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Design Review Board recommends Avalon Bay mixed‑use project with landscape and circulation conditions
Summary
The City of South Miami Design Review Board recommended approval of Avalon South Miami 2 (Avalon Bay), a mixed‑use large‑scale special‑exception, with board comments on landscape mitigation, sidewalk treatment and loading/circulation. The recommendation passed 3–2.
The Design Review Board on Dec. 19 recommended approval of Avalon South Miami 2, a proposed large‑scale mixed‑use development by Avalon Bay on a 1.13‑acre triangular block at South Dixie (US‑1), Dorn Avenue and 73rd Street.
City planner Mark Alvarez told the board the project proposes 254 residential units with ground‑floor retail, internalized parking and preservation of historic buildings at the site’s northern apex. Alvarez said the project would be eligible for floor‑area bonuses that could raise the allowable density and height “up to 16 stories,” and that the bonuses would be met partly through public‑space improvements and a payment‑in‑lieu for affordable housing and sustainability features estimated at about "$6 to $7 million." Alvarez said the application conforms with the Transit Supportive Development District zoning and that staff has reviewed the design waiver criteria.
Jeffrey Bass, representing Avalon Bay, said the developer has previously built in the area and that the team intends to rehouse the Deli Lane merchants in rehabilitated historic structures. "We ask for your recommendation of support and approval, today," Bass said, stressing the team’s intent to preserve the corner buildings and activate the streetscape.
Board discussion centered on landscape design, the presence of a registered landscape architect on the submission and how FDOT visibility rules affect planting along US‑1. Board member Mariano Corral pressed the applicant and staff on mitigation for the roughly 60 trees that would be removed, appropriate species selection on narrow planting strips and whether the signed landscape seal appears clearly on the plan. When the applicant confirmed a licensed landscape architect and a license number on the cover sheet, Corral said he remained concerned about species selection and long‑term maintenance but acknowledged the overall design strength.
Other comments addressed loading and delivery circulation, mezzanine allowances and pedestrian clearances. An engineer for the applicant and staff said the clear sidewalk width adjacent to the building will provide an 11‑foot clear pedestrian path within the right‑of‑way, with a separate low planting buffer in addition to the clearway.
Board member Mariano Corral moved to recommend approval with the comments recorded in the meeting (chiefly more specific landscape mitigation and planting/species details); after a second the board voted and the motion carried 3–2. The recommendation now advances to subsequent planning and commission review as part of the city’s large‑scale development process.
Next steps noted by staff: continued refinement of the traffic study (reviewed by Corradino Group), a DRC meeting to address interior circulation and details, and later Planning Board and City Commission consideration. The board’s recommendation includes staff and member comments to be incorporated as the project proceeds.
