12-08-09 Item 70
South Miami
AH- America City
I I
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI 1111.
.� 7927 P OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
° Rev INTER - OFFICE MEMORANDUM 2001
To: The Honorable Mayor Feliu and Members of the Cit Commission
Via: Roger M. Carlton, Acting City Manager
From: Thomas J. Vageline, Director
' Planning and Zoning Department
Date: November 17, 2009 ITEM No.
Subject:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, RELATING TO A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL
ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE BY
DESIGNATING A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 7121
SW 63rd AVENUE AS AN HISTORIC SITE AND BY PLACEMENT OF AN HISTORIC
PRESERVATION OVERLAY ZONE (HP -OV) OVER THE EXISTING ZONING USE
DISTRICT FOR THIS PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING
FOR ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
•SUMMARY
The Historic Preservation Board at its August 31, 2009 meeting reviewed an historic designation report
for a single family home built in 1918, and located at 7121 SW 63rd Avenue. Following a public hearing,
the Board adopted a motion by a vote of 8 ayes 0 nays recommending that this building be designated an
historic site.
APPLICABLE REGULATIONS
The Land Development Code (LDC) provides that an historic designation recommendation must be
enacted as a zone map change. The "HP -OV" Historic Preservation Overlay zoning district is
superimposed as an overlay over the existing underlying use zone. The procedures in the LDC require the
Planning Board to hold a public hearing on all designations recommended by the Historic Preservation
Board. (Section 20- 5.17(E)).
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
The designation of an historic site requires that the Historic Preservation Board approve a Designation
Report which sets forth the history of the building and its architectural significance. Attached to this staff
report is the Designation Report which was approved by the Historic Preservation Board at its August 31,
2009 meeting. The report contains a detailed history of the site and includes photographs of the building.
The designation of the building is based upon it being a fine example of a Vernacular style house of the
Craftsman type, typical of homes built in South Florida in the 1920's. The attached designation report
describes in detail the architectural character of this building (pp. 9 -10) and contains a section (pp. 11 -12)
entitled Design Review Guidelines which establishes architectural guidelines for the review of future
certificates of appropriateness.
•
2
•
STAFF OBSERVATIONS
•
(1) The designation of historic sites is compatible with several Future Land Use Element goals and
objectives contained in the City of South Miami Comprehensive Plan:
• Objective 1.2 Preserve historic resources by experiencing no demolition or reconfiguration of
specified resources..."
(2) The City's preservation consultant concluded that the building is eligible for historic
designation based upon it meeting three of the criteria for designation as set forth in LDC Section 20-
4.9(A)(2). These criteria are set forth on pp. 10 -11 of the Designation Report.
PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Board at its September 29, 2009 conducted a public hearing on the designation and then
adopted a motion by a vote of 6 ayes 0 nays recommending that the proposed historic designation be
denied.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the historic designation and the placement of an "HP -OV" district over the
existing zoning district for the building at 7121 SW 63 Avenue be approved on first reading.
Attachments
Draft Ordinance
Designation Report
Planning Department Staff Report 9 -29 -09
Planning Board Minutes Excerpt 9 -29 -091
Historic Preservation Board Minutes Excerpt 8 -31 -09
Public Notices
TJV /SAY
XAComm items\2009 \11- 17- 09 \LDC Map Historic Desig. 7121 SW 63 Ave CM Report.doc
1 ORDINANCE NO.
•2
3 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH
4 MIAMI, FLORIDA, RELATING TO A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP
5 OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE BY DESIGNATING A
6 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 7121 SW 63`d AVENUE AS AN
7 HISTORIC SITE AND BY PLACEMENT OF AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION OVERLAY
8 ZONE (HP -OV) OVER THE EXISTING ZONING USE DISTRICT FOR THIS PROPERTY;
9 PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; AND
10 PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
11
12
13 WHEREAS, Application No. PB -09 -024 was submitted to the Planning Department by the
14 Historic Preservation Board , said application requesting to amend the official zoning map of the City of
15 South Miami by overlaying an "HP -OV" Historic Preservation Overlay zoning district for property
16 identified as 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and legally described as Block 2 Lot 6 of Royal Palm Subdivision, as
17 recorded in Plat Book 19, page 17 of the Public records of Miami -Dade County; and
18
19 WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Board at its August 31, 2009 meeting reviewed the
20 Designation Report for 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and recommended that the proposed site be designated
21 historic; and
22
23 WHEREAS, the proposed historic designation and rezoning is consistent with the goals and
24 policies and the future Land Use Map of the City of South Miami Comprehensive Plan; and
25
•26 WHEREAS, on September 29, 2009 after public hearing regarding the application of the HP-
27 OV zoning to 77121 SW 63`d'Avenue, the Planning Board by a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nay recommended
28 denial of the proposed designation; and
29
30 WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to accept the recommendation of the Historic
31 Preservation Board and enact the aforesaid HP -OV zoning.
32
33 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY
34 COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA:
35
36 Section 1. That the City's Official Zoning Map shall be amended by placing the Historic
37 Preservation Overlay (HP -OV) zoning district over the existing underlying zoning use district for
38 property identified as 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and legally described as Block 2 Lot 6 of Royal Palm
39 Subdivision, as recorded in Plat Book 19, page 17 of the Public records of Miami -Dade County;
40
41 Section 2. That the Designation Report for the building at 7121 SW 63rd Avenue as prepared by
42 the South Miami Planning and Zoning Department is identified as Attachment "A" and is attached to and
43 made part of this ordinance.
44
45 Section 3 The Design Review Guidelines set forth in the Designation Report for the building at
46 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and the provisions contained in the Land Development Code pertaining to review
47 of building permits, certificates of appropriateness, and demolition are applicable to the property at 7121
48 SW 63`d Avenue.
49
50 Section 4. if any section, clause, sentence, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held
• 51 invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, this holding shall not affect the validity of
52 the remaining portions of this ordinance.
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Section 5. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance
are hereby repealed.
Section 6. This ordinance shall be effective immediately after the adoption hereof.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
1St Reading —
2 "d Reading —
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM:
CITY ATTORNEY
day of , 2009
APPROVED:
ITURVION
Attachment "A" Designation Report for 7121 SW 63rd Avenue
XAComm Items\2009\1 1-1 7-09\LDC Map HP -OV 7121 SW 63 Ave. Ord..doc
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Feliu:
Vice Mayor Beasley:
Commissioner Palmer:
Commissioner: Newman:
Commissioner Sellars:
ORDINANCE NO.
• AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH
MIAMI, FLORIDA, RELATING TO A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP
OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE BY DESIGNATING A
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 7121 SW 63`d AVENUE AS AN
HISTORIC SITE AND BY PLACEMENT OF AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION OVERLAY
ZONE (HP -OV) OVER THE EXISTING ZONING USE DISTRICT FOR THIS PROPERTY;
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Application No. PB -09 -024 was submitted to the Planning Department by the
Historic Preservation Board , said application requesting to amend the official zoning map of the City of
South Miami by overlaying an "HP -OV" Historic Preservation Overlay zoning district for property
identified as 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and legally described as Block 2 Lot 6 of Royal Palm Subdivision, as
recorded in Plat Book 19, page 17 of the Public records of Miami -Dade County; and
WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Board at its August 31, 2009 meeting reviewed the
Designation Report for 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and recommended that the proposed site be designated
historic; and
WHEREAS, the proposed historic designation and rezoning is consistent with the goals and
policies and the future Land Use Map of the City of South Miami Comprehensive Plan; and
• WHEREAS, on September 29, 2009 after public hearing regarding the application of the HP-
OV zoning to 7121 SW 63`d Avenue, the Planning Board by a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nay recommended
denial of the proposed designation; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to accept the recommendation of the Historic
Preservation Board and enact the aforesaid HP -OV zoning.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That the. City's Official Zoning Map shall be amended by placing the Historic
Preservation Overlay (HP -OV) zoning district over the existing underlying zoning use district for
property identified as 7121 SW 63`d Avenue and legally described as Block 2 Lot 6 of Royal Palm
Subdivision, as recorded in Plat Book 19, page 17 of the Public records of Miami -Dade County;
Section 2. That the Designation Report for the building at 7121 SW 63`d Avenue as prepared by
the South Miami Planning and Zoning Department is identified as Attachment "A" and is attached to and
made part of this ordinance.
Section 3 The Design Review Guidelines set forth in the Designation Report for the building at
7121 SW 63`d Avenue and the provisions contained in the Land Development Code pertaining to review
of building permits, certificates of appropriateness, and demolition are applicable to the property at 7121
SW 63`d Avenue.
• Section 4. If any section, clause, sentence, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held
invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, this holding shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance.
2
• Section 5. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance
are hereby repealed.
Section 6. This ordinance shall be effective immediately after the adoption hereof.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
1St Reading —
2nd Reading —
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM:
0 CITY ATTORNEY
day of , 2009
APPROVED:
MAYOR
Attachment "A" Designation Report for 7121 SW 63`d Avenue
• XAComm Items\2009 \11- 17- 09\ILDC Map HP -OV 7121 SW 63 Ave. Ord..doc
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Feliu:
Vice Mayor Beasley:
Commissioner Palmer:
Commissioner: Newman:
Commissioner Sellars:
OUTH MIAMI. FLORID
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• TABLE OF CONTENTS
LocationMap ........................... ..............................2
General Information ................... ..............................3
Significance............................ ............................... 3
Contextual History ..................... ............................... 5
Architectural Distinction ............... ..............................9
Eligibility For Designation.._ ........... .............................10
Design Review Guidelines ............. ..............................1 1
Bibliography.......................... ............................... 1
LJ
14
•
Photographs..........................
...............................
LJ
City of South Miami
BPB -09 -002 / PB -09 -024 Historic Designation
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GIS Data by Miami -Dade County, 1112007. Made by City of South Miami, Engineering & Construction, 8/20/Z0o9; revlsea V /d/zuui.
•
0
WHITTAKER RESIDENCE
7121 S.W. 63RD AVENUE, SOUTH MIAMI
GENERAL INFORMATION
Current Address: 7121 S.W. 63rd Avenue, South Miami
Prior Address: (until 1952) 11 North 5th Avenue, South Miami
Location: East side of S.W. 63rd Avenue, second lot north of Sunset Drive
(S.W. 72nd Street)
Present Owner: lantha S. Whittaker Trust
7121 S.W. 63rd Ave., South Miami Fla. 33143 -4706
Original Use: Single Family Residence
Present Use: Single Family Residence
Zoning District: RS -3
Tax Folio Number: 09- 4025 - 013 -0110
• Legal Description: Block 2, Lot 6 of Royal Palm Villas Subdivision, recorded in
Plat Book 19, page 17 of Miami -Dade County Public Records
SIGNIFICANCE
Date Constructed: 1918
Architect / Builder: Unknown
Original Location: Unknown, probably Coral Gables
Date Moved: probably circa 1926;. documented at present site by 1941
• 3
Statement of Significance:
• The subject house is documented as built in 1918. The story passed from owner to
owner is that it was constructed on land that later became part of Coral Gables,
George Merrick's planned community of the 1920s, and because it did not conform
to Merrick's stringent building code, it was moved out of Coral Gables to its present
location around 1926.
This story, although not yet proven, is both credible and consistent with known facts
and precedents. The County Property Appraiser documents the building date as
1918, and categorizes the house as Type 2, "frame, frame - stucco or wood, "' but says
nothing about its relocation. Exploration of the walls would show whether it was built
with stucco on lath, or;if it started out with wood siding that was clad in stucco at a
later date. In either case, the house did not meet Merrick's aesthetic standards,
expressed in the 1925 Coral Gables building code, that forbade frame structures and
required clay file roofing and Mediterranean styling. Other non- conforming houses
are known to have been demolished, moved or remodeled for the same reason. If
the story is true, and so' far nothing disproves it, this house survives as a rare example
of early South Florida architecture that was literally replaced by 1920s Coral Gables.
Other local .circumstances in 1926, including a housing shortage, lend further
credibility to the story of its relocation at-that time: ,
But even if the house was never moved here from elsewhere, it still remains on its own
• merit a fine example of a Vernacular- style house of the Craftsman type, typical of
homes built in South Florida in the 1910s in style and materials (probably Dade
County pine). The house also relates to the early history of South Miami, with a chain
of ownership -that includes many prominent names, among them the town's first
medical officer and its first postmaster.
4
is 1 Miami -Dade Office of the Property Appraiser, folio #09- 4025 -13 -0110.
CONTEXTUAL HISTORY:
• The town of Larkins, predecessor of the City of South Miami, got its start in the 1880s
with the settlement of a few farming families and the establishment of a post office
and school on Erwin Road, two miles west of Coconut Grove and about a mile east
of the present city center. The town moved westward when the Florida East Coast
Railway extended its tracks from Miami to Homestead in 1904, with a station stop
called Larkin at what is now Sunset Drive and U.S. 1. The railroad spurred the'growth
of the community, now centered near the train station, to a population of 350 by
1917. Nine subdivisions were platted by 1918.
In the meantime, George E. Merrick (1886 -1942) was coming of age at his parents'
Coral Gables Plantation east of Red Road (S.W. 57th Avenue). Merrick went into real
estate, and in 1921 began buying up land east of Red Road with the vision of
creating a vast planned city, also to be called Coral Gables. An integral part of the
great Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, it was chartered as a city on April 27, 1925.
In August of 1925, ...the City codified its first Building Code, which addressed
the construction, rehabilitation, and (even at this tender age) demolition, of
all buildings within the city. The provisions of this Code included a ban against
frame construction, requirements that all doors, windows and vents be
arched and that walls be constructed of coral rock or concrete of "Spanish
type," and a requirement that all roofs be covered with clay or concrete
• tile.2
These strict regulations resulted in a place of great formal beauty, but probably
offended many of the free spirits who had pioneered the land. Not much has been
written about what happened to the people and buildings.that were there first and
didn't fit the program, but a few various reactions are known. Some old wooden
buildings were torn down, including Wilson Larkins' house and barn at Cutler Trail and
Davis Drive, that had to be bulldozed due to their solid pine construction.3 The
Cocoplum Woman's Club had a clubhouse on Sunset Drive that their husbands had
built of local pine around 1914. When Merrick bought the vacant portion of their
land in 1926, he persuaded the ladies to let him demolish the old wooden building
and replace it with a new, Mediterranean -style clubhouse, which is still in use.
Other buildings were moved, such as the Wheeler House at 7460 S.W. 47th Avenue
(Erwin Road). Mr. John Wheeler still resides here, and relates that his father built the
wood -frame Craftsman -style bungalow in 1914. It originally stood on the other side of
Erwin Road that became part of Coral Gables. His father refused to add stucco to
5
• 2 Ellen Uguccioni, "Coral Gables," in Miami's Historic Neighborhoods, Dade Heritage Trust, 2001, p. 101.
3 Susan Perry Redding, "South Miami," Ibid., p. 110.
the walls and the to the roof, and so moved the house "less than a mile" to its present
location, on September 16, 1926, just hours before the great hurricane. W.T.Price, a
• dredging company that worked extensively in Coral Gables, did the moving. John
Wheeler was one year old at the. time.4 The house, now in unincorporated Miami -
Dade County, was designated an individual historic site by the County in 1982.
Others acquiesced to Merrick, as evidenced by the Laesch /Bartram House at 1205
Sunset Drive, now owned by the Society of Friends (Quakers). The Laesch family built
it in the early 1900s as a two -story wood frame house, and they resurfaced it in
stucco in 1916.5 George Merrick's cousin, architect H. George Fink, remodeled it in
Mediterranean style in 1927.6
All the above examples had been built in the Biscayne Bay Section. This was
Merrick's last big acquisition for Coral Gables, lying east of Erwin Road and south of
Sunset Drive and extending all the way to the Bay. He began development here in
March, 1925.7 Based on the timing and the proximity to the subject site, if the
Whittaker house did indeed come from Coral Gables in 1926, it seems likely that it
came from this area.
Growing up in the shadow of Coral Gables, the town of Larkins benefitted from the
Boom 'of the 1920s as well. Among the subdivisions that proliferated along Sunset
Drive in the 1920s was Rosswood, just northwest of the train depot, filed in February
1925 by C.J. Ross and his wife Katherine L. Ross. They would later own the subject
• property.$ Sunset,Villas, which consisted of one block of what is now SW 63rd Court
on the south side of Sunset Drive, was filed in March 1925 by members of the Shelley
family,9 pioneers from Nebraska. A block away, Royal Palm Villas was filed by the
Hamilton Holding Company on August 4, 1925.10 It consisted of one block of what is
now SW 63rd Avenue on the north side of Sunset Drive, and is the site of the subject
house.
A housing shortage arose in this area during the winter season. of 1925 -26,
brought on by a growing population drawn to the Florida Boom, together with a
railroad embargo on building materials and the closing of the port after the ship Prinz
Valdemar capsized. By September 1926, recovery was underway:
N
4 Conversation with John Wheeler, June 23, 2009.
5 Harriet S. Liles, Pinewood Cemetery; published by author, 2008, p.174.
6 "Historic South Dade" (booklet), Junior League of Miami, Inc., 1988.
7 Parks, Arva M.; George Merrick's Coral Gables, Centennial Press, 2006, pp. 38, 42.
'Miami-Dade County Plat Book 13, p. 62.
• 9 Miami -Dade County Plat Book 15, p. 42.
10 Miami -Dade County Plat Book 19, p. 17.
Building operations in the South Miami district are progressing rapidly. A
number of houses are being built and a number of others remodeled and
is enlarged. The housing situation in South Miami this year, it is believed, will not
be nearly so acute as it was last season."
These circumstances give a further motivation for relocating an existing house to an
area of great demand, particularly in 1926, when new construction had become
difficult.
At the height of the Boom, the community of Larkins was incorporated on March 6,
1926, as the Town of South Miami, and elected a mayor and seven councilmen. Dr.
Oscar Owen Underwood was named medical officer, and in April, James E. Parrish
was appointed as South Miami's first postmaster. Both of these men would later own
or occupy the subject property.
South Miami, which became a City in 1927, also instituted a street numbering system
that counted avenues westward from Red Road (the border with Coral Gables), and
streets northward and southward from Sunset Drive. This system continued until 1952,
when the city adopted the Miami grid. The address of the subject house under the
earlier system was 11 North 5th Avenue.
Specific History,
The subject house occupies Lot 6 of Block 2 in the Royal Palm Villas subdivision.
is Following is the chain of ownership of the lot, but this does not indicate when the
house appeared on it.
Hamilton Holding Co. to Edward Friedman
Edw. Friedman to C.J. Ross
C.J. & Katherine Ross to Dr. O.O.Underwood
Dr. Underwood to J.L.Bailey
J.L.Bailey to Robert B. Dasher
R.B.Dasher to Gerald C. Whittaker
11/30/1927
(book 1164 p.18)
2/9/1929
(book 1286 p. 21)
12/23/1929
(book 1353 p. 126)
4/28/1944
(book 2381 p. 29 1)
8/31/1945
(book 2563 p. 84)
11 /26/1951
(book 3519 p. 214)
If the house was indeed moved here in 1926, the Hamilton Holding Company may
have done so to promote sales in its development. The Hamilton Holding Company
filed as a Florida Corporation on December 14, 1925 (this was after the platting of
Royal Palm Villas) and was dissolved on November 23, 1936.12 Little other information
about it has been found. Officers listed on the 1925 plat are Joseph Fleischer,
president, and Alfred Meyer, secretary. The 1927 deed to the subject
7
• ' "Bids for Big Improvement Due Monday," Homestead Leader, Sept. 17, 1926.
'2 Florida Dept. of State Public Records, online
property names J.A. Meyer as president of the Hamilton Holding Company at that
• time. On a 1935 tax deed, Alfred Meyer was a resident of New York City.13 The
Meyers family was prominent in South Miami, but the names do not seem to match.
Another candidate who might have brought the house in a little later is Edward
Friedman, who bought six other lots in Royal Palm Villas at the same time as this one,
including the lot to its north. Friedman was a certified public accountant from New
York who came to Miami in 1926 and later became a civic leader in Miami Beach.14
The next owners after Friedman were the Rosses, who had platted Rosswood. They
owned this property for less than a year, then so.ld it to Dr. Underwood, who was
South Miami's first medical officer. He was from the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama
(the deeds index erroneously lists Phil Campbell as the name of the buyer),, and had
married Myrtle Bailey in 1912.15 They and their children were living in Larkins by 1919,
when the newspaper notes that they were spending a month visiting "Mr. and Mrs.
J.L. Bailey," 16 presumably Mrs. Underwood's family. Dr. Underwood bought the
subject house in December 1929, but in the 1930 U.S. census, he and his wife were
living in Phil Campbell, Alabama. Dr. Underwood last renewed his medical license in
Alabama in 1960.17
The owners of this property did not necessarily reside here. Names of residents are
difficult to determine because both the early Miami City Directories and the U.S. and
• Florida censuses did not specify addresses here. The earliest listing of this address (1 1
North 5th Avenue) is from the 1941 Polk's City Directory, showing James E. and
Florence S. Parrish as living here at that time, when the house was owned by Dr.
Underwood.
This is the James Parrish (1875 -1965) who was South Miami's first postmaster. His
obituary relates that he came to Miami from Missouri in 1918.18 He and his wife and
children were living in Larkins by 1921,19 and the 1927 Polk's Directory lists their home
as "Sunset Villas." He and his wife had bought three lots in the Sunset Villas
subdivision in 1925, and sold them in 1935.20 Then aged 60, it seems that he rented
the subject house from Dr. Underwood, but did not own it. In the 1940 and 1941 City
i3 Florida Tax Deed, Book 1618, p. 191.
14 Obituary, Miami Herald, March 29, 1953.
is Ancestry.com
16 Miami Herald, April 22, 1919.
17 Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, online.
18 Obituary, Miami Herald, Oct. 29, 1965.
• 19 "Larkin Women Give A Tea for Relief Fund," Miami Daily News, Jan. 25, 1921.
20 Miami -Dade County Deed Book 691, pp. 260 -261; Deed Index, June 25, 1935.
Directories, Mr. Parrish is listed as a salesman for realtor James L. Bailey, who lived on
• Sunset Drive and was probably Dr. Underwood's in -law. J.L. Bailey bought the house
from Dr. Underwood in 1944. A year later he sold it to Robert B. Dasher, a descendant
of the Dasher family that first came to Larkins from Georgia in 1906.
When Gerald Whittaker and his wife lantha bought the house from Mr. Dasher in
1951, it was he who told them its history. The fact that the Dasher family had been
familiar with the area for so long gives the story even greater credibility. Mr.
Whittaker, who died in 1973, was from Detroit, an astronomer who had worked for
the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C., and came to work in Perrine in 1949 as
director of the Naval Observatory Time Station. He and his wife and children were all
accomplished musicians.21 lantha Whittaker still owns and resides in the house.
ARCHITECTURAL DISTINCTION
The subject house is a two -story rectangular building with a stucco surface scored in
a diamond -shape pattern. It has a fairly steep end -gable roof with exposed rafters,
and central shed -roof dormers on both front and rear. There are full -width enclosed
front and rear porches. The roof has a flat composite surface, and the main roof is
also scored in a diamond -shape pattern. A masonry chimney is at the north end of
the house. While the house has undergone some alterations over the years, it still
retains the characteristics of a Vernacular style house of the Craftsman type.
. Vernacular, whether of frame or masonry, is a non - academic architectural style that
is the product of the builder's skill and experience, adapted to local materials and
conditions. It is largely utilitarian with a minimum of decoration. South Florida houses
of this style in the early 20th century are usually rectangular, of one or two stories,
with a gable roof and often with a one -story front porch. Roofs were usually of wood
shingles, but these were often replaced later. Asbestos shingles became popular
after the 1930s. Frame and masonry homes of this style have similar characteristics
except for their exterior wall material. Frame structures usually have horizontal wood
siding. Windows were usually double -hung sash type. Overhanging eaves and
exposed rafter ends are typical; older buildings had wider overhangs. Gable or hip
roofs with a higher pitch, enough to accommodate an attic and dormers, are
generally early, 1890- 1920.22
The Craftsman style of vernacular architecture originated with the Greene brothers in
California around 1903 and was widely publicized in magazines and pattern books.
Influenced partly by the British Arts and Crafts movement, it emphasized
9
• " Obituary, Miami Herald, May 29, 1973.
22 Metro Dade County, From Wilderness to Metropolis, 1992, pp. 176 -8.
workmanship rather than applied decoration. Distinctive features are gable roofs
with wide overhangs, and exposed rafter ends sometimes cut into decorative
• shapes. One -story bungalows are common; when there is a second story it has a
smaller volume than the first, utilizing dormers or belvederes.
This was the dominant style for smaller houses built throughout the country
during the period from about 1905 until the early 1920s .... The style rapidly
faded from favor after the mid- 1920s; few were built after 1930.23
Of four subtypes of Craftsman, the subject house is the side- gabled roof type:
Most are one -and -a -half stories high with centered shed or gable dormers.
Porches are generally contained under the main roof, sometimes with a break
in slope. Two -story examples commonly have added, full -width porches.24
Alterations:
Two permits are on file in the South Miami building records. One was issued to
R.B.Dasher on February 10, 1947, for "repairs to fire damage." The repairs were to be
of "frame stucco." Roofing material is documented as "asbestos shingle." Mrs.
Whittaker has related that the roof beams are still charred from the fire.
Another permit was issued to Mr. Whittaker in September 1961 for floor repairs and
remodeling of a bathroom. Mrs. Whittaker said that the house originally had
matching front and rear porches, but the rear porch has been enclosed over the
• years. When her mother -in -law moved in with them, they enlarged the first -floor
bathroom into the rear porch.25
ELIGIBILITY FOR DESIGNATION
The residence at 7121 S.W. 63rd Avenue meets the following criteria for significant
structures contained in the South Miami Land Development Code, "Historic
Preservation Standards:"
(a) Possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and
association
This house retains the integrity of its design as a Craftsman structure. Whether
built as frame - stucco or wood frame that was surfaced in stucco later, the
house retains the feeling and association of a pre -1920 South Florida
residence. Its exposed wooden roof beams are constructed of distinctive local
materials, probably Dade County pine, with hand - crafted workmanship.
10
23 V. & L. McAlester; A Field Guide to American Houses, A. Knopf, 2005, p.454.
• 24 Ibid., p. 453.
Zs South Miami Planning Dept. staff interview with Mrs. Whittaker, April 20, 2009.
• If this house was in fact moved to this location to escape Coral Gables
development during the Florida Boom, its present site is an important factor in
its history. Ironically, it sacrificed its integrity of location in order to preserve the
integrity of its design.
(c) Are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past
Past owners or occupants of this 'property have included South Miami's first
medical officer and first postmaster, as well as developers from the boom era
of the 1920s.
(d) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, style or method of
construction or work of a master, or that possess high artistic value or that represent
a distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction
This house exemplifies Frame Vernacular architecture of the Craftsman type,
both a style and method of construction that was prevalent in U.S. residential
architecture in the early 20th century. In South Florida, it was especially typical
of homes built prior to the 1920s, early in the area's development.
Based on these criteria alone, the residence at 7121 S.W. 63rd Avenue is
recommended for local historic designation. In addition, the house may also meet
criterion (b):
• d with events that have made a significant Are associate contribution to the broad g
patterns of our history.
If it was relocated, this house is a testimony to the impact of the development
boom of the 1920s, specifically in Coral Gables, and reactions to it by the local
population at the time. Further research may eventually reveal its original
location, owner, and builder.
DESIGN REVIEW GUIDELINES
In accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 20 -5.19 of the City's Land
Development Code, any building permit for exterior alteration, renovation or demolition of
an existing structure which is designated historic, or is within a designated historic district shall
first require the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA.) The COA is issued after a
review by the Historic Preservation Board and City Commission.
The Historic Preservation Board shall adopt and may, from time to time, amend the
standards by which applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness may be evaluated. In
adopting these guidelines, it shall be the intent of the Board to promote maintenance,
restoration, adaptive re -uses appropriate to the property, and compatible contemporary
designs that are harmonious with the exterior architectural and landscape features of
neighboring buildings, sites, and streetscapes.
•
in order to assist in the review process for the Whittaker Residence at 7121 SW 63 Avenue the
following design guidelines should be consulted.
General: The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects
with Guidelines for Applying the Standards (1979), and as it may be amended.
Specific:
• End -gable roof with shed -roof dormers on front and rear.
(roof surface material not original)
• Overhanging eaves with exposed wooden rafter ends
• Full -width porches with shed roof, front and rear
• Masonry chimney and interior mantel if present
• Wood frame siding, with stucco if original
•
12
is
BIBLIOGRAPHY
•
Building ermits: City of South Miami, Planning and Zoning Department.
g Y
Deeds and Platbook Records: Miami -Dade County Clerk Archives, Miami.
McAlester, V. & L.; A Field Guide to American Houses, Alfred A. Knopf, N. Y., 2005.
Metropolitan Dade County;- From Wilderness to Metropolis, 2nd Edition, Office of
Community Development, Historic Preservation Division, 1992.
Miami -Dade Office of the Property Appraiser, folio# 09- 4025 -13 -0110.
Parks, Arva Moore; George Merrick's Coral Gables, Centennial Press, Miami, 2006.
• Polk's City Directories, Greater Miami, various years.
Redding, Susan Perry; "South Miami," in Miami's Historic Neighborhoods, Historical
Publishing Network for Dade Heritage Trust, 2001.
Taylor, Jean; The Villages of South Dade, Byron Kennedy & Co., St. Petersburg, Fla.,
circa 1985.
Uguccioni, Ellen; "Coral Gables," in Miami's Historic Neighborhoods, Historical
Publishing Network for Dade Heritage Trust, 2001
13
- -- Carolyn Klepser, researcher
July 10, 2009 / revised August 18, 2009
444
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ORX�A 2001
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
To: Honorable Chair & Date: September 29, 2009
Planning Board Members
From: Thomas J. Vageline, Director RE: "LDC Map Amendment —HP -OV
Planning and Zoning I)irecto (Historic Designation) 7121 SW 63 Ave.
lPB -09 -024
Applicant: City of South Miami Historic Preservation Board
Location: 7121 SW 63rd Avenue
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH
MIAMI, FLORIDA, RELATING TO A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP
OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE BY DESIGNATING A
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 7121 SW 63rd AVENUE AS AN
. HISTORIC SITE AND BY PLACEMENT OF AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION OVERLAY
ZONE (HP -OV) OVER THE EXISTING ZONING USE DISTRICT FOR THIS PROPERTY;
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
SUMMARY
The Historic Preservation Board at its August 31, 2009 meeting reviewed an historic designation
report for a single family home built in 1918, and located at 7121 SW 63rd Avenue. Following a
public hearing, the Board adopted a motion by a vote of 7 ayes 0 nays recommending that this
building be designated an historic site.
APPLICABLE REGULATIONS
The Land Development Code (LDC) provides. that an historic designation recommendation must
be enacted as a zone map change. The "HP -OV" Historic Preservation Overlay zoning district is
superimposed as an overlay over the existing underlying use zone. The procedures in the LDC
require the Planning Board to hold a public hearing on all designations recommended by the
Historic Preservation Board. (Section 20- 5.17(E)).
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
The designation of an historic site requires that the Historic Preservation Board approve a
Designation Report which sets forth the history of the building and its architectural significance.
Attached to this staff report is the Designation Report which was approved by the Historic
• Preservation Board at its August 31, 2009 meeting. The report contains a detailed history of the
site and includes photographs of the building. The designation of the building is based upon it
being a fine example of a Vernacular style house of the Craftsman type, typical of homes built in
LDC HP -OV Rezoning
Sept. 29, 2009
South Florida in the 1920's. The attached designation report describes in detail the, architectural
character of this building (pp. 9 -10) and contains a section (pp. 11 -12) entitled Design Review
Guidelines which establishes architectural guidelines for the review of future certificates of
appropriateness.
STAFF OBSERVATIONS
(1) The designation report and the procedures followed by the Historic Preservation Board are in
accordance with the current LDC regulations governing historic site designations.
(2) The designation of historic sites is compatible with several Future Land Use Element goals
and objectives contained in the City of.South Miami Comprehensive Plan:
Objective 1.2 Preserve historic resources by experiencing no demolition or
reconfiguration of specified resources..."
(3) The alteration, renovation, remodeling, or landscape change affecting the exterior of a
designated historic building will require special approval in the form of a "certificate of
appropriateness" (COA). This approval requires a review by the Historic Preservation Board
and final approval by the City Commission. The Designation Report contains a section
entitled Design Review Guidelines (pp. 11 -12) which establishes architectural guidelines for
the review of future certificates of appropriateness.
(4) The proposed designation will not require changes to any of the dimensional standards or
is permitted uses currently applicable to the area's underlying "RS -3 ", Single Family zoning
district.
(5) The City's preservation consultant concluded that the building is eligible for historic
designation based upon it meeting three of the criteria for designation as set forth in LDC
Section 20- 4.0(A)(2). These criteria are set forth on pp.10 -11 of the Designation Report.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the historic designation and the placement of an "HP -OV" district over
the existing zoning district for the building at 7121 SW 63 Avenue be approved.
Attachments:
.Designation Report
Historic Preservation Board Minutes Excerpt 8 -31 -09
Public notices
JP /SAY
• X:\PB\PB Agendas StaffReports12009 Agendas Staff Reports\9- 29- 091PB - -09 -024 7121 SW 63 Ave HP -OV Report.doc
2
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
PLANNING BOARD
Action Summary Minutes
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
City Commission Chambers
7:30 P.M.
EXCERPT.
I. , Call to Order and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Action: The meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.
II. Roll Call
Action: Chairperson, Mr. Morton requested a roll call. Board members present
constituting a quorum:
Present: Mr. Cruz, Ms. Young, Mr. Morton, Ms. Yates, Mr. Whitman and Mr. Farfan
(came in late).
• Absent: Mr. Comendeiro
City staff present: Thomas J. Vageline (Planning and Zoning Director), Sanford A.
Youkilis (Planning Consultant), Maria Stout -Tate (Administrative Assistant II), Lourdes
Cabrera- Hernandez (Principal Planner), Mark Goldstein, Interim Assistant City Attorney.
IV. Planning Board Applications/Public Hearings.
PR -(19 -(124 -
Applicant: City of South Miami Historic Preservation Board
Location: 7121 SW 63rd Avenue
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, RELATING TO A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL
ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE BY
DESIGNATING A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 7121 SW
63rd AVENUE AS AN HISTORIC SITE AND BY PLACEMENT OF AN HISTORIC
PRESERVATION OVERLAY ZONE (HP -OV) OVER THE EXISTING ZONING. USE
DISTRICT FOR THIS PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING
FOR ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
• Mr. Cruz read into the record.
Planning Board Meeting
September 29, 2009
Page 4 of 4
• Discussion:
Mr. Youkilis stated that the Historic Perseveration Board has designated the property as being
historic at the last Historic Board Meeting which was held on Monday, August 31, 2009. The
procedure in a historic designation is that the zoning map is changed and that is why this item has
come to your attention. The Historic Board.voted to designate the house located at 7121 SW 63
Avenue, which was built in 1918, deeming it as a historic site; with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nayes.
Mr. Youkilis went on to say that the Land Development Code (LDC) provides that an historic
designation recommendation must be enacted as a zone map change. The "HP -OV" Historic
Preservation Overlay zoning district is superimposed as an overlay over the existing underlying use
zone. The procedures in the LDC require the Planning Board to hold a public hearing on all
designations recommended by the Historic Preservation Board.
Mr. Youkilis then introduced Ms. Carolyn Klepser, a consultant to the City. Ms. Klepser an historic
researcher provided the Board with an overview of the Designation. Report. She reviewed the
significance of the Property Appraiser's documents stating the building date of 1918. Ms. Klepser.
stated that this house survives as a rare example of early South Florida architecture. She also stated
that the Whittaker house can be designated as being historic, because it meets the criteria under the
"Historic Preservation Standards ", in the Land Development Code. The designation met the
following criteria:
A) Possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and
• association.
C) Are associated with the lives of persons significant in our. past i.e. past owners of this
property have included South Miami's first medical officer and first postmaster, and/or
developers from the boom era of the 1920's.
D) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, style or method of
construction or work of a master, or that possess high artistic value, or that represent a
distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction..
Ms...Klepser stated that in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 20 -5.19 of the City's
Land Development Code, the Whittaker house can be designated historic.
Mr. Morton asked if there were any questions from the Board.
Mr. Youkilis stated that the Historic designation would only impact the owner if there would be any
external changes they would have to go through the Historic Board. Advantages would be you
would not have to pay property tax on improvements, and you would not have to pay fees to come
in front of the Historic Board for permits. The value of a property designated historic increases.
Mr. Morton inquired if there were any ramifications of the City involvement with this property or
the future use of the property. Mr. Youkilis stated no. If owner decided to demolish the building
• they could apply for a permit and they would have a right to do so. The City could delay the permit
for six months but the City must grant the demolition permit.
Planning Board Meeting
September 29, 2009
Page 4 of 4
• effect permitting inside of the building. Mr. Youkilis stated that it
Mr. Cruz asked how this might e p g g
wouldn't. The permits are only for exterior renovation; there would be no input on the interior
issues of the building.
Ms. Yates inquired if the owner was here and what were their comments. Mr. Youkilis stated that
yes, and that the owner along with her grandson turned in a formal affidavit pursuant with the Land
Development Code, stating that they did not agree with the historic designation.
Mr. Morton opened the public hearing_
Mr. Morton swore in those people who were going to speak from the audience on the subject of the
designation.
Speaker:
NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Mrs. Whittaker 7121 SW 63 Ave Oppose
Mrs. Whittaker thanked the Historic Board for trying to make her house historic but had stated that
she preferred not to get the designation due to the fact that the house has a limited life just like she
is as she will be 99 years old within a week. The termites will eat the house, as it can not get tented
again.
• Speaker:
NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Jeff Whittaker 7121 SW 63 Ave. Oppose
Mr. Whittaker stated that he was Mrs. Whittaker's grandson and that he opposed the fact that the
City wanted to make his grandmother's house historic. He went on to say that the report which Ms.
Klepsner was not completely correct as the specifications for historic are found in other houses
within the area and that portions of the house that were added do not meet the criteria that was
stated in the report. He went on to say that he felt that it would be a great burden on his
Grandmother to have. her house designated as historic. - The rules and regulations that are
ascertained under the umbrella of being historic would be too much of a burden for his
grandmother. Mr. Whittaker went on to stay that this house is a "basic design" of the house and that
due to this reason it should not be designated historic. Mr. Whittaker went on to say that there were
several things that needed to be fixed. in the house but that time and cost were the main issue of
keeping it updated and that again if a historic designation was placed on this property, Mrs.
Whittaker would not be able to keep it up.
Mr. Morton interjected and questioned if the house was un -safe structure issue. Does the house
need to have a forty year certification? Were you looking at a potential sale of the house? Mr.
Whittaker stated yes.
Speaker:
• NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Kathy Schmitz 8390 SW 72 Ave. Oppose
Ms. Schmitz came to speak on the behalf of Mrs. Whittaker and questioned the time frame as to
why the designation of this house has to be made now. She went on to say that Mrs. Whittaker is
Planning Board Meeting
September 29, 2009
Page 4 of 4
istoo old to take care of a house that designation would place a great burden upon her. Ms. Schmitz
urged the Board to please not pass such a designation.
Speaker:
NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Bob Welch None Oppose
Mr. Welch stated that he owned property in the same area of Mrs. Whittaker and that he felt that it
would be a burden on her to have her house designated as historic. Mr. Welch went on to say that
we should make Mrs. Whittaker historic. Mr. Welch went on to say that maybe the City should
mandate that replacement would look 95% just like the existing house did.
Speaker:
NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Dylan Case 7121 SW 63 Ave. Oppose
Mr. Case lives in Mrs. Whittaker's house and helps her by taking her to the doctor and other places.
He said that he came to support Mrs. Whittaker and that it would be a great financial burden to have
her house be placed as historic.
Speaker:
NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Tom Edwards Eligible written Oppose
Mr. Edwards came to support Mrs. Whittaker by stated to the Board that it would be a great burden
• on her if it was designated historic.
Speaker:
NAME: ADDRESS SUPPORT /OPPOSE
Arthur Morrison Eligible written Oppose
Mr. Morrison came to support the fact that for Mrs. Whittaker's house should not be designated
historic. Mr. Morrison stated all his accolades which included historic preservation board
membership with other cities, etc, and he still recommended that for this particular house it should
not be designated as historic.
Mr. Morton closed the public hearing.
Mr. Morton opened discussion by the board. There was no discussion.
Motion: Mr. Whitman made a motion to deny the Historic designation for the property on 7121
SW 63 Avenue. Seconded by Ms. Young.
6 Ayes 0 nays
Motion was adopted and passed.
• TJV /SAY
XAComm Items\2009 \11- 17 -09\PD Minutes 9 -29 -09 Excerpt .doc
•
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES
MONDAY, August 31, 2009
City Commission Chamber
7:30 P.M.
EXCERPT
I. Call to order: Ms. Clyatt called the meeting to order at 7:41 P.M.
II. Roll Call: Roll call was performed. Board members present constituting a quorum:
Ms. Shelley, Mr. Hochstim, Mr. Ruiz de Castilla, Ms. Clyatt, Mr. Kurtzman, and Ms.
Dison, Mr. LaMonica and Ms. Lahiff.
Board members absent: None
City staff present: Thomas J. Vageline (Planning & Zoning Director), Sanford A.
Youkilis (Planning Consultant), Lourdes. Cabrera - Hernandez (Principal Planner) and
• Maria Stout -Tate (Administrative Assistant .II).
VII. HISTORIC DESIGNATION 7121 SW 63 Ave.
Mr. Youkilis provided the Historic Board with a Designation Report which reviews the
property of 7121 SW 63 Avenue; South Miami, Florida, which will be called the
Whittaker Residence.
Ms. Carolyn Klepser, a consultant to the City, provided the Board with an overview of
the Designation Report. She reviewed the significance of the Property Appraiser's
documents stating the building date of 1918 and the type of house showed significant
data to be deemed historic. Ms. Klepser stated that this house survives as a rare example
of early South Florida architecture. She also stated that the Whittaker house can be
designated as being historic, because it meets the criteria under the "Historic Preservation
Standards ", in the Land Development Code. The designation met the following criteria:
A) Possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship,
feeling and association.
C) Are associated with the lives of persons significant in our. past i.e. past
owners of this property have included South Miami's first medical officer and
first postmaster, and/or developers from the boom era of the 1920's.
D) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a t5'P e period, style or method of
� P � tY
construction or work of a master, or that possess high artistic value, or that
represent a distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual
distinction.
2
Ms. Klepser stated that in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 20 -5.19 of
the City's Land Development Code, the Whittaker house can be designated historic.
Ms. Clyatt ,stated that she would Speak to one of the residents to see if this particular
house was moved and the date that it occurred for background purposes.
Motion: Mr. Kurztman made a motion to designate the Whittaker house as being
Historic. Seconded by Ms. Dison-.
Vote: 8 Ayes, 0 Nays
•
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