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Residents press city to fund $50,000 master plan for Coral Gables Senior High; commission expresses mixed views
Summary
Members of Friends of Gables High and nearby residents urged Coral Gables' commission to fund a $50,000 conceptual master plan for Coral Gables Senior High to clarify campus circulation and possibilities for public access.
Public commenters at the July 2 Coral Gables budget hearing urged the commission to proceed with a $50,000 line item to fund a conceptual master plan for Coral Gables Senior High, arguing a plan would clarify public access, circulation and park uses around the campus.
Speakers from the Friends of Gables High and nearby residents said the school campus is underused for public recreation because of a lack of lighting, circulation and formal agreements with the school district. Daryl Payne, a resident, told the commission a conceptual plan would let the city work with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and private donors to identify opportunities including moving certain drop-off functions, adding lighting, and making the campus safer and more usable for residents.
Thomas Parker and Paul Savage, both affiliated with Friends of Gables High, also urged the commission to fund the architect-led study. They said the school district has engaged with cities in other cases and that a professionally drawn plan is a necessary step to reach written agreements about public access and future investments. Several speakers emphasized that residents south of Bird Road lack nearby park space and that improvements at the school could partly address that need.
Vice Mayor Anderson and other commissioners replied with cautionary remarks. Vice Mayor Anderson said she has supported public schools in the past and offered to help coordinate private fundraising; she said she had already contributed privately to school efforts. Some commissioners and attendees noted prior cases where the school district declined to add public-access conditions in exchange for private improvements, and asked that any city-funded work be matched with clear commitments from the district before larger capital spending.
No appropriation action was taken at the hearing beyond discussion; commissioners and staff agreed to continue dialogue about the scope, private fundraising potential and steps needed to secure written agreements with the district before using additional city funds.
