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Property Owner at 301 SW First Ave Given More Time to Resolve Unpermitted Garage Screening Banner
Summary
A Fort Lauderdale special magistrate gave the owner of 301 Southwest First Avenue until April 8 to return with a plan to address an unpermitted banner/screening over a garage; owner said design must clear staff and commission review.
A special magistrate on March 11 granted the property owner at 301 Southwest First Avenue an order to reappear on April 8 after the owner said the garage screening — treated by city staff as an unpermitted sign — requires additional design review and a commission call‑up.
Gus Baracus, presenting the case for the City of Fort Lauderdale, told the magistrate the property remained in violation after multiple inspections. Andrew Schein of Locker & Chalkis, representing PMG Greybrook Riverfront 2, LLC, said the garage had been screened with a banner originally approved in 2020 but replaced several years later with a new screening installed without a permit.
Schein said the owner submitted a revised design that removed brand elements and a website, but staff had not approved the updated proposal. He described a two‑step approval path – staff review followed by a possible commission call‑up – and said the owner had met informally with the mayor and scheduled a meeting with the district commissioner and the NSU Art Museum for feedback on March 13 and March 15, respectively.
Schein asked for more time to complete the design and approvals. The city opposed further extensions in a written statement from the city attorney’s office, which said prior hearings made clear the owner needed to submit for a permit and that delays caused by meeting with the mayor did not substitute for the formal review process.
After hearing the parties, the magistrate ordered the property to reappear April 8 and set that date as the next compliance check. The magistrate noted the owner must move the process forward through the official review channels; if the commission approves a design, Schein said the owner would be able to secure planning approval and a permit shortly thereafter.
