Coral Gables residents filled City Hall chambers late Tuesday for one of the few issues that consistently draws large crowds to commission meetings.
More than a dozen residents arrived to protest already-approved plans for an off-leash dog park in a city-owned grassy area at the corner of Segovia Street and University Drive, next to the Coral Gables library.
“We’re going to show up to every meeting, and we’re going to express that really what we don’t want is a dog park near our home,” resident Sara Cortes told the Miami Herald.
In November, Mayor Vince Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara approved the dog-friendly park after seeing strong resident support. Supporters packed the commission chambers, an unusual turnout at City Hall, and submitted more than 225 petition signatures backing the project. Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez left before the vote because of scheduling conflicts and previously told the Herald they would have supported the park as well.
On Tuesday, however, residents opposing the park packed the chambers, saying they were blindsided by the process and never asked for input. Some live directly across from the proposed site. Wearing matching green “Keep University Green” shirts, they voiced concerns about noise, health and cleanliness, increased traffic and parking congestion, and the loss of shared green space. Several residents also questioned the validity of the petition signatures, noting that some supporters lived outside the 500-foot radius or outside the city altogether, while others failed to include full names or addresses.
“I never got any notice. No one asked anything about our opinion, about having a dog park right in front of my house, and I just think that’s contrary to all the mail notices and outreach that we received as citizens with regards to other important issues in the city,” one woman told the commission.
The city already permits leashed dogs at 27 of its more than 60 parks. Off-leash access exists at the sandy dog park section of Salvadore Park at 1120 Andalusia Ave., a fenced dog park within the 1505 Ponce development, and a small-dog off-leash park near the Villa Valencia condo complex. The Underline, still under development, will also include a dog park.
The Gables dog park decision
Anderson, who sponsored the resolution, stood by her original vote alongside Lago and Lara, saying the park had “broad support.” The three commissioners also rejected Castro’s proposal to rescind the approval until further discussions with residents could take place, a decision that drew mixed reactions from the crowd.
Lago, who has spent years working to expand park access across the city, told residents he did not want the debate to “pin residents against residents.” He called for a meeting involving Anderson, Castro and residents both for and against the park to negotiate and reach a consensus on the park’s design.
“We did not circumvent the process,” Lago said. He also assured residents the city would not tolerate noise problems. City Manager Peter Iglesias said the city has not received any complaints related to existing dog parks.
The decision frustrated residents like Cortes, who said she is “not against dog parks” but opposes this specific location. It also frustrated Castro, who organizes a monthly dog walk along Miracle Mile and heard from upset residents soon after the approval.
“It’s unfair because in reality what should be in discussion is not the design of the park, it’s what type of park we want,” Castro told the Herald.
“I’m not saying let’s get rid of the park. I’m saying let’s start the process over from the city,” she added. Castro plans to introduce future legislation aimed at creating a clearer petition process to gather resident input on park projects.
Mary Powell, who led the petition effort in favor of the park and called it a “quality of life improvement,” expressed mixed feelings Tuesday. She said she was relieved the commission upheld its vote but understood that not all neighbors support the plan. Powell said she does not want the neighborhood divided and simply wants a walkable park where she can play with her dogs.
“I only want the best for them, and these are my children and they are members of my family,” Powell said. She attended the meeting with a group of residents who support the dog-friendly space.
Addressing concerns about the petition, Powell said she only referenced the number of Coral Gables residents who supported the park during the November meeting. At the time, she said she had 225 signatures from city residents. On Tuesday, she said that number had grown to more than 270.
A map Powell shared with commissioners, based on petition data, showed support from more than 100 residents across the city. A separate map presented by Castro, created by residents opposed to the park using the same petition information, showed many supporters living far from the immediate area, while nearby residents opposed the project.
What commissioners, residents say about a new off-leash dog park
Anderson, citing the success of the dog park at Salvadore Park, repeated that the University Drive location received strong support, including additional signatures submitted the day of the meeting. Anderson, Lago and Lara also noted that residents opposing the plan did not contact city leaders or attend meetings until after the vote.
“If you want to provide input, you need to come to provide input,” Anderson said, reminding residents that commissioners hold weekly office hours and are reachable by phone and email.
Powell said she did not go door-to-door collecting signatures because she is not running for office. Instead, she gathered signatures from people walking in the area, including families visiting the nearby youth center.
Some residents, including Cortes, said they were unaware a dog park was even being considered. The pediatric ER physician said she learned about the approved park only after neighbor Jose Cohen began knocking on doors to alert residents.
“They say they hear us, but no, they want to hear us on the design. … We don’t want this moving forward,” Cohen said.
Commissioner Fernandez, who supported Castro’s effort to pause the project, recalled that residents had opposed a similar dog park proposal in the area years earlier. He said he was also unaware of the vote until the day of the November meeting, describing the process as having occurred “in the cover of night,” a characterization that frustrated Lara and others.
City Commission agendas are posted a week in advance, with email notifications available. The process included a petition and a public comment period. Commissioners can also attend agenda preparation meetings with the city manager, Lara said. Castro countered that “people who are not following politics are not reading the agenda every day” and argued for additional notification methods for residents most affected.
When questioned by Lara, Iglesias explained that the city typically engages residents before converting land into a park. In cases where the land already serves as a park, the city seeks resident input during the design phase, which is where the project currently stands.
City staff presented a concept design Tuesday that includes benches, separate areas for large and small dogs, and a 25-foot buffer of native trees and landscaping designed to block views from nearby homes.
“Do not underestimate the power and reach you have as residents to reach the consensus,” Lara said.
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