Following a historic weekend celebrating the city’s 100-Year Centennial, the Miami Springs City Council returned to business on the evening of Monday, August 24, 2026. From a detailed briefing on a major local burglary bust to debates over zoning variances and upcoming charter ballot measures, here is a comprehensive breakdown of the major items reviewed at City Hall.
1. MSPD Shuts Down Burglary Spree in Under 16 Hours
Chief Albert Sandoval and Deputy Chief Vargas presented a detailed briefing on a recent crime spree that occurred in the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Around 1:00 AM, two suspects entered Miami Springs via the pedestrian catwalk connecting Hialeah.
The suspects canvassed multiple blocks—including Quail Avenue, Raven, Plover, North Royal Poinciana, and Swallow Drive—pulling on vehicle door handles. In total, they burglarized 17 unlocked vehicles, stealing a handgun from one vehicle and driving off with two others (a Jeep Wrangler and a Honda Accord) that had keys left inside.
The Miami Springs Detective Bureau immediately launched a coordinated sweep. Within a couple of hours, detectives located the stolen Jeep Wrangler backed into a trash can at 7th Street and 1st Avenue in West Hialeah, with the stolen Honda Accord parked nearby.
After a four-hour stakeout, detectives—collaborating with Hialeah Police and the Florida Highway Patrol—intercepted the suspects as they entered the Jeep. Both individuals (a 22-year-old male and a 16-year-old juvenile) were taken into custody. Under interrogation, the suspects confessed. A consent search of their residence yielded not only the handgun stolen in Miami Springs but also five other firearms stolen during a prior burglary spree in Hialeah. Both stolen vehicles and all six firearms were safely recovered and returned to their rightful owners.
In total, the MSPD closed 17 burglary cases and generated 34 arrest affidavits within 16 hours of the crimes. In light of the catwalk’s darkness, the City Council and City Manager JC Jimenez discussed adding solar-powered or motion-activated safety lighting along the city’s right-of-way near the catwalk entrance to deter future trespassers. Chief Sandoval urged residents to lock their vehicle doors and remove all valuables, particularly firearms, as part of their nightly routines.
2. Outpouring of Generosity Highlighted in Open Forum
During Open Forum, local resident Buzz Fleischman commended the city council, administration, and staff for the monumental success of the Centennial Celebration weekend. He shared a heartwarming story from the **Glenn Curtiss Look-Alike Contest** held on Saturday, August 22:
- Four contestants participated, including one who built a detailed 25-foot double biplane in his garage, another who rode a winged bicycle in period-accurate attire, and a cute 3.5-year-old boy.
- Sponsor Charlie Leonard (of Leonard Real Estate Group, partnered with Sean Pascale) had pledged a $1,000 grand prize. Because the crowd applause was equally loud for all four, Charlie decided to award the $1,000 first prize directly to the 3.5-year-old toddler (who introduced himself as “Glenn Curtis”) for his college fund.
- Seeing the tie, Sherry (and Tony Fahu) of New Health Partners—co-sponsors of the event—generously stepped up and awarded an additional $1,000 to each of the other three adult contestants.
Glenn Curtiss Look-a-Like Competition at the Miami Springs Centennial Celebration
The council and audience warmly celebrated this exceptional display of local community spirit and small business benevolence.
3. 381 Deer Run Carport Variance Denied Unanimously
The Council held a public hearing (Item 9A) regarding a quasi-judicial variance request by residents Raul and Ibis Cruz Alvarez for their property at 381 Deer Run. The applicants sought an 8-foot front yard setback where a 30-foot setback is required to build an open-air carport.
The property is located along a curved section of Deer Run, directly adjacent to the fifth-hole tee box of the Miami Springs Golf & Country Club. The applicants argued that the curve of the road and the tee box configuration cause frequent errant golf balls to land in their driveway, resulting in over $6,000 in damages to the owners’ vehicle. They presented letters of neighbor support and argued that the carport’s open design aesthetically matched the home’s architecture.
While sympathetic to the property damage, the City Council noted that the request represented a massive 22-foot (over 73%) encroachment into the front setback. City planning staff recommended denial, emphasizing that legal zoning “hardships” must arise from the unique physical characteristics of the land itself, rather than external factors like errant golf balls. Golf Director Kevin Murray testified that while golf balls frequently fly into adjacent properties, such occurrences are an inherent risk of buying a home bordering a golf course.
After discussing potential compromises—such as shifting the carport to the opposite side of the house or rotating its layout to reduce encroachment to 19 feet—the Council determined that the 22-foot front yard encroachment went too far and would compromise the open front yard aesthetic of the neighborhood. The Council voted 5-0 to deny the variance based on a lack of legal hardship, while urging the residents to work with neighbors and staff on alternative protective designs.
4. Northwest 36th Street Height Map & Ballot Referendum Guardrails
The Council reviewed a detailed zoning map of the Northwest 36th Street Corridor in anticipation of the upcoming November 3, 2026, General Election ballot referendum. The referendum will ask Miami Springs voters to exempt a commercial portion of the corridor (specifically east of East Drive) from the city’s blanket Charter limitation that restricts multifamily residential buildings to three stories.
Zoning Ballot Question Rescheduled for November General Election
Under current underlying zoning, buildings within 150 feet of residential properties (designated in green on the city map) are strictly limited to four stories, while commercial properties farther than 150 feet from residential can go up to 12 stories. If the ballot measure passes, residential heights would fall back to these exact underlying zoning limits (four stories near residential, twelve stories beyond).
Mayor Walter Fajet and the City Attorney clarified critical legal safeguards regarding this ballot measure:
- Zoning is Frozen: If voters approve the referendum, the zoning boundaries and heights would be legally “frozen in time” as of November 3, 2026.
- No Unilateral Changes: No future city council would have the authority to expand the boundaries of the exempted area or unilaterally raise height limits without going back to a full vote of the residents.
Council members urged residents to review the official maps and ignore “clickbait” and false rumors suggesting that high-rise condos will be built in single-family residential areas like the Bird Section. The council emphasized that the goal of the referendum is to revitalize the commercial corridor, reduce crime by replacing run-down motel uses, and boost the city’s tax base.
5. FPL Alleyway Utilities and Staff Centennial Kudos
In other business, the City Attorney reported ongoing progress on a Letter of Understanding (LOU) with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to place utilities in alleyways, with a focus on protecting the city from potential liabilities.
The meeting concluded with heartfelt praise from the council and administration for the city staff’s exhausting efforts to execute the Centennial Celebration. Special recognition was given to City Manager JC Jimenez, Assistant City Manager Omar Luna (who was seen on his knees cleaning brass plaques late Friday night), and Caitlin Smith of the Parks & Recreation team, alongside numerous volunteers like Lynn Brooks.
Voters are also encouraged to attend the upcoming Pelican Playhouse special Centennial performances scheduled for September 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th, and 12th, which will feature a touring community time capsule project designed by Councilman Perez-Crespo’s son.
