SEATTLE - Miami Beach authorities are cracking down on people living on boats by eliminating another access point for those who anchor their sailboats in Sunset Harbour. In December, the city removed a dock in Biscayne Bay that people used to get food and water on shore. A city commissioner said that the goal was to "limit the amount of access of the people who live on these boats that come to the mainland."
The latest escalation has turned into a battle between residents. In 2016, state law prohibited anchoring in certain areas of Miami Beach, but boaters were and still are allowed to anchor in Sunset Harbour.
The newest ordinance, which was approved by the City Commission last month and went into effect on Aug. 3, declared that the boat ramp at Maurice Gibb Park located in Sunset Harbour can only be used by city residents to "launch and retrieve noncommercial vessels" — not to dock boats, even temporarily, or pick up and drop off passengers. .
City of Miami Beach law enforcement will impose penalties of $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 and $5,000 for a second and third offense, respectively, plus an option for criminal charges up to 60 days in jail. People living in boats can also have their units towed if they spend more than 20 minutes at the ramp, which can cost over $1,000 to retrieve from a private towing company.
City Commissioner David Suarez presented video footage at a commission meeting in May that showed boats frequently picking up and dripping off passengers saying it was evidence of "constant illegal and unenforceable charter activities." Suarez also added that the boat ramp "was intended as a residential boat launch — not a marina, not a parking lot, and certainly not a pickup and a drop-off hub."
Suarez has flagged concerns about live-aboards polluting the bay by dumping human waste as well as disrupting the quality of life for residents on land with noise and litter.
Despite the pushback from people living in boats, Miami Beach residents, including the neighborhood associations for Sunset Harbour and West Avenue and others who have complained about boaters coming ashore, have voiced their support over the new ordinance.
Commissioner Laura Dominguez, who initially voted against the Maurice Gibb regulations, said in an interview that "our residents on land have gotten behind this ordinance, so it makes it hard to fight for the people on the boats when the people that are paying property taxes, are voting, are here day in and day out are so passionately supporting this."
In April, live-aboards launched a GoFundMe campaign to hire a lawyer to sue the city for "violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, various state maritime laws" and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the campaign has raised about $10,000.
Miami Beach officials have been working with state authorities to establish a new mooring field, which would help regulate anchoring in Sunset Harbour.
"A mooring field could be a humane solution if the city were to be reasonable with the fees," said Andrew Dively, who lived on a boat in Miami Beach before moving to Jacksonville. "But are you trying to build a mooring field? Or are you just trying to kick the boaters out?," he added.
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