Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board Meeting – May 8, 2026

The Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board convened at 8:00 PM on May 8, 2026, to act on a lengthy agenda including consent items, several special certificates of appropriateness, and three tree‑removal appeals. The meeting ran past 9:00 PM and adjourned after more than six hours. All members were present for most votes. Key actions included approving a redesigned Morningside residence, deferring a roof‑replacement request to pursue grant funding, and granting two of three tree appeals.

Consent Calendar

• Two staff‑recommended approvals to the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board for Miami 21 Code exceptions allowing re‑establishment of non‑conforming uses: (1) 6621 Biscayne Boulevard – office use in a building approximately 89 years old; (2) 45 NW 31st Street – commercial and storage use in a 1937 warehouse. Adopted 6‑0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tree preservation dominated public comments. Numerous residents spoke in favor of saving mature specimen trees, arguing that removal is irreversible, that mitigation trees cannot replace lost canopy, and that the city should prioritize existing trees over new construction. Several speakers described the practice of clear‑cutting building sites as a “scam.”
• Design comments were also common: neighbors praised the redesigned Mediterranean‑revival style for 5810 North Bay Shore Drive and urged careful treatment of facades visible from side streets, especially regarding window patterns and tree placement.

Discussion Items

• HEP Item #3 – 536 NE 65th Street (Palm Grove Historic District): Applicant requested a special certificate of appropriateness to install an asphalt‑shingle roof on a contributing structure. Staff recommended denial because the historic material was flat tile. The board heard testimony about the owner’s limited income and a structural engineer’s report stating the roof could not support tile without major reinforcement. After discussion, the board deferred the item indefinitely (six months) to allow the applicant to pursue grant funding from a city commissioner. Vote 6‑0.
• HEP Item #4 – 469 NE 69th Street (Palm Grove): Proposal for alterations to a non‑contributing structure, including window replacements and partial porch enclosure. Staff recommended approval with 14 conditions. The applicant objected to two conditions: requiring muntains on flanking windows and retaining an ornamental iron gate. The board granted the request, removing those conditions, and approved the SCOA 6‑0.
• HEP Item #1 (moved from start) – 5810 North Bay Shore Drive (Morningside): New construction on a vacant lot. A completely redesigned Mediterranean‑revival style replaced a previously rejected modern design. Staff recommended approval. Public comment praised the revision but asked for attention to the south elevation and tree preservation. The board added conditions: (a) explore varied fenestration on the south facade, (b) explore relocating royal palms to the easement or other locations, and (c) examine a hipped garage roof. Approved 6‑0.
• HEP Item #5 – 4400 NE 1st Avenue (Buena Vista East): Restoration and addition to a single‑family residence. Staff recommended approval with 14 conditions. Applicant contested the requirement for textured stucco and the redesign of the front entrance. After extensive board discussion, the board added several new conditions, including preserving an open porch, adding windows to a blank west facade, using terracotta tiles, replacing glass railings with historically appropriate materials, and differentiating the second‑floor addition. Approved 8‑0.
• HEP Item #6 – 835 NW 7th Street (Spring Garden): Partial demolition, new construction, and a historic preservation waiver to allow two principal buildings on a single‑family lot. Staff recommended approval with 11 conditions. The board struck the “ghost structure” condition and allowed the applicant to use a metal roof (diamond‑shaped metal tiles) as an alternative to asphalt shingles. Other conditions required setting back the second‑floor addition to expose the parapet and adding windows. Approved 8‑0.
• HEP Item #7 – 4141 North Miami Avenue (Buena Vista East): Alterations and waivers for a 1961 commercial building. Staff recommended approval with seven conditions. The board struck condition 3 (requiring retention of tile on the tuning‑fork elements) and added a condition for an acoustical study to minimize noise from the proposed rooftop café. Parking concerns were discussed but not codified. Approved 7‑1 (Robert Powers dissenting on parking).
• HEP Item #8 – 2441 Swanson Avenue (Coconut Grove): Tree‑removal appeal. Neighbors opposed removal of two specimen trees (Royal Poinciana and Golden Shower) cited for “visibility triangle” and condition issues. Staff argued removal was necessary, but the board found insufficient justification. The board granted the appeal in part, allowing the two specimen trees to remain while permitting removal of the other trees. Vote 7‑0.
• HEP Item #9 – 3834 El Prado Boulevard (Coconut Grove): Tree‑removal appeal. The appellant argued the applicant was removing too many trees, including a 28‑inch DBH avocado tree and a 41‑foot‑tall sapodilla, and that mitigation trees were concentrated in a narrow strip. The applicant countered that all large specimen trees (lychee, live oaks) were preserved and that mitigation planted 31 trees. After lengthy debate, the board voted to grant the appeal, effectively denying the tree‑removal permit. Vote 4‑2 (Powers, O’Dell, Prieto, Hopper in favor; Perez, Trachtenberg against).
• HEP Item #10 – 3520 Grand Avenue (Coconut Grove): Tree‑removal appeal. The board first considered standing. The city attorney opined that the appellant, who lived two miles away, did not have standing under Florida law. The board agreed and dismissed the appeal on standing grounds without hearing the merits. Vote 6‑0.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda both items approved 6‑0.
• 536 NE 65th Street deferred indefinitely (6 months) to seek grant funding for a tile roof.
• 469 NE 69th Street approved with conditions as amended (removed muntains and gate conditions).
• 5810 North Bay Shore Drive approved with three additional conditions concerning windows, tree relocation, and garage roof.
• 4400 NE 1st Avenue approved with multiple added conditions (open porch, windows, terracotta roof, no glass railings, differentiation of addition).
• 835 NW 7th Street approved with conditions (ghost structure condition removed; metal roof allowed; addition set back).
• 4141 North Miami Avenue approved with conditions as amended (struck condition 3; added acoustic study).
• 2441 Swanson Avenue appeal granted in part – two specimen trees saved.
• 3834 El Prado Boulevard appeal granted – tree‑removal permit denied.
• 3520 Grand Avenue appeal denied for lack of standing.