Coral Gables residents who want to install living seawalls already can receive a 20% reduction in city permit fees for qualifying projects. The City Commission approved the permit-fee incentive program in September 2025, and it is now listed on the city's Development Services website. It is not a pending permit-expediting measure scheduled for a Commission vote Tuesday.
Sustainability Board to Meet Wednesday by Zoom
The Sustainability Advisory Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 5 p.m. The meeting is listed as accessible by Zoom through the city's calendar. The board's posted agenda lists the meeting in the Parking Department Conference Room. The Zoom meeting ID is 820 4961 4201, according to the city's event listing.
The living seawall initiative has been developing for months. Summer Page interns Evan Coulter and Jacob Finley presented on the benefits of living seawalls to the Commission on July 7, according to SAB meeting records. Separately, the Waterfront Communities HOA Board discussed the need for a consolidated living shoreline guide, including permitting information and city fee waivers, at its June 22 meeting.
The Commission considered and approved a permit-fee incentive program, not a permit-expediting program, at its Sept. 10, 2025, meeting. The resolution directed city staff to create a program providing a 20% discount in city permit fees for qualifying living-seawall projects.
The city now says projects that incorporate living seawalls made with pH-neutral cement or that allow installation of modular retrofit panels qualify for the 20% fee reduction under Resolution 2025-342. Residents can contact Development Services at 305-460-5245 for program information, according to the city's permits page.
Pollinator Palooza and Fall Cleanup Events
The agenda also previews upcoming Keep Coral Gables Beautiful events:
- Pollinator Palooza: Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive. The event includes birdhouse building, a butterfly garden and pollinator education. It is listed on the city's events calendar and event page.
- Park(ing) Day: Sept. 18. Participants may temporarily transform on-street parking spaces into public places; applications are due Sept. 8. Details are on the event page.
- International Coastal Cleanup: Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at Cartagena Park, 6999 Old Cutler Road. Details are on the event page.
The Keep Coral Gables Beautiful program has hosted nearly 330 events involving about 40,400 participants and collected more than 1.12 million pounds of litter, recyclables and hazardous waste, the Gables Gazette reported after the board's July 22 meeting.
Outreach Gaps and Other Agenda Items
At the July 22 meeting, board member Frank Hercksen raised questions about how many residents know the city's sustainability programs exist. He said he had spoken with three neighbors who had not heard of the composting program launched in April.
"My question really is, how many more neighbors are out there [who] don't know about this program?" Hercksen said.
Matt Anderson, assistant director of mobility and sustainability, said the city's weekly e-newsletter, which reaches more than 20,000 subscribers, is the primary outreach channel, according to the Gables Gazette. The outreach discussion is listed as a standing item on the Wednesday agenda.
The board also is scheduled to hear updates on the city's vulnerability assessment, which examines sea-level-rise, flooding and storm-surge scenarios. The Block by Block monthly report and public comment, limited to two minutes per speaker, also are on the agenda.
The 11-member board is chaired by Teddy Lhoutellier. Residents can reach the board at coralgables.com/SAB or [email protected].
