Miami-Dade County has appealed a City of Miami planning board decision that denied the county the permission it needs to rebuild and reopen the Coconut Grove Playhouse. A spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs said the appeal had been received by the city, setting the stage for a playhouse showdown before the Miami City Commission. The city’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board deadlocked over the playhouse on May 6, effectively halting the project for now (read more: Miami Planning Board Rejects Playhouse Plan). Anthony Vinciguerra of Preserve the West Grove expressed disappointment over the county’s decision to appeal. Vinciguerra and other playhouse neighbors are asking the county to modify its plan to prevent traffic and commercial activity from spilling into their West Grove neighborhood. “We felt that the PZAB board made a decision that respected both the zoning of the City of Miami, and the concerns of the community,” Vinciguerra told the Spotlight.
County Appeals PZAB’s Playhouse Decision
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It’s very disappointing — although completely expected — that the County would appeal to the City Commission instead of listening to the City’s Planning Board(PZAB) advice to meet with the West Grove neighbors: “What the neighbors are asking is so little and easy to do.” Instead, the County has decided to continue blustering and bludgeoning to get its way.
If the City Commissioners wisely decide not to override PZAB’s denial, they will defer the appeal and require the County to return before the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board – as HEPB has requested. The experienced architects and landscape professionals there will start off by finding: (1) most everyone supports having a live theater that meets League of Resident Theater (LORT) minimum standards, (2) most everyone supports the proposed parking garage, (3) the West Grove/Little Bahamas’ reasonable requests need to be required not merely acknowledged, and (4) the Playhouse can still, with HEPB’s approval, continue to be on the State and National Historic Registers.
HEPB’s approval will cement the compromise that should have happened years ago — and still can.
If instead, the Commissioners — as expected – bend the knee and grant the County’s appeal, then it’s back to court once again with no end in sight. Just maybe, though, at least 3 of our 5 elected Commissioners will say, “We represent the people of the premiere city in the State of Florida and it is our sworn duty to decide what’s lawfully best for our City.”