Planning board approves Matter East charter school annex with conditions

The Miami Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board voted 8-0 to approve two exceptions that would allow Matter East Academy to add a three-story annex and related site improvements at properties in Little Havana.

Staff told the board the request (File ID 17435) seeks two exceptions under Miami 21: to permit an elementary-school use and a middle-school use within a T4-R transect. The application covers properties generally described as 427 SW Fifth Avenue; 4201 SW Fifth Avenue; 4509 SW Fifth Street; and 467 SW Fourth Street. Staff recommended approval with conditions, including a traffic study at the time of building permit and unity-of-title documentation for lot assembly.

The applicant’s attorney, Miriam Solar Ramos, described the project as an expansion of the existing K–8 charter school that has operated since 2004 and said the annex would add classrooms, rooftop play space and parking. She said the annex is roughly 20,926 square feet, three stories tall, and would increase the school's capacity from the currently reported 660 students to 1,060 students; the proposal would also add 12 classrooms and roughly 27 additional parking spaces, the applicant said. Staff noted the annex would include an accessible roof intended for outdoor recreation and that the project would be conditioned to mitigate impacts on adjacent residential uses.

Board members asked about the lot-assembly condition and building height. Staff told the board the lot-assembly requirement is largely procedural — to ensure the legal description is acceptable to the city attorney — and confirmed the annex uses allowed three stories with active roof elements and protective fencing. Staff also said the project is surrounded by T4-R transect zoning on all sides.

After brief questions from the board, the chair made a motion to approve the exceptions based on staff recommendations; the motion was seconded and passed on an 8–0 roll call. The board’s decision is final unless appealed to the Division of Hearing Boards within 15 days.

The record shows the board conditioned approval on standard items noted in staff’s report, including the traffic study at building-permit review and required lot-assembly documentation. The staff report and motion reference compliance with Miami 21 and applicable county charter-school regulations; the staff presentation also referenced further landscaping and buffering requirements to reduce impacts on nearby residences.

The application will move forward subject to the listed conditions, and any appeals or further actions will follow the city’s normal review and permitting process.