The Miami Beach Board of Adjustment continued consideration of an application for 2120 Lucerne Avenue on Jan. 9 after staff and several board members expressed concerns about proportionality between the proposed two‑story home and the accessory paddle court.

Staff described the 7,066-square-foot lot in the RS-4 district and said the proposed two‑story house would require a front-setback variance that, as currently drawn, left a paddle court footprint larger than the home's footprint. Planning staff recommended continuing the item to allow the applicant and staff to explore changes — such as cantilevering, minor plan changes or other design adjustments — so the home would more clearly be the primary use on the site.

Michael Larkin and Matthew Cohen presented the project team and described the design approach: a modest two‑story home brought closer to the street, extensive landscape screening, limited building height and a rear paddle court screened from view. Applicant Richard Tester and several neighbors said the lot has long been a neighborhood nuisance and the proposed build would remove blight and be stylistically compatible with nearby homes.

Board members asked whether proportionality should be measured by footprint or by expected frequency of residential use; staff responded that footprint is the standard for evaluating whether an accessory use becomes the primary structure. After a straw poll indicated the board did not have the five votes required to approve the variance, the chair moved and the board voted to continue the application so staff and the applicant could work on revisions. The matter is expected back at a future meeting.