But I still can’t help but wonder how things went so horribly wrong in North Miami Beach.

According to the two cities’ histories reported in Wikipedia, both were incorporated during the Florida land boom of the 1920s.  Although North Miami Beach only encompasses five square miles of land (not including .3 square miles of water), compared to Coral Gables’ 13.1 (plus 24 square miles of water), you would think that NMB was originally in a better position, or at least an equal one, to become one of the more prominent cities in the county based on its location alone, if nothing else.

At one time, North Miami Beach actually had a beach because its “boundaries once stretched to the Atlantic Ocean.”  I’ve been hard pressed to determine exactly when, and by which administration in our city’s history that the prime real estate, now known as the City of Sunny Isles Beach, was sold to the county.  Needless to say, it was not North Miami Beach’s finest hour.  Or, obviously, its best decision.  I also don’t know exactly how much waterfront land was given up or at what price, but as a result, we are now stuck with roughly five square miles of property, none of which abuts on anything even remotely resembling a “beach.”

If that weren’t bad enough, folks outside South Florida understandably assume that because our city’s name includes the words “Miami Beach,” that we are somehow connected to my home town of Miami Beach, which city has undergone a dramatic image makeover in the last three decades.  My childhood was spent in what was once the retirement capital of the world.  My friends and I literally stood on the sidewalks of South Beach as it was magically transformed from God’s Waiting Room into the Celebrity Center of the Universe practically right before our eyes.  That miraculous change started with development and redevelopment.  Those visitors who assume that our city is merely a “North” extension of Miami Beach are not only sadly mistaken, but grossly disappointed once they arrive.

Between not having an actual beach and having absolutely no connection to Miami Beach, even our name is misleading.

Coral Gables, however, is an aptly named moniker for a city that has thrived from its inception.  In a city “famous for its strict zoning regulations” (such as the requirement for homes to have a coral, gabled roof), as “one of the first planned communities” in South Florida, Coral Gables has continued to maintain its high standards and consistently remain one of the most popular vacation destinations in the state.

The key words that stand out are “planning” and “zoning,” neither of which have ever been considered since North Miami Beach was first incorporated in 1927 as the city of Fulford.  The name was changed to NMB in 1931, when we obviously still had a beach about which to boast.  If our city had focused on those two critical words for the last nine decades, we might have had the chance to live up to that name.  As it stands now, we’re not even close.

Had my office remained in the Blue Lagoon business complex near Miami International Airport, I might have once considered moving to Coral Gables.  But since we relocated to Fort Lauderdale ten years ago, I’ve made no bones about my desire to eventually move north of the county line.  (Sorry, Miami-Dade, but it really is Better in Broward.)  Of course, if North Miami Beach had something of value to offer, I might not think about leaving.  I purchased my first (and so far only) home here over 24 years ago in order to raise my family, and I’ve never regretted that decision.  Since then, however, my kids have grown up and moved out of the city.  I now feel like I’m stuck here in the ‘hood with no way out.

What got me thinking about Coral Gables is an article in today’s Miami Herald, Coral Gables proposes increased budget and reduced property rate.  My first thought was, “How’d they do that?”  Upon reading the article, I became intrigued.  Since property values have risen, Coral Gables property taxes will necessarily rise, but the city commissioners were still able to pass on a small savings on the increase to its residents.  The slight reduction in millage will create a property tax increase of only $23.00 per home instead of the $36.00 increase without the cut.

Even more startling to me is the fact that Coral Gables has approximately 48,000 residents, which is only 6,000 more than North Miami Beach’s approximate population of 42,000 residents.  Granted, with 13.1 square miles of land, Coral Gables has a much smaller population density than our city, but that’s not taking into account the business district of Coral Gables, which is not only larger than NMB’s, but unlike North Miami Beach, includes <gasp> “numerous high rise office buildings.”

More strikingly, however, is the fact that Coral Gables has 184 police officers, and their new budget will enable the city to hire seven more.  North Miami Beach, on the other hand, is down to 92, with at least four more cops preparing to leave for other agencies.  In Coral Gables, the ratio will be one officer per 265 residents once the new employees are hired, while in NMB we have one per 456 and dwindling.  Considering that the crime rate in Coral Gables has decreased from 2010 to 2013, including a dramatic drop in violent crime from 93 to 40 incidents, the North Miami Beach violent crime rate has increased from 346 to 412 incidents in the last three years, even as our overall crime rate has somewhat decreased.

As an aside, in case you’re interested, over in North Miami the crime rate for both violent and non-violent incidents has also decreased, proving (to me anyway) that government corruption has no bearing on crime.  Then again, if the criminals are already in office … oh, well, never mind.

While I’m not saying that the violent crime rate increase is a direct result of our decreased police force, the loss of our veteran cops certainly hasn’t helped the situation.  Just as important, however, is exactly what I keep screaming about:  WE HAVE A CODE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM!

Nothing happens in a vacuum.  When it comes to running cities, every policy in place affects the city as a whole and determines the success or failure of that municipality.  Cities like Coral Gables and Pinecrest, which I’ve also written about, and which have been carefully planned and run from the get go, have not so coincidentally been managed responsibly and in a fiscally prudent manner.  It all starts with a master plan, including a reasonable building code.  A strict building code, and even stricter code enforcement, necessarily leads to community pride, which necessarily leads to residents (and employees) taking ownership of their city.  That ownership leads to a greater participation in government and a deeper understanding of why growth and development is a vital aspect to the success of the city as a whole.

Just as important, the more financially successful a municipality is, the more police the city can hire.  The better staffed a police department is, the more community services it can offer, including but not limited to NMB’s sorely missed Gang Unit.

Speaking of gangs, just try googling “gangs in Coral Gables” and see what you come up with.  Compare that to the list you get after googling “gangs in North Miami Beach.”  One of the items that popped up in my NMB search was an article that Jim DeFede did on May 7, 2012 called A Night Inside South Florida’s Gang Wars.  He reported about a newly formed Gang Unit comprised of officers from six agencies in and around northeast Miami-Dade County, which I believe is home to inarguably the worst gang problem in South Florida.  Right now, the trio of Opa-locka, Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach seems to be ground zero for gang activity.

Jim DeFede did not mention Coral Gables.

Coral Gables, however, does have a company called Window Gang, which offers a window cleaning service, and a Woof Gang Bakery, which requires no explanation.

Okay, so North Miami Beach is not and never will be Coral Gables.  Nor will it ever be Pinecrest for that matter.  But we certainly don’t have to be Opa-locka or Miami Gardens, either.

Fortunately, we are about to get two major development projects, Marina Palms and Parkview Business Center.  This could be the start of what the City Council hopes to be a “re-branding” of North Miami Beach.  If that “re-branding” leads to a more comprehensive and consistent building code, and a stricter enforcement of that code, there will be hope for some real growth and development of our city.

North Miami Beach also needs to address the negotiations with the police department contract, which hearing will be this Tuesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m.  I urge residents to get involved, step up and show up.  This is YOUR city and it’s time to take ownership, dammit!

Our city’s problems started long before this administration took office.  In fact, they started long before any administrations in my 24 years as a resident, and most likely, way before that.  From what I can tell, there was a serious lack of planning and management from the very start.  Giving away our beach was probably the most egregious act of all.  But, that is history, which cannot be undone, and we must now work with what we have left.

Personally, I’m giving it three to five years before I make my decision whether to stay or not.  Assuming that property values continue to rise, my goal is to eventually sell my empty nest and buy a lawn-free condominium somewhere.  By that time, North Miami Beach had better be much improved and on the rise, or I’m hitting the road north of the border.  I already have my Broward County Passport just in case.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”