A Miami advisory board has cleared the way for extensive renovations at a Coconut Grove waterfront estate, rejecting a city staff recommendation that a proposed swimming pool be moved 25 feet from the protected Silver Bluff rock formation.
The Historic and Environmental Preservation Board ruled Tuesday that construction could proceed closer to the rare limestone outcropping, provided that any portions exposed during excavation remain uncovered and the pool is built around them if necessary.
“The flexibility is there, only so far as it does not alter the Silver Bluff,” said board Vice Chair Luis Prieto y Munoz. “That is the one red line.”
The project at 3029 Brickell Avenue, a 2.7-acre estate once owned by Madonna, includes new buildings, a swimming pool, redesigned motor court, extensive landscaping and other improvements. Plans also call for removing or relocating dozens of trees.
Dan Goldberg, an attorney representing property owner Brickell Holdings Trust, said moving the pool back 25 feet would interfere with the roots of a large banyan tree. He agreed to the board’s conditions.
The board also required the construction team to document excavation work, including any archaeological artifacts uncovered, provide updates during construction and clearly mark protected portions of the bluff to prevent damage.
The decision comes less than two years after workers building a mansion on the adjoining property damaged a protected section of the Silver Bluff, prompting concerns about the potential impact of construction next door.
Read more: After Silver Bluff Damage Next Door, Madonna’s Former Estate Faces Scrutiny
The Silver Bluff is a rare limestone formation that once extended through much of Coconut Grove’s coastal ridge. The estate lies within Environmental Preservation District No. 49, established by the city in 1975 to protect environmentally significant features, including natural rock outcroppings.
The hubris of these people to think that their need for a pool and extra outbuildings supersedes those of history and nature is appalling. Our species is gross.