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South Miami commission removes one‑story restriction on replat amid neighborhood objections
Summary
After a quasi‑judicial hearing, the commission voted 4‑1 to remove a condition limiting the eastern lot at 6623 SW 77 Terrace to one story so the owner may build two‑story homes; neighbors said the change erodes neighborhood character and urged preservation of large oaks.
The City of South Miami Commission voted on June 17 to amend a previous final‑plat condition and allow a two‑story house on the easternmost lot of a three‑lot subdivision at 6623 Southwest 77 Terrace.
The request, presented by Senior Planner Mark Lightfoot, sought removal of the earlier condition that limited the eastern lot to a one‑story home. The applicant, property owner Javier Jimenez, told commissioners he plans three two‑story houses that he described as “tropical modern” and said the development will preserve the site’s oak trees and remove invasive plants.
Neighbors and members of the public urged the commission to retain the one‑story restriction, saying the area has a historic single‑story character and that replacement by multiple two‑story homes would harm neighborhood charm and canopy.
“I drive 80th Street every day—I see these two‑story houses popping up everywhere,” a neighbor said during public comment, urging preservation of green space and the character of adjacent lots.
Commissioners questioned staff and the applicant about the lot pattern and whether surrounding parcels had changed since the earlier restriction. Lightfoot confirmed the adjacent lot to the east has been sold, demolished and has an approved two‑story replacement, which the planner said altered the compatibility rationale that supported the earlier one‑story restriction.
Mayor Fernandez and other commissioners said the change in neighboring conditions reduced the rationale for preserving a single‑story limit; after deliberation the mayor moved to remove the restriction and Vice Mayor Corey seconded the motion. The roll call recorded four yes votes and one no from Commissioner Bonish; the motion passed.
The clerk read the quasi‑judicial procedures beforehand and swore in speakers; the commission cited subdivision criteria in the city’s land‑development code as the governing standard for the decision. The application process remains subject to any design‑review or building permit requirements that apply to the subsequent construction.
Commissioners asked staff to ensure mitigation of canopy impacts and to verify the applicant’s submitted tree retention and mitigation plans as the project proceeds through design and permitting.
