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Aventura commission approves rezoning and variances for 17‑story Casa Residences project after heated debate
Summary
The City Commission approved a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning to Town Center, a density and height conditional use and a variance allowing a higher residential-to-commercial ratio for the Casa Residences project at NE 180th Street; one commissioner voted no and one recused.
The Aventura City Commission voted 5–1, with one recusal, on July 1 to approve a package of land‑use changes for Casa Residences, a proposed 17‑story, 208‑unit mixed‑use development on the southwest corner of Northeast 180th Street and Northeast 20th Court.
The approvals include a small‑scale future land use map amendment from Business & Office to Town Center, rezoning from B‑2 to TC‑1, conditional‑use authorization for a density of 69 dwelling units per acre and building heights up to 17 stories, and a variance allowing a residential‑to‑commercial floor‑area ratio greater than the code’s 3:1 limit. Commissioner Aime voted no; Commissioner Cruz recused himself from the matter.
City staff and the applicant emphasized the project’s housing and sustainability elements. Kevin Klop, Aventura’s community development director, told the commission the project would provide middle‑market rental units and comply with the city’s review standards, including commitments to Florida Green Building Coalition Silver certification. Jeff Burkhau, attorney for the project team, said the owner would preserve the existing Moe’s Bagels building and deliver 12 HERO housing units reserved for qualifying public‑safety and education workers as part of the development’s benefits.
Opponents—led by legal counsel for the adjacent Port Aventura development—said the application amounts to overdevelopment in that location. Dennis Scribe, attorney for Granite Aventura LLC, said the proposal’s mix heavily favors residential uses (roughly 10.6:1 by the applicant’s filings) and argued that the requested variance “defeats the purpose of the town center” by reducing commercial capacity and altering the neighborhood’s character. Planner Wes Blackman testified that the proposal is inconsistent with multiple comprehensive‑plan policies and asserted the applicant had not shown the particular hardship required to justify a variance.
The applicant’s team disputed those points, saying staff had found the proposals consistent with the plan and code and that the project would generate fewer peak‑hour trips than the site’s as‑of‑right commercial alternative. Transportation consultant Chris Hagen of Kimley Horn reported a net increase of 31 AM peak‑hour trips and seven PM peak‑hour trips compared with the existing commercial use on the site, and concluded intersection levels of service would not be materially affected.
The commission attached conditions that were read into the record at the Local Planning Agency hearing and incorporated at the second‑reading vote, including provisions tied to green‑building certification and that setback variance requests were withdrawn by the applicant. Mayor Weinberg and other commissioners stressed the limitations imposed by recent state
