September Talk of the Town: Little Gables Annexation, Freebee Goes Tesla, and More
A No Vote for Annexation
In a non-binding “straw” vote, the residents of Coral Gables – at least those who vote – made it clear on August 20 that they do not want the city to annex Little Gables, a residential enclave of Miami-Dade County surrounded by Coral Gables on three sides and by the City of Miami on the fourth.
GABLES RESIDENTS VOTED AGAINST THE CITY ANNEXING “LITTLE GABLES” (ABOVE)
Those who were in favor of annexation said it would make policing the city’s borders easier, reduce crime, and ultimately increase the tax base of the city to supply services – many of which are already used by residents in the pocket. Those who opposed the annexation said it would stretch the city’s resources, especially those of the fire department (the fire fighter’s union was adamantly opposed), and initially cost the city heavy absorption expenses. The short termers won this round, 5,620 votes against vs. 3,358 votes in favor. —J.P. Faber
A Dramatic Ending
There is a moral tale here, or at least a literary allegory. When Sergio Pino – the highly successful real estate investor – killed himself in his Cocoplum mansion in July, it was like Shakespeare’s Othello committing suicide after killing his wife Desdemona. Only in Pino’s case, his attempts to kill his wife failed, and led the law to his doorstep.
The story of Pino’s divorce from his wife Tatiana, and his various plots to kill her, dominated the headlines all summer, starting well before Pino shot himself just as FBI agents were about to arrest him. There were almost daily tales of bungled efforts to poison her, or smash into her car, or dispatch a hitman to gun her down in the driveway of her Pinecrest home – all apparently over her efforts to secure a larger part of his estate.
Anyone familiar with Miami real estate knows of Pino. He was hardnosed and highly successful, building his Century Homebuilders Group from the ground up, starting as a plumbing supply company.
He was also the center of controversy in the Gables, having purchased the St. James church in the North Gables, which he intended to bulldoze, along with its historic Garden of our Lord. In its place, he wanted to build a monolithic 10-story condo in the leafy neighborhood. (To his credit, Pino did promise Crystal Academy, now at the church, classrooms and a play area in perpetuity).
Love him or hate him, Pino was, in many ways, the epitome of the American Dream, a Horatio Alger story of rags to riches. Which is why his suicide makes everyone shake their heads – and will do so for some time to come. —J.P. Faber
Freebee Goes Tesla
If you’ve noticed the sudden absence of those elongated, open-air electric carts that offer free rides around the city, it’s not because Freebee has left town. Freebee has actually expanded its presence in the City Beautiful with a fleet of Tesla Model Xs, which replaced the old cart-like vehicles. The Teslas feature gull wing doors, six available passenger seats, and are entirely enclosed and air conditioned. As of July, there are also new service hours. Monday through Thursday you can catch a ride from 10 am to 9 pm, Friday to Saturday from 10am to midnight, and Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm.
Freebee’s Uber-esque app can be downloaded on the app store for both Android and iPhone; users can sign up for an account and then request rides within downtown Coral Gables. Wait times vary and users outside the Freebee perimeter may need to walk to receive service. –Kylie Wang
Park(ing) Day
One of the few good things to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic was outdoor dining, which, for a short while, dominated Gables sidewalks and spilled into the streets. Sidewalk dining still exits, but not streetside. Luckily, there is still Park(ing) Day in Coral Gables, which happens each year on the third Friday in September. This year on Sept. 20, Gables restaurants will be able to turn their on-street parking spaces into public “parks.”
The international event was created to raise awareness about the importance of walkable, livable, healthy cities, and to spur a reimagining of how streets can be used. Permits for the event are free for restaurants and other businesses. A full list of participating businesses will be on the City of Coral Gables website after the Sept. 10 permit deadline. The “parks” can be open from 8 am to 4 pm. –Kylie Wang
A Windfall for the City
Anyone who owns residential or commercial property in Coral Gables has got to be amazed by the rise in property values. Over the last five years, property values have literally doubled. That’s great news for homeowners, right? Well, yes and no. Yes if and when they sell their houses. No if they are faced with higher property taxes, which rise with home values.
Understanding the bite this might put on residents of fixed income, Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson proposed reducing the millage rate (the tax rate) by 2 percent. Commissioners Ariel Fernandez, Melissa Castro, and Kirk Menendez immediately accused the mayor of creating a political stunt, saying his real motivation was to help the business owners who pay 40 percent of the city taxes. They also said the cut would reduce city services. That is not exactly the case. One of the boons of the jump in property value is $10 million in additional tax revenue. So, services will increase even with the rate cut, which would shave off $2.5 million from the new surplus. Everyone wins.
But Fernandez, Castro, and Menendez would not agree even to a 1% cut and voted it down. At a Town Hall meeting on the tax cut, set up by Commissioner Castro, she arrived in the new Maserati paid for by the huge pay raise she, Fernandez and Menendez voted themselves last year. —J.P. Faber
Coal Fired Rum
On August 16, we celebrated National Rum Day by trying out the new Crossfire Hurricane Rum, crafted by legendary rock band The Rolling Stones, at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza on Ponce de Leon Blvd. The Gables locale is one of seven South Florida-based Anthony’s establishments to offer the drink as part of their “first lick” program from Aug. 21 to Oct. 31. The rum is offered with four cocktail concoctions: a rum and coke, a Crossfire Sunrise, a mojito, and an espresso martini.
We went with the Crossfire mojito, which includes 1.5 ounces of Crossfire Hurricane, .75 ounces of simple syrup, .75 ounces of lime juice, two ounces of lager beer, and eight mint leaves. It was refreshing, the bold flavor of the Rolling Stones rum shining through – along with the realization that Anthony’s in the City Beautiful is one of several units of the pizza chain to have a full liquor license. Guests who participate in the first lick program can get a $10 rebate for their drink by ordering a Crossfire Hurricane Rum cocktail, requesting a purchase receipt, scanning the QR code found on the POS, and following the instructions. —Luke Chaney
Take Two in Court
Any regular reader of the Miami Herald knows the paper has little love for Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago. So, when Mayor Lago’s lawsuit against Actualidad Media Group for allegedly defaming him – Actualidad 1040 AM radio station claimed that Lago was under an ethics investigation when, in fact, he was not – was thrown out, it was no surprise that the Herald immediately ran a story. It quoted City Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who was a guest on the radio show’s discussion of the “ethics investigation,” declaring it a victory for “free speech and freedom of the press.”
There are several things missing here. First, the case was dismissed without prejudice, which leaves open the ability to amend the complaint. Second, the dismissal concluded that the damage allegations were sufficient, but that additional facts were needed for the allegation of actual malice. Lago’s claim is that Commissioner Fernandez – a steadfast critic of the mayor – was supplied with false information about the ethics investigation before being interviewed.
When asked for evidence as to why the radio station – also a regular critic of the mayor – made the claim, they sent Lago’s attorney copies of a blog that merely reported on the rumor spread by the station after the fact. What the Herald missed it that free speech is not a license to knowingly spread false information. Stay tuned for the next round in this lawsuit. – J.P. Faber
Book Appearance
Being such a literary community, it’s always good to see a local make his or her way into print. Witness the numerous books by Coral Gables Museum’s historic researcher Patrick Alexander, or developer Allen Morris’ book “All In.” Now comes another developer in print, though not authored by him. Author Sarah Ruddle has included MG Developer CEO Alirio Torrealba in her new book “From Start to Success,” featuring 40 profiles of accomplished entrepreneurs.
The chapter on Torrealba features the Venezuelan’s journey from creating one of the largest car dealerships in South America to beginning life in Miami as a developer. “I’m truly honored to have shared my story,” says Torrealba. —J.P. Faber