Miami Beach Approves Car Elevator Despite Neighbor Opposition
Russell Galbut and Mendy Chudaitov's 15-story Live Local Act project at 1826 Collins Avenue received planning board approval for its mechanical parking system. The 29-unit apartment building will include 12 workforce housing units despite neighboring residents' concerns about construction impacts.
The Miami Beach Planning Board approved a mechanical car elevator system for a 15-story apartment development at 1826 Collins Avenue, moving forward a Live Local Act project despite strong opposition from neighboring residents.
The project, developed by an entity tied to Russell Galbut of Crescent Heights and Mendy Chudaitov of Lefferts, will feature 29 residential units plus office space. Under Florida's Live Local Act requirements, 12 apartments will be reserved for workforce housing at below-market rates, representing the mandated 40 percent affordable component.
The mechanical parking system became necessary due to the site's constrained dimensions. The lot measures just over 9,600 square feet and narrows to 50 feet at its tightest point, according to the developers' attorney Graham Penn. The property previously housed a three-story commercial building constructed in 2012, which also included robotic parking that never functioned properly.
Residents of Tower 1800, a 19-story condominium with 87 units located south of the development site, mounted significant opposition to the project. Wilfredo Rosado and other Tower 1800 owners submitted letters requesting a minimum 10-foot setback between the buildings to preserve light, air circulation, and privacy while preventing an overwhelming wall effect.
During Wednesday's planning board meeting, Tower 1800's property manager urged officials to defer the decision, arguing that approval would create a "snowball effect" enabling the entire project to proceed while negotiations between the parties remained incomplete. However, Galbut firmly rejected any delays, stating his team would not agree to extensions without proper justification.
Some residents voiced concerns about construction impacts, referencing the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse that occurred years after residents complained about vibrations from nearby construction activities. Penn assured the board that developers are working with Tower 1800 on agreements covering construction procedures and easements.
Board member Jonathan Freidin proposed postponing the vote for approximately two months, but received no support from his colleagues. The Live Local Act significantly limits local boards' authority over setback requirements, particularly when such changes would affect project height. Miami Beach staff confirmed that development regulations for this district impose no minimum setback mandates.
The approval represents a notable intersection of Miami Beach's competing priorities: addressing the workforce housing shortage for city employees while managing existing residents' concerns about overdevelopment. The Live Local Act typically allows developers to bypass public hearings through administrative approval, but this project required board review specifically for the mechanical parking component.
Board members emphasized their restricted jurisdiction during the approval vote, noting their review focused solely on the parking elevator system rather than broader project elements. The decision enables the development team to proceed with construction plans for the workforce housing component that will serve Miami Beach's employment base.
