From City Hall: Zoning Updates, Public Art Approvals, and More

At its second meeting in January, the Coral Gables City Commission was without Commissioner Melissa Castro, who was representing the city at the Florida League of Cities Legislative Action Days in Tallahassee. In her absence, the Commission:

No Cuban Business

Voted 4-0 to support enhanced enforcement of federal sanctions against businesses engaging in unlawful commerce with Cuba. Local business licenses can be revoked under the new legislation. Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natalie Orbis were in attendance to show support.

Accessibility Upgrade

Voted 4-0 to prioritize the installation of audible pedestrian signals at key intersections within the city, in an effort to accommodate disabled individuals. The issue was raised by the city’s Board of Disability Affairs.

Dog Adoption Initiative

Listened to a presentation on Pawject Pound, which aims to increase local dog adoptions, from co-founders Presley Bligh and Ana Sosa. The two local high schoolers are hoping to host an adoption event at the opening of the Underline’s Chewy Bark Park. Fees for the first five Coral Gables residents who adopt will be waived. Pawject Pound helped 18 animals find homes in 2025 and raised over $1,000 to donate to animal shelters, primarily through a social media campaign.

RTZ/Overlay Update

Voted 4-0 to approve text amendments to the city’s zoning code to help establish the University Station Overlay (in lieu of the county’s Rapid Transit Zone). These include a maximum floor area ratio of 3.5, a requirement for Mediterranean-style architecture, a setback of 20-feet from the curb on U.S.-1 and 15-feet in the rear, and minimum unit sizes of 400-square-feet. In addition, the zone will be upzoned to MX-3 with commercial high-rise intensity.

New Public Art

Voted 4-0 to approve the installation of a commissioned sculpture as part of Cade Capital Partner’s development at 130 Almeria Avenue, pursuant to the Art in Public Places program. The 23-foot bronze and natural stone piece by Alicja Kwade is titled “l’ordre des mondes (Totem)” and features a stack of chairs and stone spheres representing planets “to explore the relationship between human existence and the universe,” according to the presentation. It will be located at a park on the corner of Galiano Street and Sevilla Avenue, which the developer has donated to the city. The work was unanimously approved by the Arts Advisory Panel and Cultural Development Board. The Commission agreed to waive the $40,000 maintenance fee as Cade Capital Partners is already paying roughly $100,000 over their Art in Public Places requirement.

Runoffs: Yay or Nay?

Voted 4-0 to add a question to the April 21 Special Election ballot asking if run-off elections should be eliminated. In 2016, runoffs were added; since then, there has been at least one in every election, which is both costly and generally does not attract a high voter turnout. If run-off elections are eliminated, then the candidate with the most votes wins. The Charter Review Committee recommended putting the issue on the ballot.

Reserves Access

Voted 4-0 to amend language on the April 21 Special Election ballot asking voters whether the General Reserve Fund should only be accessed by a four-fifths vote of the Commission, and only with voter approval (outside of certain emergencies). Commissioner Richard Lara recommended there be a change to remove the aspect of voter approval, citing concerns that requiring another referendum just to access the reserves could waste valuable time and “unreasonably tie this Commission’s hands.” He was particularly concerned about rumblings from Tallahassee of that property taxes could be eliminated.

Recall Overhaul

Voted 4-0 to urge the state legislature to establish due diligence and reporting requirements for organizations or entities leading municipal recall efforts. Mayor Lago, who sponsored the legislation, was the target of a recall campaign in 2024, which was found to have illegally paid signature collectors (instead of grass-roots volunteers) who then falsified signatures.

La Antigua

Listened to a recap of a visit from representatives of La Antigua, Guatemala, which is one of Coral Gables’ sister cities. The representatives discussed myriad topics, including advancing cultural and technology exchanges through exhibits, festivals, and art from Guatemala, and innovative technologies in public safety, medical equipment, and transportation from Coral Gables. In particular, the city will look into donating decommissioned assets such as older police vehicles no longer in use. La Antigua currently only has one police vehicle.

Sidewalks Update

Discussed expanding sidewalks on Orduna Drive between Paradiso Avenue and Blue Road. City staff will come back with estimates and an analysis in May.