▼

Community Development

Show All Answers

1. How can I complete an inspection request?

Effective Friday, September 23, 2016, inspection requests will not be accepted by telephone.

Inspection requests can be completed:

• Online
• By fax at 305-466-8949
• In person at the Building Division counter during its hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

2. How do I find current developments and applications in progress?

Current developments and applications in progress can be found by visiting the Community Development Economic Development page, or downloading the document (PDF).

3. Do I need to have a Business Tax Receipt to operate a business in the City?

Anyone operating a business within the City of Aventura is required to have a Certificate of Use and a Local Business Tax. The Local Business Tax was formerly known as an Occupational License. Fees are determined by the type of business or profession, and must be filed annually, prior to October 1.

4. Does the City have regulations regarding noise?

Construction, and other types of noises, are allowed on weekdays from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Construction is not allowed on Sundays or holidays unless special approval is received by the City Manager prior to the work being done. To receive an application to perform work after these hours, contact the Office of the City Manager at 305-466-8910.

5. When is a building permit required?

A permit ensures the consumer that the work is being done properly and with the appropriate materials. A licensed contractor is required to obtain permits in the following situations:

• General maintenance and repairs exceeding $500 in labor and materials for projects modifying a building's existing structure in any way (including tile, wood flooring and marble)
• Any electrical work, including installation of ceiling fans
• Replacement of an air conditioner unit
• Installation of a water heater
• Changing a toilet or a sink fixture

Please contact the Building Division at 305-466-8937 if you should have any questions as to whether a permit is required.

6. Are there any other regulatory agency approvals required for building permits?

The following regulatory agencies may need to review and approve plans prior to the issuance of a permit by the City:

• Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department
  • 11805 SW 26th Street
    Miami, FL 33175
    Phone: 786-315-2771
• Miami-Dade County Department of Permitting, Environment and Regulatory Affairs (DPERA)
  To find the nearest location:
  • Main Switchboard: 305-372-6789
  • West Dade: 786-315-2800
  • Hialeah: 305-492-2004
• Miami Dade Department of Health
  • 1725 NW 167 ST
    Miami, FL 33056
  • Phone: 305-623-3570
  • Septic Tanks: 305-623-3500
  • Water: 305-623-3500
• Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
  • 3575 S Lejeune Road
  • Miami, FL 33233-0316
  • Phone: 305-665-7471
• North Miami Beach Public Services Department
  • 17050 NE 19 Avenue
    North Miami Beach, FL 33162
  • Phone: 305-948-2967

7. Does the City have regulations regarding the types of signage I am allowed?

The City has signage regulations regarding all types of signage from signs allowed from businesses to Open House signs in residential areas. To receive a copy of the code, call the Community Development Department at 305-466-8940, or view it from our website under the City Clerk's section.

8. What should I do if I receive a code violation?

Take action to correct the violation and pay the penalty assessed. If you have questions, or if you are working on correcting the violation but need more time due to special circumstances, contact the officer that issued the violation. If you disagree with the violation, you may request a hearing with a Special Master. If the violation is not corrected in the amount of time allotted, the offense may be scheduled to be heard by a Special Master. The Special Master hears your case and may dismiss the case or issue an order directing compliance within a specified time frame. The Special Master may also assess fines and administrative costs if the violation is not promptly removed.

9. How can I expedite review of my building permit?

• Provide a completed application, including notarized signatures of the owner and qualifier.
• Submit 2 sets of plans drawn to scale and signed and sealed by a professional when required by Code.
• Submit 2 surveys as required for some types of review.
• Provide 2 sets of calculations as required by Code - these may include energy calculations, heating/cooling load calculations, and/or structural load calculations.
• Provide 2 sets of Product Approvals as required by Code - these may include roofs, utility sheds, windows, exterior doors, awnings, shutters, skylights, trusses, etc.

10. Do I need a Local Business Tax to operate a business from home?

Home businesses require a Home Local Business Tax Application along with proof of residency such as a utility bill.

11. Who needs to file Local Business Tax or Occupational License in the City?

Any person, firm, association, or corporation maintaining a business location or branch office within the City limits for the privilege of engaging in or managing a business, profession, or occupation, within the City. Any person who utilizes a residential unit to conduct a home business, profession, or occupation. An application is required for each separate classification at the same business.

12. What is the penalty for operating a business without filing Local Business Tax?

The penalty for operating without a current Local Business Tax starts at $250 and can escalate to imprisonment and closure of business.

13. Do I still need to file anything with Miami-Dade County for my business?

Miami-Dade County has its own tax requirements. For more information, contact:
Miami-Dade County Business Tax  
140 W Flagler Street
Room 1407
Miami, FL 33130
Phone: 305-270-4949

14. Is my home or business in a flood zone?

Most areas within the City have been designated "Special Flood Hazard Areas" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Federal law requires the purchase of flood insurance if your home is located in one of these areas. The City can review the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) prepared by FEMA to determine if your property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area for insurance purposes. Call the Community Development Department at 305-466-8940. You may also contact the National Flood Insurance Program at 800-638-6620 for more information.

15. Is feeding wild ducks harmful?

The ducks found in the City of Aventura around ponds and other waterways can be a mix of native and migratory waterfowl. As with any wildlife you come across in Florida, it is never a good idea to feed them.  Wildlife need to retain their natural instincts for survival. When animals are fed by humans important instincts, like migration, can be altered. The seemingly "helpful" act of feeding ducks can change their natural instinct to migrate back to their natural breeding grounds.

Food handouts can also increase the number of birds in a small area causing a potential for the spread of disease with increased droppings near water where it can travel through the local ecosystem. The dependency of wildlife on people for food can also cause nuisance situations and conflict between people and animals.

For more information about feeding wild waterfowl, view the U.S. Fish and Wildlife brochure titled, "Caution: Feeding Waterfowl May Be Harmful! (PDF)"

16. What is open space?

When a development gets built, a certain percentage of the property has to be “open space”, areas of the property that are not built upon. This includes landscaped areas, open grassy areas and plazas, and recreation areas.

The City’s rules ensure that buildings approved by the City are substantially surrounded by open space that is well landscaped, accessible and maintained for common benefit. When the City reviews a proposed development project, a project without adequate open space will not be approved. For residential areas, the requirements are 35% and 40% for medium and medium-high density areas respectively.

17. What is submerged land?

Privately owned property that is, unless filled by a developer, permanently under water. Property that is not under water (or submerged) is considered “upland” (or dry land).

18. What is the City doing?

Deciding whether to amend the Code, specifically the chapter with the rules and regulations about development, open space, and submerged land in the RMF-4 Zoning District (the medium-high density area)

19. Why is the City considering doing this?

Because an inconsistency in the Code was discovered that does not adequately ensure developers provide open space.

20. What do the open space rules have to do with submerged land?

The inconsistency arises when an upland piece of property also contains a significant amount of submerged land.

21. What is the inconsistency in the code?

Two different parts of the code cause a wholly unfair result no matter how they are interpreted. One part would allow development to have no open space. The other part would unlawfully restrict or even eliminate property owners’ rights to develop their land.

22. Where can I see these rules for myself?

Two sections of the City Code are involved. The first is Section 31-21, specifically the definition of “open space”. The second is Section 31-143(f)(3)g which sets the rule for how much open space must be provided. The City of Aventura, Florida code can be reviewed at www.municode.com

In Section 31-21, submerged land is specifically excluded from the definition of open space. This leads to a problem (specifically in Section 31-143) because the open space requirement is based on the “total lot area” owned by the applicant (including both dry land and submerged land). As a result, it is nearly impossible for an applicant who owns a significant amount of submerged land adjacent to the upland property he/she wishes to develop to receive approval from the City due to fact the open space percentage is applied to the entire parcel. Conversely, those who own no submerged land and seek project approval can more easily design a project meeting the applicable open space percentage.

23. Why is this coming up now?

Review of a development proposal on a site with a large portion of submerged land revealed the inconsistency.

24. Why didn’t this ever come up before?

In essence it has come up before, but the impacts were always relatively inconsequential. Thus, the problematic nature of the inconsistency wasn’t recognized and the calculation of required open space was resolved through compromise. In this current case, the results of the inconsistency are drastic and the need to fix the rules became clear.

25. Does the change allow submerged land to count as open space?

No, the opposite. Submerged land will still not count toward the open space requirement for a development. What the change will do is ensure that the required open space rule applies on the upland for a parcel with submerged land the same way as it does for a parcel with no submerged land. Furthermore, the change will: 1) preserve submerged lands in addition to the required open space on the upland, and, 2) increase in the amount of upland open space a developer is required to provide. The submerged lands that will be preserved will be called “committed submerged open space”. Once this submerged land is committed as part of the project’s site plan, neither the applicant nor any subsequent owners can ever fill in this slice of submerged land.

26. What will the overall result of the change be, if adopted?

The change will ensure the existing upland open space requirement remains in place and does not get replaced by an interpretation that says submerged land may count as open space.

27. What could happen if the proposed change to the rules is not made?

Failure to address this issue could result in developers being allowed to fill in their submerged land.