Welcome to NBNA

Dear Neighbors,

Wow, we have accomplished so much over the past few months! Working together, we were able to defeat the Ocean Terrace ballot initiative that threatened the character of our beloved North Beach neighborhood. The results are clear and reassuring: 18 out of 24 precincts voted “No,” with percentages up to 65%. Voters have spoken out against upzoning and in favor of responsible development. The tremendous dedication each of you contributed to protecting Ocean Terrace has demonstrated on a citywide scale our shared power to shape the future of North Beach.

Now we have an opportunity to take the energy and influence of the Save Ocean Terrace (SOT) campaign to the next level. We are pleased to announce the formation of the North Beach Neighbors Alliance (NBNA). Through this alliance—composed of those involved in SOT and others who want to get involved—we will continue education, outreach, and advocacy efforts on behalf the local community.

The mission of this coalition is not to replace the local Neighborhood Associations or Homeowner Associations. Quite the contrary. Those organizations are long-standing, well-respected, and essential for local work. As an Alliance, NBNA will simply serve as an umbrella group that connects and mobilizes individuals and organizations across North Beach around issues of common concern.

As we’ve seen, together we have great strength and influence. This Steering Committee of representatives from various areas of North Beach was formed to get things started, but we will need broad involvement in various aspects of our operations as we develop the most effective and efficient ways to move forward. To that end, we will be setting up a member/volunteer network via this newly-launched and in-progress website; we will also transition the Save Ocean Terrace Facebook page to NBNA in order to invite those “friends” along on our next steps.

We have already begun this public rebranding through our Letter to the Editor in the Miami Herald, as well as two letters to the City of Miami Beach requesting representation on the steering committee for Dover Kohl’s forthcoming Master Plan. At this stage, active participation in this process will be our primary priority. It is essential that NBNA plays a consistent and productive role in the master planning process through our physical attendance and social media presence. It was wonderful to see so many neighbors at the first community meeting last Monday evening. We made a strong first impression as committed and passionate community advocates.

In the next few weeks, we will ask everyone to come together so we can begin to decide how best to move forward. In order to foster involvement by many organizations and individuals, we want to establish transparent governance and practical strategies for collaborative action.

For now, we encourage all of you to:

• Stay (or get) involved in your local NA or HOA;
• Check in on our new website and Facebook sites as they transition and share with neighbors;
• Think about how you would like to be involved in education, advocacy, and outreach through NBNA;
• Tell us and others about any important events and developments you feel need to be communicated through the platforms we have already established.

Again, our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took an active role in Saving Ocean Terrace. We’re still in awe of that collective hard-won accomplishment. SOT showed us, and the City, that North Beach has a strong community of committed neighbors who will stand together to support and protect our home. We look forward to continuing that work together. Stay tuned for a get together in the next month or so to talk about next steps. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us at northbeachneighborsalliance@gmail.com with questions.

Our best,

Steering Committee, North Beach Neighbors Alliance