A request to authorize a large dock extension and cluster-pile installation at 736 Northeast 20th Avenue generated substantial public comment and neighborhood opposition at the Marine Advisory Board meeting on Nov. 8.

Applicant representative Alejandra (representing the upland owner) said the site is on a very wide section of canal (about 595 feet wet-face-to-wet-face in materials presented) and cited prior waivers in the same area that allowed long slips. She said environmental approvals were in place from Broward County and that the requested extension would not exceed the code’s 30%-width allowance.

Multiple neighbors told the board they do not live in a commercial district, that the owner does not appear to be a consistent resident, and that they fear the property will be used to berth charter or commercially operated yachts rather than as an accessory to a primary upland residence. One speaker said the property has been the focus of complaints in the past and alleged disruptive behaviors including public urination and fights; another said the house appears boarded and that there is vehicular activity consistent with commercial use.

Board members and staff discussed enforcement limits: code staff said that proving a commercial rental or charter use typically requires evidence of an exchange (advertisement, contracts or receipts) and that accessory‑use nexus questions can be legally complex for enforcement. The transcript records a roll-call vote on the item, but the audio and minutes as transcribed here are ambiguous about the final tally and whether the motion carried. For the certified outcome, readers should consult the city’s official minutes and staff report.

Provenance: Applicant presentation and exhibits (02:05:00–02:30:00); multiple neighbor statements (02:30:00–03:05:00); recorded roll-call appears late in the transcript but is ambiguous.