Historic preservation board approves two‑story guest house and related variances at 1426 Lenox Avenue

The City of Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board on Feb. 14 approved a certificate of appropriateness and related variances for a two‑story accessory building at 1426 Lenox Avenue, located in the Flamingo Park local historic district.

Board action came after staff described the property as a 1940 contributing structure and recommended approval, and after neighbors and preservation advocates said they supported the design. The board approved the certificate of appropriateness and the requested variances to exceed lot coverage and reduce interior side and rear setbacks by 5 feet and 13 feet respectively. The certificate and variances passed on separate roll calls, each 5–1.

Staff explained the property’s context to the board, noting the existing main house is set back about 50 feet from the street and that incentives available for houses outside historic districts do not apply here, which staff said created a “practical difficulty” that limited where an accessory building could reasonably be placed. "The front of the existing home is set back approximately 50 feet from the property line," staff told the board, and recommended approval.

Architect Wesley Castellanos, representing the applicant, said the accessory building is intended as in‑law quarters for the owner’s parents and that the design team considered multiple layouts before returning to the plan now before the board. He told the board the design seeks to preserve the original 1940 house while placing a modest, compatible guest house in the rear yard.

Neighbor representation was present. Tucker Gibbs, attorney for the property owner to the north, told the board his client "has no objection to this application as presented here today." Daniel Seraldo of the Miami Design Preservation League also said the group supported the proposal as an example of preserving a single‑family home while adding accessory space.

Board members debated the legal standard for granting variances under Miami Beach Code Section 118‑353(d). One board member argued the board is a “quasi‑judicial” body that must find specific criteria are met before approving a variance, and said the record before the board lacked explicit findings on each statutory factor. "We are a quasi judicial board. We're not just a board to say, wow, this is a great design," the member said, urging that variance approvals be supported by evidence meeting the code’s criteria.

Other board members said the application’s neighbor engagement, the retention and rehabilitation of the contributing house, and the site’s unusual relationship to an adjacent commercial alley supported the requested relief. The board also heard from staff that, if the property were outside a historic district, different incentives would apply, which affects feasible design choices inside the district.

Votes at a glance: Certificate of appropriateness — approved (5–1). Variances for lot coverage and reduced setbacks — approved (5–1). Board member Reed recorded the single dissent on both votes.

The board’s approval includes staff‑recommended conditions and the applicant’s commitments made at the hearing. The project will proceed to permitting subject to those conditions and any standard staff reviews.

The board continued other items on the agenda to March 14 and welcomed a newly appointed member during the meeting.