Attention residents of North Miami Beach:

There are plans in the city council of North Miami Beach to put a large, 60 bed, 38,248 sq. ft. drug detox center right here in the heart of North Miami Beach. This building is in the center of NMB which is located 951 ne 167th St across from PharmCo. A detox center is where a chemically dependent addict goes through his first 20 days of trying not to use drugs. The drug user goes through physical dependency withdrawals with the highest chances of relapsing during this time. If they quit the detox and/or leave the center, there is a very high chance of them looking for quick cash to satisfy their addiction.

The building itself is not designed to support a residential medical treatment facility. No place for food delivery (they will have meal preparation services), and all the other delivery trucks that will be needed on a 24/7/365 basis. There are ramps to enter and exit the back parking area that will not allow trucks to pull in. No place in front. That means blocking 167th that already has been studied by the City for major traffic problems. Also public transportation (two bus stops and minivans) as well as foot traffic on that street will be affected even more than the problems that exist now .Anyone who uses 9th ave and 167th to take kids to school, go shopping or enter 163rd street already knows about the traffic congestion. School kids use that walkway. The sidewalk becomes one with the entrance/exit ramps. Big problem.

It is a part of the Western boundaries of our walking/bicycle path. You can see the bike logos on the street. The City of NMB prides itself and invests a lot of our dollars to create a City that encourages walking and bicycling.

According to the CPA of the City of NMB regarding law enforcement, they are to take into account any real or PERCEIVED threat to the community. Our emergency services will be extended even further to cover this medical facility. I wouldn't want to see anyone have to wait any longer to get an ambulance (every minute counts to save a life) or police services if they are in a threatening situation because our services are tied up at this facility. The police have been working closely with us to have more of a police presence during Shabbos and Yom Tov. I don't want to see that diminished because there services are needed elsewhere.The chances of this happening are far greater than exists at present with the nature of the office building.

The city is putting in massive effort to improve the façade and face of the city. Allowing a detox to open in our neighbor will counter act the great efforts of our city government to improve the beauty of our city. Another concern is that the proposed facility is within a block of a junior high school and within several blocks of an elementary and high school. The loitering of participants of this facility will be within reach of the children of our community.

What is being proposed in the city council has the chance of having great negative impact on our neighborhood which we dearly love. It is very possible that this can bring an uptick in crime and thefts from drug addicts that need cash quickly. It will bring drug dealers to our neighborhood in order to fill the need of this new market. We can now have a tremendous amount loitering or drug user staying in the neighborhood after they leave the detox and start using drugs again.

This petition is against allowing this facility to open in our community.