[Action Alert]: No on R5AG: Protect Miami Beach Design Review for Understory Homes

Dear Neighbor:

An ordinance proposed by Commissioner David Suarez is going to have its first reading at the Miami Beach Commission tomorrow, Wednesday November 20th.

The ordinance as proposed would fundamentally weaken the public process for the review of new construction single-family homes that contain an understory in Miami Beach.

Many of you know about the epidemic in our single-family neighborhoods: homes are being snatched up by LLCs – by a handful of developers who manage and profit off of most of the teardowns. Existing homes are replaced with McMansions – with the intention of being flipped for maximum profit.

Sadly, their business plans clash greatly with our residential single-family neighborhoods, as we see so many of these projects sit unsold and become a blight on our neighborhoods. Not only is this activity erasing an important part of Miami Beach’s architectural history, but it has helped create a property bubble that is leading to extreme home prices and making a family home out of reach for so many Miami Beach residents.

On Wednesday, November 20th, the Miami Beach Commission will hear item R5AG, which is proposed by Commissioner David Suarez and supported by the Planning Director. The goal is to ‘streamline’ processes…

While the Commissioner claims that the proposal is driven by his concern regarding flooding of existing single-family homes, he fails to acknowledge that the Design Review Board Process is an important step for neighborhood review of new construction. The review process offers neighbors the opportunity to review plans and provide input, and helps to ensure compatibility under the zoning code.

Imagine, the house next door to you being knocked down without even receiving a notification or information about what will be built. That is what will happen if R5AG is passed!

How could we strip neighborhoods of the current review and input process which helps to ensure compatible new construction?

If they strip our single-family neighborhoods of public review, what will they take away next?o

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Dear Mayor and Commission I ask that you oppose R5AG, which is a proposal by Commissioner Suarez that will reduce neighborhood notice and review for new single-family construction with understories. Miami Beach has a long history of good design and architecture, as well as community input and review. By stripping away the review of understories - which are much of the new homes being built - we would be removing an important component of the public review process that makes our city a desireable place to live, work and play. I urge you to vote NO on R5AG, and look at other ways to streamline review processes - particularly within the building department - while keeping the review in place for the benefit of the community.