By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The Coral Gables City Commission began refining new design standards for public parks created through private development projects and later conveyed to the city, focusing on how much of each space should remain true green space rather than hardscape plazas.

Mayor proposes 70/30 green-space baseline

Mayor Vince Lago framed the issue as part of a long-running effort to ensure that downtown Coral Gables receives parks that function as actual green space rather than extensions of nearby buildings at the last commission meeting November 18. “Well, this is simple,” he said. “The intent and as you have been briefed of this legislation is to ensure that all these parks that I’ve been working on for the last six, seven years in the downtown have green space are actually green. They’re not plazas. They’re not extensions of the buildings adjacent to them.”

Lago emphasized usability, shade and the need for residents to treat the spaces as parks rather than hard-surface plazas. “We want them to be green. We want people to go and enjoy them. We want there to be shade,” he said.

To guide future design, the mayor offered a baseline ratio: “I’ve said 70 percent of the park should be green space. If you’re interested in making it 75, I’m more than willing to listen to you. If you’re willing to make it 80, I just wanted to kind of do something that was 70-30.…”

Vice mayor pushes for shade and clearer definitions

Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson supported the mayor’s emphasis on greenery but urged the commission to define “landscaping” more precisely. Referring to her experience with a previous development agreement, she said, “So, 75-25 was what was required from (the) Codina (Regency Parc project on Salzedo Street).”

She argued that the directive must go beyond grass. “We also need shade trees, not just grass,” she said. “So landscaping is just not a plot of grass. What we want is places where people could enjoy the art and go see it but not have a paver plaza.”

Anderson also highlighted the need for at least some grass for pet owners, noting common complaints about strictly paved surfaces. “If you have landscaping, it’s great. We do need a patch of grass because everybody complains that the four-legged furry friends might go on a paver… a little patch of grass there makes a difference.”

Staff suggests shade-coefficient approach

City Manager Peter Iglesias told commissioners that staff has been working around a “70 to 30 split… 70 percent green” in initial designs. He expressed openness to shifting that ratio upward if commissioners preferred.

Iglesias also recommended adding a measurable standard for shade coverage. “Maybe leave it 70-30 and then look at some type of shading coefficient” he said. Later, he added, “We can look at shading, grass, landscaping, hardscape and make sure those percentages work.”

Commissioner calls for consistency with existing guidelines

Commissioner Ariel Fernandez suggested aligning the park directives with the city’s existing swale guidelines to maintain consistency across public-realm design. “Maybe we can come up with something similar to the swale package” he said.

Fernandez supported limiting the use of grass to avoid designs that lack variety or rely too heavily on high-maintenance surfaces. “Maybe we can limit. Grass up to a certain percent…” he suggested. On tree selection, he reiterated a longstanding commission preference: “We don’t want palm trees. We’ve discussed it many times. We want shade trees.”

Resolution likely to become ordinance

During the discussion, Lago suggested elevating the measure from a resolution to an ordinance to ensure it carries long-term enforceability. “Why don’t we do this? Okay. Should we codify this further than just a resolution and maybe put together an ordinance that is a little bit more robust” he said.

The commission agreed that the issue required further refinement and additional staff work. Lago concluded the item by deferring it. “Okay. All right. So I’m going to defer this till December 9th.”

The updated proposal will return next month with clearer definitions of landscaping, shade requirements, tree selection and the ratios of green to hardscape.