Outdoor kitchens in Coral Gables

George Merrick had Coral Gables fully mapped out on paper by early 1921, and the city was incorporated on April 29, 1925. The city takes its name from the Merrick family home, whose addition was built of native coral rock quarried where Venetian Pool is today.

A 1923 city publication, quoted in the City's design guide, calls native coral rock and stucco on cement tile blocks made in Coral Gables the fundamentals of its construction. Many of the workers who built early Coral Gables were stonemasons from the Bahamas, experts in coral rock construction. The Coral Gables Zoning Code defines Coral Gables Mediterranean Architecture as an architectural style that exhibits George Merrick's vision.

A FREILUFT kitchen does not imitate this style. Its calm lines and a natural stone counter let it stand beside stucco and coral rock without competing: natural stone worktops in Nero Assoluto, Anthracite Black, Taj Mahal and Calacatta Brazil.

The Board of Architects checks applications against the Design Review Standards in Section 5-100 of the Zoning Code, including the compatibility of color, materials, fenestration and proportion, and meets every Thursday. For an outdoor kitchen, that means the color of the fronts, the counter and any roof over it are part of the application.

The City's design guide for single-family homes recommends placing accessory buildings in the backyard, with the same minimum setbacks as the house and a design compatible with the neighborhood. For a trellis or pergola, Coral Gables asks for elevation drawings, color photos and a sample of the material and color, and all structural fasteners must be hidden from view. The mechanical permit fee schedule in the Coral Gables City Code lists fireplaces and barbecues as separate items.

On historic properties, one more review applies: Exterior alterations to properties on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places are reviewed by the Historic Preservation Board or its staff through a certificate of appropriateness before a building permit is issued.

In Coral Gables, cutting down, removing, moving or modifying a tree needs a permit, and pruning limbs ten inches or more in diameter on private property also requires a tree permit. Coral Gables requires a tree survey and a tree protection plan when plans are submitted to the Board of Architects.

We plan the kitchen around the trees: clear of large roots, with the fire away from low branches. The manufacturer specifies a minimum clearance of 11 13/16 in (30 cm) to adjacent building elements; local fire codes in Florida are reviewed during planning.

Coral Gables has over 42 miles of coastline and waterways, and the City is developing strategies against the impacts of sea-level rise. Trimming most mangroves in Coral Gables requires a Miami-Dade County certified professional mangrove trimmer, and surveys of waterfront lots must show the mangroves.

Salt air does not stop at the seawall. A FREILUFT kitchen is built to stay outside year-round and has storm hooks in the plinth that secure the doors; before a storm, secure everything loose. Miami-Dade County lies in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone and has the most advanced requirements of the Florida Building Code.