City Commission - Regular Meeting

Recording in progress

Thank you. We're ready, Mr. Mayor.

Good morning. I'd like to welcome everyone to the July 7th, 2026 Commission meeting. First and foremost, thank you for being here with us. There will be ample opportunity for everyone to engage in the process. You can send an email. Many of you are here in person. You can also get engaged through Zoom. But most importantly, we're incredibly grateful that you're here to enjoy and to partake in our democracy. So thank you so much for being here with us. Moving on, today we have a special invocation. We don't have a member of the clergy to join us, but we have somebody who's just as equally important and a person who I have an immense amount of admiration and respect for, and I actually love her a lot. a person who brings me a smile to my face every time I have the opportunity to see her, and that is from the city clerk's office, our deputy, Yolanda Davis. Sometimes I wonder, I've told you before, I prefer you more than I prefer the clerk, so that's okay. He won't get mad. He won't get mad. He won't get mad. It's okay.

Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good morning, honorable mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, Mr. Manager, Madam City Attorney, City Clerk and the audience, those in the audience and those participating by Zoom, I pray you all had a wonderful Fourth of July with family and friends celebrating this great country, the United States we call home. Thank you for the honor of standing before you to give the invocation. Galatians 5.13 states, Serve one another humbly in love. Philippians 2.4 states, look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and our elected officials and come before you humbly asking for your forgiveness of our sins and wisdom to guide these proceedings. Grant them clarity and sound judgment on every item before them today. We know these decisions aren't always easy, but with your guidance will serve the good of this community. Thank you for the sacrifice of time and family that public service requires. Help everyone in this room and participating on Zoom to act with humility integrity, and respect, especially when there is disagreement, so that together we pursue the greater good for all. Bless the city of Coral Gables and all who live, work, and do business here. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Amen. Madam Deputy Director, thank you so much, as always. As we move on to the Pledge of Allegiance, I'd like to have the Vice Mayor read a dear friend and resident, Judge Snook's introduction and bio, which I think everyone here will be very proud to call him a resident here once you hear his bio and his engagement here in the city.

As we can continue this transition in our commission meetings, we are honored to recognize individuals whose service to our nation and community reflects the very best leadership, patriotism, and civic responsibility. This morning, we are proud to welcome Judge Thomas W. Snook, a distinguished veteran attorney and jurist, and a longtime civic leader in Coral Gables. Judge Snook graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1967. and began his military career as an icebreaker at USCGC, Estido out of Boston, participating in two Arctic missions to break ice and resupply fuel air force base in Greenland during the height of the Cold War. Although he had anticipated an assignment to Antarctica, the Vietnam War changed those plans. In 1969, he submitted what he has described as a five-word wish list that simply read, any ship going to Vietnam. He was subsequently assigned as damage control assistant aboard the USCGC Mendota and served on combat patrol off the coast of Vietnam. It was during that deployment that he decided to pursue a legal career, later saying he wanted to bring about change within the system. The Coast Guard later sent Judge Snook to law school in his hometown of Syracuse, New York, where he graduated with honors from Syracuse University College of Law and served as editor-in-chief of the Syracuse International Law Journal. Over the course of a remarkable 26-year Coast Guard career, Judge Duke held numerous leadership positions, including assignments on Governor's Island during the nation's Bicennial celebration, government appellate council at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., staff judge, advocate for the 8th Coast Guard District in New Orleans, Chief Trial Judge for the Coast Guard, and finally, Staff Judge Advocate for the Commander of the Atlantic Area before retiring from military service in 1993. Following his military career, Judge Snook settled in Coral Gables, practiced maritime law, and later served as a United States Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration until his retirement in 2016. Today, he continues his dedication to public service as the immediate past president of the Gables Good Government Committee, the immediate past president of the local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, and a member of the Miami-Dade Commission on Human Rights. Judge Snook, thank you for your extraordinary service to our nation. your lifelong commitment to justice and public service, and your continued leadership with the Coal Gables community. It is truly our pleasure to invite you to lead in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Please stand if you are able. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much.

Judge, you're not done yet. In addition, we have a token of thanks for your participation in today's Pledge of Allegiance. I want to thank you for the friendship that you've given to everyone in this community and leadership for the next leaders to be on this commission. So if you mind, I'll come meet you. I can come to you. We know you're very athletic, so. Let's take a photo. Judge Payne.

Now we move on to America's semi-quintennial moment. I'd like to invite Joanne to please join us. Again, for many of you who are not aware of what we're doing is over this 250-year anniversary of the greatest country in the world, we're celebrating important moments in our history. And we have individuals that join us at every commission meeting over this year to make sure that we have this moment memorialized and we get these experiences on record. Thank you for being with us this morning.

Thank you.

If I may. Yes. As we continue our semi-quintennial moments at Commission meetings, as I've said, it is especially fitting to welcome back a familiar face and a true friend of Coral Gables history, Joanne. Meagher. Many of you will remember Joanne for her tremendous work in helping bring us the Merrick moment during our city's centennial year. Through those presentations, Joanne and the volunteers of the Merrick House Governing Board helped us reflect on the people, places, and stories that shaped Coral Gables over the past century. Today, we're honored to welcome Joanne back as part of a semi-quintennial moment as we continue expanding that reflection from our local history to our national story. This morning's presentation is especially timely as the Coral Gables Museum recently opened Local Leadership, National Legacy, Coral Gables Mayors Across the Century. The exhibition recognizes the 25 individuals who have served as mayors of Coral Gables and connects their leadership to a broader American story. as a nation commemorating 250 years of independence. This exhibit reminds us that democracy is not only shaped in Washington DC or in the state capital, it is also shaped right here in our cities through civic responsibility, public service, and a commitment to community. And we saw that right now with Judge Snook as a prime example. For over 100 years, the mayors of Coral Gables have helped guide the city beautiful through moments of growth, challenge, and transformation. Their service reflects the strength of local government and the important role that cities play in preserving and advancing the ideals of our great nation. Joanne, thank you for once again helping us tell the story of Coral Gables in such a meaningful way. We are grateful to have you with us this morning, and we look forward to hearing today's semi-quintennial moment.

Thank you. There's a little image of our very first mayor, Edward Dock Dammers. The theme running through the Coral Gables Museum's semi-quincentennial mayor's exhibit is that our city's leaders have worked through times of challenge and times of change. Perhaps our first mayor, Edward Dock Dammers, did both. Dammers the showman, described as the iron man of real estate, conducted all of George Merrick's land auctions. He was the only mayor to be elected by unanimous consent by the brand new city commission formed in 1925. He faced the challenges of establishing governance practices and municipal services in a newly incorporated city and in very short order dealt with the changes brought on by Miami's railroad embargo, a three-month Miami Harbor blockage when the Prince Valdemar Brigantine ran aground in government cut, and the 1926 hurricane. Construction floundered. Miami's boom had become a bust. But Dammers had the management skills, the energy, the bulldog tenacity for the job. At the peak of Coral Gable's promotion, he had overseen a national sales force of 3,000. Journalist Theodore Weigel described him thusly, Edward Demers, enormous and genial, humorous and shrewd, was a man with more experience of living than 10 men would have if rolled into one. Before we had been talking for two minutes, he knew exactly what I wanted and why I was there. And in three, he had signed my papers, shoved a handful of cigars into my pocket, clapped me on the back, and waved me cheerfully away, and was already signing more checks and conducting a shouting conversation with a salesman about another land deal. In a 1927 photo, which will come up in a moment, Doc Dammers demonstrated his cheeky style. Dressed in Spanish military uniform, he penned a sentiment to his friend, George Merrick, and signed it, from his mayor, the best mayor Coral Gables ever had. At that time, the statement couldn't be refuted. Thank you.

Thank you, Joanne, as always. It's a pleasure to have you here, and we'll be ungrateful for your commitment to the city, beautiful, especially what you're doing with Merrick House. Two quick points before we give a nice little token of appreciation to Joanne. If you haven't visited the Merrick House, I had the pleasure of taking our pages who are here with us today. Please rise, pages, to be recognized. Or pages. So the PAGE program is a program that I started a few years ago here in the city of Coral Gables, and it's continued to grow. And these are tomorrow's future leaders. They're rising stars. Some of them are joining us for a second year, like I see the gentleman in the back. And we welcome you here and thank you for all the hard work, especially thank you to staff, our ACM, our DCM, and our manager. Thank you for making this an incredible experience. So they went to see the Merrick House, and they were incredibly impressed. And I joined them. And I want to thank our staff, our public works team, our construction team, the manager. Thank you for making the corrections that were required that we had talked about over the last two years at the Merrick House. It's never looked better. It was amazingly well put together, clean. Some of the pending issues that were addressed, we had a leaky roof, we had a leaky chimney that was addressed. The drywall had been damaged. So I want to thank you for that. Thank you for that hard work. And the second thing is I have a small token of appreciation for you. May I give it to you and have the commission take a photo?

Just a moment of personal privilege. Back in May, the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station made a presentation, and the hope is that the city has, the commission has given thought to that, and we look forward to hearing about the city's support. Just a reminder, the ask is $5,000 per year. So I'm hoping we will hear soon. Thanks.

Thank you very much. First, I'd like to say a few words before we move on to the agenda about the devastating earthquake in Venezuela. The city of Coral Gables is collecting donations at all four Coral Gables fire stations to support relief efforts through Global Empowerment Mission. I've made a request and thank you to the manager and the DCM while the manager was away on the ACM for moving expeditiously. Thank you to Chief De La Rosa. I'm not sure if he's here. Oh, he's in the back. Thank you with your entire team, all the firefighters. Thank you for your hard work. We moved very, very quickly. You guys moved heaven and earth and we were able to deliver an opportunity to really make get as much support as possible. Thank you to Martha Pantin, who's in the back, along with the entire IT team for getting the message out there very, very quickly. With South Florida being home to many Venezuelan families, the crisis is deeply personal to many in our community. Several employees have friends, relatives, or loved ones who have been impacted by this horrible tragedy. Everyone is encouraged to donate new, unopened, approved emergency relief supplies to any Coral Gables fire station. Donations will be transported to Venezuela through GEM. This morning, we had our first initial pickup, and the firefighters told us that it was a good show of support, that they were actually impressed with the amount of support that was provided by residents here in the city of Beautiful. We're an incredibly blessed community. I mean, Coral Gables, the city, beautiful. We have so much to give thanks for. So this is the moment to just take a few seconds when you stop by Publix or Milam's or Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. I hope I didn't miss anybody. Just buy an extra canned good. Buy something on the list. Drop it off at a fire station. Just remember how blessed we are to live in the greatest country in the world. We have so much. And in a moment when people are in pure despair, panic in Venezuela, it's an opportunity to give back to that community. So thank you to our firefighters, to our city manager, ACM, DCM, Marta, Banting, and all the members of our community who have been so gracious and have really stepped up to the plate to make sure that we can move quickly and get these donations in place. So thank you very much. Moving on to our first item on the agenda, AIDA A1, presentation of a resolution of condolence to a bereaved family of Daniel Ramudo. Mr. Ramudo, will you please join us? I'd like to read a quick resolution on the record, and then I'd like to hear from Olga Ramudo, a dear friend and a resident, a person who... She's not only a colleague, but a person who I hold in incredibly high respect, who is involved in countless amounts of boards and chambers, and is constantly engaging in just the benefit of the community. Your only interest is pushing Coral Gables forward. And I felt that on multiple occasions when we were invited from prime ministers ambassadors, you're front and center. You're making sure that their visit here, along with Belkis and her entire team, is just flawless. And you're making the city Coral Gables look, you know, again, like we always do because of the hard work of individuals like yourself and Belkis' team. So you deserve all the credit. Whereas the community mourns the passing of Daniel Ramudo, a beloved resident of Coral Gables, Florida, whose warmth, dedication, and zeal for life touched all who knew him. And whereas Daniel built a distinguished career marked by dedication and versatility from his years as a trading associate in New York to founding his own real estate technology venture. And whereas Daniel's greatest joy in life was the time he spent with his daughter, a bond that he cherished above all else. And whereas in more recent years, Daniel found particular joy in working alongside his mother, sharing in that special bond and partnership. And whereas Daniel posed an adventurous and curious spirit, delighting in discovering new restaurants and exploring new places, embracing travel as a way of experiencing the richness of life. And whereas Daniel's kindness, warmth, and love for those around him leave a lasting impression on his family, friends, and all those lives that he touched. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Commission of the City of Coral Gables, Florida, that we extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Daniel Ramudo, and that we join together in celebrating a life well lived, filled with hard work, love, curiosity, and connection. Any witness whereof I have hereon to place my hand and cause the great seal of the City of Coral Gables to be affixed on the seventh day of July, 2026.

Thank you very much. My son, lived, worked, and played in Coral Gables, just like me. He loved this city, and I know that this moment would be very, very loved by him. Thank you. And he went fast, but I'm sure he's up above looking at us and thanking you all. Thank you.

Olga, this is just a small resolution of condolences for your son. I had the pleasure of spending time with him. We broke bread. super smart, kind, even in some very difficult moments that he had in his life, he was always resilient. He always had a smile on his face. And I think that's a testament to the incredible person that you are. Thank you. I'm very sorry that I wasn't able to make the funeral. I apologize. I was out of town. But this is the simplest gesture that we as a city can give to honor his legacy and to honor the hard work. And he has a beautiful daughter that will continue that legacy. And that is something to hold on to tight and to look in her eyes and always remember your incredible son.

Thank you.

So on behalf of the city, we extend our deepest condolences to your family.

Thank you very much. We love you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Want to take a quick photo, please?

May we?

May we take a photo?

Please.

Item 82, a presentation or proclamation declaring July 2026 as Taste of the Gables Restaurant Month in the City Beautiful. Good morning, both of you.

Good morning. We're here for Taste the Gables, July 1st started. If you haven't been to the website, please go tastethegables.com, just want to get that out of the way. So Taste the Gables has become one of Coral Gables' signature summer initiatives designed to drive businesses to our restaurants, specifically in the very slow months that we have. So this year marks the fourth consecutive year that we've had Taste the Gables. When we started, we had 30 restaurants. We currently have 75 restaurants participating. And the reason, of course, that we did it again is because we wanted to get our restaurants through the slower months. And what we've learned from them is from those that did take the survey last year, they said that 70% of those that took the survey said that their revenues went up 5% to 20%. And in the summer months, that is very good. And some saw even more of an increase. So like I said, 75 restaurants, it's really a great way to experience Coral Gables and everything that we have to offer. There are prefix menus. Something that we're very proud of this year is that the department secured more than $24,000 in sponsorships and that's in-kind and also cash donations. So we were able to use that money to promote the city in a more higher light. I do want to recognize our partner that is here today. So it's also an introduction to you, all of you. Gloria Baez is the new VP of the Chamber of Commerce, and she's here with us. And we also have a couple of restaurants that are here. I don't see him right now, Chef. But we have Aromas del Peru that are here, and Let Them Have Cake Estefania was supposed to be. Oh, there you are. I can have you come up as well for a second, Aromas del Peru as well. And so I just want to have Gloria, if it's okay, Mayor, to say a few words. Of course. No, great. As our new chamber.

Gloria, I want to welcome you to City Beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We've had the pleasure of having multiple conversations.

Yes.

And it's a real blessing to have you here in the city. Thank you so much. I am so honored to be here.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. and the rest of the city on behalf of the Chamber and the Board. I just want to say that our partnership with the city is magnificent, and I truly look forward to working with all of you, individually and collectively. So, thank you.

Also, by the way, don't be shy. By the way, I don't know if you've had this young lady's cakes. I had the opportunity to cut the ribbon at her establishment. It's located on Alhambra. And let me tell you, I've ordered from them before. Amazing, amazing cakes, delicious cakes. You're an architect. Thank you. You're an architect, correct?

Yes.

I remember that from about two years ago when we cut the ribbon. And she's more of an artisan than an architect. She is amazing, amazing at what she does. And if you haven't eaten at Aromas de Peru, one of the best restaurants here we have locally, delicious, and it's also very healthy food too also. I enjoy it. So please make sure you go out there and try these incredible restaurants. The floor is yours, please.

Yeah, well, I let them have cake. And as the mayor was saying, I love to work with sugar flowers and design cakes. But I guess after this meeting, all of you will need some cake, some cookie, coffee. So you guys can walk over there. Hope to see you there.

What is the exact address on Alhambra?

It's 367 Alhambra Circle.

Yes, by the way, they have coffee there also.

Yes, we have coffee. We have tea.

I feel like I'm part of, like, your team. I'm, like, selling it.

Yes, exactly.

They're not just selling cakes and cookies. You can stop by there and have a coffee. You can enjoy yourself. It's in a great location on Alhambra. Make sure you go there. I've stopped by there for coffee.

Through the mayor, so you don't get too singled out. You know, I've been there many times, and my wife is a huge fan as well. And you did come in with the save. As well, the pastries are excellent. I'm a big fan of the coffee. You've got that beautiful machine that's very well administered by your barista. So everyone should check it out on Alhambra right by the Globe, not too far from there. Yeah, I appreciate that.

Yeah, the shop is super cute and marketing it is hard, but yes, I would appreciate if people came by and got to sit there. We really did a hard work with making it super cute and super pink and everything is super nice and girly.

Very welcoming.

Good morning, everyone How are you mayor? Good to see you So, I mean we're so excited to be part of you know a new strip here in Giralda I think that the taste of cables is super creative and something new It's bringing in so many people I have a lot of clients and guests who are coming in that are so excited over the opportunity I think what we're doing here is almost a better version of Miami spot something a little more locally. Sorry. Yeah And I just welcome any of you who want to come and visit us. We'd be super grateful to have you Yes, and it's been 16 years. We're here in Coral Gables, and we hope to keep being here for even longer Thank you.

Do you want to talk a little bit about your move your your oh? Yeah, so I just want to make sure I mean I visit your restaurants I just want people to know that you're no longer at the same location

So we opened in 2010 in Ponce de Leon, the location here next to Target. And we moved about seven months ago to Giralda, right next to Lugo Estereo. So we've been there. It's been phenomenal. The foot traffic that we have is amazing. I mean, the works that you guys do just to bring in more foot traffic, it's absolutely great. I mean, I can't complain. I'm so grateful. So thank you so much.

By the way, if I may, thank you for giving us credit for the foot traffic. And I worked on the manager deserves all the credit for Hidalgo. He was there first day. I was with him at 10 o'clock at night as we were working. It was really Miracle Mile that first day when we were there. But it was the project Miracle Mile, Hidalgo were the same project, the streetscape project. But you deserve all the credit. Let me tell you why. So thank you for giving us credit on Hidalgo and all the programming that Belkis does and Martha and all our team does. That's a great thing. But your food is amazing. The quality of your food is amazing. Now you have an amazing setting because you have, you had a, you had a location that was already built out and you basically now are able to enjoy that. You don't have to spend too much money on that. The second gen space was really nice. Um, But your food is top-notch. The quality is impeccable. The ambiance, the service. I slip in and slip out. I eat there. If I want something healthy, if I want to eat some fish, it's really, really good. So I want to congratulate you. If you're a restaurant owner and you've had a restaurant for almost 20 years, it's a testament that you're doing something right. So continue to work with the Chamber. I think the Chamber has an incredible bright future under Gloria and the new team that we have there. So I'm excited that both of you could join us. We have two different spectrums. We have dessert and we have a main course. So thank you, Belkis, for all your hard work.

Thank you so much, everyone.

Well, I do have the proclamation, but I do want to commend each one of you. you know, our economic development department, Belkis Perez, as well as the chamber, because we're blessed in our city that we have a chamber that works with our city and a city that works with the chamber. That doesn't always happen, where you have put the businesses on a pedestal, basically, and understand that this is critically important for the economic health of our city all the way around. And attracting great businesses like this Our economic development department's done a great job. Our mayor's done a fabulous job of introducing our city to many, many companies that have decided to make this their home for both their employees and their businesses. So without further ado, I'll read the proclamation. Whereas the city of Coral Gables is renowned for its vibrant culinary scene featuring a diverse array of restaurants that contribute significantly to the local economy and community. And whereas the month of July has been designated Taste of the Gables Restaurant Month, an annual activation aimed at driving business to Coral Gables restaurants during the traditionally slow summer season. And whereas this year marks the fourth year of Taste the Gables program under the Economic Development Department's showcasing of the city's commitment to supporting local businesses and promoting culinary excellence. And whereas Taste the Gables offers an extraordinary opportunity for residents and visitors alike to explore the city's dining establishments with more than 75 participating restaurants in 2026, including Michelin-starred and local favorites, offering specially priced Picks Fix menus and exclusive promotions, whereas there is no cost for restaurants to participate in this program, ensuring that all local dining establishments have the opportunity to benefit from increased visibility and patronage. Now, therefore, I, Vince Lago, as Mayor of the City of Coral Gables and on behalf of the City Commissioner, hereby proclaim July 2026 as Taste the Gables Restaurant Month.

Congratulations, and let's take a picture.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

I do want to point out my staff, so Solange Lopez and Danielle Cordova, they have to input all of those pictures and menus manually, so I just want to give them a shout out.

Ahem.

Moving on to item A3. Congratulations to Lieutenant Carlo Milito, recipient of the City of Coral Gables Firefighter of the Month Award for the month of July 2026. Chief, you have two items, item A3 and item A4. You want to take them both?

Yes, take them both.

Thank you.

So good morning, Mayor, ladies and gentlemen of the commission. I'd like to just echo what you said earlier. Thank you for the recognition, but I'd like to thank our residents for turning out and providing all the supplies. Everything that we succeed in this city, is usually and and for the most part and that's what makes us unique is a team effort so as you stated i'd like to thank martha who spearheaded the communications and our police and fire pios our firefighters for receiving and making sure that all the supplies got to station one and our public works and green space that not only provided the truck but are on our way to deliver the first round of supplies to Venezuela. So it's definitely a unique city as to how everyone bands together for the same cause.

I just want to echo what you just said right now, but I want to make it very, very clear. The tax collector and myself had a conversation We immediately, Dariel Fernandez and I were talking back and forth about doing something here in the city. I immediately called the manager of the DCM that evening in the ACM, and we had a conversation. I said, what can we do? The next day, we had an on-site meeting with Laura and Martha Pantin. And the IT team, we put together a quick clip, we got it out there, and everything was rolling. So, you know, our staff moves incredibly quick, cohesive under the leadership of the manager. And I don't think any other city can move as quickly as that. We had, I think we had that conversation, Madame ACM, it was like 9 o'clock at night, 10 o'clock at night. And the next day we were set for an eight o'clock meeting at the fire station. So that's a testament to the manager's leadership, to your leadership, Mr. Chief, DCM, ACM, and the entire team, all the employees, all directors, every single one of the firefighters here that was present and that obviously had played a hand in this. So thank you for that.

And I'd just like to welcome Chief Fajardo back. He had deployed with Task Force Two and he returned late on Monday. So with that, I'd ask Chief Jones to present our firefighters of the month.

Good morning, everybody. It's always a pleasure to highlight the amazing work that is done by our staff. And today we wanna highlight two individuals that serve as a team. I once read a quote that says, you don't go as far as your dream, you go as far as your team. These are two exceptional individuals that has done amazing work in our newly formed Emergency Medical Services Division. Most recently, because of their preparation and attention to detail, these individuals ensured that we not only had a site inspection by the state of Florida, but ensured that there was zero deficiencies. And in addition, they have identified areas of process improvement as well as efficiency and have excelled in that area. So today, we'd like to highlight Lieutenant Carlo Melito and Captain Christina Mussolera.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning, Commission, Councilman, thank you so much for the honor. Truly honored to be here today. And I'd like to thank, first and foremost, my wife, my daughter in the back and chiefs and everybody here to gave me the ability to do what I do every day here. I took a lot of pride out in the streets now and in administration. delivering that to our new recruits and everybody throughout the department. So with that, I say thank you.

Not a great public speaker, but I will do my best. I'd like to thank Chief Del Rosa and Assistant Chief Jones and Assistant Chief Legra for their outstanding leadership and dedication. I appreciate the opportunity and trust they've extended to me to serve as EMS captain for Coral Gables Fire. I also appreciate Chief Fletcher and Lieutenant Melito for their guidance and support. We couldn't accomplish as much as we have in the last seven months without them. Receiving Firefighter of the Month is an honor that reflects the great team I work with, and I look forward to continuing to serve this department and this community. Thank you.

Thank you to both of you for your hard work. Thank you so much. Let's take a quick photo. Item A5, congratulations to Officer Christopher Challenger, recipient of the City of Coral Gables Officer of the Month for the month of April 2026. And we also are going to do Item A6, congratulations to Officer George Berenas, recipient of the City of Coral Gables Officer of the Month for the month of May 2026. Good morning, Chief.

Good morning, Mayor. Good morning, Vice Mayor. Good morning, Commissioners. First up will be Officer Challenger. Again, we appreciate this forum to be able to give just a little bit of taste of what our officers do on a daily basis. And in this case, Officer Challenger. Back on April 14, 2026, he responded to a burglary in progress at 5526 Majorie Street. The homeowner advised they were not home, but they received the alert on their on their zoom the ring camera She described a subject who was wearing a white hoodie and in black had a black beard and two brown backpacks It was trying the back door of the home subject fled prior to the officers arriving officer challenger looking at getting the bolo, started to look around the area and found a subject in the area of 400 block of Como Avenue that matched the description. The victim was brought over, positively identified the subject. Officer Challenger read him as Miranda, and he waived his rights. And he asked the subject what he was doing. He said he was hungry, looking for food. So Duda was great. observation skills and his detective skills, he was able to apprehend the subject and take him into custody. So for that, he received Officer of the Month for April.

Thank you. Thank you, Chief Command Staff Commission for having me up here. Mr. Manager. I also want to thank Sergeant Salcedo and Lieutenant Guasto for nominating me for Officer of the Month. And as with anything with our police department, it's a team effort. Pretty much, I just happened to find him first, but even if none of us found him that day, one of our officers identified the subject the day before and conducted an FI. That was... Officer Castaneda, who was also on scene. And not only did he identify him, he was with his trainee. When he heard the call go out, he shared a photo of the guy. So it was pretty easy to find him, along with the help of Officer Molina. And honestly, Lieutenant Baena, If he were five seconds quicker, he'd be up here accepting this nomination because he was right behind me. So it's teamwork, and I appreciate it. Thank you very much, everyone.

To the mayor? Yes. Officer Challenger, thank you so much for your service. I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that the police holds a very special part in my heart. But you in specific have sacrificed and served this community with all your strength, and I want to thank you for that. I've saved these Centennial coins for very special moments and for very special people. And I have one for you today, not only a Centennial coin, but I'm also giving you the 250 coin. So if you would, I have a little note in here for you. Congratulations for being named Officer of the Month. Thank you for your outstanding service and dedication during the city's Centennial celebration and the 250th anniversary of the United States. Your professionalism and commitment are sincerely appreciated. Thank you so much for your service.

Thank you, I appreciate that.

I'll give it to you when we're taking a picture.

And before I go, I just want to say another shout out. Thank you to Aaron Glasser, who's with, he just left, but he's behind the scenes with every Officer of the Month. He celebrates it every year, Officer of the Year. He doesn't get enough notoriety, but the police department, the FOP, everybody appreciates Aaron Glasser. Thank you.

Our next recipient is Officer George Brennis. He was nominated for May of 2026, Officer Lamont. Between April 21st and the 30th, a total of about 20 incidents were generated in an area involving property crimes. Subject was going through the backs of residents off the golf course. He was going into cars. And there were several cases that we identified through the subject. There was a, he was identified in one photo and we were able to put out a probable cause flyer for him. We looked in that area. We put together different groups. We had the drone flying up all of this areas. We were still searching for the subject. And then on May 6th, Officer Brennis was at the 350 Bird Road at the 7-Eleven. He was still on writing assignment with his field training officer. When he observed the subject walk into the store, and recognized him immediately from the flyer. The subject was detained. Search into an arrest revealed that the offender was in possession of several credit cards, IDs, and he was subsequently placed in arrest by the detectives. Officer Brenes is a new officer who is still on writing assignment, whose his sense of keen awareness And thanks to him, to the intel from the detectives, along with training by his FTO, led to the apprehension of a prolific criminal to the city of Coral Gables. I believe in the end, we closed about 14 cases involving this subject. He not only had broken in here, he was on Miami Beach, city of Miami, several of these cases. So our closure helped them close their cases. For his efforts, he's recognized as Officer of the Month for May 2026.

Good morning. Good morning.

Good morning, sitting officials, deputy chief, command staff, fellow officers and guests. I'm standing here to receive officer of the month. So early in my career is an incredible honor to which I'm humbly accepting. I know for a fact I wouldn't be standing here without the incredible support system I received around me. We were able to identify that subject within an hour, and without that identification, we would have never apprehended him. To my FTOs, Detective Rivera, Officer Becker Alfa-Rizalte, and Officer Luis Lopez, thank you for your patience, setting rigorous standards, and sharing your wisdom and passion with me. The award and recognition is a direct reflection of your membership. To our command staff and city officials, Thank you for your leadership and providing us with the resources to do our job effectively and for placing your trust in me. This award may have my name on it, but it belongs to several officers as I rely on the support of my fellow officers daily. That day, I was riding with Luis Lopez and Officer Alex Rodriguez. Without them, I would have not been able to do it. We set up sort of a perimeter. We blocked the back exit, the front door, and one went in and apprehended. It was a teamwork effort, no incident, could have gone the wrong way, but it was very smooth. Luckily to them. I'm proud to wear this uniform, proud to serve the city of Coral Gables, and I look forward to continually serving our community each and every day. Thank you all.

Thank you to both gentlemen. Great work. Officer Challenger, Brennis, thank you so much for your hard work and making sure that we can sleep easy at night knowing that your team is working out there in pursuit of all these criminals and making sure that, again, this is the safest place to live, not only in South Florida, but in the country. So thank you for your hard work. Thank you. Moving on to item A7, congratulations to Javier Romero from the city manager slash communications department, recipient of the part-time employee of the second quarter for 2026.

Morning, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners, Jose Rodriguez, assistant HR and risk director. We're gonna continue with the employee recognition. So this is the best part of my job. We get to recognize employees on a quarterly basis. So for our part-time employee of the quarter, we have Javier Romero. He actually joined the city last fall. He's a part-time producer and editor. He was nominated by Martha. Martha wrote a phenomenal nomination. So I'm gonna have Martha come up with Javier so they can be recognized. Congratulations.

So as Jose said, Javier joined us recently, but he has something that I can't teach. He has great initiative. So as part of the examples of his initiatives are when we started having the meetings here, he thought we didn't like how the drop thing looked back here. And before we got the curtains, he was the one that came up with the solution and we actually got it done in less than 24 hours. He also came up to us with the idea of having a fun educational series for Instagram and social media called Did You Know? And it highlights and city programs et cetera, like what green space management does and other examples. And this is a good way to educate our residents about programs that the city does do, but that we can highlight them for social media. In our conference room, we had cables running down the floor. We were having people coming over here for meetings, and he took it upon himself to get that done. So one of the greatest things of having an employee is one that has his own initiative, and we are really lucky that he joined us recently. So thank you, Javier. Of course.

Yeah, it's a little odd to be in front of these cameras. I'm usually behind them. But first and foremost, I want to thank Martha Pantene for this nomination and for her exceptional leadership. She plays such an important role in guiding the work that we do, and I'm incredibly grateful for her support. I also want to thank Michael Rocha for his mentorship and guidance and all of my incredible colleagues who I have the privilege of working with every single day. Each of you has helped me grow and get me to where I am today. To my friends and family and my amazing girlfriend, thank you for always pushing me to be the best version of myself and for supporting me every step of the way. And to everyone here and the entire city of Coral Gables, thank you for the privilege of letting me do this job. I'm truly grateful to be a part of this organization, to be recognized in this way. Thank you.

Congratulations. Well deserved. Let's take a photo. Moving on to item A8, congrats to Robert Chang from the Parking Department, recipient of the Employee of the Month for April of 2026.

So our, as you said, Mayor, April winner is Roberto. He comes to us from the Parking Department. He's a parking enforcement specialist with nearly 20 years of service. So employees are often nominated for going above and beyond, and this is a very unique case of going above and beyond. So I'm gonna call up Martha. Monica, so she can tell the unique story of how Roberto went above and beyond and is deserving of this award. So, Roberto, if you could join us.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Monica Beltran, Director, Parking, Sustainability and Mobility Services. First, I want to start by thanking all of you for this wonderful program. It's not every day that our staff gets to come out here, look at our leaders, and share a moment. Today in particular, some of my employees here, our employees here are rather new to the city, having joined us in the last two, three months. So they get a taste of what a commission meeting is, and also of the appreciation that we have for the work that they do. And I'm going to take this moment to remind them that more than an enforcement officer that does parking and preserves parking for the use of residents and visitors and businesses, that we're also ambassadors, and we're out there to make a difference. Robert Chang, on or about 9.30 in the morning, was driving his vehicle, city vehicle, to get washed. He saw a, he heard, honking coming from a school bus it was about 930 like I said and he stopped now nobody else had stopped he stopped and he got closer and realized there was a child in this bus that was trying to get people's attention for about two hours it was 740 or so the child told him he had been left in the bus and The driver had gotten out. He apparently fell asleep. But the driver apparently was aware that he was there. But anyway, left and left the child in the bus with the door secured. Officer Chang stopped, got out, pried the doors open, and got the child out. He was crying and nervous, et cetera. Now imagine the parent not knowing where this child was. So Officer Chang called the parent, called his supervisor, who called the PD, and it was all coordinated. Officer Chang then tried to appease the child, offered to buy him food, the kid was hungry, called the parent again to find out if the kid had any food allergies so that he could get him something. He stayed with the child until the mother, who was very desperate and crying, came to the scene. Now, if this had happened in a peak heat, a hot day, the child may not have survived. So many people drove by, but nobody was aware enough to stop and render aid. And for that, Officer Chang is recognized today.

Thank you for going above and beyond. It's truly a pleasure. We've had the pleasure of meeting before along with all the employees behind you who do an amazing job on behalf of the city. So I want to thank you for your hard work. Who knows? The damage that could have been caused by leaving that child any longer inside that school bus at the end of the day could have been one of these brutally hot days. We got very lucky that you were there. And that luck comes with the pride that you take in being an employee here at the city of Coral Gables. So we are grateful for that. And this is just a small token and a gratitude on behalf of the city. But thank you for taking that extra step, making an extra corner, not just doing your scope of work, but doing what we here in the city of Coral Gables are known for, which is going above and beyond. So thank you for that, sir. Thank you very much. Moving on to the final item before we take on approval of minutes, item A9, congrats to Jose Villar from Community Recreation Department, recipient of the Employee of the Month for May 2026.

Sir, Jose Villar comes to us from the Community Rec Department. He is the aquatics manager, so he's come up through the ranks of the Venetian pool, starting as a lifeguard, coming as assistant supervisor, and now he's the manager of the pool. He's a pleasure to work with. You know, we do a lot of recruiting, a lot of hiring for the pool. So working with him, it's a pleasure working with him. He was nominated by Carolina, our ACM. So I don't know if she wanted to join us. She wrote a very nice nomination as well. So if you could, Jose, please join us, be recognized. All of Jose's proud.

So I apologize that I jumped before the director, but this is very, very personal and long overdue. Earlier this year, and this is very, very rare, in January, he reached out to have lunch and share some news with me. And that news was that he had worked on a different career path for the last couple of years and made the decision that it was time to leave the city. But he understands the responsibility in training his new staff and his replacement and said he would give the city a 10 months notice before leaving us, which is extremely rare. So he's worked very hard to find his replacement. And like I said, this recognition is long overdue. So I wanted to make sure He is recognized before he leaves the city. And I wanted to share some words about Jose and what he's accomplished with the city, if you will let me. Jose's commitment to aquatics, public safety, and public service is deeply rooted and dates back to his earliest days on learning how to swim at the Venetian pool. under the tutelage of our very own Venetian Aquatic Club members and volunteers. He carried that experience forward and paid it back by serving as a Venetian Aquatic Club aide, where he spent many summers volunteering his time and teaching swim lessons. This work is especially meaningful as swim instruction remains the number one preventative measure against drowning. That early dedication to water safety has defined his career and continues to shape his leadership approach today. For more than a decade, Jose has been entrusted not only with the stewardship of one of our most iconic historic and high traffic facilities, but also with the safety and wellbeing of thousands of visitors who pass through the pool each year. This is a significant responsibility and has consistently met with professionalism, vigilance, and a deep sense of duty. His leadership has ensured that safety remains the top operational priority while maintaining a welcoming and enjoyable environment for all patrons. Beyond his operational excellence, Jose's commitment to his team is equally noteworthy. He is an individual who fosters a culture of accountability, mentorship, and continuous improvement. He leads by example, investing in the development of his team and encouraging the pursuit of training, certifications, and professional growth opportunities. His emphasis on education as a driver of innovation has elevated not only his own performance, but that of his entire aquatics team. Jose's dedication to the city is evident in his proactive approach to challenges, his willingness to go above and beyond, and his consistent pursuit of excellence. He has positioned himself as a forward-thinking leader who embraces new ideas, best practices, ensuring that our aquatics operation remain both safe and progressive. In every respect, Jose exemplifies the values of public service, leadership, and innovation. His contributions are invaluable, and he is most deserving of this recognition.

All right. Well, good morning. Very humbled to be here. I'm on season 18 of the show. So the original cast, most of them are already gone. But I couldn't ask for a better team blessing, family, co-workers, or anything. I have nothing to say except thank you. All these years have been a blessing, and I'm very happy and proud to be here. Thank you.

Mr. Villar, we wish you Godspeed, good luck in your next adventure, and hopefully, God willing, you'll join us soon again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Amen.

What is it?

All right, moving on to the approval of minutes. B1, regular city commission meeting of May 19, 2026. May I have a motion?

I'll move it. I'll second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Item B2, regular city commission meeting of June 2, 2026. May I have a motion?

I'll move it.

May I have a second?

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Moving on to public comment.

First speaker this morning, Jess Osborne. For those who will be appearing, please remember to state your name and address for the record.

And also please, I'd like for everyone to be concise and also to be aware that if you speak on an item during public comment and it comes up later in the agenda, we won't give you a second bite of the apple, so.

Thank you.

Thank you for respecting the city's time and your time.

Absolutely.

Good morning.

Good morning, everybody. Thank you for having me. My name is Jess Osborne. I'm a resident of Miami. My pronouns are they and he. and born and raised here in Miami, graduate of UM, living and working in and around the current area. Sorry, excuse my demeanor, I'm a little sick. But I'm here to speak about LGBTQ protections for our residents here, especially as being a member of that tribe. I want to thank you for having a really good score on the HRC's MEI index of 92. And I'd like to keep and uphold those protections for folks like myself and my team. It is currently being threatened by SB 1134, the anti-DEI bill. And so I'd just like for the council, the city, my team here, who is also going to speak, just to be aware of what's happening and get creative on how to keep those protections. It doesn't just affect LGBTQ people, it affects everybody, all types of minorities. I'm also a proud Hispanic American. And I'd like to add that the importance to this is, what I'd like to try to say is, I've also traveled a lot around the world And what I have gathered in my years is that no matter who you are, what your culture is, or your political affiliation, everybody just really wants love and safety. And I'd like to see that reflected in our city's laws. so that people feel that in their community. I'd like for politics to not get dangerous and change the way that I need to live, especially being from here. There's no other place that I belong than here, and I'm never leaving, even though I have been around the world. shooting a little off the hip here, but I think that's about it. Just please consider how we can help one another in regards to SP 1134. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

Leonardo Montenegro.

Good morning, sir. Good morning, mayor and commissioners. My name is Leo and I'm here as a member of the community to speak in support of LGBTQ plus inclusion in Coral Gables. I live here and I work at the University of Miami where I conduct research on HIV and mental health. And so I've dedicated my entire life to understand how we can implement equity in our communities. And I'm here to express my strong opposition to SB 1134, which is relating to official actions of local governments. This bill is deeply concerning because, you know, it restricts counties and municipalities from funding, promoting or taking official action related to diversity, equity and inclusion. In practice, this could make it harder for local governments to respond to the real needs of the communities they serve. especially communities that already face barriers to safety, healthcare, housing, employment, and public services. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not abstract political concepts. They are practical tools that help local governments understand who is being served, who is being left out, and how public services can be made more accessible and effective. Whether we're talking about language access, culturally responsive health outreach, LGBTQ plus inclusion, racial and ethnic disparities, or support for underserved neighborhoods, local governments need the ability to address inequities directly. I'm especially concerned that this bill could create fear and confusion among local officials, nonprofit partners, contractors, and service providers. When the law threatens local officials with misfeasance or malfeasance for actions related to DEI, It discourages public servants from doing the very work needed to ensure that all residents are treated fairly and have access to essential resources. Florida is diverse. Our local communities know their residents best, and they should not be prevented from creating policies, programs, trainings, or partnerships that reflect the needs of those residents. Preventing local governments from supporting inclusion does not make the government more neutral. It makes it less responsive to the people who rely on it. So I just urge lawmakers and local leaders to oppose efforts that limit equity-focused work and to protect the ability of counties, municipalities, and community organizations to serve all Floridians with dignity, fairness, and respect. So I expect something to happen, and I expect it to happen soon. Thank you. Thank you.

David Lloyd.

Good morning, sir. Morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Commissioners. My name is David Gary Lloyd, and I'm here to express my support for the inclusion and visibility for the LGBTQ plus community here in Coral Gables. My husband and I are residents here, and we absolutely love this city. However, I was shocked when we moved here from downtown Miami because I realized there's actually a very large LGBTQ plus community that resides here in Coral Gables. And it wasn't obvious to me at first, but over the years, I've met so many neighbors, families, business owners, employees, churchgoers, students, all kinds of people in our community that identify as LGBTQ+. The recent SB 1134 bill that was signed into law specifically targets any government funding that falls under the very broad term of DEI. Our LGBTQ community contributes so much to the city and state. And we all just want to make the place we call home a better place for us all to enjoy and live in. This past June for Pride Month, I produced an art show with the local networking group Gay in the Gables and the historic Congregational United Church of Christ, which is the church that's directly across from the Biltmore Hotel. It's beautiful, very iconic. We transformed the sanctuary into an art gallery featuring queer Florida artists. The show was only open for three days and we had about 700 visitors over that very short timeframe. That really touched my heart to see how much support exists between the LGBTQ plus community and our local residents here in Coral Gables. To target humans because of race, gender or orientation is not what I believe this city stands for. I'm asking for your legal counsel to review anything that can be affected by the SB 1134 bill and find ways that we can protect the programs and policies that help bring essential inclusion for members of our community. I can't tell you what it means to see my city show support with visibility like illuminating City Hall with the rainbow colors during June. It makes us feel safe, welcome, and part of the city we love to brag about. Coral Gables has received a 92 out of 100 on the Municipal Equality Index scorecard via the Human Rights Campaign. That shows that the policies and programming that we already have are working. Now we just need to protect them. Thank you so much for your time and your service to our community. Thank you, sir.

Lane Tidwell.

Lane, good morning. Good to see you. Before Lane comes up here and speaks, Lane and I have been friends for a long time. I've had the pleasure of visiting Lane at his home. And Lane is the individual, along with his husband, who are responsible for the beautiful fountain that you see adjacent to the Granada Country Club, the one adjacent to the Country Club. One of the works that he's been working on is to make sure that fountain is up and running. He writes me emails and text messages. If there's ever a tree in the way or the fountain stops working or you see something that's not right in that park, he's one of the individuals that when we found that park, we advocated for that park. really takes care of it and make sure that he's a community advocate on all fronts, just in that little slice of heaven that he has right there between the little park on Granada and Alhambra and the fountain. So Lane is a big advocate for the City of Beautiful. Thank you for being here, Lane. It's nice to see you. Oh, and by the way, he also makes a mean banana chocolate cake just for you.

Thank you. Good morning, mayor and commissioners. I'm terrible at this. My name is Lane Tidwell. And I live at 933 Majorca Avenue, Florida, 33134. First of all, I'd like to thank you for all you've done for our community. I applaud you, and I absolutely love living. I'm so proud when people ask me, where do you live? I live in Coral Cables. It's cool. It's a great place to live. This morning, I am also here to support Save and its advocacy, its pride campaign. I just want to say that together, we can move mountains. Divided, we can only see or hope we can see the top of the mountain from a different view. And I think you guys have done a great job. And like I say, I just appreciate all you've done. Thank you.

Thank you, Lee.

Robert Johnson.

Mr. Johnson, good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and Commission members. officers of the city of Coral Gables and all the staff who make this meeting possible. I want to thank you for what you've done. My name is Robert Johnson. I live at 933 Mallorca Avenue. I support SAVE's Advocacy is Pride campaign and I want to thank Coral Gables as a city for its past support and urge that you take action before Florida SB 1134 takes effect and limits our city's abilities respond to the programs that they have been advocating in the past that makes us all live so well and stay so well in this city. I also recognize and regret that this law will affect not only the residents' well-being, but also will place the city at risk and liability from uninformed individuals who might want to bring a lawsuit and that it places each of you on a personal responsibility and liability for what is done. I think that's very important. Given the good work that you do, what you need is congratulations, not threats. A state cannot run without the well-run cities that are in it, and to be shackled this way is a shame. The threat, obviously, that I see, first of all, is aimed at the LGBTQ community. but Florida SB 1134 goes much further than that. The bill is triggered by ethnicity and several other identities that individuals within this city oftentimes express through their participation in civic endeavors and through recognition by the city itself. Because the bill is triggered by ethnicity, there are many festivals and programs that may be at risk, and we should seriously consider the impact that that might have on the city. I have spent nearly 50 years now studying the distribution of health, illness, disease, and death in society. This is my profession. And I can tell you that the pattern of that distribution is not random. It is predictable and it varies by communities. Our community happens to be a very favorable community in that we benefit from things that the city itself does to promote the health, well-being, and safety of its citizens. Those may be in jeopardy, and I want us to think about them clearly. I also think that the bill might give us some opportunities to implement those programs in non-discriminatory ways because of the carve-outs, particularly with regard to federal law dealing with health, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, providing appropriate care. for those which include some of these identities and the Affordable Care Act. Local governments can also limit harm in other ways. And one of the ways that I've studied particularly that we don't always recognize is that you can limit the harms of loneliness. The Attorney General of the United States said that after COVID, the public in the United States was facing a loneliness epidemic. And the programs that you offer provide connection and ties to the community. And that defeats the impact that loneliness has. And so congratulations for that. I want you to urge you to continue to do that as part of a public safety and health infrastructure that the city can undergird its citizens with. And keep active in that regard. What I'm asking for today is for the city council to look at an inventory of all of the things that you do that have this public health focus and figure out ways in which you can preserve them. Of course, I'm also very interested in preserving what you've done in the past for the LGBTQ committee. And with that, I thank you. Belonging is good. It's good to be seen. So once you're seen, it's good to be welcome. It tells you that you belong. And I think we all belong. Thank you.

Thank you, Doctor. Miles Davis. Mr. Davis, good morning.

Good morning, mayors, vice mayor, commissioners, city staff. My name is Miles Davis. I serve as director of advocacy and communications at SAVE. We're South Florida's leading LGBTQ plus advocacy organization. I'm here to recognize Coral Gables for earning a 92 on the Human Rights Campaign's 2025 Municipal Equality Index. That is a strong case, and it reflects very meaningful work by the city to treat residents, employees, families, and visitors with fairness and respect. But a 92 is not just a score to celebrate. As you've heard from many folks here already, it is a foundation that we must protect. Coral Gables is a city that values planning, stability, and thoughtful governance. That is exactly why this moment matters. As new state restrictions come into play, cities across the state will need to understand what they mean for local services partnerships, contract, our advisory boards, funding agreements, and community initiatives. Our ask is simple. We're asking the commission to direct city staff and legal counsel to review the MEI scorecard along the new state law and identify what may be impacted, what can be preserved, and most importantly, what steps the city can take now to protect local decision-making. At its core, this is about home rule, and we know Coral Gables should be able to make decisions that reflect of course, Coral Gables, its residents, its workforce, our families and our local needs before services are disrupted or local authority is narrowed. Our team will be following up with everyone and we hope that the constructive partnership that the city has had in the past will continue as we help you review the laws, understand what options are available and chart a practical path forward. A 92 is a strong score, but a strong score still needs a strong defense, and SAVE is here to work with you on that. Coral Gables has the opportunity to protect both its progress and its right to govern locally, and I thank each and every one of you for your time and commitment to public service. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Davis.

Maria Cruz.

Before we move on to the next person, Madam City Attorney, will you do me a favor, please? Will you schedule time with me next week to go over the MEI scorecard? And I want to review the preemption legislation. And I want to be very clear to our friends at Save the Aid and all the members of the community. A preemption is not something new, as you're aware. You're very aware of it. It handcuffs us on many different fronts. I'm just gonna throw a few out there and I know I'm gonna forget the most important ones For example, we're the city beautiful, correct? Now there's new state legislation that came through preemption where trees can be cut down without approval from the city We also have our state legislative director here who's going to speak a little bit about that. But also, we can no longer now control the issue of whether full grass goes in the front of the house or in the sides, in the back like we've allowed in the past. So preemption is something that, again, that we're dealing with as a city. But I'm going to be very candid with you. Our hands are tied in regards to a lot of the preemption that comes. I will review the report card, the MEI report card, which I think is critically important to review it. And I will draft a memo with the help of my city attorney and our director of legislation at the state to make sure that we can address through the whole commission these issues and we can make a strong case of how we advocate for the entire community. as a whole. And I'm beyond grateful, especially to see my friend Lane here, who I haven't seen in a few months, to have you here raising your voice because we don't work for just one individual. We work for the city as a whole. And when you tell me that you were actually impressed that there was a rather large LGBTQ community here in Coral Gables, you know, I've known that for a long, long time, especially when you knock on doors and That community is very vocal, is very proud, again, to be residents here in the city of Coral Gables, and we're very proud to have you here in the city, beautiful. So I will sit down with our city attorney and our director and our city manager to review the MEI scorecard and see what we can do to continue advocating on behalf of the entire community as a whole. Madam Director?

Hi, good morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, my name is Chelsea Grinnell and I'm the Director of Government Affairs. I just wanted to put out on the record that we are, staff is, this is very important to us and we have been actively meeting to make sure that we adhere to the state requirements. but also think of creative ways that we can circumvent certain prohibitions. So we would be happy to include you in those meetings, Mr. Mayor, but I just wanted to say that we have been on it and we do very much care about how to preserve what's important to the city.

not surprised at all that the manager's team is already on it because this is again we're addressing every single every single email that comes from the state of florida our director of government affairs is on it along with the manager not only looking at funding issues but also looking at preemption issues which again are extremely painful for the city because there is nobody And I want to be very clear, and I've told this to our leaders who I have the utmost respect at the state of Florida. There is nobody closer to the residents than the individuals that you see here in front of you and in this room. And I'm not talking about only elected officials. I'm talking about staff. We're the ones that deal with the potholes. We're the ones that deal with the fountains that are broken. We're the ones that deal with the trees that need to be trimmed. when a crime is committed in your neighborhood. So at the end of the day, Mr. Manager, if you would allow me to engage in that process also, be kind, and we can bring back, along with the Vice Mayor, if she wants to get involved, we can bring back a memo to the Commission. Madam Vice Mayor?

Well, I want to be involved too, because the type of litigation I've done under the ADA, it's very, very clear that federal law offers a preemption as well. So I'd like to explore that with the City Attorney's Office.

Thank you. Mr. Clerk.

Maria Cruz.

Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road, 305-323-2154. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. There is an item on the consent agenda. And since the consent agenda, I've been told, is not something that we can talk about unless somebody pulls it, I am going to talk about it now. It's item D7. It's item D7. It's a development agreement, the annual report 2425, prepared by the University of Miami for the city of Coral Gables, August 26, 2025. It's a very lengthy report. It took a little time to go through it, but I managed it. On page 12. On page 12, it talks about the fact that the university was going to fund some public realm items for $250,000. The only problem is that when we, the residents, discussed it with the university, it was $1 million. Now it's down to $250,000. And at the time that we discussed it, we wanted We wanted lightning because of anybody that goes in that area next to the university from Miller North is very dark at night, extremely dark. So on page 12, it talks about 250,000 for public realm improvements. On page 13, it mentions that there's a 10-year there's 10 years of the date of the adoption for this to expire. Okay? This was 2016 to December 2026. That will expire. On page 14, it says that they're waiting for the city to identify the improvement that is going to be done with that money. So page 12, 13, and 14, we talk about that. On page 20, we talk about annual payments that the university was going to pay the city. It's very interesting because it says annual payments annual payments, and the last payment was November 29, 2024. So what happened to the payment in 25? There's no record. According to them, the last payment was November 29, 2024, OK? It's over $1 million, OK? And the last thing that I have is we talk about the Wasco Center. Okay? I want to remind those of you that were here then, and if you were not here, I can tell you, you can find it on the records. that the Wasco Center was supposed to be a convocation center for the university. It was not supposed to be a venue for conventions, concerts, et cetera, et cetera. And it says it on the documents at that time. I have the original documents if anybody wants to see them. Convocation center, then somewhere along the line, our administration somehow because this is the problem when you have covenants, agreements with the city that they sign in goodwill And then people come back and say, oops, I couldn't do it then. I need a break. I need an amendment. I need a waiver. And our elected people go for it.

We've gone over a minute and 40 seconds.

I'm sorry, other people went over it too.

But they didn't go over a minute and 40 seconds. I asked you to please bring it in for a minute.

Okay, I'm going to close it up. I suggest that any of you that are interested to know, since it's going to be approved today, that you need to go online and pull it and read it so you can see what I've said and it's there.

Thank you very much. Jackson Holmes.

Yes.

Good morning, sir.

Thank you. Jackson Holmes, 35 Sidonia Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida. I hope we can pull up the first picture here.

If cable TV can please share my screen. Thank you.

Maybe you can slide it up. Can you slide it up? Okay, there we go. As you all can see, that's me with, maybe you need to slide it down a little bit, sorry. That's me with former United States Senator Bob Graham. And I'm gonna put myself under penalties for perjury in what I'm gonna say today. I'm asking that the residents watching this pay close attention. Bob Graham, I'm saying this under penalties for perjury, opened the door for me to discover free energy. And I'm saying that under penalties for perjury. So can we go to the next slide? Now, what is the proof of free energy? This came in a 60 minutes broadcast, which you can see a slide from here. How about the next one? Do you have that Threads video that I just sent you? It's a separate email. I sent you threads to click on.

I did not receive your separate email, Mr. Holmes.

No threads video? I just sent it.

I haven't received it, sir.

Okay, so I'm going to ask the people with IT to try and get the camera to zoom in here. I'm going to play it off of my iPhone, see if you can pick up the feed. This is the proof of free energy, right? You know, somebody comes to you and says, I've got proof of free energy. You say, yeah, I know a good psychiatrist. But if the U.S. Department of Defense comes to you and says, yes, there is free energy, then you listen, because it's United States Department of Defense. That's what this video is. It's too bad we couldn't get it synced properly here. And within the Department of Defense, guess who invented the internet? DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. They invented the internet. People at home, what's in web links here that I'm showing? And DARPA, who invented the Internet, is the one that says there is free energy. So I'm going to see if this can be picked up by the cameras. It's quite real.

Are you surprised to hear yourself saying this?

Very much. Can you try and pick it up?

found that the Pentagon is saying it too.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, did its own analysis, and we obtained this internal memo that concludes there is, quote, no doubt that anomalous excess heat is produced in these experiments.

You're going to keep the Coral Gables people from learning about free energy?

You have played it before, but no one's going to be able to see it from your phone. We have another meeting coming up in a month.

They can pick up on it and follow it up later. Do you have the next slide?

Your time is up, and we have how many people waiting to speak?

You're suppressing free energy from the people of Coral Gables. Could you play the next slide, please?

Mr. Holmes, the next slide I have for you is not a video, once again.

Right, it's a slide, right.

We need to move on and allow some other people to speak.

We have many things on our- People at home, you can see the city commissioner is suppressing your ability to know that there is free energy that I got through the help of U.S. Senator Bob Grant.

I understand. We spoke about it. The sun is free as well. It does cost money.

Suppression of information from the citizens of Coral Gables.

Okay. Next meeting, you can have the video.

Marina Brayman? Thank you Madam Vice Mayor.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor Lago, commissioners, and city staff. My name is Marina Brennan, and I'm here on behalf of SAVE. This morning, my colleagues and I, and of course, the Coral Cables residents who came to join us, we do, of course, want to encourage the city to examine all the events, programs, like we've already mentioned, that could fall under SB 1134. Just a few items that could be on the chopping block in the city of Coral Gables. The city has a sponsored Women's History Month celebration. Coral Gables also has an annual Hanukkah Festival of Lights. There's also a citywide clergy prayer breakfast, and as well as a Black History Month programming, including a Juneteenth commemoration. Now, in terms of the LGBTQ community, I'm not sure if residents knew this, but something that you can see on your MEI is that the city of Coral Gables has an LGBTQ liaison in the city manager's office and in the police department. As a city employer, Coral Gables also offers same-sex partner benefits and inclusive healthcare. In a show of support, as one of your residents mentioned, the city of Coral Cables also has lit up City Hall in celebration of Pride Month. So all of these events and policies, it won't just affect LGBTQ people, it could affect any category that falls under the DEI umbrella. Now, like you said, Mayor Lago, state preemption does exist, of course. We know that. And it does tie the hands of our municipalities. However, attorneys at the ACLU Former legislative staff who used to work in the state including myself and Miles who spoke before As well as other organizations who if they haven't already reached out to you will be offering other options for municipalities like yours We believe that they that there are options As your staff mentioned previously, Coral Gables can still enter into long-term contracts, funding agreements, and partnerships that protect these programs and services for future years before January 1st. Another option that other South Florida municipalities are considering is joint legal action. These are still options before the bill takes place on January 1st. So we stand, of course, ready to partner in this process. Our goal is not to change the identity of Coral Gables, but to uplift our residents that live here, and, of course, to prevent the state from controlling what our local governments can do, because they are, of course, closest to the people. So we will, of course, be reaching out to your office and the city manager's office, and we really just appreciate your support and the time that you've given us here today.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being here with us.

That's it, Mr. Mayor.

All right, we'll close the public comment. Now we're moving on to the consent agenda.

Before the vote adopted and the consent agenda is taken, is there anyone who wishes additional discussion or review of any item on the consent agenda?

May I have a motion?

I'll move it.

I'll second.

All in favor? Aye. Thank you. Thank you. All right, moving on to time starting at 10.30 a.m., agenda item G1.

G1 is a resolution of the City Commission approving fiscal year 2026 to 2027 cultural grant recipients and setting in place a funding mechanism contingent on the city's approved budget.

Good morning, Ms. Cathers. How are you?

Good morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, Catherine Cathers, Arts and Cultural Coordinator with the City. We do have a presentation. So one of the responsibilities of the City's Cultural Development Board is to recommend to the City Commission the annual allocation of cultural grant funding. I want to thank the members of our Cultural Development Board who had the role of reviewing and scoring each application. Board member Eric Fliss is here today to speak on behalf of the board and he will come up and just say a few words after the presentation. I would also like to thank our cultural partners, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Arts and Business Council who provide professional development opportunities and support to our grantees. As a reminder, the city commission adopted amendments to the cultural grant guidelines and included a process to have bonus points for the following scenarios, five additional points for principal address and core gables, five for applicants who include programming that is free, and two for organizations whose operating budgets are $50,000 or less. The board played the same, Funding recommendation is last year, maintaining the dedicated funding of youth arts program at $50,000 and $228,228 for Coral Gables core cultural organizations and cultural programs. So this year, on May 14th, the Cultural Development Board reviewed and scored 53 applications for the allocation of grant funding. in all categories with one of the applications required by the Coral Gables Museum, which is funded separately. Of the 52 remaining applications, five did not meet the 80-point threshold established to recommend funding, and two were disqualified for not submitting required documents. The proposed funding of the eligible 45 applicants and their scores plus the Coral Gables Museum have been provided in your exhibit A that's attached to the closed resolution. The board is recommending funding for these organizations which represent a diverse range of the arts including music, theater, film, dance, opera, literary arts, performance, poetry, gardens, and museums. So we have quite the opportunities for culture here. We have a few slides that are interspersed, just representing these. Here we see a gallery opening, a book reading, and a garden tour. And then, of course, a summary demonstrating the actual impact of the cultural grant program and benefit to Coral Gables residents and visitors. So you can see here, and this is similar to last year, The total number, 1,308 programs overall. The percentage of events that are in Coral Gables, of course, is always 100%. Percentage of free events is 40%, which is very high. And the number of Coral Gables venues that are used is 28, and that's a significant increase. You'll see the economic impact of total expenditures by the grantee organizations and their audiences is well over $20 million, and the local benefit rate of return for the local government itself is over $800,000. So again, just a few more images showing the cinema, some children's programming, dance, an orchestral concert. These are just a few. So as I said, we have Eric Fliss with us today to speak on behalf of the board and answer any questions from the commission.

Good morning, sir. Good morning, Eric Fliss, Cultural Development Board. Mayor, Vice Mayor, commissioners and staff, I just wanted to say thank you for your support for this program. Last year, you provided some additional funding for the youth programs, which had a major impact on those organizations. Their funding levels were raised, and the amount of work they can do within the city of Coral Gables was increased directly by those funding. It also provided additional funds for our major cultural organizations in Coral Gables. It was also, as a panel member, easier to Review all of the grants as we were not competing children's orchestras with professional orchestras, and we were able to make clear Evaluations of all the applications, so I just want to say thank you and ask to please accept the package that was provided to you First and foremost.

Thank you for your service to the city a great impact and we're grateful for the work that you do along with the director Ms.. Cathers Massey just a few questions very quickly My questions, one of them is a question and one is just reiterating it to bring it home. Number one, what is the percentage of the money that's spent, of this grant money that is spent in the City of Beautiful?

100%.

Can you repeat that again? 100%. That's number one. And number two, where does that money come from?

It comes from the general fund.

I want to be clear. So what we're doing here right now is, if you look at the numbers, over $20 million of economic impact here in the community. So when you have an event, for example, like a World Cup game, and everybody disperses after two hours, where do they go? They go have lunch. They go have dinner. They go have a drink. Maybe do some shopping. Maybe go see the Miracle Theater, the cinema. maybe they go to Books and Books, maybe they go have a coffee somewhere, but they spend their hard-earned dollars here in our community. So we are already respected as the cultural destination in South Florida, and it's incumbent on us in making sure that we continue to spread this message, because this is an economic driver in our community. If we're not investing in art, if we're not investing in theater, in the cinema, if we're not investing in that at the end of the day, I think that it will only hurt us. So I want to congratulate you and the board, the city manager, and all the work that you're doing in regards to making sure that we're very careful, we're very methodical, we're auditing. We're auditing, like for example, the previous year, these individuals who got a grant submit an audit, correct?

Yes, they submit a final report.

A final report which basically says this is when the event happened, This is proof that the event happened. This is how much money was spent. This is a receipt so that people understand that the taxpayer dollars being used for the appropriate venue or event that we as a board and as a city dictated and approved.

Correct.

OK. Want to be clear on that? OK. Any further comments?

Just to the mayor, just thank you for the hard work that you do evaluating each and every one of these applications because it does take a lot of time and effort to go through them one at a time, and you bring so much back to our city, so much richness. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor. Mr. Clerk, do we have any public comment? All right, we'll close with a public comment. May I have a motion? I'll move it.

Second.

Vice Mayor Anderson? Yes. Commissioner Castro?

Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lara?

Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Let's go to G2. Let's take G2 right now since we're here. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Fluss. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. G2 is a resolution of the City Commission approving intervals of Coral Gables-based art series as part of Miami Art Week and for an application to Art Basel for an official event further approving funding up to $110,000 from the Art Fund toward the program and marketing materials and authorizing an amendment to the fiscal year 2025-2026 operating budget to recognize the transfer of funds from the Art and Public Places Reserve and to appropriate such funds to put toward the cost of the project.

Just really quickly, she said 210, it was 110 or 210? No, it's 110,000. Okay, I just wanted to make sure.

But we'll take 200. I know.

Trust me, I know you will.

Good morning. So following up on the success from last year, the Arts Advisory Panel and Cultural Development Board discussed the city's Miami Artwork 2026 program and unanimously supported continuing intervals, which is a public art exhibition we programmed in partnership with Coral Gables Public Spaces and with galleries presenting at Art Basel Miami Beach. So Intervals is designed to present a minimum of five artists in site-responsive installations that are open and publicly accessible, including partnering businesses and hotels. In compliance with Art Basel Miami Beach program requirements, galleries affiliated with Art Basel are being approached to present their artists, and we already have some commitments that this is approved. Artists are provided funding to create to create the site-specific installations for exhibition that lasts about eight weeks. And then last year we ended up extending at least two of those beyond that. So again, building on the established relationship with Art Basel, we would like to submit an Art Basel VIP event application to celebrate intervals at one of the locations with an invitation to visit all the sites. Funding of $110,000 is being requested for the recommendation related expenses and marketing and is proposed through the Art Fund, which is funded through private development projects. Today, we also have Dr. Jill Dupuy with us, who is the chair of the Arts Advisory Panel and is available to also discuss the program and answer any questions.

Thank you, Doctor, for being here with us.

Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor, Commissioners, thank you so much for your enlightened leadership. My day job, as you may know, is the executive director and chief curator of the Lowe Art Museum. So thank you also for your support in that channel. But because of the work I do, I really understand that art contributes to quality of life. And it is also an economic driver. It's not just a frill. So I am really grateful. for, again, your enlightened and visionary leadership. And I think that this program is very much in line with that same vision. As I'm sure you are aware, Art Basel has a tremendous impact that resonates far beyond Miami Beach. Those who are a part of those proceedings really are elevating their own programs, and in this case, their own cities. So I think that as we discuss on the arts advisory panel that this is a really important opportunity to extend because it does bring relevance, impact, and engagement that reverberates far beyond the city of Coral Gables and even South Miami. So I speak for the panel in giving our full support to this resolution.

Thank you, Doctor.

Mr. Clerk, do you have any public comment?

No, Mr. Mayor. Close the public comment. Do I have a motion?

I move it.

I'll second. Mr. Clerk?

Commissioner Castro?

Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez? Yes. Commissioner Lara? Yes. Vice Mayor Anderson?

Yes. Mayor Lago? Yes. Again, thank you and send my best to the board. We're grateful for your work on the board. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

11 o'clock. We have a time certain. And for once, this is a world record. We're going to start on time. I'm certain 11 a.m. Agenda E7, E8, E9 and E11.

Mayor and Commissioners, E7 is an ordinance of the City Commission amending the Future Land Use Map and Mixed Use Overlay District Map of the City of Coral Gables Comprehensive Plan, pursuant to Zoning Code Article 14, Process Section 14-213 Comprehensive Plan Text and Map Amendments and Small Scale Amendment Procedures. From religious institutional to commercial mid-rise intensity and to include within the boundaries of the North Ponce Mixed-Use District Overlay, Block 21, Revised Platte, Coral Gables-Douglas Section, Coral Gables, Florida, providing for repealer provisions, severability clause, and providing for an effective date. E8 is in ordinance of the City Commission making zoning boundary changes pursuant to zoning code article 14 process section 14-212 zoning code text and map amendments one from special use to mix use two and two to include within the boundaries of the north ponds mixed use district overlay block 21 revised plot of coral gables douglas section coral gables florida providing for repeal provisions of our ability clause i'm providing for an effective date E9 is an ordinance of the City Commission granting approval of a planned area development pursuant to zoning code article 14, process section 14-206, general procedures for planned area development for a mixed-use project referred to as Crystal Residences, including a private school on property legally described as block 21, revised plot of Coral Gables-Douglas section, Coral Gables, Florida, superseding ordinance number 1909 and ordinance number 2962, including required conditions, providing for repeated provisions, severability costs, and providing for an effective date. E11 is not going to be voted on today. It's on for your information, but it is a resolution of the City Commission requesting mixed-use site plan review and an encroachment agreement pursuant to Article 14, Process Section 14-203, conditional uses for a proposed mixed-use project referred to as Crystal Residences, including a private school and live-work units ON PROPERTY LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS BLOCK 21, REVISED PLATOCK, CORAL GABLES, DOUGLAS SECTION, CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, SUPERCEDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 1909 AND ORDINANCE NUMBER 2962 TO PERMIT THE CURRENT ACCESSORY SCHOOLS OF PRINCIPAL USE, INCLUDING REQUIRED CONDITIONS PROVIDING FOR REPEATED PROVISIONS OF REBUILD CLAWS AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MAYOR, WE WILL CONSOLIDATE THESE ITEMS FOR PURPOSES OF THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THIS IS A QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING. SO I WOULD ASK THAT THE CLERK PLEASE SWEAR IN EVERYONE WHO WILL BE TESTIFYING TODAY.

THOSE WHO WILL BE Do you swear or affirm the testimony you'll provide today will be the truth and nothing but the truth?

I do.

Thank you.

Madam City Attorney, how much time are we allotting for each side?

So, Mayor, I think as is typical, you can ask members of the public who have, well, first you're going to hear from the applicant, of course, and then from staff. And then when you have members of the public, you should, I think it's appropriate to ask that they keep their remarks to the three-minute time limit as they can. But, of course, you know, if some people have additional information, given that this is a quasi-judicial proceeding, please, I would ask that you be flexible and allow them the opportunity to fully make their comments.

Thank you very much. Sir, Councillor, good morning. Good morning. a powerful speaker. Good morning, Mr. Mayor, commissioners. As mentioned by your city attorney, I think we're taking these items all together, so all of the testimony that we're presenting will relate to all three of the items that are before you today.

Mr. Clerk, if I may, because I've been accused before of not providing enough time, even though what I've been doing lately in all the meetings is basically taking both sides and making sure that I track the time very carefully. So I'd like to even put a timer on the applicant and also on Mr. Wanker, if possible, please. I want to make sure we provide as a public record how much time each individual was given.

Mayor, can I just add one thing? In terms of public comment, I think it would be appropriate for you as the chair to recommend and suggest and remind folks that if their comments are repetitive, perhaps they can keep them brief, you know, and just summarize instead of going into detail of their being repetitive.

Mr. Attorney, what I will do is what I've been doing lately is I will provide everyone with three minutes. I will ask you for you to be concise and respectful. And once you go over, I will just, at the end when you're finished speaking, I will say you went over a minute, you went over two minutes, and then at the end I will consolidate it and I will tell you what both sides spent in regards to the time. Because at the end of the day, that's the way that you can tell when someone comes to you and says, hey, you didn't give me enough time, but I want to do the same thing with the applicant and with Mr. Winker also. So please, can I have a time just so I can keep track of the applicant's time?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you. So Mr. Mayor, commissioners, good morning. My name is George Navarro with offices at 333 Southeast 2nd Avenue. I'm here this morning on behalf of FRC Realty and Crystal Academy. We're excited to be here today to present what we hope is the final stage of approvals for this important and unique mixed-use project. This is a project that has been more than five years in the making. It's gone through an extensive... We could put the presentation up for the commissioners on the screen. Thank you. It's a project that's gone through an extensive historical, architectural, and public review process over the last five years. And as a result of that project, it's also been As a result of that process, it's also been a project that has been evaluated, refined, and improved based on feedback from city staff, residents, and city boards. The proposal before you today is a mixed-use project. It has residential, live-work, it has open space, but most importantly, what it does is that it's anchored by a new permanent home for Crystal Academy. And before getting into the project, I'd like to take a step back and explain how we got here today. For many years, this property was owned by a church, and they leased space to Crystal Academy. Crystal Academy is a nonprofit school that has operated on this site for 17 years. They've served over 600 families in Coral Gables by providing specialized therapeutic programs and education for children with learning disabilities and development delays. When the church decided to sell the property in 2021, Crystal Academy was faced with the reality that they may have the possibility of losing their home and no longer be able to provide these services that they give to our residents in Coral Gables. At the time, my client, realizing the importance of this institution, made a promise that they would keep Crystal Academy on site, build them a brand new facility, and give it back to them rent-free for 99 years. This is a commitment that my client today has honored, and now you will see it implemented in this project. This commitment is especially important when you think about how the high demand for these programs are, and just the limited availability that they are in this community. The CDC reports that one in six children, one in every six children are diagnosed with a development disability. However, there are very few schools that provide this specialized program. In Coral Gables, this is the only institution in the city that provides these services. And this project gives Crystal Academy a permanent home to continue to provide these services for generations to come. So with the community benefit in mind, I'd like to walk you through some of our public benefits. This project includes 184 new residential units, 16 live work units, as I mentioned, a new ground floor facility, educational facility for Crystal Academy. You can see it here in the rendering. This is the rendering from Galliano Street. They will be located on the ground level, fronting Galliano in the same location that they are today and have been operating for the last two decades. This is all integrated into a nine-story mixed-use building. This project provides a 5,000 square foot publicly accessible community courtyard that is accessible through a paseo, a pedestrian paseo that connects Phoenicia and Antilla Avenue, as well as a 4,000 square foot children's Park that will be used by the school during school hours and available to the public after school hours. So overall the project just to give you an idea is in terms of open spaces was discussed lengthy at the pub at the planning and zoning board. This project as design provides 3 times the amount of open space that will be required for a similar project in the North ponds area and provides 55% more open space that is required by your P D regulations. In terms of location, and I think this is one of the most important items that was discussed by the Board of Architects and the Planning and Zoning Board when they recommended approval of this application. It's the context of this block. So this block encompasses an entire city block between Phoenicia Avenue and it fronts onto East Ponce. And East Ponce is the main commercial corridor that connects Ponce de Leon Boulevard to Douglas Entrance, which is one of the largest commercial centers in the city, and to Southwest 8th Street. As a refresher, and I know that many of you were involved with the North Ponce Overlay creation, but the goal of the North Ponce Overlay when it was created in 2016, it had a clear vision, which was encourage new housing, expand open space and civic amenities, and create a more active and walkable neighborhood. The city identified this area after multiple planning studies as a place that was appropriate for growth, because of its proximities to employment centers, transit, and commercial uses. So the goal of the North Ponce overlay was to activate this area with foot traffic. They wanted to bring residents within walking distance of commercial, within walking distance of schools, within walking distance of jobs, and within walking distance of parks. And this is exactly what this project accomplishes. As shown on the zoning and land use maps here, this property sits in the middle of what we have to our east, which is the MFT area of the North Ponce Overlay that allows heights up to 100 feet in height. And as you will see, our project is substantially below that, below what's allowed today to our east. And to our west, you have the North Ponce Mixed Use Overlay District, that allows and currently has today, as you'll see, building heights ranging between 150 to 190 feet in height. What's also interesting here is that the city's 1926 zoning map shows this block was originally planned for multifamily residential development, as we're proposing today. With the western portion, which is highlighted in red here, allowing for building heights up to 150 feet, and the eastern portion, which is highlighted in green, allowing for up to 60 feet. So before this property was rezoned in 1970 by the then owner for religious uses, this property was historically already planned for residential development with building heights up to 150 feet in height. So historically under today's planning framework, this block really always served as a transition between the commercial corridor to the west and the mid-rise residential neighborhood to the east. So the request today, our request is for MX2 zoning and a mid-rise commercial designation that follows the same planning principle that you saw in the North Ponce Visionary Workshop and the 1926 zoning map. It creates that appropriate transition between the MX3 district to our west and the MF 2 district or East and how do we accomplish that transition so we've done is that we have in working with many residents in the area and based on their feedback we have reduced the height along the eastern portion of this property to create a high transition and step the height down from 9 stories on the West to 8 stories on the East this is as you can see here both of these heights are well below the height that is currently allowed today in the North Ponce Conservation District. This is the context I was telling you about that was looked at carefully by the Planning and Zoning Board and the Board of Architects. As you can see, in this area of the North Ponce overlay, we already have buildings that are approved or built today to a height that greatly exceeds what we are proposing. What you're seeing here is buildings that range from 130 feet in height to 190 feet in height within this portion of North Ponce. I say this to say that this proposal is not a departure from the planning framework that was established for North Ponce, but rather it's a continuation of it. And with that, I'd like to introduce Albert Cordovas, who's our lead designer, to walk you through the project and what we've been able to accomplish with the proposed land use, zoning, and PAD requests.

Good morning, sir. Thank you, George. Good morning, Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners. Albert Cordovas with Coralwood Architects. First and foremost, I want to thank you for your time in reviewing our application this morning. Extremely happy to be here. This has been a very long process, but a great process when we truly believe that at the end, with all those meetings we had with staff, with our client, with the collaborative nature of the Board of Architects with that, it's culminating into what we truly believe is an incredible project for the community and for the City of Coral Gables. George spoke about the vision of North Pomp, and that's exactly where we started. With that particular vision, having the dream of having a city block in the city, we wanted to take this pedestrian realm to truly another level. And in doing that, Our goal was to bring that quality of openness, the open space, the articulation of the massing itself from eight to nine stories, from east to west. And we said to ourselves, the one goal that we want to make sure we do is to bring this pedestrian realm to another level. We started with actually anchoring the building in the corner of the site. And you'll see here some of our site plans. We'll go to the site plan. The main corner of the site, Antilla, So we started anchoring the site in the very main visual quarter with the main lobby access that views directly into the beautiful courtyard that we spoke about. And in doing the perimeter, we wanted to make sure that these were established active spaces or 16 lift work units. the Deer School to the west, and anchoring with another great open space on the northeast corner of the site, which is the park. So essentially 90% of our project is activated, fully activated at ground level. In addition to that, we actually stepped the building back in some of those areas from minimum setbacks to another 10-foot setbacks to create more green and open space areas. And that theme was followed through in the interior. That's why the reason we created that courtyard, we wanted to bring that quality of life to the interior of the project. And then, again, connecting all these pieces, we generated the cross-through block, paseo, which actually generates an incredible connectivity from north to south through the middle of the block itself. Again, connecting all those beautiful open spaces that we took from the minimum 20% required to over 32% required, over 32% provided on this project in open space requirements. We were careful to analyze the parking scheme, and as you can see, essentially it's completely lineared from all sides with active uses as we come up the building. Project, as we mentioned, breaks itself up into eight stories in the rear, eight stories in the east, nine stories on the west. And one of the things that, going back to the ground, I forgot to mention, the interior loading facilities, again, was done in order to protect that pedestrian quality on the project itself. The school itself has a drop-off area at ground level which is totally internalized as we can see here. And the entrance to our parking is also totally internalized. Again, minimizing the curb cuts, only two in the entire block, one in, one out on the north. Again, the articulation as you go up, you saw from our renderings that we shared with you, is very key in making sure that it met all the Mediterranean boards as approved by the Board of Architects. And when we thought really that the project had conceived a beautiful nature, we come up with the ability to meet with staff, and they have recommended one or two conditions which we thought could be very well implemented into the project, and we've taken the lead to do that. One of them was to essentially take that colony from the lift work units on the west and on the south and push it back to the building, creating a more residential look and feel for these areas. And I'll share some of the just recently developed renderings that we have of these areas. As you can see here, this is basically the same building, but stepping the colony back, still featuring an articulation to the building, but generating a more soft and residential look along those pedestrian realms. Again, by stepping it back, we went from a total of 20 feet of green area from the back of court to the building to almost 30 feet of green areas now, which really, really enhances that complete perimeter of the building, as you can see in these pictures. Again, by the comments of staff and working together, what we thought was good, it got even better because I think now we have a An even more appealing pedestrian realm on the project as we can see here the other comment that we've received from the planning board was to take the anchoring park that we have on the northeast corner of the building and Instead of instead of aligning the park on a north-south axis To think of aligning it on an east-west axis same square footage We didn't lose any open space by doing this but it generates more of a buffer between the women's club and and the building itself We thought that was another great recommendation, and as you can see here, we started implementing this already into our project. But again, all in all, I think from the onset, the vision, the North Ponce vision, the multiple meetings with staff, the Board of Architects approvals, I think we're truly, truly culminating with an incredible project for this city and for this community. Thank you.

Before you end, just a quick question. What is the slide number on this page? Because I want to refer back to it later.

And through the mayor, I'm going to ask that between the presentations we take a five-minute restroom break.

Mr. Mayor, that's slide 48. Four? 48. 48? 48. 48, okay. 48. Yes, sir. Just to wrap up, I know we have some residents that would like to speak, but while we like to take credit for many of these design solutions that you saw today, they were obviously the result of a lot of collaboration with residents in the area, with city staff, with your city boards, I'm happy to report that we have actively been Meeting with residents in the area. We have 500 petitions of approval These petitions are as you can see here only eight blocks only an eight block radius We did not travel, you know to South Gables or north of 8th Street. This is really from the neighborhood 500 residents who are in support of this project and its mission As Albert mentioned, there's three conditions of approval. We are in agreement with all three conditions of approval. If this project moves forward, we would ask that they be incorporated into the approval so we could work with your city architect to make sure they're implemented as part of the final design process. I'd also like to reaffirm on the record some of the commitments that we have made throughout this five-year process. The first is the preservation of the oak tree that's on site. We are committed to relocating it to the southwest corner of this site, making it a prominent feature of this project. We've already started the work. We're starting it early to make sure it's done properly and correct. Second of all, I want to reaffirm our commitment to relocate the statue of Christ that currently sits on the property. have been in communication with the Church of the Little Flower, and if this project is approved, we will be relocating the Statue of Christ to the Church of the Little Flower and creating a first communion garden so it could sit in a prominent location that could be enjoyed and appreciated by the community. We're also committed to, which we have currently preserved, the plaques within the property. We will be happy to donate the war plaques to the Coral Gables War Memorial so they could be Preserved in a second in a setting that recognizes their importance and we've also as you mentioned there in the historic preservation Review process that was early on in this project's history We will be implementing and incorporating the rest of the plaques within the property throughout the common open spaces So as you can see this project represents a unique opportunity to accomplish a lot of goals of the North Ponce overlay and accomplish something truly special in terms of community benefits and It's a project that's been designed and extensively reviewed and significantly improved recently through collaboration with city staff and your planning and zoning board. And for all these reasons, we request your approval in accordance with the staff report and the recommendation of your planning and zoning board. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Mr. Clerk, I have 11.23 starting at 11.04. That's 19 minutes. Am I off?

I had him starting at 11.05, but you're not off by that much. Okay.

Well, we'll give them 11.05. So what do we have? I want it to come from you so I can write this down.

18 minutes, sir.

11.23 is a total of 18 minutes. Okay. We will take a five-minute break at the request of the Vice Mayor, and then we'll hear from our dear friends now. See you in five minutes.

My church.

Ready? Yes, sir, we're ready. Okay.

All right, I'd like to welcome everyone back. It is 1135. Ready? Perfect. Let me just wait to our . Madam Director.

Good morning. Jennifer Garcia, Planning and Zoning Director. If I could have the PowerPoint, please, when you're ready. Thank you. So as we know, this is the entire block of 21 in the Douglas section, highlighted here in yellow. This is an aerial looking down with an existing former church. the existing home of the Crystal Academy, bounded by the north of Venetia, Galliano on the south, Antigua, and then East Ponce to the west. This is a view looking south. You can see Ponce Leon on the right side of the project, and you can see Galliano running along the left side. So in 1967, the property was rezoned from used to special use zoning to allow a church as well as to allow a kindergarten. That was expanded in 1971 to I believe to third grade and then again in 1991 to cap that student enrollment to 75 students along with other conditions. Staff is recommending that a condition of 75 students still remain for the property but to allow the Crystal Academy to be a principal use and no longer an accessory use. There are three requests that you're going to be considering today. The fourth will be considered if it's approved on first reading. The first one is a change to the future land use map for the comprehensive plan. The second one is a zoning map change. The third one is the planned area development. So the current property, the currently adopted future land use designation of religious institutional, and they're proposing to change that to commercial mid-rise intensity and also to include that property within the mixed use district of the North Ponds. And that is to allow the school to be a principal use within the project. So looking at massing models, this is existing conditions. All those white buildings are the current building heights of the area. The subject property is the green property, zoned S. And around it are the white buildings at existing heights. So if you overlay the current allowed zoning for your land use, you have the brown being 70 feet in height or 97 with the Mediterranean bonus. You can see that on the brown. the east and to the south of the property on the left side on Ponce Leon you can see the red which of course is simply higher heights of 97 where that step back is up to 150 or 190.5 feet along Ponce Leon this property is settling between the lower medium intensity of North Ponce which again is 70 feet for 97 feet in height and and then the more intense heights along Ponce de Leon. The applicant is proposing to change the zoning here from special use, as you can see right here, to mid-rise, commercial mid-rise. Again, commercial to allow the school to remain there on site, matching the same height as the brown around it. So the height would be 70 feet or 97 feet of height. So again, this is existing. with the white buildings of what the massing is today. With the current allowed zoning, you can see pockets of those white buildings are historic properties, but the rest have a height allowed of 70 feet or 97 feet. They're proposing to do MX2 or commercial mid-rise land use intensity, and that would allow a height of 70 or 97 feet. The zoning map is also proposed to change from S zoning to MX2 zoning, also incorporating the property into the North Ponce Mixed Use District, which of course is removing them from the North Ponce Conservation District. And a little history about that. The North Ponce Neighborhood Conservation District is for conserving those apartment buildings in the area. They applied to MF2 properties. So they allow for additional uses, conditional uses for designated historic properties. They have a historic preservation benefits program for properties that are built before 1964 that exempt parking, that allow for TDR, or Transfer Development Rights, sending sites, as well as allowances and signage. There's a garden apartment conservation benefits program as well. Those properties built before 1964 to allow for variance requests and reduce parking requirements. For new construction, there are additional requirements for landscape for front yards. There's no walls or fences allowed. There's maximum driveway widths, as well as parking setbacks behind habitable space. So for new construction under the conservation district, you are required to follow the zoning, the height, the FIR, the density, the setbacks. They still apply for any new construction within the neighborhood conservation overlay. So the third request is the PAD, the planned area development. So the site plan that I have, I do not know about the new site plan of retaining the park. So the park is on the northeast corner. The Crystal Academy is facing Galeano. There are crosswalks on all four sides of the property. There's a public plaza on the southwest corner, a public courtyard and paseo, an interior block of the site plan. The pick-up and drop-off of the school is located inside the property across the paseo and the courtyard, internally accessed. So the applicant is requesting two code deviations. The pad allows you to request deviations from the code in exchange for public benefits. So right now, you are only allowed to have eight stories of height for MX2 properties. They are proposing to do nine stories on East Ponce de Leon and then scale down to eight stories when facing Galeano. The other deviation they're requesting is a slight deviation. This is based, of course, on the plans that I have submitted, not the new rotated park plan. They only have 27% of transparency or glass that's facing Galeano. Phoenicia across the street from the back of house of the Women's Club. The benefit that they're offering is the 5,000 square foot educational facility for Crystal Academy or any future nonprofit organization. They are offering the school to be there without any cost, rent free for 99 years. And they're offering that in a covenant that's included in your packet today. They're also providing a 4,000-square-foot park for daytime learning for the school, as well as public access after hours. And that's the same for a courtyard and a pedestrian pass-through. The conditional use is for the site plan and for the school and for LiveWorks, which are all required to do conditional use review and approval. It's not being considered by you, but we're going to explain it anyway, It's all connected to the pad, and the request changes land use and changes zoning. So again, the park is in the northeast corner. Today, it's been rotated as required or recommended by the Flying Zoning Board. The school is facing Galliano. The pick-up and drop-off is internally accessed. You have a vehicular one-way access from Antia, from the south, and going north and emptying out onto Phoenicia. There's a courtyard, and the live work surrounds most of the property. So again, the existing property is almost 1.5. It's 1.49 acres large. The FAR is at 3.5, which they're allowed to do. They're requesting 93 feet of height when they're allowed to have 97 feet with Mediterranean bonus. And they're requesting to do nine stories. Instead of eight stories, which are allowed to do through the pad request and designation, they're doing the nine stories again on East Ponce, and then eight stories facing the Galliano. They're allowed to do 184 units with 125 units per acre. They're requesting to do 184 units, 16 live work units, the school of 500 square feet, and the parking spaces, 301. They're providing 20,000 square feet of open space. This is a rendering looking northwest. That's the entrance of the school. This is outdated. It is not showing the rotation of the park, which would look a little bit different today. So it's reviewed by DRC back in January 2022, reviewed by the Board of Architects later that year with approval in October 2023. They had a neighborhood meeting officially earlier this year in May. The Applied and Zoning Board reviewed this property, this application last month, recommended approval, and we're here looking at this for first reading for today. We'll come back to you if approved for second reading. Letters were mailed to the property owners and current occupants within 1,500 feet of the property as required by the zoning code. And that was mailed three times. The property was posted nine times. The website was posted nine times as well. And that newspaper was advertised once. So staff has determined that this application is consistent with the comp plan. It's providing housing and area that we want to encourage more and more workforce housing. to keep with the increase of housing demand in the area. We recommend approval with conditions. Those conditions are outlined in the PAD ordinance at the very end. But briefly, it's capping the height at nine stories or 93 feet of height, 5,000 square feet for Crystal Academy with 75 students maximum. To rotate the corner park, to be east and west as recommended by the planning and zoning board, which they have done. I have not been able to review that at length. They will remove the arcade to provide stoops and porches to have front yards. To be more in character with the North Ponds Conservation District, they're going to incorporate landscape setback on the north side, which is Phoenicia, and then have a public accessible courtyard, covered walkway, and corner park. They also have off-site improvements as well, including underground utility lines along Phoenicia as well. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Director.

Mr. Winker?

Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Mr. Clerk, what time is it? 11.47, sir. Thank you very much.

I have a PowerPoint I'd like to present. Yes, sir.

Could Table TV put up Mr. Winker's presentation? There we go.

Thank you. David Winker, Law Offices at 4720 South Lejeune. I represent... Bolton who lives adjacent to the property Here we go again another developer wanting to build an out-of-scale project by getting the city to grant it special concessions waivers exceptions and a massive up zoning Here we have an out-of-town developer who wants the city to to relieve it from its obligations under our city code and our master plan to build more than double what it would otherwise be allowed to do. And this is a problem that keeps happening again and again in our city, and it's frustrating residents, and that's what you're going to hear today in public comment. And it begs the question, What are we getting in return as residents and taxpayers for these massive upzones? Neighborhood context matters. This property sits within an established residential neighborhood. Four single family homes directly abut this project. The current use is special use religious. The current height limit is four stories. The surrounding development, as you saw on the maps, is predominantly one and two story structures. This project puts our historic resources at risk. Six historically designated structures are located on Phoenicia Avenue near the project. Three historically designated structures are located on Antia. The neighborhood is currently being studied for historic district designation. Historic preservation includes protecting the historic neighborhood scale and context. This nine-story structure permanently will alter that context. And let's get down into the code. We're not asking you guys to do us a favor. We're asking you to enforce the city code. Section 1.103 of the zoning code says the purpose of the code is to implement the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan's goal is to protect Coral Gables' historic and architectural character, preserve George Merrick's vision, protect residential neighborhoods from incompatible uses, and require compatibility with surrounding architecture and development. This project conflicts with Section 103. 226,000 square foot of development, 184 residential units, 93 foot tall building in a low scale neighborhood. The intensity, the massing, and the scale are incompatible with the surrounding development. There is no argument against that. This project undermines the stated purposes of the zoning code. It also conflicts with the North Ponce conservation overlay. The overlay district was adopted to preserve neighborhood character, protect the historic garden apartment fabric of the neighborhood, maintain traditional development patterns. The applicant seeks removal from the overlay because the project cannot comply with it. I talked earlier about asking for favors. They're asking the project be removed from the overlay because they can't comply. If the project was compatible, they would comply. Conflict with Coral Gables historic city plan. The city plan was unanimously adopted, calls for preservation of neighborhood character, encourages development compatible with surrounding residential areas, supporting low scale development patterns. Again, nine stories is inconsistent with these objectives. Conflict with the North Ponce community vision. The vision workshop recommended conserving the garden apartment character of this neighborhood. recommended maintaining building Heights between two and four stories encouraged preservation of neighborhood scale supported exploration of public park and open space opportunities, and we're going to get into The problem with this project is of the public park and open space opportunities It is inconsistent with our comprehensive plan it converts a religious institutional site into dense and Residential commercial development. It removes existing neighborhood protections. There is no affordable housing commitment despite reliance on housing policies, fails to reserve neighborhood character, and overall the approval will undermine long-term planning goals. The compatibility analysis. South and East properties are residential. Existing campus is low intensity. The proposed project dramatically increases density and activity, scale and massing, out of character, traffic and currency. The staff acknowledges in its report there's additional traffic and delays in an area that already has streets that struggle to handle the existing traffic. 301 space parking garage is going to result in significant traffic generation. Residential traffic school traffic visitors and deliveries are going to compound those impacts These narrow residential streets are not designed for this level of intensity This project does not take into account nor the traffic study take into account the changes that are currently happening on ponds Infrastructure concerned again street network network is constrained The school drop-off and pick-up activity creates additional congestion. Traffic mitigation is deferred. Now I want to get to what I think is probably the most important part of this. We as a neighborhood, we as a community, we as residents can decide to forego or grant exceptions to developers. The question is, what are we getting in return? And this project really brings into focus how little we're getting back for what we're giving. Remember, we're letting them build twice what they could otherwise build. So let's look at what we're getting. They're going through the PAD process. It's intended to reward exceptional public benefits. The additional story count and design deviations only benefit the developer. Let's go into the code, 3-501, the purpose of PAD. Encourage creative development that goes beyond standard zoning. Allow additional development rights only when the project provides, quote, substantial additional public benefit. What does this mean the purpose of pat is not simply to allow a larger building is to ensure that any additional height density or intensity is justified by a meaningful benefit to the public. The city must find equivalent public benefits under. 3 dash 502. Before approving a pad, the city must find that the project provides public benefits, quote, to a degree at least equivalent to what standard zoning regulations would otherwise require. The question before the commission is what public benefit is being provided in exchange for what they're getting, additional height, additional density, increased intensity, and departure from the standard zoning limitations. If the benefit is not equivalent, the pad must be denied. This project has morphed. There was some talk of the public benefit being the green space that was being provided. They've moved past that. They're now saying that Crystal Academy is the public benefit. The claimed benefit to the community is Crystal Academy. What is Crystal Academy? It's a private school, $38,000 tuition. Currently, I believe that's 75 students, last time I checked, paying almost $3 million in tuition, not open to the general public, and it's accessible to the families who are enrolled at the school. This is nothing against Crystal Academy. Crystal Academy is being used by the developer to justify what's happening. So it's important to look at does it qualify and provide the broader benefits that are required to satisfy the pad code. A private school serving a small number of paying students is a private benefit, not a public benefit. The public benefit being offered in exchange for a nine story building is a private school Section 3-502 requires that at least 20% landscaped open space. The courtyard that they're providing does not meet that requirement. What the developer attorney did not mention when it said that this project was approved by the PSAB was we were asked, I was specifically asked, would you agree Would you be happy if we condition approval on this, on reorienting the garden in a way that saves as much of the garden as possible? You're going to hear a lot of residents talking about that. That was seen as a victory for this project, and we were expecting to see reorientation of the garden, a reorientation, and be able to save as much of the garden as possible. You saw from the drawings, nothing's changed. They're not saving any more of the garden. The slide they showed, it was 48. Mayor Lago asked for which one it was. If you look at it, it's over on this side. The garden's on this side, on the east side. It has nothing to do, it has not taken into account what PSAB asked for. The courtyard is not meaningful public space. The proposed car yard is associated with a private school. Public access is limited, unconditional, unavailable during school hours. It's not equivalent to a public park. In sum, this is a bad deal for taxpayers. Restricted access is inconsistent with the concept of public space. Part-time access does not constitute a substantial additional public benefit. Occasional access should not justify these massive increases in density. This creates a dangerous precedent. Approval removes conservation protection, provides planning policies, creates the tallest structure in the immediate neighborhood, and is going to invite similar upzoning throughout North Ponce. We ask the Commission to independently evaluate consistency and compatibility, and we believe that must recommend denial when evidence demonstrates inconsistency with the city's plans and regulations. Protect our neighborhoods is the core request. Thank you very much.

Mr. Clerk, what time is it?

12 noon, Mr. Mayor.

So that's 13 minutes? Yes, sir. Would you like to speak a little further on anything else?

All right, perfect.

I want to make sure. All right, Mr. Clerk, do we have any public comment?

We do, Mr. Mayor.

Good. All right. If I could reiterate what I said in the beginning, let's try to be as concise as possible. very long meeting today we're willing to listen to all your issues and your concerns and we're very grateful that you're here let's keep it professional remember that we're here discussing this project we're not talking about anything else outside of the project scope and let's keep it to that project okay and when I ask you very kindly if you could bring it in for a landing please try to bring it in for a landing not a rough one but let's bring it in for a smooth landing thank you

First speaker, Maria Cruz.

Mrs. Maria Cruz, 1447 Miller Road. I just heard that the principal use of this project is the Crystal Academy. Interesting, nine stories, they get the ground floor, 20,508 feet. They get 5,000, not even a quarter of the project. The second item, a public park. A public park designed obviously for little small kids, not for teenagers. Well, I don't know many small kids that will be taken there after school hours when they're supposed to be taking a bath and eating and going to sleep. That is not a public park. That's a park for the convenience of the school period, the end. That is not a good idea. It's not what it's presented to be. And I'm sorry, it should not be approved.

Kelly Child.

Good afternoon, Kelly Shield, 905 University Drive. Before I give my statement, I'd like to make a general comment regarding civic involvement in our city. Residents that oppose this project may not be here today. Unfortunately, they are resigned to the fact that there's no use in getting involved and have even predicted the vote. Comments include, it's a done deal, going to the city commission is an exercise in futility, and what's the use? Personally I feel and I'm optimistic that maybe my voice matters So with that thank you for the opportunity to offer my comments regarding 110 Phoenicia Avenue Today you're being asked by the current property owner who has owned the property for 90 days and a real estate developer from Chicago To rewrite Coral Gables zoning code in an attempt to save their 16 million dollar investment This is a company that states on their website that they have hard-nosed solutions to maximize proceeds for our partners. The current owners took a risk and bought 1.5 acres in the North Ponce Conservation District with full knowledge the proposed plans are not in compliance with current zoning. Today, they're asking you to ignore the rules and bail them out. What is sad is that these owners are using Crystal Academy their students and families as pawns. Expecting that their pledge to provide space at the bottom of a nine-story building should be enough to rewrite our city's laws. For the price of 5,000 square feet, the applicant is expecting an additional five more stories and 170,000 square feet. I spent my career in nursing homes, so I know better than most the importance of caring for vulnerable populations. Crystal Academy has known since 2022 that their school property was sold and they must vacate the premises. The school and the students will need to move when that land is developed. I can't imagine that Crystal Academy is putting all their faith in this Hail Mary plan and sincerely hope that they have taken responsible steps to secure a future location. This is not a vote for or against Crystal Academy. In fact, the developer could be altruistic and provide space for the school while at the same time following the current zoning codes. Coral Gables residents are held to strict zoning codes to preserve the integrity of our neighborhoods, but this does not seem to apply to developers. For the promise of a school or a park, exceptions are made despite the loud protests of those that live in our city. The sad reality is that many Coral Gables residents are of the opinion that this is a done deal, and they may be right, but your decision will put you on the record of where you stand. Is the City of Coral Gables Commission with developers or residents, or somewhere in between? I did provide a slide that shows a rendering of what could, the next one please, City Clerk, thank you. This is a rendering of what could be put onto that property under the current conservation overlay. Thank you.

Nicholas Cabrera.

Good afternoon, sir.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Mayor, members of the City Commission. My name is Nicholas Cabrera, and I reside at 45 NTIA Avenue, and I'm here today in support of the Crystal Residence Project. This project has been in the public process for nearly five years, five years of reviews, hearings, and appeals. At some point, the question stops being whether the process was followed and becomes whether we're willing to respect it when we don't like the outcome. Last month, I published a post on Aesop's Gables in which I addressed three arguments against the project, incompatibility, loss of green space, and lack of public benefit. In fact, I also addressed many of the arguments made in Mr. Winker's presentation today. So let's deal in facts. Let's start with compatibility, because that's the foundation of everything else. The North Ponce neighborhood is the last and most appropriate area in Coral Gables for this type of development. This area has little to no historical significance aside from a handful of sites, including the Women's Club, a carriage house, Douglas Entrance, and a few homes. This is not... a historic district. The property of 110 Phoenicia is not historic. The Garden of Our Lord is not historic. That argument has been made, it has been reviewed, and it does not apply. Second, this is one of the most accessible areas of the city. It is bounded by Southwest 8th Street, Douglas Road, and Lejeune Road. It is connected, it is walkable, and it's exactly where density belongs if we're serious about smart planning. Third, this is the most transient part of Coral Gables. It is dominated by rental apartment buildings with very few single-family homes. Many of these buildings are older, under-maintained, and not reflective of the architectural identity people claim to be protecting. This is not a fragile, low-density enclave. It is already an evolving urban corridor. And let's be honest, this project is not out of scale. There are buildings in the immediate area and adjacent to the property that are equal to or larger than what's being proposed today. Let's take 911 East Ponce de Leon Boulevard as an example. It is over 12 stories or 12 stories. The idea that this is somehow incompatible simply doesn't hold up. On green space, the current condition is private. I can't just jump over the fence. I'd be trespassing on private property. The public cannot access it. This project introduces true publicly accessible green space in the form of a plaza, a courtyard, and a park. Real space that residents can actually use. And on public benefit, this is where the conversation should stop. At the center of this project is Crystal Academy, a school serving children with profound autism. 40 children, 40 families, teachers and staff who are doing incredibly difficult, incredibly important work every single day. I'm going to be going over time. May I apologize? The developer has committed to providing them with a brand new purpose-built facility under a 99-year lease at no cost. That is not a talking point. It is not a promise. It is a commitment. And yet somehow this has turned into a reason to oppose the project. That's not just misguided. It's backwards. Before I conclude my comments, I'd like to talk about George Merrick, because his name has come up more than once throughout this entire process. I've heard a lot about preserving Merrick's vision, and I think it's worth remembering. George Merrick himself was a developer. He didn't preserve Coral Gables. He built it. If we're truly honoring his vision, then we should be focused on thoughtful, well-planned development like the Crystal Residences, not freezing the city in time. Because here's the truth. If George Merrick had approached Coral Gables the way we approach development today, the city would not exist. I'll leave you with this. At some point, we have to decide whether we are a city that plans or a city that stalls. Whether we follow our process or allow it to be weaponized against itself, whether we build thoughtfully or not at all. I respectfully ask you to vote in favor of Crystal Residences. Thank you, Mayor, and I apologize for going over time.

68 seconds. Commissioner, Ralph Cabrera. If we could, first and foremost, let's eliminate the clapping if possible. Thank you. Commissioner, thank you for being here with us. It's always an honor and a privilege to have you here with us.

I'm not here often.

It happens infrequently, and I hope it will happen more.

I don't know about that.

Welcome back to your home.

Thank you, sir. I like your temporary gigs. So good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Good afternoon, members of the city commission. Mr. Manager, always a pleasure to see you. as well as you, Mr. Clerk. For the record, my name is Ralph Cabrera. I live at 1300 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, so I consider myself a stakeholder in this particular application. I've got some comments to make and observations to make, and I'm going to leave you with one last piece of advice. because I spent 12 years up there, and we dealt with many, many similar projects. But first, let me give you some background. When I first came to this country, my mother insisted that we live in Coral Gables, and the only place that my dad could afford was a small two-bedroom, two-bath apartment on Douglas Road between Phoenicia and Calabria. So I'm one of those kids in the 60s. I know, it's hard to believe I'm that old. I'm one of those kids in the 60s who played in that immediate area. I would go to the Coral Gables Library, which is today the Coral Gables Women's Club, and I would venture into the garden of our Lord with my friends. Because we would like, we enjoyed feeding the koi fish. with Cheerios and about half the time we were asked very promptly by either the minister or a member of the church to vacate the premise. So I can attest to the fact that even in the 60s it was not a public space. Now let me take you to 2000, 2001 when I decided to run for office and I made a emphasis about development. Because in those days, we had two types of developers. We had a group of developers that will go unnamed that simply wanted to develop for the sake of development. And then we had another group of developers who were thoughtful, who planned the development, who worked with the city, who worked with the stakeholders, and built a better project. I'll give you two examples of those developers. One is Mr. Armando Codina, who is a local developer, but the second, It's actually an out-of-town developer. Can you believe that? An out-of-town developer coming to the city of Coral Gables? That was the Rouse Company, who built an introverted mall, for lack of a better word, or a park, called the Village of Merrick Park, that worked hand-in-hand with the community. Now, my son mentioned a part about the Northeast Quadrant. While in office, I felt that the Northeast Quadrant was probably the most suited space for development. Why? Because it was indeed transient. Why? Because it provided exceptional infrastructure. I'm sorry, the 12 years maybe gives me another minute.

You got time.

Okay. And it provided exceptional access, as has been pointed out, Lejeune Road, Douglas, Southwest 8th Street, Wynwood, Miami Beach, downtown, those are all areas that are highly, highly accessible to this particular area. And finally, I'm gonna comment on a couple of false narratives. The first one is, This is going to have a public area for all of those who live in that area. I am one of them. And I'm looking forward to being able to go to that park. Secondly, this nonsense about the students who attend Crystal Academy being from wealthy families, the person who made that comment should be ashamed of themselves. So I ask you, look at the developer that's before you, someone who's done everything the right way, five years, possibly six years. You heard about the church. You heard about the cross being relocated to St. Teresa. You've heard about the 100-year lease that Crystal Academy will be receiving. So this is the institutional part of my commentary today. While I was up there, there were no hard decisions to make. There were only right and wrong decisions. And I sincerely hope that today you make the right decision on behalf of this applicant. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Armando Oliveros, Jr.

Good morning, Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor and Commissioners. My name is Armando Liberos. I also live at 1300 Ponce. I don't envy your position there as I was on the City Commission of South Miami for many years back in the 90s, my prior life. And I understand the situation before you. However, that project is going to enliven that area. I live, what, 200 yards from it? I don't see the issue with not being compatible. We have larger buildings, we have dilapidated buildings, old apartment buildings, and this will bring new life to this area of Coral Gables, which is, I think, the last bastion of more development. We've developed the south part of Bonceleon, and now we're moving a little bit north. And I see that as a beautiful future for this community. I moved here from South Miami after 40 years there, because I loved the area of Coral Gables. It had something to offer me that South Miami didn't at that time, which is pedestrian areas to walk to. I can walk to Miracle Mile, which is, at my age, a little long walk, but I still do it. I thank God for the trolley. But this will bring more life to this part of the community, to this area, where I can walk, where I can see other people. That area, unless you live there, and I understand that people in Coral Gables who live far away are objecting to this project. But what you have to consider is the people who live in the area, who want it, who need it, who need more life and more ability to move around in this little section, because it's not a big section, it's a little section. So I don't want to reiterate the fact that it's been before the board, it's been before staff, it's been contemplated, all the different issues, and it's past muster with everything that the city has to provide. Now, I only suggest that you take into consideration the fact of the people in the surrounding areas are all in favor of this project. And my only query is, and I understand some questions about the school, that some people may say, what are they going to do when the construction, where are they going to move the school? And I would ask the Applicant to maybe explain a little bit what they are willing to do with the students during that period of time Because that worries a lot of the people but other than that other than that this project should be a go It's going to be beneficial for the community It's going to be beneficial for the city and it's going to be mostly beneficial for the residents in that particular area Thank you very much.

Thank you Maria Longo

Good afternoon, my name is Maria Cristina Longo and I live in a historic single-family home on the same street at 16 Phoenicia Avenue where the proposed project is. I support preserving the school and I respect its mission wholeheartedly. Actually, I used to be a teacher. But if this commission is going to approve a project of this size, approximately 200 units and a nine-story building, I respectfully ask that approval be conditioned on three things. First, require the developer to fund a corridor or streetscape study coordinated by the city's public works department for the East Ponce, Galliano, Venetia, and Antigua area to address the dangerous intersections circulation patterns, turning movements, pedestrian safety, crosswalks, sidewalks, and landscaping. Second, require setbacks that follow the multifamily two form, including a substantial buffer of large trees on those setbacks. Third, require meaningful and functional open public space that is truly accessible to the surrounding neighborhood, not simply a private courtyard for the residents and the school. These three conditions matter because this project is not being proposed in a vacuum. it will have a lasting impact on the surrounding neighborhood. First, the corridor study. The intersections at East Ponce, Galliano, Fenicia, and Altilla are already difficult and very dangerous. I have personally witnessed walking my dog to accidents and to horrible accidents, which I have already. I sent emails to public works about it for several years. I haven't heard anything back. So. Because also of the new median configuration on ponds, this is a new problem. Cars exiting the project will not be able to move west through Phoenicia as easily, which means Phoenicia to the east, my side, I live on the east side of the project, is likely to become one of the easiest exit routes. That will place even more pressure on nearby residential streets and intersections that are already strained. That is why the developer should fund a corridor or streetscape study coordinated by Public Works. Second, setbacks and trees. The setbacks proposed here are simply too tight for a project of this scale. For example, the setbacks proposed along Galeano are far too narrow for this type of building and location. In some instances on the Galeano side, there are zero setbacks. A building of this height or mass should not sit nearly on top of the street and the neighboring properties across from it. If the applicant wants the benefit of the rezoning, then the project should also be required to use the multifamily two-form for the setbacks along Galliano.

Could we please wrap it up? Thank you.

May I? Of course, you can finish. I'm almost finished. Thank you. Third, public open space. What is currently being offered does not amount to minimum public open space for the surrounding neighborhood. a private internal courtyard or green space effectively reserved for the project's residents and the school is not the same as a meaningful public open space for the neighborhood. This is a large block-scale project, and it's not aligned with the city's visions of maintaining meaningful green open space to help mitigate the impact of development at this scale. I want to be very, very clear. The school and good neighborhood planning do not have to compete. A better design can preserve the school and still provide safer streets, better setbacks, more trees, and real open space. So if this project is approved, I respectfully ask that you condition approval on these three items. Just want to add, the developer has not negotiated these issues with good and good faith. That means it falls to you as commissioners to protect this neighborhood and require the public benefits the project should deliver. I just want to end by saying that. They keep talking about it. It has taken a very long time in the process. But if this project, just let me finish this, please. I live in this street. I have been at this for five years. And I just want to tell you that if the project would have been a good project and a good design from the get-go, it would have passed with flying colors. And thank you for letting me speak for longer. Thanks.

Thank you. Three minutes and four seconds over.

Mary Palacio.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Commissioners, City Clerk, Attorney, and Mr. Peter Iglesias. This is, I had something written already, but hearing all of you, makes me realize even more that, yes, the Crystal Academy is in the middle of all of this. For more than five years, our parents have been in limbo. And yes, to some of your comments that we knew that we had to move, yes. Even before Century bought the land, the Lutheran Church was already selling the land. As a matter of fact, we lived through many changes in the Lutheran Church, and we knew that change was coming. So now that we're here facing the reality that at least not only a a Chicago developer. That Chicago developer actually is following what Century Builders did and was approved. And they have, in good faith, kept the promise of keeping the school. We deal with very difficult situations every day because this is part of what we do and the children that we serve. But hearing all of these two sides has really taking a dent in all of us. I thank my parents, I thank the staff, I thank all the good comments that have been said about Crystal Academy. And I'm really proud of what we have done in the city of Coral Gables. And if this is the day that we have to realize that we're not going to have a home here in the Gables, then in part of me, then so be it. Because there is a moment when you have to say and stand strong and say, we're just going to turn this page and we need to... have a new beginning. My position here today was to really ask you for that, was to really ask for certainty and for closure about after all these years of litigation, and every time our parents have to go to a hearing that is delayed, every time we see something in the newspaper about the future of Crystal Academy, and to your point, we don't have a place to be. We have been looking for a place, but it's really difficult to answer a question that's like, when are you moving? I don't know, because it's been going on for years. So yes, we have been in that situation. We love the gables, and we have used the gables as part of what we do with our children. And it would be a pity to leave this amazing city. So my cry to you today is to make a decision so we know where we stand. I thank you so much for listening to this. I thank you, Firefield, for making that agreement. And I thank you for listening to all those parts. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Pelosi.

Bonnie Bolton.

Hello. I think it's very important to state that the PNZ gave their approval under the condition that, quote, they save as much as possible of the Gordon of our Lord. And the rendering that was showed today showed 0% of the Garden of Our Lord as being saved. They have violated the most fundamental principle upon which this project was approved. So I think just on the basis of that, you have to deny it. My attorneys talked about how it's a violation of the North Ponce neighborhood conservation overlay district ordinance. It violates the historic city plan. It violates zoning code. Section 10103. And also, it contradicts the North Ponce planning process, and it contradicts the city's current study to designate the neighborhood historic. And I also want to mention that the infrastructure does not exist in that neighborhood for that project. They're basing their feasibility on a traffic study that was done in 2022. The area has changed dramatically, and they do need a new traffic study. And I also want to mention that the PAD, the Planned Area Development Benefit that's claimed is fraudulent and has never occurred before in this city. The pad is the school. It's also the green space. The school serves only 40 students. The tuition is $30,000 to $40,000 per year. And as the P&Z board pointed out, it's only 2% of the entire project. And the green space is really the school's playground. It's only going to be open to the public after 5.30 p.m. during the week and on the weekends. Also, I want to compare it to Alan Morris' Pond Circle project. He's donating $11 million today for improvements to Pond Circle Park, an immediate benefit that will benefit the entire city, not just Crystal Academy, which benefits 40 families. Also, the developers stated they're giving $6 million over 99 years for the school. That adds up to $60,000 per year. not very much when you compare it to Alan Morris's benefit. Also, I want to mention the Coral Gables Women's Club has a free dental clinic that serves underprivileged children throughout our community. They have served in that capacity since 1939. Over 49,000 children have been served at the Coral Gables Women's Club Dental Clinic. They are going to really be under threat because of this project, especially during the demolition and the construction. The dental clinic relies upon the revenue generated by the events held at the Women's Club. When this project starts, and even after it's finished, it will severely threaten the women's club free dental clinic. Okay, that's all I wanna say, thank you. Thank you, one minute and 55 seconds over.

Thank you.

Victor Antunes.

Good morning, sir.

Good afternoon, mayor.

Good afternoon, excuse me.

Commissioners. I'm Victor Antunes, and I'm an autism dad. I'm not here about zoning code.

Sir, you might speak indirectly into the microphone.

And can you also give us your address also? Okay, Victor Antunes, 5276 Southwest 153rd Court, Miami 33185. Thank you. As I said, I'm an autism dad, and I'm not here about zoning code. I'm here because somewhere in this debate, a school for children with profound autism turned into a bargaining chip and I want to talk about that. Crystal Academy serves 40 children, not 40 units, not 40 variances, 40 kids who need care and education and life skills almost nowhere in this city can give them. I challenge anyone in this room to name another school inside Coral Gables that exists specifically for children with profound autism. A commitment was made to Crystal Academy. Century made it, Fifield honored it, a 99 year lease at no cost, a state of the art facility. Crystal Academy didn't lobby its way into a development deal. It was promised a home, and the developer kept their promise. Now, I was just complaining that they only serve 40 kids, but they're complaining it's too big of a project. So if it served 80 kids, would that be better? So that argument about it's only 40 kids doesn't make any sense. And in fact, when it's approved, it's going to be like 75 kids. I understand the parts of this that are about a building. Reasonable people argue about height and president. That's your job here, and I respect it. But that's not all that's been said. A leader of the opposition described these children as, quote, severely autistic and very wealthy. The first half is true. That's why Crystal Academy exists. It's the second half that should embarrass the people repeating it. Crystal Academy takes insurance. It takes Medicaid, an average staff salary of $48,000 a year. A single child's tuition does not cover even one teacher's pay. The school employs two people whose entire job is chasing payments. That isn't a gold mine. That's a school running close to the bone for kids the rest of the system gave up on. And calling those families wealthy to score a zoning point is beneath this commission and beneath the city of Coral Gables. Some have asked how a school of 40 serves a whole city. Here's how Crystal Academy's founder, Monte Palacio, made this school part of how Coral Gables trains its police. When the Coral Gables Police Department wrapped Interceptor in an autism message, the school designed it, and the department handed the keys to Officer Andrew George, whose brother is on the spectrum. Coral Gables Police and fire send their cadets to spend time with these children. The school works with the 11th Judicial Circuit's Criminal Mental Health Project on crisis intervention team and mental health training. And 15 days from today, 25 officers from the Miami Dade School's Public Police Department will walk through that school's doors. An officer who has spent time with these children recognizes autism on a call. And that recognition can be the difference between a safe encounter and a tragedy for every autistic person in this city, not just for these students. Lose the school, lose the model. Now, it was just said that Crystal Academy can relocate where? Not in the city of Coral Gables. 5,000 square feet at current rents, that school doesn't make sense here. So if that school has to relocate, it won't be here. So then where are you going to send your police and fire to train? Not in the city of Coral Gables. So lose that school, we lose the model. Nobody asked us on June 17th, so I will. When construction starts, where do these 40 children go? For a child with profound autism, routine isn't a preference. It's the ground they stand on. Make the continuity of this school part of your decision, not an afterthought. You can argue the building all you want. That's democracy. But don't let 40 vulnerable children become the thing you trade. And remember, this was never about letting something new in. It's about keeping what's already yours. Keep that promise. It was made to them. Another thing, it was said that this school isn't open to the public. Of course it's not. It's a school for little kids. Those of you that have kids through kindergarten and 12th grade, if your school was open to the public, how irresponsible would that be? I don't care if it's public, private, or chartered. No school is open to the public, and saying that it's not doesn't make any sense. Thank you for your time.

One minute, 11 seconds. Thank you, sir.

Catherine Cao.

Good morning. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Catherine cow. And I live at 14944 Southwest 59th Street. While I do not reside in Coral Gables, I have dedicated more than 12 years of my life to Crystal Academy and the children we serve. It is not 75 children, it is 40. But hopefully we will be able to reach more families. I am not here today as an expert in planning, zoning, or development. I am here as somebody who is fully invested in the lives of the children we serve every single day. Not only the families that are currently enrolled, but the many families we hope to serve in the years to come. While Crystal Academy is a private school, we are also a nonprofit organization. whose mission is to provide individualized education and support for the children with specialized needs. We are the only school of its kind in Coral Gable that provides a true one-to-one education and therapeutic setting for children who require that level of individualized support. What makes our program successful is not only the love, hard work, and dedication of each of our staff, but the unique community that we live in, the Coral Gables community. For our students, Coral Gables is much more than a location. It is their classroom. It is the community they know and the community where they have grown, not necessarily because they live here, but because their families have made the sacrifices necessary to make that commute daily to bring them, some from Miami Beach, some from Kendall. They don't all live in Coral Gables. They have chosen to do this commute because it offers the best opportunities that are essential for our children's development. It was stated that the women's club has served over 49,000 individuals. I think that's great. And I'm hoping that today if this gets approved, Crystal Academy will be able to serve many more thousands of families given that opportunity. The walkability of the city, its transportation options, nearby businesses, parks, and safe environment do allow our students to practice real life skills that simply cannot be replicated within a classroom. They learn how to cross the street safely. They learn how to shop at Target and Publix, order their lunches at local restaurants, browse for books, interact with cashiers, and navigate the world with increasing confidence and independence. These are not field trips. These are lessons that prepare our students for the things that we take sometimes the most for granted. Those experiences are possible because Crystal Academy is part of this community. Coral Gables has become an extension of our classroom, and that partnership has been invaluable in helping our students achieve meaningful independence. I apologize, I'm almost done. Throughout many years at Crystal Academy, I've also watched our staff and families work through this aging building and the leaks and the constant pipe burst and the issues are very unsustainable. Do we look forward to a new building? Absolutely. Not because we want something new only, but because we want something safe and a modern environment where we can put our time and energy and not focusing on repairs, but focusing on our students. Many of our families do face tremendous obstacles. It has been said that our families are wealthy, and this is not accurate. We fight alongside with them with the insurances that deny them for their medically necessary services. But we continue that fight, and we hope that you will continue the fight and approve this. Crystal Academy is not just a place where we work. It is a place that we deeply believe in the mission that we do. It is our home because Coral Gables is our home. and we respectfully ask for the support of continuing to allow Coral Gables to be their classroom.

Thank you.

Thank you.

One minute and 12 seconds over.

Daniel Unsueta.

I ask everyone please, if you could please stay within the three-minute time. Thank you very much.

Good afternoon, Mayor Lago, Madam Vice Mayor, and Commissioners. My name is Daniel Nzueta. I live at 9135 Southwest 125th Avenue, Miami, Florida. And I had the privilege of working at Crystal Academy for the past 10 years, an exceptional student education teacher. During those 10 years, I have watched children who once struggled to communicate learn to express themselves and have watched students who were once afraid of unfamiliar places gain the confidence to participate in their community. Those are the moments you never forget. And they are only possible because of the environment we've been fortunate enough to be here in Coral Gables. Crystal Academy is much more than a school. It is a place where students with special needs are given the opportunity to develop academically, socially, and independently. Our location in Coral Gables has played a tremendous role in this case, in their success, pardon. For many of our students, learning does not stop at the classroom door. We teach life skills by becoming a part of the community around us. We ride the trolley together. We walk the local restaurants to participate ordering meals, practice ordering meals, pardon. Interacting with staff and building confidence in real-world situations, we visit Book Source to choose books, practice making purchases, and experience the joy of reading. Every outing becomes a lesson in independence, communication, and belonging. To many people, these may seem like ordinary activities, but for our students, they are our extraordinary milestones. I've had the privilege of seeing students who once couldn't tolerate leaving the classroom eventually walk confidently through Coral Gables, greet business owners by name, and become comfortable members of this community. Those moments happen because they are surrounded by a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment. Crystal Academy has become part of a fabric of Coral Gables. Our students aren't visitors here. They're members of this community. They deserve the opportunity to continue learning, growing, and building relationships in the place that has embraced them for so many years. I understand that development projects can bring concerns and differing opinions, but I hope that you consider this project. You also consider the children whose lives are changed every day within our school. The building itself matters because it makes possible a place where children with unique needs can receive an education, gain independence, and become active participants in their community. As someone who has dedicated the last decade of my career to these students, I can say without hesitation that Crystal Academy has transformed lives. I sincerely hope it can continue doing so here in Coral Gables for many years to come. Thank you for your time and your consideration. Thank you.

Carlos Felipe Deupy.

Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners. It's an honor to be here. My name is Felipe Dupy, and I live a few blocks from the site at 118 Menores Avenue. I grew up between Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, so I've seen how both communities have changed over time and how they've grown when that change is done the right way. I'm here today because this kind of project is exactly why I chose to live in this neighborhood. What drew me here wasn't just the buildings, it was the direction the area is heading. A place where you can walk, where you can spend time outside, where there's a sense of activity and connection. That's what makes a neighborhood feel alive. And that's what this project adds. I'm especially looking forward to the public spaces that come with it. The park, the plaza, the courtyard. Those are the kinds of places people actually use. Places where you run into neighbors, sit for a while, bring your dog, or just spend time outside without having to leave your own neighborhood. Right now, that doesn't really exist on this site. So far from my perspective, this isn't about losing something. It's about gaining something we don't currently have. I also think it's important to recognize where this project is located. This part of Coral Gables already feels different from other parts of the city. It's more active, more connected, and more suited for this type of environment. To me, this clearly fits. And beyond that, the inclusion of Crystal Academy gives the project a deeper purpose. It connects it to something meaningful and rooted in the community. At the end of the day, I want to live in a place that continues to evolve in a way that brings people together and creates a stronger sense of community. This project moves in that direction. For that reason, I respectfully ask that you support Crystal Residences. Thank you. Thank you.

Michelle Saka.

Good afternoon.

Hi, everyone. Thank you. My name is Michelle Sacka, 3711 Chase Avenue, Miami Beach. I have not prepared anything today. I'm a parent at Crystal Academy. I've been there for the last 14 years, two children there, profoundly autistic, profoundly. And I know this is about the building. This is not about the school, but it is about the school. It is about having a future for the school because children are small. And then they grow up, and they have to live real lives and become real people. And Crystal Academy has been able to help my children do that because of Coral Gables. The community outreach and the inclusion that you guys are offering these children, they take the trolley, the walkability. The same reason why you want to live in Coral Gables is the reason why we want Crystal Academy to stay in Coral Gables. Our children are able to go. to a restaurant, they go to Moriella's, they go to Ben and Jerry's, they go to Target. I was never able to do this with my son before. He could never go anywhere with me. I couldn't take him to a restaurant. We couldn't function as a family. We couldn't go to family events. We couldn't live our lives to our fullest potential. But because of the life skills and the training and the love and the therapy that they're getting from Crystal Academy and the inclusion of Coral Gables, Your city has become synonymous with inclusion. You are the example of Miami Beach and all these other cities. Look at the autism, the police caravan that comes and ends every year in Coral Gables at Crystal Academy. You guys are the example. I'm very involved in the city of Miami Beach, thank God. It's wonderful there. I love it there. But they look to you guys for inclusion. And I really feel that not passing this new home for Crystal Academy is kind of like turning your back on inclusion and these children. We need, as a parent, I need a place for my child where they can thrive. They can be a real adult. They can get a part-time job. They can have a life coach. They can have a job coach. They can be a regular person. And that's what you guys have been giving them. And I can't thank you guys enough for that. I really can't. Again, I've been at Crystal Academy for over 14 years. And for them to have the opportunity where they can get a new facility and the overhead is really minimal, that's phenomenal. And for everyone out there who's saying that it's only a bunch of wealthy children who are going to this school, excuse me. First of all, there is a voucher for children to attend any private school that they want with unique abilities. So you get money if you can't afford it. And I have tried effortlessly and tirelessly with other parents to help raise money to make sure that kids who need financial need can attend the school. So thank you so much for everything you've done for our kids. And I pray that you guys will let this pass and we can continue to be here in Coral Gables. Thank you.

Maria de Leon Fleites.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. How are you? Thank you for your time. My name is Maria De Leon Fleites. I live at 825 Messina Avenue, and I'm also speaking on behalf of my daughter, who's at work. She is at 49 Phoenicia, directly catty-cornered from the proposed structure. And there's no doubt that Crystal Academy is doing a wonderful job, no doubt. And I don't think anybody in this room can question what they are doing. But we also know that they are being used to increase the size of the building, the density of the building, to the developer's advantage. We also know, as architects, I'm an architect and adjunct professor at the University of Miami, that this building could have been designed in a manner that was more cohesive to the neighborhood. They could have worked more with the community. Last month at the Planning and Zoning Board, they was moved conditionally on the basis of their creating, maintaining, or preserving more of the garden. And what they have done is essentially just rotate the park. They have not touched the garden. We thought, well, this is a wonderful opportunity for them to make amends with the neighborhood. As a matter of fact, when they asked the neighborhood or the representative for the neighborhood, they would be good with that. And that was a very positive response to do that. But what essentially has been done by the architects and the developers and the attorneys is just rotate Simply just rotating the green which is really almost a slap in the face to the residents who have worked diligently trying to maneuver some kind of compromise with the neighbors and with the developer. Again, no doubt that Crystal Academy is a wonderful institution. The building could have been designed in a much smaller scale, more cohesive, and the statement that says that every neighbor in that area is in favor of this large building is incorrect. There are many neighbors that are against it as well. In terms of what it's going to provide the neighborhood, traffic, it will provide more residential, so it will provide more pedestrian activity, but it's not going to provide the neighborhood with any kind of amenities. There's no commercial use, so it will essentially just bring more people into the neighborhood and create no open space. The statement that it's got a park, it's partially opened. The Paseo is really a glorified alley. which you could see on the on the slide. You know it's an alley with some green space. So it's really not providing a lot in return for what they're getting please reconsider this please. Really take the neighbors comments into place that people who live there every day and please have this building redesigned in such a manner that's more cohesive with the neighborhood, thank you so much for your time. Thank you very much.

Cheryl Ackerman.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Commissioners. Can you hear me?

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, good. I live at 816 Sorolla, and my name is Cheryl Ackerman, and I've lived in the Gables for 54 years. Yes, I'm that old. So I have heard other speakers speaking on all the projects problems in that zoning problems, North Ponce neighborhood, and Coral Gala's historic city plan. Merrick, Mr. Merrick, designed garden apartments, which were not overwhelming to the entire block. As I feel this one is, this project is overwhelming for the neighborhood. And I believe Attorney Winker stated it best to say preserve our neighborhood. Thank you.

Thank you.

Judith Packard.

Good afternoon, Ms. Packard.

Good afternoon. My name is Judith Packard. I live at 911 East Ponce de Leon Boulevard, and I'm here today to express my support for more thought with this. I've lived in the North Ponce neighborhood for over 43 years. I am here this afternoon because this project concerns me deeply as a resident and as someone who cares about the future of Coral Gables. Time and again, the residents of the city have stepped forward to protect what others failed to value, the Douglas entrance, the Alhambra water tower, the Biltmore Hotel. Because of them, those landmarks still stand today. They understood that once something special is lost, it cannot be replaced. Those efforts helped shape the Coral Gables we know today and remind us that progress and preservation should go hand in hand. No one here is against the development. No one is against Crystal Academy or the children they serve. There's a path forward where the garden of our Lord is protected. Crystal Academy continues, and a developer builds something that actually belongs in this neighborhood. That path was within reach at the end of the planning and zoning meeting. But instead of taking it, this developer is back here today pushing the same project this community has opposed for five years. Progress and preservation can coexist in Coral Gables. They always have, but it requires a developer who's willing to listen. I also want to speak to the question of the public benefit, because that is what PAD requires, and that is where this application falls apart. The developer's asking for special approvals in exchange for a private school serving 40 students whose families often do not even live in the area. that is a private benefit for a small group of people. The truth is the community already has a public benefit on the site. It's called the Garden of Our Lord. Why destroy a garden that has already been part of the community for over 75 years? Why not work with the community? In closing, I'm asking this board to uphold the rules that were created to protect this community and to listen to the residents who live here and will be affected by this decision long after today's meeting is over. Please vote no. Thank you. Thank you.

Karelia Carbonell.

Good afternoon, Karelia. How are you?

Hello, everyone, and happy to see everyone. Hope you had a wonderful, July 4th weekend. I am here representing the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables. And you have all received the letter that we sent opposing this project as proposed. So I will reiterate the points that was made in the letter. On behalf of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables, please accept this letter in opposition to the project as presented. And here are the key points. Zoning violation. The block is zoned special use religious with a four story max height. A nine story building clearly exceeds this. It's incompatible with the neighborhood. It has historic sensitivity. There's the Coral Gables Woman's Club across the street and the Douglas entrance down the block. It violates section 1-103, which the zoning code requires new development to be compatible with the surrounding architecture and the protection of residential neighborhoods. It violates two additional ordinances, the North Ponce Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District and the Coral Gables Historic City Plan Ordinance. These two ordinances call for low-rise, low-scale development in the neighborhood. It contradicts the community vision workshop, and of course the infrastructure, as you've heard, really can't support it. And finally, and the most important, is that the PAD request is misleading. The courtyard offered as a public benefit is only accessible when the adjacent school is in incession, which has never been accepted as a qualifying green space under PAD rules. The Garden of Our Lord can serve as the PAD requirement to meet this zoning code. The garden area can be carved out and saved as part of the allowable green space for development. I just have a few more, just another few seconds. The area of the garden is 23% of the total square footage. The minimum landscape open space required for a pad, quote, shall be not less than 20% of the pad site. This is directly under section 3-502, which states that the pad requires a minimum of of 20% landscaped open space of the total site. And critically, that open space must be genuinely accessible. The garden site technically sits within the pad requirements. So please keep that in mind as you're going through this project. And thank you.

Thank you.

Omar Packard.

Good afternoon, my name is Omar Packard. I reside at 911 East Ponce de Leon Boulevard. I am a lifelong Coral Gables resident who has spent more than 40 years living in the North Ponce area. I have to say I'm getting tired of coming up here and speaking against this proposed development. This has been going back and forth for over five years, not because it is a complicated project, but because it is a bad one, a project that the community overwhelmingly opposes a project that seeks to destroy what it means to live here and further burden an infrastructure that is already struggling to keep up. What makes it worse is the developer's complete unwillingness to work with the community. Rather than finding a solution that works for everyone, they have hidden behind Crystal Academy, using a school that serves autistic children as a shield against accountability for what they are trying to do to this neighborhood. This is the reason why we spend 90% of the time talking about it, yet it is 2% of the project. Last meeting, the developer had an opportunity to work with this community to protect the Garden of Our Lord, a beloved and historic landmark that has been part of this neighborhood for over 75 years. Instead, they are back here today looking for another way to push this through. There's a world where the Garden of Our Lord can exist, where Crystal Academy can exist, and the developer can build a project in this neighborhood, but it requires the developer to actually work with the community instead of steamrolling it. This world almost existed at the end of the planning and zoning meeting, as it is exactly what was recommended, and yet this billion dollar development firm out of Chicago is too greedy to meet us halfway. I want to ask this commission a simple question. Why are we bending over backwards to appease this developer? The pad case alone should have ended this application. How is a private school a public benefit? How is a school that largely serves for families outside of this neighborhood a public benefit? How is a park that is inaccessible during the exact hours when most people actually use the park considered a public benefit? And why are we relying on a traffic study from 2022? This neighborhood has changed dramatically since then. That study was conducted before a significant influx of new residents into the area. These are not complicated questions, and they have obvious answers. The commission has an opportunity today to do what the zoning board could not, to fully deny this project outright and send a clear message that in Coral Gables, the rules mean something. The community's voice means something. and a wealthy developer from out of state cannot simply buy his way through our zoning code. The Garden of Our Lord has been a part of this neighborhood for over 75 years. It deserves better than this, and so do we. Please vote no. Thank you.

Doris Alsomora.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

My name is Doris Alzamora.

My address is 235 Mallorca Avenue, Incorrigables 33134. And I support the project for the school and the other supporters. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Yeah. That's it? Yeah. Thanks.

Maria Essenwanger?

Good afternoon. Good evening. My name is Maria Sambangar. I live in 802 Glass Road, Coral Gables, 33134. This project has gone through years of review and has met every legal requirement. The property is privately owned and the process has already confirmed that it can move forward. Coral Gables, like many cities across Miami, is changing growing and is something we cannot stop. But we can choose projects that grow responsibly. I believe this project does exactly that. It's preserved meaningful green space, creates new public area for everyone to enjoy and improve pedestrian safety. It also continues to support the Crystal Academy a school that has provided invaluable care and education for children with special needs, and has been a tremendous resource for many families over the years. The developer has shown good faith by agreeing to relocate the historic tree, demonstrating a willingness to work with the community. I believe these projects respect both our community and the law, and I respectfully ask you to vote yes. Thank you.

Karen Lopez.

Good afternoon.

Good evening.

My name is Karen Lopez. I live at 291 Navarra Avenue here in the Gables. I've watched downtown Gables evolved over the years, and I think most of us would agree. It's evolved well. East Ponce de Leon today is a real corridor. Offices, hotels, retail, restaurants, apartments, it works. This property sits directly off East Ponce de Leon, one of the major north-south corridors running through the downtown Gables. That corridor, and tell me that you see office buildings, retail condominiums, rental apartments, That's the context of this site. It's not tucked into a quiet residential street. It's on the spine of the busiest, most urban part of our city. and the North Ponce neighborhood around it already contains buildings of similar and larger scale. 1300 Ponce is 12 stories. This proposal is nine stories and 93 feet. If this building were being proposed on a single family block, I'd be standing on the other side of this podium. It isn't, it's being proposed exactly where a building like this belongs. So the honest question is, in front of you is whether the energy of that corridor extends into North Ponce in a thoughtful, planned way, or whether the neighborhood just sits there aging while everything around moves forward. The church on this site has already closed. The property has reached the end of chapter. Something is going to happen eventually. The question is what? Nearly 200 rental homes on this corridor built to carry them in a building of scale that's already around it. that's the right answer to this location. It's not someone who supports every project, but this is the right project in the right place. Please vote yes. Thank you. Thank you.

Alexis Santos.

Hello, how are you? My name is Alexis Santos, and my address is 1300 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, apartment 308. We've heard many parents, teachers, staff, and families from Crystal Academy come before you today. And after hearing from them, we've also heard opponents say, this isn't about the school, but it is. The reason so many people connected to Crystal Academy are here is because the project directly impacts their future. Crystal Academy is an aging building and the proposal gives the school a brand new facility, more than six million in investment and rent-free space, something it simply could not accomplish on its own. Opponents argue the school is being used to justify the project. The truth is the project is what makes the investment in the school possible. Without it, there is no new building, no six million investment and no rent-free space. This project just doesn't preserve Crystal Academy. It secures its future, that's why so far, many families, this is absolutely about the school. Thank you, please vote yes.

Thank you. Giancarlo Vergara.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon. My name is Giancarlo Vergara. I live in 235 Antigua Avenue, apartment 7. One of the reasons I love Coral Gables is because it's never been a city afraid to dream a little bit bigger. Someone had a vision for Miracle Mile. Someone had a vision for the Biltmore. Someone had a vision for so many places we now take pride in. If every generation says no to thoughtful change, eventually the city stops moving forward. That's not the correct labels I want. I hope we continue building a city future generations will be proud of. Thank you so much.

Thank you, sir.

Maria Mariategui.

Good afternoon.

My name is Maria Mariategui. My address is 800 Douglas Road, Apartment 904, Cota Gables. I would like to express my support for this project. I believe this development will bring positive growth to Cota Gables and provide additional housing opportunities while contributing to the vitality of our community. I think this project will be beneficial for the neighborhood. And for those reasons, I fully support it. Thank you.

Thank you.

Lisette Arango.

Hi, good afternoon. My name is Lisette Arango. I reside at 4152 Southwest 13th Street, Apartment 3 in Coral Gables. One of the reasons I enjoy living in Coral Gables is because I can walk to grab a dinner, grab coffee, or stop into a local business. Those businesses do not survive by themselves. They need customers. Thoroughly adding new residents near downtown helps keep those local businesses healthy. More people living within walking distances means more people eating locally, shopping locally, and supporting the businesses that make Corgay most special. That is good for me. I thank you for your time, and I hope you approve this project. Thank you.

Thank you very much for being here. Vanessa Salas.

Good afternoon.

My name is Vanessa Salas. I live in 1300 Salcedo Street, suite number four. I'm here to support this beautiful, unnecessary project, Crystal Academical School. I think it's a great opportunity to help people that really need it. and help others, especially with the kids that they needed. So I was here in the past, follow all the meetings. I'm very passionate for this project. And I going to, it's going to be a beautiful school with a beautiful building for this beautiful school. CITY OF THE CORAL GABLES. CITY OF THE CORAL GABLES. I'M WORKING IN THE BILLMORE I'M WORKING IN THE BILLMORE HOTEL FOR 10 YEARS, AND I HOTEL FOR 10 YEARS, AND I LOVE CORAL GABLES, AND I'M LOVE CORAL GABLES, AND I'M SO PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY. SO PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND WE NEED SOMETHING TO BE MORE AND WE NEED SOMETHING TO BE MORE ESPECIALLY FOR THIS CITY. ESPECIALLY FOR THIS CITY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANNA HOLMAN.

Hello, my name is Anna Holman. I reside at 235 Antia Avenue, Apartment 2, Coral Gables 33134. One of the things I admire most about Coral Gables is that every generation has left something behind. Beautiful streets, wonderful parks, great architecture. Neighborhoods people are proud to call home. They didn't do that by refusing every opportunity to improve the city. They did it by choosing projects that reflected the values of Coral Gables. I believe this project is one of those opportunities. I hope we'll continue that tradition and build something future generations will appreciate. I support this project for its purpose to serve a lasting impact on the Coral Gables community, the same way Crystal Academy has served the lasting impactful transformations in people's, these children's lives. Let's let this development shine the same light and liveliness to this whole community. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Aura Quintero.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. How are you?

Thank you for being here.

My name is Aurora Quintero, and I live on 335 Navarre Avenue, apartment number five. I live here for two years, and I drive this street every day. I'll be honest with you. When I first heard about this project, traffic was my concern, too. So I don't dispute the neighborhood who bring it up. It's a fair question. But I took the time to learn more about this. A traffic study was done for this project, and when I looked at the actual site plan, I saw things that are exactly what worries people. The project plan provides on-site drop-off and pickup, keeps traffic circulation within the property, and adds a new crosswalk and wider sidewalks to improve safety for pedestrians. That's a better setup than what exists today, where everything happens on the street, and parking is handled on the side, 301 space within the project itself. I think what about the traffic? Sometimes get used as a reason to post everything, everywhere, forever. When a project includes solutions like internal drop-off, full-size circulation, parking, and pedestrian improvements, those benefits should be recognized. I would answer it and I support this project. Thank you.

Thank you.

Domenica Fajardo.

Good afternoon.

My name is the many gun 11271 majority of any court gables 3, 3, 1, 3, 4, and I regularly walk through this neighborhood. I be hearing many concerns that this project will take away green space, but I think it's important to look at the what I is actually there today and what it's been proposed to get in that some people want to preserve is on a prop private property. It's not a place where the community can walk in, spend time, or enjoy it. It belongs to that property. What this project brings is green space that the public can actually use, a nearly 4,000 square foot park available to the community after school hours, along with a public courtyard, a public plaza, and a pedestrian walkway that connects the block. The numbers also support this. The project includes about 20,500 square feet of the ground level open space, which is 31.6% of the site, more than 20% required by the proposed zoning. City staff reviewed the project and confirmed that it provides real public benefits, including more open areas and improvements for pet restrooms. Regarding the tree that concern was here and addressed, the developer agreed to preserve it by relocating a few hundred feet, and their experts determined that the tree can be successfully transplanted. So when I compared what exists today a private garden behind the fence. With what this project offers, a park plaza, good yard, wider sidewalks that my neighborhoods and I can actually enjoy. I see this as a real improvement for the entire community, not only for the people who will live in the building. For these reasons, I support this project and I respectfully ask you to approve it. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Herman Tinoco.

Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Herman Dinoco. I live in 888 Douglas Road. I have been living in this area for many years, and I see Miami everywhere growing, brick or all many areas. And I think projects like this that I really support brings the opportunity to this city to grow, bring the opportunity to our children to have places to live, at least to choose. Miami became a place that you need to move farther north or farther south to look for a house, apartments, everywhere. That makes you to commute longer and make expenses higher for every family. for this and also the benefit of the school for a small population that needs special treatment like the Otis School Crystal Academy. I'm here to support this project. I appreciate if you approve it. Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Scott Pearson.

Good morning, sir. Good afternoon.

Thank you very much for having me here. I'm Scott Pearson of 4111 Santa Mara. I've lived in the Gables since 1974 for most of the time. And forgive me if my memory is failing, but it seems like many of the past administrations tried to protect our green spaces, our zoning laws, and tried to improve our traffic problems. And I'm hoping that we can continue that tradition of helping our citizens preserve their way of life. I've noticed in the times I've traveled, some of the greatest cities have big green spaces right near the downtown areas, places like San Francisco and New York. You know, we can do better with our green space preservation and making more of it, but it's going to be too late as land prices rise if we don't start thinking about that really seriously. Strict zoning and height requirements are part of great cities as well. Fifteen years ago, I remember there was a house for sale in Alhambra, near where I live, And I called about it, and they said, oh, this is a tear-down house. It's dilapidated. Well, the next thing I know, the city owns the land and built a beautiful park on Alhambra near Blue Road where children just enjoy and use that park all the time. A really nice place. I'd love to see more things like that happen. All right. I know none of you ran for office with the slogan, we put developers first. No, you made promises to your public who voted for you to help us, and we don't see how increased traffic, taking away trees, taking away green space, and zoning for You know, big buildings helps the citizens you promised to represent. Several people have said this area is the best and last place for development. One would have to be very gullible to believe that. All we have to do is look around at what has happened. with big buildings going up all over Corgables to know that this is not the last place and this is not the best place. If the developers want it, my question is, will they get it regardless of what the people want that voted for you? As the lovely lady in red said, is this a done deal or do the voices of your voters matter. Thank you.

Scott, before you leave the podium, do you mind if I use your information and reach out to you via the city?

Sure.

Because I'd like to show you what this city has done in the last 14 years in regards to parks and green spaces. Just this year alone, this year, we're adding 30 acres of green space to the city, including the underlying. That's great news. And a six-acre, almost a six-acre parcel of land that I've been working on for 10 years that we're about to bring into the city, which will be the largest park in the city's history. Right. And when I was elected, when I was elected 14 years ago, we had one park in the downtown, which was Pond Circle Park. In the next two years, through the leadership of the manager and this commission, nobody was elected. Maybe Rhonda was the vice mayor. But now we're going to have seven parks in the downtown. These are negotiations that we've done with developers to ensure that we get green space in turn for certain projects that were approved in the downtown. They will be forthcoming in the next two years as these projects are finalized and you'll see these projects. I'd like to give you a copy of all the projects that are forthcoming. That's not to mention all the other parks that we've been able to purchase in the residential neighborhoods, which are almost, I would say, probably about... more than 10 parks over the last 13, 14 years. And there's another piece of legislation that I've sponsored today that will not allow us to sell a green space in the city unless it goes before the residents and they vote in favor or against it as a referendum. And that also includes the youth center, and it will also include Granada Golf Course. Because these two pieces of property have been used as bargaining chips amongst the blogs to scare people to say that we're going to sell and redevelop Granada Golf Course, or we're going to sell and redevelop the youth center. So that will be ironclad and the decision will be made by the residents if somebody were crazy enough to even bring that up in the future. So I just want you to make you aware that there are a lot of parks that are already approved and on the way for the downtown. Because I agree with you, if you're a world class city, you want to pretend to be a world class city. You need to have open spaces and green spaces. Those have already been negotiated. And I negotiate every single one of those projects, every single one of those green spaces, along with the 5.6-acre parcel. The manager and I worked on that for 10 years together. So when you talk about protecting green space and understanding the value of green spaces and understanding the value, and I wrote another piece of legislation that requires that all these green spaces at a minimum be 70% green space, not concrete. So you're going to see over our downtown almost two handfuls of parks, hopefully my colleagues, once I'm done, will continue fighting for parks in the downtown and in the residential neighborhoods.

That's great news. I just hope this place we're talking about today take some of that into account.

Again, I just want to make sure you're aware. Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you, sir.

All right, Mr. Mayor, we're going to go to Zoom next. First speaker on Zoom is Laura Muñiz. I'm asking Ms. Muñiz to please turn on her video. Ma'am, if you could please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you'll provide today will be the truth and nothing but the truth?

I swear.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr. mayor, vice major and commissioners. My name is Adam. I reside at 3505 on street. I am both a resident and employee of the city of core gables specifically here crystal academy. I have had the privilege of watching the city grow and develop through the years. I have always seen as a role model for other cities, including promotion, promoting, inclusion, progress and opportunity. I am here in support of the new Crystal Residences project. Crystal Academy is a nonprofit school and therapy center that has served this community for over 16 years. Before that, the property was also a private school supporting local families. Crystal sustains its work through endless hours of battling insurance companies, community donations, a deep commitment to children with autism and their families, Our students are not separate from Coral Gables. They're a part of it. They walk the neighborhood weekly. They clean up the surrounding areas. They pick up trash as part of learning responsibility and community involvement. Crystal Academy uses the services of the free dental clinic located right next door to the women's club. We use a trolley. We also work with the city of Coral Gables and Miami-Dade Police Department to train responding officers, supporting individuals with special needs, and using de-escalation techniques. While I see the concerns about traffic, the building height, the garden will Lord and public green spaces, and they all deserve consideration. Similar projects are moving forward currently without the same objections. These individuals that have come forward today and over the last 5 years, addressing these issues currently do not have access to a green space. And in the media in the media vicinity, and they're now demanding they get 1 based on a project on a private project. At Crystal Academy, we have been using Phillips Park for years. It provides opportunities for students to interact with neurotypical peers. These individuals have also not taken care or come to clean the garden overlord in over a decade that I have been working here. All of a sudden, they want to preserve it. The garden is attached to our current school. It is a private property. It is close to the public. It has been close to the public over the last decade. It is really sad and embarrassing to see and read comments and hearing statements that diminishes population and their immediate needs. Special needs affect everyone, whether directly or through someone they love. This project is not just about a building because yes, as an institution, we could move anywhere. We would continue to succeed in the work that we do because as professionals, we are passionate and caring. This project is meaningful to us because it is about continuing The Corgi was legacy as a city beautiful by making it more inclusive for their parents and the community as a whole. Thank you all for listening. A good one.

Mr. Mayor, the next speaker is going to be Thomas Mooney. Ask Mr. Mooney to please turn on his video.

Mr. Mooney, good afternoon. How many more speakers?

Mr. Mooney, please raise your right hand, sir. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you'll provide today will be the truth and nothing but the truth, sir?

I do. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission. I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person today, but I was able to send a fairly detailed email to each of you, and so I don't want to take up too much time given the length of time that this hearing has taken. I think as it pertains to the urban planning issues, Your professional staff has provided a very detailed and objective analysis as to why this proposal in and of itself is highly compatible with the surrounding area. What I do want to emphasize though is the role that Crystal Academy has played and the importance of that role. First, I think it's important to underscore that there are not a lot of options for the population of people that have autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. From personal experience, I can tell you that the public schools, unfortunately, just don't have the options. And more importantly, the cost of providing this type of care is significant. You're talking about ratios of one instructor to one student up to a maximum ratio of three students per one instructor. And the sheer cost of that is something that is very, very difficult to accommodate. A lot of families, including my own, have had to sacrifice. And even with assistance from scholarships, It's still something that is not easy to finance over time. So this is not something that is in any way, shape, or form a luxury. Crystal, as a lot of you are aware, and I think a lot of you have visited, and for those out there who haven't visited, I strongly encourage you to take a look at it. has grown with the neighborhood when they started it was a very small therapy center and now it's grown into servicing um a number of different families and this has had a very positive impact but this type of institution unfortunately does not have a 40 million dollar endowment in a perfect world it would be great if crystal could to purchase the property outright and have unlimited funds to make sure that they could keep up with the updates that are needed to run the establishment. But unfortunately, that's not the case. And so for organizations like Crystal that provide this type of service to continue, these types of public-private partnerships are in most cases the only way that this can happen. So with that said, I thank each and every one of you for your time and your diligence. And I strongly encourage you to approve all of the applicable ordinances at first reading. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Moon.

That's it, Mr. Mayor.

All right. Just for the record, I want to, again, something that I've been doing lately, especially during, I don't want to say contentious, but we have a lot of speakers. The nos went over by six minutes and 30 seconds, and the yeses went over by six minutes and 51 seconds. Would anybody else like to speak just to add an extra 21 seconds so we can make it equal? Anybody on the no side? Anybody? Go ahead. Go ahead, we're gonna give you another 21 seconds, but we gotta stick to 21, because then I gotta invite them over for another. So 21 seconds.

Start the clock. You mentioned all of the wonderful parks, and we certainly appreciate, as residents of Coral Gables, 43 years I've lived in Coral Gables. My husband was practically born here. I went to St. Teresa University in Miami. What part are you proposing in that North Douglas area? How are you going to provide the parks and how are you going to negotiate? What area will you negotiate as a park as you have done in other areas of Coral Gables?

Cut it off. Okay. Thank you. Now we got to go to the yeses for one second. I'm just kidding. Very simple. I am looking for parks. If anybody would like to sell more parcels, we're always looking for parcels throughout the city. We just bought recently, the last parcel we bought was a $3 million parcel in Salvador Park that I have been chasing for since I got here. And we're fortunate enough to buy it so we can expand on Salvador Park. We haven't decided yet what we're going to do there. But we just spent, I think it was $10 million on Phyllis Park. And you're going to see a massive amount of improvements that were accomplished there. And all the thanks and the accolades go to the manager, the DCM, the ACM, and his amazing staff who've gotten it done. So we have a lot of parks. We have a lot of parks right now throughout the city, but we're continuing to expand. My understanding is we have over 300 plus acres of green space in the city. Beautiful. I don't think any city in Miami-Dade County can compete with us on that front. If anybody has any ideas of any private owners of property that would like to potentially sell their property, make sure they speak to the city because we would love to be the first in line to take a look at those properties. All right. Madam Vice Mayor?

I just want to note for the record that the assets of Phillips Park is on Galliano, the same street that borders the east side of this property, and it's on Menores, which is a few blocks east.

Further south and by the way, there is a there is a green space located on ponds one block away from this property Which is where the fountain is? It's I forgot the name. It's a green space located on ponds. I think it's probably about maybe about 25,000 square feet It's a pretty large piece of property again. Not the most appropriate is located on ponds, but there are green spaces within Less than 150 200 feet away.

Are you referring to Rotary Park?

No, that's the one that's the one down ponds I'm talking about the one next to the Greek restaurant Oh. The one across from Tintin Cafe, right next to Tintin Cafe. So there are parks right adjacent to that. Okay, moving on. For the good of the order, Madam Vice Mayor, let's start with you.

Comments on the record?

Yeah, before that, let me, Madam State Attorney, should I have the applicant, if he has any responses or anything we'd like to go?

I'm not sure if he reserved any time for rebuttal, but you're certainly more than welcome to ask the applicant.

Do you have anything you'd like to rebuttal? Start the clock.

I'm gonna keep my comments short. I think over a period of five years and nine hearings, I think we've addressed a lot of these items. I'm just gonna clarify the record. You know, the characterization of North Ponce as a low-rise area is factually and legally inaccurate. This area is zoned today for 100 feet in height. This property is surrounded by zoning that allows 190 feet in height. And when you're looking at compatibility from a planning perspective and what's appropriate for your consideration today, you need to consider that adjacent land use. You need to consider that adjacent zoning. And you need to look at the future and existing out-built environment. That's what compatibility is. The one item I'd like to just mention, which thank you for, I will not go over two minutes, The garden of our Lord has been something that's been discussed for five years. It's been litigated. It's been Determined by your historic preservation officer historic preservation board this City Commission to judicial courts It is not a historical resource It does not be it does not need to be preserved is a private garden and it is not relevant to these proceedings today Lastly I want to conclude what I said a planning and zoning board Coral Gables is known as a city beautiful. What makes this city beautiful is not just its world-class architecture, its parks, its public art, or its rich history. What makes our city beautiful and sets it apart are the values that we share as a community. It's the commitment to excellence in the service that we provide to our residents. It's why so many people, including myself, choose to call Coral Gables home. This city is home to some of the best educational institutions in the nation. And that's because Coral Gables has long recognized that education is an important public investment. And that investment should extend to every child with no exceptions. This project reflects those core Coral Gables values. It preserves a school that serves our most vulnerable children. And if that is not a public benefit, then I don't know what is. So today we have the opportunity to do something truly beautiful. We have the opportunity to create a project that's thoughtfully designed and that is meaningful and impactful. We ask that you uphold your planning staff and your planning and zoning board recommendation and approve a project that not only makes Coral Gables more aesthetically beautiful, but a community that's even more beautiful to live in. Thank you.

Thank you. Two minutes and 35 seconds for the record.

Through the mayor, I do have some questions for the applicant.

Can I just go through Mr. Winker? Absolutely. Would Mr. Winker like any additional time for rebuttal?

He had to step out.

He's meeting with a judge.

OK. Let's wait for Mr. Winker to have his moment. I want to make sure I'm fair. Because if not, I'll face the wrath of the blogs tomorrow. Mr. Winker, welcome back.

Thank you so much. I apologize, I got called into another hearing for a second. Thank you for your time and patience listening to this. A couple things on rebuttal. It's unrebutted that they did not take into account what they were asked to do by the PSAB on the conditional approval. I would ask that you make them do that. I think there is a solution there to save as much of the garden as possible. That's what we agreed to. And then further, this idea, everyone keeps saying that the garden isn't open to the public right now. The garden is not open to the public as Crystal Academy owns the property and does not open the garden, I'm sorry, Crystal Academy's there, the developer owns the property, and they locked the fence. It was open prior to that. So I just wanna make sure everyone knows that.

If I may, I don't want to interrupt you, but if I have a garden in my backyard and I lock the fence because I don't want anybody to come in, it's private property, right?

Correct, but they made it private.

100%. It's private property. I don't choose to make my property private. My property belongs to me. It belongs to me. So, you know, let's use some reasonable arguments. I understand. Please, will you please sit down? Please. Let's sit down. We're not going to do this today. We've done this before. We're not going to have outbursts from the gallery. We're going to do this professionally. That's why I've given everybody all the time they need. Everybody's had the time. We're going to do this professionally. But I also want to make sure we put factual statements on the record. Crystal Academy did not make this private. It's private property. They just closed the gate because they have children who are part of that institution, and obviously these children need to be supervised, and sometimes things happen, and you want to make sure there's barriers to entry and barriers to escape. So let's be very thoughtful about that comment because they're not choosing to make it private. It already is private property because they're paying rent to a landlord. Okay. Well, but back up.

It's not, it's the developer that locked it.

Again.

And two, it was open. When it was with the church, it was open. And we have... Miami Herald article is talking about how it was open to the public. So just to be clear.

Whether it's the developer, it's Crystal Academy, it's owned by someone. It's private property. They can do to protect their property, they can close the gate and they can say we want to protect the property to ensure the safety of not only the individuals that are inside the property, but those outside. Correct? So moving on, would you like to add anything else to the record? No, that's it. Thank you so much.

I'd like to give you more time, please. I appreciate the effort. I would just ask that you take the advice of your PZAB. They very carefully weighed this. They gave the advice. Do your best to save the garden. Reorient the garden. Have the buffer with the Women's Center. The garden is there. It's ready to go. We ask that you Basically have them do what they were asked to do before.

Thank you so much Thank you very much, sir. All right, madam vice mayor the floor is yours.

Yeah, and before I begin You know, it's been a journey. It's been five years spoken to a lot of residents that have passionately come in and expressed their views and it's it's evolved this project has evolved So I do have some questions for the applicant. I I see that some of it you've done, but I need some clarity. We talked about removing earlier today the arcade. Has it been completely removed from the drawings so that we can have additional green space and setbacks that is more consistent with an MF zoning setback?

So I'll let the project architect Albert Cordovitz explain where we are. What we have done is we are agreeing to those conditions. We would like for them to be incorporated in the approval. We have a conceptual plan that shows what that will look like. It does result in additional green space and planting areas along the frontages. We have, as we showed you, which we could show again, some conceptual images of what that does. I think it completely transforms that streetscape into a more residential feel, but it will require us to work with your city architect to

Incorporate those changes and apply them to all the different drawings that we have so with the working with a city architect is the developer agreeable to providing that additional green space yes, we are okay, so The playground area I see that in one of the drawings you've already rotated it. I think there was also an ask for a Kitchen for teaching the children has that been incorporated as well?

So we have rotated the park, and I have a copy of the minutes from the Planning and Zoning Board meeting, which are important. The motion was to rotate the orientation of the park On the northeast corner, it was very specific to go instead of a north-south direction, an east-west direction. It was rotating. It wasn't, you know, relocating, which are two different words. Right. We are agreeing with that condition. I know that we told the board at that meeting that we needed to study it. We have, and we agree with that. We think it does provide what they intended, which is a better buffer from the women's club. That change, I believe, increases the square footage that will be able to be used by Crystal, that we've committed to them, by 500 square feet, so they will have space now for the kitchen that they needed for their operations.

Talking a little bit about that area, I'm going to call it the children's park, just for a shorthand on that. What are the hours of operation of Crystal and what hours would this be open for the general public afterwards?

I'm gonna have Mary come up.

Ms. Palacio, thank you for being here and being able to answer those questions. My pleasure.

School operation starts at eight o'clock until 4.30. Staff arrives more or less at 7.30 in the morning.

Okay, so for the evening hours, after school hours, you know, kids that don't go to the school can access the park after hours, is that correct?

Correct.

Okay. And I'm just going to note while we're talking about access to parks and access to gardens, there was, as I recall, a resident stepped forward and explained that when he was a young man and used to go there and try to feed goldfish that faced out of the the Garden of Our Lord area, where the koi were swimming. So I don't know of any other area that has a pond in there, unless you are.

No, there's only one pond.

There's only one pond. And it was before I arrived in Coral Gables, so I wouldn't have any personal knowledge of it either. The courtyard, okay, and this is not pertaining to the Crystal Academy. Mary, thank you for coming up. public access to the courtyard. Is it locked at any point in time during the day?

Not during the day, no. I think traditionally, and this is not the first project that has done this, that has access to a public space through a paseo. Usually that's the preferred route, unless they have direct frontage on a street. I believe they have them locked normally in the evenings, just for security. I think that's a standard condition.

What hours, to your knowledge, Locked. After dark. Is that what you're talking about?

Yeah, it's usually at sundown, but we could set a time if it's preferable.

I would say 9 p.m. On the dusk is usually what we do.

It's usually, I think that runs consistent with the city's parks. Correct. Ours as well.

Phoenicia, you have... the women's club in front of you. You're gonna be landscaping the south side of the street. Is the developer willing to also landscape consistently the north side of the street where the women's club is? Provide an amenity on both sides of the street?

My client is nodding their head, so yes, we would be willing to do that. I think our intent, and Albert mentioned, is to create a really nice pedestrian environment, and obviously we've been speaking with the women's club throughout this process and we'd be happy to do that.

There has been a lot of talk about one particular oak tree on the site and where it's going to be relocated. There's a second specimen oak on site. Is the developer willing to move that specimen oak as well over to the East Ponce corridor to create that vision? future planning for Coral Gables to have a green corridor through there.

And where would this tree be located? Could we put it in the right of way through like a bump out or something?

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. To create, you know, the mature canopy appearance.

So our arborist is saying that he's evaluated that tree actually and that it is a good candidate for relocation. And my client's agreeable to move that as well. Right now, just so that we have an idea of what is happening on the East Ponce corridor, originally we pulled back our building on the Northwest corner in order to preserve. I believe it's a large mahogany tree correct. We are relocating the larger oak tree to the south west corner and I think the idea that you're proposing is to then relocate the additional oak tree in the middle of those two trees onto East ponds it is and I just want to make sure too that there's adequate root ball space left of this tree going to introduce Michael McCoy who's our arborist and

How are you doing? Michael McCoy. So we're actually asked by city staff to consider a few trees and there's a few spots in the right of way. So right now we're just coordinating with the city staff to make sure that there's not conflicts with other proposed right-of-way improvements or infrastructure. But that tree is one of them and was evaluated for potential relocation to areas within the right-of-way, making sure that meets with the landscape concept for those areas. And it is a good candidate. And as far as I'm aware, the developer is amenable to locating that once a suitable space is identified.

You mentioned that you're considering some other trees as well. Which trees would those have been?

There are two other smaller trees that are within the garden of our Lord area and again that one we're just offered at this point the city has not Asked for those trees to be relocated, but we're asked to see if they were viable candidates As they're looking at areas within the surrounding right-of-way and planting spaces to see if they could be fit there, but that would be at the city's discretion if that actually fits with the use and design of it right away.

Okay. Do you have details about which trees those are and what are the gumbo limbos on Phoenicia?

I believe it was two gumbo limbos that they were looking at. Okay. It might be on Phoenicia, right? I'm just trying to Off the top of my head right now, but yes, there's two other two other trees. I think we did look at several in the garden of our Lord, but they didn't Have the form that would relocate them as easily and they didn't have a good destination site So it was the the two Oaks and the two gumbo limbo.

Okay. I Walked the property. So I know that some of the gumbos were unfortunately damaged considerably by FPNL

That is a whole other challenge that I constantly face to try to get FPL to play nice with trees. But there were two gumbo limos that were suitable candidates, and so we're looking to see if there's an opportunity to relocate them.

Well, thank you for those details. Of course, no problem.

Anything else, Vice Mayor?

Yes. We talked about landscaping both the north and south side of Phoenicia. I want to talk to you also about residential parking units. We do have historic buildings around, especially on the Antia side with apartment units in them that depend upon having some residential parking. Is this something that the developer is willing to work with the city in establishing a residential parking permit program for those buildings that are already existing? On the street.

I think you have a single one single family home and you have an eight unit apartment building there on India it depend on that parking so we wouldn't have an objection to that one of the things we did was One of the earlier iterations of the plan it was using I know that the women's club uses the parking on the east side Which were not impacting for their valet operations on weekends We were using portions of the abutting parking there for our school pickup and drop off, but we've completely revised that, as Albert showed. It's all internalized now, so we wouldn't have an objection to that. All of our parking's completely internalized now, so those spaces are free. And I know that several residents actually brought up that comment during our neighborhood meeting a few months ago.

That's very beneficial, especially in this neighborhood. where you have historic buildings that have zero parking available. Let's talk about traffic for a moment. In Galliano, notice that there's a couple of intersections where there's no crosswalks. And I've heard a number of complaints about speeding on Galliano. No high intensity markings for the pedestrian crosswalk, no stop signs, no speed tables, nothing to slow down traffic. Is this something that the developer is willing to have the traffic study done and follow staff's recommendations on the signs, et cetera?

Yeah, I believe our traffic study calls for a study of that area as part of the permitting process to discuss with Miami-Dade County improvements on the... on the Galliano side because of the school, yeah. So I think that's one of the conditions in the recommendations of the traffic study.

Yeah, you have at least four blocks straight that people can go without any stop signs and there have been complaints.

Yeah, so part of the recommendations of the traffic study is actually for us to undertake that study and work with Miami-Dade County to see if it meets the threshold for it.

Okay.

Can you also look at the traffic flow westward in the traffic study? Because there was one comment on, based upon that, is the traffic is coming out on both Phoenicia and Antia. Is there any recommendations that can be made to improve the conditions in that area?

Well, I think that situation is going to be addressed. I understand that's currently in process. this application has a condition that after CO, we need to do a whole nother traffic study. And if there's any improvements that are recommended from that study, we would implement them. So actually, I understand that's currently underway that will likely get captured in that traffic study.

And the size of the trees that you're gonna be installing, You meaning the developer? Have you committed to put in trees that are at least how tall?

So there's a condition in your staff report that provides that and I know this is something that we always show trees that are much larger in the renderings that they actually are. There's a condition in your staff report that those trees be 16 feet at a time planting along the streetscape. So the idea is to create that beautiful landscape pedestrian experience on day one.

Mayor, I do have additional comments before we take a vote, but I wanted to get some of these questions answered before we move forward.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor. Commissioner Castro?

Yeah. First, I want to thank every resident that was here and spoke pro and con this development. And the other thing is that this is a quasi-judicial case, so I would want to put on the record that there has been communication via emails and in person regarding this development. I also want to put on the record that I lived in this area for nearly 10 years, so I know this area very well. And I also want to be very sensitive to Crystal Academy. I spent nearly 12 years practicing in this field, treating children and young adults with developmental disabilities or unique abilities. So this is very close to my heart. But I'm also sitting here as a commissioner, and I'm putting my hat for the responsibility I owe to my constituents, to the quality of life of this neighborhood. So as much as I do love this community and the school, right now I need to make a decision, not on Crystal Academy, that's not the vote, it's on this development. This is an out of scale project. It's a massive upzoning. And it keeps on happening in this community. And my colleagues are the ones responsible for what's happening to this city when it comes to development. It falls on us to protect this community. So my duty and my responsibility is to protect and preserve this community and their quality of life. We made promises to our residents when we took an oath and when we were elected. One of my promises in specific had to do with development. A gentleman here said, the voices of our residents matter, and they do matter. I'll go ahead and I reserve the rest of my comments for when I'm voting.

Commissioner Fernandez. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

I've been here now close to three and a half years. And in three and a half years, this is really the first development project that has come before us that has had any opposition. What we've seen for the last three and a half years is developers sitting down with residents, finding a path forward that has been beneficial, not just for their means as a developer and their goals, but also for the neighborhood that they're coming into. And look, you cannot take away the fact that it is extremely noble to find a spot for Crystal Academy and give them a no-cost 99-year lease. I think saying that there is no benefit to that, there is a benefit to our community because we do have a lot of autistic children in this community. However, is that... The one thing that makes this project a good project for this neighborhood, it is not. the attorney for the developer was talking about the adjacent land use. You have single family residences right across the street from this project. One of the concerns that was brought up, and Commissioner Castro brought up, you know, having conversations, I've spoken with residents in this neighborhood about the project. I've spoken with the development team as well, or the prior development team about the project. So I have had ex parte communication about this. But THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO IMPACT THAT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO HAVE ON THEIR ENJOYING THEIR HAVE ON THEIR ENJOYING THEIR PROPERTIES. PROPERTIES. THERE'S A HOUSE ACROSS THE THERE'S A HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET WHICH WILL HAVE THE STREET WHICH WILL HAVE THE DRIVEWAY COMING OUT RIGHT IN DRIVEWAY COMING OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME. FRONT OF THEIR HOME. THAT HAS BEEN THEIR CONCERN AND THAT HAS BEEN THEIR CONCERN AND AS FAR AS WHAT I SAW IN THE AS FAR AS WHAT I SAW IN THE DESIGNS AND I COULD BE CORRECTED, DESIGNS AND I COULD BE CORRECTED, THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. I DON'T THINK THAT GIVING CRYSTAL ACADEMY 5,000 SQUARE FEET FOR 99 YEARS IS ENOUGH. I THINK CRYSTAL ACADEMY, THE NEED FOR CRYSTAL ACADEMY AND ITS GROWTH ALREADY EXISTS TODAY. I MEAN, THE AUTISM NUMBERS AND MARY, YOU KNOW THESE BETTER THAN I DO, ARE CONCERNING. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED AT LEVELS WHICH ARE WAY HIGHER THAN OURS. WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO ADDRESS THEM. We really need to tackle the autism issue, ensuring that the number of autistic children does not continue to rise. I think we're right now at one out of every 36 children, is that correct? One out of 31, and the last time we spoke it was 36. This was a couple years ago when I visited Crystal Academy. The need for schools like Crystal Academy continues to grow every day. You're capping it at 5,000 square feet. Crystal Academy in 10, 15 years is going to be maxed out. And we need to ensure that Crystal Academy has the ability to grow within its campus so that in 15 years, Crystal Academy isn't again in a situation where they don't fit or they don't have the ability to provide the services to additional students who need it. The Crystal Academy model works, and it has worked for many children in our community. I think we're kind of trapping them into a situation where they're limited. It's unfortunate that Crystal has been used during this whole process and has been dragged along for five years with uncertainty because the parents are correct. Uncertainty is not something that's good when you have a child in this situation where they've grown accustomed to this environment and readjusting to a new environment is going to be extremely difficult. I mean, are you even able to make decisions today about changes to this plan, Mr. Navarro?

I have my client here, and we are. I mean, I think, you know, we went ahead, and as you've seen, have made three significant changes to the project already with The conditions that we've agreed to.

All right. So I have a couple of things. One, is there any flexibility in the amount of space that's being given to Crystal Academy for growth, whether it's current growth or whether it's space that can be, I guess, repurposed in the future for the ability for growth for Crystal Academy?

So with the recent change, there's been an additional 500 square foot added to the facility. I mean, we've been working with Crystal Academy throughout this process. This is what they need. I mean, they have the ability now to be able to program that space a lot more efficiently. As you see, one of the conditions of approval is that actually there'll be more children than they currently have today. So they have the opportunity to grow. I think, if I'm not mistaken, it's here 65 or 70 children that now could be accommodated in the conditions of approval. 75, actually. So 30 additional kids. They're almost doubling the capacity.

Right. But again, if we go over the autism numbers, I think that need is going to continue to grow year over year. I want to make sure that Crystal Academy is set up to have the ability to grow if they need to grow in the space or in the building where they're in.

I mean, I think we cross that bridge when we get there right now. It's trying to preserve. an organization that if it's lost, it's impossible to replicate. And right now, they are in a facility that is essentially falling apart. They have no ability to repair it. I mean, it's a very rough situation, and this is going to be probably the top autism facility in South Florida when it's completed with this build-out. Obviously this is rent free right now they have a huge overhead every single month. Not only with repairs but with the cost of just maintaining this property. That will go away and at that point. They may be have more opportunities to do different things and right now I think. When we started this project 5 years ago was urgent right to get to get them a new facility and now 5 years later, it's a we're up against the clock. We can't solve all these problems at once, but this is going to, you know, really put a big dent into what's needed out there in terms of creating a new facility for 75 children who really need the service.

As far as the park. WHAT IS THE OBJECTION TO PLACING THE PARK AT THE LOCATION WHAT IS THE OBJECTION TO PLACING THE PARK AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE GARDEN OF OUR LORD IS? WHERE THE GARDEN OF OUR LORD IS? I MEAN, I THINK WHEN WE'RE I MEAN, I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INTENT OF THE TALKING ABOUT THE INTENT OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD TO PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD TO HAVE THAT BUFFER WITH THE WOMEN'S HAVE THAT BUFFER WITH THE WOMEN'S CLUB, THE OPEN SPACE OF THE I guess, across the street from where the Garden of Our Lord is located. That would add that open space to the front of the building and really alleviate the main concern that the residents in the area have about preserving that piece of land.

We understand those concerns that residents have with the Garden of Our Lord. It has been a battle that has gone on for way too long, unfortunately. The architectural process and the zoning process were used as reasons to try and preserve the garden. The women's club facility where they actually have the facility is actually on the east side. The planning and zoning board wanted a buffer from that facility. That's what the open space is not historic, you know, has been trying to allege here. What's historic is the actual building, which is on the east side, which is why the planning and zoning board wanted that buffer. So from a planning perspective and a compatibility perspective, that's why we put it there. The school is on the east side of the property today. That's where they've operated. The internal circulation to accommodate internal pickup and drop-off for the school and not have it going on on the street requires them to be on the east side of the property. And it's just the way this, you know, when you're looking at a project that's trying to integrate a school into a mixed-use project, you know, there's a lot of things at play. Whereas the... backup house, electrical vaults, access, open spaces, all these things going on. That is the location that makes this project work. And rotating it, we, you know, when we said we'd study it, I know Albert could attest to this, we thought it was going to be a pretty easy thing. You just flip it right on the page. But it is a Big redesign, which is why we said listen, we will agree to the condition, but please you know, make sure that's done as part of the final design stages because it is going to be a big rework for this project internally moving that completely across to the other side of the property. You know. I don't think it accomplishes much. You actually lose, I think, that buffering effect from the women's club. And I know that people have talked a lot about Garden of Our Lord. I don't know how many people who actually say the Save the Garden of Our Lord have actually been there. I've been there a hundred times in the last five years. I could tell you, I mean, if that was my backyard, I'd be calling someone immediately to come scrape that in. landscape it there is nothing of value there to preserve so I just don't know what you know moving it there might be some you know nostalgia about it but there really is nothing that we're effectively preserving and I think it leads to not such a great design project if it was to be moved which is why I actually agree with the recommendation of planning and zoning board when we looked at it it was actually a very good recommendation in terms of design

But if you look at it from the perspective of the neighbors who live there, this is something that they have treasured, whether they've been able to use it or not because of the condition it's been in. We know that the church had huge financial issues for many years, and they were unable to maintain it. For them, it does mean something. And I think that that is a goodwill gesture that the developer can make towards the neighborhood that they're putting this project in and really making an impact. And I think you may even be able to get a few extra square feet for Crystal Academy if you move the location of the school to the other side, giving them that extra space. I think we're still in a design problem. I'll let you finish.

I can tell you this. It's been five years. We had those discussions early on. And there were some things we could have done, not putting it exactly there, but a lot of things. If we could have done that that easily and make this project work, we would have done it because, you know, we it's been a long journey. But it just it does not work for the project to have that open space at that corner. I'm going to let Albert.

Yes, I would like to view it this way commissioner because we have been a part of this process, this collaborative process with the city and our staff. We see that the neighbors and the community is getting a lot more than they have today. Today is a private property, a private garden. Today they don't have the wider sidewalks, the wider streetscape that we are implementing on this project. Today they don't have the park after hours that they have in the corner, 4,000 square feet. Today, they don't have access to a beautiful courtyard through a beautiful paseo. Today, they don't have all that connectivity, all that beautiful pedestrian realm that we're bringing forth on this project. So I think we are lending a lot to the neighborhood. That's how we, as an architect, as someone who has had the opportunity to design a project in this beautiful city, views it.

And I understand that perspective, but it's like going to buy a car. You want one specific feature. In order to get that feature, they throw in 20 others thinking that those are features that you want. You don't necessarily want it. I don't think that's what the community is asking for here. I think the one thing they're asking for is for the preservation of that open space at that location. And if we are having an open space, all I'm asking is why not just move it over to that other side? I'm not even asking you to do the exact same footprint. I'm asking you to keep the same square footage that you've designated for the park. Just move it to that location. And again, it's a goodwill gesture to the residents who live in that neighborhood. Let's end this five-year process on a happy note where people feel like they were able to work with you to get the one thing that they've been asking for all this time. Because at the end of the day, they're going to have a nine-story building in front of their homes, in front of their windows. Let's give them that park. Just move it over to the other location. That is the request that I'm making to you. That's the simple request that I'm making.

Mr.. Mr.. Navarro, it's a brief question Piggyback off for Commissioner friends. I think just starting a little bit more clarity How large is the garden of our Lord how many square feet is it?

Depends how you define it today is zero, but that area the open space 20,000 square feet Yeah, but I mean I just throw it not not where the playground is now with the playground it we have our neighborhood Just the area where we're

where the actual garden is. How many square feet is it? Probably less than 3,000 square feet. OK. All right. I want to give more context to Commissioner Frans. Is the issue having to do with the fact of the way that the residential is stacked on top of the area that the PSAB may be requested and that all those residential units would be lost? if that park was installed. Is that, I mean, we're having a frank conversation here. We're trying to get to a, trying to bring this in for a landing. Yeah, I mean. And I'm trying to give more context because if you put a, let's say a 5,000 square foot park, excuse me, 5,000 is kind of the smallest park we have in the city. Right, Mr. Manager, would you say 5,000 square feet? When you put a 5,000 square foot park, how many units do you lose on that vertical stack If you wanted to if you wanted to have a park there you'd say let's shift that density intensity on top of the building and maybe add an additional floor I know nobody wants to add an additional floor, but I'm asking you Gotta find a way to skin the cat here and find a resolution So what do you think?

So that would be approximately 25 units 25 and that's a conservative estimate Just want to put that on the mix here. And the way this project is worth, I mean works, is that obviously There is a certain threshold where we're making the significant financial investment. Of course. That it just won't work anymore. No, I understand. Yeah.

And that's my next point. I mean, again, you're going to make a significant investment. And I have my asks that I'm going to ask you, which are not as complicated as this one, even though after reading the PZAB minutes, I kind of agree with PZAB. But let me ask you a question. Commissioners, finish what you're saying. Well, I guess I never got an answer.

I don't think that's possible. I mean, I really don't. Not only now at this stage, we don't even know what that would do. It would just put the project on pause again. And you've heard from a lot of people today. Actually, if you took count today, I think there was only nine people I spoke against, maybe 10. There was 22 people in support, 500 petitions in support. And not from, you know, from around here. This is in the neighborhoods. 522 people in support of this project from that neighborhood. When we first showed up here four years ago, there was probably 100 people against us. The issue of the garden of our Lord is not really the issue anymore. Yes, there are a few people that are passionate about it, but it's not a big community issue. You've heard from the residents. They want to see a site activated. You've heard from the parents. They need this school today. We need to make a decision. We can't keep. going back and forth because we're just putting this project at jeopardy and this project, unfortunately for Crystal, has a ticking clock.

But Mr. Navarro, this is not about pinning one resident versus another because of what their demands are, what the requests are, what they would like to see. This is a simple request. I'm not asking you to get rid of units because you already have an area designated as green space, as open space. So you're not losing it.

You're just shifting it to a different location. If this project was a perfect square,

Right, and I understand there are dynamics in this project which are different from others.

I understand that. This property is like a trapezoid. So the moving of that over there is not as simple. The fact that we rotated it and in three weeks were able to come up with a conceptual site plan of it, shifting it to the complete other side, what happens to Crystal's public open space then? We're going to have children that don't get to have open space amenities for the children, which, you know, we were discussing how important you know, the need for autistic programming is, and outdoor recreation is a critical component of that. What happens to that open space amenity? Where do we get the space for that?

Let's take it back five years. You've had five years to design this project with the park at that location. Yes.

And the developer time and again has never done that. Because it's not possible.

It is possible. It absolutely is. Anything is possible. It is possible. You're just not going to make as much money as you'd like to make. That's the bottom line.

It's not making as much money is that...

It doesn't make as much financial sense.

It would basically, the project could not afford to have Crystal Academy come in, be completely built out, and rent free for 99 years.

What percentage of the project is Crystal Academy?

It's not a percentage, it's the cost of the construction.

You know what, okay, I'm... I mean... You're saying it like Crystal Academy is the majority of the project. It is not. It is a small footprint, which is, again, my other concern is the fact I don't think you're giving Crystal Academy enough space long run. You're talking about 99 years where Crystal Academy is going to be bootstrapped to 5,000 square feet. So, you know, I think...

Again commissioner, if I may, I'll record this. We started working five years ago on this and the first things we did is we looked at the possibility of leaving the garden where it's at. Logistically, it wasn't possible for many reasons. We were trying to allocate the parking system, a two-bay parking system, which serves the entire building and to be lighter, only to be adequately urbanistically with the best solution possible. That has to happen on the east where the site has the ability to grow, right, or to establish a parking circulation. The other one is basically cut off by the angle. So by doing that, the school needed to be on the double height areas of the parking to the east. By doing that, the circulation to the school and the drop off areas needed to be to the east. And by doing that, the associated open space needed to be with adjacency to the school. used to the other side, it would destroy the logistics of having what we have today, which is a complete liner system of active spaces on Antilla and on East Ponce, right, to establish that, you know, what we all want, the urbanistic active spaces. Introducing in the middle of that another space, which is the school, would destroy the adjacency, would destroy the internalized parking circulation, the actual lining of a parking on the upper floors. We looked at it from the very beginning. I can tell you, we looked at it so many times through this process. We went five times to the board of architects and they consider we had the appropriate massing elements, the appropriate placement of the parking. And we enjoy that collaborative effort because that's what made what we truly feel is today a project that it's all the check marks have been I can honestly tell you from our side and from a planning standpoint and from an architectural standpoint, moving that to the other side for implementing a portion of property that is private and it's a garden, we thought that all the other elements that we could offer the community, as we mentioned before, you know, the additional open space. Now we have 32% of the property being open space instead of nothing today. We have the wider sidewalks, the wider pedestrian elements. I think that that makes a unique project and a unique opportunity for that area, for that particular city block. I really do.

I mean, I understand, and I appreciate you breaking it down to the needs of the project as well. There's logistics involved. Mr. Navarro and I worked on another project, North Ponce, and I got similar concerns at that point from the architect that we couldn't relocate the entrance because residents didn't want it in the residential neighborhoods, and it was done. And we had zero opposition to that project when that project was approved by the commission three months ago. It took work. It took a lot of meetings with residents, and it took a lot of concessions on both sides. But we were able to come up with a project that preserved the green space, gave the residents the buffers that they were looking for, removed the entrance ramps from the residential or the single-family streets. So where there's a will, there's a way. I'M NOT GOING TO PRETEND TO BE AN ARCHITECT. I'M NOT GOING TO PRETEND TO TELL YOU THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO. MY REQUESTS I THINK ARE SIMPLE. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR CRYSTAL ACADEMY. AND I THINK THE GARDEN OR THE PARK AREA SHOULD BE MOVED TO THE OTHER LOCATION.

COMMISSIONER LOVELL. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AS COMMISSIONERS TO REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. to the best of our ability, but not all people share the same thoughts, views, or opinions at the same time. So we're not here to make the easy decision, we're here to make the difficult decisions. I happen to respect very much all the sides that were represented here today, but for me, one of the most important things to consider, and it's not, as many have said so far, it's not about Crystal Academy, That's not the main focus here, even though that's the only one that I'm aware of where you have a dedicated staff to help out the people who need the most help right now. And that's something that's important to me, you know, the children who are getting the care, the unique specialized care when you suffer from a disability like autism. You know, and I've been involved for over a decade with Easterseals. So I'm the chair of development, you know, and that's one of the leading organizations around the country to provide that kind of support as well as raise awareness. So that's a real existing, unique, and vital service that's being provided today. By comparison, you know, the Garden of the Lord, I think it was created sometime in 1951. It certainly is not the kind of landmark, designated, iconic, historical locations that came from the 1920s as part of Merrick's plan and vision. It simply wasn't. I'd be the first one to say, let's find a new place to start a new Garden of the Lord. Not so simple to start a new Crystal Academy. Certainly not as impactful. And while I share... Commissioner Fernandez's concerns about wanting to open and provide as many opportunities for Crystal Academy as can be provided. You know, the applicant is a private business. Crystal Academy is a private business. As was said before, it's an amazing opportunity to be provided a rent-free 99-year lease when in this environment there's tremendous overhead that Mary and her team are taking on. Increased overhead also means increased cost to the parents to be able to use those services. So I think that the applicant has done a laudable gesture to provide the space to modernize, improve, and make it a bigger and even a bigger space and a bigger group of children that can use it. I don't think the Crystal Academy and who am I to opine besides saying is constrained or prohibited from growing perhaps who knows what the future holds for now there isn't a foreseeable increase to the square footage allotted but if Crystal Academy wanted to open up another location no one's prohibiting from them from doing that as well depending on the needs and financial circumstances they may unfold from my perspective You've got to make a decision based on what makes the most sense under the circumstances. And I believe that from what I have seen over this somewhat tortured period of time is that the will of the people is more reflective of being in support of this development. Not everyone is going to be in alignment. Not everybody wants the same thing. But I have seen and heard quite a bit of support for it. And why? You know, some of the obvious reasons are there's a high demand for housing in particular in Coral Gables and specifically in that area. We would be then approving a project that can provide additional housing when the demand is so high. And when you can meet that demand by providing the additional supply, I believe that you would then be providing the economic support to drive the economic engine for the small businesses not only in the Ponce area, but Coral Gables downtown district in general. I see a lot of upside to this project. Is it perfect? No. But if we wait for perfect, if we wait for everyone to be in agreement, no matter how idiosyncratic, personal, or unique your view is on it, then We would never expand. We would never develop. We would, I believe, go static and then regress. And that's how a city does not grow, does not improve. Merrick's original version was to develop. Merrick was the first developer of Coral Gables. And I would consider him to be from Coral Gables. He moved here when he was 12. You know, but they're from out of town, that family originally as well. So I have one specific question though for the applicant, Mr. Navarro. Commissioner? So good to see you again. Good to see you as well. You know, it has been raised that Crystal is unsure about its future should this be approved for the period of time that the construction will be ongoing. Can you shed some light on what maybe perhaps can be done to accommodate? Or I missed something along the way. Is there some plans that are being discussed or something that's been already decided?

So the timing is important, which is why we're trying to get this project approved. We're behind schedule on what we have planned. But Crystal Academy, the relocation period has to be in the summer. And we've been working with Mary. Fifield and her team we're targeting next July next July as the move date. We're currently working with other governmental agencies and ourselves to find an alternative location where they can move to while this project gets constructed Idea to have this space ready, you know, and we'll work with your manager to see if we CO that space first so they could come in while the rest of the building is completed.

Right, that's important because, I mean, A linchpin of this, right, is that this space be provided for the 99-year period, but there must be a crystal academy to take occupancy.

Yes, and there will be. There will be continuity. We need to move quick because July is when, and Mary's looking at me, I know, July of next year is the date that we have to... DO THE RELOCATION?

SO I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE ON SO I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FROM THE DIAS, SEVERAL OCCASIONS FROM THE DIAS, THAT AN INFIRMITY THAT WE HAVE THAT AN INFIRMITY THAT WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH ON THE PNZ BEEN DEALING WITH ON THE PNZ WAS DELAY, DELAY, AND DELAY. WAS DELAY, DELAY, AND DELAY. AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES IT AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES IT TAKES ON THE APPEARANCE IF NOT THE TAKES ON THE APPEARANCE IF NOT THE ACTUAL FORM OF WEAPONIZING IN ACTUAL FORM OF WEAPONIZING IN ORDER TO KILL NOT IRRESPONSIBLE ORDER TO KILL NOT IRRESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT So I am not in favor of that. I thought we saw that occur in a way, in a distinct way, when the mark on US-1 was being debated endlessly with the idea that time will wound all deals. So this has been a very long period, five years. I note that the PNZ hasn't been voting in lockstep on the various ordinances. It's a 4-3, and then it would have a 5-2 vote, and then a 6-1. What that reflects to me is that there's been great consideration made by the members of that board. Each has provided their view. Each has voted according to their charge. And it has been the majority in each of the ones that have come before us. Not done overnight, not done in a hurry. but measured, and in the end, providing variable guidance for us here on the Commission. So thank you for your participation. Thank you all for your comments that came today. I will be supportive. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner. My comments will be brief, but I want to touch on something that Commissioner Arlotto brought up, and I thought he spoke very eloquent, and I agree with most of his comments. The mark is a perfect example. It was an item that went before the PZAB, was stricken down unreasonably, and was later taken up by the county using the RTZ, and we ended up with a building, I want to be correct on the record, I think two floors taller than what was being proposed on the planning and zoning board. I know nobody wants to face that, but members of the Planning and Zoning Board, instead of working collaboratively, they ended up going towards the RTZ route of the county. And it is a public record, and it was when they proposed it was a six-story building, and they ended up going the RTZ route and going eight stories. That is the kind of situation that we're in. We've lost control due to preemption, both at the state, who live local, and at the county with the RTZ. But we have to be very methodical moving forward. Very methodical doesn't mean we approve things to approve things, but we have to be very methodical moving forward. So to say that I'm fond of Crystal Academy and the work that they've been doing there, all short. When you think about Coral Gables and what makes Coral Gables special, this is what makes Coral Gables special. I have spent a lot of time at Crystal Academy, lots of time. I've invested my own time, my own money, selfishly. Why? I won't ruin it for you. Spend some time at Crystal Academy and you'll figure it out really quick when you walk in there. Step onto that campus. and spend some time with those kids. Run into them here at City Hall. Run into them on Miracle Mile, on Ponds, when you're grabbing your lunch. Spend some time with Mary. She is an amazing human being. She is an exceptional human being. Sometimes I wonder how she does it. Truly a gift from God, and I'm grateful to have you as a friend. I do have some questions for you, Mr. Navarro. And I'm happy that after five years, this is coming to an end, one way or another. When we were looking at, I think it was page 68 or page 48, can we go back to that? We can. Commissioner Fernandez talked about having some opportunity for growth, I noticed that there was an adjacent living space. I'm not going to ask you to give me 25 units for the green space, but I'm going to ask you to give me one of those living spaces next door for Crystal. Do you have that up there, page 48? And I'm going to give you the opportunity to consider it between first and second reading.

I appreciate that.