Board denies appeal to restore suite‑hotel status at 1330 15th Street; planning director's decision upheld 5‑1

The Miami Beach Zoning Board of Adjustment on May 5 denied an appeal from the owner of 1330 Fifteenth Street seeking to restore a nonconforming suite‑hotel use, affirming the planning director’s determination by a 5‑1 vote.

The owner and manager of 1330 Fifteenth Street, who identified himself to the board as the manager of 1330 Fifteenth Street LLC, asked the board to reverse a planning director decision that concluded the property’s suite‑hotel use had been abandoned and converted to a conforming apartment use. The appellant argued the planning director relied on a forged Business Tax Receipt (BTR) application and on a mistaken administrative record.

Appellant’s case: forgery claim and documentary timeline The appellant said he submitted a BTR application on Nov. 18, 2019 and that a different, forged version of the BTR was later used by city staff. He told the board he had reported the alleged forgery to the Miami Beach Police Department on Dec. 5, 2022, and he presented a packet of documents and a chronology to support his claim. “I come before you…