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Board approves new synagogue and variances at 2530 Seventh Street with conditions on resiliency
Summary
After several revisions and board comments, the Historic Preservation Board approved a certificate of appropriateness and related variances July 12 for a new synagogue at 2530 Seventh Street; the board required continued work with staff to meet sea‑level‑rise and resiliency criteria.
The Historic Preservation Board approved plans and variances for a new synagogue at 2530 Seventh Street on July 12 after the applicant revised elevations in response to prior HPB comments and to input from the Miami Design Preservation League. The applicant resubmitted plans that lowered and articulated window openings, introduced Jerusalem stone at the building base and terracotta ornamentation to reference original materials, and set the third floor back nine additional feet from the second‑floor façade.
Staff recommended approval of the revised design and the requested variances based in part on the lot’s longstanding substandard dimensions; the parcel is undersized relative to current minimum lot‑size and lot‑width requirements. Architect Ari Sklar described the revised massing as an effort to restore the appearance of the earlier two‑story Mediterranean/Art‑Deco volume at the street while placing contemporary residential floors above.
Board discussion covered appropriateness of materials, the relationship of new massing to adjacent contributing buildings, and sea‑level‑rise/resiliency requirements. Daniel Serrato of the Miami Design Preservation League said the design had improved but remained concerned about compatibility details.
The board first approved the certificate of appropriateness for the project by roll call (5–1). Later the board voted unanimously (6–0) to approve the requested variances — including lot size, lot width and reductions to required setbacks — subject to a condition requiring the applicant to continue working with staff to satisfy the city’s sea‑level‑rise and resiliency review criteria (chapter 133, article 2) during permitting.
Why this matters: The project replaces existing nonconforming structures on a constrained lot with a new institutional building; the board’s condition seeks to ensure resilience measures are integrated despite setback and elevation variances.
Votes at a glance
- Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 2530 Seventh Street: passed, roll‑call tally 5 yes, 1 no. - Variances (lot size, lot width, setbacks, yard elevations): passed, roll‑call tally 6 yes, 0 no; condition added to continue work with staff on sea‑level‑rise/resiliency compliance.
Next steps: Applicant to record conditions in the project order, submit permits and work with staff on final landscape and water‑retention plans required by resiliency criteria.
