By Robert C. Solera, Community Development Director

The City of Sunny Isles Beach is fortunate to be surrounded by water: the ocean on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west. All this water provides open space and beauty, and is a source of recreation and entertainment for our residents and visitors.

The City is fortunate to have an efficient and courteous Police Department that lends assistance and protection to property and life. The marine unit, supervised by Sergeant Bobby Randazzo, patrols the waterways of the City from the Intracoastal to the Atlantic Ocean. Part of their responsibilities is to respond to emergency calls via the water ways.

Many locations adjacent to the water do not have numbers that identify the address or have numbers that are too small or very difficult to read. An officer arriving on a scene needs to be able to identify the number from afar, and prepare to respond. The response may be to handle a small complaint or a difficult and dangerous murder investigation or pursuit of a suspect.

In March 2000, the City of Sunny Isles Beach passed an amendment to an existing code requiring that all locations (multifamily, single family and business) provide an address number on the side of the property that is adjacent to the waterways.

Recently by boat, Code Enforcement conducted an inspection of all the areas adjacent to the waterways and confirmed the lack of address identifications. The Community Development Department sent a courtesy notice to all appropriate property owners. The notice states that inspections must be scheduled.

Those owners that believe they are in compliance need to call the office to schedule an inspection; those not in compliance need to come into compliance and then call for an inspection.

The letter provides for a (15) day period from the date of the letter to comply with the code. At the end of the grace period warnings will be issued with a compliance date, and following that, civil violation will be issued. Please take this time to install address numbers that bring the property into compliance.

The Department is more concerned with the issue of safety and rapid response than with anything else. This is the reason for this article: to remind those existing property owners and to inform those that are coming into the City as new residents of the requirements. In addition it provides you - the resident - with the peace of mind that, in case of an emergency, the Police Department is able to identify your property from the water.

Direct any questions or concerns regarding address number requirements and size to the Community Development Department:
Call 305.792.1705.
Visit our office 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sunny Isles Beach Government Center Floor 3
18070 Collins Avenue
Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160