By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Board will review a set of Comprehensive Plan text amendments on Wednesday, December 10. These amendments update the City’s long-term land-use blueprint — the policies that guide what kinds of development the City may consider in the future — and would create the foundation for the proposed University Station Rapid Transit District Overlay. The revisions support a broader regulatory structure the city began advancing earlier this year as redevelopment interest grows along the South Dixie Highway corridor surrounding the University Metrorail Station. The hearing marks a step toward aligning the City’s long-range plan with zoning and map changes approved on first reading by the City Commission in October.

The proposed amendments define the Overlay as a new component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and add a policy that sets expectations for mixed-use development, mobility, and land-use form within the district. They also authorize a maximum floor area ratio of 3.5 for parcels within the Overlay, consistent with the intensity levels that the City has already applied through first-reading zoning actions. These changes respond to both local planning objectives and the regional context created by Miami-Dade County’s recent expansion of the Rapid Transit Zone.

Proposed comprehensive plan amendments

The Comprehensive Plan text amendments introduce the University Station Rapid Transit District Overlay as a formal element of the City’s land-use policies. The amendments identify objectives for development near the station, including support for mixed-use projects, multimodal mobility, and urban design standards. They also simplify the mix of required and permitted uses within the district and establish a maximum FAR of 3.5, with provisions that interact with the City’s Transfer of Development Rights program for additional intensity under certain circumstances.

These revisions update several sections of the Comprehensive Plan to ensure consistency with the Overlay and with the zoning structure considered by the Planning and Zoning Board in July. They also set the parameters for how height, intensity, and uses will be reviewed when future applications come forward. The staff report notes that these changes provide the necessary policy foundation for the zoning and map amendments already approved on first reading by the City Commission.

Overview of the University Station Overlay

The Overlay applies to properties along the South Dixie Highway frontage between Caballero Boulevard and Turin Street, adjacent to the University Metrorail Station. It outlines development standards and land-use expectations for the district, including provisions for mixed-use intensity, architectural character, and pedestrian access. The Overlay functions as the City’s framework for shaping redevelopment in a high-visibility area where transit access, institutional uses, and commercial activity converge.

Materials included in the hearing packet show how the Overlay integrates with the surrounding context. Maps and aerial images highlight the district’s location relative to the University of Miami to the north, multifamily and commercial uses along the corridor, and established residential neighborhoods to the south and east. The Overlay concentrates higher intensity toward transit assets and major roadways while maintaining transitions to lower-scale areas.

The Planning and Zoning Board previously reviewed the Overlay’s zoning components in July, recommending approval of related map and text amendments. The City Commission approved revised drafts on first reading in October after discussing the importance of maintaining a consistent regulatory structure as redevelopment proposals evolve.

Summary of County RTZ actions

Miami-Dade County adopted its own regulatory framework for the area on September 3 when it created the Coral Gables / University Station Subzone within the Rapid Transit Zone. That action establishes County jurisdiction over parcels located within one-quarter mile of the station and outlines development standards, design requirements, and review procedures that apply under County authority. The County ordinance supersedes the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code for properties included in the subzone and introduces its own compatibility and glazing requirements, as well as landscaping standards tailored to Coral Gables’ character.

The County ordinance also directs County leadership to coordinate with the City on a potential interlocal agreement. The timeline presented in the City’s PowerPoint presentation shows that the County’s actions began in May, moved through committee review in July, and concluded with final adoption in September. The City’s process followed in parallel with Planning and Zoning Board review in July and first-reading approval in October.

The Comprehensive Plan amendments now before the City’s Planning and Zoning Board position the City to maintain a meaningful regulatory path for future applications alongside the County’s RTZ system.

Land use, zoning changes in the district

The Future Land Use Map changes included in the supporting documents shift several parcels from Commercial Low-Rise Intensity to Commercial High-Rise Intensity. One parcel designated Mixed Use retains that classification but becomes part of the Overlay’s policy structure. These land-use changes correspond to zoning transitions from Mixed-Use 1 to Mixed-Use 3 that were approved on first reading by the City Commission in October.

Maps in the staff report show the effect of these changes at the parcel level. The district extends along the South Dixie frontage and includes five properties at 1150, 1190, 1250, 1320, and 1350 South Dixie Highway. Surrounding uses include institutional buildings to the northwest, multifamily housing and commercial uses to the northeast and southwest, and a combination of parks and residential structures to the southeast. The proposed land-use and zoning changes align the district with the scale of development typically associated with transit-oriented areas in the City’s broader planning framework.

Schedule and review process

The Planning and Zoning Board will consider the Comprehensive Plan amendments on December 10 under the state’s expedited procedures for plan amendments. If the Board recommends approval, the amendments will proceed to the City Commission for second reading. Adoption would complete the policy structure needed to implement the Overlay and align future zoning reviews with the district’s land-use goals.

The meeting will take place in the City Commission Chambers from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Residents may participate in person or through the City’s virtual comment system. The proposed amendments, maps, staff report, and supporting materials are available through the meeting agenda.