MIAMI – Miami
officials ordered construction to stop at a twin-tower
condominium development in the city’s Edgewater neighborhood
after residents complained that falling debris from the site
put them in danger.
Residents of a nearby
condominium building, 23 Biscayne Bay, said the debris
initially ranged from food and plastic bags to Gatorade
bottles.
“We were trying to get a screen or something put so nothing
more dangerous would fall,” 23 Biscayne Bay resident Kelly
Feeney told Local 10 News Tuesday.
But last Wednesday, residents woke up to wooden pieces with
nails falling on the pool deck of their building, located
601 NE 23rd St.
“We are all really nervous about our safety,” Feeney said
after the red and green two-by-four fell on the property, a
few days before debris fell from a demolition site in the
city’s Brickell neighborhood, creating a hazardous
situation. |
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That debris was coming
from the Aria Reserve project, located at 725 NE 24th St.
Its developers, the Melo Group, touts the two 60-story,
637-foot skyscrapers as “the tallest waterfront twin towers
to be developed in the United States.”
The towers appear to be so close together because the
developer “was permitted to reduce the side setbacks above
the 8th story from 30 to 27 feet on the west and north
property lines,” a city spokesperson said.
23 Biscayne Bay management closed its pool deck after the
wooden pieces fell.
“We think we need something protecting our balconies and our
pool deck, not just the cars on the street,” Feeney said.
While Local 10 News was interviewing Feeney Tuesday, our
crew spotted construction being done on several levels of
the property — after the city issued a stop-work order,
mandating that “the only work allowed is for the debris
net.”
Some netting had been put up as of Wednesday.
“I think they (the city) should be monitoring this as it
goes on as well, months ago we asked for them to put
something up, nothing happened,” Feeney said. “This happened
before the demolition in Brickell last week, but it worries
me that so many accidents like this are happening.”
Feeney added, “We got lucky twice now with no injuries, so
let’s prevent anything from happening that is any worse.”
The Melo Group released a statement saying that
“precautionary efforts are being taken to ensure the welfare
and safety of neighbors. Construction has been temporarily
suspended while workers install safety nets and clean the
site. The work being done onsite is to revise and implement
additional precautionary measures, if necessary, and is
authorized by the City of Miami.”
A city ordinance allows officials to fine entities for each
day they violate a stop-work order. It’s not clear if the
city has done or will do that.
A city of Miami spokesperson did say that “the work has been
cited with a red tag / stop work order, which is in it of
itself punitive as all construction work needs (to) stop and
demobilize and cannot resume without the approval of the
Building Department.”
The spokesperson added that “a red tag can be placed by an
inspector for multiple reasons. This site was red tagged and
then issued a (Stop) Work Order. The contractor has been
allowed to ONLY proceed with Debris Netting Installation
around the entire building perimeter. This work will require
several days to complete. Once this issue has been addressed
we will reconvene to discuss next steps / allowing
construction activities to resume.”
City officials said later Thursday that Aria Reserve “has
successfully met all necessary Building Department
requirements to address safety concerns. Consequently, the
previously issued ‘Stop Work Order’ has been officially
lifted, effective immediately, and regular construction
activities can and may resume this morning.”