Tired of the oversized, modern-looking homes that have been springing up in Coconut Grove in recent years, some residents have banded together and are circulating a petition aimed at reducing the allowed size of new homes.

The group, which called itself Grove 2030, has filed a petition with Change.org demanding the city change its zoning code to restrict the size of new homes to 50 percent of the lot size. The petition was delivered to Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell, City of Miami Planning & Zoning Director Francisco Garcia, and City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

“Coconut Grove’s single-family neighborhoods are under assault,” the petition states. “Tree canopy is shrinking, architectural variety is disappearing, lot sizes are being diminished, homes are being demolished and the building sites left empty, and historic homes are being razed and replaced with white canyons of concrete forever altering the Grove’s subtropical village character.”

The neighborhood currently allows homes up to 80 percent of the lot size. For example, under current rules, a new home built on a 10,000-square-foot lot could have as much as 8,000 square feet of living space. The new rules would limit the size, referred to as floor area ratio (FAR), to 5,000 square feet.

The petitioners say the influx of new, modern homes is a stark contrast to the Mediterranean-style homes that have traditionally marked the area. They also say that reducing the allowable FAR to 50 percent would bring Coconut Grove in line with surrounding neighborhoods, such as Coral Gables (48 percent), South Miami (55 percent), and Miami Shores (50 percent). As of Jan. 9, the petition had received 1,044 signatures.

Rendering courtesy of Grove Palms of Coconut Grove

One example of modern homes currently under construction is Grove Palms of Coconut Grove. The project consists of five homes, which range in size from 3,715 to 6,056 square feet and have four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Prices range from $995,000 to $1.3 million.

Resident and Grove 2030 founder David Villano said developers have economic incentive to buy smaller existing homes, raze them, and replace them with larger homes at higher prices. Not only do these new homes make the neighborhood less affordable, they are also causing negative environmental impacts. During construction, native trees hardwood trees are removed and replaced with smaller trees and grassy areas are replaced with concrete because the homes are being constructed in close proximity. Improper drainage has led to problems with storm runoff and drainage, per The Miami Times Javier Gonzalez, a local real-estate agent and former vice chairman of the Coconut Grove Village Council, has said that property values of homes in the neighborhood have not declined in recent times. In a survey he conducted last fall, he found the ratio of Mediterranean-style houses to modern ones was 137 to 74 in South Grove, 123 to 45 in Village West, 132 to 33 in Center Grove.

Russell, who has been working with the petitioners and others to improve the zoning code and preserve the Grove's personality and history for the past year, has said he supports making changes but that a public process must be followed. A public hearing will be held in January with a final vote on the issue in April.

A Jan. 3 update on the petition stated, “still no support for our petition from Commissioner Ken Russell, but he does agree that Coconut Grove’s new single-family homes are too big. A proposal to reduce the allowable size will be announced by the city’s Planning & Zoning staff later this month, Russell told us recently. Will it be the 50 percent home-to-lot ratio we are demanding? Russell won’t say. ‘The specific percentages have not been finalized but are part of the overall changes (to the Grove’s zoning code) that are taking place.’