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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1959-02-28 Meeting35 the Council what their wishes were in this matter whereupon Mr. Faulkner made a motion that the matter be tabled until she regular me.etlny on February 2Eth so that both sides would have a chance to present the r cases. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hart. The meeting was adjourned. ATTEST: Clerk February 11, 1959 lti 'rayor February_214_1959 The Council of Bal Harbour Village met at 9:30 a.m. on February 28, 1959 at the Village Hall. Those present were Messrs. Brown, Broeman, Beatty, Faulkner and Hart. Also present were Tom H. Anderson, Village Attorney; Mary T. Wetterer, Village Clerk; and W. H. Webb, Village Manager. The minutes of the regular meeting of January 24, and the special meeting of February 11, 1959 were accepted as submitted on motion of Mr. Broeman, seconded by Mr. Beatty and unanimously voted. Mayor Brown called the meeting to order and after hearing the roll call announced that the first order of business was to again consider the petitions and resolutions from various business and civic groups opposing the possible construction of a large apartment building on Tract E of the Ocean Front under an F.H.A. approved mortgage. This matter was first brought before the Council at a special meeting held on February llth at which time the Council decided to table the matter until the regular meeting in order to allow all persons concerned to have more time to become better informed. Mr. A. J. Hoffman, President of the Bal Harbour Club, Inc. presented a petition to the Village .Council requesting the Village Council to adopt a resolution opposing such action by the owners as being contrary to the best interest of the community of Bal Harbour. The petition reads as follows: "The Board of Governors of Bal Harbour Club, Inc., have been informed that the present owners of Tract E, 36 ocean front, Bal Harbour, have made application for FHA insurance on a mortgage loan for the purpose of erecting a 14 story, 300 unit apartment house. It is the opinion of the Board of Governors that there is no need for FHA insured mortgages for rental units in Bal Harbour since adequate and sufficient units are already available. The Board of Governors urges the Village Council to adopt a resolution opposing such action by the owners as being contrary to the best interests of the community of Bal Harbour" Petition signed by: A. J. Hoffman, David W. Exley, Louis Boshara, Edgar B. Lau, Executive Committee, Board of Governors, Bal Harbour Club, Inc. Mr. Leonard Wolf, Attorney for the Owners of Tract E, presented a brochure to each member of the Council and to all those present at the meeting giving detailed information regarding their proposed apartment building. He also assured the Council that these apartments would be rented on 3-5 year leases and that all tenants would be thoroughly screened as to character as well as credit; and that the F.H.A. gives the owners the right to screen tenants. He further stated that the owners themselves intend to have apartments in this building. Mr. Trip Russell, the architect, presented a render— ing of the proposed building and stated that the plans for the building conforms with local laws as well as F.H.A. requirements. The size of the individual apartments is governed by F.H.A. and that there is an off—street parking plan placing 250 cars under the building and the balance on the surface so that it will not further complicate the parking situation in Bal Harbour. At the conclusion of the discussion, Mayor Brown asked the Council for a motion whereupon Mr. Hart made a motion that the Bal Harbour Council take no action on the petitions and resolutions on the grounds that it is not the function of the Council to choose tenants but to enforce the law; that the Council has no authority to decide whether the F.H.A. should approve a loan in Bal Harbour. This motion was seconded by Mr. Faulkner. Upon question, Mr. Broeman asked Mr. Anderson, the Village Attorney, as to the exact position this places the Council and what they should do. Mr. Anderson answered that the petition and resolutions are asking the Council to take some action to prevent this project from being built under F.H.A. financing. If the February 28, 1959 37 individual thinks this project would affect the public interest and people of Ba1 Harbour then they should vote in favor of the petitions. If they do not feel that the best interests of Bal Harbour will be affected, they should vote against it; however, they do not have to take any action. At this point Mr. Hart again stated that his motion was that the Council take no action. Mr. Broeman recommended that the matter be opened for discussion. Mr. Stanley Whitman, owner of the business section, informed the Council that he had had a conversation with Mr. Taplin, one of the owners of Tract E, during which he asked what loan the F.H.A. will give. Mr. Taplin's reply to him was $3700.00 per room and the rents on this building would run $59.00 per room. Mr. Feldman informed Mr. Whitman that it would cost $6000.00 per room to duplicate the Carlton Terrace at this time. With these figures, the building could not be comparable to other structures of this type in Ba1 Harbour. Since the petition of the Hotel Assn. represents every hotel in Bal Harbour as well as the Carlton Terrace and Sea View, it represents 100 percent opposition of comparable property owners; Mr. Hoffman as president of the Ba1 Harbour Club represents the residents of Bal Harbour who have shown they are opposed to it, the Council should take some action. Mr. Whitman also read and submitted to the Clerk a telegram received from Russell H. Riley of Harland Bartholomew and Associates of St. Louis, the firm that planned Bal Harbour. The contents of the telegram are as follows: BECAUSE OF CONTINUED INTEREST IN BAL HARBOUR I AM PLEASED TO CONFIRM EARLIER DISCUSSION THAT I AM STRONGLY OPPOSED TO PROPOSED FHA DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE OCEAN AM SURE IT WOULD BE OF SUCH DIFFERENT CHARACTER THAT IT WOULD CONFLICT AND IMPAIR THE EXCELLENT CHARACTER OF THE ENTIRE VILLAGE. IN MY OPINION THIS WAS NOT THE INTENDED USE OF FHA AND IS NOT NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A DESIRABLE DEVELOPMENT UPON THE LOTS. Mr. Louis Boshara, resident of Bal Harbour and member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of Bal Harbour Club, Inc., said that it is common knowledge that people buying property in Bal Harbour automatically pay a premium for a house or lot in order to live in an exclusive community and that an FHA type building would depreciate every house in Bal Harbour. Mr. Taplin asked that he might explain that $3700.00 per room is not low cost housing and that the building may cost as much as $6,000.00 per room. They want to get the maximum loan and will build whatever it costs and that they intend to go ahead with this building whether under F.H.A. February 28, 1959 38 or not. Mr. Kenneth Gifford, property owner in Bal Harbour, and owner of Shamrock Isle Hotel, said that he had been a property owner in Bal Harbour for years and that it is most important that everything be taken into consideration. He further stated that he had had a discussion with Mr. Taplin regarding the apartments and that he understood that approxi— mately 70 apartments would rent for $90 — $150. per month. The average rental would be $130.00 per month and the highest $4600.00 per year. This is far out of line with Bal Harbour rentals — you cannot rent a room in Bal Harbour for what some of these apartments can be rented. Mr. Joseph Hoover, owner of the Bal Bridge Apts., called the attention of the Council to the fact that the business of the Council is to serve the people in this Village as they represent each group here, and that he felt they should take some action to maintain the character of this community. Mr. Herbert White of the Whitehall Apts., reminded the Council that there are vacant apartments in Bal Harbour now and if this type of building is allowed to be built in Bal Harbour, everyone will have to continue to lower their rents and it will bring a lower class of people into the Village and be detrimental to all the property owners. Following this discussion, the Mayor called for a vote which was as follows: Mr. Beatty — NO Mr. Hart — YES Mr. Broeman — NO Mr. Faulkner— YES Mr. Brown — NO therefore the motion failed to carry. Mr. Broeman then made a motion that in view of the discussion, the petitions are of public interest and the Council should act upon and sanction them. This was seconded by Mr. Beatty. This motion was carried upon vote as follows: Mr. Beatty — YES Mr. Hart — NO Mr. Broeman — YES Mr. Faulkner — NO Mr. Brown — YES Mr. Brown then asked that the Council establish a maximum millage rate for taxation for the Tri City Library. During the brief discussion, Mr. Webb recommended that the rate under the State Law be used. Mr. Anderson advised that the general law was one mill and that it should be fixed in the ordinance. Mr. Faulkner then made a motion that the maximum millage for the Tri City Library not exceed one mill, according to State Law. This motion was seconded by Mr. Hart and unanimously carried. February 28, 1959 39 Mr. Brown then called on Mr. Webb to make a report to the Council and the gentlemen from the Hotel Assn. who were present of his trip to Gainesville regarding the Baker's Haulover situation. Mr. Webb gave a description of the scale model of Baker's Haulover as it is being studied at Gainesville under the direction of Prof. Per Bruun, world wide authority on beach erosion. They are calibrating tides and during the next 3 months they are going to put sand in the model to see why sand moves in different directions at different times of the year. Dade County appropriated $12,000. 00 of County funds toward the study at the University of Florida. We can take steps immediately to do some dredging if temporary measures are established to protect property at the south end. Mr. Webb then stated that he felt that, after they have completed the study, prof. Per Bruun will recommend a 500' opening in the cut. He also recommended that a meeting be held sometime in the near future to discuss the financing problem to get some dredging done. Mr. Webb will set up a meeting date for a joint meeting with hotel men and Council so that they can go into this more thoroughly. Miss Wetterer advised the Council that an Election Schedule had been placed in each folder for their information. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. ATTEST: Clerk February 28, 1959 Mayor March 284. 1959 The Council of Bal Harbour Village met at 9:30 a.m. on March 28, 1959 at the Village Hall. Those present were Messrs. Brown, Broeman, Beatty, and Faulkner. Absent: Mr. Hart Also present were Tom H. Anderson, Village Attorney; W. H. Webb, Village Manager; and Mary T. Wetterer, Village Clerk.