Businesses cite licensing, permitting delays as they exit Lauderdale Lakes for friendlier cities

CBS News

2 days ago

Delays in licensing and permitting are driving some small businesses out of Lauderdale Lakes, according to property managers and tenants who said they have waited months or even years for city approval.
"I haven't got my license yet," said Neil Seeram, owner of Everglades Door and Glass.
Two years ago, Seeram's company moved into a 1,500-square-foot warehouse in the Lauderdale Lakes Business Park. He said he was prepared to pay the city whatever it took to secure an occupational license, which is required to operate a business. He applied but is still waiting.
City staff allowed him to use the warehouse without the license, Seeram said. But his growing company struggled so much to get permits for upgrades that staying put felt impossible. The company is now moving to Sunrise, where Seeram said city staff issued an occupational license within one week of his application.
"I couldn't wait fast enough so I can get out of here so I can do business without the stress," Seeram said. "As it is, business is stressful. But having to deal with the city (of Lauderdale Lakes) and everybody else, it's just a hassle."
Josh Levy, Seeram's landlord and chief operating officer for Levy Realty Advisors, said his company has seen a pattern.
"We've had a number of businesses that have left the park over the last few years for this same reason," Levy said.
The Lauderdale Lakes property lies between I-95 and the Florida Turnpike and is also the focus of an ongoing dispute over fines. The city issued more than $700,000 in liens for code violations tied to Varoon Welding, a tenant.
Vashish Ragohoonath, owner of Varoon Welding, said the violations stemmed from renovations done without a permit. More than a year later, he said his shop is up to code but still not cleared to fully reopen.
"Every time that we submit something to the city, we gotta wait three, four months before we can get a replay and they add something every time we submit something," Ragohoonath said.
He said the delays have cut his workforce to four employees—half the number he needs—and have pushed the business to the brink of closure.
It is a risk Seeram said he is unwilling to take.
"I'm good to go," Seeram said. "I'm moving in (to Sunrise) now."
CBS News Miami contacted a spokesperson for the City of Lauderdale Lakes and Mayor Veronica Edwards Phillips. Both deferred comment to the city's director of development services, who did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Last month, however, that director of development services convinced the city commission to invest in OpenGov software in order to streamline the permitting process and increase transparency.