ZONING OVERLAY FOR NORTH BEACH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT OVERLAY AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 142 OF THE CITY CODE, ENTITLED "ZONING DISTRICTS AND REGULATIONS," AT ARTICLE Ill, ENTITLED "OVERLAY DISTRICTS," TO ESTABLISH DIVISION 14, ENTITLED "NORTH BEACH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL OVERLAY DISTRICT," TO PROVIDE REGULATIONS FOR RENOVATIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS TO SCHOOLS LOCATED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT; AND PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

PLANNING ANALYSIS
The Lehrman Day School is a long standing, community institution that has served the residents of Miami Beach for decades. In order to accommodate modest expansion plans, inclusive of a new gym facility and internal drop-off and pick-up area, the school is seeking modifications to the RM-1 development regulations. These modifications would be specific to an overlay for the institutional use.

On April 11, 2018, the City Commission established the North Beach National Register Conservation District Overlay. This created regulations to maintain the character of the community made up of low-scale multi-family appartment buildings. These regulations include reduced height limits, increased setbacks, and limitations on lot aggregation, which are very approporate for the residential buildings in the area. However, after careful review, it has been determined that they are too restricitive for public and private schools within its boundaries.

The Lehrman School has prepared the attached proposed overlay and LDR amendments. The overlay is bounded by 78th Street on the north, Carlyle Avenue on the east, Tatum Waterway on the west, and 75th Street on the south (see map at the end of the report.)

The proposed changes modify the physical development regualtions of a school parcel within the overlay, as they relate to building height, setbacks, lot width and minimum lot aggregation. Specifically the ordinaince proposes the following:

1. Remove the limitation on maximum developable width;

2. Increase the lot agregation limit from two (2) or three (3) to nine (9);

3. Increase the height limit from 45 feet to 60 feet for buildings with a gymnasium;

4. Reduce the upper level setback from 25 feet to ten (10) feet;

5. Reduce the requried setback for lots 61 feet or greater from the greater of 7.5 feet or eight (8) percent of lot width to five (5) feet;

6. Remove parking requirements for schools;

7. Increase driveway limit from one (1) per platted lot to five (5) per school;

8. Remove loading requirements for existing schools that are being expanded; and

9. Modify landscaping requirements for landscape areas in existing permanent parking lots that are being reconfigured.

These adjustments are expected to allow the school to expand and improve its facilities, thereby improving educational opportunities for students in the vicinity. Because there are limited opportunities for new schools in the area, it is not expected that this ordinance will create a significant impact on the community. It should be noted that in addtion to the approval from the Historic Preservation Board, that schools are a conditional use in the RM-1 district and therefore require approval from the Planning Board. As a result any potential impacts to the community would be addressed through the conditional use process.

PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
On May 19, 2020, the Planning Board held a public hearing and transmitted the ordinance to the City Commission with a favorable recommendation by a vote of 6-0. The Planning Board also recommended that the minimum landscape requirements for reconfiguring existing parking areas be subject to the review and approval of the design review board. The recommendation of the Planning Board has been incorporated into the text of the attached ordinance.

UPDATE
The subject ordinance was approved at first reading on June 24, 2020, with no changes.