LIVING IN HARMONY
By Mayor Norman S. Edelcup

As a Mayor of the City, one of my primary goals is to create an environment of harmony amongst the various groups of people that reside in Sunny Isles Beach. These groups are numerous and diverse. We have young families with children, retiree's of all ages, people who have relocated from all parts of the United States as well as from many countries around the world. Many languages are spoken. We have full time and part time residents. In addition to our resident population, we have people operating many different retail and commercial businesses. Additionally, the city has real estate developers transforming all areas of our City into new housing and investment opportunities.

Fortunately, the vast majority of the people here are happy in their community surroundings. They are pleased for the most part with the redevelopment of the city and the improved levels of local services available to them since the city's incorporation seven years ago. We have all witnessed the construction of new modern luxury residences replacing the old decaying motels that struggled financially to survive. The City continues to add amenities such as parks, green space, upscale landscaping and expanded free shuttle bus service. Also we are recognized for having one of the finest police forces in Florida. It is unlikely that these improvements would have evolved if we had continued to remain the neglected Northeast area of the County.

I realized that there are a few people in the community who are unhappy with the area's rapid redevelopment and who would be content if Sunny Isles had remained as it was. I also understand that the Commission must be ever watchful in controlling growth and making sure that our infrastructure is adequate to meet the demands put upon it. Constantly we have to make the right decision to prevent excessive construction when some of our developers request more density than the city can reasonably provide. We must insure that the quality of life in Sunny Isles Beach remains true to the vision we all had when we chose to determine our own destiny by becoming a city.

In summary, we must be doing something right as evidence by the rapid sell-out of new condo residences. People from all over the world want to come here to live. They have made their purchases of homes in order to join us in enjoying the quality of life in our beautiful city of "Sun and Sea." Working together, we can assure the continuation of this success story, Sunny Isles Beach, the crown jewel of South Florida.

 

TOP