Board approves small‑scale land‑use change and rezoning for 29 East 16th Street to allow four‑unit building

The Planning & Zoning Board voted to recommend a change in the future land‑use designation and to rezone 29 East 16th Street from low‑density residential to medium‑density residential and from R‑2 (two‑family) to R‑3 (multifamily) to allow a three‑story, four‑unit building.

Planning staff said the property is less than one block from the Palm Avenue commercial corridor and roughly four blocks from the Hialeah Metrorail station, and that the proposed density would create a transition between the commercial corridor and lower‑density neighborhoods. Staff recommended approval, saying the area has infrastructure capacity and that school, park and police concurrency will be checked during site plan review.

Applicant Manny Rios (architect) presented a plan for a three‑story building with four two‑bedroom units and eight surface parking spaces (two per unit). Staff and the applicant agreed on conditions including a declaration of restrictions limiting the development to four residential units; a requirement to preserve street trees in the swale during construction; and a full landscaping and irrigation plan at site plan review. The applicant acknowledged existing irregularities on the lot and said the proposal aims to provide a controlled, code‑compliant redevelopment in an area he described as transitioning near Palm Avenue.

The companion rezoning and variance package requested rear and side setback reductions, a lot‑coverage increase, a reduced pervious‑area percentage and other site variances customary to urban infill lots. Planning staff recommended approval of the rezoning and variances with the conditions noted. The board approved the related items by motion; recorded votes showed the motion carried.