Keep Eastern Shores Beautiful — A Code Compliance Refresher
Eastern Shores is one of the most attractive neighborhoods in North Miami Beach, and it stays that way because of what each of us does on our own property. The ESPOA Board is asking every resident — owners and renters alike — to take a few minutes to look at their home from the street and make sure it meets City of North Miami Beach code.
This isn't only about appearances. Figures cited by the City's Code Compliance Division put the cost plainly: abandoned or boarded-up buildings nearby reduce the value of a home by 31 percent, and visible trash in a neighborhood reduces values by about 15 percent. What one property lets slide, every neighbor pays for.
Below is a plain-language summary of the rules residents most often run afoul of. None of it is new, and almost all of it is quick to put right.
TRASH AND RECYCLING CARTS
Your 96-gallon cart must be at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on your collection day. Put it out no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the evening before, and bring it back in by 7:00 p.m. on collection day — carts left at the street between pickups are one of the most common violations in the neighborhood.
Position the cart with the handle facing your house, at the edge of the paved traffic lane, with three feet of clearance on all sides, six feet from vehicles, boats and mailboxes, and fifteen feet of overhead clearance from trees and wires. Never block the sidewalk or pedestrian access. If you have alley collection, the cart goes behind your property in the alley, handle facing the house, out by 7:00 a.m.
Garbage must be bagged, and the contents have to fall freely when the cart is dumped. Yard clippings, dirt, sod, rocks, concrete, toxic or flammable materials, and construction or remodeling debris are not accepted in household collection. Residential garbage is collected twice a week. There is no collection on Thanksgiving or Christmas; if the holiday falls on your day, your pickup moves to the next scheduled collection.
BULK TRASH — THIS IS WHERE THE FINES ARE
Bulk pickup for Eastern Shores is the third Thursday of every month. Furniture, mattresses and yard trimmings go out then; white goods such as refrigerators, water heaters and washing machines are collected by request only.
Three things to avoid, because the City's ordinance carries a fine of up to $500: do not set bulk trash out more than two days before your scheduled pickup, do not place it where it obstructs traffic in the street or alley, and do not leave it in the wrong location. If you need a special pickup outside the monthly date, call Coastal Waste & Recycling at 305-384-7649 and arrange it rather than putting items out early.
LAWNS, HEDGES AND SWALES
Yard maintenance is the property owner's responsibility, and it extends to the swale and right-of-way abutting your property — not just inside your fence line. Lawns should be irrigated, free of weeds, and mowed to four inches or less. Bare patches need re-sodding. Front-yard hedges are limited to four feet, rear-yard hedges to six. Keep vegetation and trees trimmed so they don't block the sidewalk or a driver's line of sight, and edge back growth from sidewalks, curbs, gutters and swales.
PARKING
Cars belong on driveways, in carports or in garages, on a properly constructed and permitted surface. Parking on the grass is prohibited. Any vehicle parked in the yard and visible from the right-of-way must be operable. Boats, trailers, campers and recreational vehicles may not be parked on streets or public rights-of-way.
FENCES, WALLS AND OUTDOOR STORAGE
Fences, walls and hedges must be kept safe, attractive and in non-hazardous condition, finished on both sides, and painted unless they are natural material or galvanized. Nothing may exceed six feet in a required rear, corner side or interior side yard.
Outdoor storage is prohibited. Anything meant for indoor use — furniture, appliances, automotive parts, building materials — cannot be stored outside. BBQ grills and lawnmowers are fine.
THE HOUSE ITSELF
Exteriors must be weather tight, rodent proof and sound, with paint, siding, brick or stone in good condition. Keep roof parts, railings, windows, doors and screens in repair. Address numbers must be permanently attached and clearly visible from both the street and the alley. Swimming pools must be clean and clear, enclosed by a fence with a self-closing gate.
PERMITS, RENTALS AND HOME BUSINESSES
Work added to a structure without a permit is illegal no matter how long it has been there, and the City can require it be closed off — call the Building Division at 305-948-2965 before you start. Short-term rentals are governed by Ordinance 2017-14 and must be registered, limited to no more than three rentals in any twelve-month period, offered as the entire residence, and supervised by a contact reachable 24 hours a day. Home businesses need a Business Tax Receipt and may not display outside signage. Garage sales are limited to two consecutive weekend days, twice per calendar year, with permission from the City Clerk's Office, and signs may not be placed on public property.
IF YOU RECEIVE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION
Act on it right away. Call Code Compliance at 305-948-2966 with any questions about correcting the problem. If prompt action isn't taken, the City can escalate to citations, Special Magistrate or Code Board hearings, penalties and liens — all of which cost far more than the original fix.
WHO TO CALL
Code Compliance Division: 305-948-2966 — also the number for reporting a violation
Building Division: 305-948-2965
Solid Waste Division: 305-948-2904
Business Tax Receipt Office: 305-948-2917
Public Works Department: 305-948-2967
Coastal Waste & Recycling customer service: 305-384-7649, or nmb@coastalwasteinc.com
City Clerk's Office (garage sale permission): 305-787-6001
If your 96-gallon cart goes missing, report it to the North Miami Beach Police non-emergency line at 305-948-5500 first and get a case number, then call Coastal Waste & Recycling with that number. The replacement carries no fee.
Full details are at citynmb.com/190/CodeCompliance, and recycling guidance is at CityNMB.com/SolidWaste. The Code Compliance Division is at 17050 NE 19 Avenue, North Miami Beach, FL 33162.
A LAST WORD
Nobody enjoys a compliance notice, and the Board would much rather never send one. Trimming a hedge, bringing in a cart, or moving a boat off the swale takes a few minutes and keeps this the neighborhood we all chose. Thank you for looking after your corner of Eastern Shores — and for giving your neighbors the same care you'd want from them.