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The exclusive neighborhood of Bal Harbour will held a special referendum election on next January 26. Residents of Bal Harbour Village will vote on a Charter amendment to require that new development plans be reviewed by the Village Council and receive resident input through mandated public hearings. Reported FLAPOL.

Residents want a voice in Bal Harbour’s future development

The proposed Charter question will ask residents to vote ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ to provide the Village Council the sole authority to allow building heights to exceed the currently permitted height of up to 56 feet or 3 stories (5 stories for garages) in the so-called “Special Business Improvement Area” of the “B” Business District (the area where Bal Harbour Shops is located).

Follows the NOTICE OF A SPECIAL REFERENDUM ELECTION – Source: Click Here

” In 2006, the Village Charter was amended by a vote of the residents of Bal Harbour to prohibit building heights from exceeding 56 feet or three stories (five stories for garages) in the “B” Business District (the Code’s designation for the Bal Harbour Shops) as set forth in the Village’s Comprehensive Plan and Code of Ordinances at that time. Any change to this height limitation currently requires (a) approval by a majority of voters at an election in Bal Harbour Village, then (b) action by the Village Council to amend these laws to establish a new height limit.

Earlier this year, the Village received a Petition from the “Future of Bal Harbour” Committee calling for a new vote by the residents to grant the final decision authority on height in part of the “B” Business District to the Village Council and no longer require a vote of the residents. If approved, the vote will grant the Village Council (current and future) sole discretion to decide whether to allow buildings in the Special Business Improvement Area of the “B” Business District to exceed the permitted height set by the voters in 2006, without first receiving the approval of the Village’s voters. The requested authority would only apply to the Special Business Improvement Area in the “B” Business District. “

Some residents are concerned that Bal Harbour community could be transformed in a new Sunny Isles Beach, with a collection of skyscrapers. Sunny Isles has gone through a major transformation in the past few years with the arrival of several luxury condo towers, such as Porsche Design Tower and Armani Residences. One of the problems of many skyscrapers in the region is the congested traffic that comes with the new developments. The urban transformation of the neighborhood brought advantages and disadvantages. Increasingly congested traffic is one of the problems, which is common in any emerging neighborhood.

About Bal Harbour

Bal Harbour Village remains an exclusive-pristine neighborhood north of Miami that borders Sunny Isles Beach and Aventura. Bal Harbour offers some of the most elegant homes and condos in Miami and one of the most exclusive malls in the world: Bal Harbour Shops. If you are interested in learning more about Bal Harbour Real Estate market please give us a call today. AMG Realy is a full-service luxury brokerage firm in Florida and we will be glad to guide you through the process of buying, renting or selling Real Estate in this exclusive community.