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HomeMy Public PortalAbout02 03 2022 Special MeetingMINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING HELD BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW AND PLANNING BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GULF STREAM, FLORIDA ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022, AT 8:30 A.M., IN THE WILLIAM F. KOCH, JR. COMMISSION CHAMBERS OF THE TOWN HALL, 100 SEA ROAD, GULF STREAM, FLORIDA. I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 8:30 A.M. II. ROLL CALL Present and Participating: Absent w/Notice: Also Present & Participating: Thomas Smith Malcolm Murphy Jorgette Smith Amanda Jones Bob Dockerty Robert Canfield Curtiss Roach Gregory Dunham Edward Nazzaro Rita Taylor Chairman Vice Chairman Board Member Alternate Board Member Board Member Alternate Board Member Board Member Town Manager Assistant Town Attorney Town Clerk III. Minutes of the Regular Meeting and Public Hearing of 1-27-22 Alternate Board Member Jones made a motion to approve the minutes from the January 27, 2021, regular meeting. Board Member Smith seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call. IV. Additions, withdrawals, deferrals, arrangement of agenda items There were none. V. Announcements A. Meeting Dates 1. Regular Meeting & Public Hearing a. February 24, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. b. March 24, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. c. April 28, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. d. May 26, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. e. June 23, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. f. July 28, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. VI. PUBLIC HEARING. A. Declaration of Ex-Parte Communication Chairman Smith stated he had spoken with the Town Manager and Town Attorney. B. Administer Oaths Town Clerk Taylor swore in J.R. Davis, Benjamin Schreier, and Bill Boardman. C. Items from the Town Commission (Continued) 1. Continue review of previous recommendations Minutes of ARPB Meeting & Public Hearing Held 2-3-2022 @ 8:30 A.M. Chairman Smith explained that this meeting was a continuation of the January 27, 2022, meeting with the applicant returning with some potential changes from their original proposal. a. An application submitted by Benjamin Schreier of Affiniti Architects, as Agent for James and Nadia Davis, owners of property located at 588 Banyan Road, Gulf Stream, Florida, which is legally described as Plat of Polo Cove, Lt. 1, S 50 ft. of Lt 2 & S 75 ft. of Lot 3 & N 55 ft. of Lt 2A. DEMOLITION PERMIT to remove existing structures on the property, with the exception of the existing entry wall pier feature at the entrance. SPECIAL EXCEPTION to reduce the rear setback from 50'to 35' as per Section 70-75 (j), Rear Setbacks for waterfront lots in the Core District. LEVEL 3 ARCHITECTURAL/SITE PLAN REVIEW to permit the construction of a single family, two story, 8,699 sq. ft. Anglo Caribbean dwelling with attached 2&1/2 car garage and a swimming pool. Mr. J.R. Davis thanked the ARPB and Town staff for taking time out of their busy schedules to accommodate this special meeting. He stated that they should have received his letter and exhibits so he didn't want to repeat everything, but he would start by saying that their home conformed to the Code by all objective measures, the direct Cove neighbors have spoken their support through letters that are in the Agenda Packet. He added their home met the criteria in the Code that was for waterfront new construction and that the new construction would be further back than the existing home. Mr. Davis stated this was a large and unusual lot and encouraged the Board to not let scare tactics of mansions popping up everywhere confuse the fact that this is the largest Core point lot in the neighborhood worthy of a proportionate home. He stated Mr. Schreier would speak to the changes regarding mass and they are trying to work with the Town regarding this issue. Mr. Benjamin Schreier, Architect, started his presentation by addressing the special exception stating that the Board had agreed upon two of the four criteria, so he wanted to address the two they had not thought necessary. He stated that Banyan Road has four Banyan trees with two of them sitting on the Davis property and they sit nine feet in from the property line. He added that their canopy, as of today, extends 45 feet into the property and as it continues to mature would extend 50 feet. Mr. Schreier explained this was another reason for the special exception so that the house can be positioned closer to the water and the Banyan trees can be retained as a significant feature of Gulf Stream. The second criteria regarding altering the character of the waterfront, Mr. Schreier pointed out that the new construction would be seven feet further from the water than the existing home. He added that the Town had received 14 letters of support, many from neighbors 2 Minutes of ARPB Meeting & Public Hearing Held 2-3-2022 @ 8:30 A.M. around the Cove, in support of the design. Mr. Schreier stated that they wanted to address the concern of mass and although the square footage had not been altered, the roof pitches and gables had been significantly reduced with the overall height of the house being reduced from 30' to 28' and the one-story portion of the house reduced by three feet. He then stated that these changes reduced the overall mass by 130. Mr. Bill Boardman, Town resident, stated the presentation was helpful but thought the elevations didn't show that much of a change and thought two feet was only 796 and didn't think that massing had not been dealt with enough. Mr. Boardman didn't think the new construction was consistent with the surrounding houses. He also didn't think they had made significant changes or meaningful compliance with the directive of the Commission. He then handed out what he received in the mail and stated it was different than what they were showing to the Board. Chairman Smith asked Town Clerk Taylor if anyone had come to Town Hall to look at the plans to which she answered they had not. Mr. Boardman spoke of structures and stated the Board needed to key in on that word and if the structure conformed to the Town Code or if it was creating a poster child for future homes and asked them to do what is right for the Town and what the Civic Association Board wanted them to do. Chairman Smith asked if the Civic Association Board had met this week to which Mr. Boardman answered in the negative. Chairman Smith stated that he respectfully had to disagree with Mr. Boardman in that he thought the architect had made an attempt to come back with a change and thought a 13% mass reduction may be hard to see in two dimension, but in three dimension it may be more noticeable. He added that on first glance it didn't look like much of a difference, but if you studied it in detail, it was significant lower with the gables being lowered, etc. Chairman Smith also added that when looking at the property from an aerial perspective, if they did not use the special exception and chopped the master bedroom off it would change the entire symmetry of the building. He then asked for comments from the Board. Alternate Board Member Jones stated she thought they had done a great job of reducing the volume of the massing and thought it was a handsome house. Vice Chairman Murphy thought that they had done exactly what the Board asked them to do in addressing the massing and was it enough was a subjective term. He also thought it was very important that there were so many favorable letters from the neighbors in response to the construction of the home that were strong in their support. Vice Chairman Murphy thought it was a strong argument to have that much support. He added that they took each application on its own merit and in terms of the footprint of this unique lot, it needed to be addressed in this amount of detail, but he believed the issues they had asked to be addressed had been done. Chairman Smith stated that if this application moved forward that Mr. Boardman had every right to get opposing letters but at this time, no one had come forward in opposition except for him representing the 3 Minutes of ARPB Meeting & Public Hearing Held 2-3-2022 @ 8:30 A.M. Civic Association. He added that none of the neighbors closest to the Davis property had given any negative response and if no response meant negative, that couldn't really be stated and didn't feel that any of the immediate neighbors were in opposition. Board Member Smith stated she did agree with Mr. Boardman that the Town was at a critical point with mansionization issues, but she also agreed with Mr. Davis that this was a most unique lot in the Core and deserved a significant house on it and thought the massing had come down a little but wasn't sure that the Commission would see it that way. She added that she saw both sides but thought this lot could handle this house and it wouldn't be out of place. Mr. Boardman stated that he wanted to go back to Old School Road and stated that was where this all started with the Civic Association Board and was hoping that they had made it very clear that the job of the Board was not just limited to numbers and FAR, but there had to be another half to the equation in the sight section. He added that he had been misquoted and thought the house was a gorgeous house. He went on to say that on a 40-acre lot it would look spectacular. Mr. Boardman stated that going forward there would hopefully be no more Old School Roads because that was not a unique lot. Vice Chairman Murphy asked if they could address the special exception again regarding the Banyan tree since this was the first time that was being brought to them. Mr. Schreier quoted from Section 70- 75(J)(2)(B): the reduction of the rear setback is necessary to ensure adequate buildable area. He added that this lot has two existing, very large, Banyan trees and that the Davis's could remove those trees if they wanted to, but they did not want to because they were part of the definition of the property and Banyan Road. Mr. Schreier stated the trunks of these trees were nine feet in from the property line and the canopy was 45' in from the property line and would be going to at least 50' in maturity, therefore the front setback, which is currently 301, they are asking for the special exception so a portion of the house could go closer to the rear, which is in the allowable with the special exception. Vice Chairman Murphy made a motion to recommend approval for a demolition permit to remove existing structures on the property, except for the existing entry wall pier feature at the entrance. Board Member Smith seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call. Vice Chairman Murphy made a motion to recommend approval of a special exception to reduce the rear setback from 50' to 35' as per Section 70-75(j), Rear Setbacks for Waterfront Lots in the Core District. Board Member Smith seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call. Vice Chairman Murphy made a motion to recommend approval of a Level III Architectural/Site Plan based on a finding that the construction of an 8,699 sq. ft. Anglo Caribbean, two-story, single- family dwelling with a 2.5 car garage and swimming pool meets the G1 Minutes of ARPB Meeting & Public Hearing Held 2-3-2022 @ 8:30 A.M. minimum intent of the Design Manual and appliable review standards with the following condition: 1. Any minor modifications to the approved landscaping shall be submitted to the Town Manager for review and approval and any major modifications shall be brought back to the ARPB for review and approval, prior to commencement of landscaping. Board Member Smith seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call. Vice Chairman Murphy made a motion to request the Commission to recognize the points that have been addressed when it came back to the Board. Namely that the colors of the window frames and garage doors have been addressed, the massing has been reduced by 13% and that the square footage has not changed. The special exception is, in terms of accommodating the two large Banyan trees which are a signature part of the property. Board Member Smith seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call. b. Correspondence VII. Items by Staff There were none. VIII. Items by Board Members There were none. IX. Public Mr. Boardman stated he made his case known today and would not be taking his opinions any further. X. Adjournment Chairman Smith adjourned the meeting at 9:10 A.M. Renee $ase� Deputy Clerk 5