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Coral Gables residents press commission over potential development behind Santander Avenue; commissioners vow 45‑foot cap
Summary
Homeowner Javier San Juan told the City Commission he and neighbors fear the recent sale of three lots on Malaga Avenue could enable a high‑rise next to their two‑story duplexes. Commissioners and staff said current code limits that block to 45 feet and pledged not to support higher rezoning without neighborhood notice.
Javier San Juan, a Santander Avenue homeowner, told the Coral Gables City Commission on Feb. 24 that three recently purchased lots on nearby Malaga Avenue raise the real prospect of a high‑rise development looming “just a few feet” from his back yard and those of five neighboring duplex owners.
San Juan said the properties at 303, 310 and 318 Malaga were acquired by a developer and that neighbors feared a condominium or seven‑story project like a nearby Alexan Crafts building could be built without adequate notice. “If such a high rise development were to be established, … it would dramatically and negatively affect our privacy, our quality of life, and not to mention the value of each of our homes,” he told commissioners during public comment.
Mayor Lago and multiple commissioners responded by walking through the property’s zoning history and restating a firm short‑term limit on the block. City staff explained the multifamily site at the north edge of University Avenue was limited to 45 feet under current code, while a separate nearby project had gone to 77 feet under a different zoning designation. Mayor Lago told San Juan, “Those homes cannot be taller than 45 feet,” and said he would oppose any rezoning request that sought to increase that cap. Commissioner Fernandez, who visited the resident’s home, urged developers to design projects that minimize privacy and view impacts.
City staff recommended the most likely product for the recently assembled parcels would be a three‑story townhouse or duplex product consistent with the 45‑foot maximum and the existing “transition” planning approach along University Avenue. Commissioners also urged the developer and residents to meet and encouraged staff to provide a map and additional context about nearby building heights before the council considers any zoning text amendments.
Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to return with data on the surrounding block’s building heights and the precise zoning and setback rules that apply to the Malaga parcels. If a developer seeks a rezoning, the commission signaled it would require formal notice and neighborhood outreach before taking any action.
