The Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Board will convene Wednesday, July 2 to consider a slate of ordinances that signal major shifts in how the city plans for density, resilience, and public accountability. The most consequential: the creation of a new “University Station Rapid Transit District Overlay,” which would open the door to more high-rise development on U.S.1 across from the University of Miami and its Metrorail Station.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at City Hall.
Bold zoning rewrite across from UM
The evening’s highest-profile item involves two companion ordinances that would amend both the city’s Comprehensive Plan and its Zoning Code to allow high-rise, mixed-use development at five parcels along South Dixie Highway. The properties—located at 1150, 1190, 1250, 1320, and 1350 South Dixie Highway —are currently zoned for low-rise commercial use. If approved, the change would reclassify them to “Commercial High-Rise Intensity” and embed them within a new “University Station Rapid Transit District Overlay.”
The proposal is a cornerstone of Coral Gables’ evolving approach to transit-oriented development. It aims to concentrate density near major transportation infrastructure while supporting pedestrian activity and multimodal access.
City planners say the overlay is designed to promote smart growth along a key regional transit corridor, connecting Coral Gables more seamlessly to the Metrorail system and surrounding neighborhoods. The zoning amendments would also reclassify the parcels from “Mixed-Use 1 (MX1)” to “Mixed-Use 3 (MX3),” allowing for taller buildings and greater intensity of use.
As part of the change, the city would expand its Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program to include the new overlay zone—potentially offering property owners greater flexibility in redeveloping sites by transferring unused development rights from historic properties elsewhere in the city.
If approved, the plan would effectively transform a low-rise commercial strip into a vertical gateway tied to regional transportation infrastructure. Public comment is expected to be robust, as some residents have voiced concerns in the past about traffic, building height, and the pace of development along U.S. 1.
Stormwater rules get county-wide update
Also on the agenda is a proposed ordinance to bring Coral Gables’ stormwater standards for single-family and duplex properties into alignment with newly updated Miami-Dade County requirements. The amendment would revise zoning code sections related to residential districts and architectural standards, including definitions of key terms such as “impervious area” and “stormwater retention.”
As South Florida continues to grapple with sea-level rise and more frequent flooding, the update reflects a regional trend toward stricter management of stormwater runoff at the parcel level. City officials say the changes are intended to ensure consistency and resilience across jurisdictions without placing an undue burden on property owners.
Board attendance policy may tighten
In a move aimed at improving board governance, the Planning and Zoning Board will also consider an ordinance that would revise attendance requirements for four of the city’s appointed boards: Planning and Zoning, the Board of Adjustment, the Historic Preservation Board, and Code Enforcement.
The amendment would clarify minimum attendance thresholds and codify consequences for repeated absences, part of a broader effort to ensure reliable participation in public decision-making. Coral Gables relies heavily on volunteer boards to review development applications, adjudicate code enforcement cases, and shape the city’s architectural and historic character. Officials argue that consistent attendance is essential to maintaining procedural integrity and institutional memory.
Freeboard standards under review
Rounding out the agenda is a proposal to revise the city’s floodplain definitions—specifically, the term “freeboard,” which refers to the required height above base flood elevation that new construction must maintain. The proposed amendment would limit freeboard to a maximum of five feet in AE and VE flood zones, and three feet elsewhere within designated flood hazard areas.
The move is designed to bring consistency to flood mitigation efforts while avoiding unintended consequences for building height, aesthetics, and neighborhood scale. Adjustments to freeboard allowances have grown more common across Florida as cities attempt to strike a balance between flood resilience and architectural cohesion.
Public access and participation
In keeping with the city’s post-pandemic meeting policy, the Planning and Zoning Board will meet in person at City Hall but offer several virtual options for public participation. Residents may join via Zoom or call a dedicated phone line. Public comments will be accepted live or through the city’s e-comment portal in advance of the meeting.
City staff emphasized that any resident wishing to provide sworn testimony must appear on video and be formally sworn in. The meeting will also be broadcast live on the city’s website and on Comcast Ch. 77.
This Post Has 3 Comments
This change is not smart growth, it is a disaster to the area and to the traffic surrounding it. US1 is a parking lot, even on Sundays when there is no school or business travels. We CAN NOT handle any more density in the area. We find ourselves using back roads to bypass the mess and this is then creating high traffic in residential areas. This has got to stop. Sunset Place will be bringing on 1500 living units, 2 large properties in this area have been sold for more high rises and then there is all the construction in South Miami. You are making a mess out of our City with all your continued construction. We could not evacuate this City if we tried. Lifetime is enough. NO MORE CONSTRUCTION !!! Remember, you work for us, not your construction donors and not for your own agenda.
CG Construction
ENOUGH!
You are ruining Coral Gables. If this is approved we will no longer be the City Beautiful. There are a few who will make a lot of money approving this, but it would be a tragedy for Coral Gables and South Miami and society as a whole.
I have lived in Coral Gables for over 50 years near UM and US1 and have seen our area become more crowded, more difficult to travel in and around, less healthy and certainly less attractive with concrete tunnels being built around us. Traffic snarls have become obscene and have lessened the quality of life for residents. US1 is our major thoroughfare and cannot absorb more traffic or people. There is certainly no guarantee additional people would use Metro Rail with its limited routes!
Don’t let our beautiful residential oasis become more blighted to fill the pockets of a few.
Why are you wasting our time asking us? The arrogance of the commission and Mayor will allow them to do what they want, no matter what we say. We have been yelling for years, no more construction, but Lago and his connections to builders and developers does not hear us. Anderson does what he tells her to do. You all forget you work for us. Just like the fact that I wrote you about an issue and you did not even give me the courtesy to acknowledge my email.