Outdoor kitchens in Key Biscayne

The Village of Key Biscayne, incorporated on June 18, 1991, occupies the center of a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, with Crandon Park to the north and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park to the south.

Before the homes were built, William John Matheson ran a coconut plantation and experimental fruit groves in the southern part of his land on the Key. Key Biscayne's single-family neighborhoods began in 1950, when the Mackle Company built 289 cement block homes for veterans.

A FREILUFT kitchen fits the island's houses with calm lines, fronts in standard colors in fine texture, with nearly all RAL colors available on request and a natural stone counter: natural stone worktops in Nero Assoluto, Anthracite Black, Taj Mahal and Calacatta Brazil.

All 823 acres of the Village of Key Biscayne lie in the Special Flood Hazard Area. Key Biscayne is in Evacuation Zone A, with the highest risk of flooding from storm surge. Miami-Dade County lies in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone and has the most advanced requirements of the Florida Building Code.

For an outdoor kitchen, that means solid anchoring, connections planned with the flood zone in mind and a plan for storm season: before a storm, secure everything loose. On the oceanfront, one more permit applies: For work seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line, Key Biscayne's code requires the state permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection before work begins. Anything built in or over the water follows its own rules: Work in, on or over tidal waters, such as docks and seawalls, needs a Miami-Dade County Class I permit, also inside cities such as Miami.

Single-family lots in Key Biscayne must keep at least 30 percent of the lot as pervious area. Key Biscayne's landscape code requires one tree per 1,875 square feet on single-family and two-family lots, and at most 40 percent of the requirement may be met with palms.

Removing or relocating any tree in Key Biscayne needs a Village permit, and the Village asks for proof of the County tree permit where one is required. We plan the kitchen so it keeps the garden green: compact, clear of large roots and with the fire away from palm fronds and 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.

In Key Biscayne, questions on trees, zoning and variances go to the Zoning Reviewer of the Village's Building, Zoning and Planning Department. We check the rules for your lot at the start of every project and prepare the documents the licensed contractor needs for the permits. Our guide to outdoor kitchen permits in Miami-Dade explains the steps.