NORMANDY ISLES HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE; AMENDING SECTION 118-593, “HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGNATION;” AMENDING SECTION 118-593(e), “DELINEATION ON ZONING MAP;” AMENDING SECTION 118-593(e)(2), “HISTORIC PRESERVATION DISTRICTS (HPD)” BY DESIGNATING THE NORMANDY ISLES HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE DISTRICT LOCATED GENERALLY BETWEEN THE NORMANDY SHORES GOLF COURSE AND SOUTH SHORE DRIVE TO THE NORTH, THE SOUTH SIDE OF MARSEILLE DRIVE AND THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1133 NORMANDY DRIVE TO THE SOUTH, NORTH SHORE DRIVE AND BAY DRIVE TO THE EAST, AND RAY STREET AND RUE NOTRE DAME TO THE WEST, AND THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE DISTRICT LOCATED GENERALLY BETWEEN THE NORTHERN LOT LINE OF THE PROPERTIES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BAY DRIVE AND 71ST STREET TO THE NORTH, BISCAYNE BAY TO THE SOUTH, INDIAN CREEK AND BISCAYNE BAY TO THE EAST, AND RUE VERSAILLES AND BAY DRIVE TO THE WEST; PROVIDING THAT THE CITY’S ZONING MAP SHALL BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE NORMANDY ISLES HISTORIC DISTRICT; ADOPTING THE DESIGNATION REPORT ATTACHED HERETO AS APPENDIX “A;” PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE CITY CODE, REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

HISTORY
On September 9, 2014, the Historic Preservation Board directed Planning Department staff to prepare formal Historic Designation Reports for the proposed designation of the North Shore and Normandy Isles local historic districts, with modified boundaries.

At the September 10, 2014 City Commission meeting, the City Commission discussed the proposed North Shore and Normandy Isles Local Historic Districts and denied the designations.

At the July 13, 2016 City Commission meeting, the City Commission discussed the possibility of creating local historic districts within the boundaries of the North Shore and Normandy Isles National Register Districts and directed the Administration to begin the local designation process for the boundaries recommended in the draft North Beach Master Plan.

On October 11, 2016, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed a Preliminary Evaluation and Recommendation Report relative to the possible designation of the North Shore Historic District and directed staff to prepare a Formal Designation Report for the North Shore Local Historic District, with boundaries as recommend in the draft North Beach Master Plan.

Pursuant to Section 118-591 of the City Code, The City Commission was advised of the action of the Historic Preservation Board via LTC, and as part of a progress report on the demolition moratorium, presented at the October 19, 2016 City Commission meeting.

On December 5, 2016, the Mayor and City Commission discussed the proposed Normandy Isles Historic District and took no action to modify the boundaries as recommended by the Historic Preservation Board.

On October 10, 2017, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed an historic designation report for the proposed North Shore Local Historic District (attached), consistent with the boundaries as modified by the City Commission on December 5, 2016 (See MAP 1 in the attached Historic Designation Report). At this meeting, the Board transmitted the historic district designation to the Planning Board and City Commission with a favorable recommendation.

HISTORIC DESIGNATION PROCESS
The process of historic designation is delineated in Sections 118-591 through 118-593 in Subpart B of the Land Development Regulations of the City Code (Chapter 118, Article X, Division 4). An outline of this process is delineated below.

Step One: A request for designation is made either by the City Commission, the Historic Preservation Board, other agencies and organizations as listed in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code, or the property owners involved. Proposals for designation shall include a completed application form available from the Planning Department.

Step Two: The Planning Department prepares a preliminary evaluation report with recommendations for consideration by the Board.

Step Three: The Historic Preservation Board considers the preliminary evaluation to determine if proceeding with a designation report is warranted.
The designation report is an historical and architectural analysis of the proposed district or site. The report:

1) describes the historic, architectural and/or archeological significance of the property or subject area proposed for Historical Site or District designation;
2) recommends Evaluation Guidelines to be used by the Board to evaluate the appropriateness and compatibility of proposed Developments affecting the designated Site or District; and
3) will serve as an attachment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code.

Step Four: The City Commission is notified of the Board’s decision and the initial boundaries proposed for designation. Within 60 days of the vote of the Historic Preservation Board to direct the Planning Department to prepare a designation report, the City Commission may, by a five-sevenths vote, deny or modify the proposed request for designation.

Step Five: The designation report is presented to the Historic Preservation Board at a public hearing. If the Board determines that the proposed site or district satisfies the requirements for designation as set forth in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code, the Board transmits a recommendation in favor of designation to the Planning Board and City Commission.

Step Six: The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed designation, and shall consider the proposed historic designation as an amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code and, subsequently, transmit its recommendation to the City Commission.

Step Seven: The City Commission may adopt an amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code by a five-sevenths majority vote, which thereby designates the Historic Preservation Site or Historic District after one (1) public hearing for a parcel of land less than ten (10) contiguous acres or after two (2) public hearings for a parcel of land that is more than ten (10) contiguous acres.

PLANNING ANALYSIS IN RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA
In accordance with Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code, eligibility for designation is determined on the basis of compliance with the listed criteria set forth below.

(a) The Historic Preservation Board shall have the authority to recommend that properties be designated as historic buildings, historic structures, historic improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors (architecturally significant public portions only), historic sites or historic districts if they are significant in the historical, architectural, cultural, aesthetic or archeological heritage of the city, the county, state or nation. Such properties shall possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association and meet at least one of the following criteria:

(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the history of the city, the county, state or nation;

(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past history;

(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical period, architectural or design style or method of construction;

(4) Possesses high artistic values;

(5) Represent the work of a master, serve as an outstanding or representative work of a master designer, architect or builder who contributed to our historical, aesthetic or architectural heritage;

(6) Have yielded, or are likely to yield information important in pre-history or history;

(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places;

(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by historically significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development, whose components may lack individual distinction.

(b) A building, structure (including the public portions of the interior), improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it has been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant architectural elements are intact and repairable.

The proposed Normandy Isles Historic District is eligible for historic designation as it complies with the criteria as specified in Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code outlined above. Additionally, staff finds that the properties listed as contributing within the proposed Normandy Isles Historic District possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association for the following reasons:

1. The Planning Department has surveyed the 118 buildings located within the boundaries of the proposed Normandy Isles Historic District and has found that 105 of these buildings satisfy the requirements of Section 118-593(a) of the Land Development Regulations of the City Code. The contributing buildings, which possess integrity of their original location, are mainly examples of modest Post-World War II tourist hotels and apartment buildings that constitute a distinctive built environment of resort architecture. The proposed Normandy Isles Historic District owes much of its character to its unique plan inspired by the City Beautiful Movement and the repetition of similar building types and styles within a compact space. The contributing buildings exhibit distinct local adaptations that have become recognized as “Miami Modernism” (MiMo). The largely multi-residential development grew up mainly after World War II, and its planning was largely designed around garden oriented apartment buildings emphasizing the simple modern architectural motifs of mid-century America.

2. Staff finds the proposed historic district to be eligible for historic designation and in conformance with the designation criteria for the following reasons:

(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the history of the city, the county, state or nation.

The majority of contributing properties within the possible historic district directly reflect the turn of events in America following World War II. Unprecedented development followed the American success in WWII when new resort hotels and residential resort architecture were contemplated. Development during this time was on a scale never before seen in South Florida. This event redefined the evolution of resort architecture in Miami Beach and Florida.

Furthermore, Miami Beach played a significant role as a training site and redistribution center for the U.S. Army-Air Forces during World War II. After the war, many veterans who had trained as recruits in Miami Beach returned here to vacation or to make their home.

(2) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a historical period, architectural or design style or method of construction.

The apartment buildings that characterize much of the built environment of the proposed Normandy Isles Historic District exemplify the plasticity and transparency of Moderne architectural styling and the later Post War Modern movements, featuring cubic massing and large glass casement windows which cross-ventilated each unit and were sheltered by projecting concrete eyebrows. Exterior catwalks and outdoor stairways predicted the more functional building types of the postwar period. Often, two buildings were mirrored, or turned at angles in order to create common garden spaces, and better take advantage of the southern exposure. On the interior, a combination of bedrooms and studio apartments featured dinettes, dressing rooms, and streamlined kitchens.

As the district urbanized, it developed an architectural character calibrated to its resort identity, its modest means and its speculative planning. A characteristic of the Normandy Isles Historic District is that many buildings feature courtyards and facade features oriented toward the water or golf course, as well as the street. The buildings were adapted to the local environment conditions with patios, surrounding gardens, porches, loggias, flat roofs with broad overhanging eaves and exterior staircases and catwalks.

The scale of architecture in the district is largely consistent, a product of the fact that a relatively small group of architects constructed much of the area in a short period. These architects defined a new direction of mid-century modern design in Miami Beach. Their buildings, conditioned to the environmental forces of a hot and humid climate as, well as to the need to distinguish buildings within a competitive environment, led to a daring and unexpected expression of modern themes. While the vast majority of the buildings in the possible historic district can be characterized as Post War Modern, this style nonetheless demonstrates a high degree of continuity with earlier architectural trends, including Mediterranean Revival and Art Deco style buildings.

(3) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The properties located within the proposed local historic district are located within the Normandy Isles Historic District which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 2008.

(4) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by historically significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development, whose components may lack individual distinction.

Approximately 89% of the 118 buildings located within the proposed Normandy Isles Historic District have been found to possess architectural and historical significance.

PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
On November 21, 2017, the Planning Board transmitted the proposed Ordinance Amendment to the City Commission with a favorable recommendation.

UPDATE
The subject Ordinance was approved at First Reading on December 13, 2017, with no changes.