. Hey, how come? Oh. I must show my happy face.

There you are. There you are. So I was explaining to Alex, I don't know if you heard me, Mariana, because you had to recuse yourself from the 6021 88th Street project. That item is going to be automatically approved because Christian Rodriguez is not going to be able to attend. We won't have quorum for that item. And Javier Baena was automatically removed. He missed three meetings in a row. Oh, geez. So we're now down to five members.

Okay, so who's today? So besides me today, we've got Angel, myself.

And Rick is joining now.

Rick.

Rick and Danny. We would need Danny in order to have quorum.

Yeah.

So we'll have to wait a few more minutes and we'll give Danny a chance. And then if he doesn't, then like the first item, these items will move forward with the staff comments and recommendations and that's it.

Okay.

We'll just give them a few more minutes.

So regardless right now, item one will be approved and everything else will go through staff, correct?

Well, item one has staff comments. There are some staff comments and some adjustments that need to be made. So those will go through with all of those comments the same way as the second item will, if we do not have quorum.

OK. Oh, Rick is on.

Yeah, I'm here. Good morning. Good morning Rick.

I just spoke to Danny. He's going to show up. He's just having a problem with his computer.

Thank you, Mariano.

Hmm. I didn't never get the link to this meeting.

Say that again?

I never received the link to this meeting. I can't find it anywhere. Really? Well, luckily Marcus sent me the meeting ID, but I am searching my email high and low.

That's strange because I did get it from Nikki and I did get the email from Marcus. Oh, Danny's in. good morning good morning good morning part of me i had some technical difficulties this morning no no worries okay we have quorum now great yes so what i do is i recuse myself for the first item either way and but it still has to be read into the record and i'll i'll i'll just say bye-bye okay

So, so before, before we do that, before we do that, can we get, um, roll call, uh, the pledge of allegiance and, and let's, let's get everybody on the record and then we can move ahead. And Danny as vice chair, you are now acting chair. So, um, you, you ready, ready when you are.

All right. If we could all please stand for the pledge of allegiance. 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, could we have roll call starting with staff?

Marcus Lightfoot here in the commission chambers. I'm the only one.

Alex Uribe from the city attorney's office.

Mariano Corral, landscape architect.

Angel Lopez, architect.

Rick Urban, realtor.

Daniel Garrick.

Very good. We have quorum.

If anybody who's going to be providing a presentation on item number two. And Marcus, remind me, please. I don't have my agenda in front of me. The address for that item that we are going to see here.

Yeah, the second item is DRB-2026-020. The location is 6501 Southwest 59th Avenue.

Very good. If there's anybody who's going to be providing a presentation for that application, I need you to please turn on your screens and unmute yourselves.

And if I have that ability, I can go ahead and give them access.

Yes, please, please give them access so that they can do that. Okay, I see Mr. Rodriguez would like that authority. There he is. Okay. And I need you to please.

Perfect. I'm with item number one. I just want to make sure that we don't need to continue.

No, you guys are, you guys, there's going to be no quorum for your item. So your item will go with all the staff comments that have already been prepared in the staff report.

Perfect. Okay. So I'll get out of here then. Thank you. Yep. And have a good day. Okay.

Thank you. So I guess there's no one else, so if there's going to be nobody speaking, we don't need to swear anybody in except Marcus. Marcus, please raise your right hand. You swear and affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Yes, I do. Very good. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Mr. Chair, we can read the first item, and that one will go without presentation.

Okay, proceed.

The first item or the second item on the agenda is DRB-2026-020. The applicant is Arnaldo Valdez. Location is 6501 Southwest 59th Avenue. They are requesting a new construction for a two-story home. This item came into the city on July 1st of this year. And like I said, they were requesting construction of a two-story home. Staff has reviewed the application. And notes a few things. The site plan complies with the dimension requirements of the RS4 zoning district. When I reviewed, actually, I'm reading the wrong one. I'm sorry. You were reading the first one? Yeah, I was reading the first one. This item came in. on June 18th of this year into the planning zoning department. The lot is 6,000 square feet and currently has a 1,432-square-foot one-story home that will be demolished, and they are requesting approval to build a new single-family residence on the property. Staff reviewed the proposed request and found that they comply with the dimension requirements of the RS-4 zoning district. However, it's important to note That the proposed site plan does not detail the physical barrier around the property. They're not required to have one. They don't have a swimming pool at the back. But if they decide that they do want to do one in the future, they will need to pull a building permit with the city prior to the installation of that fence. I also reviewed the landscape plan for the project and found that the project is not planting enough shrubs that are required by the code. Per the code, you need 10 shrubs per required tree. for this particular property. The three site trees and two street trees are required, so at least 50 shrubs need to be planted. At this time, they're proposing to put 35 in, so they would just need to increase the number of shrubs planted. They're also exceeding the maximum sod allowed for that site as well. These items would need to be corrected prior to the issuance of the building permit. That said, staff is recommending approval of the project with the conditions that I outlined in the staff report that is attached. I'm available for any comment or questions you may have. Thank you. Thank you. Would the applicant like to make a presentation?

Do we have an applicant that's making a presentation?

I see Mr. Arnaldo Valdez is present, but I don't know if he would like to make a presentation. If we can, just ask staff to let him, oh, see, raise his hand, let him unmute. I would be happy to swear him in if he would like to testify.

Does he need to have his video on?

I would prefer that, yes. Hello? Mr. Valdez. Hello, how are you? Yes. Good afternoon. Good morning. Do you have a camera available?

I just hit video. It says it's on. You should be able to see me there, I think.

I see a big pink screen. Oh, there we go. Okay. That's better. Mr. Valdez, would you like to provide a presentation?

No, I just wanted to make basically a comment.

Before you do, before you do, I would have to ask you to raise your right hand. You swear affirm that what you're about to say is going to be the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? I do. Very good.

What about the architect? Arturo Fajul is on.

I don't know. I was having trouble unmuting and getting on the call. So maybe he's having the same issue. And my partner, Jerry, has also been unable to get on. So Arturo might be on, but I'm not sure if he's able or not able to get on.

Could we provide access to Mr. Staff?

They were just given permission.

Okay.

Let's see if we can get on there. But regarding Mr. Lightfoot's comments, I mean, we're fine with his comments of adding the additional shrubs and I guess scaling back the sod. That's basically, you know, all I think I needed to say. Once, you know, he recommended approval just with those minor changes, we'll be fine with, you know, complying with those.

Hello, hello. Can you hear me now?

I can.

Good morning, everyone. My name's Arturo Fanjul. I swear to truth. We need to swear you in, Arturo.

Please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the old truth, and nothing but the truth?

I do.

Very good. You may proceed.

So 6501 was brought to me by Nani and Jerry Sanchez a couple months ago. We started the design process. Basically, it's a two-story house, contemporary looking. The idea is basically we're putting all of the public living space down on the ground floor and the second floor has the four bedrooms upstairs. The lot, we maintain the seven feet on one side for the first floor and 12 feet on the opposite side and then the second floor steps back so it's 12 and 12 on both sides. It's got large, it's got a flat roof with a parapet. I basically took the AC equipment and where I had the setback on the second floor, I put the equipment on the second floor above the roof behind a parapet so they're concealed from view, leaving the side lot of the area for landscaping and to handle any kind of water retention that's required.

The landscaping plan,

The landscaping plan, I'm surprised, I thought we met the, I thought we exceeded the shrub requirement on the final plan that was submitted by Elizabeth. Elizabeth, the landscape architect is on the team, the project manager for the landscape company is on the team, and she can address those items accordingly. The idea is, again, large, Large windows, lots of light if you get to the elevations. I'm maintaining the existing driveway cutout. I'm not altering the two existing street trees, so they're maintained. A lot of windows to the north and to the south. The rear of the house faces east. The front of the house faces west. Incorporating the side to the south is where you can access the covered patio in the rear from the dining room and living room. And then the west facade is, well, we have a nice large oak tree that blocks 80% of the sun from the street tree. So that's why the large window towards the front yard is there. And I'm proposing some spandrel glass to make the transition for the floor so you don't see any of that stuff, and the transition of the deck. And then the vertical element is actually the stairs from within. And then the garage door would be an insulated door with vision panels. to keep it in a nice contemporary look. And then the rear has a balcony off of the second floor bedrooms. You can kind of see on the north facade, you can see the parapet and you can see the two condensing units there on the setback. You guys want to add anything else?

If you're asking me, I'm fine with the design you did and more than happy to add the additional 15 shrubs that they require or requested. And then scale back the sod as required and or requested.

Elizabeth, if you're available, can you touch on that subject? If you can allow Elizabeth to speak.

I will just need to swear her in. Elizabeth, I need you to please turn your camera on.

I'm trying. It's not letting me.

There you are.

Hi, good morning. My name is Elizabeth.

Can I get you to please raise your right hand? You swear affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. Thank you. Please proceed.

Good morning, everyone. I'm the project manager for this landscape plan. And in terms of the comments, yes, the request is correct. The problem that I see here is that the required shrubs that were provided on this plan are per the trees that are required on site. But I believe the comment comes from the total amount of trees required on site, which is five. times 10 equals 50. So we just have to adjust the plants to reflect that. And by doing that, we will also be reducing the amount of sod. But I do have a question based on our calculations or based on our research for the requirement is that the maximum long area that can be provided here is 50% of the lot. And in that case, if the lot is 6,000 square feet, that means that the maximum lawn would be 3,000 square feet. And we're proposing 2,635 square feet, which is lower than 3,000. So if we can just get clarification on that, that'd be great.

Go ahead, Marcus, you go ahead.

Yeah, thank you. I was trying to load up the code because The code says that the solder is 60% of the open space, but give me one minute. I can read you the section of the code.

Okay, thank you.

But regardless, in the future, when they do put a pool in there, that's going to take a lot of the solder away anyway, so.

Yeah, and plus adding the.

And I'll give you a list of it, and I'll give you my comments on some of the things that I see, and then we can go from there.

Okie dokie.

Yeah, so the section is 20-4.5 F, as in Frank, number one, lowercase a, it states for all residential and mixed use with lawn areas shall be limited to a maximum of 60% of the required landscape open space as required in section 20-3.5. In residential zoning districts when landscape open space is not specified, lawn areas shall be restricted to a maximum of 50% of the net lawn area. I can understand where you see the error, but because this property has a maximum impervious coverage, it indirectly has a minimum open space requirement of 50%. So the maximum solid would be 60% of the open space.

Correct. Again, we don't have an issue. I think we can make it happen. I just Arturo, I believe that your site plans show a open area of 50%. That's why we took off that number. So I just want to make sure we're both matching on your drawings. But again, we're not finding the square footage. We're just finding out or requesting clarification on the code. So I'll go ahead and read the code, get back with the team, and adjust that. It's not going to be a big deal. Less lawn is better for water usage.

Thank you. I just want to point out that this project will be required to get a tree removal permit prior to the removal of any trees. And there was a typo in the site plan for the first floor building coverage. I think it said 0% for the first floor building coverage. So I had to pull the number from the diagrams that were provided by Ms. Tufanjul. I apologize for that.

I don't have the drawings in front of me, so I'm dropping my son off in Indiana. I'm in the car outside the campus.

We do have a note on the tree disposition plan that states that you do need a tree removal permit prior to any removals.

Thank you. I just wanted to make sure because to get that started as soon as possible because it does take a bit of time. Absolutely. And the LDC states that the zoning can't sign off on any permits for the construction until that tree was issued.

Right. Or demo, correct? No demo.

Let me see what it says.

Is the tree permit with you or with Dade County?

With the city, with me. I don't want to hold the meeting up. I'm here looking for it. If I find it while you are discussing, I'll add it to the discussion. Okay.

Okay. Thank you very much.

Does that conclude your presentation?

Yes.

Okay. We'll go ahead and open this to public comment. Do we have anybody on Zoom or in chambers that would like to comment on this item? There is nobody in the chambers but myself. And seeing nobody on Zoom, we'll go ahead and close public comment. Let's go ahead and go to board members. Board member Corral, I know you're lined up. Go ahead.

Yes, I am. Arturo, first of all, let me tell you that I like your home. Okay, that's very important. And I do have some comments and I'll get back. Normally, I do not speak about the architecture. I normally leave it to Angel as the architect, but Even though I'm entitled to it, I try to stay away from it and stay in my lane, but I must say these things. First of all, your articulation of your elements is not boring. They're interesting. The front of the house has a lot of movement. The rear of the house has a lot of movement. On the, shall we say the, let me see, on the south side of the house, Again, your windows are perfectly balanced out. There is a gap of a wall, but we'll talk about that in terms of landscape and all. On the north side of the wall is the only area that I'm having an issue with, but I'll leave that to Angel to make a comment. He can correct me if he feels that I'm incorrect. I just feel that it's too much of a blank wall and there's nothing there to break it up unless you use vegetation. So, and having said all that, you do have a septic tank in Drayfield, don't you? No, no, this is, we're on city sewer. Okay. But the report that I read said that you were on septic tank. And this is where I wanted to make sure and clarify that. So you are on sewer. So we're good to go from that aspect. Because then we would have had an issue. I wish you would at least put a pool in there, even though you could have said pool by general contractor and so forth, because that would give us a feel.

There's a pool conceptualized, but the team's not ready to do it just yet. And we want to get under construction before we tackle that item.

I mean, eventually you're going to have to bring it in back to the city anyway.

Right, but I mean, if, depending on how this meeting goes, we'll figure out whether we submit with it or without it. We don't know yet.

Okay. So going back to that north side of the wall, my concern is that we don't have any photographs of what the neighbors are. What do they have on both sides? But your design, in terms of the size of the lot, just fits perfectly, in my opinion, okay?

Thank you. I worked the number seven ways from Sunday to make it work.

And so, but, and so, I don't know how the board will feel on that, but I'll leave it again to Rick and Danny and Angel to see if they see what I see. In addition, not knowing where all the underground utilities are, because you do not show them, we have to work with you i am one of them we'll we here are board members we try to work with the applicant to make it easier for you to go through this whole process okay and see and mention things that i see so getting into the landscape portion of it this thing um i came up with nine trees that need to be placed on this site two of them you've got them on the right away four is based on mitigation and then the three for lots. However, my good friend Marcus is going to say, well, if they're going to put four trees for mitigation, you're already covering the three for the lots. So we're good to go. So you're absolutely correct. We need about 70 shrubs that we need to put in here. But Elizabeth, my concern is just having ficus shrubs coming up along just on the side of the walkway doesn't give me a good balance on the landscape in terms of the house. I understand what Arturo is trying to do. You've got those big windows, you've got the big tree, but the ground plane is all grass. There's nothing else in the front of that house except... Well, there's a swell there for water retention. Yeah, that's fine. But that does not mean that you cannot put any shrubs. I mean, Elizabeth is a creative person. She can come up with something, and I don't know what, but again, I'm trying to work with you because she has an oak tree on the north side corner by where the creep mural is, and I think that's the wrong choice of tree because oak trees hate wet feet, and that's going to collect a lot of water. In addition to that, I think that she should use something smaller

because the house is smaller you're trying to show off your home i'm trying to find a balance for you okay well i will take the hit because i threw the i threw the the live oak next to the quick murder yeah that was an ownership request that was that was that was me not that was not that was not elizabeth so elizabeth i'll fall on that grenade my dear and so for you to understand

Sometimes I get reprimanded here because I don't follow the land development code. I look at the site. I look at what the proper trees and species should fit on that site from that aspect. If we have to go by the code, you have to put large canopy trees in here. And I ask myself this question. Why in the hell are you in a portal? Because of the tightness of the house and the way the tree will grow. But Elizabeth, you're too Spanish stopper. I have one in front of my house. It took 16 years for it to grow to 16 feet. 16 years. I planted in 2005 and it wasn't until 2016 that the darn thing was big. So those are the areas that I think you ought to consider about switching because you also have to calculate for the energy calculation zone that we are required. Eventually when your pool comes in, That would be a different issue. I thought your choice in the back of the Ardisha was excellent. That was Arturo.

That was teamwork with Arturo.

Okay, let me tell you. The backside, when those trees grow to be 15 feet, they'll grow relatively fast. It's going to give you color. Your Hamelia patterns, again, in one season, they should go to be about four feet in height. Correct. In two seasons, you'll grow bigger. So your choice of palette is not my problem. It's the lack of landscape that is my problem. And this is where I think that you guys should balance it out. I'm more concerned with the front. I'm more concerned with the north side of that neighborhood. Take a second look and then go from there. Otherwise, I think I... I don't have any additional comments from that aspect.

Does a creeping fig count as a shrub?

No.

I wouldn't mind greenwalling the north side with some ivy.

Elizabeth knows what to do. She knows what to do.

We'll regroup after this. Thank you.

She knows what to do. But again, I understand because of the big window in the front. and you want to see that, what kind of a low shrub? Remember, you've got to meet the woody shrubs. And if you use Fakahatchee grass and so forth, well, that's counted, but it's not considered woody. So as long as you have 70 woody shrubs, you're good to go.

Thank you, Board Member. Board Member Lopez, if you could continue, and please, in the effort of time, so we can land this, keep your comments concise. Thank you.

yes um hey how's it going guys um i i generally i like i like the design i just had some questions with regards to the floor plan versus the that rendering that you guys presented it doesn't seem like the front or the rear of these renderings are consistent with what you presented on the floor plan um maybe just provide some clarification and then you know just for you guys personally

So the renderings, they're not precise because I don't do 3D renderings. I put my floor plans into chat and did the best I could to tell chat what I needed. And that's what came up with. It's close. It's not perfect. I think it conveys the idea of what we're trying to accomplish. But it's not perfect. Okay.

I mean, it's kind of tough for us, difficult for us to review set of drawings, I guess. I can, you know, from my years of experience as an architect, I can kind of understand what you're providing, I guess. So the floor plan dictates the design, right? That's what you're telling us.

Well, my floor, I mean, I try, my floor plan and my elevations, don't look at the render. If you look at the floor plan and the elevations, that's where you need to really, the elevation, the renderings may not truly depict precisely what I was trying to accomplish, but the floor plan and the elevations do.

Okay. All right. So, yeah.

If that helps you visualize.

Yeah. Yeah. It helps. Yeah. It helps a little bit. Yeah. Okay. Because I see that the front, you know, your main entrance is not really, is standing behind the glass, right, from your living room. It's not really standing proud uh like it seems on the rendering and then i guess the elevation now i can kind of see what you're trying to do there um my suggestions architecturally um you know i'm okay with the design you know the design is is fine i see you have many you have a lot of glass which i like um and you know we'll talk about the the on the side elevation uh like moreno uh alluded to but The front door, just make sure that your landing has sufficient space. It looks like the door is like swinging right to the edge of the landing. And sometimes that can be problematic with people not understanding, like maybe give it a little bit more space on the landing.

That's the clarification I need from zoning is can my steps encroach into the front setback? And if so, how much?

Um, okay. Well, just, I guess, discuss that with, uh, with zoning at a later time. I just, that's just a suggestion architecturally, if you can expand on that, on that step on the ground floor, if allowed by a setback by zoning. then I would do that just so the door doesn't open right into the edge of that step. The second thing is, as you walk in on the stairs, I see that the second floor, I realize that the second floor has handrails. I didn't see it on the ground floor, but you're going to be providing those handrails, correct? I just want to confirm.

Handrails for where?

For the stairs, as soon as you walk in. No, when you walk into the house.

When I walk into the house, I was going to make those steps 14 inches so that I could get a – I think it's less than three steps. If I have to throw a handrail, I'll throw a handrail, but I was hoping I didn't.

No, no, no. The stairwell inside the house to the second floor, that's going to have handrails, right?

It'll have handrails on the inside only, not against the wall.

Okay. All right.

Fine. Yeah.

Okay, because I'm just clarifying because I think your floor plans do show handrails on the second floor against the wall.

Okay. But I don't think I have it for the last four steps coming down because I don't want to cross my window. But again, I don't have my plans in front of me. I apologize. I'm going off of memory. Yeah.

Well, I don't know what you're going to do if it's going to be glass or what you're going to do on that second floor. But, you know, I would suggest that you provide handrails or glass or something, guardrails or something on that second floor. Because right now, I just, facing the front of the house, I see that there's a handrail that stops there. And there's like an, there's a ledge there. And I don't know if that's glass or what that is. So just be clear with that. Okay. And maybe add that to your ground floor plan as well so that it's clear that you're going to have handrails. I only see it on the second floor.

Okay. Can somebody pop up the screen and show the floor plan? Is that something that can be done to share the?

Let me see if I can do this here.

Can what's this? Can Marcus share?

I can do it if it's such an issue.

Yeah. Can you, uh, can you share the ground floor plan? I actually, I should, what are you a corral? You just hit share over here and then you say share.

Yep. And pick your screen. Yep.

And pick the screen. All right, cool. Let me do this. Can you guys see my screen?

Yes.

It's showing up. Yeah. Yeah. All right, cool. So Sorry, I had a split screen there. So, yeah, on the ground floor here, the handrails, there are no handrails shown on the ground floor.

No, yeah, that's going to be a glass guardrail, yeah.

Oh, that's going to be a glass guardrail, okay, because on the second floor, I see handrails.

Correct, correct, that's going to be, correct, yeah, that's the glass guardrail, yeah, with a handrail, yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's the way it should look, yeah.

Okay, so you are going to have handrails against the wall, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, on the ground floor, when you walk in, This foyer is kind of tight. I know that there's a stairwell right in front of it, but just make sure that this feels nice and open, right? What's going to be underneath the stairs?

Well, there's a powder room proposed towards the top end. There you go. So the worst case scenario I could do is... Oh, on this side, yeah. Yeah. So the worst... I mean, if I had to, I could reduce the size of the... That wall element, the screen wall element between the living room and the dining room. And I could theoretically do a switchback staircase because it's a four-foot wide. It's a pretty wide staircase.

So I could theoretically – Can you reduce the steps and then maybe add another step here?

Yeah, that's possible too, yeah. Okay. Board members –

Board members, I apologize for the interruption. I don't want to interrupt too much, but I do also want to remind our scope of review is related more to the outside and the compatibility with the neighborhood rather than, you know,

Oh, okay. Sorry.

Interior elements. I'm sure I don't doubt that it is helpful and all that. I just want to make sure that we are clear that our scope of review is to the outside and that these suggestions, you know, this board does not have jurisdiction over the interior layouts of the house. I do want to make that clear. It's good to help, and I just want to support it.

Thank you, City Attorney. I was just about to jump in and say the same thing for two reasons. One, it's not in our scope, but two, in the effort of time, I know we all have things to get to, so if we could stick to the rails, stay under guard rails, and let's go ahead and land this, please. Thank you.

Yep, I get it. So on the side, like Mariano said, there's not much, there isn't much, many windows or anything. Maybe you could add something here in the garage, and I don't know, you know, The kitchen, that's up to you. The design, you know, I don't know if you want to add any kind of windows or anything here.

Yeah, the most I could do there is I could do a backsplash window to make a long linear window because I do need the cabinet space above. Right, I get that. I could go away. I could create the little streamlined, you know, instead of being a backsplash, it's a window. I'll talk to my owners about that.

It just needs something just to break up. Maybe you don't need a window. It just needs to break up that space.

Yeah, I did the stucco pattern. There's a scoring pattern with the stucco that I that I was proposing that made it look more linear and stuff. But we can look at that. I can look at some other stuff.

Okay, it's a suggestion. That's up to you guys. And then in the garage, sometimes people want even if it's a frosted window, so you can get some light in.

I was doing that with the garage door. But yeah, I guess I could do it on the north side because that's free light. You're right. It's free light. Yeah, just a suggestion.

And then you've clarified the rear. I'm looking at the rendering. It doesn't show like you have. So you're not going to do a pool right now, and you're not doing the handrails. You are doing the handrails, even though those aren't showing in the rendering. Sorry, I was just confused. But everything else, I guess, seems fine to me. Just make sure if you are proposing a pool in the future, you have enough space back there with your swale and everything. Yeah, that's where it's supposed to go. All right.

It's in DEF points. Let's put it that way. Thank you, Board Member Lopez. Board Member Urban, do you have any comments?

I have no comments at this time.

Thank you. Okay, so I'll summarize my comments. Most things have been mentioned. You're switching from septic to sewer or you are always on sewer, this property?

Nani, are we under the impression that it's on sewer and there's manholes down the street?

Yeah, correct. Okay, so there's not an existing septic that you need to remove? No.

Not that we're aware of.

Okay, and then my other comment is I appreciate wanting to put the AC units on the roof and creating some sort of a parapet barrier. My concern is that very often, especially with the changes in equipment, especially as the seer keeps going up, those hidden items become unhidden. And so I just want to make sure that the city is focused on continuing that because it does become a pretty big eyesore, especially in a residential area, when those units start peeking over the wall. And then lastly, I would say, I think this is a great case study. I have been seeing this throughout the industry with AI renderings. And I think we want to see if maybe we put something in place as a city as to what's allowed and not allowed because there is just a lot of distance between reality and what AI is coming up with. That concludes my comments. And couldn't we get a motion?

I'll make a motion for approval with staff comments and board member comments.

Do we have a second? I second that.

Excellent. Okay. Board member Corral, how do you vote? Yes. Board Member Lopez?

Yes for me.

Board Member Urban?

Yes.

And I too vote yes. Thank you very much. We look forward to your successful project.

So quick question. So I don't have to come back to this board. I have to address the comments and then I got to pull a tree permit before I can go into permitting or I can go into permitting concurrently with the trees?

You can start permitting because that's going to take a bit of time, but zoning can't approve the building permit. for the home until that permit is issued. I found this section of the code. Because you have an umbrella tree on the property, that's one of the items that are triggering this section. Let me go back to, I was looking at something else. BUT THE SECTION STATES IT'S 20-4.5F4F. PROHIBITED AND CONTROLLED PLANT SPECIES SHALL NOT BE COUNTED TOWARDS FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENTS. PROPERTY OWNER SHALL BE ENCOURAGED TO REMOVE PROHIBITED AND CONTROLLED PLANT SPECIES SHALL BE REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY BEFORE A PERMIT FOR CONSTRUCTION. other than renovations of 50 or less of an existing structure is issued and if issued no work shall be permitted until all prohibited and controlled plant species are removed from the site okay so we go straight into tree removal and

And then we make sure we protect the trees in the front.

Yes, make sure the trees you're protecting, make sure you put up your protective barriers. Yes. If you do not, that is a violation of our land development code.

It is. All those notes about violations and what needs to happen prior to anything is on the notes for the contractor to review and acknowledge prior to going into contract with us.

Okay. By the way, let me just say this to you, Elizabeth and the owners. Technically, from my perspective, I would have deferred this, the landscape, to come back at a later date. But because now everything is tied in, if I would have gone for a deferment, that means that the architecture also as well. I'm going to trust you, Elizabeth, that you are going to provide the proper landscape that we requested and so forth and the balance that we requested. And staff will review that because we'll never see this again. All right. But again, in the past, we have been hurt by it. And so I'm going to trust you because I know Diego and I know you guys will do a good job on this thing. So that's why I denied it. Thank you.

You're welcome. We will. Thank you guys. You have our word. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much. If we could go to the next item, please.

Next item are the meeting minutes for. Anybody have any comments on the meeting minutes? Nope.

Hearing none. All in favor. Can I get a motion for approval?

Motion for approval.

And a second.

I'll second that.

All in favor. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, motion carries. If there's no other closing comments, we will see you at the same time, same station next month.

And yes, and item number one, just to be clear, was there was no quorum. And so it moved forward with all of staff's comments as noted. Okay.

Understood. You're welcome. And really quick, because Javier Baina was the chair and he was rude, I think it would be best that we do board elections. So we pick a new chair and vice chair for the board. If you want, I can put it on the next agenda.

Can we do it right now? Can we do it right now? Because I already got my, I already want to tell you, I'd say Danny to continue as chairman of the design review board.

If you want to do that, just know that Chris Rodriguez is not here. But if you want to do it now, that's your choice. What do you say, Mr. City Attorney?

Up to the will of the board members present if they want to do it now or they want to do it next time. Either one is fine.

Okay. With that said, then, I would say can we get a motion to hear the item in this meeting?

Under one condition. The condition is we stay here on this board and review everything no matter how long it takes.

Thank you very much. That is not a... That condition will not be enforceable. I am so sorry, Mr. Corral.

I think there's actually rules on how long we're allowed to stay here. That is correct.

All right, so I'll make a motion that Danny Guerra should be the new chair.

Hold on. Hold on. We need a motion to hear the item.

What's the freaking item?

Well, I don't know. It would be a motion.

Somebody would need to make a motion to elect a new board chair, considering that there's a vacancy. In this meeting.

In this meeting. And that would be chair and vice chair.

chair and vice chair. So I would just need a motion to elect a chair and vice chair this meeting. Somebody can make that motion. That would be fine.

I would like to make a motion to elect a chair and vice chair of the design review board in this meeting.

Do we have a second?

I'll second that.

Thank you. Okay. All in favor, say aye.

Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, motion carries. Would somebody like to make a motion for chair?

I make a motion that Danny Guerra should be the chair.

And we can do two separate motions, or you can do a motion for a chair and a vice chair at once, or we can do a separate motion for the vice chair.

I would make it a separate motion.

Separate motion then. So there's a motion for appointing Mr. Guerra as chair. Is there a second?

I will second that. Second that.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Okay. Any opposed? So that motion carries. So Mr. Guerra is now the chair and we would like to also have a vice chair. So a motion on a vice chair.

I make a motion for Angel Lopez for vice chair.

Mr. Guerra, I don't think you can make the motion since you are technically the chair.

Okay.

So somebody else will have to make the motion.

I'll make the motion for Angel Lopez to be vice chair.

I'll second that.

Okay. So all in favor?

Aye.

Aye. Any opposed? No. Mr. Guerra, your vote is yes. Mr. Lopez, your vote is yes.

Yes.

Very good. Okay. Then, Mr. Lopez, you are the vice chair. Thank you. Congratulations. Very good, Mr. Guerra. You're the chair, and I think that that now concludes the business for today.

Sounds good. First, I'd like to say thank you all for the trust and honor in the position, and I will continue to lead. One thing that I would ask of all of you is that you contact your commissioners and make sure we fill the open seats. uh because this is taxing and there's a reason we're supposed to have seven and in case somebody has a personal item or business item that uh hasn't detained and so please lobby your local commissioner to fill their seats please how many open seats do we have on this board this board is seven right now there will be two two oh okay we lost two people okay yeah

Okay. I second what Danny said. Thank you very much for putting your trust in me as the vice chair. And I will do the same, you know, considering I'm in the industry. I'll, you know, I'll speak to my board member here and see if, you know, if I can recommend a couple of people.

Excellent. Okay. If there's no further items, we'll go ahead and adjourn this meeting. Sounds good. Have a good day, everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.