As you can see in the photo above, the proposed high rise buildings at Mercy Hospital will hardly impact Vizcaya at all! Well, maybe just a little...
There was a meeting last night at Vizcaya (hosted by the Vizcayans, a non profit) to discuss the proposed 3 towers at Mercy Hospital. As you all know already, the Related Group, led by billionaire Jorge Perez, wants to build 3 400 foot towers (or a bit less, couldn't quite figure out what height he has since settled on) on land from Mercy Hospital. The highest building now at Mercy is 146 feet. The tower condos would sell to multi-millionaires: I'll take two.
However, if you look at the view above, does it seem like these buildings will impact Vizcaya? You be the judge. If negotiations don't continue, expect a vote on April 26th.
8 comments:
It does not seem like a fair fight. All the residents and stakeholders who favor smart planning and livable neighborhoods on one side and on the other side are everyone who receives money from Jorge Perez.
I wish planning decisions were based on planning and not on who buys the most votes.
Poor people will be dying of thirst on the streets of Miami and city and county commissioners will still be approving building permits.
Worse city and county commissioners will still be approving more taxpayer money to huge "black hole" projects and not needed subsidies for the rich and connected.
How about getting sidewalks installed? Getting police on the streets? Buying new park land?
Watch out property taxes continue to escalate.
Blends in well with the foliage.
It appears that Commissioner Spence-Jones will be voting against the Mercy Hospital rezoning since she agreed with Commissioner Regalado at the March 26, 2007 CRA meeting when he stated that when it comes to a rezoning issue in a commissioner's district, 'then we, (remaining commissioners), must defer to that commissioner'. Commissioner Spence-Jones agreed. Since we know Commissioner Gonzalez will vote for the rezoning, Commissioner Sanchez is now off the hook and can vote with Gonzalez; but with Spence-Jones vote the zoning change will be denied.
Zoning Codes Must Be Driven By Needs of Community
Not Needs of Property Owners, Developers, Attorneys & Lobbyist
Zoning Codes are supposed to be like the speed limits on local roads and highways. They are both implemented to protect our community and our citizens. They are both designed to be in the public’s best interest and are approved by our government and protected by our laws.
There are various neighborhoods with different Zoning Codes and many streets and highways around town with different speed limits, which range from 30 to 55 mph.
Now just imagine if some guy owned a trucking company and wanted the speed limit changed on the street that he works. So, he makes the claim that by increasing the speed limit it will benefit the community with less consumption of gasoline, less traffic, less noise, more money for the city and make more money for his company that will trickle down to the rest of the neighborhood.
If a trucking company can’t change the speed limit with these arguments than a developer or property owner should not be able to even ask the community to change its zoning code, let alone have the City vote on it.
I still feel that the G/I zoning in properties such as that of Mercy Hospital must not be changed for the benefit of a privately owned business or that of an overly ambitious developer even if he does have many political connections. There is no justification to build the 300 Grove Related/Group Residential Project that consist of three out of scale and out of place towers. There is no justification for looking for loopholes in our Zoning Code or Grovener Ordinance to help Mercy Hospital and the Related Group to circumvent the intent and spirit of our land use codes and laws.
The G/I zoning for Mercy Hospital should remain as is. Mercy should build or they should sell the property to some one that will honor the G/I zoning. They should build an Assisted Living Facility that will provide Mercy with a much needed revenue stream and our community with a much required health care service.
Some People are saying that an Assisted Living Facility will then have the right to build up to 400 feet high if they wish, but I disagree. There is no reason for an ALF to be any taller then the present height of Mercy Hospital. And besides, the City can restrict the height of any G/I project just like they are bargaining to restrict the height of the proposed R-4 or even R-3 ill-conceived 300 Grove Related/Group residential project.
I still find it difficult to understand why a decision as important as this “Zoning” issue with Mercy Hospital is being allowed to be made as a compromise with the three major players. Too little consideration is being made for the public’s needs and the rule of law pertaining to our Zoning Codes and Grovener Ordnance.
It is the cities job to protect the community, abide by the Zoning Codes and abide by the Grovener Ordnance. The City should be proactive in implementing good urban planning and driving the Zoning Codes to benefit our community and its future. It must not be left up to developers, attorneys and lobbyist to drive our Zoning Codes and create a patchwork of projects that are a detriment to our neighborhoods and community.
Any compromise to change the Mercy Hospital property zoning will be a travesty. Any effort by our city to once again bend over backwards to better accommodate the Related/Group in building even more unnecessary residential luxury units in Coconut Grove and throughout Miami will be an affront and an insult to our community. We can only hope that our communities concerns, the rule and the spirit of the law and the future of our city will be enough to persuade 3 out of 5 City of Miami Commissioners to deny the change of zoning request by Mercy Hospital and decline the offer by Jorge Perez and the Related to build on this property.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Coconut Grove
We hope the three commissioners who refuse to deny the rezoning request from Mercy/Related show fiscal responsibility. Height and density belong downtown where the city has jobs and public transportation. Single family neighborhoods should be protected not destroyed.
We hope commissioners respect the local commissioner.
thanks harry...just don't have time to cover it all....
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