‘What’s New?’
...And Improved In Sunny Isles Beach
By Bari Auerbach

Hardly a day goes by without something new and exciting happening in Sunny Isles Beach, where ongoing revitalization projects and renaissance initiatives are ushering in a new era of unprecedented luxury. So “What’s new?” If you ask that question in Sunny Isles Beach, make sure you have plenty of time to hear all the best and brightest answers!

New City Engineer
Government Center is welcoming Rick Conner, serving as new City Engineer and Director of Public Works. Conner was formerly director of engineering for El Paso, Texas and director of public works for Memphis, Tennessee.

New Marine Patrol Boat
Police Chief Fred Maas recently helped christen the “Grey Pearl” – a new 25-foot marine patrol boat with a 225-horsepower Mercury Verado engine and GPS system. Later this year, the Police Department will also be equipping patrol cars with state-of-the-art laptop computers.

New Transit Solutions
At a City Commission workshop held on February 15, preliminary sub-regional transportation plans were presented for coastal barrier islands from the Miami-Dade county line to South Beach. Based on studies of travel, short and long-term solutions to help alleviate traffic congestion are being developed. Plans include consolidating Metro bus routes for more efficiency; and encouraging more motorists to utilize public transportation.

New School Building
At the February 15 City Commission meeting, the team constructing the new Miami-Dade Public School coming to Sunny Isles Beach presented a status report, noting the school is expected to open on schedule by August, 2008.

The school will feature pre-K through 8 th grade classrooms, an administration building, dual purpose auditorium/cafeteria, media center, music, art and theater rooms and a computer lab. Physical education facilities will be expanded into the active park located adjacent to the school on North Bay Road; and a four-story garage will accommodate approximately 135 parking spaces.

New Parks
In keeping with the goal to bring new parks to Sunny Isles Beach, the city has purchased a one acre site at the southwest corner of Sunny Isles Boulevard ; and another site at 19200 Collins Avenue that will be named “ Heritage Park” in honor of the city’s historical legacy. Yet another new park (Pelican Park) featuring a little league baseball field and community center will soon open adjacent to the new public school on North Bay Road.

More good news is that new restrooms are coming to Town Center Park at 17200 Collins Avenue.

New Fire Station
A new, larger fire station will be coming to Sunny Isles Beach by April 2009...There will be no interruption in service; and a temporary station will be located at St. Mary Magdalen Church.

New Sign Ordinance
Sunny Isles Beach has adopted a new uniform sign code to help alleviate “sign pollution” in the city and promote an upscale image. Regulations were created based in part on model sign ordinances adopted by Coral Springs and Weston. At the February 15 City Commission meeting, it was noted merchants will be allowed to utilize 20 percent of window space for signage inclusive of the use of monitors for video marketing presentations.

New signs will also soon be making a “grand entrance” to designate the entrances to Pier Park, Town Center Park, and Sen. Gwen Margolis Park plus various communities including Arlen House, Winston Towers, and Golden Shores.

New Wall
The City Commission granted The Porterhouse Bar & Grill a variance request that will enable the restaurant to construct a new perimeter wall around an outdoor dining area. At the February 16 Commission meeting, Arnold Shevlin of RK Associates noted the shopping center will help the city aesthetically enhance designated sidewalk areas fronting the west side of Collins Avenue

New Windows and Railings
With the goal to create safe windows and balcony railings in condominiums that sustained damage after Hurricane Wilma, the city has instituted a $250 per day fine if necessary repairs are not made within specified time frames. The fine will be waived if valid reasons for non-compliance can be provided.

To help minimize potential hurricane damages and foster an upscale image, the city has also amended city codes to include stricter new ordinances pertaining to unsafe structures and securing construction sites.

New Resolve
In response to a law suit by Publix Supermarkets, Inc. against Sunny Isles Beach regarding the issue of whether submerged land abutting the Publix property can be used for density purposes, the city is displaying new resolve to uphold the integrity of the Comprehensive Plan.

“When the comprehensive plan was drafted, the intent was not to say any piece of submerged land can add to the density of the city,” said concerned citizen George “Bud” Scholl. “I advocate putting resources behind a vigorous defense [of the law suit].”

Mayor Norman S. Edelcup noted the submerged land ordinance was originally drafted to protect property owners. “What we’re talking about is if platted land ‘eroded’ it would still be considered part and parcel of above-ground land.”

New Business Guidelines
The city is adopting new guidelines regarding the number of business entities that will be allowed to operate out of one location in the future. “If a business subleases its location to a number of businesses, this affects parking spaces,” explained Community Development Director Robert Solera. “Only one type of business [can operate] per location [however an additional business can be at the same location] if it is associated or related ...But it must also be [a partner] of the [same] corporation.”

New Election Date
Pursuant with a request by the Miami-Dade Elections Department, election day in Sunny Isles Beach has been changed from Tuesday, Nov. 13 to Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007; and the runoff election date has been changed from Dec. 11 to Dec. 4, 2007. Benefits of consolidating election days throughout the county include an estimated savings of over $10,000 for Sunny Isles Beach plus according to the Elections Department, streamlining election dates can result in higher voter turnout.

New Beach Chair Regulations
The city has established new regulations regarding the placement of chairs on public beach areas. The regulations prohibit obstruction to emergency response paths and promote protection of marine turtles and their nesting grounds.

New Developments
A new wave of revitalization is spreading to Sunny Isles Boulevard, where new developments under construction include St. Tropez and Sunny Isles Beach Marina. The lushly landscaped St. Tropez development will feature three Mediterranean-style residence towers and new retail shops. Sunny Isles Beach Marina will be comprised of a 19-story highrise, restaurants, a built-in automated marina and a boardwalk planned for the bayside. The City Commission has also approved a two-tower condo and marina project just west of St. Tropez.

New Capital Improvements
In an ongoing effort to beautify the city and implement high-tech improvements, the city is initiating projects ranging from streetscape, landscaping and lighting enhancements – to stormwater drainage, road resurfacing, undergrounding of utilities and creating wireless Internet access to enhance communications. Generators have also been purchased that can supply power to the city’s 16 traffic lights in case of a power outage.

New Marketing Campaign
Beyond teaming with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau to promote Sunny Isles Beach as a world-class destination, the City Commission recently approved the creation of a video highlighting the enviable attributes of “ Florida’s Riviera.”

New Committee Members
The Mayor’s Advisory Council committees were recently expanded from five to seven members appointed by Commission members. Residents, who serve on a volunteer basis, are welcome to participate in committee meetings which facilitate community involvement and proactive input.

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