Design Review Board approves small setback reduction for 26 kW generator at 6071 SW 85th St with required sound enclosure

The City of South Miami Design Review Board voted 5–1 to recommend approval of a variance allowing a 26-kilowatt permanent generator to be sited about 11.5 feet from the side property line at 6071 Southwest 85th Street, a reduction from the standard 12.5-foot setback. The board’s approval was conditioned on specific noise-mitigation measures, including a physical sound enclosure rather than only landscape screening, and compliance with Miami-Dade County and City of South Miami code.

Staff told the board that the parcel meets lot-size requirements but that alternative locations exist on the lot that would meet the code setback; staff recommended denial, saying the hardship test in the Land Development Code could not be met. The staff report cited multiple LDC provisions and the Florida Building Code (Section M 1905.20.5) on exhaust termination distances and noted the applicant had not provided full manufacturer specifications in the initial submittal.

The applicant’s representative, Fabrice Mace, said the proposed location keeps the unit out of the middle of a backyard playground and pool and that the unit’s exhaust would be 10 feet from openings. Mace told the board the model proposed (a Generac 26 kW) has a weekly exercise/test noise level of about “57 decibel.” Board members said they needed the manufacturer’s noise rating to evaluate impacts but agreed that a one-foot difference in setback alone might not materially change sound at neighboring windows in this lot’s configuration.

Board member Subrata Basu moved to recommend approval with the staff’s alternative conditions in case of approval plus an expressly required physical sound enclosure; Mariano Corral seconded. Several members said any approval must specify the enclosure and compliance with applicable codes. One board member voted no, citing incomplete submittal documentation; the motion carried 5–1.

Key technical details discussed at the hearing included the 26 kW generator size, a proposed reduction of approximately 1.5 feet to yield an 11.5-foot side setback, exhaust termination at least 10 feet from openings per the Florida Building Code, and the applicant’s plan to place four new 120-gallon LP tanks at least five feet from property lines. Staff noted the application also asserts impervious coverage complies with the city’s current thresholds.

The DRB’s recommendation and the board’s conditions will be included in the record the board forwards to the Planning Board and then to the City Commission for final action. The board’s action requires the applicant to demonstrate the specified sound-mitigation measures and code compliance in subsequent reviews.