A speaker who identified herself as a former preservation officer and zoning administrator for the City of Coral Gables described work on an ordinance that requires the preservation officer to review all demolition applications and, if a property is considered historically significant, refer it to the Historic Preservation Board for possible designation.

The speaker traced her connection to Coral Gables to childhood visits and said she moved to the city in 1994. “I was thrilled to live here. I moved here in 1994, and I started working for the city in 1997,” she said, adding that she later served as zoning administrator and oversaw code enforcement.

She recalled seeking guidance from then-preservation officer Ellen Agucioni when planning an addition to her home and said city staff were “so helpful.” She said a key policy accomplishment during her tenure was an ordinance setting a required preservation review for all demolition applications: “1 of the best things that we did while I was the, preservation officer, we worked on an ordinance that requires, all demolitions of any building in the city to be reviewed by the preservation officer. If that property is considered, historically significant, the preservation officer is required to take it to the Historic Preservation Board for possible designation.”

The speaker credited the city’s code enforcement and preservation processes with helping maintain Coral Gables’ appearance. She said the city’s tree-lined streets and pedestrian amenities were important to early developer George Merrick and remain central to the community’s character.

The remarks were a personal account of past city employment and ordinance development; no formal action or vote was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided.