Board approves Casa Paula bed-and-breakfast and apartment hotel at 5837 N. Miami Ave.

The Miami Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board voted unanimously to approve a resolution allowing a bed-and-breakfast and apartment-hotel development at 5837 North Miami Avenue and 10 Northeast 509th Street, a property adjacent to the historic Villa Paula.

Board members voted to grant two waivers and approve the application with conditions after staff recommended approval. The project, presented by the owner's attorney, would create 21 units — 10 units operating as a bed-and-breakfast and 11 apartment-hotel units — in a five‑story building along North Miami Avenue.

City planner Clara Diaz told the board the proposal met Miami 21 criteria for walkability, transit-oriented design and ground-floor activation; staff recommended approval with standard conditions. Attorney Rachel Streitfeld, representing the owner, described the design as a five‑story building with 21 rooms and said the team planned 24 surface parking spaces (including one accessible space) using permeable turf block and a valet operation. Streitfeld said the project would provide a landscaped, widened sidewalk and a 5-foot wall and planted buffer along the east property line to separate the building from adjacent properties.

Streitfeld said the applicant requests two waivers: (1) an increase in the minimum lot depth/frontage to 132 feet so the southern side setback may be 6 feet; and (2) a 10% reduction in the width of one parking stall to allow a standard 8.5-foot stall along a buffer wall. She described the southernmost stall as unlikely to require the extra width because valet service and mechanical lifts are planned.

Architect and public commenter Cara Garcia urged deeper historical study of the facade, saying the project should better reflect the site’s architectural context. Board members asked about parking management, student safety at a nearby elementary school and privacy buffers for adjacent single‑family properties. Streitfeld said valet staff and management would control vehicle flow, the site plan preserves a 28‑foot clearance within the parking area, and design elements (landscaping and a concrete wall) would provide screening for neighbors. She also noted the Villa Paula is historic-designated and that future uses for that parcel would return to the board.

After discussion the board moved and seconded the item and approved the resolution by roll call. The board’s secretary announced: “This decision is final unless appealed to the hearing boards within 15 days.”

The approval included the two requested waivers and the standard list of conditions presented by staff. The record shows unanimous board support at the meeting.