Efforts by Leonard and Lisa Hochstein to tear down their aging Miami Beach mansion is proving more complicated than either had anticipated.

By Peter Ricci

History has a certain splendor to it, does it not? Walking down the streets of a particular city or neighborhood, and remarking on the relative age of a home or building that is 50, 60, 70, even 100 years old, can undoubtedly add to the character and originality of the area.

But can history be an impediment to progress? In our zeal to preserve the past, are we actually putting up roadblocks for the future? A pending brawl over historic designations in Miami Beach is providing a forum for those very questions.

Historic Homes in Miami Beach – Worthy of Involuntary Designations?

As the Miami Herald reported, the residence at the center of the controversy is a Star Island home in Miami Beach, which was built in 1925 by Walter DeGarmo, a popular architect of the time:

• Leonard Hochstein and his wife Lisa Hochstein – yes, that Lisa Hochstein of “Real Housewives of Miami” fame – have petitioned to tear down the Star Island home (which they own) and build a modern mansion in its place.
• The Miami Design Preservation League, however, has countered with its own application, asking the city to designate the home as historic and spare it from the bulldozers; as the New York Times has reported, it’s part of a wide-ranging effort by preservationists to protect Miami Beach’s historic homes.
• To settle the dispute, Jonah Wolfson, the city commissioner of Miami Beach, has called on the Miami Beach Land Use and Development committee to prohibit such involuntary designations of single-family homes, arguing that the league’s actions are unfair.
• “Wolfson said it’s unfair to designate someone’s home as historic just because ‘other folks want to look at it,'” the Herald reported; typically, historic designations are sought by homeowners seeking the tax/social benefits of owning a historic home, not by preservationists seeking to protect the property.
• Mayor Matti Herrera Bower has defended the preservation of such residences, saying they are part of the “character of the neighborhood,” but the dispute will likely be settled when the committee next meets on Feb. 13.

History or Progress?

So, who’s right in this dispute? Do historical designations interfere with the wishes of homeowners, or are they essential to maintaining the significance and character of a historic community? As the Times noted, Miami Beach residents do generally favor preservation, with 61 percent voting in favor of strengthening preservation laws back in November. And there are numerous benefits to historic designations, particularly the attention that such a distinction can bestow upon a community; indeed, it’s no coincidence that every community on Travel & Leisure‘s recent “Most Beautiful Neighborhoods” list, from Oak Park, Illinois, to Charleston, South Carolina, to Pacific Heights, San Francisco, were all historic in nature, and it’s probably also no coincidence that the areas demand a high premium for their real estate.

But still, there are arguments to be had against preservation. Christopher Zoller, an agent with EWM Realty who is also a board member with the Master Brokers Forum, said that demand in some of Miami’s higher-end suburbs, notably Coral Gables, Pinecrest and Coconut Grove, has been so strong that properties are beginning to be marketed as “tear-down ready” to make way for new construction mansions; however, should those existing structures bear historic status, Zoller said they can prove problems for the incoming homeowners.

“They’re infringing on homeowner rights,” Zoller said.