Hialeah planning board tables contested TOD rezoning for 924 E. 20th St., sets Aug. 13 follow‑up

The City of Hialeah Planning & Zoning Board on July 9 tabled a rezoning request for 924 East 20th Street to allow a four‑story, 23‑unit multifamily building in the Hialeah Transfer Station TOD master plan area. Staff recommended denying the rezoning and related variances, saying the parcel is an interior mid‑block lot surrounded by single‑family R‑1 homes and that the proposed density and height would be incompatible with the immediate neighborhood context. The applicant, represented by attorney Cesar Mestre, asked the board to defer action to allow additional outreach and further review with staff.

Planning staff told the board the TOD master plan supports higher density near the transit hub generally but that the subject parcel was designated for low‑rise transition and that a 3‑story, up to 36 dwelling‑units‑per‑acre project (about 11 units) would be more consistent for this location. Mestre and the project team disputed staff’s description of the block as a ‘‘stable single‑family neighborhood,’’ presenting aerial photographs and site photos showing multiple additions and nonconforming units on nearby lots and arguing the block already contains denser, multiunit fabric.

Multiple residents spoke during public comment. Some asked that the parcel and neighboring properties be included in TOD, citing proximity to transit; others, including owners of immediately adjacent homes, said the proposed scale would reduce setbacks, increase parking and traffic pressure, and could harm emergency access and neighborhood character. Planning staff and several board members emphasized the difference between a land‑use map amendment (which the board approved earlier) and the separate rezoning and site‑plan approvals that would follow. The applicant asked to be heard at a later date to continue outreach and to address the concerns raised.

The board voted to table the rezoning and variance requests to the Planning & Zoning Board meeting on Aug. 13, 2025. The motion to table was made by Mr. Mason and seconded by Mr. Eliseo; the roll call recorded affirmative votes from Mrs. Enriquez, Mr. Morales, Mr. Mason, Mr. Eliseo and Mr. Perez.

The decision preserves the earlier land‑use recommendation that the parcel move to a TOD land‑use designation (the board recommended approval of that change earlier in the evening), but it delays a decision on specific zoning, height and setbacks. The applicant and staff said they would continue outreach and may revise the design and mitigation measures before the Aug. 13 hearing.