Planning board conditionally approves two-story home at 7830 SW 58th Ave, requires arborist and engineering sign-offs

Daniel Carroll, acting chair of the planning board, presided over a unanimous vote to approve application DRB-2026-008 for a new two-story single-family residence at 7830 Southwest 58th Avenue, subject to submission of stamped-and-sealed reports addressing tree survivability and on-site drainage.

The board’s vote followed a staff presentation by Mark Albers of Corradino Group, who described the 0.45-acre RS-3 lot, the existing one-story house and accessory unit, the proposed two-story “tropical modern” design, and a landscape plan that anticipates removal of several trees. Albers told the board the proposal "meets all the setback requirements" and recommended approval with conditions that require preservation of specimen trees "to the maximum extent possible" and an arborist report explaining any proposed removals.

Mariano Corral, a board member, pushed back on several aspects of the plan, focusing on the perimeter specimen trees and a large Royal Poinciana near overhead power lines. Corral said the tree "should be removed" if it poses a hazard but also emphasized the difficulty of preserving roots when grading and berms are installed, arguing that raised soil can cause root hypoxia and recommending either tree wells or a redesign if trees cannot be preserved.

The civil engineer on the application, Jerry Zamora (addressed and sworn during the meeting), and other board members discussed technical options. Zamora stated he believed the site connects to sewer and said he would double-check Miami-Dade Water & Sewer records; he later confirmed the property fronts an 8-inch sewer line and contains no septic tank. Board members and staff also described standard landscape practices—such as installing berms by the landscape contractor and using tree wells or root "snorkels"—to reduce root damage and maintain stormwater retention.

After extended discussion the board conditioned approval on three primary deliverables: a stamped-and-sealed arborist report addressing specimen-tree viability and any compelling reason for removal; a signed-and-sealed landscape-architect report describing how landscaping and berms will be coordinated to preserve trees; and a stamped-and-sealed civil-engineer statement (including plan notes) showing how grading and berm construction will retain stormwater on-site and avoid harming tree root zones. The motion maker restated the condition language to require those documents be added to the file; a second was recorded and the board voted yes unanimously.

The board’s action included a procedural reminder from the city attorney to avoid adding additional comments to the record after the vote. The board then moved on to approve meeting minutes on the consent agenda and adjourned that portion of the meeting.

The decision is procedural approval with conditions; the required reports must be submitted and signed and sealed by the responsible professionals before the approvals are implemented or permits are issued. The planning board did not specify a subsequent review date in the meeting record.