Coral Gables approves dog park rezoning hours after judge denies injunction
A judge cleared the way, and the Coral Gables City Commission didn't wait. Hours after Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Joseph Perkins denied an emergency injunction Tuesday morning, July 7, commissioners approved the zoning change for a proposed dog park at 520 University Drive at their evening meeting by a 3-2 margin.
The underlying lawsuit challenging the project remains active, with a hearing on the city's motion to dismiss set for Monday, Aug. 3, and a trial scheduled for December 2026.
What the judge decided
Judge Perkins ruled from the bench Tuesday morning after a hearing that stretched roughly six hours the previous day at the Miami-Dade Justice Center before closing arguments continued via Zoom on July 7. The University Green Neighbors Association and resident Jose Val Cohen had asked the court to bar the city from acting on the ordinance until the lawsuit could be resolved.
City Attorney Cristina Suárez told commissioners at the July 7 meeting that the court denied the motion for injunctive relief but emphasized the case isn't finished. "The lawsuit proceeds. We were able to have today's second reading, but the lawsuit proceeds. There's been no final determination," she said.
How commissioners voted
Mayor Vince Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara voted in favor of the ordinance on second and final reading. Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez voted against — the same 3-2 split from the Wednesday, June 3, first reading.
About 45 minutes of public testimony preceded the vote, with most speakers representing the neighborhood association and raising concerns about traffic safety, environmental impacts and lack of notice.
What the ordinance changes
The ordinance amends conditions attached to the roughly 40,000-square-foot city-owned parcel since 1972, when it was rezoned from single-family residential to special use. Previously, the land could only serve as overflow parking for the nearby Coral Gables Library and War Memorial Youth Center. The new ordinance removes that restriction and eliminates a reverter clause that would have returned the property to single-family zoning.
Planning Director Jennifer Garcia clarified at the meeting that the property's special use zoning designation itself did not change. The parcel can now be used as a public park in addition to overflow parking.
Money and timeline questions
Attorney Sylvia King, assisting residents in the lawsuit, told commissioners that during the court hearing, "the city admitted there are no funds and no donors for this project" and represented it would be "at least three years before it could move forward." King was characterizing testimony given during the injunction hearing.
The concept plan calls for 1,180 linear feet of fencing, 7,500 square feet of artificial turf and 21,350 square feet of natural sod, with materials estimated to exceed $250,000. The park would be funded entirely by private donations, and city policy requires a separate commission vote to accept any donation over $50,000 before construction can begin.
Alternate site on the table
Resident Lynn Guarch Pardo presented a PowerPoint outlining 20 reasons to relocate the dog park to the Youth Center's west parking lot along Segovia Street, arguing it is already zoned for park use, doesn't border single-family homes and has existing water, electrical and drainage infrastructure.
Vice Mayor Anderson asked City Manager Peter Iglesias to have staff review the alternate site and report back. Iglesias agreed.
What's next
The city's motions to dismiss the lawsuit and to stay discovery go before Judge Perkins on Monday, Aug. 3. Trial is scheduled for December 2026. The litigation had cost the city $10,763 in outside legal fees as of the June 3 commission meeting, according to City Attorney Suárez.
