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Historic board OKs after‑the‑fact window and awning changes at Palm Grove property with condition
Summary
The Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board approved after‑the‑fact approval for replacement windows and awnings at 6337 NE Fifth Ave. in the Palm Grove Historic District, requiring street‑facing windows to receive raised-profile applied muntins to better match historic appearance.
The Historic and Environmental Preservation Board unanimously approved an after‑the‑fact special certificate of appropriateness for replacement windows and awnings at 6337 Northeast Fifth Avenue in the Palm Grove Historic District, adding a single condition that street‑facing windows include raised‑profile applied muntins.
Historic preservation staff reported that original casement or hung‑sash windows and specific awning designs would have been the historically appropriate choices, and that the property currently shows horizontal sliding windows with tinted glass in places and replacement awnings that do not match the original documents. Staff’s recommended remedy was to restore window type and glass to match the historical record where possible.
Owner Larry Sims said he purchased the property in 2002 and described a multi‑year, incremental replacement process: “I was told that if you're doing one window at a time… you don't need a permit for that,” he told the board, explaining that his contractor advised staged work and that some awnings had been repurposed or removed because of storm damage. Sims provided a sequence of Google Street View dates and other photos showing window changes from about 2015 to 2018.
Board members discussed whether the sliding windows fit the building’s mid‑20th‑century character, the practical cost of replacing multiple impact‑rated windows at once, and whether applied muntins could satisfactorily mitigate visual differences. Several members noted that many properties in Palm Grove and other districts now have horizontal replacement windows, and staff said the department has been triaging many similar cases as building permits and after‑the‑fact reviews identify changes across the districts.
Board member Jordan Trachtenberg moved to approve the after‑the‑fact alterations on condition that windows visible from the public right‑of‑way include raised‑profile applied muntins; the motion passed unanimously. Staff will include the resolution in the master permit set and monitor compliance.
The board’s action was procedural and focused on mitigating visual impacts rather than ordering wholesale replacement. The owner was directed to provide required documentation at permitting and to coordinate with HEP staff on final material details.
