From City Hall: Historic Survey, Centennial Music, and More
At its first meeting in March, the Coral Gables City Commission:
CGPD Crack Down
Listened to a presentation from Police Chief Ed Hudak on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Coral Gables Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Coral Gables has recently become a favorite by human traffickers who use the waterway to bring illegal immigrants to Florida, leading to multiple recent arrests for smuggling. The operational agreement was signed by 67 county sheriffs and allows for more specific training given to CGPD officers as well as federal funding. Several residents who spoke on the matter were concerned about aligning with ICE and what the MOU might mean for asylum seekers, given the current national political climate. “It does not mean we are going to be going door-to-door,” Hudak reassured the Commission. “We are not ICE.”
Specialized Firefighters
Voted 5-0 to ratify the MOU between the City of Coral Gables and the International Associationof Fire Fighters, Local 1210, to implement a Technical Response Team in Coral Gables. These firefighters will have more specialized training for the treatment and removal of victims trapped in complex or confined spaces. They will accompany rescue teams rather than function as their own unit. Forty firefighters in the Gables Fire Department will receive the training, which will also include using specialized equipment.
Youth Arts Programming
Voted 5-0 to add a category for Coral Gables Youth Arts Programming (CGYAP) to the annual Cultural Grant Guidelines and Process. CGYAP will receive $50,000 in funding, which will go toward projects that offer classes and after-school programming that host events open to the public. Coral Gables Core Cultural Organizations and Cultural Programs will also maintain their funding at $228,228 for the 2026 fiscal year.
Tree Relocation Deferred
Voted 5-0 to defer an item on the Tree Relocation and Mitigation Plan for MG Developer’s 13-unit townhouse development on Valencia Avenue, The George. Several trees, including six oaks and at least one gumbo limbo, will need to be relocated to make room for the project. To cover costs, the company will contribute $215,000 to the city’s tree fund and also plant 50 new trees on The George’s property as well.
The Underline vs the Waterway Advisory Board
Voted 5-0 to accept the Waterway Advisory Board’s recommendation that the Commissionadvocate for an 11.1-foot clearance for the bridge at Riveria and U.S. 1 (part of the Underline project) and conduct a survey to verify clearances before final approvals are granted. The problem is that bridge is now as high as possible while still meeting ADA standards – any higher would make it difficult for those with disabilities to use it. Boat owners are still concerned there will not be enough room to pass underneath the bridge, especially at high tide. The conversation became heated in its second hour as residents, members of the Waterway Advisory Board, and leadership from the Underline and the county clashed. Ultimately, while the Commission can advocate for the Waterway Advisory Board’s recommendation, it cannot change what the county decides.
Residents to Pay Credit Card Fees
Listened to an update on credit card processing fees for city services. The city has historically absorbed the cost of credit and debit card processing fees, but that cost has risen to about $2.2 million per year. Now, residents will need to pay the fees themselves, though the city will still provide some free options. Processing fees will run between two and four percent. Electronic check fees will only be around $1. The biggest programs this will affect are community recreation (Adult Activity Center, the country club, tennis courts, golf courses, and the Youth Center); those fees will be 2.99 percent for credit card payments. PaybyPhone will also charge $.25 per transaction. Parking garage costs will remain the same for now.
Sea Level Rise
Voted 5-0 to accept the 2025 update to the Sea Level Rise White Paper. The City of Coral Gables is the only city in the state that has started to put money away to deal with costs associated with rising sea levels. Over the last six years, the city has socked away $26 million in an interest- bearing bank account that future Commissions will be able to use as needed.
Saving the Garden of Our Lord
Voted 5-0 to explore the potential acquisition of The Garden of Our Lord, which had been under threat of demolition from recently deceased and highly controversial developer Sergio Pino. The property includes Crystal Academy, which provides education and therapy for children with autism and developmental delays. The Commission affirmed its commitment to the school, but further conversations will be saved until the city determines whether it can afford the property, valued at $24 million.
Umbrellas to Return?
Voted 5-0 to develop a plan for the temporary installation of another artwork at Giralda Plaza. Commissioner Melissa Castro, who sponsored the item, is in favor of repeating the Umbrella Sky art installation, which businesses on Giralda found significantly increased foot traffic. The Cultural Development Board will vote on the matter first to determine whether they should bring the umbrellas back or do something different.
Off-Leash Dog Park
Voted 5-0 to develop a concept design and obtain community input for the improvement of the park at 301 Majorca Avenue to be used as an off-leash dog park.
Parking Discounts for Residents
Listened to an update on a reduced parking rate pilot program for residents. The program will take effect April 1 through July 6 and offer a 25 percent discount to residents using the PaybyPhone app. Residents can apply for the program by emailing parking@coralgables.com with a copy of their driver’s license, vehicle registration or title, and proof of residency. A full list of documents that prove residency can be found at coralgables.com under Parking & Mobility Services FAQs.
At its last meeting in February, the Coral Gables City Commission:
Historic Resources Survey
Voted 5-0 to enter into an agreement with PLUSURBIA Design to do a survey of the North Ponce and Flagler District Neighborhoods to determine what historic resources are there, including historic homes and buildings.
Granada Golf Course Rain Shelters
Discussed the Granada Golf Course rain shelters, which have fallen into disrepair. The city initially demolished four of them, and planned to level the rest, save one, which would be kept as a decorative structure. Six new shelters were also proposed to replace the original nine, big enough to allow for golf carts to drive into and park beneath, with chilled drinking fountains in four of the six. However, residents at a community public meeting in 2021 were against the project, so it was placed on hold; funding was moved to projects for the Pro Shop, now completed. A proposed design for the new rain shelters was also considered too modern. Now, a design that mimics the original structures but is also ADA compliant will be brought forward to show residents. Local resident and author of “Coral Gables: The First Hundred Years” Patrick Alexander and historic preservationist Karelia Carbonell advocated for simply renovating and repurposing the original structures, rather than redesigning them.
Centennial Music Commissioned
Voted 5-0 to commission an original musical score in partnership with the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music for use by the city and for integration with the city’s centennial-inspired virtual/digital experience, “Gables GO!” The Gables GO! project is a digital “path” between more than 30 significant cultural sites in the Gables, each of which will have different augmented and virtual reality experiences. Residents can access Gables GO! online. The score, developed by Frost School professor Carlos Rafael Rivera and performed by the Frost Symphony Orchestra, will be used at each site and will dynamically modify in real-time based on live data like foot traffic, weather, and time of day. According to the city’s Arts and Cultural Specialist Catherine Cathers, “This innovative approach blends art and technology, ensuring each visit offers a fresh and immersive auditory experience that reflects the energy of the moment.” For instance, the music might sound more spiritual at religious structures, and grander at places like the Biltmore Hotel. Rivera has won three Emmys and a Grammy, and has created scores for numerous TV shows and films, including “The Queen’s Gambit, “Hacks,” “Godless,” and “Lessons in Chemistry.” A live performance of the score will be performed in the Fall, details to be announced.
Reassessment of Parking Needs
Voted 5-0 to reassess parking needs in the Gables. The vote included a review of fees paid by developers for parking spaces and a reappraisal of the current review process for the loss of parking spaces related to development projects, which will include a comprehensive citywide parking study to determine where parking is needed most. Currently, city parking spaces cost $42,000 and developers pay an additional $10,000 to $12,500 for remote parking spaces and $25,000 for parking-in-lieu parking spaces (using already existing spaces instead of building new ones). These fees were last revised in January 2023. New developments and the rising cost of housing in the Gables, which has forced occupancy rates up, are contributing to the loss of available parking.
What’s Going on In Tallahassee
Discussed Commissioner Melissa Castro’s recent visit to Tallahassee in early February with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. City legislative priorities were presented to state representatives, senators, and associations, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Recurring topics included business rent taxes, insurance for residential and commercial properties, water quality, and workforce and affordable housing. Much of the state’s younger workforce (people in their 20s and 30s) are leaving Florida due to the lack of affordable housing here, including in Coral Gables. Representative Vicky Lopez said that cities that “resist” the controversial Live Local Act, which bypasses zoning code restrictions for affordable housing developments, “will be punished.”
Government Affairs Manager Fernando Weiner also went through a legislative update on bills of interest going through the state right now. Among the bills the city opposes are: SB 482, which would nullify the city’s Art in Public Places program by prohibiting municipalities from requiring certain actions to process development permits; and SB712, which prohibits municipalities from regulating where homeowners place artificial turf.
Among the bills the city supports are: SB 582, which allows boards to increase fines for the demolition of historic structures on national registers; SB696, which establishes a grant program for low-income senior citizen condo owners to help pay for special assessments up to $2,500; SB324, which provides grant funding for small businesses that are affected by construction near their businesses; HB751 and SB 366, which expand insurance coverage for law enforcement officers; and HB851, which requires that five percent of the state’s sales taxes for the next two months after a hurricane will be placed in a trust fund up to $300 million for the My Safe Florida Home program. The program offers financial assistance to eligible homeowners to retrofit and strengthen homes against storm damage.
The city is also keeping an eye on SB852, a study on the elimination of state property taxes and how that would affect local consumption and sales taxes, which could potentially rise to 33 or 34 percent to offset the difference.