The Coral Gables Times

2 CORAL GABLES TIMES Thursday, May 3, 1962

Sunrise Harbour Troubles Lie With Zoning There

By MAURICE LABELLE Times Reporter Probably no more storms have brewed in any area of Coral Gables than Sunrise Harbour, a plush subdivision immediately south of Miami on Biscayne Bay. Virtually every time some proposal has been made for its development, a cry has gone up from the Sunrise Harbour residents, particularly the Sunrise Harbour Association. The conflict has revolved pretty much around two men named Gould—Emil Gould the developer and Clifford Gould, former president of the association and spokesman for the 125 or so families who live in the area. Though the relationship between the two men has been good. They are not related. When the Association decided recently to sue the city over a proposed 28-unit, two-story apartment, Clifford Gould called Emil Gould and asked him if he would be interested in joining the suit—financially. Emil Gould graciously declined. If the two men who have represented the main factions at Sunrise Harbour get along and there is no serious difficulty between the organization and the developer, where does the conflict lie? A third party, the City is involved. It is the sometimes nebulous character of zoning at Sunrise that has brewed the storms. For instance: There is a large 540 by 996-foot tract in the southwest corner bordering the Coral Gables Waterway zoned for apartments. Even Emil Gould does not know exactly what should go in there, but he envisions high rise buildings. You cannot pin him down as to the number or height, except that he says they should not be crowded and have all the amenities to make them creditable to Coral Gables. He once had permission to go 13-stories, but his permit ran out before he got underway. Clifford Gould and the association are opposed to all high rise buildings in Sunrise Harbour, period. More recently, a controversy exploded over Gerald Schainuck's proposal to erect a 30-unit, two-story apartment on two lots. A complicated three-way conflict resulted, with Schainuck finally getting an okay for 28 units. It was this action that sparked the threatened law suit. "I think this an unfortunate misunderstanding," said Emil Gould. One of the two lots in question, seven, was erroneously zoned back in 1959, explained Gould, by limiting it to similar conditions imposed on adjoining smaller lots. "It's gotten to be an emotional question," Emil Gould said. There has never been a request made to the City which involved a variance, Gould said. This is something Clifford Gould takes exception to. He cites reversal of parking requirement from back to front of lots on Edgewater Drive, for one instance. Emil Gould has some gripes of his own. "As owner I was never notified," he said of the City's action in limiting the number of apartments and changing parkings and a few other things along Edgewater Drive. Property owners, who bought property in Sunrise Harbour, said Gould, knew what areas were zoned for apartments and that the three-story height limit is not final but subject to approval by the City Commission. This leads to another question. How did Gould envision Sunrise Harbour back in 1947-48 when he acquired the large chunk of land, part of which lies in Miami? And is he satisfied with the way things have turned out? Sixteen years is a long time for a man to wait for his dream to come true. Despite 14 "for sale" signs sprinkling the area, at least a half dozen on homes occupied now or in the past, Gould is optimistic. "The time is just getting right now," he said. But a few obstacles are in the way. The Association wants the City to abide by the Rader and Associates report limiting buildings to three stories and they want the City to increase the amount of minimum square footage in apartments to 1,500 square feet—more than double the present minimum. "We'll abide by the decision of a dedicated planner," said Clifford Gould. Ironically, Emil Gould is a member of the Metro Planning Board which is soon to reveal a plan for all Dade County. But he opposes a planner for his Sunrise Harbour. And there the matter lies. EMIL GOULD CLIFFORD GOULD CONTROVERSIAL AREAS of Sunrise Harbour are as follows: The lots with diagonal lines where a 28-unit apartment is opposed. Lots one through nine in Block 2 and lots eight through 20 in Block 1, where number of apartment units is under fire; and Block 5 where high rise apartments are planned. Business area is undeveloped. (Times Drawing by Red Robbin).

More Apartments Set in Sunrise; Total 32 Units

Two $100,000 apartments having 16 units each are planned at Sunrise Harbour. Permits were issued last week by the Coral Gables Building Department to Sarbro Inc., for two, two-story CBS apartments at 21 and 35 Edgewater Dr. Architect is Hilliard Smith Jr. and Wessel Const. Ind., the contractor. These are not the apartments which are in controversy in that area. Permit values do not include land costs. Other permits issued recently to K. G. Eccl. Inc. 458 Bird Rd., residence, $17,500. Air Lite Builders, 3800 Riviera Dr., residence, $21,000. Mr. and Mrs. C. Crech, 1209 Alhambra Cir., addition, $10,000. Mr. and Mrs. Herman F. Brown, 323 Camilo Ave., additions, alterations, $3,500. Dr. and Mrs. M. Miller, 1530 Zoreta Ave., addition, $2,000. Max Junghaendel, 102 Romano Ave., addition, $2,400. Barkins Const. Co., 829 Malaga Ave., screen enclosure, $650. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Brody, 728 Jeronimo Dr., screen enclosure, $1,068. Mr. and Mrs. James Durham, 1421 Baracoa Ave., residence, $28,000. L. F. Hunt, 617 Maiorca Ave., residence, $16,500. Flagler Homes Realty Inc., 431 Zamora Ave., residence, $16,500. Norberto Diaz, 684 Bird Rd., residence, $17,500. Jerry Toffler, 6815 Meynada Ave., screen enclosure, $1,105. Lewanski-Hutchinson, 620 Alhambra Cir., screen enclosure, $2,370. Miller Solomon, 460, 462, 464 South Dixie Hwy., 465 Rosaro Ave., office, $90,000. Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Fellenz, 6610 Castaneda, alterations, $950. R. H. Mattox, 2900 DeSoto Blvd., alterations, $2,000. Town House Apt., 5, 7, Alhambra Plaza, pool, $7,500. Mr. and Mrs. J. Milton, 4849 Ronda St., addition, $6,000. Dr. Irving P. Eney, 3218 Ponce de Leon Blvd., alterations, $10,000. Ponce Junior High School, 5801 Augusto St., addition, $1,000. Ralph H. Ferrell, 932 Tendilla Ave., screen enclosure $800. M. Harrison, 714 Calatrava Ave., screen enclosure, $400. Harbor Plaza Corp., 165, 167 Madeira Ave., office, $22,000. Dr. H. V. Briggle, 224 Palermo Avenue, addition $3,000. Nivor Corp., 4097 Paradeia Ave., residence, $33,000. Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Preston, 1200 Cartagena Ave., residence, pool and screen enclosure, $35,000. Rex Thompson, 1231 Medina Ave., residence, $17,000. M. Fascell, 220, 224, Santander Ave., patio slab, wall addition, $500. Tommy Dara, 6880 Maynada St., screen enclosure, $2,340. Tommy Dara, 6810 Palazzo St., screen enclosure, $2,460. M. Fascell, 220, 224 Santander Ave., screen enclosure.

Pollution-Free Refinery Doubted

(Continued from Page 1) 300 other refineries in the U.S. indicate they cannot be established without pollution of air and water." "There is no safe level of polution," said Miller, quoting from what he called expert medical advice about the effect of chemical pollutants on the atmosphere. "Mr. McNayr has no feeling for the community," said Miller of County Manager Irving G. McNayr. "He has a closed mind." The air line employee said he has obtained and read 300 pieces of literature on oil refineries and petrochemical complexes in a attempt to arrive at the facts. "People," he said, "have made up their minds about the refinery without knowing the facts." He said a public relations firm has been hired by Ludwig to create a favorable image of oil refineries. The people, he said, have no public relations firm to represent them. "Everyone should have an oil refinery in their back yards," is the image being put over on the public, Miller said. "We are not psychologically prepared to oppose a refinery," he said. This results from the tourist trade nature of the area and forgetting what industrial communities are like, Miller said. The main danger from the refinery, he said, is from the possibility a bunker station will be established offshore. "This is one of the dirtiest things known to the industry," said Miller, "You can't handle that much oil without spilling." Narragansett, R.I., Miller said, has lost between $10,000 and $50,000 daily because of oil polution of its beaches. The same thing would happen here, he said. The State of Michigan and the oil port of Aruba, he said are, good examples that industry is not the answer to unemployment. Miller did not indicate any target date for the referendum.

WINS TYPING CONTEST

Donna Healy typed 100% accurately when it counted, last Saturday for she was competing with 20 typing students from all over the state. She, along with three other students from Coral Gables High School, competed in the contest for typing accuracy sponsored by the Facit Typewriter Company.