Carrollton will make case for Villa Woodbine boys’ school at Miami commission meeting
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart is expected to return to the City of Miami on Thursday.
Representatives of the Coconut Grove-based all-girls school are seeking approval from city commissioners to appeal a decision by the city’s Historic and Environmental Board regarding Villa Woodbine.
Carrollton bought the property, which houses a historic Mediterranean Revival mansion popular for weddings, for $8.375 million in December 2019.
In December, the board rejected the school’s proposal to build an all-boys school on the three acres at 2167 S. Bayshore Drive. The proposed two-story Mediterranean Revival-style project would house up to 336 students.
The board was concerned that the tree canopy would be impacted, and the school’s plans for a pool would cover parts of the silver bluff facing South Bayshore Drive, which protects the area from rising sea levels and climate change.
The school will present the same argument it gave to the historic and environmental board, contending that its plans would allow for environmental and historic preservation of the site. It points to the historic restoration work it has done on its campus, whose roots lie in the 1917 El Jardin estate on Main Highway.
“The issues that are before us are very specific. It’s about the scenic thoroughfare, tree canopy and historic preservation,” said City of Miami Commissioner for District 2 Ken Russell, the commissioner who represents the district where Carrollton is located.
Should commissioners deny the appeal, Carrollton is ready to go to court, Carrollton Headmaster Olen Kalkus said.
If commissioners approve Carrollton’s plan, the school would move to the city’s Planning and Zoning Department — where the focus would be on traffic concerns.
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“This is the first step to build a Sacred Heart school for boys in Miami,” Kalkus said.
The commission will also decide whether four Grove residents can have an intervenor status should the commission approve plans. Each applicant is applying alongside the opposition group Bayshore in the Grove.
“The difference between having the intervenor status is instead of the commission or boards taking two-minute speeches from the public, we would have the same time that Greenburg Traurig has to make a presentation. We wouldn’t have that otherwise nor the ability to cross examine,” said Rose Pujol, the co-founder of Bayshore in the Grove, a Grove resident and Realtor for 17 Real Estate Brokers.
Pujol co-founded the nonprofit alongside Miami Dade College Museum of Art and Design board member and Grove resident Bruce Loshusan. Loshusan is the CEO of Kenneth Loshusan & Sons, which is based in Jamaica, according to his Linked In profile.
Historically, residents living adjacent or close to a proposed development site have been granted intervenor status, Russell said. “But sometimes we’ve denied applicants who live across the street. It depends.”
The public has until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to email commissioners or call the City of Miami with comments. Locals can also call in to express their views on Thursday without registering.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 1:30 PM.
