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
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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
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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
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