Board approves Jaeger attainable‑housing exception for city‑owned site; development to include mixed‑income affordable units

The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of an attainable‑housing exception and several subordinate warrants for the Jaeger project, a mixed‑income, attainable housing development on city‑owned land in District 5 (File ID 17434).

Staff described the application as an exception with six subordinate warrants and one subordinate waiver under Miami 21 to allow an attainable housing development on city‑owned parcels that abut T3 transect residential zones. The project is located near Northwest 67th/60th Street and NW 12th Avenue; staff recommended approval with conditions.

City staff and the applicant described the proposal as an eight‑story building with stepped massing that steps down toward adjacent T3 homes. In the staff presentation the development was described as approximately eight stories and “approximately 135 dwelling units,” with a parking‑podium strategy that provides buffer distance and landscape screening between the taller portion of the building and the lower‑scale homes to the rear. Staff noted the project is certified under the City of Miami Office of Community Development and Housing’s attainable mixed‑income program and that the project includes a mix of Extremely Low Income (ELI), very low, and low‑income units; staff referenced the attached affordable‑housing certificate for AMI breakdowns.

During the applicant presentation, the development team described ground‑floor retail (roughly 10,000 square feet) facing MLK Boulevard, internalized parking with vertical circulation to retail, a pool and park amenity, and an emphasis on added street trees and enhanced pedestrian realm. The architect described an articulated screen to conceal garage elements and a stepped building massing intended to reduce impacts on neighboring T3 properties. One board member raised questions about sidewalk widths and ground‑floor activation; the applicant said sidewalks vary on the site and committed to additional landscape/screening treatment along the edge facing T3 homes.

Notably, the applicant’s presentation included a different unit count: the applicant stated “Jaeger Plaza is a 35 units. It's 100% affordable,” which differs from the staff’s “approximately 135 units” figure. That discrepancy appears in the record and should be clarified in the staff file; the board’s motion and staff’s recommendation rely on the project meeting the city’s attainable‑housing certification and design conditions rather than a single unit count presented orally.

A board member asked about coordination with utilities (FPL) and whether residents adjacent to the site had been contacted; the development team said they had coordinated with utilities and had provided public notice. Staff said no written opposition had been received. After questions and a short discussion about pedestrian and landscape treatment, a motion to approve staff’s recommendation passed unanimously on roll call. Conditions will be applied per the staff report and the project will proceed to City Commission as required by the exception process.

The record of the hearing includes the staff analysis, the applicant’s affordable‑housing certificate, architectural renderings, and several conditions that address buffering, screening and traffic/parking issues to be resolved in permitting.