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Board approves two‑story addition and after‑the‑fact changes at 606 NE 50th St. in Morningside with design refinement requested
Summary
The Historic and Environmental Preservation Board unanimously approved a certificate permitting a two‑story addition and after‑the‑fact improvements at 606 NE 50 Sixth St. in Morningside, with a design condition tying a new round window to the entry arch’s radius.
The Historic and Environmental Preservation Board voted unanimously to approve a special certificate of appropriateness allowing a partial demolition, a two‑story addition and after‑the‑fact site improvements at 606 Northeast 50 Sixth Street in the Morningside Historic District, subject to most staff conditions and an additional design clarification requested by the board.
Staff presented site plans and renderings showing a rear and second‑floor addition, an overall plan that retains three prominent live oak trees and a proposal to keep a substantial portion of the lot as open space. Staff recommended approval with standard conditions, including submission of manufacturer brochures at permitting, use of clear or low‑E glass for windows visible from the right of way, and documentation of whether a pile of coral rock rubble on the parcel will remain or be replaced with a structurally sound wall.
Applicant representative Melissa Ocendi (speaking for owner Mark Cipino) asked the board to allow two existing small, arched windows at the rear to remain as designed and to decline staff’s suggestion that the original garage opening outline be preserved in the new façade treatment. Architect Javier Fernandez described similar prior approvals in the district where garage openings were converted and marked by planters rather than exposed garage outlines.
Board members generally praised the design and the decision to preserve mature trees. One board member requested a minor refinement — that the radius and arc of the new upper round window reflect the same arc used for the front entry arch; the applicant’s architect agreed to adjust the detail. The board also clarified that the coral rubble pile is not an identified historic wall and that if a constructed wall is needed it should be structurally sound and set behind any required front fence line.
Najib Campbell moved to approve the special certificate of appropriateness with staff conditions except numbers 4 and 5 as presented, and with the added requirement that the second‑floor round window’s arc match the radius and tangent of the front entry arch. The motion passed unanimously. The decision is appealable to the hearing board within 15 days.
Staff will include the board’s resolution in the master permit set and require the owner to submit the specified material samples, window details and landscaping at the permitting stage.
