North Beach CRA Advisory Committee Draft Walking Tour Minutes 1700 Convention Center Drive Miami Beach, FL 33139 www.miamibeachfl.gov/northbeachcra NORTH BEACH WALKING TOUR NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Thursday, January 18, 2024 - 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Unidad – 7251 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL, 33141 Members in Attendance: Chair Jose Smith, Vice-Chair Betsy Perez, Ronnie Issenberg, Romina Orozco-Encio, Elizabeth Latone, David Sexton
Members Absent: Manning Salazar
Other Attendees: Assistant City Manager Rickelle Williams, Office of Capital Improvement Projects Director David Martinez, Code Compliance Department Assistant Director Thomas Curitore, Economic Development Department Administrative Service Manager Luis Wong, Economic Development Department Redevelopment Specialist Michael Rivera, and Miami Beach Police Department Officers Julio Blanco, Rafael Fujita, and Carlos Rodriguez 1. Welcome & Attendance At 2:05 p.m., Committee Chair Jose Smith and Assistant City Manager Rickelle Williams opened the meeting and greeted the attendees outside of the Unidad building located at 7251 Collins Avenue. Attendees were briefed on the purpose of the meeting and the proposed itinerary. At 2:10 p.m. Officer Jose Blanco spoke to the attendees and shared the procedures the City of Miami
Beach North Beach officers take in patrolling the North Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (NBCRA) district. NBCRA specific detail is done on Monday & Tuesday from 7 a.m. – 4.p.m and night detail shift is 4p.m. – 9 p.m. The Police detail includes monitoring the City of Miami Beach parks and
business districts. Officer Blanco recommended walking north on Collins to visit the business district. 2. Walking Tour Route
At 2:15 p.m. the walking tour began with attendees walking northbound on Collins Avenue from 72nd Street towards 76th Street, and then southbound on Collins Avenue from 76th Street back to 73rd Street. 3. Aesthetic and Beautification Issues
The first issue attendees noticed was the condition of the sidewalks on Collins Avenue. Many of the
sidewalks have severe cracks in the middle of the right-of-way. The second issue encountered was the
conditions of the garbage cans placed on Collins Avenue. All the garbage cans within the business district
on the east and west side of Collins Avenue can benefit from being replaced attendees noted. One
garbage can, on the southeast corner of 73rd Street, was visibly damaged with cracks in the exterior and
interior which allowed spillage to leak into the sidewalk and into Collins Avenue.
North Beach CRA Advisory Committee
Walking Tour Meeting Minutes
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The mounding area surrounding the palm trees along the east and west side of Collins Avenue needs
severe upkeep. The main concern was the cast iron tree grates around the palm trees. Many were
displaced and serving as trip hazards for residents and tourists walking along the sidewalks. Ronnie
Issenberg explained the purpose of the grates around the palm trees was as a method to fertilize the
palm trees. Once the palm tree is fully matured, the cast iron grates serve no purpose outside of
cosmetics. Suggestions were made to investigate how the grates can be removed and to identify a new
way to beautify the area around the palm trees.
On the corner of 75th Street and Collins Avenue, there were several large pieces of cement residing on
the sidewalk near the curb. Posing a potential safety hazard, Rickelle Williams immediately contacted
the Public Works department to address their removal. Additionally, on the same block, there were
manholes discovered with unstable covers.
Along the walking tour, staff noticed significant graffiti on properties and streetlights. Director of the Office
of Capital Improvement Projects David Martinez mentioned that the streetlights belong to Miami-Dade
County and communication must occur with the County to seek repainting of the streetlights. Assistant
Director of Code Compliance Tom Curitore mentioned some of the properties with graffiti had already
been issued violations and are currently undergoing the regulatory enforcement process.
Officer Blanco noted how the Greenspace Department’s efforts in trimming the high bushes along the
beachfront have deterred unauthorized encampments. Attendees noticed the placement of newer-model
trash receptacles and reiterated the desire for deployment of the newer models throughout Collins
Avenue.
4. Business Issues
Officer Blanco raised concerns about several businesses operating on the east side of Collins Ave such as Bikini Bar located at 7309 Collins Avenue, which location has been cited several times for disorderly conduct and illegal drug activity at the establishment.
Several businesses on both sides of Collins were also found in violation of sign regulations for various reasons: installing A-frame signs in the public right-of-way; electronic advertisement on the window front (Million Delights Bubble Tea, 7319 Collins Avenue) or excessive advertising and signage in their window front (Chesters Chicken, 7435 Collins Avenue). Collins Food Mart located at 7335 Collins Avenue was identified as an establishment selling merchandise that is drug paraphernalia. The CVS located at 7400 Collins Avenue showed visible structural issues from the exterior with a makeshift support system that is buttressing part of the structure from the third floor. An adjacent gated unit has accumulated a large amount of garbage and debris and is emitting a strong odor.
There were also several vacant storefronts along the business district. Michael Rivera, Redevelopment Specialist will reach out to property owners to present them with the City of Miami Beach Vacant Storefront Cover Program application. 5. Conclusion
The attendees noticed that a large portion of the issues can be remediated. It will take a collaborative approach between the North Beach CRA and various City of Miami Beach Departments. An action plan and issue tracking document have been prepared. Through continued monitoring of the Redevelopment district and with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the underlying goal of neighborhood beautification and improvement is possible. Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 13th, 2024, at 4:30 pm – Normandy Shores Golf Club