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Design Review Board approves three new understory residences after lot split on Marseille Drive
Summary
Following a planning‑board lot split, the Design Review Board approved three separate new understory residences for lots created at Marseille Drive; board members emphasized compatibility, landscaping and construction management measures to reduce neighborhood disruption.
The Design Review Board approved three separate applications for new two‑story residences with understories created by a prior planning‑board lot split on Marseille Drive. The three lots (middle‑lot and two adjacent lots created by the split) each received design review approval following staff presentations and applicant testimony that emphasized substantial setbacks, contemporary design details and landscaping to reduce perceived bulk.
Staff briefed the board that each home complies with the RS‑4 District massing and unit‑size limits: proposed lot coverage and unit size percentages were within code maxima and the projects sit one foot below the maximum understory height allowed on the lots. Staff recommended approval for each home subject to conditions in the draft orders and to correcting old code citations to the updated chapter structure.
Nicholas Rodriguez represented the property owner; architect Chris Fernandez presented massing, daylighting and landscaping strategies. Fernandez showed renderings and described how planters, bronze louvers and angled soffits help break down perceived massing. The landscape architect described preserving existing hedges in rear utility easements where possible, supplementing side‑yard screening with bay rum and other native species, and protecting large existing street trees.
One neighbor raised concerns about illegal dumping and ongoing property maintenance at the vacant former lot; staff and the applicant said ongoing property maintenance and a construction parking/management plan required at permit submission would address those concerns. Staff noted the draft orders include typical construction management and site‑maintenance conditions, and the applicant committed to addressing the existing debris promptly.
Board members asked applicants to maintain high‑quality side elevations, preserve mature trees where feasible and coordinate construction parking to protect neighbors’ swales and curbside space. Each motion to approve was seconded and carried by voice vote.
Why it matters: Lot splits and subsequent infill construction are a recurring source of neighborhood concern in Miami Beach; the board’s approvals highlight the role of design review in shaping façade articulation, landscaping and construction conditions for understory homes.
