Sunny Isles Beach staff to draft car‑carrier parking ordinance after commissioners raise safety, timing concerns

Sunny Isles Beach commissioners directed city staff on Aug. 21 to prepare an ordinance to regulate where and when commercial car carriers may park and off‑load vehicles within the city. The discussion followed staff research into the enforcement options and possible locations; staff presented three potential drop‑off sites on North Bay Road and asked for feedback before drafting an ordinance. The move matters because residents have complained about large trucks off‑loading in front of private buildings, creating noise, idling engines and potential conflicts with pedestrians and school traffic. City Manager (staff) told commissioners the city can create and enforce an ordinance and presented three example locations: a stretch of Eighth Street between North Bay Road and 179th Drive; the 17050 block of North Bay Road in front of Golden Bay Club condominium; and the 16900 block of North Bay Road in front of Intercoastal Yacht Club. Julio Davila, co compliance manager, said the city lacks a single large staging area like the town of Palm Beach and therefore identified smaller locations intended to minimize traffic impacts. Davila said, “we're just trying to find certain locations where the the most minimum impact to traffic would be and also geographically located.” Commissioners emphasized enforcement, timing limits and school‑hour safety. Commissioner Joseph asked police input and suggested restrictions so deliveries didn’t occur during school pickup and drop‑off. Vice Mayor Alex Lama said deliveries can be noisy and disruptive and favored time restrictions, warning against turning residential streets into “the parking lot for big trucks.” The city attorney cautioned against designating off‑city locations and confirmed the city could not lawfully designate areas outside its jurisdiction like Haulover. Staff described enforcement options that would include citations to drivers and, under the proposed approach, possible penalties for the unit owners who schedule deliveries; staff noted the Town of Palm Beach had obtained compliance using a similar ordinance. Commissioners discussed time windows and suggested restricting deliveries to narrow overnight hours; one suggestion that staff relayed was between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Staff also proposed a public information campaign to notify HOAs, property managers and residents of any new rules. No formal ordinance vote was taken. The commission’s direction to staff was procedural: draft an ordinance reflecting the locations and time‑limit options, consult with the police department as requested, and return to the commission for a future meeting. City Manager (staff) confirmed he had the direction he needed. Next steps: staff will consult further with the police department and planning/code enforcement, refine location and timing options, and bring a draft ordinance back to the commission for consideration and possible adoption.