Statement of the SoBe West Neighborhood Association Regarding Baywalk Railings
The South Beach West Neighborhood Association (“SoBe West”) respectfully urges the City of Miami Beach to immediately remove the recently installed railings at the west ends of 10th Street and 14th Street and to remove and reconsider the railing recently installed at the west end of Lincoln Road.
The Association recognizes that, several years ago, there were legitimate concerns regarding derelict and long-term anchored vessels in Biscayne Bay. However, since the City Commission originally authorized these railings more than two years ago, both the legal and factual circumstances have materially changed.
In May 2025, the Florida Legislature enacted significant reforms restricting overnight anchoring and limiting the number of days vessels may anchor annually in Biscayne Bay. Those changes substantially addressed the conditions that originally gave rise to the proposal. Current conditions along the Baywalk further demonstrate that the concentrations of derelict and long-term anchored vessels that once existed are no longer materially present.
As a result, the railings recently installed at the west ends of 10th Street and 14th Street no longer serve a meaningful public purpose and should be removed without replacement.
In addition, the railings are visually harsh, industrial in appearance, and inconsistent with the open, scenic, pedestrian-oriented character of the Baywalk and surrounding neighborhood. Rather than enhancing the waterfront experience, they create the appearance of barricades or restricted infrastructure in one of the community’s most valuable public spaces.
The Association believes the current installations:
Diminish the aesthetic quality of the Baywalk;
Interfere with open waterfront views;
Create unnecessary visual clutter; and
Are inconsistent with the design character of the surrounding neighborhood.
The west end of Lincoln Road presents additional considerations, and the Association is willing to engage in a constructive discussion regarding whether an appropriately designed barrier or railing may be suitable in that location. However, no meaningful resident input was sought regarding the appearance, scale, or design of the structure that was ultimately installed.
Importantly, alternative concepts had previously been discussed, including an all-glass railing proposed by a City Commissioner that would have been significantly more compatible with the aesthetics of the Baywalk and would have preserved open sight lines to Biscayne Bay.
Accordingly, SoBe West respectfully requests that the City:
Immediately remove the railings installed at the west ends of 10th Street and 14th Street without replacement;
Remove the railing installed at the west end of Lincoln Road;
Conduct a public process with meaningful neighborhood input regarding whether any barrier remains necessary at Lincoln Road; and
Ensure that any future design is aesthetically appropriate and compatible with the character of the Baywalk and surrounding residential neighborhood.
The Baywalk is one of Miami Beach’s signature waterfront public spaces. Any improvements should enhance openness, beauty, and the pedestrian experience—not detract from them.