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Design Review Board approves two‑story addition and pool at 5980 North Bay Road with design waiver
Summary
The Miami Beach Design Review Board approved an application to add a two‑story addition and a new pool at 5980 North Bay Road, granting a design waiver for a side‑elevation courtyard requirement after finding lot depth and setback mitigations justified.
The Miami Beach Design Review Board on May 15 approved a modification to an existing residence at 5980 North Bay Road that will add a two‑story addition and a new pool, and granted a design waiver related to a required courtyard break on a long side elevation.
Board members voted to approve the application after staff described the lot as nearly 1 acre in size and explained why the development does not meet the numerical courtyard requirement. "The home is unusual and its placement is well set back from North Bay Road," staff said during the board presentation, noting the 106‑foot front setback and that the house occupies only about 40% of the lot depth.
The waiver request arose from a City code provision that requires a break in side elevations exceeding a specified linear distance (described in the staff report as the 60‑foot rule and the related percentage/lot‑area calculation). Staff recommended approval, citing the extreme lot depth and the building's placement as mitigating factors.
Carter McDowell, attorney for the applicant, described the proposal and emphasized that the existing house will be retained rather than demolished. "Importantly, we are keeping the existing house. We're working with the existing house. We're not seeking to tear it down," McDowell said, adding that the owners want to expand the house for a growing family while maintaining substantial landscaping along the property line.
Board discussion focused on the location of the proposed opening and the design character. One board member described the project as a "nice design" that preserves more of the existing footprint than wholesale redevelopment.
A motion to approve the application — including the requested design waiver — passed by voice vote. The board approved the application and instructed staff to finalize the draft order in accordance with the board's action.
Documents in the record included staff's draft final order and design drawings submitted by the applicant; the board's approval incorporated staff conditions and the granted waiver.
The applicant may proceed to the building permit stage in accordance with the board's draft order and any standard permitting reviews.
