Do zoning inspectors care about the neighborhood?

Wondering if our Miami Zoning Department is on the take or do they just not care? I remember many years ago we had the elevator rebuilt in our building. The inspector was a tempermental fool. He would come to inspect the job and at that time everyone had to be present on the same date and time - the contractor, the building president, the electrical team, the elevator builder and so on. Everyone was coordinated and ready and the inspector would throw a tantrum and leave. Once because we didn't have the front gate open in time for him, another time another reason. He was an idiot.

One time he left his wallet here in the office for a full weekend, I don't know how he managed without it. Another time he left the full confidential report on our elevator.

He would have everyone show up, throw a tantrum and leave.

One day I called him up and told him if we didn't have our CO or whatever it's called by the end of the day, we would be suing the City and him personally. The proper paperwork appeared within an hour. A few years later someone told me he was trying to get a bribe. I was just too naive to know that.

Which brings me to the recent group of buildings at 3180, 3182, 3184, and 3186 Elizabeth Street and 3145 Ohio Street, all by the same developer, and 3374 Day Avenue, by a different developer which all have illegal setback violations. Devin Cejas, who was the city of Miami Zoning Director at the time, went out and confirmed this after being asked to come out and look at it.

Because of this incompetence, our neighborhood code compliance inspector is being transferred, hopefully to a dungeon somewhere where he can't take bribes and destroy neighborhoods. Mr. Cejas has agreed to follow-up with the status of the citations and stop orders, which have been issued for each of these properties. A five foot set-back is required. There is none and there was no variance applied for.

In the meantime, construction workers are working at all hours of the night and day.

Now let's give some credit where credit is due -- The Urban Development Review Board honored the character of Charles Avenue and the neighborhood by turning down a prefabricated steel house that fits nowhere in the character of the neighborhood. You may remember Andrew Rasken from this article about his property at 3372 Charles Avenue.


UDRB members felt that the house would not fit in well with the historic nature of Charles Avenue and the rest of the houses in the area. The project was denied earlier this month. That particular street must have all projects reviewed by the URDB and it's interesting to note that there are other projects on that street that do not fit in with the neighborhood, yet they passed muster in the past. Hope this means the rules are finally making sense and getting stricter.