Plans for the long-delayed Marina Grande condo towers, at 172nd Street and Biscayne Boulevard have been approved by the North Miami Beach Planning and Zoning Board.

The project, which includes two 24-story towers and a 112-slip marina, now goes to the City Council for approval in votes on June 20 and July 11. The project was approved in 2004, but was halted by a successful court fight brought by the North Miami Beach Citizens Coalition.

Courts found that the city's zoning code did not permit the use of underwater land in zoning calculations, which made it impossible to meet the maximum density of 32 units per acre. That part of the code has since been changed by the city council.

Representatives of the coalition, and other groups that seek to limit building height, urged planners to set the project aside until voters can decide the issue in a referendum. They've gathered about 3,400 signatures in a second attempt to force a public vote; a similar initiative failed in 2004.

By M. Sese
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