Lobbyist hints at a bait and switch for a smaller project
It was, indeed, a “slam dunk” against Ponce Park Residences, as former Coral Gables Commissioner Wayne “Chip” Withers called the planning and zoning board meeting Wednesday night where seven members voted unanimously to deny zoning variances and land use change requests from Allen Morris to build a 16- or 17-story building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
Only a seven-story building is allowed there on the property as of right — but that is only if the developer gets full access to the Mediterranean bonus on which there is currently a moratorium while the city reviews it.. Without the bonus, anything built there can only go four stories.
Resident after resident came to City Hall Wednesday to speak against the project — a massive mixed-use building with 161 residential units, 18,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 265 parking spaces.
They used sharp words to criticize Park Ponce Residences. It’s not just out of scale and incompatible with the neighborhood. It’s absurd. Disrespectful. Indecent. Grotesque.
Know more: Ponce Park Residences seeks Coral Gables P&Z nod for 16-story high-rise
“This is an indecent proposal,” said Eduardo Gonzalez Fernandez, a surgeon. “And anyone who votes for it is indecent. We really question who is getting money under the table. This is not reasonable.”
Mayra Joli, a former commission candidate — who is now, curiously, running for Miami mayor — yelled like always.
“Here we go again. You are only serving the people with the money,” Joli said, visibly frustrated and adding that the city has not heard the residents. She turned former commission candidates Alex Bucelo and Claudia Miro, the newest members of the planning board.
“Alex, Claudia, you know what these people don’t want,” she said.
The “gifting” of a piece of University Drive really set people off.
Several members of the planning board said they were offended by the remarks — particularly the “money under the table” — and noted that they hadn’t voted on the project yet. They also said that vacation of University Drive was not going to happen on their watch.
Both Bucelo and Miro came out strong on their first meeting, telling the lobbyist in no uncertain terms that the project was not going to fly.
The writing was on the wall early on. Ramon Trias, the city’s assistant director of planning, told the commission that staff had recommended denial because the project was not compatible with the area or consistent with the city’s comprehensive master plan. He said developers should follow the rules. Imagine that.
Know more: Coral Gables Commission oks zoning shift for Crafts Section, not Miracle Mile
The only thing staff recommended approval of was vacating the alley. But Trias backed away from that, because nobody wanted to do it without seeing a new project first.
In the end the board denied todo, which means it goes with the staff and board denial to the city commission.
But maybe not as is.
Allen Morris lobbyist Anthony De Yurre — son of former Miami Commissioner Victor De Yurre — hinted that commissioners may see a different project, even though the planning board wants them to start the process over again with a new project that addresses residents’ concerns. Several residents had complained that the community meetings were a charade.
Sue Kawalerski, a member of the traffic advisory board and president of the Coral Gables Neighbors Association, said she had met with Spencer Morris two weeks ago and Allen Morris surprised them. “We expected the project to have substantial changes,” she told the commission. “That’s why we took the time off to meet. And we were disappointed there were no changes.”
But now that they know they won’t get approved, now they can make changes?
Is this a bait and switch? Is Morris et al going to the commission with a 12-story building and no need to take a piece of University Drive and suddenly that’s going to sound reasonable? Like they listened to residents when, just maybe, that was the plan all along?
Commissioners should simply deny whatever project is brought before them. If it’s this project, it should be denied for all the reasons already stated. If it’s changed substantially — and it has to change substantially — then the commission should make Morris start over again and go back before the p&z board.
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Stop the Mediterranean bonus on commercial properties in our city. It only benefits the powerful, the connected and the wealthy.
” We all see that downtown Gables has been urbanized, but this colossus was the stuff of fantasy! .”
I gather most who post in the politicalcortadito forum are in Coral Gables ?
Different type of people then much of Miami which is nice .
I go once in awhile so not that familiar with it to a great non chain type mom/pop pet store there as my hobby is fish but always take the same route , very nice houses and lots of green which I love.
” The residents/taxpayers have made it very clear, we do not want any more bonuses, waivers, land use changes, vacation of alleys or streets, etc. etc.”
BEAUTIFUL .
A wise person told me ” Politicians here often work for builders other special interest , rare will you find one who deserves a second term , the voters often allow them to forget who they work for ”.
Living in Doral where due to unreal apathy of the people here the construction is obscene to the point of roaming brown outs since FPL can not keep up with the energy demand and traffic during rush hour that resembles Los Angeles ( I work at night so lucky I avoid it ) I myself would add Doral to —
”We certainly did not choose to live in Brickell, Midtwon or Miami Beach!”
Claudia Miro voted NO to a Latino? Wow. Let’s she if Miro continues to vote NO against crazy greedy out of scale projects.
Let’s make it sure that everyone undertands. Anyone trying to build in Coral Gables needs to do their due diligence to find out what can be built on the site they are looking at. If their proposed development doesn’t fit, they should not buy it. The residents/taxpayers have made it very clear, we do not want any more bonuses, waivers, land use changes, vacation of alleys or streets, etc. etc. We, the people, want the developers, City staff, electeds, board and committee members to not be confused. We have delivered our message and expect everyone to understand it. We will continue attending board, committee, sunshine meetings and workshops. We will contact our elected officials and the administration; we will be present at Commission Meetings. We will make sure that our voices are heard. We moved to Coral Gables because we like George Merrick’s vision. We certainly did not choose to live in Brickell, Midtwon or Miami Beach! Please stop forcing us to keep fighting back to keep our City how we want it to be.
We all see that downtown Gables has been urbanized, but this colossus was the stuff of fantasy! .
Following up on what No Fan said. I wonder whether it makes sense to have development projects be either/or. In other words, no “compromises”, no haggling, no negotiation.
The developer proposes a project after consultation with whomever it wants (e.g., Planning & Zoning, Board of Architects, individual commissioners, priests, rabbis, pastors, shamans, so-called community activists, QAnon, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, Bernie Sanders, AOC, Rudy Giuliani, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, socialists, anarchists, communists, capitalists, charitable organizations . . . and even perhaps the neighbors surrounding the property in question).
Then the proposed development goes up to the Commission, where the Commissioners will vote up or down, period. No haggling.
This will avoid the “negotiation” game, where as No Fan indicates, developers over-propose knowing darn well they have built in negotiation throw-aways. Then the Planning Department and the Commission will haggle to supposedly “reasonable” compromise, thinking that we the residents have extracted something of value from the developer–which we of course did not.
So, I suggest we consider ditching this game.
It should be either/or by the time the Commission gets involved. That way we will know where the individual commissioners stand. Hey, we will be able to gauge their reasonableness by their votes, not by how they played the negotiation game with the developer.
If the Commission approves the project, then the developer builds as. If not, then the developer takes its lumps, and tries again with a different proposal if it so wishes.
What do y’all think?
That corner is not great and a plaza there is not a bad idea but not to give extra FAR. After this is voted down, with a lot of grandstanding by Mayor Vince Ego no less, the city should work to close that spot on its own and create the plaza anyway.
Slam dunk? Ha! Wait and see… now the Morris representatives in the Commission will be overwriting the decision. You think Trias was on residents’ side? Think again!
Fine… Don’t believe me… just watch🤣
Gables residents made it loud and clear! 👏👍
Of course they are lowballing. It’s the Gables. It’s written in the handbook under breaking zoning 101. In presentation planning add 25%-50% extra to the initial ask as chaff to be discarded in a show of compromise and good faith to angry residents and as a political figleaf for the sycophant politicians’ yes vote